Jeans you must buy for Spring 2011

I read this Go Buy Now:'70s-Style Jeans last week and followed their directions to go out and buy some higher rise, wider leg jeans because I am nothing, if not a complete slave to fashion.

Jean-ious!!! (Sorry for the lame pun, but I am just so excited) I LOVE these trouser style ones from the Gap. They are comfortable, with a little bit of a higher rise. No muffin top! I can't tell you how excited I am. Skinny jeans can be really cute on some people, but not on most people (aka people that aren't skinny). I bought two pairs in the past week. I wore them all weekend and am officially in love.

This is such exciting news that I wanted to blog about it even though I haven't blogged in like a year or something. OK, not quite that long, but almost. Anyway, go out and get some- now!

Lanvin for H&M

This video is amaaaazing and I want everything in it. Love the yellow dress and all the shoes! C and I might just have to camp out to make sure we get some Lanvin!

Military trend

Hey Internet!! Long time no see. Sorry for the lack of blogging, for oh, the last 6 or 7 months. I haven't felt like I have had a lot of exciting purchases to share recently, but fall is here and I have been shopping like crazy!

So, the military trend is huge for fall. I love the cargo leggings that are everywhere, but unfortunately they are just not for me. They make my legs look ginormous. I tried the Paige ones at Nordstrom and they were the softest material ever, I wanted to love them so much, but they did not work for me. If you have been blessed with super slim thighs and can pull them off, I suggest you try those ones. After pretty much giving up on the idea of these, I found these slim fit cargo pants at AT Loft last weekend. On sale for $19.99 plus an additional 25% off. I seriously want to live in these pants. I bought them in the brown color, because it was the only pair they had in my size, but I might get the green and khaki online. You seriously need to order these pants! These pants are the reason for my return to blogging. That's how awesome they are.

I also bought this jacket at the Gap a few weeks ago. I think I will wear it a lot when California is not having history breaking heat waves. It will be good with jeans and over dresses.

best nordstrom rack day ever

These Jimmy Choo pumps are selling at Nordstrom right now for $500, but for some reason I found a pair in my size at the Rack for 75% off! I am pretty sure there was some kind of mistake, but I am not complaining. You can't really tell from this picture, but they are patent leather, which in my opinion is the best kind of leather for shoes. I like shiny! They are pretty basic, but you can't go wrong with a classic black pump. FYI- in case you ever come across a pair of Jimmy Choos online for a crazy good deal and don't know what size to get, they run extremely small. I'm talking about needing to size up 1 to 1.5 sizes.

Tory Burch Private Sale!!

If you love Tory Burch, you have to check out the private sale ASAP- http://www.toryburchprivatesale.com/. I just bought this Simone cardigan, which C and I absolutely love. We both have a couple of them. The quality is really good and they last forever. I have had mine for almost 2 years! This one has a detachable dickie- which will be gone as soon as I open the box. It was originally $295, but I just got it for $88! YAY! It also comes in a heather grey. I also got a cheetah print cardigan. There is a whole bunch of other stuff too. Definitely check it out!

Update- so I just saw on facebook that you can only access the website if you are already on the Tory Burch mailing list.

Cut-off shorts

Hearing someone mention "cut-offs" does not exactly conjure up good pictures in my head. It makes me think of people wearing too short daisy dukes or those shorts with pockets longer than the inseam from Abercrombie. BUT, I am digging this recent trend of rolled up cut-offs like the picture above from the Spring Cole Haan catalog. It totally takes me back to 8th or 9th grade. I am so going to make some this weekend from an old pair or jeans from J Crew that I haven't worn in about 5 years. I will post pictures if they turn out well.

PS- What do you think about pairing them with tights for the winter? I've seen pictures of Nicole Richie styling them like that, but not sure how well you could pull it off in real life.

tattoo inspired trucker hats for children are not a good idea

Longest post title ever. One of our faithful readers sent this to me a few days ago knowing my penchant for ripping on anything related to Ed Hardy (thanks Melissa!!). This is a faux Ed Hardy brand of hats for kids called Cade Christian. I feel bad for any child subjected to wearing this. They will most definitely end up on some VH1 reality show of some kind in 15 to 20 years.

