Writing Portfolio of Dylana Suarez: September 2010

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Caroline Blomst: Get the Look

Published Sep 8th, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Caroline Blomst is a world-renowned fashion icon, editor, and blogger. She is the face and brains behind Stockholm Streetstyle’s style blog, Caroline’s Mode.

Caroline’s Mode is a little peek into her life as one of Sweden’s top fashion editors, including her daily outfits, backstage snapshots, her thoughts on the latest trends, and all the amazing things she receives before they even hit the stores. Oh, the life of a fashion editor.

She’s a huge fan of brands like Alexander Wang and ACNE, and she is the poster girl for the simple, edgy, and chic look known as Scandinavian style.

Caroline can usually be found in her black leather motorcycle jacket with her beloved Balenciaga purse hanging on her arm, and buckled Chloé ankle boots on her feet.

When it comes to making a statement with fashion, it is all about the details for Caroline, from the tuck of a blouse to the drape of her jacket.

With a supermodel stare that seems to look right through you, and a nonchalant stance that is all business, there is no denying that Caroline is at the top of her game. But one look at her blog commentary reveals a down-to-earth, fun loving Swedish girl who just loves fashion.

Though she sticks to mostly black, white, and gray colored looks, for summer she has been changing things up a bit with florals and a punch of color. Find out how to get her look, below.

How To Get Flawless Runway Model Skin

Published Sep 5th, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

How is it that runway models always have the most flawless skin in those backstage photos during fashion week, with not an imperfection in sight, and a dewy glow that radiates under the camera lights?

Though many models have impeccable skin, there are also many who need to fight to keep their skin looking in tip top condition at all times.

But with the help of light-reflecting products, we too can achieve that perfect runway perfect look via the magic of face serums and primers.

Serums provide amazing benefits for your skin that a normal moisturizer cannot. Serums, which also moisturize, absorb deep into your skin and deposit potent nutrients into the pores.

Serums also come in very specialized formulas so that you can choose one that targets a certain problem with your skin that you would like to fix, be it clarity, tone, dark spots, clogged pores, or even preventive care against the sun.

Serums work to improve the overall appearance and smoothness of the skin, along with your normal wash and prep routine, and when your skin is healthy and radiating from the inside out, you will be one step closer to getting that supermodel skin you always dreamed of.

Once you’ve got skincare down, it’s on to make-up. This is when primers come into the mix. Primers prep your skin before make-up application. They go on after moisturizer, and work by absorbing into the skin to smooth the surface so that make-up goes on more evenly, looks more natural, and stays on longer. Primers also absorb extra oil so you can stay shine-free throughout the day.

Many also come with added benefits, like anti-aging properties and added moisturizers, to ensure skin health and radiance. Sounds too good to be true? Try it for yourself and you’ll see what we’re talking about. Primers are a newer addition the world of beauty, but they are now popping up in your local drugstore, so everybody can have a piece of the magic.

Adding a serum and a primer to your beauty routine can make all the difference. So get ready to put your best face forward with these products known to work like a charm. Just don’t be alarmed if you get mistaken for a runway model on the streets.

Lindsey Wixson: Get the Look

Published Sep 7th, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Sixteen-year-old model Lindsey Wixson is a fresh face from Kansas whose career is blowing up from New York to Milan.

She is Miu Miu’s latest campaign girl, has posed for huge magazines such as POP, Love, ID, and W; and has walked for the likes of Marc Jacobs, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Prada, and Versace, to name a few.

Her looks and personality just beam youth and vitality. She’s got a baby doll face that still has traces of endearingly full cheeks, large blue doll eyes, a cute button nose, and an expressive pout that would put Angelina Jolie to shame.

Lindsey sure isn’t taking anything for granted, and is enjoying every drop of her newfound fame as a model, for she can always be found smiling from ear to ear backstage.

This girl may be from a small American town, but it looks like her modeling experience has definitely left a positive mark on her personal sense of style, which is nothing less than amazing. Lindsey is not afraid to pile on layers, colors, and textures all in one outfit.

From a creamy orange fur jacket to an artsy green knitted beanie, she is capable of putting together a wide range of eclectic pieces to create a distinguished, fully inspired look. Find out how to get her cool beatnik style with this Lindsey Wixon-inspired look, below.

In-between Season Dressing

Published Sep 7th, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Autumn is fast approaching. Even though we are all ready to start throwing on the layers to fight against the nighttime chill, summer is here to stay for a couple more weeks.

Many of us are sick of summer’s long, hot days, and are ready to do a major wardrobe turnaround and embrace our fall fashion fantasies of chunky knits and woolly blazers.

For now, we can mix and match our favorite fall pieces with our summer essentials.

