NYFW Favorites- Half-way done

Last night marked the half-way point of Fashion Week, so I thought I'd do a round-up of my favorite looks up to this point. Much as I expected, there aren't any collections that compare to Christian Siriano's, at least for me. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with a different style sensibility who think there are lots of shows that are more exciting than Christian's, but if you know me at all, you know my style and you know that Christian's show was chock-full of looks I die for.

That being said, there were still plenty of amazing looks on the runways at Lincoln Center. The show that came the closest for me was Carolina Herrera. Her looks all seemed to be inspired by antique flower and plant prints like these. Some of the designs integrated the prints in really clever and interesting ways. Other seemed to simply be tacked ono the dress. In most cases, it was a stunning effect. Herrera also featured a slim, 60's style silhouette, much along the lines of what Joan Holloway would wear. I drooled over so many of her looks:

The gowns were also really stunning. I loved Herrera's use of prints:

Jason Wu's show was also quite beautiful. I loved some of his more formal looks as well as his separates. He also featured the slim 60's silhouette, but in a slightly shorter hemline. I also fell in love with the oversize bows done in soft sheers. The two ruffle-y cocktail dresses below are both reminiscent dresses shown in Christian Siriano's Project Runway show, so that's probably why I like them so much.

Few designers had me falling in love with more than a couple of looks, but I still took the time to scroll through nearly every picture of every show that's happened thus far. Here are a few of my favorite looks so far:

Cynthia Rowley's collection featured lots of round cut-outs in nearly every look. Sometimes I loved it, other times not so much. I did like these two looks:

Erin Featherston featured gorgeous fedoras with super-feminine dresses in prints and solids. Her fabric choices and prints were simply luxurious:

Z Spoke by Zac Posen and Vivienne Tam each had one look that I loved, too:

I loved the criss-cross blue fabric draping on this dress by Zac Posen:

It's not often you see lace like on this Vivienne Tam dress:

So far, the most notable aspects of the shows I've seen are the abundance of neutrals. So many of these shows are nearly or completely devoid of color. Whether resort, couture or ready-to-wear, I've seen a lot of beige, cream and grey. Not that I mind, a lot of it is really beautiful.

Do you have any thoughts on the designs that have shown already? Leave a comment! And enjoy the rest of fashion week!

NYFW Favorites- Christian Siriano

My bestie sent me a link to Christian Siriano's runway show and I found myself gasping and sighing over nearly every look. He truly is a fashion genius and one of the only Project Runway winners to see major success. His collection began with luxurious leather and sultry white and remained neutral in color for a dozen looks. But despite the limited color palette, each look was still amazing. Asymmetrical necklines, ruffle details done in innovative and interesting ways, ridiculously beautiful shoes, cocktail dresses, impeccably tailored pants and jackets, every detail was simply stunning.

My favorite look was one of the most simple, a perfect white belted dress:

What I wouldn't give to wear this look. It's stunning in its simplicity. Of course the fierce shoe helps add a touch of edge- so Siriano, don't you think? Another one of my favorite neutral looks was this suit:

The asymmetrical ruffle detail on the jacket is one that popped up more than once in this runway show. I like that the ruffle is soft and fluid and cut in such a way that it's part of the front of the jacket, not just attached to it. Genius.

After a dozen luxe looks in white, brown and grey, Christian finally introduced a colorful print, but not just any print- an absolutely stunning turquoise and brown:

That Christian sure does know drama. This gown wasn't the first look utilizing this print, but it was my favorite. I'm a sucker for a gorgeous gown. The bright pop of color was followed by another group of neutrals, but in darker shades, beautiful metallics and rich prints. My favorite was this look:

The gown itself is absolutely stunning, but the leather jacket addition is so chic. I can just hear Rachel Zoe gushing over the brilliant combination of the two. I'm in love. Next up came a group in fiery reds, but still following the same esthetic of asymmetrical ruffles and impeccably draped dresses, gowns and separates. I loved these cocktail dresses:

I also loved this suit (there's that shoulder ruffle detail again!)

