i know, i owe every reader an apology for the lack of updates but the last months have been extra hectic both in the work and family front.
with this brief post i would just want to greet everyone a happy and safe holidays! i also would like to wish all a joyous and bountiful new year ahead of us!
for an early holiday treat, dear hubby and i are blessed with the news of an impending new baby coming in june next year!
in preparation for the cooler weather here where i live, i have browsed and studied different fashion magazines with hopes to resuscitate my outdated fall/winter look. with too much catalogs at hand, i have found that i love and just recently developed a high obsession for flat or slouchy boots. they’re great paired with fall tunics and cashmere leggings. they’re also perfect tucked in skinny jeans topped with short jackets. they’re even lovely with short dresses and opaque stockings. the look options are endless and i have picked a few pairs that i’ve spotted online at bloomingdales. here are my choices that i have narrowed down from so many :
obviously, they all look comfortable enough and i love the suede look even with it’s high maintenance value. however, what do you all think? which one gets your vote?
photo credit : bloomingdales
i am still baffled with all the flowy chiffon dresses matched with leather studded accessories but i come to realize that over analyzing the hermes spring 2007 runway show brings one self to question our own taste level. so, i’d rather not judge it and just take it as it is. designer jean-paul gaultier continues to make this french luxury leather house a bit more young and hip and the end-result is just not quite there yet. i applaud the edgi-ness created with the shoulder birkin, the tiny kelly clutch and the kelly longue but the rest of the new bags are still debatable. what do you think?
photo credits : style.com
neiman marcus’ hip event started last friday October 6 and our local NM store has already ran out of gift bags 2 hours before closing time yesterday! for $ 350 worth of purchase for days October 6-9, you get a gift bag filled with yummy goodies from contemporary designers like rock and republic, cynthia steffe, tory by trb and so much more. i believe, this has been the best free goodie bag all these past years. here’s the free loot :
a theory canvas bag
a marc jacob cosmetic case
an elie tahari black tanktop
a seven for all mankind white tanktop
a juicy couture tshirt
vince headband
nars lip pencil in papua
tory by trb plastic bangle
american rejects cd
cynthia steffe compact mirror
diane von furstenberg play cards
rock and republic headband
christopher blue canvas belt
a laundry by shelli segal candle votive
i really needed several jackets for work, so, i waited for this event to complete my wardrobe deficit and get a free gift! i got this, a DKNY top, a nanette lepore and a cynthia steffe jacket. i’m so ready for fall! if only the weather is…….
i spent an extended lunch break at our local neiman marcus as shoe guru, manolo blahnik, arrives for a two-hour shoe-signing event. women clutching their manolos lined up to meet the man and be rewarded with his signature on their stylish shoe soles. dignified manolo was dressed in a double breasted cream jacket with matching bowtie. pleasant, cheerful and admirable - signing away. my two hour lunch break quickly melted away without a single calorie swallowed.
calling all vintage lovers out there. these are just a few of the hermes collection that will be auctioned off at christie’s starting in a few days in london.
all photos from christie’s
if interested to bid, log on and register at the christie’s site. auction will start on september 28. good luck!
source : purse forum at the purse blog
if you’re in the area, check out PR 2 grad, emmett mccarthy’s boutique and get the chance to shop and meet your favorite project runway season 2’s alumni with an addition of PR 3’s recently booted off, alison kelly. the event is on saturday, sept. 16 with a special appearance by tim gunn .
philippine’s own fashion icon and former top mannequin, tina maristela-ocampo, has created beautiful handmade evening bags. every clutch piece evokes an old world charm design reminiscent of the past, utilizing locally grown materials but has the modern look appeal. a perfect accessory for an evening out, they’re sold in stores at barneys and ikram in chicago.
natural mother of pearl and brass bracket $ 1115
padded shagreen with carved animal jade clasp $ 995
padded shagreen in maple wood frame $ 995
copper filigree with tiger’s eye clasp $ 700
also available in vivre.com
i am not into matchy-matchy outfits but this season’s delicious boots and bags gets you garbed in head to toe designer regalia. you can even get away with wearing old sweaters and tattered jeans with this brand spanking of-the-moment boots and bags!
all available at neimans
it may not be as grand as the prince’s necklace gift to mariah, but it is a priceless gift from the hubs (which i picked - he he) for our 6th year wedding anniversary. thanks honey!
picture and necklace by daphne
if you think you fell in love with john legend after hearing his first album when it came out, wait till you hear his latest album when it drops sometime this fall. the grammy-award winning artist will be coming out with a new album full of smooth tunes that will captivate and tug every heart out there! to listen to his first single, save room, click here.
thanks to friend, jo, for the heads up!
