Fall Boot Trends

When the seasons change from summer to fall, I always find myself not knowing what shoes are really appropriate for the weather that occurs between summer and winter.  Maybe it's because in Texas you truly go from wearing gladiator sandals to knee high boots because there isn't really a fall season, but I don't really know! Since moving to New York I have found myself needing that in-between season shoe.  Between last winter and spring, I invested in a cute pair of utilitarian boots that are super cute.  But it goes without saying that a girl needs more than one style of shoes and definitely more than one pair, so I have been paying extra attention to the shoe trends for the fall (or pre-knee high and thigh high boots, as I like to refer to the season as).  

The styles that seem to be the most popular for the fall are: booties and wedges. I know what you're thinking, aren't booties what you call little shoes for babies?! But in fact that they are boots that come above your ankle a little bit and come in many different styles, such as casual and hiker.  Wedges come in different styles and are meant for different seasons, but the one's for the fall are a must-have! Here are some images of fall shoe styles that you should try this season! The last image I included is from Piperlime (www.piperlime.com) and it is their trend report for "6 Fall Boot Trends That Score a Perfect 10!"

P.S.- Don't be afraid of the height! Try to mix and match your shoe heights so that you don't feel like you are always six feet off the ground and end up having your feet screaming at you by lunch. There is a way to rock every look!

The Fashionable Men in Our Lives

Because I'm a woman and, well let's face it, women's fashion is just more interesting than men's, I tend to forget about the fashionable men that exist.  Just like there are differences in women's fashion across the world, there are also differences in men's fashion.  Let's take for example, Texas men versus New York men.  Texas men can vary, but they most typically fall into three categories.  You have your stereotypical "Cowboys", who wear the Cowboy hat and Wrangler's jeans. Then you have your preppy, fratastic, Polo and Sperry's wearing men that tend to reside in Highland Park.  And finally, you have your athletic, Nike wearing men that either look like they are stuck in their high school days or the ones who can pull the athletic look in a buff, handsome-like way.  New York men are quite different from that of Texas men and it is quite rare that you would find a New Yorker wearing a Cowboy hat and boots, unless it is Halloween or a Hampton's themed party. Based on my street observations thus far, a major percentage of New York men are in suits.  The suits vary depending on the level the wearer has within his company, his financial status, and his interest in fashion.  You also have your men that are obviously interested or even in fashion, because they are dressed in the latest fashion trends.  There is one similarity between Texas men and New York men, which is the preppy look.  The look can only be described as very East coast with a home in the Hamptons, probably wearing J. Crew, Polo Ralph Lauren, or Tommy Hilfiger.

As there are fashion sites for women, there are also fashion sites for men.  I believe that all men should subscribe to Mr. Porter, http://www.mrporter.com/. Besides the personal styling that they give to their e-mails, I find it interesting to see how they find their inspiration and the things they find that relate to it. Even though I have no interest in buying any of the men's clothes, I still look forward to seeing the latest e-mail to see who they are channeling and what looks are in-style, and of course the attractive men that they tend to have grace the cover! They tend to have an old, vintage, Hollywood vibe that is something different from how most men are portrayed today. Here are some of the images from past issues so enjoy the view..I mean the fashion, of course!

Rules Are Meant To Be Broken

In the words of my style icon, the always fabulous Rachel Zoe, "rules are meant to be broken".  What she was referring to was rules about wearing white after Labor Day. She reported this in The Zoe Report, which I suggest everyone to immediately subscribe to at http://www.rachelzoe.com/welcome. It is a daily e-mail that reports on what is trending and most of what she suggests is crazy expensive for us mere-mortals but she also gives us what she calls the "Parallel Universe", which is a less expensive version of what she suggests. RZ, what her closest friends call her of course, also offers her subscribers tips for what to pair with the item that she is reporting on, which is helpful if the item is a little out there! So check it out!

I don't usually wear a lot of white myself but I think it's good to have in your wardrobe.  This season I am all about getting a pair of white skinny jeans to throw into the mix, which I'm behind on but it's never too late!  I think bold statements of white can really make an outfit pop.  And even better, mix a pair of white skinny jeans with a bright, bold colored blouse, maybe in an orange or yellow( I will have a post in a couple of weeks about how color will soon be a new staple in our wardrobes, so look for that post soon!). But here are some fabulous white outfits that give you an idea of what you need to make your outfit go from drab to fab!

What You NEED This Fall

Wow, it's been a while since I've talked to y'all on here! If you couldn't tell by the usage of the word "y'all", I was in Texas all summer working and what not, and how nice it is to actually have money, who knew?! Anyways it's nice to be back in the Big Apple and I've been itching to get back to posting on here so let's begin...!