My must-have jacket for spring

You should go buy yourself a military-inspired jacket immediately. I bought this one at Old Navy for about $40 and it is is so versatile. It comes in a whole bunch of colors. Looks great with jeans and over a dress. It is really light weight- perfect for the warmer spring days.

cool way to tie a scarf

So simple! Via http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

these shoes were hit with the ugly stick

So, I few days ago I posted a picture of some weird converse shoe/boot hybrids. I thought that they were the ugliest shoes I had seen in a while. Well, I think this pair of DENIM UGGS steals that title. I mean, we give Uggs a hard time, but I can kind of, sort of understand the appeal of the original ones because they are so comfortable. But, these are ridiculously ugly- even for a company that named their shoes Uggs because they are so ugly. True story.

corsage top

Isn't that the most giant flower you have ever seen on an article of clothing?! It is crazy and I love it. I bought this kate spade top in purple from Neiman's last week. It was like 75% off. They are having an amazing sale right now.

Is there anything better than Chanel?

NO.

Chanel Spring 2010 couture show. Have you noticed this trend lately of grey highlights? I saw pictures of Kate Moss yesterday with some. Grey hair has also shown up in a lot of magazine spreads recently. I am intrigued.

Pictures from Style.com.

The ugliest shoe I've seen in a while

Cutest hat

Isn't this the cutest beanie ever?!

I found it at Etsy.

kate spade flats

We both love these kate spade flats. It is like a big ole hunk of jewelry for your feet. Waiting for them to be 75% off...

Zac Posen Spring 2010

I'm obsessed with these looks from Zac Posen, but I'm seriously saddened by the fact that I can't afford them. I love the bubble gum pink dress...how adorable for spring! I've never been too interested in any of his collections before, however, this season I keep seeing really cute things on all my favorite department store websites. If only I had $2000 to burn! Hmmm...maybe Target will come out with a more affordable Zac Posen line.

It's the most wonderful shopping time of the year

After Christmas sales!!!!!!!!!

Boots!! These camel colored boots have been on my to-buy list since about September. But, I did not want to dish out $250 for them. So I waited and waited. I bought these last weekend at Banana Republic for $110. Not too bad. They look great over jeans or leggings and I have been wearing them a lot with skirts and dresses too. Very comfy. Of course, now that I have new boots, the weather has been about 75 degrees and I have been wearing sandals. Not to make all you non-Californians feel bad, but I even went to the beach on Saturday! IN JANUARY.

Oh, and I also bought them in black. When something you like is on sale you should not hesitate to buy multiples. ;)

Skirts

I did a quick evaluation of my closet this morning and realized I am in need of some new skirts for work. I just checked out Banana Republic and they only have 8 styles of skirts available and of those 8, this is one of them! WTF. If it was 2001 and I was still in college and I saw this at Abercrombie, I would have thought this skirt was great. Today, not so much. Whiskering and fraying? Are skirts out?! What is going on?

Tuxedo cardigan

I can't tell you how much I wanted this Keaton tuxedo cardigan from J Crew. I love that it looks like a jacket, but is an oh-so-much-more comfortable sweater. I passed on it the first time I saw it cause it was $118. I kind of forgot about it for a while until I saw it on sale on J Crew's website. I was excited until it said that it was sold out- btw- isn't it a major buzz kill when you see something you want online, click on it and THEN find out it is sold out?! Why do they even let you click on it if you can't buy it? I went to the South Coast Plaza store and they only had an x-small (sooo not my size). The search continued on to eBay. I was desperate. Obsessed. I kept thinking if only I had this sweater everything in my closet would work together better. I thought of everything I would wear it with- a pencil skirt for work, over a casual dress, with black skinny jeans, a white tank, layers of pearls and black patent pumps. I would look taller, thinner, blonder, richer, etc (yes...I am kind of joking but I am also kind of delusional when it comes to clothes). A couple days later I was at the Shops at Mission Viejo killing time between dinner with my husband and going to the gym when I found it at the J Crew store! There was one sweater, in my size, and on sale with an additional 20% off, which brought the price down to about $30. It was meant to be. Mission accomplished- I can now delete my eBay email alerts for "J crew tuxedo cardigan" and move on to my next obsession.

