Christian Dior Fall 2010 Couture

Once again I was on the ever fabulous Style.com. In my explorations I found the Christian Dior Fall 2010 Couture Collection.  By now, everyone knows that I'm a color addict, so this collection up my ally. First off, there is a giant display of orange flowers at the top of the runway. In my book, that's a good way to start. The entire collection is bright and polished while still being funky. The first dress I want to look at is a great purple number.

photo by Monica Feundi;photo from Style.com

photo by Gianni Pucci; from Style.com

I really like this dress because the cut of the neckline and the sleeve give it this really polished, traditional look. The texture of the skirt and the fabric really bring it into these times. It makes it fun and youthful. I love the pattern on the fabric and the color.

photo by Monica Feundi; from Style.com

photo by Gianni Pucci; from Style.com

This dress looks like a modern day ballerina's outfit. It's totally fun and youthful. I love the volume of the skirt. I also really like the the "V" of the neckline. The pattern on the bodice makes it seem appropriate for a tea party. 

photo by Monica Feundi; from Style.com

 

 

photo by Gianni Pucci; from Style.com

photo by Gianni Pucci; from Style.com

The volume of this dress is part of what makes it so amazing. The burst of color on top of the black is amazing. Love the the colored section has a gradual fade to it. I really like the one shoulder cut of the bodice. It allows some skin to show which is great because there is a lot of dress. That orange belt adds another great splash of color. 

This entire collection was amazing. You can follow the link at the top to see the rest of it. It's a super fun collection. Fashion is all about fun and creativity. This collection embodies that well.

I do have to put in a disclaimer. This collection was designed by John Galliano.  Although I do love this collection, I do not support the inappropriate statements he made. I do support Dior's decision to let him go. I think its great that such a prestigious company that has had some much success with a designer stood by its principles. 

$1 Jewelry Galore

There's a place in Springfield, MO called $1 Jewelry Galore. It's about as amazing as it sounds. It's decent size store filled with jewelry, handbags and sunglasses. The jewelry, much like the name implies, only costs $1. It's fabulous. It's a super great place to get cheap costume type jewelry. For being so inexpensive, it's a decent quality, not amazing but it only costs $1 so you can't really complain. Their bags can be a little overpriced, but they have sales a lot. I once got a purse that was 50 percent off. It was a great bright yellow bag, super fun and summery.

One downside is that all sales are final. When you're buying jewelry that's not a big deal, but when you're spending more on bags it can be a bummer. I found some great beaded bracelets there. I've also found some really cute rings. I got a dark metal one that is a flower. It's big and fabulous.

There is a store located at Battlefield and National Street and a store located on Kearney Street.  So if you're out and about give it a look. It's a lot of fun to look around. It's a great place to shop if you're on a budget, especially if you're just looking to get some fun things. Be careful though, you can get carried away on the shopping.

Designer: Monique Lhuillier

Once again I was on Style.com. This time I checked out some collections of Monique Lhuillier. She has some amazing designs. Part of the reason I know her name is from watching a ton of wedding shows. In addition to her regular fashions, she designs bridal collections. They are absolutely incredible. The first collection I looked at was her Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear. Let's take a look at some of my favorite gowns from the collection, starting with the one below.

photo by Yannis Vlamos; from Style.com

I love how fluid this gown is. It's very soft. The watercolor feel it has makes it seem even more organic. I love the one shoulder strap combined with the section that goes across her waist. The slit up the leg of the inside layer adds a touch of sex appeal. It is combined perfectly with how soft the fabric and colors are.

photo by Yannis Vlamos; from Style.com

I love this dress because she looks like a flower. I don't just mean the flower pattern on the fabric. It's such a soft dress. The lightness of the fabric around the strap is amazing. I love the short bubble layer on the skirt. I also really like that it is belted around the waist because that helps accentuate it. It think if it weren't a person's curves would get lost.

photo by Yannis Vlamos; from Style.com

This is my absolute favorite look from the collection. It literally took my breath away when I looked at it. It is probably one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. Part of this is definitely the color. Blue is my favorite color, there is very little that I don't like in blue. For me this color is so striking and incredible. I love how it gets gradually darker. The petal affect on the skirt of the dress makes the color transition a little less harsh. I love the skirt. It looks so full and fluffy. I absolutely love the bodice. The way the color crosses the body in lines is stunning.

These aren't the only amazing gowns in the collection, but they are incredible. The collection also has regular pieces, like skirts, pants and tops.

Forget buying art, I would love to buy these dress and display them around my house. You can see the rest of the collection here.

B-E-A-UTIFUL Bags

I was exploring Style.com when I started looking at their accessories index. It's kind of a wonderful thing. You can search through their database by designer, accessory, color, editor's picks and seasonal trends. Seeing as how I have an extreme love for bags, I had to take a look at what they had. Some amazing ones can be seen below.

This is a Jil Sander bag. I'm in love with the fabric. I love how bright and colorful it is. I'm all about colorful things, so this is awesome. The flowers are a great size. I love the artsy style some of them have. I like how it's artsy, but still ladylike.

