Seriously Fall Knits?...Seriously...?

Suffice to say that I can go on and on about how great Fall07 fashion shows were. The textures (fringes, feathers, felt...you name it), the colors (red, fuschia, grey and more grey) and oh the menswear inspried suits and Balenciaga....but jeez...this...this, no...no way.

Never will I be able to wrap my head (or neck around this trend):

Do you think Giles Deacon is aware that these models weigh, oh I don't know, 7olbs soaking wet? Can you imagine what they must be going through? I can see their knees wobbling with the weight of all that expensive/ trendy knit around their necks. I hope they have insurance as diet cokes, cigarettes and romaine lettuce do NOT give you the strength to walk around in those numbers...

And are those hair extensions wrapped around their ankles???

But let's move on...oh yes...there's more...

I guess you can multi task with this snug little garment. May I suggest you replace your duvet with this sweater. Not only will you be hip, trendy and surprisingly strong (you need muscle to carry around all that fabric) but you will also have slightly redecorated with a new bedspread! Oh and I got one more: this sweater is prefect at times when you are stuck at an impromptu camping party with no sleeping bag...don't we hate it when that happens?

I have said it before, I'll say it again: these designers are quite the savvy bunch.

Speaking of multitasking...why not purchase this little number by Emilio Pucci. When your floors need cleaning, simply remove the garment from your body, dip in cleanser and mop! For an extra challenge (don't we all love challenges) keep the sweater on, dip in cleanser and mop like it was the most normal thing to do.

Last but certainly not least:

Image A: by Malo

Image B: The Komondor

The Komondor is so 2 years ago...Was it not informed that grey is the new off white? Does it not care that it's fur is so outdated?

Fashion has once again pushed its limits and I must admit that I am amused...I hope you are as well :)

A Few Suggestions...

As the great white shirt and the braided belt continue their dominance over Summer/Fall fashion, may I suggest a few other ways to wear such a... wearable trend...

Lookee here at Reese rocking the white shirt with...what else but jeans and off white accessories. Sometimes I swear, it is so easy that it`s not easy... you know?

And here we find Rachel with a braided belt over a plain t-shirt/ jersey dress. So simple and casual...yet I needed her to spell it out for me... I feel as if I think too much when it comes to clothes...

Oh and by the way, should you decide to get your hands on a t-shirt dress as per Rachel`s (American Apparel will have some great ones)...may I suggest you keep it for fall. Paired with opaque tights and layered over a long sleeve shirt and some black boots....oh la la. Donna Karan won`t know what hit her!

Overalls and Yellow Shoes

Hum...so I guess these trends that I thought would last about 10 minutes actually has some staying power...

So what do we say...maybe another 2 weeks?

So What's the Skinny on the Wide?

I have hips and thighs that have previously been referred to as belonging to a gymnast.
So you can imagine that when the skinny jeans appeared about 2 years ago, I cringed. But then I tried to have an open mind. What kind of self proclaimed semi fashionista does not even give the skinny jeans a try? Come on now…

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So off I went, optimism in one hand, credit card in another. Things took a turn for the worst when, after wriggling into a pair, I turned to look at myself. *Gasp*. I did not think my thighs were this huge. What I had been trying to hide for years was now magnified in all its curvaceous glory…not always a good thing (unless you can appreciate the look of the stuffed sausage).

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And that’s when I made the executive decision to abolish all attempts to skinny. Starting today, I would walk with my head held high, ignoring the size 0’s with their ankles tight in denim. This was a trend that I would not even attempt to rock.

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So life went on. I went about my daily routine when suddenly, one day, I caught a glimpse of Kate Moss in a magazine. Could it be? Could she be going against the tide. What was she wearing? Why were the jeans so high? And why, oh why, were they so wide? Yes, I know I know, every fashion magazine, blog, tv show has already penned Kate Moss a fashion icon, claiming she is avant gardiste. But it is true, she was ahead of the time. Case in point: the wide trouser leg jeans will be everywhere come fall….they have already made their mark in most stores for summer.

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The advantage of the wide leg trouser is its overall flatter of the average “I try to diet but I really like curly fries and/or Lidnt chocolate, I work out once in a while, but sometimes would rather read a magazine, and you know what, I am happy the way I am” women.
It does not draw the attention to the thighs and if you keep them long, they will lengthen the leg.

Tips:

#1- The wide leg looks better in a darker shade.

