Designer Worth Sharing: BCBG Max Azria

If there is one designer out there that has designed the most clothes for the every day women...I have to say it's Max Azria. 
BCBG, meaning Bon Chic, Bon Genre (or rather, Good Style, Good Attitude) is stated well for this line.
Today I will share some of my favorites from the Fall 2010 (think all the b's: blacks, browns, blues, and beige) and Spring 2011 lines (think cream, brights like yellow and orange, and black); I think you'll see why they are made for the every day woman.

This dress is flowy and simple. The neckline means it is wearable to work, and the asymmetric line is modern and edgy.

I love love love this cape. For a while, I was very hesitant to embrace the cape culture that is Fall 2010, but this is one I would actually wear; with the contrasting color closure; the navy and military green color combination is a must in all wardrobes.

I love the simplicity of these two outfit- in the first one, love how navy and black are no longer black and blue and bruised all over. I think the distracting glimmer surrounding the navy helps with this. In the second, that shirt is amazing! Both blouses can be dressed up or down. 

Now, the Spring 2011 line gives me something to look forward to!

There is one word that describes the spring according to Mr. Azria, and it's SHEATH!

All these dresses that are featured get me excited!

Jokingly, only 6-8 months until us gals in the North East can wear these adorable pieces. Lucky for us, we have some pretty sweet dresses, pants, and blouses to wear in the meantime.

What to Wear Wednesday

Once again good ole' Massachusetts is confusing it's inhabitants with a 70 degree, rainy, muggy day...in late October.


Today I put away my boots and sweaters, and opted for a lighter look.

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The dress is Michael by Michael Kors- Cactus Flower Tunic, and the pumps are Colin Stuart for Victoria's Secret.

What did you decide on?

Obsessed About Arm Candy

And I'm not just talking about that cute other half you have.
I'm talking about Satchels, clutches, and totes or maybe for you fellas our there briefcases and ipad cases- designer IPad cases for those so inclined. I mean, the holiday season is fast approaching. Who doesn't love a little arm candy?

Chanel

Oscar De La Renta

Let's start with the IPad case. Tech and haute couture unite when designers like Burberry, Chanel, and Oscar De La Renta design logo clad cases for the IPad. Now, the price tags aren't as slim as the Apple creation, but if you need it, they make it. Or, you could just go with Apple's IPad case. But what's the fun in that?

Burberry

Next, let's discuss the Satchel; or what I like to call a modern day woman's carryall. From the higher end Chloe Padlock Satchel to Marc Jacobs to a less expensive version from Nine West, there is no shortfall of choices; you're sure to find one at your price point. Speaking from experience; even the smaller sized satchels fit everything you could ever need.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Baby Aiden

Plain Jane Satchel- Nine West

Chloe Large Padington

Tano Biggest Coup

Street Level

How about a little something under your arm? Clutches are great for running errands or out to dinner with family or friends. Here are some of my favorites.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Bentley 

Let's not forget the business person in your life! Whether woman or man, there is a need to carry around your business supplies. 

If you can swing it, these are by far my favorites, courtesy of Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton. But, assuming the average person doesn't have an extra 2-3,000 laying around....

 

Obviously, budgets during the holidays are strict, so here are some less pocket draining beauties.

Kate Spade Beantown Quin

 

Big Buddha Empire

Zegari The Minimalist

Fossil

I could go on and on about arm candy in the form of handbags; but I'll spare you. Hopefully I've lent you a hand in selecting a perfect sized accessory!

Help A Brother Out: Fashion For The Man In Your Life.

This weekend, one of my close friends complemented me on my blog; with one minor critique. He said something like, "You need to write about guys." Now, he's a great guy, extremely bright, has a hand in a little bit of everything; but is a self proclaimed mis-matcher. So, this one is for you guys out there or you ladies who aren't quite sure how to help your man. Let's begin.

1. Printed shirts. Sure, this may be obvious to some, but to some it's not. Do not, in any way, shape, or form, pair a plaid shirt like the one displayed here with pinstripe or patterned pants. 
Just don't do it. You know what else? Don't wear patterned shirts with pants that are close to the same color. Light blue pants with a shirt with a ton of light blue in it equate to a remix of Saturday Night Fever. You'd be channeling your inner John Travolta, and quite frankly, that look is not extremely flattering on many guys.
What to do instead:
Dark wash jeans or a contrasting color pants.


2. Pinstripes. Whether it be jacket or pants; sleek pinstripes are just plain classy in my book, and look great on a guy if paired correctly. They're not just for work anymore! A darker pinstripe blazer, like the one shown here can easily be work with a pair of distressed jeans (but not too distressed), or partnered with a pair of clean khaki pants. Likewise, pinstripe pants would look sharp with a solid color blazer. Whatever the case though, do not let him wear pinstripe pants with a checkered blazer. Fashion fail.


3. Grey and Brown. Can he do it? They have to be the right shades of grey and brown. I've included a couple of examples.
A light khaki with a dark grey blazer; A dark grey pair of slacks with a light brown/tan sweater; Grey outfit and brown accessories like your belt and shoes. 

4. Are the above options too dressy for your guy? Are you/Is he more of a t-shirt and jeans and a sweatshirt type of guy? Comfort doesn't mean he has to look messy. Brands like Puma, Fred Perry, Ralph Lauren, and even John Varvatos or Boss make casual threads look well put together. Wear a casual sweatshirt or sweater with a clean t-shirt underneath and jeans that aren't too worn, and your guy is good to go.

Stay tuned for our Male Look of the Week, coming soon!

Prabal Gurung: Designer to Watch!

