NashVogue

Spring is almost here (yay!) and with it comes a whole new batch of trends. Over the coming days, I will be imparting to you several trends I have already seen for Spring fashions. Now is the time to start beefing up your wardrobe with all of the seasons hottest trends. As a side note, many shops are having outstanding sales – clearance and new items – so now is the time to stock up!

The first trend I’ve noticed is the sweater vest. Please don’t be confused – I do NOT mean sweater vest! This is not your typically, chunky sweater vest. Perfect for Spring, these vests are light weight and ideal for layering. Layering over a collared shirt is the most popular way to wear the sweater vest. Try wearing a solid colored vest over a matching striped button up. Wear a patterned vest, such as argyle, over a solid button up. You could even go color wild by using complimentary colors (for example, a blue collared shirt with a green vest). There really are a ton of possibilities.

Another great way to wear the vest is to layer it over a t-shirt. While not the most common, it will help to dress up jeans, capris, or a casual skirt. I can’t wait to wear it with a cute t-shirt and skirt.

Pear-shaped bodies will get the most benefit from the style of the vest. Since you are layering on top, the eye will be drawn upwards from your hips. Plus, the sleeveless shoulder of the vest of the sleeve of the collared shirt will give your shoulders a bit more width – therefore helping to create more symmetry in your body style. Apple-shaped bodies need to be especially careful. The very things that help the pear, will hurt you. This doesn’t mean you can’t wear it, just be cautious of the width of the straps and what you wear as pants. A full skirt will help you to balance out the shoulder widening effects of the vest.

The knit vest is the first of many trends this spring. I would love to hear what your thoughts are on trends this Spring. What are you seeing? What are you looking forward to? Until then: Happy shopping!

Technorati Tags: spring fashion trend, sweater vest

Monday, I discussed the first three hot colors for spring. Today, we’ll go into the last three.

Pink: Hot Pink. Magenta. Whatever you call it, it’s bright! A brighter shade of the deep fuchsia we saw this fall, this shade of pink just emanates spring. It’s fun and bright – I love it! Pair this color with the green for a fun color combination.

Orange: Finally, we have a new color for spring. It  is hard to nail down a specific shade of orange. I have seen everything from a deep orange to a peel, almost peach orange. Be careful when choosing this color. It can be a hard shade for some skin tones to wear. This pairs well with blue or green.

Purple: Again, we see another repeat color from fall. This is the same shade we saw in the fall. It is a deep, royal purple. It pairs very well with the yellow, blue, and green. The great thing about seeing a repeat color is the budget fashionistas out there can recycle some fall fashions for the spring.

There you have it – my picks for hot colors this spring. Let me know if you see any more color trends for the coming season. I can’t wait for warm weather!

Technorati Tags: Fashion, orange, pink, purple, spring colors, Wardrobe Tips

Ah, springtime. Flowers, bugs, sunshine, and warm weather. I especially can’t wait for that last one (it’s about 25 degrees for a week!). It’s also time to start planning your spring wardrobe. The first thing to do is make sure you know the hot colors of the season.

Lemon Yellow: A lighter, more cheerful version of the mustard yellow we saw this fall. However, many times, this yellow has almost a greenish hue to it that I am not so much a fan of. Pair this yellow with green and gray.

Blue: This blue is very similar to the blue we saw this fall. It has a bit of a lighter hue than the royal blue of the fall, but not much. It goes very well with the yellows and greens out this season. I love this color for Spring.

Green: Again, the green this season is not very different from what we saw in the fall. This is a true grass green color. It pairs extremely well with the yellow and blue this season. It is a very fresh, spring color. Much more appropriate this season than it was for the fall.

Check back in for the remaining three hot colors for spring.

Technorati Tags: blue, Fashion, green, spring colors, wardrobe tip, yellow

You know the saying, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”? Well, chocolate is another, and while these are not edible, chocolate diamonds combine two of a females favorite things.

Le Vian has introduced Chocolate Diamonds (they also have chocolate pearls). They are a gorgeous brown color (chocolate brown for lack of better word). They have gorgeous pieces mixed with white diamonds and gold (white, yellow, and traditional). I can’t think of any girl who would not love this combination of two loves.

Guys…Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Hint…hint…

Technorati Tags: Chocolate Diamonds, Le Vian

Again, Mrs. Obama makes a great choice in fashion! (She is having a great day!) Her white, Jason Wu gown is exquisite (thank you USMagazines.com for breaking the designer).

The color is perfect for her skin tone. The skirt is the perfect shape and off-sets the widening affect of the asymmetrical shoulders. Well done and congrats!

Technorati Tags: inaugural ball gown, Jason Wu, michelle obama

I’ve just caught my first glimpse of Mrs. Obama’s inauguration attire. She is wearing a gold Isabel Toledo matching sheath dress and coat. I was a bit concerned for Mrs. Obama, given some of her fashion flops in the past, but, for her first outfit of Inauguration Day, she gets it right!

