The Day The Internet Blew Up

With the a lot of the hoopla and excitement settled after yesterday, I have finally gathered my thoughts and here's what I think…

As I'm sure all of you know, the Vogue April cover was released yesterday and Kimye are the chosen ones to grace the cover. The Internet and Twitter world basically blew it's head off and many many people were not happy, most especially the loyal readers who have been reading the magazine for what seemed like years. 

Sarah Michelle Geller also made a statement by tweeting she would be canceling her Vogue subscription.

The issue hasn't even hit the newsstands and Anna Wintour, Editor-In-Chief, already defended her decision with what appears to either be her Editor's Letter that appears in the magazine every month or a well-crafted, last minute rebuttal to all the backlash.

Let's also not forget the fact that both Kanye and Kim were on the cover, a move that looks like PR was smeared all over it and was perhaps what made Anna finally pull the trigger.

And of course, Kimye moved their wedding up from July to May not too long ago, perhaps a  indication of the cover to come.

This actually all brings me back to when JcPenney swapped out their old and loyal customers for new, younger ones. Vogue better hope their new customer can spend some money on clothing.

And than there is my opinion left... 

Well if you look at the picture below, I think it sums it up pretty well. I've collected Vogue magazines for 5+ years, a loyal and avid reader who loved the mix of intellectual articles with fashion from the world's fashion Bible. 

However, with the latest stunt pulled, I believe in continuing that fashion and intellect with another choice. 

Final thoughts: Whether the magazines sells a ba-gillion issues or heads start rolling, Vogue has officially become something else….

And it's up to you to follow or not.

To Try Or Not To Try

When looking in your closet for something to wear, do you ever notice that the easy way to dress is not always the best. You may immediately go to the pieces that consume your visual psyche every day. That little black dress, the pair of jeans draped over your chair or even that cashmere sweater that has helped you get through this brutal Winter. 
But let's talk about the additions. 
Sure that little black dress would look acceptable to the common eye but why not go a step further? Throw a sweater over top or add a pair of leather leggings underneath. It's these little add-ons that turn the look from unoriginal to something that will turn heads.
Take that sweater and jeans and add a plaid shirt tied at the waist. Pair it with Saint Laurent sneakers.
And then of course the jewelry and accessories. 
MKA made the boho, layering look so intriguing and is accessible to everyone. Drape multiple watches, multiple rings, multiple scarves or even multiple handbags with every outfit. 
Miroslava Duma took two Chanel handbags and wrapped them around her. 
Chanel would always wear multiple pieces of jewelry with her simple jersey outfits. 
Let's face it folks, the add-ons will make or break your outfit.
So I guess the question left to answer is what would your add-ons be?

Left photo by www.fashionoverreason.com
Right photo by www.guestofaguest.com

A Few Good Men…I Mean Pieces

Why can't we get it right? I mean, with our wardrobe. There are always those pieces that we will constantly go back to and wear until there are holes every which way. But why does it have to be only a few select pieces? How come we can't have that with every piece?

Is it the fact that there are too many choices out there?

I once bought a American Apparel raglan shirt for probably $30 and I can't get enough of it. It goes with everything, jeans, skirts, I even can wear it over dresses. 

Another piece is my Christian Dior vintage black blazer. This piece is extremely old and even though, it's Dior, it's probably not worth much, but it's beautiful and simple. 

If you're like me, you've probably accumulated a ton of clothing over the years, half of which you only wear for a single season and they get thrown to the back of closet(like myself) or even thrown out. 

Something that I have been trying to do lately is really look for those special pieces. Ones that I know will last years in fabrication and in style. (This really helps in avoiding those pieces that will only last a season.)

Those unique pieces could be gems you find in a vintage store or even something you find on the sale rack. 

And ladies, I'm here to tell you it's ok to buy something without having somewhere to wear it.

I bought the Alexander Wang streamer skirt a few years ago when it came out. Didn't touch it till this past New Years, but hey at least I didn't have to scramble days or hours before trying to answer that inevitable question of what to wear?

OK, I digress.

I guess all I'm trying to say is be patient, be smart and perhaps start looking in your closet. You never know what you could find.

If you're closet looks like this, you may need help as well. 

The Next Size

While I am tiny in size, I can't help but enjoy the feeling of oversized clothing. Constantly getting the comments of "Why don't you wear those pretty little shift dresses?"

Well maybe it's because I don't want to look like the atypical girl or straight out of the Beverly Hills Housewives. 

While I can't necessarily get the next size up in pants(I would not like walking around with my pants around my ankles), I can do that in tops. 

Who wouldn't enjoy a nice, big, cozy sweater paired with a pair of Rag and Bone jeans and some ankle boots? (Pretty much my daily uniform)

All of this must go hand in hand with my preferred men's styling of clothing so let's take it a step further.

Why not try the men's section? If you're hesitant on this idea, try a Uniqlo or American Apparel for men's sizes before you start spending a bunch of money on a what if. 

I've come up with a few other reasons why you should try this.

1. You can breath. While this one seems the least associate with fashion and style, it most certainly is one that could get overlooked. Take a mini vacation from being crammed into either your daily work uniform or perhaps your evening wear.

2. Going against the grain. If the majority of people aren't do this, why not try it? Go against the norm and start a trend yourself.

3. If you accidentally shrink your shirt, it may actually come out normal size. This has actually happened to me and while it was unsalvageable(darn wool) it didn't come out the size for a 2 year old, perhaps it was more of a 7 year old.

