See it...
Between Victoria Beckham’s collection of highly structured couture gowns, the abundance of sequins that have walked the red carpet since 2009, and most recently, Lada Gaga’s Glinda the Good Witch meets Jane Jetson Armani Prive concoction, it has become quite apparent that fashion has been catapulted into the future. It’s the type of future we had imagined upon watching the first Austin Powers, where the British swinger and his lady fight the villainous Dr. Evil in little more Reynolds Wrap.
Elaborate materials and strict contours endemic to ultra modern designs are not for everyone–not even for the most avid stylist. Because no matter how fashionably avant-garde one might be, there is still something that is so positively E.T. phone home–so aesthetically obscure–about the trend that it tends to be an immediate turn off to the weak of stomach.
A reserved futuristic accessory such as the Melinda Maria Pod Ring in onyx has a similar effect as dipping your big toe into a hot tub of steamy water.
...Steal it
The accessory is noncommittal, allowing you to experiment without investing in the look completely. Plus, it’s one of the few details that actually redirects my attention away from Vanessa Hudgens’ big innocent eyes and towards a small glimmer of a different kind. The clever celebrity ring is a must-have piece of finger bling that substantiates the future and lasts just as long.
Want Lace...
The circumstantial irony is glaring. Worn to the premier of Sherlock Holmes in New York City, Gossip Girl Blake Lively leaves nothing to the imagination; as she attends a much anticipated mystery, her stunning Dolce & Gabbana strapless bustier is anything but mysterious. Despite baring all six feet of her coveted toned legs, she nevertheless manages to make public lingerie almost acceptable–a feat Britney Spears failed to achieve last week in her Grammy dress by the same designer. Perhaps it is true that to wear a potentially reprehensible garment, the culprit must have a flawless reputation–preferably squeaky clean.
...Live Lace
As is true with most red carpet fashion, it’s not everyday that we stand in front of our closets pondering the barely-there mini, flexing our washboard abs, or even reaching for our favorite Dolce. Which is why we often need a translator: someone who can take untouchable styles from the red carpet and interpret them in a manner more appropriate of the gray sidewalk. Though trapped by less glamorous surroundings, our choices can still pay homage to couture designers and the bodies who model them.
If it’s lace you want, then it’s the “Le Must” Tank by Miss Ferriday (designer previously worn by Kim Kardashian) that you le-must have. The edgy tank is more romantically inclined from behind than its otherwise ordinary image from the front. The casual (but easily glitzed up) tank is universally flattering, awakens the imagination, and serves as a backup plan if your V-day outfit fails next week. Love may be in the air, but so is Lively.
...Not That
Wear This...
Giorgio Armani, you’ve really outdone yourself this time. Fashion will forever be about innovation and invention, and while I won’t say that the genius designer didn’t pour all his brain, soul and ultimately heart into Lady Gaga’s three Grammy getups, perhaps the outcome was just that: a getup. More costume than couture, more spectacle than spectacular, the Armani creation was more overwrought than Gaga’s marketable image itself.
The turquoise human glittery heart is the Frankenstein of February 2010—a generally good idea, adored by its creator, but completely misunderstood by anyone with a sense of decency and possibly on a path of destruction.
This idea, unlike a bad romance, can be salvaged though; there might just be hope for this broken heart after all. While I hate almost everything about Gaga’s opening act dress besides its overall effervescence, I love, on the other hand, everything about the e.vil heart clear oversized tank. It’s glitter without gruesome, feminine without the fright, edgy without the emo. Plus, it doesn’t ride up.
See Style...
It’s countdown to the Super Bowl, but if you ask me which colors I’ll be wearing come Sunday, my answer would be neither black and gold nor blue and white. I don’t really care for the myth claiming that a guy loves a girl in a football jersey. If my tee is going to be sporty, then it’s going to be made of luxurious cottons, strategically torn to shreds, and have just a touch of studded glamour. I am certain that it won’t be a product of polyester and mesh.
