Rick Owens dress

2. A nice skirt. I recommend going with a well made, black, high-waisted or regular pencil skirt (depending on the shape of your body) that you can wear with a button down top for a job interview or wear with a ruffled halter top for when you go out.

Vintage Chanel skirt

3. Two pairs of jeans: Many clients have told me they want a pair of jeans that fit nicely and have a versatile length. Jeans need to be compatible with both high heels for night time and flats for
day time. My suggestion for you is to own two pairs of jeans. One should be stretchy and  comfortable to wear for running around with flats and the other should be fitted so that you can keep the length
long to wear with heels. That way you can have a favorite pair of
jeans to be comfortable in while running
errands on a hot day and have another pair tucked away for an occasion
that requires heels.

Forever 21 jean

4. A great black transparent blouse that you can wear with a delicateblack bra inside or with a camisole for a more conservative occasion.

AA mesh top

5. A great blazer that you can wear to work for day-time or over a sexy black dress for night-time.

Dolce & Gabbana transparent jacket

6. A black lightweight silk/cashmere draped cardigan. I take my long Theory cardigan with me everywhere. I like
the  cardigan just a tap above the knee & I love to wear it with a fitted  short black dress inside.

Theory silk/cashmere cardigan

7. A great pair of black heels that you can wear for day or night. As you all can see that I wear my YSL tribute all the time

YSL tribute pumps

8. An oversize piece of jewlery that is timeless, something that fits your personallity. For me is my Fallon necklace that I can count on for every ocassion.

Fallon necklace

9. A nice pair of black pants. It can be a cigarette leg or a wide leg trouser that you can wear with everything in your closet.

Ann Demeulemeester pant

10. Last but not least is a MUST HAVE in every woman closet: a sexy
bra that fits well. It’s important to wear bras that fit you
properly so your clothes will lay better on you. Dress for success!!!

La Perla bra

Have a nice day everyone !!!! xoxo Nini Nguyen

Original post: Nini Style

I’m a busy gal. Between two kids and running three websites, I need to be prepared for last minute invites to parties and business events. The last thing I need to worry about is whether or not I have shoes to go with my outfit. The easiest solution is to have the following types of shoes in your armory ahead of time.

Jeweled Flats – What better way to spruce up a casual outfit than with a great pair of jeweled flats? This season, it’s all about adding a little something extra to your accessories. These shoes are a great way to boost a casual outfit. (Jeffrey Campbell ‘Jewel 2? Flat $109)

Knee High Boots – Skinny jeans aren’t going anywhere. Neither are pencil skirts. Make sure you have a great pair of knee high boots (in both black and brown). (Dolce Vita Women’s Jake Knee High Boot $159)

Red Pumps – What an easy way to breathe new life into your LBD? Pair it with some really fabulous red high heels. It’s a great way to stand out without looking like you are trying too hard. (Yves Saint Laurent Eelskin Pumps $875)

Rain Boots – Running to grab a cup of coffee? Late grabbing the kids from school? Is it a gloomy kind of day? Throw on a pair of rain boots during the winter months and stop worrying about those puddles. (Hunter Original Rain Boot – Green $115)

Ankle boots – These are my favorite shoes of the season. You can work them into any outfit. Skinny jeans, skirts, dresses, leggings – you name it. Stay on top (or ahead) of the trend. (Brian Atwood Miri leather ankle boots $750)

The bootie – Peep toe ankle bootie are just so hot! This pair is metallic too. Is it possible to be so in love with an inanimate object? (Elizabeth and James Lola $750)

The casual boot – When you want to be rugged while remaining feminine, the casual pull on boot is the way to go. My absolute favorite line for these types of boots is Frye. I’ve been wearing them since I was a sophomore in High School. They last for YEARS and are well worth the price. (FRYE Women’s Campus $234)

The original post: Shop It To Me Blog

Marui Young Shinjuku had a “sparkling summer sale,” which is where I got my Marble short jacket with dangling vampire sleeves. Despite the stifling heat, many girls dressed in full Lolita for the event. And despite the sales racks, most of the clothes were still pricey!