January Antho catalog

I got the new Anthropologie catalog in the mail yesterday, and, of course, I want everything in it. I love this look with the circle skirt dress, the open trench, the oxfords and the newspaper as an umbrella. I want to walk around some Italian city dressed like this.

The Snuggle Suit

Seriously?! What happened to wearing clothes and using blankets?! It's only the first week of January and this may already be the worst trend of the entire year. Available @ www.jcpenney.com for the low price of $24.99.

Yes, there's an app for that

Oh, how I love my iPhone. Not quite sure how I lived without one all those years. Besides being all-around awesome, it is an excellent shopping companion. I thought I would share with you some of my favorite fashion/shopping apps. All of these Apps are free.

• Style.com- This is Vogue's website/app (sister site? not sure). Lot's of video's from fashion shows, pictures from nearly every major collection, a style blog. Basically, lots of pretty things for you to look at that you can't afford. More inspiration than actually shopping.
• Chanel- More pretty things to look at. Good if you are in a foreign land and need to find the closest Chanel to you.
• Shopstyle- This is a must have app. It is just like the website. You can look for items based on type, designer, store, price, color, etc. When you find what you are looking for it will send you to the store's website.
• Chipotle- Not really good for shopping specifically, but if you are out shopping and get hungry you can find the nearest Chipotle and place your order on your phone. YUM.
• Amazon- I like to compare prices to Amazon a lot when I am out because books and other things are almost always cheaper on Amazon than they are in stores. Plus, there isn't any sales tax on Amazon.
• Piperlime- Yes! This is a new app for all of the Gap family stores- Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Piperlime, Athleta. Browse the store and you can order items while you are on-the-go. Pretty cool. The only thing that would make this better is if you could find out if your item is available in your local store and then put it on hold. A girl can dream!
• Net-a-Porter-More pretty things I can't afford. Fun to look at.

Let me know if you know of any other cool apps that I need to get!

Happy 2010!!

My fashion new year's resolutions for 2010: 1. Stop buying crap at Forever 21 that never gets worn or used. 2. Donate clothes and shoes that I don't wear anymore (the A&E show Hoarder's has changed my life!) 3. Stop buying clothes just because they are on sale! Only buy things that I REALLY love. 4. Blog more.

Rodarte for Target- a success!

I can't even tell you the amount of disappointing collaborations there have been between high-end designers and mass retail stores. Either the stuff is unwearable (McQueen for Target) or it sells out in a microsecond (I'm still bummed I didn't get my studded flats from the recent Jimmy Choo for H&M collection). But, the Rodarte collection for Target looked promising. I totally scored when I walked into Target to pick up a retirement card for my boss before heading to the gym early last Saturday morning. The collection wasn't even supposed to be out until the next day. I completely freaked out. I started grabbing everything that they had in my size like a madwoman. It was a very exciting morning. The clothes are really well made. My favorite things are these three that I posted. I bought the lace cardigan in mustard yellow and also one in black. I love the trompe l'oeil lace dress so much. And the tulle dress I am planning to wear to this fancy schmancy shin dig I am going to for NYE tomorrow. Oh, and I can't wait to wear the lace tights. I think they are so cool!!!

The most amazing dress...ever

I have to apologize for the lack of posts lately. I guess we have not been in a blogging mood. I watched Julie and Julia the other day and it kind of put me back in the spirit. I hadn't t really thought of anything to share with you until I saw this amazing Derek Lam dress on shopbop a few minutes ago. Isn't it gorgeous?! It is a piece of art. I would never be able to afford it or fit into it (the biggest size it comes in on the website is a 4), but I love looking at it.

