Womens Style
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Showing you what’s going on in the world of womens fashion and style.
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Little Emma Watson (Aka. Hermione Granger) from the ever popular Harry Potter dynasty is “all growed up” as they say, and she’s making a shift from Harry’s muse to fashion diva.
Emma makes some good choices
Now that she’s of legal age, I feel fine admitting that I hypothesized early on that Emma was going to be absolutely beautiful when she grew up. I was right. With her 6th feature film hitting theaters today, this little Muggle has amassed enough wealth off the first 5 Harry Potter movies to dress herself in pretty much anything she sets her eyes on. Smart lady, she’s taking full advantage of that – diving head first into the fashion world and glad-handing designers and stylists where she can. Emma recently sat down with WWD to talk about her new passion, and how she may or may not participate in the industry herself. Her response was actually refreshing to my penguin ears… when asked if she’d be joining the likes of celebrity “designers” like Lauren Conrad or Jessica Simpson she responded, “I’m really not interested in doing it for my own ego. I’m not a designer,” and when pressed she said “[It’s] gotten so ridiculous…. The idea of making my own perfume makes me want to vomit.” Here is one girl who gets it. She’s fallen in love with fashion. She’s wearing it well and making great choices – but she realizes that does not a designer make.
Can't win 'em all. PA Photos/Landov
In the pic above, Emma is wearing a vintage Ossie Clark gown with a deep neckline that extends all the way down to the high wrap band waistline. The silver-purple color and textured fabric is great against her ivory skin, and the dress fits her perfectly. Notice how the capped sleeves hug her shoulders and the sleeve length is just right, ending just at the elbow. She looks amazing.
Now that I’ve built her up and complimented her choices and perspective, I feel the need to show you a slight misstep. Sorry Hermione. This choice [photo to right] just doesn’t suit her. The color and shiny texture of the fabric washes out her fair skin complexion, and the cut is not flattering on her figure at all. Emma is not a busty girl, and the halter top style dress with an otherwise strapless neckline really flattens her out. The length of the dress feels awkward to me, and its bunched skirt looks like it has a tendency to ride up at the hips. However, I do like the contrast black belting and strapped shoes.
For the most part, Emma does it right and has a great take on fashion. She was recently named as the Fall ’09 face of Burberry. This will be Emma’s first major campaign, and I’d have to say it’s not a bad start to her modeling career.
Posted in Uncategorized, Womens Style | No Responses »
Tags: Burberry, celebrity designers, Emma Watson, Harry Potter, Lauren Conrad, Ossie Clark, vintage gown, WWD
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
I’m not 100% sure where I heard the words “the librarian and the stripper”, but I think it was in a trailor for that new movie The Ugly Truth with Katherine Heigl. While I love Katherine, and while she CAN be both to me… I’m going to illustrate my point with another celluloid diva who walks the tightrope between school teacher and slut – Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett - a little less than wholesome.
Scarlett is a beautiful girl, there’s no denying that – gorgeous face with full pouty lips, flawless complexion, striking blue eyes, and a petite, voluptuous body. That said, I’m not sure whether the more vixen, bad girl, slightly slutty look has come naturally to her… or whether it has been crafted by stylists and career managers. Regardless of its origins, Scarlett’s style has clearly been more stripper than librarian. I can tell you that myself and my penguin buddies are often thankful for this when we have Vicky Christina Barcelona playing in the background on poker night. Even in a reasonably respectable, medium length dress [image above] Scarlett’s style has been to: 1. pull down the neckline to let ‘the girls’ work their magic, and to show off the; 2. contrasting darker colored demi bra; 3. Hike that skirt up if it’s even close to your knee; and 4. tossle that bleach blond hair until it looks like you just got romped in your makeup trailer. She does it well and it works. However…
Scarlett makes a gorgeous librarian. © Solarpix / PR Photos
Scarlett the librarian is pretty damn hot too. I love her as a brunette and the clean, simple, half-up hair with ringlets looks great. The silk blouse not only comes all the way up to her neck, but covers the entire shoulder as well. The high waisted skirt goes down to her knees and still hugs her God-given curves like a glove – a very attractive glove. The sash style belt softens the look and keeps it from being Robert Palmerish. Very simple, darker colored jewelry keeps the look elegant and modest. She looks amazing and respectable here. I don’t know first hand because Scarlett and I aren’t all that close, but I’ll bet you she just feels different dressed like this. She likely carries herself differently and her interactions with people change a bit.
