*Trend: Statement Shoulders

Bold sculptural shoulders are a key trend this Spring, as we saw on several catwalks.

After the Balmain show, longer- exaggerated shoulders are officially the big thing for summer.

However, the new big shoulder isn’t just an 80’s throwback to the shoulder pad stuffed power suit.

For 2009, shoulders have new prints like a geometric edge.

When you wear this trend, it's very important to give the silhouette some balance.

A great trick is to wear your accentuated jacket with a tight fitted pencil skirt and to accessories with a belt, to emphasise your waist.

Here some great pieces as example:

*Tell me what you think and *follow my blog*

Alexander McQueen Crepe fitted jacket

Balmain big shoulder jacket

Balmain shoulder top

Preen Hobby jersey top

Oscar de la Renta silk pleated sleeve jacket

Marchesa Embriored silk dress

Balmain embriodered mini dress

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Sources:

http://www.look.co.uk/

http://www.net-a-porter.com/

http://www.balmain.com/

beaus and arrows.

TRY. this designer.

i happened to discover a new designer today and i think i have officially found the woman who will design my wedding dress. i was shopping on etsy today and came across an amazing designer, sarah seven, who is based out of portland, oregon. her designs are so gorgeous and unique. when i think of my wedding dress i picture a unique but classic design that no one else will have the same of. because anyone who knows me knows i like to wear things that are different and make me stand out. so check her out on etsy or www.sarahseven.com or check out her blog www.beausandarrows.blogspot.com. here are some more of her designs that i love: 

             

be quirky.

i want to be best friends with mischa barton. although she gets a lot of bad press about her style..i personally love it. she mixes vintage and designer pieces with her own rock and roll and hippie flare. we have a very similar love of music, fashion and travel and she has such a cool, laid back personality. she can wear anything and pull it off. i like to think i can do that as well :) by the way...does anyone know where i can find her headband? because i want one.

"personal sense of style is all about being an individual and wearing whatever makes you feel comfortable. as quirky or as normal and safe as you want to be, i think you should just play around with clothes and have fun with them." -mb

obsessed.

TRY. 

i am officially obsessed with the marc by marc jacobs collection.

check it out girlz.

TRY. check out these cool websites.

i have a confession to make. i am addicted to online shopping. the main reason being that there is a never ending supply of items to shop for and new things to look at. websites are updating every second and you never know when you could snag a good deal. one problem i have is that i live in tuscaloosa, alabama. trust me there is not a lot of options here. so i thought i would take the time to share with you the couple of websites that give me inspiration and get me through my day to day "online shopping addiction" (hey. don't judge. the first step is admitting the problem. right?)

my number one go to website is whowhatwear.com, Who What Wear Daily is a fashion blog(much more advanced than mine) that was created by two girls, Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr. these girls are so inspirational with their fashion. i mean think of coming up with a new fashion blog every. single. day. they give styling tips, myspace muses, girl of the month, what was she wearing?, lines they love, trend reports, who has inspired them and much more. and the best part you can subscribe to it. FOR FREE. yep. it comes to my email every single day for a little bit of fashion inspiration boost. so why don't you TRY. it?

another site you must check out is fashionweekdaily.com. for all of you fashion obsessed out there (i feel your pain) this website just keeps you up to date with whats going on in the fashion world and whats coming up next on the calendar. get a peek of whatever runway show you might have missed or see some photographs from recent party in LA or Milan that we would have died to even been in the same city as.

these next two websites will fulfill your love for designer clothing. only if your lucky or fast enough to catch it though. hautelook.com and gilt.com are two websites that offer high-end designer clothing for a discounted prices...and i mean very good discounted prices. just sign up for their free subscription and you get on the inside. they only offer certain designers for certain amounts of time, so the trick is to check back on these sites a lot to see if they have one of your favorites on sale! also right now Hautelook and WhoWhatWear have joined together

offering a giveaway to win a trip to New York Fashion Week. the trip is for two, so tell all of your friends to sign up. and if you win of course you will feel obligated to take the person who told you about it right? ;)

the next couple of websites are very familiar and loved by every girl who loves and appreciates fashion. Jcrew.com is the place to shop for that classic american look. every girls staple pieces consist of a good pair of jeans, a simple tee and that perfect simple yet fashion forward blazer or jacket. also jcrews jewlery is amazing. check on their website often, because i am friends with the "jcrew queen" and she says they update sales twice a day, so dont miss your chance to get that top you have been wanting for a good price. oh yea and for us lucky college students...we get 10% off :) Anthropologie.com is one of the most inspirational and artistic stores that i have ever been in. i am obsessed with the lines they carry and their home decor. one day my house will look like the inside of an anthropologie store or catalog. i know it. the prices are a little high...but hey this stuff is unique!

Intermixonline.com is another great website. in fact i think the website is better than the actual store. every so often they shoot me an email with their top 10 for the season or one of my favorites is the "intermix lust list"...the site is very colorful and has great photographs and ideas for every trend.