Quolomo’s designer T-shirts filled the window. I like the Piet Mondrian x Hello Kitty design. Do you recognize the other anime characters? (For more Marui photos, check out the links in my Lolita Shopping Guide.)

Across the road is an Algonquins boutique. Marui also sells the brand, but I suppose one can never have enough Goth/Lolita/Punk.

For the summer sale, the busy Shinjuku street was blocked off. An old man brought his little dog in a leather carrying case and took its photo in the middle of the road!

In Shibuya 109 (the teen gal shopping complex), I spotted the cutest sparkle sandals with heart heels (for under $40). Too bad they look like they would destroy my feet.

Also spotted in Shibuya: Michael Jackson drawings made by a cobbler, and a subway poster for a vampire TV drama. Yes, there is a Japanese Twilight. Check out the Photoshopped fangs on the pretty-boy.

What would you buy at the Marui sparkle sale? Any tips for finding comfortable yet stylish shoes?

Post written by: LA CARMINA

Yesterday, you heard one account of V-Rock Fest. Today, Yukiro Dravarious shares his thoughts on the world’s most glorious Visual Kei extravaganza — which took place near Tokyo, Japan last weekend. (All photos courtesy of V-Rock. Above: ALI Project, D’espairs Ray, Moi dix Mois singer.) I hand the microphone to Yukiro…

THE VENUE
The festival started around 10 in the morning, a two hour ride from my place to the station Kaihin-harumaki (same as Tokyo Disneyland, so it was really crowded). There were 2 big and 2 smaller stages. And there were no conbinis in the close neighbourhood; inside were a lot of different stands that sold Japanese speciality foods like yakisoba and takoyaki. They had stands that sold goods both inside and outside, and one information desk were you could get info in English, Deutch, Japanese and Korean.

ALI PROJECT
After meeting up with Comte de Sang and friends, my first concert was Ali Project. They always have a very good stage performance and the songs are catchy and popular (because most of them are featured in famous animations like Rozen Maiden). They always have spectacular outfits, and this time was no exception. They only played for like 30min and that was the only negative part I could think of. I realized that every act was only going play for that long since there were so many bands.

D’ESPAIRS RAY
After that, we saw D’espairs Ray. I’ve seen them some years ago when they were in Sweden and I really liked their performance then. However this time their sense in fashion had really taken a bad turn. Like normal, unattractive black clothing and clean makeup! But their music hadn’t changed much in three years so it was still a good live.

(Above: Penicillin and Mana of Moi dix Mois)

MOI DIX MOIS
Then we went to see Moi dix Mois at the same stage, so we tried to get as close as possible. One of my friends had never seen them before so she was really impressed, but I could see that Mana was in a really bad mood. And their concert was extremely short and they had a lot of (making the audience scream) actions that were a bit unnecessary. But since it’s Moi dix Mois and Mana wore a Lolita outfit for once, it wasn’t a bad concert. The singer switched from microphone to masks and was really active.

MARILYN MANSON
Marilyn Manson’s show was amusing because he made jokes about Japanese culture and played very much on sex jokes. He also had his guitarist to abuse and they played like they were a married couple. The song selection was VERY GOOD because he had a good mix between old and new songs, and there were a lot of fireworks etc for the audience to enjoy. (See yesterday’s post for a song list.)

(Above: SuG)

THE NEXT DAY
On Sunday, there were almost as many people and I soon realised why: the GazettE was going to end the festival. The previous day, I had killed my feet by wearing my Demonia 15cm shoes, which made me 205cm and like 10cm taller than the longest person there ^~~^, so I could see really well. But today my feet were dead and I went in my moonboots. The day began with a lottery and the prizes were mini-guitars signed by famous musicians such as Koji, Mana, LMC, Despairs Ray etc. I almost bought a ticket but my senses told me to give up; I didn’t want to walk around with it all day anyway.

