September Issues :: Part II

Hola fashion senoritas! I told you I was going to take over with posts this week to make up for last week! That might mean 2 a days... yikes... yep 2 a days.

So here we are {2 weeks later? oops...} to the September Issues Second Edition.  This will be lengthy so lets just get started.... you know what we are doing here.

Marie Claire

One of Marie Claire's {thank you Nina Garcia} first big trends is sequins and paillettes galore!! From the cutest cardigans {Malene Birger at the Wardrobe}, dresses {Prada}, and cute clutches {Fendi}.  The trick to the trend is knowing what to pair it with.  If you do a great sequined tank for day, pair it with a great pair of simple trousers and a soft cardigan. 

Southwestern influences are all over the pages of Marie Claire {and the runways!}.  Isabel Marant had strong influences as well as Derek Lam.  An easy way to get away with this and not looking like a costume is to add jewelry with arrows on it.  Also, an easy tan bag such as the basic Mulberry style are perfect and incredibly classic. 

One of the BIGGEST trends for fall is COLOR!!  Usually for fall you see the usual tans, blacks, winter whites, etc, this season is the exception!  Pops of berry colors, cobalt's, emerald, and violet. This is not just an accessory trend, this is pants, tops, jackets, anything you can get your hands on that is a bright pop of color with instantly bring you into fall.

InStyle

The first main thing that InStyle shoots out to is bright colored pants.  Yep folks, bright colored pants! I jumped on this trend about 8 months ago, grabbing any kind I could find.  People said I was nuts... but I will now be wearing my cobalt and violet colored pants paired with heels and a blazer PROUDLY {not that I wouldn't have before...}. A great inexpensive pair is from Asos.com for $80.  You can also get some from Magaschoni and 3.1 Phillip Lim if you want a pricier version.

Another big trend they talk about is the 50's - 60's ladylike "buttoned up" trend shown by Bottega Veneta on the runway.  This goes along with the tie blouse that you can literally get ANYWHERE this fall.  Loft by Ann Taylor as a great version for $50. Tweed blazers/jackets also work well with this trend.  It's so classic and easy anyone of any age can really get behind this. 

They go on to talk about how to do color for fall.  Denim in bright colors is still really relevant so don't store the ones you already bought for Spring/Summer. Faux fur is another trend, well fur is a trend but for most of us that translate to faux.  There are so many options that look/feel real and are really affordable!  Chunky knits are another trend that has been almost everywhere!  For a more fashion forward look pair it with a floral wispy maxi skirt, or if you're more tailored pair it with a great pair of khaki's.

I like InStyle because they put together really good outfits that you can copy/edit to your own liking.  I of course die over Vogue every month but for anyone who has trouble translating the runway to real life this is the magazine you should be picking up every month.  They also show you affordable alternatives, not just the high end designers so they rest of us can afford them. 

Ok... {if you got this far!} I am off to watch the season premiere of The Rachel Zoe Project!!! Oh and then do my fantasy football draft {yep you heard right....} with a group of my girl friends... this should get interesting...

xoxo,
Molly

The September Issues :: Part 1

It's my favorite fashion time of year {tied with the Fall runway shows...} it's that time again when the SEPTEMBER ISSUES come out!! For those of you who don't know, this means magazines are HUGE, Vogue usually being around 800 pages for this month, it's the big Fall fashion issues {as Southern Boy learned this even means GQ! It's Christmas for Magazines}.  It's the time of year when I use a book mark for my magazines and have to set my books aside so I can read every glossy page in all of them.  Oh and I should tell you... I am obsessive about magazines.  You may have noticed in the About Me that I hoard them and stack them in book cases. {This only includes the fashion mags... Vogue, Bazaar, InStyle, Elle, Lucky, W, and Marie Claire}.  I don't plan on ever throwing them away and if anyone ever helps me move they usually get annoyed they have to lug these magazines around... whatever I don't care... they are NOT to be thrown away.  I am NOT, I repeat, NOT a hoarder in any sense of the word... Magazines are the only weird thing I can't throw away.

Anywho! Lets get back to the task at hand.  Friends, I am going to chronicle out for you the highlights of each September Issue.  What each mag thinks are the Must Have items, Must Follow Trends, and things to leave behind.  I am going to do this is a series of 3 posts. Two issues a post of the following magazines...

