ISAACMIZRAHINY.COM Is Open!

And I couldn't be happier!

I a huge fan of Isaac for a lot of reasons - not the least of which is that I own a pair of Mizrahi trouser jeans I brought from Target that fit like a dream and feel like heaven!

He has been and remains, a big advocate in the design world for making high fashion avaliable to everyone! He takes one more step in that direction by opening his own online store - isaacmizrahiny.com

The offerings are basically his bridgeline - the prices range from $18.00 for a crew neck tank to $380.00 for a raincoat.

My favs:




Day-for-Night Taffeta Dress - $325.00

(NOTE: It kinda ticks me off that they show this dress in the header graphic on the Target site - but it is really out of the bridgeline. Kind of deceptive in my eyes!)




Country-City Slicker - $380.00



Belgian Ballerina - $275.00

As you can see, Isaac is workin' his signature pink in his first offerings!

Even if you aren't a big pink fan, go on over and check him out! I, for one, look forward to what he has in store in the future!

Time for some fashion fun!

Hop over to In Style and have a go at mixing and matching the latest styles:

Instant Style

It's a kind of interactive paperdolls without the doll.

A few of my creations:








Besides the just plain fun of it, this is a great way to hone in on what floats your fashion boat! Don't worry about your shape, size or age -- just pick what you love and what you'd wear in an idea world! You'll no doubt see trends of your own in color and/or design.

So go on over and have a blast!

Over at About.com....

They're sharing simple style tips....

Top 10 Simple Style Rules

I especially agree with number two!


And as a bonus check out Fashion at any age.

I don't totally agree with everything - but I do with enough that I'm adding it my links to the right!

So THAT explains....

Why that damn bubble skirt trend refuses to die!....

Why are we slaves to fashion

I'd like to thinking that, as one grows older, you are less susceptible to "herd" thinking. However, I haven't seen all that much evidence to prove that!

Wardrode 911 tackles the cropped jacket....

Over at Wardrobe 911, Ms. Teresa is giving out guidance on how to incorporate the cropped jacket - without looking like you're trying to pretend you're still 20:

Print Tunics + Cropped Jackets

Like the reader I've never been a big fan of the puffy sleeve! And while I've come to prefer a shorter jacket, the cropped ones this season (along with the shrug jackets!) do seem a bit too young to incorporate into my wardrobe!

Leave it to Ms. T to find a way to make it work! ; - )

Synchronicity strikes again!

Just as I am working on a post on the problems and opportunities involved in incorporating the new spring looks in an 50+ wardrobe -- along comes this great post from Well Past 50:

How to Dress Like Your Daughter and Get Away With It

Lots of great tips on how to take some of the more challenging spring trends and make them work for you.

I still think I'll be passing on the leggings through! ; - )

Now that we are up to our hips in dresses.....

It's a good time for a bit of dress guidance!

I don't know about you, but, despite my love of the shirtdress, it's been many a year since I wore a dress -- separates just work better for my post 50 pear shape!

But since dresses are the "word" this spring and summer, it might be worth your while to scoot over to YouLookFab for a quickie guide to this season's dress shapes:

Dresses dazzle in Spring and Summer

This from Second City Style....

It appears that Steve Madden is going into the apparel business....

Steve Madden Serves Up Frocks


I'm not very familiar with the Steve Madden line - I've seen the shoes around, but I've never purchased anything. But I took a look and I agree -- the many of the dresses are pretty cute. Sadly, they only come up to a size 14.

A couple of my favs:







Even cooler I thought as I skimmed the site, is the ability to custom design your own shoes...

Design your own collection

So go on over to Steve's and check out the dresses - and the shoes!

Once again, many thanks to Second City Style for the heads up!

Reality Dressing over at Spiegel...

One of the things I love about Harper's Bazaar is a feature they have in every month's issue. Titled "Fabulous at Every Age", the article takes the most current fashion trends and breaks them down for women ages 20 to 70 giving examples of how to wear that trend for your age group.

It is a great feature and I believe they are the only fashion mag out today that does this as a regular feature! If you get a chance to check it out do - I highly recommend it.

Now it looks like Spiegel is attempting to do the same.....

Reality Dressing: Fabulous at Any Age

I think it is a good first attempt. However, they fall short in my eyes in that they suggest pieces that don't always come in every size - definitely something they need to improve!

Still, I'm heartened to see at least the beginnings of major retailers realizing that women at every age want to remain stylish -- and the sample outfits do have promise.

So go on over and take a look - and kudos to Spiegel for getting with the program! ;- )

Imagine my surprise....

