Top Fans $100 Giveaway Winner: Jessica Parker

Thank you to all who entered our monthly Top Fans Giveaway. Congratulations to this month’s winner, Jessica Parker! To enter our monthly Top Fans Giveaway, be sure to "like" our Facebook page and stay tuned for our next giveaway. 

Alexander Wang's Funny Spring 2013 Video

Since it's the middle of the week, and some of us may need a little pick-me-up to finish out the rest of the week, I wanted to share a little fashion humor.  I mean, who couldn't use a laugh right about now?

Alexander Wang is well known to feature up and coming stars in his lush ad campaigns, but this time he switched things up and went with a .... let's just say.... edgier approach!  

The designer went to MADtv and grabbed up funny girl Anjelah Johnson to star as her famous role Bon Qui Qui as the new sales associate in his New York flagship store, and as one might expect, all funny hell breaks loose!

He also pulled some iconic faces like Victoria's Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio, Natasha Lyonne, and Simon Doonan, creative director for Barneys New York.  Bon Qui Qui works her, um, magic trying to force fit Alessandra into shoes too small, and accuses Simon of stealing one of Alexander Wang's beloved studded purses.

Watch the video and have a laugh!  

Posted by:  Spankie

Free Shoes Giveaway Winner: Larissa James

Happy Friday! Thank you to all who entered our weekly Free Shoes Giveaway. Congratulations to this week's winner, Larissa James! To enter our weekly Free Shoes Giveaway, visit our Facebook and follow the instructions. Link does not work on mobile devices. Good luck!

What Everyone Wore: The Presidential Inauguration

While yesterday was spent gushing round the world over Michelle Obama's ruby Jason Wu dress, worn at the Presidential Inaugural Ball, there were many other fashion drool-worthy moments that took place throughout the day's festivities.

So we thought it appropriate to highlight some of the remarkable and classic fashion selections made by the First Lady, as well as the stars who came out in celebration and performance for the big occasion!

Before being publicly sworn in, Michelle Obama held the Bible for the Presiden's private sewaring in, wearing a custom-made Reed Krakoff dress and cardigan.  Later, she would attend the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in a gorgeous custom-made ivory wool coat and matching sleeveless dress with a stunning jeweled neckline.  And nude pumps.

Pink and purple were the colors of choice for the adorable First Daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama.  Shasha Obama went for a periwinkle Kate Spade coat and dress and Malia opted for J.Crew.

Dr. Jill Biden had some fashion statements of her own to make throughout the day, arriving at the ceremony in a cream dress and sleek gray coat by Lela Rose, and finished the evening at the Commander-in-Chief's Inaugural Ball in a lovely pale blue Vera Wang gown.

Jennifer Hudson crooned while the First Couple had their first dance, wearing a gorgeous, form fitting black gown, showing off her ever amazing new body!  And Alicia Keys sang an adapted version of "Girl on Fire" wearing a stunning red Michael Kors gown.

The fabulous Beyonce closed the ceremony with a lovely rendition of the National Anthem, wearing a beautiful Emilio Pucci gown and Lorraine Schwartz jewels.  And we can't forget That Coat!  Michelle Obama walked hand in hand with her husband during the celebration parade in an amazing checked coat creation by Thom Browne with Reed Krakoff boots and J.Crew accessories.

And last, but definitely not least, we recap once more: The Dress.

Which look was your favorite?

Posted by: Spankie

(photos: Getty, Polaris, Abacausa.com, Jason Reed, Sipa USA, WireImage)

The Dress: Michelle Obama's Inaugural Gown

It now officially feels like the new year as the Presidential Inauguration took place yesterday on the historic Martin Luther King Day, and what we're most enamored with is:  That Dress!

Yes, I said it... the Inauguration had its lovely moments, with Beyonce's National Anthem rendition, the 1st Couple walking down the parade (did anyone else see the awesomeness that was Al Roker on the sidelines???) but what most of us fashion-a-holics were most anxious to see, was what and who was Michelle Obama going to wear to the Presidential Inaugural Ball?

And she didn't disappoint!  Just like 4 years ago, the beautiful 1st Lady went to fabulous American designer Jason Wu!  And did he deliver!  When she came out waving in that stunning ruby halter gown, we were speechless.  The dress was immaculate and her radiant smile was the perfect accessory.

The chiffon-and-velvet gown was custom made for Mrs. Obama by Jason Wu, and she adorned her feet with Jimmy Choo shoes.  Showing off those famous arms, the gown was cinched in with a waist fitting, built in sash, and the loosened over the hips to create a ruby river of gorgeous proportions.

And with those new Barack Obama approved bangs, she truly was the ultimate Belle of the Ball!

