Recessionista Nice Assets!
If you wander into the dressing rooms at Ann Taylor Loft, they've offered you a great service. Sara Blakely, the creator of Spanx, has a lower-priced line of body slimmers called Assets and popular styles like the Fantastic Firmer Camisole, Girl Shorts, and Mid Thigh Shaper are available outside your dressing room.
Left your Spanx at home?
Purchase information: Buy it here.
Sometimes it's nice to have a slimmer on hand so it can take you in an inch or two. The price ranges from $14 to $24. So get ready to boost your bum and create curves while your trying on great fall duds that may need that extra control.
Get Carried Away in This Super Cheap SATC 2 Dress
But, check out this recession special from Susie Rose available at your local Wal-Mart for a whopping $15! It can be accessorized the same way. I mean, hello?! Why wouldn’t you want to buy this? I love it. Everybody will adore you in it and the best part is they’ll never know.
I saw the first vision of Sarah Jessica Parker in her Halston Heritage creation today and plotzed! The real dress is a v-neck cocktail dress that can be worn with gold aviators, multi colored stone vintage necklace, beautiful gold Louboutin glittered pumps and an elegant Chanel clutch. The price? $325.
Rock a Fabulous Floral Frock Like Emmy Rossum
Look how cute Emmy Rossum looks in this pretty floral dress! It's nice to see her in something super cute and affordable, as well as available. As much as I love vintage pieces, not being able to get them really makes me insane. Especially when it's on someone I want to emulate. What I really love about this dress is that it's part of the bohemian collection from Express, but the way that Emmy puts it together, it looks quite timeless and chic.
To buy: $60, Express
I love the way she styled herself here and gave the dress the shape. The hair up, the black bag and waist cincher and those very nice heels makes it all work for me. She's one of the only celebrities who works alone without a stylist. So, I applaud her each time she does this.
By Sasha Charnin Morrison for UsMagazine.com. To read more of the Recessionista blog, click here.
This dress has a smocked waist which can be worn with or without a belt, but after seeing this on her, this is the best time to break out that belt (black, tan or brown). The chiffon-y skirt has a double layer so you're not going feel naked.
I'm short so I'm thinking this is a great dress for me. I think it probably works on everyone. Sized X-small through X-large. And if you're insisting to wear this springy dress now, add black opaque tights and layer a grey cardigan over it. Clogs can work, and a knee high boot or heel also does the job.
Noticed At Cannes Hip Check
The Cannes red carpet is a lot like the Oscar red carpet—but while the L.A. version gets rolled up and stored away after a single night, in Cannes, the photo ops go on and on. The stars this year have shown gone big. And in the case of one particular detail, we mean “big” literally. This week at the fest, some of the biggest names have selected high-drama gowns with exaggerated detailing around the hips. For the premiere of Tree of Life, Angelina Jolie set a million flashbulbs blazing with her OTT gown from Atelier Versace, in a deep, rich brown with a thigh-high slit and a gathered hip detail. Fashion favorite Zoe Saldana took a few of the same elements in a different direction: She also opted for a strapless bodice and a bigger-is-better hip detail, but her Armani Privé offered a sleeker, slimmer silhouette and a pop of color with a candy-striped skirt. Three’s the trend with Anna Dello Russo at Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief show. The Vogue Nippon editor wore custom Moschino in layered white, complete with detailing on both hips. On her head, one of her many fascinators, this one topped with stalks of wheat. It seems that following cherries and pineapples, ADR’s headgear is now journeying into grains. She’s well on her way to offering a balanced diet. Up next: cheese? Packers fans, your moment may be nigh.
Photos: Valery Hache / AFP / Getty Images (Jolie); Danny Martindale / FilmMagic (Dello Russo); Photo: Photo: Eric Ryan / Getty Images (Saldana)
‘What Not to Wear’, ‘Big Brooklyn Style’ Premiere Dates Announced
TLC has set a return date for its fashion makeover series What Not to Wear.
