Fashion

Last week, I thought, it’s almost midnight, I’m wide awake and I have nothing to do. Why not go crash a swim party?!? So a friend and I drove over to a rented mansion in L.A.’s Hancock Park district and indulged in Havaianas’ third Midnight Swim Club, filled with good-looking people and celebs like Jack Osbourne, Devon Aoki, Mekhi Phifer and more. (In the past, Kevin Connolly, Nicky Hilton, Elijah Wood, Shenae Grimes and David Arquette have been spotted.) We oohed and aahed the hanging Havaianas sandals, the bedazzle-your-sandal tent, the make-your-own-photo-book tent and, of course, the bar while gazing at a table full of Crumbs cupcakes.

The Cobra Snake shot gawkers (these are his photos you see) as people debated whether or not to go into the pool (For most people, the answer was no since it was dominated by Havaianas models in teeny swimsuits). But we spotted several brave souls and at least one skinny dipper as we grooved to the DJ’s sounds of everything from Axel F to Jay-Z. This got me thinking, if you and/or your building have a heated pool, or even just a hot tub, why not throw your own pool party … at night? A novel idea. And the perfect excuse to show off my favorite swimsuits of the season … in your best Havaianas flip-flops of course.

Don’t have a pair yet? Score a limited-edition pair by throwing your own Midnight Swim Party and post pictures of it to your Facebook or Twitter account (tag #midnightswimclub). Every week, Havaianas will award the best pool party picture with special Midnight Swim Club Havaianas.

Believe it or not, it’s finally starting to feel like summer in Southern California (OK, yes, the weather is practically perfect year-round but only now have we been hitting the 90s on a regular basis!). For a swimsuit pack rat, this means heaven — and time to stop parading around the kitchen in my new orange-striped Seafolly Capri separates. Finally, I get to take them outside!

Seafolly, a popular Australian swimwear brand, has been around since the mid-70s selling “sexy yet practical” suits. You can instantly spot the subtle retro influences of the brand in its latest line of ultra-feminine, chic suits and beachwear, from strategically placed ruffles and cutouts to polka dots and sailor stripes. Upon first checking out this season’s styles, I — like many bloggers and editors — immediately fell in love with the one-piece Goddess Boyleg Maillot (about $150). It’s supposed to be great for hourglass figures but I was worried that the boy-leg cut would shorten my already short legs, so next on my list were the shirred Capri separates ($77 for the top and $64 for the bottom, as seen on Victoria’s Secret model Jessica Hart, left). I love how the convertible bandeau bra-top makes my non-existent bust look, well … busty! (more…)

Although Glamour’s September issue has declared leopard print back for Fall (at least on J.Lo), as far as I’m concerned, it should never leave! I am obsessed with the sold-out peep-toe Michael Kors leopard-print canvas platform pumps I recently scored at Bloomingdales for under $100 (after lusting over these oh-so-perfect-yet-out-of-reach Manolo Leopard Pony d’Orsays of course), and now I have my eye on Knitwit‘s lightweight, “tofu-cashmere,” animal-print wares: feather-print scarves, tiger- and zebra-print sweaters, and cheetah-print hoodies!

Having tried out one of their cardigans (you may remember it from our March Lust List, I can attest that each 85-percent soybean and 15-percent “cashmere” piece is very well-made, decadently soft and super cozy without being obscenely heavy. Plus they wear well; I haven’t put a run in my scarf (the feather-print one above) yet, and I usually end up doing so on day one. It’s a good thing, too, because Knitwit is a pricey line for casual wear, so definitely look at any piece you buy as an investment purchase. And lucky for both of us, you can take advantage of sales like the current free shipping and $25 off promotions at shopknitwit.com (enter TOFU at checkout). Happy feeding!

Contrary to the character she plays on TV, Glee’s Lea Michele has been anything but a style dork on the red carpet this season.  In non-Rachel-Barry form, this TV-star ingenue has become one of my favorites to watch out for on the red carpet for her sophisticated, modern, and risk-taking style. She hasn’t been afraid to mix it up and play with her look, by choosing bold colors, like the bright saffron-yellow Zac Posen she wore to this year’s Tony Awards, or new designers, like the Erdem she wore to the 2010 Fox Up Front Party.  Bold lip colors, blunt Zoey Deschanel-esque bangs, dramatic updos: these are just a few of the things she’s used to complete her looks.  You may disagree with some of her sartorial choices, but at least you know she’s always trying and cares about fashion!

