I am not sure what has caused this subtle shift, but I am going crazy for prints this season!  Maybe because there are so many options out there this season with florals, stripes, color blocking and much more.  Never one to shy away from a print, especially one that is appropriate and the right scale (more on that later), I am finding so many possibilities that I am dubbing spring 2011, the year of the print!

Stella McCartney tops my list with her beautiful “fruit print”.  I saw this in Neiman’s and bought it for a client and it was just so incredible on.  The picture is the dress, but in the stores it was being shown in a tunic…very Palm Beach!

This print was so realistic, that when it was on my client, I went to wipe away a droplet of water, not realizing it was part of the fabric…gorgeous!

I am also really loving this season’s color blocking.  I know this look is a bit bold for some.  I think that it’s really a great way to showcase a signature piece, keeping all other pieces neutral.  Check out this picture of the Tania coat by Milly.

I love the way this is worn with a LBD (little black dress) underneath.  I had to have this coat and  am happy to say it is happily residing in my closet as I write this.  You will be seeing me in it a lot this season (and the next and the next) in order to lower my “cost per wear”!

I can’t talk about great fabric without mentioning one of my very favorite local designers,Lesley Evers.  Lesley is a fabric designer as well as a clothing designer.  Her silhouettes are simple but totally fashionable and the fabrics are FUN, FUN, FUN!  I want one of everything that she designs, and the line is limited to dresses, skirts and tunics.  Somehow though, that feels like the perfect selection.

Remember when wearing prints, they should be in a similar scale with your body size.  In other words if you are petite, stick with a smaller subtler print.  If you are on the larger side, you can go with a bigger, bolder print.  More than anything, have fun with it and see whether you don’t go crazy for prints yourself!

Sometimes you come across a product that you just want to share with EVERYONE!  That’s definitely the case with a new product called Bootights.  In the interest of full disclosure, one of their reps contacted me with information about the company and asked if I wanted to try a pair.  Well, duh, a free pair of anything, bring it on!

Created by Shelby Mason, the concept of this tight is fantastic.  It is a tight with a sock sewn in to the bottom.  With everyone and their dog wearing boots well into the summer months, this is great!  I imagine in places like NYC, Boston and Chicago, these things are worth their weight in gold during the winter months.  I wore mine last week when the SF Bay area was as cold as it gets…around the mid 40′s.  They were really comfortable, and the sock is just the right weight, not too thick and not too thin.  They kept my feet warm and comfortable, and I was on my feet all day shopping with a client.  It also seemed to have a slight massaging quality…maybe it was my imagination.

I have to say these tights were really impressive…impressive enough to make it on to Oprah and the View… click on the link to see the video.

Bootights on Oprah and The View

I imagine Bootights might also be great for a thin layer under ski pants or for cross country skiing, where your layers are a little lighter.  I also think they are great under Hunter boots or other rain boots where you really need a more substantial sock if worn with a dress or skirt.  They come in different colors and patterns and they are priced very reasonably at around $30 and available at Macy’s.  Check them out!

Who doesn’t love the library?  I know it’s one of my favorite places (as long as people observe the “no talking” rule that is)!  I am definitely going to this fashion show and event that supports the newly completed Lafayette Library and Learning center.  This is my idea of a great marriage: books and fashion…it doesn’t get any better for me.  I will be tweeting live from the event and posting pictures on Facebook (Maureen French, Personal Shopping & Wardrobe Consulting).  You can follow me on twitter @MaureenFrenchSF.  I hope to see you there!

Fashion Week in Lafayette ~ Not To Be Missed!

Enjoy a great event and at the same time support expanded hours and programming at the Library and Learning Center!  The Third Annual East Meets West Fashion Show Luncheon will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 23, 10:30 AM to 2 PM at Veterans Memorial. This is always a fabulous visual treat, great boutique vendor shopping, and a special way to celebrate our community.

Created both as a fundraiser for the Library and Learning Center and as a way to build cultural bridges, East Meets West this year presents a New York-style, choreographed runway show called “Fashion That Transcends Cultures.”   The show features the collections of Prima Jiva, Swati Couture Daywear, designer jackets from China, and alina b. boutique of Walnut Creek. Tickets are $85 ($50 tax deductible), tables seat 9 people, and sponsor tables for premier seating are $1,000.  It will be held at the Veterans Memorial.

Tickets sell fast so visit reserve@LLLCF.org or call 925-283-6513 x.101.  See you there!

The glitterati were out in force last night at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco for The Fashion Rules! Party and fashion show.  Security was tight (overly so, some would lament) for the assigned seating area.  Luckily for me, and my partner in crime at NM, Don Dennis, I had a great front row seat!  This would turn out to be a bit of an issue, because I was so close, it was hard to get a full length photo!

One of the main trends in the show and certainly for Spring is the long statement necklace.  Every look on the runway had a statement necklace paired with it.

Pink, fushia and coral are big colors this spring and this Balenciaga Jacket and Nina Ricci dress are so pretty and fresh looking.  Paired with a statement necklace, definitely pretty in pink!

