Bikini Bash

When at the pool, I have a lot of time to look at swim suits. For me, the pool is a time for magazines (as is when I stay at home, but I tend to indulge myself) and I was surprised to find Glamour and Elle completely full of bikinis, monokinis and one pieces. I mean, yes , it is summer, but I was a little surprised, and not in a bad way. So, because of this, my "destiny" was to find my future swimsuit. Yes, there were many disaster pieces, and I did not once see that adorable scalloped edge Chloe two-piece, but I did see variations. Many went for the mix and match that Victoria's Secret is known for, with black bandeau tops and crazy printed and stringy bottoms, but a few I picked out quite meticulously had nice pieces. One was a caramel color, and was covered in eyelet and ADORABLE, but now I need to find it. The others I found were nice, with deep pearlescent colors such as mandarin, fuchsia, and cerulean, but I had one like that last year, and I want something more girly. And I found the perfect one. I went to England in 8th grade for a school trip, and all through the Heathrow terminal was an adorable store called Accessorize, owned by the company Monsoon. I have always been a faithful Monsoon shopper- in Australia I would get little shirts and dresses there, but it's always exciting to find an accessories store, branched from such a wonderful company. My dad is going to Heathrow as a stop on his way to Abu Dabi in Saudi Arabia, and on my wishlist is the cutest little oriental blossom swimsuit. Just perfect for what I was looking for.

Dashingly Dark

I every so often drift onto the teen vogue website and rifle throught their photos for clothing or writing inspiration, and this budding month is no exception. But now they're featuring one of my favorite people!! Emma Watson, the star in Harry Potter, Ballet Shoes, and the Tale of Desperaux. I don't think she's an amazing actress, but i love to see her on the screen.. and now on the pages of a magazine! Because the July issue hasn't been released yet, I can't read the article (boo) but I can look at the pictures- and they didn't let me down. I love how Emma Watson can pull of any style effortlessly, and this month, she seemed to be channeling her inner "I can wear dark satins and silks... just watch me" vibe. And it completely took my eye. It was strange though- they had her in the same colors each set, except for one when she wore a red velvet jacket and a white dress. In every photo from this shoot, she was in a dark orchid and an aged looking royal blue ensemble- whether it was a hair piece and dress (above) or a skirt and belt. Anyway, sorry to go off track. Back to dark clothing- I find it very romantic to wear these colors in fall- it's one of my favorite seasons, and you can pull off darker "winter" hues, but still completely get away with wearing short skirts or tank tops. And to wear what Emma was wearing in her shoot would be even better- but i highly doubt that i can pull off the skirts she wore in this shoot at high school.

Yummy Toes

I love to paint my toenails, it's one of my addictions. I have a hard time leaving the house without them painted, and going to the drug store to pick out a new color is so much fun for me. I know... I'm a girl. When I went away to the Caribbean, i of course, painted my toes a champagne color, but i soon discovered that the ocean doesn't agree with nail polish, and so i was forced to go "naked" for 2 weeks. But I'm back! And sporting plum attraction on my toes, and tropical temptation on my fingers. I like it. It feels like it was only a few weeks ago that I read in Glamour that "coral or tangerine colors make you look more tan" and how in Elle (i think) they talked about Nars doing their limited edition collection featuring the great colors: Blue Lagoon, Zizi, Tallulah, Hunger, and Cha Cha Cha. In later summer collections, colors such as Bisou de Lulu's white, Essie's Blue summer collection, and China Glaze's fruity collection have all been seen somewhere or another. In this month's Elle, an article dedicated to "permanent nail polish" was featured, where you basically have to soak your fingers in acid to have a color change. Well... Beyonce likes it.

Stealing Wardrobe in 5...4...3...2...1

Some may hate me for this, but i greatly disliked the Marie Antoinette movie by Sophia Coppola, starring Kirsten Dunst as the heroine. I really thought that it lacked a story line, and there was really no dialogue. You can argue, but i decided all of this when i had left the Esquire movie theater with my friend. However, i was blown away by the incredible clothes and shoes!! i was so jealous that Kirsten Dunst got to wear them, they were just amazing. Not only did she have the most amazing dresses, but she had Louboutin design her shoes, and crazy hairstyles. I have always been intrigued by Marie Antoinette; her lavish lifestyle was always the wildest thing for me, but for me, my imagination was the limit. But to see it all on screen was amazing. My personal favorite shoes are the yellow Louboutins with the swarovski crystals, the red marabou and purple velvet trimming, and the mini-Antoinette's to hold it all together! I knew that Marie Antoinette liked to... ahem... overdo the shopping a little, but the way the movie portrayed her as an 18th century Imelda Marcos was great. I thought that the outfits greatly improved the movie, even if it wasn't the most riveting of films. I am officially re-thinking outfits with a twist of rebellious french women.

Oops

so funny story.. I was trying out some different images for my blog picture, and I pushed save, and then I realized that I didn't actually save my original picture for some reason... so that is why there is a completely different look. sorry if you don't like it, I'll try and fix it. But do give me some feedback if you will!

