Shoes are  a very personal preference and even if one style of a shoe is suppose to be the “it” shoe it does not mean that the rest of your shoes need to be put in the back of the closet in the hopes that that particular style will make a comeback soon. More specifically what I am referring to is wedge shoes. Right now the “in” shoe is a flatform platform wedge shoe but that does not mean that you can not wear any other type of wedge. In fact there are not too many true flatform shoes to be found but there are a lot of extreme ( 3.5″+) wedge shoes to be found for Spring 2011.

I love Missoni and their signature zig zags and when I saw the Missoni Women’s PM43 Platform Wedge it was love at first sight. The bright turquoise patent leather peek a boo toe and the great colors of the base of the shoe immediately had me imagining all the clothes that I could wear with these shoes. Now these shoes are super high and thank goodness there is a secure ankle strap to hold the foot in.

Everyone should have a neutral color sandal for spring and summer. While it does not have to be an extreme wedge sandal, the Stuart Weitzman Women’s Exit Wedge Sandal is a great shoe. Yes the shoe is extremely high but with the criss-cross straps your foot is securely held in place so there is not a huge feel of your foot rolling.

I have to admit while I am really drawn to the GUESS by Marciano Women’s Ivonna Wedge Sandal I am a bit scared of them as well. These shoes have a 5″ heel and the only thing holding your foot in this shoe is a ankle wrap tie and I am a bit scared of an ankle roll in these.

Cork is a great base for a shoe, it is breathable and very shock absorbing. Having a shoe that absorbs shock well is important when you are wearing a shoe that has an extreme height to it since it distributes the pressure evenly allowing you to wear the shoe comfortable for many hours. The Rock & Republic Women’s Veronica Wedge Sandal is a very comfortable metallic slide sandal wedge.

By now you should have realized that sporty stripes are everywhere, in fact there are so many stripes shirts, dresses, sweaters, bathing suits, and jackets that you probably do not know where to begin with deciding what striped clothing you want to buy. Most of the striped clothing from other designers is a basic two color stripe, usually a black or navy blue with a white, but the Spring 2011 Marc by Marc Jacobs stripe collection is multi-colored and bright. There are lot of dresses and shirts with yellow, tuquoise, red, and white among other colors on them.

I love the Marc by Marc Jacobs Simone Stripe Dress. It is so bright and cheery and the belt makes this so feminine. This dress also comes in a shorter knee length version if you would prefer.

If you would prefer something with stripes but not as colorful and perhaps with a bit of a nautical feel to it then the
Marc by Marc Jacobs Schooner Stripe Jersey Dresswill fit the bill. A dark navy with contrasting red stripes at the shoulders and hem and white stripes in the middle. This is a jersey dress so it will be comfortable in the spring as well as in the summer when it is much hotter out. If you like the color scheme of this dress make sure to check out the
Marc by Marc Jacobs Schooner Stripe Jersey Top as well.

While not as bright and colorful as the previous stripe dresses, the Marc by Marc Jacobs Clemence Sweater is quite fashionable. I love the two pockets at the hem as well as the three buttons at each side of the neck.

Upon first glance the Marc by Marc Jacobs Beatrix Stripe Sweater looks like an ordinary grey and yellow stripe sweater but there are contrasting stripes at the sides and under the arms.

My favorite of all the Marc by Marc Jacobs stripe clothing is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Beatrix Stripe Sweater Dress. This is a dress right off the fashion runways and is so dramatic. I love that the stripes are only on th the front and the back is solid and I really love the hem pockets.

When I first heard that the ladylike look was going to be a big trend for 2011 I had a few visions immediately pop into my head. I thought of pillbox hats and purses with a top handle.I guess to me ladylike means a reinterpretation of what I envision a woman from the 1950s or 60s would dress as.  While I do not see too many pillbox hats around right now, there are a lot of handbags that have a top handle. I personally do not have any top handle purses at the moment and much prefer to carry a purse on my shoulder with a long strap but I keep coming back to pictures of  top handle purses so I think there will be a purchase of one in the near future. My favorite thing about these top handle bags is that many do come with an optional detachable long strap for times when you would prefer to carry it that way.

