The Great Sunglass Debate

Now that Spring seems to be "officially" here (I use that loosely because it is ONLY March 31st.  Which means that there is plenty of time for the weather to plummet to the mid 30's.  A chance of a snow shower here and a freezing rain there).  But in the meantime, let's praise the sun and bask in the 70 degree days (for this week at least)!  The long and dragged out wait for this weather is unbearable, but when it comes, you just know how good it feels and you know that the wait was well worth it.  Everyone whips out their spring/summer clothes, this we know, but there are accessories that go well with the sunny days and the warm air.  There is one essential accessory that, men and women alike, never leave home without; and by chance you do happen to leave your house or apartment without these, you are mad at yourself the ENTIRE day (been there).

What am I babbling about you may wonder.  If you haven't guessed it by now, get outta here!  No, come on, it's about (drum roll please) SUNGLASSES!  Everyone needs to protect their eyes, no one likes a squinter, so this form of eye-wear is such a necessity for those warm summer days.  Sunglasses not only protect your eyes, but are a way of showing how trendy and cool you are.  They complement an outfit, and make you look amazing; plus, they hide those circle or those eyes that cannot bear the sun after one too many cocktails at an al fresco happy hour.  I prefer Ray-Bans, but really any brand, cheap or expensive, work for everyone.  The great thing is that almost every style is on-trend now.  Big and bold?  Sure!  Cat eye?  You bet!  Even ROUND sunglasses are back in style (ahem, Carey Mulligan).

I think the pair I am going to go for, and I can't believe I don't already have, are classic Ray-Ban Aviators in a gold color.  They go nicely with just about anything, especially golden hair and a tan for summer!  I can see myself wearing these with a straw fedora, a JLee Silver maxi dress and some gladiator sandals.  Or denim jeans shorts (Abercrombie ones I've had for years and am still obsessed with) and an Erin Campbell blouse.

NY Press Preview Event

This past week, JLee Silver took place in Red Light PR's press preview event in New York, featuring the Fall 2010 collection.  Our Fall collection is made up of beautifully crafted coats and dresses, which the editors at WWD, Glamour, PeopleStyleWatch, Cosmopolitan and OK! Magazine absolutely loved.  They fawned over the lace pieces and the detail oriented work dresses and outerwear.  We were called "on trend" and seem to be the future of the working wardrobe.  Couldn't be happier!

Could It Be?...

Is it really true that Spring may have the official start...TOMORROW?!  I am super excited for this.  Andy Avalos told me that this week the temps will be in the high 60s, and even the mid-to-high 70s by the end of the week.  I am so freakin excited about it!  Time to rid the winter coats and throw on that jean jacket; no more bundling in scarves and gloves; spring is here and Chicago residents are h-a-p-p-y.  For the official start to Spring, I don't feel it necessary to jump head first, but I will begin with a shoe swap.  Today, for example, the air is crisp and chilly, and we are only in the mid 30s.  Ergo, I have boots and tights on.  It would be a silly move for me to just throw caution to the wind and wear sandals and shorts tomorrow.  One tiny step at a time.  After all, I don't want to curse the weather and have this whole Spring thing go south on me.  I'm thinking transitioning into flats, or even break out the converse, exposing skin, but not too much that I look like an idiot walking around thinking that summer is here (hence last year it was chilly all summer long with only a few warm days).  

Some perfect springy options are all over Fashionheist.com from designer JLee Silver.  Maxi dresses would look great with a jean jacket for this 'tween weather, or even a lightweight wrap sweater.  I'm digging some of the fringe tunics with white jeans or leggings for this time period.  Maybe swap to white jeans once the weather is definitely here to stay.  The opal vest is great with a long sleeve, t-shirt or tank.  Such a versatile piece.  I also love this navy cropped raincoat, and it has a hood! My fave, and in navy!  Too good to be true.  So cute for the rainy spring months when you need a coat, but nothing too heavy or clingy.  Love!

Destinie Maxi Dress $205

Opal Vest $135

 

Octavia Jacket $220

Prints, Prints, Prints!

