What to Buy Now: Navy

DKNY

Inspired by my post on Kirsten Dunst and Sofia Coppola in their navy frocks?  

Here are some great pieces to buy now...  

Tory Burch

J.Crew

I am big on basic shapes -- they are the most versatile. I have a navy tank in silk (similar to the Tory Burch one above) that I wear all the time -- during winter days under sweaters, with white jeans in the summer and belted atop black leggings at night in every season.  

And a basic navy dress can be switched up from simple to glam with accessories -- think flats and little earrings for lunch to heels and a sparkly necklace for cocktails.

Tory Burch

J.Crew

In terms of belts, a skinny belt nips in the waist just so and looks most ladylike. I wear my J.Crew patent skinny belt to death. I've recently started wearing a slim patent bow belt too. In fact, to my brother-in-law's recent wedding in Miami, I wore a simple navy thin-strapped dress (vintage J.Crew) with a patent bow belt (like the Prada one below) that I took off a much fancier Oscar de la Renta dress.  Oh, when I wear belts, I always wear them tight around my real waist on a dress or an untucked top -- never in my belt loops! 

Prada belt from saksfifthavenue.com

J.Crew

In the Navy

Sofia Coppola in Louis Vuitton

I've always loved navy -- especially for night. It is less severe than black -- more understated and oftentimes more elegant.  As evident on Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst, black, however, is the perfect partner for navy. Notice how the belts add polish and definition to their frocks.

Kirsten Dunst in Chanel

The Perfect Pout

Alexa Chung

I love the idea of red lips -- it looks so chic and glamorous with a bare face and tousled hair.  But for some reason when I wear it, I feel like a child who got into her mother's makeup drawer.
  
Maybe it all depends on the shade and how and when you wear it. Red lipstick during the day just doesn't fly with my suburban mom lifestyle. If I was a city mom, maybe.  I do like to wear color (usually glossy pink) on my lips when I  am running around town because I rarely wear makeup and it makes me feel a little more done (wishful thinking?). But scarlet red? No.

I can handle trying a bold pout for night, though.  It seems the way to do it is with minimal everything else -- makeup, hair, jewelry, clothes. (See Charlotte Casiraghi in my previous post.) Otherwise, the risk is looking drag queen-y. I also like a darker shade of red and in matte, like Alexa Chung's above. Now the question is which lipstick to buy?  Off to Sephora. Will report back.

Barneys' Girl

Socialite/author/fashion-scenester Amanda Brooks was just named fashion director of Barneys -- replacing the much-loved Julia Gilhart.

There is no questions Amanda Brooks is chic and cool.  And most likely no stranger to the New York shopping mecca.  She is always turned out -- but in that effortless-beauty kind of way that makes every girl a little envious. We will see if her fashion aesthetic translate to the Barneys Customer. I certainly wouldn't mind a little of her influence when it comes to my closet!

     

 

Brooks' book on personal style

Charlotte Chic

Charlotte Casiraghi and Kate Moss at Etam

Perhaps as much fun as ogling the couture gowns is ogling the celebs who come to Paris to ogle the couture gowns (or just to attend the parties as the case may be)...  And Charlotte Casiraghi is always an eye-catcher -- gorgeous and chic and cool.

Charlotte Casiraghi at a Gucci party

I love her casually pulled back hair and the way she paired red lips with minimal eye-makeup and nude lips with a smoky-eye for evening.

Celestial Chanel Couture

It's amazing that Karl Lagerfeld, who wears so many hats, can continuously pull stunning collections out of them.... He only designs for Chanel, Fendi, and his namesake lines - mens and womens. He shoots ad campaigns, magazine editorials, owns a bookstore and a publishing house... manages to mingle with fabulous people. Who knows what else is on his plate -- I am sure a lot more.

Chanel Spring 2011 Haute Couture images from Reuters

The lightness...the femininity...the elegance. So beautiful.

According to style.com's Tim Blanks (who gushed over the collection), 10 million beads were used.

And every model in flats!

Heaven.

Design Darling: Alexandra Von Furstenberg @ The Well Appointed House

Read my interview with furniture designer Alexandra Von Furstenberg on the Well Appointed House blog. (Wellappointedhouse.blogspot.com)

Alexandra Von Furstenberg

The global glamour girl offers insight on fashion, furniture and freshening up a room.

Alexandra Von Furstenberg XOXO Acrylic Occasional Table $3,800.00 (USD) excl tax

Dreaming of Studs

In the mist of yet another snowstorm here in New England, snow piling on top of snow (with more blizzards in the forecast), I strangely can't stop thinking about studs. Studded sandals, that is.

A pair of Prada strappy flats studded with pointy spikes caught my eye the other day at Saks and I immediately imagined my jet-set-with-an-edge summer look. Maybe with my sailor top and white jeans, with khaki shorts and a basic tank, with a little black short shift -- adding a slightly hardcore twist to the classics. I'm obsessed.

Prada sandals at Saks

Now all I see are studs. I also love the Valentino gladiator style and think the brown or nude leather version might be more versatile for summer than the patent black.

Valentino sandals from saks.com and bergdorfgoodman.com

Oooh. But the Balenciagas are slightly more downtown -- I like that and love the creamy color. And the powder blue option is adorable if I had the budget for more than one pair.

Balenciaga sandals from Balenciaga.com

I definitely cannot picture myself in the dominatrix-y platform Louboutin that the celebs seem to be into (think Kardashian). Although, when styled with simple looks, the result is pretty cool. But the flat version is more my speed.

Louboutins on display at Saks

Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Heidi Klum in studded Louboutins

Louboutins from Net-a-Porter.com

And I am kicking myself that I never bought the Alexander Wang bag with the studs subtly peaking out from the bottom when it came out a few seasons ago.

Mary-Kate Olsen with an Alexander Wang bag, also right.

Burberry showed trenchcoats bedazzled with studs in the spring 2011 collection. Doesn't quite jive with my mom-on-the-go look but the concept is cool nonetheless.

Burberry Prorsum Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear from style.com

Emma Watson in studded Burberry from popsugar.com

While I wouldn't wear more than a single studded piece at a time, I am not sure I can buy just one. A girl can never have too many studs in her life, after all.

High Fashion Fantasy

Cascades of chiffon, tiers of tulle, layers of lace, sumptuous silk, fanciful feathers, and whimsical wisps -- it can only mean one thing. Couture!

Christian Dior Spring 2011 Haute Couture from Zimbio.com

Some say haute couture is a dying art -- with little relevance to more than an elite few... Others argue it's the ultimate expression for the creative masters like John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, and John Paul Gaultier and that the themes trickle down to future ready-to-wear collections. I say it's delicious fashion eye-candy and I can't get enough.

Christian Dior Spring 2011 Haute Couture from vogue.com

John Galliano went '50s retro for Christian Dior, recalling the house's heritage: the Dior New Look. The designer was said to be inspired by the fashion illustrator Rene Gruau, who made advertising posters for the house under Christian Dior.

Christian Dior Spring 2011 Haute Couture from Zimbio.com

Each couture piece is meticulously handmade by artisans using the most exquisite materials. Prices are astronomical. But If you are lucky enough to buy a look from a couture collection, know that you are purchasing a piece of history, a connection with a fashion genius (expect multiple fittings with the designer himself) and literally, an item of clothing like no other.

We can dream, can't we?

More postings on Couture as it progresses...