Another Trunk Show Weekend

Trunk shows are seriously the most fun when it comes to working in the bridal industry. First of all, there are lots more dresses in the store than usual. I love seeing the new dresses, not only hanging on the racks, but especially on the brides who are coming in to try them on. It's amazing how a dress can look so completely different when it's actually on someone's body and not just a mannequin. This weekend we have a trunk show with Allure Bridal and their new dresses really are gorgeous. Check these out:

Style 8873

The lace on this gown is really beautiful and the silhouette is stunning. I love the deep v-neckline and the open back. For the bride who wants to look sexy on her wedding day, this dress is where it's at. 

Style 8862

I love the mix of traditional and modern with this dress. The silhouette is a classic ballgown shape, but the ruffles and cool asymmetrical detail at the waist bring it into the present day. This dress has great movement- it's very fluid and the ruffles are light as a feather. 

Finally, this beauty is one of my favorites: 

Style 8852

I love the ruched bodice and the full circle skirt. It's not too mermaid in shape, and I love the asymmetrical seam where the skirt meets the bodice. It's a simple dress with an amazing fit and stunning details. This dress is a winner in my book. 

I don't think I'll even grow tired of seeing a bride find her dress. It's so awesome to see a woman light up when she sees her reflection and you know she's found "the one." 

Check out the other dresses Allure has to offer. Leave a comment and tell me what you think of their collection. I'd love to hear your opinion! 

Sweet as Honey

Don't you just love the color of honey? It's so warm and inviting and sweet and so I just had to put together a post dedicated to the color of honey. Enjoy these beautiful and stylish honey-colored pieces:

T Tahari Cleo Dress, Nordstrom, $128

Bixby Bag, Kate Spade, $346

Cowl Chiffon Dress, Dorothy Perkins,  £45.00

Just Fabulous Elise Pump, Heels.com, $59.99

Honey is a perfect color to transition from summer to fall- it is still bright enough to work with a lot of true summer colors like sky blue or white, but it has the depth necessary to be paired with rich, fall colors like pumpkin and amber. Try to work something honey-colored into your outfit this weekend and you'll see what I mean!  

New York Fashion Week

Today is the start of New York Fashion Week and I so wish I could be there! There are SO many designers whose runway shows I would LOVE to see, and maybe someday I will. Carolina Herrera, Monique Lhuillier, Badgley Mischka, Diane von Furstenberg, and Jenny Packham are just a few whose designs I've long admired.

Even more exciting is that the Project Runway collections will also debut this week! At 9:30 AM on Friday, the remaining designers will be sending their collections down the runway. It must be fun to watch that show because it includes not just the top three designers, but all the other "decoy" collections, too.

Is there a particular designer whose collection you are most excited to see this week? Leave a comment- I'd love to know who you love!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

I've been extremely fortunate that for almost the entire summer, nearly every one of my days off was blessed with beautiful weather. Today, not so much. It's rainy and cold and I just want to stay curled up in bed all day long. Yesterday, one of my coworkers commented on the fact that she doesn't own a rain coat. And now it's pouring outside, so Kristin- this post is for you!

This cool jacket caught my eye because of its great fit, textured fabric and cool pleated collar: 

Pleated Collar Metallic Cotton Trench, Ann Taylor Loft, $128

I'm absolutely drooling over Banana Republic's Mad Men Collection Leopard Print Trench. The color is subtle and not at all over-the-top, so you could feel comfortable wearing this jacket every day! 

Mad Men Collection Leopard Print Trench, Banana Republic, $198

If the pale leopard print is too neutral for you, you may want to try a bolder print. I like to wear bright colors and bold prints on rainy days- it helps combat the gloominess. This striped trench might just do the trick, especially if you had a nice bright red umbrella: 

ASOS Stripe Collarless Trench, ASOS, $137.21

Sometimes you just don't feel like wearing a trench. But what other options do you have? Well, this cape is a great start! The color is so rich and the silhouette is so retro-60's- it's perfect over a pair of skinny jeans or a fitted skirt with tall boots: 

Botany Professor Cape, Modcloth, $69.99

Another cool silhouette option is the slightly boxier swing coat style. This military-inspired version keeps the look crisp and clean while also featuring cool details like epaulets and big, silver buttons: 

Ahead of the Fleet Jacket, Modcloth, $154.99

Don't let a little rain get in the way of having a fabulous day out on the town. Just grab your Wellingtons and an umbrella and one of these fabulous raincoat options and head on out! Enjoy this rainy day, everyone! 

