ash.

When I first saw this photo, I nearly didn't recognize Ashley Olsen. Maybe it's the low-key makeup, maybe it's that she just looks so radiant, but I adore Ms. Olsen in this pic. She looks a bit more grown up, and a bit more grown into her own individual style. (With some gorgeous Balenciaga platforms!)

nude. for. spring.

I've always loved the idea of a mostly nude face, especially for spring. If done wrong, it can be a bit severe, but if done correctly it's a look that makes an impact while remaining pretty and chic.

MK Olsen gets the look right recently at Tribeca with a nude face and smokey eyes. To keep her eyes from looking too harsh, she lines with a chocolate brown/bronze shadow rather than black. (to do this look for day, try an irridescent shadow with just a touch of color and finish with black mascara)


Get the look from Sephora:

(1)Dior DiorSkin AirFlash Spray Foundation, $60.00


(2)Sephora Brand Colorful Pearl Mono Eyeshadow in Pearl No. 2 (Bronze Pearl), $10


(3)Dior DiorShow Mascara in black, $24.00

pretty. little. flowers.

One of my favorite things to do when rummaging through an antique store is to look at vintage photographs and try to imagine a little bit about the people in the photos. I would love to have a wall in my home of a somewhat random collection of framed polaroids from the 1960s/70s. The problem with this is that polaroids are tiny photos - to really see them you'd have to press your nose right up to the frame.

How to fix this?

Take new photos that looks old. This can be acheived by using a photographic technique called "Through the Viewfinder," which involves using both digital and vintage box cameras. The scratchier the lense on the box camera, the better.

The effect is that you come out with photos that look 40 years old - and you can print them/have them printed in a size that's suitable for framing. Here are a couple of my first attempts at this style:



There are also photographers that I've found on ETSY who take marvelous pictures in this style:

(1) "Garden Pail" print, $8.00, from ScarletBeautiful2:


^^I ordered a copy of this and it's really quite lovely up close!

(2) "When We Are Old" print, $35.00, from Alicia Bock:


...whose photos I desperately want all of!

hot.

On most people a dress this short would look obscene, but Gwyneth Paltrow looks AMAZING in a Balmain mini dress, black tuxedo jacket and sky-high black stiletto platforms.

wise. owl.

I don't know how much it costs, but I want.want.want. this owl/floral/jeweled necklace from Louis Vuitton's Spring 08 collection. This would be smashing with a tee and skinny jeans!

guys. night. out.

I have to start by saying that I wouldn't trade my fiancé for the world. That said, Heroes costars Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia recently spent a night on the town, and looked, well, absolutely yummy. Apparently Milo is a "suit guy," and not only likes wearing them frequently, but has also expressed an interest in learning how a nice suit gets made.


I have to admit that there's something appealing about a guy who likes to wear suits out at night. The one thing that I'm able to take away from romantic comedies/dramas of the 40s and 50s is that it looked like a lot of fun to get dressed up just to go out to dinner, and it looked like lots of fun to attend all of those bubbly cocktail parties!

lbd

I don't know how I feel about Emmy Rossum as an actress (*cough* remake of Poseidon *cough*), but she does look lovely in a YSL mini at the Met:

celebrity. style.

Ginnifer Goodwin attended the opening night at The Met last night, looking lovely as ever:


Ms. Goodwin has a fortunate habit of being quite fashionable and ever-so-pretty. She also recently attended Prada's Trembled Blossoms screening in an adorable and chic combination of a Prada floral dress and cardigan:


What I can't understand is how she can be in a relationship with actor Chris Klein (aka Katie Holmes's ex). What do I have against Klein? Each issue of Elle magazine ends with an interview with a different male actor, musician, athlete, etc. Klein was once interviewed for this feature, and gave the most chauvinstic, arrogant responses I have ever heard or read uttered. I was so disgusted by his comments that I was tempted to write Elle asking that they apologize for printing it.

domino

I've started subscribing to more magazines as of late - it's not a necessity, but when one issue costs $3.99 (or more) and an entire year-long subscription is only $12.99, it's hard to pass up.

My latest subscription is to the design magazine Domino. Most design or architecture mags are a bit too frou-frou for my taste, but Domino is a touch more spritely and a lot less fussy.

In the current issue, I've fallen in love with the style of designer Fawn Galli (who will help you to redesign/redecorate your home for $125/hour). The magazine not only features her talent, but also her home:




With an aesthetic that's bursting with whimsy, a home designed by Ms. Galli would certainly be one you'd relish coming back to!

celebrity. style. icons

I adore Christina Ricci - she always chooses fun role and makes adventuresome fashion choices. Whether she's out running errands, or dressed to the nines at an event, she looks lovely and chic.

(1) Speed Racer Grand Prix Event, in Givenchy heels; (2) Promoting Penelope in The Row dress and Givenchy heels; (3 & 4) In Sofia Kokosalaki and then at LAX

kismet

Today as I was finishing reading "A Cup of Jo," I was browsing through the list of blogs that she recommends. It's a VERY long list, and so I had to just pick one and hope for the best. I chose "The Cherry Blossom Girl." What a wonderful, whimsical name!

