Fashion For Real People

Fall is coming up soon and I have already my eyes on the perfect leather skirt: mini skirt, pleated skirt, pencil skirt you name it. This Fall we are in luck with the many designs for leather skirts. I still don't know which style I want to get so I gathered some of the designs which caught my eyes. Which one should I get? And how should I wear it?

The Corner Raoul Brown Pencil Leather // Malene Birger Black Leather Skirt // Red Diane Von Furstenberg Leather // Topshop Leather Skirt // Celine pleated skirt // Celine Vintage Skirt

TIPS on how to wear leather skirts: There are plenty of cute leather skirt outfits, ranging from a simple white tee paired with a brown leather pencil skirt, or a black turtle neck sweater with a pleated black leather skirt. The great thing about these looks is that they are long lasting fashion trends.

leather skirts by fashion4realpeople featuring rubber boots

I am already thinking Fall Fashion. So half of my brain wants to wear black leather, the other half wants aqua summer colors. I know it does not make any sense. Currently, those are some of the items I am loving. I bought the vase after extensive searching. It is the most beautiful vase I ever had.

If you have followed my blog you also know that I am become quite obsessed with Malene Birger, who is a Danish fashion designer but she also sells fragrant candles (Mimosa). I would describe her style as Urban style meets Miami. It is versatile for people who both live in big cities like London or New York or summer hot cities like Miami or Orlando. I am obsessed with her and hope to see her opening stores in the U.S. You can read and view more on why I love her on my previous post on "how to pack for Miami."

Cole Haan shoes; bag ModCloth; T-shirt; Lanvin Boots; glasses Madewell; Leather skirt Burberry; Vase Anthropologie; and candle by Malene Birger.

Please follow me on google if you like to receive tips on fashion, versatile looks for all type of women.
And if you have fashion questions let me know.

1950s clothing: Vintage Clothing

**I update this article every month to provide links to current 1950s online clothes. So bookmark this page and come back each month.

One of my favorite shows is Mad Men. I enjoy the historical aspect of the show, the fact that it revolves around an advertising agency, the progression of gender disparities and of course the retro fashion, style, and clothing.

I have always been fascinating with dresses from the late 50s and early '60s due to growing up observing my grandmother. She was beautiful and so fashionable with her high waisted skirts and big cat sunglasses. But a question remained through all these years, "Where can I find vintage clothing?", "Where can I find 1950s clothes?"

I wanted to put together a list of (online) stores for people like me who love the 1950s style and have been trying to find a way to get that look. It is not easy. Vintage stores might have some left over dresses but the condition might not be worth the buy. Selected boutiques can be very expensive and most of the new replicas are garbage. Here where I was able to find some of my looks. Let me know if you agree by leaving a comment at the end of this post.

1950s Fashion, Style, clothing: Vintage Clothing Shop Online

ModCloth: Modcloth provides new clothes with a vintage look. The clothes are affordable too. I have not bought anything from them yet so I can't comment on the quality. The only dress I really wanted from them was sold out, but this one below is so Betty Draper. I could see adding some modern accessories for a fresh look. You can buy this retro look here.

MadCloth: Inspired by Betty from Mad Men.

Ebay: (vintage clothing online) No introduction here, but if you have patient Ebay is a gem for vintage clothes. For Ebay I like to use the Save Search feature. I search by designer if I know the designer focuses on 1950s dresses or I try to do a more general search like "1950s evening dress." For dresses on Ebay inspect the item careful and buy from sellers who have 100% positive feedback. The dress below is a 1950s dress in silk. It has defects that can be fixed easily. You can buy this retro dress here.

Ebay 1950s dress silk

Nine West: I just bought a new 1950s inspired dress made by Nine West at Marshalls. I always associated Nine West to shoes, but apparently they make clothes too. You can find their dresses at Macys, Marshalls, and Dillards. They do not focus on 1950s style so you might need to search on-line. I was really lucky I think, but this is the dress I bought for just $29. What a deal for a dress.

Banana Republic: Few months (Fall 2014) ago Banana Republic launched a line inspired by Mad Men. To tell you the truth it was not that great. I think they missed out on the perception of people around fashion from that period. I think women wanted Betty Draper's style or Joan. But 10 years ago I got the most beautiful 1950s dress at Banana Republic. I wear it for very special occasions. It was absolutely the most beautiful dress I have ever seen in a store. And again it was only $34.

Dress by Banana Republic $34

Vintageous is the most inclusive online vintage store with beautiful dresses and glasses. If you see something you like buy it because items won't last on that site. You also need to measure yourself because 1950s dresses did not use the same sizes. many dresses were customized.

