Trend Report – Suiting Goes Short

Shorts aren’t just for lazy days at the beach, leisurely vacations and summer days of heat and fun anymore – in fact they’re not just for summer either. Shorts, when married with its matching blazer lends some panache and playful sportiness to a classic that can tend toward the drab. Today’s short suits can be worn anywhere from the office to weekend fun and evenings out.

Half of me is drawn to the flirty and fun side of short suits like Willow’s woven metallic-flecked jacket and tweed shorts  – love the peplum detailing on the blazer. Zara’s floral print suit is not only cheerful and playful but its vibrant print looks amazing as separates when paired with white.

My other half leans towards the simplicity of Acne’s ultra chic monotone sand linen blazer and shorts, and Rachel Zoe’s stylish white cotton double-breasted blazer and shorts. Simple but never boring! Which do you Prefer?

Ist photo from right to left: Akris, Bottega Veneta, Jason Wu, Wes Gordon, Erin Fetherson.

Clockwise from top left: Willow Woven Metallic-Flecked Jacket $1305.00 www.netaporter.com, Willow Fench Riviera Tweed Shorts $520.00 www.netaporter.com, Acne Bonnie Linen Shorts $254.00 www.mytheresa.com, Floral Shorts $35.90 www.zara.com, Rachel Zoe Suzi Shorts $239.00 on sale for $144.00 www.mytheresa.com, Rachel Zoe Irene Blazer $464.00 on sale for $232.00 www.mytheresa.com, Pique Floral Blazer $99.90 www.zara.com, Acne Cindy Linen Blazer $635.00 www.mytheresa.com.

From My Closet To Yours – Styling Tips By Kristin

Jennifer Lawrence, at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association luncheon in Beverly Hills, takes a classic pencil skirt/pump combo and gives them a sexy update along with a dose of edge. You can always count on snake print to give a look some edge while a form-fitting deep v-neck top takes it to va-va voom sexy.

Jordana Brewster in London Temperly, looking smashingly  feminine at the Miss Me album release party in Los Angeles, takes on a few of fall’s biggest trends in one dress – lace, the ladylike look and blush color.

Kelly Rowland goes down under at the David Jones 2012/2013 season launch and comes up looking fantastic! Take a tip from Kelly by taking a chic sheath to the uber chic level by combining navy and black.

Kerry Washington, also at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association luncheon in Beverly Hills, looks pretty in pink Christian Dior Skater dress with red stripes. The skater dress silhouette is still trending strong for fall/winter. Make sure to pair it with pointy toe pumps to keep the look fresh and modern.

Taking Canada by style storm, Rachel Zoe debuts her fall 2012 collection at a Vancouver Holt Renfrew store in a long sequin jacket, a shawl-collar blouse and flared black trousers. For all you ladies who think you’re not tall enough for a longer blazer, think again – Rachel stands 5′ 7″. Keep the bottom and blazer monochromatic or similar shades of the same color for an elongated look.

Sophie Bush, also celebrating the Miss Me release in L.A., opts for a more rocker-chic ensemble – sporting a leg-baring peach Erin by Erin Fetherston mini with an embellished (another fall trend) plunging neckline. If you’ve got the legs this is a great way to don a sexy look but to avoid looking overdone keep the accessories simple. The dress would also look great over a pair of cropped black slim trousers.

Juicy Girls Launch New Line Skaist-Taylor

The ladies behind the mega popular Juicy Couture are at it again. They launched their new line, Skaist-Taylor, at New York”s fashion week last month, previewing a fashion show in the basement of Lincoln center that drew the likes of Anna Wintor and good friend, Rachel Zoe. Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy sold Juicy in 2003 to Liz Claiborne for 53 million, and remained as its creative directors till 2010. Upon their departure in 2010 they signed a non-compete agreement for 18 months that expired in June 2011 leaving them free to create their new venture.

The collection, which will be in stores for fall 2012, is a mix between vintage bohemian (vintage-inspired peasant blouses and paisley maxi dresses) and sexy rocker chic wear ( leather mini skirts, black mini dresses and see through tops) with a strong emphasis on outer wear (many with fur details).

