Get Your Vintage Fix!

Wow. I haven't posted in such a long time. I've been so insanely busy it's not even funny. Anyway, before I buy a new flash drive and clean out my computer so I have more than 337.7 MB left (and therefore, am able to upload my photos), I thought I'd do a little post about vintage.

I am completely in love with vintage items right now. I've found so many great sites featured in my Daily Candy emails, I'm not sure where to start. But I'll begin with eBay. If you've read some of my older (like, really older) posts, you might have picked up that eBay is like an addiction for me. I just love it. Anyway, I recently discovered that it is a fabulous place to find awesome vintage pieces. The eBay store Violetville Vintage is the best! They have loads of adorable finds, and are always updating. All their auctions start at less than $25! And who wouldn't be willing to pay that for these adorable shorts?

Next up, there's the Girls Love Shoes NYC online boutique. Click on the "Vintage" link and chose a category from the sidebar to start shopping! They have tons of great styles, including vintage designer heels (like these) and wicked awesome vintage boots (like these). You're bound to find something you love!

Then there's 28 Crash!, an amazing site for the greatest vintage finds. The site specializes in vintage clothing inspired by rock 'n' roll and pop culture icons. Here's the best part though: they modify many of their garments to fit the average woman! This means no strange box-y shapes or unflattering waists. They don't change the size -- just the fit. They also have their own 28 Crash! Label, which uses vintage pieces and thoughtfully re-creates them into something new. They are big on recycling and even save their fabric scraps to add flair to some of their pieces. They don't have a massive amount of items, but there is always something gorgeous for you! Examples: Their "Peach Ballerina Girl" dress and "Eyelet Ruffle Sundress". In addition, they also have a few shoe options and some cool jewelry and shades!

And just because Polyvore is having a new vintage contest, we can't forget AdoreVintage. With tons of options, like gorgeous dresses and adorable sweaters, you can't go wrong. Enjoy!

Ali Michael, Now Too "Fat"?

I just read this highly disturbing article from the Wall Street Journal. Ali is an amazing girl with a lot perseverance. She dieted herself sick trying to keep her weight down and appeared on 31 Spring 2008 runways including Dior, Chanel, and Lanvin. And she's only 17 years old!

But after gaining five pounds, casting directors told her that her legs were too "fat" and she landed only ONE show (Yohji Yamamoto) in Paris this time. And she didn't even appear on her own -- it was in a group setting! See below:


Is this thin business getting out of hand? I think so. Ali Michael looks very healthy for a model, and I commend the fact that she choose not to starve herself -- instead, she went home. I really wouldn't notice a five-pound difference, and I think that this whole ordeal is absolutely ridiculous. If this (Anna Sui, New York) is considered fat...


...then what is thin? A skeleton? What is the world coming to? People need to wake up. "I think it's gotten worse. In the fashion industry, the models are getting thinner and thinner, yet as a culture, we're getting fatter and fatter," says Nina Garcia, fashion director of Elle magazine.

Is This Ridiculous or What?

Little-Lily.com has just launched its "Red Carpet Collection", which re-creates some of the hottest Oscar looks for around $100. There's a catch, though -- these garments are for your dog! Seriously, I have no idea what is going on in their heads over at the Little-Lily design center, because this is the wackiest thing I've ever heard of. Do they think its going to be the next big trend? Doggie Oscar gowns? They're offering up a dog-friendly version Jessica Alba's dress (The Jessica, pictured above on the right) for $104, Jennifer Garner's (The Jennifer) for $120, and Anne Hathaway's (The Anne) for $104. There's even a rendition of George Clooney's Armai tuxedo (The George) for $120.

Is this completely adorable, or just the most ridiculous idea you've ever heard of?

CREDIT: Amy Sancetta/AP

Fashion Gets Personal

I just wanted to put here a few fashion updates from my personal life. Firstly, that gorgeous limited-edition Dior Nail Lacquer in Poison Blue just arrived in stock at Sephora.com. Remember how that Chanel one sold out so fast? As soon as I got the email that it had arrived, I ordered it. I wonder how long it's going to take before this one's gone too...

Secondly, I came upon the realization of just how great Forever 21 is. You never know what you're going to find. I bought a pretty, Dutch-like (yes, that is how I describe it) top just recently, and I also just got two cropped jackets for around $20. You have to look around, but at this store you can find some really nice clothes (and accessories) that look much more expensive than they cost. The last time I was in there, I saw a gorgeous cream dress with a black bow that looked exactly like Juicy Couture. And another great store ... H&M. Especially for coats and jackets. They have the greatest outwear for such fantastic prices. And, hey, if Tim Gunn loves H&M, wouldn't you? I recently bought a black trench there for around $50 (regular price!).

