Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Grammys: Red Carpet Walk of Style

The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals

Pictured: Alfre Woodard in Tadashi with her husband Roderick Spencer at the 52nd Grammy Awards (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)

Live from Los Angeles, Music Capital of the World, we're being treated to a rare show of style on the Grammy awards red carpet today. And no, I don't mean Lady Gaga. Many of the dresses are from designer collections about to preview at New York Fashion Week. While hardly economical, I must admit I live vicariously by viewing the high fashion parade. This is complete fashion escapism. Later, I will talk about finding some of these looks for less. For today, I'm just going to give you a little preview of what we saw. Above is the beautiful Alfre Woodard in a black silk chiffon one shoulder gown with sequin bow bodice from the the Tadashi Shoji Spring 2010 Collection.

Pictured: Carrie Underwood at the Grammys in Georges Chakra.

Carrie Underwood looked elegant as usual in an Edition by Georges Chakra gown. Her asymmetrical white gown had silver leather stripes across the bust and shoulders. The gown is from the Georges Chakra Spring/Summer 2010 collection. She also carried a Power Immage crystal evening bag by Swarovski.



Pictured: Actress Olivia Munn in a coral dress and beautiful earrings

Oliva Munn hosted the pre-Grammy show and wore a coral silk jersey one shoulder draped front cocktail dress by Tadashi Shoji on the Red Carpet. This dress is a more accessible style, since it is cocktail length. Giuliana Ranic wore a black off the shoulder dress with asymmetric ruching from the Holiday/Resort 2009 Catherine Malandrino collection. Her little off the shoulder black dress, can be found in similar styles at Loehmann's.

Pictured: Carrie Anne Inaba in NIKOLAKI by Project Runway's Nick Verros Fall 2010.

One of my favorite looks was Carrie Anne Inaba's understated, elegant strapless dress by one of my favorite Project Runway designers, Nick Verros. Read the story of how Nick created this beautiful dress for Carrie Anne on his blog. I gasped when I saw it, it's just stunning. This is beyond the "WOW" factor.

Other standouts on the Red Carpet included, Toni Braxton wearing David Meister’s dove grey draped jersey one shoulder evening gown from his Spring 2010 Collection and Melanie Fiona in an asymmetrical top, with a full black trumpet skirt by Christian Siriano.

The closet to Recessionista style that I have seen all weekend was Mya's earrings at the Grammy Awards Salute to Icons Party (Clive Davis) last night. She looked stunning in a turquoise gown accessorized with jewelry from...wait for it the Open Hearts by Jane Seymour™ collection sold at Kay Jewelers. Yes, the same Kay jewelers that you see at your local mall.

Pictured: Mya in her beautiful gown and earrings from Kay Jewelers at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party. I'm glad to see someone was in the "Tiffany free zone."

Mya was wearing diamond Open Hearts chandelier drop earrings from the Open Hearts collection available exclusively at Kay Jewelers. Prices in the Open Hearts line run from $ 59.99 for the sterling silver earrings to $3,999.99 US for the diamond earrings. Somehow I think Mya wore this pair with Diamonds :)


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Fashions from the Pre-Grammy Gala

Pictured: Toni Braxton rocks a statement necklace at the Clive Davis Grammy Gala

Last night the music industry elite gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for Clive Davis's Pre-Grammy party. Clive (former president of Arista records, and other labels) is a music industry legend. He was in the news last year for bringing back diva Whitney Houston after a 7 year absence from the music scene. Whitney was the star attraction at last year's event. I love to be a fly on the wall of the party by watching the fashions on the red carpet. The Recessionista was not on the guest list, not a surprise, but music industry bloggers Arjan Writes and Soul Bounce were in the house providing updates via Twitter. Tara Met Blog was at the "Midnight Brunch After Party" broadcasting fashions like Natalie Cole's dress on Twitter.

So here are some of the fabulous, not fabuless looks from Clive's party. Above is Toni Braxton in a beautiful statement necklace to compliment her little black strapless jumpsuit. Sheryl Crow rocked the same type of look with a beautiful Irene Neuwirth necklace at MusiCares on Friday night to compliment her LBD. The statement necklace is a great way to dress up a little black dress. Look for great ones for less at Loehmann's, T.J. Maxx and the online fashion clubs (check under my The Recessionista's Top Picks for membership info.)

While Toni's red carpet look was classy and rather understated, other party invitees made more, um, unconventional choices. This is what I love about Grammy fashions, the slightly over the top looks that you don't typically see, the avant-garde choices. Check out Rhianna in Viktor & Rolf and Ciara in Givenchy like you've never seen Givenchy haute couture before.

Pictured: Ciara in Givenchy boa with silk bow and black shorts. Rhianna in an usual Viktor & Rolf dress. These are the ultimate in nontraditional style looks. Don't try this at home unless you have money to burn! :)


Pictured: Fergie at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy party in designer Zuhair Murad. Her striking sliver dress is accented by a lone bracelet.

