PopSugar

Victoria Smith's Go-To Holiday Gift Ideas

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:54 -0800

I do have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to holiday gifts, but I'm always impressed with what my design-savvy friends give each year. So, I decided to ask some interior design "tastemakers" for their favorite go-to presents. From designers and stylists to bloggers and shop-owners, some of the brightest stars in the design world have shared their favorite holiday gift ideas with me.

To kick things off, San Francisco-based Victoria Smith of the always-inspiring blog sfgirlbybay has shared her go-to gift ideas. But, she admits she's not a huge fan of the commercial side of Christmas: "I love the white twinkling lights, and the parties and dinner gatherings with friends - the celebrations. I do love that part."

On gifts for friends: "Most of my friends and I for years have agreed to always make our gifts for each other. Even when they sometimes don't come out quite as well as you had envisioned, we give them anyway, and just have a good laugh. From homemade pillow cases, to miniature snow domes made from baby food jars, and knit scarves, we've gone through some good gifts and some good laughs."

Hear more of Victoria's favorite go-to gift ideas.

On Our Radar: Angels Costume Sale

FabSugarUK — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:16:20 -0800

If you're looking for a great costume in London, then look no further than Angels which is an Oscar-winning wardrobe supplier! Last year the store had it's first ever clearance sale and it attracted enormous queues of fashion lovers all hopeful to bag a unique bargain. They've decided to do it again to sell over 250,000 items dating from 1900 onwards.

Expect there to be a lot of military items (very Balmain) with prices fixed at £20 for all coats and helmets and £10 for caps. The sale will take place on Saturday 28th November from 8.30am to 5pm at 3 Boundary Road, Wembley, HA9 7ND. Happy Shopping!

Absolutely Fabulous

FabSugar — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:25:22 -0800

Who were her Prada bra better - Zoe or Chloe?
We caught a bit of New Moon fever; vote on Kristen's red carpet looks, view FABTV's New Moon style special, and witness Kristen's style evolution.
It's been a while since we did a celeb handbag quiz - enjoy!
Zara addict right here, check out the retailers November offerings.
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund awards were fashion-packed.
A Rebecca Minkoff Auburn Nikki hobo bag is up for grabs - enter to win!
Which GQ hottie was the most Fab at the Men of the Year Awards?
Master this week's The City and Gossip Girl fashion quizzes - and shop Vanessa's cozy plaid outfit.
Nastiness: jewelry made out of human teeth and hair!
Let us help you shop for Fab holiday gifts.
Go behind the steamy scenes of the 2010 Pirelli Calendar photo shoots.
It was Chloe Sevigny's birthday last week, see her tribute fashion metamorphosis.
Whish Super has the sassiest wink?

Vote in the Handbag Online Fashion Awards

FabSugarUK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:30:54 -0800

I like to keep up-to-date with online shopping (so that I can bring you all the latest news), and now my expertise has been used to judge the Handbag Online Fashion Awards!

As part of the panel, along with Leon Bailey Green, Handbag editor Belinda White and Courtney Blackman, we have selected a short list for the fashion sites.

Choose your favourite place to shop online by clicking here and voting. You can select your favourite vintage, High Street, lifestyle, ethical, accessories and designer sites in addition to your favourite fashion blog.

Casa Shops: Taigan

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:41 -0800

As the list of online designer sample sales grows, a new web shop has opened with a slightly different business plan. Taigan is a community of over 30 (and growing) specialty shops, boutiques, and galleries nationwide for members only. The site offers access to small, upscale shops in cities as far and wide as Chattanooga, TN and Aspen, CO, which may not otherwise have an ecommerce site.

Taigan gets its name from a rare hunting dog which is said to have "a discerning eye and keen sense of awareness," an analogy for the company, which hunt for all things little-known and beautiful around the country. Purveyor of art, antiques, home décor, fashion, and jewelry you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere online, Taigan does seem to have a card up its sleeve. But, after your 14-day trial is complete, membership costs $15 a month or $165 per year. For the average shopper, I'm not sure the cost is justifiable, but it certainly might be worth it for an interior designer.

10 Fashion Observations, Straight From Paris

FabSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:50:22 -0700

My recent trip to Paris left me inundated with chic fashion observations. Whether I was window shopping on Rue Saint-Honoré or strolling down Rue St. Germain, I would always spot a cool trend, another form of inspiration for my closet. Left and right, effortlessly gorgeous women on bikes and on foot would stop me dead in my tracks. It's a mystery how they don't brush their hair and barely wear makeup, but look so damn good. Bella, any ideas? Fashion-wise, we all know that Parisians love, love, love black. Even visitors, like L'Uomo Vogue editor Giovanna Battaglia, get sucked into the black hole when they go. Curious to know my other Paris fashion observations? Entrer!
Source

View Slideshow ›

The Pros and Cons of Buying Topshop Online

Fab Community — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:22 -0800

Check out what Emily EMS has to say about her online Topshop experience in our 24/7 Go-To Fashion Guide group.

