what to wear to a summer wedding

summer's almost over and if you planned on going to a summer wedding it has probably already passed, but august is just as good a month as any to get married and it still takes place during the summer. in summer you have so many possibilities to the kinds of weddings you can have because there is less rain than in spring, it's the warmest season, there's no snow to hinder an outdoor wedding, etc. in this entry you'll see examples of four different weddings that one might attend in the summer. before you go to the wedding you probably don't know what the bride is wearing but you do know where the wedding will take place and if it will be traditional (long dress on bride) or nontraditional (short dress or pants on the bride), and based on that you also know what you should be wearing. enjoy!
♥ me

UNCONVENTIONAL/NONTRADITIONAL INDOOR WEDDING

in this wedding the bride is wearing a short dress and black heels with black mesh lace detailing. the bride's garb is enough to cause this wedding to be considered unconventional. the wedding is also indoors so you don't have to worry about your footwear because you know you'll have solid ground to step on. no worries about heels sinking into mud or sand here! ok...so, first of all--at a wedding....DO NOT WEAR A WHITE DRESS. it doesn't matter if the bride herself isn't wearing a white dress, YOU should NOT wear a white dress. that will draw attention to yourself and all attention really should go to the bride on her special day. you can wear a white dress any day of the year, just make sure it's not at anybody's wedding.

it is ok to wear a white shirt though. a white blouse paired with a feminine printed skirt is an unstuffy outfit, but still dressy enough for a wedding. add a pop of contrasting color with your accessories; whether it be a colored clutch, earrings or bangles such as the $15 ZADS Bangle set from swell.com. with a fresh outfit like this, try to keep makeup light.

CONVENTIONAL/TRADITIONAL GIRLY INDOOR WEDDING

this wedding is conventional. the bride will be wearing a long, floor-sweeping gown and it will take place indoors. you should probably wear a conservative cocktail style dress, although that is not completely necessary; however it will go alone with the mood of the wedding. i really like this bridal outfit. the betsey johnson dress is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! i love it so much, and the dress looks good on every model i've seen it on (then again, they are models). i love the frilly skirt and the fitted bustier bodice. sexy and girly all at once. vintage jewelry chandelier earrings from kirna zabete go with the dresses perfectly and a veil with a sparkling headpiece, such as ones you can get from wedding-veil.com add even more sweet whimsy to this bridal look. i also love those johnathan kayne shoes.

follow the mood of the wedding and wear a conservative cocktail dress. this valentino is a standout piece with it's beautiful yellow hue and slight metallic sheen. finish it off with low heeled evening sandals and studs.

OUTDOOR WEDDING: GARDEN

in a garden wedding the bride's beauty is enhanced by her surroundings, an exquisite garden. she deson't need to wear a frothy dress that takes up half of the garden (while she can if she wants to), and plus if she wears a dress with a too long train it will pick up grass, leaves, flowers, insects and whatever else is in the garden. most likely the bride will still with a simple white gown, her favorite jewels and a beautiful bouquet, usually very well thought out one such as the amazing rose, dyed calla lily and orchid arrangement above. afterglow cosmetics offers a wide range of makeup, such as mineral foundation, blush, eyeshadows and organic lip stick. all of their products are organic/vegan. their organic lip love lipstick in divine is a great shade.

play up the theme of a garden wedding by wearing a fun floral dress such as the 50s style poppy splash dres from frenchconnection.com. a fun clutch and a fresh fragrance would be in good order as well. and wouldn't you know it...one of clinique happy's ingredients is hawaiin wedding flower! how appropriate :)

