Bay Area Fashion

The Fashionista’s Budget Savvy Guide for Summer 2010

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Shopping  tagged shopping list / summer 2010 by

Hey there Fashionistas! Summer is in full swing and Fashionistas across the bay area are seeking ways to satisfy their thirst for runway fashion on a budget. Let’s face it, the recession is still going strong here in the San Francisco Bay Area where unemployment hovers around 13%. Regardless of employment status, Fashionistas around the bay area are looking for ways to save money without losing their fashionable edge. Well, look no further. I have a few ways for Fashionistas in the bay area and beyond to update a couple of looks from past seasons as well as update your look through budget savvy purchases!

1) Shop your closet. OK, so this has been said before, but let’s face it, shopping your closet is the first step towards saving money and reinventing key pieces from past seasons.

City shorts are hot this summer. They were also hot three years ago. We here at Cheap Luxury Handbags Store know you have a pair or two sitting in the back of your closet. Pull out those city shorts, because you will need them!

Tunics with embroidery and embellishments were all the rage roughly five years ago. I know you have at least one in the back of your closet that you did not have the heart to sell on eBay. A tunic with long sleeves or three quarter sleeves will be the perfect top for your city shorts. Tunics blend perfectly into the ethnic trend from Spring. This trend will continue into Fall so your tunic is very “of-the-moment.”

Belt it! You can pair your city shorts and tunic with either a solid, leather belt that loops through your belt loops or you can wear a fabulous belt on top of your tunic and add instant sass to your outfit.

2) Footwear. The hot footwear of the season includes the nude wedge, the espadrille platform and the embellished t-strap sandal. You may already have one or more of these styles in your closet, if not, Target has a wide selection of embellished t-strap sandals that are to die for! The espadrille wedge can be found at reasonable prices at stores such as Payless Shoe Source and JC Penny’s. Victoria’s Secret Catalog has a fabulous espadrille wedge for $48. The nude wedge is wildly popular and can be found at discount prices at DSW and Nordstrom Rack.

3) Beauty Products. The look this summer is clean and natural when it comes to make-up. Fashionistas can wear minimal foundation with brown eyeliner and a small amount of blue, purple or brown eye shadow. The lipstick of the season is hot pink or barely there pale pink. Revlon and Maybelline have fabulous lipstick shades to help carry you through summer. The bright blue, green and pink nail polish colors of the season are being found on the toes of Fashionistas everywhere. Target has a wide array of every bright blue, green and pink imaginable. All of the nail color at Target is under $10. Fabulous!

4) The weather in the Bay Area this summer has been hot and cold; literally. The safari and military trends from Spring are going to carry into Fall. The safari or military jacket you purchased last Spring will carry you through the cool, foggy evenings of Summer and will still be perfect when the Fall season hits. If you missed out on purchasing a safari jacket or military style jacket during the Spring months never fear! The Gap, Banana Republic and Target have affordable styles to fit any budget. You will be happy you made the purchase!

The recession should not last too much longer. As long as we, as Fashionistas, can weather the storm, we will have plenty of money left over to splurge on that special wish list item when the economy bounces back. Happy shopping and stay fabulous!

Fabulous Summer Hats!

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Hats / Trends  tagged san diego hat company / summer 2010 / sun protection by

The San Francisco Bay Area is currently enjoying fabulous summer weather. As Fashionistas in the bay area head for the pool, a key wardrobe piece is needed to protect our skin from the sun; the summer hat! Sun hats are popping up on bay area Fashionistas across the bay from Marin to Walnut Creek to Pleasanton to San Jose. There are different styles of hats Fashionistas have taken a liking to, some straight off the runway while others in a more practical form.

The runways in Paris, Milan and New York showed mid-brimmed straw hats in natural colors as well as with large stripes. Hermes showed a fabulous natural straw and navy, wide striped hat while Chanel showed a slightly larger brimmed hat in a light shade of tan. Eugenia Kim for Target produced an affordable, dark white straw hat with a pretty blue and white scarf tied around the brim. The scarf can be tied in a bow on the top of the hat or drawn through two hidden holes and used to secure the hat underneath the chin. San Diego Hat Company has a classic and easy to fold hat with two brim sizes: medium and large. The San Diego Hat Company hats offer SPF protection of 65!

Cheap Luxury Handbags Stores favorite hats this season are the Hermes hat for special events and looking fabulous as well as the San Diego Hat Company hats which offers practically for beach trips and poolside with the kids. Which hats are you wearing? We would love to know  Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

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Fabulous Sunglasses for Summer 2010!

 in Bay Area Fashion / Eyewear / General Fashion / Trends  tagged accessories / chanel / summer 2010 / sun protection / sunglasses by

The sun is finally shining here in the San Francisco Bay Area and the temperature has finally hit the level we expect in the Spring. This means the sun is getting brighter and it is time to pull out our fabulous new sunglasses for Summer 2010! Fashionistas in the Bay Area have been spotted wearing two distinct styles of sunglasses, everywhere from the coastline, into the city and east of the bay. The aviator frame has been mildly popular over the past decade and still holds cult status among the stylish set here in the Bay Area. These sporty frames have been spotted in style-savvy pockets of San Francisco such as the Marina, Union Square, SOMA and even along the piers. Designers such as Tom Ford, Gucci, Tory Burch and Chrome Hearts have Aviator Frames front and center for Summer 2010. Unfortunately, Bay Area Fashionistasinterested in getting prescription lenses in an aviator frame might find themselves out of luck. In general, most aviator frame sunglasses are not flat enough for prescription lenses.

Suburban Bay Area Fashionistas have been spotted wearing the other fabulous frame that is hot off the runways for Summer 2010; the oversize resin frame. This playful shape has also been taking center stage over the past few years, but with 2010 the oversize resin frame has steered clear of black and gone into softer neutral shades as well as chambray blue. Miu Miu, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel and Fendi have all shown tortoiseshell and soft browns on their oversized shades. Prada, Barton Perreira and Pucci have shown colors such as blue, chambray blue and pink resin. The gradient lense has also made a comeback,harkening us back to the early 2000’s when gradient lenses were all the rage. Fashionistas in need of prescription sunglasses are in luck with this style. The oversize frame can easily have prescription lenses put in and they can also be done in gradient color.

Although dark black resin frames were not at the forefront this season, black enthusiasts need not worry. Designers such as Chanel and Oliver Peoples have softer black frames that are transparent or not as harsh as traditional dark black. These frames look especially pretty with dark grey gradient lenses or, for the more daring fashionista, purple gradient lenses!

Never let the original lenses on a pair of sunglasses hold back your inner fashion-savvy vision. Even if you are not putting prescription lenses in the frames of your sunglasses, you can still have them changed to suit your mood. This is also a great way to update an older pair of oversized frames. If you have a pair of oversized resin shades from a few years ago, update your look by changing the lenses to a gradient lens. This can be done at many upscale full-service eyewear shops such as Optical Illusions in San Jose onSantana Row. What a great way to save money in this economy! Lenses are less expensive than designer frames in general, so this is one purchase you can feel good about.

Enjoy the sunshine, protect your eyes and Stay Fabulous!

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