Tortoiseshell Nike

Here are a few of my favorite things: suede, tortoiseshell and gold! Thank you Nike Vandal low, you have made the perfect combination sneaker. The Dark Cinder color with Sail-Metallic Gold lining is perfect with it's tortoiseshell accents. They look much better in person and it's going to be difficult wearing them because I rather just look at them on a shelf. A great investment too at just $68 at nikestore.com.

STICK EM' UP!

A very arresting hoody that doesn't place charges on you, I like! "The Comrade Hoody in Driftwood" ($58) by Tank Theory is a good replacement for those who still wear flowers and butterflies on their sweatshirts. Having a bit of a Russian spy feel will surrender all those girly sweatshirts for a sleek espionage wardrobe.

Got Any...Wood?

Very resourceful GoodWood jewlery!


The Mega Diamonds ($25 karmaloop.com)


The Three Diamonds ($30 karmaloop,com)

Ms. Tuxedo

The tailoring, the textures and the androgynous feel menswear inspired pieces offer can give feminine clothes an extra edge. It's a great style that anyone can pull off and menswear pieces are easy to style. Instead of going with the typical tweed pieces and oxford shoes that menswear usually represents, a tuxedo jacket is the 2009 update to your collection. DKNY has their stretch "tuxedo jacket" that has contrasting white piping to the classic black tux jacket. Pair it with skinny jean or a dress, a great tuxedo jacket goes with all!

DKNY.com $79

Kashuks' Collection

If Gwen Stefani had a make-up line, (which she should!) it would look like Sonia Kashuks' collection.

Kashuk knows her make-up and is all about professional quality at affordable prices. Her limited edition collection at Target is irresistible. Gold brushes, chain patterns and cute travel bags from $14.99 - $19.99. Sephora has got to be envious about this!

Sonia Kashuk Glamified Brush Set $19.99 :

Sonia Kashuk Tooled Over Travel Brushes $14.99:

Sonia Kashuk® Clutch and Go Cosmetic Case $14.99 :

smart logo

Versace:

Crooks and Castles:

(karmaloop.com)

Blue Suede Shoes

If Elvis wrote a song about them, you should own them. From navy to indigo, finding the right shade of suede is all in your personal taste. I originally wanted to find a deep navy almost black-blue, but after researching every suede pump, it seems the brighter the blue, the better! Wear them with black leggings for a POP of color!

BE&D Suzy Suede/Patent Pumps: Blue (intermix.com)


Charles by Charles David Pompadour (piperlime.com)

Moccasin Sneaker baby!

Which came first, the hi-top or the moccasin? Whichever it was, they had a baby together and made Juicy Couture's 'Dori' Shearling Sneaker! And it's as smooth as a baby with genuine shearing. Ahh :) It gives me baby fever. But don't forget, raising kids are pricey so don't think this one will come cheap...$198 at Nordstroms, but she's worth it!

( pretty sure it was the moccasin first btw)

Simply Ska

Musician's nowadays wear the worst clothes I've ever seen! Guys should not be wearing uber skinny pants, straighting their hair and borrowing my eyeliner! That's not how I think it should be unless you're Mick Jagger or Alice Cooper, etc.. I'd like to see the old school ska style come back. Very retro and very rocker, it pulls both sides of the music spectrum with Dub flavor.

This checkered cardigan from Forever XXI can be the first step for following the music scene :

And a band shirt adds your favorite genre selection. Forever XXI also:


Top it off with a hat or belt, your choice lovies.

Thoughts on suspenders

When you see someone wearing suspenders you're thinking...they look like Urkel! Why can't they just wear a belt? Want some chocolate little mountain boy? You get the idea, but I applaud anyone who can pull them off. Winter, Summer, any season you can wear suspenders. A business look or a casual day, they are the best anti-belt outfit. Having them already attached to the pants/shorts/skirt makes it easier to pull the suspenders look off but those who are daring can attach them to any bottom separately. One more great thing...they're unisex!

$58 Urban Outfitters

$24 Urban Outfitters

Chanel Gun Heel Stiletto

Lord knows there is a shoe god! Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's leading man designed a shoe every Bond girl wants to have! Point and aim to Cruise 2009 shoe collection with the second amendments best friend. I would invest in these lock, stock and barrel!

*diamond*

(Betsey Johnson $30)

I'm absolutely obsessed with anything diamond! The symbol of a diamond is regal and tuff. Loosen up all you p.c. world lovers, this is fashion, so don't take the meaning too far and go all blood diamond on me. Betsey Johnson did a great job making a simple yet bold diamond shaped stud that will never get tacky. At first I had to sleep on the idea of these earrings just because they get a little costume jewlery-ish, but after a night sleep, I've decided that they are a classic cut to own. enjoy!

