Fall Looks That Will Take You Into Spring

Dahlings, the weather has been so unbearable lately. And it seems that we've had enough cold, sunless rainy days. My 16-year old niece recently posted on her Facebook status that she forgot what the sun feels like. Well, so do I. And worst off, I've lost interest in my winter clothing, which means it's time for a change in season. Already the internet has been buzzing with the top trends for Spring and you might have already seen the first signs of Spring in the stores. But I'm glad to see that some trends from last season are staying put.

One trend that I'm thrilled to see carry over into the next season is the boyfriend blazer. This wardrobe staple is a major key layering piece that can take you through all seasons. Push up the sleeves and pair it with everything from skinny pants to skirts and dresses. If you've read my very first post, you know I love me blazer.

 The  necklace continues to make a statement for Spring. And thankfully, jewelry returns as an important accessory for Spring. More importantly it's the cheapest, easiest way to update your look.

The military influence was big this Fall and if you were among the many that succumbed to purchasing a cute military jacket, you can keep wearing it throughout the Spring. I still have the military jacket I brought five years ago. But it's more reminiscent of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation and I love it. Word on the street is that this Spring, the military jacket might replace the motorcycle jacket chicks have been rocking all last season. I'm not sure about that; two different looks entirely. For a new twist try the military anorak, a more relaxed, less structured look.

 Garden glamour aka floral motifs and patterns are another look that will carry over for Spring. I really love this look. It's demure, sophisticated and statement making all at once. This Spring, designers are big on blooms of all different sizes, from simple, cherry-blossom details to oversized, eye-catching rosettes. Many of the dresses would not be out of place at a '50s garden party. Love.

Stripes were everywhere last Fall. And this Spring the classic stripes are back big time. Blue and white seem to be a new combo folks are raving about but you can pull off the Breton-inspired trend with any color combo. I have a red /white combo and just recently realized that I own two gray/black combos. Not sure why that happened. I know there's a lot talk about  horizontal stripes widening the waistline but there's just something about stripes that I love; simple and no fuss but visually stimulating.  It's a classic look worth having in your clothing rotation.

More to come on my favorite looks for Spring.

Helping Haiti Thru Fashion

Hi Lovelies.Apologies for the lull in posting. But the recent earthquake in Haiti has been devastating to watch. As many of you know I have family in Haiti and just two weeks ago my husband Tim was there helping set-up a computer lab at a neighborhood library near the capital of Haiti.

Needless to say it's been a long week waiting to hear from my loved ones. Most of them are fine, have sustained injuries, and collapsed homes. They are the lucky ones. But I worry for their safety, I worry about whether they will have enough food to eat and water to drink. Those of us in the states are helpless. We can't send them money as we are used to doing. We can't talk to them at all or for long periods of time. So we wait and hope they are fending for themselves the best way they can.  And then there are the ones that are still missing; an uncle and a dear close family friend who was like a mom to me when I lived in Haiti. We are keeping them in our prayers and hoping for the best.

 I know many of you have already donated to one or more of the charities or organizations helping with relief in Haiti. Several shop owners in Oakland are also reaching out to their clientele. Tootsie's, a women's shoe store on college avenue is asking you to find and give the most appropriate footwear to help the victims of the quake, and to do it quickly. They will collect them in a bin and send them off to Souls4Souls as they receive them. Mcmullen, a woman's boutique on Piedmont from January 18-22 will donate 10% of sales to Doctors Without Borders , a humanitarian organization providing health assistance to victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Other big retailers are finding ways to support as well.

Lowe's has announced that it will donate $1 million to support the American Red Cross International Response Fund. All of the chain’s 1,700 stores will serve as donation centers for the American Red Cross. Take your old clothes to your local Lowes.

Walmart operations around the world and the Walmart Foundation have announced a $500,000 monetary donation to the Red Cross emergency relief efforts in Haiti. The company is also sending pre-packaged food kits valued at $100,000 to Haiti at the request of the Red Cross. I am glad to see Walmart helping since some products in Walmart stores come from Haiti. Margaret McKenna, the president of the Walmart Foundation, stated that Walmart has a responsibility to reach out to the victims in Haiti.

Target will donate $500,000 to the American Red Cross, also. In addition, Target Volunteers are working in partnership with students from The Fair School in Minneapolis and ImpactLives, a local nonprofit, to prepare more than 1 million meals to send to Haiti.

