Happy Thursday!
The weekend’s almost here…can’t you taste it!?!
Anyway spectator pumps and booties (menswear inspired oxford shoes with a heel), have come from the 1920’s and landed smack on the runways of the Fall 2007 Ready to Wear Shows:
They seem sorta cute, but I’m not too sure how I feel about them. Looking at the pickings (and prices!), I’m wondering if they’ll look as good on as they do on the runway…or be worth the bling.
Thoughts?
Smootches!
PS Need more Fall Style Ideas? Check out Style Chile. Also hit her up for info on sample sales.
PSS In NYC? There’s a Harlem Fashion Show tonight featuring one of my favorite boutiques, Pieces:
I’ll be there! If you can’t make it, I’ll get you the blow by blow soon enough.
PSSS Thanks to elle.com for providing a few shoe images.
Hey guys! So I’ll admit it…I’m a sucker for a sweet bag whether it be Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Prada! But while I love the designer satchels, I’m also a baller on a budget…and sometimes I find that E-Bay is my best and most affordable option. Unfortunately, I’ve been burned by E-bay before. Years ago, I logged on, looking to find an authentic Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag… …to add to my wardrobe. I thought I was lucky when I scored what was described as an ‘authentic’ Louis off E-bay for a steal. The pictures seemed fine online, but when I received the bag… …and took a quick look at the details…. …it was obvious that the bag was totally fake! I was incensed, and tried to go back to the seller. When I logged back on, I found that the person had deleted their profile! Can we say pissed!?! Well, I was relieved when Robin Givhan reported a few weeks ago about a site called www.portero.com. It calls itself, “the only online auction marketplace truly devoted to the luxury brand legacy.” It strictly auctions off authentic bags, jewelry, and shoes, and has a 30 day return policy. Their prices might be higher, but at least you can be sure of what you’re buying. I looked and found several decent bags starting off at reasonable offering prices (considering these bags can cost thousands of dollars retail): This Marc Jacobs Collection Venetia Light Pink Satchel Bag retails for $700… …but you can bid on it starting at $151. This Louis Vuitton Bedford Fuchsia Vernis Monogram Purse Handbag retails for $1180… …but you can place your bids starting at $255. And this $455 Gucci GG Monogram Club Ready Pochette Handbag…. …starts bidding at a very affordable $100. Portero.com also has gently used shoes, wallets, and jewelry! Prices are a bit steep, but you can rest assured that you won’t waste your money on fake items! Beats eBay! Smootches! PS Read Robin Givhan’s full article on Portero here PSS Not all my e-bay purchases have been duds. Now when buying on ebay, I follow these 2 rules: 1. For designer bags, always go for vintage. You can’t find the newfangled bags at a discount unless you hit up Saks or a sample sale. 2. Don’t buy from China! I hate to say it, but I’ve been to China, and I know they’ve got some great fakes…so if you’re buying from someone over there, chances are increased that they’re trying to pass off a fake as real! My two cents… PSS Don’t forget the Barney’s Sale my NY and LA ladies… I’ll be there!
“What’s scary to me is Henny makes girls look like Halle Berry to me/So excuse me miss, I forgot your name/Thank you, God bless you, good night I came…” Kanye West, “Workout Plan.”
Hey Guys!!
So for today’s post, I decided to profile Versace model, Oscar award winning actress, and birthday girl…
Happy Monday!
Doesn’t always seem super difficult to go to work on Mondays?? The weekend never seems long enough…
Anyway, I went to an event last week and spotted these two fashionable fly girls…
…their hairstyles were fly and their clothes were casual yet chic. I loved the young lady on the left’s vintage-esque “Ooh La La” mini, gold flats, and old school purse. And homegirl on the right is working her platinum locks, gold bamboo earrings, and summery shorts.
What do you think?
Smootches!
