New Season, New Style!



Courtesy of Lulu's

 Ahh, after a three-month long hiatus I have rejoined the blogisphere and it feels good to be back! And at the perfect time - springtime! After all the heavy wools and boots from a long winter, I'm so ready to switch wardrobes and pull out all the fun, light and colorful fabrics of spring! And here are three spring trends you'll definitely see me wearing this season:

1) Maxi dresses - What's not to love about a maxi dress? They're fun, festive and oh, so comfy! Throw on a pair of sandals or wedges and a casual blazer with a long strand necklace and you're good to go - summer music festivals, picnics, city exploring...here we come! Asos.com has a great selection of maxi dresses online. But be mindful of the shape of the dress. Be sure it falls naturally to your curves so that you don't lose your figure and look like you're wearing a balloon.

2) Midi skirts - I love midi skirts! It's a definite throw back to the fifties and I'm diggin' it. I recently picked up a light, flowy tan midi skirt with a black waistline from H&M and have been getting rave reviews. Pair it with a tank and flats for a more casual look or dress it up work with a pair of pumps and you'll look like a total dame.

3) Nautical stripes - I'm obsessed with the nautical theme! I've picked up several fitted stretch striped tanks from Aritizia and have been practically living in them. Pair one of these tanks with a pair of loose fitting tapered khakis (roll up the hem 2-3 times) and throw on a pair of fun booties or wedges for a city hipster appeal. Add a straw fedora for good measure and you're ready to hit up any summer street fair.

There are two trends that are still going strong but I would tone it down because it's on it's way out!

1) Animal print - Please refrain from wearing the entire zoo all in one look. Leopard and zebra - they're e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. And when you see a trend being sold all the way from Barneys down to Walmart, it's a tell tale sign it's on its way out. Rather than wear it H2T, use it like you would a pop of color - in small doses. Curb your desire to go crazy with the animal print and keep it to a demure purr rather than a ferocious-everybody-make-a-run-for-it roar.

2) Leggings - This is a trend I'd personally hate to see go because I love leggings for the ease and comfort factor. But as a stylist, I am so ready for this to be over because way too many women kill me with its improper use and abuse! Please read the following slowly and carefully - opaque tights are not the same as leggings. We can see EVERYTHING when you wear your tights as if they were leggings. NOT OKAY. This also goes for buying cheap leggings - again, we can see London, France AND your underpants. Invest in high quality leggings if you're going to wear them. And unless you have an amazing and financially insured booty like J-Lo, choose a top that covers your butt. TMI. Enough said.

Where to Find Your Holiday Dress Online

Courtesy of the World Wide Web

'Tis the season of chaos and mayhem at every retail venue or shopping mall as we get closer and closer to Christmas. The last thing you want to do is to brave the frontier of amateur, angst ridden, stressed out shoppers in order to find a great dress for all these impending holiday parties that have already gone underway. Nor do you want to overpay for a dress you feel might only wear once or twice for a festive occasion (although I hope that you can find different ways to dress it up and down to get the most of of your purchase). If I ever meet the person who came up with the idea of online shopping, I would not only shake their hand, I would kiss him or her on the cheek like I did once when I met Adam Brody in LA. I chalk that up to being spontaneous (I promise it wasn't champagne courage)...and lucky for me he's a very gracious guy.

Alas, I digress. Back to affordable dress shopping online. Here are some of my favorite online websites to buy great dresses without having to take out a personal loan to do so.

Lulu: www.lulus.com
I love this site. Great feminine girly dresses for less than $90 . But don't hesitate or save a dress on your wishlist too long...their inventory moves fast!

Asos: www.asos.com
Amazing UK shopping site with the latest trends from the other side of the pond. I love not only the dresses but also the accessories! The size and price search option also makes it super easy to pick up what works best for your body and budget.

Forever21: www.forever21.com
When it comes to finding something "in the moment" and affordable, F21 is my go-to online site. Shipping is free if you spend more than $75 and trust me, its easy to find at least a few items to make that happen. You can literally dress yourself H2T for under $80. What a sweet treat!

ModCloth: www.modcloth.com
This site has been around for awhile and has become one of my latest obsession. Not only are there adorable dresses but if you prefer a more vintage, retro feel, this is definitely the site for you!

BCBGeneration: www.bcbg.com
BCBG has always been a fan favorite for me for years and years when it comes to finding fabulous dresses. Of course when BCBGeneration launched, it was a total score because the price point makes it a bit easieron the wallet if you can't affore thier signature lines. You can definitely find a great dress for under $150.

