Yesterday I tried on "jeggins"

Yesterday went to Saks Fifth Avenue , where there is a huge sale, as everybody knows. I decided to look through their racks again just in case if I missed something last time or they put a new product, plus they added 33% off of already reduced prices.
It’s really a shame to tell, but I tried on denim leggings, or how some people like to call them “jeggins”, only one time, two years ago, and tell you right away I was not thrilled with my look in them. I have pretty masculine legs and not big booty, so that time when I saw myself in that “jeggings” my thighs seemed too big, even kind of fat, though I was wearing size 0-2. Anyway I decided that this type of pants was definitely not for me and tried to avoid them since then. Don’t know why, maybe because of cute grey-purple acid wash, but I liked one pair of denim leggings in Saks so much, so I was willing to give them a try in the fitting room. And they were really cute! Nice hand-feel of fabric, great color palette, and exposed zippers on the sides – I totally loved them. And what a surprise – I loved them not only on the hanger, but on me too! Legs looked skinny and firm, booty looked fabulous! I would never thought, that I say that – I LOVED MYSELF IN “JEGGINS”. Later in the evening I was thinking “what was wrong with my first experience???” and finally understood – then, two years ago, pants were a bit long, they bunched up on the bottom, so made my ankle look thinner, but thighs bigger. Proportion was not right! And yesterday everything was just perfect – ankle length totally worked. What a great invention for me - I will not envy other people wearing super skinny jeans anymore, because I can wear them too! Because now I know that I need to look for cropped or at least ankle length pants of this fit, and everything will look great.
Honestly, the main moral of my post today not to go and try on “jeggins”, but try different things in general. And you know if it doesn’t work out for the first time, or even second time, don’t be lazy to try third time. Be logical and try to figure out what is wrong, then maybe you can find similar garment but without “bad“ features that you don’t need. Don’t take away from you another chance to look good and enjoy beautiful clothes!

Shoe Truth

It is almost the middle of the summer and stores are starting to fill up with new Fall/Winter Collections. We already discussed denim trends in following season, today it is shoes’ turn.
I love shoes, they are the best accessory, but also one of the most tricky. Better not to go wrong with them, otherwise your look could completely fail.
So what did designers decided to bring to us for cold part of the year? As usual variety is unbelievable! And it’s great not only because different people can pick different styles, but also the same person can pull up completely opposite looks. BTW, one time one girl told me “but if you sometimes dress so differently, it means that you don’t have your established style”, and it’s so wrong. To have style doesn’t mean to wear always the same stuff, but means ability to create assortment of looks with “your” featured buzz. So don’t hesitate to try bunch of different trends! You should be brave in fashion!
Especially in this 2010-2011 season. And now you’ll learn why. First of all, if talk about silhouettes, some of them are pretty extreme - over-the-knee, even thigh-high leggings boots and shoes with clog bottoms, military lace-up styles and sky-high heels and wedges! But also don’t forget to get lady-like classic pumps for your wardrobe, they are coming back very strong. Materials and details are not less flashy and interesting. Just imagine all-over-fur, colored patent and suede, a lot of lace, rhinestones, studs, exposed zippers. Leopard print took one of the hottest spots on the runways. So if you have some “wildness” left from last fall wear it again, if not – this should be on the top of your “shopping” list.

You can see yourself what I am talking about if check out some web-sites of leading designers. For example, Christian Louboutin , he is definitely one of the trendsetters, so you can absolutely trust his vision. And understand me right, you don’t have to shop only for shoes with a red bottom (though if you can afford it, please do it – his shoes are awesome!), but take an idea and let it lead you in your shopping.
Hope you find this post useful for you! Enjoy shopping and some beautiful shoes!


This is my last shoe purchase...

Weekend Shopping Report.

Everybody knows that it is a sale season – the best time to fill gaps in your wardrobe. And passed weekend my husband and I decided to accomplish this important task.
First stop in our shopping trip was Nordstrom. Women’s sale was already gone (but of course I haven’t missed it) so we headed to men’s section, where we found couple of cool t-shirts (average price $25), shorts and awesome shoes with 33% discount. Black patent leather D&G shoes with white shoestrings and white bottom - super stylish and sophisticated. But God safes you from wearing with Dolce & Gabbana matching jacket (we found one on the rack couple feet away)! You can buy it if you love it so much – but NEVER EVER (!!!) wear it together with the same line matching shoes.