favorite designer to young celebrities - behnaz sarafpour - has gone out of the designer mold by working with lancome for a limited-edition red lipstick, which coincidentally debuts with ny fashion week in september. next month, we’ll have a peek at the red shade she created with the premier cosmetic house. so far, nothing else has been written about this except a little feature from our monthly fashion mag subscription, instyle, where i have sourced this important info. well, we’ll all just have to be patient and constantly check lancome’s website for it’s launching.
laurenn claridge of houston’s paper city lifestyle magazine will host on wednesday, august 23, the top 10 fall trends event at neiman marcus located at the east end of the massive houston galleria mall. the fete starts with a cocktail reception at eleven thirty in the morning with a fashion show following right at noon. expect models strutting the runway geared in leggings, sexy scarlet shoes, bold gold chain links and the seven other major trends big this fall.
for other NM houston store events, click here.
mark your calendars! calling all l.a. girls, on monday august 28th - tory by trb will have a one-day sale marking 15 % off on fall merchandise! store is located at 142 s. robertson blvd.
splurge vs. steal or luxe vs. less. designers want to attract everyone’s business - no matter what social class or tax bracket you belong to - they want you to buy their stuff. who was the master of this step-down younger line? calvin klein, of course, who created his ck line in the 80s. there’s also donna karan - dkny was produced as a less expensive line.
nowadays, the choices are endless. prices are still not exactly steals but it was cheaper than the premier line, so to speak and you still get the taste of a designer merchandise. check out the following related products :
mc graw platform boots by michael kors $ 775 vs. domino suede boots by kors michael kors $ 345
miss wave dolce and gabbana bag $ 2225 vs. leopard - print satchel D & G $995
floral dress by roberto cavalli $ 1872 vs. aztec print dress by just cavalli $ 460
zigzag dress by missoni $ 2300 vs. the other zigzag dress by m missoni $ 595
all available at bergdorfs, neimans
after playing a good two hours at our local chanel, checking out purses and jackets on sale, our friendly SA handed each of us little goodie bags filled with their newest regenerating cream called sublimage. derived from the plant vanilla planifolia, found in madagascar and blooms only at a limited time of september to november each year, this fruit contains polyketones - which holds the secret to skin’s youthful appearance and vitality. the chanel laboratories have unravelled skillfully the powers of this plant and has evolved it’s extract to a powerful anti-aging cream.
available at your local chanel stores and at neiman marcus.
sneakers have come a long way since i’ve been in grade school. gone are the red, white and blue combo. designers like jil sander and alexander mcqueen - to mention a few, have gone creating their own sneakers with an edge. they’ve gone metallic, they’ve gone velcro and it does not limit to laces any longer. no matter what though, sneakers are still the ultimate feet comfort when travelling, running, exercising or just plain strolling. i love that the plain old sneakers have been jazzed up a bit.
puma by alexander mcqueen
hogan metallic sneakers
tods metallic ballerinas
photos swiped from neiman, eluxury, nordstrom
more visible in the ny social scene, rachel roy has emerged as my own personal style icon. her style is young, fresh, quirky, bold yet charming and fun. her design line bearing her name is a true testament to her fashion flair and panache.
photo credit : style.com
most of the hit spring trends are being morphed into a fall/winter must-have. a lot of the trends are inspirations from seasons past and the uncanny resemblance tells it all. here are some spring-to-fall transitions :
photo credit : neimans
while we’re on the shoe topic - this fall, my favorite shoe line is gucci. despite the fashion house’s hideous anniversary bag line, i just love their fall shoe looks. here are some of my faves :
the pumps and open-toe heels might be too high for me but they’re such killer shoes that just scream sexy. for the boots, i can see them being worn years after years to come since they’re not trendy at all. i love the midheel booties - great to wear with pants for work and bootcut jeans. for a more voguish outfit, this midheel booties also look great with the leggings trend that’s big this fall. all shoes available at your local gucci and saks stores.
photos courtesy of saks.com
viktor and rolf for h & m. paul and joe for target. designers are spicing up moderately-priced retail stores for this fall. and it’s creating havoc. and now comes, britain’s fashion queen vivienne westwood for nine west.
this september, top nine west stores all over the country will be showcasing limited edition shoe designs from this bold brassy designer. with prices ranging from $ 160- 350, doubling prices of regular nine west shoe designs, expect to see lots of twists and unexpected creations apart from your typical nine west shoe. the collection will also be available on a limited time only feature on ninewest.com!
photo source : style.com
in the attempts to save back-to-school shopping money, the annual no-tax weekend is here starting tomorrow until sunday. i have been eyeing a few items i think i’ll get, like this paul and joe for target kimono dress in teal which i adore. i already got the black one but of course everyone is bored with black and all the teal sizes have been snapped up!