...and last but not least is asos.com..i always visit this website when going on an online shopping binge. they have great prices and although the clothing is not the best made, high designer stuff...i often come across things that i like. this website reminds me of a higher end forever 21. i really enjoy how they have set up the site as well comparing some items to what certain celebrities have worn and even letting you view the piece of clothing you are looking at on a video feed of a model walking down the runway. very cool and keeps you entertained.

so after hours of staring at my computer screen and checking out these websites that i have become addicited to...i hope you take a chance to subscribe to some of these and check some of these websites out. because after all, a little online shopping and fashion inspiration never hurt anyone. so just TRY.

*Runway: Just Cavalli

NY Fashion describes the Roberto Cavalli look to be synonymous with glam and rock. His designs are wild, sexy, erotic and fluid, with varying materials and unforgettable results.

The younger line, Just Cavalli, was created in 1998 to resounding praise, and the colorful, glamorous dresses are top of the list for parties in the sun. So even when his Spring collection is a resort collection, the models wear platform sandals. The Spring 2009 collection is all about femininity and grace, with ‘80s accents and bold contrasts.

*Enjoy the snapshots I chose and tell me what you think about the pieces*

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Sources:

www.style.com
www.net-a-porter.com
www.robertocavalli.com

*Trend: Bustier Dresses

This Spring heats things up with sultry bustier dresses reminiscent of 1950’s pin-up girls like Betty Page.

The most fabulous part about this trend is that is shows off your most feminine feature: your shoulders.

The main key again is to keep the rest of the outfit simple, like the accessories.

What I like about this dresses so much, is that they have a flattering cut and they give you immediately a romantic appeal.

During the night (when it's getting colder) you can wear your bustier dress with a cropped jacket.

Here some snapshots of my favourite bustier dresses:

*Tell me your opinion on this trend and dresses!*

*You can follow my blog now!*

Single Sweetheart dress with spaghetti straps

Luella Cassie corset dress

Diane von Furstenberg Olsen jersey gown

Roberto Cavalli stretch satin bustier dress

Zac Posen Stringray satin dress

Mint Jodi Arnold Greta silk dress

DKNY snakeprint strapless dress

D&G fitted bustier dress

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Sources:

www.elle.com

http://www.net-a-porter.com/

la femme

TRY checking this designer out.

last fall a friend and acquaintance called me up to ask me a favor...she wanted me to photograph her line in the Rock the Runway fashion show at the university of alabama. being the unexperienced photographer i am, i decided to jump at the opportunity. i was introduced to mary moody's line "la femme" which is most commonly translated the women. it is a beautiful creation of upscale hand sewn dresses, that are each unique and one-of-a-kind due to their design and hand painted embellishments.

 

being able to catch the beauty of moody's designs in a photograph was a great privilege and opportunity.  although she is just in the beginning of her career, i know that moody will be very successful in her line of work and in the fashion world. moody's artistic eye and 

passion for style has allowed her to create a line of classic beautiful dresses that can be worn for any high-end occasion. 

 

what i love most about mary moody's collection is the artistic detail in all of her designs. looking at the amazing craftsmanship of each hand-sewn dress, you find that many of the embellishments are merely just painted by the artist.

being just in her third year of college moody has created a name for herself and continues to amaze me by the beautiful designs she creates with a needle and thread. i know that she will be and already is a very successful designer (maybe she will remember me as her very first photographer and get me some jobs!)

to find out more about designer mary catherine moody visit www.marycatherinemoody.com  and check out my photography from the fashion show under "the show" section.

*Fashion: Celestina

Celestina Maristela-Ocampo introduced her eponymous label two years ago.

Dedicated to adopting age-old craft techniques, Celestina works closely with artisans in her native Philippines.

For her collection, Abalone shells are transformed with silver mounts and semi-precious stones, shagreen and crocodile skins are combined with handcrafted frames to create exquisite clutch box bags.

The thing I like the most is that every item you buy, stays unique and theirs a story behind it.

Also American Vogue declares her bags as the next IT bag.

*Judge for yourself and tell me what you think!*

Shell hard box bag

Tiger Eye and Shagreen Cuff

Black Shell Cuff

Trenta y Sais ring

Pina Oakwood Clutch

Ebony Macassar Clutch

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Sources:

http://www.net-a-porter.com/

http://www.shopstyle.com/

*Trend: Statement Print Dresses

Designers released their inner Picasso and treated their designs like canvases, creating modern day masterpieces.

Clash your prints for an eclectic fashion-forward take on a classic silhouette.

But as we all know, patterns and prints need to be treated carefully and combined in a smart way.

So don't forget to combine this dress with a structured jacket or a chunky cardigan.

There really aren’t any rules when you have to wear it, I can see this dress working well during day or night time, depending on your accessories.

Here some of my ultimate original Spring pieces:

*Tell me your ultimate statement print dress(es)*

Miu Miu Silk mosaic-print dress

Miu Miu Mosaic-print shift dress

Christopher Kane Goilla Print jersey dress

Christopher Kane Mandrill Jersey dress

Narciso Rodriguez Graffiti-Print silk dress

McQ Zebra stripe jersey dress

D&G Floral Oraganza Dress

Emanuel Ungaro Bougainvillea asymmetric dress

Michael Kors Malachite Print dress

Jonathan Saunders Waldair dress

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Sources:

http://www.starfashionaddict.com/

http://www.net-a-porter.com/