“Classy and Fabulous”

I believe in learning every inch about one’s craft. To be a writer one must read just as much as they write to consider themselves skilled. My craft is writing about fashion, living fashion, breathing fashion and thus reading and researching fashion as much as possible. I started loving clothes from an early age, but I entered the fashion world during my tweens. I started realizing the influence of the industry, fashion designers and styling. I was given books like “How to Be Lovely,” “Style 101,” and “Best Kept Beauty Secrets.” I learned how to do my make up from Bobbi Brown’s book for teenage girls, so while my friends were smearing on tons of eyeliner I followed Bobbi’s idea of less is more. There is still always more to learn. While Christmas shopping I stumbled upon mountains of Fashion literature I have yet to get my hands on. In true shopaholic fashion I bought way too many of them and still wanted more.

"The Gospel According to CoCo Chanel" by Karen Karbo. One of the most influential women in the Fashion industry, Chanel is a world renowned brand.

"Style A to Zoe." If you've read my blog before, you have read my excerpt on Rachel Zoe and how I adore her styling abilties. I bought this book on Tuesday and have read the entire thing. Amazing, just like her!

"Fashion, A Philosophy" by Lars Svendsen. "Clothes are a vital part of the social construction of the self...All of us have to express in some way who we are via our visual appearance."

"Fashion 101." This book describes and depicts every piece of clothing in exsistence, from caftans to every type of dress, skirt, pant etc. A great reference.

"Vogue Fashion." Because you can't study fashion without studying Vogue, it's impossible.

"The Fashion Book" by Phaidon Press. A to Z, designers, clothes, photographers, and models. Comes in handy!

So if you are a burgeoning fashionista or just want to learn more about the fashion industry I recommend picking up one of these books or discovering one of the hundred others out there!

The 90′s

The 90′s for me growing up with two older sisters was all about the grunge look. Big button ups and t-shirts, ripped jeans and leather jackets. It wasn’t punk, it was “roll out of bed in the morning and put on what you wore last night, and don’t bother running a comb through your hair.” Some say the 90′s did not really have a signature look, but this is what reminds me of that period in my life.

Ugh, the 90's

Now my version:

BDG Plaid Flannel

BDG Faux Leather Hooded Bomber

Urban Renewal Grommet Denim Vest

The Original Doc Martens (both my sisters owned a pair of these)

Oversized Van Halen T-shirt

BDG Blue Green Cigarette Jean

Once again, all the clothes from my versions for the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s, 80′s and 90′s can be found at Urban Outfitters online! I hope you enjoyed this series and got a chuckle out of the ones who came before!

The 80′s

The 80′s oh what can I say about the 80′s??? hmmm, it should possibly be ripped out of the fashion history books forever. That’s a little extreme, but then again so were the trends that walked through this decade. It was all about boldness, broad shoulders, bright colors, huge gawdy accessories and big hair. Looking back, I can’t really say I know someone who looked good in the 80′s, but here we go.

Women of the 80's

Now my version:

Silence & Noise Strong Shoulder Dress

Urban Renewal Oversized Slouch Blazer in Liquid Gold

Silence & Noise Velvet Dress

Urban Renewal Ruffle Shoulder Bodycon Dress

Knot Studs

Silence & Noise Sequin Shirt

Spring Break Sunglasses

The 60′s & 70′s

The 60′s & 70′s issued the second wave in the Women’s Movement, sexual freedom, the right to chose, and experimental drug usage. This spurred a new fashion trend for women in which their clothes did not have to be so structured, women “burned their bras,” and embraced their sexual prowess. All of these movements were translated into the fashions of these two decades.

The 60's

The 70's

Now my version:

Deena & Ozzy hat

Kimichi and Blue Vintage Tweed Dress

Deena & Ozzy Leather boots

Vintage Flower Posts

Double Braided Head Wrap

Ecotre Scarf Dress

Fletcher by Lyell

Decade by Decade Mini Series: 50′s, 60′s, 70′s, 80′s, 90′s

To make up for all the lost blogging in the past few weeks I have decided to do a mini series on fashion. For many people trends tend to come and go year by year, but what many do not realize is that trends recycle. So please, do your future daughters a favor and save your best pieces instead of trashing them, they’ll appreciate it later. I chose one store to find modern outfits that emulate the trends of the 50′s, 60′s & 70′s, 80′s and 90′s to show that trends which were born 50 years ago are still alive today (with a little twist of course). Let’s get started!

The 50′s: Norman Rockwell, full A-line skirts, pearls and florals, Happy Days…all things that come to mind. The quintessential 50′s house wife with the perfect hair, doing the dishes in pumps and a strand of pearls.

The model.

Now my version:

Kimichi and Blue Lace Dress

Cocktail hair clip

Painted Floral Studs

This modern dress emulates the 50′s A-line silouette, the cinched waist and the cap sleeves, but to put a new spin on it black lace was chosen to give it an edgy vibe. This hairclip is key to the 50′s look, if not a hair clip, a hair pin would be used or a plain headband of sorts. 50′s hair was clean, classy and perfectly pinned. To top it all off a petite pair of studs, whether they be floral like these or pearls. All of these items can be found at Urban Outfitters online.