The blazer is one of fall’s most beloved layering pieces that keep us warm without weighing us down. Pairing a blazer with your favorite distressed summer shorts is the perfect juxtaposition. Just add a lightweight button-up blouse, and you're good to go until its time to trade in those shorts for a pair of woolly trousers.

Or, if you decide that you cannot wait until October to pull out your woolly trousers, throw them on now with a lightweight racer back tank so you don’t sweat during the day.

Add a long silk scarf for a burst of color that will give you that layering effect reminiscent of fall, while still remaining light enough for summer.

Check these two in-between season outfits, and get ready to look chic during that awkward time between September and October.

1. Madewell Fall Midnight Blazer from Shopbop - $169.00

2. Dolce Vita Tate 5 Buckle Lug Sandals from Shopbop - $119.00

3. Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Lil Shifty Tote from Shopbop - $258.00

4. Tribal Embroidered Denim Shorts from Forever 21 - $18.90

5. Plaid Basics Shirt from Forever 21 - $19.90

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs Reilly Herringbone Pants from Shopbop - $268.00

2. Rose Brushed Top from Forever 21 - $14.80

3. Hello My Darling Hat from Forever 21 - $7.80

4. Drawstring Hobo Bag from Forever 21 - $32.80

5. Joe’s Jeans Unforgettable Wedge Sandals from Shopbop - $220.00

Vanessa Hudgens: Get the Look

Published Sep 6th, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Vanessa Hudgens is another one of those young stars making a name for herself outside the wonderful world of Disney.

Her career shot forward ever since she sang alongside her beau, Zac Efron, in High School Music, redefining what it meant to be teen queen royalty.

Today, her cutesy Disney days are behind her and she is looking forward to molding a more mature career for herself. With movies like Beastly and Sucker Punch soon to be released, and a short stint in the musical Rent as Mimi, Vanessa is showcasing her multidimensionality that Disney had not allowed her to reveal.

But not only is Vanessa paving a remarkable post-Disney career, she’s doing it with cool bohemian style.

Vanessa is a total hippie at heart when it comes to her choice of clothes. With her long cascading locks and free-spirited smile, floor skimming maxi skirts, open-toe sandals, cross-body purses, and embroidered peasant blouses look right at home on her petite figure.

Floor-skimming lengths are Vanessa’s favorite, as can be seen from the two pictures below, give her the look of a beautiful gypsy wanderer. All she needs are some flowers in her hair and a peace sign around her next to look like she’s straight out of a scene from Woodstock.

But with her blackberry in hand, she brings us back to the modern era, providing us with the ultimate example of today’s bohemian luxe trend.

1. Wide Braided Belt from Forever 21 - $6.80
2. Knotted Pearlescent Necklace from Forever 21 - $7.80
3. Metallic Tubular Bead Sandals from Forever 21 - $18.80
4. Sunglasses from Forever 21 - $5.80
5. Alexander Wang Diego Bucket Bag from Shopbop.com - $825.00
6. T by Alexander Wang Maxi Dress from Shopbop.com - $105.00

1. Floral Accent Shoulder Top from Forever 21 - $22.80
2. Interlock Trim Sandals from Forever 21 - $24.80
3. Jenny Bird Ruched Bucket Bag from Shopbop.com - $595.00
4. Aviator Sunglasses from Forever 21 - $5.80
5. Chadwicks Long Printed Skirt from Amazon.com - $19.99

Fall 2010 Trend: The New Prep

Published Sep 5th, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

It is soon to be Fall again, the season that rings the bell on a new school year, which brings back to us those days of stocking up on pencils, erasers, college ruled paper, and most importantly, a new back to school wardrobe.

Even though many of us never had to wear a school uniform to school, the collegiate prep look is still a fall fashion favorite among chic students.

Think Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl, or the always polished wizard students from Harry Potter. Crisp collared blouses, woolly knit sweaters, plaid skirts, knee high socks, and practical loafers plan on making their way back into your wardrobes this upcoming season.

But thanks to brands like Balenciaga (futuristic prep), Jason Wu (tomboy prep), and House of Holland (punk rock prep), the new kind of prep school look is less refined, and a tad more quirky.

Wear your favorite school crewneck sweater in a flashing electric neon hue. Throw a pastel striped blazer over your Sunday school plaid skirt. Rock a pair of beat up combats with your knee high socks.

Take the usual shapes and prints of the distinguished school uniform and wear them baggier, tighter, or shorter than normal. These distortions and juxtapositions makes for a striking and exciting new way to wear prep.

To be a studious A+ student doesn’t mean you have to look like one all the time. The more confident you feel in your back to school clothes, the better you’ll do in school.

