V-Style

Matchy Matchy Look on Jennifer Lopez

A matchy-matchy look is retro in a bad way. It looks gimmicky. That is why I will never recommend it to anyone; however, I have been known to do a few matchy looks for myself and specific others and each time someone says, "I thought you said not to do that, but that looks good!"

The reason I say the general public should not do matchy-matchy looks is because it is too delicate to pull off without a true sense of style and fashion. For many of my clients I am a teacher of fashion. Throughout the shopping process and outfit making, I am telling my clients why we choose one thing and not the other, but I can't quite explain why the rare matchy-matchy look works. It cannot be taught easily. But here is a quick try.

Pictured above it a great example (minus the cheesy earrings and hairdo) of a matchy-matchy look by Jennifer Lopez in Gucci. Why? It's fashion forward and unique, it's chic with clean lines, it's sexy. It is also matching two pieces in a fresh color and not overwhelming us with multiple bold matching pieces. Also, it is not matching a pattern (generally a no-no), it is matching a color and vibe.

Pictured below is not a good example of matchy-matchy by Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham. They look unimaginative, girlish and costumey. (I shall refer to them as monsters of their respective themes.) So, one rule you can take away from this matchy-matchy lesson is not to match more than two items in an outfit and even then be positive it is timeless or unique.

Pink Monster

  

Sailor Monster (or Supergirl)

Red Monster

A Personal Stylist Purchase - Leather Mini Skirt

When I was very young my mom bought me a little leather suit comprised of a black leather vest and a matching leather skirt. Let me preface this with we didn't buy much. My mom sewed most of my clothes until the end of elementary school - bless her. And when we did buy something it was once a year and it was a few purchases at Macys and one pair of shoes from Stride Rite. So, a leather suit is beyond out of the ordinary. (Plus where do you find a child's leather suit - Ah! The 80's.)

Back to the leather suit - I must have been 9 and I though I was hot shit for having this leather outfit that I never wore beyond my bedroom. Now here I am, a woman, when I spy this black leather skirt by Plastic Island last week - in Macy's no less- and I feel my nine-year old self scream with delight. I am going to be quite the chic street walker in this high-waist leather mini with diagonal zipper. And did I mention that leather has a slimming effect? This piece of glory is like wearing mild spanx, so my little belly is smoothed out. I will be pairing it with a tucked in thick-strapped tank top.

Product Review - A Jenny B Tee

Last week I was sent a Tee from the new-brand-to-me Jenny B, a t-shirt and casual wear line started in 2005 by "corporate dropout" Jennifer Brawley.

Based completely on the Tee shirt I was sent, I love it! I adore this relatively new distressing technique on tees and this brand has done it beautifully. Plus, the fit and shape is modern and perfect for tucking in with high waisted trousers and skirts. I have been needing a chic fitted Tee for my new paper-bag slacks. Looser Tees often look too casual and messy tucked in. As for just wearing it with low rise jeans? A fitted Tee calls for a flat stomach - that ain't me, so, tucking into high waisted items is where this t-shirt will fit into my life.

Now to my favorite part. The Tee they sent me is beige. This is the first awesome Tee in a neutral color I have seen/found. I am beyond stoked. As for the fabric it is soft, but I thought it would be softer.

Lastly, other items I would  recommend would be any tee or tank from the "Burnout" category on the Jenny B. website, particularly the animal print versions of the Tee - so fun! Items to stay away from is the "Message Tees" and "Junkie Behavior."  There you will find cheesy graphics and slogans that declare you an immature person. Stick to the Burnout Selection.

Best Dressed At The Oscars 2010

Unfortunately there were only two best dressed at the 2010 Oscars on Sunday: Miley Cyrus (Sadly) and Cameron Diaz (Yea!). Everybody else ranged from dated to boring to simply unattractive. So, I have included some honorable mentions that would have made my Best Dressed List if they had made a few tweaks to their look.

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham

Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta

Honorable Mentions

I would have adored Carey Mulligan in Prada if it weren't for the asymmetrical train which was inconsistent with the rest of the fun fashion forward look. And her shoes were a bump in the road here. An elegant bronze strappy something would have been a far better choice then these blocky plats. Plus her hair was too white for a black dress giving her a dated look in a vague way. With platinum hair she should have gone with a warmer look, this dress calls for a brunette.

Maggie Gyllenhaal would have truly wowed me in this Dries Van Noten gown, but the sudden white at the bottom of this beautiful dress ruined the whole thing.

Molly Ringwald would have made her first appearance on my blog with a Best Dressed comment if she hadn't ruined this indigo frock with two mismatched swirly additions. I think even if she had just skipped the white swirly bracelet I would have been on board, but it really cheesed up this elegant look.

