Shop in the mens section...what?!

But seriously...try it! You may be surprised at what you find. With a bold mindset and the help of some feminine accessories, dressing with masculine inspiration can be a fabulously unique choice. The mens section offers scads of great apparel from blazers and over sized sweaters to bold striped rugby polos. Mens watches are also a great thing to check out...why buy a "boyfriend" watch from the womens watch department when you can simply borrow your boyfriend's watch? The mens section offers a variety of enticing apparel, but be cognizant of how you put your "man inspired" outfits together. A great way to keep your feminine silhouette is to belt an over sized polo or t shirt and pair it with leggings. If you are going for a mens blazer or sweater, wear it with some tight fitting skinny jeans or jeggings (jean leggings) to balance out the volume of the top. Another great way to maintian your femininity while rocking the manly apparel is to throw on your favorite pair of pearl earrings or diamond studs. I love the contrast between a large mens top and the daintiness of a girly earring. There are so many possibilities!

A great thing about working the man inspired look is that there is a low probability of another girl showing up with the same shirt. We all want to avoid that dreaded exchange of looks you share with the girl across the room who is wearing the same ruffled blouse. Darnit! You were so excited to wear the cute new top that you spent your birthday money on. Another point to be made, women have the advantage of being able to work the opposite genders look...if a guy showed up wearing a dress we would all be very quizzical...so embrace this freedom and work that over sized oxford...you know you want to ;)

I'm back!

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, but junior year has managed to thoroughly consume my life. After a spring show and some serious AP tests, I am finally returning to late night virtual window shopping expeditions and the time I cherish with my fashion magazines :) But rather than rambling about my busy and exciting life I will write about the ever-enthralling world of fashion...after all, this is a fashion blog. So, a recent obsession of mine...the spring collection of shoes from Miu Miu. They are beautifully strong, yet feminine, and silky...and adorned with unexpected prints...and just oh so fabulous...and I really want a pair...and...the list goes on...(wow, I have a serious addiction to ellipses).

This masterpiece of Miu Miu brings me to another commentary. If you are looking for a great new accessory or shirt for spring, you can't go wrong with anything in the families of light pink, peach, and nude. They are my new favorite colors for spring and they are hot this year! Nude flats or pumps are an excellent addition to your shoe collection as they are oh so versatile, classy, and chic. There is a disclaimer though...make sure you chose a shade proper for your skin tone. Depending on how tan you are (or lack there of, like me) and what sort of undertones you have in your skin, some items will look great on you and some will look...well, simply put, terrible. If you have pink or red undertones and are a bit more light skinned, blushing nudes look great as they enhance your natural coloring. For more tan, olive-skinned people the options are much broader, but if you are tanned from a bottle, be aware of orange tones that accentuate your oompa loompa-ness (new word added to the Reed dictionary). I think that oompa loompas are a good note to end on...they are just so jolly and roly-poly (don't you just want to hug one?!).

Well, my friends, it feels good to be back...and don't worry, I will return soon :)

It always puts a smile on my face when style.com comes out with the new fashion shows :) Fall 2010 fashion week advances to Paris for the next few days, leaving me to quake in my shoes over what the Lanvin, Valentino and Chanel shows will be like. Having only seen a couple of the Milan shows and a slew of the New York shows, some strong trends are becoming apparent. This fall texture will be the new thing to note. The Prada show proved unique with it's ruffled busts and clashing rubber and knit ensembles. Giorgio Armani sent flowing velvet capes and colored furs down the runway, which brings me to another trend...furs galore. Colored Fur, fur skirts, and fur booties appeared on the runway, making a strong statement in the Michael Kors and Zac Posen collections. A third trend that stole the show was cocoon shapes. Calvin Klein exemplified this trend with strong neutrals and Jason Wu molded his models into soon-to-be butterflies, but with a more feminine flair.

I know this was an awfully short review of the fall 2010 collections but there will certainly be more to come, don't worry. I now must part with the keyboard, for my history textbook is calling my name.

ice upon my window

Every winter, the window in my bedroom grows ice crystals upon the glass. The formations created are indescribably beautiful and every day I come home to a new piece of mother nature's artwork. I have always been enthralled by the beauties of mother nature and yet again she has not ceased to amaze me. These crystals upon my window inspired me to put my pencil to paper and draw...a dominatrix ice princess. A sheer dress with a glittering crystal-like overlay, some sassy feathers around the hem, and a pair of don't-mess-with-me heels. All evoking the power of ice, in a modern way. Rather than rambling I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Strike a balance

Ah the wonderful world of accessories. From a simple beret to a statement bib necklace, there is so much to choose from when accessorizing an outfit. Some like to pile on the accessories and others prefer to wear none. Here is my philosophy, "never leave the house without accessorizing and always strike a balance". Though it may be tempting to put on your favorite pair of hoop earrings, pile on the bangles, and grab a studded clutch as you run out the door, does it really all work with your outfit? The answer is probably no. Some outfits work when they are intentionally over-accessorized, but most do not. Consider how bold your clothes are and work from there.

Though I do not advocate too many accessories, I always find that adding a little something to an outfit can make it transform from a "cute outfit" to a "great outfit". If you are wearing a simple t-shirt and skinny jeans a colorful headband and bold boyfriend watch can add a little pizazz. How about throwing on a pair of sparkly tights with your favorite dress for a fun night out. There is so much you can do with accessories. Embrace their beauty but be wary of their power. Have fun accessorizing!

My first post

This is so exciting! I am finally starting the blog that I have been dreaming about for weeks on end. To feel the keys under my fingers brings this weird sense of freedom...the freedom to say anything and everything. Now that my brain has finally morphed back into shape after being squished by finals week I feel ready to take on the world! Well...maybe not quite yet...but soon :)

So, to the content of this blog. Style, fashion and everything beautiful. That is what I plan to write about because that is what I live for. I thrive on the beauty of a flowing Bottega Veneta gown, the excitement of seeing the spring ready-to-wear collections for the first time, the inspiration that I get from the crystal ice formations on my window. It's all so irresistible. Now, you may be asking "a plum blazer...what?!" Well here is the background on the name of my blog. The color of deep plum and the versality of a great blazer...these are a few of my favorite things (did you just get The Sound of Music stuck in your head??). I have forever and always loved the color plum. It is the midnight sky. Mysterious, yet intriguing. And the other half of the name...blazer. I have an obsession with blazers. They come in a great variety of cuts, colors and styles. They can be dressed up or down. They can work with your favorite pair of skinny jeans or a cute mini dress. What is not to love about the perfect blazer?! So in the end, I decided to merge these two fabulous things and make it the name of my style blog. After doing this I realized how wrong it was that I didn't have a plum blazer in my closet...

More to come my friends!