Timeless Beauty & Style

So I like to check my favorite magazine websites daily to see if anything new and exciting is going on in the fashion world. Usually there is! With the recent death of Liz Taylor, recognized as the last living classic Hollywood star, British Vogue takes a look back at some of the most glamorous and talented stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

As a blogger who dedicates part of the blog at remembering and praising some of Hollywood’s beauties, I love that Vogue, the most established fashion magazine, is also acknowledging them as well! Their beauty, poise, and elegance is never outdated and their iconic styles are always coming back into fashion.

Here are some of my favorites who made the London Vogue List:

Lauren Bacall: Not to be mixed up with Lucille Ball, Lauren married Humphrey Bogart and even dated Frank Sinatra after her husbands death. She is most known for her role in The Big Sleep which she is cast alongside her Bogart in a romantic crime movie.

                

Marilyn Monroe: No list is complete without her, Grace Kelly, or Audrey Hepburn. Marilyn’s famous vent scene in which her white dress flies up is from The Seven Year Iche a comedy about a Geeky older man who believes he has a shot at getting his next door neighbor, Marilyn, to sleep with him. Although she may be America’s number one sex symbol her tragic death and recently uncovered personal diaries reveal that she wanted to be much more than just a blond bombshell.

         

Mae West: As a star of the 1930s Mae was one of the most controversial sex symbols of her time. She also has some of the most witty sexual one liners in Hollywood. Some of her famous lines are “When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad I’m even better,” “I’m a woman of very few words, but lots of action,” “I’ve been on more laps than a napkin,” and “love conquers all things, except poverty and a toothache.” A very smart woman indeed! Although I don’t think she is the most beautiful, I think she is a woman who defied conventionalism of her time, and her spirit transgresses her looks.

   

Ginger Rogers: Any person who doesn’t enjoy Top Hat must be a fool! Back in the 1930s Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire were a duo made in Hollywood heaven. Their tap dancing musical romantic comedies are timeless and without a doubt entertaining fun!

     

Here’s the link to check out Vogue’s Legendary Hollywood Beauties: http://www.vogue.co.uk/celebrity-photos/110323-iconic-screen-legends.aspx

      

Remember when Simon Cowell remarked that Jennifer Hudson could never be a successful singer because she was too heavy for the business? I hate to say it, but maybe he was right? Although she won an Oscar for her role in Dream Girls when she was heavy, she has never had more success or publicity as she has had right now!  I know it’s old news that Jennifer Hudson has dropped serious pounds, but I think I am still shocked by how much thinner and younger looking she looks, and by how many public appearances she now makes! She has been photographed everywhere, and with good reason! It is truly motivational and inspirational to see her look so good and not gain it back. With an Oscar under her belt, a baby around her thin waist, and a husband by her side Jennifer Hudson proves that whether your a business woman, a mother, or a wife, (or all three), there’s no reason to not take care of yourself! And to relish even more in her accomplishments, she recently appeared as a guest singer on American Idol! 

Here are three photos of Jennifer Hudson at public appearances from 22 March to 28 March (today). The first two photographs Jennifer flaunts her tiny toned body in the body-hugging dress designer Herve Leger. 

*pictures taken from instyle.com

                        

                                                                             

I was under the impression that the more expensive a shoe is, the more comfortable they must be. I was hoping that once I could afford a pair of Louboutins my feet would be bunion free, but I guess bad feet are inevitable if your walking around in uncomfortable shoes, regardless of price. I don’t think all the pedicures in the world could keep Kim Kardashian from acquiring bad feet and possibly a bad back to match! But discomfort won’t deter me from strutting around like Kim does. If anything, it’d be my lack of funds that will prevent me from purchasing $800 dollar shoes. 

Anyway, it was revealed in an interview with the designer that his signature red-soled shoes were created not only to inspire confidence, boost esteem, and elongate your leg but also as the perfect tool for women to literally slow down and take a look around them. With most of his shoes being taller than four inches they are by no means made under the pretext of comfort! He even says that he, “hates the whole idea of comfort.”

