Spring Weddings

What should I wear to an afternoon Spring wedding in March?  My date is going to be a part of the wedding party, so I want to look cute enough paired with a tux, but since I'm just a plus-one, I'd like to be low-key.

Some retro pieces cute enough for Spring.  Inspired by Kelly Osbournes' style.

 

 

I especially love the black & polka dot dress - the silhouette is classy and chic while the polka dot is very retro.  By the way, you can find these great vintage styled pieces at ModCloth (started by fellow CMU alums!).

Or, should we go with slightly more timeless city chic formal:

 

 

The bright blue dress has delicate trimming around the neck and black piping along the bodice, giving it a slightly more modern look for an otherwise original dress.  The styling for the flirty-winged beige dress is a little awkward, but the silhouette is very elegant and ladylike.  The red heart-applique dress actually has cut-outs of hearts - the most darling of all! 

Some close-ups below:

 

I also adore this pink dress and its cut-out back:

 

All city dresses by BCBG.

What would you wear to a Spring wedding in the afternoon?

NYFW: Kelly Osbourne

A few years ago when the Osbourne's reality show aired, Kelly came across as the take-no-prisoners tomboy offspring of the rich and famous.  Since then, Kelly has worked hard to get in shape (crediting Dancing with the Stars) and showed us her softer, girlie-girl side during New York Fashion Week.

I love the retro-glam ensembles and how much fun she's having with accessories- over the top bow, costume jewelry, and hello- gloves!  Love her puppy too, with a shirt and tie with Kelly in beige.

  

   

Looking for The Osbournes show?

  

Meet Our Muses

It turns out that the models featured in J.Crew's recent catalog also reveal a bit of their personality in a "Meet Our Muses" section on the site (here).  It's a short Q&A where the models divulge their personality, interests, ambitions and design inspirations.

Oprah's Closet

Oprah is auctioning off her closet.  From March 1st to the 11th, Oprah is auctioning off things from her closet.  Her collection includes her fabulous shoes (Choos and Louboutins!), designer clothes and... drool: hand bags.  Visit her site next week when the auction starts here.  All proceeds will benefit her Leadership Academy.

You can sign up for auction updates at Oprah's eBay Store

Couple of my favorite excerpts (because I can hear Oprah saying this) from the closet-cleaning event (from Oprah.com):

Next in Adam's sights: a peach chiffon skirt having a froufrou moment among Oprah's unfussy everyday clothes. "When would you ever wear this?" he asks. "I'm going to wear this in the spring, when everything is lovely and gay," Oprah replies. Adam stops mid-organizing to consider that idea. "When you shop, sometimes you have an idealized version of yourself in mind, don't you?" he asks. "Yes. I'm picturing myself in a bonnet in the spring," she says. "Or at a lunchtime garden party." The skirt stays.
...

Adam gets it; he really does. "It's difficult for anyone to toss something they've spent their hard-earned money on," he says. "My suggestion: Some things are classic, and you can keep those. But anything that's trendy? Let it go."
Oprah acquiesces, particularly after Adam suggests that the donated items be auctioned off on eBay. "The money should go to OWLA," Oprah says, referring to the leadership academy she opened for South African girls in 2007. "That sale would make all of this worth it."

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Campaign Diversity

Did you know that out of all the models that walked the runway for New York's fashion week, less than 15% were not Caucasian?

It's seems like the age old movement for fashion to be more inclusive and relevant to all women has been gaining a lot of momentum lately.  Vogue recently added Vogue Black and Vogue Curvy sites to their portfolio and J.Crew's front page features an Asian model.  More significantly, UK has been cracking down on overly skinny  models on the runway. 

Vogue Black

J.Crew home

How does this change your view of fashion or certain brands?


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Burberry in Spain

Burberry announced that it will be closing their operations in Spain today.

Beginning 1965, Burberry Spain became a separate business that sold exclusive collections to the Spanish retail market at wholesale. In 2000, the company integrated the Spanish operation under its group label, but announced today that it will be restructuring their troubled Spanish operations by shutting it down altogether. The company will now supply Spain with the European collection from London instead of collections produced in Spain. This translates to about 300 Spanish job losses.

From the Burberry Spanish Site

I've always loved Burberry's attempt at being reminiscent of old English etiquette and culture. However, in recent years, Burberry has continued to experience trouble with maintaining its brand image. A case study from my academic years outlined issues with the brand becoming too widespread (and therefore not "exclusive" enough for a luxury brand) and in particular referenced its downfall as being "too popular with the wrong demographic".  Wikipedia mentions, "the brand became popular with the British football casual cult, leading to it to being associated with chavs, hooligans and members of football firms".  I recall anecdotes from the article discussing young club goers being refused admission solely based on their "luxurious" attire (usually the Burberry checkered hat or Prada sneakers -a brand also discussed in the article) out of fear that they may be gang-bangers and troublemakers. 

From Burberry Blue, Japan

In Japan, the company has a successful branch of Burberry Blue Label, which caters to the fashion forward Japanese demographic much more than its core English-tea-time collection.  Burberry also launched Burberry Prorsum in attempt to rescue their sinking brand image and re-establish its exclusivity as a luxury fashion house.  But.. has it worked?  

I personally love Emma Watson as the new face of Burberry.  She is stunning and radiates elegance and class (but perhaps I'm biased since I'm a wizard fan).  Picking the right spokesperson is a step in the right direction, but is it enough? 
What do you think of when you think of Burberry?

Alexander McQueen

 Alexander McQueen passed away last week, nine days after the death of his mum.  McQueen was known for his eccentric designs and one-of-a kind pieces.  His style was edgy, theatrical, slightly punk and completely irreplaceable in the world of fashion.  McQueen worked as head designer at Givenchy for five years before founding his own labels (Alexander McQueen and Mc).  His celebrity patrons include Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and his latest muse included Lady Gaga.

With his passing, what will happen to his brand?  Can anyone step up and fill the shoes of McQueen's creative capacity?

Speaking of shoes, Gaga wore McQueen's "Lobster" shoes in Bad Romance below.

Celebrities in McQueen:
(some images from beautiful McQueen tribute on InStyle.com)

Lastly, the McQueen site tribute.

R.I.P McQueen.

Thumbs Up

I found this to be deeply inspirational today.

Film critic Roger Ebert has battled cancer since 2002 and underwent a tracheostomy almost four years ago.  Since the procedure, which removed the cancer from his jaw, he has lost his ability to speak.  Today, he uses the old pen-and-paper and a text-to-speech computer software to communicate his thoughts.  He is still an avid writer and keeps his blog here... along with his optimism.

"I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out."- Ebert in Esquire Interview

Some of his other works below.