Mad About Fad

How to Rock on Cargo Pants

Mandy Childers — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:30:58 +0000

Men can easily rock on cargo pants. All they need are a nice shirt – short or long-sleeved, a decent pair of shoes, and a hot bod like Hugh Jackman’s. No effort.

Cargo pants for women may need a little bit of planning. Baggy cargo pants are best worn with a form-fitting shirt, a jacket and flat sandals.

Cargo capris on the other hand look fabulous when worn with layered shirts, a jacket, and striking heels.

While cargo shorts for women are fabulous when they are extra short. I like to pair them with a drop waist shirt and lace sandals that tie around the ankles. Accessories help a lot, too – military hats and sunglasses. However, the most important factor is confidence and everything else will fall into its place.

Prints and Prints

Mandy Childers — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:58:12 +0000

Wearing prints with solid colors has always been the convenient way to mix and match clothes. This season however, fashion designers take a risky step in mixing prints.

Mixing prints can be tricky especially when one does not know how. Polka dots alone look classic but polka dots and plaid are a disaster. It is hard to wear prints and prints together. So, how do some of the bold designers do it?

Diane von Furstenberg does it with complementary colors. Her creation features a highlighted print (in this design a floral one) paired with geometrical and other prints with colors that complement each other. From afar, the design looks smooth and continuous.

Etro on the other hand, mixes floral with floral. In this particular design, the red and white floral top is paired with a floral print vest with gray background. The gray neutralizes the brightness of red and playful floral print.

White|Black uses a pop of color in their style. A black and white rose print top with a splash of color paired with a striped belt. The black-and-white hue combination gives subtlety to the bold prints while the splash of color gives the entire design a youthful look. The striped belt added neat lines to the entire outfit.

With these gorgeous designs, who says you can never mix prints together? Although it is a bit difficult and many may need getting used to it, the key is to balance the ensemble. Pair outrageous prints with clean ones, bright colors with neutral ones. Floral designs with thin stripes, or tiny polka dots with subdued floral designs. The combination can be limitless if you use your imagination and sensibility.

Wild Side of Juicy

Mandy Childers — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:41:23 +0000

Juicy Couture never fails to come up with new and fun styles for their purses. This season, they are bringing back the wild side with their animal print designs! Just like other brands, Juicy Couture has included some animals prints to their collection. However, unlike other brands, Juicy Couture has made theirs above the ordinary with their signature material – velour and intricate details.

This Cheetah Lady Satchel made of soft, rich verlour almost gives you the illusion of touching the real fur. Yet, it doesn’t stop there. With its vibrant color, luxurious leather detailing, and golden hardware, this satchel will be a great accessory to complete your look this season. You can also choose the cheetah-print cross body bag or the daydreamer tote.

On the other hand, this Croc-embossed NYC shoulder bag may come as neat and elegant at first glance, but take a closer look. Its crocodile texture takes velour and animal prints to a whole new Juicy level! Details like leather top handles and extended tabs, golden hardware, logo fabric lining, and “Juicy” embroidery just make this purse even more irresistible. This design is available in desert (neutral) or black crocodile-embossed velour.

Fossil: Build Your Own Watch

Mandy Childers — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:32:53 +0000

Fossil watches are known for their fun designs and what could be more fun than creating a watch that suits your taste. Fossil introduces Build Your Own Watch feature on their website where you can choose from over twenty modern watches and at least a dozen stylish straps. It is easy to do. First select if it is men’s or women’s watch. Then pick the case, match it with a strap , and viola! You have just built your own watch for a very reasonable price. The cases run from$45 – $55 while the straps are sold at $25- $30. The watches are water resistant with an eleven-year limited warranty. So, for less than a hundred dollars, you could wear a timepiece that you have half-created.

Rue La La!

Mandy Childers — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:07:55 +0000

Websites that offer great discounts on fabulous designer brands are enticing. I have signed up for several of those websites but I have mostly been disappointed. The prices were still high, the sale items were not great at all, or the websites just looked suspicious.

However, Rue La La is one e-commerce company that I love to check every now and then. Not only does the website feature great name brands like Gucci and D&G but also carries different items- apparel, footwear, jewelry, home items, and even cruises! Another good thing about this website is that members can view the featured brands from days ahead so there is no reason one could miss a great sale.Most of all, the discounts are great, for as low as 50%.

Here are some of the great sale I found today.

Giuseppe Zanotti Black Suede & Patent Satchel. Original Price: $1,140. Now: $299

Skagen Denmark Men’s Black Leather Watch. Original Price: $110. Now: $45

Junior Drake “Marlene” Cashew Leather Hobo. Original Price: $278. Now: $79

I had made a purchase in the past so I can say the website is reliable. Items usually ships in 9-10 business days in the United States. If you want to check it out, go to ruelala.com and sign up now.

