I decide to walk down to Wokano with my husband for some of downtown’s yummiest sushi (ah…but SO not healthy, try the Late Night Party Roll), and little did I suspect that I’d be subjected to an impromptu fashion display from the pages of “that’s gorgeous” and “that’s so NO BUENO”.

Dior Karenina Handbag

Let’s start with the “that’s gorgeous” crowd.  As we passed Bottega Louie a woman in her forties sauntered by with her boy toy.   Really, I’m not usually the type to use this label but if you know me – I call it how see it.  The woman was dressed to the nines utilizing a fabulous blend of Fashion Mixology and mixing sleek red-heeled Louboutin heels with a Club Monaco shift (that I had just purchased a few weeks ago for a StepUp fashion event – LOL).  She topped it off with what appeared to be a Dior Karenina that she swung proudly as she sashayed into the restaurant with her hottie arm candy.  By the hottie arm candy I mean her date.  He was wearing a fabulous sleek suit, super Euro, super tight (hi, you’ve a great body and I see you are proud of it) and topped it all off with a newsboy cap.  Needless to say I stared, then again I may have stared even without the outfits as they were both very attractive.  Still, they were so fashionable that I started bubbling to my husband about how fashion had hit the streets of L.A. and as we rounded the corner….I hit a fashion disaster.  Quite literally.

My unfortunate fashion fender bender was with a girl who was stuffed into a dress.  After extricating myself from the poor girl, who was in a massive hurry to get to her dinner reservation, I had the misfortune of glancing behind me as she flounced away.  I was assaulted with a full on view of her thong underwear (clearly seen through the dress) and a view of her linebacker-size back overflowing from a low square-cut back.

Okay.  Here’s the thing.  I tell my clients this time and time again….Dress for your body and for your age and then there’s just dressing that should never happen.  This fashion disaster was all of these.  You see, this young miss had spectacular legs.  Had she chosen a dress that highlighted her legs and complimented the rest of her body, then I wouldn’t have stopped to rudely stare (no really, it was rude, my husband had to pull me away from taking a photo with my blackberry – NO bueno).  And please…please for the sake of your dignity; look at your bum when you try anything on AND again before you leave the house.  Even if you have the perfect bum there’s no reason to flaunt it at Bottega Louie because there are other more appropriate places to flaunt that particular asset.

And that’s my Tale of Two Blocks of L.A. Fashion.  Wear your fashion with care ladies.

Get this Look with the Art of Fashion Mixology

It might be odd for us to believe that runway models have the guide to “life styling” but they definitely hold the blueprint to “intelligent dressing”. Now, I know you’re thinking “intelligent dressing?” these girls are dressed by someone else to make them look uber chic.  This may hold true for runway shows but when off duty, they rely on good ‘ol style sense by combining minimalism with a flair for the dramatic.  The beauty index of VOGUE’s September issue (page 432) goes into different money-saving fashion strategies  that models employ to look chic at all times.

This concept, let’s call it the art of mixology, refers not to mixing labels to create an outfit nor is it a reference to mixing separates to make several different unique outfits. That’s another blog altogether!

The art of mixology is the art of mixing inexpensive pieces with your expensive pieces; it’s the art of mixing the chic and shabby. Although these are opposing adjectives, collectively they work to create a regal yet inconspicuous play on stylish dressing.  Mixing your “forever 21” with your “Chanel” doesn’t cheapen your look nor downplay the great quality that pricey wardrobe pieces possess; it heightens your style and chicness darling! 

After all, it’s not as if every woman has the budget of Ivanka Trump so splurging on Ferragamo shoes and Chanel jackets is well…not always viable.  Plus why would a truly creative Fashionista spend a hefty amount on trends that last for a season?  Just say no.  Repeat after me, invest in wardrobe basics, backfill with chic disposable wear and spend wisely, yet minimally on trends.

