HELLO, MIDRIFF! GOODBYE, BELLY BUTTON!

Remember the belly button? That thing on your stomach that sits there and is visible when your midriff is shown? According to the new styles that some designers are designing, the midriff is going into a bit of a hibernation. The Spring collections found everyone from the Mulleavy sisters at Rodarte to the Donatella Versace at Versace showing suggestive slices of toned midriffs. Unlike the bandeau and lingerie-inspired looks that have been done in the past, designers were very careful to expose just the right proportion of skin.

For Vena Cava's Sophia Buhai and Lisa Mayock, the key is keeping the belly button hidden. Apparently, they think that "showing the lower portion of your midriff is tacky, but the upper portion feels very chic, something Bette Davis would've done with high-waisted shorts and a printed bandeau." Goodbye, belly button!

Image Source: http://www.style.com/stylefile/2010/11/the-exposed-midriff-innie-or-outie/

GOOGLE'S NEW DIGITAL MALL

Yahoo! Fashion, Digital Journal, Fashionista, LA Times Blog, Tech Land and other online blogs and news websites have been talking about Google's new online boutique. Today, www.Boutiques.com, an online shop that matches hot fashions to women's tastes, was launched into the world of haute couture. It is a website that is only available in the United States and is limited to women's fashion.

According to Google product management director, Munjal Shah, style-conscious U.S. women can now create their own online boutiques or browse collections put together by celebrities, designers, and fashion bloggers. Boutiques use computer vision and machine learning technologies to match a woman's taste with clothing or accessories that she might find tempting. I was able to get fashion trend-setters and spotters to share top picks and to teach the website what they liked when it came to styles.

I checked out the website earlier today and I rather enjoyed what the website had to offer. I believe that there is something there on the website for everyone. Check out the website today!

Image Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/210904/google_gets_into_high_fashion_with_boutiquescom.html

SNUGGIES SCREAM, "JINGLE BELLS!"

Are Snuggies a fad or are they a fashion? Snuggies, the warm, yet unattractive blankets with sleeves, now have even more patterns and styles for men, women, teenagers, and children. Snuggies just released their new holiday video that I find both hilarious, yet scary. Maybe Snuggies are becoming a fashion trend. Who knows?

Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDbjTlpzsik&feature=player_embedded

THE NOPA: A STYLISH BACKSAVER

I like backpacks, but I absolutely hate carrying a heavy backpack. Ironically, it is almost impossible for me to carry a light backpack because I love to fit as much stuff as I can in my backpack, which includes my heavy laptop. The solution? Buy a laptop bag!

When searching for the perfect laptop bag, I look at the size, color, material, compartments, and at the uniqueness of the design. I ended up buying a white Acme Made: THE NOPA designer laptop bag.

The Nopa laptop bag is a new design by Acme Made (designed in San Francisco) that is wrapped entirely of water and stain resistant new Bombshell technical fabric. The unique tri-fold design let's you bundle anything from a jacket to books to a skateboard along with your laptop. At first, I didn't believe that this laptop bag was really able to hold so much, but so little in the bag. I have been using this bag for the past couple days and I must say that this bag is light, reliable, and it holds up to three notebooks along with a calculator, pens, and a laptop. This bag costs $49.99 with an additional $10.00 for shipping. I personally found the bag at another site for a much cheaper price, but I'll leave that up to you. Either way, this bag is worth it.

Image Source: http://www.acmemade.com/product/The-Nopa,44,9.htm

BEST FASHION TUMBLRS TO FOLLOW NOW

In a recent blog post at Refinery.com, Kat George and Connie Wang rated their top five favorite fashion Tumblr blogs. Of the five, SHOELUST, Textbook, Today I Bought, Fuck Yeah Menswear, and The Impossible Cool made the list. My personal favorite is is Today I Bought. Katie Evans, the blogger of Today I Bought, is a graphic designer at Kate Spade in New York. As written on her "About Me" on her blog, she "draws things that bring her delight" and will sometimes buy things so she can draw them on her blog! Here are a few drawings that she has posted this past week.

