Susan Says: The White Shirt

J. Crew Boy Shirt $69.50

When you look at all of your clothing and cry out: "I have nothing to wear" it's time to pull out the white shirt, a timeless fashion classic that is an essential in any woman's wardrobe.  

 

The key element is fit --- a fitted white shirt can be paired any number of ways, for casual or professional wear.  Look for a fitted shirt with a sleeve that hits the wrist; you can also cuff the shirt for a casual look.  Avoid shirts that are too boxy or too big, or sleeves that are too long at the wrist or too short.  I made the mistake of purchasing a white shirt with three-quarter sleeves and the sleeves are just too abbreviated to look fashionable.  

 

A white shirt can be worn peeking out of a blazer sleeve, paired with a skirt or pants, tucked into a pencil skirt or worn with high-waisted slacks. Or try wearing a long white shirt and allowing it to peek out of the bottom of a mini skirt.  Always fabulous with black leather, look for a shirt with great buttons or an additional panel where you button up to allow coverage if the shirt should pull apart so that your bra stays covered.

Although we would hesitate to wear leggings to the office, when paired with a long white blouse and a blazer, it becomes professional attire.  

A boxy white shirt can also serve as a "jacket" to top a tank top on a hot summer's day.  

 

The possibilities are endless...!

Susan Says: Three Generations of Family, Fun & Fashion

Some time ago, I couldn't resist blogging about a book entitled, "Best Friends, Occasional Enemies,"  co-authored by mother and daughter, Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline Serritella, respectively.  The authors write a column known as "Chick Wit" for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  Ms. Scottoline is a New York Times best selling author and her daughter, Francesca, has been honored with numerous writing awards.

I just finished reading another great book by the mother/daughter duo. "My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space:  The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman," is a tell-all odyssey of three generations of women who will win your hearts and bring you to tears of laughter.  The book is a compilation of essays written by Scottoline, the mother who lives on a farm, and Serritella, the daughter who is living single in New York.

My favorite chapter involved Ms. Scottoline taking inventory as to what she could do to best update her home.  After a long and dutiful inspection, she decided that what her home most needed was new SHOES AND HANDBAGS!  A woman after my own heart!  Grandma Mary has her own "style," namely a white lab coat (although she is retired and has never worked in the medical profession) and, to everyone's chagrin, a bra which she has been wearing for 30 years.

This is an ideal gift for grandmothers, mothers and daughters who want a roller-coaster ride of fun reading.

Susan Says: Fairy Tale-Inspired Fashions

Veteran costumer designer Colleen Atwood has transformed Johnny Depp into the Mad Hatter and Charlize Theron into an evil queen. Now she wants to put a spell on all of us with her new fashion line which will available on the Home Shopping Network, premiering on May 30th.

Atwood's first ready-to-wear line is a 12-piece collection of tops, dresses, skirts and caftans; her inspiration was the movie "Snow White and The Huntsman." She told Entertainment Weekly Magazine, "My goal was to evoke a simple, fun way of looking inspired from that movie."

According to the Vancouver Sun, The Atwood by Colleen Atwood collection follows on the heels of several other recent branding opportunities for costume designers, including Trish Summerville’s "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" collection for H&M, which launched in December, and the "Mad Men" collection for Banana Republic, which is a partnership between Janie Bryant and Banana Republic creative director Simon Kneen.

This is the first time that Atwood, a three-time Oscar winner whose credits include "Alice in Wonderland," "Chicago" and "Ed Wood," has designed a fashion collection. "It’s often said that costume designers are a faceless group of people," Atwood told the Vancouver Sun. "But we can contribute to fashion in a way that might be new and different."

A brown and black pointe knit dress will retail at $79.90 and a smocked peasant dress will retail at $149.90.  My crystal ball predicts that her creative challenge will be a success!

A Short Story

Shorts are big fashion for summer. Several years ago, Chloe debuted a suit which featured beige scalloped-edged shorts instead of pants:

Since then, shorts have been going in a dressier, more grown-up direction, which continues this summer. As shorts continue to gain popularity as street-wear (and even evening wear!), one new trend to consider is printed shorts. As the mercury rises, try cooling off in some of these hot prints, many of which are now on sale:

Zara Printed Shorts $49.99

Lucky Brand Veronica Ikat Printed Shorts $52.99

 

Paige Denim Printed Lola Shorts $149

Rebecca Taylor Mini Wild Rose Print Shorts $100

Affordable Brazilian Elegance

Calvin Klein designer and Brazil native Francisco Costa has created a capsule collection for Macy's as part of the department store's "Brasilian Celebration." The collection, which launches on May 15th, features 13 dresses priced between $135 and $180.  

In creating the collection, the designer's primary inspiration was his Brazilian hometown, Minas Gerais. He told InStyle Magazine, "When people think of Brazil, they envision a lot of vibrant color and festivals, like Carnaval. But Minas Gerais, where I grew up, values a natural, monochromatic aesthetic that is evident in my designs." 