The Fall 2010 collection of JLee Silver is just about done, and everything is looking absolutely insane.  Seriously, the dresses are streamlined and fitted for the normal girl's body.  There are deep v-necks to accentuate the beautiful decolletage that every woman has.  The deep v-neck of the dresses also highlights a long neck, and doesn't cut a woman off.  The bodies of the dresses range from form fitting to flowy, all maintaining a a cleverly crafted shape.  One of my personal favorites is a three quarter sleeve dress with an open back, a drop waist, and a flowy skirt.  So fun to be worn with tights or without for a warmer climate.  The color is a shade of cranberry, and would compliment any skin tone.  I am also loving a knee-length coat/dress.  The print is exotic and not something you would find just anywhere.  There is a zipper down the front, and the coat/dress can be worn open or closed.  Yesterday, I put the coat on with my outfit of a white t-shirt dress, a vintage tan belt and cognac color flat boots.  The coat's color are green, pink, gray...very unique.  I zipped up the garment and it looked perfect, and it also looked great unzipped.  Your choice!  These great pieces won't be available for a few months, but they're something to salivate over.

What a Tease!!!

Last week's Chicago weather was absolutely beautiful.  We were pulling in temps in the upper 60s and low 70s, and then...bam!  Saturday hits and we have a dumping of (light and slushy albeit) but snow!  It was only a few inches and didn't stick too long, but still!  I thought we had hit the mother-load: warm weather in the middle of March.  Should have known better.  It's funny, the first Spring-like day in Chicago people become overjoyed and wears shorts and sandals.  You know that guy, the one who thinks 55 degrees is 85 degrees, and he walks around in sandals, shorts and a t-shirt and feels totally comfortable.  I can get a little over-excited as well, and I want to wear my light Spring jacket or no jacket, but in the back of my head I know that another cold front will come bustling through any day now.  I AM itching to wear some of JLee Silver's Spring looks, and with Erin Campbell on the horizon, those blouses are going to rock with jean shorts in the summer.

New Fabrics :)

We just got a few huge boxes and envelopes full of new fabric.  This is so exciting!  Its always nice to see new fabrics that are going to be turned into beautiful garments that people will end up wearing.  I can never picture just exactly what the fabric will look like once in a dress-form, but it is exciting to speculate!  I cannot imagine how the big names feel when their fabric arrives, they must keel over with joy and excitement.  The prints, basket weave textures, chunky knits, sheer pieces and metallic threads brighten up our rainy (yet surprisingly warm) March days.  We'll keep you posted with our new designs with the new fabrics!

Meanwhile, check out www.fashionheist.com for 50% off all sale apparel, and 30% off all the regular merchandise!  Plus, the Spring pieces are up and looking mighty fine.

Can You Smell Spring in the Air?

Today, I got up early to head to the gym, and I noticed something.  Today was one of the first nice days of the year.  Not only was the sun out at 645am, but also, the temperature was not freezing cold.  I have made the bold move of switching my long down coat, to a short down coat.  Risky move, now my butt is no longer covered by the heavy fabric.  To me, the switching of coats is the official kick off to Spring Fever.  The sun is out, the air smells different, and we are well on our way to daylight savings time (SUNDAY!)  The Spring fashions from JLee Silver are up on Fashion Heist, and they look as lovely as ever.  I can just see myself wearing the dresses and frolicking down Michigan Avenue, or hanging out at Oak Street beach on a lazy Sunday. 

Good news for the JLee Silver team and fans: one of our Spring trench coats was featured in Lucky!  Spring is off to a great start already :)

Oscar Fashion

Last night the red carpet was rolled out once again, and the stars flocked to the Kodak Theatre.  Despite the rain and the temperamental weather conditions, the celebrities walked the carpet and were interviewed with the utter-most poise and elegance.  Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin co-hosted the affair, and in a funny fashion, the two men were great.  Beginning applauding the actors who did an outstanding job in this years movies, the night was off to a great start.    The theme of the night seems to be gold; yes the Academy Award statute is gold, but the women came out and were keen on matching the statuesque figure.  As always, there were hits, misses, and the occasional "what the heck?" moments of the night.  Sadly, no dresses were absolute stunners or that memorable.  Take a look and see what gown we thought rocked the night and which ones fell short.

There was Best Actress Winner, Sandra Bullock, looking gorgeous with a gold and ivory Marchesa gown, fuchsia lips and cascading waves, her look is definitely up for a Best Dresses Nominee.

Another Best Dressed Nominee (for me) would be Elizabeth Banks' Versace dress.  The color complemented her stunning blue eyes and her fair skin.  She looked put together and classic.  The ruffles were not too much, yet just enough to make this dress a statement piece.  Major kudos to whoever dressed her!

