Bang On Trend

I've had various hairstyles with bangs (a.k.a. a fringe) for most of my life. As a five-year-old, my bangs were short and thick. When I grew tired of my long-hair-in-all-one-length phase in the '90s, my bags were shortened and they became above the shoulder and side swept. As a twenty-something, they were cut in choppy layers just above chin length. My most recent foray into fringe-wearing is a slightly-below-the-brow-but-above-the-lashes blunt-cut style that I've been sporting since mid 2007. It's the thickest fringe I've ever had, and despite the snide comments from certain people close to me who don't like my bangs, I persist in keeping them. Every time I'm on the cusp of deciding to grow them out and sweep them to the side, I see an editorial or a fashion blogger with bangs and I'm inspired to keep mine. And then today, I opened the July issue of Elle to see the article pictured above, which extolls the virtues of bangs. It must be a sign...

In an effort to justify my decision to keep my blunt-cut bangs, I came up with a list of fringe benefits, so to speak. (Sorry, April Long for borrowing the title of your article for my list.)

1. With bangs, you don't have to maintain your brows as much, because they may be hidden from view. Less brow maintenance = more free time and money saved on threading, waxing, plucking, etc.

2. Having a fringe protects your forehead from the sun's rays, thereby staving off wrinkles and sun damage. (But it's not a reason to stop wearing sunblock.)

3. When you're feeling shy or anti-social, you can use your bangs to hide behind. Put on some large sunglasses, and your face is mostly hidden, if so desired.

4. With bangs, your eye area may be covered, so you can wear less eye makeup. (I'm a fan of minimal makeup, so this is a huge plus for me.) Less eye makeup = less time spent getting ready and less irritation when makeup gets in your eye.

5. When worn in a way that complements your face shape, bangs have the effect of making you appear younger. Who over the age of twenty-something doesn't want to look younger?

Don't Mesh With Me

After spending an exorbitant amount of time browsing dozens of online shops, I've realized that the pieces I'm gravitating towards this month all have one thing in common - they're made of mesh. Perhaps it's the onset of summer, perhaps it's the slightly sheer and sexy nature of the fabric, or perhaps it's my desire to show more skin, but whatever the appeal, mesh is on my list of must-haves this season. What's great about mesh is that it can be layered depending upon how much you want to reveal and hide, giving it the potential to be a subtle and unpredictable take on the skin-baring styles that permeate summer. So whether it's a sliver of mesh in a top or dress, an all-mesh maxi dress, or a layer of mesh engulfing a body con dress, there are plenty of options for trying out this trend.

images from asos.com, topshop.com, ardenb.com, forever21.com, & newlook.com

Textural Tricks

Just because it's warming up doesn't mean you can't experiment with texture during the summer. Sure, lightweight materials and simple, non-fussy pieces may have more appeal when temperatures soar, but texture (which typically comes into play during fall and winter months) is a creative way to add visual interest to an outfit. A pom pom scarf, embellished sandals, braided-strap dress, or fringed handbag are just the right items to add texture and detail while still keeping your summer look easy.

The Start of Summer

Today marks the official first day of summer, a day that I always look forward to. It means endless days of outdoor fun, long dog walks, and scenic bike rides. What will I be wearing? Well in addition to loads of sunblock, I'll put my floral prints, embellished sandals, layered jewelry, and functional hats into heavy rotation. It appears that visual merchandisers also have fun on the brain, as evidenced by the bright wigs, lighthearted prints, and bold accessories they're putting on display.

Boot Camp

After admiring various versions of the ubiquitous studded combat boots by Bess, Jeffrey Campbell, and other brands, I finally got myself a pair. They were nicely displayed at none other than the cheap chic Strawberry store I visited at Lexington and 42nd in NYC. While I'm wary of the quality of my purchases from Strawberry, these boots seem to look better the more I wear them. I think a few scuffs will add to their tough appearance and make them look worn in. Fortunately, they're made of leather, are incredibly comfortable, and cost less than half of what the Jeffrey Campbells cost. (They also come in brown leather with gold studs.)

Zigi Girl studded boots with animal print socks from H&M

Blue Bee's Summer 2010 Sale

Good news for shoppers in the Santa Barbara area - Blue Bee's summer sale starts on Friday.

On A Quest For Quontum

While browsing at LF in Santa Barbara this month, I came upon a few body con dresses unlike any I've seen before. Not for the faint at heart, they boasted short hemlines, slinky silhouettes, strategically placed mesh inserts, and bold neon strappy details reminiscent of swimwear. It was just enough detail to make them stand apart from the myriad bandage dresses that have reached their peak on the trend cycle. A quick glance at the label and I saw that they were made by Quontum, a brand I'd never heard of. (Gotta love LF for stocking those up-and-coming British labels.) Another quick glance, and disappointment - $172 for a Quontum dress - they were beyond my budget. A few days later, I received a Topshop email featuring a few Quontum dresses priced in the $98-$110 range, some of them the same as the ones I'd admired at LF. Now that Quontum was clearly positioned on my style radar, I was determined to find out more about them and seek out the best price. Not shockingly, going straight to the source offered both the best selection and prices. Now the toughest part is deciding which dress to buy.

images from topshop.com and quontumuk.com

NYC Highlights

Some of my most memorable moments from NY include:

* Browsing the makeup at both H&M and Topshop, and being told by a sales clerk at H&M that MAC makes their makeup. (I'm not sure if this is true, but the four H&M lip glosses that I bought smell delighful, and have that shiny-but-not-too-sticky consistency that's often hard to find.)

