Real vs. Steal: Isabel Marant Boots

I know I wasn't the only one lusting after almost every piece that walked down Isabel Marat's F/W 2011 runway. But we all know what the tour de force was: her amaze-balls knee high fringe boots. If you're like me and don't have the money to spend on designer boots and clothes, don't worry. It's time for the first edition of: Real vs. Steal.

 

Real 

Isabel Marat leather & suede boots: $2,200

 

VS.

 

Steal

 

Jeffrey Campbell Sloane fringe boot: $269

 

Get The Look: Kristin Cavallari

Kristin Cavallari, the 24-year-old former star of MTV’s “The Hills,” is now busting moves and turning heads on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.” In week one of the show, Kristin and her partner Mark Ballas received the highest scoring Cha Cha Cha from the judges. We loved her vibrant gorgeous outfit which she wore to “Good Day LA” where she talks about the show. See how you can get the look below!

Kourtney Kardashian Out with Scott & Mason in New York, September 21, 2011

New to my collection

I did a bit of shopping and wanted to share my favorite find...

These metallic sweater from H&M. 

..LOVE.. 

 Both, metallic sweaters I plan on getting lots of use 

out of this fall/winter. Hope you enjoy ;)

xxoo.. Lourdes

How To Attract A Guy

Wouldn’t it have been easier if they had a subject on how to attract a man you like? It could’ve spared you all those sleepless nights, helped you breathe easier and stopped your hands from sweating so much. But no, life isn’t that simple. So now what? You like him but don’t know what to do. You know the preamble of constitution and the chemical formula for acid milk by heart, but you don’t know how to attract a guy. That is where I  come in! Lucky for you, I've come up with guaranteed formulas that can help you master the skills of how to attract a guy. Learn these and you’ll never be a victim of ‘heat and run’!

Does He Know You?
It is important that the guy you like or find cute, at least knows of your existence. The two of you may not be acquaintances who talk on a daily basis, but it’ll do just fine even if you run into each other at the gym or frequent the same cafe joint daily. If you don’t know him at all, try and get introduced to him through common friends or join the same hobby class that he has taken. Then try and talk to him.
Make the First Move
Contrary to popular belief men don’t always like to make the first move. They are as much scared of rejection as women are. Chances are that he has tried and failed to muster up the courage to talk to you. So how do you attract a shy guy? Be the first to approach and talk to him. He’ll be thankful for it and respect you much more.
Lasting First Impression
Be sure to make a lasting first impression! It is what he will remember of you when he thinks of you. So wear a flattering dress, dab on some perfume and put some effort into looking good. Give him something irresistible to remember you.
Talk Business
Start conversations that are common to the two of you. Maybe both of you like to read or watch action flicks. Veer the conversation around topics of common interest and he’ll remember that for a fact. This idea works when you are nervous, because it isn’t difficult to talk about something that you like, as opposed to talking about something that is of no interest to you. So you’ll easily be able to hold your ground and form a lasting impression.
Get Him to Talk
Guys love to talk about things they are interested in. Ask him questions about his job or a bike that he owns and he’ll be talking for hours. All you need to do is supply him with positive responses. This will boost his ego because he will remember that it was you who led him to feel so good about himself and therefore he’ll start associating the feel good feeling with you.
Be Confident
Confidence in a woman is a big turn on for men. Doing anything with confidence gives you that much of an edge over the others. Meeting a woman who can hold her own in conversations and knows how to use her feminine charms is a delight to be with. So don’t be cowed down when you’re ordering for a drink or stating your opinions, even if they don’t match his. Read more on dating tips for women.
Be Yourself
Always be yourself, no matter what. Don’t fake a personality or style just to impress him. It isn’t fair to either of you, especially if you want to take the relationship to a deeper level. The fake side will eventually come out and it’ll be hurtful and messy to deal with it then.
Bare your Strengths
Try and show him your strengths. Accentuate your positive qualities. Do not dwell on negative experiences when just starting to know each other. Focus on portraying your good points like maybe your singing, for that take him to a karaoke bar and let him see that. If you have a unique strength like horse riding he’ll be totally psyched to know the fun side of you.
Body Language
How to attract a man becomes easy when you know the kind of body language you have to portray so that he remembers you. Smile a lot. Be cheerful and happy. Run your fingers over your lips or face to take his attention there. Flip your hair; talk in a sensual voice and indulge in some mild flirting if you can manage that. Top it off by dressing to kill and smelling great and it won’t be an easy task for him to get you out of his mind.
The key on how to attract a guy is to be the complete package. Being physically attractive helps but cannot carry you on for long. Along with your looks, portray your knock out personality as well and there will be no way that he can resist you. Try these steps today and you can kiss those sweating hands goodbye…Stop staring like a crazed maniac..Give up singing sappy love songs in the bathroom..Forget hiding in, oh you get the drift! Go out there girl and have fun! All the best!

