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Life's a Beach: All Neon Like

FabSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:00:22 -0700

Kudos to Kate Beckinsale for going all neon like with her louder-than-loud Marc Jacobs handbag. Not one to challenge fashion in her day-to-day, Kate works this bold look aright. When the sun is shining, but you want your bag to shine brighter, keep the rest of your look simple and chic. Dark denim, black and grey are perfect backdrops for a neon bag that screams for attention.

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Designer Spotlight: Millions of Smiles

FabSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:00:22 -0700

With a credo to make the world a happier place, Millions of Smiles is bringing color (and stripes!) back into our lives. The collection of fine knitwear is brimming with fun and colorful stripes, and the long and lean cuts are perfect for layering. An extensive collection can be found at Shopbop.

Summer is definitely a time show off your colorful side, and these pieces would be perfect for some tan-soaked fun — it certainly brings a smile to my face!

For more happy Millions of Smiles,

Fab Finds of the Week: Bright & Springy

FabSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:00:08 -0700

I'm so excited to see that you all are embracing this season's colors as much as I am. It's so easy to get sucked in to all the bright & Springy items out there, right? Judging from your fab finds, I'd say that's an affirmative.

The Fab Finder of the week is cnyc1a, because she found this funky Chloe Saskia patchwork pouchette that Kate Bosworth so loves. Every week the Fab Finder I announce Monday morning will receive either a TeamSugar or FabSugar baby T-shirt. I thoroughly enjoy perusing your Fab Finds every week, so dare to be a Fab Finding trendsetter and you just might win a Sugar tee!

Congrats to cnyc1a, velvet+summer, Lala77, ThePerfectScore, VSug, and SugarGirl12!

Cheap & Chic: The Power of Hot Pink

FabSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:00:22 -0700

Hot pink is on fire these days. From Mary-Kate Olsen's belt to me at LA Fashion Week to Nicky Hilton's full-fledged obsession with the hue, it's practically everywhere you turn. Of course, it helps that it's traceable from miles away.

Anne Hathaway adopted the trend by sporting bright pink sunnies on the set of her new movie, Bride Wars. Like Anne, limit the hot pink items in your outfit to one, two at most. It's with great joy that I spread a little loud color in your lives. If hot pink is too girlie for you, try neon yellow or green. The neon possibilities are endless.

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LnA Zipper Leggings: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:00:22 -0700

So we have mixed feelings about zippers. And, the leggings trend has been around and then some, but these neon LnA Zipper Leggings ($110) have a new twist: an exposed zipper ankle detail. Where do you stand?Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here! To post your selections go to the Love It or Hate It? group. And if you want to learn how to do a blog post click here.

LnA Zipper Leggings: Love It or Hate It?

Love It

Hate It

Undecided

Trend Alert: Multicolor

FabSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:00:22 -0700

Spring '08 is one of the most colorful Springs we've witnessed in a while. This may explain why Fall took such a 180 with dark, moody blacks and greys. That's still a ways a way and in the meantime multicolor is shining bright, blindingly bright. Such was the case at Michael Kors' Spring show. Never one to shy away from vivid colors, the style lesson is to keep accessories metallic or neutral. Or, oversized — what a mad hat!

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Her Obsession: Nicky Hilton Hearts Hot Pink and Black

FabSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:22 -0700

It appears Nicky Hilton has more than a small crush on this bold combination. Let's investigate shall we? We noticed her quite a few times trotting about town in it, sometimes just topping off an all black look with vibrant pink accessories, sometimes rotating in key pieces such as the J. Crew blazer or flippy little mini. It's definitely a fun way to stand out and also a nod to the ongoing brights trend. I'm going to go ahead and say that I much prefer it to her sisters's infamous monochromatic pink outfits.

To see more of Nicky in her signature black and pink,

March Shopping Madness: Go Bold or Go Home

FabSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:00:22 -0700

Here's my new motto: Go bold or go home. Yes, dark clothing is cool, but Spring is a time of rebirth, so why not embrace the brighter side of life in bold and beautiful dresses? There's so many out there just waiting to be paraded around.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is a good model for this notion because she doesn't turn her back on brights. At a recent event in Sydney, she was a vision in a pink Roberto Cavalli sweetheart dress. See, not only will you look good, you'll feel good too.

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Sneak Peek! New J.Crew Shoes and Accessories Collection

FabSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:00:22 -0700

I'm convinced nothing can take you from Winter to Spring as smoothly as J.Crew's new shoes and accessories collection.

You want bright? You'll get bright alright. Every hue under the rainbow is included in this latest crop. Metallic belts, bubble gum jewels, and Crayola hued flats are some of the offerings. Personally, I want this Bubble Necklace ($150, left), along with this Las Palmas Bag ($295). Take a peek and decide how you'll make your Spring brighter.

To see some more luminous J.Crew accessories,

March Shopping Madness: Bright Side

FabSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:00:11 -0700

Let's look on the bright side . . . a plethora of colorful bags to illuminate our path towards Spring. There's nothing more special than pairing a dark ensemble with a bright bag. Or, why not complement a bold dress with a bright bag, like Heidi Klum did at the Oscars? There are no rules other than to have fun. Oh, but whatever you do, please don't mix too many colors. Bright overload = circus clown.

Crayola Me All Over

FabSugar — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:00:22 -0800

I don't know about you, but I'm still honoring my New Year's Fabalutions — yay me! Don't believe me? Fabalution #4: See my Look Book. I know we're barely into the new year, but hey, we need all the encouragement we can get right? What's further inspiring is all the Crayola-colored accessories out there. As seen in this week's Life&Style, this is the best way to add some punch to your Winter wardrobe. Who says you can't wear tangerine or lime when there's a blizzard outside? Not I.

