Brigitte Dale
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American Idol: the wearable versions
Filed under: Style in the News, Celebrities with Style
Lyrix by Lyric culture is a new line of apparel set to launch in February that's entirely inspired by American Idol. No, it's not a bunch of knock-off's of the actual clothes worn by the American Idols during competition (chosen with plenty of help from Idol stylists.) Instead, the shirts, jackets, jeans, pants, and dresses will all be printed with either lyrics from a popular American Idol song or some other American Idol-related words and pictures. I can't imagine that being done un-tackily, but we shall see.For now, the line will only be available in junior girls' and boys' sizes. So unless you're tiny enough to squeeze into junior's sizes, it look like you'll be spared the chance to risk a fashion disaster like wearing a dress with the lyrics to "Rhythm is Gonna Get You" written all over it ... for now.
Are neckties going extinct?
Filed under: Men, Celebrities with Style
You didn't really just give your dad another tie for Father's Day did you? I hope you included a gift receipt.In the past century we've seen bow ties, skinny ties, fat ones, long and short ones ... you name it, guys wore it. And now the latest trend in neckties for guys is ... no tie at all.
E! Online has a gallery of A-list guys who've been seen sans necktie, including George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and John Mayer. While the red carpet scene is (of course) faster to accept the tieless look than Wall Street, it definitely could be a sign of things to come.
Is this the beginning of the end for the old "suit and tie" duo? Before you insist that ties are here to stay, think about this: What purpose does a necktie really serve? A fashion accessory without a purpose is always at risk of disappearing completely (think powdered wigs), or else becoming something that's only worn to look retro or classic (think kids wearing top hats and long coattails to prom.)
T-shirts that get you dates, gigs, and possibly a stalker or two
Filed under: Clothing
Do you sometimes wish you could eliminate some of the human interaction from your social life? Reactee t-shirts let you create a personalized t-shirt printed with a slogan and a special code that anyone can send a text message to in order to receive a pre-programed response from you. People are using them for everything from advertising upcoming music gigs and sports events to gathering names for petitions and even soliciting phone numbers for dates.Possible problems: The writing isn't that large. For anyone to read your shirt, then get the correct code and number to send the code to, it will require someone staring at your chest area at a fairly close range for longer than usual. Just be forewarned about that. Also, once someone has your code they can keep sending you their response over and over and over again hoping for more personal attention from you.
Many people are disappointed to find out there's nothing electronic or gadgety about the shirt itself. They picture some tiny receiver sending out messages from the actual shirt. Sorry, people, it's just a code and the number to send it to. You could make you own t-shirts with puffy paint once you have the codes and get theoretically the same results.
Build new shoes every day! Too bad they're so ugly.
Filed under: Accessories, Shoes, Men
What a smart idea! Diesel's Puzzle Sneaker allows guys to save space in their closet (making more room to share with the women in their lives...) by making one shoe convertible into several different styles. All of the styles seem to give off a similar vibe, which is "modern," "functional," and frankly, a little bit "bionic man."I wish they could apply this same idea to a pair of women's dress shoes, with options for either an open or closed toe, optional sling back or full back, and adjustable heel height. If they could do that, without having the end product look like it's related to Frankenstein, I'd be first in line to buy it.
If you want own your very own Puzzle Sneakers, you'll have to be patient. They officially go on sale in September 2007.
The new vintage Nikes, with built-in believability
Filed under: Accessories, Shoes, Vintage and Retro
Nike has taken the vintage athletic shoe to another level. Right when the recreated 1970's and 80's track shoes were becoming mainstream, Nike created some vintage-look running shoes that appear to have genuine street-cred. It's hard not to love shoes with names like the Daybreak, the Cortez, and my personal favorite... the Oregon Waffle. It's even harder not to love them when they look like they're originals that have aged and weathered a bit in the past 30 years. And that's exactly what Nike has done with their new vintage running collection - added a bit of realistic wear and age so they look like they might have been discovered in some great aunt's closet rather than being brand new. Silly? Yes. Do I love them? Yes.