The new prep is less about conforming, and is more about experimenting, redefining, and recreating what it means to be prep.

In fashion’s new book, prep can be anything you want it to be.

Whether you’re an actual student, or just love the look, there’s no better time than now to start throwing together your own take on the preppy school look, inspired by the latest fall runways.

Anna Sui F/W 2010 Look

Published Sep 5, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Modern Day Nomad. Those are most likely the first three words that come to mind when one observes Anna Sui’s spectacularly eclectic fall collection.

A contrasting mish mash of hippie and gypsy patterns, a collage of autumnal jewel toned hues, and her signature baby doll fits will be making a comeback this upcoming season.

But Sui took things to the next level by reinterpreting her favorite retro shapes so that they are perfectly suited for the nomadic young woman who appreciates the adventurous life outdoors, rain or shine.

Furry vests, leopard print cap sleeves jackets, loosely knitted tights, crocheted beanies, elaborately beaded moccasins, and sherpa lined seventies coats made up the majority of Sui’s essential layering pieces.

With Sui, no print is ever too outrageous, and no texture is ever too risky. Happiness to Sui comes in the form of the wild and the eye-catching, and this is what her collection was all about. Find out how to get the Anna Sui F/W 2010 look, below.

Isabel Marant F/W 2010: Get the Look

Published Sep 3rd, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

The ¾ length pant is back for fall, thanks to Isabel Marant.

The style hasn’t fully returned to fashion since its days of popularity during the 1950's, when the pretty girls wore poodle skirts and drank milkshakes at the diner, and the bad girls smoked cigarettes while their boyfriends raced souped up cars behind the school lot.

The Isabel Marant girl is a balanced combination of the two - well, maybe leaning more towards the bad ass side. Marant conjured up her ideal retro femme fatale, who was a smart mix of tough and glamorous that is hard not to notice. Pants hit mid calf, and included fabrics like dark blue denim, show stopping blue sequins, and spicy red leather.

Even though the collection revolved around the pants, the jackets also made a statement. To get the Isabel Marant 50’s sense of style, pair your cropped pants with a distressed leather jacket layered under a tough structured leather one.

If you are feeling a bit more elegant, throw on an egg-shaped camel coat, or one in black fur. From classic sports jackets to cropped leather vests, outerwear was just as important as Marant’s leg slimming trousers.

Now all you have to do is pull your hair into a high ponytail (think Grease’s Sandra D), draw on some eyeliner, and throw on your pointiest pumps. You’ll be the coolest, sassiest looking girl in the room.

Find out how to get the look!

1. Vintage Denim Jacket from Forever 21 - $24.90

2. Rampage Nicki Pumps from Macy’s - $39.00

3. Soft Joie Maguire Top from Shopbop - $98.00

4. Elegantly Waisted Cummerbund Belt from Shopbop - $121.00

5. Lively Tear Drop Earrings from Forever 21 - $7.80

6. Rhinestone Bangle Set from Forever 21 - $10.80

7. Alice + Olivia Sequin Slim pants from Shopbop - $286.00

The Best Liquid Foundations

Published Sep 1st, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

There are so many foundations out there promising to cater to all the different skin types we have: normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive.

Then it branches out even further from there, providing us with a long list of sub-categories to choose from including concealers, brighteners, tinted moisturizers, compact powder, powder-to-liquid, cream, whipped, mineral, and even a foundation you can spray on like hairspray (where did that come from?).

Whatever happened to good old normal liquid foundation that we can apply with our fingertips? Forget the brushes and sponges. Easy and natural application makes all the difference when it comes to foundation.

We all want the same thing out of our foundation. We want flawless coverage that looks natural, a healthy glow, and a grease-free face that lasts all day.

Unlike the thick and cakey liquid foundations of the past, today’s liquid foundations are soft, light, and flexible, giving us what we want without totally covering up the texture of our real skin underneath.

Yes, it is true that no two skins are made the same, so finding a foundation unique to our needs is important. But there are many liquid foundations out there right now that promise universal help when it comes to complete coverage for our faces.

Liquid foundations won’t make us look chalky and dry like powders - they provide more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, and they aren’t as heavy as compact foundation applied with a brush. You have the ability to use as much as you need because you have the control, not the brush.

From being moisture-rich so as to fight anti-aging aggressors that wreak havoc on our skin, to being light enough so that we don’t look like we have a mask on, liquid foundations are multifunctional and trustworthy.

Here are a few of the best liquid foundations that will work for everyone. There is no better time than now to look in the mirror and smile.

1. Revlon PhotoReady Makeup from Amazon - $13.40
Features photochromatic pigments that bend, reflect, and diffuse light to help erase imperfections. Reduces shine and evens out skin tone.

