Thursday, October 20, 2011 @ 1:00pm

Preview: Versace for H&M

Who’s a fan of Versace but doesn’t have an extra $2,500 to spend on a dress?

Well, have no fear – the Versace for H&M collection is here. Well, at least it will be on November 17th.

Prices range from $17.95 for men’s underwear, which are extremely vibrant, to $299 for a studded dress. Yes, expensive for H&M, but a screaming deal for Versace fans.

Check out some of my favorites:

Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 5:34pm

Would you wear ...

…a black wedding dress?

Vera Wang, the queen of wedding couture, unveiled her new Fall 2012 bridal collection, which includes gorgeous and intricate black and nude gowns. I absolutely loved her designs, which felt more haute couture than traditional bridal. You could wear these gowns on the red carpet or to a black-tie affair instead of a wedding. And if they were in white - I'd definitely wear a few of them.

More and more brides are moving away from the poufy white dresses with the sparkly tiaras to more chic, sophisticated gowns that are uniquely different from those you typically walking down the aisle. But are black gowns too extreme? What about nude gowns? Both would certainly translate to other events and wouldn't need to be stored like a traditional white wedding dress.

For me, I'm still on the white wedding dress bandwagon…but it's certainly refreshing to see something different for a change.

Take a peek at her full collection here.

Friday, October 7, 2011 @ 9:57am

70's Chic

I'm loving this trend right now.

The look: Muted, earthy colors like mustard, cranberry and olive green are everywhere, including these insane high-waisted corduroy pants by J Brand. They look amazing paired with a soft, dusty rose button-up shirt and a large gold pendant necklace.

For another 70s spin, try pairing a flowy, pleated mid-calf skirt with chic boots or wedges and a fitted top. Jumpsuits are effortlessly chic and extremely comfortable.

The key is to keep the look modern and sleek, instead of true vintage. Stay away from huge bellbottoms and paisley.

Wide Leg Pants by J Brand
Fur Coats by BB Dakota

This season of Project Runway had an episode dedicated to reinventing trends from the 70s into looks for today's modern woman. Check out what the designers came up with.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 @ 8:02am

Eastside Gets Urban

Some of my favorite pieces were as simple as a knit sweater paired with skinny jeans. That's what the modern fashionista wears in the Pacific Northwest, so why not make that a huge part of Bellevue Fashion Week?

Check out some of the photos for a glimpse into the world of urban chic and a little inspiration as you're getting dressed tomorrow morning.

Jennifer Witz Photography c.2011

Monday, September 19, 2011 @ 10:31am

2011 Emmys: Best and Worst Dressed

Who let the comedians out of their cages for the 2011 Emmys last night? Whoever did, thank you.

This year's Emmy's was probably the funniest and best-produced show I've seen in a long time. I literally laughed out loud when the nominees for Best Actress in a Comedy Series lined up on stage ala the Miss America pageant. Hilarious.

Leading up to the show was my favorite part of awards season: The illustrious red carpet. The ladies shone in red, the men looked dapper in their suits, and I couldn't take my eyes off of Sofia Vergara's amazing fushia frock.

Here are my picks for best and worst dressed:

Top 5 of the night…
1. Sofia Vergara. Ohmigod. HOW amazing did she look last night? Her hair, makeup and accessories all dazzled, along with her timeless beauty and insane curves. Totally unfair.

2. Kerry Washington. Another amazing red dress by Zhair Murad Couture that glittered beautifully under the stage lights. Classic Hollywood with her red lips, black liner and neat nails.

3. Minka Kelly. Derek Jeter's loss. Seriously. Minka looked stunning in her lace Dior gown. A design that could have been disastrous, but ultimately looked beautiful on her figure.

4. Nina Dobrev. This Donna Karan dress was unbelievable from top to bottom. Loved the scooped neckline and the unique detailing at the bottom.

5. Heidi Klum. Yes, I know there will be some mixed reviews on this one, but in my opinion, Project Runway 4 winner Christian Siriano knocked it out of the park in this taupe masterpiece.

…and the worst!

1. Julianna Margulies. Dear god, what is that? A shower curtain from the 60s? Or something from the set of The Jetsons? Disaster.