The next on our way was Guess? store. I really love this brand style – very edgy, noticeable in crowd. Black sparkly shoes ($40) and black faux suede flip-flops with rhinestones ($25) were my finds.Don’t you think these shoes will look fantastic with pair of jeans and simple tank, or nice silk or shiny top for more festive look? Trust me, times when you could wear sparkles to party or to club passed long time ago, now it’s a great way to freshen up casual outfit.
As for flip-flops, I think, every woman should have nice pair to wear it to festivals (that happen so often in Chicago), concerts or maybe to run to next door grocery store. But again – nice flip-flops, not rubber ones, that are appropriate only on the beach.

Saks Fifth Avenue visit was very successful too. They just put additional 33% off of already reduced prices. So we bought great almost $200 pair of men’s jeans for $95, and it was already with taxes. And believe me, there was a lot to choose from, starting from scarves and t-shirts to jackets and shoes.

$29 dress in Express was a lucky purchase too! Nice quality and fit, fantastic color and really stylish silhouette – what could you possibly want more?! And $29!!! Great price! But nobody will be able to say that it was so cheap (except you, because I told you). Wear it with skinny black belt that goes with dress originally, black shoes and bold accessories to create chick look, or leave belt at home and pair dress with gold or white accessories and shoes – you are ready to go to any cool party!

And don’t forget to find perfect underwear for all your new stuff – in Victoria’s Secret all sale bras are $15.99 and all sale panties are $2.99. And their cosmetics is 75% off!!! I was actually very pleasantly surprised with its very good quality (never used VS cosmetics before).

Sale time is coming to its end, so it means that discount is maximized pretty much everywhere. Hurry up – you still have couple of days to find your awesome deals!

Find your style in denim

Do you want cool pair of jeans, but don’t know what to buy? Let’s figure out what’s “hot” in following season.
Must admit variety of designs is really awesome, everybody will find something close to heart. For classy look choose trouser jeans with pleats. They compliment any figure and look very sophisticated. Tight skinny jeans haven’t gone anywhere too, so if you have nice booty and beautiful legs – this will be your pair. With already mentioned silhouettes loose boyfriend fit and wide leg styles are extremely trendy in Fall/Winter 2010. Don’t forget about roll hems for creating relaxed feel.
Assortment of washes is definitely not less, if not more. Acid washes and light blue tie die stand in the same fashion row with dark colors and even pure indigo. Coated denim is very popular too, and btw doesn’t matter shiny or matte. The most extreme looks are in patchwork style, great find for brave fashionistas.
Denim dress “shines” on the runways for another season – tight fitted silhouettes and shirt dresses with wrap belts will absolutely bring nice feature to your wardrobe. Wear them with boots or high heels, bold jewelry and fun printed scarves. Treat it like a dress, not just like denim dress.
If you look at last denim collections you’ll notice right away – denim is very flashy. A lot of rhinestones, embroidery, beading, distressing and how I already mentioned patchwork.

Good luck in finding perfect pair! Don’t forget that the most important is fit and right size, otherwise even the coolest jeans will be a bad favor.

Perfect example of last trends
combination in one pair of jeans: wide leg, light wash, trouser pockets and embroidery on the waist band.

Summer Nails. And not only summer.

Doesn’t matter how awesome your outfit is, bad mani-pedi can spoil your look pretty dramatically, when at the same time simple one will shine with taken care of and beautiful nails. And summer is the best time to show them off!

