Style vs. Fashion

amNewYork.com questions Style vs. Fashion. Fashion being what's hot, what celebs like Paris Hilton are wearing. Style is more personal and shows something about the person wearing the clothes. It's important to stay (somewhat) grounded a dress true to yourself. If you base what you are going to wear off what you saw on the red carpet at the VMAs you probably are just wearing what's hot for this week. I think it's important to keep a good mix going...don't go overboard on trends and mix in your personal favs so you won't look like a fashion ad. Be selective when it comes to super trendy items..they aren't made for everyone.

SAG Awards Worst Dresses: Britney & Kevin

Seriously, why were they even there? I believe the last movie Britney appeared in was Crossroads which fell flat.

Trend: Natural Jewelry

Natural jewelry is definitely hot this spring. Lots of earth tones and natural-looking materials. Even Target has joined in on this trend.

What the?!?!

I'm sorry but I just don't get the American Apparel ads? Maybe since I work in adverising/marketing I'm more sensitive to advertisements but I can NOT imagine why this would influence anyone to buy their clothes. And they do have a lot of great basics.

Here's one of the many I've seen in magazines. This one is a lot less disturbing than some of the others. Check them out here.

Liv Needs New Shoes

I love these Prada Espadrilles from Niemans!!

A Year in Fashion

Check out Style.com's fashion yearbook. Very cute.

Krista K Boutique Sale

For those of you living in Chicago, one of my favorite boutiques, Krista K, is have a big sale Saturday, January 28. The store opens at 8am and the earlier you get there the more you save. Krista K is located at 3458 N. Southport. They carry designers such as Theory, Joie, Elle Moss and True Religion - just to name a few!

Romantic Look Continues..

This top by Venessa Bruno is available at Net-A-Porter.com.

Banana Republic - First of Spring

I'm starting to check out all the stores and get a feel for what the new spring clothes are going to be like before I start buying. I haven't found anything earth-shattering yet. Here is a few cute pieces from Banana Republic. The jacket and cardigan would be good for work or weekend. The black top would be cute for evening.

New Louis Vuitton Bag

Check out the latest from Louis Vuitton - The Cabas. It's part of the LV Globe Shopper line. What do you think of it? Personally I think it looks like a walking billboard. It little over the top.

Olsen Twins Add Designing to the Mix

According to Sky, The Olsen twins are designing their own line of clothes. I'm curious to see if it will follow the Boho style we see them wearing on the streets.

Blue Water Grill

Last night we went to Blue Water Grill for dinner. I've been there before but this time it was better than ever. I definitely recommend it for great seafood if you live or are visiting Chicago. Their sushi is also pretty good. One of their specialities is the raw bar selections and oysters. The atmosphere is great - trendy but still warm and comfortable. If you are just looking to relax and have a drink or two the upstairs jazz lounge is perfect. They have live music almost every night.

How Old is Vintage?

I guess the next time someone tells you the dress is vintage you have to ask the exact year! WWD reported that Reese wore this dress to the Golden Globes and was told it's a Chanel vintage when in actuality it was worn by Kirsten Dunst to the Globes in 2003.

Nordstrom..Shoes for Spring

I know it's only 20 something outside but I'm already anticipating spring. Sandals are one of the first things I think of when I think of warm weather. The wedge is definitely back in style. It showed up a bit last summer but now it's truly back. Here are a few from Nordstrom. And yes I am a little concerned about walking around in those heels. That's one huge pro for the wedge - gives more support that a stiletto so you can comfortable wear a higher heel.

Cute Clutch

I love this clutch by Hayden-Harnett. It's available at the Style.com Shop.

Featured Brand: Max Studio

Max Studio's spring line is absolutely adorable. Their site is so user friendly - it helps you mix and match pieces and build an outfit based on occassion.

Active Endeavors - Free Shipping

Active Endeavors now has free ground shipping on every order no matter the size. I love their stuff so this is another perk of shopping online with them.

Golden Globe Fashion

Here are a few celebs that I thought look exceptionally hot at the Globes..

Eva Longoria




















Teri Hatcher















Penelope Cruise



















Hilary Swank - her dress was okay but I loved her hair! That cut
looks great on her.

Alanis at the Golden Globes

IS this really Alanis Morissette? She definitely wins the "most made-over" award. I'm not sure what to think of this her new, blond ambition? I'm speechless...

Britney Spears - Hollywood's Worst Dressed in '05

No surprise, Britney Spears topped Blackwell's worst dressed list for 2005. I definitely have to agree with his first choice but I don't agree with some of his other picks:

2. Mary Kate Olsen - can't the poor girl be left alone! Not every girl wants to dress in skin tight, cleavage showing clothes.

