Best of the Blogs: Week Ending 10/28/07

Jennifer Garner and Violet Affleck

The Glam Guide wants to know who your fave celeb mommy is

Couture in the City has the latest LBD trends a la celebrities

ShopDiary has some runway shots to use for Halloween costume inspiration

Flair has some picks for cute, casual tops

NOTE: image: StarTracksPhoto

Preppy Suit Look

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've decided to take my work look a bit more seriously. Almost all the ladies at work wear suits...so, here's a suit look I wore to work last week:


I love this argyle vest...well, argyle anything, really.

Button down dress shirt: Brooks Brothers
Argyle Vest: Brooks Brothers:
Navy suit: Banana Republic
Brown slingbacks: Banana Republic

Krazy Kooba: Cameron Tote

Check out this crazy-contraption by Kooba:

Kooba - Cameron Tote (image/item neimanmarcus.com)

I'm not sure if I should love it, or try to kick it as far away from me as possible. On the one hand, it kinda reminds me for some reason of a lady in a black dress with funky shoulder pads. But, on the other, it kinda reminds me of a bat. Perhaps I've been getting into the Halloween spirit too much for my own good, but I dunno. What do you think? Lady-like-chic or kick-it-to-the-curb?

New J Crew Styles

Has anyone seen the new J Crew catalog? I got mine a couple days ago and I love it! I really love the cuts of the clothes and their interesting use of color - so many bright hues! I'm loving their plaids and argyles, too. Very fun. Here's some more of my virtual shopping list...although, I may have to use my limited "real money" budget money to purchase some of this...it's too cute!


Vivian metallic slingbacks


Bumble tartan mini


Wool-cashmere argyle V-neck sweater


Double-cloth Dover coat

Where are you shopping this fall?

NOTE: Image/item jcrew.com

ShopBop Fall 2007 Dresses

ShopBop has some awesome dresses for Fall 2007. It seems like everytime I see a blog post on shopping or a spread in a magazine, the ShopBop dresses have been my favorite. I figured I'd take a peek tonight and go virtual shopping a la GG:


Karen Zambos Vintage Couture - Front Ruffle Dress


Velvet - Jonne Dress


adampluseve - Draped Back Tie Dress


Vince - The Jumper

Which one is your fave or are you craving a dress from another shop?

NOTE: Images/items shopbop.com

Acne Jeans St Lambskin Purse

I'm not sure about the brand name, but this purse is pretty cool!

Acne Jeans - Saint Lambskin Purse - $575

I liked it a lot better till I saw it in the photo w/ the model...it's way too big! However, the shape is definitely interesting. What do you think? Do you love it? Like it? Hate it?

NOTE: Image/item eluxury.com

Business Chic: A Classic

Here's what I'm supposed to wear to the bank:

Pretty boring stuff, huh? I kinda like it once in awhile, but I don't know about wearing it every single day. I do feel more professional in this outfit, though, and I have to admit, Brooks Brothers makes a fine button down. Especially when the button down is non-iron...awesome!

Shirt: Brooks Brothers
Pants: Banana Republic
Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Best of the Blogs - Week Ending 10/21/07

I renamed my weekly round-up post. I think "Fashion Friend Finale" is too limiting. What if I want to post on, say, Beauty? I think Best of the Blogs is more versatile. Anywho...on to the best of the best...


Couture in the City brings you the Top 5 Celebrity weddings of our time

ShopDiary wants to know if you love or hate the heel-less platform shoe

The Glam Guide intros the LWD - Little White Dress, that is

Mahalo Fashion shows us highlights from the LA fashion week and which celebrities are kissing Louboutin's hiney.

