Accessories Anonymous: Un-Bow-lievable

There are some things that are so quintessentially girly that you can't help but feel completely feminine when wearing them. To me, flowers and bows are two of those things. My personal preference of the two is flowers- I love floral prints, flower brooches and pins, even flower jewelry. I've got floral shoes, dresses, skirts, blouses, scarves, hats, and even purses. I've never really been a fan of the other side- bows. But then I noticed one of my coworkers- Sadie- has a tendency to wear bows all the time and they always look great. She tends to pair them with more edgy pieces and the balance of the two works really well.

In honor of Sadie and her bow obsession, here are some great bow-inspired accessories I've found for you:

 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Textured Bow Ring, Nordstrom, $37.90 

Darling Dottie Hair Clip, Modcloth, $12.99

Sweet Bow Necklace, Cocoro Jewelry (Etsy), $17

Autumn Kiss Brooch Pendant on Bow Pin, Tina Tarnoff (Etsy), $45

Valentino Couture Patent Bow Pump, Neiman Marcus, $745

Oasis Leather Bow Envelope Cross-Body Bag, ASOS, $41.37

Elasticized Bow Belt, Yes Style, $9.60

Even a die-hard floral fan like myself can't help but be won over by these absolutely adorable bow accessories! What about you? Would you wear any of these pieces? Do you wear a lot of bows? Leave a comment! 

Inspiration: Marc Jacobs

If I was told tomorrow, "You may only wear Marc Jacobs for the rest of your life," I'd be okay with that. And if the additional criterion was "You may only wear blue for the rest of your life," I'd be okay with that, too. Because everything would all be as beautiful as these pieces:

Marc Jacobs- Blue by Rtboo featuring Marc by Marc Jacobs

Items in this set:
Lela boned silk dress, $500
blazing star print dress, 475 GBP
MARC BY MARC JACOBS M193305 BLUE/VIOLET SILK/COTTON -, 365 GBP
MARC BY MARC JACOBS M101309 DEEP INDIGO SILK -, 340 GBP
MARC JACOBS Pullover, 710 EUR

Sometimes a designer just works for a person. People have their favorites for different reasons, but Marc Jacobs is one of those designers whose work is always appealing to me. I know it seems silly to pick one color and one designer, and obviously I wouldn't actually wear only blue items by Marc Jacobs for the rest of my life, but you can't deny these are all gorgeous pieces.

Diffusion Confusion

A diffision line is a term for a ready-to-wear line of clothing produced by a typically high end designer. It's a line designed to reach the masses and the items therein are significantly less expensive than their runway counterparts. Isaac Mizrahi led the way with discount department store diffusion lines with his line designed for Target. Lots of designers have followed in his footsteps including Vera Wang who has designed a line for Kohls and Alexander McQueen who also designed for Target.

The list of designers with diffusion lines could go on for days- Marc by March Jacobs, D&G by Dolce & Gabbana, and Emporio by Armani to name a few- but you should be aware of the differences in these diffusion lines. No, my friend, not all diffusion lines are created equal, and therefore it is understandable that you might have some diffusion confusion. I hope I can clear some of that confusion up for you.

The easiest way to break it down is to divide the diffusion lines into two types- the first is the type that is still handled by the designer. Marc by Marc Jacobs is a good example of this. The second is the type that is handled by design teams who work with the chain or department store where the product will be sold. Isaac Mizrahi's line for Target is an example of this type of diffusion line.

A mass-produced diffusion line is certainly a lucrative way for a discount department store to create a frenzy in their store- H&M had a run on their Karl Lagerfeld diffusion line, but that's a whole other story. The point I'm trying to make is before you plunk down your credit card, take the time to closely examine the garment you are buying. Some diffusion lines are still made with high-quality craftsmanship, while others are poorly tailored, and use cheap materials. To generalize, it is a safe bet that a diffusion line that is handled by the designer themself will be of a higher quality than one that is handled by a team associated with the chain store. Regardless, when considering a piece from a diffusion line, make sure you are buying it for the right reason- because it looks good on you. If you are buying something simply for the label inside it, you are bound to be disatisfied and will be far less likely to wear it. After all, who can see the inside label except you? Think about it.

Remember that when purchasing a piece from a diffusion line, you are buying something that is most likely mass-produced. When purchasing a designer piece, you are getting something that is made with high quality craftsmanship and it is more than likely a unique piece and sometimes even one-of-a-kind. Isn't that why we like buying designer duds? The idea that we can have something no one, or very few others will also have is appealing! When you purchase from a diffusion line, you may have a "designer" item in your closet, but it's likely not a one-of-a kind item. If that's not important to you, then onward! If you get nothing else from this post, remember that in purchasing ANY item of clothing the most important criterion is how that garment looks on you. Designer pieces, thrift shop or garage sale finds, department store items- any of these can be equally fabulous or fatal if they are not flattering on you.