Fergie's silver metallic silk chiffon one shoulder dress with lace insets and clear crystal beading is from Zuhair Murad's Ready to Wear Spring 2010 Collection. I love how Fergie complimented her shiny dress with the wrist bling. This is a look that is stylish, accessible and uniquely affordable. There are all kinds of "wrist candy" available to compliment your evening out look for low prices. Here are a few cheap & cheerful selections I've seen at Kohl's to match award season's blingy looks.


Pictured: Top row, award season bling, bottom row, the Kohl's costume jewelry match.

Are you surprised to see the bottom row of elegant discounted bling. Here are the products and the prices.

From left to right, the Kohl's bracelets are:

SONOMA life + style Gold-Tone Flex Bracelet, on sale for $ 16.80
Candie's Silver-Tone Crystal Flex Bracelet, on sale for $14.00
daisy fuentes Silver-Tone Crystal Floral Flex Bracelet, on sale for $22.40
Trifari Silver-Tone Crystal Flex Bracelet, on sale for $16.00

These are perfect compliments to any special evening out look, especially if you have something planned for Valentines' Day. For a necklace similar to Toni Braxton's necklace, check out this Sterling Silver Freshwater Black Pearl Circle-Link Necklace. If you take the time, there are always looks for less! :) Stay tuned for more style coverage from today's Grammy Awards. I'm waiting to see what J Lo wears to the Grammys.

This just in, there are auctions on Grammy memorabilia and items on eBay through Feb. 10th at: www.ebay.com/grammy
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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Sneak Peak Project Runway is Coming to the Wii

Pictured: If you love Project Runway, soon you'll be able to play at home. Get ready for the game.

Some of you may currently be enjoying Season 7 of Project Runway on Lifetime. If you watched this week, you know that the eccentric designer Ping Wu was finally voted off. Bitter tears (but maybe only by her) were shed as she was sent to the work room to clean up her space. For me the surprise was not that she was voted off, but that she made it another week, after the burlap dress debacle that showed her model's bum! If you love watching Project Runway, then good news. The TV show is about the go virtual via a Wii game, coming to stores on March 2. Above is a screen shot from the game. Apparently, users will be able to play dress up at home, by selecting clothes for their model as well as make-up and hairstyles. Atari, the maker of the game, tells me that this game will feature the show’s key talent, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, and Michael Kors as well as the top eight contestants from season six including Project Runway winner Irina Shabayeva. This sounds intriguing. Will virtual Tim say, "Make It Work?" Will virtual Nina still be able to lay smack down on contestants and tell them off? I really want to find out. My little niece loves the Wii and I know she is eagerly awaiting the release of the game so she can play fashion designer, or just dress up, at home. Here's a little sneak of the game for the Project Runway lovers out there.


video

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Fabuless Friday Deals: Jones New York Sale + Knit Collection Preview

Pictured: My TGIF Treat, Cashmere Puff Sleeve Cowl Neck Sweater from Jones New York on sale for $102.99 reduced from $129.99 (US)

So its the end of the week and I'm loving my new Cashmere Puff Sleeve sweater from Jones New York. I received the sweater as a sample/gift from Jones New York, and its quite simply divine. I kid you not. Its super soft, stylish and the shorter sleeves show off my new bracelet and watch! I'm letting you know about this sweater because its on sale at JonesNewYork.com. The nice thing about getting samples is, you try on things you might not ordinarily find in the store, or might be too busy to look for. Jones of New York is one of the clothing brands my mother loves. When I was younger and buying professional clothes, she used to urged me to check them out at Macy's. Classic looks she would say. Wardrobe investment she would cry. Now I get it. Sometimes age brings fashion sense and well as cents. This sweater is available at Macy's (use your Passport Savings pass) or direct from JNY.com. This sweater is part of a wider clearance, Last Chance sale at JNY.com, so give it a look. The sale includes tops, jackets, pants and blouses that can take you from the office to an evening out.

Enjoy the sale now, and look for more good things from Jones New York in February. Coming soon to Macy's near you, Jones New York will be launching a knit collection for 9-to-5 dressing and beyond. The Knit Collection will feature 8 essential pieces. I received two of these pieces as samples: the mock turtle neck in black and a black pencil slim skirt. Both pieces are comfortable, attractive and best of all, slimming. Slimming. Yes, let me loose 5 pounds instantly, that is the kind of outfit I love. The concept is based on building a working wardrobe of completely knit components from top to toe. Below is a little sneak peak of the collection.

Pictured: A Classic short sleeve JNY dress with slim belt, the shape of things to come.

