Toggle Temptations

Toggles are tres chic for this winter season! Toggles are nautical inspired fastenings for jackets, sweaters and other accessories. They are an extremely preppy accessory and look great for day time ensembles! Toggles usually are created with rope ties and a wooden end that loops into an opening in the other side.

Khaki coats are the hottest selling item when it comes to toggles. The khaki can be dressed up or down and transitions well from day to night. You can wear this style as an overcoat or a statement piece with a  dress. The style is classic and dainty.

The red coat is also a classic style for winter. The red gives your cheeks a healthy glow and brings a touch of color to those dead colder months. This look is best with layers and jeans and can look great for a causal winters walk. Tights and boots also look cute with this toggle style.

Darker styles are also darling for evening wear or more formal places. The darker styles can be mixed and matched with almost any bottoms. Jeans, khakis, colored pants and leggings all look fabulous with this coat. Lighter toggle fabrics are common on these coats and stand out against these dark colors.

Toggles also look darling on accessories. Boots, sweaters and bags are cute with the wooden accessories. They add a preppy touch to otherwise plain attire. Shop at J. Crew and Banana Republic for the styles above! 

Alex & Ani Trend Alert!

Alex and Ani is an amazing jewelry company with the tag line, "All people pursue happiness...We create it." The company was created by Carolyn Rafaelian, a native to Rhode Island and a lover of antique jewelry. She comes from a long family tradition of jewelry making and in 2004, she struck out on her own. She named the company after her two daughters and created a fabulous line of necklaces, bangles and rings. 

Alex and Ani products are eco-friendly and made in America. They are spiritual pieces meant to enlighten the mind and strengthen the soul. Rafaelian believes that every person has a positive energy to share with the world as she incorporates powerful symbolism in all her jewelry with a (+) energy sign. Each piece is extremely individualistic and helps people express their unique fashion and personalities. The most popular of her pieces are her bangle bracelets.

Alex and Ani have had huge success due to their celebrity following and promotion. These wire bangles have been seen on Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson, and youthful Disney stars! The wire bracelets have capitalized on the stacking trend and look best in a numerous quantity. With celebrity hype and adorable designs, Alex and Ani have this market covered.

Alex and Ani bracelets are perfect for everyday wear! They are simple, elegant, and match almost any ensemble. Their subtle nature makes them blend in for casual days and stand out in numbers. They are fashioned in gold, silver and beaded work to suit your personal style!

The beaded collection is perfect for those more free-spirited dressers. Many are part of a vintage 66 collection and can be worn to symbolize different sentiments. Some beads symbolize power, courage or good health and make perfect personalized gifts for loved ones and friends. Beads can come in birth stone colors and simple all around favorites!

Every store is equipped with a "bracelet bar" complete with a wide array of symbols, colors and choices! You can find your favorite animal, a chinese symbol or a nautical friend on these adorable bracelets. Each is complete with a saying about what the symbol means. Initial bracelets are also available and are cute for any occasion.

Alex and Ani bracelets are available in certain major department stores, The Paper Source and other various locations around the United States. One is opening up in Georgetown so drive to M Street soon for their grand opening!

Look Like A Disney Princess

Ever since Walt Disney introduced his first animated Disney Princess, Snow White, in 1937, little girls in their mothers pearls wanted to dress, act and be a woman Disney portrayed. Countless Halloween's and Birthday parties have been princess themed as little girls dressed just like their favorite fictional princess. In the late 90's there started to be a passion and need for realism. The cycnicism of our society started to leak into popular media and film. Even animated movies started to become more real with the advent of CGI (computer generated imaging). Dress-up became almost a trend of the past as artists and designers strived for reality. One such artist, photographer Annie Leibovitz, attained reality in her Disney Dream Portraits series featuring countless stars and fabulous production.