Happy Rainy Friday! I was out last week, so now it’s finally time for some Mail Bombs… …here we go yo. Reader Renee says, “I am really loving Serena’s style these days….” “…Do you know where I can find her dress or a similar one that is budget friendly?†Hey hey Renee. I found two dresses that could get you Serena’s wrapped look for less. You can try this $154 Star Wrap Dress with Puff Sleeves from CoutureCandy Or this Sash-Tie Shirtdress… …for only $58 at www.spiegel.com. Next reader Rosalind wanted to know how to get Beyonce’s look in this picture… And I found that Beyonce’s belt was ripped off the runway of the DSquared Spring 2007 show… You can get the actual belt… …for $195. Visit www.dsquared.com for store locations. The jumper was hard to find, but I felt this $250 jumper from Les Prairies de Paris… …came close. Update: Reader Tiffany conjectures that the whole outfit is DSquared… She says, “If you scroll through the collection on the DSquared website a model has on a greenish version of the jumper with the belt.†So perhaps Bey is rocking all DSquared… Anyway to complete the look, throw on a pair of red peep toed strappy stiletto sandals like these $60 RSVP Ivy shoes from zappos.com …and you’ve got the look! Next up readers Aisha and Meghan fell in love with chic yellow dress Vanessa Simmons wore recently… Aisha says, “Vanessa’s dress really stands out. It’s simple but oh so cute!! I must find out where I can get it or something similar to it at an affordable price!!!” Well ladies, I couldn’t find the exact dress anywhere, but felt that this Pleated Jewel Neck Dress by Susana Monaco… …came pretty close. Get it for $141 at shopbop.com Next Fashion Bomb fanatic Margaret says, “I must have this dress!” “Can you find me something like it?” You can come close with this $160 Striped 3/4 Sleeve Tie Waist Dress by Vince… …available at shopbop.com Next reader Tameka asks, “Do you know how to get Tracee Ross’s look?” The closest dress I could find online that mimicked Tracee’s exotic look was this Temperley London Zebra Knit Dress on sale for $555… …at www.net-a-porter.com. Lastly Diva Diamond contacted me via myspace.com with the following request, “I am definitely what you would call fashion/style challenged. Like many women, I have weight issues (I am a 10 sometimes 12 – I know I shouldn’t complain but I have gained 20 lbs in the last year since I started taking night classes…). My old “fashionable” items don’t fit anymore. On top of that, my old style doesn’t fit my body I have always been very bottom heavy, small waist (in proportion to the rest of me), and recently my chest has caught up with my bottom half. You could say I am a “classic coca-cola” shape. I am just wondering if maybe you can add styles and pieces that would complement an hour glass figure.” Hey Diamond!You’re actually really lucky to have such a great shape! Any woman would kill for an hourglass bod! Anyway, I think you should do everything to accentuate your waist since it’s proportionately smaller than your top and bottom half. This means tons of cute wrap dresses, belted tunics over jeans or tights, and wrap tops. If you really want to be a fashionista, throw in a high-waisted skirt. Try the following: Top Row: Flame Print Faux Wrap Knit Dress, $69, www.anntaylorloft.com; Sunner Sophia Belted Tunic, $218, www.pinkmascara.com. Bottom Row: Wrap Dress, $119, www.victoriassecret.com; High Waist Pencil Skirt, $74, www.ninewest.com. Good Luck! I hope it doesn’t rain all weekend:( Smootches!
“I hope that when girls see my clothes, my shoes, or my outrageous jewelry collection, they feel the thrill of wanting more for themselves too. I love what my friend Andre Leon Talley said, ‘If you are successful, people want to see it. They want to share in your dream.” Kimora Lee Simmons, “Fabulosity”
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’re probably quite familiar with my obsession with Kimora Lee Simmons…
…or at least my love of her book, Fabulosity. I think it’s smart, funny, and full of great advice…everyone should own a copy (I won’t judge!). Though I was slightly embarrassed by my adoration of a woman who some could say is little more than a super-trophy wife, moves that she’s made in the past and present have helped me stand by my convictions. So today I decided to give you: Top Ten Reasons Kimora Lee Simmons is the Bomb. Let’s get to it:
1. She has her own reality show.
I was in the Bahamas for the premiere of her show Life in the Fab Lane this past Sunday, but from the looks of the trailer…
…ish is about to be good! Please believe I’ll be posted up this Sunday with a bag of popcorn!
2. Homegirl has a Barbie Doll.
You know you’ve reached Diva status when Mattel wants to emulate your likeness!
3. She puts everyone to work–even her kids!
Julee Greenberg reported in WWD last Wednesday that the two tikes would be the inspiration and partial creative directors of a children’s collection, Ming & Aoki, in collaboration with Kimora’s Baby Phat Girlz label. The girls are seven and four and they’re already making their own dough!