Jones New York is known for it’s career dressing, so with this collection they have taken the next step and developed an entire group of career knit dressing. As a frequent traveler, I love this idea. JNY knits pack beautifully when you travel. You can unpack and go! The new JNY Knit Collection is based on “best sellers” from past seasons. All of these styles have been pulled together and coordinated into a fully designed group that will be delivered each month. The foundation of the collection is “8 Easy Pieces”. These consist of elegant layering pieces and simple bottoms to form the basis of the knit wardrobe. Following the Feb. launch, Jones New York tells me they will deliver new patterned and novelty pieces that can be used interchangeably with the “foundation pieces”. I love that idea. The patterned pieces can dress up the more basic pieces. Textured knit jackets, patterned jacquards, long statement cardigans and evolving seasonal "pop" colors will allow the customer to continually build and update her Jones New York Knit wardrobe without losing her investment in the original basic pieces.

The JNY Knit Collection will be available starting in Feb 2010 at jny.com and select Macy's stores. Prices range from the shells at $59 to pants and skirts at $99 and novelty pieces up to $139. Overall, I believe the entire collection will be comfortable, affordable and very versatile. I am setting up my price alerts for the collection now! Watch this space for more details and pricing alerts.

If you're interested in learning more, sign up for one of Jones New York How To Wear It with Lloyd Boston, Spring 2010 events. Click here for a list of event dates in your area.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Fashion 2.0: Social Media Awards and You Get to Vote!




For the past year, we've seen the face of fashion evolving via social media. From Burberry's Art of the Trench social media networking site, to designer blogs and runway shows streaming via the Internet, the web has changed everything. Personally, I love that I can beam into Prada and Burberry shows on the Internet. Or talk to Norma Kamali and DKNY on Twitter. You no longer have to be based in NYC, Paris, Milan or London to visit the designers. Their collections come to us via the magic of the Internet. And now you have a chance to give the designers your feedback on their social media efforts via the Fashion 2.0 awards. The awards are sponsored by the Fashion Coalition, the designer shopping club Ideeli and Lucky Magazine. So how to you get to be part of the voting. Easy, by pointing and clicking! You can vote on the Ideeli blog or on the Style Coalition website. There is a special award category for the Innovator of the Year. This is the The Innovator Award, Fashion 2.0. One of my favorite designers, Norma Kamali, is nominated in the Innovator category. How amazingly innovative of Norma to be the precursor of Internet fashion shows by doing fashion videos years ago!

The nominees, for the Innovator Award, drumroll please, are:

  1. Burberry: website, their own social media site, Twitter page, and Facebook page.
  2. Dolce&Gabbana: website, their blog, Twitter page, and Facebook page.
  3. Norma Kamali: website, ebay shop, Twitter page, Facebook page.
  4. Alexander McQueen: website, Twitter page
  5. DVF: website, Twitter page, Facebook page
  6. Vivienne Tam: website, collaboration with HP


So raise your voice and take the poll to tell us which brands engaged you, moved you, and inspired you to shop, dress, and think in 2009. Voting ends on Feb. 8th.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Haitian Creations: Beautiful Handbags from $25.00

Pictured: The Blue Coconut bag from Haitian Creations, by artist Myrielle D.

Even if you have "frugal fatigue" and can afford a designer handbag for hundreds of dollars, check out these beautiful bags. My friend Mimi who works in Haiti every summer to help kids sent the information to me. I think they are beautiful. Cute, stylish and affordable, what more could The Recesssionista want?

Pictured: Lustworthy, the HaitianCreation.com Tie bag in yellow and blue prints by artist Marie Charles L.

With everything happening in the world, I don't have the inclination to write a post about the latest coupon deals or sales at stores. These pretty little bags are handmade by women in the Heartline Haiti women's program located in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. They are made by hand of recycled fabric and burlap rice bags. As some of you are aware , Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Before the hurricane Haiti was beset by poverty, famine, disease, and hurricanes. Now the Earthquake has made things even worse. Beyond Earthquake relief people in Haiti need to have employment and sources of income. Before the world spotlight turns to other issues, I wanted to take the chance to highlight these beautiful bags. If you need a new bag, consider these cute, handmade bags to support local women living in Haiti. Proceeds from the sales of the bags help the ladies who make them buy their own sewing machines, pay for their children to go to school and buy stoves to cook on. The bags are available on a charming website called, HaitianCreations.com. The bags are already in the United States, but the proceeds go direct to a program called Heartline Ministries Women's Program. Click here to learn more. What do you think of this bag? I think I need it for when sunshine returns to California! :)


Pictured: The "Jess" bag from HaitianCreations.com made by handbag artist Igemene R.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Jean Simmons: A Fond Farewell

Pictured: Actress Jean Simmons in a pensive pose

I was saddened to read of the passing of Jean Simmons in the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. After all the fun and glitz of the SAG Awards, it was sobering to read of the loss of a great, versatile actress and a classic style icon. Jean died here in Santa Monica of lung cancer last Friday. As as kid, I remembering watch her in the movie Spartacus, and thinking how absolutely gorgeous she was. She was soft spoken with a gentle style. There was never anything over powering about Jean when I saw her on the screen. She was frequently mistaken for other classic beauties like Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor. Unlike them, she later moved into playing character roles like the mother in the Thornbirds mini-series. My favorite movie of hers was Young Bess, where she played the young Queen Elizabeth I of England. When I think of her style, I think of simplicity. Hair worn short, or pulled back from her face, little makeup except for her striking eyes, beautifully shaped brows, a little black dress and a string of pearls. It doesn't take a million dollars to replicate Jean Simmons' look. In many ways, Nicole Kidman reminds me of Jean Simmons with her grace of movement, soft voice and poise.