Cuffs

How much easier can you get with jewelery than cuffs. Just snap 'em on and spruce up your style. Making a statement with which design you pick as your cuff can make your outfit. A big recommendation is to wear double cuffs! Here are some different cuff trends that anyone can follow:

Tiger Style- if you could get anymore closer to a Cartier cat, it'd have the diamond pricetag!


(Charlotte Russe: Enamel Tiger cuff $9.50)

Metal Links- thin wired silver or gold patterns!


(Forever 21: Hammered Link and Mod Metal Cuff $4.80)

Fat Band- Lucite clean or Greek goddess , the thicker the cuff, the better!


(Forever 21: Luxe and Dimpled Concave Cuff $6.80 & $5.80)

OVERsized collars

I've noticed oversized collars since I went to NYC in March and picked one up from H&M, but I haven't seen one since. Now Mrs. Gwen Stefani put the great invention in her Harajuku Lovers line and out came many cute hoodies.

The Lovers Leopard Hoody $84

The Hearts Tooth Sweatshirt $84

Love the two prints, espically their names ( Hearts tooth - Houndstooth, very cute). Wear them how you like, open, folded or unzipped, I just love them any way. And oversized collars aren't going to be used just in jackets but also sweaters and shirts this fall/winter season.

Peep Toe Booties

Say that three times fast! A fun name for the Fall trend in ankle boots. What I love about ankle boots is you don't look stupid wearing them in Florida. We've all fallen victim to the horrible UGG boots, yes even me, but now we're older and wiser. Let's make up for that horrible mistake and look into an acceptable fashion boot.

Any store is going to have a pair of peep toe booties, but let's keep in mind that school books cost as much as a beloved pair of designers boots! So to keep the budget in mind, I've taken notice to a designer who's ads have been showing up in fashion magazines like "Vogue". alice + olivia is by designer Stacey Bendet, who has made it big in NYC selling her line at Barneys. Boots by Bendet sound expensive right?! Turns out she is now adding her super chic shoes for Payless. Fantastic!

Let your little toes breathe and purchase a pair of peep toe booties to your collection. And the smart thing is they even look like a pair that Lanvin would design!


Madison Boot Ankle $48 at Payless

GUCCI MANG

Pepe Jeans $62

Members Only meets Motorcyle jacket ala Gucci colours.
Go for any style of rider/bomber jackets, just freshen up to a modern take.

student plaid, lumberjack perfection

This is why i love back to school! Plaid is so nostalgic it couldn't be anymore perfect for now! Vans has The Sk-8 Hi in plaid for $65. Flannel plaid with khaki suede and the Vans red stripe makes the uniform right for a student or those manliest of men, lumberjacks. If you ever find a plaid sneaker, buy it! They never get old.

Back to School

Time for class to start with new school threads. As much as I love school uniforms and any type of plaid, a repetitious theme I'm predicting to stick by for the Fall is midnight navy blues, golden/mustard yellows and ruff industrial pieces to sharpen up the style.

Target has a racer back-tuxedo dress that can be casual but also sophisticated. The sheath dress cut is classic but two details; the tuxedo neckline & the sporty racer back makes it versatile for any occasion. Definitely worth your dollar at $39.99.


Now, to mix in a new color that you should add in sparingly is a mustard/golden yellow. It's hard to describe the color since its not flat but very monotone so having a strong color makes the accent of it appealing. What better way to add it to your wardrobe than with a grandpa vest. Yea, a bit Mr. Rogers meets Weezer but adding this on top of the sheath dress, unbuttoned adds a prep school feel.
($42)

Now my favorite part, adding the industrial pieces. The right way to do this is cinching the waist with a belt, but its gotta be THE belt.. You can go retro with a 70's belt or add the still in-style skinny belt, those would work great but not the vibe I’m going for. For the dress and vest to work and stay street chic, a thick black belt with metal links is ideal. Mixing black and blue is ok, toss that NO rule out, it's one of my favorite colors to mix. The metal link on this Forever 21 stretch belt adds toughness to the soft feel of the outfit.
($7.80)

One last piece to complete the outfit is a rhinestone bracelet. Thick, heavy rocks add a feminine touch with crystal clear shine but it's still abrasive with the large faceted stones. And for this style of accessories, Fall is going to be filled with any natural stone accent possible, so stock up if you find it.
($6.80)

There you go, back to school, all set!! Add in rider boots or black wedge pumps to work in the style.