Furthermore, even more spin offs have been created in Hollywood to keep up with the need for Disney inspired realism. Movies like Snow White and the Huntsmen, Beastly, and Red Riding Hood and other Broadway plays that follow suit all pay homage to Disney and traditional fairy tales.  However, this trend in realism goes beyond the need for studio production; it has leaked into fashion. People have started to want to emulate their favorite characters not just on All Hallows Eve but on the daily. Disney has even inspired wedding dress lines and prom dress collections for very special occasions. The most high-end Disney creations belong to Harrods. This collection is compiled by some of the best designers imaginable for their gown line. Below are the fictional women who inspire us, the Harrods dress, and some styles to emulate.


Cinderella 

 
Cinderella is the most timeless Disney Princess. Her rags to riches story inspired all of us to believe that anything is possible and that the right pair of shoes can change any girls' life. Her undeniable style made us all lust for a fairy Godmother all our own.

The casual Cinderella style is simple! It involves a lot of silver bling and even more eggshell blue! The shoes are the centerpiece for every Cinderella ensemble and they must always have a heel no matter what. Accessorize with baby blue or cute mouse accessories.

Snow White

Snow White it the original Disney Princess. She was the first maiden in any of Disney's animated films and the fairest of them all. She reminded us that true love conquers all and the one day, our prince will come. The star of the Current TV show, Once Upon a Time, Snow White is a hardcore princess with a love of nature.

Snow white is an easy look to make casual. Although she is in that gorgeous gown in the movies, Snow is a warrior at heart who is not afraid to face the queen. Modern twists have portrayed her as rugged, in pants or shorts that show her sporty side. Apples, red and blue are staples of this outfit. Even a sparrow necklace can give you the subtle hint you need to pull off the outfit.

Ariel

Ariel has always been a more spunky princess. She is adventurous and always wondering what else life holds for her. She found her man by pursuing her desires to explore and travel. This water maiden has a unique style of green and purple with little else.

Ariel is undoubtedly sporty! Her style is perfect for summer of the beach. Teal, aqua and purple is the color palette for her ensemble. Mix and match with nautical accessories like a shell bag or earrings and you have nailed the look!

Jasmine

Jasmine came from a life of privileged and fell in love with a commoner. Although he was attempting to impress her with the appearance of money, she cared not for his wealth but for his heart. Her sound morals and pet tiger won us over time and time again.

Jasmine loved her mint look in the movie. Because the movie was set in Arabic territory, her desert chic look of royalty was flowing and perfect for the movie. Loose layers and strappy gold sandals make the Jasmine look wearable. Any gold accessories top of the look for royal perfection.

Belle

Belle has beauty and brains! We loved her when her nose was stuck in a book and when she shut-down that handsome jerk named Gastone. When she sacrifices herself for the sake of her father, her good nature and kind heart allowed her to fall for the beast, teaching us the beauty is on the inside.

Belle's style is almost always emulated according to her yellow ball gown she dances with Beast in during the song Tale as Old As Time. Although this was one short scene and she mostly wears blue in the film, this dress is iconic. To be Belle, you need this vibrant yellow and some red accessories and lip color!

Sleeping Beauty: Aurora 

Aurora is not the most popular princess but has a darling style. Her moral is to never accept a gift blindly and to have faith of a savior. Although she herself does not have a big role because she is asleep waiting to be rescued, her story is full of love, action and good conquering evil.

Sleeping Beauty has a very feminine, night-time chic look to her style. Her loose flowing gown should be emulated in clothes attempting to replicate the look. Girly accessories and details are a must for this fair maiden's look. A lot of pink and crowns pull the look together for Aurora fans.

Pocahontas

Pocahontas was far from your average princess. She did not come from wealth and was one of the first ethnic princesses the Disney introduced. Her Native American background made her natural and stunning to capture the heart of John Smith, an explorer with a taste of forbidden love. This princess taught us to listen to the spirit of the wind and appreciate nature.

Pocahontas has a low key style perfect for nature walks and casual days. Her Navajo style allows for funky earthy jewelry and brown suade. Flats or fringe boots are great for the look and a lot of natural toned browns make the outfit come together. Turquoise is also a perfect stone for this ensemble.