The Rebecca Minkoff Colorblock Covet Satchel is a beautiful grey pebbled leather handbag that is perfect year round. The color is not too dark for spring and summer and not too light for fall and winter. Carrying this bag in your hand should not be a problerm since it is not too large so you do not have to worry about it being too full and heavy.

I love to carry a black handbag in the winter but come spring and summer I like to liven things up with a great colored back and the Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Lil Shifty Duffel definitely is colorful. This bag pictured in Spinach also comes in Caramel and both colors will work for year round.

I love the colorblock look and the Fendi ‘Fashion’ Top Handle Satchel is a gorgeous colorblock super ladylike structured top handle satchel. The strap can be lengthened to become a crossbody bag if you would prefer to carry it that way. I love the pebble red leather and the caramel side accents together and with the black strap and gold hardware. This bag will look equally as good in your hand as it will on display on a shelf in your home so when you are not carrying it show it off.

Leather and Lace is a great look together and the Dolce&Gabbana ‘Miss Rose’ Lace & Leather Satchel is as ladylike as they come. This bag comes in Ecru as well as in Black so you can buy one in each color and have a lace bag year round.

When I think of a romper and jumpsuits I think about the 70s and 80s when they were at their height of popularity. Television shows like Three’s Company and Charlie’s Angels often had their stars wearing a romper or a jumpsuit. These fashions carried over into the 80s and characters from Dynasty and Falcon Crest worn belted jumpsuits with big shoulders. By the mid to late 80s the jumpsuit and romper trend seemed to go away with the exception of one piece rompers for young girls.   While the jumpsuit and romper never fully went away there was a long period of time when they were few and far between. Now though, in 2011, these jumpsuits and rompers seem to be making a comeback.

The first big sign for me that jumpsuits and romper were on the way back into fashion was when I started seeing celebrities like Nicole Richie, Rhianna , and Sarah Jessica Parker photographed in one more and more frequently.  I started paying attention for more of these styles to be showcased and over time the searches became easier and easier to find. I am not saying that jumpsuits and rompers are taking over as the “IT” item but they are becoming more accessible to buy.

The Halston Heritage  Boatneck Jumpsuit reminds me of something out of Sex And The City and understandably so since the creative director of Halston Heritage is Sarah Jessica Parker. This is a jumpsuit that can be worn at night and would be perfect at dinner by the ocean.

A great casual jumpsuit is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Indigo Knit Jumpsuit. This jumpsuit is a comfortable and casual choice for a hot day.

If you want a really fashionable jumpsuit, the Diane von Furstenberg Charmaine Cover Up Jumpsuit fits the bill. This jumpsuit has ruffles, tassels on the belt, and split legs

The Gold Hawk Linen Romper in Bark is the perfect neutral palette jumpsuit for Spring 2011.

Wide sporty stripes and nautical theme stripes are popular this season but pinstripes seem to never go out of style. Pinstripes are a great addition if you are trying to put together a menswear inspired outfit since they are mostly associated with mens suits to begin with. Pinstripes can be formal or casual and can be seen on dresses, shorts, button down shirts, vests, and more. Most pinstripe clothing is black and white or navy and white but if you look you can find other more adventurous color combinations as well.

Bird by Juicy Couture Indio Stripe Shorts and Bird by Juicy Couture Indio Stripe Bryn Blazer, sold separately can be worn together as one outfit or you can just buy and wear one or the other. The Indio Shorts are pleated at the front hem and have rushing at the side pockets making these shorts feminine. The blazer is fitted and figure skimming and has puffed shoulders slightly reminiscent of the big shoulders from the ’80s.

The Reformation Pin Stripe Bridge Top is a summery and light shirt featuring a racer back and a shirt tail hem. This shirt is semi-sheer as well.

