The LBD...

The LBD is a staple in any women's closet.  A few seasons ago it was the one-shoulder LBD, thanks to  Jason Wu, and then it was the high-neck long sleeve mini LBD, thanks to Saint Laurent.  Now it's all about the 'off the shoulder'! 

Fashion consultant, Yasmin Sewell debuted the style during New York Fashion week earlier this month.  The off the shoulder, and longer hemline makes the style feel modern and sophisticated.  

This version by Carven, has a slightly less full skirt, which makes the style less formal.

Carven wool-crepe dress, available at Net-a-Porter.

images courtesy of HarpersBazaar.com, theCut.com, and net-a-porter.com

White after Labor Day...

 Why not!  

See how Stylists, Editors and trend setters wore their white ensembles to New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks this season.  

The new rule is that there are no rules!!

Leigh Lezark 

Carine Roitfield 

Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman

Amanda Weiner of Harpers Bazaar

Kerry Washington in Alexander Wang

all images courtesy of HarpersBazaar.com

Emmy favorites...

Tonight's Emmy red carpet certainly didn't wow anyone. It left many to wonder if mirrors have been replaced by 'selfies' and if professional stylists have been pushed aside by publicists that read style.com.  

Some did get it right tonight, thankfully, because the show itself did not.

Linda Cardellni, of Mad Men, in Donna Karan Atelier.

Slightly reminiscent of Jennifer Garners' Gucci gown at the Oscars, but very pretty and tailored to her to perfection.

Emilia Clarke, of Game of Thrones, also in Donna Karan Atelier.

On trend for the evening in white, minimal accessories, and a minaudiere.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, of Veep, in Monique Lhuillier with an Edie Parker clutch.

Truly stunning, showing the younger generation how it is done.  

Kudos to her hilariously funny acceptance speech, one of the few stand out moments of the night.  

So close, but so far... Ladies that were on the right track, but didn't make it to the finish line:

I wish that Juliana Marguiles and Elizabeth Moss swapped dresses.   This color-block Andrew Gn would have looked amazing on Marguiles; and this youthful Reed Krakoff would have been better suited on Moss.  

Kiernan Shipka, aka Sally Draper, in Delpozo.

The youthful pattern and shape play into the fact that she is just 13 years old.  And Delpozo is having a major moment right now in fashion, but I wish she chose a different dress from them. 

Claire Danes, of Homeland, in Armani Prive.

The terribly tucked under hair aside, I do like this dress, she looks very pretty and comfortable.  I wish the straps were taken up an inch or two, it is a little too bare.  

Fall 2013 Moodboard...

With temperatures plummeting in NYC this week, Fall has officially arrived.   

Sweaters, scarves and closed toed shoes, oh my!

Helmut Lang two-tone wool blend top

This wool tee can be worn over a button-down - a nice alternative to a sweater.

Band of Outsiders stripe cotton shirt

Roll up the sleeves for a more casual look.

Christopher Kane camo woven silk skirt

Loewe large leather tote

Victoria Beckham two-tone leather clutch

Loewe for day and VB for night!

Tabitha Simmons leather flats

Valentino black rockstud flats 

The Christopher Kane skirt is a bit short, best to pair with some flats.  Tabitha Simmons is the 'it' shoe designer of the moment and one can never go wrong with Valentino Rockstuds. 

images courtesy of net-a-porter

The next big thing...

Fresh off the heels of the widely successful Phillip Lim x Target collaboration, today at the Peter Pilloto Spring 2014 runway show in London, it was announced that they will be partnering with Target on a lower priced, mass market line.  Women's apparel, accessories and swimwear will all be available for under $60.  Another added feature, the line will be available internationally thru internet giant Net-A-Porter.  Wow!

Look-a-likes...

Can you spot  the splurge versus the steal?

The spiffy sneaker on the left is Céline, only Ms. Philo could make one covet a sneaker; and the sleek little number on the right is by Vince. 

