Fall fashion trends 2011

It has been a long summer full of odd weather....100 degree temperatures, earthquakes, and  hurricanes, Oh my!  Normally I am excited to welcome in a new season and a new wardrobe but now more than ever am I so excited to say good ridden to summer and welcome in fall fashions for 2011.   There are some trends we are LOVING right now and can't wait to share them with you!

Stripes specifically in a t-shirt dress.   They are fun, flattering, and versatile.  Pair a great fall t-shirt dress with boots and you have a great day to night look.  

We also can't get enough of navy and brown together!  This dress has very subtle brown leather piping details  that give it a little extra something.  Pair with brown boots to make a must have for fall.





Tribal prints and southwestern influence is one of our top trends.   We are seeing it everywhere from dresses, to skirts, to blouses and we love it in everything we see!

 Great one shoulder tribal print dress by Jaloux showing multiple trends in one!    We love the print, the one shoulder, and the metallic color pattern!


Blue is another great color for fall and we can't enough of this southwestern influenced print dress.   The shoulders are cut out to give it a little something extra.  Wear it now through fall and pair with a great pair of black booties and an awesome cuff bracelet.

Goes great with another fall trend, metallic nail polish.  A couple of our faves are by Chanel....    These earthy metallic shades are a must have for sure!





Shoes, shoes and more shoes!  You just can't go wrong with a great pair of pumps!   Right now the biggest influence out there is the heeled loafer.   We are seeing them in everything from leather, to suede tasseled, embellished, and more.    Here is a great basic that you can wear all season long.

Cable knit sweaters are back in a big way.   From short and cropped to mid thigh, these warm and cozy sweaters are going to be a staple to your closet this fall.

 Rachel Bilson showing the cropped version here.  Who who cable knit sweaters could be hot???

 Fall jackets are a great way to spice up any wardrobe.   We are seeing everything from denim jackets, to motorcycle jackets, and mixed material jackets.   Whichever you decide to chose, you can't go wrong!  What the heck, get more than one!!


Here, Cameron Diaz rocks a denim jacket with her jumpsuit and Pippa is showing off a great choice in her leather motto jacket.



Whichever trend you decide to rock this season make sure to own it and put a little of you in everything you wear.   Fashion is a way to show a little bit of who you are through what you wear so put some thought into it and have fun!   Make sure to get staples to start:  a great pair of skinny jeans, boots, and a jacket and then you can buy key fall pieces.   Keep it fun, keep it simple, and most of all.....make it YOU! 

Who says fashion and sports don't go together?



Emmanuel Chriqui



Kendra Wilkinson



Fashion and Sports??   Yes, please!  The annual ESPY awards took place on Wednesday and while the actual award itself doesn't really mean much, it gave athletes a chance to get all dressed up and mingle amongst Hollywood's finest.   What other time will you see basketball and football stars walk down the red carpet alongside Ryan Reynolds and Brooklyn Decker?  You gotta love it.

  



Maria Sharapova showed she knows a thing or two about fashion when she went with this fashion forward Alexander McQueen number.   The only thing I wasn't sure about were the feathers on her hips.....too much??     Brooklyn Decker may not be an athlete but her look was one one of my favorites!   Not that she could ever look bad, but she definitely stood out.   And her gold spiked Christian Louboutin's were to die for! 



Maria Sharapova



Overall I must say I was really impressed by the men.  They clean up pretty nice!   Tim Tebow was one of my favorite athletes, he looked great!   Any man that can pull off purple is one to be reckoned with I must say!  

Tim Tebow

Ryan Reynolds also looked unforgettable.   I mean, he does have the advantage of looking the way he does (ladies, you know what I am talking about!) he was casual yet smooth at the same time.    And his co-star Jason Bateman held his own. 

Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman

     

 Kerry Washington was glamorous in this short mini with exposed back.   It definitely made a statement and a good one at that!



Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams



Serena Williams decided to not leave much for the imagination in the hot pink mini.   Love it/hate it??   She is always willing to take a risk and not afraid to express herself. 

Blake Griffin

 Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers was one of my favorite men as well!  The basketball star looked like an Armani model!  Dallas Mavericks champ Jason Kidd and his date even matched!  They were pretty cute and had to be included.



Jason Kidd



Below are some other images from the evening.  Overall, I think everyone dressed to impress!  Some of these athletes could really give stars a run for their money when it comes to style! 



Lindsay Vonn

Olympian Lindsay Vonn...not sure how I felt about this one.   



