Wearing is Believing

Dare To Go Bare

A major trend to emerge this fall is bare necklines.  While chunky necklaces are still in, many women are choosing to skip necklaces in favor of fabulous bracelets.  One need look no further than the red carpet at the Twilight premiere or the recent Country Music Awards to see that it’s all about the bling below the neckline (see Julianne Hough at left, sporting an armload of Daniel Swarovski bracelets).

If you’re skipping the necklace, you can afford to make a bolder statement with a dazzling bracelet.  The Spring Rain White CZ Tennis Bracelet from Holsted Jewelers, a luxurious current of 49 carats of dazzlingly white cubic zirconia, adds a flashy yet refined touch to any outfit.  Holsted Jewelers’ Gold-over-Sterling Byzantine Bracelet, made of intricately interwoven gold links, is strikingly similar to a bracelet Kate Hudson sported at a recent red carpet event.  Make the boldest statement of all with Anton Heunis’ Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet, a chunky amalgam of Swarovski crystals, jade, green agate, amethyst and murano glass.  Best paired with a simple black dress, the Heunis bracelet is likely to look cluttered with anything more complicated.

If bangles are more your style, check out designer Ippolita, favored by Minnie Driver, Jessica Alba and Halle Berry.  Known for slender gold bangles, Ippolita recently began creating pieces in sterling silver and resin.  Whether adorned with semiprecious stones or bare, Ippolita designs her bangles to be wearable: she says that once you put one of her pieces on, you’ll never need to take it off.

Do you dare to go bare and let your bracelets do the talking? Tell us about your favorite finds!

I Wanna Take You Higher

They won’t see you waving from such great heights: platform pumps are the footwear of the moment. 

Perfect with a party dress or wide-leg jeans, platforms add a kick to any ensemble -- not to mention the fact that they make your legs look impossibly long.  An added bonus of the platform: it makes a higher heel feel less towering (for instance a 4-inch heel feels like 3 with a 1-inch platform), so they’re more bearable to wear longer.  Every celeb is wearing them, from the red carpet to the street (like Sarah Michelle Gellar at right).  The omnipresence of platforms is a testament to their versatility: you can wear them anytime, anywhere, to punch up an outfit.

Every shoe line features platforms right now: from Nine West to Gucci, you can find that extra inch of height.  I just picked up Guess' Borda platform pumps (at above left) from Piperlime, and I can’t wait for them to arrive!

So give platforms a try.  I think you’ll find that the air up there is exactly what you’re looking for.

Reese Witherspoon in Vogue

Actress Reese Witherspoon looks positively ferocious in the newest issue of Vogue. 

Shot in Paris, the spread’s ferocity comes courtesy of Nina Ricci’s Olivier Theyskens, who created the architectural creations Witherspoon wears in the photos.  Most notably, a gorgeous, voluminous scarlet gown (below), which is so sizable it can’t leave Theysken’s studio without being deconstructed.

Reese dishes about her career and Jake Gyllenhaal, but more importantly, she talks about how her style has evolved since meeting Theyskens.  She has learned how fashion is an artistic expression: “‘You know,’ she says, ‘I used to not understand fashion, a lot of it, but I completely understood being a playwright or a screenwriter and suddenly having an actor say your words and making them come to life. That I can understand. Finally, I'm starting to understand this.’”

The duo also discusses their first collaboration: Reese’s iconic canary 2007 Golden Globes dress:

“The first time the two collaborated was when Reese invited Olivier to Los Angeles.  So he came to my house and sat on the floor and started sketching," she says. It was her first time having a Paris-based designer in her home.  ‘He brought out two kinds of fabric—he brought out one gray and one yellow. And he said, “I think you are like this! I think you are like a party! I think you are wearing a yellow dress!” ‘ He showed her the Nina Ricci perfume bottle, an echo of the dress. The yellow fabric became the gown she wore to the Golden Globe Awards in 2007. ‘The yellow dress with the bustier—for me it was the first thing that the world would see from me at Ricci,’ Olivier says. ‘But still, I wanted it to fit with Reese. I was afraid. And it was Reese who picked that fabric. This was one of my favorite fabrics! She just fell right into it. She is very intuitive.’”

Check out the Vogue spread for yourself...it’s worth it just for the beautifully styled photos!

It's All in The Details

Easily the best Nicole Ritchie has ever looked:  the reality star dazzled at the recent Carousel of Hope Ball in an intricately beaded Reem Acra gown, accessorized with a wrist full of bangles. The ornate gown perfectly complimented Ritchie’s post-pregnancy curves while not overpowering her.

So who is Reem Acra?  Renowned for her ability to bring the feel of royalty to modern dress, Acra has been passionate about fabric and design her entire life.  While studying at the University of Beirut, she was discovered by a fashion editor who was taken by her dress, made from one of her mother’s tablecloths.  Acra studied in Paris and New York, travelled the world, and started her own bridal line in 1997.  She launched a ready-to-wear collection in spring 2008.

A hallmark of Reem Acra’s work is her ornate beadwork and embroidery, which demonstrates an amazing eye to detail.  Ritchie’s dress is a perfect example of Reem Acra’s luxurious apparel.

Reem Acra counts Angelina Jolie, Olivia Wilde, Ali Larter (at right in a Reem Acra gown), Jennifer Lopez and Ugly Betty star Becki Newton amongst her fans.

Want to know more?  Check out Reem Acra’s website!