Contest Winners!

| Posted May 12th 2008 11:01AM by Annie Scott
Filed under: Bags and Purses, Accessories, High-end threads, Casual wear, Vintage wear, Designers, Dresses and Skirts, Evening wear, Contests & Giveaways

Congratulations to Talya, winner of our My Little Empire Giveaway! She will be wearing the awesome outfit you see at right with vintage lavender ankle boots! Read her deserving comment below; sometimes we luck out on the random choosing:

I have a completely adorable pair of vintage lavender ankle boots--very high, delicate heel and pointed toe--that I found in a thrift store in SF's Mission District. They're perfect for this--the whole look would be very diaphanous and ethereal, but a little bit funky, too!

Congratulations also to the winner of our Roman Savell Giveaway, Glenda! Whatcha gonna put in that classy bag, Glenda?

Continue reading Contest Winners!

Sex and the City Movie: Are you ready?

| Posted May 9th 2008 1:04PM by Kristen Seymour
Filed under: Bags and Purses, Style icons, Accessories, Casual wear, Dresses and Skirts, Celebrity Style, Stylelist Polls

Have you been marking off the days on your calendar? We are getting closer to the SATC premiere, and here at StyleDash, we couldn't be more excited! We've been raiding our closets, trying on our most outrageous Carrie-riffic outfits, and, of course, shoe shopping in preparation for the Big Premiere.

What about you? What have you done to prepare? Have you submitted a question for the SATC fashion quiz? Do you have your outfit, shoes, and accessories picked out? Have you been watching reruns back to back to absorb every last delicious, fashionable drop of the series?

StyleList has a simpler question in their current poll: Are you excited about the Sex and the City movie? Head on over and cast your vote!

Indie Designer Interviews: Trashy Diva by Candice Gwinn

| Posted May 5th 2008 9:05AM by Mallory Whitfield
Filed under: Stores, Vintage wear, Designers, Dresses and Skirts, Interviews, Under the Radar

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there. In order to find out more about just what makes all of these creative types tick, we present to you an ongoing segment called Indie Designer Interviews.

Today's interview is with Candice Gwinn, owner and designer of Trashy Diva, a vintage-inspired line of dresses and separates. What started as a vintage-only clothing store in 1996 has grown into three New Orleans boutique locations, a thriving wholesale business, and a successful e-commerce website. Today the Trashy Diva collection is carried in boutiques around the world, it has been featured in the pages of Elle and Lucky magazines, and has been worn by numerous celebrities.

Gallery: Trashy Diva by Candice Gwinn Spring 2008

Continue reading Indie Designer Interviews: Trashy Diva by Candice Gwinn

My Little Empire Giveaway

| Posted May 5th 2008 7:29AM by Annie Scott
Filed under: Stores, Casual wear, Designers, Dresses and Skirts, Evening wear, Contests & Giveaways

Want to wear this? You can! Brace yourself for an outrageously chic Styledash Giveaway. Ready?

This is the Drop Waisted Ruffle Dress and Tulle Petticoat from My Little Empire, a beautiful online shop of unique, handmade clothes by designer Katy Goy.

Continue reading My Little Empire Giveaway

Flatter Your Figure: Ladies with large arms

| Posted May 1st 2008 4:22PM by Kristen Seymour
Filed under: Dresses and Skirts, Plus Sizes, Tops, Flatter Your Figure

Do you start bringing out your tank tops at the first sign of summer? Or do you hold out and wear shirts with sleeves even in the scorching sun?

Summer can be tough for women who are self-conscious about big arms -- you want to stay cool and look season appropriate, but you don't want to bring attention to your least favorite body part. Don't worry -- we're here to help you find clothes you love that also flatter your figure! Check out the gallery for some basic rules for ladies with larger arms.

Gallery: Flatter Your Figure: Big Arms

Budget brides can buy gowns online

| Posted Apr 29th 2008 5:02PM by Lauren Perdue
Filed under: Dresses and Skirts, Plus Sizes, Evening wear, Look for Less

Something we've noticed lately is the sudden prevalence of relatively inexpensive wedding dresses on the Internet. It started with Lane Bryant's now-dwindling Bridal collection of dresses and separates, all priced at around $150 initially and now on sale for about fifty bucks a pop. Then we noticed that David's Bridal has an online gown collection with dresses for all sizes priced under $250. Now Torrid has a few new wedding options for the curvy bride, all priced under $250.

Sounds great, right?

Continue reading Budget brides can buy gowns online

Cape Madras: For the prep in all of us

| Posted Apr 29th 2008 4:09PM by Lauren Perdue
Filed under: Casual wear, Sporty wear, Men, Dresses and Skirts

Our favorite character from the US version of the Office is, of course, Andy Bernard, with his preppy-chic Ivy League style. Blazers, whales, pastel pants -- we love it.

You can have a taste of New England flavor with Cape Madras, offering patchwork plaid staples including pants, blazers and Bermuda shorts for men and jackets, shirts and skirts for women. We especially love the Men's bermuda shorts ($90) because they make it so easy for men to throw an outfit together -- a solid polo or shirt and a pair of Tevas or Rainbow flipflops complete the look.

With 23 Madras fabrics to choose from, you can make a truly individual choice! Just make sure to only wear one piece of plaid per outfit so you don't look confused.

Chadwick's: Even catalogs can be cute

| Posted Apr 29th 2008 1:02PM by Lauren Perdue
Filed under: Casual wear, Shoes, Dresses and Skirts, Plus Sizes, Tops

Gallery: Chadwick's Picks

In light of the Talbot's overhaul, they might want to turn to fellow women's retailer Chadwick's for inspiration. Their clothes are tasteful without being matronly, youthful without being too young, and classic without being boring.