OUTDOOR WEDDING: BEACH

beach weddings always sound like they are so fun and romantic. they usually take place during a sunrise or sunset to capture the amazing beauty of the sun on the horizon. the bride will most likely wear a breezy sand sweeping gown or a shorter dress, i think the antique white georgette bridal dress #cm0023 by nicole miller is beautiful. i love the hanging fabric in the middle as that makes the dress look even more flowy. most likely the bride will be barefoot or have her toes out so she should be wearing nice nailpolish or have a great pedicure. some brides will opt for neutral tones and some will opt for brighter tones, such as the beautiful bue shown in the collage. to get that nice bronzy beachy glow the bride should consider laura geller's bronze-n-brighten, it seems to be a great product and is similar to MAC's famous mineralized skinfinishes.

at a beach wedding, don't try to go all victoria beckham (love that lady!) in a fitted cocktail dress and sky high heels: you will sink into the sand, be sweaty and look like a fool. it's a beach wedding, so it doesn't have a super strict/formal dress code. wear a nice skirt that allows you to get some breeze, pair it with a breezy tank/blouse/shirt and make sure to wear flat shoes. wearing heels in the sand really won't get you anywhere.

i hope you enjoyed this entry as much as i enjoyed making it! make sure to have fun and congratulate the bride and groom at any wedding you go to :)

thanks halie!

i was just given a gorgeous award by the amazing halie from http://www.archivingfashion.wordpress.com/. thanks for passing it on to me, and congrats to you for receiving it in the first place!

as a result of receiving the award i have to bestow it upon 10 other very deserving fashionistas and list 10 interesting facts about myself. it's so funny, whenever i am asked to say something interesting about myself i forget everything about me that could be considered interesting. what's with that?




this award is seriously the most beautiful award i've seen! i love love love it.

i pass it on to:
coco at coco's tea party

anya c at couture millinery atelier

sxy fashion queen

kat at pencilfashion

carrie at couture carrie

juley at swank heights

red carpet fashion awards

olsens anonymous

the fat and skinny on fashion

charmaine li at goldieoldiecharms

10 facts about me

1. i love all genres of music except heavy metal and i really really love classical music. my favorite composer is bach and i think my favorite song is air. it's so transcendent!

2. i'm obsessed with youtube makeup gurus. they are all so talented and can all apply makeup so well. check out ones like panacea81 (she deserve all of her success!), xteener, itsjudytime, julieg713, and there are so many more...oh, and michellephan is good too! she started out on xanga as RiceBunny.

3. i've studied spanish, french, igbo and japanese but all i can speak is english.

4. my mom is model height but i'm short. and i always wish that i could miraculously grow taller, but i'm pretty sure my growth has stopped. however, i believe my little sisters are going to be super duper tall, so my plan is to become their modeling agents. ahahaha, :) i always joke around with them about that.

5. i'm really competitive. especially over games like jeopardy and random quiz games that you play at parties. i'm horrible at sports though.

6. i love dressing up and do believe that i have very good taste and put together smashing outfits, but i don't know if i'll be showing them on this blog like most other fashion bloggers do. that could change though?

7. i really like hilary duff's with love perfume. and i own it. smells lovely!

8. you guys all knows this, but i'm obsessed with robert pattinson! everytime i see him on a magazine cover i swoon. i just want to meet him once! can someone arrange that please?

9. i don't travel. my family never goes anywhere! i think that's why i'm always on the computer. i'm living vicariously through the awesome people who blog about their traveling adventures.

10. i love to dance, sing, and act (danced a lot in hs, mainly in performances but not on a dance team). i love all things art and music, but over artsy and over music-y kids annoy me to know end. i'm sure there is a way to love art and music without shoving it down people's throat all of the time. my annoyance with these kids mainly comes from going to a school where there was an abundance of these individuals.

i hope you enjoyed reading that? :)
thanks for all of the comments as usual! and i'm working on a what to wear post...it's been taking me a while because everytime i start working on it my computer spazzes, but hopefully i'll be done with it soon!


