A Charmed Life

I have two charm bracelets. The first one is mine. It was a gift for my 30th birthday from my parents, which I absolutely adore. It is a sterling silver link bracelet from Tiffany's and currently houses one charm: a heart with Tiffany's address etched across it.

My second charm bracelet is not mine, though it was given to me as a gift by my Aunt Skip. My aunt, who has been gone since 2005, was actually my great-great aunt. She was fantastic, full of energy and so much fun. I could hang out with her for hours and listen to her stories.

I was visiting my grandparents in Florida one summer and when my aunt came over, she gave me a small white box and inside it, was the most fabulous charm bracelet I have ever seen.

It's been a while and thinking back, I wish I would have written down all the stories that came with the bracelet. It's hard for me to remember a lot of them, but then again, the charms basically speak for themselves. I take this bracelet out of my jewelry armoire from time to time (I should wear it, but the two EXTREMELY SHARP steeples on the St. Patrick's Cathedral charm bring about anxiety against my delicate wrist!) and I run my fingers over each charm, inspecting them and remembering (imagining?) the story for each one.

To an outsider, this charm bracelet could be perceived as quite random, but to have known my aunt, this bracelet speaks of her travels, experiences, personality and life in general. The bracelet is comprised of the following charms: an old fashioned water pump, comedy/tragedy mask, Empire State Building, push lawn mower (which really rolls), sleigh, New York skyline, love letter, toilet bowl (the lid raises up), St. Patrick's Cathedral, Chicago Water Tower, scissors (they open and close), bells, horse drawn carriage, Scottie dog, Statue of Liberty, United Nations Building and a passport case (that slides open).

I treasure this gift from my aunt. She could have given her charm bracelet to anyone (remember, she was actually my great-great aunt) and she presented it to me. Very few gifts in my life can ever touch me as much as this one does and I can only hope to build my own charm bracelet with such panache as she did.

Tear Drop Earrings: Unknown (gift); Necklace: Ann Taylor; Sweatshirt: Old Navy; Charm Bracelet: Unknown (gift); Silver Hammered Bangle: Unknown (gift); Silver Link Bracelet: Simply Vera Vera Wang; Cocktail Ring: Unknown (gift); Oversize Clutch: Liz Claiborne; Moto Jeans: Gap; Peep Toe Lace Up Pumps: Rock & Republic 

 

Cocktail Ring: Unknown (gift); Necklace: Ann Taylor; Sweatshirt: Old Navy; Moto Jeans: Gap; Peep Toe Lace Up Pumps: Rock & Republic

 

Charm Bracelet: Unknown (gift) 

 

Necklace: Ann Taylor; Sweatshirt: Old Navy 

 

 

 Moto Jeans: Gap; Peep Toe Lace Up Pumps: Rock & Republic

 

 Necklace: Ann Taylor; Sweatshirt: Old Navy; Charm Bracelet: Unknown (gift); Silver Hammered Bangle: Unknown (gift); Silver Link Bracelet: Simply Vera Vera Wang; Cocktail Ring: Unknown (gift); Oversize Clutch: Liz Claiborne; Moto Jeans: Gap 

 

 Cocktail Ring: Unknown (gift); Sweatshirt: Old Navy; Moto Jeans: Gap, Peep Toe Lace Up Pumps: Rock & Republic





Step Into My World...Or At Least My Closet

My closet is my happy place. If I am feeling down or having a "blah" type of moment, I walk in my closet and take a deep sigh of relief. My closet is full of all textures and colors. It is filled to the brim with accessories (we all know I'm an accessories type of girl) and clothing that ranges from mini skirts and wide leg trousers to sequined tanks and cable knit sweaters. Every item has it's place and I wouldn't have it any other way.

How often do you find yourself thinking you had an item in your closet and you spend a ridiculous amount of time searching for it, getting mad when you cannot find it and then proclaiming you have nothing to wear because your closet is all haphazard? I'm sure it has happened to all of us at least once in our lives. Wouldn't it be easier to open or walk into your closet, step back, scan it quickly and piece together an outfit from head to toe? We all know the answer to this: YES!!!

