Melody Gardot

I don't do drugs; I let music and fashion turn me into an insane person bursting with mind boggling melancholy or exuberant joy. Both do very powerful things to my psyche. A good dress and/or song can frame up a kick-ass state of mind fairly quickly. Hell yes, I raise my left hand when Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" comes on...

Melody Gardot is my new favorite drug. Her rich sultry voice sends chills down my spine. I listen to her second album, My One and Only Thrill, constantly. First heard on Ann Delisi's Essential Music, I learned that Gardot was hit by a car while bike riding when she was 18, leaving her badly injured. After a long, painful recovery, she still suffers eye problems and has to wear sunglasses most of the time.

Her look is as sexy and sultry as her voice. Word on the street is that she's a big fan of Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. Makes sense. She is certainly rocking a vintage, understated glam look.

Polyvore is spying on you... b/c you're cool

the beautiful ordinary by rockAfella featuring TopShop shoes

And because you're the virtual Anna Wintours and way ahead of the fashion curve, Polyvore, the virtual styling tool, is going to sell all of your good ideas (boiled down into trends... such as you hate chokers, but love long beaded necklaces) to companies (buyers, trend forecasters) for money. That's not necessarily a bad thing... assuming "they" listen to what your "buying" i.e. taking the time to put into your sets.

The New Yorker, in their April magazine, reported about Polyvore in an article by Alexandra Jacobs entitled, "Fashion Democracy: the world of virtual Anna Wintours."

Polyvore is actually a rather brilliant way to engage and track a very covetable consumer. Youth & early adopters, regardless of age, are hard to pin down and even harder to build allegiance and regular communication. 6.6 million fashion forward ladies do this every month on Polyvore. 1.4 million are registered users and 200,000 are creators using the sites daily.

Because users - dubbed stylists - clip and paste anything on the web to complete their sets, a careful onlooker could deduce important shopping and taste trends far earlier in the market process. Thus sidelining already passe must-haves before valuable time and money is spent putting out merchandise that no longer connects with consumers.

From my days as a social media manager and internet dork, Polyvore is an internet platform that is an ideal way for a creative company to provide a service AND to keep tabs on what the cool kids are doing. You see everything they like in real time as styled/merchandised by them - music, art, fashion, celebrities, cosmetics, and images. It's kinda nuts and a little tiny gold mind sitting under their noses. I bet Jenna Lyons at J. Crew is all over it. I would be...

From the article:

Polyvore’s most valuable asset is the intelligence that it gathers about its users’ preferences. Every day, in a section called Zeitgeist, the site presents top-twenty lists of users’ favorite brands, trends, and celebrities. Sometimes these rankings are easily explicable—after the February 11th suicide of Alexander McQueen, his brand hovered around No. 1 for weeks, as distraught creators rushed to make tribute sets—but they are sometimes just a reflection of fashion’s eternal riddle: Why boyfriend shorts? Why now? Part of the company’s business plan involves selling the statistics it’s tabulating (which Lee called “a gold mine of analytics”), to designers and to store buyers, in order to manage inventory more effectively.

“We have so much data about what is being matched with what,” said Lee, a dedicated setmaker who, like other regulars, calls herself a Polywhore. “If I click on Calvin Klein, do I also click on Helmut Lang? Are gladiator sandals going in or out? Are skinny jeans about to die?”

The company is not yet profitable, but I imagine soon they will. One other mantra that stuck with me that Polyvore keeps close is ... "Do what the user loves and the money will follow." That, of course, was what Jess Lee, 27 and VP of product management, learned from her time at Google under Marissa Meyer. I would say she is on right track.

AM Lingerie

Above: Fabiola Beracasa - Style.com

Below: Antonio Berardi Spring 2010 Image - Style.com

One category of clothing I haven't considered seriously ever is the corset. However, Spring 2010 is showing lingerie as a key item. More on underwear as outerwear here. Swapping out the LBD for a great pair of tailored black pants with a corset that is a lady-like, but not too costumey or burlesque-ish. Cheap fabric, over done details and the finished product reads as a bit Fredrick's of Hollywood. Fine for the bedroom - not so great for the boardroom. think Dolce & Gabbana and John Galliano. Yesterday in People's Style Watch, a Rebecca Minkoff corset caught my eye.

I can't find the image, but if you go to her website and click on apparel it's the 7th look in. The color blocking on the top with straps makes it very modern and easy to wear with a bra. Very cute with just about everything - a skirts, jeans, chinos, a blazer for more conservative occasions. A bit of history: some attribute corsets to Catherine de' Medici, wife of King Henry II of France. She enforced a ban on thick waists at court attendance during the 1550s. Hilarious, I can just hear her...there will be no fat girls in my presence. For nearly 350 years, women's primary means of support was the corset, with laces and stays made of whalebone or metal. Other researchers have found evidence of the use of corsets in early Crete.