Green Dress

Currently those are my finding in the vintage or 1950s inspired fashion:

Etsy

Valentino Dress

SheInside $30

Temperly London

My suggestion in terms of finding vintage inspired or vintage 1950s dresses is to start with big department stores such as Dillards, Marshalls, Nordstrom, Macys, Rinascente, Ross, etc. because you can get an understanding of what it is trendy and available at the moment and what lines are easy to find.

The clean cuts of the 1950s are definitely back in style and I find many brands including Gianni Bini, and Antonio Melani bringing back the style. The search for the perfect 1950 look requires time and luck at times. I also start my research online on Ebay and Etsy just to get an idea of how big the inventory is out there. There is no reason to spend too much money on this style. All my best dresses were under $50 and I was not even looking for that style:)

For more tips subscribe to my blog and follow me (right side of the page).

Ho deciso di scrivere almeno una volta in italiano e per un argomento che mi hanno chiesto alcune delle lettrici. Si tratta di un argomento comune, cosa indossare per un compleanno. Bhe dipende. Dipende dall'eta' sia tua o del festeggiato, dal locale dove il compleanno si terra', etc. Certamente se il compleanno tiene luogo in un rustico in campagna i tacchi alti 10 cm non sono adatti. Evitiamo di cadere nei poggi e finire su youtube:)

Ma se vogliamo andare sul sicuro ecco alcune scelte tutte molto diverse per rappresentare la grande varieta' di scelta e la vostra personalita'.

Compleanno eta` 30-45

Inspirazione: Essere sicuri di se'

Link alla foto

Foto Baazar

Quando si giunge ai 30 anni non abbiamo bisogno di nasconderci con maglioni larghi, jeans e scarpe sempre basse. Siamo giunti ai 30 anni e siamo probabilmente piu` sicure del nostro corpo, della nostra mente. Mostriamolo. A questo punto "You own yourself." Per me un 'must have' dopo i 30 anni sono i tacchi. Non esco mai senza un bel paio di scarpe con i tacchi.

Compleanno 18 anni

Inspirazione: Simpatico e fresco

Link alla foto originale

Avete 18 anni, potete veramente indossare di tutto. Basta guardare Miley Cyrus. Il suo stile certamente non starebbe bene ad una di 40 anni (a parte forse Pink). Vi potete sbizzarrire, ma se conoscete la mia pagine di Facebook saprete che mi piace un gusto alla Grace Kelly con un tono moderno.

Compleanno in Famiglia

Inspirazione: J.Crew

J.Crew

Compleanni in famiglia sono impegnativi. Si mangia, beve, poi si mangia ancora, e poi si beve, e poi tutti sul divano. Jeans e maglietta sono invincibili, ma possiamo anche usare delle gonnelline o vestitini ariosi. Optate per delle scarpe basse: sandali o ballerine. Vogliamo essere comode per le tante ore passate a mangiare.

Grazie e non dimenticate di subscribe e seguire il mio blog.

I bought my first pair of print pants when I was 12. They were leggings with big bold blue flowers on a white background. I thought they were the coolest pants ever, but looking back at those pictures I might have exaggerated pairing them with a matching giant t-shirt. Few years ago I bought floral jeans with small pink roses on a washed denim. I love those jeans and wear them all the times. Spring 2013 has brought us back a variety of prints on skirts or pants. J. Crew has let us fall in love with their silk print pants and Dolce e Gabbana made floral skirts sexy.

Here some of the highlights of Spring items that carried over Summer. Mix and Match as you like. I think fashion has told us that mixing different patterns is OK, which I am so found of wince I have always done it, without worried about what was in or out at the moment. Might have not always worked but whatever, right?

Top Sheinside; Sweater Sheinside; Top Sheinside; Pants J.Crew; Skirt Erdem; Maison Martin shoes; Uncovet bag

In terms of price, the items range from as low as $23 to $536. Sheinside is a great website for trendy items at a really low price. I try to invest in few high quality items and then save on items that are trendy this season but will most likely die in the upcoming year. I will take real silk any day over polyester, but of course I can't always afford good quality.

Some of the other items I wanted to share with you are:

SheInside at $32

Sheinside top $27

What I love about getting in touch with other fashion bloggers around the world is the opportunity to learn about new designers, new shopping websites, and new inspiration to my own style.

Daniel Footwear is one of those sites I discovered through my connections with other fashion blogs/bloggers. If you are familiar to Zappos and you shop regularly on this site, then you will find Daniel Footwear to be your new best friend. There are few major differences between Zappos and Daniel Footwear that in my opinion make Daniel F. better than Zappos.

