Bay Area Fashionista

Fall 2010 Fashion: Channeling the Stepford Skirt

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2010 / runway / runway trends / skirts / vintage styles / winter 2011 by

The Fall 2010 runways in Paris, Milan and New York were a mix of 1990s minimalism, 1950s Stepford Wife apparel, military nods and rock and roll flair. The skirt and dress silhouette that stood out on the runways was the 1950s, Stepford Wife full skirt. The full skirt is meeting the leg half-way between the knee and the ankle giving the skirt a more modest place in fashion for Fall 2010.

Louis Vuitton showed a fabulous, full skirt in a light tan leather topped off with a 1950s style short sleeve sweater in baby yellow. The colors were a nod to Spring 2010 giving the look a soft transfer from Spring into Fall. Prada and Dries Van Noten both showed quiet colors on full skirted dresses and ballet flats. Ralph Lauren gave the full skirt a 1990s minimalism color palette and a 1980s fabric twist. Lauren’s take on the Stepford Wife suit is black taffeta. This suit is calling for a red handbag! By the way, red handbags will be all the rage in Fall, but we can discuss this in another post.

Fashionistas in the San Francisco Bay Area may shy away from wearing the full skirt on an everyday basis. The formal look of the silhouette lends itself well to special events such as weddings, showers, charity lunches and daytime holiday parties. The full skirt is not practical for running errands, strolling at the mall or sitting behind a  computer all day at work. The trend is definitely a breath of fresh air for fashionistas everywhere who are tired of the poor taste in skirts that many women have chosen to wear over the past few years.

Recession Tip: Interested in wearing the Stepford Wife silhouette this Fall? Look inside your closet. When the movie came out earlier in the decade there were full skirts on the market as well as full skirts with an asymmetrical hemline. You can pair your full skirt from a past season with a short sleeve sweater from this season or a wrap around sweater from one of the past two seasons. Tres chic! If you found a full skirt with an asymmetrical hemline, you can even out the hemline and re-hem it! If you do not have a sewing machine at home, your local tailor can do the job for you. Fabulous!

Whether you purchase a full skirt or dress, or you got lucky and found one in the back of your closet, this is definitely a trend to follow. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

The Red Coat for Fall 2010

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Trends  tagged banana republic / coats / fall 2010 / jackets / outerwear / red by

Minimalism of the 1990s is starting to hit the stores in the form of Pre-Fall and Fall collections. Fashionistas in the San Francisco Bay Area are seeing a resurgence of black trousers, black boots with stacked heels, turtle neck sweaters in black, white and red as well as coats in varying lengths. The quintessential outfit from the 1990s is back and Fashionistas across the bay are starting to snap up key pieces to start off their Fall 2010 collection. Some Fashionistas may already have parts of the minimalist look in the back of their closets just waiting for the revival. Although minimalism can be a bit dreary, it is welcome news for Fashionistas who have been affected by the recession. An all black outfit can be gathered from the back of the closet. The one key item every fashionista should invest in this Fall is the red coat.

The red coat or jacket will add a pop of color to any black outfit and add instant style to the minimalistic look of Fall 2010. A black and white outfit will also benefit from a red coat bringing instant flair to a Fashionistas complete look. Chanel showed red outerwear for Fall 2010 as well as a fabulous red tweed suit. The red tweed suit can be worn as a complete outfit or the jacket can be worn over a black outfit as well as with jeans for a more casual look. Ann Demeulemeester is featuring a fabulous red jacket in her Fall 2010 collection that has a slightly whimsical structure. This jacket would be a great investment piece for any wardrobe. It can be worn over a professional, all black outfit or paired with jeans for casual, weekend look. Ann Demeulemeester’s jacket will also look fabulous as a cover-up with a little black dress!

The more budget savvy Fashionistas in the bay area will find fabulous red coats and jackets at Banana Republic. The Banana Republic jackets and coats are high quality wool and will last for several seasons. The cuts are classic and easy to wear for any body type. Coats and jackets from Banana Republic are not the cheapest on the market, but they will not break the bank. Prices range from $150 to $500 depending on the size and cut of the piece.

Bay Area Fashionista Tip: Banana Republic has great sales. If you can wait until a coat or jacket has been in stores for roughly three months, there is a good chance you can snag it for 30% off. If you fall in love with a coat or jacket and cannot wait, do not feel guilty taking the plunge and purchasing a red coat or jacket at full price. This is an investment piece that will get plenty of wear during the Fall 2010 season as well as for years to come. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

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The Fashionista’s Budget Savvy Guide for Summer 2010

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Shopping  tagged shopping list / summer 2010 by

Hey there Fashionistas! Summer is in full swing and Fashionistas across the bay area are seeking ways to satisfy their thirst for runway fashion on a budget. Let’s face it, the recession is still going strong here in the San Francisco Bay Area where unemployment hovers around 13%. Regardless of employment status, Fashionistas around the bay area are looking for ways to save money without losing their fashionable edge. Well, look no further. I have a few ways for Fashionistas in the bay area and beyond to update a couple of looks from past seasons as well as update your look through budget savvy purchases!

1) Shop your closet. OK, so this has been said before, but let’s face it, shopping your closet is the first step towards saving money and reinventing key pieces from past seasons.

City shorts are hot this summer. They were also hot three years ago. We here at Bay Area Fashionista know you have a pair or two sitting in the back of your closet. Pull out those city shorts, because you will need them!

Tunics with embroidery and embellishments were all the rage roughly five years ago. I know you have at least one in the back of your closet that you did not have the heart to sell on eBay. A tunic with long sleeves or three quarter sleeves will be the perfect top for your city shorts. Tunics blend perfectly into the ethnic trend from Spring. This trend will continue into Fall so your tunic is very “of-the-moment.”

Belt it! You can pair your city shorts and tunic with either a solid, leather belt that loops through your belt loops or you can wear a fabulous belt on top of your tunic and add instant sass to your outfit.

2) Footwear. The hot footwear of the season includes the nude wedge, the espadrille platform and the embellished t-strap sandal. You may already have one or more of these styles in your closet, if not, Target has a wide selection of embellished t-strap sandals that are to die for! The espadrille wedge can be found at reasonable prices at stores such as Payless Shoe Source and JC Penny’s. Victoria’s Secret Catalog has a fabulous espadrille wedge for $48. The nude wedge is wildly popular and can be found at discount prices at DSW and Nordstrom Rack.

3) Beauty Products. The look this summer is clean and natural when it comes to make-up. Fashionistas can wear minimal foundation with brown eyeliner and a small amount of blue, purple or brown eye shadow. The lipstick of the season is hot pink or barely there pale pink. Revlon and Maybelline have fabulous lipstick shades to help carry you through summer. The bright blue, green and pink nail polish colors of the season are being found on the toes of Fashionistas everywhere. Target has a wide array of every bright blue, green and pink imaginable. All of the nail color at Target is under $10. Fabulous!

4) The weather in the Bay Area this summer has been hot and cold; literally. The safari and military trends from Spring are going to carry into Fall. The safari or military jacket you purchased last Spring will carry you through the cool, foggy evenings of Summer and will still be perfect when the Fall season hits. If you missed out on purchasing a safari jacket or military style jacket during the Spring months never fear! The Gap, Banana Republic and Target have affordable styles to fit any budget. You will be happy you made the purchase!

The recession should not last too much longer. As long as we, as Fashionistas, can weather the storm, we will have plenty of money left over to splurge on that special wish list item when the economy bounces back. Happy shopping and stay fabulous!