V-Style

Stylish Women's Clothing at ShopMamie.com

Shopping online can be scary, particularly with new brands. If the shipping isn't free, I rarely buy something online I have not tried on already. I know there are many woman just like me so I take great pleasure in reviewing new labels on-line and my experience with them. I know my reviews of these sites takes the fear of wasting money out of the shopping on-line equation.

Which brings me to Shopmamie.com. I love it! I just got this Midnight Ballet Dress and it looks fantastic. Although the skirt portion of the dress feels a teeny bit crepe-y, it's effect is a voluminous shape that actually made me feel like a stylish ballerina. Plus, the fit is perfect, the construction well done and the fabric around the bust is scrumptious with a good weight on it. Their merchandise is all under $100 and in general remind me of the good finds in the LA Fashion District, but much better quality.

I am also comforted by the people behind the brand. This isn't some faceless mega mogul, Mamie is made up of two stylish best friends that give attentive customer service and have a true eye for fun and youthful fashion. And when you have two independent people behind a label like this, making their own rules, you often get this wonderful effect; I call it the closet effect. If you look at the Mamie collection as a whole I feel like I am looking into someone's spirited closet.

Anne Hathaway Wears Lela Rose

My ultimate favorite part of my job is seeking out beautiful outfits. Yes, creating them is a huge love of mine, but just looking at one brings me joy. Last week at Variety's 1st Annual Power of Women Luncheon in Beverly Hills Anne Hathaway was the focus of my attention when I spotted her in this strapless apricot frock by Lela Rose. This is just one of the outfits this month that will ditch the usual fall colors for a bold color. With global warming and fashion rules losing it's power fashion is becoming more and more mood oriented as well as utilitarian.

I know black is slimming, blah-blah, but this year if you are wearing black it better be funk-ey. Otherwise bold is beautiful in an orange or yellow dress.

p.s. If I was Anne Hathaway would have chosen a different colored Jimmy Choo, probably a metallic one...

Tops That Go With Leggings

I wear leggings. I love them, they look good and they are so freakin comfortable, but I can't keep running around in the same legging outfit. I only have three awesome tops to go with my 20 pairs of leggings, but they are so unique and memorable I have to space them out. So after three years of only buying dresses (well, not only dresses, I bought some leggings too), I am on the look out for tops that compliment the skin tight appearance of leggings. That means longer tops to cover the bum and hips, preferable with some shape so I don't look like like a blob on two sticks.

This does not mean I have to get tops/tunics/dresses that hit my thigh. Just some tops that hit at least half way down the bum. One top that caught my eye is this ZOA Sequined Cloud Tank. This will hit directly under the bum in the back and graze the pelvic area in the front. This will go perfectly with black or silver leggings of any texture (lame´or cotton).

Another great top is this ALICE + OLIVIA v-neck sweater with sequined tank underneath. This hits well below the glutes and will grace the body without hugging it. Pair this with black leggings for a layered monochromatic look. Other colors that will go well are grey, blue, or green. Be sure to pair it with full length leggings and not cropped ones. This a chic look and cropped does not often say sophistication.

If I did want to find a good top for casual cropped leggings I would wear this Rebel Yell Tee. It hits below the butt, it isn't too snug and will be cute for running errands or hanging around the house. If you see a womens t-shirt that hits below the bum, but you are not sure if it will look too tight, get a size bigger. This way it will hang and not hug. When wearing shirts like this with leggings, try not to wear it with full length leggings and stick to the shorter version. It just looks more balanced.

Back to full leggings this BB Dakota top would look perfect with a black pair. Just make sure the top is a bit loose, you don't want anything too form fitting with leggings. As you know one must balance the slim bottoms with loose tops.

Obviously there are thousands of tops to go with leggings, but the last I will discuss is the long cardigan. Throw a tank top underneath this Kersh sweater and you are looking fabulous. I do recommend pairing this with funky leggings if you are under 35-years-old. The turquoise color of this sweater can look a little dated so you will want to pair this with those denim impersonating leggings, printed leggings or a a metallic pair. If you get this type of cardigan in another color like mustard or grey, don't worry about wearing cutting edge leggings.

If you would like me to make this a two part blog simply comment below, I would be happy to show you more tops that compliment leggings.