And, last but certainly not least, I found the perfect jeans for myself. I always have issues finding jeans because I am one of those long and lean type people, and jeans that fit me nicely are always too short. I also wanted some awesome straight-leg jeans, and I found them ... at Delia's! They sell so many sizes, and when you order from their catalouge you can get longer/shorter inseams, perfect for your leg length! I recommend the Reese fit -- it's classy and flattering. Not too flared, not too skinny.

Red Carpet Style 2008

Each year, the gowns on the red carpet just get better and better, and 2008 was no exception! Some of my favorites:

Jennifer Garner. I absolutely feel in love with this Oscar de la Renta gown. It's fabulous, beautiful, and classy.

Cate Blanchett. Normally the dresses you see at the Academy Awards are solid-color gowns, but Cate looks amazing in this perfectly detailed one. I am also completely loving the color -- the deep blue may seem to edgy against pale skin, but she knows how to wear it.

Marion Cotillard. Another detailed gown, but in a sold color. I just fell in love with the mermaid-like shape, modern color, and texture.

Heidi Klum. The Project Runway host stood out in a sea of red dresses with this Haute Couture by John Galliano gown. It's stunning! The best part? It's going to be auctioned off to benefit Red Heart Truth charity. To bid, go to mycokerewards.com.

Kerri Russell. This strapless Nina Ricci evening gown is absolutely gorgeous! I love the soft color and the floaty fabric. It's perfectly accessorized with that necklace (H. Stern) as well.

Katherine Heigl. Another fabulous red dress. I love the shape of this one -- it's so modern and that detail on the shoulder makes it stand out from the usual red dress. Plus, it's elegant and flatters her beautifully.

Renée Zellweger. This Carolina Herrera dress is such a stunner -- it almost looks like Elie Saab Couture gown. It's so glam!

Penélope Cruz. Of course, we would expect no less from this ever-glamorous star. She looks absolutely elegant in her custom-designed (by Karl Lagerfeld) Chanel Haute Couture gown. And I adore the color -- it's simply gorgeous. As you know, I'm not the biggest fan of navy blue clothing, but this midnight color is fabulous!

What are your opinions on these gowns? Favorites? Least favorites?

CREDITS (from top to bottom): Axelle/Bauer-Griffin; Kevork Djansezian/AP; Kevork Djansezian/AP; Frazer Harrison/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty; Jeff Vespa/WireImage; Steve Granitz/WireImage; Kevork Djansezian/AP

Trend: Yellow, Black & White Floral Dresses

Seen on celebrities such as Marion Cotillard, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Garner, these little floral dresses are so adorable! I love how the black and white mix makes the yellow a lot less mellow -- instead the color becomes the focal point of the outfit. And these dresses don't look like bee costumes either! Do you love 'em or hate 'em?

PHOTOS: Winter/Getty; Kambouris/WireImage; Livingston/Getty

How to Wear Navy Blue Nail Polish

Hopefully you've read the post Spring's Nail Polish Trend and know what I'm talking about: the hottest nail color this spring is navy blue! We all know how to pull off the sailor look, but what if you want to rock navy nails without looking like you just stepped off a private yacht? In reading the comments for that post, I came across this question from Lovable_Me:

"What colors for clothes do you think would work with navy blue polish?"

That question is precisely what I am going to answer now. Let's admit it: the only real color that works amazingly well with navy blue besides white/cream is red. And when people get in a white/blue/red mode, that is not good, because it is just a fashion disaster waiting to happen. Unless you want to dress up for the 4th of July or you are going with a chic, nautical theme, the trick to wearing this color is to mix in a hint of some other color, like a dark green. Also remember not to over-do the black -- remember the black with blue rule. But if there is some hint of black in one of the pieces you are wearing, it will be fine to highlight that. Here is an example of an outfit that combines everything I have just talked about:


You see how it uses splashes of red, but just the right amount? The top also has a touch of green in it, but the reason that navy can be worn with this is A) the jeans and B) the polish brings out the navy in the top. I also used some black in this outfit, but it works because there is black in the shirt as well. Also, using a cream instead of a white helps avoid the sailing look and steers the outfit more towards the realm of chic.


And, of course, we all have those days. Those days where we just want to look like we are going sailing. This outfit (Sailing, anyone??? by melchanel) is a perfect example of that. It will work fabulously with the navy polish and it contains the right balance of whites, reds, and blue (not to mention the perfect hint of black). And although this outfit is more on the nautical side, it is still very elegant and chic.

Project Runway: Episode 11

I'm not really going to talk about Episode 10 much, but let's just say that Ricky was voted off. Personally, I was pretty happy about it -- he was on there way too long and I was getting tired of his marathon sobfests.