Another inspiration was Rio's Museum of Modern Art, which features a unique spiral staircase; Costa did an interpretation of that staircase and created a wrap dress, which, he explains, is "one piece of fabric wound around the body several times, forming a modern, layered look."


"The collection really represents Calvin Klein; it's really light, it's really well made and the price is really right," Costa told Fashionologie.  "It's always a challenge but very exciting to design within a different block. It's good that we can bring our collection product to a much larger audience." 

The dresses are monochromatic, timeless pieces and are stunning, elegant and reflect the designer's signature minimalism, all very Francisco Costa and very Calvin Klein, and apparently very Brazilian too! 

Happy Mother's Day to All!

We wanted to wish a very happy Mother's Day to all. We hope you have a wonderful day! Our loving and hard-working mothers certainly deserve every indulgence and appreciation.

The holiday of Mother's Day has its roots in honoring mothers whose families were torn apart by the Civil War. In 1868, Anne Jarvis created a committee to establish a "Mother's Friendship Day" whose purpose was "to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War." She wanted to expand it into an annual memorial for mothers, but she died in 1905 before the celebration became popular.

Appropriately, it was Anne's daughter, Anna, who would continue her mother's efforts and, in 1914, Congress and President Woodrow Wilson issued proclamations declaring the first national Mother's Day.

Amidst the celebration it's also good to take a moment to consider mothers who are less fortunate.

Here are some videos which raise awareness about the plight of mothers around the world:

- Every Mother Counts, a global maternal health advocacy organization founded by Christy Turlington, has declared today "No Mothers Day," in remembrance of the women and girls who die during pregnancy and childbirth each year. Watch their video here. 

-Actor Ben Affleck, an ardent activist for the Eastern Congo, also produced a video honoring the brave mothers who are raising their children in this war-torn nation. Watch his video here.

Happy Mother's Day to Moms everywhere! 

Dana's Deal of the Day: BB Creams

I love to apply my various serums, moisturizers and sunblocks, and of course my makeup, but sometimes, I just don't have time. Mornings are especially busy, but I don't like to leave the house to make the kids' school runs without at least a little sunblock (I do live in Florida, after all) as well as a little something to even out my skin.

So I was very excited to try the new "BB creams" which have come to market. The BB cream craze ("BB" stands for "beauty balm")  originated in Asia, and over a dozen different brands have brought BB creams to market in the US over the past year, with many more labels still set to launch.

The beauty of BB creams is that they are all-in-one products. These creams moisturize, prime, protect, sunblock and of course provide some complexion-perfecting skin coverage. With these creams, in one step you have all your skin care and beauty needs met, and you are ready to go.

There are BB creams available at every price point. Check out the selection at Sephora.com   for BB creams from brands ranging from Clinique ($37) to Dior ($56). Or try Target for BB creams from Garnier and Maybelline which ring up around $12.

Advanced Style

Style is ageless, believes photographer/blogger Ari Seth Cohen, age 30, and he has a new book coming out on May 22nd to prove it.  Cohen photographs fashionistas of advanced ages to demonstrate the unique styles of the over-60 set. His inspiration? His beloved late grandmother, Bluma, who was not only fashionable but also Cohen's best friend. 

Cohen's brand of fashion photography led to his blog, Advanced Style, which in turn, led to his forthcoming book and to a documentary which is in the making.  Interestingly, the over-the-top hats and oversized coats worn by subjects in some of Cohen's street shots were the inspiration for Marc Jacobs' 2012 collection.

States Cohen, "I hope my photos help people feel better about aging.  The people I photograph are true style icons."

Dana's Dream of the Day: Attending The Met Gala

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala is the epitome of glamor,  when the biggest names in fashion gather at the venerable art mecca, all decked out in the most amazing couture. The annual event celebrates the latest installment at the Costume Institute; this year's exhibit is "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations," exploring the connections between the works of these two iconic Italian designers of different eras. The collection will be presented with videos of simulated conversations between Schiaparelli and Prada directed by Baz Luhrmann.

An annual affair since 1948, the Gala, which is hosted by Vogue, has been nicknamed the "Oscars of the East Coast" and "The Party of The Year" and features a very glamorous "red carpet" which literally runs up the massive Met Museum steps.  How fantastic would it be to don a fabulous dress and walk the red carpet up those iconic steps? According to NBC-TV New York, however, individual tickets to the exclusive event are hard to come by and can cost up to $25,000.

But this year, we are all invited! For the first time ever, you can watch the red-carpet arrivals live online, thanks to Gala sponsor Amazon.  Check it out tonight at 6:30 pm EST here.  Sounds like the next best thing to being there!

Star Style: Liv Tyler, Bebe Buell and Dorothea Johnson

Photo Credit:

Victor Demarchelier / Harper's Bazaar

Most of us know that Liv Tyler has a famous father, Aerosmith singer and American Idol judge Steven Tyler. But Tyler, who didn't know the identity of her biological father until she was 11, was raised by her mother, grandmother and her aunt, and Harper's Bazaar has a profile of Liv Tyler, age 34, her mother Bebe Buell, 58, and maternal grandmother Dorothea Johnson, age 82. 

