Back at it with a fall/winter wish list!

By Natalie Naccarato

Hi all! We took a bit of a fashionable hiatus and we've missed you! We are happy to announce that we're back at it!

Earlier today I took my dog out and was stunned by the cool morning air...I had to remind myself that it's only August! Luckily it warmed up and I was able to get away with wearing a dress today, but it was a reminder that the cool fall weather is just around the corner. Which got me thinking about making my fall shopping list! After perusing a variety of September magazine issues (side note: there really may be nothing better than sitting on a patio enjoying a sunny day and cup of tea while flipping through magazines) I came up with a decent starting point for my fall/winter fashion wish list:

1. Wide leg trousers - ever since I spotted a beautiful woman crossing the street in Barcelona six years ago in the most perfect wide leg pants I have dreamed of finding an equally stunning pair. I feel like this fall is the time, with the dress being put on the back burner pants are being heralded as THE item to invest in this season. Chloe showed some great pairs on the Fall/Winter 2010 runway.

2. Button down shirts - I'm thinking loose and Parisienne inspired. Similar to the ones that Pheobe Philo sent down the runway at Celine. Sigh, a girl can dream. Nothing says simple elegance like a great shirt and pants.

3. Casual loafers - some great styles have been popping up all over and luckily they don't bring about horrid flash backs of your parents loafers. These shoes are being re-envisioned as chic, easy additions to casual day outfits. Here is a shoe by Prada on the left and one by Gucci on the right:

4. Two new pairs of boots - I think I'll be in the market for a great simple flat boot and a lace up boot with a heel. EVERYONE needs a great flat riding style boot - classic, classic, classic!! The lace up boots would be trendy investment for the season. Style on the left is by Burberry and the style on the right is by Gucci:

5. Cashmere cardigan in oatmeal colour - LOVE! I want the length to be a happy medium between cropped and long - if I can find one that hits me at around mid-bum I'll be satisfied...and oh so cozy! This one from Marc by Marc Jacobs would be perfect in the oatmeal colour I want and all cashmere (this one is only 5%):

6. Chunky knit sweaters - these are mandatory in Canada. I will take stock of what I have in my closest from previous years and fill in any holes with a couple of new ones. D&G sent some beauties down their Fall/Winter 2010 runway:

7. Cape - I love capes, for me they don't go out of style. The only unfortunate thing about them is that I can't wear them all winter seeing as the temperature drops far below cape appropriate by the time mid-November rolls around. Nonetheless I want one in plaid this year! Here is one from the Rag and Bone show. Drool.

8. Jeans - I know everyone is trying to end the reign of the skinny jean, but darn I love me a skinny jean! I think I'll be adding one more into my jean rotation this fall...and maybe one more boot cut. Both in a medium to dark wash for more versatility.

9. Socks and tights - Fall is the time to stock up on great knee highs and thick opaque tights. I'm thinking of buying dark blue tights this year to wear under dresses just to add a little something special to an otherwise simple outfit. Here are some great chunky socks from Prada, perfect for our cold Canadian winters!

10. A holiday dress - I'll begin my search for the right holiday party dress in November. I happen to know that LUXaholic will be carrying some beauty's this season - can't wait!! Here is a great one by Alice + Olivia:

11. Winter jackets - ohhh, my weakness. I love too many different styles of winter coats, especially the ones I've been seeing for this season. I think I should buy a couple new ones this year. Burberry sent to-die-for shearling lined aviator jackets down the runway.

What's on your fall/winter shopping wish lists?

Photo Sources: shopbop.com, style.com, saksfifthavenue.com

Tips & Tricks From the Pro's

by Natalie Naccarato

I am truly in love with buying fashion books, whether they are coffee table books or fiction novels, or style advice books I love them all. Today we are borrowing tips and tricks on dressing your body type from two favourite style books off my bookshelf: Style Clinic by Paula Reed and WhoWhatWear by Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power.

Body Type: Full-Figured

Tips From Style Clinic

1. A narrow tunic-style top worn over slim pants will create an illusion of overall slimness and draw the eye away from your tummy. (No smocks, please!)

2. Asymmetry, particularly draping, is a great way to smooth out unwanted curves. A bias-cut dress in a substantial fabric, such as a good jersey, is a good tummy tamer. All soft A-lines are good tummy flatterers.