4. She knows how to ‘Let it Go’ a la Keyshia Cole. When her marriage with rap mogul and international playboy Russell Simmons went sour, she didn’t leave in a huff. She simply said, “Next!” and got herself a hot new piece.
That’s right, girl!
5. Again, Fabulosity.
I go back to this book for reference every couple of months for career, life, even relationship advice! Get it for as little as $11 here.
6. This 2005 Vanity Fair Article. Yes, it was two years ago, but this article *never* gets old! And I quote, “”I will beat a bitch’s ass!” Kimora says of any woman who dares flirt with her husband, the famous Russell, a hip-hop icon for 25 years. Russell and Kimora are hip-hop’s Ozzie and Harriet, or perhaps Ozzy and Sharon, a pop-cultural institution. And yet that doesn’t keep “the bitches,” as Kimora calls them, from trying to make moves.” Love. this. article!
7.Her unabashed, unapologetic pursuit and attainment of gilded, gorgeous things.
…from the maid to the homes and the nannies, sometimes you think…is she serious?!? Part of you is sickened, and part of you is like…alright, she’s just…fabulous!
8. Her fun, over the top Baby Phat shows. Remember this? If, even for a second, you didn’t think I was a complete fool, then refresh your memories with these horrible videos:
Lol! I’m working on getting a new recording device for the shows this season! Promise! Oh, and no singing.
9. Her cute kids!
How can you hate a woman with such gorgeous offspring?!?
10. Most importantly, her business sense with KLSand Baby Phat
Baby Phat started as an offshoot of Phat Farm, but has eclipsed Phat Farm by far, reporting millions of dollars in sales each year. I’m personally not a Baby Phat girl, but there are tons of women who are! She’s the bomb y’all. I’ll be sure to be checking into her show every Sunday on the Style Network. Will you? Smootches! PS Want to read more? Check out this 2006 NYMag article by Phoebe Eaton called “Kimora Lee Simmons, the New Queen of Conspicuous Consumption.” PSS Need that Barbie? Preorder it for $60 here.
“Coulda copped to a one to three do/Still took it to trial, even though I blew/Crooklyn style, that’s how we do it/Ill gangsters and ain’t got to prove it…” Lil Kim “Whoa”
So with all the Hollywood bad girls doing wrong lately (DUI’s, shootings, slappings of maids and manicurists), I thought it intriguing to look at how a star’s style changes once they’re in the court room, fighting for their freedom. The once outrageous and in your face suddenly become demure, upstanding…and dare I say even classy? Let’s take a look:
When out on the town, Nicole Richie favors dresses in loud, bright colors to offset her hair and skin tone….
…and has no problem flashing her legs in short cocktail frocks. But she left her psychadelic, bright tendencies at home when on trial recently for DUI…
…going for a Jackie O aesthetic with a black collared shift, matching black status bag, and face obscuring, shame hiding shades. All excess was abridged, as if to say, “I’m a good girl now!”
Cell phone chucker Naomi Campbell similarly switched it up when en route to court. She normally has no problem strutting her stuff in short frocks in fun feathers and sequins…
…but looked like she could be no the corporate payroll when she went to court in January 2007 for assault…
…rocking a reserved shift, black jacket, stockings, and mary jane pumps. I must give it to her, she still kept it painfully chic in her blunt banged haircut and large black shades. Naomi C keeps it fierce at all times!
I hate to admit it, but cantakerous manicurist hating Foxy Brown holds it down as well. She loves bright colors…
…patterns…
…and deep, deep bra exposing v’s…
…and opted for a buttoned up version during her trial for assault earlier this year. She looked fly in bright colored tops that buttoned at the neck, knee length skirts, tweed suits, and stillettos…
…all accented with fashionable Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi bags.
While everyone cleans up for court, few transformations are as glaring as Lil Kim, whose style we looked at yesterday. She looks slutacious in most situations….
But appeared in court for her July 2005 perjury accusation looking like a secretary! She rocked stale khaki pant suits…
Tailored jackets…
…and gray skirt suits covered with fur trimmed coats…
…fit for a church mouse!