Forget diamonds, this girl's best friend is beach glass
Filed under: Accessories
I'm not a diamond girl, and though I'd like to say that my only reason why was something noble like outrage over the diamond mining situation, the truth is that I thought diamonds were (gasp) boring a long time before they were controversial. Beautiful, yes, but give me some color and texture over a diamond any day. I just got back from a beach vacation where I was reminded how much I love sea glass. Sea glass is simply broken glass -- trash really, that's polished by the ocean over decades (sometimes centuries) and then washes up on beaches like little rainbow gemstones.
Artisans and jewelers set sea glass in everything from sterling silver to Lucite to gold. A couple of my favorite places to find sea glass jewelry: By the Sea Jewelry and West Coast Sea Glass.
Just like diamonds, sea glass has lots of imposters out there. So if it matters to you that your sea glass actually came from the sea, be sure your sea glass is certified genuine and not man-made.
Shoes that could double as weapons: cone heels
Filed under: Accessories, Shoes
Pointy cone heels aren't a new idea, but until now they've been more of a novelty item than a common sight. But prepare for an invasion of the super-pointy cones this summer!There's just something about having your legs appear to be growing out of two ice cream cones that makes a girl feel sexy. But if you're going to wear these, please be careful. I don't care how good you look, if you step on your date's foot with one of these things while you're dancing, it's not going to be pretty.
The platform, cone heel Lanvin sandals shown above are available from Browns for about $900.00 (and sadly no, that doesn't include liability insurance.)
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'Factory Girl' tote is now a celebrity must-have bag
Filed under: Handbags, Accessories, Celebrities with Style
Sienna Miller's character in Factory Girl carried a tote bag that has quickly become a celebrity must-have after Sienna started carrying the bag in real life, long after shooting for the movie ended. Talking about the "Edie" bag's post-movie buzz, designer Tracy Zych said, "I never imagined Sienna would actually use the bag. I sent it to her publicist to show her what her real-life character had inspired. It's amazing. I've been in the business for about two years and this is by far my biggest break to date."
Hillary Duff, Rachel Bilson, and Halle Berry are just a few of the stars lining up to own one of the bags, which are available from Tracy Zych's spring collection for $675.00.
Also inspired by 'Factory Girl,' and a little easier on your bank account, is the Andy Warhol banana-print tote, available from Loop Design for $44.00.
Peter Pan collars, to look like you never grew up. Kind of.
Filed under: Runway Trends, Whatever Style
Remember your first impression of Peter Pan, when he flew into Wendy, Michael, and John's bedroom, sprinkled them with pixie dust, and convinced them they could fly ? (Geez, when you say it like that it doesn't really sound like a story we should be telling our kids.)Anyway, in the book's original illustrations Peter was pictured wearing a shirt with a small, rounded collar and that's most likely where today's Peter Pan collar gets its name. This spring these collars are showing up on not only shirts, but also dresses and jackets. The collars work best when they are the only juvenile or whimsical element you're wearing, so try pairing a Peter Pan collared shirt with slim, simple tailored pants or jeans. Stay away from these collars in baby blues and pinks to avoid looking like you're wearing baby pajamas.
The Peter Pan collar blouse pictured, by Alice + Olivia, is available from Bloomingdale's for $225.00.
Scarlett Hearts Reebok, but how does Reebok feel?
Filed under: Accessories, Clothing, Shoes, Celebrities with Style
Back in July, we found out that Scarlett Johanssen had signed on with Reebok to create a custom line of athletic/casual gear. The line debuted March 1st in a very low-key way, and press for the new line since then has been, well, lackluster. Reebok.com doesn't feature Scarlett's line, instead Scarlett Hearts Reebok, which appears to only include 5 items (and not one pair of shoes with the Scarlett Hearts name?) was immediately buried over at the Reebok "store" site with the rest of the celebrity-inspired lines. So what happened? I thought Scarlett was a Hollywood "it" girl right now, so why did Reebok decide to put her name on a plain track jacket and some boring leggings?
