NEW YORK - This was one time Martha Stewart wasn’t trying to set any fashion trends -- but she may have done so.

As she was welcomed back to work by employees at her media company in New York Monday, Stewart showed them the gray-and-white knit poncho she wore when she left prison in West Virginia on Friday.

She said it didn’t come from a fancy store -- but had been crocheted for her by a fellow inmate, who gave it to her the night before she left.

It was seen live on television around the world, as Stewart boarded a plane for New York following her release. Since then, Stewart says, there’s been a flood of e-mail and other messages, asking about the poncho and the pattern.

She says she’ll try to get that pattern from the prison inmate, who worked with yarn from the prison commissary.

Here are few simple tips on how you can style yourself, regardless of the body type and image.

Dress for yourself:

Stop worrying about what other people think of you. It is not going to take you anywhere. Your clothes reflect your state of mind, hence confidence is essential. Today clothes do maketh a man. It's all about being unique, different and positive - remember, style and comfort should go hand in hand.

Understand what colors suit you the best:

To know what color suits you, take an outfit and wrap it around your face to check if it looks good on you. If you feel you appear dull, avoid the color on the upper half of your body. Instead team a skirt, trouser, handbag or any accessory in that color.

Experiment:

Unless you experiment, you will not know what suits your body type. Experiment with as many as styles possible. You will be amazed at the variety of clothes that you can adorn. The key is to highlight your assets and camouflage the parts you prefer to hide. But never experiment for a job interview ,or perhaps for an important meeting as you tend to feel a bit self-conscious. You need to first understand if it works for you.

It's been over a year and 358 posts since Mrs Fashion started wittering and sharing her style tips with all you impeccably fashionable types around the globe. I've been thrilled to gain so many loyal readers and to discover a glut of thought-provoking, chic and excellently executed blogs in the process but I have run out of steam.

I had hoped to go out with a bang (instead of a whimpering trickle of non-posts) but the news is: I'm leaving you.

Or rather, Mrs Fashion is going on hiatus.

I used to find that long weekends away from Blogger made me tetchy so who knows what a self-imposed chasm of non-blogging may do to my nerves, therefore I may continue to post sporadically (when I am shocked by a particularly bad outfit seen on the street, say, or am privy to a particularly juicy piece of gossip). So please don't delete your links to this page just yet and do continue to check back ocassionally.

It's not goodbye, simply au revoir. Mwah, mwah. And anyway I'll see you in the Wolseley for breakfast tomorrow, won't I? BTW that colour looks fabulous on you.

If you've spent your entire life growing up under the wing of a Vogue editor-in-chief, you're bound to turn out fabulous. And Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, daughter of French Vogue editrix Carine Roitfeld, is no exception. The French art director/socialite splits her time between Paris and New York, and her style truly exemplifies such. She mixes classic Parisian chic with a more urban New York aesthetic, which has made her a style icon for every American girl who wishes she had that innate French fashion sense. Of course it doesn't hurt that she has unlimited access to mommy's extensive designer-filled closet, either.

The other day, I came across this quote from Julia from an interview with the UK Times Online back in 2006. I found it extremely interesting, coming from her Parisian perspective. She says:

"Living in New York. I can dress pretty much how I want to and people are less judgmental than they are in France. In Paris, women have this very classic touch that perhaps some New Yorkers envy, but it is very, very conservative. People have such fun with their clothes here and they are open to new ideas."

Shall we say, the grass is always greener on the other side? I guess after all this time I've spent envying the innate stylish sensibility of the French, I should take a step back and appreciate the freedom that New Yorkers have in the way they express themselves through their sartorial choices. But I still wouldn't mind having the best of both worlds like Julia.

I've been eagerly waiting my entire life (well, since I was like 10) to attend Fashion Week, so this past NYC Fashion Week for the spring 2010 collections was quite a milestone. And the good news is, I survived! I've never understood how editors can complain about Fashion Week being so tiring and all, but after witnessing the madness first hand, I'd say I'm a bit more sympathetic after the fact. But then again, it's Fashion Week, baby! Most definitely the best week of the year. Now that I've had the weekend to recuperate from the craziness and exhaustion, it's finally time to recap the highlights. Ok, here we go:


The ultimate highlight of the week was most definitely sitting front row at the 3.1 Phillip Lim show for AmEx cardmembers with bestie Courtney Peterson (see photos above). Andre Leon Talley and Linda Fargo hosted and did a Q&A with Lim on the runway before the show began. The collection was beautiful, wearable, and very versatile; looks ranged from a red lizard print trench to a pair of lavender, sequined slouchy trousers that could double as pajamas, to disco ball sequined shorts, to a machine washable red pant suit. The dresses Lim showcased were works of art in themselves; each a unique creation composed of some combination of lace, rhinestones, sequins, tight knife pleats, and leather panels. My favorite look was a metallic bronze disco ball of a dress (or was it a jumpsuit?) Either way, it was swishy, sparkly, and fabulous. The only misstep (literally) came when one of the models who had been struggling to strut in her heels the entire time, finally collapsed during the run of show. Not only that, but she couldn't get up, until another model finally latched onto her arm and practically carried her backstage. Yikes. And did I spot Erin Lucas from The City, sitting above the front row? Double yikes. But all in all, another great collection from Phillip.


So let's backtrack a bit. The greatly anticipated first-ever Fashion's Night Out was of course an amazing kick-off to the week. I started my night at the M Missoni store in SoHo where I mingled and snacked on one too many candy colored mini macaroons from Paris with the amazing StyleCaster crew and Kelly Bensimon who joint hosted the event. Bravo was there filming the party for Real Housewives and I was asked to sign a release form...eek! Praying I get cut out of the final edit. After several hours of champagne and shopping, we picked up and headed over to the Vivienne Tam store to celebrate the launch of Tam's newly designed HP Digital Clutch and to promote StyleCaster's live stream of the Vivienne Tam runway show. There was so much partying going on on the streets of SoHo that I'm not sure anyone was actually shopping. I mean, shopping under the influence? Never a good idea.

Earlier in the week, I also got to interview Ted Gibson, Bobbi Brown, and Nonie Creme from Butter London who is super nice and totally British (always have a weakness for the Brits!). And Ted Gibson is absolutely adorable. Loved sitting next to editor-in-chief of Style Republic Magazine, Brittany Law, at the Gottex show and StyleCaster's Jessica Karcher at Anna Sui. Watching Natasha, Lily, Sasha, Chanel, and Jess Stam walk the catwalk in person was beyond amazing--Natasha is just as fierce as I always imagined her to be! Oh, and the safety pin details at Vena

Violet is associated with religion and spirituality. It is the darkest color on the color wheel. Positively, the qualities of violet are concentration, spiritual inspiration and insightful discernment. In fact, those attracted to this color often have artistic, creative and spiritual interests. The energy of violet has very much to do with inner searching and seeking of a deeper understanding. Because of its associations, it is not an easy color to wear for daily events. However, when carefully worn, it can add considerable distinction and deepness to the appearance.

Care needs to be taken in choosing the right shade to suit one´s own personal complexion. If you have very dark colorings, you will look better in a strong, primal violet. This will set of your own dark and expressive colorings beautifully. Apart from the primal shade, ash blonds and most brunettes will look superb in this hue, including all of it´s amazing shades, from lavender to lilac and muted purples. Natural redheads and brunettes with reddish highlights in their hair and warm complexions will look great in muted violets or indigo blues. The freckled blond person with a warm complexion will look superb in violet-blue hues.

Because of its religious connotations, it needs care when wearing this color effectively, unless you are working in a spiritual or artistic environment. In business, it can be a very good color to wear to suggest refinement and depth of thought. It should only be worn in smaller amounts: as an accent for a tie, scarf, belt or jewelry. People with darker complexions will look excellent and most dignified in pale, icy shades of violet for shirts or blouses. All shades of violet add a distinguished and elite quality to the appearance. The lighter the shades, the more they lose their religious connotation and can be worn more freely. All shades, pale and medium, will echo a composed, subtle and dignified quality. They are also good to wear if you wish to increase your own sense of value.

The Dolce and Gabbana brand and sunglasses are designed by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Their eyewear and fashionable items are known for their modern use of color and contemporary design. The other products and fashion items they design are; clothes, handbags, watches and even mobile phones.

Dolce & Gabbana has two main product lines, one known as: Dolce and Gabbana which is mainly luxurious items. This line is apparently more formal and looks at long-term trends rather than regular seasonal changes. The other line is known as D&G, which is more flashy or young trendsetting brand.