The posts on "The Cherry Blossom Girl" are wonderful (most are in French, with some English translations); her own photos are colorful, of the moment, and so enchanting!

As I was getting to the end of the first page, I noticed a dress in one of the photos that looked so familiar - just like one I'd sold in the store about a month ago. And in fact, it WAS the dress I'd sold!

This is terribly exciting, as I know where the dress comes from, but no nothing of what happens to it after it's shipped out. She looks lovely in it, and its so nice to know more about the life of a dress that I've sold!

Here are a few pics from her blog, with a link to the post following:




Visit The Cherry Blossom Girl here: "Luxemborg"

better. days.

Since we've seen what I can only hope is the worst of MK's headbands, in response to a question, we should peek at the best! Below are several incarnations of the Chanel Fall 08 headbands that I would LOVE to have!!

(click them to see larger pics)




UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Chanel, and these pretty little things should be available in late June/early July; no word on price yet though!

say. it. isn't. so.

No one can say that Mary Kate Olsen isn't willing to take fashion risks. Recently she was seen out in New York wearing a GORGEOUS vintage Missoni gown, mustard leather clutch, and what appears to be a steering wheel cover on her head.

After the whole Prada silk "swami" headband debacle of last year, she was just starting to get better at hair accessories (I can hardly wait to snap up one of those adorable frayed Chanel headbands from the Fall 08 collection). But what exactly is she wearing here? Who let her leave the house this way?

who. I. hate. today

While Nicole Kidman looked absolutely stunning.radiant.amazing in a burgundy ruffled YSL dress, I hate.hate.hate her.


Why?

Because in the photo above, she's a whopping 7 months pregnant!

While most people at this point look as though they've swallowed a basketball, Nicole Kidman looks like she had two pieces of dessert last night instead of one.

Gorgeous, gorgeous husband, money, fabulous career, slender frame (even pregnant)...it's really not fair.

steal. of. the. day.

I'm not a big fan of fringe, esp. leather fringe. Not on bags, boots, vests, or anything else. Yet when I saw the scarf below at Urban Outfitters, I swooned. It's made from the softest cream jersey knit and it's utterly fabulous. I can throw on a plain short-sleeved tee, dark wash skinny jeans, this scarf and a pair of flats, and feel so chic (and it's such an easy outfit - toss on and run out the door!). And the best part? It's only $34.00.

unfashionable. moment. of....well, forever

Note to Amy Winehouse: Two things that most certainly do not go together: holding a baby with one hand and doing a shot with the other. Ugh.

what's. hot. now.

(1) Sweetheart Sunglasses, $16, Urban Outfitters (2) Tara Matthews Ombre ZigZag Dress, $215, Net-a-Porter (3) Louis Vuitton, $5250, LV stores (4) Roxy Samba Acetate Watch, $60

running. around. town.

Agyness Deyn in London at Bistroteque:

Rose. loves. Louis.

I'm certainly familar with brand loyalty, but Rose McGowan takes the phrase to a new level. The actress loves her Louis Vuitton Epi Soufflot so much that she has the bag in multiple colors!





You can get the Soufflot online at Eluxury.com for $1180.00.

runway. faves...{couture}

Each year there are only a handful of designers who present couture collection: Chanel, Gaultier, Valentino, Givenchy, etc. For the most part, the haute couture garments that grace the runways are the result of hundreds of hours of hand-stitching, beading, and lace work. The cost for these pieces starts in the five figure area and goes quickly up from there. Each item is custom ordered and hand-tailored for the buyer. For the people who can afford the garments (and the trips to Paris for multiple fittings) they usually only buy one, sometimes two pieces per season. But this spring there were so many amazingly gorgeous (and shockingly wearable) dresses, how would you choose?

Jean Paul Gaultier:
(I have to admit that this particular dress is so beautiful, I would consider all manner of things - selling a kidney or first born child - to get it)


Chanel:


Christian Lacroix:


Photo credit: Style.com

pretty. in. pink.

Gwyneth Paltrow in vintage Christian Dior at The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Hottest Pink Party:

idol. gives. back.

While she receiving mixed reviews for her fashion choices of late, I think that Gwyneth Paltrow looked stunning on the red carpet at Idol Gives Back. She looks happy, healthy, and her vintage YSL dress and Givenchy gladiator heels are amazing!



Photo credit: JustJared

fashion. double-take.

I had to spend a good long while looking at this photo before I could finally believe the caption attached to it. At first I thought this was Kate Bosworth, when in fact it's former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell! Ms. Halliwell, in a Hervé Légér bandage dress, looks gorgeous!

steal. this. look...for less!

Lauren Conrad may not be the celebrity with the boldest fashion sense, but she knows what she likes and what works well on her. She typically chooses simple pieces in modern shapes, and there's always one standout detail about her outfit: sometimes a bold color, a statement bag, or an interesting piece of jewelry.

Shopping for groceries in L.A., she's wearing nothing more than jeans and a tee, but she still manages to look polished and pulled together:



Get LC's look for less (all from Urban Outfitters):



Lauren Conrad photo credit: JustJared