Pictured: Jean Simmons' simple style, hair pulled back, striking eye makeup and a few accessories.

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Look for Less: Kate Hudson's Spotlight Necklace from the SAG Awards

Pictured: Kate Hudson at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) yesterday in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

In the wake of the SAG awards, and the airing of the Fashion Police show critiquing all the looks, I've gotten some email from readers. One of the top requests seems to be about the necklace Kate Hudson wore on her open back at the awards. Since her exquisite Pucci dress was high necked, it was a good decision to wear the necklace on her back, rather than front. I used to love how Princess Diana would do that with her pearls. So, some of you are wondering what jewelry Kate wore, and can you find the look for less? So here's the 411 on her style. Her necklace was from Cartier. If you know the history of Cartier, the french jeweler designed stunning pieces for the Kings and Queens of Europe. Cartier was called the Jeweler of the Kings, and the King of Jewelers or in French "Joaillier des Rois, Roi des Joailliers." Today, the exquisite Cartier pieces are still worthy of royalty and so unfortunately are the prices. Kate was wearing a Cartier white gold and diamond sautoir spotlight necklace, to highlight her bare skin and the open back of her Emilio Pucci gown. She was wearing vintage diamond drop earrings, by Cartier. You can see these in the picture above. Together, the earrings and necklace retail for $700,525 US. Now, I may call myself The Recessionista, but I am not a magician. Cartier is exquisite. There is no duplicate. However, there are costume pieces of jewelry for lower-prices that would look lovely worn on an open back dress or hanging from your ears.

Here's my style thought on Kate's look for less. I am a big fan of Vera Wang. I am very happy that her jewelry, handbags, clothing and shoes are available at Kohl's. And I see some Vera pieces from Kohl's that could help fashionistas on a low budget channel Kate's look. For the necklace, I like this Simply Vera 18 inch CZ necklace.

Pictured: Simply Vera Vera Wang Sterling Silver Cubic Zirconia Y Necklace from Kohl's for $150.00 US.

The length of the necklace, although not as long as Kate's, would hang nicely I believe, with the sparkling CZs hanging from the pendant. I also believe that most of us wouldn't wear a back as open or as plunging as Kate's so a longer necklace would probably not be essential. This necklace is part of a 2 for 1 jewelry sale that Kohl's is having. So I also looked for the earrings there. There are some nice Simply Vera earrings that have a bit of the dangling, diamond drop look.

Pictured: Simply Vera Sterling Silver Cubic Zirconia Drop Earrings, for $125.00. These are part of a 2 for 1 sale on jewelry Kohl's is having.

I don't say these drop earrings are on a par with Cartier or Kate's pieces, but they do provide a nice dose of budget bling just in time for Valentine's Day! For another necklace choice, check out Jewelbasket.com's CZ Circle Lariat Necklace.

If you live outside the US, check for Simply Vera pieces on eBay from sellers that ship worldwide. And if you love Cartier and want some savings, check your local, gasp Costco. Every now and then I see Cartier pieces in the locked jewelry case at my local store. When I see it, I always stare in disbelief and think, "Cartier, how did you get from Rodeo Drive, Fifth Avenue, Place Vendôme and New Bond Street, out here to the wilds of Costco? " What would Louis-François Cartier think? Does Liz Taylor know? These are the questions that keep The Recessionista awake at night. :)

PS: this is not a sponsored post from Kohl's. Just something I found that I like.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Screen Actor's Guild Awards: My Favorite Looks

Pictured: Christina Hendricks in the red dress fans choose for her to wear at tonight's 2010 SAG Awards. (Photo: Steve Granitz, WireImage.com)

Live from Los Angeles, tonight was the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG). If you voted earlier this week on which red dress Christina Hendricks should wear, we have an update for you. She rocked the Red Carpet in the one shoulder red dress. Pictured above is Christina wearing the dress picked by fans from a poll sponsoredby Degree Women Ultra Clear in 'Red Satin", as part of a charity auction to benefit "Clothes Off Our Back." Ms. Hendricks wore little jewelry with the dress, complimenting it with a pair of beautiful tear drop golden earrings.

My favorite look on the SAG red carpet was Sandra Bullock's Alexander McQueen dress. WOW! It was stunning. Check it out. She wore it well. And I loved it when she said, "Betty (White) and I are like gangsta." You have to love someone who gives one million dollars to help Haiti.

