Diane's Special Event Makeover

Yesterday I met with client Diane for a shopping trip to find an outfit for a formal Gala Dinner that she's attending in a couple of weeks.  Diane expressed a desire to wear something age appropriate, flattering for her shape, but still fun with a little bit of 'bling'.  

Having reviewed evening gowns online, I decided that Macy's was the best place to go for a great selection of evening wear in plus sizes that were not the typical 'frumpy' look that most plus sizes tend to be.  After trying on a number of different looks, we narrowed it down to these final two dresses.  They are very similar in style, one in black and one in red.  The final choice was the black dress which I felt was more flattering and a better fit for Diane's shape.  The style is looser on top with a slashed-tie sleeve that shows a little bit of skin but not too much, and also has a cut out at the neckline with diamonte detail.  The bottom of the dress is more fitted which creates a nice balance between the more loose fitted top half.  I advised Diane to wear her hair in an up-do on the night with a pair of drop or chandelier earrings.

We also found a couple of shrugs for evening wear.  Not necessarily to wear with this dress, but it's always handy to have a couple of shrugs to wear with sleeveless evening outfits.  One has a fur trim and the other has a silver thread edge, both great for nights out!

Lastly we needed a pair of killer heels. Despite Diane's reticence to wearing heels too high, I advised that this would be a key piece to finishing off this look.  We found a great pair of black patent high heels at Aldo's. Diane will be practicing walking in them before the event!

Here are some of the pics we took while trying on the final two dresses.  Please ignore the socks, they will not be worn on the night!  :)

Spring's Squared Off Silhouette...

Spring is all about reinventing classic, timeless shapes and making them new again for another season.  An example of this is the T-shape.  This is essentially a wide-sleeved T-shirt cut in a boxy silhouette for an updated look.  The shift style of this squared off tee is much more sophisticated than the standard plain cotton tee, and has an easy and effortless appeal.

The best incarnations of this trend are the ones constructed out of slightly stiffer fabrics that really hold their shape, as illustrated on the runways by Calvin Klein, Peter Pilotto, & Prabal Gurung.

See below some of the best looks from the runway followed by T-shaped pieces for every budget!
















This top is by Philip Lim



Top Shop



Philip Lim



Alice + Olivia



Roksanda Ilincic



Roksanda Ilincic

Spring's Newest Colors!

I know there's still snow outside, but hopefully we will finally get some Spring weather soon!  I'm feeling hopeful that the sun is just waiting to come out very soon to make us all feel better!  It's hard to think of Spring fashions and colors when the weather is so awful, but don't give up just yet!  When you see the lovely Spring colors that were all over the runways you will be as excited as I was when I first saw them!  Candy-colored, sweet shades were pumped up and pretty at the Spring shows for a look that isn't quite neon, and not quite pastel.

There was a psychedelic splash of color in Easter egg-inspired dyes, with icy blues, spearmint, violet, & yolk yellow.  Although not as brash as neon, thoughts of highlighter hues come to mind as Spring's strong color palette takes it up a notch.

Take a peek at what was on offer on the Spring runways with some of these fab colors, and start planning your Spring look now!

Kerry Washington's Red Carpet looks...

A couple of day's ago I focused on Michelle Dockery's red carpet looks, and today I'm focusing on another one of my favorite fashionistas.  Kerry Washington is a beautiful young woman, known more recently for her starring role in the TV drama Scandal (of which I am also a huge fan).  I love watching how people's style evolves over the years, and Kerry Washington's style evolution has been interesting.

The last couple of years she has become known more and more as quite the fashionista, with stylists and well-known designers clamoring to work with her!  For the most part, her fashion choices have been huge hits, even while recently pregnant, and despite much controversy over her midriff-baring top at a recent awards ceremony.  She is someone unafraid to take fashion risks and I love that about her.  She thinks outside the box and is willing to try things other celebs steer clear of.

A combination of her great fashion styles, and flawless looks make her definitely someone to continue watching!  Here are some of her red-carpet looks...