Anyway, that leaves Sweet P, Jillian, Christian, Rami, and Chris left. First off, Tim says that he is going to take the designers on one last field trip. The designers arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is the last and final challenge -- the decider as to who will make it to fashion week, and two designers were going to be eliminated! I really wanted Sweet P to stay, but I knew that her pieces were never finished enough and lacked creativity at times, so I was certain that she was going to be eliminated. And my fingers were crossed that Rami would be going home as well. Yes, he makes beautiful pieces, but I am SO sick of his draping! If I have to see another draped dress, I am going to scream.

At the Met, the designers learn that they must choose a piece of artwork to serve as inspiration for their design. But as you probably know, the museum is huge, so the designers had three sections from which to choose their inspiration: the Greek and Roman sculpture courtyard, the European Painting wing, and the Temple of Dendur. Right away I knew (and dreaded) what Rami was going to do -- chose Grecian inspiration and create a DRAPED DRESS.

The guest judge this time was ... Roberto Cavalli. I almost died. I love him!

The winner was .... CHRISTIAN! Christian choose a 17th Century Spanish painting for his inspiration. I was very curious to see what he came up with as his painting was of a man wearing a militaristic costume, which he translated brilliantly into womenswear. Roberto Cavalli called it "haute couture". Christian pretty much created an entire collection; his outfit had so many layers and pieces.

I think Jillian's design was my favorite. It was modern, wearable, and stunning. I loved the gorgeous gold dress and she is a master of detailing -- her military-style coat had small, gorgeous cut-outs all over it and a feminine gold piping. As the judges said, Jillian is always able to surprise them with something new (so unlike Rami), and wow them she did. She's guaranteed a spot at Fashion Week.

Sweet P really disappointed me. She always says that she "needs" to go to Bryant Park, but she really lacks creativity at times. Beyond that, her looks are generally poorly made. If you're going to be taking inspiration from a peacock, well, why don't you create a long, feather-like train? I thought her design was pretty tacky, and I can barely stand those fake, colored feathers on her model's head. The design was so un-peacock-like, except for the colors. As I had predicted, Sweet P was out.

Chris choose a European painting -- a portrait of the Marquise D’Argence. His vision was to create a very couture look, which I think he pulled of perfectly. Oh, except for that one obvious detail -- it looked exactly like the design he created with Christian, just in a different color and fabric. I was upset -- if he took the time to refine it instead of taking a NAP, things would have gone differently for sure. But you do have to admit that the dress is absolutely beautiful!

Rami, Rami, Rami! What on Earth are we going to do with you? He found inspiration for a draped dress, so a draped dress he did. We get that you can drape, Rami! Now show us something else! While I hate how he draped again, I do have to admit that his design was stunning -- that dress was absolutely gorgeous in its simplicity and its design was a little bit different from his other ones. I'm not one to go for purple, either, but the color looked stunning on his model.

So, who will be out? Jillian and Christian are safe. Sweet P is out. It comes down to Chris and Rami. Chris could have easily surpassed Rami if he LISTENED TO TIM. But, alas, he didn't, and the judges have a very hard decision to make. They found both of the designs even -- Rami and Chris were both being repetitive, and they had both created beautiful garments. So they did something that completely shocked me (and, I'm sure, many others): they gave them both a slot at Fashion Week, with a catch: when they go to Bryant Park, they will show their judges their top three looks. Then the judges will choose who is going to show their collection.

What do you think of that? Who do you hope will get to show their collection?

PHOTOS: ProjectRunway.com; ProjectRunway.com; ProjectRunway.com; ProjectRunway.com; ProjectRunway.com

Spring's Nail Polish Trend

I don't know about you, but I am definitely going to be painting my nails this spring. Just a little tidbit about myself: I rarely paint my nails. But this trend is so fabulous, how could anyone resist? Alright, want to know? The color is .... NAVY BLUE. Now, I am most definitely not a fan of navy blue at all, just let me say that. I think it looks very unprofessional, and when it really should be black, navy just looks horrible. But for your nails -- well, I am totally loving it!


Chanel's Blue Satin (461) Nail Polish was originally seen on models at the Chanel Spring 2008 show, and it went flying off the shelves. And now, it's sold out everywhere. Chanel is completely out online, and even Neiman Marcus no longer carries it. Why, if it is sold out then, am I telling you this now? Well, I was a little late too, I guess, but you can still snag some navy Wet N' Wild polish (in Sapphire Blue), so if you want to try this trend, then you better head to your local drugstore now (you couldn't even find black -- last year's nail color -- Wet N' Wild in 2007). I'm actually pretty disappointed I wasn't able to get the Chanel one, because the color is gorgeous, and it's very high quality. Go figure. But what I am curious to know is if they still sell the navy Chanel polish in Chanel stores in other countries besides the states? I'm not sure if it's a big trend there...

