Let's talk hair...

...well, hair PRODUCTS, to be particular. Well, ONE hair product, to be exact. While I have been known to use up to 5 products at one time on my hair (yes, after shampoo and conditioner), there is one that I pretty much can't live without. Unless I want to look like a yeti that just woke up from hibernation.


Bumble & Bumble's Styling Lotion is absolutely my hair's wonder-drug. Spritz liberally onto damp hair, mix with a dab of B&B Grooming Creme, blow-dry and, voila! A head of hair that gets as close as I can to just stepping out of the salon.

I've been using this bad boy for over 8 years and, apparently, so have many others, because it's perfect for frequent stylers and especially fine hair. In case you're wondering, I use Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo, so I like to think the pricey styling spray is balanced out by my gallon of bargain-priced cleanser :)

One bottle of styling lotion lasts forever. Seriously, it does! So try this! Because a lady can never look truly put-together unless her hair is behaving, am I right?

Corsets...for your ankles!

 Sorry I've been AWOL lately lovelies...much to do with school and work and more school. I promise I will be more timely with my posts a month from now when the craziness slows down a bit. For now, I'll leave you with this whimsical, kinda crazy-sexy-cool yet somehow still girly accessory...

Check out the EcoCorset Ankle Cuffs in brown suede by the etsy shop greenbelts!

The designer, Shannon Ritscher, is a Seattle artist and self-described high school art class flunkie turned accessory maven who finds inspiration in recycling items into one-of-a-kind, stand-out pieces.

They come in black too, for the brave. I kind of just love these, if you've got the moxy to wear them, don't you?

Stick your neck out...

 For a gorgeous scarf.

Next in my "efforts to look effortlessly cool" series is a fashion recommendation to all ladies - you must have at least a couple of beautiful scarves in your accessories arsenal.

The history of the scarf dates back at least as far as ancient Rome, when a linen kerchief known as a sudarium (Latin for “sweat cloth”) was used by the Romans to wipe their necks and faces. The ancient Romans developed the scarf into a diverse men's fashion accessory and the style was also quickly adopted by women. Since then, the scarf has become synonymous with women’s fashion (from Content Corral).

After visiting France a few years ago, I was struck by how nonchalantly en vogue each woman looked in a scarf, an accessory that is quintessentially French. By adding a scarf to a simple outfit and tying it just so, you can take your look from lame-o to "Oh, do I look chic? I didn't know."

I am partial to brightly colored, woven, fancy ones as well as big, shawl-like ones that can easily be turned into a hood in case of a rain shower or an ex-boyfriend. Whichever scarf you choose, experiment with how you wear it and what you wear it with.

You can get 20 more outfits out of it, I swear.

For some ideas, see Wet Seal's 7 Ways to Wear a Scarf OR Elle Girl's Wrappers Delight OR, for the more traditional, Brooks Brothers Elegant Scarf Knots.

Then get yourself a cafe du creme, a little attitude and go look French!

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P.S. For those of you interested in a little more contempo culture/food for thought, read this interesting article about the pop culturization of the keffiyeh: Scarf's Cool, But What Does It Mean? by Malcolm Venable.

Tiers...not just for cakes anymore!

I've been noticing a trend in dresses lately that I wanted to get your opinion on, dear readers. Several designers and copycats have been turning out dresses with layers upon layers of fabric, all the way down the body.

Now, not having yet tried on one of these designs, part of me thinks them quite girly and stylish but part of me thinks they might just add extra poundage to all but the tiniest of us.

The crochet number above is the Rendez-Vous by Paul & Joe Sister Flamme Dress from Urban Outfitters and below are a few additional examples, the BCBG Tiered Cocktail Dress available at E-dressme.com, Betsey Johnson's Blush Dot Cotton Strapless Tiered Dress available at Bluefly.com, and the TBags Ruffle Tier Dress at Pinkmascara.com, respectively.

What do you think? Will we look as pretty as a petit-four or will we look like we ate the whole batch?

In the spirit of Marilyn...

A good friend of mine has quite the affinity for Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. And for good reason! Something about Marilyn just exudes sexiness, femininity, strength, allure and of course, old Hollywood glamour.

In the spirit of Marilyn and in riding the wave of the pin-up revival that has been going strong in many cities, I've recently become very interested in this retro, rockabilly, super-glam look. Think red lipstick, false eyelashes, accented waists, wiggle skirts, one-piece swimsuits...

What say you try your own hand at it? Check out these great pieces to start...