3. Jessica Simpson - goes a little over the top at times (especially with the makeup) but seriously she looks great!

4. Eva Longoria - how can you put her in the same list at Britney Federline?

5. Mariah Carey - definitely fits in here. Unfortunately she never seems to wear clothes that fit her.

6. Paris Hilton

7. Anna Nicole Smith - ah duh.

8. Shakira

9. Lindsay Lohan

10. Renee Zellweger - must have had a tough time coming up with #10.

Urban Outfitters

I always find cute, random stuff at Urban Outfitters. There stuff is trendier and less expensive so it's a great place to shop if you are looking for something you know is going to be out of style in a month or two. Here are a few things I came across on my last trip to there. This dress, earrings and necklace would make a cute outfit too.

Reese in W Mag

Reese Witherspoon is one hot momma (no pun intended). Check out February'06 issue of W.

The "It" Bag

Scoop (one of my fav shopping sites) is call the Marc Jacob Banana bag the "it" bag of the season. What do you think? It also comes in orange and white.

Fashion's Top 10

Style.com predicts the top 10 looks for this spring:

1. Wide belts
2. Cuffed Shorts
3. Micro-bags (especially designer)
4. The color nude
5. Wedge heel (continuing from this fall)
6. Baby doll dresses - sixties style
7. Tailored, slim pants
8. Extra-large totes (Hmm.. are we contradicting ourselves here?)
9. Sailor stripes
10. Chunky heeled platforms

We'll have to wait and see which of these are really hot and which fall flat. I'm going to keep track of the ones I buy and wear.

Shoes in a Food Magazine?

Yes, at first I thought it was pretty odd too but these slippers are damn cute! They showed up in Bon Appetit magazine. They do have little cupcakes on them so I guess they are fitting. There is also another pair with cherries on them. They are available at Intuition.

Volare

If you are in Chicago and looking for great Italian food, I highly recommend Volare. It's definitely a popular place and has been around for a while. Also.it's more of a local spot. Tourist typically don't know about it...definitely a good thing in my book! One thing to note, it's not a quiet romantic place.
My night also took me to Landmark, a new bar in Lincoln Park. It ended at RiNo..one of my favs.

Poor Scarlett Johansson

What did Elle magazine do to poor Scarlett? She usually looks so polished and put together. This is a way too 1980s for me. I hope she's not keep the hair.











Elle, January 2006

Look how great she looks in the NYTimes:

Boutiques On Wheels

I'm absolutely loving this idea - Boutique buses. Mobile boutiques that travel around the city bringing their clothing, accessories and whatever else they might sell to different areas. This would work best in larger cities, where most people don't have cars so they might not travel to other neighborhoods just to shop. I rarely get to Bucktown (a funky, trendy area of Chicago) but I love all the boutiques in that area. The logistics would be tough but I think it would be fabulous. They could even hold private shopping parties! It would be like the ice cream truck for adults.

Alternative to Hanky Pankies

I know I've talked about how much I love Hanky Pankies but they are a bit much to spend on underwear. Everyone seems to love them too - at the last bachelorette party I went to the bride-to-be got 3 pairs each part of a different gift. So I was browsing at the Gap the other day and I came across some panties that look exactly like Hanky Pankies. So I bought 3 pair (for only $24) and tried them out. They are just as comfy and flattering as the infamous Hanky Pankies. The rise is perfect so they won't stick out of your jeans or pants. They even have a few colors on sale for $4.99. I'll definitely be going back to GapBody.

Swing Velvet Finger Tips

About 10+ people have asked me about my nail polish color so I figured I'd write about. It's called "Swing Velvet" (#331) by Essie. It's a great winter color. Most salons/spas carry it. It's a darker color so I usually don't get it for every manicure. Essie is also my favorite brand of nail polish. I think it stays on longer than OPI.

Sienna's Vogue Appearance

Sienna has a great spread in the January'06 Vogue. I mean, how gorgeous does she look??! I love the short new hair too. Seriously Jude, what the hell were you thinking?!

The Tunic Top

I'm happy to see that the longer (i.e. tummy covering) tops are back in style. I was so tired of all the belly baring. We definitely owe that trend to Britney Spears. Here is a cute Tunic top by Michael Stars I came across while browsing at Nordstrom.

Post-Holiday Blahs

Today was the first official work day of 2006. It have to say it's tough to get back to the daily grind, especially after being off of work for over a week and having a few too many holiday drinks and cookies. Now we are in for the long boring stretch of winter. Even though the holidays can be overwhelming I will miss all the excitement. Here is a picture from my recent trip to NYC. The Rockefeller Center - displaying the holidays at their best!

As you have probably noticed the new spring clothes are starting to show up in the stores and online. Now we have to start looking forward to the warm weather!