Next up was the black and white combinations, a beautiful YSL jacket with ruffled pockets and a Naeem Khan black and white sequined mini.   

Florals continue to be a staple this season and this Escada dress feels like a garden in full bloom!

There were several gowns for the black tie crowd and each one was stunning.  The first was an Angel Sanchez worn with a wide leather belt and a mermaid bottom.  The second was a Naeem Khan with an embroidered tulle top half and an acid yellow organza bottom.  The finale was a tiered Monique Lhuillier red, fushia and black patterned taffeta creation….gorgeous!

There were several “boho” looks with a tiered maxi dress and headscarf, a billowing prairie skirt paired with a romantic white ruffled top.  There was also a deep coral day dress and dark grape colored shirt dress.  This was definitely a good glimpse of what we’ll be buying very soon.

Stay tuned to this blog for more spring trends …

Well, the Oscars have all been given out and the parties are over.  There certainly were some surprises and some predictable outcomes.  I think the real drama took place on the red carpet!  I attended my friend’s annual ”Dis the Dress Party” and we certainly did our share of ‘dissin and dishin’!

Overall, I think the dress choices were really strong.  Nude seemed to be the color of the night, with a large number of actresses wearing it: Hailee Steinfeld, Halle Berry,  Mandy Moore, Hilary Swank, with Michelle Williams, Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Kidman opting for white.  Red and bright orange  also seemed to be a popular choice with Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Hudson and Penelope Cruz wearing it.

There were also some different shades of wine, plum and lavender.  Best actress winner Natalie Portman wore a beautiful wine colored Rodarte dress that really flattered her pregnant figure.  Mila Kunis wore a lacey lavender Elie Saab that my 13 year old daughter loved, but I was luke warm on.  Cate Blanchett wore a very architectural lavender Givenchy Couture dress that was a beautiful color but seemed to overpower her small frame.

Scarlett Johansson also wore a wine hued lace Dolce & Gabanna column gown that was attractive, but didn’t blow me away.  Reece Witherspoon, Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Helen Mirren all wore black or in Mirren’s case a gunmetal gray.  Both Witherspoon in Giorgio Armani Prive, and Mirren in Vivienne Westwood looked amazing, age appropriate and comfortable.  Bonham Carter was in costume more than couture and we have come to expect it, after the mismatched shoes at the Golden Globes!

Ok, my top picks for the night?  I absolutely loved Michelle Williams in Chanel!  She glowed and looked so angelic and ethereal!

I also adored Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein.  I thought the dress looked so great on her figure and I loved that so many actresses opted for some kind of sleeve!  The dress gave the illusion of flowing water…

I really thought that Mandy Moore’s choice of a Monique Lhuillier sequined gown was beautiful.  You couldn’t tell where the sleeves started and ended.  Her hair was done beautifully and she looked picture perfect!

I think my all time favorite look was on the youngest nominee last night.  I could not believe how wonderful Hailee Steinfeld looked!  Everything about her was age appropriate, classic yet young, sophisticated yet fun!  She helped design her Marchesa gown and she seemed to float down the red carpet!

Some misses for me were the ‘napkin’ dress on Nicole Kidman, Helena Bonham Carter’s costume, Florence Welch’s (lead singer of Florence and the Machine) Valentino tiered dress and Penelope Cruz in L’Wrenn Scott.  My all time worst dressed choice was Heidi Klum in an awful ‘mirror mosaic’ dress with her hair gelled to within an inch of it’s life…AWFUL!!

Please let me know what you loved and hated…c’mon don’t be shy…’dis the dress!!!

One of my favorite websites for color trends is Pantone (www.pantone.com).  They are THE authority for color information.  For Spring 2011, based on the spring shows seen at NY fashion week last September, Pantone has put together a great palette that is sure to have a shade that appeals to all of us!  I love the combination of brights, like Honeysuckle, paired with neutrals like silver cloud and silver peony.  See what fun combinations appeal to you… 

Here’s what Pantone has to say:

Flirtatious Honeysuckle is a feel-good hue that brings a festive sense of playfulness to this season’s palette. This vibrant pinkish-red for both apparel and cosmetics makes consumers feel alive, and is a perfect post-winter pick-me-up.

I am not usually a big fan of consignment shops, but I have found the mother lode in Phoenix.  There is a chain of stores called My Sister’s Closet, www.mysisterscloset.com and they do consignment right!  They have current styles by designers and mass retailers alike.  Everything is beautifully organized and the better labels are merchandised separately so that they are easy to peruse.  There are 4 locations in: Phoenix, Scottsdale and Chandler.  The Desert Village store had a beautiful black Prada bag for $380 and a gorgeous Cream colored Celine bag for around $700.  The Lincoln Village store had a wonderful pair of spectator Chanel ballet flats for a few hundred.  Also part of the chain is Well Suited, clothing for men and My Sister’s Attic for home furnishings.  Check them out the next time you are in the Phoenix/ Scottsdale area for a spa weekend or golf getaway.

