Luster » fashion

Color Theory: Grasshopper

Luster — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:38:26 +0000

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

It’s been so refreshing to see bright colors in Fall fashion’s palette this year unlike the typical earth tones to which we have become accustomed. The hot pink and orange color blocking that was all the rage this summer has turned cooler for Fall, and ladies on the street are turning to acid yellow and emeralds, which are always a good idea.

p.s. The lovely Jacquelyn over at Lark + Linen asked me to participate in her Bits + Pieces series today. So hop on over to Lark + Linen to check it out. Thanks so much for having me, Jacquelyn!

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Metallic Color Blocking ::: Jill Stuart F11

Luster — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 05:00:38 +0000

Color blocking has been a trend the last couple of seasons, but I love Jill Stuart’s new take on it in her gorgeous fall collection where she color blocks with metallic sections in all the right places. There’s a bit of an Art Deco architectural feel to it. My favorites in particular are the dresses. Not only are they so glam, but the flowy skirts look like they would be comfortable to wear. The makeup and hair styling with the sleek middle part and touch of coral lipstick is the perfect compliment, too.

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Images via Jill Stuart fall collection

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Style Envy ::: The Graduate

Luster — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:34:36 +0000

The Graduate has been imitated and written about endlessly since it’s debut over forty years ago. Most are captivated by the familiar feelings associated with youth’s confusion and rebellion against the establishment. Many also love the character of Mrs. Robinson with her eternal sex appeal, the comedic script, Simon and Garfunkel’s haunting soundtrack, and of course the costumes and set decoration.

Early in the film we are introduced to Mrs. Robinson’s house when Benjamin drives her home, and she orchestrates the famous seduction scene. You cannot help but notice she is dressed in a tiger print dress and luring Benjamin into her bungalow style sun porch that is more like a glamourous jungle cat lair.

The animal prints she wears throughout the film, and the sun porch decor in particular were inspired by Henry James’ novella The Beast in the Jungle. Director Mike Nichols’ vision was based on the idea that Dustin Hoffman’s character, Benjamin Braddock, was being stalked. Nichols says: “We talked about it being a jungle, and it was a jungle. There were all these plants and the Beverly Hills garden behind the glass that surrounded the sun porch. And we talked about her being the tiger in the jungle and she had a tiger-striped dress on and it was all built to be a trap, a tender trap. We wanted to find a way to express the fact that she was being provocative.”

The fact that it’s summer has me thinking about drinking cocktails surrounded by palm trees, and if I had a sun porch to decorate, Mrs. Robinson’s style would be a good place to start. It’s no secret that this well-established look has been inspiring designers since it lit up the big screen, and became the second wave of Hollywood Regency style. I have always loved that crisp black and white striped awning against the black tufted leather, white barstools, the accessories (notice the bar details while watching the clip) and the sleek chrome and gold finishes.

Images: Benjamin in front of fish tank | Benjamin unbuttoning Mrs. Robinson’s dress | Katherine Ross | All others via IMDB

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::: Trunk Show at Share With :::

Luster — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 06:08:48 +0000

Share With is one of my favorite shops to stop into when I am in Montauk. It’s a beautifully curated shop owned by former Calypso designer Joelle Klein, with carefully selected clothing, jewelry, artwork, sandals, and skin care that is beachy, eco minded, and always reminds me of the Brittany coast with their collection of Le Minor sailor tees.

Lucky for me there was a trunk show happening on the day I walked in featuring two great companies: Two NY and Tata Harper.

I always love a good caftan, so it was fun to discover Two NY founded by friends Monica & Piola who wanted to combine their talents to create a line of beautiful and functional clothing for mother & child. Using colorful cotton saree fabrics sourced from India and hand made in Brooklyn, their gorgeous line of caftans, tunics, dresses for women is the perfect frock to quickly throw on as a busy mom who still wants to look chic. The color combinations and details in the fabric were dazzling, and I could see how it would be easy to get used to this no-fuss way of dressing for mothers and non-mothers alike.