2. Perfectly Real Makeup from Clinique - $23.00
This lightweight formula has micro-mirrored technology to optically resurface the skin for a perfected, natural look.

3. CoverGirl Trublend Liquid Makeup from Amazon - $8.86
The work of colorspheres helps this product blend flawlessly into your skin, so that you look like you have no makeup on at all - just perfect looking skin.

4. Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation from Sephora - $42.00
This product is highly pigmented, but can be applied lightly for a sheer look or layered for fuller coverage. Enhances your natural skin tone.

5. Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation from Sephora - $40.00
Covers all imperfections with a soft focus effect that leaves a flawless complextion, even under bright and harsh lights.

Jason Wu F/W 2010: Get the Look

Published Sep 1st, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Quirky masculine chic seemed to be the look Jason Wu was trying to create with his latest Fall/Winter collection.

Best known for dressing the First Lady, Michelle Obama, Wu has become a household name in fashion for his colorful and feminine silhouettes for die-hard dress fans.

But with his fall collection, it looks like he wants to expand his horizons to include the “every girl”, specifically the girl who likes a little boyishness with her girly, because not everybody is Michelle Obama.

Wu got more creative this time around without dismissing his superb tailoring and fun-filled color palette that were his claim to fame.

There was a polka dotted sheer blouse, a feathered mini skirt, and cocktail dresses galore, but we are more interested in the more masculine resonances that he pulled from out of his sleeve.

Oversized coats, cropped tuxedo jackets, slouchy trousers, and woolly grandpa sweaters reestablished the timeless boy-meets-girl connotation to the max.

With electrifying blasts of color like mellow yellow and neon orange, the way he styled his menswear pieces was exciting and modern, balancing his more feminine essentials like skirts, flimsy blouses, and strappy heels. Add a sparkling foil bib necklace for balance, and you’re good to go...the Jason Wu way!

Find out how to get the look, below.

1. Wool Flannel Fabien Pants from J. Crew - $128.00

2. Stadium-Cloth Peacoat from J. Crew - $240.00

3. Jeffrey Campbell Tackle Wedges from Solestruck.com - $139.95

4. Sheer Beauty Top from ModCloth - $89.99

5. Floral Bib Necklace form Forever 21 - $16.80

Ralph Lauren F/W 2010: Get the Look for Less

Published Sep 1st, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Ralph Lauren is the master of All-American dressing, from equestrian wear and country club prep to his well known love affair with romantic Victorian and Edwardian influences.

But this season, the designer decided to focus his sights on another archetype: that of the bohemian gypsy traveler.

His signature early American and British aesthetic was still running strong in the collection (herringbone, plaid, velvet, lace), but the streak of a whimsical wanderer and dreamer came through the strongest, opening the show with a wave of ditsy floral prints on floor skimming skirts, sheer chiffon fabrics, and intricately woven knitwear.

The gypsy’s famous forehead-skimming beanie pulled these bohemian tinged looks together.

Still, Lauren maintained his well known and well kept gravitation towards all things rugged and raw by throwing masculine coats, trousers, and booties into the mix.

Are you feeling Ralph Lauren’s bohemian gypsy look? If so, then find out how to recreate his version for less.

1. Free People Medallion Print Long Skirt from Shopbop - $64.00

2. Mason by Michelle Mason Hat from Shopbop - $88.00

3. Joe Lace Up Over the Knee Boots from Free People - $298.00

4. Multi Knit Cardigan from Forever 21 - $27.80

5. Wide Woven Belt from Forever 21 - $7.80

6. Peacock Feather Pendant Necklace - $5.80

7. Geren Ford Uneven Hem Sweater from Shopbop - $220.00

Rebecca Taylor F/W 2010: Get the Look for Less

Published Aug 31st, 2010 on The Fashion Spot

Rebecca Taylor is known for her downtown chic style suited for the fashion-forward girl who likes to rework her basics and essential pieces. The Rebecca Taylor girl is young, creative, confident, independent, and street smart.

She is the epitome of the fast-paced city woman who looks and feels edgy and modern without sacrificing her comfort. Taylor’s fall collection focused on the art of layering textures and complementing colors to take an everyday look from monotonous to outstanding.

The collection featured shots of wild leopard prints, minimalist florals, suede thigh high boots, sparkly tights, chunky knitted sweaters, and feminine cargo jackets. Taylor’s layers will keep you warm without weighing you down. But how so? By keeping a sleek form and silhouette in tact with slim lines and cropped lengths.

And don’t forget your platform booties. A girl in the city never goes out without reaching for the sky in her heels. Find out how to get the Rebecca Taylor look for less below.