It’s Saturday morning and I’m totally pooped!  After 8 days and 18 different shows, I am ready to come back to the bay area.  The last 2 days were fun and going to “Project Runway” on Friday morning was a real thril Read the rest of this entry »

There is nothing like a clear, sunny beautiful day in New York City.  Wednesday was an 11 on a scale of 1-10.  These type of days don’t come along all that often here, so I totally enjoyed it.

I went to the Nanette Lapore show at 11 am.  I had been looking forward to this show because I personally like the line and buy it for myself.  It’s the type of collection that is fun but still sophisticated enough for 40 somethings and beyond.  I was relieved to find that Nanette did not use as many muted colors as the other designers I have been seeing.  I really like that she used a bright shade of melon, teal and turquoise.  The prints she used were very saturated colors with a festive feel.  She also showed short shorts and a cute mini jumpsuit.  What is up with these jumpsuits?  Since when does any self respecting woman wear a short jumpsuit?  Sorry, I digress.  Anyway, I loved Nanette Lepore’s flamenco inspired dressed with just enough ruffle to make it interesting, but not over the top.  This collection used more cotton and less chiffon which gave it a more casual feel.  The collection also paired striped shorts and pants with florals on the top.  There was a little leather in the form of a skirt paired with a silk blouse.  Lepore’s inspiration was lush gardens, paisley and stripes.  I loved the aesthetic and thought the line very inspiring indeed.

I was scheduled to see Milly and Mara Hoffman Wednesday evening…but in a New York minute I changed course and opted for some culture and philanthropy.  A friend in New York volunteers with an organization called “Bread and Roses”.  They sponsor a program called “unseenamerica”, which ‘gives cameras, lessons, and exhibits to the scores of people who have no public voice and little visibility in the larger culture’.  A group of Arab women were exhibiting their work at the Pomegranite Gallery in Soho.  Most of them were not in attendance because of cultural practices and not wanting to be in the public eye.  There was a wonderful performance artist who was half Arab, and whose performance was heartbreaking.  It was a very welcome change after all the glitz and glamour of the tents.  Sometimes you have to take advantage of a New York minute… 

Fashion week in New York continues and the shows never stop.  You definitely need a few red bulls to keep you going through all of the back and forth to the tents or other venues.

On Monday morning I headed to Chelsea for a show called Caravan.  This was a show sponsored by Tide (the detergent maker) and featured 7 different designers. The shows premise was that all of the runway styles had to be machine washable.  It was an interesting show and all of the garments were pretty casual except for a few evening dresses/ gowns.  I was very impressed with the high style and low maintenance these garments had.  One of the lines, gr. dano, is designed a bay area native. 

Catherine Malandrino was held at the Chelsea Art Museum on 22nd st.  It was nice to see a few shows that were not held in the tents.  This show was staged in a way the really made use of the space.  The models walked a path that went up and down several rows of people.  This line was so beautiful this season.  Again colors were shades of nude, lights, sunrise and dusk.   These clothes were so beautifully draped and ruched, I could really imagine them on lots of women.  Because the fabrics were organza, tulle (lots) chiffon and jersey, the clothing was not overly clingy and lay on the body wonderfully.  There were a few leather jackets, but done in nudes and neutrals so that they looked a lot softer.  Malandrino also showed lace overlays, a trend that we are seeing a lot this fall.  I thought this collection was totally pretty and feminine.

Luca Luca was next on the schedule and back in the crazy tents.  Serena Williams, Ivana Trump and Eric Benet were all at this show.  Once again, the color story was pales:  cream, blue, green, taupe, peach and plum.  Luca Luca showed a lot of organza, and moire silk, along with very sheer, layered looks.  A lot of designers are including very short shorts in their collections.  There are a lot of them on the streets as well.  Tailored short jackets were also shown in this collection.

Betsey Johnson and Max Azria were Tuesday’s shows.  Betsey Johnson’s show was just the drama one would expect from her.  Fun, frivolous and festive were all accomplished.  She used lots of printed floral fabrics with crinolines, tiers and ruffles. She included a bridal segment complete with the models hands handcuffed behind them.  I guess she made her opinion of marriage crystal clear!  There were lot of cropped and skinny pants and more color than one person can take.  You come away feeling that Betsey Johnson loves her job! 

Max Azria was next and the front was row filled with young celebrities.  The only person I recognized was Glenda Bailey, editor  of Harper’s Bazaar.  Max Azria was more homage to draping, movement and shaded neutrals.   This collection was mainly dresses and some seperates.  There was more draping, but this time it had a grecian feeling to it.  There were very plunging deep v necks and one shoulder dresses and tops.  There were skinny pants with belted vests over them.  There was more sheer chiffon and jersey and the requisite pantsuit (both short and long), which almost every designer I’ve seen included in their collections.   Max Azria did a good job with what is turning out to be a very muted looking Spring 2009.

Wednesday is Nanette Lepore, Milly by Michelle Smith and Mara Hoffman.