Tips From WhoWhatWear

1. V-neck sweaters: Outerwear with a v-neck or a scoop will slim while it shows off what you've got on top

2. Pencil Skirts: A slim skirt (either high-waisted or standard rise) with a tucked-in blouse is perennially feminine and modern - without showing too much skin.

Body Type: Pear-Shaped

Tips From Style Clinic

1. Never try to make a straight line out of ample curves. Voluminous clothes that drop from the shoulder will not camouflage extra pounds; they'll make you look shapeless and bigger than you are. Try to go in and out a bit: thinner at the waist and narrower at the knee.

2. An off-shoulder neckline, or seaming across the upper back of a dress or shirt that reaches from shoulder to shoulder, will minimize the waist by widening the shoulders.

Tips From WhoWhatWear

1. Straight-Leg Jeans: While you can wear skinny jeans with longer, layered tops, it's best to stick with non-tapered, straight-leg jeans. Look for a hem that's at least 14" around.

2. Vests: Throw a menswear-inspired vest over a tighter top to balance your curves and highlight your waist.

Body Type: Petite

Tips From Style Clinic

1. Petite women should avoid wearing clothes at their natural waistline. Drop-waist trousers, skirts, and dresses look sharper. If you lower the waistline even by an inch, the torso will look longer and narrower.

2. A very short woman in very high heels looks ridiculous. A medium-height heel is best.

Tips from WhoWhatWear

1. Wide-leg Trousers or Jeans: Properly tailored pants like this will lengthen your legs.

2. Skinny Belts: Go for 2" wide or less, instead of one that takes up most of your middle - and makes you look shorter.

Body Type: Boyish Figure/Athletic

Tips From Style Clinic

1. For women with no curves who want some va va voom, the waist is a pivotal point. A top with volume tucked into a figure-skimming skirt will create sexy curves where none exist. What you lose in height with volume can be countered with a wide belt on the waist.

2. Pleated trousers will give you curves if you have no hips, but to be able to carry them off you must be tall (at least 5'7") and have a flat tummy. If you don't, flat-front trousers are best, every time.

Tips from WhoWhatWear

1. Cropped Jackets: These jackets, especially double-breasted styles, look great on broad shoulders and a smaller chest. They create shape and show off your sleek torso.

2. Racerback Tops and Dresses: Where most women are less-than-toned (cough: flabby), you are fit and muscular. You should show this off, so why not try a racerback cut? Everyone will envy you.

Style Comparison: Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton and Stephanie Pratt

By Natalie Naccarato

A couple of dresses on people.com’s style section this week caught our eye because of their similarity to LUXaholic dresses. First up Angelina Jolie is wearing a strapless sweetheart neckline white dress that brought to mind the Some Like It Hot dress on LUXaholic.ca.

Paris Hilton and Stephanie Pratt were caught in stripes wearing the same dress! Well...don’t you get caught in the same dress as well! Instead, be inspired by them and try out the Stripes On Me dress from LUXaholic for a similar look:

Style Inspiration

By Natalie Naccarato

A favourite pastime of ours is to endlessly surf the web collecting style inspiration from the countless images we come across. Here are our current fav's floating around the interweb...maybe they'll bring you some inspiration as well!

The always stunning Kelly Framel from theglamourai.com

Street style at its best captured by Tommy Ton of jakandjil.com

More street style, this time from Scott Schuman of thesartorialist.com

Above Jane Aldridge gives us some early pointers for glamorous fall dressing

Kate Bosworth looking casual chic with a lovely leopard print cross body bag

Krystal Simpson of whatisrealityanyway.blogspot.com

Thrifting master of secondskinstyle.com

A snap captured at the Siren Music Festival by style.com

Jessica Schroeder of whatiwore.tumblr.com does a retro Mad Men inspired photo shoot

Kate Winslet proving that a LBD is always in style

Crop tops get whimsical on jakandjil.com

Getting us excited for fall is this image from the new J.Crew lookbook

Gwen Stefani shows us easy street attire to look fab while running errands

Ending it off with a gorgeous shot from jakandjil.com

Step Into The Future

By Natalie Naccarato

We love to watch the gradual shift of fashion styles. What is incredibly popular one year may be completely hideous another year. We could go into the psychology of it all, but really what it comes down to is that fashion is about change and convincing us all that we need change.

