Fashion Me Fabulous

Last fall, our contributor, Vicki, saw this moss green shirt dress, which caught her eye while browsing the Gap's website. However, she was disheartened when she saw that it was "drop shoulder." Here's what she had to say about the thrend: Drop shoulder" is a thing now? Last I checked, if something had a drop shoulder, it's because it didn't fit properly. Shoulders are supposed to go on... your shoulder. At least, that's the information I've been working with. I, in fact, have gone to some obnoxious lengths to make sure that the shoulders of my garments are at my actual, physical shoulder. And now we're just going and dropping them and calling it fashion? Did I miss a memo? At least it's better than drop-crotch pants. I think. Maybe. What about you? Does this make you go a little cross-eyed in frustration? Or do you think droopy shoulders are chic? If so, for the love of fashion, please explain why. I feel a bit differently. Had I seen...

The little black dress is a closet workhorse for every woman...but me. I have complete black blackout when shopping. Why would I look at black when there's are things that are chartreuse or teal or emerald to look at? But I need a black dress for all the obvious reasons. Despite the fact that my hips love an a-line and only an a-line, I really want a sheath dress. My dream dress for years has been Black Halo's "Jackie" dress. So classic. Unfortunately, it's $345, although you can get them for less on ebay. But then it's also available in three different jewel tones that I prefer. Black blackout again. I did find three equally classic but much cheaper options. First, there is this knotted Calvin Klein sheath . It may be the shortest of the four dresses, but it's oddly the most office friendly. I also prefer the blue version. It is $128 on Amazon. ASOS is selling Vesper's structured shoulder dress for just over $100. Love these shoulders! Not only...

Shop: Shovava Why We Love It: The shop actually offers a variety of items, but the amazing hand painted scarves just keep bringing me back. Most of them just look like butterfly or feather prints, but spread out or draped around shoulders they actually look like wings. I want to soar away in one of these. (The purple feather one is calling my credit card and I'm trying not to give in...) Price Range: Scarves $34 - $56, Other $6 to $168 Links: Website Favorite Items: Click through slideshow below to see favorites View this collection on Polyvore Etsy Shop of the Week: Shovava by fashionbeccafabulous on polyvore.com Pictured: Butterfly color scarf $56 ; Wings black and white scarf $48 ; Tiger leaf scarf $48 ; Flowing roses scarf $34 ; Butterfly indigo scarf $48 ; Wings on black scarf $56 (also pictured above)

Who: David Koma What it made us think of: A reimagining of the Fonz and records What we liked: circles, draping, structure, motorcycle jackets What we didn't: Some of the clothes and belts fit weird because the models were unusually thin. Not good. Also, cloppy platforms. Who: Peter Pilotto What it made us think of: An Olympic parade just for flag bearers What we liked: stunning embroidery, intricate and colorful knits, a skirted puffer coat , comically large stitching, What we didn't: Too boxy at times. Who: Jonathan Saunders What it made us think of: A year in the flower army What we liked: leather flowers, leather, velvet shoes, full skirts, boobs, corset belts, fall colors, shoes What we didn't: boxy jackets, boob holsters, not fall colors (they felt clashy) Image source: style.com  

Who: Julien Macdonald What it made us think of: Arts and crafts with glitter obsessed college cheerleaders What we liked: spiffy metallic oxfords, the idea of being a disco ball What we didn't: sheer, haphazard hairy fringe, sweaty post-sex romp hair Who: Louise Gray What it made us think of: This what happens moms drink and craft. What we liked: When removed from all the whoa , some of these pieces are distinct, fun, and lovely without being overwhelming. Loved the tissue paper head gear. What we didn't: the boots, tin foil fabric, clashing, random objects attached to shirts Who: Sister by Sibling What it made us think of: A gang of rebellious French poodles What we liked: texture (huge so far for fall),exaggerated pom pom berets, giant kinky hair, whimsy What we didn't:  When separated from the runway look, some of these knits will look mumsy. Image source: style.com  

I recently read a post on a blog called Hollow Tree Ventures (I'm not sure how I got there. That's the joy of the internet) in which the blogger details her ten dumbest purchases. It instantly brought to mind my own buying failures. I'm sure I can exceed ten if I went into specifics, but I'd rather not embarrass myself that much. 10. Anything that just barely fit but I figured I could lose weight for Seriously, this is a terrible idea. Unless you currently employ a personal trainer and are regularly losing, don't do it. Even if you are losing, you don't know how your shape might shift as you do so. Really, a terrible idea. 9. Anything I intend to "fix" once I learn to use (read: turn on) my sewing machine Yeah. 8. Really cute, cheap shoes that kill my feet I learned my lesson. What's the point of shoes I can't wear unless I want to be in pain? 7. Pricey, poorly made costume jewelry I love costume jewelry, but I'm not shelling...