I want to talk about simple silhouettes, sharp designs and simple colors. Blacks, Camels, Reds.
This is Prabal Gurung. His Fall 2010 collection is the perfect blend of classic meets modern. Here are my picks from his line, and why you can wear them.

If you're buxom up top, this may be a good fit for you. The high neck line along and sleek cut of the blouse, paired with the bright camel colored pants is a sure win in my book.

Next up is this camel and white colored dress. I talk to my friends about dresses a lot, and here are the two things I hear constantly. 1. The straps aren't wide enough. 2. The dress is too short. If you've found yourself saying these two things, check this dress out. The straps are wide enough that you can wear your normal undergarments and the dress is long enough that you won't feel like you're going to a nightclub if you're wearing this during the day. Don't want the camel color?Don't worry, he designed this dress in black, too! It's like Prabal knows women! 

Here we have what I am calling, the take no prisoners work outfit. You love fashion but you work in an office that you have to be somewhat formal- all the time? But you don't want to appear too over the top? This lightly ruffled white blouse and black tiered-not-so-short skirt is a perfect addition to your 9-5 wardrobe. Throw on the pair of red and black booties as Prabal showed here and you'll be kicking ass and taking names.

My last pick of the Fall 2010 line is this hot cocktail dress. Holidays are fast approaching and that means you need a dress you'll stand out in. The black in the skirt will camouflage any insecurities you may have while all the attention is made on the red ruffle one shoulder sexiness on top. I'll be looking for this dress very soon!

If you've never heard of Prabal before, I'm glad I could share his brilliance with you! I hope you find something in his line you love, too. You can find more at prabalgurung.com

What I Wore- Wednesday!

It's late in the day and I've had a few people ask me, where's What to Wear Wednesday!?
Work has been mighty busy lately, so I didn't have time to post this morning!
Here were my choices for today!
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Well cupcakes, sorry for the short post but wanted to at least let you know what my choice was for today! What was yours?

Holiday Shopping Tricks: Show & Tell

But it's only October!!!!


Yes- it is October; that's exactly why I'm telling you  to get a kick start to your holiday shopping, now. It will help you budget out your gifts, you'll feel more relaxed during the holiday crunch time, and you'll have the opportunity to find exactly what you want to buy for your family.


Many of us are on some sort of budget. You guys all know the discount designer sites I frequent (Love the designer, Hate the price? & Bargain sites; Part 2), but there are a few other tricks that work for me.

• Sign up for email alerts from the stores you shop at- Ann Taylor, Piperlime, Banana Republic, Bloomingdales, and even Saks send out discount codes quite a bit. 
• In fact, I just received a Saks discount code today good through October 24, 2010. 20% off Friends and Family when you insert code Friends7.  
• Like I said before, start your shopping now. Don't become a frantic mess when your credit card bills are sky high in January. If you make your lists and start perusing the stores and online, chances are you'll find some good deals. 
• Example: Your sister/mother/friend wants a new chunky necklace, like this one: but the price tag is $178 for this Marc Jacobs beauty. I bet if you start looking now, you'll find this necklace or one VERY similar by the time the holidays come around and maybe even get a deal way beforehand.
• Leads me to my next point. The inter-webs are your friend. Google the make and style number of things you are looking for. You WILL find it on the cheap (er). 
• Make your gifts. Now, I am not of the crafty-sewing-machine-handmade make; but some of you are- your grandmother need a scarf? Show her you care by making her something.
• Or, just be creative; put together a spa gift set, similar to what I wrote about in Weekend Pampering: Beauty Product Must Haves. Buy your items ahead of time, and they don't need to be super pricey. Buy a basket, some filler, some relaxing teas, and maybe make a mix of calming music. Not only is it thoughtful, it's totally usable. 
• Want something totally unique? Try Etsy. Your recipient will have something made just for them. Personalized signs, handkerchiefs, jewelery (hmmm, perhaps you want that necklace I posted- I bet someone could make it), or even clothes- made just for your person in mind.

I want to hear from you guys! What are your tricks and tips to save on the holidays?

When Trends Go Wrong: A Weekend Recap

So this weekend a bunch of us went out for my brother in law's birthday; a great time had by all, we started the night off in the North End, the Italian eatery section of the bean. After dinner we strolled over to the hot spot over at the Liberty Hotel, Alibi. 


This is where I couldn't believe my eyes. 


Okay, so not everyone can pull off trends, including myself from time to time, but the amount of ladies (ahem, and gentleman) who failed to look in the mirror before leaving was a bit...disappointing. Albeit, it gave us something to look at. No, no; I didn't take photos of these people (although I may have tried), I wanted to share what I saw, and what would have been better.

• Do not over glitter yourself. Yes, we get it, you want to dress up. That's great and I love that. But too much glitter and metallic goes the wrong way- and a little goes a long way. What she did:

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I get it, you love glitter. But you blinded people. What would have been better:

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Choose one item with a sequin glitz; ONE metallic, and a sheen silk blouse would have been better.

• I've mentioned this before, but when it comes to animal print; less is more. Do not wear a leopard print shirt, adorned with an animal print bag and a leather skirt. You know the E show, Fashion Police? Well they have a segment called Starlet or Streetwalker. This chicky would have won for street walker (by the way, how adorable is MsKellyO?) . What this gal did:

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Raaaawr gone very wrong. My rules: 1. If you wear a mini, wear more on top. 2. If you wear a leopard print, and want to wear two of it (which really is another rule of mine -don't do it), at LEAST have them match a little.

What would have been better:

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One minor change switches the look from trashy to flashy.

So what did I wear?

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A military green shirt dress, paired with my camel colored boots, finished off with my LV Pouchette Twin.


My weekend lesson take away? Always look in the mirror.