TLC will launch both fashion-centric series back-to-back in late May.
our editor recommends
Seattle could face DOJ lawsuit over police reforms
Five weeks ago, prosecutors sent the city a confidential settlement proposal.
It was only the second time since the verdict in the Rodney King police brutality case and Los Angeles riots that the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against a law enforcement agency with which it was unable to reach an agreement.
But speaking on public radio station KUOW, he also said the changes proposed by federal prosecutors — including increased training and the hiring of more sergeants to supervise street officers — could cost the city $41 million a year.
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's mayor may soon have something in common with tough-talking Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
In his radio interview, McGinn said "absolutely" when asked if the reforms would hamstring police and the mayor's office in responding to emergency situations. He suggested the outside monitor could effectively be a "shadow mayor."
Surveillance cameras and police-cruiser videos captured officers beating civilians, including stomping on a prone Latino man who was mistakenly thought to be a robbery suspect, and an officer kicking a non-resisting black youth in a convenience store.
"We hear the concerns DOJ is raising," McGinn said. "My hope is DOJ can hear the concerns we're raising."
The U.S. Justice Department has threatened to sue Mayor Mike McGinn over allegations that Seattle police officers regularly use excessive force.
Seattle is facing a projected budget deficit of $32 million over the next two years.
The DOJ disputes those points and has invited McGinn to bring any concerns to the department's attention.
They can also ensure reforms last beyond the terms of the current mayor, police chief or U.S. attorney.
In addition, the memo said the Police Department estimated that the DOJ's recommendations would require four times as much training — 160 hours per year — as officers currently receive. Executive Assistant U.S. attorney Thomas Bates described that assumption Monday as vastly overstated: "They just got it wrong."
City Councilman Tim Burgess disputed the notion.
Though the DOJ's proposal has not been disclosed, the budget office memo suggests some of the changes the DOJ wants.
The memo notes that the budget office had not yet vetted the assumptions being made by the Police Department, and that even if the actual costs are far less than $41 million, the hit to the budget could still be significant.
The Justice Department launched its formal civil rights investigation early last year, following the fatal shooting of a homeless, Native American woodcarver and other incidents of force used against minority suspects.
That's the same ultimatum — standard in DOJ reviews of police departments — that drew an objection from Arpaio, who said he couldn't stomach the idea of an independent monitor undermining his authority.
The city's counterproposal to the DOJ would require no more than $5 million per year, according to a confidential city budget office memo obtained by The Associated Press.
The memo said that the additional training could cost $18 million if it requires other officers to fill in — on overtime — for those receiving training. However, the mayor's "20/20" plan also includes increased training in many of the same topics the Justice Department is concerned about — and the Police Department has represented to McGinn that it can accomplish everything in the "20/20" plan under its existing budget.
He said the changes could also jeopardize the department's ability to respond to public safety emergencies, and the cost could require cuts to important city services.
If McGinn doesn't agree to make changes that satisfy the DOJ and agree to the appointment of an outside monitor, he can expect a lawsuit from the U.S. attorney in Seattle as early as next month.
Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle .
"Constitutional policing does not inhibit or hamstring the police," U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan said. "The city of Seattle and the police who do their jobs can't afford for us not to fix the problems. On every front, the cost is too high, for everybody."
"This is the most effective, most straightforward way to get to the point where the department is operating constitutionally and regains the respect and legitimacy it needs to manage law and order," Chanin said.
"I am not going to surrender my office to the federal government," he said last week after the DOJ sued him over allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos.
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In the meantime, the mayor and the police chief have proposed a series of initiatives called "20/20," including training to ensure that officers don't arrest or confront people based on race and training to prevent low-level offenses from escalating.
McGinn is due to respond this week to DOJ demands for reforms in the Police Department.
On Monday, McGinn said for the first time that, in principle, he would agree to a monitor and a court-enforced settlement.