Another fantastic actress who was dressed wonderfully, was the super cute and sexy, Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab Couture.  Yes there was a lot of print, but the print was muted, which made the dress more appealing and easy on the eyes.  Her swept back hair and natural makeup, make Rachel a star of the night.

Even though she is a youngster, Miley Cyrus showed up looking looking in another gold number by Jenny Packham.  Had she stood up straight, the look would have been completed, but the dress was very pretty.  She flubbed her lines from the teleprompter, and was there to promote her new movie, "The Last Song" (did you see how many commercials there were?), but at least she had a good dress to show for it.

 

The most architecturally pleasing dress of the night belongs to Best Supporting Actress Nominee, Vera Farmiga, for her work in "Up in the Air."  Vera's dress was constructed beautifully by the women of the Marchesa line.  The ruffles were coming out of every angle, but somehow the dress worked.  The pink color went well with her skin and minimal makeup and jewels.  Some may say that this was overkill, but I like it!

 

 

Honorable mention to Meryl Streep, for dressing her age and looking great in a plunging white long sleeve sheath by Project Runway contestant, Chris March.   

 

The blush tones worked well for Anna Kendrick and Demi Moore.

These women were misses: Chralize Theron (sorry, we don't get it; what's with the rosette buds on the chest?)  The usually jaw-dropping model, Diane Kruger, fell short with an overly ruffled and fringed, high necked, too much detail, Chanel Haute couture piece. 

Most surprising transformation belongs to Kristen Stewart, who finally kicked off her Converse and rundown jeans, to reveal a more womanly figure flattering dress.  Stewart's dress was a navy Monique Lhuillier gown, which displayed a young woman coming into her own  .She showered, got a small spray tan, and wiped the scowl off her face to show everyone that she is a real actress.  Way to go, Kristen, 

And that's the 82nd Academy Award fashion wrap-up!  We could go on forever, but this was just a short snippet of what we felt needed to be said.

Check out www.fashionheist.com for 50% off all fall and winter apparel! 

Alice in Wonderland Part Three

Today's addition to the Alice in Wonderland weekly outfit is the headband staple that Alice sports throughout every version of the Disney story.  Alice's headband is thick and basic black, but in this day and age with the headband and hair accessory explosion (see past blog "Hot Head") and Blair Waldorf being the accesory's poster girl, there are an abundance of chic headbands on the market.  For the new Alice look, I chose a black headband from Forever 21 (cheap and chic!) with a cute little flower adorned on top of the it, a touch of feminism on a black band.  Keep coming back for an added item on day four of 'Modern Alice'

Alice in Wonderland Part Deux

Today's blog is adding to the Modern-Day Alice look.  Yesterday we picked apart Alice's matronly blue dress, complete with a white apron, white collard shirt, and Mary Jane flats; a no-nonsense outfit, that suited Alice back in the day.  In this day and age, we are fashion-forward.  We want the newest, the best, the shiniest, the prettiest...WE WANT! WE WANT WE! WANT!  Okay, time to recover from the Alice-like temper tantrum.  The beautifully grecian-like Burberry Prorsum dress is complemented by Kate Spade couture lace tights.  Yes, the white lace is a bit demure, but the sexiness offsets that.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog, and part three of the outfit.

Alice in Wonderland

Not to be all little girl and childlike, but friday si the opening of Alice in Wonderland in 3D.  Growing up I loved Alice in Wonderland, and have always talked about it being one of my favorite stories as a young girl.  It's funny when you grow up and realize what the hell the story is truly about: Alice taking a variety of drugs, tripping, and all because she fell down a rabbit hole.  What a weird concept for a children's story.  Back to the point of the blog (and fashion while we're at it), Alice has turned into a character that pops up every October when Halloween rolls around.  The "Slutty Alice" costume re-surfaces every Fall to show us that even though you may not be reading those books anymore, you can always dress as a sluttier version of the character.  For the opening on Friday, I can imagine that women and children alike will be dressed up as their favorite Alice in Wonderland character.  Here is what I propose to wear for the movie opening (not like you are walking the red carpet at the Kodak Theater, but hey, you make your own red carpet wherever you are!)

The first part of the outfit is from this gorgeous Draped Silk Dress from the Burberry Prorsum Collection