1. User friendly website: Their website is easy to navigate. I can't stand poorly designed websites, which as a result take me forever to find products or even worse when you get to a dead end. Please really take a look at the Home Page of this site. I love the fact that everything is on the main page yet it is not confusing. It is well categorized by using different graphic or features, yet it is coherent with the overall theme. I know, I am a big tech nerd, but a product no matter how cool it is, if it is sold on a website that is poorly designed it will not sell, at least not to me. And that is the reason why I never shopped at Zappos. Beside the fact that it looks cheap and the content is overwhelming. I just bounce right away.

2. Daniel Footer also has store locations throughout UK. Sorry U.S. viewers, we are not that lucky.

3. The site offers great deals for designers shoes. To validate their special prices they have a policy similar to many American retail stores: If you find the same product they sell at a different store cheaper, they will match the lowest price.

4. They strive to provide quality and authenticity by proving tips on how to spot counterfeit UGG. This is important to me because I never feel comfortable buying certain brands online due to the proliferation of fake items.

5. They have special reward programs.

But let's get to the fashion style. What brands do they carry and which one I am putting on my wish list? I have selected some of the items I liked most on their site.

Flip flops by Melissa; casual shoes by Ash; flat sandals by Camper; flat pink sandals by Melissa;

Animal print stilettos by Michael Kors; Nude high heels shoes by See by Chloe; Black purse by Chanel; and White purse by Sienna Collection.

I do like funky shoes. It is the one thing I go crazy and unusual like the See by Chloe shoes. Hope you will check the site out http://bit.ly/11KkBu9 and let me know what you think.

I have been wanting to blog about this topic for a while now. I go to Jacksonville for shopping on occasion because you can get local alternative boutiques, as well as the typical outdoor mall. I want to share with you my favorite stores. Many of these places have been suggested by my good friend Hilary. She is originally from Jacksonville but now she is in Colorado. I guess an excuse to go visit her and see what' s up with the fashion over there. 5 POINTS As far as I observed Jacksonville is divided in many small suburban downtown that remind you of 1950s architecture. These areas have been renovated becoming hip and trendy. 5 Points is a collection of vintage and local boutiques as well as few new buildings by the river side. There are really good restaurants including my favorite, which is the Black Sheep, a mixture of local and organic dishes.

So far my favorite shopping store is Violet on 1007 Park Street. Some of the brands they carry are Tocca, Votivo, 4 Love & Liberty, Antica Farmacista, and Johnny Was. As you can imagine from some of the brands the prices are not cheap, but everything they have is high quality, selected to be the latest trend and just hip and cool. Plus, you will not find some of these brands elsewhere, so you are getting something special and unique. At least in terms of clothes. They also carry selected items for toddlers, which are just adorable. You can end up finding something for the house, for you, and for your friends.

The other place in 5 Points that I adore is a giant used/antique store. get ready to spend hours inside because there is so much to see. Their prices vary but I got a ring for just $5 and a silver plate for $4. I can't remember the name but it is right next to a crystal /infuse store.

St. Johns Town Center

What to say about this mall beside that it offers both luxurious shopping and on a budget shopping. Depending from the way you come in, you will see Louis Vuitton, Pottery Barn, Cole Haan to end up on the opposite side looking for bargains at Ross and Target. This is a place to hang out with your family or if you know which stores you want to nail down. I usually stop at each single home decor stores and then I run to Anthropopologie, Urban Outfitters, and Cole Haan. What this mall fails to have is Zara (still not in Jax) and H&M (which is at a different mall).

I have been wanting to show you the shoes I bought when I went to Jacksonville at Cole Haan. I did not know about Cole Haan, until my husband pointed out. I loved everything they had but bought these shoes because they were different (look at the heel), nude/white for work, comfortable and on sale. If you don't own a pair of Cole Haan shame on you. They are the most comfortable shoes you will ever wear. And that is because apparently Cole Haan was owned by Nike until 2012 or so. You can read more about it here. I wear these shoes everywhere. Now I just need 25 more pairs from Cole Haan and I am set.

I hope this was helpful and let me know if you check any of these places.

It is that time of the year: sales or saldi. Major brands offer 70% off their Spring collection.
I did some research and spent some time looking for some items that are on sale. Since I am in Tallahassee and shopping is limited I surfed the Internet for brands that offer online shopping. Here what I found.