TOMS Shoes- According to their website, "For the next 48 hours, TOMS will donate $5 of every One for One purchase to disaster relief in Haiti through Partners in Health."

Earlier this month, Timberland released a line of boots designed by Wyclef Jean to benefit his Yele Haiti organization. Originally, $2 from the sale of each pair of boots was going toward reforestation in Haiti, but efforts have been redirected since Tuesday to help earthquake victims.

Fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein have made charitable donations too.  I'm  certain there are and will be more retailers doing similar work. And it goes without saying that I have been tremendously moved by the outpouring of help to the Haitian people. I hope this helps extends way into the future after the dust settles.

Fashion On Film: Get Carried Away

Dahlings, love watching fashion themed movies as much I do? Via IM with a co-worker a couple weeks back she listed all the fashion docs she had seen and how much she loved slipping into the fantastical world of couture fashion. Of course I agreed wholeheartedly. I love movies where fashion plays a lead role.

My favorite is Valentino the Last Emperor. The doc gives a never before glimpse into Valentino's glamorous couture filled world and his relationship with longtime partner, Giancarlo Giammetti as he embraces the final act of his celebrated career. Can I tell you that I shed a tear. No snickering please, I was just so in awe of Mr. Valentino's work and how emotional he became as he realized how truly loved his work was and the major impact he had on the fashion world. Anyways, worth checking out and I loved his diva tendencies and the deep bond between him and his partner. Definitetly worth a spot on your Netflix queue.

Of course I saw the saw the September Issue, first at Sundance then again with a friend. The doc follows famed Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, her collaborators and minions as they assemble Vogue's much anticipated September issue. Also worth watching but all I can say is that I wanted more of Andre Leon Tally, the flamboyant editor-at-large for Vogue magazine. I mean really Andre??

Also worth putting in your Netflix queue is the Lifetime movie on Coco Chanel starring Shirley McLaine as the older Coco. It was surprisingly good covering both Coco's life in the beginning and later on when she became successful. There's also Coco Before Chanel, starring Audrey Tautou. Love her but I missed it in the theater, so it's next on my Netflix.

Of course Devil Wears Prada was genius and the ultimate fashion fantasy. I've seen this film at least five times, mostly because it reminds me of my very brief employment at O, the Oprah Magazine. Of course Anne Hathaway's wardrobe was major!  Okay I can go on as this list is by no means complete but I must end with a nod to the unforgettable ladies of Sex in the City. I didn't expect to love the movie when it came out last year as much as I did, but I really did and have seen it more times I care to disclose.

Well you must have heard by now that there's a sequel. I'm not sure one needed to be made. But guess what? I will be in line on May 28, 2010 when the film premieres and based on the trailer, it looks like the girls are back and better than ever with fabulous fashions, some flashback montages and more glitz and glamour than ever before.

Will you Carrie on?

Check out the trailer.

A Great Idea: Rent The Runway

Dahlings, have you ever purchased a very expensive dress for a formal event and only end up wearing it once? I've done that on multiple occasions and I keep looking for ways to wear the dresses again but often times I never get an opportunity to because the dress was very unique to that event or it no longer feels right. Well a friend of mine sent me a link to Rent the Runway a site that makes "high-end fashions much more accessible and almost as easy as renting a movie from Netflix."

 Essentially you  go to renttherunway.com to sign-up (it’s free) and there you’ll gain exclusive access to looks from designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Robert Rodriguez and Proenza Schouler for approximately 10 percent of the retail price with same-day shipping for New Yorkers or next-day everywhere else.

Rentals range between $50 to $200 for a four-night loan. And to address the fit issue the company will send you a second size for free as well as a handy “fit kit” filled with helpful tools like double-stick tape and deodorant remover. Rent the Runway seems like a good solution for the girl who loves designer duds but doesn't have the cash flow but  if you have a difficult body size it may prove to be a burden. For a special occasion you really want the dress to fit properly and that usually entails trying on multiple dresses in varying sizes. But when ordering they do have a stylist on hand to help you choose the right size for your body shape so it might be worth a try for an upcoming event. Who knows, I might give it go one of these days just for fun. What do you think? Would you use this service?