November 10, 2010

November 13, 2010

November 15, 2010

If you want to see more of Katie's work, check out her website by clicking here and check out her twitter by clicking here!

Image Source: http://todayibought.tumblr.com/
Reblogged from Kat George & Connie Wang at http://www.refinery29.com/the-best-fashion-twitters-to-follow-now.php

ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET!

It's pretty difficult when sharing a closet in college with your roommate, especially when you have several items of clothing along with accessories and more. Glam.com recently posted a blog on how to, "Organize Your Closet With These Five Essentials."

The five essentials include:

1. Dress Protectors: Using clear bags is recommended because you'll know exactly what is in each bag. Dress protectors keep all formal wear from being dirty or dusty.

2. Clear Shoe Boxes: A suggestion is to take photos of shoes and put them on the outside of each box so its easy to put shoes away and find them later. These boxes can also be used to organize a million other household items.

3. Shelf Dividers: These are perfect for keeping your purses, pants and sweaters in order. Handbags are always an organizational challenge, but I find standing them up on a shelf works best.

4. Bins: Label your bins! Use separate bins for socks, undergarments, pantyhose, hats, and other miscellaneous items that may not have a home.

5. Uniform Hangers: Using the same hangers will give you a tidier and neater look in your closet.

Hopefully this helps in organizing your closet space!

Image Source: http://fashion.glam.com/2010/11/10/organize-your-closet-with-these-five-essentials/
Rebloged from Glam.com

JAY-Z SCAVENGER HUNT

On November 16th, Jay-Z is launching his first book, "Decoded" with pages of the book hidden in places that are meaningful to him. This includes imprinting the bottom of the pool in the Delano hotel in Miami and underneath plates at the Spotted Pig in New York City. The clues to their locations were revealed on Jay-Z.com, a Bing site, and Jay-Z's Facebook and Twitter pages - and discoveries win prizes, too. On Thursday, November 11th, Gucci revealed that two pages of the book were located in the windows of its Fifth flagship store, printed in the lining of a leather bomber jacket. But don't get your hopes up! When the book is said to be released, the jacket will be gifted to Jay-Z himself.

Reblogged from Connie Wang at http://www.refinery29.com/

Image Source: http://www.refinery29.com

SEASONS ARE CHANGING

When I wake up in the morning, I always take a step out onto my balcony to see what the weather is like. I woke up this morning at nine o' clock am to clear skies and sunshine. To my surprise, it was freezing outside! While waiting at the bus stop, layered in a t-shirt, sweater, and my Northface jacket, I noticed that a lot of young women were starting to break out with their pea coats. As I got onto campus, I saw pea coats in every direction. It seems like pea coats are making their way from the Midwest to the West Coast this season! A week ago, All Women Stalk posted a blog on the "7 Best Pea Coats for Fall..." and I recognized quite a few styles that are featured in this blog. Check it out for yourself by clicking the link below. Ladies and gentlemen, get ready. It's pea coat season!

7 Best Pea Coats for Fall...

Image Source: http://allwomenstalk.com/7-best-pea-coats-for-fall/2/

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - MORRIS & TERRY

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to intern with Morris & Terry, a start-up, organic, sustainable clothing line for children based in Sacramento, California. All of their clothes are designed and manufactured in the United States with organic or environmentally conscious materials. Any unused fabrics are made into accessories. Terry Buccat and Marisa Minasian, the founders and designers of Morris & Terry, see children as agents of change and believe that the greatest impact begins with them. Morris & Terry believe that giving back to the community is the core of their mission and they are committed to creating an alliance with foster youth. They are dedicated to benefit children from multiple walks of life.

"Our looks and stories are meant to encourage children to discover the world around them, and to realize that they are capable of making positive changes on the planet and their communities."

Check out Morris & Terry's Fall 2010 Collection, which is now available online at their website, www.morrisandterry.com.

Image Source: www.morrisandterry.com