Winter Accessories
* Thin Belts, belt your dress, your longer top, your thick knit sweater or even your coat. This was a very prominent accessory in the Dolce and Gabbana winter 2011 run way show
*scarves – knits! Thick Luxurious scarves, infinity scarves - click the link to check out this cashmere scarf from Neiman Marcus
Scarves are a way to afford a little bit of designer without having to break the bank, most designers have scarves under $200, like the Missoni scarf below, $170 from Neiman Marcus, it will make a statement and add some class to any drab winter day!
I <3 Versace
What does Donatella Versace have in store for fall winter 2011?
* boots, wear them with everything, and Versace doesn’t make your typical boot check out the ones below .. these would not be for the shy at heart! You can get them online now at Saks Fifth Avenue
* Styles with attitude, leather accents, zippers
* Pops of colour! There needs to be some pops of colour when winter is so drab!
Although most of us can’t afford Versace, we can use the style tips to put together, buy a good pair of boots, they don’t have to be impractical, and leather ones will last longer than synthetic materials. Try looking at Winners, it’s hit and miss but you can find boots at a fraction of the price. Also check out Army and Navy, I found a pair of Ann Klein leather boots for $60!
Then move onto the outfit, the one above is a Versace jersey dress trimmed with leather. Try finding a lower cost jersey dress and pairing with a unique leather belt. Keep your eye out for fitted silhouttes, skinny pants are still in (which kinna sucks for curvier people like me!) with boots boots and more boots
:) Happy shopping
A steal of a deal!
want designer shades? but don’t want to pay full price? While alot of people go on ebay or other online sites, sometimes when spending massive amounts of money on small items I want to make sure I am getting authentic items.
Costco has CRAZY deals on tons of designer shades, Burberry, D&G, Marc Jacobs, and soo much more, they are more than 50% off of prices that appear in Sunglass hut or other specialty places. My sister just bought a sweet pair of Burberry sunglasses for $119!! They retail for almost $300! They had crystal D&G’s for $199, I cant believe the prices on these. So make sure you check our your costco, they get new stock in all the time so check back frequently until you find the shades of your dreams.
Starbucks
Have you noticed the new accessories lately? Ya a little dog is cute, along with an over sized designer bag, but more and more celebrities (and everyone else) are starting to show off their Starbucks drink as an accessory. Whether it’s a tall triple non fat latte, or a venti iced caramel caramel macchiato. People love their coffee and all you have to do is look at the side of the cup, at the black markings to know what they are enjoying! Coffee right now is very hot!! (or cold .. k, bad joke but I had to!)
More .. Diamonds?
From the amount of interest I am getting from the “diamond’s are my best friend” post. I decided to go a little more in depth about diamonds, which ones to get, how to know which one is better than another and what the difference is between different countries diamonds.
First the 4 C’s
Cut: The brilliance of a diamond depends almost exclusively on its cut. A good cut gives a diamond such fire that the brightness seems to emanate from its very heart.
Clarity:A diamond’s clarity is determined by the visibility, number and size of blemishes it contains. The lesser the number of inclusions, the clearer and more brilliant the diamond, and therefore more highly prized
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Colour: The Gemological Institute of America grades colour of diamonds alphabetically from D (totally colourless) to Z (yellow). Diamonds D to F are considered ‘colourless’, G to J ‘near colourless’, K to M ‘slightly tinted’, N to R ‘very light yellow or brown,’ and S to Z ‘light yellow or brown’.
Carat weight: carat is the standard unit of weight by which diamonds are measured. One carat equals 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams. (bigger diamonds are more rare, therefor 1 carat solitaire costs more than 2 1/2 carat diamonds).
