August 2010 fashion screensaver is here!

(as a fellow blogger, just click here to download

and use this month's screensaver or to print yourself a copy)

August always feels like back-to-school mode no matter how many years have passed since one last registered for classes.  The stores and magazines are filled with dreamy designer inventions styled and chosen by the editors.  They hope that we will take the delicious bite and wrap ourselves in something new - that we will be infused through their creativity with fresh energy and glamour as we prepare to pounce on the new fall challenges. Just the right pièce de résistance is so very invigorating.

In sketching this month's calendar, my thoughts drifted to denim worn simply with white cotton camisoles - the timeless way of dressing.  The look that found its way into brush and paint are from my book, Denim Revolution -- the ornate poet's beret with brass buttons and elaborate ribbons and the harlequin trousers with their plush ruby insets and gold braided bows.  Fun to make and so cool to wear.

Wishing one and all to enjoy August's gracious, grand finale,

of the sweet summer,

Nancy

Liberty cotton lawn blouse, so pretty to wear and lovely to sew

Last summer I bought some luscious fabrics from Liberty of London.

And since then, have thought and mused about what to make.

Finally, after waiting way toooo long, I've started to sew.

Using NewLook pattern 6483 as the base,

An easy pattern, with a good fit that can be adopted to personal whims.

What I did:

- To the front pattern, I folded the front dart closed and slashed the neckline to add some soft fullness.

- To the sleeve pattern, the cap was slashed - to add some soft gathers in the cap.

- The seam allowance has been turned back and edge stitched.

- The cuff and hem were hand rolled and hand stitched, because the fabric is so yummy I just wanted to hand sew.

-Two vintage buttons were used at the back neck.

-I used silk thread, the fabric is fine and I think it is a better match with a silk thread. 

The print is Miranda, the fabric, Liberty's celebrated cotton lawn.

When you sew this fabric, and of course wear it,

you understand why it is so legendary and has such a devoted loyalty.
All the scraps have been rolled up and stowed away for something special in the future.

so here I am - in my new uniform,

the Liberty blouse, a sweater knit from linen yarn found in Milan

and patched and mended jeans.

Ming Xi Off Duty (FORD NY): the Givenchy Phenomena

transparency: black under white

accessories close up

So it's Friday night and I'm working on Crosby street doing a gig for Conde Nast France (making a living through street photography means making my monthly mortgage payment sometimes at the expense of weekend partying) when to my surprise, Ming walks by with a friend.

For those of you that don't know, Ming has walked 3 consecutive Givenchy shows: her debut runway show at the January Couture shows, the March Paris RTW show, and the July Couture show. On top of that, she appears in the Givenchy campaign as well. For a girl who hasn't even finished a complete year of runway shows yet , this is amazing.

I can't wait to see how her personal style evolves over time.

Katie Fogarty Off Duty (NEXT NY):

COACH NEW KRISTIN LEATHER HOBO Style# 14783

COACH NEW KRISTIN LEATHER HOBO

Style# 14783

Turquoise, Yellow

Measures 14 x 12.75 x 3 inches

Actual retail RM1600

RM1050 including shipping

*Wow, what a steal!*

Use ORDER ENQUIRY FORM to order NOW!

Both colors are completely sold out and discontinued, but I can get you one! Hurry and let me know if you want this!

Engagement story

We got engaged in New York. He was there on business and I'd joined him there for the weekend. Whilst he was in meetings, I was busy popping into all the expensive jewellery stores on Fifth Avenue, looking for the ring (I wasn't going to let him choose!). That was so much fun.

I knew it was going to be Tiffany's, though. Walking into their flagship store was an experience in itself and upstairs where all the engagement rings are (or were, at least), I even saw (a) Holly Golightly! Seriously.

I chose two rings and 'reserved' them. The sales assistant was polite but not super friendly or anything. He did ask for my boyfriend / fiancé's name before I left.

And the next day, we walked in. He recognised me, then looked at my fiancé. He suddenly became the most charming person ever. With a big smile, he walked over to meet us and addressed my fiancé by name. Maybe I should have been offended by this transformation but I was too amazed and impressed!

Another funny thing I remember is that every time we wanted to look at a ring by the big window (different lighting), the sales assistant had to 'inform' the bodyguard. Yes, there was a bodyguard standing by the window! Did they think we were going to jump out of the window with the ring?! 

Now tell me your story! Did you know he was going to propose? Did you choose the ring with him? 

Or how do you want it to be?

1, 2, 3

Engagement story

We got engaged in New York. He was there on business and I'd joined him there for the weekend. Whilst he was in meetings, I was busy popping into all the expensive jewellery stores on Fifth Avenue, looking for the ring (I wasn't going to let him choose!). That was so much fun.

I knew it was going to be Tiffany's, though. Walking into their flagship store was an experience in itself and upstairs where all the engagement rings are (or were, at least), I even saw (a) Holly Golightly! Seriously.

I chose two rings and 'reserved' them. The sales assistant was polite but not super friendly or anything. He did ask for my boyfriend / fiancé's name before I left.

And the next day, we walked in. He recognised me, then looked at my fiancé. He suddenly became the most charming person ever. With a big smile, he walked over to meet us and addressed my fiancé by name. Maybe I should have been offended by this transformation but I was too amazed and impressed!

Another funny thing I remember is that every time we wanted to look at a ring by the big window (different lighting), the sales assistant had to 'inform' the bodyguard. Yes, there was a bodyguard standing by the window! Did they think we were going to jump out of the window with the ring?! 

Now tell me your story! Did you know he was going to propose? Did you choose the ring with him? 