New York Fashion Week, Spring 2008: Catherine Malandrino

FabSugar — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 12:00:22 -0700

Designer du jour, Catherine Malandrino, showed a bold Spring collection - sometimes, a little too bold. While her feminine and chic designs have recently been celeb favorites I'm not sure we'll be seeing some these newbies grace the red carpet. Malandrino attacked the art trend with fervor and sometimes it hit and sometimes it missed.

Aside from the venue, the Chelsea Art Museum, being over crowded, bold colors and prints dominated the runway. Catherine's strengths - ultra femme dresses, chic tailoring and elegant draping - persevered but her artsy prints and stiff cocktail dresses were questionable. In short, I had a love/hate experience at Malandrino. What do you think?!

To see more of Malandrino's Spring offerings,

New York Fashion Week, Spring 2008: Tracy Reese

FabSugar — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 06:00:33 -0700

There was plenty of sunshine to go around at Tracy Reese, who celebrated her label's 10th anniversary by sending her idea of the easy, breezy, beautiful girl down the runway. The models had big smiles across their faces as they strutted, a rarity on the catwalk, but a detail that was quite refreshing.

The clothes were showered with red, fuchsia, purple, teal and blue; bright colors which kept in tune with the carefree mood of the collection. Models twirled parasols that matched their geometrically printed dresses and monochrome swimsuits. Scallops played a prominent role, featured on embroidered ruffles, hems, and necklines. Matte sequins shimmered on loose-fitting jackets, strappy little dresses, and fitted cardi's. And it looks as though the craze for dresses and high-waisted pants won't subside soon: with this runway full of both, Tracy made me want more more more!

To get more Tracy Reese and to see a video,

Style for Style: How To Wear Brights

FabSugar — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 05:00:33 -0700

Bright. Bold. Ballsy. These are all words to describe one who chooses to wear super saturated hues - and more power to you! I thought it would be helpful to share some tips about how to wear brights, whether you are already a BBB bright wearing babe or especially if you are on the fence and not quite ready, yet.

These are tips from Polly Allen Mellen and me. Mellen is a fashion legend of sorts, who has been a stylist and fashion editor for more than 60 years at Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, and she was also the creative director at Allure from 1991-1999. So yeah, she's knows a thing or two about styling. And me, well you know me!

Get it right. If you want to wear a bright, find the right hue for you and your skin tone. Know your colors! If you seek the perfect red clutch, establish which red, crimson? cherry? tomato?, looks best tucked under your arm and seek it out. Also, if you want the look of a pretty pastel, go for a glamorous classic - nothing too girly or saccharine.
No frills. Attention to fit is important when wearing brights; color doesn't hide flaws. Make sure armholes and necklines are flattering for your bod. Mellen avoids ruffles claiming that "extra details like that are unnecessary and overhwelming when you have on a sumptuous color." Hmmm, I wonder how she felt about Giambattista Valli's Fall RTW collection...
Neutral territory. A bold color looks best when it pops next to a neutral. Black is a favorite, as is white in warm weather. But think outside of the fashion box; navy is fabulously preppy with pink, ditto for khaki and orange or lettuce green. If you are going monochrome one day - all black for example - make sure to carry a handbag that pops!
Feel it. You have to be comfortable when wearing a bright; you will draw attention to yourself. Do not attempt to don a bright when you're having a bad hair day, don't feel like wearing makeup, or (my addition) when hungover - you have to look tip top to pull it off!

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Fall Glimpse: Bold & Bright

FabSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:10:22 -0700

Banish cold weather blahs forever with the upcoming bold & bright Fall offerings. Seriously, if I had these rich and electric colors in my wardrobe come January I think the snow would instantly melt wherever I went - take this fabulous Versace fruit punch coat, for example. Say hello to scarlet, vermilion, fuchsia, peacock, eggplant and grape - your new BFFs. Paired with noir and greys, get ready to shock the system.

Check out all my Fall 2007 coverage here!

To see more bold & bright,

Turn On Your Brights! Acid Bright Shoes

FabSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:17:33 -0700

Acid brights are this Spring's counterpart to cool neutrals. If you're feeling flashy and fierce, shout it out loud with bright clothing. I'm going to show you some acid brights all week long so order a Tall instead of a Venti because you can get your afternoon jolt right here on FabSugar. Alas, all good things come to an end. I'm topping off this series with a few pairs of irresistible bright shoes. Don't be shy...turn on your brights!

Guess Latika, $95.

Two more,

Turn On Your Brights! Acid Bright Dresses (Yay!)

FabSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:39:13 -0700

Acid brights are this Spring's counterpart to cool neutrals. If you're feeling flashy and fierce, shout it out loud with bright clothing. I'm going to show you some acid brights all week long so order a Tall instead of a Venti because you can get your afternoon jolt right here on FabSugar. I intentionally saved bright dresses for mid week to keep you amped until the weekend! Don't be shy...turn on your brights!

Chloe Jersey shift dress, $1,790.

A couple more,

Turn On Your Brights! Acid Bright Bottoms

FabSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:03:33 -0700

Acid brights are this Spring's counterpart to cool neutrals. If you're feeling flashy and fierce, shout it out loud with bright clothing. I'm going to show you some acid brights all week long so order a Tall instead of a Venti because you can get your afternoon jolt right here on FabSugar. Here are some fun bright bottoms, and no, I'm talking about bleaching any private body parts again!

Don't be shy...turn on your brights!

DVF Lucie Doubleknit Mini Skirt, $225.

A couple more bright bottoms,

BDG Bright 5-Pocket Skinny Pant, $59.

da-nang silk short jelly orange, on sale for $112 (originally $150).