Pictured: SAG Best Actress Winner Sandra Bullock in an Alexander McQueen gown and Bochic jewelry.

My other favorite dress was Diane Kruger's dark gold Jason Wu dress. Jason is the wonder kid who designed Mrs. Obama's one shoulder white dress for the inaugural ball. Diane looked amazing in her dress with the beautiful long train. Clearly, she had no fear of being stepped on (as Chloe Sevigny was at the Golden Globes last week.)

Pictured: Diane Kruger in Jason Wu.

My vote for best presenter goes to Alec Baldwin for his cheeky recital of the nominees for Best Female Actor in a Drama Series. No one reads a teleprompter as well as Alec.


Pictured: My favorite presenter, Alec Baldwin with his date, his brother Billy. Alec, next time call me! :) I really want to talk to you about the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

But perhaps the biggest highlight of tonight's SAG Red Carpet walk was that not one drop of rain fell. Although the organizers had readied the tarp just in case, the rain finally did stay away. Unfortunately, those of us who live in the City of Angels know that it is coming back another day!

Stay tuned for some low budget versions of the SAG looks later this week. I love awards season and the fashion fantasy of the Red Carpet.


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The Red Carpet Look: Notte by Marchesa at RueLaLA


Sunshine has returned to Los Angeles today, in time for today's Red Carpet event, the Screen Actor's Guild Awards. We will undoubtedly see dresses by Marchesa today on the Red Carpet. Remember how stunning Kate Hudson looked in Marchesa last week at the Golden Globes? And good news for fashionistas on a budget. Notte by Marchessa is on sale today at shopping club RueLaLa. Its not cheap, but its cheaper than the retail prices on the Notte gowns at Saks or Bloomingdates.



Notte's beautiful gowns have walked the red carpets on celebrity fans like Scarlett Johansson, Mischa Barton and Sienna Miller. If you want to check out the sale, click here to join RueLaLa as my guest. I am a member of RueLaLa, so if you join as my guest, then I do receive club credits when you buy. And you can get the same deal too when you invite your friends to join. The shopping clubs provide another way for all recessionistas to make their clothing allowances stretch a little further. So if you have a special Valentines event coming up, check out the romance of Notte by Marchessa.

Don't forget to watch the SAG Awards on TNT tonight. We have to find out which red dress Christina Hendricks wears on the Red Carpet.
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Friday, January 22, 2010

Friday Fashion Favs! News to Help the Fabuless


TGIF! I'm hanging on in a life boat our here in Los Angeles! We've got mud slides, floods and tornadoes touching down. It's chaos. Everywhere except on the fashion front. On the fashion front, the new is good!

First up, Norma Kamali has a new $20.00 suit jacket in at Walmart (pictured above) with a matching pair of cropped pants to make a complete suit. I like the look for either office or casual wear. Madame Kamali has been sighted wearing it herself, that's how special it is! Good enough for Norma, is good enough for me.

Don't forget! Tomorrow is the SAG Awards here in Los Angeles. If LA is not officially loaded on to Noah's Ark, tomorrow, the Red Carpet walk of style will go on. If you haven't already done so, vote on Christina Hendrick's choice of red dress to wear tomorrow.


Pictured: The Esprit store in Santa Monica, CA on the Third Street Promenade is part of Esprit store's worldwide effort to give to help Haiti.

If you're looking to pick up some great fashions and help a good cause, a number of retailers are still pitching in to help Haiti. On Saturday, Espirit stores will be pitching into to help. Esprit will be starting an international relief initiative on Saturday, the 23rd of January 2010.
For each purchase made in an Esprit retail store worldwide, 1 Euro/ 1 USD will be donated to the earthquake victims in Haiti.


The Esprit Cares trust in Hong Kong will donate the final amount to the SOS Childrens Villages Haiti. The Espiri donation will help support aid workers on the ground in Haiti. Aid workers are particularly dedicated to providing psychological counseling for traumatized and orphaned children as well as offering them safe accommodation and assist the search for relatives. An additional incentive to check out Espirt, beyond their fun frocks is their promise that there will be " prompt financial support " to Haiti from their donations.

Pictured: The Abby Z look, a keyhole top, comfy wrap and stretch denim jeans.

And psst...get ready for a new designer collection from AbbyZ (Abby Zeichner) coming to the Home Shopping Network Feb. 9th. You'll be able to call into HSN and talk to the designer live about her line of clothing to stylish women of all sizes (2-24.) My sister and I have already put the AbbyZ HSN shopping event on our speed dial. Watch this space for more on AbbyZ and my exclusive interview with her!

TGIF dear readers & stay dry! Don't forget to tune into the Hope For Haiti Live Fundraiser from Los Angeles tonight on NBC. Some great artists (Bruce!, U2) are pitching in to help raise funds (www.hopeforhaitinow.org). Help Haiti Now is on my speed dial too. Who can resist the "Boss' singing "We Shall Overcome." Nice job Clooney! And maybe Mel will answer the phone when I call? :)
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Rainy Day Fashion Round-up: Rain Gear and Budget Designers

Pictured: Däv rain gear, from the rain center of the world, Southern California.