Danika Patrick



Danika Patrick always looks good when she takes her helmet off, but I think if this one shoulder hadn't been so puffy it would have been one of my favorites.   Just a little too much fabric on her shoulder for me but other than that she looked beautiful!

Actress Rachel Nichols looked amazing!  Loved seeing this aqua one shoulder.  It was refreshing to see a vibrant color on the red carpet.



Who was your favorite of the evening???   

Kate the Great! My favorite styles from her North American trip

 

gray sheath dress by Roksada llincic



The Duke and Dutchess have captured the attention of MANY if not MOST of us since the announcement of their engagement.  While some are fascinated more by the fantasy of marrying a price, I am MUCH more interested in the style revolution and seems to be taking place in the past few months.  It seems everything that the Dutchess wears is under a microscope (and soon sold out!).   Admist all the pressure she must be under, she always seems cool and collected and her style choices thus far have not disappointed.  I don't think she has had a mistep yet!   Case and point her worldwind North American tour.  She could do no wrong!   I decided to make a little tribute to some of my fave's from her visit:

She wowed while watching her hubby play polo in this gray printed sheath dress.  While cheering him on all she needed was Julia Roberts' hat from Pretty Woman and maybe a whoop! whoop! call out from the stands!  Love the shoes, the clutch, her hair, it all just works.



Alexander McQueen lilac dress

 This Alexander Mc Queen was my favorite of the trip.  She looked amazing!   And the lilac color was perfect for her!   She was mingling with a who's who's of Hollywood but no one even came close to how great she looked.   The fact that she didn't take her stylist with her on this time really shows how classy she is as well as how great she is at picking out amazing clothes!   She knows what looks on her and knows how to accessorize to boot!  



Reiss dress


She is on point with the latest trends all the time it seems, which is pretty impressive.   She caters to her audience, always considers the culture she in, and respects the fact that she is representing royalty.  For instance, she wore a cream colored dress by a Canadian designer on Canada Day, and accessorized in the country's color of choice, red.    And anyone who can pull off those hats I have to give a shout out to!


 

Erdem dress



This navy and white lace sheath dress was sooooo classy and sophisticated!  I loved that she paired it with simple nude pumps as to not take away from the dress and it just worked.   Her hair and makeup complimented her flawless look.

There was something that she managed to pull off and is getting great praise for, sheer pantyhose!  Ladies, you heard me right!  If you look closely you can tell she is wearing them in almost all the pictures.   While it is regal (Princess Diana wore them as well) I don't know that even the Princess can bring them back from the 80's!  Nor do I know if I want her to!   But you have to give her props for respecting the tradition of the monarchy and being a trendsetter at the same time.  Not an easy thing to do and she does it effortlessly.



Jenny Packham



 Some more styles that she wowed in during her trip include this lemon Jenny Packham dress which she paired once again with nude.   So sweet! 

And it's hard to tell from the picture, but this bird print wrap dress she wore while attending a BBQ was so great!  I love that she paired it with wedges, perfect for the occasion.  And if you look closely you will notice she is wearing pantyhose!



wrap dress

Those are some of the dresses that stood out to me during their North America tour.  She really is a princess and looks so put together all the time.   The fact that she will buy off the rack and wear things more than once shows just how down to earth she is and why people are so in awe of her.    I can't wait to see what she going to wear next!   I do know that it won't disappoint.

BET Awards: Fashion hits and misses

Let me start by saying no, Chris Brown is NOT on the best dressed list!!   The picture really is 'nuff said.



Chris Brown



There definitely were some hits of the evening which made me smile.   Usually when you hear any type of music awards it gives everyone a "get out of jail free card" to wear the most rediculous get-up they can come up with.  While I must admit, sometimes it is amusing to see what these people will wear out in public, it also makes me a little sad.  They have SO MUCH MONEY!   And all these amazing designers at their fingertips and they chose to wear the most rediculous costumes and call it "style" or "fashion" or whatever they want to call it.  



Kerry Washington



But, like I said, there were some hits on the red carpet and in the performances.   Kerry Washington was simply flawless.     She kepy it elegant and simple in this Michael Kors canary yellow number.    The color is great, the neckline is unique, and it is sexy without being slutty.  Her accessories were perfect; subtle not to take attention away from the dress and her hair and make-up complimented the total look.   Totally flawless.  Of course, she isn't a musician so maybe that helped!  

Another big winner of the evening was Kelly Rowland.    This dress is fun and flirty and I thought again, what an amazing color!
It just shows you can still look stylish and fashion forward and


Kelly Rowland

not wear something totally insane and over the top.

