Happy St. Patty's Day! (In Style)

Known for green beer, Irish pubs and munching on potatoes, St. Patty's Day is the last day that is thought of as fashionable but that does not mean you can't add little fashionable green wear into your outfit for some festive fun!

This green kaleidoscope bag by Matthew Williamson for Bulgari for example or these adorable gold Thistle and Clover stud earrings available at Refinery29. So when you go out tonight remember, fashion does not have to be forgotten when you are having fun!

How will you make St. Patty's Day more fashionable? Let me know in the comments, Facebook and Twitter!

Enjoy!

Amanda
amandasfashionspot@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/AFSpot

Trick or Chic?: How to Infuse Fashion Into Your Hallowe'en Costume

It is my favourite time of year as I am inundated with a zillion fashion events to keep up with, the holidays are fast approaching and most importantly the one night of the year, when it is perfectly acceptable to wear a shockingly scary outfit, Hallowe'en!

But who says that your costume has to be ghoulish, freaky or scary? Why not try to something a little chic and dress up as your most cherished fashionista or fashionmista? What better way to see what it is really like to be like one of your fashion favourites for a day and show your love for all things fashion and style?

There are so many fabulous people to choose from but the ones that truly stood out that evoke a true signature style are none other than, Anna Wintour, Rachel Zoe, Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano. Each have stood out for not only their career accomplishments but trademark style. Check it out below for costume ideas on how to dress as your fashion favourites!

All About the Boys

Karl Lagerfeld-When you see this man not only do you think quilted bags and double interlocking C's but you also think of a man who is in charge and knows a thing or two about how to put together a tailored and edgy ensemble. The best way to achieve this serious look come Hallowe'en is easy as pie:

For the hair, visit your local costume shop and pick up a white wig with a ponytail or if you have long, hair smooth it back and apply baby powder or temporary coloured hair spray.

For the clothes, get a velvet or satin black tailored blazer with matching pants. If you don't have one, check your local vintage store. Add a white ruffled button down and black bow tie or long tie underneath the jacket.

For the accessories, pick up silver cross chain necklaces and medallions as well as motorcycle gloves to add the edge. Don't forget the signature black sunglasses as they are the cherry on the sundae of this look.

John Galliano-Known for his magical and threatrical designs, Monsieur Galliano does not forget to add a whole 'lotta flair to his daily ensembles. With his signature tops hats and thin mustache, he always stands out. To achieve this fashion forward look follow these steps:

For the hair, purchase a long super straight bronde wig. Also, if you don't already have facial hair, purchase a thin fake mustache and soul patch or you can get some fun fur and facial glue to improvise.

For the clothes, invest in a low cut button vest and tight pants. You can have fun with it and invest in a pattern suit set with lotsa sequins!

For the accessories, wear an ornate cross, edgy, spiky rings and the signature top hat! Have fun with it and add some sequined ties, bows or faux flowers.

Where my ladies at?

Anna Wintour-as editor-in-chief of the fashion bible, VOGUE Miss Wintour's look screams authority with the dark square sunglasses with a slightly rounded edge and fabulous fur coat. If you ever wondered what it would be like to be the queen bee of fashion for a day, here's your chance!

For the hair, you must purchase a light brown bob wig for it is just too perfect and too cute. Try buying a wig made for flappers as most of them are bobs.

For the clothes, Anna Wintour is often seen in an oh-so-chic fur coat and printed shift dress. Perfect for a lady and perfect for a fashionista. Try black tights with your dress due to the chilly weather.

For the accessories, black plastic sunglasses and statement necklace, preferably one with baubles galore. Also, try a slim gold or leather strap watch to add a touch of sophistication.

Rachel Zoe-The Zoeinator is everyone's favourite stylist. With her hilarious and fashionable reality show, The Rachel Zoe Project in which she seems to have a catch phrase for literally everything (literally) she shows that working in fashion is no piece of cake. Re-creating her famous boho-chic look is like one, two, three.