Or how do you want it to be?

1, 2, 3

REYKJAVÍK - sunna, sæbraut, 07/08/10

The photos of the two first days at LungA Festival in Iceland are up on my visual diary.

Man Fashion: Summer Office Styles

Spring is definitely over and summer is where we are now. You want to stay cool at work, and you’re not just thinking temperature. If you’re not working at Microsoft, Google, or any of the big tech companies, chances are you don’t get the luxuries of wearing whatever you want. So how can you stay cool in the hot sun without being in the hot seat? Below are some pointers to get you started, and examples on how to use these guidelines to work for you.

Think about fabric: Pima cotton is breathable, versatile for all season, and has outstanding quality for clothing. Cotton blends, particularly with stretch wool or rayon/viscose, are great during the summer and keep your clothes fitted to your body. Linen is definitely a must-have in summer attire.

Think of colors: Try mixing bolder shades of spring pastel hues to “spring” into summer. Bold and vibrant colors can look cool and still be comfortable, such as various shades of purple, orange, and blues. Earth and neutral tones – like olives, tans, and browns – are definitely a standard and can look professional with minimal effort. Whites and greys are staples and versatile even when paired with bolder colors to accentuate your personal look. Minimize wearing black as much as possible. If you do wear black, get that in breathable fabrics like linen or cotton chinos, or look for it in subtle patterns.

Think of your workplace: Format your attire based on the dynamic of your workplace. Don’t wear sandals or flip flops if your work does not call for it.



Putting It All Together



No matter what fabrics, color and workplace, the most important of summer office wear is able to give you comfort and express individual personal styles.

Fall 2010 Coat Trends

Fall 2010 Coat Trends. It's time to look stylish and chic in fall coat trends for 2010. This fall many different styles were seen on the runway. Everything from trench styles to capes, and camel colored hues. There's something to fit everyone's style this fall and keep you warm on those cold fall days. Look below to see the top styles in coats to wear for fall 2010.

Camel Colored



Oversized Coats



Fur



Capes



Trench



Belted

fur coats

images from elle

Freja Beha Erichsen (IMG NY): August's Paris AND British Vogue cover girl

The one thing I admire about Freja is the seasonal consistency (Winter, Summer, Fall) with which she wears her rock and roll image. Here you see the guitar hanging from her necklace, the studded sandals, and the chained bag.

Say cheese!

I am seriously addicted to Parmesan!

I can't seem to live without it these days. I use it in salads, soups, pasta and risotto dishes obviously, and fish for (I think) the first time last night (it was a Jamie Oliver recipe). The official website says Parmesan is perfect as a starter, main and dessert! (See their serving suggestions here.)

Dessert? Yes, apparently you can have parmesan with fruit. Have you tried it? I'm not too sure about this.

But what I'm even more unsure about is parmesan ice cream. What do you think?!

Photos

Say cheese!

I am seriously addicted to Parmesan!

I can't seem to live without it these days. I use it in salads, soups, pasta and risotto dishes obviously, and fish for (I think) the first time last night (it was a Jamie Oliver recipe). The official website says Parmesan is perfect as a starter, main and dessert! (See their serving suggestions here.)

Dessert? Yes, apparently you can have parmesan with fruit. Have you tried it? I'm not too sure about this.

But what I'm even more unsure about is parmesan ice cream. What do you think?!

Photos

REYKJAVÍK - líf, gunnarbraut & elisabeth, grasagarðurinn, 07/11-12/10

Click HERE to view fabulous preowned bargains!

Beauty sleep is not a myth

Now I have another good reason to dislike those people from last week: not only did they damage my new car, they robbed me of my beauty sleep!

"Beauty sleep is not a myth and sleep does lessen the severity of wrinkles in the face and neck, at least temporarily. This period of deep sleep... contributes to what people call "beauty sleep" as secretion of growth hormone helps repair and rebuild body tissues like muscle and bone. It is not just lack of sleep that negatively affects body fat percentage and the risk of chronic disease—poor sleep quality does as well." (source) 

I've talked about the Sleep Cycle app on my iPhone before (here and here). I looked back at my sleeping patterns following the accident (story here) and sure enough, I've been sleeping poorly.

To set the scene: the night before, I slept like a baby. Perfect beauty sleep.

Then the incident. I was really upset and couldn't sleep.

Next night: exhausted. I went to bed just after 9pm. I thought I slept ok. But I seem to have spent quite a few of those hours 'awake'.

After that: even worse. Not much (deep) sleep at all.

I hope you are getting enough beauty sleep!

Beauty sleep is not a myth

Now I have another good reason to dislike those people from last week: not only did they damage my new car, they robbed me of my beauty sleep!

"Beauty sleep is not a myth and sleep does lessen the severity of wrinkles in the face and neck, at least temporarily. This period of deep sleep... contributes to what people call "beauty sleep" as secretion of growth hormone helps repair and rebuild body tissues like muscle and bone. It is not just lack of sleep that negatively affects body fat percentage and the risk of chronic disease—poor sleep quality does as well." (source) 

I've talked about the Sleep Cycle app on my iPhone before (here and here). I looked back at my sleeping patterns following the accident (story here) and sure enough, I've been sleeping poorly.

To set the scene: the night before, I slept like a baby. Perfect beauty sleep.

Then the incident. I was really upset and couldn't sleep.

Next night: exhausted. I went to bed just after 9pm. I thought I slept ok. But I seem to have spent quite a few of those hours 'awake'.

After that: even worse. Not much (deep) sleep at all.

I hope you are getting enough beauty sleep!