♥ me

check out forever 21's limited edition line; cirque 21

hey babes!
thanks for all of the comments and support. it makes my day! before i start off with this entry, i just want to let you all know that i'm not being sponsored/paid by forever 21 to do this post. i am just like every other girl: in love with forever 21's affordability and great range of clothes! today they made their limited edition cirque 21 line available for purchase and i love the fun, zany feel of the clothes. you could use any of these pieces to make a really romantic, semi-victorian look, a harlequin inspired ensemble, or a fun and laid back indie outfit. you can really play around with these clothes because although they are very original and have a kind of one-of-a-kind feel to it, they are still very versatile and on trend. looking through the lookbook i am reminded of katy perry a little bit, not too much, but a bit.
♥ me

i am SOOOO in love with the ringmaster dress. this is so miu miu! don't tell me it isn't!

it can be purchased for $24.80 from forever21.com

description from f21: "Sateen style fabric with contrast color blocking. Features lots of gathers at the waist and a bubble hem underskirt which adds volume to the circle skirt. The waistband is extra wide and very shapely. The back bodice is decorated with six buttons and the side has an invisible zipper to let you in and out."

i just love voluminous skirts.

the miu miu striped dirndl dress
don't you just love it? i want it now more than ever!

this ruffled overdress ($29.80) is so cool. it's definitely not timeless..but i'm still drawn to it for some reason? the full skirt is amazing, and i just love the idea of wearing this with tights and ankle boots or with skinnies and my awesome grey knee boots. i'd look so good...;)

and it has a hood! and the ruffles are weather resistant. top that.

and i want the coat that the model is wearing in this picture but it is not available.

but when it is available...i'm getting it.

PETTICOAT POWER!

get the dotted mesh petticoat skirt for $22.80 and the...

ruffled tulle petticoat for the same price!

the texture of both skirts is divine and i love the dark seafoam greens and sage color in the second skirt.

i love the artwork on the jubilee girl tee ($10.80), and if you don't feel like going all out circus girl you can just get a t-shirt with a high fashion circus girl on it instead. for those who want to add pizazz to their wardrobe the yellow and black jester lace bubble dress is definitely for you, and it's $22.80. and the beautiful zig zag mesh skirt is only $19.80 and would look SO good with a white tee and a blazer. with this skirt you'll definitely be sashaying in style.

all of these pieces definitely have an autumn-y feel to it. i haven't even had much of a summer...because of blasted summer school. i'm not exactly trying to usher fall in because in chicago fall lasts for like...2 weeks and then winter comes in and freezes us to death, but these fall clothes sure do look fun.

tell me what you think!

Cool New Designer: Saloni Lodha

Hey all,
Sorry for the lack of posting. Please try to bear with me--i am always so busy with family stuff, school and life in general so it's hard to update regularly but i love this blog and my readers so i'm always coming back to update, even if it is a bit sporadic. ;) today's entry features the beautiful designs of saloni lodha, a new designer who adds indian flair to modern silhouettes (<-- i always have trouble spelling that word). I found out about her after reading up on what Emma Watson was wearing on pretty much my favorite site of all time, www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com If you check it out, make sure to say that Zoe sent you!
♥ me

Saloni Lodha according to Vogue UK

SALONI, meaning beautiful in ancient Sanskrit, is the eponymous line from Indian designer Saloni Lodha. Born and brought up in India, between Rajasthan and Mumbai, the designer studied graphic design, textiles and print in Mumbai before moving to Hong Kong in 2003 – where she quickly made a name for herself by holding trunk shows of her bespoke dresses - and then to London to hone her skills with a couture hand-sewing course at Central St. Martins.

Following a stint at Issa London, Saloni launched her own label at London Fashion Week spring/summer 2008, the dresses drawing from her Indian heritage but in keeping with modern shapes and styles, couture detailing and luxurious fabrics.

According to Saloni, the collection is: "Designed for a girl who can be adventurous and feminine at the same time, who can be playful in the way she dresses with an underlying quality of elegance and charm."

and girls...let me tell you, she's absolutely gorgeous!