For the hair, if you don't naturally have blonde wavy hair invest in a wig. You can also purchase some blonde hair mascara to create her California sun kissed hair. For her signature waves, whip out the old curling iron.

For the clothes, there could not be a true Rachel Zoe look without her staple fur vest and wide leg jean. Make sure to invest in a flow-y blouse underneath. If you are in the mood to wear a dress, check out a vintage store for a colourful and printed lightweight butterfly sleeved maxi dress.

For the accessories, oversized sunglasses, oversized clutch and wedges. Need we say more?


There you have it! Your guide to being fashionable and fabulous this Hallowe'en. Email or tweet me your Hallowe'en looks!

Enjoy!

Amanda
amandasfashionspot@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/AFSpot

"September is the January of Fashion"-The September Issue

The fall season is just like Christmas! In less than one month alone there have several major events showcasing the latest fashionable creations by all the designers that we know and love. Fashion's Night Out and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week to name a few, but we will talk about that later.

First, we have my favourite looks from the Emmy Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards:

                                                      2010 Emmy Awards

January Jones took a risk on the red carpet and it paid off! She shined in a bright blue Atelier Versace gown that was reminiscent of mermaid's fin. Claire Danes carried on with the shine trend when she sparkled in a beautiful nude Armani Prive strapless gown and radiated down the red carpet. 

2010 MTV Video Music Awards 

There is something about a simple black dress that just always works whether it looks classic, sophisticated, edgy or sexy there is something about black that is just right. Ciara is glowing in a delicate black feathered skirt with fitted lace bodice by Givenchy. This look is not one that you see everyday but it sure does looks right. Emma Stone is wearing a fitted and rusched black leather minidress with tiny purple clutch purse. I just love the how this dress is simple yet sexy all in one. Nothing beats a little black dress.

Until the next red carpet!

Enjoy!

Amanda 

amandasfashionspot@gmail.com 

https://twitter.com/AFSpot

What's in a Name?: Vogue Threatens to Sue Canadian Fashion Event

Most recently the Victoria, British Columbia fashion industry had organized a fashion event celebrating the West Coast's talented designers. This fabulous evening was going to called, Victoria's Fashion Night Out in order to pay tribute to all of Victoria's fashionistas who had planned to take part in the event. Unfortunately, the name that the organizers had intended to call the event was a little similar to another well-known fashion event, Vogue's Fashion Night Out.

As soon as Vogue's legal team caught wind of the similarities between the names they contacted the organizers of Victoria's Fashion Night Out and demand that they change the name immediately change their name or legal action will be taken. Victoria's Fashion Night Out organizers had to scramble to change the name the night before the event to simply, Victoria's Fashion Night.

I guess when it comes to fashion the early bird gets the worm.

Amanda

The September Issue Comes Up North

The september issue of any fashion magazine, as we all know, is the most coveted issue of the year. What other month's issue is an inch thick filled with photos of chunky knits, tall boots and jewel tones, assisted by hundreds of tips of how to put it all together? Does any other issue inspire you more? Does any other issue have you dreaming of walking on a crisp fall day, smack dab in the middle of a fashionable land where peacoats, leather jackets and fur vests rule?

Canadian fashionistas (and fashionmistas) it is time to rejoice! The much-talked about fashion documentary, The September Issue is about to come up North! On Friday, October 23rd, 2009 none the less, the last day of LG Fashion Week. What better way to end a week at the catwalk?

Finally, we Canadian fashion lovers can really see what's like to translate the favoured fall fashion season onto print. For a sneak preview, click here for the trailer and here for show times.

Amanda

Queen of Fashion is on David Letterman tonight!

Don't forget to check out Anna Wintour on David Letterman tonight! It will be showing on CBS at 11:35pm. 

Amanda

The Queen of America Fashion visits David Letterman

Anna Wintour, Vogue's long time editor-in-chief is set to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman on Monday, August 24th, 2009. The show airs on NBC at 11:35pm. 

