The Season To Shimmer and Shine

With the predominance of glittery, sequin objects in stores this time of year, I've come to realize that it's one of my favorite seasons for buying dressy apparel and accessories. With holiday parties on the horizon, it's the ideal time for picking up fun glitter pumps, sequin tank dresses, brocade shorts, crystal necklaces, or beaded jackets. I gravitate towards the mix of rich textures and fabrics during fall and winter, with a particular weakness for brocade and velvet this year. Below are some of my favorite holiday party pieces and potential gift ideas.

I Want Lanvin, Not Flowers

The voluminous shoulders on this dress dictate an off-the-shoulder hairstyle and simple, minimal accessories. While I went out of my way to seek this puffy floral number out while shopping the Lanvin ♥ H&M collection, I've since realized that it was well worth it. Not only is it well made compared to other dresses in the collection, but it's a standout piece that's unlike anything else that I own. It was the one piece that truly wowed me when I initially viewed the lookbook. Furthermore, it's sure to elicit plenty of amusing reactions, especially in my sleepy beach town.

Worn with a vintage coat, H&M belt, Aldo wedges, and H&M sunglasses.

Who Loves Layers?

Finally! Cool temperatures (and some rain) in southern California are affording me the chance to layer up and make use of my cold weather accessories. It's the ideal time for playing with various textures, mixing prints, and adding chunky knits for warmth. These four windows that I shot recently offer ample inspiration for layering and adding accessories. Scarves, vests, belts, hats, necklaces...just pile them on. Anything goes.

Love for Lanvin

Call me crazy, I'm guilty as charged. You see, on Friday night, I decided to sacrifice a night of sleep in the name of fashion, namely Lanvin ♥ H&M. (Only for your floral frocks, sketched tees, and leopard pumps, Alber!)

After seeing the increasing amount of listings and inflated prices for Lanvin ♥ H&M on eBay, I've confirmed that it was well worth it to wait in line and shop the collection early on Saturday morning. The staff at the Beverly Center store was well organized and prepared for the crowds. We were allowed into the mall three hours before the store opened, so we had the luxury of being indoors and having access to coffee and restrooms. I was surprised to notice that the majority of shoppers appeared to be younger than I was expecting - most were probably under 25. Having only shopped the Matthew Williamson and Sonia Rykiel for H&M collections (both of which were not nearly as popular in southern California as Lanvin), I was new to the frenzy. I quickly ascertained that the trick to getting what you want once inside the store is to chat with other shoppers, take their discards, and trade with others who are willing. Most importantly, I advise being patient because there are lots of lines: fitting room lines, lines to get into the special shopping area, and more lines to trade sizes with the employees. In the end, I didn't get everything on my list, however, if I had lingered around the aforementioned lines, I might have been able to trade.

In the spare time I had after receiving my wristband (I was approximately 65th in line for the 4th shopper group), I photographed the windows and admired some of my favorite pieces: the floral puff shoulder dress, the sunglasses, and the leopard pumps.

Boots on the Brain

My earliest shoe memories revolve around two notable (but arguably tacky) pairs of boots I had as a child: some denim cowboy boots complete with a patch pocket, and some Victorian frosty pink perforated ankle boots. Something about the pull-on-and-go ease of boots has always appealed to me. They also offer protection from the elements and become more like legwear once you get into mid calf, knee high, and over-the-knee silhouettes. As a boot lover, this has always been my favorite time of year to shop for footwear. This season, faux fur trim, fold over details, buckles, and suede are stealing the spotlight.

I Had A Dream I Woke Up In Santa Barbara

In the spirit of fashion and style bloggers sharing their images in a photo/visual diary format, I thought I'd share a few photos taken in various places around Santa Barbara.

Lanvin, Dodger Stadium, and Behind the Seams

There are so many things going on this coming Saturday, November 20th that I'm still deciding what to do. For Lanvin lovers, that's the much-anticipated day that the collection launches at H&M. (There are three Lanvin for H&M pieces on my shopping list. Do I wake up at some crazy hour to wait in line and brave the madness, or wait, and shop the ridiculously inflated prices on ebay?) In the Los Angeles area, November 20th is also the day of the Flea Market at Dodger Stadium and the Afingo.com/Behind the Seams fashion forum.

The Flea Market at Dodger Stadium, with the largest location for a flea market in the city of Los Angeles, will offer a selection of about 400 vendors, selling everything from designer and vintage clothing, collectibles, antique furniture, quality crafts to home and garden items. It will also feature the latest in sustainable, eco-friendly goods. It will boast L.A.’s favorite gourmet food trucks, great live music, a kids’ play area, and an exclusive V.I.P. option for additional services. Adjacent to the food area, the market will feature live and original music throughout the day, showcasing up-and-coming local talent. In addition, kids can be entertained with a blow-up slide, rock climbing and face painting. The Market features a unique V.I.P. option to add an element of luxury to the shopping experience. The pass includes early-bird entry and preferred parking, a shaded lounge area with complimentary drinks and spacious executive toilets, and a service to carry purchased items to the car.