I always knew they existed - I have seen their chic dresses, sexy heels and cool tops. I am talking about Topshop. I got even more excited when I found out they opened a store in NYC, although I live in Denver, Colorado. I must say, things come around a lot slower around here, and don't get me wrong, there are nice stores here, but it's not to the point where they satisfy my fashion cravings.

This is when the beauty of online shopping comes in handy. My friend Sophie loves to shop online. She says that it's the best because she can buy things anytime, even at two in the morning, not have to worry about driving to the mall, (and not finding anything at the mall!), and in most cases, there's no sales tax, a small shipping fee, and usually, the return and exchanges are easy.

I must say, I was never comfortable with buying clothes online. Shoes and bags, I'm OK with. With clothes, things are different simply because every brand has slightly different sizing and all. Topshop was no exception. It's from the UK, and I know sometimes the equivalent of those sizes can be confusing - look at H&M!

One day, as I was looking through tons of pictures as always - new trends, jackets and coats for Fall and Winter. And there it was. I fell in love with this striped knit jacket from Topshop. I looked at the price, and fell in love with it even more - it's only $80!

I had to go to the store - but wait, there is no Topshop here in Denver! As I envied those folks in NYC, I went online. I quickly navigated myself to look for the jacket and there it was! I want, I want! Pause. What is my size?

Suddenly, I was lost. I usually wear a 2 or 4, depending on the brand. I also have jackets and tops that run rather small or large. While all those thoughts kept going around my head, I looked up on the sizing chart. Hmm . . . I think I am 4, but I don't want it to be too tight since it's a knit jacket . . . oh well, let's just order 6 in case, and if it didn't fit, I'd just exchange it. Before placing an order, it suddenly dawned on me that in case this size didn't work out, I better check on the return policy. Just in case. I'm not sure if that was a sign of something, but I looked. And I discovered many things I did not know. At first, I did not know Topshop's merchandise all ship out from UK. Thus, $15 shipping charge makes sense. Then I realized another thing. What if I wanted to return or exchange something? Sure, you can either return it in person at their stores but that is not my option. According to their website, if you wanted to return or exchange an item, you have to ship it back to their UK warehouse at your own expense. Hmmm . . .

Now I'm determined to make my purchase more "oops wrong size" free. I certainly don't want to go through with shipping the item back and forth till I get it right. It's not only time consuming, but also could end up being costly. I carefully studied the sizing chart, I realized, I needed some real people's opinions. Of course, the chart gives you the idea to narrow down which size you could possibly be, but just in case, to double check it, I did my own research.

I googled the "Topshop sizing review" and voilà! There were a few out there, but one forum was particularly helpful - Facebook. People with the same problems come together and discuss the sizing. Some argue Topshop's sizing runs smaller. Others disagree.

In the end, I ended up getting a 6 - I figured if it's bigger rather than smaller, I could live with it. I haven't gotten the jacket just yet, because I just ordered yesterday, but I'll keep you posted on the sizing. I must say the forum, like the one Facebook, did help me tremendously, sometimes a sizing chart won't do justice. Real people's opinions really do count.

So will I shop online again? Yeah, sure. But do some research beforehand, and read the fine print in case you don't like it, or it's too small or too big, or it's not what I thought it would be, or whatever the reason may be. As for me, for now, I'm waiting and hoping that all the research and reading will pay off.

There are already a bunch of groups you can join and explore, and please - start some new ones! Here's a helpful guide to creating in case you need some clarification.

Friday Fab News Roundup

FabSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:22 -0800

The insider: Savannah Miller - Nylon
Mango eyes US expansion - WWD
Alexander Wang wins Swiss Textile Award - FWD
Oprah Winfrey wears Prabal Gurung on O Magazine - Red Carpet Fashion Awards
How to wear faux fur coats - The Budget Fashionista
Tara Subkoff needs more charity - Page Six
Claudia Schiffer poses the designer question - Telegraph UK
Ridicule keeps fans of harem pants from getting too big for their britches - WSJ
Can a boy wear a skirt to school? - New York Times
Tom Ford calls Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé evil - Page Six
Shop with frugal's stylist - Frugal Fashionista

Fab Finding Follow-Up: Fashion's Night Out in NYC!

FabSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:50:22 -0700

This New York Fashion Week has an extra special event to attend - Fashion's Night Out. I'm all about doing my part, so you know I'll be attending all the amazing soirees to shop and support. That's why I asked you to help me create an amazing outfit for this fun affair.

I started you off with these DKNY Metallic Flats ($180) because I need Fab flats to survive all the walking. Let's see your creations . . .

Look #1, created by Sarahab145, is super cute. So feisty, yet chic.

See the rest.

Love It or Hate It? Zandra Rhodes' Ecclectic Makeup

BellaSugarUK — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:10:00 -0800

English fashion and textile designer Zandra Rhodes has made history in London with her one-time Fullham Road shops and the opening of the Fashion and Textile Museum which she founded in 2003. She's designed for Princess Diana and has a wide UK, US and Australian following. However, aside from her designs making a statement, she's known to stand out with pink hair, bold blue eyeshadow and orange lipstick. She showed off her signature look last night at the 2009 Elle Decoration British Design Awards. What do you think of it?