Avant Garde

Sorry Guys!!!

2007-08-23T19:54:00.000-04:00

As you can probably tell, school has already started (for me) and basically, i'll post in between studying (maybe two posts a month) no promises, but i will keep the blog up! thanks for reading, commenting, and voting!
-StyleDiva

Re-inventing Yourself For Back to School

2007-08-01T15:42:00.000-04:00

So, school's about to start and you're looking at the "clothes" you wore last year. So what stays and what goes? Then you look at your hair, your skin, your attitude. You decide that you want to re-invent yourself for the new school year! Here's my guidde to a new you for a new year.

Fashion:
1. First and foremost, you've got to figure out your style, or atleast the look/ image you want to project for the new year. Do you want to look more feminine? more chic? more casual? more 60's? Figure it out. And nothing looks worse than someone wearing a fabulous outift, and not having the attitude to carry it well.

2.buy/keep at least 5 pairs of darkwash jeans, but buy them in different cuts for variety. Skinny jeans aren't only for emo kids; wear them with round-toe pumps to look more edgy. Also, skinnys come in a plethora of colors, so have fun! Next, try wideleg jeans, straight leg, slightly flared jeans and a very comfortable pair.

3. You'll need some solid colored camis/tank tops and a few solid colored short sleeved and long sleeved shirts. These will be useful for layering or can be used as the base of an outfit.

4.Dresses. If they "aren't you" then don't buy them, so you won't look like a poser. If you've never worn them to school before, then give it a try! But make sure they aren't too dressy for scholl,(i.e homecoming dress style). Dresses are easy to wear and are great for those days when you want to stand out. You can wear them over tights in the fall! Have fun with this one!!

5. Jewelry. Personally I don't like when people wear gold jewelry with silver jewelry, and I'll advice you not to. Buy loads of plain and fun necklaces, some that are great for parties, and others that are more casual for school. Buy colorful earrings if your ears are pierced, and play up your style with fun bangles and rings! Since you'll be redoing your wardrobe in one vacation break, the jewelry doesn't have to be expensive. Stores like Forever 21 and H&M sell cute jewelry for really low prices.

6. Shoes. In my opinion, shoes can make or break an outfit. If you're able to, splurge on good quality shoes, especially the ones you'll be wearing the most. A cute outfit is ruined by nasty shoes! Load up on flat-soled shoes(flats/sneakers/kitten heels), high heels, boots, and sandals. With a pair of shoes for each category, going from school to dinner with your family will be a breeze. Personally, I don't like/ wear sneakers, but if they fit your style, then take good care of them. Nobody likes to look at drty shoes.

7. Now you need some bags. First of all, ditch the backpack for a cute tote or messanger bag. Then focus on buying purses for all of you shoes or outfits (unless of course you're not a purse person). Think, "good quality". When buying purses and shoes, you want something that will last, even if that means you only have 5 pairs of shoe and purse combos.

8. Sweaters. If necessary, buy some

9. Coats/Jackets/Cardigans. Sometimes you just get cold. Throw out that old denim jacket (so middle school) and stock up on cute cardigans or hoodies depending on your style. For fall and winter, don't put on that old abercrombie sweatshirt, instead, but a cute leather jacket or a peacoat/trenchcoat.

10.Shorts/Skirts- see sweaters.

11. Eccentric Items: scarves, tights, headbands, hats, sunglasses, waist belts, menswear vests, find wierd items that will enhance your outfit/style.

Now Shop!!

Skin:
1. Stop drinking soda. And juice. And coffee. You don't need it. (they're really not that hard to give up) Stick to the basics such as green tea, water and milk. You'll feel better and most definately notice brighter skin!

2. Clear it up! I have acne, but most of the time my skin looks really clear. Try Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. They have a 100% guarantee!

3. Remove the shine! I have oily skin too, lol. But I use Clean and Clear's oil blotting papers whenever I'm out, because they remove the shine without removing my make up.

4. Get a facial. You can make them(my fav is the milk and honey facial) or buy them for low prices at your local drug store. Don't forget to look for facials that are made for you're particular skin type. I wouldn't use a facial for people with dry skin, since I have oily skin.

5. Buy/ experiment with Make-Up. Try new looks. Do you want a more natural look? Do you want to start wearing blush? Are you trying to play up your gorgeous eyes? Practice!!

6. Exercise. It increases the circulation of blood in your body, making your skin glow. Also, exercise makes you feel good about yourself, and self-confidence automatically makes you look better!

Personal:
1. Figure out who you are. What do you like to do? What values and morals do you believe in? What are your strenghths and weaknesses? Not being sure of who you are can cause low self-esteem. For a complete transformation, you're going to need a normal-sized dose of confidence.

2. Try to find a hobby, perferably one that you're good at. This will allow you to create goals and reach them, and also feel better about yourself.