This is a Jimmy Choo clutch. I like this because it takes the ordinary black clutch and kicks it up a notch. The fabric mixed with the details of the chains gives it great edgy vibe. It has a goth-glam feel. It would be great with a leather jacket and a more feminine dress.

Speaking of edgy, this is an Alexander McQueen clutch. This brand tends to be a bit edgy and avant garde for my taste. However, I really like this clutch. I love the leaves on it. The color makes them look amazing. The layering of them makes the whole thing feel a little delicate. This is a good balance to the rocker, brass knuckle detail happening on top. I have never seen a bag with that kind of detail but it's very cool.

I really like this Hermès birkin bag, because of it's more casual feel. This is most definitely not a casual brand, but the light color palette makes it less formal. I like the nautical feel that this bag has with the white and blue stripe. It's a great bag for the afternoon, running errands feel (granted that means you have enough money to buy a purse that on the lower end side probably costs about $9,000). A girl can always dream.

These are just a few of the wonderful bags on the website. I should note that these are luxury brands, so you have to have a good chunk of change to be able to afford them. However, looking is free. 

A great bag is like a great piece of art, only it does more than just sit on the wall. They can be a great way to pump up your outfit. If you're the kind of person that carries the same purse for a long time, it might not hurt to save a little so you can buy a more quality bag. They usually last longer. The fabric feels nicer, and the hardware tends to work better. 

I think any fashionable person is allowed one thing they like to shell out a little more money for. Mine is bags.

Great Accessory Finds

This week I wanted to get some good accessories. I have some dresses I want to make a little less casual, so I figured what better way to dress them up than putting on some cute jewelry. I decided to go to Forever 21. It turned out to be an awesome choice because they had some really great stuff. 

The thing I like about Forever 21 is that they’re stuff is really trendy but fairly inexpensive. That’s a pretty good combination. If you’re on a tighter budget, you don’t really want to be spending a lot of money on trendy things because they can go out of style. That’s fashion, always changing. 

Here’s a good tip if you find something that’s really classic and can last a long time, don’t feel so bad for spending a little more on it than you normally would. Take a pair of black pumps, for example, they will never go out of style. You might as well spend a little more for a quality pair that will last longer.

Okay, back to my accessory shopping. They had tons of cute things. When I went, there seemed to be a little more gold jewelry than silver, but options in both were great. I was able to get three necklaces, a cocktail ring and a lightweight scarf for $25. 

The necklaces were great, because they were long. I hate when I find a cute necklace but they chain length doesn’t hit right. The ring is big and fabulous. The scarf is a great color and super light for spring. It’s also a good length. They had some really great bags too; I could have easily bought like five of them (they just weren’t in my budget). 

I love the stuff I found. You can see two of the necklaces I bought below.  If you’re looking for accessories, Forever 21 is a good place to go. 

from Forever21.com

from Forever21.com

Oscar Fashions

The Oscars were last weekend. Although the actual program wasn't stellar, the red carpet was the perfect ending to awards season. There were stunning looks everywhere. Let's take a look at some of my favorites, starting with the young princess Hailee Steinfeld.

photo by Kevin Mazur; from Yahoo! Movies

She was insanely adorable in this Marchesa gown. Steinfeld looked so pretty and age appropriate. I love how soft the dress was. It was a complete turnaround from her striped Prada dress for the SAG Awards. The length is perfect for a 14-year-old. Her hair complemented the outfit well. I don't think she's wearing any jewelry which really allows the sparkle on the dress to pop.

Steinfeld is definitely going to be a forced to be reckoned with in the fashion world. This is her first major film, and she's already worn Prada. Not to mention, she co-designed this one of a kind Marchesa. She hasn't had a bad red carpet moment and she has so much ahead of her, designers will be lining up to get a dress on her.

photo by Steve Granitz; from Yahoo! Movies

Gwyneth Paltrow wowed in Calvin Klein. This simple silhouette is perfect for this shimmering fabric. The deep cut neckline makes it just sexy enough. Her hair, makeup and jewelry are so simple that they allow the the dress to take center stage the way it's supposed to. I like the thick hem on the bottom of the dress. It completes the gown.

photo by Frazer Harrison; from Yahoo! Movies

Cate Blanchett took a little bit of a risk in this Givenchy gown. It totally paid off. I love this look. I can't exactly explain why, but it's amazing. The fabric and the color is so soft. The bright yellow detail on the shoulders pops against the lavender. All of the detail on top has an organic movement to it. I love the structure of the shoulders. Her haircut makes her face look so beautiful. It makes her cheekbones stand out. She's barely wearing any jewelry which allows the detail on the bodice to stand out. This gown is just stunning.

These were my three favorite looks of the night. All of ladies kept things simple and let the beautifully created gowns be the center piece, which is exactly how it should be on the red carpet.

Designer: Elie Saab

Halle Berry recently wore an Eli Saab gown to the 13th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards and she looked absolutely stunning. See for yourself.

photo by John Kopaloff; from Yahoo! Movies

This dress, from the Spring 2011 Couture collection, is so delicate. The gathering at the waist has beautiful depth. The color is incredible. I'm all about color, so this is amazing.