Most of the time pinstripes run vertically but the Pleasure Doing Business Pinstripe Dress in Black/White has stripes that run horizontally in a circle all the way around the dress and around the bust the lines curve.

Coming Soon by Yohji Yamamoto Pinstripe Vest With Satin Back is a great vest to wear over a tank top or tee shirt for a casual look or a button down look for a look appropriate for the office.

Not all pinstripes are dark, the Paul & Joe Red/White Pinstriped Dress is a feminine red and white shirtdress with puffed sleeves, belt, and pleated skirt.

The Vanessa Bruno Marine Pin Striped Cotton Pants are casual pants with a slim fit that can be worn practically everwhere and for any occassion.

For more information on any of the pinstripe clothes please click the link or the picture.

Denim is as American as apple pie and MAC Cosmetics is taking the love for denim and transforming it from clothing to makuep.  The latest line of makeup from MAC is called Jenius and is made up of  eye shadows inspired by different denim jean finishes as well as blush, lip stick/gloss, and nail polish. The eye shadow and the nail polish are really the ones connected to the look of denim but the blush and lip products are colors that complement and set off the looks of jeans. All of the Jenius collection are limited edition so hurry out and buy it today.

There are 4 different colors of the eye shadow. There is a true blue denim shade, a black, a white, and a light blue with grey undertones shade of eye shadow to choose from all of which have photo transfer denim finish to them.

Clockwise from top left: M·A·C ‘Photo Transfer’ Eyeshadow in Black, Diva in Distress, Motorhead, and White Jenius

The Jenius nail polish has a great denim jean shade as well as a unique white shade of polish. The Biker Blue is a high gloss frost nail polish that is a  blue black base with blue and purple pearl sparkles . The Frayed To Order white polish is a matte creme polish with a duo chrome pink effect. The color though does dry matte losing a bit of the duo-chrome but you can put a shiny top coat over this polish to make the duo-chrome more vibrant.

MAC Jenius Nail Lacquer Frayed to Order and Biker Blue

In addition to the denim shades of eye shadow and nail polish there are two blushes and three lipsticks and lipglosses in colors to complement the blues of the eye shadows and nail polishes.

MAC Jenius Powder Blush in Pink Cult (neutral pink )and Overdyed (bright magenta)

MAC Jenius Lipstick in Acid Washed, Pretty Please, and Riveting Rose

Acid Washed is a glaze lipstickthat is a grey beige infused with gold pearl, Pretty Please is a semi sheer pale pink with a wet look lustre finish, and Riveting Rose is a frost lipstick in a deep burgundy infused with blue pearl.

MAC Jenius Lipglass in Docile, Indigo Pink, and Painted On

Docile is a chrome pink and gold, Indigo Pink is a deep burgundy with blue pearl, and Painted On is a grey beige with gold pearl . The lipglass can be worn alone or layered over the Jenius Lipsticks

Everyone has heard of a LBD ( Little Black Dress ) but few have a LRD (Little Red Dress ) and a red dress is a must to own. A red dress can be worn year round just like a black one but the difference is that if you wear a red one you will most definitely stand out in the crowd.  Red will not only stand out in a sea of black but will pop amongst neutrals and pale colors this spring and fall.

Red can be paired with any neutral so it is quite versatile but you do need be sure to pick the correct shade of red to complement your skin tone.  If you have a rosy or red complexion a red dress may make you look like a lobster so do not go tanning ahead of time if you plan on wearing  a red dress. Red does look great on a beige or pale skin tone as well as if you have a  dark skin tone. In fact if you are dark then you can wear the brightest of reds and you will look spectacular.  If you are fair skinned and a blonde then your best shades of red are true reds, blue reds, and  tomato reds which have little orange undertones.  Having brown eyes and/or deep brunette hair you should try a deep dramatic red.  If your skin is olive then you should try a red with orange undertones and scarlet reds. If your skin falls somewhere between pale and dark then a coral red is the color for you since it will  show off you skin vibrantly.

