Remembering an Icon

It should come as no surprise that window shopping is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy looking at the stories merchandisers and artists create – especially in Manhattan (think, Louis Vuitton, Spring 2009). The one boutique that never disappoints and is always breathtaking with just one dress is none other than Oscar de la Renta. His beautiful dresses are evidence of his love and appreciation of the female form. Senor de la Renta was a global treasure and will be greatly missed. Thankfully, we will always have the dresses; the glorious and stunning works of art. 

 As I browsed the web and read the tributes from the major media outlets, I was intrigued by how quickly writers and editors could pick their favorite pieces or his “best creations”. I mean, I don’t think I have ever seen an Oscar de la Renta dress that I did not like. I don’t think I could ever pick a favorite or even a collection of favorites. Thank you, Mr. de la Renta, for loving women and making us look and feel beautiful. Rest well!

Emmys 2014

It’s been too long since I've posted! What better way to come back than to dish about the Emmys Red Carpet! It is always a highlight for me to look at the beautiful dresses on the carpet during the glamorous award shows and this year’s carpet did not disappoint. Once again, my best dressed picks are proof of my theory that less is definitely more. When you are putting together your ensembles for any occasion, you want to be wearing your clothes, not the other way around! The great Coco Chanel reminds us, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress, dress impeccably, and they remember the woman”. Plenty of ladies got it right on the Red Carpet. Below are a few of my favorites from the night. I had lots of favorite looks. Narrowing it down was hard!

Kerry Washington in Prada! 
Did she really just have a whole baby?

Julia Roberts in Elie Saab Haute Couture 

I really want to hate Camila Alves (Mrs. McConaughey).

But she's gorgeous.
And always owns the Red Carpet.

Here, she's wearing Zuhair Murad.

Mr. Alves is wearing Dolce and Gabbana! 
Love the blue!

Halle Berry in Elie Saab.

Debra Messing, in Angel Sanchez

Julie Bowen, in Peter Som
I'm a sucker for a print gown!

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Carolina Herrera.

Natalie Dormer from Game of Thrones, in J. Mendel

Special mention goes to “BLOSSOM”, also known as “Amy Farrah Fowler”, also known as Dr. Mayim Bialik!  I saw her doing an interview and she mentioned that stylists and designers in Hollywood don’t want to dress her because she won’t wear a dress without sleeves.  I wish she would hire me!  I would gladly welcome the challenge! I love a great strapless or halter ball gown, but there is also nothing wrong with a pretty gown that covers a girl’s arms – especially when you have to attend formal events when it’s cold or if you, like Dr. Mayim, simply don’t wish to bare much skin.  Good for you for staying true to yourself.  I was inspired by your words!

As always, I am forever grateful to style.com for their incredible photos!

Best. Fashion. Advice. Ever...

If it doesn't feel right, don't wear it!

Lanvin: 125 years of French Perfection

I have a friend who recently discovered and fell in love with the fashion house, Lanvin. Naturally, she reached out to me because I am probably the only friend she has that would get as excited as she was about fashion! When she asked about the label, she said that the clothes completely captured her essence. I told her that since Lanvin is 125 years of French perfection, it made perfect sense that she would feel such a strong connection. 

Created in 1889, Jeanne Lanvin started her fashion dynasty by creating hats which quickly became popular with the most fabulous Parisians of that time. From there, Madame Lanvin began designing children’s clothing as a result of the birth of her daughter, Marguerite. She then got into costume designing – first for adult productions and later for children. It wasn’t until 1909 that the Lanvin house branched out into couture for ladies; the evolution for her business was in direct correlation with the growth states of Marguerite. Later, the line expanded to bridal, lingerie, men’s clothing, and home décor. The story is beautifully told on a timeline that can be found here.

The inside of Jeanne Lanvin’s office which has been preserved. In celebration of the 125 year milestone, Lanvin has shared photographs of the office on their Twitter and Instagram accounts. There is also a great article about the office on the Harpers’ Bazaar website. 

Lanvin also has one of the season’s “it” bags. It is their “paper bag” made of lambskin. Who else but a French design house can make a paper bag chic and have everyone coveting and buzzing about it?

Thank you, Lanvin, for 125 years of French perfection!  Here's to 125 more!

Il Sito Del Museo Gucci

The fabulous Gucci Museum in Florence now has a website! Go here to read my experience there in Florence and go here to experience one of my favorite places for yourself!

Are Leggings Pants?

This may seem a bit like a rant but it’s not! I have just been pondering this for a really long time! 

I have been observing the legging trend for quite some time and I have been working on an opinion about them that is fair and objective. I love wearing them because they are super comfortable. However, I am also really irritated when I see them out in public on some people. I have also gotten great laughs at the expense of my friends on Facebook when they encounter someone wearing leggings in public and looking completely inappropriate because they have complete melt downs which I totally understand! (This has happened lots of times by several different friends!) 

