L'Enfant Terrible

Although I write this nearly a month after his passing, I would like to pay tribute to one of fashion's most brilliant designers: Alexander McQueen.

"L'enfant Terrible" to the fashion world, McQueen's theatrical shock-and-awe designs had (and still have) and unique impact on fashion at every level. Here are a few pieces from his last collection, Spring/Summer 2010 RTW:

One of my all-time favorite McQueen pieces:

Rest in peace, Alexander McQueen.

RTW Favorites

So many lines but so little space and time. Here is just a sampling of my favorites:

Tracy Reese

Alice + Olivia

Zac Posen (doesn't the second picture make you smile?)

Vera Wang

Oscar de la Renta

Jill Stuart

Jason Wu

Erin Fetherston (I love that shade of orange)

Diane von Furstenberg

Love, A

Dior Campaign

I was flipping through Vogue when I saw Dior's new campaign with Karlie Kloss. It made me stop and take another look because it's so gorgeous! It's clearly a take off of the very chic Lauren Bacall, one of my favorite actresses. Here's some of the photographs:

Here's a bigger version of one of my favorites:

Beautiful, no? :)

I promise a post of some of my and B's favorite collections from Fashion Week very soon!

Love, A

Statement Fashion

First off, my most sincere apologies for the blogging dry-spell. Unfortunately life never stops, and blogging doesn't always fit into life. But that doesn't mean I haven't had ideas for some posts.

Lately there has been a resurgance of political and personal-belief statements inflitrating the fashion world. It's not so much about making fashion statements but wearing statement fashion. It's about sending a message to the world, government, and people around you.

One of the most popular (and, personally, most unfortunate) statement fashions of late is the Twilight saga's "Team [Insert Edward or Jacob here]" clothing.

Another popular statement fashion is the Gap's Inspi(red) clothing line.

Whatever the cause, the idea, or the statement, wearing cloths that...quite literally...send a message has become a bigger and bigger part of pop culture/ fashion.

So...what statement would you like to wear?

Au revoir,

B

Christmas Don'ts

Christmas is only two days away! I hope you all are enjoying the season and looking forward to the holiday, but I have to dampen the spirit a little. I am here to be the Grinch of Christmas attire.

First off is the infamous Christmas sweater. You all know someone who wears them. Maybe you wear them. If a family member or friend wears a Christmas sweater, please lovingly give them a red or green cashmere sweater that does not have a Santa face or pompoms on it. If they still don't get the hint, anonymously send them this post. If you wear them, burn all Christmas sweaters in your possession immediately and read five Vogues for penance.

Next are Santa hats/elf hats/reindeer antlers. Your head is already pretty. It doesn't any extra adornment. Wearing Christmas themed headwear doesn't make you look any more festive. You just look silly. To me, it's just one very small step away from wearing a lampshade.

Some people like to wear head to toe holiday clothing. And I really do mean toe. If you have Christmas socks, do not wear them. I repeat, do not wear them. Underclothing (and yes, socks are underclothing) should be simple and classy. They should not have stripes and penguins nor should they have cute little reindeer on them. I admit that I have had themed and cute socks before but I have admitted my error and done my penance. I have also gotten rid of the socks. Please follow my example and get rid of them. Buy yourself some nice basic socks with your Christmas money.

Last but most definitely not least are costumes. Some people aren't satisfied with just wearing a Santa hat. They need to go big. And I mean really big. They go the whole way: they wear a Santa suit. Fashion friends, unless you are being paid to have kids dumped on your lap, there is absolutely no good reason for you to put on a big red suit. Also, if you have kids, do not make them your little elf helpers. You are not the Grinch, you do not need your dog to look like a reindeer. Please leave the costumes for Halloween.

If you have read this and thought to yourself, "I wear that!", go burn whatever it was and do your penance. If you read it and thought, "Aunt Hilda/Mom/my best friend wears that!", be kind and anonymously send this to them. I hope you all enjoy your holidays :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love, A

How to Buy Jeans

Hello, Fashion Friends! It's A. We got an excellent question about jeans and how to buy them. Buying jeans is a complex thing and I'm a bit long winded so bear with me ;)

Jeans are an investment. I used to buy all my jeans from Target and couldn't figure out why they never fit correctly. Then I shelled out a couple extra dollars for a pair of jeans from a nicer store and was shocked at how well they fit. That's when I realized the most important thing in buying jeans - you have to be willing to pay a little more than you normally do to get a pair of great fitting jeans. I'm not saying you have to buy a pair of $200 jeans. However, if you usually pay $20, be prepared to pay more.

While some designer jeans are all hype ($500 jeans are definitely worth the money), others are worth the money. They honestly are better quality. They have better construction, a better fit, are made of better denim and are usually dyed better (they don't fade as quickly or as much). I honestly think they are worth the money. Here's a little secret: you can get designer jeans for super cheap at certain stores. Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshall's and consignment stores should have some for dirt cheap. I just got an amazing pair of Joe's Jeans for $100 less than the selling price. Also keep an eye out for sales. Nordstrom's anniversary sale in July is a great time to buy jeans.

About every season, another jeans trend debuts. I tend to ignore them because rarely are they practical, useful for regular wear or even flattering on most bodies. It's usually best to just say no to super distressed, super tight, super ripped or super wide jeans. I have to admit, I did get a pair of turquoise colored jeans though ;)

When you go shopping, set out a good chunk of time. Buying the right pair of jeans is a process that usually takes a long time so don't expect to find a pair when you only have half an hour. Also, try to go when you don't feel crappy or bloated. If you already feel yucky, trying on lots of jeans and staring at yourself in the mirror a lot won't be enjoyable at all.

Get lots of different types and brands of jeans to try on. Also grab a couple sizes since each brand sizes their jeans differently. If you get lots of styles to try on - bootcut, skinny, straight, trouser - so you can decide which looks best on you and which you like the most. If you're lucky, you'll be able to get a salesperson who will grab different styles and sizes for you. If not, don't be afraid to ask for another size. It's really annoying to have to put your clothes on again just to go get a size smaller or bigger.

As a general rule, dark wash jeans are the most flattering on pretty much everyone. It slims you and smoothes everything out. The most important thing to look for is a good fit through the hips and thighs. If the jeans fit perfectly in those areas but are too long, it's very easy to get them hemmed. Some stores will even do the hemming for free.

One last thing: the size is just a number. Don't freak out if you're a 6 in one brand and a 10 in another. That's totally normal.

Happy shopping!
Love, A

What's happening?

Hey, all. It's A. One of my absolute favorite models is Chanel Iman. She's amazingly gorgeous, has a great look and seems like an all around nice girl. She also has the career I want. But I'm a little confused about what she's been doing with her career lately. First, she signed on as a Victoria's Secret Angel. I understand that being an Angel is a big deal - lots of great models are Angels. But VS is very commercial. Chanel is not. She's very high fashion and couture.

I also got an advertisement from the clothing store Express a couple days ago. Guess who one of the models was! You got it, Chanel. Express is even more commercial than VS.

So, my question is this: what is happening to Chanel Iman? She has this huge and amazing high fashion career and she's still young. Why is she going commercial so soon? It is her career and all, but if I were her, I would stay high fashion as long as I possibly could. But that could just be because I love couture ;)

Love, A