Need a look that’s says innocent yet chic? Try the following:
“Shop in Bloomingdales for Prada bags/Female Don Dada has no problems spittin cream with my team/It’s straight like nine fifteen, na mean?/Cruise the diamond district with my biscuit/Flossin my rolex rich/Sh*t, I’ma stay that b*tch”–Lil Kim, “Queen B*tch”
Hey Guys!
A day of rest put me back in fighting form! I’m ready to take on this week’s style file with an intervention that’s almost looong overdo. I decided to look at the style (or lack thereof) of diminutive ex convict, and female rapper…
Lil Kim!
She loves sexy clothing, but seems to go a bit overboard with the T&A in frocks that neither complement her body nor play up her positive attributes. She’s gotten a lot better over the years. She used to literally let it all hang out…
…in scraps of ill placed fabric that screamed ‘LOOK AT ME!’ She lacked even a shred of modesty back then, but a short stint in the clinker seems to have made her a tad more refined.
Now, instead of sporting pasties, fishnets, and short shorts, she wears clothes that actually cover her bottom. Nevertheless, she’s a few steps away from looking like a sophisticated ‘don dada.’ Let’s take a look:
Kim’s a huge proponent of showing off her well sculpted assets, but wears dresses and tops that don’t allow her to wear proper support…
…leaving her bubbies sagging woefully towards the ground. If exposing her chest isn’t enough, she also enjoys flashing other goodies…
…not realizing that she’s not getting any younger, and only the stick thin can pull certain looks off. The little chains over the cut outs of this body skimming dress only accentuate her flaws and visually pack on the pounds.
Sometimes, just sometimes, she actually gets it sort’ve right…
This denim trench is somewhat chic, and the stiletto boots add some much needed height…
This dress sticks to the Lil Kim spandex aesthetic, but you don’t see her bubbies flying out all over the place. Plus the skirt is a respectable knee length, and her pumps play up her legs…
This v-neck white dress has thick straps to conceal a supportive bra and a hem that goes *gasp* past the knee…
..and this top provides lots of much needed coverage while still keeping it cute with ruffles, puffs, and bows.
If you’re short and petite, but still like a bit of a sexy swagger, try the following hot items:
Top Row: OC by Oleg Cassini Belted Shirtdress, $120, http://www.dillards.com/; Shape fx® 2-Way Stretch Control Sheath, $69, http://www.spiegel.com/.
Bottom Row: Sara Berman Frilly Sleeve Top, $90, http://www.nordstrom.com/; Christian Louboutin Pigalle Graffiti Pumps, $675, http://www.barneys.com/.
The dresses are tight, yet they reserve a bit of modesty. And stilettos are a must!
Smootches!
PS Lil Kim’s latest project also happens to be my fave song of the moment:
…loves it! All of the ladies in this video could use a bit of a Style Intervention…but I’ll save that for a future post:)
PSS If you’re in love with the Yves Saint Laurent Muse Bag…
…but don’t have $1395 laying around to shell out for it, reader Marlie alerted me to this Banana Republic Somerset large satchel…
…that looks similar and is a relative steal at $228. Get the look for less ladies!!!
PSS For those wondering, Rihanna is indeed rocking the $675 Pigalle graffiti pumps from above in this pic…
I tried em on and they’re hot!!! Get ’em at Barneys or Christian Louboutin stores.
Happy Monday!
So the Bahamas was amazing! I picked up a cute little tan…and a bit of a cold (boo!). Ok, so I’m feeling under the weather, but still had to bring you some real style! My friend Stephanie challenged my view on high waisted items this weekend in the following simply chic outfit…
…I loved how she paired an everyday wife beater and gold flip flops with a torso cinching high waisted red gingham skirt. The skirt looks refined and sophisticated, and her hot accessories–long gold necklace, red clutch, and gold bangles–only added to the ensemble. This look convinced me that high waists are actually fly with skirts.
What do you think?
Smootches!
PS Love her skirt? It’s by none other than Seasoned to Perfection! Purchase by e-mailing s2pvintage@yahoo.com!
PSS I’m down, but not out! Stay tuned this week for Style Files, Trend posts, and (hopefully) double the mail bombs!
Patent-leather-and-suede pump, Charles David, $345, www.charlesdavid.com for stores.
Next Fashion Bomb fanatic Margaret says, “I must have this dress!”