VIDOLL + SCREW
I was there just in time to see Vidoll, who I have never seen live before, if you exclude DVDs. Their show wasn’t very memorable and their fashion sense had also gone from very good to normal and boring during the years. Like so many other bands. =( After that I checked out Screw and they had good fashion sense but the singer was not able to take the pressure or something because the tunes he sang were not from this world, I tell you! And that was more then I could stand so just after some songs I sneaked away. I went to see a Japanese old glam rock band that was pretty good. I don’t remember the name though.

KERA FASHION SHOW
Directly after, Kera had their Fashion show. It wasn’t very impressive and you could see a big difference in famous superidol ?? ??? Aoki Misako and some really bad new ones in their walk. The displayed brands were: Algonquins, Angelic Pretty, Atelier Pierrot/Chantilly, Black Peace Now, Malkomalko, Metamorphose temps de fille, Monomania and World Wide Love.

LMC
Against my own intentions I went to the big stage to check out the rising fanbased band LMC, which I thought was going to be crap, but I was mistaken. The singer was really annoying and kept on saying (Boys SCREAM, Girls SCREAM) (EVEN IN BETWEEN THE SONGS) which I despise. Despite that, the music was surprisingly good and when the singer shut his trap and sang the lyrics it sounded acceptable. They also had a huge balloon guy on stage, which made the show more interesting. The lyrics were as expected but the melodies were somewhat catchy even though they were monotonous.

(Above: Versailles. See last year’s live report here.)

VERSAILLES
It was finally time for Versailles and I managed to get to the third row by waiting and waiting. It was so amazing, I can’t describe it with words… if you were there, you know what I’m talking about. When the stage went black and the four band members went out on stage, without the recently passed away Jasmine You, in new spectacular outfits suited only by Marianne herself, I couldn’t stop my tears… it was too much. All of a sudden a mysterious new fifth Japanese guy entered the stage in Jasmine’s place. The audience stopped the screaming and held their breath… how was this guy — in normal clothing and not so much makeup and a bass in his hand — how could he be the replacement??

No one knows, and he wasn’t even presented throughout the concert. He was just a live stand in and not a new member. Carmina’s note: the bassist for Versailles that day was ? ~yo~ of ?????? (Matenrou Opera).

It seems like they will go on as a foursome now. Kamijo entered with Jasmine You’s guitar embedded with red roses. He stood it on the spot were Jasmine You used to stand (in front of the newbie~~^^); the music started and the show was on again. After a few songs Kamijo said some beautiful words for Jasmine You’s soul in heaven and everyone started to cry again. The show was as good as I’m used to, although there certainly was an empty space after Jasmine. But Hizaki, Teru and Kamijo gave 120% energy and spun around on stage more then ever to fill up the space. And they did it with bravura. I was emotionally cracked after the show… it was a sensation beyond this world. All the sorrow, joy, good music and lest we not forget PASSION overflowed in the venue. At last, Kamijo lifted the stone out of everyone’s chest and told us that they’re not going to split up, they’re going to continue and to begin with, there will be a memorial concert the 4th of January in Shibuya. The audience went wild again and demanded an encore but the evil stageworker said that they had a time schedule that they must obey… Hmmpf!

(Above: Versailles)

THE GAZETTE
After I caught my breath and took off my lashes, I head-banged away during the last show for this legendary festival. The GazettE was very good looking and professional, sexy and hot. The singer shook his hips like he hadn’t done anything else in his life but perform. And the music was all right — not of my liking but it was respectful and I can see why they are the biggest VK band at the moment. Their fashion sense has always been good and today wasn’t an exception. After the concert, I got out with a smile in my heart and I couldn’t stop thinking: “We are Versailles, Are Still Alive.”

Big round of applause for Yukiro; thank you for the heartfelt report! What’s on your mind? What do you predict for the future of Versailles?

The original post: LA CARMINA

We’ve reached the final location of the Bizarre World episode I co-hosted for Travel & Discovery Channel. The Tokyo spooks met us at Edelstein in Harajuku — a cafe where the waiters cosplay as awkward teenage schoolboys! (I wrote about this boarding school fantasy in my Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo book.)

As you’d expect, we all dressed up to match the school theme. Professor Fearstone (far right) applauds: “Well done, class. I am proud to say we beat the Saitama Grammar for backward children. You’re English is coming on in Beaps and Lounds!”