In December, a DOJ report found officers are too quick to reach for weapons, such as batons and flashlights, even when arresting people for minor offenses.
"That is not a legitimate fear," Burgess said. "I'm disappointed in the mayor's recent statements on this topic have been more designed to divide rather than keep us on the same page headed toward good solutions."
The memo relies on assumptions made by the Police Department that to satisfy the DOJ's demands for a better sergeant-to-patrol officer ratio, the city would have to add 54 new sergeants at a cost of $7.3 million.
In all, the report found, one out of every five times an officer used force, it was used unconstitutionally. The department failed to adequately review the use of force and lacked policies and training related to the use of force, it said.
Josh Chanin, a San Diego State University professor who has studied the DOJ's efforts to reform police departments, said such monitors are essential to the process because they demonstrated to the public that the changes are actually taking hold.
Federer rallies to beat Berdych in Madrid final
"I want to congratulate Roger. He showed that he is really the star," Berdych said.
Earlier, Serena Williams overpowered the top-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 to win the women's final.
William's strong start left Azarenka shaken, and she hit three double faults to cede her serve again and trail 3-0.
MADRID (AP) — Roger Federer rallied to beat Tomas Berdych 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 and win the Madrid Open for a third time on Sunday.
Williams had 14 aces on her way to her 41st career title and second of the season as she remained unbeaten in her last 13 matches on clay.
Berdych hit 14 winners and made just two unforced errors in a dominant first set. However, Federer finally found his ground game and broke Berdych twice to even the score and force the third set, where he secured the victory after Berdych had saved three championship points.
Federer continued to struggle with his shotmaking, but the 16-time Grand Slam winner even the match by breaking twice in the second set, including when Berdych hit a double fault on set point.
Williams kept the momentum going, hitting her fifth and sixth aces to hold to love at the start of the second set.
Williams broke Azarenka's first service game when the Australian Open winner could only send her powerful return into the stands.
Azarenka netted a forehand after Williams had fallen on the slick surface and left the entire court open. She then produced another double fault to cap a disastrous first set.
"I can still do better," Williams said when asked if she had found her best form following her return from a lengthy absence due to illness in 2011.
The sixth-seeded Berdych jumped out to a 3-0 lead after hitting a crosscourt return to take Federer's first service game.
Berdych, who had carried the initiative through most of the match, became erratic as the pressure grew in the decider.
While Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal had blamed the new blue-clay court for their early exits, Federer's biggest obstacle was to overcome an opponent who had beaten him in three of their previous five meetings.
The loss ended Azarenka's run of winning her last four tournaments.
In a matchup of two of the tour's heaviest hitters, Williams battered Azarenka around the court with her big serve and vicious return to take the first four games and never looked back.
Federer, who won here in 2006 and 2009, saved two set points before Berdych clinched the first set with a big serve that the Swiss star could only knock back into the net.
Serving to send the match to a tiebreaker, he fell behind 0-40 and then rallied back to force deuce, only to hit long and then net his final volley to end the match in a little more than 2½ hours.
"It is amazing to win here again," said Federer, who will overtake Nadal as the second-ranked player behind Djokovic. "It has been a tough tournament. Tough to move, but you've got to try to make the most of it. Here there was some good tennis and some bad tennis, but you see that in all tournaments."
The former top-ranked Federer has not been higher than No. 3 since March 2011.
The 13-time Grand Slam winner sealed the victory in 1 hour, 4 minutes with her final ace.
"This is really good. I have been working hard. I had some tough battles and really unfortunate circumstances so I really love this."
"She was so much better than me today," Azarenka said. "I have to give her credit, she's been showing great tennis the whole week."
"It was a tough tournament and a brutal draw. Tomas played very well," Federer said. "I'm sure we will see each other many more times and they will be quality matches like this one."
Recessionista Zip It!
Another baaaaaad creation from the online site Oohboutique.com!
I love this Zipper bracelet because with all those spikes and studs and chains out there, it’s nice to have something else to layer or stack.