1) Ureshii Marilyn Dress

2) Kimchi Blue Skirted Retro One Piece Swimsuit

Now go be ultra-female and channel your inner Marilyn!

Raccoons are pretty...

If they own their own etsy shop and make cool, one-of-a-kind clothing!

PrettyRaccoon Clothing is an online shop based out of Toronto, Canada and featured on etsy.com whose designer makes and prints quirky, casual clothing that just has a lovely sense of fun about it. Lots of tee shirts, tube tops, scarves and hand screen printing - we love it!

I especially love the Chandelier Print Gathered Tube Top, the Deer Print Slouchy One Shoulder Top (so fitting for Wisconsin!) and the Custom Print/Color Scarf Wrap (you choose the color and/or screenprint - yeah!).

Great, wearable art that looks perfect with jeans, don't you think?

Crazy shoe obsession of the day...

I KNOW you don't really need shoes. I KNOW you don't really need GREEN shoes. I KNOW you don't really need GOLD PLATFORM GREEN SATIN GLADIATOR-ISH shoes. But if you DID need them, these would be the ones!

Fashion always skews this way and that into the realms of whimsy and crazy, because how can one be creative without at least considering the ridiculous? I believe these shoes are a testament to that and, if you've got $129.00 lying around in your shoe budget, why not the Bebe "Evelyn" Satin Ankle Strap Sandal?

Available in brown, green and shocking blue with a sculpted metallic sole, if the color doesn't make a statement, the acrophobia-inducing 5.75" heel with a 1" platform surely will!

Sometimes you gotta make your shoes do the talking, right? But be careful girls...with a shoe this outrageous, the rest of your outfit had better be pretty subdued...

Gotta give it to my girl Angie...

Part (okay MOST) of the fun of watching the Oscar Awards is dishing about the fashion. While some were yawn-worthy, others made up for it.

And finally, Angelina Jolie dressed up again! Classic black, classic shape (love the sweetheart neckline) and classic jewelry in a very fresh color (green emeralds!) made her look like the modern movie star she is.

I just love that she can dress so simply and still be so WOW. Can you tell I would date her if she asked?

Indie retail rocks my world...

Tired of the mall? Looking for something different? Need some extra flash from your little wad of cash? Look no further, dear local readers, the boutiques are de-stashing & it's time to pump up your shopping cred...

This Saturday, 02/21 from 9AM-4PM at Shorewood High School is the first-ever BOUTIQUE BLOWOUT! Several of the best, independent fashion boutiques around are banding together to provide Milwaukee fashionistas with what they crave - unique style at a discount. Lots of sample items, luxe brand names, 50-75% off sticker prices...sounds like a great way to spend the day with girlfriends, doesn't it?

Some of the shops that will be there are Lela, SHOP, Miss Ruby, Aala Reed, Shoo, EssElle (my personal fave which is going away 4evah, *sniff*), and more!

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

1) $5 admission (goes to charity)
2) Bring CASH - not sure if any CC's or checks will be accepted
3) Wear a strapless bra and stash some heels in your tote bag
4) Eat a good breakfast and have a shot of caffeine

I predict this will be a no-nonsense, power-shopping, possibly elbowing-other-women-out-of-the-way-for-the-last-one-in-your-size moment. BRING IT ON.

Million dollar butt...

Let's continue our denim discussion, shall we? Everyone has her own preferences in clothes, but ESPECIALLY JEANS. However, because I love them so much, I had to share my own favorites with you, my dear readers.

The Keaton Boot Cut Jean by Earnest Sewn are the best jeans I've bought so far in my fashion life. Mid-rise (no muffin-top, ever!), dark-washed with minimal whiskering (or glitter, dragons, rips, etc.), a lovely, slight bootcut, rigid denim and a touch of polyester, these jeans can make a bad wardrobe day pretty darn good.

As with most designer jeans, my first pair were pretty pricey (I made the mistake of getting suckered into them at a little, frou-frou boutique here in the city) but by the time I realized how much I was paying for them, I had already spied how great my butt looked in them in the shop's 3-way mirror. Damn! Foiled by vanity again...

But never fear dearies, I wised up and found them again on dear ol' Ebay for $40. I now am the proud owner of this jean in both the "Astrid" and "Val" washes.

What's the moral of this story? To go out and buy yourself a high-priced piece of denim-wear? On the contrary! Go out and TRY ON a high-priced piece of denim-wear, note your size and buy them for cheap online. That way, your butt still looks like a million bucks and no one is the wiser.

We must conserve our fashion budgets, no?