Destiny's Child part deux

First Matthew Knowles I mean P.Diddy kicks Aubrey out of pop group Danity Kane - Aubrey was the most popular and feisty member of the group. Diddy followed that up immediately by ousting Aubrey's sidekick Danity Kane member D.Woods (for no good reason I must add). Now my boy Andy just informed me that a third member Shannon has quit the group - who in my opinion had little purpose in the first... I'll never understand Diddy's reason(s) for choosing her. Anyway, what the heck is going to happen with the group now? Diddy swears that there will be a Danity Kane, but should he just let this one go? I suppose time will tell.

Shooties

I've put myself on a major shopping halt due to my dwindling deep pockets, however I was stopped in my tracks immediately as I was window shopping (literally) at the mall a few days ago. In the window of BeBe were these tall, black dominatrix platform pumps that literally had me hyperventilating. The shoe had a bootie look to them but with open toes and cut-outs on the side, clasped with three small silver buckles all the way up to the ankle. OMG these are amazing; if they weren't five inches tall (since I'm already 5'8") they'd be mine... Budget, what budget.

Winter White Boot

My girlfriend is in the process of purchasing a hot knee-high boot in white. Before pulling the trigger on the purchase she is wondering what outfits she can wear with them. Therefore I will take it upon myself to come up with some suggestions on how to wear them without looking like Halloween. FYI, I cannot wait for Halloween this year! The white long boot can be worn with dresses, skirts, short pants, and jeans.

Dresses: Can be worn mini, at the knee, or below the knee. At the risk of looking like a street walker the mini dress should not be form-fitting. The mini dress you choose should be loose and flowy. The empire waist cut in a mini is a good way to accomplish the loose and flowy look. Another option with the mini dress should be one with a lot of volume. For example ruffles, pleats, and chunky oversize knits are good here. A superb dress option cut at the knee is a belted shirt-dress. In the right fabric this look paired with a knee-high boot is perfection. Below the knee I'm giving the approval for a form-fitting dress. In the right cut a form-fitting dress not hitting past the end of your calve is a sexy silhouette. I also adore dresses hitting below the knee in a ball gown silhouette with a knee-high boot. Before you gasp let me explain! It has to be the right fabric like cotton or raw silk so that the look is a little less formal than an actual ball gown. Donna Karen and Bottega Veneta do this look fabulously.

Skirts: We can apply pretty much the same rules as with dresses. Minis should be worn voluminously like the bubble skirt or pleated skirt. At the knee a skinny or pencil skirt works well with a knee-high boot. Dolce & Gabbana is showing long skirts below the knee this season that have shape and volume to them, and it looks great.

Short pants: Pants above the ankle and below the knee can be worn with this boot. I'm a fan of the pant being tight or loose. Both looks work well here.

Jeans: This neutral cotton pant are a no brainer. Jeans can be worn with nearly anything. Tuck a skinny jean into the boot, or a short-pant jean left over the boot. You could do a jean or corduroy skirt too as long as the skirt hits to the knee or right above (no minis here). That paired with tights is a hot look.

I want to talk about color now. First of all, know that you can wear white shoes and boots anytime even after Labor Day. Vibrant colors like purple, raspberry, green, and orange are everywhere for fall. With dresses I prefer colorful prints to solid colors, however solid colors work with a white boot too. With the skirt option I like more of a solid or neutral color here and jazz up the look in a top with a vibrant solid color or colorful print. This holds true with short pants and jeans as well. I prefer a lighter denim wash with a white boot, but dark denim works as well most likely paired with a colorful print top with white included in the pattern. Another example is to do a pencil skirt in tan with a green, brown, and white top and brown tights. So there are lots of options and looks that go very nicely with a knee-high winter white boot.

Oh Alec

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm obsessed with handbags, shoes, and television. Mondays and Tuesdays are dedicated to Dancing With the Stars (well LC too but this isn't about her!). From the very beginning I assumed Toni Braxton would be the dancing celebrity to beat because of her performing background. I just learned from watching this show that she suffers from a heart condition where doctors do not encourage excruciating physical activity such as competitive dancing. However after more than two weeks of energetic dancing her heart is showing vast strength and improvement so doctor approval is now granted. I also mention Toni because I have to say that I am madly I mean madly in love with her professional dance partner Alec Mazo. His body and his dance moves are to die for, but I just can't get past that flawless face. His eye-to-nose-to-mouth ratio are distributed perfectly. Not to mention all that beautiful brown thick hair; he should be doing pert-plus commercials. Okay, I just completely dated myself, but you get my point! The man is paradisaical and I can't stop rewinding their clip to watch Alec and drool... And when he smiles, forget about it - breath in my body equals gone! By the way, their swing dance routine last night was killer despite the judges comments. And I just adored Toni's sparkly legwarmers.

Behind the backup

We're almost into November and I'm still reading my fashion magazines from June! I've been a little busy which has significantly backed me up, but there is an upside. In reading June magazine issues in October you actually get to read and view the fall fashion trends and what you should be wearing right now. I mean how annoying is it to be in sunny steaming hot June reading about the fall collections? Maybe it's just me but I want to think about fall in the fall! Not only am I very behind in my magazine issues, but I've found a designer who is proliferating my problem - Catherine Holstein. Holstein, who is only 24, is mentioned in Elle's June issue as showing her first full collection at NY fashion week. One particular look has managed to have the pages of my Elle issue come to a complete halt! I cannot turn the page because I can't stop staring at what she's calling the bubble coat. I love love love it, don't you? I have to have it!