While the three generations of women are very different from one another- Buell is a rock singer, while Johnson is an etiquette expert and Tyler is an actress- according to Bazaar, "the three women can be sure to find common ground in some pretty fabulous fashion..." 

In addition to fashion, all three generations share an affinity for skincare and fitness; Buell and Johnson imparted all their beauty secrets to Tyler, including the importance of moisturizing, which, says Bazaar, "in this family is practically a religious commandment."  And when it comes to working out, no one is more inspiring than Johnson; Tyler tells the magazine that, at age 82, her grandmother, "...always sets a good example- she does 100 situps in her nightie. Every. Single. Morning." Pretty impressive!

Target Takes Miami

Target has launched designer lines in the past and now they are taking on a new twist on the collaboration concept: the ubiquitous mass retailer is collaborating with independent boutiques from around the country to bring their unique merchandise to a Target near you. 

On May 6th, The Webster,  a chic, high-end boutique in Miami, will bring its fashions to Target stores. The Webster was co-founded by Laure Heriard Dubreuil, who was a merchandiser for YSL in Paris until opening the store in 2007. Here is a peek inside their Miami boutique:

The Target line will include fashion for women, men and children and the inspiration is vintage wallpaper prints, the Caribbean and art deco elements.  The prices will range from $7.99 to a high of $49.99.   Dubreuil loves timeless clothing and has stated, "I don't want to put things in the store that are so fashion forward that they are out of style in a month.  I want someone to be able to give these clothes to their daughter."

The line includes clothing, swimwear and accessories including The Webster's noted Tropicana prints and lady-like dresses, hats and cardigans.  For spring, Ms. Dubreuil loves "prints - floral, tropical.  It's all about mixing and matching and pairing things that don't necessarily match."

In an feature from Forbes magazine, Dubreuil demonstrated how items from the Target collection can be mixed-and-matched with high-end pieces to create a totally unique look. In the image below, Dubreuil is wearing a Céline skirt, Céline shoes, Balenciaga t-shirt, a Hermès bag and a Rolex watch, all topped off with a The Webster at Target cardigan, which will retail for $32.99.

Maybe we are partial for palm prints since we reside in SW Florida, but this palm tree print dress looks especially intriguing:

Also coveting these totes:

And the color-block cardigan so admirably modeled by Dubreuil above:

LBD Forever

Long live the little black dress.  Its introduction was via Coco Chanel in 1926 and the LBD has survived decades of trends and fads and is a must-have in any woman's wardrobe.  The key to success is in the fit; a little black dress is appropriate for any woman of any age, shape or size, but the fit has to be exact. Then, make the look your own through accessories.

Amy Holman Edelman, author of "The Little Black Dress" explores the history of this fashion classic. Ms. Edelman told the Costco Connection magazine, "When it first came out, the little black dress was so different from the fashion of the times."  She continues, "It freed women from having to spend a lot of money on their clothing.  It was such a simple design that they were able to take bolts of cheaper fabric to their dressmaker, and no one could tell if they were wearing an original Chanel, or a copy.  The LBD works at any price, point, so it's accesible to women regardless of their economic background.  It really is the outfit for Everywoman."

The LBD hit its heights when Audrey Hepburn starred as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's wearing a sleeveless, floor skimming black sheath.  

 
Edelman claims the style has retained its popularity because the focus is on the individual wearing the dress rather than the dress alone.  LBDs are versatile and can transition from day to evening, depending on the accessories, which can transform the look.  

Check out some of the modern styles on Nordstom.com. There are an endless variety of styles available at all price points, but one thing these dresses have in common is that they belong to an iconic category of clothing that has stood the test of time.

Susan Says: Outside-the-Box Crocs

Crocs has come out with a new line of shoes and they aren't even kissin' cousins to the original styles for fun, fashion and comfort.

Crocs shoes are made of their trademark known as Croslite which is a proprietary material, not plastic nor rubber.  Croslite is anti-microbial, which virtually eliminates odor.  The material can be cleaned with plain soap and water and the footbed has nubs which creates a massage-like feel.

I was most impressed by the Carliana Peep Toe Ombre flat, which is color blocked from heel to toe:

I also liked the Sexi Aliana sandal which is a t-strap inspired by Italian gladiator styling:  

And check out the Cyprus II which is a wedge style with a 3 1/2 inch heel with t-strap design:

The Sammilee has a croc footbed but is made of snake embossed leather:

 

The Amstera, which has 2 3/4 inch heel, is available in nude with a leather upper and crocs insole:

Another great thing to know is that, when you are ready for a new pair of Crocs, you can donate your old ones!   Crocs, Inc. and Soles4Souls have developed a program whereby your lightly worn Crocs can be re-conditioned and re-donated to people who are in need of shoes in impoverished nations around the world.  Three millions pairs of shoes (and counting!) have been donated so far.  Participate by mailing your Crocs to Soles4Souls, 315 Airport Road, Roanoke, Al  36274.   You can visit www.soles4soulsfundraising.org/crocscares to learn more about helping this drive.