We first encountered Chadwick's on our hunt for a pair of heeled oxfords (we were going through our menswear phase then) and have been keeping up with their collections ever since. It's important for a girl to have a go-to source for a nice dress appropriate for Easter/meeting the parents/ sorority tea/your cousin's wedding, especially bigger girls because we know, WE KNOW how depressing it is to be offered long, shapeless dresses with ridiculously large flowers again and again like so many floral pup tents. Check out the gallery of our favorite selections from the most recent catalog.

The crazy fashions of the Kentucky Derby

| Posted Apr 28th 2008 1:31PM by Kristen Seymour
Filed under: Accessories, High-end threads, Dresses and Skirts, Celebrity Style

Gallery: Kentucky Derby style

The Kentucky Derby brings with it so much excitement -- the parties, the betting, the race itself -- but none of that comes close to the excitement of the fashions.

Of course, the hats are the main draw -- from the fabulously funky to the terribly tacky, unique hats (for the men as well as for the ladies) are an absolute must. But one can't get away with wearing only a hat to the Derby. (Seriously. Don't try it.) When it comes to clothing, here's what you can expect:

Continue reading The crazy fashions of the Kentucky Derby

Ask StyleDash: What should I wear with these shoes for a wedding?

| Posted Apr 28th 2008 12:24PM by Kristen Seymour
Filed under: Ask Styledash, Dresses and Skirts

Dear StyleDash,

I have a daytime, dressy-casual family wedding to attend in June, in a Catholic church. I have great shoes to wear, but I don't know what to wear with them. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Caitlin

Continue reading Ask StyleDash: What should I wear with these shoes for a wedding?

Dress of the Day: Gabby Bubble Dress

| Posted Apr 27th 2008 11:00AM by Sarah J. Gim
Filed under: Dress of the Day, Dresses and Skirts

We tucked away the color purple, along with My Little Pony and mermaids, when we graduated from elementary school.

However, with purple a prominent color on designers' palettes this season (is that too much alliteration for a Sunday morning?), we've been paying closer attention to it and its many shades. We love the Gabby Bubble Dress, which is simply identified as "purple," but is really a lighter lilac in our eyes. The dress with the subtly bubble silhouette comes from House of Spy, the line from former biology student Wendy Wong. The fabric is 70% silk, 30% cotton, and 100% made for late Spring. The halter strap is detachable.

Available from Revolve Clothing for $187.

Dress of the Day: Grace Sun Tank Waterfall Dress

| Posted Apr 25th 2008 7:30AM by Sarah J. Gim
Filed under: Dress of the Day, Dresses and Skirts

Thank God it's Friday, because we weren't sure how long we could last without having a reason to wear the Tank Waterfall Dress by Grace Sun.

The dress is made of 100% silk in a bright fuschia, called bougainvillea (a flower that we could never pronounce). Everything about the dress if fun and flirty, from the asymmetrical ruffle on the side to the little tie at the waist. The catalog description says the dress tends to run a little big, but we're inclined to stay with our size, since we kind of like that loose hanging fit. Since we've seen this color all season paired with black, we like a pair of black strappy sandals and little patent leather clutch.

The Tank Waterfall Dress by Grace Sun is available from IvyBlue.com for $282.

Dress of the Day: Hussy Margarita Dress

| Posted Apr 24th 2008 7:35AM by Sarah J. Gim
Filed under: Dress of the Day, Dresses and Skirts

Ah, how could we not love a dress from a designer line called "Hussy?"

Strangely enough, as saucy as designer Marie Hatzis' line's name is, the Margarita dress is everything but. The color is called a soft "cloud," and subtly printed fabric is made of 90% smooth silk and 10% lurex for a sheen. There's a feminine ruffle at the wide, modestly scooped neckline. Just about the only thing that could potentially make this dress fit with its name Hussy is the hemline. The dress is short short short, but a pair of sweet Mary Janes (with a 5" heel of course) will balance.

The dress is available from Revolve Clothing for $334.

Dress of the Day: Lux Nashville Skyline Dress

| Posted Apr 23rd 2008 8:42AM by Sarah J. Gim
Filed under: Dress of the Day, Dresses and Skirts

We always love the timelessness of a shirtdress, and Urban Outfitters takes the classic silhouette and makes it feminine with the Lux Nashville Skyline Dress. The dress has short, puffed sleeves, tiny ruffles along the front placket and on the sleeves, and a sash that ties into a bow on the back. We also like how the dress is styled in the photo with the addition of a belt. Our choice, though, would be wider, and whatever happens to match our 5" heels.

The dress also has a little bit of country with its black and white gingham print. The buttons don't go down all the way, so we'd definitely wear this dress over a pair of jeans, leggings, or slip a slip under the dress.

The Lux Nashville Skyline Dress is available from UrbanOutfitters.com for $48.

Kate Quinn Organics wants to wrap your baby in luxury

| Posted Apr 22nd 2008 3:04PM by Whit Honea
Filed under: Accessories, Casual wear, Sporty wear, Designers, Dresses and Skirts, Outerwear, Tops, Kids and Babies, Do Good, Under the Radar, Sustainable Style

Seattle based Kate Quinn Organics, previously known as Earth Organic Baby Basics, is a parent's dream. That is assuming said parent wants "the softest, most natural materials" for their baby's comfort, and "the highest quality design and construction, and most importantly, the hope of a cleaner, kinder earth." If the parent wants all that, and you know that they do, then they can't go wrong with Kate Quinn.

The designs are created using "simple, elegant lines" and are available in nature-inspired hues to highlight the natural beauty of a child.

Gallery: Kate Quinn Organics

Continue reading Kate Quinn Organics wants to wrap your baby in luxury