How do I wear that trend…Clutches

Hi there Cluelessfashionistas!! Here’s another lovely “How do I wear that trend” series focusing on fall accessories. So here goes…

One great trend for the fall is clutch purses. This is a great trend because clutches come in so many different forms and shapes. In the past, clutch purses were typically small. Now, designers are creating clutches that are much larger and more elaborate. There are also clutches that come with wrist bands for you ladies like me that don’t carry clutches because of the lack of a strap. I don’t know about you, but it’s always been my fear that I would be out somewhere rockin my cute little clutch, look around and realize that I’ve left it somewhere. That alone was enough to keep me from enjoying clutches, until I found a cute little sliver toned clutch with a wrist band attached. Here are some pictures of different types of clutches including the wristlet one. I got mine from New York and Company for less than $20. I don’t remember the exact price because I’ve had it for years, but it’s definitely a timeless piece.  Enjoy the pictures and don’t be afraid to add a clutch to your accessory wardrobe.

http://www.globalcraftsb2b.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=807&osCsid=s9pte2f9tdsnvkv44npvrkos17

http://www.retrodesignerdeals.com/catalog/item/4321499/4769737.htm

Silver Clutch from New York & Company

My purse is the bottom one. Happy Clutching!

Fall Fashion Accessory Trends

Hi there!

The other day, I was watching an episode of The Wendy Williams Show. I’m a big fan of her show! But I digress…

I was watching the show and she was discussing Fall Accessory Trends with Life and Style Magazine Editor-At-Large, Dawn Yanek. I got out my paper and pad and made a list to share with you guys. As the weather gets cooler, this is a great time to start incorporating some trends into our wardrobe using accessories. Winter accessories are easier to incorporate because there are more of them. In the winter, you can wear scarves, hats and gloves in addition to earrings, rings, belts and purses. Check out the fall fashion accessory trends and be on the lookout for another series of “How do I wear that trend?” for further assistance.

This fall statement pieces are going to be hot. Here is a list of pieces to be on the look out for when you do your fall accessory shopping:

1. Clutches
2. Purses with hardware on them
3. Statement necklaces
4. Art deco jewelry
5. Embellishments on shoes
6. Color suede shoes
7. Animal print shoes
8. Embellished outerwear
9. Infinity scarves

I will go into more detail about each trend in the next series of How can I wear that trend, but if you want more insight, please feel free to post a question on this post.

Maxi Dresses! Guest post on the ShopItToMe Blog

Hi there!

I know it’s been a bit of time since I last posted. Things have been very busy but I’m still keeping my ear to the ground looking for fashion and beauty tips that I can share with you. While I’ve been doing that, I was given the opportunity to write a guest blog post on the ShopItToMe blog. Below is a link to the post I wrote about maxi dresses and transitioning them from summer to fall. I’m a new fan of the loose, flow-y dresses. Check it out and make sure you click the first link and join ShopItToMe. It’s a free site that offers shopping aid to all of your bargain hungry shoppers!

http://www.shopittome.com

http://blog.shopittome.com/2009/07/23/take-a-maxi-dress-from-summer-to-fall

How do I wear that trend…shift dresses

Our new first lady is quite popular and her conservative but polished style has become quite the rage on the fashion blogs and in fashion news.  One classic piece that she made popular once again was the shift dress.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with a shift dress, here’s a picture.  I’m sure once you see it you will know exactly what it is.  You just may not know that it is called a shift dress.

shift dress from http://55secretstreet.typepad.com/55secretstreet/2008/04/the-night-shift.html

So now that you know what a shift dress is, you should get excited!  Shift dresses are wonderful creations because they are so simple but they can make you look instantly polished and well put together.  All you have to do is put on a nice shift dress with some simple jewelry and voila, you look great!  I have and always will be a fan of the shift dress.  Plus, they’re great classic pieces that can be worn from season to season, year after year.  They’re one of those great pieces that never go out of style.

So for you clueless fashionistas that aren’t very daring, this is a great piece to incorporate into your wardrobe.  In fact, you can have more than one shift dress in a variety of colors.  You can wear a shift dress with a jacket or without one.  You can wear it with large, funky jewelry or you can wear it with a simple set of pearls.  So go out and get your shift dress.  And if you visit the web address under the image, you will see a page full of different types of shift dresses.  It’s a great reference if you’re not sure what direction you want to take your shift dress search in.  Happy shopping!

How do I wear that trend…pearls

Happy first day of Spring!