So the million dollar question is, are leggings pants? I say yes – and no… 

There are several conditions that must be met for a girl to wear leggings and not look trashy – and there is a razor thin line! The first condition that you have to consider is your body shape. Yes, you should be confident and proud of the body God gave you whether you choose to take care of it or not (another post, another time…) . However, if you are overweight (or frighteningly underweight), leggings are not for you! Just because they are sold in your size does not mean it’s appropriate for you to buy and wear so just get over it and buy the cheap ones to wear as you lounge around the house. 

This brings me to my next condition to wear leggings in public as pants… 

If you spent less than $50 on a pair of leggings, they are NOT pants, they are underwear or pajamas and nobody wants to see that in public! The safest bets for leggings as pants are leather or faux leather and skinny jeans (it looks like legging jeans have been dropped from the market). There are, however, some lycra/cotton blends that you can make work as well but they cost more than $50 and the material is thick – really thick! No lady should want strangers to be able to see her booty through thin fabric– not a good look! 

Finally, solid black and denim are the only colors where this works. Although, I will admit, I have seen some people out in a good, thick, well-made pair of print leggings or leggings in other colors and it worked but it is a huge risk (as I sit here writing in a pair of camo leggings, but hey! I’m in the privacy of my own home and not going anywhere!) 

So! Will I wear leggings outside of my home as pants? Absolutely! I love the leather and faux leather leggings and I also like to do the legging jeans in the winter. They are a great complement to my Uggs! Below are my two favorites I found while cyber shopping today…

Let’s Hear it for the Boys! They've Got Spring Fever, Too!

It was great to see the men at the Oscars thinking outside of the box with their tuxedos the other day. It got me thinking that more attention should be paid to men’s fashions. Most of the time some people say men are easy or maybe even boring to dress, but there are lots of easy, cool, and creative things that guys can do to change up their look and those who do it all of the time are great at it. The most important aspect of an impeccably dressed man is a good tailor so those suits, shirts, and separates fit perfectly along with a subtle mix of suit colors – black is not the only color for a suit! Branch out with brown, navy, gray, or even try taking a risk with a deep merlot or emerald color (but maybe just for a tuxedo on a special occasion). Smart accessorizing is also important to give the look that extra touch of polish. Since we all have spring fever right now, let’s talk about travel (preferably somewhere warm and sunny)! 

So, you've got your guy a great travel outfit; complete with great shoes which are the most important part of a man’s ensemble. The next important thing for travel is a great carry on bag. Check out my Wysh Lyst for men’s travel below. You may just want to buy these great bags for yourself and let your guy borrow them… 

Alfred Dunhill Sherborne Grip Bag

Coach Bleecker Shopper in Bar Stripe Leather

Ralph Lauren Quilted Duffel Bag

It's Mardi Gras!

Oscars 2014

I love watching the fashion at the Oscars because everyone is so elegant and glamorous. Everyone is wearing beautifully constructed formal wear and it’s just a lovely, polished evening. That being said, I had no stand out favorites. I am just really happy that all of the ladies looked really pretty on their special night. There were plenty of beautiful black and neutral gowns – always a safe way to go. You can also never go wrong with some bling and there was plenty of that on the red carpet. Also, the trend of bright colors that I believe has been started by the amazing Lupita Nyongo’o was evident and everyone who wore color wore it well. Even the men on the red carpet played with color and didn’t just stick to the traditional black. There was Dallas Buyers’ Club starts and winners Matthew McConaughey (alright, alright, alright!) and Jared Leto rocking the white dinner jackets; Michael Strahan looked great in a merlot colored tuxedo; and there was also some navy blue hued suits – way to think outside of the box, fellas!

Dsquared2

So! What does a girl wear when she’s being admitted into an insane asylum? Dsquared2 of course! That is, if she wants to be the hottest chick in the psych ward, apparently! The collection was shown with a “Girl, Interrupted” theme complete with immaculately dressed attendants to make sure the mad mavens behaved even though a few patients did go off of the deep end – they “escaped” by walking off of the runway. The line was mostly 60’s chic, with uber short skirts; delightfully luxurious textiles; and that funky Dsquared2 style that I have come to adore. The pieces were fun, girly, and edgy all at once. The show can be seen on the Dsquared2 website and the photos can be seen on style.com.

Gucci

Gucci went retro with a cool, 60’s vibe and I loved it – and not just because I had an almost religious experience at the Gucci Museum in Florence just a few weeks ago!  I like the very simple looks and the breezy, cool, pastel color palette that was used to ease us into the fall season.  That is just probably just what we will need after all of the polar vortex business this year - we are going to want summer to last as long as possible!  See the full collection at style.com.

London Fashion Week

I have had a hard time finding things to rave about on last week’s London runways.  The British; although I adore their accents - have always stricken me as odd in just about every other way. I guess this also holds true for the British fashion scene for me!  There were a few collections I checked out and below, a summary of my favorites.

Temperley London showed a couple of cute maxi dresses that I liked, because I'll always be a sucker for a maxi dress!

I was excited about Topshop because I really like the things I’ve seen since they started selling pieces in Nordstrom in the states so I looked through their collection about three times.  They seemed to be aiming for “effortlessly chic” this is what I kind of liked…

So!  Yep!  That’s all I’ve got!  Better luck in September, London!