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#2-Oh and can we also make sure that there is a bit of spandex in the pant and that the denim is of a super thin cotton quality. This will help in the comfort factor.

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#3-Wear them with a platform shoe for a more slimming effect, extra height and extra oomph.

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#4-Try and avoid the long tunic over wide leg look or I promise you will look like a tent. Proportion is key here. If the pants are big, the top is small and vice versa.

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The Do's:

The "I Am Not There Yet":

Last But Not Least-Don'ts:

A picture says a thousand words...oh la la...

Get your Wide Leg/Denim At:

Prett much any retailer at your local mall.

The Printed Skirt

In all this hoopla over leggings and city shorts, I feel we have neglected an icon of femininity: the printed skirt. Its versatility and comfort factor are rarely unmatched. Can you wear leggings to a high profile meeting? Not so much. How about a garden party in city shorts: yeah, but only if you want to be judged...no one wants to be judged ;)

My point is the printed skirt has been around for centuries and it ain’t going no where. In a season of brights and black/white prints, it is only fitting that we would see an emergence in the printed skirt. Stores such as Gap, Joe Fresh and Jacob were parading their printed-ness all over malls across Canada. Many a printed skirt comes with a white ground and a bright or black print (as per below) which facilitates matching (oh, we like that!)

TIP:

#1-Wear them with plain t-shirts and thongs (remember those? They are the ones you carelessly threw in the back of your closet when you bought your ballerina flats or peep toes) for sangria with the girls on a Saturday afternoon.

#2-Pair them with a thin cardigan, skinny belt and the peep toes you can’t stop wearing for a Monday morning meeting.

Get your Print at:

1. Joe Fresh Style $19.00

2. Banana Republic $78.00

3. The Gap $39.95 sale

4. Costa Blanca $32.50

5. Urban Outfitters $58.00

Printed skirt at very bottom is from TopShop.com.

2008 Miami Swim Collection

Jessica Simpson, Lycra & True Religion Swimwear at the 2008 Miami Swim Collections - stylelist

The Little Red Dress revisited...

A few postings ago, I mentioned how hot like fire the little red dress was. It seemed like everyone and there mom was rocking the look. The thought provoking question that keeps me up at night still remained: had the little red dress replaced the timeless little black dress?

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*gasp!*

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Well according the Jessica, Nicole and Sienna...it has. At least for a day. Notice how they pair them with beige/ white shoes. Personally, when it comes to such a statement making color, I would have to agree: keep the rest basic and I am pretty sure you will prove your point...whatever it may be :)

BOOK THIS LOOK- Cameron Diaz

You would think that in a world of bright accessories, a purple and a yellow combo may be overdoing it. But for Cameron right now...I don't know if it is because she dated Justin or something, but this seems to work. The bright yellow and purple seem to somehow coexist in harmony...pair that with Hepburn's stripes and dark denim and you are good to go. By the way, in light of me always wanting to keep it simple...this about as far as I will go in terms of mixing colors and patterns...so un-adventurous of me!

Book This Look:

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Stripe Top Club Monaco $39.00

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Jacket Suzy Shier $25.00

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Jeans RW& Co. $65.00

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Scarf Le Chateau $19.95

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Bangle H&M $7.90

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Necklace La Maison Simmons $20.00

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Shoes Aldo $59.95

The Shoe!?!

BOOK THIS LOOK- Cameron Diaz

This now famous stripe dress worn by Cameron last winter is now available as a summer/ "let's ease into" fall staple. I am in complete denial, by the way, that fall is just a few short months away. Seeing as I am not ready to deal with cold weather yet (I am going to need to move to Cabo soon), I have done up a summer-ish version of book this look with a low boot. Enjoy!

Halle Berry reads Lookbook?!? ;)

Halle Berry wears a tent...

The Braided Bunch

I am not a belt person. I don’t like to make an effort to put a belt on. And I hate trying to figure out the intricate balance between being too matchy matchy and looking like I belong in the fashion spread of Lucky Magazine.

It is just too much work for me so I choose to avoid it and deal with saggy pants. All this ended when I found a perfect braided brown belt. I wore it with white pants and felt like I belonged in Banana Republic. I paired it with denim and everything in my life seemed to fall into place.

The braided belt seems to be pretty hot right now, popping up everywhere from Gap to Smart Set to Le Cheateu.

TIP:Wear it over a long shirt (nipped at the waist or 2002 style hanging low) or as an actual belt, loops and all. It’s a nice little update to the thick belts that we saw last fall (which by the way come back bigger and badder next fall). It also beats those skinny numbers I wore that would half disappear in my tummy fat when I sat down…arghghgh.

