Bridal – Your Style, Your Dress, Your Day – Part 1

Traditional. Simple. Formal. Casual. Elegant. Over-the-top. The possibilities are infinite. Today more than ever weddings are about personal style rather than simply following “the rules”. And that is reflected in everything from the ceremony and cake to the entertainment and food. But let’s get real it IS all about the dress.

When selecting your gown there are a number of items to keep in mind; your body; your coloring; and your personality.

In the following bridal posts you will learn about:

• Your body and how to flatter your shape…including items to keep in mind if you are plus or petite (Part 2)
• Your colors – the tones and shades that compliment your skin tone (Part 3)
• As well as tips for your hair, make-up and jewelry (Part 4)

Your wedding day is YOUR DAY…Take It In, Hold It Dear and Remember It Always.

Tricia

Bride, February 2000

To read my entire Bridal article please visit: http://www.southlakestyle.com/imag/February2009/start.htm

HELLO!

Yes – I have been negleting my blog. I am so sorry – but life has been very and complicated. But fashionistas have no fear I am back!

I hope you missed me.

AHHH Leopard, Zebra…

I love leopard and zebra…and a little giraffe every once and awhile!

When done right is is the ultimate style statement…but when it’s wrong – it is JUST BAD!

There are a couple of rules with animal print you need to abide by:

1. Only one animal print piece per ensemble. And most definitely do not mix prints such as zebra and leopard.
2. Quality is critial. Do not go cheap with fabrics, stitching or fit.

Keep is clean and sleek!

Guilt Free Shoe Shopping…

I just got a card in the mail from my great friend Amy and I had to share:

Handy Tips for Women

Guilt-Free Shoe Shopping

1. Buy shoes.

2. Discard box.

3. Practice saying,

“No, they aren’t new. I’ve had them for years.”

Holiday Style

OK my latest article just hit the street…Holiday Style! The November issue of Southlake Style…to see it in action please visit:

http://stylishshe.com/stylecolumn.html or http://www.southlakestyle.com/imag/November2008/start.htm

The Holidays…yup they are right around the corner! So let’s talk about what you’re going to wear. Here are my top trends that translate well to holiday fashion:

Trend #1: Purple – Lush, rich, juicy, deep, delicious – PURPLE- it is the ‘it’ color this season and the ultimate style statement

Trend #2: Jewel Tones – Saturated, rich, autumn hues are everywhere. The best part is you choose the best color that works on you! Don’t be afraid of color. Color exudes confidence and color reflects this season’s style.

Trend #3: Feminine- Romantic, beautiful, soft and flowing…ruffles, feathers, lace, pleating and bows are ultra feminine. It looks like you dipped into your lingerie chest. So sexy, so frilly, so girly!

Trend #4: Art Prints – So modern, they could have been taken right from the gallery at The Museum of Modern Art. Think about it as sexy wearable art.

Trend #5: Gray – Oh so simple, but oh so elegant. Think of all shades of gray even out to metallic. They all work so seamlessly!

Trend #6: Winter Floral- The beautiful, bold floral options offer everything from bold and graphc to breezy and pretty this season.

Trend #7 – Leopard: Oh I love leopard. It is a trend we have seen season over season and year after year. Leopard is bold and super chic.

So when you are shopping for your holiday fashions, remember to Shop Smart, Spend Wisely and always be STYLISH!

Jeans – How long?

I get this question a lot, “Should I have different lenght jeans for heels vs flats?” – YES!

The ideal pant length for EVERYONE is just a hair off the floor – the only exclusion being skinny jeans. This will make your legs look slimmer and will make you look taller! It is the most flattering length bar none!

The majority of my pants/jeans are a lenght that works with flats and flip flips – as the is my shoe of choice for day to day activity. I do have a few pair of pants and one pair of jeans for heels. These jeans are darker in wash and more fitted (tight) than others.

Think about your lifestyle and shoes. Have the majority of the pants/jeans tailored to the height of shoes you wear most often.

I hope that helps!

“Sarah Palin’s stylist…”

As per the Washington (AP) – “Palin stylist draws higher pay then policy adviser” Amy Strozzi, who is famous for her work with ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ has been Palin’s traveling styist. Now get this – according to campaign financial reports she was paid $22,800 for the 1st 2 wks in Oct AND McCains foreign policy advisor was paid $12,550 – WOW! STROZZI WAS PAID 80% MORE THAN THE FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR — 80%!!!

On top of that in Sept. the Republican National Committee spent about $150K for wardrobe and cosmetics – after Palin joined the ticket!

This is a VERY POWERFUL message and true demonstration that - IMAGE MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Thoughts?

Thank you Kathryn for forwarding this story to me!

My Handbag Philosophy…

I just got a bday card from one of my closest friends – Susan - and it totally sums up my handbag philosophy…enjoy!

She said, “‘That’s a lot of money to spend on a purse,’

and I knew…we couldn’t be friends.

I LOVE IT!

The card is from Hallmark.

Liquid Eye Liner

I love liquid eye liner because it gives such a strong line. I like it on my upper lid – all the way across, thicker on the outside corner and thinner as you get close to the nose. My tip is to use an angled eyeliner brush instead of the applicator that comes with the liner. Using a brush give you so much more control and the line is SO STRAIGHT! It literally is perfect.

VintageShe – bags

The bags are so beautiful. I personally love the embroidered and beaded ones. You just can’t find bags like that today – at least not inexpensivley!
There is nothing better than having a fun outfit – dressy or casual – and wearing a hip, cool vintage bag on your arm. When done right super chic.
But there are some tips you must keep in mind:
Tip: Make sure that there are no obvoius stains on the outside of the bag. Yellow, dirty stains will just make the bag look old and dirty – not the goal.
Tip: Check the lining for rips. Minimal rips are repairable – at little cost. But do check with your seamstress.
Tip: Beaded bags can also be repaired – but this is where it can get really pricey. If there are beads missing, make sure that it is a small amount. Think of it this way, if you purchase a beaded bag for a great price but it needs repair, you don’t want to have to spend 2x – 5x – or worst 10x the cost on the repair, right? Not a bargin! If you do find a great vintage bag see if the store has a return policy. If not ask if they would extend a return policy to you so that you could take the bag to a seamstress to estimate the cost of the repair. It doesn’t hurt to ask. And if vintage bags are something you love and want more of, go to your seamstress and him/her map out costs for work done. This way you will know what to expect if you do have to repair a bag.
Happy shopping!
And
Do you have any other tips for me?