Bay Area Fashionista

Spring 2011 Shoes Trends: Ankle Straps

 in General Fashion / Shoes / Trends  tagged ankle straps / runway trends / spring 2011 / summer 2011 by

Ankle straps are making a comeback on everything from flat sandals to sky-high heels. The last time the ankle strap donned the well-heeled was about five to six years ago when Manolo Blahnik created bow tie ankle strap heels and Chanel strapped the ankles of the fashion savvy everywhere.

The high heels and flat sandals on the runway in New York, Paris, London and Milan showed varied sole heights and color combinations. Some of the trends that were visible were bold colors mixed together, suede, flowers and embellishments. The one common theme on shoes was the ankle strap. The ankle straps on the runway at Louis Vuitton featured both buckles and bow tie’s. While John Galliano featured platforms with buckled ankle straps. Christian Dior featured bow tie ankle straps that wrapped around the ankle a few times; a nod to the Greek sandal. Nina Ricci featured both single and double buckled ankle straps as well as the bow tie ankle strap. Dolce & Gabbana also featured both the bucked ankle strap and the bow tie version. Versace showed thick, buttoned ankle straps which gave a nod to the 1960’s trend. Gianfranco Ferre featured a triple, buckled ankles strap on his runway. Gucci showed the single, buckled ankle strap. Anna Sui’s take on the ankle strap was with two thick, criss-cross straps that buckled in the back. Rodarte also featured thick, buckled ankle straps on the runway as well as Bagley Mishka. Marc Jacobs featured scarf bow tie ankle straps on his New York Fashion Week runway which stood out against neutral, everyday separates.

The verdict is in! The ankle strap is back and it is coming in many different forms from bow tie’s, to single, double and even triple straps. The criss cross ankle strap, although not as visible, will also be part of the trend. This is a great trend for shopping your closet. The ankle strap comes and goes every few years, so if you do not already have a pair in your closet from the last time around, this is a great trend to invest in. The high heels are showing in both platform and flat soles. There is mix of colors and textures. You cannot go wrong with any color combination or fabrication. Metallic, pastels, bold colors, candy colors, exotics, patterns. . . the list goes on for what will hot for spring 2011 shoes. Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

Brazilian Blowout Controversy: thankfully there are safe alternatives

 in Beauty / Hair Care  tagged brazilian blowout by

The Brazilian Blowout controversy has exploded since Women’s Wear Daily published an article on October 8, 2010 detailing the excessive amounts of formaldehyde found in Brazilian Blowout products. When the news broke, many beauty salons began pulling the products from store shelves. Unfortunately the Brazilian Blowout products had been advertised as “formaldehyde-free,” thus sparking the controversy over the large amount of fomaldehyde which was actually found in the products. The controversy sparked Health Canada to issue a firm warning to salons in Canada. Distributors of Brazilian Blowout have stopped shipping their products to Canada as of Wednesday, October 12 2010 in response to Health Canada’s warning.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, the Oregon Health and Science University’s Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology conducted a study and then released the lab results which show that the Brazilian Blowout product contains between 5% and 10% formaldehyde. According to Health Canada, the levels were at 12% in lab tests. There have also been health related problems reported in Canada due to the formaldehyde levels in the Brazilian Blowout products.

Thankfully there are three products on the market for Fashionistas seeking the same sleek, healthy hair and manageable results a Brazilian Blowout provides.

Shu Uemura Art of Hair ShuSu Sleek entered high end salons in September 2010 and provides both an at-home solution and a traditional salon treatment. Clients have the choice of which product they wish to use; salon or at-home.

Kerastase Paris Oleo-Relax Slim has already been on the market for awhile and also offers an at-home treatment as well as the salon option.

blow Ready Set Blow launched in September 2010 in fine salons in New York. Hopefully this line will reach California soon!

All of these products are safe to use and provide fabulous, smooth silky blowout results. the results can last anywhere from three to six months depending on how you care for your hair at home. Happy shopping and hairstyling! And of course, stay fabulous 

Spring 2011 Jewelry Trends from the runway

 in General Fashion / Jewelry / Trends  tagged runway trends / spring 2011 / summer 2011 by

The spring 2011 runways gave the fashion savvy a glimpse into what will be hot this upcoming spring. For fall, jewelry was markedly absent from the runways as designers created collections centered around either the vintage theme or the minimalism theme. Even with the vintage theme, jewelry was scarce. The occasional necklace or pair of earrings would pop up here or there, but there was not one type of jewelry or theme that stuck out. The models ears were naked, their necks were empty and their arms unadorned.

For spring 2011 there was a complete change in attitude and move away from the minimalism look from fall. The necklaces were large, sparking a return of the bib necklace from a few seasons ago. Chokers returned to the runway, reminiscent of the choker trend from roughly a decade ago. The bibs and the chokers on the European runways for spring were decadent, embellished and anything but minimal.

There were also cuffs on the spring 2011 runways. The cuffs were bold and featured stones, beads and other embellishments which could easily blend together with a choker or bib necklace.

The third most notable jewelry trend from the runways were long, shoulder brushing earrings. The last time the long, shoulder length earrings were on the runway in such full force was about one decade ago. Roberto Cavalli showed feather earrings. Chanel showed shoulder skimming feather earrings as well as shorter dangles which hit about mid-neck, yet were bold and easy to spot from several yards away. Dolce & Gabbana went more for a classic yet bold approach to the large earring trend for spring 2011. D & G showed large, gold bangle earrings reminiscent of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Jewelry is back with a vengeance! Minimalism has gone by the wayside as we move into the resort and spring seasons. This is a great trend to shop your closet and look for those bib necklaces from a few season ago as well as those cuffs and chokers from ten years ago. The long earrings and bold earrings might be a good trend to buy new and invest in one or two fabulous pairs of statement earrings. The styles are fresh and very different from the last time bold earrings were in style. Chanel feather earrings a bit too much? No need to fret! Jewelry companies such as Cookie Lee offer affordable jewelry which is right on trend. The current collection includes bold cuffs, necklaces and of course earrings! Happy shopping and stay fabulous.