Milan- Spring Ready To Wear: Day 3

Ah, and so we say farewell to Milan. Who would have thought that in 3 days fashion could have taken such a dramatic turn? Calling all girly-girls: pink is in! Versace and Dsquared have showed us that the 70s are due for a comeback, and, naturally, Emilio Pucci has backed that up (but that's not a surprise, really, is it?)

Versace

Can you say roller disco? Love it, Love it, love it. Can't see the one on the left flattering anyone who isn't a size zero, though. Why is the outfit on the right reminding me of Wilma Flintsone? I really love the contrast of this outfit. Top half is sexy retro, bottom half is still sexy retro but adds a safari twist.

(left) More grecian/roman goddess-ness. (right) I really like the cut of this dress. The colour is devine, and it looks like it could be flattering to more than one body shape.

Dsquared

Since when is Rihanna a runway model? She looks great up there. And so, another talent is revealed. (middle) Awesome jacket! Besides the hair and where the belt is sitting, the girl on the right looks so 70s it's blowing my mind.

(left) Practical? Not for anywhere that isn't beachy. Pretty? Yes. (right) Pink rules the world. Deal with it. Lol.

Ok, I don't really know where this could be worn (or what it even is, really), but I do know that it's pink, and makes me want to buy new underwear cos I'm going to be parading it around while I'm wearing this thing everyday!

Emilio Pucci

I really, really love how Emilio Pucci's collections are consistently retro (hot retro, of course). That's all I have to say.

Luisa Beccaria

I've never heard of Luisa Beccaria before, but I was browsing through her (I'm assuming it's a Her, lol) collection and came across this orange dress. Well, every aspect of this picture backs up my 70s-is-back prediction so, of course, I had to include it. This dress on the right is quite pretty, also. In a Prom kind of way. The flower is a cute addition.

Well, there you have it. Milan FW is over. But don't worry, there's always Paris, right?

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

Milan- Spring Ready To Wear: Day 2

Wow. I have to admit, I found the collections of Day 2 of Milan FW much more aesthetically pleasing. There was alot more colour, maybe that's the reason? Another thing that was interesting: extremely varied hairstyles. I'm glad that the slicked, high ponytail with a thick hair-tie isn't everywhere anymore. Ugh, I hated that. Anyway, some gorgeous stuff here.

Gucci

One thing that dominated the Gucci runway? Pink! Lol. I love the shapes that Gucci showed, a mixture of loose, flowing pieces; bold, puffy jackets; and square-ish cocktail style dresses.

Colour, colour, colour! Love it!

Alberta Ferretti

These are very pretty dresses. The ones on the the right and left are cute and practical (the yellow one is so creative), but the middle one I just put in here because it's pretty. Why do designers always seem to put Lily Donaldson (middle) in short dresses with bold shoulders?

(left) I love these types of, well, what would you call them? Pull over-dress? Anyway, I would love to see this in white, with a black long sleeved top underneath. So hot. (right) Pretty and original, but yeah, not very practical.

Emporio Armani

Another simply dazzling collection from Armani. The shorts on the left are so retro! Lol. Modernized with a belt and grey cardi. Love the necklaces (as well as the jacket) on the right.

(left) A fun night in LA, anyone? (right) Pretty cool how they put two girls on the runway at the same time.

Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli always creates such beautiful clothes. Here we see examples of flowing dresses in pastel colours; grecian (with a hint of brazillian sunshine); and crazy, but gorgeous hairstyles!

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

Milan- Spring Ready To Wear: Day 1

Wow, we're off to Milan already! I accidently completely skipped London Fashion Week, because I just got a new job, and things have been stressful. But there's no point crying over spilled milk, because Milan is going off right now! So far, Milan FW has seen alot of nude colours, mixed with long flowing materials. Belts are still all the rage, and it looks as if Grecian has firmly planted itself on the IT list.

Blumarine

I am absolutely loving Blumarine's use of colour! As you can see, it seemed their motto went a little something like the shorter, the better. So Spring, love it!

Love this. Long, flowing hair would have looked better, though. Why am I getting a very Lauren Conrad vibe from this?

Missoni

Honestly, I thought this was a rather average collection. I'm used to seeing Missoni use zig-zag patterns and zany colours, as well as keeping it stylish and spohisticated at the same time. But I'm loving the jacket on the left, and the light cardi on the right.

