Monday, October 22, 2012

Goodies to accompany a lovely autumn day

It's mid-October, AKA 'The best time of the year', AKA autumn. The weather is perfect, it's football season, mother nature looks glorious, pumpkin-scented everything is available to buy, and Halloween is right around the corner. People are just happier during fall.

As such, it makes perfect sense to properly indulge in this much-too-short season. Here are some goodies to help you and friends revel in the glory of autumn.

I love the warmth of fall scents, whether it be pumpkin, burning leaves, apple pie, tailgating, and more, so here are a few ways to pamper oneself while luxuriating in those delicious aromas.

Philosophy Maple Cake shower gel

 

Philosophy Homemade Pumpkin Pie shower gel



Philosophy Trick or Treat shower gel set



Philosophy QVC three-part fall shower gel


Lush 'Wicked' bath bomb



China Glaze Wicked Collection




And it wouldn't be a proper fall celebration without food and drink to munch on and imbibe, so here are some ideas of what could consist of a splendid autumnal feast.


Williams-Sonoma Mulling Spice & Apple Cider







Williams-Sonoma Spiced Pecan Pumpkin Quick Mix



Crate & Barrel Sweet Pumpkin Pesto





Amy's Cookies Autumn Tower



Warwick Valley Winery - Doc's hard ciders



Schlafly Pumpkin Ale




And then onto the entertainment. Whether it be a classic, feel-good movie or a sleep-with-the-light-on thriller, make sure to bring out a movie, show, or book that will keep the autumn spirit alive.


Practical Magic




Hocus Pocus 



Halloween






House of Leaves


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Fashion Week Olympics - Which city wins gold?

Fashion month is the jam-packed time a few times per year where hundreds of designers present their runway shows in one of several international cities. Though many countries host their own fashion week in order to showcase offerings from native designers, the four main venues that host well-known talent are New York, London, Milan, and Paris. As pictures, reviews, and videos of the designs, backstage commotion, and front rows of every show are delivered instantaneously to eager, global audiences, this month can be as exhausting as it is exhilarating. I, for one, was guilty of experiencing anxiety when I wasn't able to check my phone or computer for hours while at work, as I knew that style.com and New York Magazine's The Cut would have already posted  several new blog articles and runway pictures and I was dying to scroll through the new content.

The fun part about checking out fashion week pictures is being able to play judge and jury, similar to the way audiences decree which films look worthy enough to see when viewing previews at a movie theater. More and more websites are foregoing the act of waiting to post runway pictures until an accompanying review is able to be displayed alongside it. Instead, live streamed videos and pictures are posted alongside a small blip which reveals that the review will be posted later (after a writer has had time to write it). Everyone wants to see things nownownownow, which means that we can no longer wait for a style writer to compose a stream of sentences to sum up the feel and look of a designer's collection before we actually see pictures and make our own opinions. And I'll admit that when a slew of new shows roll in, my scrolling finger gets its fair share of exercise as I vie to see every.single.look from every.single.show two.times.through.

As the shows roll in and we see trends popping up, it's fun to compare designer's seasonal aesthetics against each other.

Which designer's use of lace was preferred? 
Whose equestrian-chic undertone was most appealing?
Which grunge throwback was most appreciated?

And so on.

Here are a few trends with offerings presented from various designers, with various cities; designers being compared. In this international fashion match-up, who gets your vote for each trend?


1. Best Little White Dress (LWD)

New York: Robert Rodriguez via Style






















London: Temperley London via The Cut\






















Milan: Blugirl via The Cut






















Paris: Elie Saab via The Cut






















2. Best Menswear

New York: DKNY via The Cut






















Milan: Salvatore Ferragamo via The Cut






















Paris: Saint Lauren via The Cut






















3. Best Mod

New York: Kate Spade via The Cut 






















Milan: Moschino via The Cut






















Paris: Louis Vuitton via Style






















4. Best Print

New York: Mara Hoffman via The Cut






















London: Erdem via Style






















Milan: Mila Schon via The Cut






















Paris: Christophe Lemaire via Style






















5. Best shoes

New York: Narciso Rodriguez via The Cut






















London: Tom Ford via The Cut






















Milan: Versace via The Cut






















Paris: Elie Saab via The Cut






















6. Best peplum

New York: Christian Siriano via The Cut






















London: Peter Pilotto via The Cut






















Milan: John Richmond via The Cut






















Paris: Giambattista Valli via The Cut 






















7. Best blazer

New York: Donna Karan via The Cut






















London: Antonio Berardi via Style






















Milan: Just Cavalli via Style






















Paris: Paul and Joe via The Cut






















8. Best glitz

New York: Marchesa via Style






















London: Giles via Style






















Paris: Talbot Runhof via The Cut






















9. Best gown

New York: Zac Posen via The Cut






















London: Antonio Berardi via Style






















Paris: Elie Saab via Style