green

Military Trend Continues into Fall 2010

 in Color Trends / General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2010 / green / winter 2010 by

The military trend from Spring 2010 is continuing into Fall with army green, double breasted jackets, cargo pants, army fatigues and Camouflage. Military style clothing is perfect for Fashionistas in the San Francisco Bay Area since the thick cotton twill that the majority of the garments are made with allows bay area Fashionistas the ability to wear the styles throughout the year. Military style jackets , blazers, pea coats and fatigues can carry us from cool summer nights when the fog rolls in to breezy Fall afternoons and cool Winter days.

Camouflage is popping up on Prada and Dior handbags, shoes and accessories. Prada is showing a platform camouflage pump along with a darling clutch and bowler style handbag. Christian Dior has altered the fashion house’s famous Lady Dior handbag by adding a long, camouflage strap and wrapping the top handles in camouflage leather. The body of the Lady Dior handbag is a solid, army green. Dior also introduced a 1970s style handbag  with a long, thick strap and lattice design on the front. This beautiful handbag is a nod to the 1970s trend  that trickled onto Fall runways. Burberry is showing a to-die-for trench coat in a dark army green as well as a satiny shirt dress in light army green. Stores such as Banana Republic and JCrew are showing more affordable versions of the military trend with fabulous jackets and pants.

The military trend comes in and out of fashion every few years. This is definitely a trend worth investing in, if not for the total look, at least one military style jacket . This is also a key time to shop your closet  for military style items you have stored in previous seasons. Although there are many high end designers and labels showing the military trend, there is no need to go broke trying to buy everything you would like from this trend. Carefully choose which items you are interested in purchasing for the upcoming season and look for items which are timeless. There are plenty of stores featuring the military trend at more affordable prices such as Banana Republic, JCrew and even Target. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

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Fall’s Minty Little Secret

 in Color Trends / General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2010 / green / mint / winter 2011 by

In a sea of black, white, grey, browns and red accents there was one color on the Paris, Milan and New York runways that appeared, shall we say, out of place? Sea green was on the Fall 2010 runways in a blatant attempt to trump preconceived notions that sea green is a Spring color, not a Fall color! What is next, white after Labor Day? Oh wait, that’s been done. Mint green is back in fashion and it is the new up and coming trendy color for Fall that may carry us into resort and Spring 2011.

Mint green seems an unlikely color for Fall given the trends shown by haute couture designers on the runways. Mint green can be an alternative accent color to red for Fall’s Minimalism trend. Designers such as Balenciaga and Proenza Schouler showed mint green high heels, platforms, ankle boots and structured handbags. Chanel is showing a fabulous tweed, mint green suit for Fall in sharp contrast to the mostly black line beginning to fill store shelves. Louis Vuitton is using mint green on their full skirts as part of a subtle floral design and accented with a mint green handbag in decadent alligator. Fendi and Balenciaga blended mint green into neutral fabrics with shades of brown and military green.

Mint green is not a color that compliments everyone. We here at Bay Area Fashionista favor mint green in the form of a small, structured handbag or beautiful suede high heels paired with a neutral outfit. Mint green is a color normally found in resort and Spring lines. This is a good time to invest in a mint green piece as there is a good chance we will see this color coming in stronger next season. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

Is your Hair Ready for Earth Day?

 in Beauty / Eco Chic / General Fashion / Hair Care  tagged earth day / green / tigi by

Earth Day is fast approaching and it seems to get more exciting every year. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have been aware of the environment and its’ fragility for several decades. Children in the late 1970’s began taking field trips through school to the local recycling plant. Students were so proud to be handed a recycling bucket to take home to their parents. There was pure excitement at the thought of teaching one’s parents how to recycle cans, bottles and newspapers. Bay Area parents were very proud of their children who made an effort to recycle at home as well as spread the word to extended friends and family. The recycling mentality has expanded throughout the country and world over the past two decades. Bay Area natives cannot help but feel slightly responsible for getting the word out about the importance of recycling and saving our planet. Although recycling dates back to Plato in 400 BC and it was first required in the United States by Woodbury, NJ, the San Francisco Bay Area took the idea by storm and is responsible for much of the marketing that made it hip.

Earth Day was instated by US Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin on April 22, 1970. It is celebrated in roughly 175 countries each year. As Earth Day has become more popular over the years, many cities and towns celebrate the entire week and have dubbed it “Earth Week.”

Every year consumer companies launch so-called “Green” products in the weeks preceding Earth Day in the hope that consumers will purchase these products in an effort to be more Earth friendly. Unfortunately, many so-called “Green” products are not really green. True Green products are made with environmentally friendly ingredients, in environmentally friendly factories and packaged in recycled materials.

Tigi Hair Care is well known for their “Bed Head” line of hair care products. These products are recommended by stylists around the world and found in fine salons as well beauty supply shops. Target, which normally carries more moderately priced products, has also begun to carry Tigi Products in their “Salon Hair Care” isle which boasts the same products found at your local salon with slightly softer price points.

In an effort to go “Green,” Tigi has launched a wonderful line of earth friendly products named “Love, Peace and the Planet.” These fabulous hair care products are not tested on animals and they do not use artificial colors or fragrances. They treat your hair using only organic ingredients that are free from parabens, laurel and laureth sulfates. To top it all off, Tigi packaged the line in 50% post consumer waste containers and all printed materials are printed on recycled paper or FSC paper using soy or water based ink. This makes the packaging 100% recyclable! Love, Peace, Planet also offers two choices for shampoo and conditioner. They offer a moisturizing shampoo named “Eco Awesome” as well as a daily shine shampoo named “Walking on Sunshine.” The line also offers texture, hairspray and a leave-in conditioner.

It is so refreshing to find a hair care line that lives up to the modern label “Green.” What a fabulous way to celebrate Earth Day and care for your hair! Happy Earth Day! Go green and stay fabulous.