New Designer/High Street Collaboration: Sonia Rykiel for H&M
So in another high-street chain/designer collaboration, it looks like Parisian designer, Sonia Rykiel will be designing a collection for H&M. To tell the truth, these collaborations have been popping up so frequently these days, that it’s hard to keep up with them. I’m very intrigued by the Rodarte for Target collaboration, because when I first heard about it, it seemed like such an unlikely match. Rodarte can such complicated, questionably wearable, higher end clothing and Target is all about easily accessible, comfortable clothing. So I’ll wait to see this one come out.
However, Sonia Rykiel and H&M? This makes sense to me and sounds like it will be fun.The longstanding French designer Sonia Rykiel and proclaimed “Queen of Knits” is well known for her cute and quirky clothing. Just take a look at a few pieces from her Pre-Fall 09 and F/W 09 show:
For her H&M collection, I can already see flashes of bright color, knit sweaters and dresses, plus berets and gloves everywhere. To me, this will fit right in with H&M and their aesthetic. She will also be producing a lingerie in conjunction with the clothing and accessories, so that’s another thing to look forward to. The collection will be launched on December 5th, with the second collection landing in stores on February 20th.
Image Sources: Wikipedia, Style.com
True Red
With Fall increasingly approaching and marking its territory, I’ve been switching out my wardrobe and packing away the Spring/Summer items until next year. For my beauty palette, I’ve been switching out the lighter, summery colors for the darker colors.
And during this time, I had what Oprah calls (yes, collective eyeroll) an “Aha” moment.
I always wear darker colors during the Fall and Winter months when I do wear makeup. For my lipsticks and glosses, I tend to go with colors such as mauve or almost like a deep brown. I even wear a light purple-ish tint as well. One color that I have stayed away from–year round–has been red.
Once, a well-meaning lady at the Nars makeup counter was trying new looks on meand pulled out a red lipstick tube I held up my hand and told her, “Oh thanks, but uh, I don’t do red.”
She looked at me quite stunned and said, “Oh honey, everyone does red You’re just not ready right now.” I shrugged off her comment and let her finish her makeover and walked out with an almost nude lip color.
Now, as I’m putting together an almost black wardrobe this Fall, I’ve become a bit bored of my current lip color selection. The nude colors are too Spring/Summer and the other dark colors aren’t vibrant enough to stand a chance against the black. So I went out and bought a red tube of lipstick. I started out small. I bought a Maybelline Moisture extreme lipcolor tube in “Ruby Red” and wore new color out to dinner with a friend:
What did I think? I liked it. I liked it a lot.For some reason, I felt more vibrant, more confident. Even if I looked like complete and utter crap with my outfit and hair, it didn’t matter because my lipstick made up for it.Is this what wearing red lipstick does to you?
I know I’m late to the party on this one (as I am with most things), but I really didn’t know what I was missing out on. So my apologies to the Nars counter lady and I shall continue to wear red lipstick throughout the Fall. And if there is one thing that Gwyneth Paltrow and I agree on, it would be this:
Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick
Image Source: We Heart It
Sunday Musings
It’s a nice, crisp Autumn day and itching to get outside and enjoy it.Here are some other things I’m enjoying this Sunday:
What I’m Reading: I always like to read the Alinea at Home blog on Sundays.The author, Carol, is cooking her way through Chicago chef, Grant Achatz’s cookbook, which has recipes based on his award-winning restaurant. I love the dedication, determination and explanation of the cooking process from Carol. Plus, the food never fails to look yummy.
I was also checking out Web Designer Depot’s “Most Controversial Magazine Cover’s of All Time“ post. Very interesting covers, indeed.
What I’m Listening To: I’ve been on a big Sia kick lately and I’ve just been listening to all of her music.
What I Like: The S/S 2010 collection from Jil Sander.
And this quote from Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz from The Cut blog:
If you are not already, make sure you are having a great Sunday and enjoying the day!
Sources: Style.com
Postcards from My Hometown
The above photo is the front of a postcard that I received from the lovely blogger, The Staple. I participated in Dream Sequin’s Postcards from my Hometown project where I signed up to receive postcards from two other bloggers from around the world and I would send two to other bloggers.
I’ve always loved sending and receiving postcards and letters from people, especially those from out of state, and I really lucked out once I saw that the postcards from both of my senders were from…the U.K! The Staple’s adorable postcard arrived from London with a very nice message on the back. The other postcard I received was this one:
However, I’d actually received a large 8.5×11 package. Perplexed at what else could be inside other than the postcard, I opened up the package and saw that I had a lovely gift:
Heat magazine! The lovely Emma from Random Musings of a Wannabe sent this great treat as I am someone who loves a great gossip magazine I leafed through my Vogue magazine with Michelle Williams on the cover (hey, at least there was a new covergirl), and within the next 5 minutes, I just devoured my copy of Heat.
