Sequins, Sparkle & Shine

Around the Holidays, I always say you need to have the 3 S's in your life: sequins, sparkle and shine. The holidays are filled with all three, whether it's your Christmas tree filled with lights and ornaments, or that beautifully wrapped present, the three S's are everywhere and you always need to add a little, or a lot, to your wardrobe for those holiday get togethers! 

I had emailed Kristina a while back about maybe doing a BDIB with sequins. The fashionista that she is, she said she loved my idea but she was working on it for an upcoming BDIB! Great minds think a like ;) 

So Voila! Here you have, Bloggers do SEQUINS better!

Details, details, details:

Shoes: Aldo

Jeans: Kohls

Sequin Tank: Express

Cardigan: F21

And here are a few fun photos of me and my boo! He is my wonderful photographer, who bought me this FABULOUS new camera.  Thanks baby! xo

                             

Animal Instincts: Meow

So I kind of have a secret obsession with leopard print. When I found out the new Bloggers Do It Better challenge was titled "Animal Instincts"I literally eeeeeee'ed with excitement. 

With the animal prints being so popular this fall, I have made a few purchases that make me oh so happy. A few months ago, while writing my trend post, The Cat's Meow, I found the "leopard on me" top from ModCloth, and I HAD to have it. After patiently waiting for it to become available again, I snatched it up at the end of September. September 27th, the day that little package arrived on my doorstep, was one happy day for me! The next morning I woke up to a new BDIB email announcing the new assignment and I was SO excited to participate! It was meant to be :) 

So without further adieu, meet the animal in me. 

Two days after the new BDIB I found this precious little skirt with leopard bows and wallah! I had my outfit. While it's a little crazy for me, there is just something about this outfit that makes me feel good! It's bringing out my inner feistiness that I normally don't show!

Needless to say, I really do love leopard print. I have a few pieces that just spice up an outfit. 

And I just had to include my little precious bug, Tika because like mother like daughter, she loves leopard too ♥

Fashion Feature: Hook&Stylit

Today's fashion feature is on a dear friend whom I met in college. Maggie always looked so chic while in class, wearing maxis, bermuda shorts, whatever it was she looked cute and classy. Now, she has her own personal style blog, Hook & Stylit: the style of my life. 

Meet Maggie.

This full time fashionista always looks great. Whether it's going to work or going to the beach, Maggie knows how to dress herself and others.  She has a quote on her blog from Drew Berrymore that I think a lot of girls can relate to: "My whole life I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin, it's like the most liberating thing in the world." Maggie's down to earth personality matches her style perfectly, showing she IS comfortable in her own skin. 

Here are a few sneak peaks of outfits from Hook & Stylit. 

"I LOVE wearing black and brown (and now cream) together! This outfit definitely fits my personality, my lifestyle and the office environment that I work in everyday!"- Maggie

"My absolute favorite thing in the world to wear is a MAXI dress! I'm obsessed! I wear maxis basically anytime I am not in work clothes. I'm convinced that they are the greatest alternative to pajamas that has ever been invented!"-Maggie

I 100% agree, gotta love those maxis! They're so comfortable yet oh so stylish. 

I've always loved Maggie's style, and these photos are prime examples of just how stylish she is! Remember to check out Hook & Stylit for more fabulous fashion posts from this fashionista! Enjoy xx 

Remember,  fashion is fun. It is uniquely you. ♥

Fashion Feature: Wrap me up

***I have so many wonderful friends who are into fashion, so I thought, "Why not feature them!" I am excited to introduce some of the fabulous fashionistas I call friends.***

Meet Preeti, she's the one with the afro!

This adorable, yet groovy, fashionista is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Preeti and I have known each other for almost twenty years. We have seen each other go through fashion highs and lows, but I can safely say she has the cutest style. Her style matches her laid back, outgoing personality.

Preeti's outfit choice is so cute. She chose one focal point, the scarf, and toned down the rest of her outfit so the scarf could scream fabulous.  

Preeti's take on her outfit:

❝Okay so my outfit is very "me" (according to my boyfriend). I am wearing Jeggings from Old Navy (the most comfortable things invented) and a piece that is a staple in my wardrobe. I am also wearing a basic black t-shirt because this outfit is all about my scarf. I love the tapestry look of it, and didn't want to distract with anything else that I am wearing. I love scarves and how you can add them to a basic outfit (jeans and a black t-shirt) and it can turn it into something unique.❞

LOVIN' your look Preetz! You are always so effortlessly stylish. 

Remember, fashion is fun. It is uniquely you ♥

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup: Fashion: Forever Evolving

BY JODY MARICH

LINKS Á LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUNDUP

6 Comments 31 MARCH 2011

FASHION: FOREVER EVOLVING

Edited by Collette Osuna of Statements in Fashion

Hello everyone! I’m super excited to be making my debut as an IFB Links a la Mode Editor this week. As I visited each link, I was reminded that each had the exact thing in common with the next, that Fashion is Forever Evolving.

