Monday, May 31, 2010

Rings

Rings are very in style.  Funky, interesting, big, noticeable rings are making their way to the stores more each season.

Here are a few fun styles that are currently in stores.




This "Triple Threat Cocktail Ring" can be found at Henri Bendel for $78.00.  Check it out: HenriBendel.com










This "Ariella Collection Enamel Dome Adjustable Ring" can be found at Nordstrom for only $58.00
Check it out:
Nordstrom.com










This "Daisy Stone Adjustable Ring" by Juicy Couture is $78.00 at Bloomingdale's.
Check it out:

















Two Finger rings are all the rage.  This one is simple but makes a serious statement.  This "Sterling Silver Two Finger Bar Ring" by Elizabeth and James can be found at Bloomingdale's for $95.00.  Check it out:






From My Closet
The following are fun rings from my closet.




This fun pink elephant comes from Top Shop.  Look for more fun rings at Top Shop: topshop.com







Hot Colors for Summer 2010

PANTONE SPRING/SUMMER 2010 COLOR REPORT


The following are this season's most popular colors in fashion, and home decor according to PANTONE, the provider of color standards for professionals world-wide.


Colors were determined based on the most prominent colors in fashion in New York Fashion Week's designer runway collections.























For PANTONE's full report including designer sketches, click here:http://www.fashiontrendsetter.com/downloads/Pantone-Fashion-Color-Report-Spring-2010.pdf





Turquoise - PANTONE 15-5519


C/M/Y/K 61 / 0 / 32 / 0
GOE 104-2-3C
Tomato Purée - PANTONE 18-1661

C/M/Y/K 13 / 99 / 70 / 0
GOE 26-3-1C

Fusion Coral - PANTONE 16-1543

C/M/Y/K 1 / 48 / 42 / 0
GOE 16-1-2C

Violet - PANTONE 16-3320

C/M/Y/K 25 / 53 / 0 / 0
GOE 45-1-3C

Tuscany - PANTONE 16-1219

C/M/Y/K 25 / 35 / 41 / 0
GOE 16-4-1C

Aurora - PANTONE 12-0642
C/M/Y/K 4 / 5 / 72 / 0
GOE 2-1-3C

Amparo Blue - PANTONE 18-3945
C/M/Y/K 81 / 47 / 0 / 0
GOE 69-1-6C

Pink Champagne - PANTONE 12-1107
C/M/Y/K 1 / 10 / 20 / 0
GOE 147-1-1C

Dried Herb - PANTONE 17-0627
C/M/Y/K 45 / 31 / 65 / 10
GOE 153-1-3C

Eucalyptus - PANTONE 15-0513
C/M/Y/K 26 / 22 / 40 / 0
GOE 153-1-1C


Saturday, May 29, 2010

Gold Statement Necklaces

An all metal, gold statement necklace is simply a must-have.

Why?
- It is classic.  My grandmother had one, and they are still fashionable today.
- They go with any outfit.  Dressed up or down, the piece will shine.
- Even on a budget, gold-plated statement pieces are equally fantastic to complete an outfit.
- Can be worn with ANY color, and any print and still look great.

Some personal favorites:


















Fiona Paxton's "Sylvie" Necklace 42" can be found at Bloomingdales in stores or online for $300.  Click here for more info: http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=337857&CategoryID=3629



Lauren by Ralph Lauren Hammered Circle Necklace can be found at Nordstrom or online for $48.00 at: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3052695/0~2376779~6008000~6024156~6024234~6024250?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6024250&P=3















This Sequin Necklace is a personal favorite of mine.  I own this interesting and unique necklace, and get compliments every time I wear it.  Can be found online at Charm & Chain for only $145.00:
http://www.charmandchain.com/products/tribal-necklace

Crazy Shoes

Because who doesn't love to admire a fantastic pair of shoes... and dream of owning them?  Why not?


Worn by Beyonce at the 2009 BET Awards.

The fringe is what makes these shoes fab by giving them chic movement.


Alexander McQueen's Outrageous shoes wowed the fashion world on the runway.








Balenciaga's colorful and industrial shoes are a statement.  A simple black dress and these shoes are all you need to be the talk of the party!


For those of us who can't afford Balenciaga, Steve Madden knocked off this great design.  And while I don't advocate knockoff's, I must admit I bought them, wore them, and got many compliments on them before I ever knew it was originally a Balenciaga design.