3. Find out who your true friends are. Who's just using you? Who has helped you through your hardest times? If you're going to start a new school year, you need to know who you can trust, so if you don't know yet, evalute the people with whom you associate yourself. Are they bringing you down? Are they supportive? Seroiusly, you need to think about this.

4. Create new goals for the school year. Do you want to raise your GPA? Do you want to expand your shoe collection? These goals don't have to be fashion related, but attaining them will most definately boost your confidence, thus causing you to have a better presence and style.

Let the Transformation Begin!

Street Style. Enough Said.

2007-07-27T13:13:00.000-04:00

California Styles

I love the cute dresses, bright colors and shoes that these easy-going Californians are all too well known for. I wish I could find those white wooden heeled pumps and matching belt that the girl in the bottom left is wearing.

Stockholm Fashions

Love the full skirt that the girl on the bottom left is wearing. Also, the girl in that amazing red trench has shown me a way to wear black skinny jeans and make them super chic!

New York Represent!

New York has definately lived up to it's name as one of the most stylish cities in the world! I think that's Finnola (Style Network's How Do I Look) in the bottom left. Great coats, great boots, New York has it all.

From Paris

The one thing I noticed about Parisian fashions (besides how chic they are) is that a great coat is key to looking fabulous! With eye-catching prints and super-sized attitude, Parisian clothing is obviously made for the bold! I love how the lady in the first picture effortlessly pulls of those modish wide legs!

Straight From the UK

I love the bold colors that all these Londoners wear. Also, they show that you can be completely covered and still look sweet and stylish.

Barcelona Inspiration:

So, they say most designers get their inspirations from the streets, and now you see why. And from the looks of things, you don't have to be a millionaire to look like a million bucks! This fall, try mixing and matching low end and high end , and old and new items to create a look that's all you. So which city has the best style? Which city has a style similar to yours? These pictures are all courtesy of the Adore Vintage Forums. Be Inspired!

Celebrity Style: Hilary Duff

2007-07-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

She's grown up alot, hired a new stylist and is still trying to shed her 'Good Girl' image. I think she's turned into a style icon. The thing I love most about her style is that it seems so efforetless.

Be Inspired!

Fashions I Just Don't Understand

2007-07-18T14:44:00.000-04:00

These shoes, wingtips and boat shoes, seem to be increasingly popular now a days, and I'm asking WHY??? They look like old men shoes and I still don't see the chic-ness of them. I wear size 11 in shoes, and the heinous atrocities would only make my feet look worse! First of all, they don't even look feminine. I mean, we have bofriend jeans, grandpa cardigans, menswear shorts and vests, and now this?? I'm not a fan of cross dressing, so these styles of footwear are OUT in my book. What do you think?? (these shoes are all from Urban Outfitters, btw)

My Weekly TV Fix

2007-07-12T13:08:00.000-04:00

Sunday Nights: Sunset Tan at 10:30 on E!

Monday Night: Greek at 9 on ABC Family

Tuesday Night: Baldwin Hills at 10 on BET

Wednesday Night: Top Chef at 10 on Bravo

Thusday (and Sunday at 8, and Tuesday at 9) Night: Big Brother 8 at 8 on CBS

I know I watch too much "reality" t.v., but it's summer time, lol, and I work hard (applying to colleges and doing AP Summer homework) during the day! What shows do you watch?

Fall 2007 Haute Couture

2007-07-12T12:17:00.000-04:00

Franck Sorbier

Lefranc Ferrant

Felipe Oliveira Baptista

Haute Couture is well, haute couture so take what you can from it and run! (Please DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE THESE LOOKS IN REAL LIFE) Be inspired!

The Results Are In!

2007-07-07T14:20:00.000-04:00

So the summer fashion trend poll showed that most of you have bought or will buy mini dresses this summer. Thanks for voting!

Interview Tips!

2007-07-07T14:06:00.000-04:00

So I've been a little bogged down with my AP Summer work, so my postings will probably be irregular. Haha, "irregular" (inside joke). Anyway, yesterday I went in for a job interview at this new shoe and accessory boutique called Cute Shoes. I wore (sorry, no pic):

a white 3/4 length v-neck tee
medium sized turqouise shell earrings
a brown knee length bubble skirt
brown embroidered Kenneth Cole Tribeca pumps
a brown beaaded necklace
and a chunky silver bangle

I looked simple but chic enough to sell my self, (lol) and hopefull I got the job( so my necklace collection can finally grow!!. But I did notice some fashion no-nos, especially for a job interview:
1. no flip flops
2. no nasty hair
3. no bad attitudes
4. no chewing gum
5. no talking or answering your cell

I've been having a good week, though there have been no recent purchases (my new Jones New York glasses don't count) . Hopefully I will shop like crazy next week!!