The finale of the show included two major show-stopping gowns in true Siriano-over-the-top fashion:

I am afraid that having seen Christian's collection first, it will be hard to find another collection that can live up to it. You can bet that if and when I do, I'll be blogging about it. In the meantime, if you want to check out the rest of Christian's collection, go here. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!

I am SO tired

So, you all know that I've given notice to AMT and will be leaving Pennsylvania. Originally, my plan was to work out the rest of the month and then move back to New Hampshire in the beginning of October. Well, due to various circumstances (too boring to explain), I'm going to be back in New Hampshire by this time next week! That's why I've been a bit absent from the blog this week- I've been busy making arrangements happen much faster than I originally anticipated. And I've been busy packing. And packing. And packing. That is why I am SO tired.

Moving is never very fun. It's expensive, it's complicated, it's hard work. In short, I hate it. Last weekend I did a purge of all my belongings and hosted a yard sale. I managed to get rid of a lot of superfluous items and what I didn't sell, I donated to a local church for their annual yard sale. My week at work was spent training my replacement for when I leave. It's always nice to know that the transition will go smoothly when you leave a job. In my line of work, the design staff can seem indispensible, but fortunately for AMT, one of my current staff members is going to be the one to step up to the challenge of filling my spot. I know things will go well with her in that position, so it's a little easier for me to focus on the other aspects of my big life change!

As if grooming my replacement and packing my apartment in half the time I thought I'd have weren't enough to think about, this week I also managed to catch a horrible case of viral conjunctivitis in BOTH eyes! I don't know if you've ever had this type of condition, but it is miserable! I initially thought my eyes were just irritated from stirring up dust and dirt at the yard sale, but when it didn't relent, I finally went to the doctor and that was when I discovered I had pink eye. I felt like a dirty little elementary school kid when I heard the news. So to add insult to injury, when I'd like to be spending time with the people I'm saying goodbye to here in PA, instead I'm stuck in quarantine with piles of moving boxes and some Netflix. I ordered a pizza and I'm going to indulge in some ice cream, too. Yes, I eat my feelings. Don't judge me. Did I mention that because of the conjunctivitis, I had to THROW AWAY all the eye make-up I used while I had the virus? Yup. That's a LOT of eye make-up. Shadows, liners, mascaras, not to mention the brushes I used to apply and blend and whatnot. If that's not tragic, I don't know what is. I'm more upset about the make-up than I am about the brand new pair of contact lenses that also went into the trash.

In the meantime, I got a fun text message from my friend Brance. I had a little fun with fabric last week and made him a set of bow ties for an upcoming tour. He's going to be playing the role of Papa Who in the tour of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." How fabulous is that? Anyway, I thought it would be fun to send him some great ties to wear for the various opening nights he'll have while on tour. I packaged them in a pretty little Christmas tin and shipped it off to him. He sent a text with a picture of him wearing all the ties.

It was a far better photo than the ones I snapped:

Left to right: Multi-colored cotton stripe, black and white seersucker, blue and white polka dot poly-satin, brown and blue polka-dot corduroy, blue silk dupioni, brown brocade, cream silk dupioni. Not pictured is a gold poly-silk blend.  

If you look closely, you'll see there are seven ties in the top photo and eight ties in the tin in the bottom photo. I guess I was careless with my picture-taking on this project. I was far too focused on selecting fabrics, I suppose. I wanted to do polka dots, stripes and a set of "formal" fabrics. I kept the formals pretty simple, using just one brocade and some amazing silk dupioni for the solids. If you ever have the chance to sew with silk dupioni, DO IT. It is one of those dreamy fabrics that is simply amazing to work with. And it makes a beautiful bow tie, to boot. Unfortunately, it's also quite expensive. It's not too big a deal to make something small like a bowtie, but to make a dress with it, then the price goes up a little more because the yardage goes up a little more. I really enjoy making bow ties- it's simple and relaxing. Unlike my reversible dress, which was a bit more complicated and a lot more time consuming. If you have a gentleman in your life who would like his own custom bow ties, feel free to visit my Etsy shop or email me to order one or a set.

