Monday, April 19, 2010

Look Adorable by the Shore

I've never purchased a Betsey Johnson bathing suit because lets face it, they're a little more expensive than the average suit. I think this is the year I'm going to invest in one of Betsey's bathing suits. She has the cutest styles this season. Right now is also the perfect time to buy your suit for the summer because it's right around the corner. Betsey has suits for every shape; you can find them in demis, halters, one pieces, booty shorts, and even skirts.

My favorite is the Lollipop suit. The demi top is $108 on Betsey's website, and the Standard Tie Bottom w/Ruffle is $82. I also found a cute matching cover-up on Nordstrom's website for $118.





The next cutest suit, in my opinion, is the petal pusher suit. It's made up of her signature roses. The demi top is $126, the halter top is $82, the bikini top is $70, the cheeky bottoms are $64, and the skirt bottom is $82. I love that she offers so many options because not every bathing suit brand has options for all body types. I've always had a problem finding a suit to fit me, but i'm sure one of Betsey's styles is going to fit like a glove.



The third bathing suit I'm dying to have is the Patty Cakes suit. It comes in green or black. I personally love the green one because that color is unique for a swimsuit. The bandeau top (pictured) retails for $104 and the bottoms are $78.



I can't wait to rock one of her bathing suits this summer. They look very durable and i'll hopefully have it for a long time. Even if i'm not feeling very fit, i'll still feel girly and cute by wearing one of Betsey's suits.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

New York Anyone?

Sometimes I wish I lived in New York City, and today is one of those days. This Betsey sample sale is killer. All I need is a plane ticket for tonight and some extra spending money to buy everything in my size.



Dress Me In Dior!

With their top hats, plaid fitted blazers, and sky-high stockings, the models in Christian Dior’s fall/winter 2010 show looked more like sexy characters from a Sherlock Holmes movie. It’s no doubt that John Galliano got this equestrian inspiration from England in the early 1900's. Every model looked amazing when coming out of the dark, mysterious entrance. Their wardrobes were enhanced with fur, leather, matching berets, huge permed hair, and riding boots. The color theme, which is perfect for fall, consisted of brown, burgundy, beige, and black. I don't know about you, but I could watch this show all day. I can't wait to see what inspires Galliano for Spring.

The detailing is too gorgeous not to show. Click on the pictures to make them bigger. The more I look at them, the more obsessed I become!














Monday, April 12, 2010

Inspire Me.

The two colors that inspire me the most are pink and turquoise. Some people don't even notice how abundant these colors are in nature and our everyday lives.

PINK


photo by me

Pink doesn't only inspire me, it inspires Betsey Johnson. The color is always featured in her collections, whether it's spring, summer, or fall. Below are two of her pink dresses you can purchase right now. The first one is the Evening Tea Party Strapless Dress that retails for $400. This is probably her most popular dress and is available in a different color each season. The second dress is the Lightweight Silk Dot Jacquard Sleeveless Dress that retails for $338, but is on sale now for $141.96 (which is a darn good deal.) These dresses may be super fancy, but if I could afford it, I would wear a different Betsey dress every day of my life.






TURQUOISE


Turquoise is the second gorgeous color you can always find in Betsey's store. The first dress (the Bouquet Print Poplin Corset Top Dress) retails for $300. The Photo Rose Graphic T-Shirt on the bottom is much more affordable, and you can purchase it for $98.




Now the question is, what color inspires you?

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

MAY You Please Mark Your Calendars

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA
May 2, 2010

Woodbury University's 46th Annual Fashion Show Benefit will take place at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Click here to register. Fashion designer Sue Wong, and Woodbury alumna Christiane King (who also participated in Project Runway) will be honored at this event. The picture to the left is one of my favorite pieces from last year's show and was designed and constructed by my roommate Nicole Gulley.





SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
May 5, 2010

Stuart Weitzman's San Francisco store plans to have a trunk show to reveal the fall 2010 shoe and handbag collections. The preview of the new styles will run from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Customers will also get the chance to pre-order whatever they can't live without.





STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
May 7, 2010

One of the artists these days that I can't get enough of is Lady Gaga. How cool would it be to see her in concert in Sweden? She's playing at the Globe Arena. Gaga's show on the 8th is sold out, which proves she's popular all over the world. Tickets to her tour are available on her website.






