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Looking for the perfect designer cocktail dress? Try MissesDressy.com!

12 Dec

Around this time of year, every magazine says, “of course you have to have that perfect cocktail dress.”   And every year I wonder “what the heck constitutes a cocktail dress?”   It’s not just wondering what makes a cocktail dress, but where can I find one that suits my body as well as my particular taste (which sometimes has nothing to do with what’s at the mall.)   That’s when I discovered MissesDressy.com’s cocktail dresses*.

When I explored the site, I was amazed by the selection!  Not to mention that I got a quick education on the varieties

my personal favorite from Tadash Shoji collection

my personal favorite from Tadash Shoji collection–in that perfect Pantone Color 17-5641 for 2013!

of cocktail dresses.  Everything from short-short, low back, and jewel-encrusted to the simple “little black dress.”   Dresses by some of the biggest designers, including Tadashi Shoji, who designed the dress Octavia Spencer wore to the 2012 Oscars (you can even purchase a version of it on the site) and Jovani, whose dresses are worn by Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, and other hot, young celebs.   Each dress page features a size chart unique to that designer, and size conversion charts for both U.K. and European sizing.  You’ll be surprised the size ranges for some of the designers. There’s a video on each page as well, that demonstrates exactly how to take your measurements–always a good thing if you’re going to order online.

So, how do you know that you’re getting the right dress from the designer and not a knockoff?   On each page, you will seeauthorized dealer seal this gold symbol that says “Authorized Dealer.”  Click on the seal and you will find out how MissesDressy.com became a genuine Authorized Dealer for their incredible collection.

gorgeous! Jovani mermaid style gown for prom

gorgeous! Jovani mermaid style gown for prom

Oh, and while you’re checking for cocktail dresses, you might want to take a look at the Prom Dresses–including up-to-the-minute 2013 dresses– for anyone you might know who’ll be going to the prom this year.

MissesDressy.com has a call-in number if you’d like to order by phone, as well as online chat customer service.  They accept payment through PayPal, and payment is verified and secured through PayPal.  Many styles are available for immediate shipping–otherwise feel free to ask when your dress will arrive.  You can follow them also on Facebook and Twitter, and read their blog.

*this is a sponsored post for MissesDressy.com

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Is your favorite magazine a “fashion” mag or a “lifestyle” mag?

14 Nov

Maybe it’s just me, but every month, when I’m looking for material that’s going to help me figure out the latest trends, what might work for my body and so forth, I get a little overwhelmed.  There’s so much information out there, so many magazines that are marketed as fashion magazines, but often prove to be disappointments once I get them home.  I’m sure some of you feel the same way (“why did I waste that $6 on a copy of…….”)   So, here’s a quick run-down on some of what’s out there on the magazine stands, and how to spot a hardcore fashion magazine when you see one.

Cosmopolitan (magazine)

Let’s start with a standard: Cosmopolitan. Cosmo lists itself as a magazine “for women” that features “fashion, sex advice, and dating tips.”   Yet upon close examination,  the age Cosmo considers women is 18-34, and there is evidence it may be reaching for the top-tier of a younger demographic.  Guess the rest of us–those of us over 34–kind of don’t count as women??  Aside from that, with just a cursory glance of the cover headlines we can see that the magazine is more about sex advice,  psychoanalizing the behaviors of guys, with a sprinkling of career advice and a few bits of fashion.  Overall, if I’m looking for strictly fashion, I might not want to consider Cosmo because it slants heavily towards lifestyle rather than fashion.

Cosmo, however, is not alone among the mags aimed at the 18-34 age demographic.  Many have a heavy focus on sex and dating advice, as well as on issues of building a career and so forth, with fashion as something of a secondary focus.

As for magazines for women out of the 18-34 age demographic, many of them are lifestyle magazines with a smattering of fashion as well–only they are advertised more as lifestyle magazines.  A little less confusion there.  So when I purchase a Real Simple magazine, I know that I’m going to get a lot of recipes (I usually buy it for recipes) and a little bit of information on fashion for the season, what beauty products hot to purchase from the local drugstore or specialty store.  And I’m going to get a bunch of overly-long (IMO) feature stories on personal experiences of mothers, single mothers, women and their relationships with their mothers, and so forth.   Considering the target demographic ranges from 25 to at least 60, it is more than likely publishing the kinds of information that many women in that demographic are looking for in a lifestyle magazine.

I’m not looking for lifestyle information. My lifestyle is a little different from what I ‘m going to see in the pages of lifestyle magazines, so I don’t care to read about the experiences published in their pages I’m looking for hardcore fashion.  And not “fast fashion” like I’d find in H&M or Forever 21. Or celebrity style information–who’s wearing what and when.  I’m looking for real fashion–for information on collections coming out, and for what’s on the runways. I’m looking for solid information that’s going to help me “forecast” my wardrobe.

