Lace is easily one of the most popular fabrics this season. No longer just for your undies (though there are many, many pretty lace-y underthings available), Lady Gaga’s VMA outfits, or your Grandma’s doilies, lace has found it’s way onto every type of clothing and accessory imaginable this season.

Whether you wear lace tights or a lace trimmed top, there is a way to add a little lace to your everyday look.  In stores, lace is appearing in unexpected places adding an unexpected touch of sex appeal to your basic t-shirts, tanks and jewelry (!).  But lace is doing more than turning up the sexy;  lace patterns found on fabrics this season add texture and visual interest. And simply adding lace – at the neckline, for example – adds a touch of playfulness, covering you up but still letting a little skin peek through.

No matter how you want to wear lace this season, there is the perfect piece (or many, many pieces) out there for you. I’m lace-obsessed and here are a few of my favorite things. [Click on each photo for shopping info.] Read More »

As you may have gathered from my previous articles, I am a shopaholic.  Even if I have no money, I can’t help but scour the internet for deals at the online sample sales (seriously, check out Ideeli, it’s amazing).  And even though I can’t always buy sustainable products, I still try to buy in sustainable ways.

Here are my favorite shopping tips to don’t just save the environment, but they can also save you money.

Read on, my fellow “Frugalista” (thank you, Target.)

Shop in stores.  Preferably ones you can walk or carpool to.  Retailers get their shipments in bulk, which decreases the amount of packaging material used to deliver the products.  When you shop online, shipping costs (and all that wasted paper and cardboard) can add up quickly, so spare yourself and hit the local mall (with your reusable tote!). Be sure to try on before you buy so you can avoid the extra gas needed to return something to the store.

Look for local labels.  Try to buy from companies that are based in the your state to cut down on energy needed for transportation.  If that’s not possible, look for brands that produce their products within the United States.  American Apparel, C&C Cailfornia, Splendid, J.Crew, Lucky Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion, Juicy Couture, 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, and Rock and Republic (just to name a few) all manufacture their clothing in the U.S. Read More »

[Most guys we know stay up late dreaming of the day they might end up in a giant orgy with beautiful women. We, however, lie awake at night dreaming of a closet full of beautiful clothes. To the left, a wall of shoes. To the right, shelf upon shelf of delicately handcrafted bags organized by color and size.

Sigh.
We all have our fantasies.

Since guys can turn to the interwebs to get their daily fantasy fix, we thought you should, too! So, we’re bringing you some fashion porn. The best of the best in all things fashionable. Sure, it may be out of your price range, but it’s a fantasy, so live it up in all its delicious glory.]

Nothing screams summer like a pair of sunglasses. (Ok, maybe a margarita on the beach, but that wouldn’t be complete without a pair of sunnies.) Sunglasses are the ultimate fashion accessory. These multipurpose beauties protect your retinas from the sun, add an element of fabulosity to any outfit, allow you to inconspicuously check out shirtless guys at the park and cover up raccoon eyes for the walk of shame home. No matter what your face shape, there is a pair (or many pairs) out there for you.  There are lots of different styles and colors at all price points, meaning you can either splurge on that perfect pair, or have a pair of inexpensive sunnies for every outfit this summer. Read More »

My future is totally effed!

College Life. A show not worth watching. This is fact. I could list off a million better things to do with those 30 minutes. Like listing off a million better things to do with those 30 minutes. Or listing all the reasons why I’m so glad I did not have a camera following me around in college.

Since it takes place at my Alma Mater – University of Wisconsin – I always envision the kind of crazy fun I would have brought to the show if it was around while I was in college. I would have ROCKED the over-priced Juicy Couture socks off that show. (Really, Juicy Couture SOCKS?)

But let’s face it:  had I broadcast those best four years on national television, I would have had a lot of explaining to do to my Grandma. And my dentist. And my mailman. And I probably wouldn’t have a job. And then there is always that chance that an annoying nickname would be made up for me by Perez or some other media blogger. Or that MTV would force me to re-create my fights with those long awkward stares and silences that just make everyone uncomfortable.

So instead of watching College Life (or working out, cooking, doing my laundry, or catching up on my reading), I chose to spend my time making a list of the reasons why I am SO happy that I never had the chance to even consider going on it. Read More »

One of the hottest accessories trends for spring is stacked bangles. This trend is not about subtlety, but about mixing bracelets together in a fun, unique way. You can try experimenting with different colors, shapes, prints, sizes and textures. Buy a set that’s already together or try and DIY with three or four you already have.

Here are some of my favorite sets. Just click on the picture to get more info (some that are shown together are actually sold individually): Read More »

Today, over two million people are crowded into the national mall in Washington, D.C. to witness the inauguration of our 44th president, and still millions more are watching from home. All of America will be listening as he addresses the nation, hoping to hear what sort of ideas he has for our future.

While most people are hoping to hear how he will fix our economy, healthcare system, or education, I’m hoping that he’ll address some other issues that haven’t been covered by the media.