...Steal Style
She’s the wife of a soccer superstar and yet Victoria “Posh” Beckham understands fashion more intricately than hubby David Beckham’s understanding of the faux-hawk. Despite her elite Hollywood status and wildly successful fashion house (already a must-have for A-list celebrities), she dresses down with as much panache as would be expected of a night at a premier.
Long before the featured Glamour spread, I was an aficionado of Wildfox tees; and I will remain one until they stop spinning obnoxiously soft cottons or change their name for a third time. But no matter the label, whether White Horse, Wildfox, or Wacky Gazelle, one fact is for sure: even in a tee and jeans, there is a ninety-nine perfect chance that Beckham is in some wild stilettos.
See it...
When I was just a wee little girl, I asked my mom, already knowing the answer, if I could get a bellybutton ring. Today, now that I have grown, I have nothing against the pierced midsection; but this childhood restriction remains one of the few that I actually thank my mom for in retrospect. My unscathed innie is perfect just as it is.
Historically, presently, and well into the future, the region we informally call our “belly” will always be targeted as a “problem area”. This sad reality rings true for women across boarders in the global fashion community. For some, it is the bellybutton piercing that can regenerate a long forgotten sense of pride in an area we try to avoid. Somehow, that tiny metallic glimmer peeking out of a mysterious little hole can evoke a sense of beauty. For others, it’s a tight pair of Spanks, sucking in every bulge, that restores our faith in our ability to wear a fitted dress. And for a small percentage, bearing it all in just a pseudo-bra seems acceptable, comfortable, and not at all awkward to any passerby. To those, I applaud you for your guts, both literally and physically, though I assure you, no one is staring in envy.
...Get it
The Rosette Cami by boho-brand Free People and worn by the self-proclaimed boho-beauty Vanessa Hudgens is D) all of the above.
Let me explain. It:
A) Features small metallic embellishments for buttons.
B) Is fitted, yet made in material that falls graciously over your curves instead of pointing out sensitive spots.
C) Has a tasteful semi-translucent torso and lace garnishing for a lingerie look that avoids being deemed risqué.
If you haven’t already established a New Years resolution, then let the Free People tank be your source of inspiration. Make 2010 the year to become reacquainted with the frenemy you’re going to have to live with for the rest of your life anyway. Give it a pat or a rub, and make it a harmonious relationship.
Want this...
There was a time when casual cool evoked thoughts of comfy sweatpants that were expensive enough to be considered worthy of a public appearance. If they cost more than a pair of jeans, they must be acceptable for lunch with my grandma, right? Even if this were true, it no longer stands. 
Price tag is no longer a hierarchical determinant.
Nevertheless, I will always have an exceedingly soft spot in my heart and on my shelves for Free City. It’s just that, more and more, my baby blue sweats and purple hoodie have been seeing less and less of natural daylight. Call it growing up, call it living in Prague (I’m not sure any pretty lady even knows the meaning of ‘drawstring’), or call it plain enlightenment. Whatever you call it, fold your pretty puffy pants up nice and neat, and place them on a shelf for a rainy day when you won’t be leaving the house except to walk the dog; and even then, consider the following.
Leggings are not a new theory on the syllabus of style 101, but the Fleece Lined Tights by Plush are as revolutionary as the latest flat computer by Apple, but are also sure to outlive the latter. The hybrid pants–tights on the outside, fleece lined on the inside–are as cozy and comforting as they are body hugging, feminine, and acceptable on the street. So if it’s a youthful fashionista you’re looking to resemble, but you’re as lazy as I am and have a secret obsession with long underwear, then it won’t be long until you’re admitting that you have a serious Plush on these.
Want blue...
I think that at this point, the little black dress is an entity that has been spoken for on
...wear blue
numerous occasions, but there is something equally as astounding about an LBD of a different sort. A brilliantly colored blue dress can augment the pleasure of an opportune moment with more finesse than its brother of a different color ever could. And in this instance, the English language works in our favor. Thanks to interchangeable initials, we may continue to search for the LBD, only one that is perhaps more bold, beautiful, and blue.
