Happy Belated Fashion Week/ Valentines Day/Birthday

So, the last few weeks have been busy. Fashion week has moved from NY to London and landed in Milan, but I didn’t even cover the

 second half of the week in Bryant Park!

Calvin Klein showed a palette of greys and navy blues. Most of his styles had a touch of sheen or an interesting neck line. The dress to the rig

ht was a more simple style. I feel like it could be fierce if dressed down with a pair of dark grey suede boots that hit right above the knees and a motorcycle cut leather jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna Karan showed her collection on Friday, February 8th. Her collection included greens, burnt oranges, blacks and florals.

 

 

  

Michael Kors also showcased some beautiful colors, like the golden dress above, on February 6th.

The rest of his collection included purples, greens, and lush browns. Instead of feathers, like many designers had in their collections, Kors used fur for enhanced texture in some of his styles.

Monique Lhuillier had both feathers and rhinestone details in her runway styles. She also had fur detail on cuffs and linings of her jackets.

After all of the designs made their way down the runway, I determined a few must-haves for next fall:

1. Black ankle boots (& black tights)
2. Jackets with different arm length cuts and of varying colors; greys, blues, yellows, oranges or a delicate floral print in a darker color.
3. Feathers or Fur, if you can afford it, on your evening wear
4. Tops with different necklines; one strap, v-neck, and sweet heart
5. A detailed black clutch & a wide waist belt

As for the belated Valentines/Birthday post…

I spent Valentines weekend in New York, shopping, walking from Soho to midtown, shopping, wishing I had more money for shopping, and celebrating Valentine’s Day and my birthday! I got two great buys:

The Guess “Harriet” shoe in Gold Patent leather. They are actually more of a champagne/nude color. I have been trying to find a pair of nude shoes all over the internet within my price range (although I would really love some Louboutin nude peep toes) so I was very happy to stumble upon these in Guess.

 

 

 

 

Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses courtesy of some generous birthday money!

 

It was a great weekend and I can’t wait to go back to the Big Apple in March… maybe by then I will save up enough money to buy a dress with a full skirt, my favorite trend for this spring! 

 

 Dress by: Donna Karan

stress & online shopping

As finals are fast approaching, I have become increasingly stressed along with the rest of the university population nationwide. I do tend to be a bit of a stress case, what with hopes of graduating in May and getting a “real” job, but I know how to forget about all of the stress of school, grades, and the job market predictions for 2008. The best therapy of all requires no movement besides my clicker thumb and a long favorites list of “shopping” websites. That’s right, it’s online shopping, and it’s time to make a Christmas wish list.

I’ve given a Luxury Lust Wish and a Reality Wish for each of the following categories: Handbag, Watch, Dress, & Shoes.

 Wish for… a New Handbag

Luxury Lust: Dooney & Burke’s Limited Edition Hayden Bag

Price Tag: $500

Why It’s Lust-Worthy: I usually do not like Dooney & Burke bags or their weak advertising attempts (Lindsey Lohan’s line of heart covered bags in childish colors circa 2005, followed by Mischa Barton & Emma Roberts taking her place as the face of young hollywood) Whenever I see a D&B bag with the colored D&B all over the bag I cringe a little bit because I feel that someone has paid too much for a cheap looking bag. Alas! The Hayden bag has changed my mind. Even though they are still using a young hollywood actress (Heroes star, Hayden Penetierre) to promote the bag, I think this bag could fare just as well without her. The design is modern and classic. A long enough strap to wear around the shoulder and yet the bag is not oversized. The Hayden bag is available in black, brown, red, and white patent leather. All colors but white are currently sold out on dooney.com, but I would recommend the white patent leather as it could last through the summer!

 Reality Wish: Elliott Lucca Genevieve Tote

Price Tag: $268 

Reasoning: Elliott Lucca is an under rated brand. They only use high quality leather and their designs are either classic or trendy. This bag is large enough to use for class or work, and it also comes in black and deep plum. The patent leather will allow you to carry the purse into spring until you find a new purse to love! 

Wish 2… a New Watch

Luxury Lust: Michele “Diamond Deco” Watch with Alligator Band

Price Tag: $1,425

Why it’s Lust-Worthy: Michele is a new luxury watch brand owned by Fossil. They are trying to push selling not only their watches, but their watch bands. They offer a wide selection of colors and materials, from Alligator leather (pictured) to patent leather. They offer many different styles for men & women. I think this watch would definitely be an eye catcher at work or at play. 

Reality Wish: Michael Kors Leather Cuff Watch

Price Tag: $130

Reasoning: This watch is reasonably priced, and it looks even better in person. The gold detail contrasting with the white band adds a high quality feel, and it can be dressed up or dressed down.

 Wish for…. A New Dress

Luxury Lust: Kay Unger Strapless Dress with Beaded Waist

Price Tag: $450

Why it’s Lust-Worthy: Little black dresses are overdone year round. This red dress is a color that will compliment both fair skinned and dark skinned women and it also falls at a good length for most body types. The dress accentuates the bust with a sweet heart neckline and minimizes the waist with black beaded detail. This would be a stand out at holiday parties or any cocktail occasion throughout the year.

Reality Wish: Max & Cleo Bubble-Sleeve Cocktail Dress

Price Tag: $148

Reasoning: Purple couldn’t be hotter right now and it is another color that compliments most people. Max & Cleo is a division of the BCBG Max Azria Group, hence the beautiful design cut in all the right places and rhinestone detailing across the neckline. This dress may be too hot for a crowded party, but it should suit well otherwise.

Wish for…. A New Pair of Shoes

Luxury Lust: BCBG Max Azria Marsha Pump

Price Tag: $215

Why They are Lust-Worthy: Every girl I know (including myself) has way too many black pumps. Finding brown shoes that are as cute as my black shoes is always difficult, but these peep toe pumps with a delicate velvet bow would be great dressed up for work or matched with the right skirt. The foot base is padded, and as an owner of another pair of BCBG pumps with leather padding, they are nicely padded if you do decide to wear them the entire work day.

Reality Wish: Carlos by Carlos Santana Pounce pump in Bronze Snake Print

Price Tag: on sale! $79.99

Reasoning: Carlos’ shoes are always eccentric and noteworthy. The bronze color is neutral enough to wear with blacks or browns. The python print plays down the metallic shock and will also make scuffs less noticeable. These shoes will cause double takes in any outfit, even just a nice pair of jeans.