Monday, January 31, 2011

How celebs rock little black dress

From time to time I can't help but blog about this fashion basic that Coco Chanel first introduced to the world in 1926. It might not be true to everyone, of course, but a little black dress is simply classic and by rule, is a must-have.  I can't live without having it in my closet. If you're curious, this is how I wear little black dress.

It is much interesting to note how celebrities wear little black dress, how they shine at the red carpets amidst long gowns and how they sparkle in this no-longer-a-mourning-outfit at premieres or other events.

Here are some of my favorite celeb looks:  

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Angelina Jolie in a black mini at the premiere for her new movie 'Salt.'

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Heidi Klum attended InStyle's "Best of British Talent" fete in a shiny Marchesa mini that featured trendy feathers on the shoulders and skirt.

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Amy Adams was seen at the 22nd Annual Producers Guild Awards in a sexy Andrew Gn dress.

Kristen Stewart black dress
Kristen Stewart looked like a princess in this Marchesa little black dress  she wore at the premiere of the movie "Eclipse".

little black dress

If asked what little black dresses I have my eyes on right now, these three topped my list:
1) Taffetta dress  2) Strapless Drape Dress and 3)Rippling Motion Dress

They would give me a feel of that celebrity look if and only if they wouldn't hurt my pocket. 

So tell me girls, are you a fan of little black dress?

Fabulously yours,

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Blacker Than My Heart

After hours of researching how to go blonde, I came to the sad realization it wasn't going to happen. Besides being time-consuming and expensive, the universal consensus on black-to-blonde transitions is that it completely, irreversibly buttfucks your hair. The texture can become straw-like or even worse, like stretched out gum. As much as I'd love to wake up to platinum hair on my pillow, I'd rather it still be attached to my head.

So I decided on the next best thing and ventured out to find The Blackest Black hair dye. Upon reading countless message threads, there was a debate between Feria "Black Leather" or "Blue Black." I have tried Feria before and found that it fades very quickly. I liked the deep conditioner included; it left my hair very soft. But I seem to recall 2 weeks of purple bath water before my hair regressed into a dull black.

One recommendation pointed to Bigen Oriental Black, a powder-based dye that used no hydrogen peroxide or ammonia. This piqued my interest. I loved the weird outdated packaging and that evidently this Japanese brand had been around for over a hundred years. Plus, it's endorsed by a geisha!

I walked to the nearest beauty supply store and bought a box for $6. After covering my kitchen floor in towels and chip-clipping a towel around my neck, I started with my roots. I was surprised to realize the dye had a really pleasant smell. The lack of chemicals made a huge impact on the aroma, which was kind of like flowers.

The mixture from one box was pretty spare and I had to double-up the water measurement to cover my whole head (I strongly recommend 2 boxes if you have anything longer than a pixie cut). It was a little runny, but not debilitatingly so and it got the job done.

After rinsing it out, I soaked my hair in conditioner for 10 minutes to ensure everything was kosher. The result? A beautiful, rich Joan fucking Jett black. I'm very pleased. It came out VERY dark, which is exactly what I wanted. This is the first day so I'm curious to see how it holds up after a few washes. I may buy another box for a touch-up since I was really stretching that single bottle.

As I'm writing this, it's suddenly occurring to me I should have taken before and after shots. What the fuck is the point of a hair dye blog without photos?! Sorry chickadees. I'll take some early next week.

*UPDATE*

Voila! The new color. Blacker than a night at the Apollo.

- Sabrina London

A Resounding Yes!


Yes! This vintage '50s LBD takes the cake, the crumbs, and the ceramic plate. My favorite Denmark vintage shop has inspired me again with this sheer lace party dress worn over a leotard. THAT is innovation. When fashion is fearless, you know you're doing it right. Hats off to Times Up.