Dolce and Gabbana have the designer tag and are made in Italy. They are found in high end department stores around the globe and have store in Milan.

The brand name has gone from strength to strength and known worldwide.

But, it hasn't always been a easy ride for Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, as there has been a couple of advertising campaigns that have been labelled sexist and degrading to women. There is also alleged tax evasion from the Italian government, which got the pair and company a lot of media exposure.

All that talk aside, the Dolce and Gabbana fashion brand, states both sophistication and style and the sunglass collections are carefully crafted of high quality materials. Such as one model of eyewear, offers high durability titanium materials in the frame for a signature look.

The Dolce & Gabbana glasses are a high end design. Hollywood celebrities, rock stars and well known sportsman all over the world wear them. Brad Pitt has been spotted in his the Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses and they do look pretty cool, although is that Brad or the eyewear making them look good?

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have turned the idea of wearing dark glasses into something chic and pleasurable. Dolce and Gabbana glasses are among the most up-to-the-minute eyewear available anywhere. For the fashion conscious these sunglasses will leave just the right concept.

Don't you just love it when something you wear all the time suddenly becomes 'fashionable'? I feel so ahead of the curve, when really it's a mixture of dumb luck and consistent dressing. All these long skirts everywhere, i can have my pick from full, sleek, black, white, chiffon, cotton... All paired with a flat leather sandal. Long skirts are perfect for summer, what with their easy, breezy vibe. After seeing the Chloe show I'm on a search for the perfect white silk skirt, summery and sleek.

My question is, how much of this idea of Opium - of any perfume - is informed by the advertising campaigns that saturate our society? And, then, how much is informed by our own olfactory experience of the scent? Undoubtedly the exotic orientalism is present within Opium in the patchouli, the bergamot, the amber, the myrhh, but it begs the question whether the advertising images constantly reinforcing it through headscarves, reclining day beds, expensive silks and oriental patterns emphasised what was really just present. Similarly, do we identify Opium with sex because of the musk, the wood, the tobacco (favoured post-coital vice, one hears) and the earthy undertones, or because we've seen that Sophie Dahl ad, or the Kate Moss one, or the Maria-Carla Boscono one, where flesh is the currency and you're getting your money's worth.

With Opium, the kind of perfume where everyone has a story and just the merest whiff can take you reeling back to another time, I suppose the real question is why. It has been written that the reason Opium has such a potent effect is because when it was first released women wore far too much of it, soaking themselves in it and striding forth to conquer the world. The effect was nothing short of horrible, as Opium is worn by far too many people who really shouldn't wear it. And in large amounts you can only imagine the impact it would make. It's the kind of perfume that anecdotes surrounding entering lifts and being hit in the face with a huge wall of sticky scent are referring to.
I do bad things whilst wearing Opium. I sneak out of my house, I dance on tables, I flirt incessantly (which i never, never do), I fight with my friends. It's like the alpha female within me comes out to play, and I can't ward her off until the base notes, with their tobacco-y pungent-ness, die off. But do I do it because my brain is addled by the amber and I'm driven to all sorts of lip-biting insanity. Or do i do it because I've seen the advertisements, they've been absorbed into my subcobscious, and I'm forever trying to recreate that image (just as how Chanel number 5 drives me to a search for chic, and Stella by Stella McCartney inspires me to wear flirty little dresses and flash knowing little smiles). Or do I do it because I just want to, dammit?

Who knows. That's the mystery of Opium. I've written this whole blog post, and if you go home and spritz a little on you you're going to have a completely different experience to me. You'll smell things like Taragon and cloves, minty lily notes, and sticky honey. And then it begins. Well, enjoy the ride. Opium takes no prisoners.