I have a visual merchandising background, so it goes without saying I treat my closet as a display case. I show off my shoes, I have some necklaces hanging and pretty brooches on a mini body form. My hats are neatly lined up on a shelf and my clutches are displayed on a small bookshelf. I have my sunglasses on a mirrored tray and just tried out a new way to house my denim. I have a hanging organizer in my closet and I decided to roll up each pair of jeans and place them in the organizer, throwing in colored denim as extra pops of color against the normal blue. It looks great and holds all my denim (like I mentioned in my previous post, I have a lot of denim). I can walk right into my closet, and know that my tops are organized by sleeve length and color. My skirts and pants are hanging in separate sections and my sweaters are folded in drawers. I know exactly where to look for a specific item and I never have to worry about not finding an item. It's a "stress free" zone.  It's my happy place, because it suits me. I have made it as functional as it is fabulous.

Printed Blouse: Catherine Malandrino for DesigNation; Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad; Tights: Simply Vera Vera Wang; Pumps: Guess

 

 

Printed Blouse: Catherine Malandrino for DesigNation

 

 



Fit To A Tee

Hello again! Well, I am sad to say that Fall Fashion Week is now over, but how much fun is it to be able to see all the upcoming Fall trends through the eyes of hundreds of fashion designers around the world? I hope everyone enjoyed my reviews on my favorite designers and enjoyed the photos of my most favorite designs in each collection reviewed.

Moving on to this week's blog...

I am a jeans and tee shirt kind of gal. Now, I enjoy a flirty little skirt and the feel of a silky button down blouse. I can rock a blazer and feel powerful in a sleek black suit. I lounge around the house in my PINK sweatpants but can throw on a stunning dress (with heels in tow, of course!) and go on a date. All in all, I enjoy a vast array of fashion, but my go-to outfit? Jeans and a tee.

I love all jeans. I own boot cut, skinnies (LOVE my skinnies), boyfriend, flare, moto, crop and straight leg jeans. Once I pick those out, I go for my tee shirts. I have plenty, in fact, too many to count. Solid color ones are good to have, but I prefer printed tees. I have some from Gap, Bebe, Hard Rock Cafe and others from Kenneth Cole and Juicy Couture and even from New York's Fashion's Night Out. As soon as I choose the tee that suits my attitude for the day, I grab the appropriate shoe (ballet flats or heels), handbag or clutch and a ton of jewelry. I love accessories, so 9 out of 10 times I will grab a hat or scarf as well!

One of the greatest designers in history, in my opinion, Karl Lagerfeld, designed a collection for Impulse (sold at Macy's) a couple years ago. His collection featured designs of all kinds, yet one design in particular caught my eye. A few tees featured a likeness of him and I'm sure it goes without saying that I bought them faster than you can say "Chanel." One way I love to wear printed tees is with a blazer. It takes the look up a notch, yet it is still playful. Another great way to dress up a tee is with chunky necklaces, either worn alone or layered on top of each other.

Though tees go with jeans like Dolce goes with Gabbana, you can wear tees with other options. Do you have a leather pencil skirt? Throw on a tee shirt with it! A long Summery maxi skirt? Why not? I just bought an adorable Joe Fresh fringe sequin skirt in cream and I cannot wait to pair it with a white tee this Summer.

Bottom line: Just have fun! Forget any "rules" you have heard or read about. If it looks good, suits your personality and makes you happy, than go for it. Try something new. If you are too concerned with trying out a new look in public, invite a friend over! Or take a selfie and send it to your best friend and ask his or her opinion. Your true friends will never steer you wrong and maybe by doing this, you can inspire others to have fun with fashion as well.