2. Alan Cumming. Dude. You're up for an Emmy. And you wear this? Are you performing live in a mariachi band? Or did you steal these from your grandma's closet?

3. Paula Abdul. Clearly this was an old bridesmaid dress from 1986. And why was the sweetheart neckline slightly to the right?

4. Ariel Winter. I'm slightly disturbed that an underage girl is wearing such a revealing dress. All the focus went to her chest. Not okay.

5. Paz de la Huerta. First off, who are you and what are you doing here? Get that white Wet N' Wild lipstick off your lips, smile, and put on something that doesn't look like it's been shredded by rabid raccoons.

Some runner-ups for Best Dressed are Lea Michele (gorgeous as always), Claire Danes and Julie Bowen. Sorry, Gwyneth, you were this close to getting on the Worst Dressed list.

See more photos from the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards here

Thursday, September 8, 2011 @ 12:49pm

Fashion's Night Out 2011 - Don't Miss It!

Tonight's the night - whip out your favorite, most fashionable cocktail dress and grab some girlfriends for Fashion's Night Out 2011!

Here's where you can join the festivities:

Eastsiders

The Shops at the Bravern
6-10 p.m.
www.thebravern.com/info

This event is free to the public and will include fashion shows from Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie, live music, special in-store offers, (including a chance to win free Trophy cupcakes for a year! ) and an after-party at the David Barton gym.

Seattleites

BCBG Max Azria
6-11 p.m.

Sip champagne and peruse BCBG's Fall 2011 collection - you'll also get a free .25 oz. bottle of their newest fragrance!

Gucci
6-9 p.m.

Prosecco. Italian cocktails. Amazing clothes. Be there.

Nordstrom Downtown Seattle
6-9 p.m.

There'll be prizes, refreshments, hors d'oeuvres, and a DJ spinning some tunes while you browse through some of the newest merchandise. Stylists will be on hand to help you pick out the perfect fall wardrobe, AND they're setting up a cosmetics bar, complete with amazing makeup artists, to give mini-makeovers!

University Village
6-9 p.m.

There'll be tons of in-store events and trunk shows, plus light refreshments and samples from various restaurants in U Village. Enjoy!

Up North

Alderwood Mall
6-10 p.m.

Swing by Alderwood Mall for fashion shows, treats, and swag.

Down South

Eddie Bauer
6-9 p.m.

Check out the Eddie Bauer at the Tacoma Mall for some fun incentives for anyone who purchases a pair of pants! You'll also get a sneak peek of their latest pieces from the Fall 2011 collection.

There are a few more locations around Western Washington participating in Fashion's Night Out - click here for more info (link to: http://fashionsnightout.com/fno/outside-nyc).

Happy shopping, fashionistas!

Monday, August 29, 2011 @ 1:13pm

Red Carpet Roadkill: 2011 MTV VMAs

The MTV VMA's were last night, and although I can't help but feel a little sad that MTV has turned such a sharp corner away from what it used to be more than a decade ago, I still feel they pull off this annual awards show with glitz and gusto. The reality star-studded event brings in a colorful display of non-celebs like Kim Kardashian, Snooki, DJ Pauly D., and a lot of other people I don't even recognize. Plus Rebecca Black. (Really, MTV?) It's sad to see a lack of actual talent like we used to see in years past - only to be replaced with MTV reality stars with the occasional familiar face sprinkled in.

Another unfortunate aspect of last night's event was the lack of fashionable attire. We saw a lot of misses and only a few hits, including the beautiful mom-to-be Beyonce:

Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Nicki Manaj were among the many fashion casualties we saw splattered on the red carpet:

Maybe the more well-known and respected the celebrity, the better the clothes? Maybe these reality stars are just trying to stand put in the spotlight? Who knows. Either way, there were too many fashion disasters to count on one hand, let alone post in one blog entry.

Thursday, August 18, 2011 @ 3:07pm

Pop-up Bags

This is an optical illusion if I ever saw one.

Jump from Paper is a line of unique handbags created by Taiwan-based designers, Chay Su and Rika Lin. The handbags look like cartoons and literally jump from a photo - almost like it was photoshopped into the picture. The designers illustrate the design on paper and create a real-life version that is fully functioning and can carry anything from lip gloss to laptops.

They're definitely innovative! I'd love to see one of these in person.