i think it’s also a great time to stock up on under $ 100 basic clothing like shorts, tshirts, pajamas, sweaters, socks, shoes from stores like gap, urban outfitters, old navy, j.crew, banana republic etc. and some specialty boutiques have no-tax weekend sale re-pricing everything to under $ 100, to lure more shoppers on this 3-day event. it will be a crazy weekend, so i better start early friday and hit the stores together with all the soccer moms out there!
it’s refreshing to see celebrities don preppy duds in place of sweaty gym outfits, torn jeans and flipflops where they’re always paparrazzi-captured in. it took one party at the hamptons to get them pastel-colored and got cleaned up pretty good. i hardly recognized chloe!
photo source : style.com
i’m excited with this popular fall trend of oversized sweaters over skinny jeans or leggings. you see, i am not fit nor i am trying extremely hard to achieve washboard abs or toned arms. my gut sticks out and my arms are flabby and i’m not proud of that. i simply create excuses for not making it to my elliptical machine only a few steps away from this PC. and it’s my fault.
so, having said that - i am thrilled to death that i’d be able to hide my flaws and yet be so fashionably-in and chic about it. the fall runways featured chunky sweaters and jackets paired with tights, pencil skirts and the i-thought-won’t-last skinny jeans. the finish product - a sleek layered outfit which is very forgiving and friendly to the un-toned body. check out the runway looks :
and the affordable, street versions :
addendum : by the way, yours truly got a cool mention here. thanks, kristopher dukes!
photo credits : style.com, neimans
“chocolate is the new beauty classic. warm, rich tones make you look polished without being overdone.” - bobbi brown.
i so agree. even if they say that a dark brown lip shade add years to your actual age, leave it to bobbi to create a lip palette duo featuring a brown-toned hue matched with a layering gloss. eye shadow colors are a pretty champagne truffle shimmer as well as chocolate and bone eye shades. finish off the look with a crimson, cranberry blush and your set for fall. the face is dramatic, clean and classic!
ever since i found my favorite malt shade of lip shimmer from bobbi, i have been a loyal fan.
source : neiman marcus
replica. fake. designer-inspired.
whatever you call it - it is deception, cheating, misrepresentation and just plain illegal.
in the attempts of playing at human emotions - there are websites and shops dedicated in manipulating, swindling and victimizing innocent consumers sucked into misleading promise of the genuine real designer major purchase.
it has been a worldwide issue hurting the fashion industry and most recently, even the pharmaceutical market. currently, i have read a battle against a website who to a naive and gullible browsing client , this website has the ingredients of a reliable merchant. oh, but there’s more to this virtually luxurant online store.
but this cause is so much deeper than just nailing the people behind these active sites selling fake merchandise. this is a huge counterfeit market stemming into a worldwide problem. just a friendly warning, please do not fall in a trap of a steal-of-a-deal purchase and be blinded by the bargain. do not forget that your local retailers are just next door offering you the service and extra mile pampering in achieving your goal of owning a handbag (or whatever it is for that matter).
even socialites are not spared from global warning. be not a true fashion victim here.
anorexic or just plain skinny, keira knightly simply walks off unaffected with a skirt transformed into a tube dress. or is it a creative approach to a strapless tent dress? whatever it is, it looks cute on her and it does give an illusion of a little additional weight to her rather stick frame. but that belt is barely hanging on and her chest is cinched to death!
do you wear short shorts underneath? or you can even match it with a pair of leggings. i bet she was witnessing the hellish hot weather we’ve had lately, hence the breezy airy dress. she woke up sweating, jumped in the shower and decided - i’ll wear a skirt today, as a tube dress!
leave it to the leading scrawny, underweight nymphets in hollywood to make outrageous fashion statements, including keira here. i’m sure somewhere sometime, this little number will resurface in yet another lean scraggy body hoping to set the trend!
for all we know, it’s some designer piece freebie keira unloaded from last night’s party loot! does anyone recognize the dress? cute on her, huh?
photo credit : celebworld.org
yet another handbag designer emerge. aleya ny is all about functionality at affordable prices. all priced under $ 500, this line uses italian leather - lambskin suede, pearl-finished lambskin, metallic kid skin and even nylon canvas. the line also includes fun flirty clutches and cuffs in a myriad of rich colors. all hardware accenting the bags are handplated 22 karat gold for additional edge. the bag designs sort of remind me of botkier, kooba or bulga. will NM ever carry them in the near future?
nevertheless, welcome to the saturated world of handbag designs. but the more the merrier, i guess. with tons to choose from, the consumer is still in the advantage. thank god.
i love kate hudson. i even forgave her for showing up on the cover of vogue. but this little number has brought some confusion to me. i like the shift pattern but i’m not too crazy about the see-through material. and the length seems odd. what do you think? a fashion do or don’t?
i still love her though.
photo credit : eonline