NOTE: Photo source

Cozy Tee Bar Look

My friend had a birthday bash at a local bar to raise money and new toys for a newly opened hospital. The weather was rainy and has been turning cooler in general, so I decided that along with my new fave tee style, I'd break out my first boot look of the fall 2007 season:

To my surprise, my SO said that this outfit was one of his fave looks for a semi-casual trip to the bar. I guess he's just a T-shirt and jeans kinda guy. Makes me wonder why I spend so much money on nice clothes. But, just a little, b/c I know that I really buy those for me. :)

T-shirt: American Apparel
Jeans: Guess
Boots: Banana Republic

Work Chic: Staying Simple

Here's what I wore to work today:

The thing I love about these types of dresses is how deceptively comfy they are. They are super classy and def appropriate for work, while giving you a day of working in comfort and style. Remember, if you're wearing a wrap dress or V-neck with a super deep V, be sure to pair with a cami to keep your look work-appropriate. How you wear it after hours is all up to you!

Patterned Dress: Banana Republic
Camisole: The Limited
Peep-Toe Linen Pumps: Banana Republic
Earrings: Chanel

My New Obsession: Comfy Tees

Ever since getting the white, deep-V t-shirt awhile back for my vampy Olsen twin style re-do, I've been loving sporting it around town for a simple, comfy, yet kinda casual cool look. There's not much special about just a t-shirt and jeans, but a t-shirt paired with some funky flats or maybe rocking the Olsen tight-pant, loose-top style with big heels can be fun. Toss on a colorful or nifty-patterned scarf and some big sunglasses and you're good to go.

Get your deep v-neck tee on at American Apparel (shipping is free over $50):

Amerian Apparel Unisex Sheer Jersey Short Sleeve Deep V-neck - $18 or 3 for $42 (great deal for that much chic comfort)

NOTE: Images/items by americanapparel.net (yea, not .com)

Work Chic: Red, Off-White, & Blue

I think this is my new, fave skirt. It's soooo comfy, but cute at the same time, which is an awesome combo...for me at least

Skirt: Elie Tahari
Red Top: Banana Republic
Off-White Cami: The Limited
Peep-Toe Pumps: J Crew
Jacket: Nanette Lepore
Necklace: D Celestine Limited

Fashion Friend Finale - Week 10/14/07

Mahalo Fashion brings us more celebrity looks, including a funky SJP look from Sex and the City (wish I could pull something funky off like this), the Olsen twins and their studded Christian Louboutin boots, and the uber-elegant America Ferrera

ShopDiary has the scoop on a new trend with shoulder pads - vote on her poll to voice your opinion

Couture in the City shares about the SAK sponsoring Breast Cancer

The Glam Guide shows us some awesome picks for a Fall 2007 Trend: Sweater Dresses

NOTE: Photo source not known - if you are the owner and object to the use of either of these photos, please email me at shopaholicd at gmail dot com

Casual B-Day Dinner

One of my good friends (and his girlfriend) from college wanted to take me and my SO out for my b-day. This was the first we could all get together (my b-day was a few weeks ago), but I was still happy to be able to celebrate with them. My friends are pretty low-key and not all about getting all fru-fru for dinner, so I wanted to wear something simple, on the casual side, but still a tad dressy. Here's my dinner look:

Busy Weekend!

Sorry for the lack of posting the past couple days - I've been busy with this

Vintage Tee Contest Winner

Some people draw names from hats, some people draw names from their Chanel:



(Sorry for the poor lighting)

Congrats to Luna for winning the Vintage Tee Contest (I'll be emailing you shortly)! Thanks to everyone for playing! I'm hoping to have another giveaway of some sort later this year, so check back for details!

Special thanks to The Ryde for donating one of their fab tees for the contest - you guys rock!

How To: Protect Your Shoes (Rubber Soles)

Awhile back, Candid Cool suggested that I get my "investment" (aka shoes) rubber-soled. I wasn't sure what that meant and my post to ask for tips didn't yield many results. I got a suggestion for a place where I could ship my babies, but I wanted to take them somewhere local. After some more research, here's what I found:

Getting your shoes rubber-soled will help them last longer and in some cases, look nicer (from the bottom, of course). When a shoe peddler rubber-soles your shoes, they'll apply a thin layer of sole material to the bottom of your shoe to prevent the original shoe part from getting scuffed or wearing down. I hear getting your shoes rubber-soled is good for all shoes with pretty bottoms or bottoms made of leather, but it's really up to you. Anywho, once you're ready to have your shoes soled (and you know 100% sure that you won't return them), ask the shop where you bought your shoes if they have an in-house shoe peddler or repairman. If they don't, ask where they tell their customers to take their shoes for repair. I got my shoes at Neiman Marcus and they told me to take mine to the place at Belk's. Wherever your shop is directing their customers to will, most likely (and hopefully), be used to taking care of the type of shoes you bought. Ask the repair person if they can rubber-sole your shoes. If they seem too confused, then this may not be the place for you, but a place that handles lots of Neiman's shoes should know what they're doing. Ask to see the soles they'll be putting on and also be sure to ask if they can shave down the sides so they don't show too much. Unless you ask them to, the soles should only cover the part of the shoe that touches the ground (not the arch). Here's what they should look like when they're done:


Shoes can be expensive so be sure to take care of your investment!

Win a Hip, Vintage-Inspired T-Shirt

I love my T-shirt from The Ryde - it's got a funky vintage-inspired print on it and it's super soft, making it a joy to wear (you guys know I love comfy chic). This style is extra-appropriate for this month, since October is Breast Cancer awareness.


The patterns The Ryde offers range from pretty swirls like this one (on me, above)

to funny sayings

Don't Drink and Dial

to interesting graphics

Bird

and lots of surf-styles for you beach lovers out there.

Fish

Did I say these T-shirts were comfy? Oh, I already said that? Well, I'm really picky about shirts - they have to be really nice to wear, no itchy seams, no bothersome tags, and nice cotton is always a plus. This T-shirt fits all my needs and feels almost as soft as pima cotton. Just thought I'd add that in there for any other T-shirt snobs.

Thanks to a totally gnarly dude, you can win your own T-shirt from The Ryde for free - and you even get to pick the T you want! That means boys and girls can enter, since The Ryde makes shirts for nearly everyone (they have baby shirts in the works).

Contest Rules:
1. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with the name of your favorite T-Shirt and your email address (if you don't want to leave your email, then please leave a link to your blog so I have a way to contact you).
2. One entry/comment per person allowed.
3. Entries must be made before 8PM EST this Thursday, Oct. 11 (winner will be selected from comments made prior to this date/time).
4. All commenters will have their name dropped into my Chanel for random selection - whoever's name is drawn on Wednesday will win their favorite tee as left in their comment (only one winner will be selected)
5. If the winner does not respond to accept the award within a week of initial contact, another winner will be selected.

If you have a blog and think your readers will be interested in the contest, please feel free to link to this post.

Check out more vintage style T-shirts from The Ryde by clicking here
NOTE: Bottom 3 photos by theryde.com

Good luck!!!

Elizabeth: The Golden Costumes

Has anyone seen the costumes for the upcoming movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age? I tried to look for some pictures online, but couldn't find any (that I liked), so I'll have to refer to the trailer for now. Anywho, I can't wait to see the movie for a couple reasons: the great actors & actresses, the fascinating storyline, and those fabulous costumes (not in that order, necessarily). This movie must have been a really fun project for the costume designers - all the dresses in this movie trailer with Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) are so beautiful. Wow:


Click here to learn more about Elizabeth I

Fashion Friend Finale - Week 10/7/07

Couture in the City has a Sex and the City movie spoiler (click if you dare)

ShopDiary has the scoop on the hottest sales in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago (for you ladies lucky enough to live there - I want to shop those sales!)

The Glam Guide shows you how to steal a Carrie Bradshaw look from the upcoming Sex and the City movie

LookBook shows us that Posh still rocks the vest look (and shows you how to get the same look for less

Warm-Weather Scarf

I always wonder why I see photos of celebs in scarves in the middle of the summer. Are the photos just old? Maybe the celebrities are extremely cold-natured. Or, perhaps the weather is just that much cooler on the West coast w/o all that humidity and what-not. I dunno, but I do know that it's possible to wear scarves in slightly warm weather. Today, the temps hit around 84 degrees Fahrenheit, but I still managed to sport a cute scarf I got on super markdown from Banana Republic - down from $78, I only paid $8. Nice, right?