A shoe Carrie Bradshaw would approve of

On the way back from a recent weekend trip down to San Diego, I decided to make a quick stop at the Carlsbad outlets. Usually I only hit up the Banana Republic Factory Store, but decided to spend some time in the Barney's outlet. Some "Big Bird" yellow suede Manolo Blahnik's caught my eye, and what do you know, they are my size! AND marked down to $175 from their original price of $575. I understand that that might still seem like an absolute crazy amount to spend on a pair of shoes, but in designer shoe world, this is a bargain. Red has always been my go-to pop of color shoe, but I think that yellow will be even more versatile. Can't wait to wear them!

PS- How cute are the pink and blue ones too? I would have had a tough time deciding between them if I had the option of all three!

Rodarte for Target

I will FOR SURE be at Target when it opens on December 20th. Definitely getting the mustard lace cardigan and those tights!! Merry Christmas to me!!! Check out all the looks here.

Ella Moss/Splendid Sample Sale

Attention LA and Orange County- Splendid and Ella Moss Sample Sale this weekend! I went to one this past summer and got some really good deals. I recommend getting there early!

One more reason to love Costco

I love Costco as much as everyone else. I mean, where else could you purchase tires for your car, a year's supply of (fill in the blank), a coffin, or a Chanel bag?! Dang I wish I lived in NYC! Even their Costcos are better than ours. As far as I know, there isn't any Chanel or Louis in the OC Costcos.

The perfect inexpensive holiday party dress!

I saw this dress at my local Target store last week and could not believe my eyes! This velvet one-shoulder dress was calling my name. Perfect for any holiday party or dinner! And it is only $39! Love.

Tory Burch Nova dress

I really love this chain necklace dress from Tory Burch (looks so awesome in person, this picture does not live up to its true gloriousness*). I hit up Neiman's one-day sale yesterday, and it was one of the few things not on sale. GRRRR. I refuse to pay full price for it. I did get an aweseme pair of Tory pumps 40% off though, so the day wasn't a total loss.

*pretty sure (positive) gloriousness is not a word, but I felt like it fits here.

Tory Burch eyewear

Obvs you all know what big Tory B fans we are. She came out with a
sunglasses line today! Love them. Prices are under $200 (less than
Chanels or Tom Fords but more than Ray Bans). Sunglasses really are
the best accessory in my opinion. Like Tory, I never leave home
without them.

More Ed Hardy crap to make fun of

I was perusing my local Whole Foods yesterday when I spotted this
section of Ed Hardy wine. So dissapointed in Whole Foods for carrying
this! Can't you just see Jon Gosselin and his girlfriend drinking this
on a Friday night?

Trying on jeans...dressing room not necessary

T and I were at the mall recently and while shopping at Macy's I remembered I was wanting a new pair of jeans. Since I had a coupon for 25% off of one item which could also be used in Impulse (section of Macy's with all the top designers that rarely accepts coupons) I decided to try on some jeans since I've been looking for the perfect dark, skinny pair. As always at Macy's, the dressing rooms were not up to par. They were crowded, messy and not appealing whatsoever. So I decided to take matters in to my own hands and try on jeans under the skirt that I was wearing that day. T stood with my patiently as I tried on up to 7 pairs of jeans in different sections of Impulse. Some people stared...a sales associate eyed me closely, but I got my business done (and didn't manage to flash anyone in the process). AND, the best part is, I ended up walking out of there with a $60 pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans!!

a new and improved Ann Taylor

We have always thought of Ann Taylor kind of as a place for moms (my mom absolutely adores it) and professional business women. But, recently the Ann Taylor people have had a change of heart. They have decided to become less work, more play. The clothes are much more chic and stylish, while still appropriate for work. I like this sweater dress above. The exaggerated shoulder is totally on-trend for fall. Way to go Ann Taylor- your new fall line is definitely a big improvement over the boring suits and floral ensembles from your past.

You know you're a shopaholic when...

the salesperson at your favorite store notices that you got a haircut.

Spring 2010 J Crew

I have been checking out Style.com for the past several weeks to see all the spring fashion shows- and there were so many pretty things. But, let's be real...99% of us will not be purchasing any of that stuff because, well, we like to eat and have a roof over our head when we sleep. J Crew had their spring 2010 presentation yesterday and fashionista has the pics. Check them out. As a J Crewholic, these pictures make me uber-excited for fall to be over, and honestly it has barely even begun in good ole southern CA.