At first, one might think I’d go to Vogue–but not necessarily so.   The average age of a typical Vogue reader is 37, so Vogue would be a good choice.  However, when an article on full-figured women considered a 34D to be “large” I had to kind of laugh, and stopped taking Vogue all that seriously.  Plus, I’m not all that interested in their celebrity coverage.
However, a good foundation of reading Vogue when I was young–in my 20′s–really did help me to develop a good eye for spotting trends.  So, I can’t say that Vogue is all that bad.

Right now, the best of the hardcore fashion magazines–without going for that subscription to Women’s Wear Daily– would be Harper’s Bazaar and W.  Yes, W’s fancy-schmancy celebrity pictorials can make me want to wretch, but overall, there’s some really edgy fashion and style  info in W–fantastic info on art exhibits, too.  Yes, it’s a bit snobbish, but it’s as hardcore in its fashion as they come.  Perhaps W could be referred to as the magazine for those who want fashion to actually be their lifestyle (although that’s pretty tough to maintain.

Harper’s Bazaar has a few similarities to W, but without the pretensions.  As I have become more acquainted with  HB, it’s become a most enjoyable true monthly fashion read.  Not surprisingly then, the average age of a HB reader is 40, with a median income in the high $60Ks (I also read  in another piece that readers are also primarily single.)   Harper’s Bazaar most definitely hardcore fashion–consisting of a lot of ads, short and snappy lifestyle related articles but no real heavy lifestyle advice oriented articles (whew!)

UK Harper's Bazaar

(Photo credit: sassattack)hardcore as they come.

Another personal favorite is InStyle.    Yes, InStyle gets a little celebrity crazy sometimes, but more often than not, I’m able to see lots and lots of great fashion and lots of little pictorials on trends and what’s coming up.  It’s one of the more “chock full” magazines than some of the others, which makes it a pleasure to read (not to mention its great special feature publications, which come out at various times of the year, such as their makeover issue which came out in September.)  Another plus to InStyle is that it shows women of varying ages and varying body types.  Novel concept!
So, if you want to get the most hardcore fashion information, the stuff that’s going to help you build your wardrobe from season to season, and don’t give a whit about lifestyle articles (because you’re pretty happy with yours as it is) then stick to Harper’s Bazaar, W, and InStyle.  You’ll save yourself lots of aggravation and gain some great fashion knowledge.

(Altbough few of these magazines give information on fashion as an industry.  If you want that information, you have to go to WWD or to a whole bunch of business sites for their retail business reports.  I tend to think that maybe the powers that be who are designing the editorial direction of lots of magazines believe their readers aren’t interested in industry information.  They might, however, be surprised.)

I <3 People StyleWatch!

21 Oct

I read a boatload of fashion magazines every month (the recycling guys *love* me)  and most of them seem more like young women’s lifestyle mags than fashion mags.  For pure fashion, and fashion only–or mostly–I turn to People StyleWatch.While the website is a bit more participatory community and celeb watching than I like, the monthly print magazine never disappoints.  The November issue offers an amazingly wide range of looks,  for a cross-section of body types, with great features like What a Difference…(a “this works” v. “this doesn’t” feature)  and Nothing over $10!.  That’s another thing I love about PSW: it’s not fixated on pushing big-ticket purchases on readers.  There’s always a great cross-section of price points for every kind of style or make-up item offered.  It is perhaps my favorite monthly mag read (although they could bring some older celebs in every now and then.)  So if you want the good and bad of every trend, recommendations for new beauty products in your price range, and lots URLs of new e-commerce fashion sites, check  People StyleWatch!

The Last Word on Shoe Clubs: ShoeDazzle, JustFab, and ShoeMint

17 Oct

So, for close to a year now I’ve been enrolled in ShoeDazzle, JustFab, and ShoeMint, three of the Internet-based shoe clubs that trade on celebrity endorsement to sell shoes ranging from $39.99 to $79.99.   To be honest, I haven’t orded a thing from any of them.  Here’s why:

UPDATE 2/22/13: Go here to read how ShoeDazzle.com has made many big changes, including Rachel Zoe as their Chief Stylist ShoeDazzle boasts Kim Kardashian as its celebrity spokesperson and offers bags and jewelry as well as shoes.  I have been less than impressed with the styles of the shoes–either high-high heels or flats–and the quality of the materials.  Usually I will magnify and inspect the shoes further, and find that the workmaship is on par with a pair of man-made material shoes that I might find at another low-cost all retailer.  The bags and jewlery too do not impress.

 JustFab  provides members with style videos from Kimora Lee Simmons, and rocker chic styles from IronFist and Avril Lavigne’s Abbey Dawn brand.  Now, I’ve got to say that I love the Iron Fist shoes (not so much the co-ordinating bags) but with my clubbing days behind me, a kitschy IronFist purchase doesn’t make sense for me.  There are a bit on the high price side as well.  The quality of many of the offerings also seems equal to mall-based low-cost retailers and mid-price department stores.  Not for me, but if you’re a quirky rocker girl, have fun!