Alright, I must admit, I’ve never watched Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963) but I have watched Marnie (1964),another Hitchcock movie, which both feature the stunning blond beauty, Tippi Hendren. She was a successful model of the 1950s and 1960s and was discovered by Hitchcock when she appeared on The Today Show as a model for a diet drink. 

I watched Marnie in my Intro to Film class when discussing the topic of gender roles in film. Naturally, I thought it would be a movie about a housewife who obeys her husband and in seminar we would discuss how women roles were always created to be submissive to male leads. However, I was surprised by Marnie especially since it was filmed in 1964. The movie was about a woman who leaves her countryside home in Virginia to work in various corporate offices where she uses her looks to seduce the bosses and eventually steals from the company. She has no interest in settle down, wants to support herself, and live independently of man. Although in the end she ends up settling down with the then young dashing and extremely sexy Sean Connery, an inevitable ending in Hollywood, the movie does make you reflect on the role of women during this time and at brief moments does challenge conventionality. 

Tippi Hendren, although never as successful as Alfred Hitchcock’s other muse, Grace Kelly, she is none the less sophisticated and beautiful. And she is the mother of Melanie Griffith! They totally look alike!!

* That’s Sean Connery in the bottom right corner! You cannot tell me he isn’t completely dashing!

  

I know it is a cliché for me to say that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are my favorite style icons, but they just seriously have a niche for fashion. They created a fashion sensation with the hobo homeless look, two extremely successful lines, the Row (named after a street in Mayfair,London!) and Elizabeth and James (their siblings), and are the authors of a best selling coffee table fashion book, Influence. Although they may wear crazy, extravagant, over-the-top, hyper-accessorized outfits at times, Ashley Olsen in particular, loves all things minimalistic and simplistic. As I’ve mentioned before, I am a huge fan of dressing in black and white and Ashley Olsen knows how to work these two colors to her advantage. Her looks are young edgy and clean while remaining poised and sophisticated. She’s someone I not only admire as a young successful mogul but as a style icon who really just knows a thing or two about fashion. As Anna Wintour said about dropping out of fashion school, you either know fashion or you don’t. It really can’t be learned. 

Like most almost-20-year-olds, I found college to be liberating and a breath of fresh air. I could figure out exactly who I was independently of the petty social pressures of high school. It’s a time in my life where I can take risks and try different trends without worrying so much about others think. But every summer when I returned home I found myself living in the past, despite now being 21. My style is still the butt of all my guy friends’ jokes, but now its I who has the last laugh. Mwa-ha-ha!

After years of mockery it turns out that all the trends I followed end up being huge fashion successes. A sweet vindication! When everyone thought UGGs would only be in for one season, they ended up lasting five. Blazers have now become an essential item to a college girl’s wardrobe, hardtail leggings have evolved into leather leggings and the infamous jegging, and you cannot go out at night without seeing a girl in a bodycon skirt even though they are slowly being taken over by 1970s inspired maxi and fuller skirts. 

So now I’m here to tell you about my new favorite trend that first took notice last year but is going to be around for a couple more seasons to come: the hat. 

Last summer we saw Manhattan’s most stylish in fedora hats sashaying down 5th Ave as though it was their personal runway. We also saw hipsters swaggering through Brooklyn in slouchy beanies. Both survived the fall and winter seasons and now hats are impossible to ignore for this upcoming spring. From an assortment of styles ranging from the fedora, turban, trilby, floppy hat, beach hats, riding inspired hat, and beanie there is a hat that will fit every shaped head. Although the hat seems like a difficult accessory for the masses to wear, it just takes a little encouragement and some confidence in yourself to pull it off. 