Bailey 44

More cute embellished items that I have to share with you all!! I'm dying to get this sweater by the brand Bailey 44. This brand has been popping up in Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Anthropologie...a few of our faves. And the jersey material is so incredibly soft and offers the perfect amount of stretch to make it very figure flattering. And I love that all their items are neutrals and nothing too flashy.

The Tuxedo Jacket

I love the look of jeans, a white tank top and a cute jacket for an effortless yet very smart fashion statement. I've been seeing the tuxedo jacket everywhere these days and I expecially love this one from piperlime.com because of it's fun color and longer length. I think I would add a cute bronze belt cinched at the waist to make the look even more feminine!

C does still exist

Hello bloggers and followers and friends!! My loyal co-blogger T has been knocking my socks off with some amazing posts lately, while I have been MIA. I'm still here though! Just a few minor technical difficulties on the computer side of my life but I will prevail and I miss this blog so much. I want to take a minute to applaud all you fashion-obsessed followers of ours and we love your feedback. Keep the comments coming! As we are knee-deep into the fall season I can hardly wait for the approaching Holidays and the clothes that come with this time of year. T and I were debating the whole faux-fur vest trend and wondering if it would be a good addition to our wardrobes this time of year. It sure looks cozy but maybe too much of a "here today, gone tomorrow" kind of trend. What do you think?

As Rachel Zoe would say...

I DIE.

OMG. I LOVE this Etsy store. Everything is gorgeous and looks straight out of an anthropologie catalog. She will custom make the items for you- you get to pick the color of the fabric. She makes sizes 0-16 and and can even send in your measurements for a custom fit. Here are some of my favorite things from her store.

One dress- 7 different ways. I like the cowl neck/scarf look on the bottom row.

LOVE this asymmetrical ruffle sleeve.

This dress is my absolute favorite. I am seriously thinking about ordering it in purple.

dkny flats

C and I were shopping on Saturday and on our to-do list was find a pair of grey flats for C because she had practically worn through her previous beloved pair. While checking out at DKNY, I spotted these gunmetal flats. She tried a pair on, but they were too big, and so I tried them on "for fun" while we were waiting for her size. Of course, then I was in love with them too and somehow we both ended up with a pair. Not only are they cute, but comfortable as well. The bottom of the shoe looks like an athletic shoe. They are also available in bronze and black.

Sweater clip

I am a total Gleek. Glee is awesome. It is hilarious and the music is so much fun. If you aren't watching it, you should be. Emma from Glee is my new inspiration for work style. Her clothes are bright and fun and kind of 1960's retro. I love the sweater clip (sweater guard?) that she wore on the show a few weeks ago. I am obsessively searching eBay and etsy to find the perfect one. I'll let you know when I get one!

Brown

I have decided to stop purchasing any more brown clothing items. They
always end up sitting in my closet unworn. I know it's a neutral but I
just find it hard to incorporate brown into my outfits. Does anyone
else feel this way too?

random rant of the day

Why do so many celebrities think they can be clothing designers? It almost always spells d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r (yes, I am looking at you Lindsay Lohan). And even more of them want to create perfumes. Why do businesses think that we want to smell like Britney Spears? It seems crazy to me. Although, even crazier, are the people that buy this crap. What makes these people spend their hard earned money to buy a perfume by Jessica Simpson or Paris Hilton? I would guess that they are probably the same people that wear Ed Hardy t-shirts...

LOVE Leifsdottir

I purchased my first item from Leifsdottir last week and it arrived on my doorstep last night. Of course I had to wear it immediately. Leifsdottir is crazy expensive- even when I have found it on the sales rack at Anthropologie- so I have never been able to buy anything. But, last week I got an email notification from Gilt (I just joined Gilt and it is sooo cool! Let me know if you need a membership invite!) that there was a Liefsdottir sale where everything was 60-80% off. YAY! I got this top for $50, which is still a lot for a top, but it is still $118 at Nordstrom, so I feel like I got a pretty good deal. There are so many little details on the shirt that make it really cute. I love the tiny gold buttons and the ruching on the shoulder. LOVE.