Another show stopper!  Simple and sophisticated, but still somehow over the top.  These beautiful Christian Louboutin shoes are super feminine with the lovely billowing bows in alternating colors.






Yves-Saint Laurent's spectacular caged shoes plastered the pages of nearly every fashion magazine earlier this year.




And last but certainly not least, Louis Vuitton makes some truly fantastic, jaw-dropping heels!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Airport Fashion

Ok, so normally you are very fashionable.  But sometimes the hottest fashions aren't appropriate for everything you do.  The airport presents some major fashion dilemmas.  You want to look great, but you also want to be a smart traveler.  And frankly, at an airport dressing like an unwise traveler doesn't make you look so good anyway.

Fashion tips from a frequent flyer on how to dress to make flying less stressful:

-Wear slip on shoes.  Get through security quicker with slip ons.  Lace ups, zip ups, or difficult to put on and take off boots hold up lines!  But a comfy pair of loafers, moccasins, or clogs make airport life easier.  Plus you may have a long walk to and from your gate.

-Wear socks!  Who knows who's been tracking what on that airport floor.  Be a smart traveler and avoid the flip-flops and sandals that require going barefoot when the shoes come off (besides, they don't take up much room in a suit-case or backpack for an easy change later on).

-Avoid costume jewelry.  It won't all set off the detectors, but much of it will!  The more you have to take off to get through the metal detectors, the more likely something will get lost in the chaos.  So pack the costume jewelry in your bag and breeze through security (sterling silver and real gold do not set off most metal detectors).

-Avoid baggy sweatshirts.  Though it's great to be comfortable on an airplane, if your shirts are too baggy you are more likely to get a pat down by some unwanted hands at the security checkpoint.  Plus, who knows who you might meet in an airport or on an airplane!  Do you really want to be caught in an untraveled looking, baggy sweatshirt?

-Wear a button down, or zip up sweater.  Air planes are often too cold or too hot, so being able to add or subtract a layer will help you be more comfortable.  Just remember, you will have to send the top layer through the security screen.

-Avoid belts if possible.  If not, try to wear a belt without metal.  This is one of the most annoying accessories to take off and put on at the airport security checkpoint.

-Wear comfortable pants.  Be it leggings, a looser fitting pair of blue jeans, or yoga pants, you have to sit for a long time in what you have on.  You may want to fall asleep, or eat at some point, so make sure you wear pants that are comfortable.

-If you want to wear a skirt, wear a skirt that hangs past the knees.  You don't want to accidentally expose anything if you shift positions in your seat!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Look Out For Ikat


A new trend is emerging from it's infant stages.  Ikat fabrics are showing up more and more, and by this time next year promises to be a must-have trend, both in home fashion and clothing.  This hot spring look is bohemian chic.

Ikat fabric is a labor intensive, hand woven textile.  This type of fabric has been produced for centuries.  Today, fashion visionaries are using this old technique to create new fashion.

Be ahead of the fashion curve, and start dressing your home with this great style!














Start wearing Ikat fashion!


Shirt can be Found at TopShop: http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=19551&storeId=12556&productId=685558&langId=-1&categoryId=&parent_category_rn=

Monday, May 24, 2010

Valerie Steele and the FIT Museum



Today I had the pleasure of hearing Valerie Steele, renowned author and curator of the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum.  Valerie received her Ph.D. from Yale and focused her dissertation on fashion, against the advice of her professors.

According to Valerie, fashion wasn't seen as a "serious" thing to study.  Fashion still seems to have this stigma of being fluff rather than serious academia.  However fashion schools including FIT, FIDM, and Parsons are gaining in popularity (all over the world).  Student's are studying fashion and in a serious way.

Valerie discussed some of the ways in which she investigated fashion in a professional academic way.  For example, she talked about a theory that doctors had in the 1800's.  Doctors at the time theorized that women with curved spines were developing the problem due to wearing corsets.  However, based on medical investigation, women are just as likely to develop curved spines in today's non-corset wearing lifestyle.  The issue is actually a genetic problem effecting far more women than men, and having nothing at all to do with the fashion of the day.

Valerie also discussed marketing, and PR for the FIT Museum, as well as methods for acquiring new garments to the collection, careful upkeep to the collection and ways of coming up with new exhibition ideas.  The FIT Museum is small but has an impressive permanent collection of over 50,000 garments and accessories.

