Fashion Hookup

Keeping You Up On The Latest Fashions

Is Anna Wintour The Worst Dressed For 2008?

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The fashion police were out for the end-of-year judgements and you’ll never guess who made it to the Worst Dressed list of Time Magazine…..Anna Wintour, Vogue editor and Meryl Streep’s inspiration in The Devil Wears Prada. Yes, the silver monstrosity by Lagerfeld she wore at the Costume Institute Gala was certainly a faux pas, but to give her credit, the theme was “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy”.

More unlikely A-listers who made it to the bad list included:

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow came in fourth with the transparent lace basque Antonio Berardi dress she donned at the Paris premiere of Two Lovers in November.

The ensemble – which showed part of her breasts, thighs and even her white underwear – was slammed by fashionistas.

Position number seven was awarded to Katie Holmes for the white silk jumpsuit and black lacy top combination she wore to the opening of her play All My Sons last month.

Surprisingly the badly-received outfit wasn’t the fault of an expensive designer; it was designed by Mrs Cruise herself.

Others in the top ten include Paula Abdul, Kate Bosworth and Beyonce.

The Tulip Skirt Trend: How To Buy and Wear One

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Given the choice between skinny jeans and a skirt, I’ll always take the skirt. No matter how many times I tried, wearing skinny, nearly painted-on jeans always made me feel incredibly uncomfortable and not very feminine.  More Jim Morrison than Audrey Hepburn.

So anyway, when the latest skirt trend this autumn came in the form of the tulip, I was excited. What a lovely name, if not for anything else. But what is a tulip skirt? Its a skirt which is obviously shaped like the famous flower from Holland.  Cinched at the waist, ballooning slightly outwards in the middle, tapering down.

Now many fashion bloggers have attested that this style is NOT for the average woman (read: over size 4), as it has a tendency to make the hips larger.  But I beg to differ.  In fact, there are a multitude of styles of tulip skirts out there, and provided you find the right one that suits your body type, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one in your wardrobe.

To get an idea of this, check out Styleshop.  Here you’ll see what I’m talking about.  If you’re happy with your legs, you could try the fun mid-thigh soft, wooly version by Urban Outfitters, a steal at $48.  For a more glam look, Banana Republic has a longer, purple one in taffeta perfect for the holidays, or if you feel like a splurge, Marc Jacob’s silky heart-print with black belt could be ideal.

But before you buy, its always a good idea to try on first.  So browse through your neighborhood shops and see what style suits you best.  And don’t forget these great tips I found at eHow:

1. Choose a tulip skirt with top pleats. If you are looking to create the illusion of having more curvaceous hips, buy a tulip skirt with pleats at the top, near the hips.

2. Buy a tulip skirt that flares at the bottom if you are top-heavy. A tulip skirt with a flirty flare on the bottom will help balance out the overall shape of women who have larger upper bodies.

3. Search for a tulip skirt with a slightly flared hem at the bottom for work. A tulip skirt that is fitted throughout, but flares ever-so-slightly at the bottom will add a dash of fun to your work wardrobe while still looking professional

4. Decide on a long tulip skirt with soft pleats. A long tulip skirt with soft pleats running vertically will add romantic charm to your wardrobe.

Election Night Fashion

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With the election come and gone and Barack Obama the new President-elect, it’s obvious that the trendsetters in 2009 is the Obama family, with no less than 3 women to watch out for.

On their night of victory, all eyes were on the First Lady-elect in her Narciso Rodriguez red and black scoop neck dress which had fashionistas screaming for the fashion police. Its funny how one can be lauded as the new Jackie O one day then criticized for her “lapse in taste” the next.

Taken from the designer’s Spring 2009 collection, the dress had a black corset-like middle, which I agree, reminded me of a lava lamp. As said in the Telegraph:

Jeff Weinstein, a fine arts and culture critic was also not a fan.