Bailey 44 Boyfriend Jacket

Ladies, don’t be timid about combining your high and your low separates. Be audacious!  Emulate Sharon Stone with her 1996 Oscar outfit mixing The Gap and Valentino- It’s chic baby!  Pair a Bailey 44 blazer with Cookie Johnson boot cut jeans and Forever 21 tee, accessorized with Forever 21 pearls and chain statement necklace. And you too can achieve a Model Off Duty look.

Forever 21 Braided Pearls W/Chains

Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel

When did I fall in love with pearls and Coco Chanel fashion?  I know I was young and it was long before the current rage about Coco (now that the movie with Audrey Tautou is out). I adored Chanel’s penchant for layering jewelry, particularly long strands of pearls, long before Madonna decided to sport them a la Like-a-Virgin style.  To me that look signified rebellion – High-fashion rebellion since Coco broke just a few fashion rules here and there.  Plus in the 80’s, I was a rebel without a cause.  So I draped myself with pearls and followed her adage of “Before leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror, and remove one piece of jewelry.”   Plus, being a good South American girl, I owned more than my share of pearl strands for all occasions.   Which speaking of, if you don’t own at least one strand, you are missing one of the most basic jewelry staples known to the contemporary Fashionista.

So it’s no surprise that when I discovered May Yeung Jewelry it was love at first sight. Her designs and use of pearls exemplify chic, timeless and elegant style, while still being accessible.  It’s so easy to wear her creations that I can easily justify buying multiple pieces both for myself and for my personal styling clients.

Imagine my surprise and delight to find out that May Yeung has honored me with a collection in my name!  And good thing that her jewelry is so accessible because you know I will have to own EVERY single one of the Viviana Collection pieces!

Layered Look from May Yeung Jewelry's Viviana Collection

When I asked May what inspired her to create the collection, I had to giggle because she and I are so on the same page about these designs!  Which brings me back to Coco Chanel – May is also an acolyte at the altar of Chanel’s style and influence.  And this collection pays homage to the beauty of mixing pearls, crystals, and black onyx to portray a classic style that flows easily from a day at the office, to going out for drinks and dinner.  Add to the fact that we’ve been anticipating the release of the new Coco Chanel film and Voila!  You have the inspiration for the creation of May Yeung Jewelry’s Viviana collection.

May Yeung Jewelry Viviana Collection Layered Look with Pearls

While I may have been an inspiration for May’s Viviana collection, I insist that May is an inspiration to me for her spot-on elegance, a stunning eye for detail, and a knack for making the most subtle style scream high fashion.  Truly, when I style myself and my clients alike in May Yeung Jewelry, the effect is always “Where did you get that?  I must have it.”

Gossip Girls Are Definite Bagistas

Are you a bagista – aka a Fashionista who adores handbags? If you are, then the odds are high that you have many handbags and the odds are even higher that you are storing your handbags by stuffing them into a closet and they probably aren’t even covered with a dustbag. Am I right? Fess up girls.

Okay, so here’s the thing. You just dropped a good amount of money on your handbag – Treat her with respect and maximize your investment in her by storing her appropriately and in an organized fashion so that you use her more often thereby maximizing your cost per wear (aka the number of times you use a fashion object divided by the investment and ongoing care of it). And even if you didn’t drop a bundle on your handbag, if you love it, don’t you want it to last?

So, here are 5 tips on how to store a handbag:

1. Do not shove your handbags willy-nilly into the closet. How would you like it if we shoved you in the closet? I’m just saying…

2. When not in use, stuff your bags with acid-free tissue paper or bubble wrap – It will help maintain the structure of your bag.

3. Arrange your handbags by size and/or function and then by color.

4. Use dustbags! Your girl didn’t come with one? Get ye to the closest discount bedding store and buy a bunch of 100% cotton (they are breathable and leather must breathe) pillow cases. Turn over the top, insert a string, sew shut, voila! You have a drawstring dustbag. Even I can do that and you don’t want to know about my sewing skills! Or check out these at Linea Pelle and Bed Bath and Beyond.

5. When possible, add a tag describing the bag (handbag dog tags so to speak) or a Polaroid photo to the outside of the bag or attach to the drawstring so that you can tell which bag is which; otherwise, you’ll find that you keep using the same bags over and over and forget the others and that’s no bueno.

