Taking the boredom outta brown

I'm going to make a call here. While I'm still really into the smokey purple color for nails, I'm moving onto what I believe will be the next big hit for nails: brown. You may think it's a blah color, but a good brown is the perfect fall color and if your polish has the staying power to last you a few weeks, brown is ideal because it won't clash with what you've got going on, and most shades are office-safe. (As opposed, to, say, green).

Sketchy Character

 A dark brown is also great for those who love the idea of black polish, but don't want to take the plunge at the risk of feeling too gothic, and the earthy shades are also on-trend with the industry's current crush on the military.

Ok, so I'm not the first to say it; Elle for one called it out as a big color this past spring, but I feel it's even better as the weather gets cooler.
Just be sure to find the right shade for your skin tone so that it doesn't look like nail fungus or something you stole from grandma. I've already got mine: Finger Paints' 'Sketchy Character' from Sally Beauty Supply.

(The StyleList)

You can also find a good brown at Sephora of course, with the eponymous brand's 'Brownie 9', 'L07 Mocha', 'L08 Choco', 'L22 Coffee in NY'. Elle Mentions OPIs 'Chop-Sticking to My Story', which to me looks more orange than brown, but I do like the Chanel shade it mentioned, Particulière, which was featured in it's Spring runway show. Chanel will also be debuting Khaki Brun (my favorite of the trio...seriously, what adult wears green polish!?).

If you don't want to go all-in on brown town, I suggest more bronze and shimmery colors. Sephora by OPI has really nice shimmery browns for a more reasonable price than Chanel, and with high-end quality:

'Studs and Stilettos', 'Rumba Romance', and 'I'm With Brad'. 

Okay, so now you have a ton of options. Go find your shade and rock it and everyone will think you're super cool and want to copy you.

blog gem!

This girl will probably end up making rounds on the Today show...if she hasn't already. She's really cute and it's a great idea- Taking old fugly clothes and using her mad sewing skills to give them a 2nd life: New Dress a Day

i do!

I, like Sara, have not put a whole lot of thought into my (probably distant future) wedding. I do not know what color my bridesmaids' dresses will be nor do I have the faintest idea where the ceremony will take place. But that doesn't mean I don't have strong opinions about certain aspects of the modern wedding. Disclaimer: Training to be a divorce lawyer has put an interesting spin on my attitude towards all things bridal. So without further adieu here are a few of my raves and rants:

(1) First off, I would like to start off by saying that, despite what all the RomComs and magazines tell you, ladies it is NOT "your" day. In fact, really, your wedding day is the single day of your life that's least about you as an individual and most about you as part of an inseparable pair. It's the day you promise to become forever joined with another person. So ladies, please stop insisting on $10,000 dresses and $100,000 rings. Cool it, Bridezilla, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.

(2) With that said, my limited wish list includes this J.Crew dress or similar. I think it's unbelievably classic and just the right level of sophisticated. I love how simple it is, yet the cut makes it spectacular. I relish the idea of my new husband running his hands along the smooth silk as we dance and hug and kiss and do all that mushy love stuff. It looks like it would sway nicely too as I walked down the aisle. Plus it costs less than I currently make in a week at my sad little clerkship.


This chiffon and organza number is super cute too. I love how the model's hair is done in a low, messy 'do as well. I really think that style suits a wedding much better than a tight prom-like updo with lots of ringlets and pearls and glitter. I actually think most of the dresses that J.Crew offers are divine, and I recommend every woman look here first before casting her net into Vera Wang.



I will admit this Duchess Satin (left) is my ultimate wish, but let's be real - why on earth should anyone spend $1,500 on a dress you can't ever wear again? And just for kicks I have to throw this one in (right). Who on earth is going to wear a sloppy white t-shirt to their wedding??! (and pay almost $3 grand for it???) And I vote "no veil" (again, sorry Chels). Are you with me? Kinda played-out I think. I do like things old-fashioned, but that's going too far for me. Although I think I could be ok with something sorta 50's-styled like this girl.




Shoes are a whole 'nother issue, and I gotta say I favor flats for such an occasion. I cannot tell you how many brides I have seen barefootin' it around the reception because their poor tootsies are exhausted. My cousin recently got married and his wife spent all night in a beautiful pair of white ballet slippers. She never looked tired and she danced most of the time. Definitely something to keep in mind! If you still want to keep it fancy you could opt for something like this:

I also think J.Crew is on to something with their bridesmaids' dresses. A friend of mine was recently a Maid of Honor and filled me in on how easy it is to pick a color from the J.Crew palette and let all the girls pick the style that fits them best. My understanding is that all the J.Crew bridesmaids' dresses are available in all the catalog colors. So viola! This way the bridesmaids still look uniform, but (ideally) nobody ends up in an ugly dress they'll never wear again. Instead, they get a beautiful J.Crew cocktail dress they can wear just about anywhere.

(3) I'm also with Sara on the idea of a vintage, family heirloom ring. I too wear mostly vintage and antique jewelry, in part because I prefer the look and in part because I love the idea that this necklace/ring/bracelet has been loved before. You know that each piece has a whole prior life in which it was gifted to a fianceé or purchased with with that very first paycheck. These things have been treasured and worn in over the years. I especially love the idea of being given a family heirloom ring. The ultimate fantasy would be some 1920's diamond with an elaborate but tastefully subtle setting like this one.

