Friday, September 30, 2011

Preppy Go Lucky

General Idea spring/summer 2012 show
Preppy nautical
Love the stripes and the orange shoes
Plaids, stripes, and brights
Seaside chic
For spring 2012 for me, the men had as much equal time as the women on the runway.  What I'm trying to say is we got a surprising amount of men's collection invites this season, and David was sitting on the edge of his chair enjoying every minute of it.  Collegiate boy, prepster, and all-American walked the catwalks in all their traditional wears, and suits seemed to be everywhere and were shown in traditional ways from the classic blazer and trousers to clean cut shorts and a matching jacket.  Some had short sleeves which made it fresh for the season which is a summer by the sea.  The twist that I found fun were some of the bright colors in shades of yummy melons to pops of citrus (and you all know how much I adore some Hermes orange).  Since these were spring shows, the looks leaned more to the casual side of things but a lot of the collections still had a polished look albeit relaxed even when showing a sweater and polo paired with plaid shorts.  Some were shown with ties (straight or bow), and the shoes were almost always more sporty - either sandals, espadrilles, or tennis shoes even with the suits.  Of course there were the standard neutrals thrown in the mix, but the trend followed right along with the women's collections in that brighter colors (even neons), florals, and prints all took center stage.

Perry Ellis spring/summer 2012 show
 Classically casual


VLOV spring/summer 2012 show


A modern suit - the lapel drape is gorgeous


Sky blue is a refreshing summer hue

Marlon Gobel spring/summer 2012
Supermarket chic
Pastel colors

Clean and simple
Madras madness


Marlon Gobel
General Idea spring/summer 2012
Sporty

University uniform


  In fact whether on the street or sitting front row, we found our staple guys who had already embraced the looks and were polished looking suitable for any situation.

Neutral suit with that neon pop 
Brad Goreski in all the latest
Hamish Bowles - a dapper man of style

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Street Chic

Waiting in line for the next show, this girl is ladylike with an edge in her black sheer dress with ruffle accents.  And, the number one theme for spring 2012 is COLOR.  We saw it everywhere in every bright hue imaginable and neon was all over the place.  This dress has just an accent in acid yellow.  The lavender watch and gold accents on the bag and shoes also add unexpected twists to this simple, chic look.

Ticket in hand for the next show with a great oversized portfolio clutch
The dress has a little girl feel but is sophisticated in the sheer fabric
Darker purple toenails play well next to the gold shoe accent

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Hoarding and Hungry

This kind of behavior is never good especially if done together.  I feel like it's a recipe for rehab, but this is exactly the kind of thing found infiltrating the metroplex.  We ran to the VIP opening of H&M in Northpark recently.  I would use the word VIP very loosely by the looks of the people who had made it passed the security guards and the clip-board holders.  Besides, it was so packed in there, everyone in town must have been a VIP!  Tons of people all with cocktails in one hand and clothes in the other.  I couldn't even bring myself near a dressing room area due to the fact that they reminded me of the ladies' lounge at any nightclub on any given night.  I talked to one of the store managers, and he assured me that night alone would bring in over six figures and by the week's end, they would hit a million.  Don't get me wrong, I'm just playing with you because I love all this hoopla and was thrilled to be right in the middle of it all and see all the hip, young kids snatching it up!  And, I love the sea of past designers and celebs creating lines for them like Lanvin, Stella, and coming up will be Versace in November.  I told him I needed a private VIP tour for that one.

The H&M store at Northpark
Revved up for a party with model extraordinaire Jan Strimple
Tons of merchandise
The checkout lanes were insane
A young, hip party goer

A subtle look at the new store
In and Out Burger is another hot spot to open recently.  The lines for this one wrapped around the parking lot and were more confusing to me than the congested traffic lanes in Paris.  Attendants greeted you at your car with an ordering tablet and printed you off a receipt, then began the wait.  I was there for forty-five minutes barely inching up toward the window to get my food.  I kid you not, by the time I got my food, I wasn't even hungry.  I say screw all the fancy diets and just come place an order here because you'll lose a ton of weight just waiting on your food.  With all the chaos, I'm better off waiting for the lines to die down before returning to the place, but it appears to be a great business for Dallas.
It takes two for this order
Ready for action
Cars, cars, and more cars
Placing orders
It all sounds yummy, and it's open late!
I don't think I'll ever make it to the drive-thru window
Something good in this bag


Speaking of amazing business decisions, Trina Turk also just opened a new store in Highland Park Shopping Village with great reviews.  I'm telling you this line is one you want to compare with almost anything, and you are sure to get a high dollar look.  The store looks great and took me back to my days years ago of shopping at the store in Palm Springs.  Not to mention, Trina herself made a brief appearance at the opening party.  Her sweet demeanor and her kitschy style compliment the graphic patterns and bold colors on the clothing and make this new haunt a must stop on your shopping radar.

Trina Turk store - Dallas
A wrap coat for fall
Fun prints 
A great throw-on and go jacket