The Weekly: Head to Toe, Let Your Whole Body Talk

With eleven days until I  go home for the summer, there are so many things I need to get done: edit papers, study for finals, get into bikini shape, and start to pack. I have this massive (well, it's now widdled down to three) pile of magazines that I must read. One of those magazines, I wrote for? Whaaat?!

This is a really terrible scan/screen-shot job, but here it is nonetheless!

I was super excited to buy a copy and see my name in black and white! So in honor of this personal accomplishment, I decided to spend this weekly talk about some of the magazines I love and some of them I think I should love. 

1. Harper's Bazaar is a must have for me. I love the editorial shoots, especially the one with Rachel Zoe and various designers. I'm always interested in the article topics and it always seems to help me come up with ideas for my own personal style. I also love how they have the section about dressing age- appropriately, it's something VERY VERY important.
2. I feel like Vogue is one of those fashion magazines you have to love: it's the Bible. I think the part that distinguishes Vogue from other magazine, besides its elitist status, is the emphasize Vogue has on culture. I'm always surprised to see so many articles not about fashion, which sounds really dumb. Sometimes I feel like Vogue is not so much fashion magazine mecca, but a guide to becoming a member of the sophisticated elite. Regardless, it's essential.
3. Instyle was one of the first magazines- besides Us Weekly- that I consistently read. I remember  seeing various color logos and flipping through the thick publication when I was younger. I think Instyle really incorporates celebrities and style into one magazine. And I love reading about celebrities AND style. Even  now, I still love the feature in the very back that has all of the Celebrity Favorites.
4. To be perfectly honest, who doesn't love Cosmo? It's the quintessential magazine for young women.  The articles are interesting and I always feel so scandalous when I'm reading it!
5. I really think I should start reading W Magazine. It's the epitome of high fashion and glamour. 
6. In addition, I think I should also start reading Elle. It seems to be right up my alley! 

Well that was fun but now, onto the weekly!

• Naomi Watts at The Odeon for Chanel's Tribeca Film Festival (Chanel and Stella McCartney): Absolutely divine! Watts takes such a casual and youthful spin on the classic Chanel tweed. The yellow McCartney sandals makes this look edgy, fun, and also picks up the gold in the tweed. She kept a rather natural look for the hair and makeup which is good. All in all, she looks fab! 
• Katie Holmes at an Ann Taylor Party (Miu Miu, Ann Taylor, Holmes&Yang): I don't think we've seen this youthful side of Katie since she had baby Suri! But I love this look!  While this look mainly revolves around a neutral color palette, the tomato red Ann Taylor skirt adds a youthful spin.  Because there's so much going on with the Miu Miu shoes and the cross-body bag, I'm glad she didn't push the envelope too far and wear jewels. She looks refined, classy, but still a little funky. Bravo, Katie! 
• Liv Tyler at the Brooklyn Museum Ball (Stella McCartney): Though I notoriously despise minimalism, I think Tyler looks incredible in this blush pink and black ensemble. Although it is very minimal, I can't picture Liv Tyler wearing funky prints,  killer heels, and an overdose on jewels. To me, this is Liv Tyler. And she looks fabulous nonetheless. The oversized blazer is the perfect counteract to the fitted black mini she's sporting. I'm glad she didn't stick with a boring black and white combination; to me, the pink spices up this look MAJOR. I also think adding a pink lip made the entire look more exciting. But her hair is way too flat, I wish she did a messy updo or a pony tail.

Well that's all for now, but tomorrow is the MET Ball so expect a post about that! 

xx

The Anti-Weekly: Fashion's Important Right?

I am creating my first Anti-Weekly post! The looks this week were...well...not very great, so I figure I'll talk  about the bad looks instead.

But before that,

let us discuss good men's fashion. 

It is very rare to find a male friend who takes pride in what he wears.  My collegiate friend, Ramsey, has one of the best male styles I have seen, competing against Joseph Gordon Levitt's 500 Days of Summer look. I think what I admire most about Ramsey's style, which is the focus of this blog post, is his ability to mix up his style. As I'm raiding his closet taking pictures, he is cutting a skeleton out of a sweatshirt, yet Sperry Topsiders are to my left. Ironic much? Yes, that's what we all need in our wardrobes, especially men. A lot of the time, I think guys are intimidated to wear cool clothing in fear that they'll look stupid or be made fun of. But here's something a lot of people forget about:

Good style=confidence=an fabulous quality in anybody.

Of  course we all have our personal preferences and that's okay, but I think we all need to be a little bit more open to trying new things. I guess this whole inspirational talk is contradicting my Anti-Weekly idea.  But if we have good confidence, along with a good eye, even the most atypical looks will be chic. 

And in case you were wondering about this skeleton sweatshirt I was telling you about...

The drawing process 

A little snip snip

Finished!! 

Well that was good fun, and now onto the ANTI-WEEKLY.

