Blissful Style

Standouts from Bridal Fall 2015

January 22, 2015July 16, 2016 by Blissful Style, posted in fall 2015, fashion, Fashion News, high fashion, runway

Yes I am unmarried, and single at that, but I can still appreciate a beautiful wedding gown! In my opinion, the bridal runway collections and magazines are more fun to look at than their ready-to-wear counterparts. So much of fashion is “effortless” and nonchalant, so it is beautiful to see gowns, veils, jewelry, and accessories used with great effort and care to facilitate such a joyous and life-changing celebration. Yet like any other runway setting, the bridal shows are a place for designers to play with convention. The following short (yes, short) wedding dresses do just that!

Angel Sanchez ~~~ Delphine Manivet

Honor for Stone Fox Bride~~~ Houghton

Houghton ~~~ Oleg Cassini

Oleg Cassini ~~~ Pronovias

Style Icon — Marina and the Diamonds

January 22, 2015May 8, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in celebrity fashion, fashion, Fashion Plate, street style, style, style icons

Everyone who knows me knows that I live for the music of Lana Del Rey and Marina and the Diamonds, and if I find out that someone does not like either of these artists, I regard him or her with a healthy amount of suspicion. As if it isn’t enough that I have fifty-two of Marina’s songs on my iPod, I also adore her sense of style. She has described her fashion sense as “vintage, cheerleader, and cartoon,” and her style icons are Gwen Stefani, Leigh Lezark of the Misshapes, and Shirley Manson of Garbage. Here are my favorite Marina looks:

Marina and the Diamonds (aka Marina Diamandis) was born in Brynmawr, Wales and began her musical career in London. She has released two albums, The Family Jewels and Electra Heart, and will be releasing Froot in its entirety this coming April. She has also collaborated with Charli XCX and BetaTraxx, and has covered songs by Gwen Stefani, Justin Bieber, 3OH!3, Late of the Pier, and Paolo Nutini. She has had two headlining tours, The Family Jewels Tour and The Lonely Hearts Club Tour, and has toured with both Katy Perry and Coldplay as a supporting act. She has won the following awards: Best UK & Irish Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards (2010), Best Newcomer at the Virgin Media Music Awards (2010), and Best Music Award at the Attitude Magazine Awards (2012). She even has a fashion line, 11 Diamonds.

Trend of the Day — Black Puffer Jackets

January 22, 2015June 20, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in affordable fashion, clothing, fashion, high fashion, Trend of the Day, trends, winter chic

I was overjoyed to find out that puffer jackets, specifically black ones, are trendy this winter. I have spent the past month in the San Francisco Bay Area with its temperate climate, and predominantly indoors besides. But next week I will be back in Manhattan in all its chilly glory, and I have a feeling that my hip-length bouclé jackets aren’t going to cut it anymore! Whether I am walking to class or taking the subway to a sushi restaurant in the Upper East Side, I usually put on an ankle-length black hooded puffer coat (and whatever I want underneath). Here are some puffer jackets of various lengths to help you get through a cold day!

1. TBR high-neck puffer jacket, $15

2. T Tahari, $100

3. Phase Eight, $150

4. French Connection, $290

5. Burberry London, $796

6. Red Valentino, $985

7. Donna Karan, $1,223

8. Moncler, $2,065

Investment Shoes

January 22, 2015May 8, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in fashion, high fashion, shoes

As the saying goes, these boots were made for walking. However, in my opinion the best shoes were made primarily to stop people in their tracks. Here are some standout, high-quality investment pairs guaranteed to attract attention:

Tod’s, $5,610, harrods.com ~~~ Jimmy Choo, $4,225, mytheresa.com

Emilio Pucci, $4,160, luisaviaroma.com ~~~ Alexander McQueen, $3,895, luisaviaroma.com

Dolce & Gabbana, $3,995, luisaviaroma.com

Julia Haart, $3,784, farfetch.com ~~~ DSquared2, $3,640, luisaviaroma.com

Givenchy, $3,625, luisaviaroma.com ~~~ Chanel, $3,451, shop-hers.com

A Kiss on the Lips

January 21, 2015June 21, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in accessories, affordable fashion, clothing, fashion, handbags, high fashion, jewelry, prints, shoes, Themes and Motifs, trends

The lips are one of the most beautiful and expressive parts of the body…so it only makes sense that they would be picked up as a common motif in women’s clothing. Whether you crave the delicacy of a pale pink lipstick, the pop of an Andy Warhol piece, or the edginess of an Ed Hardy tattoo, in today’s trend landscape it is easy to find an item you will want to kiss as soon as you bring it home (just take your own lipstick off first).