Hello from Los Angeles, the land of the never ending rain storm! We're on Storm Watch 24 X 7 here at The Recessionista. The street is flooding, tornadoes have been sighted and the surf is way up---to the point of overflow. Time to check out rainy day fashion accessories. I've been checking out the above items from Däv rain boots. This company based in Oxnard, California offers rain boots & accessories that are affordable, fashionable and unique. Really unique. Check out the Peacock and Leopard umbrellas. My favorite item is the English sketchy lace boot with fleece lining. This looks like a perfect fit when living in California mirrors the north of England. I could use these to wade in the flood waters outside my front door.

Pictured: Dav English rain boots. They are fashionable and practical with the warm fleece lining. Price: $85.00 US.


Pictured: The Dav Peacock umbrella looks worthy of the V&A museum gift shop. The price is $32.00.

The Dav items satisfy my desire for fashion while I try to stay dry. Also on my rainy day radar, pictures from the upcoming Zac Posen for Target and Jean-Paul Gaultier for Target collections have surfaced. (No pictures from the Liberty of London collection due in March have yet surfaced.) Both collections feature raincoats. Below is Zac's interesting yellow-fireman raincoat with an oriental flavor.

Pictured: A sneak peak of Zac Posen for Target due in stores in April. (picture from NBC New York)

Pictured: A few looks from the upcoming Jean Paul Gaultier (JPG) Target line, featuring a tan raincoat for $59.99 in stores March 7th. (picture from Refinery 29)

For more pictures of the Zac Posen and JPG lines, check out the Target-Addict. Target Addict had got the full run down plus more pictures. Personally, I'm not in love with either collection. I need to see the fabric and the cut of the garments on the racks to see if they are worthy of my hard-earned dollars. But the hype machine is already hard at work. The hype is like a siren's song to all fashionistas who dream of owning a Zac or JPG garment, and think they can get the real deal at budget prices. Unfortunately, that is not always the way it works. The pieces are photographed on beautiful actresses and models and shine from the pages of Vogue, Glamour & Elle as the real deal. Savvy shoppers see the beautiful photos and start to get out their crowbar to open their wallet. Then reality sets in. The pieces arrive in the store and you realize, it is s not what you saw in the magazine at all. I'm all for affordable fashion, but not when the fit is poor and the fabric looks cheap (Rodarte.) Especially when there are better quality items from the designers high-end collections over at Loehmann's, TJ Maxx and Macy's plus the designer shopping clubs (Gilt, Rue LaLa, Haute Look, Ideeli, Beyond the Rack and more.)

Meanwhile rumor has it that the Target Go franchise will keep going with New York designer, Tucker by Gaby Basora . She may be signed as the next Go designer to launch in summer 2010 (source: NBC New York, Fashionista.)

Pictured: Lusty worthy, I love the gathering on this collarless Tucker jacket.

Gaby's not yet a big name brand, so it'll be interesting to see what her style for Target might be. I do like her line and comfortable styles. If she doesn't command the salary that Posen or Gaultier get from Target for being such big names in fashion, then maybe, just maybe, the budget can go into the clothes and producing a quality collection. Hopefully that is not just a rainy day dream.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

'Mad Men' Star Christina Hendricks Will Auction Her Red Carpet SAG Dress for Charity: Help Her Pick the Dress to Wear and Later Sell


Various style shows and magazines are proclaiming the Golden Globes red carpet fashions style faux pas. Poor Christina Hendricks from the TV Show "Mad Men" has been listed on a few of the worst dressed lists from last Sunday's awards for her peach Christian Siriano dress. It may be time for a fashion intervention! Let's help her out for the next Awards show coming up in the season, the Screen Actor's Guild Awards (SAG). Did you know you can vote on the dress that Christina will wear to SAG? And after SAG, the dress will be auctioned off to benefit the 'Clothes Off Our Back' charity with proceeds going to help various children's charities. "Clothes Off Our Back" was founded by actors and philanthropists Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford. Good for them! Since most actors can't be seen wearing a dress more than once without criticized by the media, why not find a good use for the glamorous cast-offs?

So let's help Christina get on all the "Best Dressed" lists, and help a good cause too, by voting for her SAG gown. Simply go to www.DegreeRedDress.com to vote for which red dress (Reem Acra, David Meister or Catherine Malandrino) Hendricks will wear to SAG. Here's the best part; for every vote a $1 donation will be made to 'Clothes Off Our Back.' Those $1 donations will be made by Degree® Women Ultra Clear’s NEW Red Satin (up to $50,000). What is Degree Women Ultra Clear you ask? Well, its a budget friendly (price $3.95), bergamot (one of my favorites) and citrus scented anti-perspirant. Its clear so no color rubs off on your clothing. Who wants to be a "Sweaty Betty" on the red carpet or at a special event? So kudos to them for helping with the wardrobe upkeep. White deodorant marks are unsightly and hard to get out.