God Rest McQueen

Alexander McQueen spring 2010

While Googling info about Detroit's fashion scene, I stumbled on the sad news of Alexander McQueen taking his own life yesterday in London. Also the day of his McQ line's presentation which was canceled out of respect for the circumstances and his family.

My immediate book of business didn't grant much hands on experience with his collections, but to be in fashion and not take notice of his fantastical designs would require one to live under a very large rock in a very far off land. Even my mom knows who he is, largely because of Lady Gaga, but that says something too. My heart hurts for those that are so hugely talented but often times are ravaged by their limitless talent. Everyone can most likely name someone in their life who lives in the same unpredictable world. Regardless, fashion lost a visionary who drew from a creative swell that very few can tap and, perhaps it's that way for a reason.

More details from NY Magazine:

The Daily Mail is reporting that Alexander McQueen committed suicide. The British paper says the designer was found dead at his flat in London, and is believed to have hung himself. His mother had died a few days earlier. A source at McQueen's office confirmed the suicide, saying, "It is a tragic loss. We are not making a comment at this time out of respect for the McQueen family." Details of his death have not been released yet. McQueen, who was discovered by Isabella Blow, was extremely close to the fashion editor. Blow killed herself in 2007.

McQueen was widely considered to be a genius in the industry. His whimsical designs moved many editors to tears; often the showmanship of his collections pushed them to feel something beyond mere fashion. He dropped out of school at 16 to learn tailoring on Savile Row, and it's tailoring that set his designs apart (his skill set was touted as the best in the industry). After he showed his degree collection at Central Saint Martins in London in 1994, editor Isabella Blow bought the entire line, cementing her role as his mentor. When Blow committed suicide, McQueen dedicated his spring 2008 collection to her.

Petite Cheat Sheet

Was on Oprah.com today and found tips for petite dressing. Everything above is pretty basic, easy breezy basic. Remember: proportion is everything with your small frame. Be picky with fabrics and evaluate prints for scale and color. Keep bags and accessories bold but not overpowering. Heels, even a kitten heel, is a good one. That little bit of height lifts the bum and adds length to your legs - elongating your silhouette.

• A high-belted top makes legs look longer, as do the heels.
• Dark-wash denim always elongates the leg more effectively than the lighter kind; it's dressier and more versatile, too.
• Show some part of the body so you don't get lost in your clothes.
• "Too much fabric will overpower your figure." Think balance: Volume on top means slim on the bottom, and vice versa.
• Avoid ankle-strap shoes or short boots; they break the leg line.
• A blazer that hits at the high hip is flattering; pass up anything boxy (looks squat) or shrunken (looks faddish).
• The trousers—fitted on top, widening below the knee—suggest fuller styles that might be trendy without being too big.
• Tailoring can't fix everything: "If a garment is too big in the shoulders, forget about it."
• Empire waists raise the focus to bust level, so your torso and legs suddenly seem much longer—that's one reason this dress works.
• Size up prints by holding your fist against the fabric. If the pattern is the same scale or smaller, okay. If it's bigger, it will overwhelm you.
• The classic wrap dress is very friendly because it paints a vertical line on your body.
• Monochromatic dressing—one shade, head to toe—is always flattering. Anytime you chop up your body with color, it's not going to be good.

96 episodes, Six Seasons, Four Friends, One Amazing City

Imagine my joy upon receiving the complete Sex in the City DVD box set today.

Every Sunday for six years, I plugged into HBO to marvel in envy at the unfolding lives of four friends who were everything I wanted to be: smart, funny, and fashionable. Like Carrie, we all have our John James Preston and what was so appealing was that Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte were lovelorn and love seeking too. Just like us.

And, it's true, I'm falling in love all over again. STC will always hold a special place in my heart; it's like my coming of age TV series.

DL on Denier

I pulled this information from Mytights.com. Superb 101 for anyone with a hosiery fetish.

Deniers: What does it mean?

Technically denier relates to the weight (i.e. thickness) of the yarn from which hosiery is woven, (in case you are interested, 1 denier means that 9,000 meters of yarn weighs 1 gram). Generally the lower the denier, the sheerer the appearance and the more fragile the product. Certain products however have an appearance that is sheerer than would be expected for their denier - this is good news as it means that a product is stronger than it looks!

Almost Bare Nylon/Ultra Sheer: Less than 10 denier

Ultra sheer hosiery is ideal for achieving a bare leg look. Available in a wide variety of deniers and shades to suit your skin tone, ultra sheer hosiery smoothes out blemishes and keeps your legs cool during the hot summer months. Very Sheer Nylon/Sheer: 10 to 20 denier Sheer hosiery is a must-have summer item for every woman’s hosiery draw. Much like ultra sheer, sheer hosiery is available in an array of colours, deniers and finishes but, being a slightly thicker denier, will be a little more durable for everyday wear. Opt for matt finishes for a natural look and go for shine for a more noticeable appearance. Sheer hosiery can have both sheer LINK toes and sandal LINK toes, which again is great for wearing with strappy sandals or open toe shoes.