The DKNY Cap Sleeve Crew Neck Dress is a basic LRD that will carry you from season to season and never go out of style. A simple dress with flattering with bias pleats at one hit it is also quite stylish.

The Lanvin Reversible Satin Dress is great because it is two dresses in one. On one side it is a red dress with a black grosgrain trim and reversed it is an all black dress with a black grosgrain waist. This is a dress that can certainly be worn year round and you can even change mid evening and really make a statement.

Ruffles are a big trend right now and the Notte by MARCHESA Strapless Crepe Dress with Organza Ruffle sure does have ruffles. This dress is short and dramatic so be prepared to grab everyone’s attention when you wear this dress.

Pinup Couture Destined for Stardom Dress is a bright red dress that really flatters your figure with the wrap around tie waist.

Who wouldn’t love the Herve Leger Signature Essential Strapless Dress, the name alone tells you it is a must have dress. This is a figure hugging dress so make sure you feel comfortable in such a dress.

For more information on any of the above dresses you can click the link or the picture.

Wildfox Couture is a relatively new brand, around since 2007, but has exploded on the fashion scene especially with celebrities. People like Megan Fox, Taylor Swift, Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Kristin Cavallari, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens have all be seen wearing this brand. Victoria Beckham even wore the “Wildfox 87″ shirt on the cover of Glamour magazine a few months ago. This is a brand that has not target age demographic so there is no fear that this is a brand just for teenagers.

Wildfox Couture makes vintage inspired soft, baggy, and fun tee shirts for the most part but has branched out a bit to sweatshirts, scarves, denim, leggings, and ponchos. The tee shirts can be worn with short or jeans for a casual look but some of the shirts   can be worn under a blazer or other more dressed up outfits to add a little punch of fun.

All of the products have unique cuts and styles and the patterns are very one of a kind as well. Taking elements from decades past, Wildfox Couture makes everything modern with elements of the past. Most of the shirts and tank tops have a nostalgic 1980s feel to them though there are elements of the ’70s and previous decades in the clothing as well. Some of the features of the shirts that are ’80s influenced have wide necklines and  are cropped in length a la Flashdance style. Other elements of the ’80s that are prevalent are fringed bottom tops, splatter paint prints on the shirts, and exaggerated armholes and racer-back tank tops.

You are not going to find simple basic solid shirts with Wildfox Couture, the shirts all either have images, phrases, or a mix of both. If you want a shirt with an image on it, many of the shirts have hearts on them. I am not taking a simple basic boring heart though. Some of the shirts with hearts include one that are : rainbow pattern, I ♥_______ , one with a British Monachy tie in for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and hearts with Native American dream-catchers. There are plenty of other heart shirts if you want. Another popular line of Wildfox Couture shirts and tank tops has French references to them ranging from phrases to images, many of which are associated with Marie Antoinette. If you want a phrase for a shirt there are plenty to choose from but one of my favorites are the ones that are made for each of the zodiac signs. The phrases on these shirts all are catchy and are associated to each sign perfectly. For 2011 a large number of Wildfox shirts have  Native American images on them. These shirts have dreamcatchers, bows and arrows, and headdresses on them.

Below you will find a variety of popular Wildfox Couture shirts to buy and wear though there are so many other great ones you can choose from as well but use these as a starting point for your exploration into the world of Wildfox Couture.

clockwise from top left:
1.Wildfox Love Potion No. 9 Unisex Tee
2.Wildfox Couture – Womens Geeky Bunny V-Neck (Blush)
3.Wildfox Couture Hugs and Kisses Tee in Diamond
4.Wildfox Sequin Lipstick Tom Boy Tank
5.Wildfox Couture Hawk Feather Fringe Tee in Magenta
6.Wildfox Double Sergeant Hunter Polo
7.Wildfox Couture Wildfox 87 Tee in Red as seen on VICTORIA BECKHAM

For these and other great Wildfox Couture Clothing Click Here

Back in the 80s crop tops were all the rage. Even if you did not feel comfortable showing off your stomach you would still rock this trend with a full length fitted shirt or tank top tucked in with the crop top over it. This way you still had the comfort of a full shirt but could still show that you were in fashion with the crop top. I was quite young when this trend was en vogue but I can remember having a few crop tops some of which were neon pink and neon blue. If I remember correctly I even had a crop top with fringe and beads at the bottom.