From your Mothers fashion advice, a beauty “how to” video, or a legendary icons passing, fashion is always changing and taking form in a new shape. I am constantly thriving to acquaint myself with the “fashion unfamiliar.” This weeks links did just that for me. I’m thrilled to be a new member of the IFB family and cannot wait to see everyone’s posts throughout the upcoming year!

LINKS À LA MODE: MARCH 31ST

• Color Me Blue Fashion: The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Style.
• Fashioned By Love: Carmen Dell’Orefice: Living Haute Couture
• Fashables: These Shoes Called My Name
• Fumiko Kawa: Redesigned Elle Homme shirt with clean cuts
• Interrobangs Anonymous: Feminism and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Why Fashion Bloggers Should Love Instagram
• House in Tillford: Tips and tricks for getting the best bargains at designer warehouse sales
• Makeup & Jeans: A faux bronze look and entire glamorous face in 11 steps!
• Mallory in New York: Sephora Launches The World’s First Unretouched Makeup Ad!
• Mrs. Bossa: Does Pink Stink? How colour-coding gives the wrong message about girls
• Relatively Chic: 25 Ways to Help Japan Through Fashion & Art
• Statements in Fashion: Weekend Jean Lover: From Drab to Fab
• Styling You: Statement rings: Why you should wear one while drinking champagne
• Sugar & Spice: Fashion and feminism: unlikely partners?
• The Citizen Rosebud: A touching tribute to the inspiration of ICON Elizabeth Taylor
• The Loudmouth: Big mouth, bigger hair: My hair timeline.
• The Simply Luxurious life: Eric Bompard – Cashmere Heaven
• The Styling Dutchman Fashion & Finding Myself
• Tickle Me Chic: The “Plastic Surgeons of digital media”
• Those Graces: I Got It from My Momma: Style Lessons My Mom Taught Me
• T Minus T Plus: Baby Steps into Pattern Mixing

SPONSOR:

Shopbop Sunglasses: DITA, Karen Walker, Retro sun, Tom Ford, Mosley Tribes, Ray-Ban, Phillip Lim, Marc Jacobs, Carrera, & Chloe

The "Plastic surgeons of digital media"

By Jody Marich 

Photo manipulation has become an epidemic in the photography world, even camera companies are jumping onto the bandwagon. Everyone from Time Magazine to Allure, have been accused of manipulating photos to please the consumers. Fashion magazines are continually getting flack for it. Some have even been under fire with the celebrity or model who was retouched like Crystal Renn. The gorgeous model was outraged when her photos came out for Fashion For Passion's tee shirt shoot. In an interview with Glamour, Renn told the mag she was upset."Well, I was shocked. When I saw the pictures, I think I was silent for a good five minutes, staring with my mouth open. I don’t know what was done to those photos or who did it, but they look retouched to me. And listen, everybody retouches, but don’t make me into something I’m not," Renn Said.

Photo cred: stylefrizz.com

Photo manipulation can be as little as changing the image’s color to big things like hiding bruises or taking away cellulite. An article from the Art Institute’s AiInsite.com website, Picture Imperfect- Digital Image Manipulation Ethics, says, “The range of changes that photo editors can make varies from correcting background lighting to transforming a human model's body type. The technology and software available today allows amateur and professional photographers alike to alter their shots.” It goes on to say that some photo manipulation is necessary. Becky Olstad, a Photography Instructor at The Art Institutes International Minnesota, believes the use of Photoshop and other image manipulation software have become a routine part of the photography process. “It allows us to control exposure, contrast, color balance - things that are also routinely controlled in a traditional darkroom."

The new Code of Ethics adopted by the National Press Photographers Association Board in 2004, was updated and “modernized” as they termed it. The code has normal points, but one stood out that doesn’t seem to be followed a lot, especially with magazines involving fashion and fame. “Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images' content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.” The fashion industry is a big user of photo manipulation. Photos have been manipulated to hide cellulite, love handles, veins, bags under eyes and so on.

This photo below of Jennifer Aniston recently caused a lot of commotion when Allure used it for the February cover. It was on my facebook feed so I clicked the photo and was shocked, along with a lot of others.  Outraged readers fired back, commenting on one of the photos from the feature saying things like, "This is so bad, Allure you are really starting to suck,"; "Allure, I normally love what you do, but once I saw this picture (and the others from the shoot) I was shocked. It doesn't even look like her." Some wrote about the photos being creepy or fake, others complained about how photoshopped the shoot was. For more photos from the shoot, click the link.

Photo cred: skinnyvscurvy.com

An article by Cate Young, from the Boston University, BU Quad, Digital Manipulation in the Fashion Industry, says, “The fashion industry is notorious for it’s heavy-handed use of digital manipulation software, and has fallen under criticism for introducing ‘false images’ into the mainstream and passing them off as real.” Young goes on to say the industry is continually blamed for representing “unhealthy body images” by hiding imperfections. The article, Manipulated photo flap raises ethical issues, written by Nathalie Atkinson states, “The NPAA prohibits even the removal of undesirable objects or elements in photographs -- warts, zits and all.” 