6. I lied, there’s a bonus tip: If you own patent leather handbags do NOT store them next to one another, especially if they are different colors and unless you want your shiny red patent leather handbag to look like a bad 1980’s tie-die-inspired creation, keep your black patent leather away from it….

7. Okay so another tip – Tupperware or Sterilite type of boxes are great for organizing small clutches, wallets and such. Stack them according to size and color but make sure that the box has slits or some way for the purses to breathe – Leather must breathe.

The Lipstick Index

During economic downturns, retail sales suffer and consumers opt for less expensive lifestyles.  But the truly fashionable always have a way to cope with a downturn and we all want to be beautiful.   So, what is the easiest and most cost-effective way to look hot?  Lipstick, darling.  That’s right ladies– go out on a shopping impulse and find the perfect shade for your pout, and the existence of financial troubles would be invisible.  It’s the new way for women to cope with the recession.  (Hmm… is THAT right?)

According to Estee Lauder’s Chairman, Leonard Lauder, lipstick sales increase during hard economic times.  He termed this phenomenon as the Lipstick Index, the economic indicator of a depression.  Lauder affirms that “In stressful times, many consumers are reaching out for those small indulgences that provide momentary pleasure.”  Basically, the premise behind this concept is that when lipstick sales sprout we are suffering from financial despair and we purchase lipstick to mask the melancholy that overwhelms us; we want to plaster the underlying need to feel beautiful by applying lipstick. Let’s call it a financial/beauty pick-me-up if you will. 

To be honest, I’ve never been much of a makeup girl – That is…I don’t get the same adrenaline rush/impulse that I get when I crave a handbag!   My exception to this is my lipstick and my mascara, especially when the lipstick is a Liptini stain (which I was introduced to by the makeup goddess and celebrity makeup and hair artist Terri Apanasewicz) or a luscious Christian Dior.

The beauty of beauty products other than the obvious is that they are some of the most accessible fashion items in a recession.  A tad more affordable than indulging in a Fendi Spy Bag, wouldn’t you say?  Ah, and strategic substitution can also be a girl’s best friend in these trying economic times.  Normally use Lancôme mascara?  Maybe opt for Maybelline mascara instead.  Normally use Smashbox lipstick? Check out your lipstick options at your local RiteAid.  They are almost always aggressively priced and these days they run more sales than your local used-car dealership. Everyone has a take on the lipstick Index. 

Jessica Bennett states in her article, What Does the Lipstick Index Really Say?, “ This recession around, it’s flawless skin—not rosy lips—that has become the female pick-me-up.”  Each to their own…but I must say that a skincare routine is a much pricier investment than 1 lipstick- I’m going on record by saying that taking care of your skin is not only a fashion must, it’s also healthy…Are you wearing SPF by the way?

Glossy, glossy, glossy!

And don’t forget the sage advice of Jerry Seinfeld, “Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept God’s final word on where your lips end.”

Marc Jacobs Fall 2009

God bless the person who invented tights.  They’ve a way of adding a svelte twist to our dressing while also keeping us warm (although that’s rarely if ever needed in L.A).  But like so many other fashion wonders (take leggings and booties for instance) tights can go so wrong, so fast.

So ladies, some tips.  Firstly, do invest in high quality tights.  Cheap ones look, well, cheap.  This doesn’t mean that you need to spend $50 on tights but do take care to notice the quality of the tights and how they look on your legs.

Look for tights that have a good amount of lycra in them so that they hug and support, if you will, your legs.  Unless you’ve legs like Kate Moss, I’d suggest you steer clear of major patterns and light hues, they’ve a tendency to add weight to your legs.  That said, I’ve seen incredibly fashionable women with major curves look rock star in textured tights – Steer toward textures that are vertical versus horizontal, checkered or argyle.  Match your tights to your shoes or boots for a seamless and lengthening effect.  One of the things that I love about tights is that not only do they have a slimming visual effect (if they are the right type of tights) but the ones with control top can work wonders for slinky dresses that need the perfect silhouette or slacks without lining.

