Raid Your Boyfriend's Closet!

It's award season, Grammy week, full moon...The vibe in town is upbeat, but low key.
I hit a few Grammy Suites and got a pleasant surprise at Akoo, holding court at Thompson, Beverly Hills, a boutique hotel in the heart of 90210. Sleek, modern, very mid-century hipness, Thompson BH is just the sort of sexy location for a Grammy week mixer and informal showing of a rapper's clothing line.
Akoo, which stands for A King of One's Oneself," is a fresh approach to contemporary lifestyle apparel designed by T.I., Grammy Award winner and nominee.
T.I.'s personal style is as modern as the Thompson BH. He's a real performer. He clearly understands he can transform himself from down and dirty rapper to the red carpet runway with clothing, cuz GQ named T.I. to their annual list of the "10 Most Stylish Men In America!"
Military details, denim, preppy themes and vintage American flair give the collection a classic feeling, timeless without looking retro. You'll see what I"m talking about when you check out the stuff. Chicks are going to be raiding their boyfriend's closet or buying it for themselves.

*Stylists and media contact info:
Mashariki Williamson
mashariki@thechambergroup.com


Check out T.I.'s video for Dead & Gone ft. Justin Timberlake



I did a fashion segment for Dick Clark's The Other Half daytime morning show called, Borrowed from the Boys. I put together a grouping of classic things from menswear that women can and do wear. I pulled from American Rag Cie, Jetrag, Macy's and the Goodwill and included a dark navy blue velvet sportcoat, a red plaid tie,a brown suede poorboy cap and a rock and roll t-shirt in the mix.

*I didn't take pictures on the set that day, but here's a tearsheet from a layout I styled and art directed with a focus on men's white shirts.



There's a vignette of short stories called "Tipping the Velvet," an innuendo alluding to some girl on girl action. It's about an innocent ingenue who discovers a world of cross dressers in the tightly corseted world of the 1890's. The costumes are terrific for a period piece and the female characters are cleverly played.

Must Have Alert

Ballerina Flats still look great this Fall! I spotted this bronze sequined pair at Sketchers!
40 Bucks gets you one of the hottest trend items this season, and if you buy two pair, they give you $10.00 OFF!

Drop Dead Diva

Read this article in The New York Times about an "overweight" character who struggles to lose weight. Recent research on weight loss, how the brain works and the truth about genetics are revealed in this article. I haven't seen this show or the character, but we might want to check it out on Lifetime.
Read the article.

How To Wear Leggings

How To Wear Leggings
By Linda Arroz
Leggings are actually very easy to wear, no matter what your age or shape.
The hot silhouettes – the shapes, for fall are bigger on top - broader shoulder and longer, as in tunic length, with a narrow bottom. Leggings work from day to dinner, so have at least two pair to wear! The length and fabric are the two most important things to look for in a legging.
One of my favorite looks is to wear black matte leggings and black low heel ankle boots with a dress that has a full skirt.

Length: The length makes a difference to the success of feeling comfortable and looking great in leggings, as a hemline is a horizontal break on the leg. Note the best length for your own leg: capri /cropped / long if you have longer legs, thin and/or shapely legs, or thin ankles. If you have thicker legs go for ankle or just above the ankle.

Alterations: Don’t hesitate to get a slight alteration to adjust the hem for the best length for you.

Tips to look and feel your best in this season’s hot trend:

Thicker Legs: Wear a tunic length top or dress.
Try ankle boots especially if you have thick ankles. Ankle boots the same color as the legging visually elongate the leg. If you have thick ankles wear ballerina flats or low heels with a scooped out oval toe box showing toe cleavage, or wear low, pointed flats or low heels.
Avoid shiny material if you have thicker legs.

Cellulite: If you have cellulite, make sure the fabric is a bit sturdier, suggestions include Danskin® leggings with Supplex®. Danskin® makes plus sizes too but the missy XL can fit up to a size 18W. Call a local dance wear store to find them and go try a pair on to see what size you have. Make sure to ask if they carry 1x etc. as they may not have in them stock but will order them. When I called a local dancewear store, they told me the XL runs large, so I was encouraged to go over there and try them on.
They fit me! In fact they are actually a bit long, but I hemmed them.
This particular fiber blend – Lycra® with Supplex® has strong but not tight with a smooth matte surface and they aren't tight around the waist. Thinner cotton leggings don't hold their shape and they can reveal lumps, bumps and bulges. Newport News has their Shape FX leggings and I just ordered the high-waisted style to try it out.

Be Your Own Stylist:
A white shirt worn a bit oversized and belted lower on the hip - or not, worn with leggings and a boyfriend jacket works for women of all ages.
Instead of a boyfriend style jacket, choose a longer cardigan, nothing too thick and not cable style.

Dresses:
Leggings work with dresses now; just remember that thinner is better for this purpose, unless you are funking it up with motorcycle boots and vintage. ;-)
Take a party dress, pair with leggings, flats or peep toe shoes, add lots of beads or arm bangles to bring the party dress down to a more casual style.

Washing Tip: turn the leggings inside out, use a detergent designed for dark loads and hang to dry. These tricks will keep your leggings black longer, as black can fade, although the Supplex® leggings don’t really fade. Avoiding the dryer will keep the elastic fibers from breaking down.