With bleary eyes and under-your-breath curses you face the prospect of another working week. Oh the drudgery! Oh the tedium! Oh the... oooh is that your trench coat? You move aside hanger after hanger of spangly party dresses to reach the tan coat, grinning bewitchingly at you. You pull it off, surveying it carefully. It's been a long time since you wore a trench coat. Too long. You slip into it over your pyjamas and it just feels right. Perfect for now, with that crisp autumn breeze filtering through the windows. Quickly you find something suitably pastel-y and french to wear with it - pleated bow tie skirt, quirky patterned top, duck egg blue sweater and a fun necklace. A pair of wedges on your feet - you couldn't possibly broach the subject of wearing heels - although you think that maybe stilettos would look better. But as you look at yourself in the mirror you see that it all goes together. Remarkable. That's never happened before. Normally getting ready in the mornings is a chaotic rush as coffee spills, clothes are flung aside and your hair hangs limp to your shoulders. But the coffee is miraculously still in its cup and your hair has an uncharacteristic bounce. It must be the trench.
This top is major. And you never say that. But when you slip into this ruffled, ruched, scrunched, tired slip of a thing you can't help but feel very, very, cool. You pair it with a beautiful rich indigo denim skirt, a cool man's watch, various stringy bracelets, and lace up sandals. You're unsure about the jacket though. Blazer? Eh. Leather jacket? too much. Then you see the trench coat, flung over an arm chair after you got home yesterday. With its shroud of mystery and ineffable gallic charm you know it'll go perfectly with this outfit. You'll belt it up, and as you stride into the office fling it open to reveal that crazy cool top. Perfect. Or, if you were in paris... Parfait. Hah.
You succumbed. You bought a pair of thigh high boots. You don't really know what you were thinking, but it was something about that creamy faux leather and the way they scrunched up around your knees. They were adorable. And fierce. All at the same time. You decide to trial them on a night out, with a flimsy chiffon dress and some sparkly jewelry. You don't need a jacket, do you. You'll be inside all the time, and drinking too many bourbon and apple juices. As you get out of your apartment you feel that crisp chilly wind and you realise that you're going to be cold after all. You rush around your house searching for something to wear, watching the clock tick over until you are just a little bit fashionably late. Huh. It seems as if nothing goes with thigh high boots. Everything looks too sexy, too silly, too over the top. In a fit of desperation (and because you can't really be anymore late or else your friends will leave without you), you grab your trench coat and rush out the door. When you get to the bar your friends grin madly. 'Oh, don't you look chic!' One of them says as you untie your trench coat.
You love it when things don't quite go together. Checked skirt? A little bit 'to the manor born', but still good. Dusky pink crop top? a little bit 'flashdance' but still good. Shoe boots? A little bit last season, but you love them anyway. Chandelier earrings? a little bit too glamorous, but who cares. These things shouldn't work together, but when you add the classic trench coat, belted and sleeves rolled up, they do. They work like a charm. And the reason for that? The trench coat goes with everything. It's like that best friend who complements you perfectly. It goes with good moods and bad, good weather and bad, bright things, dark things, short things, long things. You could wear it all the time. And this week, it seems like you are.
You do love a good chanel 2.55 on a friday. There's something clever, so quietly ironic about wearing something so classic on the last day of the working week. It's like your thumbing the nose at the establishment and ringing in days of doing nothing but drinking espressos and reading proust. This outfit is perfect for a little TGIF party. You've got these velvet harem pants on that are so comfortable they might as well be pyjama pants. The comfort theme is extended with your cute as a button bow flats in a gorgeous emerald green. A sparkly cuff sets the whole thing off nicely. You swan around the office, trench coat billowing out behind you, like some fabulous heiress about to set off on a yacht somewhere glamorous. Instead you're going for fish and chips and a huge glass of beer once the day is done. But the trench coat makes it all so much better.
You're feeling very chic in this little french slip, suede pump with sparkly 'love' embellished on the toes and diamond necklace. You're off to a romantic dinner and you couldn't think of anything you'd rather way, and any other way you'd rather top it off, than this outfit and trench coat. It's sexy and sweet, and guaranteed to win hearts (and then some). You feel like some french ingenue with messy hair and a bag full of secrets, clutching the trench closed at the neck as you walk around early morning empty city streets. You feel like some fabulous thing, dressed to the nines, but still wearing something as flimsy as underwear. You feel... Oh dinner's here. Yum.

Another gorgeous woman, she is so feminine, sexy and elegant i adore her. Such an inspiration.
Check some pics of her at the Vanity Fair Party.

At first i didnt like her look at the Oscars, but then i saw her on a video and change my mind. The dress is nice and fits her well, its the hair that i am not sure about.

I have been seen lately a lot of pics of her, even thought some people really dislike her i do like what she wears sometimes and how she wears her hair and makeup.
What i dont like at all, are the pics when she is with Spencer, i even hate them sometimes.
People says she looks like a "fake" barbie, but i think she looks good, different from when she started, yes more done up but it still suits her.
I will post some pics of her so if you dont know her you can make your own opinion.