I think a very few select girls really are both the librarian and the stripper (ie. both come equally as naturally to them), but with the help of some clothing, accessories, makeup, maybe hair dye, and a slight attitude adjustment… I’m sure almost all of you ladies can fake it pretty well and make it work. It feels like most people walk around thinking that their personality dictates their fashion and style, but it’s ok to let your fashion and style dictate your personality – at least for a night. It’s only fashion – have fun with it.
Posted in Uncategorized, Womens Style | 1 Response »
Friday, July 10th, 2009
Since it’s Friday and we’re heading into a weekend, I thought I’d send you guys out with a lighthearted story of a brands shift from legitimate purity to generic over-saturation. Over it’s lifespan, Ocean Pacific (Op) of 1980′s corduroy shorts fame, has gone from head of the class – to absent from class – to barely auditing the class – to chewed up gum stuck to the bottom of the desks in the class.
Nothing beat 80s Op Corduroy
I know and love this O.G. surf brand very well. In fact my father, The Style Penguin Sr. was a President of Ocean Pacific at one point during it’s heyday… and I got to watch the brand grow from the sidelines whilst wearing an unlimited supply of hightwaisted short shorts. When ‘Velcro Valley’ was popping up in Orange County, CA – Op was at the heart of it and really leading the charge. Nowadays, Op has kind of become a characature of what the brand once meant. Something inately California coastal is now more of a middle America take on beachwear and surf culture. There have been some attempts at a resurgence for the real brand feel, but nothing successfully captured the essence of what it once was. And now… it’s gotten to the point where Op is sold exclusively at Walmart, the opitome of non-coastal, non-unique, made-for-the-masses, made with no ‘love’, consumer goods. A clothing company that once sponsored legit surfing champions like Tom Curren and Kelly Slater is now sponsoring these people….
What a difference a decade or two make.
That’s One Tree Hill actress Sophia Bush, Malibu socialite Brody Jenner, 90210 star AnnaLynne McCord, Good Charlotte bad boy brothers Joel and Benji Madden, and some others. Op’s customer has now become someone who may or may not have ever even seen the Pacific Ocean… but they are quite tuned in to the nightly lineup on ‘The WB’ Network. All of this is not to mention the design asthetic of the newer lines themselves, which lack soul and creativity compared to the originals. Granted there wasn’t nearly as much competition when Op came on the scene, but I have to think that the mentality of the brand at the time would have set their designs apart from the crowd. This ad might as well be for [insert any active sports clothing company name here]. Where’s the love? And more importantly, where’s the corduroy?
Posted in Mens Style, Uncategorized, Womens Style | No Responses »
Tags: analynne mccord, benji madden, brody jenner, corduroy shorts, joel madden, kelly slater, ocean pacific, one tree hill, op, orange county, sophia bush, surf, surfing, tom curren, velcro valley, walmart, wb
Monday, July 6th, 2009
Marc Jacobs has just released his Resort Line for 2010. For the most part it’s a straightforward, modern, collection with a lot of floral prints and opposing bright color choices… sort of what you’d expect from him for resort. Let’s get one thing clear – I love Marc Jacobs. In past years, I have called some of his womens collections “the best this penguin has ever seen”, or gone as far as to claim that some men should consider crossdressing just so they could get to wear the line. This line is not that – but it’s still Marc Jacobs.
I’m very torn on the collection. I’m honestly pretty split, 50/50, down the middle, even stevens, on this line. What do you want first? The good news or the bad news? Ok, I’ll give you the good first.