Mulan

Mulan's story was told in 1998 by the Disney film Mulan. Her desire to be one of the boys and fight for her country made this story a very special one. It touched on the ideas of gender roles and stereotypes for girls. This movie empowered women with songs like "I'll Make A Man Out of You" and a message that says anything a man can do a woman can do too.

Mulan is two things: an Asian princess and a warrior. You can dress in the feminine style of Mulan with a purple gown or the more sporty side as a blue and green warrior. Add in hints of red and dragon accents and you've achieved the look!

Tiana

Tiana is one of the most recent additions to the Disney princess cast. Although the movie is set in 1920's New Orleans, the movie was released in 2009 and was Disney's first African American princess to ever grace the animated screen. She taught us that hard work, not luck or wishing on a  star, brought us our desired futures.

In the film, Tiana is surrounded by a bed of green. Her lilly pad setting emulated this emerald color palette. Green heels are a must have for this style yet you can wear almost any shade of green you desire! Fun frog accessories really pay homage to the story and the film itself.

Rapunzel

Rapunzel is a classic story that dates back to the Brother's Grimm. However, her story wasn't told by Disney until 2010 in the animated movie Tangled. Mandy Moore gave this princess her voice in the film and a bold one it was. Always showing us to fight for what you believe in, this long haired maiden is an inspiration to us all.

Rapunzel is known for her long flowing blonde hair and girly style dress. Although she was locked away in a castle, she always managed to look fantastic. Pink and perrywinkle purple are the colors to dress in to emulate this princess. Heels and flowers are a great addition to this attire as well as lizard jewelry.

For more real life styles keep an eye on popular culture remakes for inspiration and costume design! You can also visit these two photographers galleries for modern takes on Disney Princesses struggling with modern day women's issues: Dina Goldstein and Kirstie Jeffrey. Enjoy the styles below and may you dress Happily Ever After.

New Years Eve Recap

New Years Eve is one of the biggest nights of the year. Guys and gals dress their best and go to fancy parties or events to say goodbye to the previous year, whether it was good or bad. Men and women put on their best dressed looks to find someone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight or when that final second of the ball drop is upon us. This year's NYE party was no different, in spite of what the Mayans may have expected. Here is a review of how fashion rang in 2013.

Color Palette

The final moments of 2012 loved a certain combination of colors as was made obvious this weekend. Gold, black and white looked stunning and chic at the start of the New Year. Dresses, shoes, accessories and other New Years garb looked stunning in these three colors and were super trendy for the ball dropping event. Black heels with gold hues were a statement piece on many feet this holiday and the same can be said for the jewelry! Gold had many women shining bright like a Canary Diamond.

 

The Perfect Palette, a website that specializes in colors for a certain occasion or event, like New years or weddings, deemed gray, yellow and gold to be tres chic for the first day of 2013. According to this site, you hsuold theme parties, outfits and other decor in the colors above to remain festive and trendy. Shoes and decorations are the easiest way to achieve this goal! Party favors, foods and plates look New Years ready in gold and gray!

The Dress

There were certain styles of New Years Eve dresses that made a splash this season. For a girl on NYE, there is no such thing as too much sparkle. Glittering sequin dresses were all the rage this weekend. Multicolored dresses as well as silver, bronze and gold frocks were shimmering all night long as the disco ball dropped on Times Square. Sequins are a staple on New Years and this year was no different.

Three styles were abundantly trendy this holiday season and it showed at New Years parties across the country. Feathers were a wildly popular look this season and were perfect for the festive night. A less outlandish style was anything with mesh. The fabric allows a sneak peak of skin without being too scandalous. Last but not least, tulle made a surprising showing at soirees and events. These 2012 styles were covered earlier in the blog so check below to find even more trendy dresses with these accents!

The Accessories

Do it yourself styles have been overwhelmingly popular this year with the explosion of Pinterest users. Women and men alike have been inspired by the projects featured on this new mode of social media. This popular site inspired New Years goers for the end of 2012. DIY party hats were easily fashioned to make this holiday as fun and festive as possible. This fun arts and crafts project is a great bonding activity for a low key party or group of friends! Be sure to use this for future parties and birthdays this new 2013 year!