Fun colors are the best friends of this time of the year, and not only in clothes and accessories, in nails too. This season the most popular ones are warm colorful pastels that nature herself gives you, like fruity shades of peach, green apple or pear or flowerish rose and lavender like in essie nail lacquers collection . Match them to your outfit or do funky contrast like juicy pink dress with salad nails – looks very fresh and stylish. Of course don’t forget about nudes, but darker, like wet sand or lava rock. Actually opaque grey is one of the leaders of the season, but again don’t choose too light or too dark grey, pick a perfect middle. All shades of water from light blue to turquoise are also very popular – wear them with whites or similar colors of outfit.
French manicure of course is on track too, but a bit upgraded. If you want to look trendy then pull up the craziest combinations of the colors as you just can imagine. It’s a complete freedom here. Do classic nudes with dark tips, or dark background with metallic (such manicures will perfectly work for the office or night out in the nice restaurant), and the most funky one - clear nail will neon tips! Mix how you want, just don’t forget that colors of the nail and tip should be contrasting.
What do you think about nail art? Must admit it lost its vibe a bit in last couple of years, but still sometimes it’s cool and fun to get some extra beauty for your nails. Go to salon to professionals or do it yourself at home with a special Nail Art kit (you’ll find them in any Walgreens). The main rule is to have fun!

And now it’s time for mani-pedi! Enjoy!

Online deals: how to do it right

To be honest, I was introduced to online shopping only in US for the first time. In Russia it’s not a big practice at all: if you want to buy something - go to store, doesn’t matter if it’s clothes, tech or cosmetics. I don’t know why it is like that, but it is what it is. And I, of course, at the beginning was very suspicious about internet shopping, but sometimes (actually very often) it’s just impossible not to do it this way! Online you can find everything and for a very good price. Amount of bargain web-sites is crazy huge (some of them are listed in “web-sites I love”). You can buy there everything, from towels and kitchen knives to designer clothes and accessories. And really variety of brands (btw, in completely different price range) is great too. No wonder that I really got into online shopping. “My place” – is ideeli.com, where I made my first interactive clothing purchase, then it were sunglasses, shoes and etc. So what can you buy on-line pretty much without any risk? And I don’t mean that you stuck with stuff that you already ordered even if it doesn’t suit you. Of course, you can send it back, but it’s kind of pain in the butt and very disappointing too… I would say that T-Shirts, sweaters and cardigans are very safe categories, even if you never worn that particular brand before. Accessories, bags, tech and things for home – no brainer, will absolutely work! Dresses, shoes, sunglasses and underwear –mmm… not so much. Dresses are one of the most difficult parts, especially very structured ones. It’s actually amazing how pretty much impossible to guess how it will fit you, if it’s going to be good on your boobs or not wide in the waist… But you definitely can try to find this piece in the store near you and try it on to avoid mistake. Most of the web-sites give “coming soon” list, so you’ll have time to prepare to sale event. The same with shoes – buy it only if you exactly know YOUR SIZE in THIS EXACT BRAND. I bought my Marc by Marc Jacobs flats online knowing exactly that I needed 37. Sunglasses usually are not eligible for return, so you should be very careful buying them too. Figure out right shape and size for you, or try on similar pairs in the store before ordering. I was following these rules and now super happy with my shades (got them 85% off!!!).
Online shopping is awesome, very fun and definitely safes you some money. But still don’t forget a pleasure of going to store, trying on and checking out every thread! And plus it’s A SALE TIME NOW!!!

It's me with my girl Coco
wearing my first online steal "Till the End" Cardigan for $19.

Zebra and Leopard – tacky?

Of course in this post we will talk not only about zebra and leopard, but all animal and reptile prints, including snake, crocodile, tiger, pony and etc. Do you like animal prints? I love them! The secret is to love not too much. We don’t need to look like a crazy zoo!
So you can have some jungles in your shoes or accessories and of course clothing. Here are some basic rules that will help you to be smart wearing it.
1. Rule of not matching shoes and purse works the best in this case. With cheetah pumps, for example, will go nice black or white bag, BUT NOT CHEETAH! You can maybe have an earings or scarf of the same pattern, but, please, not more! I would say that the whole outfit should be of solid colors.
2. “Wild” jewelry looks very nice and chic, and the best that it doesn’t have to match your outfit. Just imagine - red dress, white shoes and tote and zebra cuff! Of course the same combination would work with a black dress, but with white one I would already add, for example, yellow shoes and yellow belt.
3. Animal print clothing is very edgy, but again – you need to be careful. This print should be only in one piece! If it’s a dress – accessories should be solids (leopard dress with red splash, for example)! If it’s a top or skirt – second item and accessories are plain again!
4. If talk about colors that you're going to wear with animal prints I advice to choose contrast ones, like deep green snake will look amazing with gold or silver; zebra - with turquoise, red, yellow, orange; leopard – with red or hot pink and etc. Black, of course, goes pretty much with everything…
Yesterday my husband asked me if all this “spots and stripes” are old story and not in trend anymore. Absolutely not true! Check out, for example, last Collections of Gucci or Cavalli , and you’ll see what I am talking about. And though I have a T-Shirt “Zebra is in, Leopard is out”, it’s not more than a joke.
Zebra and Leopard are not tacky, they are extravagant!