AND, her designs are on sale at my-wardrobe.com! if you have money and good taste, pick up a saloni lodha design! here are some from the site:

Scarlett Tight Shift Dress 50% off (i would wear this in a heartbeat, go to the site to see the details of this beautiful piece)

Cora Strapless Dress 60% off

Black Faye Dress 50% off (i love the dangling gold embellishment on this!)

i hope you enjoyed this entry, and don't worry--more are soon to come. :)

willow and valentino

i'm loving these two expensive pieces for netaporter. perfect for now and for fall.
i can't believe fall catalogues and clothes are coming out already...but alas, we must be realistic, summer will be over soon. too bad my whole summer has been dominated by summer school! but it finishes next week. this weekend will include some pretty intense studying, but afterwards hopefully i can post more. i miss posting regularly! and i haven't been able to make the various outfit posts i love to put together...so hopefully i can get around to doing more of that too.
thanks for the comments as always!
♥ me

you can purchase this beautiful orange chiffon, central vertically pleated batwing sleeved blouse by willow for $375 at netaporter.com. i absolutely love the long batwing sleeves and the beautiful orange hue of the blouse, as well as it's slouchiness. the shape seems to work well on me. and i am absolutely swooning over the valentino diamente embellished peep-toe pumps. they can seriously dress up anything and are seriously worth it at $995 from netaporter.com.

fall 2009 haute couture part III

thanks for the comments my lovelies!
♥ me

valentino

the color palette was made up of silver, black and nude. the show definitely got better as the show went on. the last few looks were spellbinding. the beautiful gleam of the beadwork, the mystery of the voluminous black skirts adorned with ruffle or tulle, and the fun use of feathers was great to behold. i enjoyed this valentino couture show much better than the spring 2009 one because this one doesn't feel too old-ladyish. heavy use of lace was used, and that was a bit boring; i'm so tired of the lace and nude combination, we've seen it everywhere. yeah, it's a nice combo, but i need a break from it. the first look on the left is a nice rendition of the black lace and nude look. i love the corseted bodice and ruffly skirt and the beautiful taupe satin shoes with ruffles at the back. the black LBD you see next is not just any LBD, it has HUGE black ruffles coming from the sleeves. i must see this on the red carpet. it is pretty much one of the coolest LBD's ever. i absolutely love the silvery confection worn by snejana onopka (third from left, i hope i spelled her name right). it looks fab with those shoe boots. my favorite piece from this show i think is the wonderful nude, slightly iridescent and crystal sprinkled gown to the far right. if that isn't red carpet/wedding/editorial worthy, i don't know what is.

jean paul gaultier

this show featured a lot of sharp shoulders and oodles of leather. the makeup was dark, sexy and fierce and a lot of inspiration was drawn from hollywood's femme fatale--with the first model (lara stone) walking out looking like bridget bardot. i really loved the scaled leggings that looked like they were made from two giant brown fish. that sounds weird, but they just looked so...haute ;). i love the fierceness and wearable avant garde looks that gaultier brings to the runway. the second look from the left is also in the group of one of the coolest LBDs in the world, with patent detail at the bust and chevron detailing down the skirt. and the look to the far right is very thierry muglerish. it is very current but the styling makes it look fit for an old hollywood film.

elie saab

the show was exquisitely beautiful and rapturously feminine as we have come to expect from elie saab shows, whether couture or ready to wear. every piece was white, and a lot of times it reminded me of the recent all white chanel show that featured white paper origami head pieces and divine dresses, tops and jackets with white folded flower appliques. despite the resemblance to the all white chanel show elie saab's fall 2009 haute couture presentation definitely had a different feel to it. elie saab makes clothes for the woman who looks beautiful and goddess like all of the time, the woman who smells and looks like the most precious flower and has (or appears to have) everything figured out. as already mentioned, all of the pieces were white and all of them were adorned with either tulle flower appliques, crystals or ostrich feathers (among other things). yes, the show strongly resembled the all white chanel tour de force, but i'm going to try and look past that and see the beauty of this collection, which (frankly) is undeniable.

