Trend Report: Art Deco and the 1920s

We're sure many of you have notice the distinct 1920's and art deco vibe that's been creeping into this spring's fashions.  Characterized by arching lines and stylized geometric shapes, art deco designs can create a flattering path for the eye to follow across the body.  Dropped waists, rectangular silhouettes, and that classic flapper-esque fringe abound as well.  Here are some of our favorites from the S/S 2012 runways:

Drop-waists/embellishments/art deco lines from Roberto Cavalli

Flapper fringe and rectangular silhouettes from Mark Fast

Art deco lines and rectangular silhouettes from Alberta Ferretti

Art deco lines via print and embellishment and rectangular silhouettes from Etro

More art deco lines, drop-waists, rectangular silhouettes, and fringe.
L-R: BCBG Max Aria, Versace, and Gabriele Colangelo

The fall runway predictions were bang-on, and 1920s-inspired apparel and accessories are beginning to pop up in stores.  To get the art deco look in your every day wardrobe, check out some of these more affordable options:

1. Texas Tassles Dress by French Connection, $268
2. Atlantis Tiara by Ranjana Khan via BHLDN, $340
3. Skallein Dress by All Saints, $599
4. Square Vintage Post Earrings by Urban Outfitters, $14
5. Pax Necklace by Anthropologie, $88
6. Herrenhausen Dress by Image of Me via BHLDN, $280
7. Vintage Mesh Evening Bag via Free People, $268 (one of a kind!)
8. Black Sequin Dress w/ Scalloped Hem by Alberto Makali via Bluefly, $238
9. Curved Stone Post Earrings by Urban Outfitters, $16
10. Deco Beaded Clutch by Moyna via BHLDN, $180
11. Native Skirt by All Saints, $270 (Also available as a beautiful dress!)
12. Motel Bambi Knit Dress by Urban Outfitters, $80

You can even get Art Deco Tights by Anna Sui on Zappos for only $17.99!
Bonus: ASOS has an entire section dedicated to this trend!

~Stay fashionable and beautiful

Designer Dossier: Mara Hoffman

A graduate of Parsons in 2000, Mara Hoffman is a RTW and swimwear designer with an ethnic and tribal vibe.  There's a great description of the evolution of her brand here on her site, where you can find the majority of her clothing, swimwear, and accessories.  Her trademarks are her strong use of knits and her bold, stylized ethnic prints, and small beaded embellishments.

Hoffman's RTW apparel includes loose-but-flattering poncho dresses, body-con dresses, crop tops, and pants/shorts in her wide range of custom prints.  She also has some great wardrobe staples in neutrals, such as pullovers, tank tops, sweaters, and overcoats.  We wish we could pack up her entire line and go on a tropical vacation!

Mara Hoffman RTW,  S/S 2012

Speaking of, we think Hoffman's swimsuits are where her patterns truly shine.  The prints have been carefully engineered to flatter the body, and Hoffman's use of eye-popping color really makes a statement on the beach! Some of our favorites are the Tut High-Waist Bikini and the Tut String Bikini.  The high-waisted version not only had a beautiful and flattering pattern, but very unique cut out details as well.  For the string bikini version, the Turquoise color is available at Neiman Marcus and the pink on marahoffman.com.   Her suits are reasonably priced, falling between $150 and $250 and range in "loudness" of print and embellishment.  There's definitely something for everyone's style and body type!

Tut High-Waist Bikini with closeups of details

The Tut String Bikini

Embellishments, one pieces, bandeaus, macramé, and bustiers can all be found in Mara Hoffman's swimwear line!

Mara Hoffman also makes some fantastic cover ups, as well as cool accessories and sandals, so be sure to pop over to her website and check them out!  It should also be noted that you can find other color variations of several of her suits on Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Net-a-Porter.com, Saks 5th Avenue, and Zappos.com.  These colors aren't offered on her website currently, so it's worth taking a look around on some other websites!


~Stay fashionable and beautiful

Makeup Monday: The Urban Decay "Naked" Palettes

We're kicking off this blog with a review of the makeup palettes in our background!

Earlier this year, Urban Decay released a sequel to their ever-popular "Naked" eyeshadow palette called "Naked 2".  We're huge fans of neutrals and couldn't resist sampling the full spectrum of nudity!  Each palette contains 2-3 matte, one glittery, and 8-9 shimmery shadows for a total of 12.  Colors on all palettes can be mixed and matched with ease, and even with just one palette you can create a wide range of looks.  You can compare the colors of the two palettes below:



Overall, Naked has more pink, mauve, and copper tones while Naked 2 has more yellow, brown, and silver-purple.  The only noticeable difference is that Naked 2's mattes are the more yellow-based Foxy, the mauve Tease, and the obsidian Blackout.  If you prefer a wider range of matte colors to build on, Naked 2 offers more options than Naked's mattes (the taupe Naked and brown Buck).  On the flip side, Naked's Creep and Gunmetal don't have any purple/brown tones to them and are better for a shimmery, achromatic smokey eye.  If you can only pick one and are still undecided, someone has done a comparison of the most similar colors on their hand here.

The original Naked palette can be purchased on the UD website here, and the Naked 2 can be purchased here.  Both retail for $50 and are available at your local Sephora and Ulta stores too!

~Stay fashionable and beautiful