 



Sunglasses: Daisy Fuentes; Earrings: Simply Vera Vera Wang; Tee: Karl Lagerfeld for Impulse; Blazer: LC Lauren Conrad

Sunglasses: Daisy Fuentes; Earrings and Clutch: Simply Vera Vera Wang; Tee: Karl Lagerfeld for Impulse; Blazer: LC Lauren Conrad; Watch: Guess; "Fearless" Bracelet: BCBGeneration; Clover Bracelet: Heidi Klum for Bebe; Rhinestone Bracelet: Swarovski; Boyfriend Jeans: Gap; Studded Pumps: Aldo 

 

Earrings: Simply Vera Vera Wang; Sunglasses: Daisy Fuentes

 

Rhinestone Bracelet: Swarovski; Watch: Guess; Clover Bracelet: Heidi Klum for Bebe; Clutch: Simply Vera Vera Wang

 

Sunglasses: Daisy Fuentes; Earrings: Simply Vera Vera Wang; Tee: Karl Lagerfeld for Impulse; Blazer: LC Lauren Conrad

 

Boyfriend Jeans: Gap; Studded Pumps: Aldo

 

Sunglasses: Daisy Fuentes; Rhinestone Bracelet: Swarovski; Watch: Guess; Clover Bracelet: Heidi Klum for Bebe; "Fearless" Bracelet: BCBGeneration; Tee: Karl Lagerfeld for Impulse; Blazer: LC Lauren Conrad

 

 Sunglasses: Daisy Fuentes; "Fearless" Bracelet: BCBGeneration



It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Part 4

Paris 

Fall Collections

Fashion week. It's here! From February 6th to March 5th, I will be in heaven (along with any other fashionista!) Fashion week occurs in New York, London, Milan and Paris a few times a year and the shows range from ready to wear to resort to couture. During (ready to wear) Fashion week, I check out the shows of my favorite designers and pick my favorite designs and write up a summary of each collection I view. I have decided to add some of my favorite photos here and share my summaries of my favorite collections for you all!

 

May I present to you ~ Paris.

The Fall 2014 Rochas collection was the debut of new head designer Alessandro Dell'Acqua. I found this collection to be overall sleek, yet somewhat excessive. The collection consisted of fabrics such as brocade, velvet and patent leather and the designs were voluminous and detailed with ruffles, rhinestones, gloves and fringe. The color green is not usually a favorite among the fashion world, but I am appreciative of it. Giorgio Armani designed his Fall 2014 collection around it and Goga Ashkenazi was also fearless when it came to this shade. Ashkenazi, designer for Vionnet, showcased this hue in gorgeous dresses, cable knit sweaters, loose trousers and tailored tops. Her collection featured floral details and sculptural silhouettes which made for a beautiful show. View

While many designers have looked toward the light for their Fall 2014 collections, Alber Elbaz gazed in another direction. I enjoyed this collection for Lanvin, with it's dark and brooding mood. The designs, mostly colored in black, exhibited pleats, ruffles and fringe, while the majority of the models had their faces shielded by hats. On a lighter note, Peter Copping designed a gorgeous and airy collection for Nina Ricci. The color palette was stunning and the designs were consumed by pretty florals. One of my favorite designs of the Fall season made it's debut in this collection: A gorgeous floor length gown, with a strip of sheer black lace down one side of it. It is embellished with a purple floral applique and is absolutely ravishing. View

Raf Simons designed a chic and beautiful Fall 2014 collection for Christian Dior. These designs, many with a hint of menswear inspiration, showcased clean lines and extraordinary tailoring. I loved the feminine details such as ruffles and corset lacing as well. Isabel Marant is quoted as saying, "I never have feelings for fancy, frilly things in the winter...I like very comfortable, warm clothes - things you can go around being secure in." This summed up her collection perfectly. Her Fall line is filled with loose fitting trousers and gorgeous sweaters and Fall friendly fabrics such as leather, fur and tweed. Though the majority of the color palette was muted, I was in awe of her use of stark white to brighten the collection up. View