Bananas, Pineapples, and Mango

I usually keep an eye out for any trends that are a little out there... I know that sounds strange, but I do look for any twists or turns on the runway that are just too fun or quirky to ignore. Yes, I did ignore a few just because they were a bit too far fetched for me, but im sure that someone picked up the trend on my behalf. Mango has always been a hip store- I remember in 7th grade when some peers of mine in middle school went to Spain on an exchange trip, and spent the majority of their time in the Mango store in Barcelona. I had no idea what Mango was back when I was 12, but I thought that it sounded pretty cool. As I've grown up as a more fashion conscious person then I was back when I was a tween, I've realized what an impact Mango has had around me. From Penelope Cruz being their featured model, I've known that it wasn't a brand to overlook, but I've never owned any of their designs, or ever really religiously followed their statements, but recently, I've found myself logging onto their site and browsing over their seasonal designs, watching as they steadily become more complimentary of the figure, and carving some of the pathways that trickle down into our more mainstream stores. Mango's "trends" that are most recently making a statement are the Aztec/Native South-American pieces; like the fringed leather bag, jacket, and shoe collection that they've had on their site for a little bit of time, or the denim cutoff vest paired with the rather short and flouncy peasant skirt. Hold up... wasn't that the featured Teen Vogue summer story? And didn't it involve Macchu Pichu and a rather Incan/Olmec origin? Deja Vu

Audrey, Jackie, Grace... and Michelle

Everybody has their style icons- their inspiration, or emblems of high fashion or class. Not to generalize but the three style icons that I always hear about are Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, and Grace Kelly. Don't get me wrong, these ladies are great, and their styles impeccable. But is there anything taboo about updating the rather limited list?? We are currently living in 2009, where I think it's pretty easy to walk into a woman with as much class and style as any of the girls on that list. But also in 2008, we got a new First Lady. And she is pretty classy if you ask me. Michelle Obama is on the top of the hot list, and has featured in more magazines than I have time to read. But I can probably guess what they're about- Mrs. Obama is the Mother Theresa Presidential wife. She devotes her hours to working in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and making care kits for soldiers still fighting in the war in the Middle East. She was the one who started the "First Vegetable Garden"and the "First Bee Hives" and she promotes only using organic foods in the White House kitchen. Michelle Obama also promotes women's rights and supports Bills such as those presented by the Department of Housing and the Department of Education. Isn't that a bonus in icons?

Now to style. I happen to think that no matter how "muscle-toned" her arms are, or whether or not she bought a Thakoon dress on sale instead of full price, she is perfect. Personally, she should be the new model for J.Crew. If the eye doesn't provide enough evidence of style; she was featured in 6 magazines, and of those 6, 5 had her ranked as one of the top 10 women in the United States. She picks up pieces that she finds along the way, and when she isn't wearing a perfectly matched J.Crew set, she's wearing beautiful designer outfits pieced with impeccable accessories. Could any of us really forget when she wore that beautiful white off the shoulder Jason Wu dress for the Inaugural Ball?? And we know that she didn't make a fuss of wearing it, because the designer was so excited to see his design on television when he was watching the Ball with friends, that he apparently started crying. Mrs. Obama's humble and genuine style goes hand in hand wonderfully with her personality and set of morals. If all of this isn't enough- look at a photo of her. She is the perfect image of poise, capability, and yes: style.

Memoirs of a Geisha

I love history, I really do. Just not the stuffy details of the American civil war, or how the Stamp Act affected the lives of colonial Americans. I like the really interesting things- like medieval history with the knights and damsels in distress, or English history, with all of that Tudor yumminess and scandal. It makes learning much more fun I found. So I was thinking- what about Japanese history? There is so much Japanese influence on the fashion world… and the history of it is rarely told. I love Memoirs of a Geisha; I was a Geisha for Halloween one year… and wore the Kimono whenever I could for the next 3 years. However, as I was thinking back, I’ve never actually learned the history of the Obi, the Kimono, or even the Geisha herself. Aha! Google. What a wonderful invention. And this is what I discovered:
-Obi- literally means “the sash” and is used to tie Kimonos, or more casual robes. They vary in length, width, and style. Some are incredible elaborate, while some are just a strip of fabric. No matter what they look like, they are crucial to the completion of the total outfit, especially for a Geisha.
-Kimono-means “thing to wear.” Like the Obi, it comes in an amazing array of styles, sizes, patterns, and colors. It is worn by both men and women, and was the traditional garment of choice for Japanese until the late 40s. Kimonos are now occasionally worn for weddings by both the bride and the groom; however, it is uncommon to see people wearing kimonos out on the streets of Japan.
-Geisha- are Japanese women who learn the art of entertainment. Their skills vary from walking, to playing the mandolin (an instrument not unlike the guitar). Geisha were very much respected in Japan, not as prostitutes (which they were NOT) but as artists. Geishas were trained in Okiyas as maiko, or apprentices, and as their skills increased, the more they entertained, traveled, or had debuts.
I had always noticed the influence of Japanese styles on fashion, especially recently. John Galliano’s spring collection from 2007 was extraordinary- from his Japanese inspired shoes, to the obis that he used in the majority of his designs. I remember flipping through February or March’s issue of Vogue, and seeing a spring shoot, which featured Louis Vuitton’s Obis, used as high wasted belts to fitted skirts, with jaunty woven boater hats perched on the models heads. And before that…. It was definitely Marc Jacob’s. I knew that history was borrowed when it came to fashion- lest we forget Balmain’s spring 2009 amazing array of “napoleon” inspired jackets. Fashion really is a borrowed art- it won’t be long before target is doing a half-hearted maybe-French-maybe not Balmain knockoff. Weren’t those done by… Napoleon in the first place? Besides, isn’t that what fashion is? Not knock-offs… but borrowing. Inspiration seems to have been borrowed throughout the years, for example, the Geishas, and their obi. Another marvel, re-designed for us by the people some of us love best: Designers