Celebrity Style: Lily Allen

2007-07-07T13:04:00.000-04:00

Love her or hate her, the girl has style. Personally, I love her bangs especially in the third picture. She does her own thing and works it well. And it doesn't hurt that i also like her music. However, I decided to showcase her style due to the bad publicity she's been getting lately. Does anyone else think her first name and her personality are opposites? (Lily= soft and gentle flower, Lily Allen= punky and blunt) lol, Be inspired! And Happy Belated Fourth of July!

I've Been Tagged!

2007-07-02T16:33:00.000-04:00

Game Rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.
Here are my seven facts: (and thanks to http://www.crackerboxfashion.blogspot.com/ for tagging me!)

1. I love watching comedies!!

2.My Music!

I don't like country or heavy metal, but if you were to sample my Smasung MP3 player, you'd definately know that I love music! (and dancing to it, lol)

3.I love fruits!!

I enjoy the colors and flavors of fruits, esp. citrus fruits!! mmmm...

4. Fashion, esp Elle magazine

This one's obvious, lol. I used to be a devout Teen Vogue reader/subcriber until the mag started to go down hill. Now I read Elle magazine, and loooove it!! Fashion is important in life, lol, because people see you before they hear you speak.

5. I got my first B in the 10th grade

Now this one's pretty sad, b/c that B cost me my spot as Valedictorian of my class *tear*. Luckily, I still have one more year of high school to get it together!

6.I'm a secret reality show fan(atic)!!

What can i say? I love 'reality'. From Top Chef to Project Runway to ANTM to the Simple Life, I tend to watch them all!

7. I'm Nigerian

I love this fact about me, b/c culture is so important in my life! If only the government would get itsself together..

Are you ready for FALL?!

2007-07-02T12:29:00.000-04:00

Christian Dior Fall RTW

Basically, I'm excited for my favorite fashion season ever, Fall, and you should be too! This season, Dior decided to make a collection full of dresses in every color imaginable. From a burnt orange to royal blue to plum, Dior had them all. Heather grey is still "en vogue" since most of this season's collections featured the softer shade of grey. So this fall, stock up on rich, vibrant colors such as fuscia and royal blue, and you're ready to go!

Louis Vuitton Fall RTW

Though Louis Vuitton tried to be more subtle with the colors, the power of the colors was still felt. Using a base of heather grey or black, Vuitton included small doses of loud colors as if to make them POP from the outfit. Not a new idea, but one that works well for transitioning your clothes from summer to the next season. Looks like ankle boots are still in (boo), so are natural waist belts (yay), and larger clutches.

Chanel Fall RTW

Chanel's collection this season was all about the winter coat and how to accessorize it. By using boots, handbags, chain necklaces, scarves and gloves, Chanel created the ultimate fall/winter look. Also, the trend seemed to be cropped sleeved jackets (love) which are excellent for layering over long sleeved shirts! Oh, and this collection's boots were all knee length (yess).

Marc Jacobs Fall 2007 RTW

For Fall, Marc Jacobs went for a theme of "Sophisticated Lady". Drawing inspiration from the thirties and forties, Jacobs created a crisp, clean look that will definately turn heads. Even though I've been doing a lot of this for a while now, I'm definately going to amp it up this Fall!

Which collection was your Fall Favorite??

Fashion Advice:Shorts and Cropped Pants

2007-06-27T15:37:00.000-04:00

Shorts from Urban Outfitters
Shorts from Nordstrom (hate the shoes though..)

Cropped pants from Banana Republic (I wouldn't wear them, but they help me with my point!)

Okay, I'm an athlete, so my toned calves aren't the smallest. When it comes to summer fashion, I tend to stay away from gauchos (which are out anyway) and some cropped pants. The main problem I find with gauchos is that they end right where my calves are at their widest, (so not flattering). When I am looking for something shorter than jeans for the summertime, I try to pick cropped pants that end after my calf muscle so they emphasize the smallest part of my leg. Or I'll just buy some mid- sized shorts, lol.

Resort Collections

2007-06-26T16:25:00.000-04:00

Oscar de la Renta Summer 2007 Resort Collection

Diane von Furstenburg Summer 2007 Resort Collection

Badgley Mischca Summer 2007 Resort Collection

Even though I'm not a big fan of the resort collections that come out every year, i felt it would be appropriate for me to post a few. Basically, all of the designers traveled back to a 50's houswife/ New York "old money" style for this seasons collections. Which of these three do you like the most?

Cinema:HAIRSPRAY

2007-06-26T13:23:00.000-04:00

I must say that I'm excited to see the movie-musical HAIRSPRAY when it comes out in theaters July 20th. For those of you wondering, HAIRSPRAY, originally on Broadway in New York, is about a girl's passion for dancing and how she pvercomes obstacles in order to do what she loves most. I'm sure it will be filled with big personalities and even bigger hair, so go see it!