Right now, my sewing machine is packed in a box somewhere in my apartment, so there won't be any sewing for me this week. Once I get settled back up in New Hampshire, I'll break it out and get back to work. Until then, the blogging I do will have to be focused on other people's fashions. And considering it was Fashion Week in New York this week, I'm going to have a lot of other people's fashions to focus on.

Did you check out any of the runway shows last week? Do you have a favorite? I've only seen photos from a couple of shows so far, but they've all been pretty thrilling. Leave a comment and tell me about what you've seen and what you loved (or hated)!

I Need a New Handbag! Help!

I don't know if it's that I truly need a new handbag, or that I'm simply suffering from seller's remorse, but lately all I can think about is how much I need a nice, new handbag. I've been sporting medium to large handbags for several years now and I don't see that changing anytime soon. This past weekend at my yardsale I got rid of all but about half a dozen of my bags and I'll be honest- the ones left aren't really thrilling me. It's not that I don't like them- I love them. That's why they made the cut and weren't sold. It's more that I'm just in a place where I need a fresh perspective. I'm about to pack my life up and move it more than 400 miles away and what better way to commemorate that than with a new bag?

I went to the BCF the other day and they had two large displays of Nine West bags in gorgeous metallics and blacks. They were really lovely bags, but upon closer inspection I decided they would not function in the way I need a bag to function. For example, they were entirely open inside with only one small zippered pocket inside. I need multiple pockets and I prefer a bag with sections. I carry a lot in my bag, but it's mostly small things, so I need compartments and pockets to keep it all organized. I am also a huge fan of bags with a key leash. I only own one bag that has one and I love it. Anyway, the point is, I need to keep shopping. Whether around town or online, or maybe I should just wait until I'm back in New Hampshire and then Beth can take me handbag shopping. She is the master of handbags.

Anyway, I kind of like these bags:

Jenna Four-Poster Shopper in "Pebble," Nine West, $49.99

Lovely, right? It's also available in black, but I like the "Pebble" color. The only problem with the pebble color is that I'll get it dirty in about 5 minutes and then I'll be mad at myself. Other than that, it's a lovely bag and according to the online description, there are three compartments as well as a zippered pocket and two small slip pockets. Sounds ideal.

Erica Shopper in "Nutmeg," Nine West, $59.99

I love the buckle details on this one and the faux-leather looks really rich and luxurious. But doesn't that bother you? Nearly $60 for a bag that's synthetic? I understand leather is a LOT more, but this bag was originally $109, which seems like a price you might pay for leather. Anyway, I also love how this bag is shaped and once again the description claims there are a lot of compartments and pockets. Unfortunately, the front pocket has a magnet closure. Ever since I ruined a phone by putting it next to the magnet closure in a clutch, I've avoided magnets in handbags. I've got a smartphone and an iPod to think of.

Tanya A in "Light Navy Blue," Etsy, $145

There are just so many gorgeous bags out there, but I especially like the idea of buying one on Etsy because I can know whether or not I'm supporting an artisan versus a sweat shop. This particular bag even has a picture of the inside posted with the listing:

Now THAT'S the kind of interior I'm talking about. Although, it is a tad deep. I really like the idea of a more shallow bag, but one still with a lot of fullness to accomodate all my stuff. I hate being that person who's constantly digging through her purse looking for something. I tend to carry large bags that seem to be bottomless, especially when I'm looking for something! I also like the idea of a bright, fall color like mustard yellow or a deep pumpkin.

Shiraleah Harper Zip Satchel in "Orange," Target, $34.99

The color on this one is perfect, but I think the vibe is off. It's a little too stiff. Well, I suppose I'll just have to continue my quest for the perfect handbag. In the meantime, if you see any amazing ones, please let me know!

More Shoesday Tuesday

I just realized that I never showed you all my September showroom from Shoe Dazzle. Well, here it is:

First of all, $39.95 is a GREAT price for a pair of knee-high boots, so I'm kind of excited about the prospect of a nice pair like "Melrose." Although, do you think it's odd that Shoe Dazzle put both colors of "Melrose" in my showroom even though when I click on one for a closer look, it clearly states the shoe is available in 2 color choices? Either way, I really love that boot, but I think the black version would be the most practical for my lifestyle. I'm drawn to the nude version as well, so I'll have to think on it before I make any major decisions. I'm also in love with the Anise short boot and the Anslea pump. I don't know if I can choose just one! I'm also loving the Sevilla and Park handbags. And you all know how much I need a new bag!