- Sabrina London

Friday, January 28, 2011

Style File: Restricted "Poodle" oxford shoes

Have you ever heard of Keiko Lynn? This girl definitely knows how to create modern looks with a vintage touch. We absolutely adore how she styled our gray Restricted oxfords (we have these shoes in blue too):



Want her look? Laura, one of our Ruche girls, recommends:
preppy sweet



How would you style oxford shoes? We'd love to know!

xo,
Ruche

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Wacoal: The Princess Collection

I was staring with disbelief at a one piece swimsuit; I never laid eyes on a swimwear that glistens with varied precious stones almost all over it – ever before. Then my eyes shifted to a pair of two piece bikinis, both sparkle with colorful stones that are beautifully cut. I couldn’t resist but asked for the price. The one piece swimwear is 150 000 baht ($4870). Each piece that makes a two-piece bikini is worth not less than 20 000 baht ($650).

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This one piece lingerie is made up of carefully chosen expensive stones. Worth $4870

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Each piece is worth above $4870


These royalty swim wears are from Wacoal designed by the Thai princess, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana. Every inch a luxury of her designs are a reflection of haute couture.

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The designer princess

There is nothing extra-ordinary with the designs except that the piece is detailed with expensive stones. Not only was I intrigued by the wealth that these creations show off, but also by the type of customers this designs target. Of course, the rich and the elite, the princesses. But just WHEN would they going to wear it? That baffles me.

The best part about this collection is that the Princess created it to support a charity work. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the National Cancer Institute.

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I didn’t explore the Wacoal area of Siam Shopping Mall because I was looking for some new lingerie, nope. Instead, I accompanied Anny, a classmate from a weekend German class who works part-time as a PR person/presenter for the brand. I was glad I did. Stumbling upon the lingerie of Princess Sirivannavari was a beautiful thing.

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Me and Anny

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So girls, meet my new friend.

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Anny fell in loved with this brassiere. She hopes to buy it soon. :)

I miss you all girls, I hope to visit all of your sites soon.

Fabulously yours,

Out Sick



So it looks like I have chronic bronchitis. Ack! I'm taking the week off to recoop, which so far has involved lots of turkey sandwiches, Teen Mom 2, and celebrity gossip. Now that I'm all up to speed on Ricky Gervais' scandalous Golden Globes' speech, the healing can begin.

In other news:



* Finally set up the Crosby record player my husband got me for Giftmas. Just as I imagined, vinyl is a revelation. We've listened to the Smiths, the Beatles and the 5678's and Frank Sinatra so far. Sean wants to buy more 45's so we can get the world's raddest jukebox.

* Had my identity thieved! I feel like one of those people in the commercials. Some dick hole in the Netherlands tried to charge a bunch of jewelry to my card. Nice try, dickshit. That card was already maxed out.

* I'm considering becoming a vintage fashion curator on Myspace. It would be an extra $500 a month for what essentially breaks down to 10 vintage related tweets a day. Not a bad cash influx and could help fund heartbreakers like this:


* I lost 9 pounds, presumably from coughing as cardio.

-Sabrina London

Friday, January 21, 2011

Maxi Dress 1244

Maxi Dress 1244
Rm 80.00
Waist, Hip: 41"
Length: 54"
Material: Lycra

Maxi Dress 1243

Maxi Dress 1243
Rm 80.00
Fits up to: XXL
Length: 54"
Material: Satin

Note: Black inner and accessory not included

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Creative Fashionista shares a glimpse of her prenuptial

The hard part about taking some time away from blogging, for whatever reason, is that it gets very difficult to pick up the drive and write the rebound post. I'm glad I have a very supportive hubby, he's the one who encourages me to be active again in blogging.

While my head is still scattered and pulling off a very useful post for either fashion report or fashion tips still seem impossible, let me just share to you some of the beautiful things that had happened to me recently, things that I am blessed to have.

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Mr. and Mrs. Joaquin Glenn Josko

I'm an offbeat bride. I didn't have the typical bridal dress or typical church wedding that most traditional couples dream for.  However, I had an intimate and very romantic wedding.

Here are some of my favorite prenuptial photos.