Blue Scarf: Banana Republic
White Skirt: Banana Republic
Blue Top: Ninety
Leather Peep-Toe Flats: J Crew

Fru-Fru Dinner Outfit

Tonight I went to my girlfriends' monthly Fru-Fru Dinner. The group has many get togethers, but Fru-Fru night is when we get to dress up a bit (b/c every girl needs an excuse to dress up once in awhile) and go to a nice restaurant and treat ourselves a bit. Tonight I had prime rib with au jus, garlic mashed potatoes, and a glass of zinfandel. The only thing that could have topped everything off was a big ole' piece of chocolate cake...but no one else wanted dessert, so I didn't want to hold the group up. That, and I've been eating yellow cake with chocolate icing (my self-baked b-day cake) for the last couple days, so I didn't really need it. Anywho, I wore a dress I bought just a couple weeks ago from Belk's. I love it - it's so comfy and the lines are so fresh. The dress has these really cool oversized pockets in the front that kind of blend in with the draping fabric - I'm not sure why, but I think they're fun. Here's what I wore:

Dress: To the Max
Shoes: Kenneth Cole
Necklace: D Celestine Limited

Btw, if you don't currently do a Fru-Fru dinner, I highly recommend it. Everyone deserves a treat now and again, as well as some quality time with good girlfriends.

Gorge Giuseppe Buckled Pumps

With super strappy shoes being hot for Spring 2008, I'm actually slightly considering buying these. When I say "slightly considering buying", what I mean is, I'm imagining myself frolicking in the mall with my Chanel tote and gorge Giuseppe Zanotti's twirling around with lots of shopping bags filled with more Spring '08 goodies. Make that, twirling around in a Diane VonFurstenburg wrap dress...yea...that would be soooo cool. Sorta like Sarah Jessica Parker except more shopping bags...and more twirling...b/c happy people twirl.


Giuseppe Zanotti - Buckled Patent Pump (image/item eluxury.com)

NOTE: SJP photo source - just jared dot net

Abaete - Simply Graphic for Spring 2008

It's been awhile since I've done a post on a runway collection, but I'm thinking it's just been too long. I miss checking out the runway shows and collections and getting an idea of what's to come for fashion in the next season. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from a fashion expert and probably don't know most of what I'm looking at the way someone who is trained (i.e. went to fashion school, you lucky people), but I still enjoy it. Here are my picks from the Abaete runway for Spring 2008

Simply Graphic Dresses




I love the simplicity in the style of these dresses and the clean lines are so refreshing to me. The green/white/black one above is my fave and I would so buy it...if only I were rich. These dresses look like dresses I would actually wear - they're so simply chic!

Who was your fave designer for Spring 08?

NOTE: Images from style.com - if you are the owner and object to their use, please email me at shopaholicd at gmail dot com and I'll take them down as soon as possible.

Chic Swap: Channeling MK and Angie

Please excuse the slightly obnoxious Photoshop-ing, but I wanted to play a bit tonight. :) Girls just wanna have fun, right? Anywho, I wore this first outfit to work a week or so ago and it wasn't until tonight that it kinda reminded me of something Angelina Jolie would wear. Please don't take this as me comparing myself to Angie...I'm just saying the clothes look like something she might sport - you know, blacks...neutrals...heels - she really doesn't wear much color, does she?

I know, I know...the flowers are over the top...

*Swapped the silk top and long gold necklace for an over sized American Apparel T-Shirt and large cross necklace to channel Mary Kate Olsen at the "Weeds" Premiere*


The skirt is shorter, but I didn't have a long black skirt and her necklace is longer, but I probably can't afford the actual cross necklace she's wearing, so this will have to do. :) channeling

Cream-Colored Silk Top: Ellen Tracy
Long Cream & Gold Necklace: D Celestine Limited
Black Skirt: Kenneth Cole Reaction
White T-Shirt: American Apparel
Long, Over sized Cross Necklace: Aldo
Round-Toe Heels: Kenneth Cole

NOTE: The celeb photos are from Just Jared dot com