There are special occasions and then there are very special occasions worth getting dressed up for. For me and my boyfriend’s anniversary, I wanted to pull out a look that was classic pinup and loaded with sex appeal. I reached for my dress by the brand who knows how to make women look va-va-voom, Pinup Girl Clothing. I added a glamourous statement necklace of big rhinestones that I purchased on a trip to Paris, and a little texture with some fishnet stockings. I finished the look with my pointiest black stiletto pumps.
The look was perfect for our romantic meal at The Dresden Room. This restaurant looks like a set from the TV show “Mad Men,” with its elegant white circular booths and ambiance that’s been untouched since the 1950s. I’m sure before there was Don Draper, the Rat Pack may have spent some time in this place. And of course there is the endearing music of the classics performed in the adjacent lounge bar by the duo Marty and Elayne, who have been performing at the Dresden since 1982. They are a little campy and a whole lot of groovy. Yes, we did hear “Staying Alive” while clinking our glasses in a toast! The Dresden is a great place for a romantic night – something to keep in mind with Valentine’s Day coming up.
Calling all aspiring fashion designers! You may have seen the cute modern, and retro-inspired clothes on Modcloth.com.* Now you can design for them!
The ModCloth Make The Cut program is a recurring design contest that invites the ModCloth Community to design garments, graphics, or fabric prints. Click here for contest details. Here are a couple of examples of prints they currently offer:
How does the contest work? Entrants will design a new print for a private label dress silhouette that is already being produced! Contestants have two weeks to submit designs. After the submission period, the ModCloth Creative Team will narrow down the submissions to 20, which will be sent to the guest judge, Amanda Needham, Costume Designer for Portlandia. After Amanda has chosen the 10 finalists, they will be posted on the Be The Buyer page for voting. There will be a week for the Community to vote, then ModCloth will contact the winner and update the contest announcement with the big news!
• Contest is Live Now!
• End of Submission Period: Friday 02/14/14
• Launch voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/03/14
• End voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/10/14
• Winner announced on ModCloth Blog (winner will be contacted personally): Wednesday 3/12/14
This weekend, my boyfriend and I had a rock ‘n’ roll date night. First, we traded in some CDs at Amoeba, the most popular record store (and one of the last remaining ones) in Hollywood. Then, we headed for rockin’ Thai food at Toi on Sunset, a great place for a delicious cheap dinner, with a cool crowd and where posters from the likes of The Doors and Aerosmith hang on the walls. Order their brown rice, it’s amazing!
For the night, I went for a sophisticated rocker look with a satin leopard print skirt, chunky metal statement necklace, and the custom-made leather jacket I got at Silvia Y. Mario Leather Factory on my recent trip to Buenos Aires. I added a pop of color to my monochrome color scheme with a bright green, vintage Kelly-style handbag.
Valentine’s Day is coming and if you want to wear a little something special to spice up your date night, I’ve got just the thing!
If your style leans to sophisticated seductress, there’s only one place to shop for some sexy underthings and that’s What Katie Did Lingerie* Elegant, with a nod to vintage glamour, this brand from the UK knows what makes a woman look like a woman. Try valentine-red pieces from the Rita or Marlene sets.(Search the drop down on their site under “Gold Label Collection.“)
If your style is more playful, Modcloth* is the place for you. Try the easy-fit bralett with hearts in just the right places and heart-cutout panties for a little surprise from the back!
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Get your outfit planned for the big night. Whether you are going out with your love or getting together with your single gal pals, it’s a night to celebrate in bright shades of red and playful hearts. Dress up, dress down or just add a fun accessory. I’ve got ya covered with dresses, jewelry, jeans, tights and shoes. Shop* some of the options below and get red-y!
Wear your heart on your sleeve – literally!
Kastle
The Wrap Dress, it’s an iconic fashion statement. Created in the 1970s by designer Diane Von Furstenberg, it was coined the dress that’s was easy to put on as well as take off! It came out in a variety of colors and the fabulous patterns that became a signature of the DVF brand.
And now you can indulge your fashion passion in an entire room of DVF’s wrap dresses in an exhibit celebrating the 40th anniversary of the wrap dress. See photos depicting the history of the dress, with images Diane and the many celebrities who have worn it. Plus, there is an art exhibit from Diane’s personal collection featuring work by Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz among others.
Our special guest vlogger and lover of all things ‘70s, Disco K. checked out the exhibit and brought back this special report and sneak peek. Check it out:
Most lovers of fashion know certain eras are represented by certain looks. But did you know that many fashion trends were influenced by films and their costume designers? Kimberly Truhler of GlamAmor made a career out of studying the history of film and fashion. She teaches a class on it at Woodbury University and offers her vast wealth of knowledge on her website GlamAmor and now in her “Style Essentials” series of lectures and webinars.