I am always on the lookout for the latest in natural and non-toxic products, especially when it comes to beauty and skin care. Tata Harper’s all natural skin care line has been on my radar since last fall, and have been wanting to try it, but have been holding back after having a bad experience with one particular natural skin care lines that created breakouts. Tata’s line took 5 years to develop and is made on her farm in Vermont.

Keri from Tata Harper was offering facials during the trunk show, so I jumped at the chance to finally try the line. Well, all I can say is that it blew me away, and I finally got what the hype is all about. Throughout the 8 step process, my skin felt so clean, hydrated, and nourished. Your skin just soaks in the product, and is left dewy and glowing, and you don’t need to apply a lot to see the difference. It’s really impressive that she also manages to keep her all-star anti-aging product, the Rejuvenating Serum, completely natural. I bought the deluxe beauty set to continue trying it before committing to any of the full size bottles, but I have a feeling I am going to want to invest in them permanently! Fig+Sage did a good interview with Tata and reviewed each product in the line if you want to read more here.

Images via Two NY and Beauty Blogging Junkie

Style Envy ::: The Thomas Crown Affair

Luster — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:10:07 +0000

Flipping through the channels the other night, I got a glimpse of the famous white pants and camel turtleneck outfit worn by Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Directed by Norman Jewison and starring Dunaway and Steve McQueen, this 60′s bank heist movie is filmed around Boston and the Massachusetts coastline with costumes designed by Theadora Van Runkle. While the 1999 remake is more watchable in terms of the acting/script/plot, it certainly cannot compete with the original in terms of iconic style. White pants never looked so good.

Images via IMDB and connect.in

::: April Showers :::

Luster — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 06:14:18 +0000

Umbrella | Trench coat | Raindrop teatowels

It has been so cold and rainy in New York these past few days – definitely not the ideal Spring with the days becoming gradually warmer. But as the saying goes… here’s hoping for sunshine and blooms soon.

Dress | Flower vases | Table

::: Metallics to Love :::

Luster — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 06:00:46 +0000

1. Mini mesh supernova necklace {Just got this and love it}

2. Shimmer dust tee in Silver Linen

3. Customized gold ponytail holders at Dries Van Noten Fall 2011 via Style.com and Quintessence { I am obsessed & wish I could buy some of these}

4. Gatsby Ring

5. Gold collection coasters by Kamal

6. Barneby Gates Star Wallpaper

More Metallics to Love

::: Impossibly Cool icons ::: part two

Luster — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:00:12 +0000

One of my all-time favorites, and most popular features to date has been the roundup of Impossibly Cool icons after finding Sean Sullivan’s collection on The Impossible Cool. After all the lovely comments and interest, I have been collecting more of these beloved icons from around the web. Which ones are your favorites?

Marvin Gaye | Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor | Nick Drake | Natalie Wood

Greta Garbo | Vivien Leigh | Clark Gable | Catherine Deneuve

Francoise Hardy | Robert Redford & Paul Newman | Jack Nicholson | Tina Turner

Bogie and Bacall | Ginger Rogers | Katharine Hepburn | Erroll Flynn

Ursula Andress | Jackie Kennedy Onassis | Meryl Streep | Aretha Franklin

Billie Holiday | Myrna Loy | Miles Davis | Coco Chanel

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:::: Lilac Monday ::::

Luster — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:25:17 +0000

Let’s face it, the highlight of the Oscars for most of us is watching glamourous dresses parade down the Red Carpet. Sadly though, I must admit this year there were very few dresses I really loved. So many of the dresses looked “already done” or just not special. Where was the WOW factor? Am I crazy? Do you agree or not? That said, I really enjoyed the lilac color Elie Saab worn by Mila Kunis in particular, and Cate Blanchett’s Givenchy. It filled me with Spring fever, so I had to hunt down some other lilac lovelies.

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Mila Images via Fab Sugar & Getty. Cate images via Pop Sugar: Getty & Wire Image

::: All tied up in a bun :::

Luster — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 07:52:08 +0000

The bun is all the rage these days. Whether it’s a ballet bun, french bun or a top knot, it’s such a chic way to get all those messy tresses away from your face.

Wilfred lookbook | Haley Boyd & Whitney Pozgay in Matchbook Magazine | Chloe Spring 2011 | Ban.do top knot | The perfect Parisienne bun

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