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.