FASHION STYLE: March 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Spring Style

Sunny one minute, raining the next, it's not quite warm enough to shed those winter layers. I love this printed dress from French Connection - pair with a long navy cardigan, jeans and simple cream shayla for a sophisticated girly outfit. Add flats and a pale pink bag, and of course, a beautiful handmade bracelet to finish it all off:

Odyssey cotton dress £45, French Connection; Navy long-line cardigan £25; Silver Stitch dark rinse creased boyfriend jeans £24, both Dorothy Perkins; Light weight pashmina (Cream) £4.99, Scarf World; Casamento shoes £50; Sophy handbag £30, both Aldo; Pink and green glass and rose quartz bead bracelet £12, Blue Forest Jewellery.

Style Notes: Roberto Cavalli

Spring 2010

For some reason with most hijab-friendly fashion on the runways, it rare to see layering done well. But this time, Roberto Cavalli's collection featured several outfits with light, floaty floral layers over smart tailored pieces. These outfits would be a great way to freshen up workwear this Spring. What do you think?

Monday, March 29, 2010

A few of my favourite things.....

‘Tis the season and I’m so enjoying it!

White Holly Wreath, paper-source.com

I must say that making this list was actually quite tricky as I already have so much that makes me happy…my family, friends, good health, and exciting day-to-day adventures all make me a very thankful person.

But…if I had to, had to, had to create a wish list…these are the things that I’m currently coveting…

Clothes

1. A fabulous white coat.

Alexa wool coat, clubmonaco.com

2. A great red dress.

Lola silk tee dress, clubmonaco.com

3. A gorgeous evening gown.

BCBG strapless pleated gown, $348, bcbg.com

4. Or maybe two…and special occasions to wear them.

One shoulder crinkle chiffon gown, bcbg.com

Shoes

5. Basic black boots.

Toradeo boot, $169, ninewest.com

6. Pretty black flats.

Simply You, $79, ninewest.com

7. An organized and beautiful shoe closet.

Shoe storage, via {this is glamourous} at citified.blogspot.com

Jewelry

8. One of my all-time favourite cuffs.

Elsa Peretti bone cuff sterling silver, $725, tiffany.com

Beauty

9. Joe Fresh liquid eye liner. My new favourite beauty product.

Liquid eye liner, $6, joe.ca

At the Office

10. Notebooks. And many of them.

at Moleskines.com

at jordilabanda.com

11. Books, books, and more books!

Drive by Daniel Pink, danpink.com

Hey Day by Jordi Labanda, jordilabanda.com

100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman, amazon.com

Not a Star by Nick Hornby, amazon.com

Kitchen Treats

12. Tea from Hediard. Visiting Hediard in Paris is an amazing shopping experience. I love to be spoiled with goodies and specialty teas from this shop.

Hediard tea, hediard.com

Techy

13. A record player. I’m not picky. Just one that works and looks good.

Jakob Jensen record player, moma.org

Travel

14. Well – of course I’d love plenty of airplane tickets for travel! {France, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, India, Morocco…}

Galerie Lafayette, Paris, France

Tokyo, Japan

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Taj Mahal, India

Morocco

Indian Weddings Pictures and images

Indian Weddings

Organic Body Jewelry Pictures

Organic Body Jewelry

Sunday, March 28, 2010

GlassesTool or Fashion Accessory

As an Image Consultant with over 30 years experience, I caution clients not to think of glasses as a functional item, but as a fashion accessory. If eyes are the windows to the soul, glasses are the frame that announces to others everything about who you are. When we speak to others, we look directly into their eyes. Even when we pass strangers on the street, we glance at their faces, and above all, at their eyes.

In my Total-Image Workshops, I very often steer my clients away from silver or gold frames, because they can easily appear “clinical” looking. Nevertheless, this is a popular choice for eyewear because most people assume wrongly that their glasses will not be noticed as much in these nearly “colorless” metals. Wrong. If you prefer metal frames, consider pewter ones or very thin black frames. They look less clinical.