Fashion Salvation

Y.E.S! 3d annual fashion show Fashion Salvation was held yesterday on June 16th in Salvage One on Hubbard. This event was benefiting Chicago Dress for Success – organization that helps low-income women to build their career, not only providing with professional clothes, like suits, but also having a number of coaching and mentoring programs. 100% of money made from selling tickets and silent auction was donated to this organization.

Show was featured by boutique Bonnie & Clyde and designers AGGA B. and Marisa Swystun . They introduced three completely different trends for this season. Bonnie & Clyde’s looks were very exaggerated: super skinny pants with lose long tops on both men and women, long wide skirts with fitted jackets, massive shoes or boots with studs, absolute tendency of grey, black and white. Outfits of “I don’t care how I look – I care too much” kind.

Marisa showed collection of beautiful dresses with great color contrasts, in combination of fabrics, patterns and details. Solid pieces were completed with big gorgeous embroideries and nice accessories. Mixes of orange, white, black and blue were striking! Very classic, but at the same time edgy.
AGGA B. gave us feel of luxury and chic of 90s – wide sharp shoulders, shiny materials and lots of sparkles. Doesn’t matter, even if it is a swimwear. Wear it with bold accessories and high heels. “Be always fabulous” this line was “screaming”!
You pick what of these trends is better for you, or try a little bit of each!

P.S. Enjoyed yesterday show very much! Thanks everybody!

How to wear flats?

How to wear flats?
Some of you will probably say: “What do you mean? Just put them on and go!” I wish everything was so easy… At the same time when the simplest heels make your look more polished, flats can take away a lot from an outfit – they really can mess up proportions or simplify your look ,they are just cute, but not more… But there are couple of tips how to avoid these problems.
First you can make your shoes a center of attention. Of course they should be very cool and noticeable, maybe even fun, like Topshop’s Victoria Face flats ($40) - Beyonce got “look of the day” in InStyle Magazine , wearing them with a nice floral dress. BTW, ask you to notice, though both pieces are in romantic tone, dress is ultra-classic and shoes are absolutely not, but this style mix works just perfectly, adding visual interest. Just don’t forget that your SHOES should be flashy, but not everything, we don’t need ADD on our bodies.
Another option is to put together outfit which dominates shoes a lot. Here I am talking about brave designs, bright colors, interesting patterns and shine (not only in clothes, but accessories too!!!) with plain flats. And again don’t be afraid to mix styles – it will make your look only edgier!
And the last thing – be careful with proportions! Flats go the best with cropped pants (long one’s leave for heels), nice flowy dresses and skirts or pair of cute walking shorts.

I own a pair of flats, they really save me when my feet can’t take pumps anymore! And they so cute!

Enjoy your perfect pair!

Where to find a perfect dress...

What do you think makes every woman look very special and absolutely amazing? Yes, you are right – great dress! Dress that accentuates beauty of your body, skin tone and color of your eyes. There are plenty of them in stores nowadays, but it is still pretty challenging to find The One, right for you…
So yesterday my husband and I spent several hours on Michigan Ave., trying to find a pair of white shoes for me, what actually was much more difficult that we thought it would be. And of course we were checking out not only shoe stores. Must confess I have a little bit of obsession with dresses (have 38 in my closet). Even being very open to different styles, colors and patterns, I am still very picky. I had “my” stores in Russia, where I was buying my dresses and to be honest haven’t really found such places here in US yet. So we went to the mall on 900 N. Michigan Ave., where we visited Karen Millen store, and my husband, who has never been there, was just blown away with their clothes, dresses in particular. And they are definitely gorgeous! Fabrics and quality in general are fantastic, designs are unbelievable and fits that couldn’t be better! They shape you like a plastic surgeon. And really there you can find a dress for any occasion you want and can be sure you’ll look fabulous! Another very pleasant and actually very important detail - very reasonable prices, in average about $300 for a stunning gown. Very friendly staff will help you to find exactly what you need, will give you advice about shoes and even underwear to wear it with.
I will definitely be a good customer of this store, thanks God, my husband likes it too!