* Spotted two rats in the 33rd St. subway station. I wasn't expecting to see any, and I wish I could've grabbed my camera in time to catch them scurrying away from the tracks.

* Amidst the lunchtime crowds in Union Square, this fearless squirrel caught my eye.

* Shopping the vast selection of vintage clothing and accessories at Beacon's Closet.

* Four things I noticed about Williamsburg: lots of bikes, dogs, graffiti, and trash in the streets. In fact, I observed a young woman carelessly dump her water bottle in the gutter right before getting into a minivan.

Other memorable moments:
* Browsing temporary tattoos, colored wigs, and endless hair products at Ricky's
* Seeing the grunge-chic employees at AllSaints and playing on the iPads in the store
* Watching a street style photographer finish up a photoshoot with two models on the Lower East Side
* Admiring the well organized racks of vintage floral jumpsuits, maxi dresses, and feminine blouses at Screaming Mimi's
* Stocking up on international fashion magazines at the Lafayette Smoke Shop and Universal News
* Accidentally discovering a street fair along Lexington and buying a tamale for $10
* Touring a tenement on the Lower East Side where thousands of immigrants lived and worked in the early late 19th and early 20th century
* Watching Memphis the musical and admiring the glittery costumes, intricate set design, and talented cast

Window Shopping at Bergdorf Goodman

With all of the creativity, sights, and street style in New York City, it's easy to see why it's a fashion hub. One of its major department stores, Bergdorf Goodman, undoubtedly has some of the best window displays in the world. So I made a point to stop and photograph them while walking along Fifth Avenue last week. Some of the Bergdorf windows were decorated in a SATC2 theme, complete with cocktails and vibrant, glamorous looks inspired by the movie. Just in time for the weekend, I'm suddenly inspired to get dressed up and go out on the town...

June 2010 Shopping - L.A. Sales

There are two upcoming events in the Los Angeles area that I'd like to share with my readers. The first is Style Chick's pop-up shop on June 12 and 13. There will be fashions from name brands and local emerging designers including apparel, accessories & beauty. The shop will feature discounts on in-season merchandise: tees, dresses, handbags, jewelry, lingerie, denim and more. (Brands like Cosabella, Nooni Bags, LyricCulture, EcoSkin Collection, Gyspy, TigerLily Collection, Loomlab, TuckerPaisley and more for 50% to 80% off retail.) This event is being hosted by StyleChick.com and BadJoan, an online discount retailer of women's fashions.

The second event is a multi-designer sample sale at the Los Angeles Family School located at 2848 Griffith Park Blvd. Corey Lynn Calter has organized a group of over 20 L.A.- based designers including Monrow, Trina Turk and Isabel Lu to participate in a sample sale on Saturday June 19th from 10am to 4pm benefitting Los Angeles Family School in Silverlake.

Shopping in NYC - Part 1

As promised, here is the first installment of photos I snapped either inside of stores or of their window displays. Expect more photos this week...

1. Zara animal print bodysuit

2. Uniqlo ankle zip carrot jeans

3. window display at Screaming Mimi's

4. Leopard print wedges at Mango

5. Maxi dress at Mango

6. Mango window display

7. Peep-toe lace-up boots at AllSaints

8. Dress display at AllSaints

Steamy in the City

I've just returned from a short trip to NYC, and while I adjust to the cool and refreshing southern California temperatures, it makes me grateful to be away from the uncomfortably hot and humid weather that New Yorkers experience. As much as I think NYC is an amazing and stylish city, it's nice to be back in the quietly relaxing suburban beach town in which I reside. Going from traveling underground (on the subway) to sleeping in the sky (on the 37th floor of the hotel), it's made me appreciate where I live more than ever. I'll be posting store window photos (Bergdorf Goodman, Mango, AllSaints, etc.) and anecdotal highlights from my trip later this week. In the meantime, here are six of my favorite photos taken in various locations in the city.

1. Chrysler Building

2. Central Park on the Upper East Side

3. a church on Fifth Ave.

4. street art in the Lower East Side

5. Chrysler Building through the fog

6. the newly opened AllSaints boutique in Soho

Mesmerized By Madewell

In all of the time that I've spent shopping, I've yet to encounter a Madewell store. (If I get the chance, however, I'll visit one this week.) For those that don't know about the brand, it's an offshoot of J. Crew, but with a strong focus on denim. Further increasing its cool factor with the twenty-something demographic, Alexa Chung has recently designed for the brand. After a brief glance of the website, I was struck by how well they've styled simple basics such as the sweatshorts/camisole/blazer combo and the boyfriend jeans/cardigan/oxford shoes combo. While both looks are casual, they also manage to be sophisticated and on-trend in an appealing way. If anyone has experiences or thoughts to share about Madewell stores and their merchandise, feel free to share.

images via madewell1937.com