Get Your Braided Belt at:

American Eagle $27.50

Banana Republic $49.50

H&M $19.90

Reitmans $20.00

Urban Behavior $25.90

The Cut Off Shorts

In light with keeping it simple, the cut off shorts are the jeans of summer. Thankfully, everything is on markdown across all Canadian malls so you can get them for cheap now and enjoy whatever we have left of a summer :)

Tip: Wear them with black or white tops currently on sale for $9.99-$14.99 at most stores.

One More: You can get a great pair of cut off shorts at Jacob Connexion for $29.99.

OK Last Tip For Real Now: Urban Behavior has them at $19.80 in an oh la la short length.

The Little Black Dress

Photobucket Album

The Little Black Dress

In keeping with my "Keep it Simple" campaign, I have all of a sudden become inspired by a plethora of ideas...
The logo for LookBook is the Little Black Dress (LBD). Every woman should own at least one and always be on the hunt for another :)
So how could I have not done a posting on my logo yet...all these months and I ignored the pillar of my blog.
Well, there is no time like the present. Above you will find a small slideshow of different LDB looks for various occasions. I will be adding on to this as more LDB's come my way. Enjoy!

BOOK THIS LOOK- Mischa Barton

I think I want to call July "Keep it Simple" Month. Let's try to not think too much when it comes to fashion and let's wear what feels comfortable and...simple. July (my birthday month!!) is all about time with family and friends, doing what we love- meaning spending less time trying to figure out what to wear and more time enjoying what we have left of the summer). As per my previous post yesterday, I will try and keep the bells and whistles to a minimum.

For this segment of Book This Look, Mischa is ever so comfortable looking in her plain printed tee and sweat pants.

So here goes:
Book This Look At:

T-Shirt Zara $19.90

Sweats Roots $60.00

Keeping It Simple

How many times have we looked at out closets and, with overwhelming exasperation, groaned at the fact that we had zero to wear. Zilch. Na.Da. I am amazed at my ability to simultaneously go broke (by spending all my money shopping) and yet still have an uninspiring closet. I just don’t get it.

When I reach that point of complete hopelessness, I try to take a step back (literally out of my closet and figuratively out of my irrational thoughts) and keep it simple. A plain white top, denim jeans and a punch of color in your accessory is the easiest way to be chic. The problem is that it is such an obvious combination that we ignore it, thus complicating our lives and resulting in and obscene amount of unnecessary stress ;)
These actresses below have seen the light and realize the importance of keeping it simple. The red purse or the yellow shoe is the center point of the outfit. So remember, next time you stare blankly at your closet, grab the white shirt, the jeans and a splashy accessory and you are good to go. Ah, if only everthing in life with this simple!

Summer's Black and White Printed Dress

Whether you have an outside wedding to attend, a family dinner or a night out with the girls (or your boy), the printed dress is perfect for this season. The prints are very right this very moment, the dress is super duper comfortable and one cannot go wrong with black and white (ask Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn or an Oreo).

Gisele and Fergie rock the look, oh yes they do:

We can do it better, oh yes we can:

Tip: Keep the accessories minimal and let the dress do all the talking.

The Great White Shirt

The button down white shirt was a staple for the investment bankers on Bay St.
Waiters also needed them in their closet.
But trend followers? Fashionistas? They stayed away from such constricting garments.
A white button down shirt: so plain. So un-thought through.

Then Gap (partnering with CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund) decided to showcase a few up and coming designers (Rodarte,Thaikoon, and Doo-Ri) and their idea of a white shirt.

In May 2007, Vogue displayed its up and coming models on the cover in…you guessed it, a white shirt. Well if that’s not a hint and a half for us to get on the white shirt train, then I don’t know what it.

They are now available in all shapes and sizes but I suggest a long (hits just above the knee) flowy one. Wear them with leggings or skinny jeans for a surprisingly smart look.

Tip:Please don’t match them with loose white linen pants or you risk looking like a drug lord on his oceanview balcony sipping rhum and holding a cigar.

For A Day Frolicking in the Park
Pair the shirt with shorts :


For Sunday Brunch at The Ritz

Pair the white shirt with the above mentioned leggings and a hot belt cinched at the waist:

One last tip: get a shirt thick enough that you don’t have to worry about wearing a tank underneath (or make sure you have a nude colored bra).