First, Mrs. Obama finally hits it out of the park with fit! With so many ill-fitting choices in her past, I’m so happy to see her choose something that flatters her figure. The suit under the jacket is flattering to her curves, and helps to create and hourglass figure. The jacket fits her shoulders perfectly.

Second, the color. While bordering a bit on the mustard yellow side, I had mixed feelings at first. In some lights, the color casts almost a yellowish hue over Mrs. Obama’s skin tone. However, in most lights, the shimmering yellow is flattering against her face. I am leaning more and more towards liking it.

Last, I love the fabric. The shimmering brocade is an excellent choice for the inauguration. It is elegant, classy, and, dare I say, almost regal. To witness the swearing in of her husband as president, I think it is an excellent choice.

I am waiting with bated breath to see what gown (or gowns) Mrs. Obama will wear to the balls.

Technorati Tags: Gold suit, isabel toldeo, michelle obama, presidential inauguration, yellow dress

If you are a parent of small children like I am, you know how hard it is to keep your kids in clothes that fit. I know my little guy is growing like a weed! This weekend, there are some great sales going on targeted for your little one.

Carter’s – They are having an awesome clearance sale. All p.j.’s are $5.99. The rest of the clearance is $3.99 and up WITH an additional 20% off. Plus, you take an additional 20% off of your purchase of $50 or more with this coupon below!

 OshKosh B’Gosh – Jeans, jeans, and more jeans! $12 jeans (select styles of course) for sizes 3m-16. Bodysuits (sizes 3m – 24m) are only $5. Plus, they are running the same coupon as Carter’s (since they are the same company) – 20% off of your purchase of $50 or more. And here it is…

The Children’s Place – The Monster Sale is going on now. You can get an additional 30% off of clearance items now. They have a great winter jacket for baby boys (I’ve had the hardest time finding these!) for $20.99. Since it is clearance, quantities are very low (or so the website says). I will check for myself this weekend. As far as new clothes go, I love their Spring Style outfit. the colors and print are adorable and bright for spring.

Gymboree – They are having their semi-annual sale. The clearance items are up to 60% off of the already marked down prices. Also, in order to promote their new line, Rise and Shine, premiering in February, if you spend $75 you will get a 25% off coupon to use on the new line when it arrives. Plus, they have some great new lines. Being the mom of a little boy, I absolutely LOVE the Rock On! Collection.

Sometimes, shopping for our little ones can be just as much, if not more, fun than shopping for ourselves. Happy shopping!!

Technorati Tags: Carter's, coupon, Gymboree, OshKosh B'Gosh, sale, The Children's Place

Ah…the uni-brow. The reason women subject themselves to high levels of pain and redness in order to remove this unsightly bit of hair. You know what I am talking about…the eyebrow BETWEEN the eyebrows. The reason Bert from Sesame Street looks like he has a caterpillar above his eyes. Most women know to tame their uni-brow, however, many men let it just grow on.

Well, men, you too must take care of your uni-brow! It is common misconception that men don’t need to take care of that patch of hair between the eyes. By the way, there is a great letter to the editor at askmen.com about this very issue.

You can eliminate the uni-brow just like women. You can get them waxed by a professional or pluck them yourself. Speaking as a woman, I have done both. I think the best thing for you to do to make sure you don’t go crazy with the tweezers is to go to a salon and get them waxed the first time. Don’t be embarrassed, many men do it! After that maintenance with tweezers is easy.

And women…make sure to maintain your brows! You especially need to ensure that, as Michael Cain said in Miss Congeniality, “Eyebrows. There should be two!”

Technorati Tags: eyebrow wax, men, tweezer, unibrow maintenance

Ah… The Golden Globes. The first of the awards shows for 2009. A slideshow of celebrity fashions. A time to criticize and celebrate the good and bad. I thought a live blog post would be just te thing! Enjoy! Please, join the conversation. Tell me what you think!!

For a band, The Jonas Brothers sure don’t know how to coordinate. One is formal, one is “business”, and one is a Johnny Cash wanna-be.

Rainn Wilson actually looks really good! The silver tie is very chic.

Nancy Odell looks like she tried WAY to hard to get that “Grecian Goddess” look.

Christina Applegate looks great! I love the flares in the bottom of her gorgeous Roberto Cavelli dress.

Miley Cyrus is wearing a very mature dress…then she opens her mouth. It’s like great!

Eva Mendes dress has too much fabric in the chest. It’s like there is air in her top! On a good note, the necklace is great! I love the color and design.

Deborah Messing’s hair is…wow.It must be humid in LA! However, that dress, fabulous! The is perfect for her.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s dress is great! The print suits her fantastically (although it’s not somethins I personally like). I don’t like the extra fabric at her chin though. It overshadows her petite face.

Drew Barrymore’s hair looks like she got it done here in Nashville. Country music big hair, anybody??