1. BCBG hat; 2. Neutrogena sunblock lotion; 3. Zara t-shirt; 4. Zara clutch; 5. Swimsuit by Fashion Union; 6. Dress by Society of Chic; 7. Zara skirt; Valentino shoes; 8. Object Collector Item Bag.

Yesterday I spent all day trying to shop in Tallahassee. I visited few stores that had never disappointed me but yesterday it was one of these days that I just could not find anything. Everything was old and just bad. The sale associates at one of the sunglasses stores was trying to sell me a pair of Prada sunglasses (the latest arrival based on what she said) that were IN last summer. I did not buy anything, which is probably better. I can save money anyway, but it is just the unsatisfaction left that bothers me. I wonder if other people feel the same way or I just fell into the club of shopaholic. Though you need to shop to be part of the club, right?

Please don't forget to follow this blog through Google Followers or Facebook. Happy Sunday.

As I write this entry I am sitting at the airport of Tallahassee. My flight has been delayed 45 minutes or more. It becomes to be common for flights to be overbooked or cancelled. I am not a lucky traveler. I have been stuck at airports many times and it has not been pleasant. This prompted me to write about what to wear on a plane ride.

Business traveling:

You don't have much flexibility here. I just worked all day and came to the airport. Although here some of the items:

Banana Republic Light wool Blazer $198 (unless on sale)

1. Suit (I say the blazer light wool because of the air conditioning); comfortable shoes with heels like Cole Haan; 3. Tank top underneath a short sleeve blouse; 4. a carry on with heels; and a carry on for your laptop stuffed with documents, cell phones, credit cards, cash, tissues and beauty-case. Not the most comfortable compared to PJ but it works. Jackets also keep you warm and professional. I always freeze on the plane or at airports so having layers help me to get cold sweats. Don't you hate that?

Cole Haan are the most comfortable shoes. They partnered with Nike providing special cushion so your feet don't hurt after one hour or so. Those are the perfect shoes if you still want to wear trendy heels. If you will ever notice many professional people wear Cole Haan.

This bag is from Coach (see above for link) but you can really get any bags even cheaper to stuff your documents and laptop. I bought one for $19 at Marshalls and I am just obsessed with it.

Pleasure traveling:

1. a white tee; 2. baggy jeans not skinny jeans, especially for long trips; 3. a long cashmere sweater; 4. a pashmina; 5. flat shoes bigger than your usual shoes (your feet get swallon on the plane); 6. a pair of socks; 7. pack in your carry on a PJ bottom like Victoria's Secret comfortable sweat pants (you will thank me later); 8. a change of underwear and tank top (in case your flight is cancelled).

J Brand Jeans. I would not pick this color necessarily for traveling but the style. Something comfortable when you have to sit for many hours. Dark colors are better in case you get stains.

The Row Sweater. I always get cold on the plane. So I would suggest anyone to wear layers and pack a good warm sweater. Leather jackets are also good.

Make sure you drink a lot of water and pack an hydrating facial mask.

Hope this was helpful and happy traveling!

It goes like that...
Sometimes you ended up with the best job you can dream off and you get to do amazing things. That is what happened last weekend. Visit Florida sponsored the IheartRadio Ultimate Pool Party at the Fontaine bleau in Miami, FL. I was part of the social media team of Visit Florida and got to help with many different things during the event, from attending social events with bloggers, to manage models hired to engage with the audience, etc. I think I probably slept 3 to 4 hours in two days. It definitely was hard work. You are not an attendee you are working and you need to make sure that you are meeting goals, that people are having a blast in Florida.

There were many celebrities performing during the day and night including Ke$ha, Jason Derulo, IconPop, Pitbull (amazing), Afro Jack and so on. I have never seen so many people of all ages having fun, enjoying a mix of relaxation provided by the lounges by the pool and excitement provided by live music by the pool. I mean, what more do you need when you are on vacation?

It was definitely a great experience for me for many levels and I am glad I got to engage with people from all around the world. I love to hear how much people love Florida because it makes my job very special. All the efforts made in the office pay off and that is very rewarding as a young professional person.

I want to share some pictures taken during the event. Also let me point out that what I write is my personal opinion and not associated to Visit Florida. I don't want readers to get the wrong impression. I am just very proud of the hard work put into this project I was part of.

Eden Roc Hotel next to the Fontaine Bleau

Fontain Bleau Pool (one of the many)

Fiat 500 (my dream car) parked in the middle of one of the Fontaine Blue pools. They had mermaids during the event. They also had two of these cars on jet skis in the ocean. Yes they did. I am so impressed by Fiat's marketing strategy. I would love to be part of that team one day. Their commercial which aired in the States is just pure genius.