Located at the corner of 7th Avenue and 27th Street, the FIT Museum is a great place to visit if you are in the New York area!  They offer private back-scene tours if you call ahead.

For more info check out the FIT Museum website: http://fitnyc.edu/3662.asp

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Practice What You Preach: 5-16-10

Not Just A Lovely Face is a site for fashionable women.  There is nothing stylish about someone who is all talk.  You've got to practice what you preach.


Here are some examples so that I can show you how I practice what I preach:



Here are two spring outfits from my closet, both incorporate the "blazing blazer" as discussed on May 6, 2010: Blazing Blazer Post


...and the Straw hat, as discussed May 7, 2010: The Straw Hat


The Orange blazer on the left was purchased this season at Loehmann's.  To find a store near you: http://www.loehmanns.com/


Both pairs of shoes are from Aldo: http://www.aldoshoes.com/
Pants are 7 For All Man Kind: http://www.7forallmankind.com/


The Cream colored blazer on the right was purchased this season at Banana Republic.  To purchase this blazer click here: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=45420&vid=1&pid=745988&scid=745988002


Both straw hats I made myself in a Millinery Blocking class.  Basic Millinery Courses are offered at the Fashion Institute of Technology for both enrolled students and continuing education students.  For more info: fitnyc.edu



And Last but not least, I took my own home fashion advice last week by making a small tweek in decor.  As discussed on May 5, 2010: (In The Know), I rearranged my books to make them more fashion-friendly to the eye.

This image inspired me to "color block" my books (and movies):


Here is the result: A simple subtle change, but I love the effect.



Saturday, May 15, 2010

Home Fashion: Chair Dilemmas

I have two rather problematic chairs in my little Upper West Side, New York apartment.  Both present a huge home fashion emergency.  Comments and suggestions are GLADLY welcome in my attempt at making my apartment more fashion friendly on a budget.

If you have similar furniture issues, maybe my ideas can help!

The 1st Horror: A modern brown pleather armless swivel chair
The problem: The fabric has been torn to shreds by my darling kitty cat
Potential Solution:  Re-upholster using a fun and modern floral pattern in two colors.
While black and white can fit fashionably just about anywhere, I really love the mustard yellow color with the other colors in my apartment.


The 2nd Horror: A beautifully crafted chair form the 1850's, Denmark
The Problem:  Hideous 20 something year old grandma-style fabric that has been faded by the sun

Potential Solution:  Painted fabric.  Not a common solution, but perhaps an awesome one (Suggestion was originally made by my extremely talented aunt Leigh Ann).
The first image is more traditional but beautiful, and I love the faux finish on the wood.  The second is not my favorite design, but the technique and general idea is probably pretty close to the method I will use.  I love the whimsical and funky chairs of Tuffet Lady, who produced the chair in the third image.  

For more info on Tuffet Lady's fashion furniture click here: http://www.tuffetlady.com

I will update with photos when I get my act together to making my fashion emergency chairs more beautiful!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The September Issue: A Vogue Documentary

Everyone in fashion is talking about The September Issue.
This documentary is about Anna Wintour and the making of Vogue Magazine's september issue.  The movie is very sympathetic toward Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue.  Despite her reputation for being a cruel and ruthless boss (rumors have it that Miranda Priestly played by Meryl Streep in the Devil wears Prada is based on Anna Wintour), she comes across as a determined level-headed business woman.  While she was certainly not the warm and fuzzy type that most people hope to work for, she seemed in this film to just be trying her best to get the job done properly.

The film also featured Grace Coddington, the incredibly talented stylist for Vogue's photo shoots, who has worked at the magazine as long as Anna Wintour.  Coddington was protrayed as the hard-working yet emotional side of Vogue.  She took every photo cut personally, which was a bit much to take at times for anyone who understands the cut-throat nature of the fashion business.  It is a business that truly requires thick skin.  

However, Coddington's sweet, whimsical and emotional attititudes compliment Wintour's cold, serious and rational side beautifully.  Perhaps it is the odd differences and bizarre relationship between these two women that make Vogue the most successful fashion magazine.

Fashion icon appearances in this film include: Oscar De La Renta, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vera Weng, John Galliano and more.

This Fashionable documentary is available on Netflix Instant Que: netflix.com


What is Fashion?