Looking forward to Spring?

Okay, everyone, thanks for being patient with me, but I'm finally going to be back doing regular posts, especially now that my favorite season is finally here!

That's right, I absolutely LOVE fall fashion. But after seeing all of these great Spring runway shows, many of us fall-lovers now have a bit of spring fever. But, don't dispair. You can still go out and buy that cute spring dress AND not have to stuff it in the back of your closet until the warmer weather hits.

How? Simple. Just add a few key fall staples, such as an edgy, cropped jacket, tights (you should probably go with wool or something warm if you're not blessed with 60-70 degree winters), and substantial heels (think thick pumps or chunky wood platforms, not sandals) and you have a fresh, insta-chic fall ensemble.

Confused? Take a look at these examples:

Take a cute, printed sundress like this one from Karen Zambos Vintage Couture.

Karen Zambos Vintage Couture Short Satin Dress, $430, shopbop

Add an edgy, cropped leather jacket, tights (keep 'em neutral), and substantial Marc by Marc Jacobs pumps.

adampluseve Cropped Leather Peacoat, $795, shopbop

Marc by Marc Jacobs Shoes Suede Cap Toe Mary Jane Pump, $450, shopbop

Add some color to all of these grays and blacks with a statement tote in radiant red.

Foley + Corinna Handbags Glazed Jet Setter Jr Tote, $490, shopbop

Or, take this more cost-effective example, with the color emphasis on this pretty emerald green dress from Forever 21.

Sleeveless Satin Dress, $22.80, Forever 21

Add a white jacket with a cropped, swingy shape to take this dress from day to night.

Lux Audrey Jacket, $140, Urban Outfitters

Neutral tights and these precious white pumps pull this outfit together, along with a neutral patchwork bag.

Swear Nancy Heel, $60, Urban Outfitters

Parquet Buckle Bag, $58, Urban Outfitters

Note: both of these outfits would work with a pair of gray wool tights. Or, for a more monochromatic effect, pair #2 with white opaque tights.

With each outfit, I tried to add that pop of color that wakes you up on a dreary fall day, and I think that these are not only fashionable, but easy to wear. And when spring finally comes along, all you have to do is shed the tights and jacket and hit the town!

My Mini-Commentary: the 2007 Emmys

[I know I don't normally do features on celeb fashion, but I decided i'd break out some red carpet commentary just this once.]

There were few surprises on the Emmy red carpet this year. Actresses like Ugly Betty's America Ferrera, The Starter Wife's Debra Messing, and Law&Order: Special Victim's Unit's Mariska Hargitay always dress to impress. (By the way, can you believe she's in her 40's!?!?)

The female cast of Grey's Anatomy also know how to look sharp.

The Ever-Popular Katherine Heigl...

...and the Beautiful Sandra Oh

One of my other favorites of the evening was Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker, who we don't see photographed very often. (I love that show, by the way)

The one thing that surprised me was the outfit choice of Project Runway finalist Laura Bennett, who chose to wear a top that reads "Dress Like You Mean It," which to me does not only make no sense whatsoever, it looked completely out of place with her floor-length textured black skirt.

What do you think? Maybe it's just because I don't watch that show, or maybe it just seems like an odd statement to make on a red carpet, but I'm just not feeling this choice of wardrobe.

all photos from tv.msn.com

India: Fashion's "most anticipated new market"

Now, I normally don't cover the economics side of fashion, since that's not my expertise, but this is a possibility that's just too interesting to ignore.

According to the JC Report, "India, hot on China's heels, has received acres of coverage over the last year in the business press as the next important emerging market, with great emphasis on the rise of the middle class, the new money billionaires, and a growing appetite for luxury goods."

So what does this mean? Is India soon to become another Fashion Week destination? Will it become the new Tokyo for its adventurous designers and outlandish runway presentations?

From the looks of things, India has its own unique influence, but a couple of the designers, including London favorite (he went back and showed his collection in Delhi as well) Manish Arora reminds me of my Japanese love, Tsumori Chisato.

There are also not one, but two major cities for fashion in India, one being Delhi and the other Mumbai. (Once again, read the JC Report for the full story on the great shopping experiences in both cities) Here are a few pictures of my favorite Indian designers thusfar, from their AW07 collections:

Manish Arora, Delhi

Ashish N Soni, Delhi

Anupamaa Dayal, Mumbai

Tarun Tahiliani, Delhi
[all photos courtesy of JCReport]

It goes without saying that these designers have some serious potential, and I'll bet you the A-list is going to be all over these unique pieces in a few months. As far as I'm concerned, this is a great reason to book a vacation to India, no?

Designer Spotlight: Tsumori Chisato

Now, this is a designer that I recently discovered while finishing my research on Paris, and I must say, her collection is stunning. From the reviews I've read, it isn't meeting too much fanfare with the "fashion elite," but I see alot of promise in it.

My first impression was definitely a good one, especially after seeing beautifully structured pieces such as this dress:

I've also noticed that she has a real flair for combining her ethnic influences with today's trends. This minidress is a great example. I also appreciate the fact that she pairs it with tights to give it more of a fall vibe, unlike many other designers.

I also love the ease of these pieces, from the color to the structure. These actually look street-worthy (except for the headgear of course).

This coat is equally amazing in its use of color. I wish we saw more pieces like this on the runway. It just screams functional.

My favorite piece was this ultra-feminine-looking dress, complete with a stylish print and metallic gold accents. The fact that it's paired with boots adds to its appeal for me, because I simply love that silhouette.