Both of these Fall 2014 collections are consumed by eccentricity. Yohji Yamamoto designed a graphic collection that showcased anime prints, oversize duvet inspired coats and padded mitts worn over hands. This collection may not necessarily consist of everyday wear, but it made for an excellent show. Rei Kawakubo's collection for Comme des Garcons featured cocoon-like dresses and jackets and elongated sleeves that hid the arm. She has stated that, "The theme of the collection this time is MONSTER. It's not about the typical Monster you find in sci-fi and video games. The expression of the Monsters I have made has a much deeper meaning. The craziness of humanity, the fear we all have, the feeling of going beyond common sense, the absence of ordinariness, expressed by something extremely big, by something that could be ugly or beautiful. In other words, I wanted to question the established standards of beauty." After reading her statement, it makes me even more appreciative of the thought and work behind this season's collection. View

Paris Fashion Week Fall 2014 by restyledbyliz on Polyvore

 

Stunning. Elegant. Gorgeous. These were the first words to come to mind after viewing the Fall 2014 Elie Saab collection, which was entitled "Dark Opulence." His designs flowed beautifully in fabrics such as chiffon, silk and velvet and were presented in a gorgeous monochromatic color palette of merlot, emerald and black. Though I am obsessed with this entire collection, I must say my top favorite is the sequined and beaded emerald green floor length gown (shown here in top row, second picture). I'm sure we will be seeing these gowns again in the future on many Hollywood starlets. View

To view the collection for Alexander McQueen was to step into a fairy tale world. Designer Sarah Burton created a line filled with designs for those both good and evil. Her theme was "Wild Beauty" and this collection was consumed with plenty of fur, feathers, organza and leaf prints. The collection was so mesmerizing that it was disheartening to come back to reality. Hedi Slimane's Fall 2014 collection for Saint Laurent exuded a rocker vibe. These designs were incredibly detailed and consisted of fur, lame, sequins, animal prints, leather, polka dots and gun prints, just to name a few. The short hem lengths of the shift dresses and skirts and impeccable construction of the coats and capes made for a very chic collection indeed. View

Luxury. This is the word that comes to mind when I think of Hermes and the Fall 2014 collection is no exception. Christophe Lemaire kept this in mind while designing a striking collection showcasing beautiful knits, enviable coats, dramatic prints and tailored pantsuits in a muted color palette. Valentino has always been one of my absolute favorites. Though I miss founder Valentino Garavani terribly, I become more and more impressed with the design duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. Their collection for Fall was inspired by sixties mod fashion and Italian Pop Art of the sixties and seventies. This was a very graphic collection consisting of polka dots, stripes, harlequin prints and floral, butterfly and bird motifs. Sheer fabrics consumed evening wear and the day wear was constructed out of leather, lace, silk and cashmere. I feel we can all agree that this duo is still making Garavani proud after five years. View

With the absence of Marc Jacobs at the helm of Louis Vuitton, everyone was anticipating the new Louis Vuitton at the hands of Nicolas Ghesquiere. My opinion? Bravo, Mr. Ghesquiere. His Fall 2014 collection was filled with numerous textiles such as leather, suede, wool, fur, knits and my absolute favorite, black crocodile, featured in a gorgeous chic coat (shown here in top row, third photo). This collection was very flirty with a hint of sex appeal and I'm sure I am not alone in being excited to see what he will create next. Karl Lagerfeld, a fashion genius in my mind, showcased his Chanel collection in a...supermarket? Forget the normal catwalk. Mr. Lagerfeld created a "megastore," featuring items from potato chips to handkerchiefs to, believe it or not, chainsaws. Theatrics aside, these designs popped with bright colors, were detailed with distressing, corsets and ruffles and offered silhouettes from jumpsuits to dresses to sparkly leggings. To sum it up, his collection, like the "megastore," offers many different choices for all the shoppers out there. View



 

Paris Fashion Week Fall 2014 by restyledbyliz on Polyvore

 

 

Click here for Dries Van Noten and Balmain review

Click here for Issey Miyake and Roland Mouret review

Click here for Vivienne Westwood and Maison Martin Margiela review

Click here for Viktor & Rolf and Andrew Gn review

Click here for Chloe and Celine review

Click here for Kenzo and Givenchy review

Click here for Giambattista Valli and Emanuel Ungaro review

Click here for Miu Miu and Stella McCartney review