When I received this in my e-mail on Sunday morning....





Usually when I think Bluefly I think shoes that have you tottering as you walk! So I was pleased to see them hawking flats for a change! The prices still make my head spin - but if you, like me, wear flats as your basic work shoe, a bit more for a pair may well be in order.

My favs from the sale:



Casadei Black floral velvet 'Pellame' flat - $189.99

(Okay, okay I know - These come "just" that close to looking like bedroom slippers! But I think they escape that and would make a great dress flat to go with your LBD!)



Christian Louboutin Beige scalloped suede 'Pauline' flats - $315.00

Of all the flats I took a look at in this sale I think, for work, that this one is just about perfect! Yeah, the price makes my hair stand on end (no mean feat in my case!) but you have to give credit where credit is due - this one is a winner!



Christian Louboutin Blue patent 'Pondesoupir' cut-out slingbacks - $330.00

What can I say - just beautiful in blue and an unusual design!






Delman Shoes Coral satin ' Wrap' ballet flats - $129.00



Deleman Shooes - Moss Plenty Suede Flat - $141.00

I love this moss green color - another great flat for work!





Delman Shoes - Ocean Blue Leather Fringed Whip Moccassins - $97.99

Blue is my color - could you guess? And I love the sleeker take on the classic moccasin loafer look.






Delman Shoes - Tan Quilted Suede Worth Flat - $129.99




Deleman Shoes - Willy Rosette Flat - $153.00





Gucci Blue Suede Cap Toe Flat - $255.00

I like the detail on this one -- refreshing change from the bows it seems is required on flats!






Malo Burgundy Burnout Print Flat - $255.00

Great print!




Stuart Weitzman Black Leather Trim Formula Flat - $118.00

I love this one -- it's so different! They would make great weekend shoes - with a pair of pants or a casual skirt.

So, if you've got the Bluefly cash and you've been looking for a great lookin' pair of flats, go on by - I think Bluefly can get you the hookup! ; - )

Great article over at Real Simple....

On how to determine on which essential clothing items one should spend quite a bit or just a little:

How to Buy Wardrobe Essentials

Well worth the read!

(In fact, if you have the time, check out the other articles in their new Fashion section - lots of great tips!)

Happy St. Pat's Day!

And while it might be just a bit late to get something pinch proof to wear - here are a couple of tips from sites I love:

Green Day - Wardrobe 911

Cash - Check - or Charge - I like Her Style


Erin Go Bragh!


(And if you ever wondered what the heck that means - skip on over to another of my favs - Wikipeda - for the whole skinny: Erin Go Bragh)

And remember:



Enjoy!

Sigh! I guess the whole yellow thing...

Is not going to go away as a trend for Spring!

Personally, I'm NOT a huge fan of the color - when I was younger too much of it made me nauseous! But it appears it is one of the "IT" colors for this Spring - and I must admit that, in the right proportions, it can give a sunny kick to your outfit!

As I do not, at my age at any rate, feel the need to look like a de-striped bumble-bee by wearing an entire yellow outfit, I decided that the best way to take advantage of this trend was with an accessory. So I surfed around and found a few I thought were promising:

Handbags:




Isaac Mizrahi for Target® Flap Bag with Buckle - Grainy Yellow - $16.99

Cute and not to pricey - easy to throw into the back of the closet once the whole yellow thing is over!




Mustard Round Hobo - $45.00

Okay, mustard is cheating a bit - but the bag is cute and the subtler color can easily carry over into fall!



Buti
Tulip - Orange & Yellow Leather Buckled Strap Tote - $499.00

What can I say - I just plain love this bag! It's percentage of yellow is just right! (Yes, I wish the price was better, as in cheaper - but I guess sometimes you really do get what you pay for!)


Shoes:

For those of us who need to keep their feet more or less on the ground:






Chinese Laundry LANDYS DOT CANVAS - YELLOW - $59.00



Seychelles 'Social Climber' Flat - $64.95






Diba Kitten Flat - $82.95




For those who can reach a bit higher:



BC Mesh Wedge - $58.00








Ada by Frye - $165.00




Chariot by Delman - $175.00

Seychelles "And the Winner Is" Yellow Patent Leather Pump - $79.99

And if you can still handle the height - good on ya!:

Aldo URSA - $69.99

Marc by Marc Jacobs - $328.95


Now for those of you who, like me, are not big yellow fans - but don't mind sporting a bit of the sunshine color:

Ballroom by Bettye Muller - $295.00




Canvas Printed Wedge - $48.00





:Dolce Vita Braided Slingback - $78.00




Gazebo by Bettye Muller - $375.00


I'm sure there are a bunch of belts and babbles as well that you can slip on to give a bit of sunshine to your spring outfit - and if I come across any that look promising I'll post them!