Here are some of my favorites that will turn a simple outfit (jeans and a tshirt) into a well thought out and put together ensemble: 

Personally, I do not understand the attraction to the Twilight Saga phenomenon. The books, although guilty pleasures and quick reads, were poorly written and quite frustrating to read. I had to stop after finishing New Moon because it pained me to read that Bella choose Edward over a guy she actually had a blossoming relationship with, Jacob. The book-turned-movie multi billion dollar franchise then went on to produce god awful movies with actors such as Kristen Stewart who are just as awkward on screen as they are with making public appearances. Twilight has had such an impact on our culture it has even reached the minds of our most intellectual society, academia. You can now take Vampire college courses. But what gets me most riled up is that Karl Lagerfeld has found inspiration from the popular phenomenon. His Fall/Winter 2011 collection for Chanel debuted at Paris Fashion Week has models walking down an eerie runway surrounded by fog and what looked to be black lava rocks. In floor length cloaks, dark gray and black signature tweed jackets, and black lace Lagerfeld definitely channeled his dark mystical side when creating this collection. Despite the collection reeking of Twilight, the clothing is beautiful, youthful, and accented with a densely rich colors of red and green. You’ll find biker boots, slouchy pants, and lace lace pants, cropped tweed jackets, black, black, and more black . Unable to capture the pulse of a lifeless vampire, the youth of fashion’s hearts are racing with excitement after viewing Chanel’s collection. It’s edgy, dark, and young while still staying within the boundaries of classic Chanel. I’ll just have to look past the fact that it screams Twilight because Karl Lagerfeld triumphs again and gives us an unbelievably stunning array of looks.  

                               

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

                                                           

                                                            

Pictures taken from www.style.com

Remember the days when the color of your LL Bean backpack defined your social status in middle school? Instant loser if you had a JanSport. In high school the black North Face prevailed triumphant and everyone tossed their LL Beans aside. In college LongChamp totes, although way overpriced, became a must have for college girls nation wide. It was a cute and stylist way to lug your books to class. But balancing a bag on one shoulder definitely ruins posture and will probably result in mild Scoliosis. Fashionistas don’t fret, the backpack is back and more stylish than ever! From Tory Burch to Forever21 there is a backpack that fits everyone’s style and budget. Here are some of my favorites. What do you guys think of the return of the backpack?  

                                

                        Cooperative Mini Basic Backpack $39 available at Urban Outfitters

                

                                               Tory Burch Greyden Nylon Backpack $295

                                    

                             Kimichi Red Floral Backpack $49 available at Urban Outfitter

                                  

                                                                     (my favorite)                          

                             Deux Lux Reptile Packpack $68 available at Urban Outfitters

                            

                             Tan Leather Drawstring Backpack £50 available at Topshop

                        

                                       Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Pretty Nylon’ Knapsack $178

                            

          Leatherette Pack Pack Available £28.80 at Forever 21 (strangely only sold in the UK)

If you know me, you know I love wearing black and white. However, I cannot wait to incorporate vivid bright colors into my spring wardrobe! It may still be winter but fashion editors, bloggers, and models have tested the Spring/Summer 2011’s hottest trend at Milan Fashion Week this week. I know that bright colors tend to scare people away, but by adding solid color signature pieces to your wardrobe will give you a serious upgrade. Invest in a red jacket, a green clutch, pair cobalt blue pants with a white or black shirt, or dare to combine a pink skirt and an orange top like one of my favorite style icons, Ashley Olsen has done. Even wearing a red or coral lipstick or painting your nails bright orange will give you character. It’s not necessary to dresshead to toe in color, God knows I won’t be, but adding color to an outfit will freshen your look giving you an individualistic personality.  Jill Sanders’s spring 2011 collection was a masterpiece in achieving a colorful look without taking it to far. Other designers such Proenza Schouler, Prada, MaxMara, Fendi, Christopher Kane, and Blumarine have all been influential in setting the trend of bright youthful colors to add some life to your closet. Here are some  looks from Paris and Milan Fashion Week to get you inspired! 

Photographs were found on Harper’s Bazaar, Elle UK and Vogue UK’s websites.