Dress for Success

Have you ever thought that success and how you dress are tied very closely? Have you ever thought that your look can have unbelievable influence on your career? If not, that you should start to think about that. Because it really takes place.
So today I went to one event that reminded me all about this – it was night with Nicole Williams about her new book “Girl on Top” and about how you can be this girl on top (and boy too, BTW). With the help of fashion of course. I was listening to her and thinking how right she was. No matter how smart and talented you are the first impression is everything. The way you look positions you very clear, immediately create an attitude to you. And it’s not because our now days world is decaying, how some people would say, It’s not because everybody value image more than your insight, no, but it’s just normal mechanism of perception and forming opinion about person just visually without any extra information. And another point that really got my attention was that you have to look good not only at work or in important meetings, but everywhere and always – on Sunday BBQ, in a grocery store or on the walk with your dog. Who knows where you will meet people that will change your life… And you know what - you don’t even have to spend ton of money to look great. Today’s event was at Limited in Water Tower Place and they had very nice business style pieces, that you can wear to office, or pair them with romantic cardigan and cute jewelry and you are ready to go to date! Just always remember – clothes you wear should be appropriate: don’t wear cocktail dress to picnic or pair of cutoff shorts and T-Shirt to work (only if you don’t work at beach bar) and you will definitely reach success that you want!

Are Rain Boots fashionable?

It is a very good question… At least for me. They look very cute on young college girls, with their unique funky style, but would they be good for me, still young, but already married, having my own business woman? I know that pretty much everybody, starting from Chanel to Payless shoes, make rain boots now, and must admit that variety of designs, forms and patterns is really amazing, but still I was not sure that I wanted to wear them.
So, when we moved to Chicago with its very often rainy weather, my husband was talking about purchasing rain boots all the time and finally after one and a half months I surrendered! We went to the Marc by Marc Jacobs store on Damen Ave. and bought pair of bright turquoise boots for $28. To be honest, it was the price that sold me, not a big deal, even if I wear them only on walks with my dog. But after since that day my opinion has dramatically changed. First of all they are not hot as I thought they would be, so you can wear them even in summer days, when it’s rainy and chilly, and secondly, they look awesome! Yes they do! Of course you need to come up with the idea of nice outfit, but it’s not that difficult. Just wear a scarf of the same color, or matching top or skirt, and I guarantee you will look fabulous! Much better than in falling apart wet leather shoes. You can wear them with a floral dress and warm knit cardigan or with a pair of skinny jeans and T-Shirt, with a raincoat (on a leg in opaque tights) or denim shorts and a jacket (on bare leg or with legwarmers). And here is the answer to our question – rain boots are not just a good way to save your nice shoes from being ruined, but they are definitely a fashion statement by themselves.



Today was a rainy day again and I was so happy to wear my rubber boots – felt completely waterproof and beautiful (got couple of compliments on them)! Thinking about buying another pair of different color!

Happy to start!

Hello my name is Lena and I am very happy to start my blog today. Will tell you right away – expect ton of mistakes and not perfect English… My native language is Russian and I’ve been living in US for ten month, so as you understand sometimes I have problems with English, but I’ll do my best to make this blog interesting and easy to read for you.
I am a personal style consultant, so my blog will be about fashion, style and beauty. Really hope you’ll find something useful and interesting for you, doesn’t matter if you are fashion guru or just started to get into it. We’ll discuss the newest trends, old tips (if somebody doesn’t know them), stores and web-sites to shop, sales, designers, cosmetics and everything else that will help all of us to look great. I’ll be sharing my last purchases with you and you can do it you too – just send a picture on my e-mail elenza@bk.ru and will think together how to create gorgeous outfit with this item.
Sure will have a lot of fun together!
See you!