Accessorize your LBD or leather jacket with this cool bracelet in either gold or silver. Mix the two or style with all those other cuffs or even your summer studded ethnic bracelets. You won't break the bank at $15 a piece.
PRODUCT DETAILS
A stylized version of the humble closure, without which, we would be all buttoned up.
- 2 5?8 diameter
- Gold or Silver plated
- Nickel/Lead Safe
Purchase information: Buy it here.
Recessionista Haute Harley
You know a few screws are loose when you start obsessing over something a high-profile celebrity like Rihanna wears.
I have become a complete fashion slave to this woman’s every style move! Question: Should I keep the Chanel bag? Do I love it? Answer: Well. You will love it more when you see Rihanna walking out of Da Silvano carrying it and you can’t get it anymore. THIS IS WHAT I'VE BECOME: A broke, starry-eyed, foxy-moron!
Alexander McQueen's open-toed bootie -- with a zipper pull with a skull at the base -- unsnaps to glove your foot like a reverse lapel...it’s simply sick! And it’s ridiculously expensive. So, I had given up hope of emulating my fave celeb when suddenly, my good friend, the King Of Copy, Steve Madden, created this insane replica of the zip bootie.
It’s not the real thing...but it’s good enough for me! The skull is gone but it’s still got a nice zipper pull. Available in black leather with a 5-inch heel, the open-toed bootie is $149.95. Compared to the original Faithful bootie which is $1,155.00.
Now if I can just make Rihanna's millions, then we’ll really be in business.
Purchase information: Buy it here.
Le-Tan’s Library
“I like being obsessed,” said Olympia Le-Tan on Thursday night as she welcomed visitors to the special project she had created for Pitti in Florence. And with an opening line like that, it was almost impossible to resist the web that Le-Tan had woven in the Museo Bellini, yet another of the jaw-droppingly beautiful Renaissance venues that seem to be ten-a-penny in Florence. When the Pitti organizers invited her to participate in this year’s event, it took Le-Tan mere minutes to decide that she would celebrate her favorite Italian films and books and, by extension, their directors and authors in the idiosyncratic medium that she has made her own—immaculately embroidered “books” that are actually handbags. The museum was draped in red silk curtains with the OLT logo, pink roses trailed over banisters, candles flared in the dusty air…atmosphere for days. Every shadowy room had vitrines displaying Le-Tan’s chosen 36 titles, precisely duplicated in thread as they would have appeared on the original book cover or movie poster. They covered a very comfortable waterfront from Visconti, Fellini, and Antonioni (her favorite of favorites) to Moravia, Machiavelli, and Pirandello.
But Le-Tan’s stroke of genius—as far as the Pitti exhibition went—was to persuade a game handful of friends to be photographed by Max Farago as a character from each of the 36. Olympia herself was the apogee of lush sensuality, posed as Silvana Mangano from a 1949 movie called Riso Amaro. Jennifer Eymere, editor of Jalouse magazine, made a very convincing Giulietta Masina from Fellini’s La Strada. Nightclub impresario André Saraiva was a plausibly penitent Jean-Louis Trintignant from The Conformist. As for Victoire de Castellane as Anita Ekberg in full clerical garb from La Dolce Vita? The success of that image was in inverse proportion to its unlikeliness. Poles apart were Hamish Bowles as Martin von Essenbeck, the cross-dressing Nazi from Visconti’s La Caduta Degli Dei (more familiar to English-speaking aficionados of early-seventies cinematic decadence as The Damned) and the ubiquitous Olivier Zahm, posed stark raving naked as a misbegotten extra from Pasolini’s terrifyingly transgressive Salò.
Later that same night, a handful of Le-Tan’s cast of characters regrouped on the Borgo San Jacopo to reflect on their re-conceptualisation of Italian culture. Most of them were French. You can imagine what they talked about.
—Tim Blanks
Photos: Courtesy of Olympia Le-Tan