And Mary J. Blidge....I mean, what can you say?   When I am her age I hope I can look half as good as she does!  (it doesn't hurt that she is just cool!)   This is the look she came down the red carpet in:  

This is definitely fashion forward but not over the top and just works.   And she is working it which totally makes it.

So, those were my favorites of the night but here are some pics of other hits and misses.   What do you think???



Nicki Minaj--miss



 

Keri Hilson--hit!



Alicia Keys-hit!

Summer traveling essentials

The summer season has finally arrived and many of us will be traveling to get away on much needed and long overdue vacations.   Whether you are going on an island adventure or a business trip, traveling can be a challenge especially with all the rules and regulations and bagage fees (not to mention the headache packing itself can cause).   Here are some packing/traveling tips that I have found work for me and might work for you as well.



Does this look familiar??  We have all been here!

 I don't pack early.  I know this can lead to frantic last minute throwing items into your suitcase (which I have done!) packing too early leads to forgetting what you have already packed and a greater risk that you are going to arrive at your destination with a suitcase of wrinkled clothes.   So, as a rule of thumb, I pack the night before and then the morning of the last essentials go in on the top.

Here is the order to my madness:   Shirts go on the bottom:   All my t's get folded very carefully and placed on the bottom of my suitcase.  Dresses are next:   I lay my dresses flat lenthwise across the suitcase and leave the ends of the dresses hanging over the sides.   Pants and skirts are last to go: Carefully place them over the dresses and fold them in half (you won't need to fold mini's) and then fold the ends of the dresses over the pants.  Pretty simple, but it works and keeps clothes from getting wrinked.  Shoes, ahhh shoes.... I think long and hard beforehand what shoes I REALLY need.  I try to stick with a couple basics that I can wear with multiple outfits.   For example, nude wedges are great for summer dresses and skirts and even shorts.    

Toileries I always place in a large ziplock bag for obvious reasons.  You don't want your shampoo ending up all over your suitcase.   Keep it simple.  Don't pack a family size shampoo and conditioner, that will take up half your suitcase!   You can always get shampoo from the hotel if you run out.  And you don't need your hairdryer, all hotels provide them so save the room for an extra pair of shoes!



Place tioletries in a zip lock bag to avoid spillage! 



Underwear goes in a mesh laundry bag or you can place it in the pockets on the sides of your suitcase.  Same goes for bathing suits.  I fold mine in half to save room but again, that's just me!  And don't forget something to sleep in.   If I am going to forget anything 9 times out of 10 that's it!  I also like to pack something to wear to continental breakfast like a pair of sweatpants or mesh shorts.  Sometimes you just want to grab a bagel and a coffee but you don't want to go in your pj's and you aren't ready to get dressed for the day.   I find a good pair of sweats and a tee do the trick! 

Lastly, make sure to have essentials in your carry-on.   If you are going on a beach vacation I make sure to have an extra bikini in my bag, sunscreen, my makeup, any medications, and facial cleansers.  I even bring an extra pair of underwear.   That way, worst case scenario and they lose your suitcase at least you can throw on your bikini and head to the beach while they search for your luggage!  

It is confusing trying to figure out what you can and can't bring on an airplane, so a good rule of thumb is to go and check out the latest rules and regulations.  Go to www.tsa.gov/311 for the latest developments on the sizes of containers, what liquids you can bring, etc.   You would be surprised at what is/isn't allowed.  And this way you aren't crossing your fingers as your bag makes it way through the xray machine wondering if your $55 dollar face moisturizer is going to make it through!  :)

What essentials can you never leave home without?? 

What to wear in this HEAT

I am a summer girl, there is no doubt about that.  Winter. Snow. Cold.  Just isn't my thing.  Therefore, complaining about the heat does seem a bit hypocritical but considering this is the first day of June, and we are under yet another heat advisory, I must say.....what is going on with this HEAT??   While I am not usually a fan of wearing "barely there" clothes when it comes to what to wear in this case it is almost a necessity just to survive!!   So, I must ask, what are you wearing to try and stay cool?   Today I am wearing a sundress that I purchased while on vacation in St. Lucia (FYI--it is hotter here!) but that doesn't even seem to be helping.  Here are my thoughts on how to stay cool (er?):

1.  Be comfortable.   You are going to sweat, there isn't any way to avoid it  (and if you have found a way to avoid it I would love to hear it!).   Wearing anything tight is not going to help when you start sweating as the result almost always equals the garment sticking to you adding even more sweat making you even hotter!   (I am getting hot just thinking about it)

2. Stick with cool fabrics:  If you are ever in question about what is cool, wear something that is at least a cotton blend.  Other fabrics that breathe include:  linen and silk.  Denim does breathe but it is heavy so not a good idea in the heat!   Silk is great, but it will show sweat so be aware that if you are sweating everyone is going to see it.