What did you think of the dress?

Posted by:  Spankie V

(photos: Getty)

How to Wear It: Rocker Chic

If there's one particular look that has the ability to bridge the parallels of both sexy and badass, edgy and mysterious, or feminine and dangerous, it's rocker chic.  A look that either liberates and excites the wearer, or strikes some intimidation in others.  But one thing's for sure, this look is never cookie-cutter!

So how do you pull it off?  It's fairly simple if you are just starting out, if you stick to some of the basics: keep the colors simple, layer, and studs and spikes are a girls best friend!  Rocker chic can be most easily achieved when sticking to dark colors like black, dark grey, and even some deep reds.  Mix them with basic whites and creams to create a stark palette.  

Next, stick to the staples.  Vintage inspired T-Shirts and tanks are a great foundation for the look.  Try graphic tees with geometric logos or band images.  But if you just have a plain white T, that works fabulously as well.

Time to pull in some of my favorite items by way of leather.  If you want to turn up the rocker element to any look, wear leather bottoms.  Whether they're pants, a skirt, or shorts, leather ads an instant rocker, sexy girl vibe, while keeping your lines clean and tailored.  Spiked and studded details on the front or down one leg also create that bad-girl look and are a must if you can find them!  

To create some unexpected balance, we love topping the look off with a studded hat.  You may have seen these gaining popularity, and this is a perfect opportunity to wear an otherwise masculine staple.  

Finish the look with some lace up booties and stacks of jewelry, and you're officially a fashion rock star!

What do you think?  Ready to get your rock-n-roll on?

Posted by:  Spankie

(photo: Fashoincoolture)

Look We Love: Citrus Accents!

The world can be a very gray place sometimes, especially in the chilly winter months.  Something about the dropped temperatures and cloudy skies can impact our moods when it comes to our fashion color palette.  So once in a while we like to say, "Bring on the color!"

Citrus colors have an instantaneous way of bringing life to what may have been a rather typical, fade into the background sort of ensemble.  And it doesn't take much to pack a powerful punch!

We love the look above with the tangerine leggings (color of the year and growing in popularity) paired under the gray sweat top and stripped tank under shirt.  Gray and orange are a never-fail color combo and can be worked in a variety of ways.  And best of all, orange hues have powerful mood boosting elements that create a sense of warmth and energy.  Try it on Mondays and you'll see what I'm talking about!

And if  the leggings are just a little too much pop for your taste buds, wear a pair of skinny jeans and add a bold splash of color with just the orange scarf.  That not only livens up the look, but brings much warranted attention to your smiling face, and who doesn't like that?

And for the truly fashion forward at heart, work both the leggings and the scarf together to create balance and the ultimate pizazz!

What do you think?

Posted by:  Spankie

(photo: Hollydolly)

Free Shoes Giveaway Winner: Lataura Williams

Happy Friday! Thank you to all who entered our weekly Free Shoes Giveaway. Congratulations to this week's winner, Lataura Williams! To enter our weekly Free Shoes Giveaway, visit our Facebook and follow the instructions. Link does not work on mobile devices. Good luck!

Victoria's Secret Nail Polish Debut

Well it was only a matter of time, I suppose.  She dominates the sexy side of runway, plays a big role in our boudoir behavior, and men and women smile at the sound of her name... and now miss Victoria has a big secret she just can't keep anymore...

Victoria's Secret is launching their very first nail polish collection, making your nails a whole lot sexier.  The collection features a whopping 21 pieces, 2 of which you already saw live if you watched the fashion show in December.

The collection is filled with hues that span quite a spectrum, from soft pinks and nearly nudes (no pun intended), to bolder fuchsias and glitters that pack a punch.  

They'll be priced around $10 a bottle and launch at the end of this month.  So what do you think?  Will you dress your nails in VS?

Posted by:  Spankie

(photos: Victoria's Secret)

Look We Love: Peplum & Patterns

If there's one thing, and one thing only, that we've learned over the past year, it's that peplum is hot-hot-hot!  Not only did peplum see a huge.... um..... pep.... boost in it's popularity in the fall, but it is carrying strong to be a hot topic in close of winter and spring in this new year.

And it's easy to tell why... its versatility.  Plain and simple, peplum is the "every woman's" top.  It literally has a way of making pretty much every body type you could think of under the sun look amazing.  And we love that.  And just how does it do this magical wonder you ask?  

Well, it's simple really.... peplum comes with a built in waist cinching silhouette, and a flare at the hips.  Whether the flared "peplum" skirt portion comes right at the natural waist or slightly below, because of this natural flare, it give any waistline the appearance of being oodles smaller, and creates an hourglass shape, and we love when our body can tell the time. Whether you have little to no curve in that area, or have plenty of curves to accentuate, peplum manages to play up your curves beautifully.

