Dress-like trenches and jackets

(Burberry, Temperley, Catherine Malandrino, DKNY)














It seems that for the Spring, dress-like trenches and jackets (worn with bear legs, not jeans or leggings) are going to be really popular. I really like the style. It's a step-up from your regular trench, it's more figure- flattering, elegant and lady-like, just pretty enough for the spring.


I'd love me a coat dress from Stella McCartney's spring collection, $1,995 :O
Apparently it's made of 100% bamboo fabric. What is bamboo fabric? I didn't know bamboo could be made into fabric. It must be an expensive process.

Poppie Couture Foldover Bags

Poppie Couture's Foldover Bags are all the rage right now. New York Times' fashion and style page highlighted them. The Bag Snob just did a piece on them too. I'm obsessed with clutches right now. These beauties sound so perfect, they are roomy and versatile. The colours are stunning, I especially love the shiny black croc, and the light blue python (you can see it on their website), great for day and night. And they don't have a price tag of $2000...however at $300, it's still pretty steep for everyday people like me. *sniff sniff*

The Arianne U-Bra

This bra is such a great idea!!

The Arianne U-Bra $40.

This bra will enable me to wear things with a plunging neckline. I have never attempted wearing any before because you cannot wear a bra with it. You can never hide a bra in there. Even on some of the deep v-neck shirts your bra will still show (unless it's done intentionally). I think the plunging neckline is a very bold style. I could never pull it off without anything underneather for lift and a sense of security. Aside from not having much cleavage to show for...hehe, I never trust that double-sided tape, I have a fear of exposure. If I had this bra, I might dare try the plunging neckline look. I might.

Betsey Johnson

I'm a big fan of Betsey Johnson. She makes the cutest dresses and shoes, her style is so girlie, whimsical, upbeat and happy. I constantly check her website in hopes that I find something fabulous on huge huge discount.
Tulle Bubble Dress $400 on sale for $160. Such a cute dress, even though it's still not discounted enough for me right now in January (gotta pay off the credit card bill first). Quick, drag me away before I buy it.
Raychel Shoes $180 on sale for $126.
Christie Shoes $200.
Pinwheel Organza Dress $485. The shoe and dress are very not on sale :(, but I just love them. Perhaps if I stopped shopping for 2 months and saved up, I could get them, or maybe they'd even go on sale.

Dressy shoes on boring days

Lately I've gotten into wearing dressy shoes on weekdays with simple outfits. We all know weekdays are boring 'cause we have to go to work, it can be hard to get into the mood to dress up. I'm really lazy sometimes too, which doesn't help me at all. Sometimes I can wear the same black pumps for days in a row, just 'cause they go with everything! So I've been wearing some of my more dressy shoes with very simple outfits, which really works 'cause you can downplay the shoes AND add some style to the whole look. I wore my red shiny pumps that I wore to the company's Christmas party the other day with a black top and skinny jeans. That really brightened up my day somehow.

Speaking of red shoes, I'm looking on eBay and I want these.

from E Shoe Warehouse, one of my favorite sellers. These shoes make me think of Valentine's Day, romantic and sexy.

The Honeyroom

My new friend Andrea has this cute little online boutique called the The Honeyroom that sells an eclectic collection of creative urban wearables such as tees, handbags and funky accessories at very reasonables prices. I really like some of the accessories. There are also lots of interesting t-shirts. She's running a promotion 15% off on orders of $40 or more at the moment. Just enter the code honey1978 at checkout. Check it out, you might find something you'd love :)


Black Strawberry Necklace $12. I love it that it's black, not red.




Gold Plated Owl Chain $19. Everybody does the bird necklaces. This owl one is so much cuter :)




Snake Clutch Handbag $38.

How charming

It's probably the winter's fault 'cause a co-worker said I looked pale and asked if I was not feeling well. Well, I know I avoid the sun (and we haven't been getting much sunshine thesedays here in Southern Ontario), but I didn't think I looked pale either. I don't wear makeup during the week at all (nobody at my work wears makeup or dresses up, it's an uber casual tech company), except for lipgloss to keep my lips from cracking. However it probably wouldn't hurt if I tried to put on a little blush once in a while, if I had time in the morning, I'm always always in a huge rush in the morning. So I want new makeup, specifically blushes and eyeshadows in the warm pinkish tones. And I found this. I gotta say the snake accent makes it tres opulent and sexy. I'd get it just for its pretty case. And the colors are gorgeous too, I think most women can wear it. I'd just carry it in my bag and if somebody said I looked pale, I'd take it out and put some color on my face.