Some things to keep you from being a tights fashion disaster –  Wearing tights is not an excuse to wear “Hellloo my bootie’s name is” minis or dresses.  Yesterday I was enjoying my Pho dinner and almost fell out of my chair to watch a girl prance across Main Street, bootie flying around for the entire world to see.  Lucky for her, she had a great bootie, the bad and the ugly for her is that she looked like she’d forgotten to wear her skirt.  As my father used to say “that girl is wearing a belt for a skirt.”  Don’t be that girl. 

I’m just not feeling it with the stirrup tight thing either.  It has a little too much “hootchie” in it for it to be truly fashionable.  There are the few, the bold, the incredibly artistic and young that could carry this.  All’s the rest of ya’ll…beware this fashion trend.

Trendy Tights

Okay, so it’s almost Fall, the days are getting shorter and I’ve noticed an unusual amount of women wearing leggings and boots – Which I have so say “You’re kidding right?  It’s like 90 degrees still!”  Which brings me to my point-It may be almost Fall and you’ll have received VOGUE’s September Issue heralding the advent of Fall, but sistahs it’s seriously still summer hot!

So let me dive into a summer wardrobe discussion.  Every woman’s summer wardrobe should consist of tanks, shells, tees, shorts (these really depend on your lifestyle and age, as not everyone can really wear shorts and not get a fashion disaster ticket), skirts, rompers (again, caution on the age and occasion appropriate), and various styles of dresses including maxi dresses.  And I’m indulging in a Summer wardrobe discussion for two other reasons, I’m heading off to the uber hot heat of the beach for my honeymoon so I want to think about what to pack and with Summer coming to an end, this is the time to shop at serious discounts….Get ye shopping!

When selecting summer outfits, choose breathable and light materials.  For instance, fabrics such as cotton, jersey or silk organza give you the impression of barely being there, which in this heat, is a sensation I long for. 

Summer also calls for a declaration of color.  Trendy colors come and go every season, so when investing in summer basics spend more money on true and tried basic colors and stick to less pricey options in the trendy colors.  As with any wardrobe investment, choose items that are age, occasion and lifestyle appropriate.  Consider light and soft hues-White is a prominent color during summer seasons; it’s a particularly chic and regal color (I’m all for looking like a Princess). 

Chic White Pants

Maxi dresses, rompers, and one-pieces are another fabulous way to remain cool and comfortable. These ultra chic options can be worn day or night.  Accessorize with provocative statement pieces and you’ve an outfit that looks like it’s stepped out of the pages of Harper’s.

For a casual weekend look, tees and tanks are the easiest to pair with skirts and pants.  Now, just because it’s hot doesn’t mean I’m promoting that you look like you just rolled out of bed so when you wear tanks and tees, dress them up by layering several gold chains or silver chains (layering is so chic), throw on a cocktail ring, grab your favorite statement handbag and some leather sandals and you’ve a causal, cool yet put together outfit.   After all, we always want to seem as if our fashion perfection is effortless, just like a MOD (Model Off Duty). 

Since I can remember, it’s been a ritual before going to sleep to ask myself the question, “What am I going to wear?” And if I didn’t plan it out the night before then it was the same question in the morning, which brings me to not only what we wear but “who” we wear.  By “who” I mean the designer of course.   For instance, let’s take the red carpet.  Envision a plush red carpet ignited with paparazzi flashes and celebrities sauntering down with an air of exalted confidence only to be asked the brilliant and buzzing question, “Who are you wearing?”  We are now not only wearing animals, but people. Well, the names of people but people nonetheless or more accurately, their brand.  It’s all about who you wear these days, so much so that the basic rules of dressing seem to have been left behind.

Do we care more about what we are wearing or who we are wearing? If you subscribe to the latter, and you’re a “Labelista”, think outside the box when dressing and accessorizing.   The “leave some things to the imagination” motto of our mothers’ day holds true.  When it comes to designer clothing and accessories you don’t need to be so obvious and flashy.  Unless you are getting paid to wear these labels, there is no use in being a walking advertisement.  So how do you keep your designer labels and leave things to the imagination? If you’re shelling out cash for some designer shoes, skip Gucci’s monogram pumps and peep the red sole of some Christian Louboutins. These baby’s are gorgeous, classic pumps and unmistakably designer.  The red sole says it all without saying anything.