And hey Sara: One of my best friends has a ruby engagement ring! Maybe you two can bring back the trend :-)

(4) And I, too, am tired of the strapless gown craze. Yes, this disdain may be influenced by the fact that strapless gowns look horrid on me. But I also don't think they look that great on anyone. The bride inevitably ends up pulling at her decolletage all night and you know those dresses always give you weird side boob chubs. I love, love, LOVED Ivanka Trump's whole getup. Again, the vintage look is so my style. I just think she looks timelessly beautiful in all that lace, with her arms and chest covered but still visible. Simply divine.

Fashion History from Forbes

I love junk news... it's a guilty pleasure. I get sucked in every time I go to check my email. One article featured on the Yahoo home page struck me as appropriate to pass along here as it recounts 5 brands' histories as well as present and continued success. Find it here. Enjoy :)

The Wedding: it's a summer thing

 I think anybody who knows me knows that I’m not one of those –the girl who grew up dreaming of the perfect wedding and subjecting all those around her to mock-nuptials. It’s not like certain ideas have never crossed my mind; an exception would be when I was 13 and in the park across from the Sydney Opera House and saw a wedding of this beautiful young Asian couple underneath a shower of pink petals falling from the trees and I thought to myself, “I want that,”.

The only other distinct ‘wedding’ moment I remember was when I was doing my daily window-shopping along State Street on my way home from class, and I passed by a jewelry shop that had this really neat men’s wedding band made by hotdiamonds on display. I liked it so much as a piece of good men’s jewelry, that I asked to look at it and decided that someday I would probably coerce my guy to wear this or something very similar for my own visual enjoyment.  I’m not able to find it for a picture, but it was half brushed silver and half polished with a rectangular cutout in the front with a small diamond set to the left of the cut out. It was very cool and manly. This one below is also by hotdiamonds, and also exceptionally cool.

But apart from those few and far between moments, I, in fact, would rather forgo the whole wedding ceremony thing in the name of a down payment on a house, an extended honeymoon, or extra funding into IRA. So this post did require a little research. Heh.

But, as they say, when in Rome, so let’s talk about weddings as they are full of fashion and beauty!

And speaking of Rome, it is likely that the Romans are the cause for June being the most popular month for weddings, as this month is named for Juno, patroness of marriage, though I’m pretty sure weather has got to also play a part in it...

Rings

White and diamonds haven’t been instilled as tradition as long as most people think. White, has a little bit more history, thanks to the trendsetter Queen Victoria, but it’s DeBeers’ brilliant ‘a diamond is forever’ marketing scheme in the ‘40s that men have to thank for that coveted diamond engagement ring. And I have to admit- I loved the ‘shadow people’ commercials when I was a kid.

It seems like now more than ever it’s pertinent to follow the rules- If I were to present an oldschool engagement ring with a sapphire or emerald to friends and family, would I get sideways glances before squeals? My own argument for the diamond is just that it’s most pragmatic from a jewelry-wearer’s perspective.  It’s a neutral color, I love the way it reflects light, and as for pearls and opals which are also neutral,  I already have a lot of pearls that I’ve bought in traveling and I also have a lot of opals since they are my birthstone. My favorite jewelry- especially rings- tend to be vintage and I think it’s especially cool to have the man’s grandmother's or great-grandmother's ring- it definitely gives more weight to that whole ‘a diamond is forever’ thing, huh?

Dresses

Though ‘traditional’ wedding dresses still reflect Victorian era styles, they’ve had quite a bit of wiggle room for trends of the decade- we’ve got the shorter, fuller empire waisted gowns of the 60s, long, flowing simplistic gowns of the 70s , and my personal favorite for ridicule- the 80s’ full-sleeved dresses with mega volume in the shoulders- to match the giant permed hair of the times, of course.

 While we’ve got a lot of choices, it seems like now the overall trend is now the strapless, sweetheart cut bodice, embellished with pearls and crystals, and a full volume skirt. Honestly, I'm getting bored by it (No offense Chelsea Clinton- you looked great) and that kind of heavy, strapless gown would probably be miserable for the IBTCommittee girls like me.

On a related note, I want to give a shout-out to classy beauty Ivanka Trump (and Vera Wang) for her outstanding  dress.

Vera Wang has been the ‘it’ designer for wedding gowns as long as I can remember, so it’s really no surprise she popped this one out. I think Ivanka’s dress is gorgeous, classy, and has a refined sexiness to it that reassures me that there are still women like that I can look up to that know how to break out of the trend mold and look good without showing all the goodies.

In terms of dress style, I appreciate both the simplistic and the lavish. Elie Saab is probably my favorite overall designer for her utterly elegant dresses, but because I hate the idea of dropping so much money on a dress I’d only wear once, I also like the dresses that can cross over for other occasions (Alberta Feretti).
So there you have it. A very quick sweep of the wedding and my bow to its fashion glory.  I know There's a lot more to weddings, but the dresses and the jewelry are what get me excited.

So now I have some questions for you: are you also sick of the strapless, and what do you think will follow it? What do you think of the 'mangagement ring' a-la Michael Buble? And finally- what is it that motivates you ladies to have that all-out ceremony?