I quite like this one on the left. It's one of those retro-but-modern-at-the-same-time looks. Oh, the only thing I can think of when I see this look on thr right is Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra! Gorgeous...

Giorgio Armani

What is it about Armani? Anything designed under that name seems to turn out as one of the most beautiful things to grace a catwalk.

Bottega Veneta

This collection was just beautiful. I absolutely adore everything about the jacket-dress on the left. The dress on the right, is one of those light, gorgeous, casual dresses that can just be thrown on and make the wearer look dazzling.

Reminds me of one of those old roman portraits, where the women wore dresses similar to this and wore their hair in plaits. Gorgeous, just gorgeous.

More of Milan FW soon!
Can't wait? Go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

Say What?

Have you ever wondered how to pronounce a big name in fashion but are too embarassed to ask? Frankie from City Chic's got you covered.
I stumbled across this after watching ET's coverage of the Emmy Awards. Mary Hart was interviewing a certain starlet (could it have been Hayden? I can't remember...) and announced that her dress was by Monique Lhuillier, except I didn't recognise the name because I'd never heard it said aloud before. And then I realised, what about all those other hard-to-pronounce names? So I looked it up and found this extensive list from City Chic (a blog which seems to only contain a few posts from September 2005).
It covers models, designers and commonly used fashion terms.
Of course, fashion pronunciation lists can be found all over the internet.
About.com offers audio -- extremely helpful.
the Fashion Spot also offers an extensive amount, asked and answered by its members.
If it's a definition your after, check out The Dress King Fashion Glossary.

Happy pronunciation!

Catch.

*Romany*

A Retro Moment...

Kate Bosworth.

Hello! Can you say 70s?? This pic could seriously just be a snap from someone's photo album. Instead it's just Kate Bosworth shopping around in SoHo, carrying her red Mulberry purse of course, and sporting some white wayfarer-type sunnies.
I love this photo. I know it's a random, simple paparazzi shot, but I can't help but see a certain beautiful quality. What do you think?

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of people.com]

Mascara in the meantime...

It's only been a few months, but I'm fast running low on my Chanel Inimitable mascara (now my most favourite mascara ever!) and my trusty mascara source, aka my pharmacy lol, is out and won't be getting more for another week. So, I've concluded that I must conserve the Inimitable, and have in the meantime been using another "special" mascara.
It's called Miessence Pure Black mascara. It's one of those "safe" brands that I've been researching.It's no Chanel, but it does the job. Plus you know that it's not doing a spot of damage to you or Mother Nature. My only hang up, is that it takes a few applications to get the right look (well, the right look for me anyway). This application process is apparently how the women of the early 20th century used to apply their mascara.
I'd say, give it a go. It's worth it in the long run. :)
All the information you need is here, including a full list of ingredients (all natural, I'm impressed).
Enjoy!

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of bodysoul.mionegroup.com]

Thoughts on Who magazine's Best & Worst Dressed 2007

Ok, so I was a little surprised at this year's supposed "Best and Worst" dressed for two reasons: 1. I was under the impression that WHO's list would have been "inspired" by People's list, and therefore end up being exactly the same. But I was wrong. WHO's Best and Worst dressed were somewhat different. So that was a good surprise.
2. I was quite shocked at the amount of deliberately unflattering photos they used. To me, it seemed as though they targeted some of the people of the Worst dressed end of the spectrum that for whatever reason they don't like right now, displayed particularly unflattering photos (some that weren't even from this year) and labelled them "Worst Dressed". I thought this was most unfair. But it's their opinion, obviously, so I won't get too upset. So here's the list:

BEST
1. Sienna Miller. Agreed, she is rather stylish.
2. Dita Von Teese. Don't agree. While she is quite style savvy, she has made some definite fashion faux pas this year.
3. Chloe Sevigny. Agreed. She is a style icon, hands down. Even when she looks bad, she looks good. Lol.
4. Cameron Diaz. Most definitely agreed. This has been her year fashion-wise.
5. Katherin Heigl. Don't agree. While she is stunninly beautiful, I wouldn't say her fashion choices are anything special.
6. America Ferrera. Don't agree. Same reason as Kat Keigl, although America is wearing a particulalry pretty, yellow coat in one of these photos.
7. Justin Timberlake. Agreed, he's probably the most stylish man in Hollywood. And he gets extra points for being hot. Lol.
8. Jodi Gordon. Meh. Whatever.
9. Hayden Panettiere. 100% agreed, although she should have been higher on the list.
10. Kate Middleton. I suppose I agree, although I could think of a few others who probably rank higher than her, in my opinion.