Host Andrew Zimmern drank rose tea and ate dainty cakes with this motley crew. He interviewed each of us about our fashion and lifestyle — and sincerely listened to what we had to say. A great guy. Perhaps I’ll meet up with Andrew again in December, as we’ll both be in Hong Kong.

Even if they’re fake, Carmina loves being surrounded by pretty young androgynes, yes she does…

It’s risky to be a Japanese schoolgirl. Yukiro almost got felt up in the subway while wearing this outfit. Then, Comte de Sang lifted his skirt as we went up the stairs… tsk.

Fantastic news: Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants will be distributed by Random House, starting in January! The book is available online now, but if you’re having difficulty getting it, the problem will soon be solved. (Also check back soon for a signed book giveaway.)

I’m on Day 3 of 5 of Halloween and couldn’t be happier. Please add me on Twitter to keep track of my dark thoughts, and I’ll try to add everyone back. Hope to see you at my NYC book signing on Oct 31 (info at the end of this post)!

The original post is created by: LA CARMINA

The preacher was trying to make a point about the difference between what’s on the outside and on the inside, and so he had every male in the room take off their tie, and then said, “And ladies…” They all laughed.

The History of Leggings

This is one of the reasons that I started to puzzle over stockings, hose, tights, or leggings. Why is it considered proper for women to wear them, and are bare legs less modest?

What’s interesting is that, if you look back in history, it hasn’t always been females that have worn stockings:

Leggings in various forms and under various names have been worn for warmth and protection by both men and women throughout the centuries. The separate hose worn by men in Europe from the 14th to 16th centuries (the Renaissance period) were a form of leggings, as are the trews of the Scottish Highlands. Separate leggings of buckskin leather were worn by some Native Americans; These were adopted by some Long Hunters, French fur trappers, and later by mountain men. They are the leatherstockings of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales. The Buckskins, however were mostly a dull grey brain-tan, not the bright, glossy vegetable tanned leather we so commonly see today. It was also common for leggings to be made of light wool.

Cowboys wore leggings of buckskin to protect from chapping caused by riding, wear and tear to their pants, and bites from such animals as snakes or insects in the scruff such as ticks.

Now, however, women are more often found to wear leggings than men.

Tights Today

Today you see tights mostly under skirts or dresses—sometimes under what I would consider as long shirts. Sometimes they are worn to try to compliment the outfit, and sometimes instead of pants!

But for the most part, I believe that most women wear stockings in a formal way to color their legs—whether it’s a crazy color like the one in the photo above, to a more nude shade that doesn’t seem to do much more than soften the lines.

This past Sunday I saw a lady wearing a black pair of stockings with white lines that formed a pattern—which was kinda interesting.

Modest?

On the one hand, I would say that it is more modest. Seeing bare legs is more of a problem, I think, thank seeing one that is covered. However, I can also see where stockings could show the shape of the legs or draw attention if the right colors aren’t chosen.

There are certain stockings—like the ones that are pictured on the right—that are purely designed to draw sexual attention. These stockings are not what you should wear in public.

While there are rumors of other stocking colors meaning certain things, nothing says the wrong things about yourself as wearing fishnet stockings.

Of course, this is one of those things that it would be fine to wear in the privacy of your home with your husband, but not in public.

Outer : Blazer, trench coat, jacket with fur, military jacket, leopard coat, riders jacket, sequin jacket, gold down jacket, leather blouson
Tops : Long T-shirt, Classic dress suit, bustier one-piece, black one-piece, rock print T-shirt, studs vest, layered T-shirts, nel shirt, mohair knit, riders jacket, chemical wash denim dress, corset, flower dress, sequin dress, classic lace dress, check dress, neon color tops, heavy gauge cardigan, heavy gauge one-piece, hand knit tops
Bottoms : Carrot pants, leather mini skirt, leather bottoms, crushed denim, enamel pumps, leggings denim, leather
Shoes : Jodhpur boots, knee high boots, engineer boots, color sneakers, mutton boots–
Accessories : Chief bandana, scarf, leg warmer, beret, katyusha hair band, net tights, zips, rock jewelry, studs items, dark lipsticks, riders, chains, studs bags, felt hats, color tights, print leggings, colored hoop earrings, girly sport items, caps, clutch bags, big ribbons, blazon, print stoles