While these designers will never be known for their craftsmanship or their ability to ” create fashion” that is outside the box, they do know whats fun and flirty, what women want to wear and, most importantly, what they will part with their money for. Juicy made them a fortune, here’s guessing Skaist-Taylor makes them another.

All photos Skaist-Taylor Fall/Winter 2012.

From My Closet To Yours – Styling Tips By Kristin

  Favorite Resort 2012 Looks

It’s a new year and a time to look forward towards new beginnings, and what better to start us on our journey than the prelude to spring – Resort 2012. These our my 21 favorite looks from the Resort 2012 collections, the ones I would die to add to my wardrobe (hopefully a few of them will). But even the ones that don’t make it into my closet will make for great inspiration while I am planning my spring wardrobe and updating my style.

I recommend going over to Style.com and perusing the Resort and Spring 2012 collections to get your inspiration. It’s a wealth of imagery that will inspire many ideas. Which designer is your favorite? Whose collection resonates with you? Do you see a style that “says you” or maybe there’s a designer whose “look” you’ve been wanting to try?

Whether you want to fine tune your style or do a total overhaul – a fresh, new beginning – this is a great time to start! Let me know who inspires you this season.

Happy Shopping!!

Clockwise from top left: 3.1 Phillip Lim, A.L.C, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Helmet Lang, Gucci, Givenchy, Balmain and Celine – all Resort 2012.

Group 2 – Clockwise from top left: Jenni Kayne, Johnathan Saunders, Lanvin, Peter Pilotto, Theyskens’ Theory, Zac Posen, Vionnet, Valentino,Preen, Matthew Williamson, Nina Ricci, Rachel Zoe – All Resort 2012

First Rate Sale Finds You Won’t Want To Miss

Black Friday may be over but the sales continue on through the weekend with some awesome deals to be found. Don’t want to mess with the masses, the long lines or the push and pull over the latest trend in short demand ? We’ve curated a selection of sale finds, whittled it down to our top 6 favorites, that are guaranteed to wet your appetite.

If none of these tickle your fancy, don’t fret, you’re bound to find something that will on one of these websites. Barneys, Net-a-Porter, Urban Outfitters etc. have added a plethora of goodies to their sales. Don’t procrastinate, visit your favorite on-line store (chances are, they too are on sale) or any one of these fabulous stores before your “gotta have” item is gone.

Clockwise from top left: Dress With Flared Skirt $59.90 on sale for $49.99 www.zara.com, Nina Ricci Ballet Flat With Ankle Straps $520.00 on sale for $309.00 www.barneys.com, Burberry Pointed Toe Leather Boots $650.00 on sale for $325.00 www.netaporter.com, Rachel Zoe Frankie Printed Peasant Blouse $295.00 on sale for $177.00 www.neimanmarcus.com, BB Dakota Channing Leather Jacket $249.00 on sale for $159.99 www.urbanoutfitters, Rebecca Minkoff M.A.C. Clutch $295.00 on sale for $170.00 www.rebeccaminkoff.com

The Coveteur

“It’s more interesting to have just a picture of a small detail – then you can dream all the rest around it. Because when you see the whole thing, what is there to imagine?” -Dries Van Noten

We have a new obsession: The Coveteur, a new blog that takes you inside the closets of internationally influential cultural forecasters, highlighting what culminates in their personal style – one item at a time.

The site focuses on curations, styling, and new ways of showcasing the personalization behind fashion’s elite. Captured through the lens of photographer Jake Rosenberg, The Coveteur explores what you’ve always wanted to see – the behind the scenes and intimate surveillance of today’s modern trend setters.

Take one look and we promise you’ll become as addicted and inspired as we are!

Clockwise from top left: Rachel Zoe’s (Fashion Stylist) mirrored coffee table, Rebecca Minkoff’s (Fashion Designer) hat and boots, Susan Cernak’s (Glamour Magazine’s Online Editor) coveted pieces, and Monet Mazur’s (Actress) Tucker Dress Collection.

