Tag Archives: Ralph Lauren

Getting Dressed for the Olympics


Yesterday the uniforms that the American athletes will wear for the upcoming Summer Olympics were debuted.  They are designed by Ralph Lauren and are classically American in a country and yacht club sort of way.  I, along with other Olympic (and fashion) fans are disappointed.

US Olympic uniforms, courtesy of Ralph Lauren

The latest collection from Ralph Lauren does trend a bit 19th-century fabulous and refined, but critics are calling the uniforms too European, too preppy, too posh…

Ralph gets America.  America get’s fashion.  Would it not have been out of this world amazing if our athletes looked like this in a few weeks?

 

Either way, no matter what they wear to the Opening Ceremonies, I hope they get to wear a lot of gold to the Closing Ceremonies.  This wouldn’t be too bad either.

 
 
All images from NY Mag.

Day 8: The End of Fashion Week


Yesterday was the end of Fall 2011 Fashion Week and it has been quite a glamorous few days.  Yesterday was no different. 

Day 8: Malan Breton, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Son Jung Wan, L’Wren Scott, Calvin Klein Collenction, Adrienne Landau, Joanna Mastroianna, Stephen Burrows, Bill Blass, Elene Cassic, WTB by Nikki Lund & Richie Sambora, Naeem Khan, Lublu, L.A.M.B.

A favorite from yesterday was the beautiful gowns by Naeem Khan, a favorite of First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyonce, the cast of SATC, and many more.  His gowns had classic shapes but were elevated by their intricate detailing and beautiful fabrics.
Naeem Khan
Naeem Khan
Naeem Khan

 Within Khan’s collection, I noticed two rivaling themes an ode to old art-deco glamour and an appreciation for full bodied Bohemia and exotic prints.  Those themes were also mirrored in the L.A.M.B. (Bohemia and prints) and Ralph Lauren (art-deco) shows.
L.A.M.B.
Ralph Lauren
Another dress worth highlighting was the beautiful colors in the column gown from Oscar de la Renta, whose show was on Wednesday.  
Oscar de la Renta
In reviewing eight days of fashion shows and looking ahead to Fall of 2011 a few recurring themes seem to stick out: plunging neckline gowns and their counterpoint of high collar/crew neck dresses, jewel tone shine and rich burnt yellows, reds, oranges and plums, a playful mashup of sportswear with dressier items, complete looks in varying shades of one color in either neutrals or big bold hues, suiting, ladylike dots, sequins and feathers.  What an inspiring and exciting season ahead!

Finding the Wild Side


I am having a bit of an animal moment.  I don’t know where it came from, but lately I am gravitating towards animal prints of every variety; leopard, cheetah, tiger, zebra.  Wild animals on footwear and accessories are often on the prowl in South Florida, but spotting animal print in DC is like hunting endangered animals – as in the occurrence is rare.  There is a fine line between eye catching and over the top, let’s see what we can find…

Ralph Lauren Leopard Hair-Calf Peep Toe Pump
Jeffrey Campbell Kammie Ballet Flat
Vince Camuto Rues2
I love the idea of the leopard shoes.  You know I’m all about the classic aesthetic, and I think these all would work great as a surprise accessory with a slim, straight leg jean in a dark wash, or a black shift dress.  They add a kicky pop to any outfit that’s a little playful, a lot of fun, and still classically cool.  
I’m still hunting for animal inspired home pieces too, so look out for that in a future post!

New York Fashion Week: Spring 2011 is Looking Lovely


I have finally finished reviewing the many, many fashion shows that highlighted the transitioning into fall days of September. 

Fashion is a funny game; we preview the spring before fall starts, and preview the fall before the snow has melted in New York.  I love the fashion shows, and neither fall nor spring wins preference with me.  I love the spring shows because as a Florida girl I love the ease, the casual aesthetic, the classic sportswear and the bright colors.  I love the fall shows for the richness, the holiday glamour, the texture and refinement.  Quite happily the Spring 2011 shows had the best of both seasons: brilliant colors, ladylike shapes, classic shapes and styles, and glitter.

These are a few trends that are sticking out above the rest for me: 

Belts: I love the ladylike refinement of this dress and belt from Oscar de la Renta.  I love the pop of the strong colors against the softer pinks of the fabric.  Belts were popping up all over the runway and all throughout my favorites from the season, they are flattering and they take an outfit from the everyday to wow.

Color: Oh Marc… The colors, the accessories, the knits – it was the best of the 70’s without feeling dated, costumey or over the top.  I felt like the entire Marc Jacobs collection was completely wearable and more than that fun, and bright.  I like how the use of color was elevated beyond what is normally thought of as spring colors and given a greater richness and depth with jewel tones.

High Waist Pants: I am a jeans girl and so I do appreciate an amazing fit on a pair of pants.  I also like the way a high waist pant flatters a woman’s body, creates curves if there are none, supports curves if there are some.  Katherine Hepburn knew what she was doing when she made the pant a mainstay in the wardrobe of American women, and Monique Lhuillier takes it a step further by elegantly putting pants in the category for evening.

Glitter: I love Ralph Lauren.  I love how the brand is unchanged, how he seemingly ignores the current trend to stay true to his classic American style.  His collections makes even a city girl consider oversized buckles and a home in Wyoming.  I love the fluidity, and liquid nature of this glitter and how it is smartly toughened up by the contrasting leather belt and shawl – it’s not too sweet, it’s American Glamour.

You can see the rest of my selected favorites here.

But this, this is my favorite of all.  I love the tank style that reads as so effortless, I love the deep neckline that doesn’t go so deep to be vulgar, I love the cinched waist with the bow-tied belt and the abstract and slimming design at the front.    

I love Carolina Herrera.  She reminds me of the grandmother of my best friend.  She exudes an old world glamour but has the ability to dress today’s woman of any age.  She, and her collection, are the perfect example of sophistication, chic and timeless fashion. 

I can feel Fall creeping up on me, and I am still looking for the perfect new sweaters, boots, and more, but Spring has never looked more dreamy.