Make sure to tune in and watch the legendary editor discuss (what am I assuming) is the much-anticipated The September Issue. A film about Vogue's preparation for the coveted you guessed it, September issue.

It is guaranteed to be a must-see segment, so set that VCR, DVR, TIVO, whatever you may watch and enjoy!

Amanda

The Pressure to be Thin

The fashion industry defines what is considered to be en Vogue whether it is clothing, hair style or body type. Spain's recent ban on the use of runway models with a body mass index lower than 18% has raised the question, is it ethical for major fashion houses to advocate an unhealthy body image to the mass media?

Major fashion houses such as Chanel, Gucci and Prada mostly use stick thin models on their runways and this projects a narrow view of what is considered to be beautiful. During the rise of fashion designers in Paris, designers began to have a one-on-one relationships with their clients in which the dictated what theywould wear and the images used that would promote their designs. Promoting a narrow beauty ideal implies that if you do not fit that stereotype that you yourself are not en Vogue. Models have been known to succumb to the pressures of fitting into beauty ideals. Removing lower ribs, back teeth and eating disorders have been common practices that have occured among models to achieve the ideal model look that many fashion designers create and deem beautiful. Fashion's elite excludes those who are not able to afford all the fabulous things that are included in fashion advertisements as well as imply that you will be improved if you emulate the look and lifestyle of your social superiors.

Many of the models used in fashion advertisments are as young as 14 years old. In a 1995 Calvin Klein advertisement the use of very thin teenaged models in a seedy motel setting, sparked FBI investigation for its references to child pornography. It is images such as this that brings up the issue of how fashion industry, at times, represents woman as young as prepubescent girls. The popular 1990's emaciated, dazed look for models entitled, "Heroin Chic" was considered to be a rejection of fashion's rigid beauty ideals. However, it created an entirely. The look of a model in a fashion advertisement or runway is the look of a finished product that has been highly altered and constructed to fit the mold of whatever the designer considers to be beautiful at that point in time. Unfortunately, fashion designers feel the need to project unobtainable images of woman because not only does it make high fashion seem even more exclusive but it creates an even stronger desire for woman tot go to whatever extreme it may be to become that standard of beauty.

Implicating the Body Mass Index for fashion models is a form of discrimination for models that are naturally thin. For 1960's model Twiggy, who naturally had a stcik-like frame, would it be fair to ban her from the runway? Adult magazines such as, Playboy Magazine try to promote women who have a more voluptuous figure and although some may feel that this is a positive because it no longer promotes the thin beauty ideal, it is still promoting another extreme image that a woman "should have". Woman who do not naturally have a voluptuous figure are then meant to feel if they are not voluptuous then they will not be considered sexually desirable. In the 21st century the fashion industry should strive towards equality and promoting images of models in all shapes and sizes regardless if they are thin or full figured.

Elite fashion designers set the bar for what is beautiful and part of women's fascination with the discriminating images that are portrayed in fashion advertisement and runways is the idea of an escape from their everyday lives. Women's desire to be part of the high fashion world has always existed. Napeleon's wife, Josephine de Beauharnais who was once a sommon woman becuase a queen of fashion through emulating the looks of her wealthy predecessors after marrying Napeleon. The ideal images that the fashion industry promotes, makes everyday woman want to emulate the way that models appear in the images and thus be part of the fashionably elite. However, the narrow representation of women in the fashion industry is unobtainable because the ideal look is forever changing. The popular "lean and lithe" look for models fo the 1970's soon became less popular when the muscular cosmetically enhanced look of the 1980's emerged. The fashion industry needs to show that women come in all shapes and sizes and should never be discriminated against because of the shape of their body. Luckily, as we move through the 21st century we realize that some small steps are being made to promote a more positive body image to the mass media. Dior fashion designer John Galliano is known for using thin and plus-sized models in many of his couture fashion shows.

Above all women need to learn to love themselves first regardless of what ideal beauty standard that major fashion houses promote as being en Vogue because fashion's ideal image may come and go but a woman will always have the same body.
Amanda