We need to be realistic though. It’s not everyday that we have a red carpet event to frequent, a member of the Paparazi hiding behind a stop sign, or an Armani event to host. Truth be told, we are not Cate Blanchet, and thus have to find ways to extract her most posh moments and recreate them in spirit and in a more approachable nature.
While Blanchett’s one shoulder Armani Prive gown doesn’t quite satisfy our everyday style quota, the electrically blue Halston Heritage Stretch Jersey Side Shirred dress captures the essence of what makes the couture version so desirable. Between the flawless silhouette and the hue competitive with a sapphire under the sun, we may find ourselves staring longer at our reflection or posing even when the cameras are off simply because we can.
Love them...
There are some purchases we make that inevitably go from favorite to forgettable before the season even changes and before an item even has the chance to go out of style. Too many of our “must-have” buys become “must say bye-byes” before we get our moneys worth. But then again, there are those single pieces that become an anomaly to this shopping theory. Defying the law of diminishing returns, a shoe has come along that becomes more cherished with each step–a shoe that actually improves with time that doesn’t start with Christian and end in Louboutin.
...Find them
We first spotted these puppies sitting court side, being groped by the hands of some admittedly drool-worthy man candy. Since their initial debut, Miss Hudgens has continued strapping on the Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent Luella Zip Wedges to supplement her boho meets hipster profile. Like an LnA v-neck or Loeffler Randall flats, it is only so often that a pair of heels comes along that is so luxuriously laid back that they satisfy flannel and a first date equally. This bohip, or hipho (you choose the combination), wedge is capable of this fete.
It’s more typical to find that our celebrity must have cravings tend to go unfulfilled, because unfortunately, such icons have unmatched access to insider style treasures and an endless Amex to afford such splurges. While these sandals might mean cereal for dinner for the next two weeks, they certainly aren’t the pair that will leave you homeless and walking the streets for too long. And if you are, at least your stride will be enviable.
See this...
If ever a dress could be described as spangled, the Tracy Reese strapless number would be
...get this
it. But not everyone can pull off Wonder Woman as confidently as Paris Hilton. If I had a PR rep to do fashion damage control, perhaps I’d go the superhero route too, but since this isn’t the case, I (and I suggest you) should avoid any semblance to a Halloween costume until October.
With trick-or-treating nine months away, there’s another dress for Winter-Spring 2010 that allows you to have a starry night without outshining the Milky Way. The Asymmetric Drape Dress by Mara Hoffman can be described as both delicate and as fierce. And with roots both in van Gogh’s canvas and in Diane von Furstenberg’s firework spattered silk of last year, this latest mini black dress is sure to skyrocket to the top of the celebrity must-have list. We have lift off.
I may have been quiet for quite some time now, but rest assured my eyes are still functioning and my judgements still stirring. In this instance, silence does not equate with unobservant. Technical difficulties have recently thwarted my reports, so for now, there’s a new game in town…
Keep checking back here and stay tuned for quickie ideas on how to wear the looks you want.
Want this...
...Wear this.
Sandra Bullock’s amethyst Bottega Venetta strapless gown will likely go into the hall of fame of award show couture, if only for its ability to shine brighter than Cartier. But it’s more likely that you have the figure and the legs to pull this one off than the funds (without taking out a second mortgage or selling your soul) or the occasion (without breaking into the White House a la Salahi) to wear it.
If it’s Bullocks beauty that you want though, you can wear Sarah Jessica Parker’s Halston dress. The shorter rendition has similar grecian draping, semi-translucent material, and simple shimmer, but goes with sunglasses, a playful bag, and beach-wavey hair (none of which are red carpet elements). Taking its queue from the Golden Globe look we love, SJP’s Halston Heritage Striped Luxe dress is the mortal way to be perfectly purple in public.