Now, back to the important stuff. Fashion. The dress for SAG. Of course I already voted, and I can't keep a secret to save myself. I voted for the Reem Acra gown!

Pictured: My pick: Christina you can't go wrong in Reem Acra.

I love the other choices too, but one of the reasons Christina was on some of the worst-dressed lists for the Globes was because she was, er, spilling out of her dress. There was too much cleavage on display. It was literally an over the top look! This is why I did not pick the Catherine Malandrino strapless red dress for her to wear at SAG. In case you missed it, here's a picture to see what I'm talking about.


Pictured: Christina Hendricks at the Golden Globes.
I don't think she should wear a strapless gown to SAG.


As for the David Meister gown, its gorgeous, but there were a lot of one shoulder gowns at the Globes, so I would say Christina should wear something a little more unique. She also wore a red David Meister gown last year to SAG, so she should perhaps not repeat. Just my two cents. My vote: make a fashion statement in Reem Acra. Let the voting begin!

Pictured: Enter the SAG Swag bag

Once you've voted, enter the sweepstakes to win a SAG swag bag of goodies.


Proceeds from donations to Clothes Off Our Back have benefited Feeding America (the nation's leading hunger-relief organization), The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA (dedicated to improving treatments for girls and boys with leukemia, aplastic anemia, solid tumors, blood diseases, and various genetic disorders), Malaria No MoreHope North (a campus in northern Uganda where refugees, orphans and escaped child soldiers find a place to call home).
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Monday, January 18, 2010

Earrings from the Golden Globes: Chic Costume Jewelry Choices

Pictured: Needful things, Kate Hudson's Tassel Earrings from the Golden Globes

There is one thing that the rain can't dampen. Bling! Hairstyles wilted and dresses got wet with rain but the jewels at the Golden Globes maintained their luster even in the face of the Los Angeles "moonsoon." As the rain continues to fall here in Los Angeles, I can't help but think about all the glorious jewels from last night's show and look for low-budget alternatives. Above is a picture of Kate Hudson in her beautiful tassel earrings. These lovely earrings are from jeweler Stephen Russell and they are composed of diamonds at the base with pearls for the tassels. It's very difficult to find reasonably priced tassel earrings made of pearls, but there are some nice ones made of rhinestones. Check out these from ABS at Bloomingdales.com.


The Jewelry Insider reports that earrings were the stars of this year’s Golden Globes. We saw everything from tassels (Kate) to tear-drops (Lea Michele) to studs (Drew Barrymore.) Here's an assortment of stylish earring picks from a surprise source: Kohl's.

Here's a rundown of the Star's earrings (top row) versus their Kohl's counterparts for under $20.00 (bottom row.)


My last pick is a style several actresses wore, a simple diamond and pearl drop earring. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a beautiful rhinestone leaves and pearl drop earring set on sale for $55.00 US. This style is classic.


Pictured: From the Metropolitan Museum Gift shop, Leaves and Pearl earrings.

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Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Golden Globes: Get The Recessionista Look

Pictured: My personal favorite Golden Globes look: Penelope Cruz in Vintage Armani and flowing curls.

As all good fashionistas know today was the Golden Globes here in beautiful Los Angeles, CA. I can't afford Atelier Versace, Vintage Armani, Marchessa or Chanel Couture, but I love to watch the stars wear them on the Red Carpet. Sadly, today's red carpet was marred by an early downpour of driving Los Angeles rain. Right around 2:30 pm, PST the rain started to fall. The rain quickly turned into puddles and rain slicks on the rain carpet. Los Angeles has been on "storm watch" warning for the whole week. And I don't even want to talk about the traffic and congestion on the way into the Beverly Hilton on Wilshire and surrounding streets. Thank god the whole thing was streaming live on the Net.

Kudos to all the actresses who turned up in their beautiful dresses to entertain us and walk that wet mess in their gorgeous gowns and heels. I heard one actress say her dress would be ruined after the red carpet walk and she would end up having to pay for the dress from the designer, because it would not be returnable. In the words of Chloe Sevigny, "Someone should've put up a tarp!" It seemed like poor Chloe was cursed at the awards ceremony. When she won, looking elegant in her Valentino gown with ruffles, the presenter who gave her the award accidentally stepped on the train of her dress. Then her dress was hopelessly ripped. You could tell she was not happy. I couldn't help but wonder if the train was sticking to the floor because it was wet!

So let's talk about some of the Globe "deluge survivors" whose hair and dresses survived the wet, and how you can replicate their looks at home. Joining me for this post is Beverly Hills salon owner, Luke O'Connor. Luke is the owner of Lukaro Salon in Beverly Hills. He is also consultant for the ultra affordable Suave hair products. Here is his take on how to recreate the hair styles of some of the celebrities. I will be adding in my own take on replicating their dresses.