Marc Jacobs Resort 2010 - Now These I Like
This is textbook Marc Jacobs freshness, mostly characterized by the pairings and combos chosen. Nowhere in here are there two different, strong prints opposing each other… one trying to push out another for attention. If he uses a pattern piece, he lets it sit alone and stand out. Great. The high waisted gold print shorts with seafoam top is casual and comfortable chic. I like the similar top lines on the pieces, with the same darted pleating at the cinched waistline and neckline. I love the black, wrap dress with the colorful parrot print – and matching bag. He throws all of his models in platform heels for the shoot, but this would relax down easy with some basic flat sandals. The third look is simple – large print spaghetti strap dress in a pop yellow. The pairing is special – I think we might start seeing contrast tanks and halters making appearances as outer layers all over the place. The first time you try it you might feel like you’re wearing your bra on the outside, but you’ll get the hang of it. Finally, the short ruffled cocktail dress paired with fitted leather jacket. We’ve been seeing this for awhile now but mostly with black leather and denim outerwear. Great way to dumb down an otherwise formal look, and style out an otherwise standard dress you had in high school.
Now the bad news…
Marc Jacobs Resort 2010 - Not So Sure
These looks I’m not so sure about. I hate to hate on Marc but I’m not a fan of the patterns and prints he chose to mash up with these looks. Color pallet is great on all three pieces, but the combinations are the downfall for me. I have trouble finding anything I like about the first outfit here – maybe the jacket works paired with a solid pink skirt he showed, but not with these peacock pattern high waist capris. Maybe it’s this pant cut that has me skeeved out, but I think the middle pic looks like she stole her outfit out of Mrs. Ropers closet. You Three’s Company fans know what I mean. The color is great but the print is too much in that bright orange with hot pinks… and did anyone really expect it to work head to toe? It’s resort.. which in this case means a trip to Ft. Louderdale to visit Marty and Esther Bernstein for some shuffleboard. Oh, and the plane lost your bag so you had to borrow Esther’s jumpsuit. The pants bug me just as much in the third look, and this time I definitely blame the pants because I think I actually like the shirt. He nearly ruined it with the giant embroidered flower, but it still plays.
All in all, I think Marc Jacobs pulled it off again. It’s not my favorite collection of his at all, but I think some of it can end up in your closets… and you can wear it well.
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Tags: floral prints, marc jacobs, resort, resort 2010, womens collections
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
This weekend is the 4th of July… the day when (at least in my area) guys and gals dress down in their trunks and bikinis, hop on a bike, and head down to the beach or pool for a good ol’ fashioned barbeque to celebrate our American ancestors. For many of you, this may be the first time you don a bathing suit for the year. You’ll have to fish it out of the higher-up drawer, dust it off, and test the fit to see what works and where. For those of you who make it a point to stay “in fashion” when it comes to your aquatic ensemble, I have some good news… you may not have to buy anything new this year.
Retro Bathing Suits
The look in womens suits (and for some ballsy dudes, mens too) right now is retro cut and prints. If your mother was Jackie O or a Jane Smith with impeccable, ahead-of-her-time style, you may bypass the mall and go shopping for your Summer 2009 suit in mom’s closet. One-piece and skirt cut styles like the Michael Kors shown here [photo above] are popping up everywhere from Rodeo Drive to Target Stores. If you’re concerned that you can’t look good without showing more skin, you’re wrong. I for one think one-pieces are smart, sexy, and very underutilized… and I love it when the lady penguins pull them out of winter storage.
1950s Summer
Retro swimwear means colors and prints from yesteryear just as much as it means fit and styling. The bright yellows are hot for summer, and I think I might be blinded by polka dot prints by September. The Kors piece above is touching on a more carefree 1950s feel [small photo above], but the current trend isn’t really limited to any particular era. We’re seeing one and two piece suits mimicking the 1970s and early 1980s look that tacked Farrah Fawcett’s poster up on every guys bedroom wall (or igloo wall).
![1975 or 2009? [Urban Outfitters©]](http://thestylepenguin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/retro2-149x300.png "retro2")
This look [see Farrah Fawcett, above right] worked as well for Daisy Duke in Hazard County as it did for Hef’s ladies at the Mansion throughout the 70s … and it’s back! I’m excited, how about you? Solid color one pieces, very few prints or patterns, solely relying on cut and shape for the sex appeal that a suit should have. The suit here [see Urban Outfitters model, left] is a great example of this. The high thigh cut and leotard mid-section screams “Fame! I wanna live forever!” 1980… and the deep neckline and elongated triangle straps give it just enough exposure (or promise of the possibility for it) to be ultra sexy. So, go diggin’ through the boxes in mama’s garage and find yourself a suit for summer!