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wedding photo 2

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wedding photo 3

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wedding photo 4

wedding photo 5

Thank you to the girls who wished us well. Hugs :)

Fabulously yours,

Monday, January 17, 2011

Style Resolutions - Outfit Inspirations for the New Year

It's the new year. It's the updated you.

Appreciate and play with colors. Relax and gain independence with feminine flair. Be creative and bold with mixed patterns. Wear a neutral palette with style and romance. Get organized and add sophistication with tailor-made pieces.

Here are our style resolutions for the new year and the updated you. Conquer your goals, and conquer them with style. ♥


View the lookbook to see all 16 outfits! Shop the outfits here! Enjoy!


Sunday, January 16, 2011

When Fashion Tries to Fuck You


This poor girl has no idea she looks like shit. That's because when draped cardigans took off, no one told her handkerchief hems on a black ribbed cardigan make you look like a witch's vagina.

There are times when fashion can be your best friend. But then there are times when maybe your best friend has had too much to drink, and he tries to fuck you. Here are a few things to look out for when navigating some highly prevalent trends right now.

Let's get this over with. I'm all for slouchy tops, but this upside down U-shaped hem is like adding 15 pounds straight to your ass. It's not scientific, but Albert Einstein would probably speculate the "wings" on each side give the illusion of wider hips; thus making the ass 2 weeks of Chipotle bigger. To avoid the dreaded pear shape, aim for a straighter hem, or even one that ducktails in the back.

What the fuck is this chick so happy about? This racerback tank by Trina Turk is a perfect example of fashion trying to fuck you. Somehow, Trina Turk found a way to incorporate leopard print, the uber trendy bandeau, and white lace all in one hideous witch's brew. If you insist on wearing white lace, wear a flesh-colored bandeau or black bra. Just remember: white on white is the fashion equivalent of AIDS.

And same logics applies here. In fact, this brings me to a larger grievance. Since the popularity of the lace/sheer/draped racerback, it seems like I've seen more bra straps than a European tourist at Disney Land. Invest in a bandeau, people, or get a racerback bra. Or wear a jacket. There ARE solutions. I swear to God, if I catch you wearing a regular bra with a racerback tank, be prepared to get punched in the titty.

I know I sung the praises of a very similar sweater a few weeks ago, but this knockoff shredded sweater is a piece of shit. Manufactured by a brand called "Material Girl" at Macy's (where fashion trends go to die), this lazy, ill-fitting, and totally awkward reproduction seems to think some anarchy should come with a fitted white camisole. I mean, who the hell styled this? You show me a cool, avant guarde trend circulating the independent Los Angeles scene, and I'll show you a watered down, corporate, and completely antithetical knock off: that's the magic of Macy's. ©

Nautical stripes are a win! Over-sized, square construction is money! But cropped above-the-bellybutton tops are so, so, so not worth getting punched in the titty over. The fact is: unless you're wearing a cropped top with something high-waisted, you really should avoid this look. It's just uncouth and this is coming from somebody who condoned nipple blazing. Even this handsome lady with the flat stomach would look pretty unfortunate hunched over in a restaurant, creating a pooch by virtue of sitting. Don't do it.


-Sabrina London

Friday, January 14, 2011

Oh Dolly!

I'm not sure which part of the human psyche is responsible for grown women's desire to infantilize themselves by dressing like ENORMOUS BABIES. Rest assured, I'm totes on board.

Babydoll collars are the topic of discussion here. I never played with dollies growing up - thanks for nothing, gender roles. However, I have a strange fascination with these doll-inspired white collars.

Whether it's a Peter Pan collar or nautical inspired, I find them really quirky cute. It's very "Lolita" and who doesn't dream of seducing Jeremy Irons once in a while? (Okay, I'll be honest. I watched that movie on a horrible first date and I don't remember most of it, after 4 too many glasses of wine and a regrettable make-out session with Johnny Depp's 5'6" doppleganger).

What were we talking about?





xo,
Sabrina London