The women who attended the Academy Awards this past Sunday looked nice to fabulous. The worst I would say is that maybe something was off with a couple people -- the color or the hair or what have you. Even so, I'm a little tired of websites, magazines and TV shows setting a fixed amount of worst dresseds and then shoving women in there. Oh no! Only three women were a mess or adventurous! Quick, find me two more! Catherine Zeta-Jones was too gold? Really? I'm fairly certain there were slubbier men you could have featured. Below are the red carpet looks we found the most interesting. Hold on to your hats, because there's a shocking amount of black and navy. View this collection on Polyvore 2013 Academy Awards Favorites by fashionmefabulous on polyvore.com Who wore your favorite look of the night?

Who: Giles What it made us think of: Angels descend to earth to see what college is like. They find themselves liking alt rock and goth design. What we liked: gold, textured floral motifs, dramatic long skirts, spike details on the turtlenecks, gigantic sleeves, woven leather, romantic wavy hair What we didn't: big knit hats, this print , nude shoes, looks-like-death makeup (it looked okay on darker skin tones, but terrible on any pale girls) Who: Marios Schwab What it made us think of: matadors and Renaissance warrior angels What we liked: capes, scroll details, lace embellished rain coats, texture, evening gowns What we didn't: The shoes were hideous, and several of the gowns did that tired embellished sheer thing.   Image source: style.com  

Drugstore Princess knows the best beauty products for the lowest prices. Let's talk trends in body image, more specifically, trends for body builders . (Smithsonian) For anyone who loved Grumpy Cat in a dress... ( Mouse Breath ) Relive the 90s -- both 18' and 19' -- with a retrospective of chokers . (Buzzf Feed) This is the best case for leggings-are-not-pants that I have ever seen. (Awesomely Luvvie) Beauty is subjective, and unibrows are popular in Tajikistan . (Global Post) The Cut was kind enough to provide actual color palettes from New York's Fall/Winter shows. Such givers.

Anna Sui tripped back to the 60s with mod shapes, bright patterns and playful accessories. In fact, I want nearly all the shoes, tights and socks that came down the runway.      Jason Wu presented a tailored study of texture with a vast variety of fabrics from sheer prints to lace to leather to fur.     Prabal Gurung presented his spring line for Target about the same time he gave us his fall collection, which is much harder with a lot more edge. However, he didn't neglect his softer side with pretty prints and red carpet treats.  Image source: Style.com

The teams have been switched up. Heidi appeared on the runway with the dreaded button bag and announced teams of two. This is actually a kind of welcome change because we got to see more of the designers individual style. In fact, this was the least dramatic and most cooperative set of duo challenges I've ever seen. The designers had to create two looks for Miranda Lambert--a performance look and a red carpet look. I liked the idea of the challenge itself, and I think we got a lot of pretty good results. The Safe Designers Click through the slideshow below to read our thoughts of the safe looks. View this collection on Polyvore Project Runway Season 11 Episode 5: Safe Designers by fashionbeccafabulous on polyvore.com The Top Designers After being thrown under the bus by her team last week, Amanda teamed up with Benjamin to landing a top spot for their team. Her jersey fringe dress had great movement. It was as fun, easy to wear performance look. I actually would h...

Who: Thom Browne What it made us think of: Helena Bonham Carter as a cross between the Queen of Hearts and Snow White's step-mother. What we liked: giant shoulders, big hair, cupid's bow mouths, layers of lace, rose tights, structured hips, patterned booties, corsetry, menswear influence, grey (really!) Who: Ralph Lauren What it made us think of: Russian dock workers circa 1890 in love with high society girls. What we liked: high collars, neck bows, velvet, a-lines, flowing pants, flare legs, black & white, chunky sweaters, hats, detailed jackets Image source: style.com  

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned modesty to some people. They laughed and told me modesty doesn't exist. I believe it is very much alive in our culture, CBS's leaked memo pleading with Grammy nominees to not wear "problematic" clothing being just one example. Modesty exists, but the lines are more blurred and the rules are more personal. On Wednesday, I spoke to the girls in my church's youth group about modesty and beauty. We actually had a really great time talking about everything from how your body and clothes relate and fight, how to sit in a miniskirt, and why you shouldn't date a boy who constantly compares you to other girls. This was a big win for me for two reasons. First, teenagers were actually interested in my talking adult face. Not really. They were curious about things like how to keep your bra straps from constantly falling off, ways to wear a strapless dress without being a cleavage display, and how to respond when someone makes fun of your ...

Earlier this week, Jael posted a super cute jacket for our pick of the week. This reminded me of my jacket shopping frenzy at Target last week. This fall when I headed to nearly every store to find a nice jacket for a job interview--nothing. But this spring there seems to be an endless supply--and many of my favorites are at Target. Sadly, my better financial judgement forced me to trim the jacket haul down to two, but I could have easily bought most of these in every color. (I did buy the black version of the teal one in the center. The peplum zips off to make a cropped jacket. I may need to get the teal one too. It's two jackets for the price of one!) Target Jacket Frenzy by fashionbeccafabulous featuring a printed blazer Pictured: Peplum Zip-Front Jacket, $24.99 Double Breasted Grey Jacket, $39.99 Prabal Gurung Floral Jacket, $49.99 Tailored Peplum Jacket, $44.99 Teal Zip-Apart Jacket, $29.99 Ruffled Peplum Jacket, $34.99 Grey Boyfriend Jacket, $34.99 Red Pon...