i hope you've enjoyed this post, leave me comments on what you think about these collections!

fall 2009 haute couture part II

welcome to part II of my coverage of the fall 2009 haute couture collections! please leave comments- it means the world to me, your support keeps me going!
♥ me

alexis mabille

this collection was light, floaty, girly and full of lace and solitary black bows with long ribbons. in the beginning it really just reminded me of a ready to wear show. as the show went on it definitely had a more couture feel, and really it was the shoes that got me. i love the elgant tstrap and silky ribbon at the back of some of the shoes (example is snakeskin one to the far left, they were also shown in black). hey, you people at alexis mabille, send me over a pair in 9 or 8.5 US size! i definitely wasn't wowed or overly excited after seeing this collection (especially after seeing christian dior), but i loved the uber feminine feel, and the lingerie look of some of the pieces. all of the looks i chose to put in the collage i'd love to see on the red carpet, or on me ;). i think the third dress from the left is ingenious, and funkily beautiful. don't you?

givenchy

i liked this collection, it wasn't my favorite because it didn't seem groundbreaking. it featured a lot of the givenchy we already know. it showcased fierce shoe boots that stretched up the calf and had holes for each toe to stick out of, and of course a lace up detail. lots of black was featured in the beginning of the show, and that gave way to black looks with heavy gold jewelry, cream dresses with colored jewel embellishments, enrusted bustiers and then all white ensembles. the three dresses featured in the collage would be so great for red carpet! i absolutely loveeeeeeee the design of the cream dresses with jewel embellishment. i really love the cutaway trend in gowns right now. showing skin in unexpected places is so exciting. we all know showing cleavage is supposed to be sexy, but showing your waist, back and collar bones are just as sexy! the beautiful dip-dye dress is so classic and yet different...all i can say is that i like it.

christian lacroix

the whole fashion world knows that the lacroix house is in trouble. lacroix filed for bankruptcy and this collection was put together at the last minute. only 25 looks were shown, and all of them definitely didn't have the couture feel to it. i really miss the old fantastically flamboyant and crazily colorful lacroix. however, this couture collection did have some great pieces that i really hope gets lots of attention. they are classic pieces that one could wear for a long time but they all have their own original thumbprint. most of the pieces were black, but they weren't just black ensembles: they were black lacroix ensembles with amazing elegance as well as quirkiness. i know dita von teese or eva green would look so fab in the outfit on siri tollerod (second from left), and the dress third from left is amazing! i love tulle! if i had enough money to be ordering couture, i would order that dress pronto. i also think the dress would look great on keira knightley...

chanel

i absolutely loved this collection. classic chic and style at its best! lagerfeld, you are a true, true talent. reinventing the chanel look with every collection and yet keeping its true essence. towards the end of the collection there were some pieces that seemed out of place, dresses with sequins that outlined the shape of the breast and nipples and a red sequined dress with a grey smear across it, but pretty much all of the collections were absolutely exquisite. i loved the beloved chanel edwardrian ankle boots, the absolutely beautiful lace leggings, the lace lampshade hats, the styling, the makeup, the models...just...all of it! i loved it!

armani prive

this has got to be one of my favorite recent armani collections. i haven't really been loving armani, but this collection BLOWS ME AWAY. i wish i could make a collage with all of the looks in this collection, and i don't even think the four looks that i chose to show give you the full scope of the collection, but it does showcase some beautiful pieces that i wish i could wear. the color palette ranged from deep blue, to cerulean blue, to shimmering nudes, blacks and greys. of course there were heavily embellished numbers and i loved the cutaway halter design that armani chose to showcase in some looks in this couture collection. this collection is so me. i want to wear many of these pieces!

so far my favorite collections are dior, armani and chanel. but that's only so far, let's see what the rest of the week brings us!