Hopefully these reasons are good enough to get you on the same bender as myself. 

Post some comments and let me know what you've bought!

Left photo from www.americanapparel.com

Right photo from www.saksfifthavenue.com

Designers Vs. Economy

Are designers having a harder time designing in this economy? 

The mystical and magical aspects of the typical runway show went away for awhile when the economy took it's first big hit a few years ago. And maybe not literally a physical aspect disappearing, but the vibes were present. Buyers had to be more conscientious of what they were buying because of possible mark downs down the road. 

From then, they have been gradually working their way back, but as employers have been used to the fact of having less employees with more work, the shopping habits have been going the same way. 

It seems like many people are looking for the lower priced versions of these designer clothing, aka the fast fashion retailers. 

But how do we get those same people back for the real deal?

The fact that the industry is becoming more accessible to Suzy homemaker is a big answer to that question. 

When they started the Fashion Night's Out, which expanded across the U.S and into many other countries, designers, industry professionals and celebrities were on call to promote shopping and bring the fun back into it. 

Vogue came out with The September Issue movie which gave a behind-the-scenes look at the magazine's infamous September issue and in turned made you feel like you were part of that fantasy world.

When Alexander McQueen's Met show opened, over 600,000 people came to see the elaborate embellishments and the well-made clothing that typically only people at the fashion shows see. Hopefully this instilled a quality that people turned to again.

Even just having more PR going into this world such as the fashion news sites and bloggers have helped bring more awareness. 

With the economy showing a difference from those first years, hopefully designers can keep integrating the fantasy world back into their collections and the shoppers will follow.

Photos from www.smufashionmedia.com and jennacommunications.com

CFDA Nominees Are Here!!!

The time has come!!!!

CFDA awards are upon us!!!!!!

How many more sentences with exclamations points can I use?!?!

With the CFDA awards on June 2, the list of nominees was finally released. Now what does that actually mean? It means you have 80 days to check out every designer or person on the list below and shop.

In all reality, it means a few more things than just shopping. 

You could use this time to research most recent fashion shows, read bios and really see what these designers have worked so hard to accomplish. 

Don't we do the same thing when we hear the Oscar Nominees? Don't we run out and go see the movie that helped these actors and actresses create a character great enough to get a best actor, actress or film nod?

Many of the designers have been on this list a number of times but a few new ones crept in. Also, the CFDA's did well in incorporating many of the fashion fund contenders such as Public School, Tim Coppens, Todd Snyder and Marc Alary.

See below for entire list and let me know who you want to win

WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Alexander Wang

Joseph Altuzarra for Altuzarra

Marc Jacobs

MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow for Public School

Marcus Wainwright and David Neville for Rag & Bone

Thom Browne

ACCESSORIES DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Alexander Wang

Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen for The Row

SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR WOMENSWEAR

Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters for Creatures of the Wind

Rosie Assoulin

Wes Gordon

SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR MENSWEAR

Tim Coppens

Todd Snyder

Shayne Oliver for Hood by Air

SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR ACCESSORIES

Irene Neuwirth

Jennifer Fisher

Marc Alary

GEOFFREY BEENE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Tom Ford

INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Raf Simons

THE MEDIA AWARD IN HONOR OF EUGENIA SHEPPARD

Paul Cavaco

THE FOUNDER’S AWARD IN HONOR OF ELEANOR LAMBERT

Bethann Hardison

BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ TRIBUTE

Ruth Finley

Happy Quarter-Life Crisis Internet!!

With the Internet hitting their quarter life crisis yesterday, I realized two things. My inevitable quarter life is a month away and without the Internet, the fashion industry would not be half of what it is today.

Let's break it down.

Fashion Shows.

Now how are you supposed to plan out your next season wardrobe without looking at pictures over and over again! All joking aside, it does provide a huge opportunity for people who are in the industry who cannot attend the shows. The atmospheric pictures, the up close detailed shots and the 'move it' option on www.style.com to make the it seem like you're sitting front row. Let's not also forget the opportunity to read reviews and educate ourselves with designer inspirations and evolution of it over the years. 

Online Magazines And Fashion Websites.

The reality of the situation is, websites are coming on strong with daily articles and information coming out of it's eyeballs. While I still relish in my monthly Vogue magazine, I can't help but be intrigued to look at their website along with WWD and the New York Times Style section on a daily basis. 

Street Style.

The Sartorialist, Tommy Ton and Phil Oh wouldn't be able to give us the latest and greatest of what Miroslava Duma or Cara Delevingne were wearing to Burberry or Dior. It also feeds our imagination with daily shots of beautiful clothing, shoes and accessories. This group also lends a helping hand to celebrities and the publicity they need to promote their newest movie, show or make up line.

Bloggers.

While I think this one should be the biggest and greatest thing yet(pause for applause) this is probably the newest as well. Ah, the life of a blogger. What else could be more exciting? Except for the fact that many(Leandra Medine and Emily Weiss excluded) need to have full time jobs, along with their blog, in hopes it may turn out to be 1/16th of what the ladies above have done. People have always had opinions and with the way social media has become, it's just become a giant opportunity for many to speak their minds and have someone besides a friend, co-worker, family member or psychologist listen to them.

I guess to sum it all up is Happy Birthday Internet! Looking forward to seeing what you'll produce in the next 1,000,000,000,000 years.