Shoesday Tuesday- Amazing Miu Mius

As promised, this week I'm featuring some amazing shoes by Miu Miu. These shoes are not for the faint of heart- they are beyond bold- these shoes are over-the-top:

Glitter and Calf Hair Pumps, Net-a-Porter, $650

Glitter and Suede Peep-toe Ankle Boots, Net-a-Porter, $890

Zebra Print Suede Brogues, Net-a-Porter, $490

I love how rich the materials and textiles are- these shoes look as expensive as they are. Maybe someday I'll splurge on a fabulous pair of Miu Miu's but for now I'll have to be content just looking. 

Project Runway Season 9 Episode 6

What a disappointing episode this was! I am a little upset that so few of the designers actually bothered to follow the parameters of this weeks' challenge. The concept was to create and AVANT GARDE design, was it not? I just saw so little on the runway that could actually qualify as avant garde.

Laura's design was pretty, but oh-so tame. I've seen plenty of gowns like this on the red carpet, on the runway, even at work:

Olivier's design was another snooze-fest, but he didn't even have the saving grace of good construction. Nope- he glued his garment together. Explain that, will you?

The third and final flow-y, boring, sheer fabric dress was made by Viktor, whom I normally adore. This week, his dress was a complete disaster from start to finish:

Unfortunately, the remaining designers didn't fare well, either. Nearly everyone fell short in one way or another, but Josh C. and Kimberly did it in style with some leather to spice up the night. Unfortunately for Josh, it meant he was auf'd for the second time this season. 

Josh C's Look

Kimberly's Look

Apparently, to them, "avant garde" means tight leather mini and weird embellishments. 

The worst of the worst, however, were Bert, Bryce and Becky: 

Bert's Look

Bryce's Look

Becky's Look

I have no words for Bert, except maybe "Do you HATE women THAT MUCH?!?!" No offense, Heidi, but even YOU would not look good in those pants. That outfit would have been more suited to the stilts challenge. Bryce's straight-jacket dress was just dumb. I said it. It was dumb. When is he going home? Next week, I hope. And as for Becky, it's a basic black dress with some building blocks on the shoulder. Her failure was in not taking it far enough. Also, the long part of the dress should have been lined in an interesting color, don't you think. Isn't that her thing- fun linings?

As for the ones I consider to be in the "top," I was still underwhelmed. Anya's look just seemed incongruous. Sometimes I think the designers make a checklist of what can qualify as avant garde and just select a few off the list to create something totally bizarre. For Anya, her checklist included an exaggerated silhouette, atypical fabric choices and feathers. I love Anya, but I do NOT love this. 

Josh M's look was my favorite, but it had nothing to do with the sad story about his mom. How contrived that one week he's the nasty villain and the next week, he's all weepy. Of course I feel bad about his mom, but at this point I think he may be gunning for an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Drama. Regardless, I liked his look best: 

Winner Anthony Ryan made a sheath dress and then appliqued a bunch of "paint strokes" onto it. I am still unsure as to what about this is avant garde? 

This look could easily be worn on the red carpet if it were a little more refined, but there isn't anything about it that says "Avant garde." Correct me if I'm wrong, please! He did a nice job of translating the art work he and his partner created, but that's it. There is nothing over-the-top or exaggerated about this dress. I don't feel he deserved the win, but again, I'm not sure any of them did.

See what I mean? Disappointing, right? I want an avant garde do-over challenge where they actually create something dramatic and bold! Please, designers, don't let this happen again! 

Accessories Anonymous: Miu Miu Handbag

Sometimes it's fun to imagine what I would shop for if I had an unlimited budget. I might go for this luxurious Miu Miu Handbag:

Matelasse Nappa Leather Flap Handbag, Miu Miu, $1,750.00

Is that bag luxurious or what? The peacock color is so rich and the pleating and quilting of the leather is beautifully done. A bag like this deserves an outfit that will let it be the star- a simple LBD, nude pumps and simple jewelry would work great to create a polished outfit worthy of such a sophisticated bag. Miu Miu is also known for amazing shoes, so check back on Shoesday Tuesday to see an incredible example of their shoes.