For some reason the heat wave we are experiencing in southern Ontario has us thinking about the upcoming fall season when the cooler temperatures demand creative layering. And of course, what outfit is complete without the perfect shoe? The gorgeous shoes that were sent down the Fall/Winter 2010 runways have us craving change! None of the below styles is affordable for us by any stretch of the imagination, but we're highlighting four wonderful designer shoes that are giving us a peek into what footwear will look like over the next little while. These particular design houses: Balenciaga, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, and Marni are known for pushing the fashion envelope and the dreamy, futuristic shoes they sent down the runway for Fall/Winter 2010 are no exception. These labels are always well ahead of the curve and present a good indication of where fashion styles are headed. As evidenced below the shoe trends to watch out for as the weather cools down are texture, colour blocking, and sturdy heels. Also - it appears the shoe boot is going no where fast - which is great news to us!

Top: Balenciaga; Second; Proenza Schouler; Third: Rodarte; Fourth: Marni

All photos from www.style.com

Twitter Me This

By Natalie Naccarato

Twitter has become such an unexpected successful social media platform. Yes, it can be completely silly, but one of our favourite time killing activites is to see what all of the celebrities and fashion media are tweeting about.
So, without further ado, we introduce The Best Tweets of the Week:

Karl Lagerfeld: "I only go to places if I have a professional reason. I'm not a tourist."

Lindsay Lohan: "Joan Rivers and her "stargument" make me believe that she and Michael Lohan are a match made in heaven..all he needs is her botox doctor. "Dr." Drew- any ideas? Botox rehab reality show?"

Kathy Griffin: "Oh y did I trust my heart 2 a 19 yr old ice-fisherman/babydaddy from Wasila?Like Britney I'm putting myself on a 5150 psych hold BUY MY BOOK"

Nicole Richie: "630am in Europe = a perfect time to prank call @joelmadden. #maturityisoverrated"

Lauren Conrad: "Shhhh don't tell @lobosworth but www.thelodown.com is my new favorite site. I'm cyber-stalking my bestie."

Lo Bosworth: "as promised, The Ending Explained...http://bit.ly/9doK2G"

Russell Brand: "Helen Mirren has been successfully corrupted. She is also now pregnant. http://twitpic.com/24syij"

Bryanboy: "The Scene at Chanel Haute Couture Fall Winter 2010-2011 http://bit.ly/bVLott"

The Cut Blog: "Updates from Lourdes's blog: She planz to doooo sum Sartorialist-ing type stuff YALLZZZ http://nym.ag/bf5tIk"

Lady Gaga: "My little monster sweeties are already camped outside today show! I love u! Will be sending u pizza and water all day! And a suprise 2moro!X"

And don't forget to follow LUXaholic on twitter @TheLuxaholic!

The Hills Are Alive With...Style One Last Time

By Natalie Naccarato

So last night millions bid farewell to a show that really did play a role in changing MTV content. Before shows like The Hills and Laguna Beach were around MTV actually played music, although it's hard to recall those days.

Enough about that, lets get to what we really care about: the fashion! The finale Aftershow was held at the Roosevelt Hotel in LA where the cast members chatted one last time with Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy of MTV Canada.

The women on the show all have amazing figures that they love to show off in HOT body-con mini dresses. Except Whitney Port, who dared to be a little different than the other ladies and donned a breezy floral bubble dress with gladiator style heels ( I guess she didn't get the memo from Madonna's daughter Lourdes that gladiators are OUT)!

Our personal fav from last night was Audrina Patridge. We love the cut-out magenta hued Boulee mini she wore. It suits her tiny frame perfectly and the colour popped against her tan skin.

Last, but not least, the two frenemies: Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad, who made an appearance to say goodbye to the show that helped launch her career beyond reality television. Both ladies looked svelte and on-trend in shades of gold with hints of sparkle. Kristin chose a Zuhair Murad mini while Lauren opted for a Mandalay dress and showed some love for Canada in her Aldo pumps.

Well, we'll miss the always interesting fashion choices from The Hills, but we can't say we'll miss the fake drama all that much! Oh and thank goodness Speidi (Spencer and Heidi) were no shows!

Photo Credits: Top photo of MTV Aftershow from www.NYmag.com; all other photos from www.people.com