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50 Things Guys Wish Girls Knew

50 Things That Girls Should Know About Guys

1. Guys aren’t psychic, mind telling them what you mean?
2. Guys don’t like to be used as pawns in trying to make your friends jealous.
3. Guys tend to get serious with their relationship and become too possessive. Better watch out girls.
4. The biggest turn off for guys is to see girls smoking.
5. The biggest turn on for guys are the girls who workout.
6. Girls who don’t want to listen to the truth shouldn’t be asking any questions.
7. Ending a heated conversation with “Fine” or “Whatever” isn’t considered acceptable.
8. If you want sex, just ask.
9. Don’t expect guys to say as many sweet things as they do in the movies. It takes 10 couples to come up with one sweet thing that they put up in the movies.
10. Only models are able to carry off most of the stuff you see in fashion magazines.
11. A guy who likes you wants to be the only guy you talk to.
12. A guy would sacrifice his money for lunch just to get you a couple of roses.
13. Guys need to be reassured often that they’re still loved.
14. Guys don’t care about how gorgeous you are, it’s goodbye, adios, and sayonara if you’re being a bitch.
15. All guys are kinky and willing to try anything that you may enjoy, just let them know.
16. Guys are more emotional than you think. If they loved you at one point, it’ll take them a lot longer than you think to let you go, and it hurts every second that they try.
17. A guy would do just about anything to get you to notice him.
18. Guys do not look into minute detailing. So, if you gave up a quarter of an inch from your 20 inches long hair, don’t expect your guy to know that instantly.
19. Guys like porn!
20. Anything said six months ago is inadmissible in an argument. All comments become null and void after seven days.
21.  “The game is on” will be considered an acceptable excuse to postpone any serious conversations.
22. Cooking makes a girl all the more attractive.
23. You can’t get mad if your guy refuses to hook up your “ugly friend” with one of his good-looking friends.
24. Nothing you will ever do will entitle you to operate the remote control, unless operating means handing it to him.
25. The only thing left to be said after sex is “goodnight.”
26. Video games have helped men develop awesome finger skills that only encourage them to play more often.
27. Critiquing a man’s driving is outright unacceptable.
28. Guys’ night outs are sacred events. If you ask any question about it, you’ll be castigated.
29. Believe it or not, 99.5% of the time men honestly don’t mean to hurt you.
30. Guys may be flirting around all day but before they go to sleep, they always think about the girl they truly care about.
31. Guys hate it when you talk about your ex-boyfriend or ex love-interest.
32. If a guy tells you about his problems, he just needs someone to listen to him. You don’t need to give advice.
33. Don’t hold it against your guy if he starts to cry after a good sports movie, and was laughing outrageously last night when the two of you were watching an emotional drama saga.
34. Leaving a message like “You know what?! Mmm… Never mind…” would make a guy hanging on to that thought all day long and reach a conclusion that is far from what you are thinking. Don’t ever do that!
35. A usual act that proves that the guy likes you is when he teases you.
36. Guys love you more than you love them.
37. No matter how much guys talk about hotness or sex appeal, personality is key.
38. When a guy says he is going crazy about the girl, he really is. Guys rarely say that.
39. If a guy starts to talk seriously, listen to him. It doesn’t happen that often, so when it does, you know something’s up.
40. A guy has more problems than you can see with your naked eyes.
41. Guys talk about girls more than girls talk about guys.
42. You like when your guy calls and asks you out for dinner and pays for you, right? Well yeah, guys like it once in a while too.
43. It’s natural for a guy’s eyes to wander.
44. It’s not that guys don’t want to make their girlfriends happy; it’s just that sometimes, they don’t know how.
45. A guy would give his right arm to be able to read a girl’s mind for a day.
46. Not all guys are jerks. Just because one is a jackass doesn’t mean he represents all of them.
47. When a guy sacrifices his sleep and health just to be with you, he isn’t doing it all for sex. It means he likes you more than you can imagine.
48. Even if you dumped a guy months ago and he loved you, he probably still does and if he had one wish it would be to have you back in his life.
49. Guys love girls with brains more than girls in miniskirts.
50. A guy would waste his time over video games and football, the way a girl would do over novels and make-ups.