WORST (now here's when the unfairness kicks in)
1. Avril Lavigne. There was a period when she was very stylish, then she released Girlfriend and now I suppose she's back to her old fashion ways again. So, agreed.
2. CoCo. I've never even heard of this woman, except when Ice-T is mentioned, but she does look like she deserves to be here. Sorry.
3. Britney Spears. Hmm, toughie. I'm going to say I disagree. Gotta support the Brit-Brit.
4. Kelly Clarkson. Don't agree. They've used unflattering photos to support their "point", and have completely ignored the fact that she's made some excellent fashion choices this year.
5. Jessica Simpson. Don't agree, exactly the same point as Kelly's.
6. Bai Ling. I'm sorry, but I don't even know who this woman is, what she does, and why I should care? Oops, that sounded totally nasty. Sorry.
7. Joss Stone. Don't agree. I love her style. Mostly, lol.
8. Amy Winehouse. I suppose I agree, her fashion isn't really my cup of tea.
9. Victoria Beckham. Don't necessarily agree. I like her style, but yes I suppose she has made a few mistakes, recently.
10. Pete Doherty. Meh. He's a guy, and he wears pretty much the same thing everywhere so that's a total cop-out choice.

Yes, so not really happy with the list, this year. But honestly, congrats to them on making one anyway, I know how hard it is.
All the same, it's a good issue. Grab yourselves a copy, I recommend it. :)

Catch.

*Romany*

2007 Primetime Emmy Awards: Best Dressed

4 words. Strapless. Empire. Mermaid. Grecian. Those were the four gown styles that dominated the red carpet at this year's Emmy Awards.

The standout of the night. A dress that is this, for want of a better word, all over the place (in a good way, of course) wouldn't flatter a lot of people, but Becki Newton looks positively devine.

(left) The gown itself is a tad boring, but Ellen's jewellery, clutch and hair makes this a definite hit! The hairdo is very daring, and I think she's pulled it off extremely well. (right) Another strapless. Beautiful dress. The way Sandra is carrying herself, plus the dress, is making this all a very Renee Zellweger-ish look. Or is it just me?

(left) Wow! Besides her guest role on the OC, Olivia Wilde has kept a relatively low profile. And now here she is on the Emmy red carpet looking like some sort of European princess. She looks absolutely gorgeous. I have to say, though, I prefer her blonde hair. (right) My gosh, if Christina's pregnancy wasn't well-known by now, I doubt anyone would have been able to guess after seeing her in this gown. She looks glowing and radiant, chanelling Old Hollywood. Valentino: pregnancy secret keeper. Lol.

(left) The Gossip Girl herself. Kristen looks goddess-like in this gown. A silver (or even gold) necklace would have been a pretty addition also. (right) Does Heidi ever look bad? I mean, really? Lol. Another Best Dressed title to add to your collection Heidi.

(left) Despite the fact that this gown makes Hayden look a bit short, she looks gorgeous. The colour goes well with her skin tone, and she's put her hair up (something she doesn't usually do) which just pulls the whole thing together. (right) A tad plain-jane, but very pretty all the same. Mariska sticks to traditional (easy, in other words lol) black and looks fab!

Overall, a very beautiful night of fashion.
Want to know who the winners were? Go to IMDB for all your Emmy needs.

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of justjared.buzznet.com, fabsugar.com, people.com, imdb.com and eonline.com]

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: Oscar De La Renta

Oh Oscar, Oscar, Oscar...Why art thou so brilliant? Lol. Actually, having said that, this collection has to be one of his more subdued. Another show with two different themes...

(left) The first of the 'Knit' theme. I love this so much! I would wear this all the time, except the colour would clash with my skin tone. (middle) Cardi's cute. Pants are a bit much. Another one on the 'Knit' category. (right) Simple but pretty. Very well accessorised (that bag is crazy! Lol).