Hayden Panettiere’s dress is gorgeous! The purple shade is beautiful on her. Her hair is in a classic style.  The cute fits her petite frame and shows off her hourglass figure perfectly.

Zac Efron and  Vanessa Hudgens look more like they are going to their High School Musical Prom instead of the Golden Globes. And what is up with his hair??

I love Kate Winslet’s dress!! The velvet bow around the waist adds to the elegance of the dress and the classical style that is Kate.

Anne Hathaway is gorgeous. The dress fits her like a glove and accentuates her figure in the most flattering way. Her make-up is great. The bright red of the lipstick compliments her porcelain skin.

Marisa Tomei’s gone a little too far into the “pirate” look. The top is too baggy and too ruffled. All I can think of is Seinfeld’s “Puffy Shirt” and the drama that went with it.

Beyonce looks great in the goldish color of her dress.

Sting just doesn’t look right with a beard…

Blake Lively’s dress is way too tight under her bum. It would be much nicer if it fell straight down. Now she looks like she has too much junk in her trunk…

J. Lo needs to stop with the low cut dresses. She’s been there, done that, taped it to her chest…

Sandra Bullock is so “girl-next-door”. Her dress is, dare I say, cute? It suits her perfectly.

Keep tuned! I will continue live-blogging during the Globes!

More on J Lo’s dress, the half shiny, half not part at her hips does NOTHING for her pear-shaped body.

Sting should know that it is NOT cool to tuck your sunglasses in the neck of your shirt when you are presenting at a formal event!

Rumor Willis looks grown up and mature. She seems to have really grown into the fame her name has thrust upon her. The color of her dress compliments the hue of her hair wonderfully.

Eva Longoria Parker’s red dress is a gorugeous color for her. However, the cut on the best is just asking for a wardrobe “malfunction”.

Laura Dern’s dress is cute in a vintage sort of way. The sheer above the bust is class, and the cut of the sleeve is perfect for her slender shoulders (to create that great hourglass look).

I like Eva Mendes dress even less now that I see the big blob of fabric at her hip.

Sally Hawkins pulls off the sheer top dress much better than Laura Dern. The trim adds a subtle sparkle to her face. The shape of the skirt is flattering and detailed without being too over-worked.

Demi Moore’s outfit looks great. The cut is flattering and makes her appear younger – younger than her daughter Rumor!

Colin Farrell, the suit is great, but ruined by the whole gum-chewing incident!

The color of Laura Linney’s dress is entirely unflattering for her. She’s blonde all over! The shape is great, but the sparkle a the waist, when looking straight on, gives her the look of being pregnant.

Rene Zellwegger, a normally strong fashion maven, is a total flop tonight. The sheer top andsleeves are all wrong. Even though everything is covered, the shape does nothing for her petite torso and pin-up curves. The wide flare dress throws her proportion all of whack and makes her look bottom heavy.

Glenn Close looks like she is wear a sparkly version of my grandmother’s curtains. The cut is unflattering and old. There are much better options for her.

Emma Thompson’s dress is very mother-of-the-bride. Too unflattering and almost morbid – like she is on her way to a funeral.

Is Mickey Rourke dressing in character tonight? What is with the sequined scarf WITH the neck tie??

Another Golden Globes done. Some great speeches, some great clothes, and more of the opposite. I’d love to hear what you all have to say about it. Have a great night!! (I will try to get some pictures up tomorrow.)

Technorati Tags: 2009, Anne hathaway, Beyonce, Blake Lively, Christina Applegate, colin farrell, Deborah Messing, Demi moore, Drew Barrymore, emma thompson, Eva Longoria Parker, Eva Mendes, Fashion, glenn close, Golden Globes, Hayden Panettiere, Jennifr Lopez, Kate Winslet, Laura Dern, laura linney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, mickey rourke, Nancy O'Dell, Rainn Wilson, rene zellwegger, Rumor Willis, Sally HAwkins, Sandra Bullock, Sting, The Jonas Brothers, Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron

I have talked many times about Target and their wealth of high quality, fashion forward clothing. Their big-name designers make Target the ideal budget-conscious shopping playground. I have not, however, talked about Wal-Mart.

If you are like me, you probably just walk right past the clothing at Wal-Mart. In the past, their clothes have been cheaply made and way out of fashion. However, the other day, something caught my eye. Wal-Mart has their own designer label now! While they have had some great brands in the past (George is a always a great fall back), they now have their own designer – Norma Kamali.

While the selection in store is limited, there are over 150 items to chose from online. The line is extremely broad including work wear, snappy casual, and graphic tees. Additionally, the line is very eco-friendly, featuring a collection of organic tops.

The biggest turn-off might just be that it IS at Wal-Mart. Well, I found a great article on The Budget Fashionista to help you over come called “How To Shop Walmart”. They give some very good tips on how to overcome the stigma and get some great deals at the budget giant. Happy Shopping!

Technorati Tags: Norma Kamali, organic clothing, Walmart