The fashion industry is under fire just about every week for something/ someone being photoshopped. 

Photo cred: thefrisky.com

Photo cred: 11points.com

Photo cred: skinnyvscurvy.com

Photo cred: britneyfans.org

The "Plastic surgeons of digital media"

In the article, Picture Imperfect- Digital Image Manipulation Ethics, Fabio Apelbaum, a graduate from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, now a Director of Graphic Arts, believes Photoshop is used in almost all post-production projects and that it’s a good thing. “We happen to be the plastic surgeons of digital media. We will improve their defects but make sure to not exceed our rights as artists.” Apelbaum goes on to say, “When you look at a magazine, 98% of what you see in the fashion industry is unreal. We have taken the human beauty to an extreme that beauty itself cannot compete with."

Photo cred: tvleak.com

Olstad believes the standard of beauty and other issues that have risen are not the responsibility of photo editors. “I don't think you can pin our society's unrealistic expectations of beauty on any one person or industry," she adds. "Isn't the designer who sends over only size 0's of the latest line just as responsible as the editor who prints the photo?"

If you are hiding things or disguising imperfections, it gives the viewer a skewed perception of what they are looking at and how they should be. It has created body and health issues, making people think they should “look” a certain way and caused confusion to consumers.

A new problem( or solution?) arises

With all the talk of photo manipulation one must realize that what you see is usually not what you get.

A new camera has come out by Panasonic that has beauty retouching modes. An article by Tobey Grumet, from stylist.com says, "Using built-in Beauty Retouch modes, this camera boasts the ability to tone down wrinkles, whiten your teeth and amp up rosy cheeks with just the touch of a button." The stylist crew did some experiments to find out that the camera produces a "younger, fresher and smoother" you.

Photo cred: stylist.com

David Briganti, senior product manager for imaging at Panasonic, says they wanted to create a camera with features that allow users to have fun with their photos. "Many photography settings need to be set prior to the photo being taken in order to see the changes, but with Beauty Retouch, these changes can be made after the photo was taken," said Briganti.

With the camera running about $230, it's an easy way to escape the expenses of more professional software BUT, is it a step in the wrong direction? It's nice to be able to correct small imperfections but with the way technology is going, are we doing more damage than good to our self esteem?  

What do you think about the photo manipulation epidemic? 

You're Golden.

By Jody Marich 

Only being in Berlin for two days, I am still getting used to the time difference so I missed the Golden Globes. After waking up at 6:30 a.m., I looked at some red carpet fashions and noticed a big green trend. More forest and emerald green than anything. The darker tones are more romantic, giving off an elegant vibe, perfect for the red carpet. 

(Getty Images)

This picture of Mila Kunis, is the perfect example of going green. She kept it elegant with the sheen and draping of the fabric but still had a sexy, playful side with the one shoulder detail. Being nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Kunis went all out and had the dress custom made in only 4 days. The emerald beauty was made by the always fabulous Vera Wang. 

Check out some other celebrities green with envy. 

(Collage made by me/ photos- Getty Images/TMZ)

Another ongoing trend I have a secret obsession for is nude tones. Some actresses pulled it off seamlessly as they worked it on the red carpet. 

Nude tones can be so elegant and sophisticated if you wear them right. The soft hues, gives off a very romantic feeling. 

These starlets had the right idea. While Dianna Argon and Carrie Underwood kept it simple and classic, with little accessories, Julie Bowen and Milla Jovocich, spiced things up a with one shoulder detail and draped fabrics. 

(Collage made by me/ photos- Getty Images/MTV)

Some others that tried nude, weren't as lucky in their choices. 

(Collage made by me/ photos- Getty Images/MTV)

While Scarlett Johansson's dress sparkled, the tone was all wrong for her. It blended in with her skin tone too much, even with the sparkle. And the plunging neckline along with the flutter sleeve created an oversized look for the tiny actress. Michelle Williams channeled her inner hippie, wearing a daisy detailed dress by Valentino. Williams always has a down to earth style, but the dress didn't look elegant enough for the Golden Globes. Leighton Meester's Louis Vuitton dress was not right for her. She tried to combine too many trends into one dress, and being a small girl, it did nothing for her. Meester should have chosen a dress more her age, and maybe had her hair up. 

Heather Morris did a pretty good job, except I thought the dress was a little simple for her. I will say though, it does give her a great figure and her makeup was gorgeous. 

(TMZ)

(bellasugar.com)

One more actress I have to write about is Sandra Bullock. Love love love her bangs. She wore them so well. I think it is a great transition for her look. It gives her more style sense. Her played up eyes and fierce bangs made a great look for Bullock. 

(bellasugar.com)

If these trends have any say in what's to come for fashion, nude tones will be staying around, while more green hues pop up. 

Congrats to all the winners for the 2011 Golden Globes.