The other thing I've noticed about my September showroom is that there isn't a single item in it that's not a neutral! Not a single pop of color in the entire mix! I may have to ask for a second set of items just to see if they give me something colorful. In the meantime, Shoe Dazzle has added a new feature where you can see the shoes your stylists ALMOST selected for you, but that didn't quite make the "top 5" cut. Of all the shoes not selected for me, my favorite was Sabine:

I love the color- you all know how much I prefer colorful shoes. I wonder if I ask for a second set of shoes, how many of them will be colorful? We'll find out! Happy Shoesday Tuesday bonus, everyone!

Shoesday Tuesday- Spectator Oxfords

You all already know how much I love a good oxford shoe- flat, heel, cut-out- I'm obsessed. But lately I've been more and more drawn to the spectator oxfords for their whimsical quality. What a fun way to add a punch of quirkiness to a cute fall outfit! Pair them with a feminine silhouette like a pencil skirt or an a-line or full skirt. Layer on some opaque tights and finish the look with a cardigan or blazer. Here is some inspiration:

Shoeful of Sugar, Modcloth, $104.99

Candy Dipped Flat, Modcloth, $64.99

Get to the Point Spectators, Modcloth, $39.99

One of the things I really like about Modcloth is that they will notify you when an item is back in stock. So even if the shoe isn't available in your size, you can find out when it is and who knows- maybe you'll still be dying for it, or maybe you'll be over it. Either way, it's very convenient.

And just for fun, here's an outfit I made using the first pair of shoes above:

Spectators by Rtboo featuring a black skirt

Cowl neck belted jumper Mustard, 50 GBP
Old Navy Womens Basic Tights, $6.50
Peppermint Swirl Spectators, $98
Melie Bianco S10, $78
Gold Plated Hammered Bird Cuff, Wendy Mink, 120 GBP
Bottega Veneta Oxidized sterling silver earrings, $490
Binetti Skirts Black Wool Pencil Skirt - StyleCaster

Happy Shoesday Tuesday!

Key Fall Accessories: Scarves

This is the first weekend where the air has started to feel like fall. The sun is still shining, the days are still warm, but the air has that distinctive feeling that can only mean one thing: fall is arriving. I'll soon be putting away many of my summer pieces and bringing out those items that only come out in the cooler weather. Scarves are an amazing accessory because they can add warmth on a cold, winter day, but they can also completely transform an outfit all on their own. I was recently introduced to a great scarf resource not only for purchasing beautiful scarves, but also for basic instructions on how to wear them.

Affordable Scarves is exactly that- a site for great scarves at great prices. A few of my favorites:

Lindsay Rose Scarf, $15.30

Leopard Print Infinity Scarf, $16.11

Posey Plaid Winter Scarf, $10.46

There is a decent variety of colors, patterns, textiles and styles of scarves available on the site and nearly every scarf is discounted. Also, it's easy to search for different types of scarves- you can search by season, material, color, style, trend, shape and size. In addition to being an online resource for all types of scarves, they are also affiliated with Scarves.net, a resource for all things scarf-related. What I like most about scarves.net is the videos. Have you ever wondered how to tie a scarf in interesting ways? Scarves.net offers a library of how-to videos from the most basic methods to more complicated styles called "37 Ways to Tie a Scarf." Some of my favorites:

FOUR-IN-HAND:

FAKE KNOT:

KNOT ROW:

And of course, you can always take a look at the post I did last year about how to tie a scarf here.

Scarves aren't just for fall and winter, but there is something very cozy about the feel of a warm, soft scarf around your neck on a chilly day. Are you the type of person who wears scarves purely for their function, or is it all about the style for you? Or maybe it's both- you like the function and the style to work together. If you know of any great scarf-tying tips, please leave a comment! And enjoy these last few days of warm weather before scarves are a daily necessity!