"modern world" stacy lomman new york...

the lovely stacy lomman is feverishly working on her fall 2012 collection...and we can help in being a part of this fabulous collection...personally...i have loved (and coveted) pieces from each collection that she has done so far...but this takes the cake...as seen below...feast your eyes on the long faux ostrich vest which will be seen in this fall 2012 collection...i mean really...the sketch alone is already making me drool...can you imagine the real thing?

so...stacy has been busy busy busy...

"Over the past year and a half, amazing things have happened. I've been featured in WWD, Dstripped magazine, LIFE.com, and interviewed by the Huffington Post, CBS News and Tenacity Radio's, "Got Style?". I am also a finalist in the women's ready-to-wear category for the Fashion Group International's, 2012 Rising Star Awards (winner to be announced on Jan. 26th)"

i was going to go into an explanation of how hard it is to get a collection out these days...or for that matter...to run any small business...but wendy brandes did a most wonderful write-up in the huffington post..."the agony and ecstasy of a small business" let's do our part and support stacy...support "made in the u.s.a."...every little bit helps...can you imagine if we all gave up one or two lattes...how easy is that?

when you are ready...here is stacy's kickstarter link...we only have until sunday january 29th...every little bit helps!

photo source

fashion bloggers helping japan...

it has been almost a week since the devastation hit japan...tsunami...earthquake...radiation...for me...it was that feeling of helplessness...same feeling i had when 9.11 happened...and even though i was far enough removed from it...i wasn't...for 9.11...i lost many friends...clients on that devastating day...for japan...although i had friends that were there...i know now they are safe...

so where does that leave us? is it because we are so far removed...that we just keep going on with life? in one respect...we need to...but on a human level...having compassion for another human being...whether they are in our backyard or not...seems the right thing to do...

and for this...i felt prompted to write this post...nothing about fashion...nothing about trends...just about people...people in need...people desperately needing our help...the thing with the devastation in japan...it is not something that can be fixed in a day...a week...a month...this will take years and years...and although we are safely tucked away in our every day lives...we cannot forget what the poor people in japan are going through...

wendy brandes...a jewelry designer...who i admire tremendously...wrote it far better then i ever could...in her march 17th post...i hope that you click on over and read it...

fashion bloggers are uniting...to help in any way we can...to realize that although we love fashion...we love the business...sometimes...there are just more important things to discuss...and today...for me...it is all about japan...

my thoughts and prayers are with the people of japan every day...as much as they need our prayers...they need supplies...food...shelter...etc...if you are able to help...click here...which will take you to a great list of links to charity and news sources that wendy brandes put together...

fellow fashion bloggers: wendy has also given permission for us to use this image...so if you feel in your heart...to share...and encourage others to get involved in any way that they can...

sponsor a dress...

the lovely stacy of taffetadarlings is working on putting her collection together for spring 2011...and we can help! so...if you are able...sponsor a dress...actually...donate any amount...click above on stacy's blog to get more details...

i have seen some of stacy's sketches...and some of her designed pieces...here is my absolute favorite dress of hers...the front of the dress is gorgeous...but then you see the back...hello...just enough of a peak of leopard...and it screams sexy...
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here is the lovely wendy brandes modeling the gorgeous dress...and for who it was designed...front view...
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back view...doesn't wendyb make a gorgeous model?



remember this scene from sex and the city 2? see those earrings? well...wendy brandes is jewelry designer extraordinaire...the earrings that samantha is wearing...the talented wendyb designed...18k yellow gold and diamond cleopatra earrings...be sure to take a look at her website...her jewelry is unbelievable...



wendyb said it best..."get involved with fashion in a meaningful way by investing ANY AMOUNT to get a great collection off the ground!"

so what can you do? donate if possible (any amount) tweet and/or blog about it...get the word out...lets get stacy's collection to spring 2011 ny fashion week!

men's corner: double denim...

when it comes to wearing denim...it's usually best to wear only one piece at a time...unless you are a true cowboy...but if you just LOVE to wear your denim jacket with your jeans...here is a simple guideline to keep in mind...

make sure the denims don't match...

either the jacket should be a dark wash and the jeans a light wash with a well-worn look...or vice versa...the jeans a dark wash and the jacket a light wash...

of course...this is one piece of advice that's not for men only...us ladies should take heed as well if we're ever tempted to go overboard on denim...

now...all that being said...the runways have been showing head to toe denim...is it for everyone? i think not...just like any "trend"...just because it is "in" doesn't mean it is right for you...

hop on over to wendy brandes blog (affectionately known as wendyb)...to see a great post on double denim...titled...fall into a texas tuxedo at the gap...actually if you do a search on her blog for double denim...she was kind enough to do several posts with pics from fabulous bloggers and their interpretation of double denim...

a little classy with a dash of trashy...

it sometimes amazes me how often someone will ask me specifics about a fashion rule...seems that many spend their days and nites worrying about making mistakes and social faux pas...ok...that may be a slight exaggeration on my part...but work with me here... =)

why not just go ahead and do it intentionally? relax and have a little fun by adding a touch of trampiness to your ordinary outfit...ignore rules of jewelry; wear ropes of pearls with your jeans...like coco chanel, who wore pearls while riding...her big ropes of pearls were fake...of course...which adds a bit to their trashiness...but what fun would that be? or wear your diamond bracelets with a casual outfit...don't wait for that big "black tie" event...

here is the secret: as long as you know the social rule...(no diamonds before 5 pm., say, or no white after labor day), you can choose to openly flaunt it and impress people with your daring side...if you don't know the rule and break it...you look like a rube...if you do know the rule and break it...you are the ultimate sophisticate...and as taffetadarlings so eloquently wrote about "white lies" and not to miss in that same post...wendyb's take on wearing white...

diana vreeland said, "a little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika...no taste is what i'm against..."


so...go ahead and add a leopard print scarf to your sedate blue business suit...go ahead and wear fishnet stockings with that sedate business suit...go ahead and wear silky underthings while helping out in your child's kindergarten class...it can be your little secret...

the making of couture...

i spent the last three days at an aici (association of image consultants)conference...what a great educational conference! the classes were incredible...and i was able to meet some fabulous women and men...from other parts of the states as well as other countries...all with the same passion that i have in making my clients look their best...

every class ended with me walking away with so much information and tips/tools to use with my business...and more importantly with my clients...

i have to say...the one class that i truly could have sat for hours more to listen and learn from...was on the history of haute couture and its influence today...taught by melissa leventon, who is a professor at the california college of the arts in the fashion design and visual studies department...her master's degree from the university of london is in the history of art/history of dress...she has curated costume collections at museums around the world...

a few months back i posted on what is haute couture...i have to admit that the whole history of it...and even more...the making of it completely fascinates me...

and melissa had fabulous pictures... =)

i came across this clip in the making of chanel couture...sometimes comments and such are made in the pricing of garments...not necessarily couture...but even in just a good quality jacket...for example...often times...people do not realize the work behind the scenes that happen to make a quality piece of a garment...i have seen this same attitude in jewelry..in fact...wendy brandes wrote an exceptional blog post on get smart (about manufacturing) with several links to prior posts she did along the same lines...

you want good quality...you are going to need to spend a little more...

take a look at this fun clip...in the making of a chanel couture...how fascinating is that??