Posted in Uncategorized, Womens Style | No Responses »
Tags: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, bathing suits, bikinis, bright yellow, farrah fawcett, michael kors, polka dots, retro, swimsuits, two-piece suits
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Let me preface this post by saying that I realize many (if not most) women out there don’t feel comfortable going around without a stitch of makeup on. I’m a firm believer in the idea that feeling comfortable and confident about how you look is the #1 factor in ones relative “hotness”. So when it comes to fashion and beauty trends/products/looks… you ladies should push the envelope, but always stay within your range of comfort. That said, for those of you who can leave the house without makeup on – do it! More likely, take a page of Rachel Bilson’s book and leave the house wearing makeup that looks like you’re not.
What about makeup?
I know, I know. I’m not telling you anything revolutionary here… that’s how your mother told you to apply it when you were 13. But, you probably haven’t listened to her on that since the first day of high school. Get back to it.
Underdressed to impress.
In these pics, Rachel is on a red carpet at a gala event for the Art of Elysium foundation – that’s hardly a trip to the grocery store. The consummate under-dresser, Rachel wore skinny jeans and a v-neck tee with this navy, sequined, 3/4 length jacket, and a big dark yellow clutch. Her downplayed makeup matches the look for sure. She’s got some eye makeup on, which we all like, but her cheeks and lips have almost nothing. She’s a natural beauty and the makeupless look really makes that obvious. It’s an “if you’ve got it, flaunt it” kinda thing.
I have a little penguin crush on Rachel Bilson. Could you tell?
Posted in Uncategorized, Womens Style | 1 Response »
Tags: Art of Elysium, clutch, makeup, Rachel Bilson, skinny jeans
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
Find me a man who thinks Megan Fox is not the most exciting thing about the Transformers franchise, and I’ll show you a man who either likes men, or who played with legos clear throughout high school. She’s just got something about her.
I do what i want.
Maybe it’s the dark features/light eyes combo; maybe it’s the frequent use of bright red lipstick; maybe it’s the bikini line tattoo and the fact that she loves showing it off; or maybe it’s that she can’t help but bring her porn face to the red carpet while wearing an evening gown. Whatever it is, she’s doing something right. Last night at the LA premier of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Megan wore a white, toga-style, drop waist dress with a thin triple-strapped black leather belt. White is not something you see Megan try often (for obvious reasons), but when she does, it works. The asymmetrical neckline and looser fit are also rarities for Maxim’s #1 on the 2009 Hot 100 List, but good golly miss molly you don’t hear anyone complaining.
Ok, you’re not interested in just hearing me gawk at the hot girls like a construction worker shouting cat calls on a city sidewalk… so i’ll give you my penguin fashion nugget here: When you’re wearing an asymetrical dress (and any dress for that matter, but particularly an ‘asym’)… you have to know you’re good side. Or at least know what side is what and be conscious of it.
"Hi. I'm sexy" ............................... "Hi. I'm elegant"
You can see from the pics above, Megan is conscious of how she looks from all angles, and she definitely plays those angles. In the pic on the left, FOXy is throwin’ a ‘come hither’ glare at the camera and fans with tons of skin of her whole right side and maybe some side-boob exposed. Sexy. The other pic (above right) shows a more subdued pose and as innocent a face as Megan can make believable, with the thick dropped strap, and more elegant left side of the dress showing. Both are great looks – but you should be conscious of what’s what from what angle.
Posted in Womens Style | 1 Response »
Tags: Hot 100, Maxim, Megan Fox, premier, Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
Is it possible to dress to match a scent? The scent of your perfume to be exact. Well at the release event, Faith Hill’s stylist managed for her to match the look of her new perfume, ‘Faith Hill Parfums’ (call the CLIO judges now for that creative name).