Taryn Rose – Rebel

Mandy Childers — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:17:11 +0000

Who knows about comfortable footwear better than anyone else? An orthopedic surgeon whose years of practice and research proved that most foot pain is caused by ill-fitting shoes. That is why Taryn Rose designed a line of footwear that is both comfortable – day in and day out. Taryn Rose International is the only shoe company to use Poron® (memory foam) padding – a cushioning structure created by NASA that retains 95% of resiliency after years of wear.

The company also gives importance to luxury and sophistication. This Rebel platform wedge is one example of comfort and style mix together. It is made of imported calf leather and is mainly hand-sewn in Italy. Its simplicity illustrates sheer elegance and opulent materials. The four-inch wedge heel not only gives a nice lift but also gives support with its ergonomic arch and Poron® insole padding. While its elegant design makes if flexible to go with any outfit.

On sale now at $192.50, this pair is definitely a better investment than any of those expensive, pretentious brands.

If I Were to Dress a Friend: Joann

Mandy Childers — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:30:20 +0000

Joann is a fun-loving, vibrant, and fashion-minded individual who is not scared to try out new things and put on random items to create a unique ensemble. Her spirited attitude is often reflected on her colorful clothes that light up her personality even more. She is the only person I know who can wear a bright dress in the middle of bleak winter and pull it off. If she were a season, she would be both Spring and Fall – bright and intense.

I would love to see her in this embroidered multi-color patchwork dress from Oscar de la Renta. The contrasting dark and bright colors work together to create a look fit for either Spring or Autumn. The details- sequins and beads- are like the little traits that make Joann such a wonderful person. The patchwork are representative to the different lives she has touched with her joyous personality. Metaphor aside, the tube top accentuates her bust without revealing too much while the pleated skirt highlights her beautiful curves. This dressdefinitely complements her features and personality.

Spring 2010: Alexander McQueen

Mandy Childers — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:18:10 +0000

Iridescent was the word to describe Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 Collection during the Paris Fashion Week last October.The award-winning fashion designer who likes scuba diving, took his inspiration from the colorful world under the sea. His designs featured digitally-enhanced prismatic fabrics, flowing skirts, wavy cuts, and shimmering sequins and beads. The show gave the audience the illusion of boarding Captain Nemo’s submarine in “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

In creating this illusion, the models wore form-fitting dresses that almost looked like an extension of their bodies. Their hair was swept up in curves that looked like fins and they wore gigantic boots with curved heels that looked like fish.

Alexander McQueen is known for his avant-garde designs but his Spring 2010 Collection is by far his most precocious creation.

Layered Tights: Stay Warm, Look Fab

Mandy Childers — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:30:21 +0000

If you live in cold places, wearing tights is more of a necessity than a fashion statement. More often than not, you would rather wear those plain, opaque tights that provide warmth over those cute mesh or fishnets. I would not be surprised if you have a pair of those thick sweater tights. There is nothing wrong with that. Some of them are cute, anyway. However, if you want to glam it up without being worried about overdoing it, try layering up your tights – plain, opaque tights under mesh or fishnets! I have tried this with purple opaque tights and black patterned ones. The outcome was impressive! It did not even look like I was wearing layered tights at all. It kept me warm enough I must say it was better than wearing those bulky sweater tights.

Layering up tights is a good way to stay warm and look fab at the same time. It is also a great way to wear those bright colored tights or conspicuous fishnets without being too flagrant. Most of all, you can mix and match so you will get a new each time. Many tights come in two pairs – dark and bright colors, or plain and patterned. For a classy look, try wearing a bright-colored opaque tights under dark mesh,fishnets, or sheer tights.

Peep-toe Booties from Bakers

Mandy Childers — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:24:47 +0000

Booties are cute but most of them are not flexible enough to be worn with any outfit. I have been looking for a pair of booties to wear not only this season but anytime of the year. While most booties look very good with jeans and sporty attire, I wanted a pair that will go well with jeans, skirts, and dresses. It took me a little while until I went to BAKERS and found what I wanted.

This Emily bootie is perfect for skinnies, skirts, and even dresses. The cut-out design and bronze strap décor make it look dressy and although it is made of synthetic leather, the matte finish gives it an authentic look. Meanwhile, the elevating platform and heels give me that boost of confidence I need. Most importantly, the color combination will allow me to wear it with different outfits – from jeans to LBDs. I am planning to wear it with a black dress, along with a brown cropped top and layered tights. Metallic colors are predicted to be a hit next spring. The bronze accent of this bootie will definitely extend the list of outfits with which it can be worn.