American Chopper

As I watched the fall 2009 ready-to-wear shows, certain trends stood out to me. One of the ones I instantly became obsessed with was leather motorcycle jackets. As I did some back-to-school shopping at the Nordstrom sale I absolutely had to check out a few of the black leather jackets and ended up taking home a Jolt leather jacket of my own. Still I am as obsessed as ever with this new trend. Balmain has always been one of my favorites for its fun, edgy shows. They created this awesome jacket that also has the signature piqued shoulders that were shown throughout the show.

Yves St. Laurent featured a lot of amazing leather jackets in their Fall '09 show, but I love how the studded collar on this one gives a little more edge.

Twenty8Twelve has a lot of fun, different and edgy pieces in their new fall collection, but this is one of my favorite pieces because it is so simple but classic.

Rag & Bone's latest pieces feature clean and classic silhouettes so it's no surprise their take on the motorcycle jacket is the same.

Truth & Pride did a lot of motorcycle style jacket and vests this fall but this is my favorite. I'm not sure if it's the cut, the gold hardware, or the unusual color but it's definitely chic.

For people who don't like the basic black motorcycle jackets there are ones like this one from Levi's at Urban Outfitters, just as cute, just a different color.

Who said you have to have a Harley to have a motorcycle jacket? I love it as a cute staple to add some edge to a t-shirt and jeans or a dress with heels or boots. Either way it's definitely on my 'must have' list for fall.

Shopping Like It's 1982: Part 2

Shopping like it’s 1982: Part 2 Building a Recession-Proof Closet

My mom always taught me there are certain pieces every girl should have in their closet. They are the timeless basics that never go out of style and only change slightly in style from decade to decade. These are also the things you can splurge on without feeling that sense of “buyers remorse”, knowing they are pieces you will have for years to come and can see as a investment instead of a “splurge”. And a key to smart shopping in this economy is building a recession-proof closet, full of classic pieces that will last you years longer than the current economic slump.

1. As you shop look for staples. These are items that have stood the test of time, whether it’s a certain color (black), fabric (denim, silk), print (plaid), or silhouette (bootcut pants). These are what make a classic, a classic.

2. Look for classic/basic items to build up your closet. My favorite example of this is “Tim Gunn’s 10 Essentials” list from Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style. The original is listed below.
Tim Gunn’s 10 Essentials
-Basic Black dress, like the Lanvin dress (left)
- Trench coat
- Dress pants
- Classic shirt
- Jeans
- Any Occasion Top
- Skirt
- Day Dress
- Jacket
- Sweatsuit Alternative
Bonus: one indulgent trendy item

I also took the list and changed a few things to make it suit a normal teen girl.

Runway2Hallway’s version of Tim Gunn’s 10 Essential Items

- basic black dress (a timeless classic and a girl’s best friend)
- dress coat (a coat you can wear over a formal dress or with a skirt/dress pant)
- Classic dress pants (good for job/college interviews, internships, formal occasions, work, etc.)
- classic white shirt (classic. enough said.)
- Skirt. I’ve changed this to one casual skirt, like a denim mini, and one classic skirt, like a pencil skirt you could wear for the same events as the dress pants.
- Jacket.
- Day dress. Personally I don’t just have one dress for daytime all year. I would have at least on for spring/summer and one for fall/winter.
- Any occasion top (perfect for a nice dinner, worn with skirt or dress pants, or for shopping with friends or a date.)
- Jeans. Again, personally I have more than one pair of jeans but if you have to have one pair I’d go with a bootcut or straightleg denim. they never go out of style.
- Sweatsuit. Not even a sweatsuit really, just a pair of nicer sweats than you can wear out running errands or to the library on the weekends.
Bonus: Trendy item. Everyone needs one.

3. Stick to what you know. do you have that one item in your closet that you couldn’t live without? That thing that’s so basic and yet you have it in a millions different colors and is a staple in your wardrobe. everyone does. For me it’s my Old Navy ribbed racerback tanks or my Rubbish long sleeve tees (right). For my friend it’s her v-neck Hanes white t-shirts. If you know you wear it all the time, all year round then don’t be afraid to stock up.

4. When really splurging think of it as a investment. Ask yourself, am I going to wear it enough for this price? This year? Next year? Will it still be in style next year? What’s the cost per year? (see Shopping Like it’s 1982 part 1). Think about it and if you’re not sure sleep on it. After waiting a day or two and if you are still obsessing over it, go for it.