(left) Oh my gosh! I can just see this at the Oscar's! I have to admit, though, the pattern somewhat reminds of a wallpaper? (right) So beautiful...flawless, just flawless.
For more Oscar De La Renta, go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: Derek Lam and Diane Von Furstenburg

Two very different collections...Derek Lam created pieces that were more on the sophisticated side, with a hint of sass and a dash of disco glam.
For more Derek Lam, go to Style.com

********

Whereas Diane Von Furstenberg stuck to tradition, with her flowing, colourful gowns being the highlights of the collection.
For more Diane Von Furstenberg, go to Style.com



Oh, Fashion Week is almost over... :-(

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

MTV VMA's 2007: Best Dressed

Ok, so by now we've most likely all heard about the drama's, scandals tears and skimpy outfits that dominated this year's VMA's. From Britney's performance, to Sarah Silverman's "opening speech", to Pam's exes' punch up, to Justin (hottie) Timberlake, there was one thing that was consistently impressive: the fashion! I've never seen a more eye-catching-ly stylish bunch of people than this year's VMA attendants.

(left) Apparently, Ashlee had only just decided on this dress a few days before, after seeing it at the BCBG MaxAzria show. It's to die for! (right) Even if Paris has troubles with her personal life, she still manages to look effortlessly stylish no matter where she is.

(left) Without a doubt, the standout of the night. Rihanna looks simply stunning! (right) Jennifer Garner at the VMA's is pretty random, lol, but who cares? She looks great!

(left) Hayden is a fashion icon in the making. The new Mischa Barton, anyone? (speaking of Miss Mischa, she's been suspiciously absent from the celeb gossip columns of late...?) (right) With an outfit that could have easily made her look, let's say, frumpy, Nelly looked down-right hot! And the hat during her performance was totally cute, an excellent addition.

Mel B. It's great to see her out and about at events like these again. Seriously, I just have to say, she looks amazing! Just a few months after giving birth, Mel is securing her spot on the fashion (and now we'll have to add 'hottie') radar once more. You go girl! Lol.

The show hasn't even been broadcast over here yet (not on regular tv, anyway), so I haven't actually seen it yet. Sorry I couldn't inlcude any gossip, or interesting things from the show. Maybe later...


Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of people.com, mtv.com, fabsugar.com and justjared.buzznet.com]

Quote(s) of the Week

"It really saddens me that a mom would comment on another mom without ever meeting me!"
...
"Ironically Lindsay’s talent was compared to Jodie Foster’s as a little girl! I don’t know what Jodie dealt with as a young Hollywood actress but I do know if it weren’t for her mother she would not be a successful actress today! I’m sure her mother made many sacrifices for her to be successful."
...
"All we want as parents is to cultivate our children’s dreams ,whatever field they choose. She has no idea who we are and what we have dealt with! If she has a question to ask me, don’t ridicule me publicly! She should know how the press twists the truth! Don’t judge without facts!"
Dina Lohan, talks to 24/Sizzler after Jodie Foster shared her thoughts on Dina's parenting.

I, personally, think it was totally unfair of Jodie to judge Dina like that. I'm not necessarily defending Dina's parenting, though. So, she isn't exactly doing what the rest of the world thinks is right for her child, but what she's saying here is 100% correct.
Everybody makes mistakes.

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: Ralph Lauren and Tracy Reese

Ralph Lauren is an undeniable fashion genius. His was my favourite R-T-W collection, but then again I've always loved his designs. I tried my best to narrow my favourite looks down to four...

Oh, I'm loving the big hats! I told you it would catch on, lol. These two are gorgeous...simply gorgeous. Absolutely faultless. They both work really well with the layout and the backdrop of the show too.

(left) Plain, but pretty. Simple, but stunning...Only Ralph Lauren, right? Lol. (right) I'm not entirely sure Agyness works this dress to its full potential, but the dress itself is just so cute. The little hat isn't too bad either, lol.
For more Ralph Lauren, go to Style.com

******

As I was checking out the first half of Tracy Reese's R-T-W collection, I immediately said to myself 'hello, Chanel circa 1999!', but honestly I was quite surprised with this lot. I've never even heard of Tracy Reese before, but I'll definitely be paying a lot more attention to her now.

These outfits are so pretty! (left) Very sexy, in an office-attire sort of way. (middle) Beachy fun! (right) I love this colour! And that belt is just to die for.

Lol, it sort of looks like these two are holding hands...? (left) 40s chic. Yay, more big hats! (right) I cannot fault this one...simply perfect.