PHOENIX, ARIZONA
May 7, 2010

Downtown Phoenix hosts First Friday every month to bring local artists and art lovers together. Over 70 galleries downtown will be open to stroll through and look at or buy art. This is the nation's largest art walk, so I advise clicking here to print out your map. It also includes other fun information.

LONDON, ENGLAND
May 8, 2010

Designer Sales UK will be having one of their famous sample sales at The Supper Club on May 8. You can get designer names such as Vivienne Westwood (dress by Westwood pictured to the left) for up to 90% off. If I was near London, I wouldn't miss this for the world. For more details, visit their website.




GRANVILLE, FRANCE
May 13, 2010 (my birthday!)

Don't miss your chance to see 50 Dior ball gowns from the 18th century to the present. The exhibition lasts until September 26 and is at the house where Dior was born in Granville, France.






FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE
May 27, 2010

Ashley's Bride Guide will be hosting a Sex & the City 2 premiere party at the Aloft Hotel in Franklin. Shopping, food, games, pampering, and of course cosmopolitans are what you should expect when you go. This event sounds like every girls dream, to me. You can purchase tickets here.





LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
May 29, 2010

If you plan on vacationing in Vegas on the 29th, don't miss seeing Chelsea Handler. She will be celebrating the release of her new book Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang at Caesar's Palace at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are anywhere from $60 to $100 and can be purchased from Ticketmaster or from Caesar's Box Office.

LA Street Scene

While I was wandering around the Americana in Glendale, it was hard for me to find people who were dressed cute (in my opinion). It was mid-day on a Tuesday afternoon, so that may be why nobody wanted to make the effort. I felt as though the guys were dressed better than the girls. After about 20 minutes of walking around, I came across the cutest girl. She was wearing skinny black pants with a blazer and amazing western-inspired rhinestone accessories. I loved another girl's style after that and I realized she was wearing black leggings as well. It dawned on me that the trend I love right now (and must invest in) is black pants or leggings. Below are some of the girls I saw around town who looked adorable and also happened to be wearing my new favorite look.









I immediately searched for black leggings or pants when I got home. One of my favorites were Juicy Couture's Ponte Narrow Leg Pant. Juicy also offers a Pedal Pusher Legging, which would be more appropriate for the warm summer coming up. For someone who needs a little more excitement in their lives, Betsey Johnson is your go-to person! Her website offers a textured, knit, black legging with a zipper. Click here to see them.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Spotlight: Rio Dae 2 a.m.

Rio and I have been good friends since we were infants, and it just so happens that we both decided to go into the fashion industry. I have always admired her style and I was so excited when she came out with her own line: Rio Dae 2 a.m. She specializes in women's couture (prom and weddings) and dance costumes. I love how she is willing to take on any challenge and that all of her designs are unique. I jumped at the opportunity to ask her some fun questions about her style and passions. She is definitely a busy girl and was making a batch of prom dresses as we spoke, but as always, she was happy to help!



Some of the gorgeous dresses Rio has done for fashion shows.

Q: If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be and what would you say to them?
A: If I could meet anyone it would be Robert Craig Knievel a.k.a. Evel Knievel and I would ask him about living life, as I think he had (R.I.P.) a great perspective.

Q: Who is your favorite designer & why?
A: "My favorite designer is hard to say. I love the crazy-fun chic-ness that is Betsy Johnson, but Dior never fails to impress me as well."

Q: Where do you get inspiration?
A: "My inspirations come from fabrics, actually. I'll be looking around the fabric store and I'll see a certain pattern, or feel a particular hand of cloth and know exactly how I want it to fit, drape, and coordinate with other pieces."

Q: What is your favorite article of clothing that you own and couldn't live without?
A: "Booty shorts! If I'm not dressed up I like to live comfy in some shorts. But for fancy time, I love my little black dress. I made it a couple years ago, round gathered neckline, empire waist, just above the knee with short puff sleeves and a cute little asymmetrical skull on the back. It can be made professional with a cardigan, sexy with some stockings, or casual with flip flops. Perfect for diversity! I'm actually wearing it tomorrow!"



Rio hard at work. Isn't she the cutest!