3.  Accessorize properly:  Sunglasses, hats, flip-flops, and even an umbrella are must-haves.  I always make sure to have a water bottle in my handbag at all times to stay hydrated and sunscreen is a must--at least on your face and neck.

4. Wear the right colors:  It seems like a no brain'er but I see many people walking around in dark colors that only make you hotter.  Stick with light colors--white, pink, peach, coral, all these are good examples and all happen to be trending right now so you are still fashionable!

White Aryn K one shoulder dress

5. Dresses. Dresses. and more Dresses:  These seem to be the easiest and coolest thing to wear.   They are comfortable, stylish, cool, and great for outdoor events.   If you get tired of wearing a dress or it doesn't go with the occasion, try a nice romper or skirt as an alternative.

What do you suggest if the beach and a bikini aren't a possibility?    



Floral strapless MM Couture dress modeled by Melissa





And the Oscar goes to......

Oh the Oscars.....Tinseltown's biggest event of the year where all the stars come dressed to impress and hoping to win if they are nominated or at least show up on the best dressed list the next day.   Overall, the fashion was "good".  There wasn't anyone that blew me away but at the same time, there wasn't anyone that was REALLY bad.   The awards themselves were kind of boring no real surprises, it was nice to see Natalie Portman win, and I thought Anne Hathaway and James Franco were OK, but I definitely wouldn't have been upset if I had gotten some sleep and just watched the recap this morning!

So, having said that, of course I have to have a best dressed/what were they thinking list!!!   It just wouldn't make sense not to!  (And I just have to mention, did anyone watch the pre-show on E with Kelly Osborn giving fashion critiques??  That was a little weird.)



Jennifer Lawrence



Here is who I thought shined:

Jennifer Lawrence-- This simple and sexy Calvin Klein dress showed off her youth while at the same time maintaining an Oscar elegance to it.   Her hair and makeup definitely complimented the look and I thought she looked awesome.  

Jennifer Hudson--First of all, she looks amazing!!  I hardly recognized her, such a transformation.   The color of her Versace haler gown was amazing and it looked awesome against her skin tone.  



Jennifer Hudson



So, these are the two Jennifer's that I thought really stood out in the crowd with dresses that were sophisticated, classy, and colorful.     I have to mention the youngest nominee of the night, Hailee Steinfeld in her Marchesa gown.   It was right-on in every way.   She looked her age, the tea length was perfect on her, and she helped design it!!   Pretty impressive for a 14 year old!   Tim Gunn would be proud.



Hailee Steinfeld



There were others that did not hit the mark, but luckily, not that many misses.   Here are a couple that I thought could have done SOOOO much better!

Nicole Kidman-- her Dior ensemble just didn't make sense to me.    There was so much going on with this dress I didn't know where to begin!  I think the color washed her out, and I know that metallic and sequins is in, but this was just too much.  



Nicole Kidman



The other person that I have to mention is Anne Hathaway.   She always looks amazing, (she was one of my best dressed at the Globes)  but during her many wardrobe changes throughout the night she had a few choices that left me scratching my head. I mean, she is beautiful and she was one of the HOSTS of the OSCARS, they couldn't find better choices for her??  I just don't get it.  The red dress that she walked down the red carpet in was vibrant and fun but every single dress she wore during the ceremony didn't make a lot of sense:  from the structured white dress in the beginning that resembled Nicole Kidman's dress, to the lacy number that she ended with, I was disappointed.   They could have done so much more.



Mila Kunis



So, I can't end this blog without mentioning Mila Kunis.   I know people are back and forth with her violet Elie Saab dress but I loved it.   She took a risk and it totally paid off.  The lace panels were just enough without being over the top and it was revealing enough to be sexy without coming off  trashy.   I don't know how she kept the girls in (I am assuming a LOT of tape!) but who cares, she looked great.

So, I guess to sum it up I thought this year overall everyone looked very Oscar worthy.  There weren't really any WOW moments, but there weren't really any WHAT?  moments either.   Everyone pretty much played it safe but there were trends that were very evident:   A lot of red dresses, sequins and metallic are here to stay for awhile, and adding a little lace here and there never hurt anybody!  

For those of you who are going to say what about Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Amy Adams, and Natalie Portman??   Well, they looked great as well, I just can't mention everybody!!!   :)

--Cari