Devine....just devine. But the shoes have got to go, sorry.
I'm loving the bling in this collection! Long necklaces with bold pendants are always very striking.
For more Tracy Reese, go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

A manual? What a wonderful idea!

To celebrate Fashion Week, NYmag.com has created their very own Model Manual. The manual includes model profiles, quotes, photos, videos, mini-interviews and there's even a feature on the Top Five Worst Runway Falls--poor Stam, but she still looks amazing.
It's actually very interesting going through some of the profiles, alot of the models are under the impression that they're known for their hair...? Totally unoriginal, lol. Alot of them I would say are known for their focus, strong facial features or just their amazing bodies.
There's a significant lack of info/photos of male models though. :-(
But us girls must prepare for a wave of jealousy as we peruse through this manual, these girls are hot. And they know it.

Catch.

*Romany*

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: Vera Wang

Well, sorry nothing really struck me from this collection except two maxi dresses. I know Vera Wang has a bit of a cult following of sorts, but don't expect to see me at any of those gatherings. She's got a talent for designing wedding gowns, I suppose, but her R-T-W stuff just isn't my style.

These are both gorgeous, beautifully designed, very creative materials and the colours are to die for. Love the necklace on the girl in blue.
I hope I didn't sound mean again...
For more Vera Wang, go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: Proenza Schouler

To be honest, I've never really been a big Proenza Schouler fan (a pat on the back for their Womenswear Designer of the Year co-win, though). And this collection hasn't really done much to sway me, but I did see some very pretty looks so I thought I may as well post them.

(left) Nothing particularly ground-breaking, but a nice mix of masculinity and femininity. The top is somewhat safari-like. (right) I'm a bit hot and cold with this. It's nice (rather impractical, though), but perhaps the skirt needed to be plain and not ruffled?

Now this is very pretty. I pretty much love everything about it.
Oh no, I sounded quite mean in this post, didn't I? I really didn't mean it, I was just trying to be honest...
For more Proenza Schouler, go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: Preen

Beautiful collection. Again, there were two main styles that kept cropping up in this show:

Oversized shirts

There's not really much to say. Absolutely gorgeous outfits. (left) This one probably couldn't be worn much out of the house. Yay, go Team McNeil! (right) Oh, what a beautiful, casual outfit. Another one to add to our St Tropez wardrobe. My gosh, her legs go on forever! Lol.

Ruched

(left) Party, party, party! Love this one, it's very hip. It's like a mixture between a shirt and a cocktail dress. And the belt just makes it that much cooler. (right) Nice 'n' simple. Cute 'n' pretty. Warning: big-hipped women stear clear.
For more Preen, go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of style.com]

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: Marchesa

This collection didn't really follow the usual Marchesa formula at all. I suppose that's good, though, because it's always nice to change things up. But I have to admit, I prefer the traditional styles of Marchesa: flowing gowns, empire waistlines, embellished materials, all grecian-inspired. But I still found some very pretty dresses in this collection.

(left) Now this is what I'm used to seeing. This is an absolutely beautiful gown, if it came in white...wedding bells! Lol. (right) Oh this is stunning. Could use some shine, though.

Oh my gosh, this is so cute! I could never wear it, in fact, probably only 12% of the population could pull this off, but I don't care. I just like looking at it. I can see this as a formal dress. I better hit the gym then! Lol.
For more Marchesa, go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

NY- Spring 08 Ready to Wear: L.A.M.B.

I've always liked Gwen Stefani's designs. They're not quite as out-there as some of Gwen's personal choices, but they're still very aesthetically pleasing. It seems Gwen relies heavily on the effect of micro-mini skirts to get that 'shocking' quality that everyone expects. But whatever, right? She makes nice clothes, lol.

(left) A very sexy outfit, with a definite 40s-60s quality (the headscarf and leopard print). The sheer, high socks give it a somewhat 90s high school feel. (right) Is it just me, or does this look like one of the outfits Gwen wore whilst performing once? It was a while ago, but I've got an image in my head of Gwen in a similar get-up.

(left) This combo is very beautiful, but I can't see it looking flattering on anyone besides Flavia. Cute bag, shoes and belt, though. Lol. (right) Love this! Sexy, sporty, nightclub-y. A bit cleavage-ly revealing, though. Lol.
For more L.A.M.B, go to Style.com

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]