1. Alice McCall dress, $440

2. Liz Black dress, $2,480

3. Romwe blouse, $14

4. Giles shirt, $420

5. Hallhuber t-shirt, $14

6. Philipp Plein t-shirt, $545

7. Choies sweatshirt, $27

8. American Retro sweatshirt, $291

9. MSGM jacket, $478

10. MSGM coat, $3,162

11. Choies skirt, $24

12. MSGM skirt, $310

13. Soho Girl jeans, $30

14. MSGM trousers, $192

15. Au Jour Le Jour shorts, $154

16. Adriana Degreas swimsuit, $329

17. New Look thong, $6

18. Mimi Holliday thong, $61

19. Mancienne sandals, $31

20. Rupert Sanderson sandals, $835

21. QQ Trend flats, $21

22. Philipp Plein sneakers, $814

23. Stephen Webster necklace, $4,100

24. Delfina Delettrez mono earring, $6,311

25. Solange Azagury-Partridge ring, $2,300

26. Lydia Courteille ring, $17,719

27. Alison Lou bracelet, $1,495

28. Overstock sunglasses, $10

29. American Retro scarf, $160

30. Anna Coroneo scarf, $325

31. Studio DKS by Deborah Shavlik carryall, $46

32. Diane von Furstenberg pouch, $158

33. Melie Bianco clutch, $35

34. Sarah’s Bag clutch, $1,645

35. Miss Sweety handbag, $21

36. Philipp Plein handbag, $2,985

37. M.R. backpack, $29

38. Manish Arora backpack, $747

39. Unique Vintage umbrella, $13

40. Diane von Furstenberg iPhone case, $48

Love This Brand — Balmain

January 21, 2015June 21, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in Love This Brand

I have always had a bit of a problem with jeans. In middle school, what bothered me was the fact that everyone else wore them. I was like the quintessential hipster who detests anything “mainstream”, if the quintessential hipster wore cloche hats, chunky pumps, and cords. Later on, jeans were simply too plain, too casual, too tomboyish for me.

How wrong I was. Now that I have outgrown the traumatic ignorance of high school, I can see that jeans do not have to be a badge of conformity. These days, jeans in bold colors and wild prints are trendy, but not so trendy as to be feared by a dogmatic individualist. Balmain in particular is a brand that makes jeans loud, wild, sexy, and downright luxurious. Here are the craziest/best pairs I’ve seen:

1. Black and white jeans, $860

2. Printed moto jeans, $2,375

3. Zebra-print stretch denim biker jeans, $1,035

4. Printed stretch cotton denim jeans, $1,212

5. Leopard-print mid-rise skinny biker jeans, $992

6. Biker jeans, $1,121

7. Biker tie-dye cotton jeans, $2,041

8. Tie-dye stretch denim jeans, $1,403

9. Biker tie-dye cotton jeans, $2,041

Cat Lady

January 19, 2015June 20, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in accessories, art, cats, clothing, fashion, handbags, jewelry, shoes, Themes and Motifs

My cat Belle and I worked on this post together…seriously! (She sat on my lap.) Everyone knows that kitties are adorable, far superior to dogs, and a rich source of inspiration in the world of fashion and art. Here is some feline-themed clothing that is as fun to wear as it is to pet a cat!

1. Rotita earrings, $6

2. Unique Vintage leggings, $10

3. Storyland top, $24

4. Palm Beach ring, $28

5. Miss Sweety handbag, $31

6. Olivia Pratt watch, $50

7. Bling Jewelry brooch, $60

8. Brian Lichtenberg beanie, $65

9. Karl Lagerfeld tee, $115

10. Noir Jewelry bracelet, $135

11. Orla Kiely cardigan, $150

12. Burberry Prorsum scarf, $220

13. Anna Sui skirt, $245

14. Dolce & Gabbana wristlet, $289

15. Charlotte Olympia shoes, $705

16. Eugenia Kim headband, $1,270

17. Au Jour Le Jour dress, $1,274

18. Chopard necklace, $1,620

19. Judith Leiber minaudiere, $5,595

Flats to Heels

January 18, 2015June 21, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in day to night, fashion, Fashion Tips, shoes

It is common knowledge that walking long distances in heels is bad for your feet…but, perhaps even more unfortunately, it is bad for your shoes. Though they may very well catch the eye of passersby on the city streets, beautiful stilettos were not designed to take as many steps as their heelless counterparts. I learned this the hard way, and have spent a lot of money getting heel nails replaced over the years. The best solution, in my opinion, is to carry a large handbag, walk the long distance in chic flats (no need for sneakers!), and change into your more delicate shoes at a discreet location nearby.

Here are some pairings of flats and heels that would work well together to compliment the same outfit…

Bloch, $183 + Dolce & Gabbana, $695

Charlotte Russe, $20 + Kate Spade, $328

DVF, $169 + Kurt Geiger, $300

Francesco Milano, $120 + L.K. Bennett, $375

Kate Spade, $45 + Christian Louboutin, $325

Charlotte Olympia, $303 + Kate Spade, $350

Franco Sarto, $38 + Kate Spade, $199

SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker, $285 + Manolo Blahnik, $725

8, $131 + Casadei, $695

French Sole, $104 + Dune, $135

Jimmy Choo, $675 + Jimmy Choo, $900

Tom Ford, $716 + Tom Ford, $900

If I Could Buy the Entire Collection, I Would — Moschino

January 18, 2015May 8, 2017 by Blissful Style, posted in clothing, fashion, handbags, high fashion, Love This Brand, runway

Moschino Pre-Fall 2015

I will admit, the McDonald’s stuff kind of freaked me out. When I think of McDonald’s, I think of a place where college students go at 4am because there is nowhere else to eat when they are studying, and where homeless people go at 4am because there is nowhere else to sleep. I also don’t think barnyard red and sunshine yellow are a pleasing color pairing, fast food connotations notwithstanding.

But as Katy Perry would say, that was then and this is now (“Part of Me”). For Pre-Fall Jeremy Scott is still basing the collection around one obvious motif, but this time it is much more chic. The pieces below evoke objects found in a clothing atelier, like tape measures, order forms, hangers, and garments still under construction.