Kristen & Rob

Okay let’s get this over with…Rob is hot and Kristen is subtly beautiful. I tried to avoid it, I waited several months after “Twilight” was released on dvd to watch it (hoping I would hate it and could continue to bash over zealous twilighters) but to my demise I liked it. It wasn’t the typical vampire drama, it was more about the connection between Edward and Bella and people were right, Rob and Kristen have on screen chemistry to boot. Both my older sister and I had a very difficult time figuring out why people were so obsessed over Rob Pattinson, yeah he’s cute, he has crazy hair but is that all it takes for thousands of girls to go flocking and screaming? Fast forward several months and my sister now wants a “Team Edward” water bottle and is an “Edward Cullen fan” on Facebook, Ipersonally  gotta admit that boy has some acting chops. Kristen on the other hand seems like she was born with it, she’s seemingly flawless. I admire her genuine “I could care less” attitude in a media frenzy world of pink, mercedez driving, blonde barbies. She’s not your usual on screen beauty, she’s got amazing skin, beautiful eyes and though many people bash it I love her hair. It’s thick and it always falls beautifully whether she’s washed it in one day or several. I wouldn’t characterize her as a style star moreover she’s an everyday sort of chick. She looks great in skinny jeans, ray bans and t-shirts, it works for her. Rob’s style actually complements Kristen’s very well, they look like they just jumped out of the Urban Outfitters Catalog together. So am I a twilighter?…hmmm let’s put it this way, “New Moon” came out 5 days ago and I’ve yet to go running to the theaters. Maybe I’ll catch it when it comes out on dvd apart from the gaggle of Edward and Jacob fans.

Kristen has amazing fierce eyes.

Classic Kristen, nothing fancy.

I first saw Kristen Stewart as a blonde in "The Land of Women." Shocking.

A slightly more dressed up Kristen in a chic, edgy cocktail dress.

I wish I had hair like this.

Robert Pattinson...just in case you didn't know who I was talking about.

“Make It Work”

Like so many others I am obsessed with Project Runway. Heidi Klum, yes! Tim Gunn, yes yes! Designer duds, always! Drama, where else? This show has it all! Even my boyfriend loves it and is a Tim Gunn admirer! Every season designers like Christian Siriano, Jeffrey Sebelia, and Irina Shabayeva push the envelope and create outstanding clothes. Now “Project Runway” has branched out to include a sister show “Models of the Runway,” which gives you a behind the scene look from the models perspective. Besides the beautiful people, each season has its own dose of craziness and drama but one thing you can always depend on is new clothes you have never seen before! This show can inspire you in so many different facets, watch it I know you’ll love it!

Co-hosts, Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum.

Designer Carol Hannah's Season 6 collection.

Project Runway designers and their signature pieces.

Season 5 designer Leanne Marshall's Bryant Park collection.

Trash challenge.

RZ

“Kills it,” “Shut it down,” “I die,” just several of the infamous Zoe-isms Rachel Zoe frequently uses on a day to day basis when describing pieces to add to her business collection or her personal collection. Rachel Zoe famous for being one of the top stylists in Hollywood has hit a home run with her show “The Rachel Zoe Project,” on Bravo tv. On Rachel Zoe’s own website  she is described as, “from red carpet dressing to design collaborations, advertising campaigns to editorial shoots and runway shows, stylist Rachel Zoe is the go-to force among ‘It’ starlets, fashion houses, beauty firms and magazine editors looking for a dose of effortlessly chic style.” This statement encompasses everything Rachel Zoe is about, from fashion to celebs to vintage rummaging. I would live in Rachel’s closet if I could! Rachel has recently created an affordable line of accessories for QVC so all of us can have a little piece of Zoe chic in our own collections. She also issues a daily Zoe Report you can sign up for at her website www.rachelzoe.com. It includes topics like accessories, apparel, jewelry, beauty and lifestyle. Rachel’s celebs are always photographed dressed impeccably, some of her A-listers include  Jennifer Garner, Molly Sims, Kate Hudson, Joy Bryant, Eva Mendes and Anne Hathaway.

A dream closet!

Zoe at her office.

Rachel fashionable as ever.

Kids Today…

Kids today are more fashionable then ever, it’s no longer just what’s comfortable it’s what’s in style. From designers and celebrities creating mini-lines for cheap chain stores like wal mart to expensive j.crew duds for kids, some kids are just more stylish then adults…sad to say. Even more so celebrity children have come into the public eye, elite kids like Suri Cruise, Kingston Rossdale and the Jolie-Pitt crew are constantly being photographed. In the past several years celebrity babies have been booming, pregnancy has almost become a trend. With this surge of fashionable mommies-to-be and adorable kids, maternity fashion and children’s fashion have spiked! Nicole Richie has even added her own pieces to the maternity line A Pea in A Pod. Mommies-to-be are definitely not wearing the saggy, baggy, ugly maternity clothes of my mother’s day that’s for sure. It just goes to show you can be fashionable at any age, or in any state.

Suri Cruise in a chic white overcoat.

Suri in an adorable summer dress.

Could it get any cuter? A bow adorned dress.

Kingston Rossdale looking like one cool dude!

Check out those sunglasses!

Nicole Richie for A Pea in the Pod

Leggings for a Mommy-to-be!

Drapey sweater from A Pea in the Pod.

J. Crew Crewcuts

Trend Alert: Soft-Flowy-Pastels

We saw it at this year’s Emmy Awards, soft, flowy, pastel dresses. Even Drew Barrymore who’s known for a more alternative look, rocked the feminine trend. Soft fabrics are always beautiful and pastel colors can look great on anyone. Check out some of the stars supporting this classic look.

Gorgeous in a sheer peach gown.

Some critics didn't like this look because it wasn't edgy enough, but I think it's pretty.

Mila Kunis!! A darker color but still flowy and light.

Kate Walsh in a light grayish-blue.

Since we all can’t have designer gowns or have places to wear them, here are some examples of how to transition this trend into your wardrobe.

Floor length A.L.C. dress, can be dressed up or down.

Greecian and pink in Black Halo

Light, strapless Rachel Pally dress.

Shoshanna cocktail dress, pair it with a cute cropped jacket or dress it down with boots!