UPDATE: Sephora is now selling a limited edition Dior "Poison Blue" nail color! But it's going to sell out FAST and it's only available at Sephora.com, so submit your email now to be notified as soon as it arrives in stock!

UPDATE: Don't want to pay $19 for a bottle of [amazing] nail polish? Try OPI's "Yoga-Ta Get This Blue" nail color from the India Collection for only $7.89 at eNail Supply!

Will you be rocking navy nail polish this spring?

IMAGE: CollegeFashion.net

Spring Trends of 2008

Okay, I admit that I have been putting off this post for awhile now. Mainly because trend posts like these take hours to put up (for me, at least), although they are beneficial for those who love fashion. Well, here they are! The greatest spring trends...


COLORS
Of course, every season brings tons of fresh new colors, and spring this year will not disappoint any neon enthusiasts (come on, you know who you are!). You don't have to go all-out in a neon pink trench coat or some crazy pants in electric blue if you don't want to, but play around with bright and fun colors such as canary yellow, tomato red, and bright violet. Nonetheless, these eye-popping colors in soft, floaty fabrics and meticulously simple designs are a breath of fresh air from the chunky knits and dull colors the beginning of fall brought upon us. Designers (even Ralph Lauren!) have been lighting up the runways with fabulous styles and colors, so you definitely need to play around with this trend. Above: Versace dress.

TRIBAL
For some reason, I am totally digging this trend. It's fresh and new, yet you still get tons of cultural and ethnic flavors that have been around forever when you wear a fab little safari-inspired dress. It's a great way to go global, without leaving home. Plenty of designers (like DKNY, Diane von Furstenberg, Just Cavalli, Christian Lacroix, and so many more) are offering up great clothes with tribal prints, so you have plenty of opportunities to snag one -- whether or not you are paying full designer label prices. Above: Oscar de la Renta dress.

FLORALS
Of course, how typical. How could we survive one single spring without our precious rose clutches and Gucci's technologically-generated blooms? But, seriously, the flowers of 2008 won't have you yawning -- everything was on the runways this year, from fierce, techno blossoms to artsy, reed-inspired skirts. Need some garden inspiration yourself? Check out Thakoon's pastel creations or Aquascutum's simple, fresh prints in clean colors and cuts. Above: Missoni dress.

SHEER LAYERS
Yeah, time to renew your gym membership if you want to rock this trend and you're feeling a little out of shape. Simple, solid, and -- um -- mini clothes in all various colors appear under layers of floaty, pastel-colored or white sheer fabric and chiffon. This trend is refreshing and comfortable. But, if you're like me, you may think it's a little strange and aren't ready to bear too much skin, so try a gorgeous Betsy & Adam party dress from Nordstrom's with a sheer overlay and lace inset or a chic Development smock top from Net-A-Porter with a lace inset. Above: J. Mendel dress.

THE SUIT GETS A MAKEOVER
The perfect way to mix masculine and feminine? Putting a flirty touch on the classic suit. This season, designers such as Karl Lagerfeld were more focused on bringing a glam-rock vibe to the two-piece look, while Marios Schwab and Todd Lynn were playing with fitted jackets and body-hugging skirts and pants. Above: Jens Laugesen suit.

BOHEMIAN ELEGANCE
I love bohemian and I love this trend! It's completely perfect for that formal night when you need a gorgeous, floor-length dress. In a way, it ties in a little with the recurring floral trend, because of the floaty fabrics and some of the prints are very paisley. So, this spring, pair a gorgeous bohemian dress in deep purple, cream, or maybe with a touch of green/gold with some elegant gold heels and a gold clutch and you're set for a night out. Even shop around to see if you can find a shirt that'll do the job -- you can wear it to more places, and dress it up (with dark jeans and heels), or dress it down (with leather flip flops and a nice pair of shorts). Above: Roberto Cavalli gown, available at net-a-porter.com.

HIPPIES ARE BACK?!
Well, at least in fashion they are. Don't cringe yet -- everything has been totally modernized (and we can only hope it won't all get out of hand!). Look out for fringe bags and dresses, dashes of tie-dye (please not the tacky dye-an-ugly-shirt-rainbow), and Prada's lilac and teal palette. Also check for pieces that mix both rock and sixties psychedelia from Nina Ricci. Above: a Maurizio Pecoraro ensemble.

IMAGES (top/bottom, left/right): Marcio Madeira; Marcio Madeira; Marcio Madeira; Marcio Madeira; Marcio Madeira; net-a-porter.com; Marcio Madeira