Solid peplum tops are classic, and when paired with fun prints or geometric patterns, the flirty nature of the top can become quite elegant, structured, or ultra feminine depending on your mood, which makes the top work well with tons of bottom options.  Skirts, pants, some leggings, shorts, you name it....

Pair the look with some killer heels and you're all set!

What do you think of peplum?

(photo: Chictopia - Micha)

Kate Middleton's Royal Portrait Unveiled

Yes indeed, we can all agree that the way of the royal world is a bit different from world most everyone else lives in.  And that's what keeps the world so intrigued.  

And this little bit of news is no different.... the official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge was just unveiled in the National Portrait Gallery in London.  It was created by Paul Emsley, a South African raised artist who apparently spent more than 3 months working on the piece, which is a work of 2 sittings he had with Kate last year, in addition to analyzing photographs he had taken of her at the same time.

And the reviews have been great.  "I thought it was brilliant" Kate Middleton was quoted as saying, and Prince William thought it was "beautiful."

So what do you think of the portrait?  I was kind of surprised by it to be honest, and had mixed ideas, but overall think it's a very honest potrayal of the lovely Duchess.

Posted by:  Spankie

(image: Paul Emsley)

OPI to Release OZ: The Great and Powerful Polish

Just when you thought they had covered all the lacquer bases, OPI comes out with another magical surprise that you can literally have at your fingertips, with a splash of Disney and a heap of winterized colors.

In honor of the upcoming film featuring James Franco entitled: "Oz: The Great and Powerful" OPI is clicking their little sparkly heels and prepping up to launch a 7 color nail polish collection to capture the essence of the film.

Filled with whimsical delights and a broad range from pretty pinks to darkened golds, the collection is meant to capture the feeling of magic and sorcery.  And there's also a bit of magic in the formula, as the collection will feature OPI's new Liquid Sand effect that creates a matte pebble texture with small glitter particles... interesting indeed.  

Preview the collection here before it hits stores in March, priced about $9 a bottle.

 

 

Posted by:  Spankie

(photos: OPI)

Look We Love: Patterned Sweaters

 

One of my favorite fashion pieces for nearly all seasons of the year (sorry Summer, this time you'll have to take a back seat) are sweaters.  A girl or boy can never have enough sweaters in their arsenal, be it chunky knit for the uber cold months, all the way to a lightweight crop for spring.

So one of my current obsessions are sweaters with bold patterns or graphic prints.  They take a typically baggier piece, which may envelop a frame, and add a whole lot of pop and spice!  Something I like to call: Sweater Sass!

When working with patterned sweaters, they really do most the work for you in an outfit, and you can easily pair them with simple solids in order to maintain all the attention on the sweater like the looks above.  Utilizing some neutral colored shorts with tall socks is a perfect look for the spring and fall months, and pairing with darker leggings or leather pants works wonders as the temperatures drop.

Contrastingly, you can get a little more playful and rework the patterns and prints in your sweaters over another patterned bottom to create a far more artistic and whimsical look, like the one below:

The key ingredient is the color palette.  Make sure there are unifying colors tying the 2 pieces together like the pinky-beige of the skirt and skulls, and the maroon tights which work well to compliment the sweater.  Accent with solid neutrals like these black leather booties, and if you really want to add a snazzy splash, wrap your waist with a bright colored skinny belt for a pop.

So what do you think?  How do you like to wear your sweaters?

Posted by:  Spankie Valentine

(photos: Chictopia - Michaela_773, Leatherlaceandvelvet, & Kittenhood)

Dior's First Ready to Wear Campaign with Raf Simons!

It's a new year, so why not take a new direction?!  We're all familiar with the ultra dramatic, elegant, and simply vonnegutesque Dior advetorials under the vision of John Galliano.  Well this year, Dior has shifted gears into the ready-to-wear variety, featuring a new collection of images comprising their new ad campaign for the every day woman.

Under the direction of Raf Simons, the collection is portrayed in a slightly surrealist light while maintaining a more relate-able tone to the fashion conscious woman.  And one other change this year:  we've been used to seeing fashion model Karlie Kloss dominate the images of Dior's ready-to-wear campaigns for the last 2 years, but that too has changed.

Taking her place are Daiane Conterato, Marie Piovesan, Daria Strokous, and Anna Martynova.  Brava!  

While the new ad campaign is taking a moment to grow on some with its sharp diversion of what we're used to seeing, we're digging the direction.  

What do you think?

Posted by:  Spankie

(photos:  Dior)