After the November 20th opening, The Flea Market at Dodger Stadium will take place monthly on Saturdays only; future dates will be announced on the website. Dodger Stadium is located at 1000 Elysian Park Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90012.

Admission is $5 for the general public starting at 9am and includes free parking. Preferred parking is $10, and VIP passes are available for $15. Kids under 12 get in free. Leashed pets are allowed. For more information and vendor applications, visit pdmarkets or call 866-966-9495.

**Please note that due to rain, the flea market has been postponed to December 18.

AFINGO.com will host “Behind the Seams,” a Fashion Industry Forum on Saturday, November 20th. Building on the success of the recent sister event in New York, Behind the Seams is coming to the West Coast for its Los Angeles event at Raleigh Studios.

Behind the Seams is a veritable “how-to” for attendees, benefitting from panelists including top designers, retailers, multi-media fashion journalists, and celebrity tastemakers. Attendees gain critical insights and hard-won wisdom from success stories and icons through four panels on timely topics, as well as valuable networking with both the panelists and one another. All day passes or passes for individual panels can be purchased.

If you're like me and have an interest in trend forecasting, there will be a panel discussing that topic from 10:30 am to 11:45 am. Here is the location:

Raleigh Studios
5300 Melrose Ave @ Van Ness
Los Angeles, CA, 90038

To register for the event, click here.

All That Glitters is Lita

**Jan. 9, 2011 update - Please note that if you are not reading this post on http://fashiontrendguide.blogspot.com, then it was republished illegally and without permission.

My recent preoccupation with shiny things has evolved from vintage sequin and beaded dresses found at local thrift stores to sheer glitter nail polish layered over dark colors for a multi-dimensional effect. It also includes a fascination with glitter footwear, especially since the holiday season is creeping up. In my opinion, there is no better time to wear festive, shiny shoes. I was fortunate enough to have snagged the silver glitter Litas by Jeffrey Campbell before they sold out at Edge of Urge. While my first instinct would be to save these disco-esque babies for nights on the town, I'm imagining various ways to incorporate them into casual daytime looks. I can't wait to wear these out this weekend and leave a trail of glitter dust behind me.

Cozy Country

When I hear the words "cozy country" with regards to fashion, a few things come to mind: chunky Fair Isle knits, lots of neutral hues (such as ivory, chestnut, beige, and charcoal), lace-up hiking boots, plaid prints, wool sweaters, faux fur trim, and chunky scarves. Such pieces are ideal for my romantic daydream of hanging out with a cup of tea in a cottage in the English countryside, shielded from the rain and cool air with thick yet comfortable layers and idyllic surroundings. To complete my I'm-just-relaxing-in-my-country-cottage reverie, I'm gazing through my bay window at my rose garden, listening to raindrops pelt the roof, and petting my retriever while languidly perusing interior design magazines. Until this dream becomes a reality, however, I can pretend by simply dressing the part. Below are some store displays I shot this month that best conjure up the cozy country look that I crave.

Face Hunting

When I first began reading street style blogs in 2006, Yvan Rodic's well-known blog, Facehunter, was one of the street style blogs that I admired the most. Something about his photos made me want to travel to each city and experience the denizens and the cityscapes. The Face Hunter always seems to find the beautiful people and their parties. Four years later, his images still draw me in and inspire insatiable curiosity about his subjects. What do they do for a living? Who or what influences their style? Where were they going when they were approached to have their picture taken?

When I learned that Yvan would be speaking at UCLA on November 9th, I cleared my schedule in preparation for a visit to my old stomping grounds. In my opinion, Yvan is the best street style photographer in the world, and having the chance to hear him speak, ask him questions, meet him, and have him sign my book last night was an exciting and amazing experience. I admit that it was because of his photos that I decided to travel to Stockholm and Copenhagen (amongst other places) two years ago, and I was not disappointed by either city.

UCLA looks the same as always: well manicured grass, beautiful brick buildings, and rushed students.

During his lecture, Yvan discussed how and why he began his blog, why he uses Blogger, and how he makes a living. I related to him when he shared that he had little web programming knowledge, and wanted to start his blog without spending money. He cited the importance of using social networks to connect with readers, and discussed the struggle of staying true to his blog without "selling out" and alienating readers with content that's not authentic. Fun fact - he told me his favorite city to shoot street style in is Reykjavik, Iceland, because of it's small size, amount of creativity, and isolation from other countries. (Note to self - plan a trip to Iceland, preferably in the summer.)

What I found most interesting was his mention of the decline of meaningful subcultures with the rise of the iPod generation. He explained that we're now sampling and mixing time periods and geographic aesthetics without limits, in a so-called "supermarket of style." For example, you can wear studded shoes these days but not be a part of the punk movement or care about the origin of punk music and style. (For some reason, I'm glad I didn't wear my studded combat boots yesterday.) Yvan pointed out that with the internet, you can escape what you're born into, because you have choices and can invent your own identity. We're all connected through the internet, in an international community of hyper-individual people.

Watching him chat with the attendees, I could tell that he's genuinely interested in getting to know people, and that translates into his work. He makes his street style subjects feel at ease, and brings out unique aspects of their personalities through his photography.

Thank you to FAST for helping put this event together!