Where'd She Get It: Rhianna's Ring?

You asked: "Who makes this ring that Rhianna's was wearing in this picture?" 

LR: Rhianna is seen here wearing a textured wrap ring from the House of Harlow line. Here's where to get it:

At Sears in Cerritos, Calif, September 18, 2011

Focus: The Future Of the Maxi Dress?

The trend made popular by bohemian L.A. starlets such as Nicole Richie, the maxi dress has been on our fashion radar since 2007. New styles tend to come in each season and are still firm favourites among many Fashionistas. But which styles are timeless? While prints and colors vary, I think a white crochet maxi dress will always be in style even 20 years from now. You can never go wrong with block colors such as bordeaux red or a simple orange. Classic prints such as stripes will also make your favourite dress timeless.

Leighton Meester shoots Gossip Girl in NYC

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

The History of Budget Fashion: Forever 21

The History of Budget Fashion is a series of articles written by The Budget Fashionista herself, Kathryn Finney, that explores the evolution of fashion on a budget.

Forever21 has now become a mainstay in every budget stylista’s shopping arsenal, yet few know the beginnings of one of the most popular stores in America. In this “History of Budget Fashion”, we explore the beginnings of the retail chain as well as some of the challenges faced by the store.

The Beginning

The first Forever21 store, originally named “Fashion 21”, was founded in 1984 by Korean immigrant/entrepreneur Do Won “Don” Chang in the community of Highland Park, with the goal to sell Korean fashions stateside. According to a 2010 Los Angeles Times article, Chang got the idea for a retail store after he noticed “…the people who drove the nicest cars were all in the garment business”. (Citation) Soon the store became popular and started to expand into other areas of Southern California.

While Chang’s interest was more economic than sartorial, he was unknowingly at the forefront of a new trend (along with Halston, Jaclyn Smith, Wal-Mart, etc) in retail– the bridging of the Gap between high fashion and the American mass market consumer. During this time period, the rise of networked computers and retail technologies reduced the “supply chain”, which meant the time and cost it took for a piece of apparel to go from production to the store was significantly reduced. So, that shirt on scene during New York’s Fall 1984 fashion week could go from concept to reality in a significantly faster time.

Fashion became faster, allowing chains like Forever21 to deliver high fashion (at least in concept, if not in quality) to consumers in a matter of days.

Forever21 and It’s forever list of issues
Faster fashion comes with it’s own challenges. According to Forbes, the company has been sued for copyright infringement at least 50 times (read it here) from “borrowing” heavily from established designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Gwen Stefani . This suits could stem from the fact that Forever21, unlike H&M, the company didn’t hire designers to “alter” designs, so the resulting pieces were extremely similar to the originals by top designers and brands.
The store also experienced worker rights issues in California (note: most of Forever21’s items are made in their factories in Southern California), which have been resolved and several shoppers have complained about the perceived overt Christian ties of the store (Chang and his family are devout Christians and a reference to the bible passage John 3:16 is printed on the bottom of every bag).
The store also experienced worker rights issues in California (note: most of Forever21’s items are made in their factories in Southern California), which have been resolved.
The Future of the Store

However, these problems have not slowed down the rocket growth of the company, which is one of the fastest growing retail chains in the world. The chain has purchased several spaces once occupied by the old Meryvn’s department store chain to turn into large Forever21s.

Link Love: Beauty, Accessories, and more!