So unless you are in Texas or Oklahoma, the weather is starting to get slightly cooler and it is time to put away your summer wardrobe and bring out your best fall items.  I'm slightly obsessed with signing my e-mail up for the millions of fashion websites, so when a new season rolls around my inbox is full of the latest trends for the season. As the e-mails have been piling up for the fall season, I thought, what better way to start a new blogging season than by presenting you with the must-haves for fall.  It's interesting to see what the different sites have to say about the fall must-haves and to compare what they have in common, which then tells you which trends are really going to be the "it" trends for the season.  If everyone is saying it then it must be true, right?!

The styles from the 70s have been reported as the theme for the season for a while now, so I think you're safe with assuming that anything 70's-esk is in style. The 70s are a fashion era in which I love and it consists of: wide-legged or bellbottom pants, midi skirts and dresses, as well as voluminous sleeves and sheer fabrics that give your outfit that 70's bohemian chic! Capes and ponchos are back in this fall season along with the ever popular faux-fur, another one of my personal favorites.  70's platforms, hiker booties, and chunky heeled boots are some of the shoe trends for the season. Leather accessories and chunky necklaces and cuffs will keep you looking fabulously stylish for the fall season.  So go out to your local shopping hole and equip yourself with the must-have trends of the season! Happy clothes shopping!

Festival de Cannes

As most people know (unless of course you don't watch the entertainment shows that track the every moves of celebrities), that the Cannes Film Festival is currently taking place in, as the name might suggest, Cannes, France. My aunt and cousin are actually there now basking on the beaches of France and shmoozing with the stars, lucky right? But in all honesty my cousin is there to promote his films and to wait in anticipation to see if his film will receive an award for the competition in which it is entered, still seems slightly fabulous right? Well I'm pretty sure it is just that!

So in honor of the "Festival de Cannes" as the Frenchies call it, I thought I would post my favorite beachwear for the upcoming summer season.  When the celebrities aren't promoting their films and walking the red carpet, they are laying on their yacht decks and taking long walks on the beach. Just thinking about it makes me wonder why I didn't stuff myself into my aunt's suitcase! Anyways, here are a few of my favorite looks for the waterfront, whether it be on a fabulous beach front somewhere, or just lounging by the pool, dressing fabulous doesn't have to require a yacht as your accessory! You can make your swimwear go from boring to fabulous simply by adding a few splashes (get it?) of bold accessories, from jewelry to cover-ups. Take a look at these ideas and try something different this summer when you go out to the pool!

Fashion Forecasting...What the Fashion Crystal Ball Has to Say

School is beyond crazy right now with projects piling on, one on top of another (which explains my lack of  posting here recently), but I got the opportunity to listen to a very interesting speaker today and I thought I would share what I learned from him.

The Doneger Group is considered to be the "fashion industry's leading source of global trend intelligence, focused merchandising direction, expert analysis of the retail business and comprehensive market information." So basically they are the ones who tell the designers what they should be designing based on the direction they see the trends going in, which then tells us, the consumers, what we should be buying to be considered "on trend". David Wolfe is the Creative Director for the Doneger Group and basically came up with the concept of trend forecasting.  It was pretty incredible to listen to him speak because he has been in the industry for such a long time and really impacts what people are going to wear.  His lecture was on the trends for Spring/Summer 2012 and I decided to let y'all in on the trends so that you can be in the know before everyone else! These are the three major trends for S/S 2012 along with my "must-have" picks:

"Calm Chic"
- tunics
- cigarette pants
- drape dresses
- shift dresses
- jumpsuits (must-have!)

"Retrocentric"
- romantic white
- ruffles
- soft rose shades
- lace (must-have!)
- silky satin
- fitted flares (must-have!)

"Establishment"
- structured silk
- tiny floral prints
- navy blue pieces
- social suit
- little white dress
- white shirt dress (must-have!)

Here is an image for Spring/Summer 2011 trends...enjoy!

iPad Obsession

I have always been a technology loving type of girl. My favorite gifts that I've gotten for Christmas or my birthday have usually been centered around some sort of technological gadget. When I was a kid it was the Playstation or one of those hand-held, carry in your pocket, animated pets (which is slightly creepy if you think about it now!). As I got older, it took a little bit more than a creepy computer pet to do the trick. Sturdy. It started with the cell phone, which led into the Apple product obsession. Steve Jobs is quite a genius in my book, and has won me over with his ingenious products. My latest obsession is the iPad 2. What more could you want in a device?! I mean, come on, I even went to the Apple store on 5th Ave at 3:30 in the morning to get one oF the coveted new Apple products, only to be turned away because the line had already reached it's limit! But after 3 1/2 weeks, my iPad 2 has finally arrived, so naturally, I had to post from it right away!