Tag Archives: kim kardashian
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Trend Alert: Why Rich New Yorkers love the “do it yourself” aestheic of the Rough-Luxe trend….

10 Jan
Français : Escarpin ouvert "peep toe"...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just for laughs, some priceless quotes from an  article on ” Brooklyn scruff”  a.k.a the  “Rough-Luxe” trend in the New York Observer

“The other day, an older man, the kind who wouldn’t be caught dead with Chanel because that’s too nouveau-riche for him—old-school, real true Upper East Side—was name-dropping a restaurant on Smith Street. . .I was amazed that Brooklyn was even part of his universe.”–Jonathan Butler, founder of Brownstoner.com and the Brooklyn Flea Market, who grew up on the Upper East Side and said he went to Brooklyn “maybe five times” before he was 21.

“None of my clients want Christian Louboutin shoes anymore, because the Kardashians are clomping around in them at breakfast.”–Jesse Garza, co-founder of luxury lifestyle consultancy Visual Therapy, quoted in the same article.

If these guys want to get real nouveau-crunchy, they should come up to Easthampton, and other points Western Mass.  We could teach them a thing or two, I’m sure….

H/T to this post on the “Rough-Luxe” trend at Fashionista

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Kardashian may mis-label new size 8-16 collection “plus size”

14 Nov

Apparently, Kim Kardashian (or whomever is responsible for the atrocious Kardashian Kollection) doesn’t know her Misses from her Plus sizes.  A recent post about  the new Kardashian Kurves Kollection* on Plus Model Magazine notes that the collection’s size range runs from 8 to 16, yet an earlier story in E! says the three jeans styles in the collection will range from size 18-24.

So, what’s the real deal with the size range of this new collection (kollection?)  The latest incarnation of the Kardashian Kollection homepage on the Sears.com website is a little tricky to navigate, with click-throughs going nowhere–but lots of promotion to follow them on Facebook and other social networking sites.  What I did learn from the site is that the Kardashian Kurves collection currently features jeans only.  I can’t seem to shop any other potential styles in the collection to ascertain  whether the dresses, tops, etc.  offered are in Misses or Junior sizes….

However, when the KK  Kollection first appeared in Sears this past summer, the cuts were most noticeably Juniors and not Misses.  The styles were very club-oriented and casual, and didn’t seem like anything one might wear to a day job.

Around the same time, Mamma K. launched a small collection for us oldsters that hearkened back to the 1980′s with lots of horizontal black and white stripes and black in general.  It seemed pretty boring to me.

But back to the sizing thing.  Let’s make a few things clear:  size 8 is not a Plus size.  Never ever.  So for all y’all that freak out when you get into double-digit sizes, because anything double-digit means Plus to you, don’t freak.   Size 10 isn’t even plus size.  Neither is size 12.  The only time that 10 an 12 might verge on plus is in Junior sizes–but those are the odd-number sized clothes, so no need to really worry.  When it comes to small-medium-large, look to see if extra-small and extra-large are offered.  In this case, the extra-large could range up to an 18.  How do I know?  Lots and lots of trying stuff on.  I know that, for the most part, I am usually a size 12 or 14 on the bottom and a 14 or 16 on top because of my 38G chest.  But I’m not an 18.  So, it essentially comes down to this:  use the size on the tag only as a guideline, not as a proclamation on your weight.  Get to know a designer,  manufacturer or store and how they define your size range.  For me, I know I can range from a large to an extra-large depending on those three factors (designer, manufacturer and/or store)  This will cut down on the time needed to try things on and will make online shopping for items not in your size in the store much, much easier.

As for the Kardashian Kollection….well, whether it’s Kurves or not, I won’t be shopping that collection.  The lack of sophistication and utter lack of real style (not to mention cheapness of material) are the key factors that make this a no-shop collection.  Sorry K-ladies!

*FWIW I’m really tired of the”K” thing.  It’s obnoxious and looks ignorant.

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? )

How to fix Kris Jenner’s latest fashion faux pas

24 Mar

Ah, the Kardashians!  We, the people, have probably had enough of them, but the gossip press sure hasn’t.  The latest was a smack in the tush to K-Momma Kris Jenner for this outfit, which was described as “too young for her age”.   Most of the criticism of the outfit was levelled at the pants.   Those, however, seem the least egregious to me.  After all, you can find that color in pretty much any “old lady” department.  So, I’m certainly not offended by the color–and quite glad they aren’t embroidered with little penguins or umbrellas all over them.

Likewise the black tee isn’t a faux pas.  It’s your usual tee, no biggie.