While it has been 30 years since this trend hit it big, it is back again and in my opinion better than before. I love this time in fashion where the best trends from the past are back in full force better than before. While I am unsure if I will be revisiting the crop shirt look I have found a few great possibilities that you may want to try.

The
Fresh Laundry Crop Top With Lace in Charcoal is a great casual crop shirt that is not a super shirt crop top. While the shirt is casual, it is glammed up a bit since the back has a large lace panel in the back.

The Military look is another big trend right now and the Bobi Terry Sweatshirt in Military is a distressed cropped light weight sweatshirt in a great military khaki color.

The Nanette Lepore Crop Sweater Top in Grey is a loose knit sweater so you need to wear something underneath of it. I like this sweater a lot not only because of the overall look of it but because it gives a certain lever of comfort to yourself with a full length shirt under it.

Though it is not a shirt or a sweater, I could not resist the Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Sequined Vest in Navy : . This vest is very versatile and can be worn over a tee shirt or a maxi dress.

Want to learn more about any of the above crop clothing? Just click the link or the picture to learn more.

Is the crop look a trend that you will embrace this season? I would love to hear more so leave me a comment.

From a young age girls are associated with bows, whether it is in the hair, on a shoe, or a dress. As we get older like 10+ bows seem to disappear from our clothing and hair for it is thought to be something that only babies and toddlers wear, except on occasions where we dress up.  Bows are not just for the infant and toddler set, in fact there are some great dresses and shirts that have a bow or two adorned on them in a updated, modern, and adult way. All of these dresses are very feminine and range for casual to more formal so you will have little trouble finding something that fits your needs.

2011 spring fashion can be labeled as a season of previous decade inspiration. We have seen 50s, 60, 70, and 80s fashion trends all reinvented in a modern feel. All of these  bow dresses that I  have found have an updated vintage feel to them.

I love the Dance Partner Dress by Tofu . It is the prefect update of a 50s dress. Just put your hair in a high sleek pony tail and throw on a pair of oxfords or super feminine heels and you are ready to go. This semi-sheer dress has polka dots  with  contrasting waist and wrist hems. The best part of this dress is the large floppy bow at the V-neck.

A really fun and youthful dress is the Girly Delights Dress. It also is a polka dot dress but it could not be more different than the above mentioned dress. This dress has a feminine sweetheart neckline that makes me thing of the 80s. With large polka dots and bow pattern across the entire dress and a removable bow sash this is really a fun dress.

A blend of the 70s and 80s, the Sweet Jamz Dress in DJ will surely bring you the attention. The gold foil-like top of the dress reminds me of all the gold lame that was all the rage in the late 70s/ early 80s. The one shoulder with the bow was practically a staple on all 80s prom dresses.

Lace is also a very popular trend right now and the
Floats Your Fancy Dress by Dahlia sure has a lot of lace. This dress reminds me a 1920s dress with the feminine lace, beautiful mauve color, and velvet bow. Even though it is super sheer, this dress comes with the slip so you do not have to worry about finding a slip dress on your own. This is the perfect feminine soft dress for any party.

Flower prints are everywhere including this
Riveting Gaze Dress by Dahlia. This dress makes me think a Laura Ashley clothes from the 80s but with a modern twist. The large bow on the neck adds a fun element to this dress.

Nude tones are one of the “it” colors for the season and the Beside Myself Dress is this color. This dress style makes me think of a 60s mod dress and I love the big bow on the shoulder.

For more information about any of the bow dresses you can click the link or any of the pictures. Also please let me know your favorite bow dress and how you would wear it.