Now grab a glass of wine, sit back and wait for the UPS guy to show up with your dress so you can get all dolled up for another three more weeks of holiday parties and NYE soirees! Enjoy!

Holiday Fabulosity

Courtesy of Guess Marciano

Wow. Times fly when the seasons change! Fall is officially here with Thanksgiving only a few days away. Just when I thought I was done dolling up for charity gala season, tonight I head out for the beginning of a sleuth of holiday parties. For many of us, the holidays are a festive but stressful time of year because there's so much going on. The last thing anyone wants to worry about is what to wear. With the range of parties that one might be obliged to appear at - from corporate holiday parties, to family gatherings to cocktail parties at friends' homes, manuvering in your closet to decide what to wear from event to event can get overwhelming.

For some, your natural inclination may be to resort to wearing the same outfit to every event in name of being efficient. My response: don't you dare. Not for fear of being caught wearing the same outfit twice (although for some of us, this may THE single most important thing to consider), but because I'm here to tell you today that it's not that hard to put yourself together and look festive and fabulous!

Corporate Holiday Functions: Just because a company adds "party" to the event title does not mean the rules of work attire become moot. Practice erring on the safe side versus wild side when it comes to corporate functions. Do not under any circumstance, literally bust out the "girls", wear spandex, or something inappropriately short, even if you think you can because you "look and feel young". Remember, these people will see you again on Monday morning and if your career means anything to you, you'll want them to continue to see you as a serious professional rather than the office tart. Equally important in this crowd is your behavior. For the love of Prada, please do not get wasted. Perceptions can change very quickly and stay for the long haul. Look for dresses no higher than 2-3 inches above your knees. Choose a top that keeps your cleavage a secret between you and Victoria. Tea-length, A-line LBDs with a beautiful brooch, full skirt dresses or crisp winter white slacks with a metallic top and a cute sweater, shawl or scarf would be great combinations. Feel free to play with accessories and shoes to create the drama that you want for an evening affaire.

Family Gatherings: If your family gatherings tend to be more formal, I would suggest dressing as you would to a corporate event. Unless of course, you like it when good ol' Uncle Frank checks out your rack over the turkey on the table. If your family gatherings are more casual, then jeans, boots, and a cute top with a sweater wrap and you're ready to go!

Cocktail Parties at Someone's Home: At holiday cocktail party, I would give you more license to sass it up just a bit. And this is really up to you and how well you know the host and their friends. If everyone tends to doll it up, then by all means have fun with it! There are so many great dresses this season in metallics, sparkles, royal hues, and winter whites. I love it all; just not all in one dress, so choose wisely. Remember this isn't a lounge, a club or a gala so keep it simple...if you choose to go with a sparkly top, pair it with slacks or a black skirt and a boyfriend blazer and great heels.

New Year's Eve Parties: I love New Years Eve parties. What's not to love? Guys look incredibly dashing in suits and tuxedos. Women have amazingly decadent party dresses. There's a lot of champagne and oh, there's a lot of champange! And there's the countdown when you draw the closest person to you at midnight for a kiss, whether they came with you to the party or not! I only have one rule for you to remember when dressing for NYE: Choose only one part to show off. What does this mean? If you choose to go with a dress that highlights your chest, then keep the leg and back baring to a minimum. If you choose to show off your back, keep your chest and legs tastefully covered. If you choose to go all legs, then keep everything else simple. You get the picture. The goal here is to create a fun but classy look, not a trashy one.

In general, other things to keep in mind: Don't drink and drive. If you do drink, call a town car, get a room, or have a designated driver. Always bring a small gift for the host if you're attending an event at someone's home. If you bring a date, don't forget to introduce them to everyone if they don't know anyone there. It sucks to be a plus one and be forgotten...better to show up solo if you plan to drop your plus one off at the door with your coat. Ask the host if they need any help before, during or after the event. Putting together events is a huge undertaking so even if it just means picking up after yourself, it would be a great help to the host.

And of course, eat, drink, laugh and be merry! Happy holidays!!!

Off the rack to off the hook...with heart.

Courtesy of the Uniform Project

This week I write, inspired by two serendipitous moments which transpired over the course of the last few weeks. It started out with a fabulous coffee date with one of my favorite stylists-turned-fashion designer and friend, Simeon Dacumos. During our conversation, he mentioned an amazing project that raised money for charities using fashion as a mode to communicate their social change message. How brilliant, I thought! A few days later, my Lucky magazine issue arrived and there it was again! There was no denying that I had to let the world (or at least my blog world) know about this project.

Enter: The Uniform Project.