“It was definitely a lava lamp look,’’ he told the paper, “with a volcanic nod to her hubby’s Hawaii.”

Though it isn’t a dress I would wear ( and I have to say, the cardigan made it look better on stage), I have to give the F.L.E credit for wearing something she obviously believes is her personal style. It showed confidence (no boring suits here!) and I love that she doesn’t use a stylist.

And the rest of the family? Here’s the report from the Associated Press:

Meanwhile, President-elect Barack Obama wore the same style dark-navy suit custom-made by Hart Schaffner Marx that he wore at the Democratic Convention, the company says. Hart Schaffner Marx makes its suits in the Obamas’ home state of Illinois.

The couple’s daughter Malia wore a red bubble-hem dress, and younger daughter Sasha wore a black dress with a bow.

A stylish family to watch in the White House….at last!!

Halloween 2008 Fashion Trends

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Halloween is upon us, and as everyone knows, the best thing about the spooky holiday is dressing up.

On the street,  fashion pundits are predicting that the trends for 2008 are the characters who stood out this year, mostly from t.v and film.

For the youngerlings, everyone’s favourite tween popstar, Hannah Montana; the High School Musical gang like Sharpay and Gabriella are strong favourites, meaning sparkly jeans, rhinestones, fringes and wigs are in order. Boys will likely be seen as The Joker, now immortalized in even scarier form by the late Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”.  Star Wars costumes are what I would call “classic”, but even more so with the release of the Clone Wars cartoon this year, we’re sure to spot more than a few Darth Vaders, Storm Troopers, and Jedis.

Current “in” personalities like the presidential hopefuls and Sarah Palin (who can forget Tina Fey and Palin in SNL?) are likely to be seen roaming the streets and parties this Halloween season, which I have to admit, I’ll be looking forward to! Olympic costumes should also be trendy, with swimming attire and medals ala Michael Phelps, which hopefully wont send the wearer home with a cold.

On the runway, its nice to see Brit handbag lady Anya Hindwitch (I mean, March) get into the spirit with her weeklong Halloween Extravaganza at her stores. What a great marketing move! Another great reason for me to head straight for her shops!

According to Vogue:

“…To get you in the spooky mood, the designer’s stores – as well as online boutique – will be hosting a week-long Trick or Treat extravaganza where, if you pick a treat from Anya Hindwitch’s Trick or Treat bag, you could end up winning yourself a clutch, purse, key ring or even a bag from the autumn/winter 2008-9 collection.

Pick a trick, however, and it’s a forfeit for you – in the shape of sinister stickers and jelly brain and lucky bone sweets. Do you dare?..”

The New Depression-Era Look

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D & G Spring 2009
D & G Spring 2009

With the world in economic turmoil, the buzzwords these days of “bailout”, “recession”, “credit crunch”, “cost conscious” and so on, have now also hit the fashion world. The look is very much reminiscent of the depression era of the 30’s – tweeds, hats, waistcoats and grey, grey, grey, which is actually perfect for the autumn. Watch out for it in the high street shops like the Gap and H & M.

Also getting into the depression-era look, but not quite slumming it was D & G’s Spring 2009 collection which had the models decked in Deauville-inspired nautical pieces paired with modern touches like platforms and fishnets, strutting to the tune of “La Vie en Rose”.

And in Paris, where collections wrapped up just last week, talk of seriously slumping retail sales made everyone nervous, as reported by the associated press:

“Honestly, we don’t know. It’s all a big guessing game,” said Ronald L. Frasch, president and chief merchandising officer for Saks Inc. The executive described the economic crisis affecting the North American retail sector as “maybe the worst I’ve ever seen.”

“Clearly, the ones who are in the best position are the ones who have the strongest brand names. The ones who have the most difficulty are the ones who are either beginning to develop or trying to get their goods onto the market,” Frasch said.

Popular items were the swimsuit-wrap dresses by Jean Paul Gaultier – two designer peices for the price of one!