Bay Area Fashion

Stay fabulous and warm on New Years

December 27, 2010 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion tagged holidays 2010 / loro piana / new years style / outerwear / winter 2011 / wraps by Cheap Luxury Handbags Store

New Years Eve is an evening when many Fashionistas find themselves attending a semi-formal or formal event where keeping warm just is not on the agenda. Most party attire does not offer long, warm sleeves; rather, they bare the shoulder or provide little coverage in the form of a short sleeve. For an evening such as this, a wrap is in order.

The one type of cover up Fashionistas should have their closets, or invest in for New Years this year, is a black formal wrap. A formal wrap is an easy way to keep warm and not hide your entire outfit underneath a large coat. If you have a black wrap in velvet, silk or cashmere buried in your closet, then you are all set for keeping warm this New Years Eve without sacrificing your fabulous outfit. If you do not already own a wrap that works with your holiday attire or is basic black, then it is time to go shopping.

There are several classic yet festive wraps on store shelves right now that will also make great investment pieces. Iiana Wolf has a sequin silver and black wrap that is perfect for New Years and can easily be an investment piece for years to come. Gucci has a festive black or lavender animal print wrap that features fringe on the edges. Loro Piana has a wool scarf that features animal prints. Although not a formal wrap, the Loro Piana wrap can easily be worn for a semi-formal event and with any pant outfit.

The thing to look for in an investment wrap is longevity and quality. Wraps should be classic and in a color that you know will integrate well with your current wardrobe. The quality should also high since a wrap is on the outside of your outfit, it will be the first impression someone has of your ensemble. Look for quality wools, velvet and smooth silk. Happy shopping, Happy New Years and have a fabulous night

Loro Piana wrap from the winter 2010 collection. Photo courtesy of Loro Piana

Shimmer for the Holiday season and into resort

October 29, 2010 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Shoes / Trends tagged holiday fashion / holidays 2010 / resort 2011 / spring 2011 by Cheap Luxury Handbags Store

The holiday season is fast approaching and stores are beginning to put out holiday shopping displays, gifts ideas and catalogs. As the holiday season approaches, party invitations begin to arrive in the mail, email or via social networking. One of the challenging parts of the holiday season is finding formal or party attire that is festive, easy to wear and not too cool as the temperatures drop. Thankfully, the upcoming resort season includes shimmer, sequins and everything that sparkles, allowing Fashionistas to find holiday attire that can also be worn during the resort and spring seasons; as well as the wraps that can keep us warm.

Adding shimmer to a holiday outfit is part of the fun in keeping the holiday season full of sparkle and a festive outlook. Formal dresses can always have shimmer or sparkle and are an easy way to shine at a formal event or cocktail party. Another bright and cheery way to add sparkle to a holiday outfit is by pairing a sequin top with dark jeans for a girl’s night out, velvet trousers for a semi-formal evening, grey wool trousers for daytime shimmer or even a leather skirt, black leather winter shorts, wool shorts; ahhh, the possibilities are endless. Sequin tops that are a solid color are the easiest to create outfits with and also have better lasting power year after year.

Another easy way to add shimmer to a holiday outfit is through accessories. Metallic shoes and handbags are a great way to add shimmer to an outfit for day or night. A metallic or sequin wrap is also a great way to spice up a little black dress, or other solid colored frock for formal events, cocktail parties and semi-formal occasions. Stella McCartney has a great shimmer top which can easily be worn during the day with white pants in spring or for evening occasions with black leather short or velvet trousers for the holidays. O

f course, leave it to Jimmy Choo to create amazing shimmer shoes that be worn all year long; click here to see! Donna Karen has a fabulous black, body conscious sweater for the holiday season which can still be worn alone on cool, early spring evenings. This sweater is great for daytime or evening, plus it is easy to layer for additional warmth. Fabulous! Jewelry is another way to add sparkle to an outfit whether or not the garments have shine, does not matter! This bracelet by Fragments for Neiman Marcus a-ma-zing! Cookie Lee has a ton of sparkle for the holiday season at fabulous prices. Click here for Cookie Lee shopping info. Sparkle and shimmer is part of the fun for the holiday season; and thankfully it is also part of the resort trends!

There was also sparkle and shimmer on the runways for spring 2011, so this is a great time to invest in at least one garment with some shimmer. Look for basic colors such as silver and black. When choosing colors, look for softer colors that can carry into spring such as muted plum, pastels and light tans. Sequins and shimmer always swings into fashion for the holiday season, so anything with a bit of flash is perfect for holiday investment dressing. Thankfully, shimmer is also part of the resort and spring trends, making sequins and everything that sparkles the perfect investment for now and into 2011. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

Photos: Cathy/Cheap Luxury Handbags Store 2010©

Rain boots for fall; stay fabulous even during the worst storms!

October 11, 2010 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Shoes tagged boots / chanel / fall 2010 / rain gear / winter 2011 by Cheap Luxury Handbags Store

Rain boots and rain shoes are one of the more difficult items to find while shopping for fall. Although the rainy season has not started yet here in the Bay Area, this is the perfect time to shop for rain gear since the stores are fully stocked and many Fashionistas are not thinking about the wet weather just yet. Every year, Cheap Luxury Handbags Stores wait until the first rain storm to run to the mall for rain boots, rain shoes and other wet weather essentials. By the time everyone arrives at the store for rain gear,all of the good items are gone! That is why the best time to shop for rain boots, rain shoes and rain gear is right now; before the rain comes.

The biggest challenge for a Fashionista on a rainy day is staying true to his or her personal style yet remaining as dry as possible. That last thing anyone wants to do is wear a fabulous pair of leather boots when the rain is pouring down out of the sky! The best solution for remaining dry and leaving the Prada boots at home is to invest in a fabulous pair of rubber boots; and not the ones from a fishing store!

Chanel has the most incredible pair of rain boots for fall 2010. Chanel’s rain boots hit about mid-calf and feature two camellia’s on the outside shaft of the boots. There is a goldtone Chanel insignia on the flowers making the rain boots not only functional but fashionable! Although the price tag is high for rain boots at $395, as long as Chanel’s rain boots are not worn while walking through a river on a fishing trip, they should hold up for several years; making the Chanel rain boots a good wet weather investment purchase.

Gucci is also offering a rain boot for fall with a 2″ heel in black, green or bordeaux rubber. The boots are sleek and offer straight lines which helps to make them easy to pair with any wet weather outfit. Gucci’s rain boots are $270. Burberry also offers rain boots for fall with their signature nova-check at $225. There are also rubber lace rain boots by Valentino for $295 which are lavender and sassy.

The largest selection of rain boots comes from Hunter. Hunter offers everything from traditional rubber or “welly” boots in a variety of colors to motorcycle inspired styles with straps and buckles. The Hunter line of rain boots can be found for under $225 at Neiman Marcus.

Staying dry and looking fabulous can go hand in hand. There is no reason to throw on yellow fishing boots as soon as the sky opens up. Chanel, Gucci and Hunter offers fabulous and fashionable solutions for Fashionistas in the Bay Area and beyond. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

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