Can’t Leave The House Without….

My bag weighs a ton, literally. I have downsized, and sized back up. Cleaned it out only to see it full again. Started going to the chiropractor to repair the damage from my purse…

I have finally come to terms with the fact that my bag has too much in it! It’s way too heavy, and by the time I get home from work my shoulder aches. I used to be a girl scout and so I have an “always be prepared” philosophy about my bag. However, I’m afraid of becoming one of those people who is always rummaging through their purses looking for their keys, wallet, money, or whatever! And so I took an inventory of what is in my bag and here is what I came up with:

• I have an emergency ziplock bag containing everything from packets of aspirin to matches (I don’t smoke but you’ll never know when you might need them!).
• I always keep a magazine or a book on me for the train ride
• My mail, which is still un-opened, although I have every intention of going through it
• My Netflix that need to be returned
• My Day Planner, which hasn’t been updated since April
• Pens and Pencils
• My Ipod
• Today’s Newspaper
• My glasses, contact case and solution
• My digital Camera
• Makeup, etc…

I attempt to clean out my bag every week or so, but I always seem to fill it up again! I’ve tried carrying around smaller bags, but then I feel like I’m missing something.

What do you have in your bag, and what’s your advice for keeping it clean and organized?

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Stumble it!

Fall’s New Looks: The LBD

Goth Kids rejoice; Black is back… as the new black! This fall black will be bigger than ever, from girly and sweet, to textured and strong. The most slimming, easy color and shape will be coming back with accessories galore! On the runway it was paired with simple hair and makeup and bold accessories.

I love this style, so simple, sleek and fun! Plus everyone looks good on the dark side every now and then!

Fashion Week: Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs, and Luca Luca

As predicted, designers are producing fashion that is a bit more conservative that typical at fashion week. Said to be influenced by the slumping economy and the fact that this year is an election year, designers are showing a sophisticated and classic edge.

Betsey Johnson

Always one to go out of the mold, her show featured a drunken pirate throwing coins at the audience, handcuffed brides, huge hoop skirts, and as always, a cartwheeling Betsey herself. Her selection was quirky as usual featuring rompers, ruffles, minis, tiered skirts, and huge hoop skirts. A sexy lingerie collection and “Wendy’s World” smocks looked a lot of country- from decades past. Overall her line will probably be tamed down quite a bit before it will be wearable by the general public.

Marc Jacobs

While his line was spotted with gray suits and pink gowns the majority of his collection appeared like a mirrored carnival fun house. Lots of bright colors, mixed together in unexpected ways. New silhouettes, and metallic fabrics.  He featured plaid shirts under snug vests and jackets and wide-leg cropped pants. Another favorite were the long skirts pinned in the back like a bustle.

Luca Luca

Extremely minimalist and mostly black and white, Raul Melgoza’s first line with Luca Luca was well received (for the most part.) Great cutaways, and amazing fashion architecture were the themes of his line. Sculptured waistbands with chiffon insets and a mixture of fabrics from mesh to cotton played up this line. Falling in step with the economy and the predictions for the Spring 2009 lines, Luca may just have the won the women’s vote.

The “Juicy” Inside Scoop

I recently went on an undercover mission when I found out about some shady business practices involving Juicy Couture. The first thing I did was check out their stores in Manhattan.

Here’s what I discovered:

1) Almost all of their employees were petite blonde girls

2) The customer service experience was horrendous. I am a size 14, and walking into the store I was immediately made to feel like I should leave. In addition to that the employees couldn’t answer my questions about: fabric, origin, durability, etc.

Most disturbing of all was my discovery of their discriminatory hiring practices.

I have an inside source that has told me of several instances where someone wasn’t hired because they were too “urban,” “fat,” and someone was actually fired because they were transgendered. In fact Gela herself asked that the trans. employee be terminated because he didn’t fit the “image.” My source was told to only hire someone who was tall, blonde and “model-type.”

When my source went to speak with the HR director (who is African American) about her personal issues with hiring discrimination, she was told that if she didn’t want to comply her job was on the line, and then she was told they were planning on firing all the managers, and replace them with new store managers who better fit what Gela’s idea of the “juicy image” was.

I don’t know about you, but I will not support any business that discriminates against their own employees. I was astonished when I heard that stores still run this way.

What do you think of Juicy Couture?

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Front Row; Diane Von Furstenberg, DKNY, and Rock & Republic

Diane Von Furstenberg

Honoring the goddesses of rock, her line was more hippie chic and lacking her signature style. Harem pants, flowing maxi dresses embellished caftans, and a pair of jeans took over the runway while flowers, feathers and fabric were woven into the models hair. The look is more spring vacation than work appropriate.

DKNY

Donna Karan threw herself a 20th birthday to be remembered. In addition to having a special DKNY bottle of champagne on every seat in the house, her front row was star studded (Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, and Nicole Richie attended), and ended with a anti-fur protest by two women who stormed her runway. Her collection featured minidresses, fluttery skirts, floral tweed coats and biker bests and vintage DKNY looks.

Rock & Republic

Black, white, and tight was the dress code for this show. Tiny jackets with ruffles in the front, super-tight leggings and mini skirts took over the runway. The surprise of the show were the unique prints; a connect-the-dots “wired ball” design and a “show your I.D.” barcode pattern were featured on leggings and sexy dresses.

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Celebs Dive into Fashion Week

When actress Christina Ricci saw the absolute chaos of flashbulbs surrounding fellow star Nicole Richie at the DKNY show this morning, she was a bit peeved.