Lorac's Snake Charmer Face Palette $35, a palette for eyes and cheeks.

How cute are these?

Guess what they are :-)

......

Pop Bottle lip gloss. Surprise! I thought they were so cute. And at only $1.29 each, you can get all of them.

Guy's perspective - weird-looking models

I was browsing the fashion websites as usual and looking at some runway pictures. I pointed to a batch of pitures of Gemma Ward, whose look I think is very unique and perfect for runway, for my guy to see. He was like "what a weird-looking model!" I told him that she was one of the hottest runway models at the moment. So my fashionista friends, here's another installment of "Guy's perspective". I can understand that the average guys prefer Victoria Secret models over haute couture models. We all know haute couture is weird too sometimes.

So who's bright idea was it at the turn of millenium that all models should look freakish. Whilst looking over the wife's shoulder while she was smurfing the weeb, I noticed all the models in the pictures she was looking at were hideous. Not like normal ugly-girl hideous,more of a side-show freak hideous. These women look more likely tobleed green and beam up to a mothership than to appeal to any man. Iguess the theory is that plain old gorgeous women like back in the 90s(Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, etc..) are boring and we needsomething different. I guess that's a pretty good indication of how out of touch most high fashion houses really are with the real world. Then again I guess in the formula of effeminate men designing for rich celebrity women doesn't focus much on the standard definition of"beauty." I can't wait for freakish alien models to leave magazines and runaways... at warp speed.

Nude lips

(from Canada Fashion Magazine February 2007 issue)

I've always been a fan of pale pink/nude lips. It's great to see nude lips will be big again in the spring. There's something soft and innocent about that look. Fashion magazine says "Nude lips lose their ho-hum attitude this season with a sexy shift toward delicious glamour. An antidote to fall's steamy red lips, a natural mouth factors into the nuder-than-nude essage that dominates this spring in a completely modern way. Not unlike red, perfecting the look can be a challenge, and you'll want to steer it away from its former life as a '90s neutral staple. According to Toronto makeup artist Lisa Aharon, 'select shades that have a more pink tone to them.' A more natural complement to your own lip colour, it won't leave an empty space on your face."

Their picks for nude lipsticks in the picture are (from top to bottom, plus the background "pool"):

* Annabelle rough Velours Creme Lipstick $8 in "Twiggy".
* Bobbi Brown Lip Color $27 in "Uber Beige".
* Lola Cosmetics Lip Creme $24 in "Vienna".
* N.Y.C. Ultra Last Lipwear $2 in "420B Mousse".
* L'Oreal Paris Colour Juice Stick $11 in "Personali-tea".
* M.A.C. Amplified Creme Lipstick $17 in "Half 'N Half".
* Pout Lipstick $25 in "Rebound".
* Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Lipstick $35 in "132 Nude Beige".
* Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick $10 in "Almost Nude".

I think I might pick up some of the cheaper versions in the list. Have you tried any of these? Or are you going to try them? Let me know which ones you like :)

Strong heels

Speaking of the "big crazy heel" in the previous post, I must admit that I am crazy about pumps with thick heels right now. They look sexy and strong, and are definitely more comfortable to walk in than the ones with skinny heels. If you have to catch a subway train, maybe you can even run in them...if you HAVE to, at least you can do it stylishly.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Patent Anklestrap Pump $130 sale
Marc Jacobs Loafer Pump $240.
N.Y.L.A. 'Patty' Pump $79.95.
Isabella Fiore 'Glory' Pump $375

Err...how do you walk in this?

"Dangerously" as my guy says. I think they took this one straight from the runway. I hope no model twisted her ankle in it.

Lanvin Cone heel platform sandal $350 on sale at Barneys.