Audrina Patridge In Jeweled Giuseppe Zanotti Heels

This girl is doing well on the red carpet. Although I have never seen any of Audrina's reality shows, I spoke briefly with her at a party about a fantastic outfit she wore. Let me just say she knows how to pull off some fashion. I will be sending her stylist my regards.

Which leads me to her sparkly frock and heels. Sexy? yes. Too sexy? I don't think so, the sweet heart neckline saves this skimpy jewel from looking cheap. As for the shoes, I have a pair similar to these Giuseppe Zanotti heels and I love them. Particular for the holiday season, a clean pair of jeweled heels will go perfectly with your cocktail party dress.

Comme des Garcons Collaborates With The Beatles

The strong woman who inspired the Beatles song, "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" passed away last week from lupus. In honor of her connection to the Beatles I picked up a bit of fashion related Beatles news for today's post.

Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons has come together with Apple Corps Ltd. – the London-based company that manages the legacy and musical catalog of the British band. The two companies are teaming up to launch a new collection of handbags under The Beatles/Comme des Garcons label. The first styles are to debut mid-November at London's Dover Street Market, Kawakubo’s multi-brand emporium, and Gyre in Tokyo. While details were scarce at press time we do know that additional distribution will follow and the deal with Apple Corps is a long-term one with Kawakubo designing other items under the label such as T-shirts.

If this collaboration is done correctly I am incredibly excited to see the result. The Beatles are the only band I have ever intertwined into my fashion, (okay, I do have one Rolling Stones shirt, but only because I love that big mouth).

The Twosome Ring by Erica Anenberg

 

Putting a new spin on rings, Erica Anenberg has created the twosome ring. Spotted on Annalynne McCord, the Kardashian girls and Lauren Conrad, the twosome ring is favored by celebrities, but who cares. Erica's twosome ring is cool because it's different. It reminds of a pair of cute and teeny brass knuckles, but instead of a fist of gold evil, the two some ring is two rings bonded together to create a bar across two fingers.

 

I have the simple 18k gold ring, but I am also loving the plated white enamel striped twosome ring and the snake version. I warn you though to stay away from the cheesy swarovski crystal ones. Although the ring is fresh, the crystal encrusted accessories are not.

Fame Hits Theatres Today

The remake of Fame opens today and although the movie is filled with mediocre acting, documentary style filming and teeny boppers, it has great editing and awesome dance sequences with some yummy costumes. In particular, the circus themed attire caught my interest. How could I have forgotten about circus wear? Especially after Britney Spears made her circus video, I am surprised circus inspired clothing has not been made more available to fashionistas.

Another fashionably noteworhy piece are the two faced nylons during the fabulous "Black & Gold" dance sequence. This winter I will be snagging a pair of those to go with my boots.

Michelle Monaghan Wears Fenton Fallon Necklace

With graphic designer husband Peter White by her side, Michelle Monaghan from Gone Baby Gone sported a metallic dress by Mikhael Kale, clutch by VPL and black boots by Alexander Wang. But my favorite part of the outfit was the bold statement necklaces by Fenton Fallon which she called “the ultimate costume jewelry.” Monaghan wore two Fenton Fallon necklaces layered together and said they were so reasonably priced you could afford to “keep on layering them.”

Monaghan said her ‘Design Meets Fashion’ ensemble of cutting edge designers was much more an expression of her personal style versus haute couture. "I'm a fashion fanatic and especially appreciate young designers,” she said. “I think it's important to support the up and comers just like people supported me." Whatever her reasoning the dress is ok, but love those necklaces. The statement necklace never goes out of style, but I am sensing a major presence this coming season.

Vanessa Valiente on The E! Channel

Turn to the E! Channel Thursday Morning, September 24th, 6am-9am to check out, That Morning Show. I will be discussing scarf trends for fall with a sneak peak of a Spring 2010 goodie. My segment will on around 7am.

Drew Barrymore Wears Alexander McQueen

Although Drew Barrymore's outfit at the Toronto International Film Festival ended up on the What were you thinking? list last week, I love it. If her make-up was more chic and less teenager-who-over-did-it, she would look stunning. Her hair is funky and the Alexander McQueen dress is fabulous.

Another cool look by Alexander McQueen is this wool dogtooth frock. Wear this to your next business meeting if you work in a cutting edge industry.