Classic Nylon/Semi-Opaque: 21 to 40 denier

Semi-Opaque hosiery is stronger and longer lasting than sheer. It will give your legs more coverage but your skin will remain quite visible. We have some great semi-opaque hosiery available in an assortment of bright and everyday colours from leading brands including Jonathan Aston and Pamela Mann.

Almost a Tight/Opaque: 41 to 69 denier

Opaque hosiery will give your legs great coverage and unlike semi-opaque, your skin will be far less visible. We have an extremely wide selection of opaque hosiery available in lots of colours from brands such as Emilio Cavallini and Falke. Perfect for winter, opaques are also great during springtime weather teamed with shorts and skirts.

Classic Tights/Thick Opaque: 70 to 99 denier

Thick opaque hosiery is a god-send during winter, especially if you want to keep your legs warm when wearing your favourite LBD to all those Christmas parties! If you don’t like wearing trousers in the winter months, thick opaques are ideal for keeping your legs protected from the elements, plus they’re extra durable. Also due to their thickness the colour on your leg will be strong and give a clear outline to your legs.

Almost a legging/Mega Thick Opaque: 100 Denier Plus

Every woman needs mega thick opaques for winter! Mega thick opaque’s are great alternatives to leggings and woolly tights. They give your legs complete coverage at all times. They are also great if you want a strong and solid colour on your leg. Perfect for making your legs stand out or alternatively go for a classic black.

Have A Knit Day

I love shopping where you walk out with a story in a bag. Funny sales person, nabbing that item you've been patiently waiting for, a store that is doing something different or makes you feel good about spending your hard earned money.

Wool and the Gang is no except to feel good shopping. When I think of knitting I think of two people: my grandma and good friend Sarah Lapointe. WATG is geared more for the latter - it's certainly a more modern hip take on an old ass hobby.

Timing is everything; I wish I uncovered this gem BEFORE x-mas. You can knit a ton of stuff yourself and for a gal under a tight budget this year, just about everyone on my list would be covered... coffee warmers, beanies, scarves, vests, ties. You name it.

Plus they have the snood (see my next post for the gravy on this accessory).

daily devotional: asian fashion

I stumbled upon Made In Girl magazine and love it. See fun/cute/playful/original fashion below. It's not a secret that I have a HUGE-O crush on asian people...especially their fashion taste. Check out Tokyofashion.com for more street-spritation.

Tights?!

Does anyone else struggle with finding the right tights during cold weather? That's why I prefer warm weather dressing... No f****** tights to find because you'll never seem to find the right color or pattern that speaks best to your selected look. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Eggs, Coffee & Rodarte

Being the huge dorky planner that I am, my calendar alarm was set a month ago for this day to beep loudly "ORDER RODARTE NOW!!!"

Before the pot of coffee was brewed, my order was placed on Target.com for all my favorite pieces from the Rodarte collection. Bank account being not very Trump-like, Kate and Laura Mulleavy's weirdly fantastical knit creations are not likely additions anytime soon. Imagine my delight for the cheaper Target offering.

did the sweater and dress

got the black sweater

i did the sweater in a couple different colors

i love the leopard tunic top. god didn't give me stilts to walk on (more like stumps) so i'll have to leggings or skinny jeans w/boots or good heels.

Also nabbed the coral crepe floral wrap dress which is going be my new brunch look. I WANTED the faux fur lepoard jacket but it was already sold out. boooo...:( I love the simply vintage girly look if it. Everything looks wearable; just waiting to be layered. Silk bras under black lace, see- through tops under light weight sweaters over bright colored lace and tulle crepe skirts. The look is all in the eye of the beholder.

date night looks for easy evening

SPJ is one of my loves. She has that Kate Moss "I just happen to be running late and this what I grabbed out of my closet." Easy chic, like she doesn't try. I also love how she isn't 14 years old like most every other "gotta have" celebrity look. You can create this easily from your own closet - jeans, suede wedges, black blazer, light weight tee or a see through knit and a bright purse. So cute and so easy... :) Perfect for date night or a quick dinner with friends.

look to love

As a personal shopper, one of the best parts of my job is helping people find their style. It's not as simple as it seems or looks when you're an Olsen. I often times make inspiration boards for my clients showing looks that embody their lifestyles but open up their thinking to shapes and styles that bring more of their personalities to the table. I clipped this photo for myself. Definitely two of my favorites, they look stunning yet totally themselves in Zandra Rhodes caftan (MK). No uniform here, no standard boring LBD. I try for this every day when closet doors or grabbing something new to add ... IS IT SPECIAL? IS IT ME? WILL I LOOK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?