A special thanks to Dream Sequins for putting this project together!
Shop It To Me Giveaway
If you’re like me and you love a chance to win free swag, here is a cool giveaway for you. Shop It To Me is having a Battle of the Bands contest and they are currently in Round 2. In order to win a free Marc by MarcJacobs accessory, you just have to follow a few easy steps:
1. If you aren’t already, Go to the Shop It To Me blog and become a Shop It To Me Subscriber
2.Reply in the comments section and write who your chosen favorite is between the battling brands.
3. And for an extra entry, Follow Shop It To Me on Twitter.com,and Tweet this sentence:
Easy enough, right? Please remember that entry deadlines are Friday, September 25th, at 5pm PST, so there isn’t much time left.Good luck to those who enter!
Alternatives
I know I’ve been writing a lot about Fall shopping and my “list” lately. There are some items that I would have definitely added to my list if I knew that it would fit me perfectly. The main culprits? Dresses and blazers. Although I’m not quite “plus-size” (a word that I tread on using, but I’ll use it here for semantics), I am a larger size in my tops than bottoms because of my larger bust. It’s always that much more difficult to find a flattering dress or blazer that fits seamlessly in the “regular sizes”. And the plus-size clothing usual suspects such as Lane Bryant, Ashley Stewart and the like? I’m not overly excited by them, either. Perhaps I’m greedy and I like to have all of the options in the world to chose from instead of one or two.
Saying all of that, I’ve been obsessed with the blog, Le Blog de Big Beauty, over the past week. I’ve been going back and reading old posts and using my very limited French and Google translate to read her posts. And I have been taking notes.Where does she shop for such fabulous outfits ? Adorable tops, blazers and dresses that are flattering. Her blog has been such an inspirational find and has prompted me to find online shops that cater to larger sized clothing Here are a few shops that I’ve found from her blog as well as from ringing endorsements I’ve read/heard from other folks:
I’d never heard of Carmakoma until I read Le Blog De Big Beauty, but I really like their clothing. Moderately priced and flattering that is classic with a twist.
I particularly like this jacket:
And this very cute one-shoulder little, black dress:
Apparently, I’m way late to the Dorothy Perkins bandwagon. The store stocks clothing from a UK sized 6-22 and ships to the US. You can get casuals, work attire, lingerie, maternity clothing and whatever else you might think of . For me, it offers a bit of an alternative to the items in the other high-street stores like Zara and Topshop, who aren’t as forgiving in their sizing. For instance, with the biker jacket below, I saw a similar biker jacket in Zara, but due to my larger bust, it didn’t fit properly. With the larger sizing at Dorothy Perkins, it would fit much better.
I’m also loving this adorable pink sequin jacket to bring out a more playful side:
And this dress would be cute for a night out:
Whenever a friend or colleague asks me if they should order an article of clothing from B&Lu, I always tell them “Yes!”. Perhaps I should shut my mouth since I have yet to purchase anything from there, but I’ve always felt that the clothing is very flattering and I’ve heard some great things about the quality, so I firmly believe I’m not steering anyone wrong. Here are some of my favorite’s from their store:
This dress, the Layla dress for $59.Not a bad price for a cute dress for Fall.
And this Cholla dress for $48 would be perfect for any casual/fancy occasion–whichever way you look at it.
Or this faux-wrap Danika top which looks like it would be very flattering and would show off the curves in the right places:
I’m well aware that there are plenty more shops for plus-size clothing than the ones I’ve just highlighted and thus, there are plenty more options for everyone to go around. These were just a few online shops that have continuously caught my eye and kept my interest time and time again.There was a time when Ashley Stewart kept my interest in their tops and dresses, but lately it’s all been more of the same for me So I will hope to continue to build my list and find more shops that cater to my needs and hopefully, this list will continue to grow.
Rodarte: Spring 2010
I’ve been quite mum about NYFW if only because I’ve been reading the great commentary from other fashion bloggers who have been in NY giving their first-hand point of view, so I’ve really only been a spectator. However, the Mulleavy sisters showed their collection for Rodarte and it was the only collection I felt compelled to comment on before New York Fashion Week ended.
I will admit, at first I was a bit unsure from viewing the backstage preview pictures. Once the show was over and the pictures started pouring in, I was able to piece together what the Mulleavy sisters were aiming for. The shredded and burned clothing portrayed flashes of futurism and primal nature at the same time, while keeping the essence of Rodarte. The dark and dramatic nature of the clothing was something I’d probably associate with the F/W set, but the sisters made it work and turned in a gothic, almost haunting, memorable collection.