“I think the media attention’s fine until it becomes a weird frenzy,” she says.

Then why even come to the media circus that is Fashion Week?

“I usually don’t go to a lot of shows in New York. I go to the shows overseas,” Ricci says. “But I love Donna Karan’s work and her attention to quality of fabric.”

Needless to say, we couldn’t get close enough to Richie — or seatmate Winona Ryder — to get in even a quick question. C’est la Fashion Week.

It was madness in the Tents as Lindsay Lohan and gal-pal Samantha Ronson arrived to take their seats at Sam’s sister’s fashion show.

-See all the photos of Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson here.

The paparazzi stormed the two girls as soon as they peeked their heads out from behind-the-scenes. We tried to snap some shots, but all we got were the backs of dozens of photographers’ heads. Maybe this is why fashion people wear heels.

Charlotte Ronson’s clothes were great, but the focus continued to be on the couple — even during the show, as the girls talked, giggled, whispered and cheered for the models.

Although the photographers snapped plenty of runway pics, Samantha took some digitals for the family album. Thankfully, she didn’t record brother DJ Mark’s timing mess-up near the end of the show, though glances were exchanged.

More to come this evening as we check out the after-party.

-Click here for all the photos of Lindsay Lohan, Samantha Ronson, and the other celebrities at Fashion Week–Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey Fergie, more.

You can also amuse yourself with 69 photos of Lindsay Lohan (and Samanthan Ronson)’s fashion looks over the years. (Warning: Some photos may not be suitable for children).

Courtesy of AM NY Blog

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Are You Ready For Spring Fashion Week?

I will be keeping you updated on the lastest fashion week news and runway looks. Keep looking for trend updates for spring!

Here are some previews:

Economic Fashion:

Expect to see either uber-conservative or excessively lavish pieces this season. When the economy is in a slump designers tend to go overboard, saying the consumer will only spend money on “must-haves” or they will go the opposite extreme, explaining that in a recession, especially with the election coming up, many consumers will only be spending money on work-appropriate or serious pieces.

Wider Styles:

The skinny pants seem to be walking out the door with this upcoming season, and the wider, more voluptuous pants are making their way down the runway. Keep an eye out for Lara Stone, who is said to be seen everywhere this fashion week.

Minimalism and Crispness

Look for a style more reminiscent of Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Cardigans, pencil skirts, tailored dresses and long pearls are expected to be the “it” look this spring. Classics with a souped up edge will be on everyone’s runway.

What are you looking forward to with this Spring Fashion Week?

Q&A: Pedicure?

BangKok asks:

Do you think it’s sexy to paint your toenails? What color is the best?

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BangKok-

Yes I think a good pedicure can make anyone’s feet look much nicer. I prefer pinks, reds, or bright colors. I HIGHLY suggest staying far away from dark colors (Dark blue, dark purple or black) on your toes and also avoid greens. Those colors tend to make your toenails look moldy… gross!

Q&A: Why Do Certain Designers Only Make Clothes in Small Sizes?

Jakki Says (regarding Abbey Dawn, Avril Lavigne’s Clothing Line through Kohls):

I am a size 14-15, so until [Avril] comes out with a line for girls who aren’t anorexic looking I can’t see myself buying her clothes. This is exactly my style which is why it makes me so angry that Avril only wishes to sell her clothing line to skinny girls. There are plenty of us plus size girls who like this style too, so I have to wonder if she did this on purpose or not?

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Jakki -

Being a size 14 myself I completely understand your frustration. For years I refused to shop at any store or brand that did not carry a full arrange of misses and plus sizes (even if they did carry a 14). However, after I started working in the fashion industry I started to realize why certain brands might offer only a small range of sizes. Whenever an item comes in extra colors or sizes it adds and exponential amount of time and money to create the samples, catalog/site product information, and production time. For a smaller brand like Avril’s she probably didn’t have the initial customer base that would have supported the larger range of sizes. Some companies have no excuses for not carrying plus sizes (which is considered any size over a 12 or 14 depending on the brand), but in her case, or other short lived brand line it may not be lucrative.

Hollywood Glamour, for Everyday Women

Wouldn’t we all love to have the same old school Hollywood glamour as Greta Garbo, Marylyn Monroe, or Audrey Hepburn? Their timeless elegance is something that women across the globe have been trying to recreate for decades. Here are a few tips from those screen sirens to make our everyday a bit more glamorous.

1) Never look overly done up. Hair was looser and wavier, makeup was fierce but natural, and the old rule was always take off one thing before you leave the house. It’s never good to have your makeup, hair, and accessories fighting for attention. Sometimes simpler is more glamorous.

2) Show off your curves without showing too much skin. Nowadays it seems like less is more on the red carpet, with skirts up to there, and tops cut down to there, it’s amazing that there is any fabric in between. However, one thing that earlier movie stars knew was, there is more sexiness in mystery, that in nudity. Especially in public. So, if you are going to wear something that is more revealing on top, stay covered up on the bottom, and visa versa. If it’s skin tight, then don’t show too much cleavage or leg, and it will all balance out for a sexy and gorgeous look.

3) Look for Hollywood classics, like cardigans, a string of pearls, or an amazing A-line skirt, then modernize it and make it your own.

4) Don’t be afraid of a little cat eye liner, as long as you aren’t wearing red lipstick at the same time.

5) Exude tons of red-carpet confidence. Nothing made those women sexier than the confidence to be themselves, and have their own style.

What are your tips for adding Hollywood Glamour into every day wear?