See her entire fall collection at Elle.com

The Beautiful People

Don't you just love beautiful people? I had the most strikingly gorgeous family come into my store today. First I noticed the woman, well primarily because I was assisting her. She had to be in her late 30s, but had a figure like a 20 year old. She put her dark long hair loosely into a ponytail, while wearing pink blush and sporting a pale pink glossy lip with mascara on her lashes to polish off the whole natural look. I was so smitten by her beauty that I didn't even notice her little girl until she dropped the handbag my mannequin was holding. Whoa, this little girl had to be 6 years old and the cutest darn little thing I've ever seen. Her face is destined to be the muse of a major fashion designer one day I just know it. Just when I was going to mention that I know where this adorable little girl gets her looks, her smoking hot daddy walks in! DANG! Tall, tan, lean, and damn fine!!! He had a head full of salt-n-pepper wavy hair that I couldn't help but to imagine running my fingers through. He was accompanied by two more older but cute kids. What a match made in heave to procreate.

Hate change

I have been shopping with Origins for my skincare needs for years. I'm mostly a fan of their moisturizer for oily skin named Matte Scientist, but I feel that my adulation toward them is about to change. I went to the store and picked up a new bottle in my favorite moisturizer only I was unable to find the bottle in its usual location. The sales woman told me the bottle is in the same spot it just has a new look. The box and bottle were short and stumpy. I immediately assumed the company cut out on the 1.7 fluid ounces the old bottle provided. She assured me that everything is the same (the ingredients, the size) only the packaging has changed. I say okay and go ahead and purchase it. I HATE IT! The new bottle has a much smaller opening for distribution so when trying to pour the moisturizer either nothing comes out or way too much comes out. There is absolutely no portion control with this new bottle. To make it worse when too much manages to come out (which is ALL the time) the opening is so small that I cannot add the un-needed portion back into the bottle, which leads to waste, which leads to needing a refill sooner than later. I love the formula so much, but this new bottle is making me want to switch moisturizers in a hurry. I think I'm going to send them my comments on the new packaging so they are aware that they are losing a customer due to this undue change. Don't you just hate consumers like me, but they need to know why my allegiance has come to an end!

Stand tall

I am so in love with BCBGirls fall 2008 shoe collection I just don't know what to do with myself! Luckily I'm in a job where I'm on my feet most of the time so I can justify why I should not have any of these shoes since none of them seem to come in a heel shorter than 4 inches tall. Okay so maybe I should just find somewhere outside of work to wear them right? Don't be a bad influence, I need to find comfortable shoes now, and with my paycut I cannot deviate from the plan. But I had to post these two pair on here; these are to die for!

Friday night lights

Tonight my girlfriends and I are going to a "little black dress party"; how fun does that sound?! People who arrive there early enough can register for a chance to win 1 of 5 designer purses - Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Coach, Dooney & Bourke, and Juicy Couture, I'm mean how sweet is that?!! And they aren't little out-of-season wallets (although I wouldn't care!), they are full fledged handbags! I'm dying to win the Michael Kors bag, which is a leather zebra print mid-size cluth. Of course I'd be ecstatic just to win anything nevermind the bag I would end up winning, although the Louis is definitely worth the most. Besides the stress I'm feeling from having get there in time, I'm trying to decide what to wear. I've narrowed it down to 3 little black dresses. Everyone is wearing a black dress obviously so I need my dress to stand out. Shoes and accesories will contribute to that, but I need the perfect dress (that's already in my closet). I have no idea what my friends are wearing but they always come correct so I'm not worried about them. Okay off to decide.

Frozen fingers

Do you like this trend? I love it! The fingerless glove is definitely a fashion statement and not meant to keep your little fingers from falling off in frigid temperatures. The look is everywhere and I couldn't resist participating in the phenomenon. Alright phenomenon is a little strong, but this look is worldwide. We have them in the store I work at as a fingerless mitten. This pair I'm wearing are from France and I just heart them! Wait, je les adore!

The Euro Move

I've just returned from western Europe and I have to say it was one of the best times I've experienced. The feeling of being there is delightfully unexplainable. Aside from the chilly temperatures, the towns and atmosphere were exquisite. The streets paved in beautiful cobblestone, and buildings and churches built in the 1800s were amazing. We hung out in the square mostly, an area fill with lots of people shopping, eating, working et cetera. While shopping in the square we realized that the major shops are open and closed during the same hours when most people work, i.e. 8am - 7pm (somewhere around that). In other words you had better get your shopping in before work or during your lunch break because we're getting off when you get off! This philosophy has immediately lead me to set my sights on relocating to Europe. Oh, I've recently left the unstable world of finance for the unpredictable world of retail. It's been a long time coming since fashion is my passion. I'm really impressed on how the Europeans realize there is more to life than working. I could close my store and meet my accounting and lawyer friends for dinner and drinks by 8pm! Unlike in the states where I'm forced to decline invitations due to late night closing hours. I'd better brush up on my French speaking!