Based on the original Vans skater classic, Ms. Philo elevated the practical shoe using luxe materials such as suede, felt, pony astrakhan and leather. At upwards of $750 a pop, this is an investment sneaker.  For a mere $295, the Vince version is spitting image.  Only the Céline-aholics would notice the elastic band at the arch of the foot. 

images courtesy of celine.com and neimanmarcus.com   

NYFW... The Heavy Hitters

New York's finest showed their wares this week, with such a dichotomy of trends prevailing, it leaves us dying to see what Europe will turn out in the coming weeks.  

Michael Kors always paints the most fabulous women.  This season she is all about mixing hard and soft.  Tailored jackets and trench coats mingled nicely with whispy white presses and leaf print bandeaus.  Midriff bearing bold print tops paired with matching pencil skirts is alluring, not trampy.   Kors also surprisingly included cold weather items such as luxe fur chubby's and cashmere shrugs that reverse to sable to his jet-set customer. 

Mr. de la Renta had a little something for everyone this season.  For the chic lady who lunches, an updated skirt suit with gathered lapel jacket in over sized houndstooth. For the costume-ist, a black sheer lace blouse with drama filled sleeves paired with a bold graphic print skirt.  And for evening, a narrow equal column gown with layers trimmed in pearls, paired with white lace and pearl booties, and miles of pearls wrapped around her neck, 'nuff said.  The house, thankfully, did offer a smattering of what he is known for, innocent white cotton dresses, and pastel silk faille party dresses. 

Tommy Hilfiger spoke everyone's language when he brought the beach to NYC this week.  #Californication, #CaliforniaDaze, #LifeisaBeach were all used to describe the happy So-Cal vibe of the show. The sun/surf/skate culture blends effortlessly with Mr. Hilfiger's preppy, bright, athletic persona.  Fabric of choice to demonstrate this blending of cultures - Neoprene! Yet again, this sought after fabric has made another appearance on the runways.  Maillot bathing suits, rash-gueard type tees, mini-dresses and even jeans are backed in the stretchy fabric, which leads to quite a flattering result.  Mr. Hilfiger also acknowledged the presence of basketball jerseys worn as dresses by women today.  He elevated the polyester blend ones we know, with a luxe leather version embroidered with the number "1".  

Trends: Keep hitting the gym ladies, Pastels, Sport, Menswear, Bold Prints

Ralph Lauren closes NYFW each season, this post will be updated when that show is available.

Images courtesy of style.com

NYFW... Weekend Round-Up

Fashions heavy hitters came out this weekend and did not disappoint.  

Alexander Wang paid homage to the cool kids of high school and designer logos of the 90s.  Wang's approach elevated the trend from gimmick to genius by laser cutting his name in leather pieces over and over again. Counteracting with the tough laser leather looks were soft, cotton, menswear inspired looks made feminine in the form of mini skirts and unbuttoned down to there shirts.  

Joseph Altuzarra brought ease and everyday dressing to his runway.  The term 'effortless' can often be synonymous with 'basics', but not so here.  Hemlines dropped well below the knee, and slits went well up the thigh.  For evening, Mr. Altuzarra formed blazers and dresses out of fabrics that looked like liquid metallics, and a new evening tuxedo with a crystal strap closure.  

Siting the last days of Marilyn Monroe as a reference, Prabal Gurung sent modern lady silhouettes in pastels down the runway.  Some modern themes were taken to extreme, in the sense of 'Can anyone actually sit in that?', but Mr. Gurung remained true to his following in creating gorgeous gowns and cocktail wear for his starlet clientele. 

Victoria Beckham was referred to as Posh Spice for a reason for so many years, this British fashion icon knocked it out of the park for SPring 2014.  This collection drifts from her body-con with ruffle hems and rounded jackets.  The line is clean with a neutral color palette of white, black, grey and a bit of red, but the nuance is in the detailing.  Double-crepe triangles are bonded to the organza of button downs sleeveless tops.  The shape is reminiscent of a soccer ball, possibly a nod to her soccer stud husband.  

Trends:  Pastels, Moveable Shapes, Sport, Menswear on Women, Legs, Midriffs  

images courtesy of style.com