Solution to the Formless Dress

Yes.  We have all been victims of the formless dress.  Perhaps you bought it online and it had more shape there.  Or maybe it was a gift.  Or you were going to take it to the dressmaker and never did.  But with this summer dress trend, there is a solution.

With ladylike dressing making a comeback, modesty has returned.  Tops are not tight-fitting.  Neither are skirts.  But right around the waistline is.  All that is needed is a great belt.  Form some dresses, the belt is built in.  Like this Anthropologie cutie.

But for others, like this dress, also Anthropologie, a belt needs to be added.  The best belt for this kind of styling would be thin and minimal.  Not something that distracts from the dress or is too chunky.  REmember that part of the blouse will hang loosely over the belt.

This styling is great for all body types.  For stick-shaped women, it is loose in chest area and tight right above the hips so that way it gives some curves.  For curvy women, it accentuates your hips and conceals your upper body.  The look works for everyone and is adorable!

Espadrilles

Espadrilles are the perfect summer shoe.  Their upper makes them wearable because of its lightness in the heat and its flexibility.  Their soles are perfect if you want height but something more natural and comfortable than heels.  

Not only are they a smart choice but a fashionable one too.  Celebrities and fashion icons love these shoes in the summer.  Jennifer Aniston has been caught wearing hers on more than three occasions.  Alexa Chung has worn hers on and off television appearances. Divas also love stylish comfort.

Espadrilles are not only a recent trend though.  In modern times they have always been a summer favorite.  But they actually originate from a Middle Ages word which refers to the grass they are made of.  They were traditionally from Catolia and peasant shoes.  However, now they are not and have even been referred to as "hipster slippers".

Espadrilles may have had humble beginnings, but they have come a long way.  And they are go-to shoes for this summer!

Lady Gaga

Named #7 on Forbes most powerful women list and the highest ranking artist on Time’s 100 List gives Gaga a lot to brag about.  With three recently dropped singles, Born This Way and On the Edge Of Glory and Judas, that are all on Billboard Hot 100 she seems to be everywhere.  Not to mention her appearances on the cover of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar. and many other magazines.  But no matter how much I love her music, her clothing will always be my favorite part of Gaga’s Hollywood persona.Out of nowhere came a new star last year.   Lady Gaga was creepy.  Let's start with her outfits.  The bubble outfit.   The bird's nest she wore to the VMAs.  The spike dress.  The fire bra.  The muppet suit.  Her metal suits.  The half- dress jumpsuit.  The polar bear cape.  The red lace (blood) dress.  Her most normal outfit she wore was a Chanel suit that she wore to an interview with Barbara Walters, which she accessorized in a Gaga fashion.

People say she is attention seeking, but in fact, her outfits do have meaning to them.  She wears them for a cause.  The muppet outfit was to promote not wearing fur.  She has many outfits that show her support for gay rights, and issue very dear to her, including a tux-style outfit that she wore to a cvil rights march.  The fire bra was to demote sexism.  Proceeds from her most Fame Monster Tour concert and t-shirts went to Haiti.
Clothing are Gaga's art, and she can make beautiful art.  Many people say she is a ballistic, attention-seeking, ridiculous singer.  But she has a big heart.
Lady Gaga was born Stefani Germanotta to a Catholic Italian family.  She never felt quite in place.  In fact in an interview, Gaga said that she wanted to be inspiration for girls who don't feel in place.  She said that a lot of people "don't get" her, like her father.  When he first saw her preform, he did not speak to her for months. But she pursued her dream.

Lady Gaga is not the crazy materialistic lady the world makes her out to be.  Underneath those weird hairstyles, crazy videos, and scary outfits, there is a shining star.  Lady Gaga's art may be somewhat disturbing at first, but it's always inspired.


Why You Shouldn’t Throw Away Your Charm Bracelet This Season

Remember your good old charm bracelet?  The one that you were either everyday or only on very special occasions?  Remember how you selected every charm with care?  ChPrincess Kate Middleton wears a gold charm braceletarm bracelets may remind you of your younger days, but they are not just for young ones.  Recently, celebrities such as Kate Middleton, Oprah Winfrey, and Jennifer Anniston have been caught sporting this trend.

Charm bracelets are not new.  Well that is an obvious statement because many of us remember our mother’s or grandmother’s charm bracelets.  But charm bracelets even predate those ancient ones kept in jewelry boxes in the attic.  In fact, our first records of charm bracelets were gold necklaces with stones attached in Egyptian time.  Their  dead wore stones and statues on bracelets to represent their lives and ward off bad spirits in the afterlife.  In the Middle Ages, charms came to be a sign of status, bearing family arms, country flags, and other important symbols of dignity.  But it wasn't until World War II that we got the lovable accessory we know of today.  Men at war would buy little gifts for their loved ones.  The most common of these gifts were local icons fashion on bracelets.
The charm bracelet is not simply a fashion statement; it is a personal statement. Your choice of charms says something about you and who you are as an individual.  Each charm on your bracelet can be as little as an inside joke to as big as a designer charm you’ve saved up to buy for a while.

A charm bracelet is not only for now.  It does not bounce out of style.  It is a timeless piece that notes your character.  In fact, I wear my grandmother’s charm bracelet.  A charm bracelet is an accessory from yesterday, for today and tomorrow.



The Crossbody

A bag slung across your body that goes town to your waist?  What is so appealing about that?  Those were my first opinions when I heard that cross-body bags were "in" this season.  But when I began to carry one, my opinions changed.

First of all, it moves with your body, making it comfortable.  In addition to that, it improves your posture because of the way it hangs.  I also found that the more expensive ones, made with better material such as leather, do not look like cheap fanny packs.  On top of that, they are one of the remaining pieces of the military trend last year, do to their sensibility.  On that note, they are very functional for carrying around laptops and whatever else without tying up your hands.

Cross-body bags have been used as small pouches for centuries.  They were carried by Greeks and Romans and early people living in the New World, such as the Mayans.  Later on, bigger ones became the bags of mailmen because they could hold so many papers and envelopes.  Eventually, soldiers and other members of the military began to carry them because they didn't require their hands.  And now these bags have infiltrated the fashion world.

This trend has been in the collection of nearly every major designer for the past two seasons.  In the picture above, Reese Witherspoon goes for a casual urban look with a Linea Pelle bag and uses her free hands for coffee.

The cross-body bag is logical and fashionable.  Wherever you go, they will hold your phone, makeup, computer, book, and whatever else you may carry.  And they will always be sleek and fun.