Another option, mix high- and low-end designers-This fall, ditch the Burberry trench for an H&M coat. Pair it with Louboutin pumps complete with a-not-so-obvious designer bag like the Marc Jacobs “Stam” and Voila! You stay loyal to your designers without yelling “LABELS!”

Most of us don’t walk the red carpet and Melissa Rivers isn’t asking us who you’re wearing. Like mama said “Leave things to the imagination”.

Poor flip flops.  They have gotten such a bad reputation.  But certainly a well-deserved one when you consider what you see people wear out on the streets.  Icky, dirty flip flops that look like Lassie has chewed on for fun.  Or flip flops that look like they’ve been on a trek in the Himalayas.  It’s no wonder that the average Fashionista turns her nose up at the flip flop. 

Well thank God for us Fashionistas, designers such as Tory Burch, Cole Haan and Stuart Weitzman have come to our rescue (but not necessarily to the rescue of our pocketbooks, these babies ain’t cheap). 

Stuart Weitzman Bloom Jelly Thong

Tory Burch Flip Flop

Cole Haan Lindsey Thong

Though flip flops aren’t appropriate for many occasions, when they are, then you may as well look hot wearing them.  Plus, if they’ve sufficient padding, they are much more comfortable than leather thongs (aka flip flops, not the underwear my dear).

While doing some personal shopping and styling with a client this past week I decided to test drive as many flip flops as possible.  The above are just a few of  my favorites for the Summer.  

Other adorable options that are so channeling the 80’s are jellies.  Yep.  They are back and they are hot.  I loved them as a kid and I love them now.  Tory Burch has especially cute jellies that are great for looking chic when those Summer rainstorms come along.  Which is so not likely to happen in city of drought – aka Los Angeles.  Which means I need to skip an L.A.  ”staycation” and head out to Miami Beach.

Tory Burch Jelly Reva Flat

Okay.  I admit that I’m one of those fashion-obsessed women who just doesn’t mind wearing high heels.  Not only do I not mind, I revel in wearing heels and I strive to not show the occasional searing pain that they can cause.  Which is highly amusing to my fiancée who just shakes his head (while thanking God he doesn’t ‘t have to wear heels).

Along with handbags, I’m just in love with heels.  I mean what a great way to add zing to an outfit.  Sleek, sophisticated black suit and then WHAM add some hot shoes and you’ve taken your outfit from the office to out on the town!  Well, to my intense satisfaction the shoe that is surprisingly comfortable is back and it’s back in a good way not in a bad way.

Kelsi Dagger Joanna Platform

It is my belief that the most comfortable heel is the platform heel.  Porque, you ask (high school Spanish coming back to you)?  Well, because you’ve a good 1/2 to 1 inch between the concrete and the oh-so-sensitive balls of your feet.  Call it impromptu shock absorbers, but they look good!  Oh, and for those of you petite chicas, it also adds a good amount of height.

So this last week, I had a crazy-long week of events where I had to gallivant in high heels from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.  And I am so thanking my lucky stars that I found these awesome Kenneth Cole platforms (pictured below but mine are in a lovely sunflower yellow with caramel accents).  With the exception of one night where I had to slip on a slinky stiletto, my platforms kept me going all week with minimal pain.  And you know me…I go!  I mean I’m walking a few blocks in my heels, running up and down stairs, etc.  My current favorites include Kelsi Dagger, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Michael Kors and Aldo.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Chip Mall Platform

Mind you, platforms are not for every occasion, but with the current trends they do seem to work for most occasions.  So if you want to indulge in high heels, this personal stylist (aka me) recommends that you give platforms a shot.

Oh and another tip for wearing heels – Look for booties, mary jane styles or anything that straps around your ankle.  The less your foot has to work at keeping the shoe on, the more comfortable it will be.