A Personal Stylist Purchase - Boyfriend Blazer

The boyfriend blazer is a trend I have been really really picky with. Each time I saw one it looked way too trendy or it was too expensive. I wanted to stay on the cheap since I wasn't sure how much I would wear it or if it would even flatter my body. Considering how long the boyfriend blazer is supposed to be, this is more of a tall girl item, but I bought one by MM Couture by Miss Me last week. I wore it yesterday and I love it! I felt so power dressed 90's style. I paired it with light grey slacks, a black 3/4 length sleeve top and black heels. I felt pretty fabulous in my meeting.

 

A Personal Stylist Purchase - Furry Jacket

I have a thing for furry jackets. Pink, green, real, faux, lavender, black and my newest addition is white and probably my favorite for its versatility and light weight feel. I spotted this Sugar Lips jacket on Friday in Macy's for $98. The bomber jacket trimmings at the hem and sleeves say casual, but the fur says, "Let's cocktail!" So, I wore it to a dinner party.

Katy Perry Wears Stacked Casadei Heels

This may seem an odd post considering I made such a stink about tall heels, but I could not pass up an opportunity to talk about lavender colored heels. Plus, with that platform going on, the heel ends up being my desired 3 inch height.

By the by, although Katy Perry appears to look more doll than human in this photo, I adore this lavender shade heel. Outrageously tall, yes. Drag Queen-ish even, yes - but I am loving it! I wonder if they are comfortable? At $590 they better be.

As a side note, don't think high prices mean comfort. I was recently at a cocktail party that became a long stroll to go salsa dancing and a wonderful Scottish woman could not keep up because she was wearing YSL heels that killed her feet. Bad form, YSL. If you want people paying obscene prices, make those shoes obscenely delicious to wear. 

Back to Casadei, I went on an online hunt to find Katy Perry's lavender shoe and only came up with the fushcia version pictured above on amazon.com (who'd a thought). For other stacked heels by Casadei, try endless.com

Miriam Jewels by Miriam Chor Freitas

Until recently I assumed crochet was reserved for sweaters. Then Miriam Chor Freitas sent me a pair of earrings. For her, crochet means jewelry. Instead of making a piece of needlework by looping thread with a hooked needle, she is making fabulous accessories by looping wires with a hooked needle. Her collection, tilted Miriam jewels, is based on this ancient art of crocheting, wire wrapping, knotting and knitting with metal wire, crystals, precious and semi-precious stones.

Adding more intrigue to this rare craft is the time behind it. It takes Miriam at least 3 month to create even a small pair of earrings. Using techniques like the Peruvian Stitch, each weave of wire needs a slow and steady hand to create the perfect symmetrical look of the jewelry. In the photo above you can see how intricate the wires are on these Sun earrings from Miriam's Inca collection. The knitting is so tight it almost looks like a textured circle instead of 14K gold wire crocheted into submission.

Although the Sun earrings are a small part of her extravagant collection, I must say they are my favorite. Mainly for how perfect they will go with a bold dress (my uniform). I am always looking for subtle earrings to go with my extravagant outfits and short hair, but all the earrings I am coming across seem to be too small, too boring, too trendy or too traditional. The Sun earrings have the unique edge I am looking for, but won't overwhelm my face or outfit. They are also very light weight.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara Review

My mom is a huge fan of natural make-up for two reasons: she cares about the environment and she has very sensitive skin. A few months ago she told me she had gone completely natural or organic save for mascara. She just couldn't find an organic replacement that worked as good as the chemical kind. Then I received this e-mail from here:

"I read about this fruit pigment make up from 100% Pure at Life Without Plastic and decided to try it. I ordered the mascara and it arrived very quickly. I had no real expectations and was very pleasantly surprised. This is my second day wearing it and no allergic reactions (1st test for me). It stays on much longer than Dr. Hauschka's mascara.

One misinformation though, it says it's water proof, but I wash it off with water easily. Since I would only wear it for occasions, this could work for me. Next, I'll try the coverup. It came with lots of free samples of lotion etc. I tried the almond honey hand lotion and really liked it, but I am a big fan of anything with honey in it. (Honey is my favorite facial, it fixes anything from break outs to dry flaky skin)."

Gwendolyn Valiente Approves!

A Personal Stylist Purchase - Floral Gap Cardigan

Last week I popped into Gap to get a Valentine's Gift for my fella (lounge pants and chic shorts - he loved it) and found this drop dead adorable long cardigan. The first thing to draw my eye was the color combination of yellow and purple. I love love love mixing these bold hues.

I stared at the sweater and thought do I really want to buy such a floral item? Then I figured it would do my wardrobe well since florals are so scarce in my style arsenal. I will use it to make a fun juxtaposition with all my un-feminie attire. Sharp slacks, belted over black leggings and paired with forward dresses was my plan. So here it is: my $30 sweater with one of my fun dresses. I must say I like the look.

If you too want the Gap Floral cardigan click on the link.