Pictured: Penelope Cruz, nominated for her role in "Nine"

First up, my favorite look of the night Penelope Cruz. She looked amazing in her flowing, wavy tresses and her vintage Armani. And I loved how she told everyone she was very capable of holding her own umbrella (no handler required.) To style Penelope's look at home, here is what Luke O'Connor advises. Luke uses Suave for this recreation, but you can use your own favorite brand.

THE LOOK: Old Hollywood Glam Waves. Penelope Cruz channeled 1940's star Veronica Lake with her glamorous waves, parted to the side. She personified old Hollywood style.

To re-create at home:
o Wash and condition hair with Suave Professionals Vibrant Shine Shampoo and Conditioner.
o Apply Suave Professionals Extra Hold Styling Foam to towel dried hair to create body.
o Take a dime size amount of Suave Professionals Extra Hold Gel and apply along the hairline.
o Part hair on the side and blowdry the top back and over to the side, leaving the remaining hair slick to the head.
o Take a 1.25-inch curling iron and spiral wrap two-inch sections to create large waves throughout the whole head of hair.
o For the structured wave off the face, take the front hair and wrap forward around the curling iron to give lift on top, keeping the hair off of the face.
o Seal hair in place with Suave Professionals Freeze Hold Hairspray.

Pictured: Drew Barrymore rocked Atelier Versace to the Globes for her win as Little Eddie Beale in Grey Gardens. Her hair was swept back in a classic French Twist updo. A great option in the rain.

One of my other favorites of the night was the Drew Barrymore in her sparkling, one shoulder Atelier Versace. She had the foresight to wear her hair up, even if she didn't think ahead to an acceptance speech :) Here is Luke's take on how to recreate Drew's look.

THE LOOK: Classic French Twist. Drew Barrymore looked beautiful with her pulled back from her face in a gorgeous and clean French twist. The style let her lovely face be the star and showed off her one-shoulder gown to great effect.

To re-create at home:
o Shampoo and condition hair with the Suave Professionals Sleek line.
o Apply a dime size amount of Suave Professionals Sleek Anti-Frizz Cream and comb through the hair. Create a high side part and blow dry hair smooth and straight.
o Take a dime size amount of Suave Extra Hold Styling Gel and run it through the dry hair for extra hold and shine.
o Brush both sides of the hair back to the low center. Start twisting the hair, holding close to the head and lift as it twists. Use hairpins to pin at the seam of the hair.
o Tuck the exposed hair tips back into the center of the twist.
o Finish the look with Suave Professionals Freeze Hold Hairspray.


On the style front, there were some amazing gowns. In addition to what I've highlighted from Drew and Penelope, I also loved Kate Hudson in her white Marchesa strapless dress with her hair up. Her hairstyle is repeatable, but not that beautiful strapless white dress. That Marchesa is really one of a kind. More accessible looks were some of the cocktail dresses worn on the Red Carpet. One look that was more informal, was Ginnifer Goodwin's deep blue, one shoulder cocktail dress. Talk about Big Love! After what happened to Chloe's dress with the stepping and the ripping, we might see a lot more short dresses next year at the Globes and even next week at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards (SAG).

Pictured: "Big Love" star Ginnifer Goodwin wore this non-traditional Globes look, a short blue Vionnet dress.

Check out a lower-priced version on the dress by Marc Bouwer Glamit! on sale at Bloomingdales.com for 50% off. Here's the Short One Shoulder Silk Chiffon Dress very similar to Ginnifer's.

Pictured: The Doppleganger: Bloomingdale's Marc Bouwer Glamit! dress for $215.00 US reduced from $430.00.


Pictured: BCBG has an even more affordable version of the one shoulder dress style for $128.00 US.

Pictured: Kohl's Strapless Lauren Conrad Collection dress is similar in color (cobalt blue) for $35.00 US

Another dress in a style you can wear to your own events is the green cocktail dress by Carolina Herrea that Amy Adams wore.

Pictured: Julia & Julie's Amy Adams wore a Carolina Herrera forest green silk faille dress with a brooch. The little spots are rain drops, I imagine Carolina crying at home watching this. One strap is worn off the shoulder.

Here's a similar one shoulder green dress by Theia sold at Bloomingdale's for approximately $400.00 with the brooch attached.

Pictured: Theia's Short Brocade One Shoulder Dress with Brooch from Bloomingdales.com



Pictured: For only $69.90, with built in control, this Shapefx dress from Newport News comes in blue or black. You can dress it up with a crystal or pearl brooch for the star treatment. The one shoulder style in black is similar to dresses worn by Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver and others.


Which looks did you like at the Golden Globes readers? Are there any special dresses or hairstyles you would love to imitate? Leave a comment, and we'll see what else we can find.
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