Seeing this work of art made me want to look at the rest of his collection. Just like this dress it was absolutely wonderful. A lot of times when I look at collection, I only like some of the pieces. That is not the case with Elie Saab's designs. They are so feminine and graceful. The gowns are pretty with the perfect splash of sexy. The designs were so varied, but so cohesive. The details are incredibly intricate.

I thought I would share some of my favorite looks with you. The first is the same color of the one on Berry above.

photo by Umberto Fratini; from Style.com

The torso section of the dress is similar to the dress above, but the different fabric helps set it apart. I love the one-shoulder cut on the top. I like that the strap is thick. I'm glad the waist is belted. I think the heaviness of the top without it would make the dress boxy.

photo by Umberto Fratini; from Style.com

This color combined with the floral details makes this gown so romantic. I absolutely love the neckline. It's soft and adds to the romanticism of the dress. The silver, grid-like pattern on the fabric gives it a touch of sparkle.

photo by Umberto Fratini; from Style.com

 This is one of the few short dress from the collection. It's flirty and fun. Like all of the others, it reflects the amazing detail of the collection.
 
Everything in the collection looks timeless. I would probably give a kidney to be able to wear one of these incredible pieces. It's beautiful clothes like this that make me love fashion. It's wearable art.

More looks from the spring 2011 show are included below. The collection can also be viewed at Style.com, http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/S2011CTR-ESAAB?viewall=true. To see more of Saab's work or more of this collection, visit http://www.eliesaab.com/.

photo by Umberto Fratini; from Style.com

photo by Umberto Fratini; from Style.com

photo by Umberto Fratini; from Style.com

Grammy Fashions

The Grammy red carpet is always interesting. Unlike other award shows, people really take chances when it comes to fashion. There seems to be a lot more "costumes" for lack of a better word at the Grammys. Let's take a look at some of the more interesting, and just simply pretty styles.

photo by Jason Merritt; from Yahoo! Music

 Nicki Minaj looked wild in her Givenchy leopard outfit. I don't think this is a pretty look and I would never wear it. However, for this event and for this girl, I can't be that offended by it. I do like the shape of her dress. The fullness of the skirt is great. I think if someone else were to wear this dress, they would have to leave the hair at home with the tights. I do love the pink the lip, it really pops against her skin tone.

photo by Steve Granitz; from Yahoo! Music

How Rihanna didn't have about a dozen wardrobe malfunctions in her Jean Paul Gaultier gown is beyond me. Aside from almost being able to see all of her naughty bits, she looked beautiful. The dress is just racy enough for the awards show, but still has a nod toward beauty. She kept it simple by opting to only wear a ring. She also tamed her normally wild red tresses. Her hair was gorgeous.

photo by Jason Merritt; from Yahoo! Music

Jennifer Hudson showed off her new figure in Versace stunningly. She looked absolutely amazing. I love that the corseted top cinched in her waist. Sometimes the short front, long back dress can be a little questionable, but it looked beautiful on her. The straps on her shoes mirrored the top of her dress nicely.

photo by Kevin Mazur; from Yahoo! Music

Selena Gomez was my best dressed for the evening. She managed to look grown up, but still young and fresh in this shimmering J. Mendel gown. It's an absolutely incredible dress. The pink lip keeps her youthful. I love that she didn't fuss with a necklace. It would have just taken away from the dress. Her loose waves were beautiful too.


There were some crazy looks on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards, but others were just plain stunning. One thing to take away from the show, unless you're trying to wear a costume or look like a cat, don't wear head to toe leopard. It's not that great of a look. 

Purse Shopping Tips

On Friday, I went into Dillard’s to see if they had any good party dresses on sale. On my loop around the store, I ended up in the purse section. Being the pursaholic that I am, (I would buy a new one every day if I could afford it.) I decided to look at what they had. By the time I was done, I bought a clutch and a crossbody, for $33.  Both were on sale. Regularly price they would have cost over $100. It was a great deal.

I thought I would pass my purse purchasing tips along. First, if you’re in the market to spend $50 or more on a bag, go to Dillard’s. Although you won’t find high end brands like Louis Vuitton or Prada, it has great mid-range bags. They have pretty much the same selection of bags as Macy’s but they’re cheaper. There’s no reason you should pay more when you can walk across the mall and get it for cheaper. 

My second tip is to check out the sales. When I went there, some things were 70 percent off. Even if the store is usually out of your price range, you might find something really great on sale. It doesn’t hurt to check it out, unless you’re like me and have a hard time not buying anything when you go in. In which case, if you don’t really have the money for it, you probably shouldn’t go in until you do. 

I also like to get bags from Target and Old Navy. Target has some really cute things, but at times can feel overprice. Old Navy is great for more casual bags, but I’ve had a few bags that weren’t very good quality. Nevertheless, you can get some cute stuff from there. If you check out sales, then it won’t hurt too much if it wears out quickly. 

Sales are beautiful thing in the world of a financially conscious fashionista.