First up!! Here we go... get your shopping lists out ladies... it's going to be GREAT Fall season!

Bazaar

Tortoise Shell accessories such as heels, necklaces, and clutches made an appearance in Nicholas Kirkwood, Dries Van Noten, and Louboutin's collections for fall.  Lanvin got in on the action with a "camera" style bag, and Michael Kors showed Tortoise jewelry.  This is a great add on to a basic outfit to give it a little extra textured look.

Lisa Armstrong of the Daily Telegraph in the U.K. contributed by saying some of the 10 things you MUST buy this season are a statement coat {bright yellow, crisp green, magenta, cobalt}, printed day dresses {take a cue from Marni or Rodarte}, menswear influenced pieces {tailored blazers, well cut trousers, perfectly tailor button down, JCrew always does these well}, and an updated LBD {sequins, or the fuller form, cut out shoulder version Fendi showed}.  She goes on to say that her shopping list "must have" for any woman includes "at least one midi skirt, a number of blouses, skinny knits-that's the '70's covered-one pencil skirt, two or three patterned pieces, flat boots, a pair of block-heeled pumps, and an overcoat or a cocoon-shaped topper in a strong statement color."

One trend that is in every magazine under the sun right now is polka-dots! Yep... polka-dots.  They show up in dresses {Lanvin}, blouses {Stella McCartney}, bags {Chanel}, and everything else you can think of! An easy way to jump on this trend is by adding a scarf to your outfit.  If you want to go a little bolder go with one of the sheer tops so many labels will be showing, or an all over dress.

Elle

No more bandage dresses ala Housewife of Where ever or Kardashian sister.  Dressing is finally universally about the woman and not dressing for the man {HALLELUJAH!}.  It's the new New Look which originated around 1947, postwar.  Dior {basically unknown at the time} came out with corseted tops paired with decadently full skirts topped with padded hips.  Despite protests over skirts made with nearly 27 yards of fabric at a time when war rationing was not yet a distant memory, it was soon an adopted style of the rich and fashionable Europeans.  In the U.S. it was quickly the favorite of fashion editors and was duplicated for the masses {less fabrication used of course...}.  The point being this trend is taking over for Fall.  Boxy cape's, flouncy skirts, longer lengths, and almost nothing being overtly "sexy" {there's that gag word again...}.  This is the main theme of the whole issue {read the article page 228 Some Like it Haute by Nick Axelrod.}.

So let's break this down into the Elle inspired shopping list.  Well of course you need a polka dot blouse... STAT. Or the Marc Jacobs clutch or headband also featured in the {OF COURSE} section about spots. The most popular item {EVERYWHERE} being the Stella McCartney lazer cut out dress below. If you can rock/own that dress you will rock/own the whole season.  Hopefully when the brand new Stella McCartney store opens in Highland Park Village I can get my hands on it {and by get my hands on it I mean try it on.... stare at myself for 30 minutes... not eat for a day... dream about it.... and then forget about it}. Oh by the way... only a dress of this sort can be against the "man-repeller" theme of the season. Another repeat offender is tortoise, same as above, any accessory you can find it in.

Next is lace... seen in shoes {Dior}, dresses {Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, etc etc}, and even in jewelry with a lace form.  The easier way to do this trend is a lace top paired over a cami, maybe even in a bright color.  Or a lace skirt paired with black tights and a simple silk top and blazer for work.  They also boast lot's of really graphic prints {hounds tooth, floral, animal, graphic colors} and baroque for a renaissance feel such as a metal necklace by Proenza Schouler or a woven silver clutch such as the one by Bottega Veneta. They show animal in tops {such as Equipments}, dresses {Calvin Klein and Club Monaco both make affordable ones}, and faux fur jackets {Banana Republic and Michael by Michael Kors}.

Pick up an issue of Elle to find lot's of options for shopping, for every price range.  For example, the best heels have sparkle {example, the Miu Miu's shown earlier}, are a Loafer heel {where have you seen those before?}, also kitten heels, and color blocking.

I could go on and on and on with both of these issues, but I will stop there. Stay tuned for the rest of the fall issues.  Also, stay tuned for a few "How to Wear it" posts.  I will find the best {affordable} pieces for each major trend of the season, for any age {your welcome Mom!!}.

Have a wonderful rest of your Thursday my wonderful fashion followers!!

xoxo,
Molly

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