Seoul Searching

The lovely folks at AtSeoul contacted me to see if I'd like to feature some of their products. While this is nothing unusual, I clicked on over to have a look at their merchandise, and lo and behold, it was actually a good match for both my taste and budget. (Trust me, it doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it's because I want the store and the products to be a good match for Fashion Trend Guide's readers.)

Despite not being familar with the site, I found it easy to navigate and with a seemingly endless selection of merchandise - everything from demure pumps and quilted handbags to lace dresses and fun stationery - which I could imagine myself wearing or using.

Above, I'm wearing a faux shearling jacket, quilted crossbody bag, and super soft faux fur-trimmed boots courtesy of the folks of AtSeoul. Although I had to consult the size guide to determine my Korean sizes, everything fits well, I'm happy with the quality, and the shipping was super fast, even with the USPS holiday madness and adverse weather conditions.

Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy new year!

Perfect Pairings

Like classic black pumps and a sheath dress, or a vintage concert tee and leather moto jacket, I believe that some pieces just go together perfectly. An example of such a fashion pairing for me is the leopard print and red combination. It could be red lipstick and a leopard print cossack, a red handbag and chiffon leopard secretary blouse, or some red jeans and a faux fur leopard print jacket, as I'm wearing. Taking inspiration from Isabel Marant's cropped red pants, I dug up some old red jeans from the depths of my closet and cuffed them. Since we're having a brief respite from the rain, I took my new Topshop wedges for a test spin to break them in. After an hour on my feet shopping for groceries and then lugging the shopping bags up a steep flight of stairs, I'm happy to report that they're both stable and comfortable despite being a vertiginous five inches.

Four Looks for New Years

While a sequin dress or a tuxedo-inspired look might be your top picks for a New Years Eve celebration, why not take inspiration from my recent store photos and opt for something less predictable? A metallic strapless dress, belted one-shoulder tunic, animal print dress, or a strapless rosette style are all equally as festive.

Trend On the Rise - Beautiful Ballerina

With the recent release of Black Swan, in which Natalie Portman portrays a psychologically tortured prima ballerina clad in Rodarte-designed costumes, it's no wonder that ballerina-inspired styles are taking a lead role this winter. Having seen the movie, which I highly recommend, I'm inspired by the pale pink, gray, and white color palette that Portman's character Nina wears throughout the movie. Not to mention the ultra feminine chignons, leg warmers, tulle, and tutus that epitomize the typical ballerina's costume. In keeping with ballet-inspired style, here are six windows filled with tulle, ruffles, and muted hues that I shot this month.

William Rast for Target Fitting Room Review

Despite unrelenting rain and holiday shopping crowds, I broke my no-in-store-shopping-just-before-the-holidays rule and braved two Target stores to browse the William Rast collection and do a fitting room review. As expected, I gravitated more towards the Men's apparel than the Women's, since I found the Women's tank tops, button-front tops, and tees to be lackluster. Perhaps other shoppers agreed with me, since the racks looked fairly clean and well stocked in the late afternoon and evening hours.

I coaxed my boyfriend into trying on a few pieces, including the nylon jacket ($49.99), the plaid and woven shirts (both $34.99), the gray flag tee ($19.99), and some skinny jeans in dark blue and gray ($49.99).

He preferred the heavy feel of the nylon jacket and the gray woven shirt, and noted that the plaid shirts ran small. For reference, he's about 5'10" and wearing size medium in the shirts and jackets, and size 28 in the skinny jeans. In terms of quality, the gray woven top (in the second photo below) is my top pick, since it appeared to be sewn well and made of thick fabric. It also had a decent fit and nice branding of the William Rast (not William Rast for Target) logo on the chest pocket. Despite the fact that we had some problems zipping up the nylon jacket due to the fabric getting stuck in the zipper, it's one of my favorite pieces in the Men's collection. It actually has a double zipper, which can be seen in the fourth photo below. The plaid shirts, on the other hand, struck me as too lightweight for fall or winter, although the chest pocket with the logo was a nice detail. The quality of the denim on the jeans fell short of my expectations due to its lightweight feel. (The Women's denim was heftier.) In addition, the fit of the Men's skinny jeans seemed to run large; they looked more like easy fit than skinny.

