Pretty Monday: Golden Glam

I love an awards show.  The couture gowns, the speeches, and the who's who of Hollywood all together in one ballroom make for a fun night of martini-sipping and vicarious glamour.

Here were my favorite ensembles at last evening's Golden Globes:

Coral mermaid glamour for Jessica Alba

Coveting: Fall Fashion

“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple...”

-J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

September First!  That means we can start talking about fall now, right?  I can burn some pumpkin candles and watch football and make chili now, right?  Without hesitation, autumn is my favorite time of year to shop...to eat...to frolic in the leaves...to sip warm beverages.  There is something about the slowed pace after a busy summer and the cooling temperatures that triggers my creativity and delights my sweater-loving sensibilities.

A Dress Code

"Adornment is never anything except a reflection of the heart."  ~Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel

Over the weekend, as I sat in my overly-stretched stretchy pants and old Coldplay concert t-shirt (which is not quite old enough to be cool and vintage just old enough to be gross), I read Annette Tapert's "Always Dress to Impress" in the Wall Street Journal.  The article gently chastised those of us who run errands in yoga pants, fetch our children in the dreaded mom jeans or fanny about with a greasy ponytail sans makeup.

A Night with the Movies

"You know what your problem is, it's that you haven't seen enough movies - all of life's riddles are answered in the movies."
Steve Martin

I really love movies.  I love sitting in the dark theater, awaiting the previews and smelling buttered popcorn.  I love reclining on the couch streaming a new documentary on Netflix.  From loud blockbusters to poignant indies, spending a few hours suspended in movie time is one of the great privileges of modern life.

My Oscar Gown

Come with me on a trip to pretend land.  I don't act (though my hubby might disagree).  I don't work in the film industry (though I do support it daily). But, I do think about what I'd wear on the red carpet if I made the famous February trek to the Kodak Theater.

Trend"spotting"

For me, polka dots have always been in vogue.  Like classic leopard or a Glen plaid, polka dots are a welcome print in my wardrobe.  But, according to recent fashion news, these whimsical, cheerful dots are making a big come-back. 

Pink Week: Uber-Feminine Fashion

“Pink is the color of romance and a friend tells me that the girl with the pink dress at the party is the one who is selected for each dance.” -Alfred Hottes, author and botanist

Sometimes a girl just needs a pink dress pick-me-up, courtesy of Audrey, Marilyn, Jackie, and Grace.  As these style icons show us, pink can be demure and refined or sassy and bold.  In my humble opinion, every woman can and should wear pink.  Pink in its myriad hues and values can compliment the palest porcelain or the darkest olive skin. 

Under the Big Top

For the past few days, I've been delighting in the pages of Water for Elephants.  This novel, carefully researched by author Sara Gruen, follows the "roustabouts" and "kinkers" of Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth in the midst of the American Great Depression.  Like hearing a fairy tale for the first time, it colored my imagination and pulled at my heart.  Its characters, both animal and human, live on in my mind long after I finish reading.

In Vogue: A Weekday Fashion Snack

At this lackluster moment in the middle of the week, I am in need of a glamour infusion with an extra shot of Paris.

In this month's Vogue, photographer Mario Testino and his gorgeous subject Anne Hathaway (or Annie as Rachel Zoe casually refers to her) delight us with this uber-chic, old Hollywood-inspired shoot at landmarks in PARIS.

Now, all I need is a private jet and that polka-dot Oscar de la Renta gown and I'm all set for at long night at Maxim's. 

Craving Couture

The greatest thing about fashion is its inherent combination of fantasy AND reality.  Clothing is a daily necessity and yet an opportunity to be limitlessly creative.  What other art form touches your life on a daily basis and can transform others' perception of you? 

Comfy Chic

Snuggies. Uggs. Stretchy pants.  Comfort has become the dirty word in fashion because of shapeless items like these. 

If you've ever watched more than five minutes of TLC's long-running program, What Not to Wear, you have inevitably seen Clinton Kelly roll his eyes when one of his sloppy students mutters the words, "but it's soooo comfy."  On the show, Kelly tosses out heaps of sagging sweat pants and unstructured shoes and hoodies. 

Frugal Fall Fashion Favorites

By Francis Miller for Life Magazine, 1958

As much as those T.J. Maxx commercials may grate on my nerves, I do commend their cutesy coinage of the term "frugalista."  I simply cannot stand paying full price or department store prices for much of anything.  Here are a few of my favorite fashion finds this fall.

The Art of the Trench

Let's face it ladies (and perhaps some of you gents), we all have a fashion wish-list: those shoes or bags or watches that we covet, look at longingly in catalogs and store windows, then pragmatically remember that those goodies cost more than a mortgage payment.  

Dress like a Lady

Last night, I spent a couple of luscious hours fawning over 726 pages of the September Vogue.  In past years, I found myself questioning the selections of Anna Wintour and her team.  How many American women would really wear sequined harem pants or 6 inch purple platforms heels?  

But this year, I was delighted to discover the abundance of classy, elegant, lady-like looks à la Grace Kelly or Jackie O or Audrey Hepburn.  

Gone are the grungy military and unstructured bohemian fashions.  Fall this year, at long last, requires dressing like a lady and flaunting feminine curves. We can thank Michelle O(bama) and the gals of Mad Men for this return to refined, polished styles.

Weekend Wishes

May your weekend be filled with enchantment and wonder.  Surround yourself with color and life and love.  Indulge in some sweets. Frolic. Laugh. Forget subtlety: go big.

 

Maddening Nostalgia

On occasion, I question if I were born in the wrong era.  I like casseroles and gimlets and circle skirts a little too much to be a 2010 girl---the 1960s seem to be more my pace.  Sleek mid-century modern furniture or Hollywood Regency designs suit me so much more than the behemoth leather sectionals of today's homes. I'll take a tidy and elegant French twist in my hair over a boho braid or bump-it any day. I am relatively certain that I own more sweater sets than any twenty-eight year old I know.  

How to Survive a Case of the Mondays

Mondays. Bleck. Few words in the English language elicit as much disdain as "Monday." 

So, when you have a big-time case of Office Space-style Mondays, here are some of my go-to survival tips:

Fix your hair.  Mondays + bad hair day = inevitable crankiness.  Take a little extra time to blow-dry and curl and fluff your locks.  I assure you, if your hair looks like a Pantene ad, you'll feel much more eager to greet the day. 

The September Issue

Yes, gals, that's Anna Wintour's signature smirk on my tele.

Have you seen the 2008 documentary The September Issue? If you have ever read Vogue, or secretly wanted to be Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, or coveted a Chanel suit, you MUST watch this film.

All Dressed Up

When I was at my grandmother's house over the weekend, she showed me a small photo of her mother and said, "she never went anywhere without a hat and gloves."

Trend Alert: Moroccan Madness

Prediction: with much of SATC2 set in Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E. (but filmed in Morocco), Middle Eastern fashion trends are going to be all over the place this summer. As with the first film (and the previous 6 seasons of shows), certain items become the rage and gals from Staten Island to San Diego start adopting their own versions of the signature looks: the "Carrie" necklace, big belts, heaps of pearls, poofy skirts. I would imagine that most of the predominant fashion trends of the 2000s can ultimately be traced back to the one and only Carrie Bradshaw.