The shoes by Nicolas Kirkwood were classic Kirkwood and the tribal tattoos were fitting for the runway show. As far as how wearable the collection is, I was intrigued by more than a few of the pieces and how easily wearable they would be off the runway. For me, the only Rodarte pieces that I’d be able to afford and wear are those from their collaboration with Target, which I’m anxious and skeptical about overall, but I’ll hold my breath for this one. Here are a few more photos from the S/S 2010 show:
Image Source: Style.com
Links A La Mode: Shifting Gears
Shifting Gears
Edited by Jennine
It’s here. Summer’s (basically) over, back to school, back to work… even in fashion today is the official first day of Fashion Week madness, and New York is only the beginning. I’ve always thought once Labor Day rolled around, we shifted gears realizing that the year is almost out it’s time to start packing it all in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models start chopping their locks, The Demoiselles start a getting healthy project for a bunch of ladies, kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS gets an remarkable interview with Patricia Ayers.
Links à la Mode : September 10th
- Art of Accessories – Translating the Trends: Ruffles
- BRICK MY LANE – The ruffled neckpiece – part 2
- dramatis personae – “Plus-Sized†Bras for Busty Gals
- Fashion Hippo – Giveaway: Tory Burch Logo Clutch
- Fashion Pulse Daily – FelixRey.com: Fashion Pulse Daily Readers Get an Exclusive 20% Off!
- fete a fete – Giorgio Armani Beauty Fall 2009 Manta Ray & Eyes To Kill
- Heavy Heels – Wind of Change
- Idiosyncratic Style – IdStyle File – Kaitlyn Regehr
- Independent Fashion Bloggers – How Important is Trust? A Review of Trust Agents
- Intrinsically Florrie – Luella Loveage
- kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS – Interview with Patricia Ayres
- Little Miss Makeup – Is applying liquid eyeliner your biggest beauty frustration?
- Meilily – Ruffled Makeup Bag by Christian Siriano for VS Makeup
- Retro Chick – Planning an Autumn Winter 2009-10 Wardrobe
- Style Amor – Do We Need Fashion Week?
- Style it You – Breaking Barriers
- Style Symmetry – The Last Hurrah Giveaway
- Stylish Thought – Stylish Thoughts on Coco, Karl & Feminism
- Super Kawaii Mama – Worn Wild – MSFW’s Dark Side
- THE COVETED – Mahtab Azimi’s Cozy Little Black Dress
- The Demoiselles – We’re Getting Healthy
And so it turns out…
So it turns out that I did tell a little fib: I wasn’t quite done with my F/W 09 shopping just yet.   The problem is that I love wedge heels in the Fall and my Seychelles wedges are basically falling apart. After almost 3 years of wear and tear in bars, on the muddled streets of Chicago and beyond, it was time to find a new pair. The problem was, I just couldn’t find a pair I liked. Well, I found a pair and they were the Acne Atacoma wedges shown below:
Love em. But for $480 USD, I couldn’t see these appearing in my closet anytime soon.
Then, as I was perusing the web for nothing special this morning, I stumbled upon these Jeffery Campbell wedges:
They are at a more manageable height (3.5″ wedge with a 1″ platform), from a shoe brand that I like and I have found great success with their shoes and…$99! That’s a bit more like it for my budget.   No, they are not quite the Acne Atacoma wedges, but they will do for the days when I want to wear a comfortable heel to give myself a little more height.
And so yes, I did broach my “I’m done with Fall shopping” pact that I made, and yes, it did happen quite easily. I’m hopeful that I won’t falter again.
Image Source: Acne website, Solestruck website
Fall 09 Wardrobe Update
There’s always a huge difference between posting about your wants and what you are actually able to buy when you size everything up: availability, pricing, convenience. I wrote about what I wanted for Fall 09 with a tentative wishlist, and although I was able to get a couple of items, I’ve still had to make some tweaks here and there.
I was able to get one of my most anticipated purchases which was the harness belt from Angie’s iheartnorwegianwood’s shop. I’d been eying the belt all summer, and I finally bit the bullet and bought it. Since I’m a bit on the er, busty side, I contacted Angie and gave her my measurements and she was able to make one that would fit especially for me. Here it is after I threw it on over the dress I was wearing that day after I immediately ripped the package open:
And I love it. I’ve worn it twice already since I kept it on that day and on my birthday when I went to get my driver’s license renewed. This was definitely a purchase that was well worth it for me.
I’ve also picked up a few “classic” tops that I can pair with dress pants or pencil skirts:
This top that I got on sale at Ann Taylor.
And this top that I saw at H&M. Hm…something about bows for me this season, huh?
Plus, today I went on a mad dash to scoop up this cardigan from Akira boutique:
All in all, I think I’m pretty close to being done for my fall shopping. I still want a pair of Dr. Martens, and a couple of warm sweaters and that’s about it.
How is your Fall shopping going?  Have you gotten everything you’d like or are you still searching for the right items?
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