Accessoryrow

Accessoryrow.com has some cute pieces on sale. Their regular prices aren't that bad either. The whole site is like a big sale. Use discount code "OK1228" to save 10% (thanks to OK! magazine).

Splash of Color Ring $18.20.



Crown Princess Belly Dangle $14. Now I don't have a belly ring, but this pretty dangle makes me want to get my bellybuttom pierced... almost.



I Like Sparkly Things t-shirt $13.99. That is exactly how I feel ;)







Purple Passion Pendant $25.










Dragonfly Dangle Earrings $30.

Double-duty charm

I love makeup in cute packages, even more if it doubles as jewelry. I was actually thinking I wanted more cute charms for my cellphone, although my "poor" cellphone really doesn't need more charms to weigh it down, it's got enough dangly things it can handle, but then I came across this one darling and thought "hey this is perfect for my cellphone and if I got this one, I could retire all the others except for my Happy Bunny one". (And I know it's way too early to start talking about Valentine's Day, but this one would be perfect for a Valentine's Day gift ;)

Dior Pretty Charms Gloss and Lipstick Duo locket in Magical Seduction $55, a couture-inspired, heart-shaped locket surrounded by dazzling crystal pearl drops and filled with two complementary lip colors.

gotta love sales!

Isn't it funny that we can't seem to stop shopping even though we all have humongous credit card bills to pay after the holidays? But who can resist when so many places are having great sales? I'll just have to go out for lunch less this month. UrbanOutffiters has some cute pieces at very reasonable prices. Perhaps we can all still pay the bills after this.

Lux Floor Length Pleated Dress $29.99 (from $78)! I can't believe you can get this gorgeous sleek black dress for almost nothing. And I love it how the model has a pretty lacy pink bra peeking out from underneath. That's a really good idea to add a little va-va-voom ;)

Kimchi & Blue Deep Pleat Skirt $34.99 (from $58). The model's legs look miles long. Is this skirt's doing? Well, she probably has mile long legs anyway. I hope the skirt can help mine or just make me look cute overall.

Kimchi & Blue Chiffon Abbots Blouse $34.99 (from $58). I'm a sucker for chiffon anything. You can also pick purple or peach for this one, they are all so pretty.

Lux Satin Babydoll Dress $49.99 (from $88). So it seems like the mini-dress will continue into 2007, which makes me very happy. This little black number looks versatile to me, you can dress it up with some bling bling or dress it down with a fitted top underneath.

Free People Daintiest Pointelle Hot Pants $29.99 (from $48). Now I don't know how I could wear these in the middle of January, but these are just too cute! Well, if I can't wear these outside, I'd wear them lounging on the couch in front of our new LCD HDTV :p

We don't need 10 face creams?

There seems to be a movement towards to simplistic skincare regimes in the new year according to this article The Cosmetics Restirction Diet in New York Times. One doctor even says what you really need is a good cleanser and a sunscreen! Wow imagine only 2 bottles by your sink! I cannot. I am guilty of having too many bottles and tubes and jars of stuff on my bathroom counter. But I'm trying to clean out the counter, throw away the ones that I don't use and store the ones I want to use later. I have too many blemish-control products (some don't work) and lots of sunscreens (none is perfect is for all seasons, all weathers, and various conditions that my skin is in at the moment).
One thing I don't do is succumb to the glamour of some ridiculously priced skincare products. The article keeps emphasizing that. I'm a big follower of Paula Begoun. She does wonderful truthful reviews on most of the beauty products on the market and recommends the drugstore brands over the expensive department store brands if the former does the same job, like Dove Sensitive Essentials Fragrance Free Day Cream I recently picked up. It's been working wonderfully for me so far and it cost me only $10.

I guess the ideal situation would be to have a cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen that are perfect for your skin's needs, but that would require a great amount of research and trial and error, which is easier said than done 'cause before you know it, you end up with 10 different bottles of stuff again.

New trends in the new year?

I wonder what trends will continue into 2007 and what new trends will pop up. Remember back in 2006, many fashion magazines said that grunge would be big again, and we saw it on Marc Jacobs's runway, but it never really took off?

