Wearing is Believing

Shop and Support a Great Cause!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - and a great excuse to shop!  Designers and stores have come together to create unique, often pink, merchandise to support the cause - and almost everywhere you go, there’s a way to support breast cancer awareness!  Even better, items that support breast cancer awareness make great gifts.

Show your support with the LOFT chain link bracelet (at left) - $5 from the sale of each limited-edition bracelet goes to The Breast Research Cancer Foundation.  For a glam twist on the traditional ribbon pin, check out Holsted Jewelers’ Crystal Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness Brooch (right).  An eye-catching way to show your support, part of the 

Get Dolled Up Like Barbie!

Barbie has been a style icon for 50 years - so it’s natural that she should inspire a new cosmetic collection from Stila!  Stila Loves Barbie’s fall 2009 collection features bright, bold palettes that are sure to make you pop!

The Barbie Loves Stila collection features new shades of classic Stila products, like Lip Glaze and Smudge Pots.  The Smudge Pots come in bold shades perfect for a night out, with fun names like Cobalt Clutch and Purple Pumps.  My personal favorite - the Little Black Dress Smudge Pot, a black-with-iridescent-pink-shimmer that almost looks deep purple when applied.  Stila fan favorite Lip Glaze is easy to apply, even without a mirror, and who can resist colors named “xoxo” or “Pucker Up”? 

Want to recreate an iconic Barbie look?  Paint Cans give you the key products you need to do it.  From the first Barbie in the 1950s, with her red pout and slinky, sleepy eyes, to the sun-kissed glow of Malibu Barbie (above left) and the foxy glam of Barbie in the 80s, you can play with your favorite doll’s look with no guess work involved.  The Talking Palette even walks you through creating the classic pink Barbie eye, step-by-step!

Have fun getting dolled up!

New Melrose Place Style!

While I’m not a fan of The CW rehashes of the staples of my youth (Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose

Place), I have to say that I love the absolutely fabulous style of Melrose’s Ella Simms (played by Katie Cassidy, left), who’s Amanda Woodward in training.  Gone from the Melrose redux are the high-waisted, short skirts: Ella wears chic clothes any PR girl would envy.

Ella’s style is sleek, sophisticated and well-tailored - with killer accessories.  Whether she’s stirring up trouble at the Melrose apartment complex in trendy tops and teensy dresses or thinking on her feet at work, Ella always looks smoldering.  Memorably, Ella spent most of a recent episode stalking around the set of a Boomkat video in a yellow Versace dress and vertiginous black heels.  The short and sassy dress was stylish without showing too much skin - the perfect balance for a young professional climbing the corporate ladder. 

As far as accessories go, bigger is definitely better for Ella.  Sunglasses, earrings, and rings - Ella makes as much as a statement with her accessories as she does with her scathing comebacks.  She recently sported a Bottega Veneta White Onyx Square Ring to sweet talk a neighbor.  Capture a big bold ring look like Ella’s for far less than the designer version with a Sterling Silver Synthetic White Onyx Cocktail Ring, or for a dark take on the look, try the Midnight Star Genuine Onyx Ring.

Melrose may be the new show to watch for style inspiration - I’m going to keep watching!

Fall Shoes: What’s Hot Now!

What’s an easy way to update your wardrobe for fall?  Slip into some new shoes and it’ll freshen up countless outfits!  So what’s in this fall?  Check out some of fall’s hottest styles, many borrowed from fashion’s past:

70s-Style Platforms:  Needless to say, platforms add height, lengthen the leg, and help take the pressure of heels off the ball of your foot.  Platforms look great with wide-leg pants and below-the-knee skirts - and after hours, they look amazing with shorter skirts.  Another fun update on this 1970s trend - pick them in a bright color that pops (like Leighton Meester, at left, in Brian Atwood).

Platforms to try: Steve Madden Regaal ($99.95, SteveMadden.com), or Aldo Franchette ($90, aldoshoes.com).

A word to the wise: Platforms and drinking are not friends.  Limit yourself to a cocktail or two if you’re trotting out your platforms.

Flat Boots: They’re not just for Golden Girl Dorothy Szbornak - flat boots are all the rage!  Both comfy and chic, they’re a staple that you can wear for years to come.  Pass on the Uggs and opt for more shapely pairs in suede and leather.  Pair them with jeans or dress pants, and you’ll look equally smashing!  Flat boots to try: Aldo Driskell ($110, aldoshoes.com), Chinese Laundry Tahoe ($98.95, zappos.com).

80s Punk Sneakers:  Even Michelle Obama is getting in on this trend, wearing purple Chuck Taylors to volunteer (left)!  Sneakers are fun, relaxed, and a great way to show you’re not afraid to let your hair down.  Check out classicsportshoes.com to find your perfect fit!