It’s lovely here in Atlanta and I’m enjoying the mild temperatures.  In recent months, pearls have made a resurgence along with all other types of fabulous accessories.  While pearls are indeed a classic and never truly go out of style, they are sometimes related to the necks and ears of very conservative ladies.  Now that accessories are becoming bigger and better with things like cocktail rings and statement jewelry, pearls are getting their just desserts as well.

However, if you want to take part in the pearl trend, you don’t necessarily have to do it with big pearl earrings or necklaces.  You can still put on a pair of classic, small pearls and look very lovely.  Besides, have you ever noticed how the addition of pearls to an outfit can make it go from plain to classic?

Don’t underestimate the power of the pearl!

Reporting back from New York…clothes on the street

It is well known that New York is the fashion capitol of the US.  Some would say it’s the fashion capitol of the world but I won’t make that proclamation, especially with cities like Milan and Tokyo holding it down overseas.  However, while I was up there for 2009 Mercedes Benz Fall Fashion Week, I decided to do a little observing and see what the ladies in the fashion capitol of the US were wearing.

It’s so easy to people watch in New York because the major modes of transportation is by foot, taxi or public transportation.  People are walking all over the place so one day while I ate lunch before going to work the Tony Cohen fashion show, I did a little people watching.  I noticed that the main thing for ladies in New York at this time of year was layers.  Since it does get quite cold there in the winter, layering is important, especially when you’re doing a lot of walking outside.  In spite of their penchant for layering, I quickly noticed that the layering was often done in a chic and cute way.  So that was the key.  Cute layering was the name of the game for fashion in New York.  So if you want to step up your trend appeal, here is a picture of the “New York look” for you to duplicate or adapt to your own wardrobe.  I highly suggest adapting it because some of us in the warmer states would be hard pressed to sport this look as often as we may like.

pea coat, jeans and boots from http://wishfulcloset.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

This is just one example of the look I saw on the streets of New York.  You can adapt it in any way you prefer.  Here is a list of the items of clothings that I saw most prevalently when I fashion watched in New York City.

1.  Pea coats: these were a great way to stay warm but look great while doing it

2.  Knee high boots with low heels or flats: since they do so much walking, this was a practical thing. If you are in a city that is more car focused, you can play with the heel height.

3.  Tights: I saw mostly dark colors like black, purple, grey and brown

4.  Skinny jeans or leggings tucked into boots

If you have a style trend that is very prevalent in your city, send them my way.  Shoot me an email at info at cluelessfashionista dot com.  I have to keep the spam low by writing out the email address.  I would love to feature clothes on the street from your city.

How do I wear that trend…leggings

The temps are changing!  Slowly but surely, the weather is warming up.  I’m sure it’s much slower for some of you in the northern portion of the US and much faster for those of you in the western portion of the US.  But for me, down here in Atlanta, it’s starting to improve now that we’ve had our random snow storm for the year.   Well the trend for today is one that can be worn during the winter months and the spring months.  You may not be able to pull it off comfortably in the hot summer months when its in the 90s and above but its definitely doable on those milder summer days.  So in essence, leggings can be worn all year round.  They made a big comeback last year and are still holding strong.

I will say, though, that leggings can’t be worn by everyone.  Because they’re very fitted pants, some people won’t be flattered by them.  Before delving into the legging trend, I would suggest you go to a store where you can try some on.  Since they’re pants rather than stockings, you could easily go to any store that carries them and see how they look on you.  I would recommend visiting a Target or Walmart store.  I know they sell them there and if you decide to make the purchase, you won’t be killing your budget.

Now if you decide to go try some on, take an honest person with you.  These are the types of pants that can look great when worn properly and can look completely horrible if worn improperly.  Make sure you take full advantage of the three way mirror on this one too.

Ok, now that you’ve done the test run and determined that leggings look good on you, it’s time to work them into your wardrobe.  There are a few ways to wear leggings.  A great way for those of us that aren’t so adventurous is to layer them under a short dress or a long shirt.  One way to dress up this look is by adding some knee high boots (which look great with leggings) and/or a belt around your waist or hips.  If you’re more adventurous, you can wear the leggings with a short, fitted shirt and layer over a vest.  I’ve seen this look be really cute and I’ve seen it be not so cute so be cautious.  Make sure you use your full length mirror (that we should all have at home per my post about having a full length mirror) and check the front and back of that outfit before you exit your house.