Normally, Asian designers tend to go a little over-the-top with their runway presentations, but I think that Tsumori does a great job in connecting the nature of the designs to the runway show itself. I only wish she were more popular in the United States!

A blurb about Paris.

I know I said I wasn't going to do a blog about Paris, but I promise, this won't be a long one.

To tell you the truth, there weren't any full collections that I liked, just bits and pieces from each one. I will say that my two favorites overall were Valentino and Christian Lacroix.

Oh, speaking of Christian Lacroix, there was a rather unexpected visitor at his show...

PETA cracks me up. I had a feeling that this was going to happen. It never fails, really. It's only a matter of when and where.

However, I will say that her flats are very stylish. =]

Also, I'm really liking the oriental theme that's prevailing on the Paris runways so far. Other than that, I'll try to get through the rest of the week with an open mind.

What are your thoughts on the collections so far, or even on PETA? Does anyone our age even support them anymore?

Milan Fashion Week Review

I'm not the first to say this about this year's Milan Fashion Week, but I was...disappointed. Normally Milan is my favorite, because designers seem to unleash more of their creative flair during these shows. However, this season, New York actually took the prize for that one in my book.

Anyways, on to the trends!

Well, to start off with: Milan, like the rest of the shows this season, kept it simple with a primarily neutral palette.

My favorite monochromatic looks came from Antonio Marras.

Very Elegant, no?

There's that menswear again!

Another trend that I noticed was all over the Milan runways, but was only touched upon elsewhere. That would be of course the numerous shoulder- and back-bearing dresses, which are only wonderful for fall if you're indoors, but I can see them easily translating to spring and summer as well.

My favorite back-bearing dresses are these two from Salvatore Ferragamo.

Incorporating two more trends - metallics and feminine details, such as the bow

This is possibly my favorite. It's very young looking while still being elegant.

One unique element that I would like to point out are the tights at Emporio Armani. They compliment the clothes very well, and emphasize the emerging colorblock trend. Not sure how street-worthy they are, but they were a great addition to the show.

Aren't those great?

But dear Emporio didn't stop there with the colorblock. This cute minidress was one of my favorite pieces from his collection. [Once again, it's obviously not cold-weather-ready, but that's fashion for ya]

Very tea party-esque, no?

As far as I can see right now, I don't think I'm going to be covering Paris, simply because nothing thusfar has caught my eye, but I will definitely keep you posted! There are a lot of great things happening for this blog come closer to spring, so stay tuned!

Menswear - Yes or No?

According to sources such as the JC Report, menswear is back in full swing for Fall 2007.

However, I will admit that I've never been a big fan of boy-meets-girl style. So, I'd like to get a few more opinions on the issue by offering a few examples that showcase the different aspects of this look.

In London, designers such as Paul Smith somehow found out to make menswear cute, as you can see in the following pieces.

He also brought a bit of retro flair to his collection, envoking a 1920s and '30s feel by taking a simple suit jacket, adding feminine details such as the bell sleeves, and pairing it with a velvet dropwaist dress.

However, this baggy style was questionable. It doesn't seem like it would flatter many figures other than stick-straight model types.

Balenciaga's Prefall 07 collection gave us a sneak peek of a different type of menswear- a more straight-laced, military-inspired version.

In New York, Marc Jacobs also harnessed a bit of a vintage feel with this simple suit ensemble. [I might also add that, as usual, he uses color very well here]

Overall, this style is pretty straightforward. For the most part, it involves clean lines, expensive fabrics, and a can-do attitude.

So what do YOU, the readers, think? Is this type of style street-worthy? What looks do you love? What looks do you hate? Let me know!

Trend Alert: Quilted/Woven Handbags

A clearly understated element of style for fall 2007 has been the numerous woven or quilted details found on bags by designers such as Fendi, Bottega Veneta, and Marc Jacobs.

Now, this type of detailing isn't anything new to the fashion world, simply a recycling of an old idea. However, designers are changing it up a bit for the fall '07 season by adding interesting details, such as cut-outs, metallic leather, and bright, funky colors.

Bottega Veneta Marquise Mini Tote, $1820

Fendi Crossword Grande Mirrored Bag, $2,230, eLuxury

Marc Jacobs Collection Quilted Stam Bag, $1,275, eLuxury

This modern take on a classic accessory is sure to have some staying power, and probably a long waiting list, so grab up these one-of-a-kind statement pieces right away!

Applied Style: Fall 2007 Runway

First post! And what better way to start out a new style blog than with NY Fashion Week highlights!

Now, one trend that swept the runway this year was this idea:

Use a heavily neutral pallette with only a small a splash of vibrant color.

DKNY exhibited beautiful layered knits in different shades of gray...

...as well as a splash of bright pinks and purples.

BCBG's collection included more extremes, with monochromatic styles.

They also included more creams and browns in their collection, offering more diversity.

But once again, with the occasional splash of red or pale blue.

Miss Sixty approached the monochromatic look with eye-catching metallics...

...and neutral prints.

They also took the "splash of color" concept a bit further with red accessories...

...like these patent leather boots.

I believe that this trend is the most "wearable" for the upcoming fall season. It will be incredibly easy for anyone to replicate this particular design concept, even someone on a tight budget (I'm a poor college student, believe me, I know). Even if you don't buy the pieces featured here, or ones similar to them, the overall concept is universal - and in the fashion world, it's really nothing new.