A powerful Image makes a powerful statement about what others can expect from you. To make that powerful statement, I recommend frames in a bold color. This can be is a great branding tool. Many years ago I entered a room filled with 300 businesswomen. One woman stood out above them all. She was well dressed and elegant, but so were many others. However, she wore “lipstick red” glasses, and they branded her as the most dynamic and memorable woman in the room.

Your face shape and your eye and hair color can be considerations when choosing frames for your eyewear. For example, you can choose frames in a color that will make blue eyes look bluer, green eyes look greener, etc. Or you can go another route. Frames that get your red (or black, etc.) hair noticed more.

In a nutshell, here are suggestions for choosing frames based on eye color. To make blue eyes look bluer, wear burgundy, rust, orange, or red frames. Wear purple frames (or red-family colors) to make hazel or green eyes look greener. With brown eyes, you make them look darker with pale frames, and they will look more golden with purple frames. Brown eyes look better with colors that make a nice contrast as opposed to tortoise frames, for example.

What about choosing frames based on hair color? If you want your blonde hair to be noticed more, wear black frames. But if you are a green-eyed blonde, you might want to choose dark purple frames. That way, the dark color is a good contrast for the hair, and the purple will make the eyes look greener.

For red hair, wear colors in the blue green family. Colors like teal, cobalt, emerald green, or bottle green. Don’t choose frames that “match” your hair color, like rust or tortoise frames. For brown hair, purple sets it off nicely and can bring out golden highlights, but you can also wear other “fashion” colors such as red, green, or blue.

If you have gleaming jet black hair, consider white frames, but only if you have a high-fashion look in general. Black goes with every color, so you have lots of options. For a very dramatic look, which your hair will support, try red frames. People with partly grey hair should avoid silver frames, because they will only accent the grey; and gold frames will clash with their hair color. Stick to colors that are clear and bright, including red and blue. Black frames also look great with grey hair.

Thin frames are better for most people. Thick plastic frames easily look severe, especially black ones. When it comes to choosing shapes for glasses, you must consider the shape of your face. In general, however, exaggerated shapes should be avoided—oversized glasses and ones that are very round, for example. The best shape for most people is a “square round” frame. That is, it is not too squared off at the edges nor so rounded that it ceases to look chic.

Obviously, if you have a square face, avoid frames that have an overall square appearance, and with a round face, you will want to resist ovals or round shapes. Thin faces do not necessarily look better in extra-wide frames. For this face shape, the best frame is a square-round shape that leans more toward round or oval, and that is just slightly wider than average.
Have fun with your glasses and wear them proudly. If you choose attractive frames, they can even be an asset or a part of your “signature look.”

Sandy Dumont, THE Image Architect is an image consultant and professional speaker based in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, with 30 years of international and national experience helping individuals and Fortune 500 companies improve their image. She conducts customized Branding for People workshops on a regular basis.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Aimee Bra-less Nursing Nightgown

Aimee Bra-less Nursing Nightgown
Product Features

Clear micro elastic sewn in under breasts for the support of a sleep bra
Soft 90% cotton; 10% lycra for stretch
Slightly below knee length and slit on one side for movement
Empire waist and flattering design to help new mothers look cute
Sized by bra size, top double lined for modesty

FAVORITE of celebrities and thousands of moms! We are one of the top manufacturers of nursing gowns in the United States. Made in the USA! NOW CARRY CLOTHING, SEE PICTURES Email Aimee for personal customer service or sizing help at Nursinggowns@aol.com, www.nursinggowns.com. Fabric and gown manufactured in San Francisco, CA. The nightgown's modern design has a feminine split front to help facilitate easy access to the breast for the baby. The gown holds nursing pads in place without having to wear an uncomfortable bra to bed. Top is double lined for modesty.AS We carry PJ'S AND ROBES TO MIX AND MATCH.!

Haven't had my baby, yet, but my husband got me this nightgown in cranberry for my birthday. I am 8 months pregnant (read: HUGE) and it STILL looks great on! Love the color. Love the fit. I am planning on using it in the hospital and then for quite a while after. In my opinion, definitely worth the money.