2010 Style Resolutions

Happy New Year Dahlings! As usual around this time of year everyone is making ridiculous resolutions that they will never quite see through to the end. Although we know deep down inside these lists---full with the best intentions toward self improvement---are merely that, just lists. But we can't refrain from making them. I'm sure some people find success with their resolutions and manage to turn their lives around for the better, but I don't know any of those people. I'm sure they exists. But as this is a time honored tradition, I must list out for you my ( style) resolutions that I truly, truly hope to triumph over.

1. Step-Up My Investment Dressing. I've hit the 30s (I'm shocked every time I say this) and this is a critical turning point in terms of continuing my style evolution. For me it means investing in more classic pieces that I can pair with of the moment trendy items. The goal is to own less by buying items of better quality that I can wear forever. When I look in my closet, the items that have stayed with me over the years are the ones I dropped beaucoup bucks for. But in this age of fast cheap fashion it's hard not to fall for the inexpensive stuff. I believe that one's closet should consists of 80 percent classic, body flattering pieces and 20 percent should be designated to trendy, fun items. Since I'm still toiling away in the non-profit world, I can't quite hit up the designer boutiques and maxing out my credit cards is not an option (ever). I'm going to stick to clothing stores like Jeremy's and other thrift stores, and major discounters like Loehmans, Bluefly.com Nordstrom's Rack, or even hitting up the outlets once in a while to continue building my grown-up wardrobe.

2. Trim Away the Fat In Style. Like every woman in America, I'm committing myself to dropping some unsightly pounds this year. I'm giving myself until April ( ha-ha) to drop 10-15 pounds, that have accumulated mostly around my stomach. I've never had belly fat but in the last year, wow, I've noticed rolls in places I didn't know could roll. So I'm hitting the gym big time. And I'm also hoping to supplement my gym work out by taking some dance classes. But I need motivation and that will only happen by purchasing a really cute work-out outfit and that will make me look good and feel good while I work off all the bread pudding I ate in the last six months. My tattered Lulu lemon look just won't cut it any longer (their stuff didn't hold up very well and it's expensive as hell). Target has a line by Champion that is working for me. I've also been eyeing Gap's Athleta line since they are having a major sale right now.


3. New Year New Look? I used to be one of those girls that changed my hair style every 3-6 months. I've been a honey blond, I've had wild curls, straight parted long hair, braids down my back and very early on I had what folks were calling the Halle Berry cut. Yes, it cost a whole lot of money and time needless to say. In my second year of college I got smart and opted for a hassle free style: the two stranded twists, which looks like a cross between braids and dreads. I now do my hair myself because I just couldn't spend 6 hours at the hair salon any longer. The last time I changed my hairstyle was three years ago when I straightened my hair for my wedding but went back to my twisties four weeks later. I love twisties and I get a lot of compliments on my hair no matter where I go. I often get black women running after me down the street to ask me who did my hair ( if you're not black you won't understand the obsession black women have with their hair). So with the new decade I'm exploring some new options. Not sure when I'm going to make the change, which will be temporary since my twisties may always be my safety net. But it's always great to switch things up once in a while.

4.Shop My Closet More Often. I always have the urge to shop. I do. It's awful. When I have that urge I force myself to look at what's in my closet to create new clothing combinations. I began this habit in the middle of 2009 when it was imperative for me to begin saving to travel more. I hope to continue this habit into the new year to create new and exciting styling possibilities with the clothes I already have. The other alternative is to shop my friends' closets. Last year I began hosting clothing swaps. Ten lucky girls are invited to my house to bring gently worn or never worn clothing, shoes and accessories to swap. It's a fabulous time and most of us take home a bag full of "new" clothes, shoes etc. I 'm hosting one in February. Hit me up if you want an invite.

5. Experiment More. This year, I will also try to take more style risks and try things that I wouldn't normally wear but they have to ring true to me and will not be about blindly following a fashion trend. For instance these risks can be as small as wearing a new shade of lipstick or wearing a bold color that I swore I would never wear. The idea for me is to not get stuck in a rut. But I do believe if something is working for you, you should stick to it but once in awhile it's fun to try new things not only for yourself but for the poor souls who have to look at you everyday.

Happy New Year Dahlings!  Here's to smart style moments in 2010. What are your New Year resolutions?

Image Credits:Photography- Amy Gwatkin and Anna Leader, Art Directiona and Glasses- Fred Butler, Nails- WAHNails, Make-up- Megumi Matsuma, Model- Tracey Onyecachukwu @ Elite London.