FASHION: ON TREND

FUR FOR FALL

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Posted by: Megan McCalla

Fur is big for fall, and it got me thinking about why I have such a fear of adding fur to my own fall/winter wardrobe. Sure, there’s the PETA-spare-the-animals argument, but I enjoy a good steak and I kill flies often–so that’s not my problem.  I think fur, done right, can look luxurious and glamorous.  But, if done wrong, one could find themselves looking like a cheap-rate hooker. 

Older, wealthy women can almost always pull off the fur look; I envy that.  However, younger women need to be more careful when attempting the trend.  My advice would be to start small; adding small pieces will help you to slowly work your way up to the mack daddy of fur—the fur coat.  Fur coats come in all colors, shapes and sizes—fake and real. My favorites from this season come fromHermes, Pucci and Fendi. The Pucci one in particular is so hot with those thigh-high boots.

It is my dream to own a white fur coat like one I saw a girl wearing last winter in New York; I’m not sure I’ll be able to work it until I make my first million, but a girl can dream. I think any of the fur runway looks can be taken to the streets fairly easily.  My only advice is that you don’t wear a fur coat early in the morning in last night’s makeup while doing the walk of shame–or you might be mistaken for a prostitute.  And, believe me, nobody likes to feel like a prostitute. 

  

Images via a-linestyleservices.com

FASHION: BEHIND THE SCENESBLOG

BACKSTAGE AT A HAIR SHOW

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Posted by: Megan McCalla

I love fashion shows. In my opinion, being backstage during a show kicks way more ass than just seeing it from the audience. There is something so exciting about hearing the music pumping, making sure all of the models are ready, keeping the timing right and getting the outfits changed out in just enough time. It is like a fine-tuned instrument, and the adrenaline is like a high. As you can tell, I have an obsession.

So, you shouldn’t be surprised that I jumped at the chance to find out what happens backstage at a hair show. Volume II, an event put on by ALIVE Magazine to benefit Siteman Cancer Center, showcased the best of the local salon and beauty industry, including hair styled by Rusk and Sexy Hair Concepts. I was excited to see what all of it was about, since I had never even heard of a hair show before. Backstage, there were models getting their hair and makeup done, and even a few practicing their runway walks. I found one model, Andrew Colvin, practicing his runway stance and proudly showing off the blue streak in his hair (which matched his nail polish). There was a lot of energy prior to the show, but this was nothing compared to what followed.

I stood in the DJ booth to watch the show, and at first it was exactly what I had expected. The models came out in their amazing Michael Drummond and TRIM outfits and rocked the runway. Then, out of nowhere, the music changed and things got crazy.  Hair was flying everywhere as the Sexy Hair crew took three hair models and changed their looks drastically onstage. I have never found hair cuts to be extremely thrilling, but this actually caught my attention. In the end, one male model had ripped off his shirt, two female models had completely different haircuts and the crowd was drunk and ready to party. I left, realizing that maybe fashion is more my thing, but hair shows are definitely something worth seeing at least once.

Images via photobucket.com

FASHION: THE SCOOP

BEST OF ST. LOUIS VINTAGE SHOPPING

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Posted by: Megan McCalla

I’ve decided to make it my mission to produce a list of the Top 3 vintage stores that can be found in St. Louis. This task proved to be much harder than I had first expected, since there are some pretty fantastic vintage shops all over the Lou. So, I dragged my friend Jaclyn along to help scour the city in search of the best of the best, and (drumroll..) here is my third-place pick. (Check back for the second- and first-place winners in upcoming posts!)

Retro 101

The reasons I love Retro 101 are numerous. As soon as you walk in, there is such a fun vibe to the store (not to mention Chelsea Lately playing on the TV by the front counter).  Although a bit cluttered, there is good reason to rummage. At the front, I found some amazing old photographs that reminded me of my grandma’s old photo albums (weird uncles included). Then, Jaclyn stumbled across some stellar old postcards; her favorite was one from 1958 that a woman had sent from Hollywood to her friend in St. Louis.  Too cute. Moving to the clothing section of the store, I stumbled upon old board games, including one called Fart The Game. Interesting… Then I was on to the clothing section, which was my favorite part, as expected. I found a crazy ’80s surfer sweatshirt that I tried desperately hard to find a reason to buy. I couldn’t, though. Then I stumbled upon their sequined top collection, which was super sweet. I found a to-die-for sequined tank for only $45. They also had some cute sundresses. I give Retro 101 major props for A. having that great vintage smell when you walk in so you really feel like you’re in an authentic vintage shop and B. the worker there, who gave me some relationship advice on my way out. I would definitely recommend this vintage store to everybody.

     

Photos courtesy of lulusvintage.typepad.com

Retro 101 2303 Cherokee St, 314-762-9722

FASHION: THE SCOOP

ROAD TRIP TO CHICAGO

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Posted by: Megan McCalla

Recently I traveled to one of my favorite cities, Chicago, to visit my sister and of course take advantage of the shopping opportunities! I settled in for the week, and decided to map out my must-visit shopping districts. Since we’ve all done the Michigan Avenue shopping, and even State Street seems a bit “been there, done that“, I decided to head to my favorite areas of Chicago Bucktown and Wicker Park. 

My suggestion to anyone visiting the city? Master the El and head out on the blue line to these amazing neighborhoods for a day or two of shopping heaven. These areas are filled with unique boutiques, one-of-a-kind vintage stores and coffee shops that will make you want a new cup of coffee every two minutes just so you can stop in them. My favorite stores I found while there included Nanette Lepore, Scoop NYC and Habit.