Meanwhile, this lot should give you a good start! Enjoy!

Designer Handbag Giveaway at BlueFly....

Get yourself on over to BlueFly to enter their daily contest to win a designer bag (which is probably the ONLY way I'd ever be able to get one!):




Bag-O-Rama Daily Giveaway

Of course you have to register to play....

Over at YouLookFab

Agreed.....

Amazing Ann Taylor

I have to confess that I've had a bit of a mad on at Ann Taylor - their clothes only go up to a size 18. That works for my top - but not necessarily for my bottom!

But for classically beautiful clothes I must admit, their styles are among the best and provide a practically no-brainer way to put together a wardrobe that will work for a wide range of ages.

So if you are in that 0 - 18 size range you would be foolish not to check them out!

Also from The Budge Fashionista.....

A seek-peek at the new Madonna line at H&M:

Unveiled: M by Madonna Collection at H&M (scoot down to the bottom of the page for the post). She also has a link to a screen show of the whole collection.

My favs:

















Photo credit: Detny.no

What next - the Second Coming?.....

This from the The Budget Fashionista:

Calvin Klein and Michael Kors Launch Plus Size Lines

I agree with Ms. K completely that this will be a nice addition to the usual choices of Jones of NY (Which by the by, I really love) and AK Anne Klein (Ditto on the love thing!) for those plus size ladies who are looking for something good-looking to wear!

I'll be interested to see what their plus size lines will look like. It's been my experience that their usually a large size version of their misses line. Sometimes that works - and sometimes it doesn't. So it will be interesting to see if either of them take a slightly different tack.

Yes, I'm still here.....

I know I've been somewhat MIA recently - work has been absolutely crazy!

But I will be back posting regularly soon! In the meantime, get yourself over to Wardrobe 911 for the following great posts:


dawn hudson, fashionable ceo

Ms. Teresa of late, has been posting pics of women she feels are great style examples. I heartily agree with her statement on the difficulties of finding pics of anyone other than celebs - that's one of my frustrations in blogging this site!


the right pant pockets for you


Get the scoop on the RIGHT way to handle those pesky pockets! (Personally I love pockets in pants, but they can impact the look of the silhouette - know what I'm saying?)


the mighty shoulder

Great post on how to determine what type of shoulder frame you have and how to make the best of it. I posted a question for clarification to this post and Ms. Teresa's gracious answer was wonderfully clear - can't wait to try it to determine my shoulder type!


She has loads more - including her take on Forth and Towne. We aren't in agreement on that one, but hey that's life! So put some time aside to spend with Ms. T - your wardrobe will be the better for it!

And be at the ready -- I'll be posting a ton of stuff in the next few days!

Ah, new shoes for Spring....

Come on, I know you're all thinking about it. Spring, new clothes, new shoes....

Even I, who am no shoe freak (bags are my bag!) have found my mind awandering to my feet and the possibilities once the snow is off the ground!

If you too are getting that shoe love feeling, head on over to Stylebakery for a little Sole Searching.

What I love about this list is that it contains shoes of many different heights which can suit women of a wide age range and shoe tolerance. The prices are wide ranging as well - enabling you to walk fashionably into Spring without totally emptying your handbag!

Many thanks to Kristopher Dukes for the heads up!

Here's the article I was TRYING to get to!

Is Looking Your Age Now Taboo?


Personally, I HATE needles! So no one is coming at me with one unless it's for legit medical reasons!

It's very sad that people as young as 30 are feeling the need to look younger! Where will it end - folks trying to look like toddlers forever?

Along with not being fully aware of how false the images we see in ads and mags are, with even 14 year old models being airbrushed (Okay, there is something basically wrong with 14 year olds modeling clothes meant for adults to start out with - but that's a whole other post!) I think there's more than a bit of death denial going on here.

Well guess what, folks - as Capt. Picard said so well about life "Nobody gets out of here alive."

Face up to your age! Deal with it and get on with it - with as much style as you can manage!

No it's not easy - I can testify to that - every morning when I look in the mirror!

But my guess is you'll be a lot happier in the long run - and you'll actually be able to smile without cracking your face off!

Okay, this is really weird....

I was trying to link to a totally different article - but this is the one that came up:

Writing Her Own Sequel

I'm not one to fight synchronicity....