Now for the Women's collection. Per usual, I took a few pieces into the fitting room, including the green twill vest ($39.99), the woven blouse in pink ($34.99), the black tuxedo blazer ($49.99), and some bootcut jeans in dark wash ($49.99). Please note that I tried on size small in the tops.

Overall, the "Biker Bohemia" theme of this collection didn't appeal to me, as I would've preferred some feminine dresses or more edgy pieces in this collection. In all honesty, I found the basic tanks, tees, and bottoms to be boring. Studded tanks, skinny cargo pants, and tuxedo jackets have been done to death. Furthermore, I didn't care for the crinkly, semi-shiny polyester used in many of the tops.

This green twill vest was made of 100% cotton and had a nice, tailored fit and great details, but seemed too similar to things I already own. It also reminds me of the Valentino for Gap collection because of the ruffles and peplum details.

I didn't like the crinkly, shiny polyester on this pink top, although I favored the pale color and pearl snap closures.

The tuxedo jacket fit well and had interesting lace-up details on the sleeves and back, but the fabric looked like it would fade after washing.

In terms of quality and fit, the denim pleasantly surprised me, as did the signature William Rast stitching on the back pockets. For reference, I tried on a size 26 (or 5) and folded the hem under a few inches. Since William Rast is known for its denim, I had high expectations for the fit. I was certainly not disappointed. The waistband did not gap, it looked well sewn, and the denim was comfortable and soft without being too stretchy. Although I didn't purchase anything, I might go after the holidays and pick up some jeans.

All words and images © 2010 Fashion Trend Guide.

Holi-Daze

Confession: with the exception of birthdays, I've never been much of a holiday person. When it comes to this time of year, I might even be a self-professed Grinch. (Call me the bad guy...I'm even considering breaking the news to my nephew that Santa is all a big lie. I think he's old enough to handle the truth.) In order to cajole myself into the holiday spirit, I've captured a few holiday-themed displays. A tree and reindeer from Nordstrom's window display and a few over-the-top Christmas looks from Yellowstone Vintage in Santa Barbara are enough to remind me that the holidays are about so much more than wearing red and green, buying gifts, and eating high calorie foods. It's time to appreciate what we have, spend time with those we care about, and celebrate our lives. Here's to wishing happy and safe holidays to all of my readers!

Lace Case

Lace isn't the first fabric or texture that comes to mind when I think of dressing for winter. Its lightweight, peek-a-boo properties belie its seasonal appeal. The beauty of lace lies in its versatility; it contrasts well against heavier, more wintery textures such as faux fur, chunky knits, suede, and velvet. It also adds textural depth and femininity, especially when worn on accessories such as tights. From t-shirts and tights to a zip bustier or frilly dress, below are four ways to incorporate lace textures into your look.

Casual and Cozy

After photographing and editing these windows, I developed an affinity for cozy, casual, layered ensembles. As much as I adore sparkly, glamorous pieces, there's also a time for relaxed, everyday separates. Red, white, and blue anchor these four looks, and the use of accessories channels a relaxed-countryside-meets-Native American vibe. Perfect for lazy days at home spent in front of the fireplace or the TV.

Daydreaming at Devon

I joined forces with Sarah to attend the grand opening of the DEVON flagship boutique hosted by Jessica Stam and Scott Devon in Beverly Hills on Wednesday night. If you've never heard of DEVON, it's a new luxury men's and women's lifestyle collection that offers state-of-the-art timepieces, premium denim, leather, fine jewelry, home furnishings, ready-to-wear, and couture pieces, in addition to the Devon MotorWorks collection. After spotting the likes of Samantha Ronson (who was DJing, of course), Shannen Doherty, Michael Yo, Jessica Stam, Nicky Hilton, and Whitney Port, we munched on snacks, sipped on beverages, and enjoyed ogling the luxurious apparel, sparkly jewelry, provocative motorcycle imagery, and live models. With all of this eye candy present though, my eye was naturally drawn to two things: the glamorous gowns on display and the statement footwear worn by many women in attendance. Admittedly, I'm addicted to both sequins and shoes. (Did I mention that I'm actually more interested in photographing the clothing than the celebrities wearing them?) As we browsed the goods and wandered around the futuristic 10,000 square-foot space, I began to enjoy watching everybody watch everybody. Even though the merchandise on display is beyond my budget, one can still appreciate its beauty and continue to daydream, right?