And maybe a 5th: certificate Diamond certification, also called a grading report, is a complete evaluation of a diamond performed by a qualified professional with the help of specified gemological instruments.
then there’s:
canadian diamonds:
Ethically mined certified Canadian mined Diamonds, bloodshed and conflict free. Canadian diamonds do cost more than the average diamond but they are well worth it, the quality of diamond you get is well above the rest. You can also be sure that you have purchased something conflict free.
polar bear diamonds:
these are also Canadian, mined, cut and polished in the NWT. Once again the quality is great and you are supporting your local economy when purchasing a Polar bear diamond.
hearts on fire diamonds:
coming from a Kimberley Process-certified single source, these diamonds are conflict-free and is one of integrity as well as quality.
SPANX!
Suck it in! …Ok so that doesn’t always work, but with the growing concern of lumpy bodies and increasingly tight fitting fabrics, we should all look in the way of control undergarments. I didn’t think they could make that much of a difference but SPANX can actually reduce you a whole dress size!!
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They also come in specialty styles, worried about your stomach, there’s a solution for that.
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Want to lift and firm your butt?? Forget the gym, it’s only seconds away
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Wearing a tight outfit, top to bottom? Don’t worry you can get a full coverage spanx.
Slim Cognito Seamless Mid-Thigh Bodysuit |
$72.00 |
I know undergarments aren’t a solution for people who are obviously overweight, you should still eat right and exercise, but if you have a little extra on the side or need a little lift then spanx will work wonders!!
Jimmy Choo I love you!
I do enjoy the finer things in life (even if I can’t afford them now, I will be able to one day!); Jimmy Choo makes amazing designer shoes. He has fabulous pumps, flats and strappy sandals for the spring summer ’08 season!
These Elaphe snake and patent sandal retails for $720 CAD. They’re sexy and flashy with a striking 4.5″ heel and patent buckles. You can’t be shy when you wear these. Too pricey? check lower end stores like Nine West for great styles at a much lower cost.
Another must have for summer is the sexy flat shoe. This metallic leather and suede shoe, gives you the extra flare with the ankle strap and shine. It retails for $585 CAD.
TIP: Keep in mind shoes with ankle straps don’t always look good on people with shorter legs and stay away from them if you have thicker ankles and calfs!
Coach Update!
Yaaa! Coach has once again come out with new bags and accessories. The theme for march is straw bags, the one below retails for $298 and makes the perfect summer or beach bag!
They also have come out with some new optic bags (LOVE THEM!) This one retails for only $248 and the optic fabric will shine and shimmer perfectly in the summer sun!
Need a small clutch for the upcoming summer months? Coach just introduced a new straw clutch, which retails for $178, with all of its beautiful colours it can “pop” any summer outfit!
Put a lid on it!
I will be the first to admit, I look horrible in hats! I own one, it’s my camping hat, it’s old and ugly but it covers my hair when I’m out roughing it. Surprisingly there are people who look fabulous in hats so I thought I would explore the world of hats since they are fast becoming an important accessory. New York Magazine says they are (almost) the new bags!
There are so many hats we can’t cover them all, but here are a few of the classic looks:
- The Sunday hat (as I call it), it’s an oversized hat that women can wear in the spring or summer, it makes you look expensive and classy when paired with a flowing dress.
- The Boy hat, like a fedora, it’s more structured and usually in a felt material, a girl has to be confident to look feminine in this!
- Then there is the poor boy hat, it’s small and floppy on top with a small brim.
- And then there is the classic ball cap, I think this type of hat should be restricted to those lazy hair days when you’re wearing jeans, please don’t wear those large trucker style hats… those are NOT in style and even when they were they look HORRIBLE and made people look excessively trashy!!
Burberry!
I LOVE designer bags and Burberry happens to be one of those highly recognizable brands. With the signature plaid fabric and European inspiration, they’re hard to pass up.
They have everything, from the classic tote above to scarf, hats, sunglasses, clothing and even perfume. All the products give a little British inspiration. Their bags for me though are too much money for what you get, they range from about $1000 – $3000 (although there are a few cheaper and a few more expensive). Just be careful what you wear the purse with, it would be easy to clash a plaid purse with an outfit
The perfume ranges from $35 – $900 …yes $900 for the Burberry Brit Crystal fragrance.
