Style.com asked some of my favorite stylish ladies what they hoped to accomplish, or do better, in the coming year. For 2009 the resolutions ranged from spending more time with family, to finding the perfect dress. Some of my favorites:

Jenna Lyons, creative director, J.Crew
“It’s time to give up froufrou and add more menswear tailoring, nude, caramel, buff, gray, and a touch of neon…and, if I were ten years younger, a jumpsuit!

Liya Kebede, model
“I recommend people visit Africa—that is what I want to do. I want to try and see all the different countries. I also think people should get involved, volunteer, and simply help others in any way you can. This is the way forward.”

Marina Rust, contributing editor, Vogue
“I know if I squeeze a lemon into a cup of hot water and honey every morning I will actually feel and look better. Maybe this year I will remember to do it.”

Lisa Mayock, designer, Vena Cava
“Learn Spanish. Or at least start.”

Sophie Buhai, designer, Vena Cava
“Monochromatic fashion that feels elegant (but is almost boring) paired with an eccentric large metal necklace is what I am wanting to wear. As far as giving things up, I’d say it’s time to give up flashy designer bags. The new year and a new economy are all about buying vintage Ferragamo and Bottega on eBay.”

Chanel Iman, model
“Step back into my closet and re-create the things I haven’t worn in a while and do wardrobe swaps with my friends. After the swap, you can go shopping for that one item that will make the trade pop. It’s kind of a green way to go.”

While I am horrible at keeping resolutions, I sort of like the tradition of evaluating the ways that you could have improved the year that just passed and looking forward with positive thoughts of how to make life just a little sweeter for the coming year. This year I resolve to spend more time being active and outdoors, start going to yoga more often, be better at keeping in touch with friends and family and to take a vacation somewhere I have never been before. And as for my style resolution? I want to find a perfect oversized clutch, a great fitting pair of jeans that are hemmed perfectly, add some cool vintage muscle tees to my wardrobe, start making my own jewelry and utilize the sewing machine gathering dust in my apartment. How about you?

Source: Style.com
Image Source: Color Cubic

Eyelashes have been on my mind the last couple days, which is a little odd, but everywhere I look people seem to be talking about them. First came the news that last Friday the FDA approved the eyelash-thickening drug Latisse, made by Allergan Inc, the maker of Botox. According to Reuters, the active ingredient in Latisse is bimatroprost, the same ingredient that is in Allergan’s glaucoma treatment Lumigan. Patients taking Lumigan found a side effect of the drug to be eyelash growth, prompting Allergan to study it for the new use. Applied to the upper lash line, the prescription drug’s possible side effects include eye redness, itchiness, and darkening of the eyelid skin. The drug could even cause the colored part of the eye to become browner, potentially permanently, which it totally not okay with this hazel-brown eyed girl. I’m one step away from plain brown eyes as it is (no offense to brown-eyed readers, I’m the odd woman out in a family of light green eyes, it’s a sensitive subject for me, okay?). While the market for prescription eyelash enhancers is untested, the company estimates it’s global peak sales of Latisse could top $500 million a year, even with the somewhat scary side effects. Perhaps graphic designer Amitis Pahlevan knew this drug was about to be on the market, because she came up with a pretty clever use for all the false eyelashes that will perhaps be suffering in sales as soon as people can grow their own: a wispy, ethereal typeface made entirely of eyelashes:

This ultra-cool typeface unfortunately is not available for you to install on your computer but is a gorgeous work of art to admire, and perhaps try to replicate on a lazy crafty Sunday afternoon. Only if you have tons of patience, which unfortunately, I am lacking.

With eyelashes on my brain the last couple days I kept making a mental note to go pick up some falsies, and now that my New Years Eve festivities are only a few hours away I am a little bummed I never got around to it. Don’t make the same mistake as me if you have a special event coming up soon, false eyelashes, when applied properly, can really make a huge impact on your look. I like going all out with them, and keeping the rest of my makeup simple so the effect is more dramatic and less drag-queen (unless that’s what you are into, in which case, go for it girl). While Latisse may thicken your natural lashes, they can’t make them made of feathers, lace or multi- colors like falsies can. These Shu Uemura Luxe Black lashes are amazing:

Source: Reuters, TrendHunter

Thanks to Coco:

Cintia:

Scarlett:

And this lovely girl on The Cobrasnake:

I am seriously considering becoming a redhead. I have been quietly patting myself on the back for months now, applauding my decision to save money by embracing my natural boring brunette locks, but inevitably the itch for something new and different has begun. Of course, red hair is nothing to enter into lightly. It’s a big, bold change that can take forever to get rid of. More so than becoming a blonde, which can take a few dye jobs to finally cover without fading, red sometimes keeps showing up after countless dye jobs… I know from personal experience watching my roommate try to get rid of her red for a year or so. But now that she is officially a brunette again, I think it may be my turn. I have been thinking a slightly non- commital and budget friendly way to add a red hue to my hair may be to buy Artec’s color depositing shampoo and conditioner in a red shade, such as Cherry Bark (for red, red brown or auburn hair), Red Clover (bright red or red brown hair) or Orange Marigold (for copper, auburn and warm brown hair) and see if I can get the reddish brown shade of the last three pics I posted, in the comfort of my own home. I figure if I turn my hair into a scary hue it will be the extra push I need to go get REALLY red, I’m talking Coco red, at the salon. I’ll let you know how it goes…