Faith Hill Parfums
I realize the tone in which I’m writing this sounds as thought I’m making fun of her for using the glass bottle of romance juice as a fashion muse… but on the contrary, I actually love the look here. Her fair complexion and softer features work well with the light pink color of the dress. The reflective satin or silk material is complimented by her now blond again hair (this wouldn’t be nearly as striking if she were still brunette) and her huge white smile. I’m glad she wore the jewelry to put some girly charm into a neckline that is otherwise masculine, in cut and collar.
As for the matchy matchy with the eau de toilette, with which she no doubt posed for pictures all night… I think she could have gone over the top and had a great time with it. The black labeling on the perfume and black ribbon could have influenced her to do a dark hat, or at least a headband or ribbon in her hair. Maybe a black sash waistband/belt around the high-waisted dress? With the glamor and old world grace of perfume marketing in general, I think playing it up in an Audrey Hepburn sort of way could have suited her well. Here, you be the judge…
Better? OR Worse? What do you think?
Posted in Womens Style | No Responses »
Tags: audrey hepburn, black ribbon, black sash, fair complexion, faith hill, faith hill parfums, headband, new perfume, perfume, silk
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
Famed london-based shoe and handbag designer Jimmy Choo, whose Crocodile Ramona Bag sells for $14,000, is now collaborating with fast fashion retailer H&M, whose product mix makes it difficult to assemble an entire outfit for over $100.
Jimmy Choo for H&M
Fast Fashion seems to be getting a face lift recently, as couture designers continue stepping in to design for the $0.99 cent stores. With the economy in a Kansas twister, the trend towards “fast fashion” that’s been growing over the past few years has reached an all time high. Not only has that meant our malls filling up with the likes of Forever 21, H&M, Heritage 1981, Zara, etc… but the customers strong response to the value pricing at these retailers has made top couture and fashion designers snap to attention. These discount manufacturers/retailers came on the scene as a copycat operation, taking successful stylings from top boutique brands and knocking them off in droves. Now, the same fashionisto designers who once complained about the imitation are signing up to collaborate and mass produce their new creations. H&M has already done successful co-branding projects with Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli, Viktor & Rolf, and Matthew Williamson.
Love it or hate it, I think this movement toward guest designers for value brands and retailers is here to stay, at least for awhile.
Posted in Uncategorized, Womens Style | No Responses »
Tags: fashion retailer, fast fashion, Forever 21, H&M, Heritage 1981, jimmy choo, Karl Lagerfeld, Matthew Williamson, ramona bag, Roberto Cavalli, Viktor & Rolf, Zara
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Choose your shoes... wisely.
Kate Walsh is the striking red head in the Cadillac commercials asking what turns you on. The marketing ploy is that the brains of men watching are supposed to be stuck between “you do” and “fast cars do”. Well, in the case of the pic above the answer is Kate Walsh turns me on. Partially because she’s hot like wasabi, and partially because she makes great fashion choices. The high-waisted dress on her tall thin body gives her the kinda legs that keep ZZ Top singing to this day. The asymmetrical neckline works really well on her, and looks amazing here contrasted by her hair parted stick straight down the middle. All that said, the shoes are my favorite part of this look… with the help of photoshop magic, I’ll take the liberty of showing you why. In the first photo (the real one) your attention is immediately drawn to her shoes because it’s set off by the red carpet background. The white shoe draws your eye first, and then sends it up her body following the side-slit exposed leg all the way up. If she had worn shoes to match (2nd picture), the dress would still have looked great but you would see the outfit very differently. Nothing would have really pulled you in and told you how to see the look. In the 3rd pic, I gave her a white accessory [in this case a watch (Chanel J12, or for $5,000 less get Obviously Counterfeit)] just to give her another pop spot with this look. I think it adds a slightly more relaxed feel to the look, which plays well with the fun funky hairstyle.
Basic takeaway: Next time you find yourself saying “I need to go get some shoes to match my dress”… pause, breathe, remember Kate Walsh, and see if “matching” your shoes is really the best way to go.
Posted in Womens Style | No Responses »
Tags: asymmetrical, Cadillac, Chanel J12, fashion, fast cars, high-waisted, Kate Walsh, marketing ploy, neckline, Obviously Counterfeit, outfit, red head, shoes, The Red Carpet, wasabi, ZZ Top