• Michelle Monaghan at the Source Code premiere in New York (Roksanda Ilincic): The color is really nice with her complexion and I actually really like the Chrissie Morris heels, but this dress is extremely unattractive. Honestly, it looks like a loosely draped piece of Spandex. And the asymmetrical hemline is not doing it for me. AND THE MINIMALISM. BLEGH. 
• Anna Kendrick at the Vivienne Westwood L.A  Store Opening (Vivienne Westwood): I didn't know that Anna Kendrick is a grandmother! This is a truly terrible look. The shoulders look very sloppy and the print reminds me of something a grandmother would own, but worse. The The cut is so matronly, it almost is painful to look at.  Maybe a different hemline would've made this dress a smidge better.  And the accessorizing is totally off on this. She should've at least had some fun jewels to make this look semi-hip. And the Miu Miu shoes? Make this outfit look even MORE matronly! 
• Katie Holmes at The Kennedys Premiere (Ralph Lauren): If she was going out for a lovely picnic with Suri Cruise, this would have been presh. But she's not, so it's not. WAY TOO CASUAL. I'm sorry  but when you're Jackie O in a movie,  you should be dressing with a little more style.  I'm so disappointed because I think of Katie Holmes as a modern day style queen. MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT.
• Fergie at "The Bank" in Vega (Herve Leger by Max Azria):  There are so many things wrong with this situation. First and most obvious, those turquoise shoes are not very classy with the fleshy orange dress: it's a cool color combination for the Atlantis resort, but not for Fergie. Just kidding...well not really because I do hate that combination...BUT FERGIE PLEASE COVER UP. I'm all for being comfortable with your body, but this is taking it a bit too literally. This isn't appropriate, even whilst in Vegas! 
• Debi Mazar at the 2011 Beautiful People Party (I don't even WANT to know): This is not beautiful, this is just ugly. I can kind of see this whole retro look she's going for but even still, the red and white combination makes her look like a candy striper, which I'm not a fan of. I totally understand that she's not going to wear a Herve Leger body-con dress, but there are other ways to dress for your age, flatter your figure, and use the pinup inspiration: maybe a mid-calf full skirted dress? That would look awesome with the hair and makeup. 

Okay, doing an Anti-Weekly is a little too much fun...

xx

The Weekly: Can't Help Myself but Count the Flaws

Before I came back from spring break,  something happened. I went to a consignment shop. Things happened. Good for me, but bad quasi-bad for my bank account.

I definitely am a jewels addict, but they're just so beautiful! I can't stop! And gold and emerald is such a power combination in my mind, two of my favorites! 

My wardrobe is becoming more and more fierce, and I kind of love it!  I wore the leopard vest with black skinnies and a black shirt and I loved it. The blouse is going to look so sick in the spring with my fringe vest and jean shorts.

I bought these Stuart Weitzman shoes for $30 and I was happy. My mom thinks that they look like granny shoes, which I understand, but  I think they're a good classic staple to have.

I think there is a frequent debate about consignment stores: to shop or not to shop? While many people understand how consignment stores are a fabulous way to obtain fun and retro piece- let's not forget the occasional designer steals- others believe it's rather unsanitary. "But you're wearing someone else's clothes," "they're dirty," "I want stuff that is new."  Though that is a justified reason for some neat freaks, I think it's not a good enough reason to not even consider shopping consignment. If a store wants to have some credibility, they are not going to sell merchandise that's in a poor condition. And isn't it a cool idea thinking about the life a consignment piece has lived? You can make up a story for it!  While I don't think that someone should have a wardrobe filled entirely of consignment, because every aspiring fashionista needs to keep up with the times, we shouldn't be afraid of shopping for used items. One girl's trash can be another's treasure!


Alright, now onto the weekly! One of these weeks, I'm going to have an Anti-Weekly of terrible looks of the week.

• Anne Hathaway at the Rio Premiere in Brazil (Dolce and Gabbana): Ugh, she always dresses so great. The whole look just made me think of springtime, which consequently made me really happy. Her hair, for once, looked so relaxed which I thought was extremely refreshing. Speaking of beauty, I loved the makeup: the pink lip gave the whole look a really subtle pop. The Dolce and Gabbana frock was also really laid back, which is something relatively new for Anne. The best part about this look, you ask? The lizard clutch, for sure! The print is more subdued than leopard or zebra, but it still brings the appropriate edge to this outfit. Tre tre chic! 
• Katie Holmes at the New York Screening of Decisioni (Stella McCartney): First of all, I am so happy she's growing out her hair; she was starting to get boring and too serious, like Posh Spice. This tux is such a chic take on something so classic, I'm so proud of this. The black and white color scheme matched with the (ugh) minimalism actually made this outfit uber chic and so effortless. I love how the lapels of the jacket were black, it made the jacket flow better into the pants.The relaxed hair made this look more youthful, which I really enjoyed; sometimes, I forget how old Katie Holmes really is. And the polka dot shoes added the perfect pop, without being an attention hog.
• Whitney Port in LA (Asos): I wish I could be her. Seriously! I need to buy her new book to learn how to be JUST LIKE HER. Anyways, Whitney Port always has a way to look edgy and young, but still sophisticated. Though I wish her hair was in a messy bun or ponytail, I loved this outfit. The graphic shirt was a good contrast to the girly skirt. I actually really liked the baggy proportions of this look, especially because she looks like a supermodel.  The bow heels were adorable though I do wish she had different bracelets on! 

Related articles

• How to Start a Unique Consignment Shop Business or Thrift Store (suite101.com)