PROOF!

PROOF THAT GUYS HAVE THE BEST SNEAKER SELECTION:

MIAMI natives

NYC kicks

Fall for Balenciaga

The essence of street style with finesse cannot be more perfect than Balenciaga's new shoe collection. Silver, metal heels, color blocking, monochromatic shades...Nicolas Ghesquière is a genius reviving the powerhouse brand into an absolute obsession. And how perfect is it that all these lovely pumps are going to match the big fall color scheme of gray!

Shiny Black Patent

It's been a current trend for the seasons now. This Summer's twist was making patent bright but now that Fall is here, at least for the fashion world, black is coming back. Everyone tries to make pink the new black but I'd like to push that out and have black stay classic. Here's the only catch, its still summer in South Florida! In fact, it's always summer but we can keep the idea flowing, lets begin to introduce the lovely shiny black patent into accessories. Better to be gradual with this then introduce it too early.

With this introduction, I couldn't be happier than to bring back an accessory that is steadily making its way back to the scene. Bust out the Cazals, scratcher glasses or the Run DMC glasses! Whichever you call them, these black frame glasses are coming back with “Rock Box” playing in the background.

The original pair were Cazal’s worn by Run -D.M.C. Bring them out and wear them cool with your matching your ghettoblaster. Here's my only caution cause you know I always have one, only a few slick can pull these off, mainly guys. Sorry ladies but I had to say it, girls wearing these are going to look like a fly instead of fly [I had to put that pun in ]. And to this, only a few guys can wear them; every other person can wear those lame Kanye glasses. So not cool, but you have to have the style to pull of the black frame glasses; a style so raw that no one wonders about you wearing them. I love these glasses and if you can experience the unparallel coolness from these, then you can pull off anything.

Ok ladies, I am so sorry for selling ourselves out like that but these glasses are powerful, some girls wearing them just kills it. I don’t like this trend to be for everyone, I write on what I know is going to be for the select few . Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you hanging on the shiny black patent trend. Steve Madden has the "Lilaac" Sandal that is perfect for this style. The glossy trim goes well with the gladiator straps that lay perfectly on a cork wedge.

Your man can wear the Cazals [the 600 series collection] and you can wear the Madden platforms and together you’ll be the ultimate trend couple. Enjoy!

Sublime Summer Style

Lets face it, everyone wants that full proof outfit. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’re outfit has to work. This always needs to be appropriate for any situation...cant be too casual or too dressy. You can do the basic business look of black cigarette pants with a white button up & pumps. But hello, Florida… Summer...you don’t want to be a sweaty mess wearing all that clothes and everyone decides to hang out at the beach. Accommodating to the season, here being summertime (and the living’s easy) pants are too out of the norm for right now, especially that basic outfit. Here's my suggestion for a on-point outfit that'll work for all locations and type of entertainment.

1. Big now are big faces. It’s as easy as that; find a tee with a face on it. Doesn't matter who's it is, just make it clear. Get that artsy, urban graphic shirt and make it work. Forever XXI has 2 cute tops I found in less than five seconds. Gotta dig a little through that jungle of mess they have but once you find it, you'll know. Don’t go for the complicated over the top design on the t-shirt; remember where thinking appropriate for most events.


2. Bottoms now, its summer, you have to go with shorts. Don’t come out all hoochie-mama miss fab with your booty shorts. Think 70's what your mom would wear. Yep, high waisted denim, the perfect cut for sucking it in but still feeling breezy to show off a summer tan. Don’t let the shorts wear you in that they overpower half your body and look like they’re starting to eat you! Keep it simple, a button-up cut, I think zippers are tacky for this style and maybe pockets unless you want that pressed look. Here's my pick from the amazing Kate Moss Topshop:

3. Shoes, the most important part. I usually start from the shoes up but you can go either way with this outfit, that’s why I love it. Go with either a cork or wooden wedge, or peep toe heals, a high top sneaker or ballet flats. Pumps I’m not going to worry about because every lady should have that emergency pair in their car. Ballet flats are simple, find them wherever, you can’t mess that up. But the high tops, so many people wear these ginormous marshmallow kicks that kill the whole outfit. I said it was a full proof outfit but shoes make everything. Don’t pick moon shoes! That’s all I ask. My two yes's are somewhat smurf-ish but now is the best time to wear this color.


4. To complete the outfit depends on the place as far as accessories go. It's common sense here: hoops or a long necklace, a skinny belt/chain belt, cardigan, you get the picture, and less is more with accessories so dress apropo. As Coco said always take one piece of before you leave the door… listen to Chanel!