I personally was glad that it didn't. Instead, women went with the pretty/dressy/nice structure route with fluttery tops, flowy or body-hugging dresses, sexy tunics with leggings and tights, fabulous fitted jackets and coats, super skinny jeans, and ultra glam boots and pumps...but not all at the same time!

So what will be the next biggest thing after the skinny jeans (or are the skinny jeans going to be over soon?)? Are patent leather heels going out or it's still not too late to get a pair if you haven't gotten one yet? Are the gigantic totes going to get even bigger? What trends do you want to see stay for a long time and what trends are you happy to see them go? In the end, we wear what we love and what we feel comfortable in and what suits our tastes and expresses our personality the best. Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to see. Hopefully 2007 will be a great year for Fashion again!

Bikini Boot Camp

It's a little early to talk about bikini season...or is it? As trite as it sounds, a lot of people will still tell you that their New Year resoluation is to lose weight/get in shape/go to gym regularly. I also signed up for Goodlife Fitness club for the entire year (I do like their yoga class). More importantly, I just want to get some exercise and get away from my laptop more, I spend TOO much time in front of my laptop. Anyway, there's this article about Bikini Boot Camp in the Toronto Star today. If you live in Toronto, you can get into this program. I don't know if it's North-America wide, but apparently "...celebrities like Heidi Klum have jumped on the bikini boot camp bandwagon, espousing the benefits of similar hardcore weight-loss programs." The article compares the Bikini Boot Camp with actual army's basic training in various categories. I especially like the category Disobedience.


Bikini boot camp:

Nobody has cried yet, assures Scott. But if clients don't come to class attentive and ready to work, they'll be forced to do laps while everyone else is working out.

For those who do all of their reps at home, prizes like Lululemon merchandise and gift certificates for facials, massages and manicures will be given out.

Army:

"I can't really talk about that," says Abramczyk. "There are push-ups, though. I can say there are a lot of push-ups."

Boot camp punishments are a thing of legend, myth and secrecy. It takes a certain kind of person to have enough patience to clean out a latrine with a toothbrush, or to cut a lawn with scissors.


Well, I'd definitely do all my reps at home for some free Lululemon stuff and facials, massages and manicures. That'd be motivation enough for me.

So do you have any new year resolutions regarding your health and fitness? I'd love to hear about it, leave a comment :)

Babydoll baby!

(Versace, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Blugirl...Spring 2007.)

Happy New Year everybody! How was your New Year's Eve? Did you have a wild rocking fun night? I sure hope you did!! :)

So as you know I've been browsing for dresses. Looks like the babydoll dresses will still be popular for Spring 2007. It's one of my favorite dress styles. It's tres girly, makes you look younger and playful. I wouldn't recommend this dress if you were going for a corporate job interview ;P


Aqua Babydoll Tank Jumper Dress $68 at Bloomingdales. Oh my God, isn't this the cutest jumper dress ever?!You'll be the envy of your friends if you get this one this winter!

Lauren Jane Orchid Silk Crepe Babydoll $330 at ravinstyle. So adorable with a bit of '60s flavor with the boots.

Rachel Pally Puff Sleeve Baby Doll Dress $190 at Shopbop. The puffy sleeves are so adorable!!

Juicy Couture Babydoll Top $88 at Bloomingdales. Classic! It looks so soft and flowy and the pretty ruching definitely enhances the chest area.

Guy's perspective

When I browse the Internet for new clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, I like to ask my hubby "what do you think of this?" when I see something interesting/pretty/cute/funny/outrageous/etc., he always has something funny to say. You really know that when it comes to fashion, men and women truly think differently. Whether I agree with him or not, I always get a good chuckle.

Here's what he thought of this shoe when I was looking at shoes (I'm always looking at shoes). I said I must share this with my fashionista friends.


When I first saw these style of shoes I thought "What the Fuck." I assumed they were for women who had (through means of a genetic mutation) a ridiculous long middle toe. Apparently that's not the case and women choose to actually wear these things for "fashion." My first thought is "Wicked Witch of the West." The crazy-pointy style just makes me think "witch" for some reason. Sometimes it also brings to mind some type of segmented flying insect like a hornet or a wasp. Needless to say I find this style ugly, I really can't justify it more than that. Did I mention I'm allergic to wasps?