Shopping Like It's 1982

1982. That was the year of the last major recession in the United States. Now it’s 2009 and once again everyone’s on a tighter budget. That’s a bummer especially with back-to-school shopping season around the corner. It’s now to the point where fashion magazines are printing articles on saving money and shopping smart. So I thought I would do the same. After reading all the articles and doing research on my own, I’ve come to the best solution. Shopping smart in today’s economy requires two things; (1) Spending smart and (2) Building a timeless/recession-proof closet.

Shopping Like It’s 1982 Part 1: Spend Smart

1. Spend money on classic, quality staples and simple basics (see part 2 coming July 25)

2. If buying a trendier item go cheaper. Instead of spending $50 on a trendy blouse at Nordstrom, spend $20 at Forever 21. Good stores where you can find cheaper trendier items are stores like Forever 21, Love Culture, H&M or Wet Seal.

3. If you’re going to splurge, splurge on staples that will be in style for the next few years, as long as the item is a staple you can view it as a investment. When splurging a common rule is to try to divide the cost by the number of times you would wear it in a year to get the cost per wear. The lower the cost per wear, the better the investment.

4. Look for sales whenever possible. Check newspapers and websites, store websites will let you know of most sales. There all also websites dedicated to finding you the cheapest price on a item and tracking down sales. Some websites to check are
· theOutnet.com
· shopittome.com
There are also websites that will give you online coupon codes such as
· retailmenot.com
· couponcabin.com

5. Check for bridge lines. Love your designer fashions? Well now designers are coming out with lower-budget lines. Converse and Alexander McQueen both have lines at Target, Charlotte Ronson has the i heart ronson line at JCPenney, Vera Wang has the Simply Vera Vera Wang line at Kohl’s, Coach has its new lower cost line Poppy, and now Marc Jacobs has his new line Don’t Miss the Marc by Marc Jacobs (see right) where all items are under $200 and most are under $100. You just have to look to find lower cost lines by your favorite designers, and these days you don’t have to look hard.

6. Don’t be afraid to scour sales racks. You never know what you will find. It’s true sometimes you won’t find anything, but every once in a while you’ll find a hidden gem. Some of my favorite clothes have been found on the sales rack. A pair of $200 True Religion jeans I got for $97, a $120 Juicy Couture printed jacket I got for $60 and a $180 Coach handbag I paid $70 for were all found on sales racks. It’s one of the easiest ways to save when shopping

7. Check outlet stores. Different brands have factory outlet stores that are nothing but clearance. You can search your area for outlet mall where they will have a bunch of outlet stores together. Nike, Coach and Nordstrom all have really good outlets where you can find good prices and quality merchandise.

8. Raid your friend’s/mom’s closet. We all borrow and trade clothes with our friends anyway. Sometimes a good clothes swap party is a good way to mix up your wardrobe.

9. Raid your own closet. You know those clothes you have pushed in the back of your closet and sit at the bottom of your drawers? Pull them out again. Maybe you’ll find they fit better, they’re more your style than before, or maybe they’ve come back in style.

10. Don’t be afraid to hit vintage and re-sale shops. Most often the clothes have barely been worn more than once or twice and you can get them for way cheaper.

Fall Fashion: 2009 Edition

It’s nearing the middle of July and you know what that means. It means the stores are finishes with their huge summer clearance sales and are bringing in the fall fashions. Some stores bring it all out at once (aka the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale) while other stores gradually bring it out week after week until the store is ready for fall (aka American Eagle). Either way, fall fashion is here and I couldn’t be happier. This spring during the Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear collections a few trends were obvious. Some were luxe fabrics such as velvet, leather, fur, feathers, satins, and croc, (who said a recession can’t be luxurious?) bright colors (neon), black and classic pieces. Also the accessories where big, bright, edgy, and pure glamour. I have to say the retro look was big this fall as designers drew inspiration from decades past such as the 80’s (Gucci) and the 60’s and 70’s (Giambattitsta Valli). By retro I don’t mean the same neon leggings of the 80’s or tie-dye of the 60’s. No there is no such thing on these runways, the designers put their own twists on old pieces and trends to create looks completely modern and fabulous. Out of all the fabulous shows several stood out such as Gucci (all around great), Alexander McQueen(for the outrageous clown makeup), Balmain(for creating a show where there practically isn’t anything I wouldn’t wear), Hermes (gorgeous jackets), Lanvin (little black dresses), Yves St. Laurent (motorcycle jackets) and Balenciaga (every piece was stunning). If any one of these shows was any indication, this year’s fall fashion will be some of the best yet. So get ready for fall and back-to-school shopping, and to help know what trends to look for and which will be big for fall check back here at Runway2Hallway.