Get The Look For Less: Rachel Zoe Fall 2011 Collection

Rachel Zoe is considered a God when it comes to fashion and is very accustomed to sitting front row during runway shows, yet has never had to conquer the glaring eyes of the critics herself—until now. Zoe just presented her Spring 2012 collection in her first ever runway show during New York Fashion Week in the traditional show format.

The collection is full of items that tie into the super-stylist’s signature style—skinny pants, flowing maxi skirts, and a leather jacket or two.

Rachel’s price point may not be as out of reach as the top designers, but they still can be taxing to one on a budget. Below are our picks to get the look for less.

Clockwise from top left: Karen Kane Drape Front Cardigan $98.00 www.nordstrom.com, Level 99 Lily Skinny Straight $108.00 www.chelseabrentwood.wordpress.com, Wide Strap Heel Platform $35.50 www.kaboodle.com, Cowl Neck Blouse $29.00 www.anntaylor.com,

Rachel Zoe’s New Line Hits Stores

“Style is what one creates…glamour is a state of mind.” -Rachel Zoe

 

Calling all Rachel Zoe fans–the celebrity stylist’s new clothing line is arriving in stores now!  According to Women’s World Daily, the complete list of retailers stocking Rachel’s first collection — which features clothing, handbags, and shoes — includes Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales, Shopbop.com and New York boutique Kirna Zabete. Quite impressive for a first collection.

Rachel made a name for herself among celebrities and high-profile personalities by singlehandedly bringing the vintage movement into fruition with her devotion to the style eras of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Her love and knowledge of haute couture coupled with her desire to create the unexpected red carpet moments by adding prints, color and avant-garde trends made her the go-to stylist for the Hollywood elite.

Zoe told WWD, “I’d imagine everybody is expecting something from me that’s kind of a Seventies, uberboho-glam kind of thing, and, you know, very accessorized. And it’s not.” Instead the line is classic, sophisticated, clean-lined and extremely chic.

Mad Men Style

Mad Men is a show set in 1960’s Manhattan. Life is fun and exciting, men are men and women are women but life is changing. Mad Men is all about the lives of the men of Madison Avenue advertising firm Sterling Cooper–but you just can’t help but notice the women. They are strong, sexy and provocative and of course they have a fantastic wardrobe!

Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe admitted that she hardly sits down in front of the television but that if she had to style one series it would, in fact, be the AMC hit. “I’d have to say ‘Mad Men,’” she confessed. “But I wouldn’t change a thing. I think the styling is fantastic….The overall tone of it and the period it was in, it’s a period I’m a fan of.”

In fact, Katherine Jane Bryant who is the actual stylist behind the series hasn’t received nearly enough credit for her work on Mad Men–having recreated the styles that have influenced many contemporary designers in a huge way. The 60′s have and will continue to have a big comeback.

Fashion in the early years of the 1960s reflected the elegance of prominent figures, like Jacqueline Kennedy and movie stars such as Audrey Hepburn. Women wore suits, usually in pastel colors, with short boxy jackets, and over-sized buttons. Simple, geometric shift dresses were in style for day and in terms of  evening wear, full-skirted evening gowns were worn with tight-fitting waists. For casual wear, Capri trousers and pencil skirts were a common look for the fashion for women and girls-and denim was pretty much only worn for gardening.The alluring glamour of the 1960s stewardess has never quite lost its sizzle.

Here are some of our favorite looks for the pre-fall season to get the “Mad Men” look.

Clockwise from top left: Trina Turk Flight Crew Ponte Dress $298.00 www.neimanmarcus.com, Pencil Skirt $88.00 www.anntaylor.com, Flower Brooch $49.00 on sale $29.00 www.fantasyjewelrybox.com, Lara Satchel Saffiano $325.00 www.brahmin.com, Joie Lace 3/4 Blouse $268.00 www.chelseabrentwood.wordpress.com.