1. Making early Monday morning classes and Friday afternoon classes optional - Because the last thing anyone wants to do after a long and exciting (yet exhausting) weekend is drag themselves out of bed and into class, only to fall asleep again. And not having to go to those late afternoon classes on Friday would allow us to get the weekend started a few hours earlier. ThanksSoMuch!

2. Banning women over the age of 50 from wearing velour sweatsuits- Seriously, though. Wrinkles and hot-pink Juicy Couture just don’t mix. Especially when paired with Ugg boots or Crocs.

3. Vowing to do all press conferences and State of the Union addresses shirtless – That’d definitely help keep our attention during the boring bits.

4. Making it illegal for guys to sing Beyonce or Pussycat Dolls in bars - Because that overly enthusiastic, drunken rendition of “Single Ladies” is wrong and should be punishable by steep fines and extended stays in the clink.

5. Re-allocating funds in the budget to address the real issues in this country: the lack of low fat fried snacks – A fat free fried Oreo? A fat free waffle fry? That would get us back on top of the world.

For those of us attending school in the north, fashion is often abandoned in order to stay, well, warm. I whole-heartedly admit to dragging myself to class in my warmest sweatpants, topped off with my very unfashionable, but EXTREMELY cold-resistant ski jacket.

Heck, here in Canada, it’s not odd to see students sporting Sorel boots (yeah, the boots mountain people wear).

And don’t even get me started on headwear. People at my school who aren’t dressed warmly enough opt for a homemade-turban look, using an extra sweater they have in their bag! Atrocious!

What is even more upsetting is that with a little research and planning (um, like checking the weather before leaving the house!), you can keep the blood circulating in your skull and still look cute!

CollegeCandy has done the leg work for you and presents you with a list of super chic, and more importantly, WARM, options for your noggin. Yes, it is possible to stay warm and keep the hair intact. Read More »

[Do you ever feel like you can’t pull something off? Have trendy pieces in your closet that you would never have the courage to actually wear out? Well take those pieces out, shake off the dust, and continue reading!

In this series, I will choose a different piece that can be difficult to incorporate into an outfit and give you ideas on how to wear it. If there’s anything you would like to read about in the future, please leave a comment!]

It’s really starting to get cold out there now, but you can stay warm by adding a few furry touches to your wardrobe. Models on the fall runways sported real fur, but faux fur is a more wallet- and animal – friendly option. While it may be a little unrealistic and over the top for a college girl to sport a big fur coat, here are some ways you can subtly slip this trend into your wardrobe: Read More »

Okay ladies, get ready to be inspired. Glamour magazine announced their choices for their Women of the Year list, and the Today Show broke the news with an interview with Glamour’s Editor in Chief Cindi Leive. The issue won’t actually be on newsstands until next week, so make sure to add it to your between-classes/procrastination reading list.

The list contains some great and inspiring women, like Jane Goodall, Hilary Clinton, Nicole Kidman, and the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. These women are truly amazing and should motivate others, like myself, to get out there and try to change the world.

Well, maybe not change it, but make us a bit more focused on helping others than, I don’t know, what Juicy Couture sweatpants to buy next.

Unfortunately, the list also contains Tyra Banks. Yeah, I know; what was Glamour thinking? She is a nut. First, she tries to be a younger, hipper Oprah (which will never happen) and then she filmed a video in the bath? Um….

Is that something to aspire to? Is she really that inspirational that we can include her on the same list as Hilary Clinton? The ladies at Glamour think so, but I am just not so sure.

Anyways, even with Crazy Tyra, Glamour magazine deserves some major props for recognizing and highlighting these fabulous women. In a world full of magazines circling women’s cellulite and nit picking their faces without makeup, it is always refreshing to see some recognition for the amazing things we as women can do.

A story by the girls over at Jezebel about swanky boutique owner and chauvinist pig Luciano Manganella recently observed that working in retail is similar to working in fashion because it subjects women to the worst of the sexual harassment world.

Call me crazy, but I always thought that retail sucked no matter how you strung it together.

It’s an unforgiving industry with crappy pay, pretty much no benefits, and a requirement to stand up for eight hours every day. I mean, that’s enough to make anyone hate shopping.

Let’s not assume, though, that sexual harassment is ubiquitous with working retail. Women can be harassed in in all professions, and looking cute behind the counter of a Juicy Couture boutique isn’t any more likely to get you groped than serving cheesecake at a restaurant or doodling all over your TPS report.

Why then, does it seem to be accepted in the fashion world? Harassment is just part of the deal, the industry seems to be saying with it’s compliance. Just one of the hazards of working retail in a high-end store.

I don’t claim to know why Luciano thinks he can get away with behavior that makes him look about as appealing as a cockroach, but if his stunts are exemplary of an average man in his profession, then maybe the problem isn’t about the connection between sexual harassment and retail jobs, but why so many douchebag guys are working in the industry in the first place.