Your Best Foot Forward [Saturday April 1st, 2006 at 9:17pm] [ mood | energetic ] [ music | "My Generation"- The Who ] A girl’s feet can be her best friends, or her absolute worst nightmares. We love them when they help us catch a bus we’re nearly missing, when they don’t run down on us after an eight hour long shopping trip, or when they manage to catch the eye of a friend when we are donning a pair of particularly nice shoes. We can’t stand them when we fall up the stairs because they just weren’t paying attention, when they pain us because that last trip to Hollister was the breaking point in our excursion, or when they make fools of us because we’re just so clumsy and abashed- instead of graceful and elegant as desired. Let’s, for now, focus on ways we can love our feet this spring and summer with the dazzling new array of shoes in unique styles, textures, and colour. Colours White is the idea of a dawning freshness, and we see this colour paired with others that help them stand out with an added bit of glamour. Look for whites paired with natural, silvers, and gold’s. (Nine West, $49.99) Neutral’s play up the rustic vibe, and though they may not be as eye catching as the other trends we are seeing this spring they are easy for a lot of women to pull off. They work well with all skin tones, hair colours, and sizes- my prediction is that you’ll be seeing plenty of them this season. Look for shoes made of woven maize, straw, leather, wood, cork, shells, or nylon rope. (Nine West, $52.00) Metallic is ever apparent and gleaming; as women pull together sparkling pieces that make them feel like a real royal. Gold, silver, copper and bronze shine this season. (Payless ShoeSource, $22.99) And lastly, linen is lining our runways, suburban streets, and beaches- looking light, fresh, and homespun. Linen is a look that appears comfortable, but can be played up to be fabulous for any occasion. (Old Navy, $16.50) Styles Wedges are practical. No, I’m not even close to kidding. Wedges give you height, but they also give you great stability- and assure that you won’t be teetering on your new heels (don’t lie, everyone’s done it; wobbled back and forth the first time you placed those vixen heels on your soles). You’ll be oddly surprised at the comfort of a wedge, but just be sure to balance them according to an outfit. Wear wedges with something light and airy, so you don’t appear to heavy and bold. Try them with a flowing skirt, instead of a pair of electric blue leather pants and a cheetah print halter. [Side note: if you are wearing any of the previously mentioned things, contact me immediately]. (Gap, $39.50) Flats are simply adorable, in every way. They look great with everything: a 50’s style skirt, slim-fitting stovepipe jean, or a hip denim flare. Name any piece and I’ll assure you that flats could work. They’re a sure knock-out. The only down-side, your shoes size- I was born with naturally flat and wide feet, so I need to find the perfect flat. It hasn’t yet happened, though I am sure the day it does will be glorious. (Steve Madden, $59.95) Platforms are daring and can really weigh an outfit if you aren’t careful. A stocky platform could end up being your demise- making you look clunky, so remember to balance (soft skirts, light blouses). We aren’t trying to reincarnate the Gene Simmons look anytime soon, so go for low and save the shocking outfits for a lighter pair of shoes- or the stage. (Steve Madden, $79.95) Espadrilles- pardon? No, it’s not a dish you can order from Taco Bell. You know what I’m talking about. Better name for them- “shoes that look like wedges or flats but have those cute lace pieces that tie up your calf as if you’re walking the streets in Italy or dancing ballet on the Paris stage”. Very cute, but can be very sexy. However, do not make the mistake of pairing them with a really short skirt because they tie high. They look great with longer skirts; opt for a knee-length or a little bit above that. (Steve Madden, $79.95) Gladiators are flip-flops with a distinctly Roman feel. They come in leather, nylon, and bejeweled with emeralds and ruby’s of all sorts. I LOVE these shoes, and vow to get my hands on a pair as soon as humanly possible. They modernize Mount Olympus, and leave us playing the role of Athena and Aphrodite. (Miu, Miu- $359) You can't resist. -Alyssa 9 can’t resist