Leggings are a cute trend that can be a bit tricky if not done properly.  If you decide to partake in the legging trend, just make sure you are completely honest with yourself.  Don’t do the trend if it doesn’t flatter you.  There’s nothing worse than looking bad in a trendy outfit.

How do I wear that trend…layering

A trend that has always kind of been around is the trend of layering.  It came back into the spotlight for this fall and is a great trend that is fairly easy to incorporate.  It’s also a good way to include your summer clothes in your fall/winter wardrobe, which is a lovely way to extend your outfit potential.

Layering clothes is exactly what it says.  It’s when you put one piece over another.  However, layering must be done with caution.  You don’t want to end up looking bulky or as if you’re on your way to visit the North or South pole.  Many people think of layering only in the cold weather months when warmth may over shadow looking fashionable.  Now you can do both.  One cool way to layer is to combine those cute summer t-shirts by wearing a lighter colored one under a darker colored one.  This is best done when the shirts aren’t exactly the same size so you can see them both.

Here are some pictures of celebrities wearing layered looks.  These looks are very simple ways to layer and they’re very easy to do.  Plus, many of you may have these types of pieces already so this is another way to use them and add a new look to your wardrobe.  If you have any cool layered looks that you’ve tried successfully, please send me a comment and I will send you an email address where you can send the picture.  Also if you have a picture of a layered look that wasn’t so successful, share those too if you’re comfortable doing so.  It can help to see what works and what doesn’t work.  Plus, I love to show pictures of regular people rather than celebrities.

Layered looks from http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2006/10/24/yes-you-can-wea/

Happy layering!

Reporting back from Mercedes Benz 2009 Fall Fashion Week in New York

Hi!  I’ve been away for the past week but I’m back now.  I had the opportunity to work backstage as a dresser during this past Mercedes Benz Fall Fashion Week in New York.  It was my first season working as a dresser for the company, Ground Crew.  I worked the Tony Cohen Fashion Show and the Michael Kors Fashion Show.  Both of the fall lines were really cute.  The Tony Cohen line was in mostly dark, muted colors but they were well cut and elegantly simple.  Here is a video from the show.  Check it out and enjoy learning about this great designer.

I dressed the lovely Martha in these two looks:

I also worked the Michael Kors show. The line was great! It was very clean and elegant with great splashes of color. I especially loved these tan and orange pumps that were worn by one of the models. They came in tan and green and tan and pink but I loved the tan and orange ones. Check out the video of Michael Kors Show from this past Fashion Week.

I dressed the lovely Heidi and Hanne.

Here’s Heidi:

Here’s Hanne:

While I was there I did some scouting to see what the ladies of the fashion capitol of the US were wearing. Stay tuned for that post. I noticed some trends that can be easily incorporated into the wardrobe of anyone in any state. Enjoy the shows! Oh and here are the shoes:

How do I wear that trend…bold colors

They were hot this past summer and they’re still hot for 2009.  Bold colors are still a great trend that is holding strong.  While basic black will always be classic and a fashion favorite, bold colors are a great way to make your outfits pop.  Now as someone that isn’t a big fan of patterns, I enjoy the bold color trend because it gives me the ability to some extra flair to my outfits without having to deal with patterns.

I know, I know.  I need to show patterns some love and I am working on it but in the meantime, I will rock those bold colors.  I do realize, however, that there are some of you who have an almost totally black wardrobe. Or there are others of you who live life in different shades of tan and brown. It’s ok, you can do the bold color trend as well.

Some easy and non intimidating ways to incorporate bold colors into your wardrobe is through jewelry, shoes, hair accessories and purses.  If you are a lady that enjoys wearing lots of black, you can spice up that black outfit with a bold colored bracelet or a bold colored pair of shoes.  If you are a lady that enjoys wearing tans, you can spice up that tan outfit with a burnt orange or red accessory of any kind.

The bold color trend is not unlike the jewel tone trend.  For more tips, check out this post I did on how to incorporate jewel tones depending on the most prevalent color palette in your wardrobe.

How Do I Wear Jewel Tones

You can also refer to a post that I wrote about how to wear the bright color trend that was really popular over the summer.  Honestly, bold colors and bright colors aren’t that different.  The tone is usually what may separate the two.  Bold colors can be bright or they can just be striking.  For example, burnt orange is a bold color whereas candy apple red is a bright color.  See the difference?  Check out this post for more tips.

How Do I Wear Bright Colors

Any questions? Send me a comment or a message.  Remember, fashion should be fun.