Materials : Fake fur, tartan, patchwork, check, lace, leather, sequin

Colors, patterns : Leopard/animal print, neon color, black, print tights, dot prints, flowers, check

Style : Neo classic, 80’s, romantic, vintage, dandy, victorian, ethnic, tight & fit tops, Gorgeous, leather jacket & boots, riders jacket & beret & mini, maxi one-piece, printed bottoms x monotone tops, fur vest & print T-shirt & mini, casual denim & fur coat, flower print one-piece & military jacket, Rock style, tube dress x large belt, loose tops x print leggings

Men keywords :

Outer : Sweat parka, Jacket, Rider’s jacket, stripe jacket, Denim jacket, military jacket, double jacket, black 1B jacket, quilting jacket, tweed jacket, zip-up leather jacket, check blouson, field jacket, nylon jacket, taylored jacket, knit jacket, leather down jacket, single riders jacket, mountain parka, jean jacket, coat, coat with fur, MA-1 flight jacket, nylon N-3B jacket, N-1 Deck crew jacket, Military M-65 jacket, High specs montain outers, Detachable outer, heavy outer, leather outer, tight blouson, black&red block check blouson, Green check wool blouson, grey treaming jacket, check down jacket
Tops : Check shirt, cardigan, vest, down vest, button down shirt, check shirt, white shirt, wool vest for winter, couching knit, tricolore couching knit, hooded shirt jacket, tweed down vest, Argyle sweater
Bottoms : vintage denim, raw denim pants, monotone denim, rolled up pants, beige/dark chino pants, cropped pants, large jean, grey tweed cropped pants, skinny pants rolled up, W bottom (short knit pants + leggings), sarouel pants
Shoes : White sneakers, mountain shoes
Accessories : tiny collar & narrow tie, bow tie

Materials : leather, knit, down, wool, tweed, nylon

Colors, patterns : gray stripe, navy, black, beige, vivid colors, tricolore couching knit, check, green check, argyl e motif, grey

Style : Multi layered, denim on denim, pattern on pattern, no belt, work & country, tight and comfort, minimal, street, vintage, neo classic, vintage, stylish x straight skinny denim, neo leather, coat with fur and layered for winter, MA-1 flight jacket with shirt for autumn, MA-1 flight jacket layered with Jean jacket for winter, N-1 Deck crew jacket with white shirt for autumn, N-1 Deck crew jacket with wool vest for winter, Military M-65 jacket with large jean for autumn, Military M-65 jacket layered with down vest for winter, relaxed layered,tight blouson with down vest, authentic american casual, country gentleman, street x country style

Source: Fashion in Japan – Trendsletter

from
Gold Coast

Here is the original post: LOOKBOOK.nu

DO wear leggings with a short dress

Do you own a cute dress that’s a tad too short? Add some leggings, and you’ve got a modern look that gives great coverage. Think of them as another version of opaque tights.

DO wear leggings with a long sweater

Chunky knit sweaters (and sweater coats) are everywhere this fall. Pair long over short by wearing a mid-thigh or longer sweater with dark leggings; wear the look with or without a belt.

DON’T wear leggings with a short tight top

It’s all about balance: Something tight and skinny on the bottom requires something longer and looser up top. Unless you’re going to the gym or channeling “Grease”-era Olivia Newton John.

DO wear leggings with the right shoes

Ballet flats, flat boots, high heeled booties and platform pumps look great. Steer clear of loafers or anything with too delicate a heel.

Keep in mind that just because leggings are in style, it doesn’t mean you must wear them. If wearing leggings makes you feel as though you are masquerading as a teenager, or if they make you body look like a stuffed sausage, then the most fashionable thing you can do this fall is just take a pass.

by Glam Gals

Click any photo to enlarge it.

Go here to see the original: Tokyo Fashion