Colour Wave [Monday March 27th, 2006 at 10:17pm] [ mood | creative ] [ music | "Kodachrome"- Simon and Garfunkel ] This small town I live in is notorious for it’s grey skies and, between the lack of a crisp, bright winter and a now warmth-bearing spring beginning, I’ve had just about enough of these shades of shadows. Grays, blacks, browns, all of them can be (though, yes, rather flattering) exceedingly plain. This spring it isn’t about ‘plain’. Not even close. This spring, it’s all about bold. It’s about grand colours, floral patterns, freshness, life, joy, and bohemian beach-wanders with over-sized sunglasses and neon flip-flops (a new style I love to call hippie-chic). But for now let’s stick with the idea of colour- and lots of it, we can get to the rest later. Mainly, narrowing it down, there are going to be a few fabulous colours in the spotlight this season. Spring brings us with flowers after showers, sunshine over shores, and tropical waters. Fashion seems to be taking note, as all come alive in the beauty of the season. Blossoms, pink and purple, make a grand entrance this season. Signifying youth and passion, pink makes its mark on painted lips and flushed cheeks. The idea is to gain a natural glow, not look like you’ve bathed in your Grandmother’s rouge. Keep it minimal to keep it glowing. Water, blues and teals, make a splash. They’re symbols of confidence (because believe you me, you’d have to have some guts to pull of turquoise eye shadow- I’ve tried) and calm. This wave brings us an array of eye shadows and accessories- the hottest items by far are teal, aqua, and sea foam nail polishes and jewelry. Look for big, bold beads and shimmering polish. Sunshine hues, yellow, gold and copper, are glowing with radiance. This time around look for tones like caramel, coffee, golden sunset, and barely there beige. What are the biggest items to pick up before it’s too late? Golden jewelry, handbags, and shoes; gold shoes make you feel like a real Aphrodite, whether they be flats, pumps, or flip-flops for the tropic sands. You can't resist. -Alyssa can’t resist

The Anti-Trend Trend. [Sunday March 26th, 2006 at 10:18pm] [ mood | contemplative ] [ music | "Hello, I Love You"- The Doors ] Trends are everywhere. They line our malls and shopping districts, are donned by celebrities in the tabloids, and advertised on billboards throughout our city streets with flashing lights and neon backdrops. In fact, you could even say that we follow trends and have lately become their greatest advertisement tools- they engulf us. But recently I’ve noticed a new trend, and it is quite literally the trend that will end all others. I call it, the anti-trend trend. Why is it some of us have grown to fear, dislike, and avoid trends? Have we become immune to the fashion madness once plaguing our world- or just intolerant? Perhaps you’ve never been faced with it before. In which case, you are lucky. It’s the dreadful, awkward, shocking statement, “I don’t like _____, they’re too ‘in’. Everyone is wearing them” or the even more frustrating, “She’s so trendy. It’s disgusting.” At first, it confused me. Now I think, honestly, that I’ve figured this out. People refuse to be trendy for many reasons. Maybe this seasons set of skinny jeans doesn’t work with their stature (I hear you, ladies- hello, thunder thighs), or the flowing skirts à la sixties flower children make their figure appear wonky, or maybe they just don’t find the need for a pair of oversized sunglasses that aren’t as easy to wear as they appear (because, honestly, you can avoid the sun and not look like a killer bee). Maybe, simply, you can’t afford it- on a regular budget food comes before Choo. But why is the anti-trend trend spreading like a bad cold so fast? It’s because of the way we have modernized ourselves. In a world where we are usually no more than a number and a face, clothing, make-up, and hairstyles have been used to identify others and sometimes even our own selves with who it is we think we are. I’ll admit it. When I wear my band t-shirts bought at a thrift-store- I feel comfortable, when I put on my newest pair of GUESS jeans bought for a costly price- I’m a maverick, when I slip into that flowing skirt with the paisley print in teal that I grabbed from a friend-I’m a bohemian fairytale, and when I wear that latest piece I picked up at H&M after eyeing it in the newest issue of VOGUE- I feel trendy. The thing we women of the world today have to realize is that feeling and being trendy is not so bad. If feeling trendy makes you feel confident, beautiful, and ready to challenge the world- then damn it, you wear those oversized glasses, bold prints, and golden Marc Jacobs pumps with pride. I’m for anything that makes someone else feel good- plain and simple. I mean, if dressing like a bag lady who owns a thousand cats and walking around in paper bag shoes is your thing and makes you feel like you’re on the top of the world- kudos to you. After all, isn’t that what fashion is all about anyways? Feeling good and expressing ourselves? If we are restricted in expressing ourselves, then it isn’t expression. Besides you ‘anti-trend’ promoters: guess what? Being anti-trend is a trend in itself. Ah, the irony. So, in conclusion, I’m here to tell you to be whatever. I’ll never persuade you into buying brand names, I’ll always offer cheap substitutes for the modern girl, and I’ll be giving plenty of feel-good advice that doesn’t centre on a constant need for shopping. Be trendy, be original, be ‘rock’, be ‘classic’- just be real, be you, and learn to grow up- you shouldn’t hate trends. You shouldn’t judge. Love fashion, love yourself, love others. You can’t resist. -Alyssa can’t resist

navigation [ viewing | most recent entries ]