Image Source: The Cobrasnake, Fashionologie, Miss at la Playa, Bellasugar

According to WWD, Uggs may have saved the holiday season for many independent retailers. You many be wondering, as I did, how, in this crazy economy of fabulous sales that make it possible to buy a pair of Louboutin’s for almost the price of Uggs, are people still buying enough full-priced pairs of these ugly shoes for them to be flying off the shelves? Confession: I bought a pair this holiday season. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think they are that cute, and I would never wear them with a pair of cut-off shorts or a skirt the way many Southern California girls are known to do. They serve a purpose, and that is keeping my feet warm. Of course, there are many wool socks and gorgeous leather boots that could do the same, but Uggs are just so comfy and practical around the house and while running errands, especially now that I have a puppy. With the lower temperatures outside, when I have to take her to the backyard, I throw on my Uggs, because my flip-flops just don’t cut it this time of year. I get that there are some women who are always put-together, and for them, taking the few extra minutes to lace up their boots and apply some blush before hitting the market is a must. However, that will never be me (cue Corey Flood in Say Anything) so Uggs work perfectly for my lazy sweatpants and unbrushed hair grocery shopping accoutrement. I realize I just wrote an entire post defending my, and apparently countless others, decision to embrace the Ugg this holiday season, and I’ll end with this closing argument: I bought the Cardy crochet version of the boot, with buttons on the side, that you can either wear folded down or pulled up. They’re a bit cuter than the ole sheepskin Ugg, right?!

As usual, just doing my small part to help the economy…

Source: WWD

I came across this photo on ELLE.com’s Street Chic gallery. Something about this look really caught my eye, and it’s not just the model-off-duty. I love the play on proportions in what is a fairly simple outfit you could piece together from your own closet. The high-waisted skirt paired with the vest creates interesting layers, and the overall effect gives her legs for dayyyyss. Alright, I’ll concede that this gal has no shortage in the leg department, in fact, she should probably share some of the wealth with me… however, I think this look would have the same effect on those of us without these stems. The outfit is helped by the many dark colors mixed together- chocolate, purple, navy, plum, dusty blue- nothing really matches and yet nothing clashes. This look is also easily modified for different occasions- dress it up by swapping the flats for heels for a or make it cold-weather friendly by trading the vest for a blazer.

Here’s how to get this look:

Start with a scooped-neck tank. James Perse makes the most amazing, comfortable basics. You can’t go wrong with this long tank in purple slate tank, a not-so-basic neutral color. Perfect for layering during the winter and wearing with cut-offs during the summer.

These dark gray opaque tights from Hue are almost the same color as the tank, but different enough to not be too matchy-matchy.

I like this “Jennie” skirt from the Lauren Conrad Collection because the stretchy jersey allows you to wear it high on the waist or low, depending on your mood/ outfit.

I love this deep-red vest from Monrow. While a dark navy or purple vest would also look great with this outfit, I couldn’t help throwing in a pop of color. It’s the holidays after all!

Add your own finishing touches- flats, heels, headband, clutch, hobo bag- there are a million ways to accessorize this simple but chic outfit.

Image Source: ELLE.com

About a month ago a friend of mine went on a crazy hunt to get her hands on a shade of OPI nail polish called You Don’t Know Jacques- a dark, matte gray. I was skeptical of her fanaticism at first, but when she finally got her hands on a bottle, and the bottle on her hands, I was fully convinced of the fabulosity of gray nail polish. While this may seem odd, it is actually a great alternative to the black trend that hasn’t yet gone away. The paleness of my hands is a truly scary thing and when paired with black or really dark purple nail polish, the effect is way too Morticia Addams for my liking. I tend to stick with blood reds during the fall and winter, branching out to lighter purples occasionally. Oh, and last winter I had a thing for navy polish. Didn’t we all? This weekend a group of my girlfriends from college got together for our annual girls slumber party and we all went for mani/ pedis together. At the salon was a bottle of You Don’t Know Jacques, and I went for it. But because I have pretty much already destroyed the mani, I’ll post a pretty picture of Gwyneth rocking the shade instead of scaring you with my pale paws:

I am seriously loving it. Gray is the forgotten neutral, it really does look good with everything. Also, the color almost perfectly matches the interior of my car, which no doubt impresses the parking attendants at work. This polish is definitely my new go-to, at least until spring arrives and I can start playing around with pastels again…

Take a look at the entire fall 08 OPI La Collection de France, in case you are not only in the market for a gray, but also red, purple, nude, wine…

Image Source: Glamour Beauty Blog

It’s not often that the fashionable is also the practical, but on rainy days I love to steal my roommates rain boots, and stomp around. They are Marc by Marc Jacobs, and I don’t feel the least bit unfashionable doing so- perhaps a little childish, but that’s a different story. Of course, just because something is a name brand doesn’t mean that it is cool or even fashionable but I think I would feel the same even if they didn’t have the Marc label on them. This is because Kate Moss also wears them, and whatever Kate does IS cool and fashionable (even when she paints Jem and the Holograms style glitter stars on her face). They also get the seal of approval from at least one of the Olsen’s:

Living in Southern California, where we have been in a drought for the past 4 years, you might think there isn’t the opportunity to wear them often enough to justify the purchase. However, rain boots can be useful for gardening, at outdoor concerts, and also at the dog park or dog beach (I recently discovered) when you don’t want to ruin a pair of shoes or subject your feet to nasty dog sand. Get them as dirty and gross as you want, they actually look cooler that way, right Kate?