Nanette Lepore
1623 N Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647

You can imagine my excitement when I found out one of my favorite designers has a store in Chicago, located in the heart of Bucktown. I discovered a variety of looks, from feminine florals to fitted pants. Some of my favorites included this floral polka dot dress (perfect for summer) and this embroidered top, paired with a ruffled skirt. Nanette Lepore is a must-shop boutique.
 

Scoop NYC
1702 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647

I went to my first Scoop NYC store when I was in NYC a few years ago.  I fell in love. So, when I found out they had opened a store in Chicago, I made sure to head straight there. I discovered a 10,000 sq. ft. showroom stocked with everything you could hope for. Vera Wang evening gown? Check. Jimmy Choo shoes? Got it. And you’ve got to hit up the in-store cafe on your way out to get the full experience.

Habit
1951 W Division St.
Chicago, IL 60622

This store blew me away. I had never heard of Habit before I walked by the shop and knew I had to stop in. And boy am I glad that I did. This store offers an abundance of up-and-coming designers the opportunity to sell their designs under one roof. Each piece is either unique or only made in a few sizes, so you can be sure you’ll be the only one at the party wearing that dress (or shirt or piece of jewelry). I am obsessed with Habit; it‘s the first place I‘ll visit on my next Chicago road trip.

           

Habit- Augustin Dress $190

FASHION: THE SCOOP

ONLINE TREASURES

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Posted by: Megan McCalla

When online shopping, I usually go to the same stores’ websites every single time. These are, more often than not, stores that don’t have locations in St. Louis. But, one day, I started to think, “What would happen if I were to leave St. Louis and couldn’t visit all of the unique boutiques my hometown has to offer?

I searched for websites of boutiques in St. Louis that offer organized, up-to-date and purchasable merchandise. My favorite for information on new trends has to be that of Byrd Style Lounge. This website, equipped with a frequently-updated blog, gives information on newly-stocked merchandise, and added recently what wallet-friendly outfits are available. But, there is something that is missing: the ability to buy the clothes from the comfort of my bed. It is great to see all of the new things that Byrd carries, but I am required to go to the store in order to purchase them. I need a St. Louis shop that will let me do some good, old-fashioned online buying. Enter: Mezzanine boutique.

Shopmezzanine.com is the perfect website for browsing merchandise and buying online.  The menu allows shoppers to view everything, from sales and clearances to tops and sweaters, all the way down to apothecary and handbags. By clicking on these options, you are taken to thumbnail views of the looks, each with its price listed directly below. By clicking on the piece you want, you are taken to a screen where you can select how many you want to purchase and in what size. Then just add it to your cart. So easy!  Mezzanine has shown me that, no matter how far I travel from St. Louis, I can stay loyal to our fabulous boutiques.

      

Ring: Marcia Moran Amazonite Multi Squares Ring $164.50

Shoes: Report Signature Ellis pump nude $129.50

www.shopmezzanine.com

FASHION: THE SCOOP

COCO AVANT CHANEL

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Posted by: Megan McCalla

Even people who don’t know the slightest bit about fashion know the name Coco Chanel.  Without a doubt, Chanel changed women’s fashion dramatically. Today, Chanel is still a name with which people in the fashion industry hold with the utmost respect. Although Karl Lagerfeld has taken over the fashion powerhouse, most everyone knows the back story of Chanel. I have always been interested in the history of Coco Chanel, and even took a class on historical fashion icons to learn more about her. So you can imagine how excited I was to find out that there is a new movie coming out about Coco Chanel.

Coco Avant Chanel (or “Coco Before Chanel” for all of you English-speakers) premieres in LA and NYC theaters on September 25th, and I could not be any more anxious. Audrey Tatou is starring as Coco, whichin my mindcould not be any more perfect; she also starred in one of my other favorite French movies of all time, Amelie. On top of playing Chanel, she has been named the new spokesperson of the brand—replacing Nicole Kidman. 

The movie will show Chanel’s life, starting from rags and reaching riches. Just watching the trailer for the movie got me so excited! Even if you know only a little about Chanel, if you love fashion, you will be sure to love this movie. As for the film’s St. Louis debut? We are still in the dark; calling Frontenac to find out more information proved to be useless, as they told me they find out what movie they are getting for Friday on the Wednesday before. Clearly, I’ll be stalking them until I find out more information.

Image via wordpress.com

FASHION: THE SCOOP

JIMMY CHOO COMING TO H&M

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Posted by: Megan McCalla

I have some huge news for my fellow shoe-obsessed readers–Jimmy Choo is coming to H&M on November 14th! In other words, if you’re a true fan, start waiting in line outside of the West County or Galleria store in October so you can be first to own the fab, limited edition pieces. Not only will you find Jimmy Choo shoes, but also amazing accessories and handbags. 

Jimmy Choo is joining the ranks of Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli and other high-end designers who have designed for H&M. I personally was probably more excited for Lagerfeld’s looks than I am for Jimmy Choo‘s; I’ve never been that big of a fan, but at these pricesI may reconsider.  Ranging from $59 to $299, you can now shop the line’s signature stilettos, ballet flats and boots for a lot less–allowing those on even the tightest budgets to feel like they belong on “Sex and the City“. 

What’s more, Jimmy Choo designers will be introducing a clothing line for H&M in the near future.  And, don’t worry guys—they are coming out with lines of clothing, shoes and accessories for men as well.  

Images via ivillage.com, nitrolicious.com

AVAILABLE IN ST.LOUIS AT:

H&M-West County Mall
80 West County Center
Saint Louis, MO 63131
314.288.2020

H&M-St. Louis Galleria
2466 Saint Louis Galleria
Saint Louis, MO 63117
314.726.0677

H&M-Chesterfield Mall
291 Chesterfield Mall
Chesterfield, MO 63017
636.536.3704

hm.com