Last week , I featured a swirly, glittery rainbow of a shoe, Steve Madden's "Conncord" .  It's a lot of shoe, but I can imagine them with a floaty white dress or skinny black trousers and a hot pink blouse. The patchwork striped version, however, may be hopeless. The colors and print clash. It has at least six textures. My eyes don't know where to look. Do you know how you would style this shoe, or is it beyond fashion redemption?

Marc by Marc Jacobs took trip in time back to the forties by way of the seventies. His girl had a classic vibe that was all glammed up. She was sleek yet playful.    Marc Jacobs wasn't quite as playful with his namesake line. The jackets and skirts were straightforward and nice enough. The pajama motif in a work wear collection was interesting. The metallic fabrics and sequins were a bold and fun effect. The hot pants/pantslessness could have been done without. Image Source: Style.com

Who: Zac Posen   What it made us think of: The One Percenters of the Great Depression   What we liked: rich dark colors, mary janes, lush textures, 1930s feel, the unexpected bursts of orange and yellow Who: Carolina Herrera What it made us think of: The aforementioned rich depressionists plus Princess Leia What we liked: statement belts, lush texture, puff shoulders, high necklines, Image source: style.com  

When I saw Badgley Mischka 's collection, I couldn't help think of Hitchcock's femme fetales, which was actually the inspiration for the show. The lux fabrics, well-tailored clothes and bold red lips made a stunning showing for fall. J. Mendel has usually been about pretty evening wear for me, but this fall he is giving his brand of luxury a lot of edge. The entire line is opulant with lush materials and intricate details, but he's mixed in moto jackets and leather for the most expensive looking biker on the block. Erin Fetherson seemed to imagine a girl who was trapt in a magical fairytale forest. The show may be for fall, but it seems to cycle through the seasons. Image Source: Style.com

Shop: The Drifter Leather Why We Love It: A simple leather boot or shoe or even coin purse often makes more of a statement than any over the top piece. In fact, it can be hard to find just the perfect basic leather shoe sometimes. It seems I'm lost in a sea of embellishment, super high heals and trendy add ons. The Drifter Leather has those simple shoes and boots (as well as a selection of pouches and coin purses). Price Range: Shoes run $90 - $175;  Accessories are $7 - $60 Links: Blog Favorite Items: Click through the slide show below to see our favorites. View this collection on Polyvore Etsy Shop of the Week: The Drifter Leather by fashionbeccafabulous on polyvore.com Pictured: Lace-up ankle boots $125 ; Grey ballet flats $100 ; Croc textured oxfords $120 ; Rose flats $100 ; Bow flats $100 ; Custom fit leather boots $150 (also pictured above, WANT!)

This is the time of year I stock up on tights. They're not only on sale, they are on super sale. I often nab $13 pairs for as little as a $1.50. The stores for the best deals in my area are Macy's, Carson's, Kohl's, Target and T.J. Maxx/Marshalls. Macy's, Carson's and T.J. Maxx/Marshalls have the best deals on Hue brand tights, which is probably my favorite brand. T.J.'s and Marshalls will also have some killer designer deals. At Kohl's I stick to Simply Vera and Apt. 9 because I've had the best experience with those. Target tights are delicate so I usually only buy them on clearance in case I only get a few wears out of them. The best deals are in stores, but you can also find a few deals online. Most of these come in several colors in addition to the one posted here. Pictured: (right to left, top to bottom) Muted Yellow Tights, Macy's, $7.99 from $16 ZigZag Tights, Target, $5.95 from $7 Apple Red Tights, Macy's, $5.99 from $13.50 L...

It's a little bit Barbie, a little bit serious business. A blazer is considered a professional must, and professional is usually code for manly. The Malibu blazer by Lil Pulitzer is having none of that. With soft tucks forming a puff at the shoulder and a gathered flare in the back, this jacket is highly feminine. It's available in vibrant pink stripes, blue stripes, pink floral , and navy with pink trim . This is certainly an investment piece as the solid color is $188 and the prints and patterns are $198. However, if you have been searching for a fun blazer for work, watch for this to go on sale.

Who: Rodarte What it made us think of: A 1986 showdown between rival girl gangs -- the Angels and the Imps. What we liked: bared wire jewelry, tie-dyed gowns (really!) What we didn't: body suits, hip bones, nude leggings, nude tattoo socks, boxy 80s jackets Who: Altuzarra   What it made us think of: 1980s superheroines masquerading as powerful corporate lawyers What we liked: leather lives on, trench coat styling, stark black and white, large buttons, cropped jackets, strong shoulders, What we didn't: high vamp shoes, giant fur hands, sheer panels, smudgy eye makeup Who: Threeasfour What it made us think of: King Triton and Ursula What we liked: wave hems, texture, abalone embellishments, spiralgraph crowns, mirror coats, blue lips, What we didn't: chaps, weird layering, sheer trains, heavy shoes Image source: style.com