I attended her recent event, “The History of Fashion and Film 1960s-1970s” at the Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica where she covered the some iconic looks from films from that period. It’s fascinating to learn what influenced the style of the characters and how the looks influenced future fashion. In order to know your fashion, it’s important to know its history. You might think a look is new but it might actually be something that came from a film, created by a costume designer. Kimberly knows her stuff, that’s why she’s often called upon as an expert consultant for Turner Classic Movies and Christie’s of London.
Kimberly’s lecture features a slideshow with image of movie stars in their stunning costumes and trends they sparked. She brings a clothing rack from her own carefully curated vintage collection to show similar pieces to those seen onscreen. She also joked that many of the iconic looks from film where featured on characters that were call girls and criminals – I guess those are the ones who could take a few more fashion risks!
Here are some highlights:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Designer Givenchy, Edith Head costume supervisor
“Every woman at some point in their life has tried to channel Audrey,” said Kimberly and she’s not wrong. The iconic sleek black dress and updo has been repeated in fashion over and over. Hepburn’s character of Holly Golightly may have been a call girl but her elegance and style made her an aspiration. See the full details on GlamAmor.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) Costume designer Helen Rose
Elizabeth Taylor’s character of Maggie dresses in classic, tailored lines. Her double v-neckline white dress became a hot seller known as “The Cat” dress. And oh, that white slip! With a juxtaposition of innocent and sultry all in one, it became the signature look from the film. See the full details on GlamAmor.
Butterfield 8 (1960) Costume designer Helen Rose
“The coats were their own character,” Kimberly commented on the style of this film with Liz playing yet another sophisticated call girl character. And we again see another sexy white slip that spoke volumes in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” The little black dress she wore became so iconic, copies sold out and the cut became known as “The Butterfield 8 Dress.” See the full details on GlamAmor.
http://youtu.be/8nBIgfecD5Q
Love Story (1970) Costume Designers Pearl Somner and Alice Manougian Martin
Winter wear never looked so good! Ali MacGraw made school-girl prep a classic look with a salute to turtlenecks, mini-skirts with tights. Ali also added her own knit cap, which became an instant trendsetter. See the full details on GlamAmor.
Network (1976) Costume Designer Theoni V. Aldredge
While the ‘70s ushered in extreme looks of hippies and disco, Network was drenched in the color brown, perhaps to offer a counter of conservativeness and ground the era of extremes. Faye Dunaway’s character, with her tie-neck look can still be seen in fashions of today. See the full details on GlamAmor.
So many iconic films, so little time. There were many, many more films and trends covered in this lecture. It’s such fun seeing the chain of influence in fashion. Check out GlamAmor’s events and Style Essentials series to get a quick education – you might be surprised where some of you favorite looks have come from!
I love the ‘60s and mod/ska fashions, which consists of a lot of black and white in bold prints of stripes and checks. This playful, rockin’ look has become quite a trend in women’s fashion at the moment. This checkered shift dress is comfy and makes a big statement partnered with a pop of orange with a vintage chiffon scarf and a fun purse made from old 45 records.
I got my purse from a market in Buenos Aires from a lady who makes them herself, but you can find similar handbags on Ebay. I finished the look with a rhinestone cat collar bracelet and pair of side zip ankle boots. See the links below or click the pix to shop* the look:
December is a time for holiday sparkle and being festive. It’s also when winter starts to hit head on, which can take a toll on your skin.
Check out my favorite things this month to dress for all the parties and joyful events that fill the calendar through the News Year and make sure my skin is well cared for:
Click the links below for more details and to buy* the items mentioned in this video:
The New Girl Expo opened its doors in LA this past weekend to allow us girls to do some serious holiday gift shopping. Taking place at the California Mart Downtown, there were vendors filling the floorspace with shopping opportunities from makeup to purses, jewelry, clothes and hair extensions. There were also several makeup demos and even a pole dancing demo from X-Pole.
On the main stage there was a fashion show and demo from Klix makeup brushes, whose eco-friendly, replaceable brush heads proved to be the most popular booth of the day. One of my favorites vendors was the All Things Girly handbag booth, particularly their magazine covered clutch purses.
There were also beauty and fashion blogger panels, hosted by Roxy Limon talking about what it takes to be a blogger and what inspires them to share their looks and product finds. (See blogger list below.)
And when it all became too much, you could step over to the Tasting Lounge for free drinks and treats.
New Girl Expo was founded by Ashley Leon as a way to help her find her fashion style and help others too. The Expo is held in Los Angeles twice a year.
Blogger Panelists
Check out what these ladies are up to in fashion and beauty
There are special occasions and then there are very special occasions worth getting dressed up for. For me and my boyfriend’s anniversary, I wanted to pull out a look that was classic pinup and loaded with sex appeal. I reached for my dress by the brand who knows how to make women look va-va-voom, Pinup Girl Clothing. I added a glamourous statement necklace of big rhinestones that I purchased on a trip to Paris, and a little texture with some fishnet stockings. I finished the look with my pointiest black stiletto pumps.