Where, then, does the outfit start to fall apart?  It’s the accessories!  Let’s start with the shoes:

OMG, where *does* one start with these fashion travesties!  Leopard clogs with something like a six-inch heel.  You have *got* to be joking.  This style, as well as the huge-heeled covered wedge shoes (which I like to refer to as “Frankenstein boots”) and sky-high pumps are, for most occasions, for the young. They tend to give one’s feet an outsized Olive Oyl/Minnie Mouse/Daisy Duck appearance,  and appear to be oh so cute on,  skinny girls in very, very short skirts.

In a term, they’re ugly, and don’t compliment the  pants, esp. if you’re out running errands.  Who wants to run errands in six-inch heels??  Either a flat (if one insists on leopard) or  a mid-heel neutral toned pump would look great with this kind of pant.

The next set of accessories send the death knell to the outfit:

Oh, gosh, where do we start!  First, the hat: what we would call a fedora and the Daily Mail UK calls a trilby.  Whether trilby or fedora, it actually ages Jenner, whom the Daily Mail describes as looking “much younger than her 56 years” (and she might if she laid off half the accessories she’s sporting.)

Next, let’s tackle 3 in succession:  earrings, bag and jacket.  The earrings simply look trashy, as if they came from a Claire’s shop in the local mall.  Sure, wear a big dangling earring if you like, but not a pair that would look better on someone in high school.  The bag, too, is cheap-looking.  Perhaps an oversize bag is great for shopping, but between the leopard heels and the pink pants, a silver over-sized bag is over-kill.   And then the cropped jacket.  Well, at any age, unless you are wildly thin, a cropped jacket will make your rear end look larger than that of the average school bus.   If you have a penchant for motorcycle jackets–even if you don’t own one–an average length men’s style would have looked better here.  Or, quite frankly, a tuxedo-style suit jacket couldn’t go wrong.

Now, take a look at how daughter Kim accessorized an equally bright pair of blue denims: In this case, daughter really does know best:  Kim wears flat sandals with a matching large bag, light-colored neutral toned tee, cropped tuxedo style jacket, and simple large hoop earrings.  The outfit looks just as effortless and far more polished…..

Which brings up one of my most important points for women over 40:  When dressing in trends, make sure you do not look like a throwback to your teens or 20′s.  Kris’s tough chick black-silver-leopard accessories in many, many ways give the look an 80′s gloss.  Nothing will age a woman more than futile attempts to replay her past in her current wardrobe.

Which reminds me:  K-Momma might want to think about getting that signature black dyed short haircut a rest.  That’s another 80′s style relic.  I did it too, back in the ’80′s,  but would never, never think of going back to that.  My gosh! It would be like wearing a pompadour with a fishtail!  While it may look cute and retro on someone in her 20′s,  it won’t make anyone in her 50′s look cute.  She’ll look just retro–like a puffy-sleeved dress in an antique clothing store.

SO…..the moral of the story is:  it’s not the pop-of-color pants that cause the fashion faux pas, it’s the poorly chosen and badly matched 80′s influenced accessories.  If you feel you’d like a pair of brights, go right ahead, but make sure you accessorize in a polished, modern way.

ShoeDazzle.com Update: 3 Reasons why I haven’t ordered yet

28 Dec

I joined ShoeDazzle.com back in May, and have yet to place an order.   There are 2 reasons for this and most of them came to me well before the rumors of a Kardashian sweat shop in China and child labor cropped up.

First, consider the $39.95 price.   After over six months of reviewing a variety of styles, most of the shoe materials are “man-made.”   When photos of products are enlarged to view them better, the quality of the workmanship appears to be comparable to a $24.95 pair of shoes from Payless.

Second, many of the heels are either incredibly high or incredibly frumpy.  It’s not that I’m such an “old lady” that I don’t wear high-heeled platforms.  In fact, I have several pairs of well-made, high quality platform shoes with 4.5 inch heels.  I’m not about to risk my ankles to a pair of high, high heels when the surface workmanship doesn’t appear to be all that stellar. And order a lower heeled shoe?  Have you seen them?  Many of the lower-heel styles look like they came from the back of my closet–in the 1980s.  I will make an exception for the flats, some of which are rather cute, but the site does not offer a view of the interior of the shoes.  With flats, I like to see how they are stitched and what the insoles looks like.  I may, however, take a chance with a pair of flats.

Third, many of the styles are downright ugly or appear more than once under different names.  Just look at Rika and Mayci.  Same shoe, different material. 

I’m less than impressed…..

As for other products on the ShoeDazzle.com site, well, the one purse that I thought I might like to order, a small evening bag with a skull clasp that resembled this Alexander McQueen skull clasp bag sold out in no time flat.  All the other styles of bags and jewelry have left me feeling, well, kind of flat.  Not anything I would necessarily carry nor wear.

Bottom line:  I’m not all that thrilled with ShoeDazzle.com, and my expectations for its products are not real high.  That being the case, perhaps I won’t be too disappointed.  Except perhaps by the price.

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