A Few Goody Gumdrops lets you in on the latest Harrods’ Online Store

Fab over Forty’s features the latest skin care products from Votre Vu

Shopping and Info takes us back into memory lane into every woman’s fantasy bag, the classic Chanel 3 Flap Bag

The Fashionable Housewife wants you to add some bling to your outfit with fashionable pendant necklaces

Chic Intuition features gutsy and quirky spectacles from Jeremy Scott for Linda Farrow Collection

StockPiling Moms shows us how to prepare for natural disasters

Five Fall 2011 Fashion Tips for Plus Size Fashionistas

This year shopping for fall will be 10 times better for plus size fashionista’s than ever before. The world is slowly recognizing that girls with a little (or a lot) of extra meat on their bones want stylish, incredible, and impeccable styles for their size 14, 16, 18, and 20+ bodies.

I conjured up five fall fashion tips for plus size fashionista’s who want to make a statement with their fall wardrobe.

Fall Plus Size Fashion Tips

1.Try a trend or two

1. Max C. Skater Dress, Style 369, $82
2. Snakeskin Print Pencil Skirt, Michael Kors, $89

Fall is the best season to try out new new trends. Right now, our favorite trends for plus sizes are retro dresses and snakeskin prints. We love this color blocked sweetheart sheer neckline dress from Style369 . It’s ultra feminine and flattering for the plus size fashionista. For fall leopard print will be laid to rest and snakeskin will be the print of the season. Snakeskin is such an eye catching piece and that’s why this snakeskin print pencil skirt from Michael Kors is perfect for plus sizes. Pair with a blazer or wear a long over-sized sweater and then cinched with a belt for a trendy look.

2. Invest in outerwear

1. Angel Ribbons Coat, Simply Be, $113
2. Fur collar trench, CAlvin Klein $219

The first thing people notice about you when the weather gets cooler is your outerwear. So it’s important to make sure you have a quality coat. Opt for a coat with a little flavor. We like this double breasted gross grain trim coat from Simply Be  and this fur trim collared coat from Calvin Klein.

3. Don’t be afraid to Layer

1. Cocoon Cardigan, Dorothy Perkins, $62
2. Canvas Surplus Vest, Old Navy, $29.50

A plus size girl can layer. The trick to layering is to start with a thin initial layer and then build upon that. We like this cocoon belted cardigan from Dorothy Perkins because you can wear it with a long sleeve t-shirt or button up shirt. Layering is not only reserved for knits. You can also use outerwear vests for layering. Old Navy has great surplus vest that would go over a jean jacket or a thick sweater without looking bulky.

4. Play around with hoisery

1. Fishnets, We Love Colors, $10.50

To add a little flair to your outfits try wearing fishnets or colorful tights. It’s an easy and affordable way to spice up your look. I love colors has a great assortment of colorful tights and fishnet stockings for plus sizes. We’re not saying you have to go all Lady Gaga but a pair of fishnets or colored tights can be quite chic.

5. Stock Up on wide calf boots

1. Braided strap high boots, Jessica London $69.99

Today, more brands are making it easier for women with larger calf’s to find boots that fit their wide calf’s. We find that Jessica London has a pretty nice assortment of wide calf boots. We particularly like these braided strap high boots that would go perfect with a sweater dress. When you find a brand that fits your calf’s we say stock up according to your budget. The squeeze is over!

Remember, when shopping for fall to keep an open mind. Try out the trends and see which ones you like and work best for your figure. Incorporate one or two investment pieces into your wardrobe. They never let you down and they are timeless.



H&M's Ecommerce Site With Exclusive Sale on Elle.com

For those of you who don't have an H&M near you.. I'm sure this comes as very exciting news. H&M launched yesterday its first foray into ecommerce via Elle.com. It's the first time ever that  H&M has been available for online purchase in the U.S.!

You can now shop four key trends from their fall collection which includes color blocking, modern biker and 60's Mod and menswear inspired outfits which were handpicked by Elle stylists. None of these looks are set to his stores until later this week. You'll definitely want to check it out before it's gone. H&M plans to launch its own ecommerce website in spring 2012.

Happy shopping. 

Arm Candy

Kim & Kourtney take NY

Kourtney's outfit: blouse Honor | shorts Sachin + Babi | shoes Christian Louboutin | Vintage Chanel purse | Sunglasses Balenciaga

Kim's outfit: dress Alexander McQueen | shoes Christian Louboutin | necklace Erickson Beamon | clutch Jimmy Choo