Check out some of my favorite looks from this year, beginning with this year’s Teen Choice Awards:

1.  Teen Choice Awards - I always expect to see a lot of monochrome bandage-style Herve Leger dresses at an event like this, which is why I was excited to see Lea Michele stand out from the crowd in this glittery, jade-colored, leaf-patterned Naeem Khan dress.  Still body-conscious and figure flattering, the peek-a-boo nude color beautifully flatters her sun-kissed skin.  I love a fun, colorful print on the red carpet, and the sequin embellishment up the dress’s sophistication factor, which she off-sets with casually bouncy, glossy brunette waves. (more…)

To be completely honest, when I was invited to a Juicy Couture event a few weeks ago, I decided to go – not because I was a Juicy fan- but because I was dying to meet Erin Fetherston- the California native whose clothes I fell in love with at her first Fashion Week show a few seasons ago. Erin is the newest designer on a Juicy collaboration and hosted a night of dinner and shopping for 15 online editors to drum up buzz for her new line, debuting this holiday.

Prior to that night, the last time I had entered the World of Juicy was sometime circa 2004, where I bought my one and only tracksuit top.  Then, as I was maturing in my sartorial tastes, I also began seeing younger and younger clientele in velour track suits and thought that my days of Juicy were over. (more…)

Over the weekend, I finally stopped being the last person on earth who hadn’t seen Inception, and saw a Sunday afternoon show with a few friends.  Relieved that I can finally join in on conversations about things like tokens and concepts like “dreaming within a dream” without a quizzical look on my face, the movie was so good and utterly absorbing.  If you haven’t seen it yet, I completely recommend it.

But leaving the movie theater, I had one primary thought in my head and it wasn’t dream related.  It was, “Wow, the suit tailoring in this movie was impeccable.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the other men in this movie have some hot looks.”  Unfortunately, since I was with straight, non-metrosexual men, this was not a topic they were interested in discussing (particularly my thoughts about the hotness of JGL’s looks as he bounded around in the hotel.)  I loved how each male character in the movie had a sharply defined look that expressed their individual personalities, although all of them wore suits. After the jump, check out where you can get their suits, and some more details about their looks. (more…)

Hmm, are they jeans or leggings? I can’t decide. They’re too thick to be leggings and too thin to be jeans. All I know is that I’ve worn them almost every day for a week and I’m not going to stop anytime soon. From the founders of L.E.I., SOLD Design Lab‘s super-stretchy, pull-on skinny jeans (the “Spanx of jeans,” I’ve been told) are quite possibly the most comfortable piece of skin-tight denim I’ve ever worn. I tried a black pair of Spring Street Skinny Pull-on Jeans, a style recently seen on Cameron Diaz, and while she’s tall and leggy and I’m short and curvy, the jeans truly did conform to our body types. There’s no zipper, just a button; and pulling them on sometimes reminds me of those maternity jeans with the stretch belly on them. But who cares? They feel and look fantastic, and for $98, I can afford to get them in white too. I might even check them out in perforated leather and corduroy!

I’ve been having a bit of an Oscar the Grouch moment with shopping recently–nothing I have been seeing in stores has been new, inspiring, or appealing. I thought at first it was perhaps just a case of bad luck, but after 3 straight weekends of being unable to find something I truly loved, I was convinced it wasn’t just coincidence. That was, until today, when I was browsing Lucky’s Celebrity Shopping List during a break between classes, and my heart stoppedupon seeing this vibrant, Devil Wears Prada cerulean (I hope I have the color right) island print dress that Michelle Obama wore while exiting from a plane on a recent trip to Mexico.

The dress is by Tracy Reese and retails for $275. I love the rich hue of this dress and the fact that it is NOT a 90′s grunge inspired floral, zipper front dress (have we seen enough of those now this summer?), but a unique tropical flower inspired print with a stamped on pattern and slightly frilly, shirred bottom. The useful side pockets (who doesn’t love a dress with pockets?) and the back neck tie are just additional pluses. The color of this dress is what truly slays me though–I could look at a deep rich blue like this all day and conjure up memories of ocean waves, tropical drinks with umbrellas, and warm breezes.

Visit the Tracy Reese website for additional purchase information.

Even with the darkening rainclouds overhead on the dreary June early afternoon, the “Jordan almond” colored pastels and airy confections that Zac Posen presented at his Resort 2011 collection were lovely and beautiful enough to give anyone a rosy colored view of the world outside.

Holding an intimate show of 23 looks at his showroom on Laight Street, Zac Posen featured designs of delicate contrasts; he juxtaposed boucles with transparent silk crepes, feathers with chiffon, fur with tulle, and soft Liberty florals with silks.  Inspired by “transparency with an edge,” and  Cecil Beaton,  Zac started off the presentation by showing us his mood board, tacked with pictures of  dreamy White House flower arrangements, soft 50′s style Edith Head costumed starlet head shots, and romantic, soft laces.  Despite the filmy crepe de chine and candy inspired color palette, Zac’s frocks still exhibited his signature architectural structure, with closely fitted panels, and flattering bias cuts. (more…)