And you can wash them off with a hose when you are ready to throw them back in the closet…

All the images above are of Hunter “Wellies” which obviously cool and Kate Moss approved but on the more expensive side. These black “Yogini” rain boots from Nine West are totally affordable and just as cute.

Today Louis Vuitton launched WeLoveSprouse.com, a website dedicated to the memory of Stephen Sprouse and Louis Vuitton’s new collection in honor of the late icon. Revisiting the 2001 collaboration between creative director Marc Jacobs and the rock-inspired designer, which sold-out instantly, the collection features Sprouse-styled graffiti and rose motifs alongside Jacobs designs.

The accessories and ready-to-wear garments in this collection may not be your style or in your price range, but the website is definitely worth checking out. The interactive site has a great playlist, a wall where you can scrawl your own graffiti, images of the collections, videos, photographs and biographical information about Sprouse- what the site calls “the beginnings of a punk glamour god”- his career, famous friends and impact on fashion and art in New York and beyond.

Want to learn more about the life and art of Sprouse? Also in the works is a retrospective exhibition at the Deitch Projects’ 18 Wooster Street gallery in New York, with works- such as Sid Vicious with his pants down, and an Iggy Pop crucifixion- rarely seen before, as well as fifty of his most influential fashion looks. The exhibit runs January 9 through February 28, 2009. Also debuting in 2009 is The Stephen Sprouse Book, a monograph divided into fifteen comprehensive chapters including The Early Years, Andy, Burnout, Cyber Punk, Future Rave, SS/LV and Legend. With contributors such as Debbie Harry, Kate Moss, Steven Meisel, Patrick DeMarchelier, Merk and Markus, and of course, Marc Jacobs. A definite must for any fashion or art enthusiast. You can pre-order your copy of the book here.

Source: WeLoveSprouse.com, Hypebeast

I came across a great nostalgic holiday gift idea on Fashionista, fashion paper dolls! As a little girl, I love loved lovvvved paper dolls. And my mother loved buying them for me because they weren’t as expensive as real dolls, so I could collect them to my hearts content. Fashionista has pointed out that there are some really cool paper dolls out there these days, such as Chanel Fashion Review, Fashion Model (with glamorous wigs!), British, American and French Fashion Designers, Great Fashion Designs of the Seventies and Eighties, and Art Deco Fashions.

I have already come up with a few crafty ideas for them. I am thinking they would be really cute as fridge magnets, all you would need is some thin magnets and superglue to transform them. The recipient of your paper doll magnets can play stylist as she cooks breakfast! That is, if you can bear to part with your handiwork. You could also create a very cool framed paper doll collage, the Art Deco fashions would be great in an Art Deco inspired frame and the Chanel fashions in a bold black frame, perhaps with a silk camellia glued to a corner. An even simpler holiday idea would be to use the fashions as gift tags (maybe not so much the underwear clad dolls). To: Lucky Friend From: Crafty Fashionista.

Source: Fashionista

This weekend the roommate and I hosted a trunk show at our apartment (finally giving us an excuse to have to hang all our pictures a mere six months after moving in), there was wine, cupcakes, and very cute clothes. One of the lines I came across when browsing through the racks was Leifsdottir, which I had never heard of. I kept finding myself drawn to those pieces and was shocked the brand had never crossed my radar before. Turns out, the line just launched this fall, which explains why I hadn’t yet heard of it, and was created by the design team of Anthroplogie, which explains why everything was so cute! Leifsdottir is sophisticated and modern, but with a vintage edge. Inspired by travel, history and stories, the line is for the girly-girl who grows up and wants chic, iconic novelty pieces for her wardrobe. Luckily, the line is available online, and not just in my livingroom:

This adorable ‘Rose’ blouse is constructed out of a heavyweight fabric which keeps the structure of the pleats around the neckline and sleeves. With the bold floral print and puff cap-sleeves, I can’t help but be reminded of Balenciaga’s spring 2008 collection, and that is a good thing.

I love this ruffle dress, it is simple and chic but not a bit boring. A perfect from office to cocktails kind of piece…

This ‘Special Stitch’ cardigan is just genius. Not only is the silhouette great, but I don’t think I have ever seen this done with the button placket before and I love it. A great twist on a wardrobe staple that will no doubt garner a ton of compliments. But if anyone asks where they can get it, just say PriceGrabber, as my apartment is officially closed for business…