ShoeMint  sucked me in after I enrolled in StyleMint, the tee shirt club fronted by the Olsen twins.  ShoeMint’s celebrity is Rachel Bilson–who I know mostly from that Magnum Ice Cream commercial.  But ShoeMint doesn’t need celebrities:  the shoes are gorgeous, high quality, runway-styled beauties.  If it says they are suede, you can bet you’ll get suede.  As if that wasn’t enough,  top shoe designer/craftsman Steve Madden worked with Bislson and stylist Nicole Chavez to produce the styles  (I am a major Steve Madden shoe fan.  Perhaps the

Love these ’20′s inspired suede beauties! The Lorena from Shoemint.

most comfortable heels in my collection are from Steve Madden. The quality can’t be beat.)   And if I had the $79.98,  I would order this pair post haste!  However, being mostly a humble blogger and writer, my budget is drastically restricted this year.  Although given the visible quality and craftsmanship of  ShoeMint’s offerings, I would be more likely to buy from this club than the others.

So, that’s my final word on shoe clubs until I actually order something from ShoeMint (or somebody sends me a pair :) Never know.  A girl can wish, can’t she? )

“The Sartorialist” photographer Scott Schuman thinks older women are “vain” (really now….)

31 Aug

When I was a much younger woman, there was rarely a time when there wasn’t a camera in my face.  Not that I was a fashion model, mind you.  I was indeed quite beautiful–and, when we’re young, we tend to take more pictures of one another for some reason.  There were times when it was totally maddening.  So it’s no surprise that young women–who look good in just about any light and any pose–would, more than likely allow someone like Scott Schuman to photograph them for his famous fashion blog The Sartorialist, especially if being photographed by friends is a natural part of their world.

maybe it’s not older women who don’t like to be photographed, but something about Scott Schuman that isn’t truly open to the prospect of making them look beautiful.  So it’s no surprise that young women–who look good in just about any light and any pose–would let someone like Scott Schuman photograph them for his famous fashion blog The Sartorialist.

Yet I was shocked that Schuman would make a comment that older women, because we might not want our picture taken by him for his blog, are “vain”.  Honestly, when I’m feeling pretty good about myself, I don’t mind someone taking my picture, and I know other older women who feel the same way.  No Scott, we’re not “vain.”  However, we  know a few things about our appearances, how we don’t look great in every light,  and how vicious online comments can be, so that we might indeed turn you down for those reasons. If you can’t really fathom the reasons, here’s a few explanations to help you out:

First, lots of us know about the uncivil world of online commenting, Scott.   If online commenters can pick apart young starlets for their “fat” or whatever other projected appearance flaws, we older women fully know that we will be called “old bags,” “wrinkled,”  “fat,”  or any other nasty thing that nasty, bitchy little online people can think of.  Older women, even when not photographed are often criticized for how we dress and how we look simply because we are no longer young and beautiful.  And we feel that there’s no reason on God’s green earth that we need to subject ourselves to nonsense.

Second: we know how much we’ve changed since we were young.  And sometimes it’s kind of shocking to see oneself in a photograph.  Even if it’s not, we don’t necessarily feel that we care to expose our changes to a bunch of people who live in a world that is amazingly catty and bitchy and is itself quite vain (re the fashion world.)

Third:  many of us, who were possibly photographed like crazy when we were young, remember when we looked great even in the worst picture.  We were young, and beautiful, and every kind of light and pose was flattering.  HOWEVER, now that we’ve got a few wrinkles and bulges and such, we know that certain angles of light aren’t the most flattering.  We know that smeared lipstick on a young woman can be “cute,” but on us it can make us look crazy.  We know that our glasses might help us see the computer, but might look uber-non-flattering otherwise.  We might also simply be on our way to doing something better and really and truly do not have the time to stop for you…..

Yet there’s one other thing that those of us among the much-photographed know:  if a photographer does not like us, or does not have a friendly rapport with us, our picture will be less than flattering.  Therefore, if you, Scott Schuman, are approaching older women with a particular attitude, or preconceived notion, that we are “vain” then we just might sense that, through your lens, you will see us in a most unflattering way.  Your pictures will then show us in the way that you, deep down in your sub or un-conscious see us–and this may be totally and wholly untrue.  You might even project on to us your own insecurities over getting old and then the world will see us in that light.

Yes, Scott–some of us know that a photograph isn’t *just* a photograph, and that the relationship between subject and artist is what creates the image.  We know that a photographic image is a complex amalgam of us and you.  If we get a sense that you are not with us in some way, we will say no.

So, if you’d like to get more pictures of older women for The Sartorialist, please change your attitude a bit about older women, and project that when you approach them.  You may find that, if you are kind, if you are caring about the light around them, how they are posed, and genuinely like them, that they will say yes to you.  If Ari Seth Cohen can do it with Advanced Style, so can you.

(oh, and I’d dare you to do a photo shoot with me, but, hey, you’d probably see me as a fat, boring old lady.)

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