The story is truly told best in their own words from www.uniformproject.com:

"The Uniform Project™ started in 2009 when a young woman realized she was drowning in the doldrums of an advertising career. To counter the uninspired demands of the corporate world, she came up with an unusual creative challenge; to wear the same dress for an entire year – but, and this is where the real challenge came in, she'd have to make it look unique every single day and do so without buying anything new. The challenge was also designed to be an online fundraiser, raising money to send underprivileged kids to school.

Thus, in May 2009, with fashion as her medium, and education her cause, U.P founder Sheena Matheiken launched the Uniform Project, pledging to wear one little black dress for 365 days as an exercise in sustainability and a fundraiser to support the Akanksha Foundation – a non-profit organization providing education to children living in Indian slums. And for the next year, Sheena reinvented her uniform solely using accessories that were either vintage, handmade, reused or donated."

So what did we learn from Sheena? We learn that fashion:

1) doesn't have to cost a lot and can be recycled or reused. Vintage is chic, ya know! Good for the piggy bank AND good for the planet!

2) can literally be worn 365 different ways with one basic LBD.

3) accessories really can be your friend. Jewelry, belts, hats, shoes, bags are great pieces to have to help accentuate and enliven any outfit. Just be sure to keep it organized so you know what you have so you can use it. But remember Coco Chanel's saying about accessories...in case you forgot already, refer to last week's blog post. ;)

4) can be glamorous but at the end of the day, the most admired accessory any woman can wear isn't a ring with the most bling or the bag with the most bucks, it's compassion and kindness.Women like Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn and Princess Diana were admired not just because they dressed well but because they had heart. And heart outlasts any fashion trend, any season.

It's timeless.

Falling Into This Season's Fashion Trends

Courtesy of Michael Kors

A big part of delivering your message, meeting your goals and reaching your dreams, is about showing up looking presentable! No one wins a bid, gets seed funding or clutches an interview for your dream job wearing a potato sack. And contrary to belief that most men and women in the Silicon Valley don't know how to dress; (READ: company logo wear is NOT a style!!) even our most challenged know to show up to an interview wearing clean socks and a business professional jacket. So this week, rather than give you my usual motivational tidbits to kick off your Monday morning, I'm sharing with you my five favorite fall trends for this season.

1) Camel - Specifically a camel boyfriend jacket. It's my latest obsession for fall. The boyfriend jacket has become such a staple in every stylish gal's closet and can be worn for work or play. Changing up the color from the usual black to camel makes for a classic, clean fall look that will get you through the winter. Mix it up with a black and white outfit like Michael Kors did in his show (refer to photo) or go head to toe (H2T) in winter whites and you'll look so chic!

2) Gray Tones - Wearing gray H2T can look fab or drab depending on how you pair your pieces and mix up the tones. Wear a one note and you'll look like one lonely stormy cloud. But mix up the tones and throw in a small punch of color - or wear a crisp white shirt, if you prefer to play it safe - and you'll look put together and ready to power play.

3) Separates - The dress is certainly not dead but it has definitely made some fashionistas lazy with wardrobe creativity! Yes, it's easy to mindlessly throw on a dress and head out the door but for many reasons along with the obvious like colder weather, the dress can take a rest. Instead, go for a pair of well tailored slacks with a smart top (possibly with that camel jacket) and you're ready to go!

4) Boots - Every girl's favorite fall accessory are boots. And there are plenty of them this season in all different heights, shapes and sizes. When all else fails when you're getting dressed, you know you can always resort to wearing a great pair of boots to jazz up your outfit and add a little sex appeal to your look. And no matter what anyone says to you or what fashion magazines you read, according to my philosophy of style, the kitten heel was never in...in order to be back! Wear a heel or wear a flat but what the heck is a kitten heel, especially with a dress or skirt?! Unless you have modelesque legs and stand 5'10", you'll make yourself look like you have tree trunks for legs. Don't do it. BUT if you just cannot help yourself, hide them under those lovely pair of slacks I mentioned earlier. God forbid I see you on the street in a skirt and kitten heels! I'll give you the evil eye and a ticket for a major fashion offense.

5) Minimalism - Coco Chanel tells us that before we leave the house, we should look at all the accessories we're wearing and take one off. Rachel Zoe would tell you to pile three or five more pieces on. Well this season, give your accessories a mini vacay. Keep your jewelry simple. Let your look be about all the clean lines and quality of your clothes and forget all the jingle jangle. We don't need to know that you're coming halfway down the hall. It gives everyone way too much time to quiet down their chatter about your jangles before you arrive.

Feeling inspired to look your best this season or just feeling overwhelmed because fashion "isn't your thing"? Don't fret, my pretties! Next week, we'll take off the rack...to off the hook!