Dear Manolo:
I've been invited on a fabulous two-week trip to Monaco at the end of October, and I need some shoes. Normally, I'm a high-heel girl, but I'm wondering whether I'll end up hobbling around by the end of the trip. Are there any cute (possibly preppy) mid-heels that are comfy? — Katie
MANOLO SAYS, Ayyyyy! Now is the best time to visit the Principality: The weather is quite pleasant, the summer crowds have left for the season, and Prince Albert is still the balding bachelor on the prowl.
Of the course, if you plan on doing any walking in the city, which is the easiest way to see Monte Carlo, you will need the most comfortable of the shoes.
A FEW YEARS AGO, the words "eco chic" didn't translate into good-looking home decor. (Cue images of an off-the-grid treehouse outfitted with birch-log beds and license plate "art.") But these days, new products, from sustainable cork flooring to rehabbed antiques, mean an eco pad can summon Elle Decor instead of L.L. Bean. "Your house doesn't have to look like REI," says Sean Schmidt of the Sustainable Style Foundation. "It can look like anything you want." In fact, green design is red-hot. Here are some fresh ideas to satisfy both your inner tree hugger and outer design fiend.
» Vintage Vogue
What's old becomes very new again, thanks to Yuppie Decor, an Arlington-based furniture rehab business that sells its pieces at Georgetown's Maison Living (2601 P St. NW; 202.337.1731). "Antique furniture is better built, has better lines and is more stylish," says Aaron Hase, who co-owns the company with his wife, Shannon (both pictured). "But a lot of it doesn't fit peoples' style today. So, we take antique and mid-century furniture and revive it in bold style." This often means painting Grandma's chair or tuffet a high-gloss black or white and reupholstering it in a punchy textile. Think an old Hollywood-style chaise covered in a modern black and white floral ($550) or a black antique boudoir bench upholstered in a bright green print ($115). It's all very Tory Burch goes to Palm Beach, but Yuppie pieces would play well in both modern or traditional interiors. And, really, "purchasing secondhand furniture is the greenest way to go," says D.C.'s Maria Fyodorova, who runs the popular Righteous (re)Style blog. "It gives you a unique piece that no one else will have."
Continue Reading "Low Carbon, High Style: Eco Chic Home Decor" »
EACH MONTH, more than a million women thumb through Lucky magazine, eyeballing cool new leather jackets and gotta-get-'em shoes. The well-dressed forces behind this fashion packed bible: editor in chief Kim France and creative director Andrea Linett, who just penned their second book, "The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style" ($30, Gotham).
» EXPRESS: The book describes 10 looks, from beachy California Casual to drop-dead sexy Bombshell. Do you think women know which style they are?
» FRANCE: I think some people have a sense early on of what their style is. Others need help.
» EXPRESS: What's the hardest thing about figuring out which style you are?
» LINETT: The biggest challenge is knowing yourself and your body, what you can and can't get away with.
» KF: It's about letting yourself enjoy style. If you can choose one or two styles, you'll anchor your look.
» AL: Yeah, it's not about waking up and saying, "How am I going to be Mod today?"
» EXPRESS: Which of these categories do you fall into?
» AL: Kim is Euro Chic and Arty Slick. And she says that I'm in the middle of Rock 'n' Roll and Bohemian. I like punky and Victorian stuff.
» KF: Andrea is very rock-chick. Like today she's wearing platform boots and tons of jewelry.
AS STYLE EDITOR of NBC's "Today" and author of In Touch Magazine's The Buzz column, Bobbie Thomas dispenses advice to millions of women with a big sisterly touch. While in D.C., recently, Thomas made time for a one-on-one to dish about her tried-and-true skin care rules, drugstore bargains and why she thinks we all have something to learn from Rihanna.
» EXPRESS: What is your first rule of skin care?
» THOMAS: It's really important to exfoliate every day. If your skin is fresh and new, you're going to receive better benefits from a cellulite-bust firming cream, for example. If you want something that's really nourishing, like a body oil, frankly, three of the best moisturizers on the market are still the old-fashioned ones: cocoa butter, petroleum jelly and mineral oil.
» EXPRESS: What do you think about the trend of bold makeup colors?
» THOMAS: If you're 19 years old and you want to go dancing in a dark club, it's fun. But if you're going to work, it's not practical. What I suggest is taking inspiration. Rim the inside of your eye with a little bit of blue eyeliner, on someone with brown eyes, like Rihanna — and she does this. And it's gorgeous, right? Rihanna incorporates color in a cool way.
Dear Manolo:
I've been hired by the my alma mater as a fund-raiser, so I'll be traveling a lot this fall. I need a pair of boots that will see me through from the airport to the boardroom. — Lillian
MANOLO SAYS: Ayyyyy! The Manolo's friend has gone over to the dark side, joining the only organization more persistent than the IRS, more tricksy than the CIA, more capable of finding fugitives than the FBI: your college's fund-raising department.
Trust the Manolo, the National Security Administration wishes it had the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the average middle-sized liberal arts college development department, so efficient are the fund-raisers at figuring out where to direct the guilt-inducing letters and politely hectoring phone calls. "Hello, Mr. Gibbletson? This is Clancy Snaffleton from Faber College, and I'm calling to remind you that the Annual Fund needs your contribution. You're in the Federal Witness Protection Program? Well, sir, we have our ways. Now how about the Class of '78 Homecoming Fund?"
Here is the Mango from La Canadienne ($339, Zappos.com) that is both attractive and weatherproof.
Each week, Manolo the shoeblogger answers your pressing shoe questions. Ask the Manolo a question at manolo@shoeblogs.com. Visit the Manolo at shoeblogs.com.
Photo courtesy Zappos.com
LOOKING FOR WAYS to cut spending in these recessionary times? If you've already made the switch from venti to tall and still need to save some coins, perhaps it's time to ditch the pricey powders and glosses. To help you avoid going bankrupt in the beauty aisle, we've collected some of our favorite drugstore cosmetics to keep you looking cute while conserving cash.
» 1. Staying Power
Most powdery drugstore shadows make a mess and then disappear. But Revlon Color Stay 12 Hour Eye Shadow quads contain a range of shades that stay crease-free well into happy hour. ($7)
» 2. Eye Equality
Rumors abound that Maybelline's Full 'N Soft mascara uses the exact same formula as pricier counterparts. Feel free to conduct your own Pepsi challenge at home, but we're true believers. ($5)
» 3. Finer Liner
The Soft Kohl Kajal pencil from British brand Rimmel sharpens well for a fine and dainty line or can be applied with a heavier hand if you do get the urge to go totally Winehouse. ($3.49)
Continue Reading "Pretty Cheap: Beauty Products for Low Prices" »
THERE'S NOTHING more basic than blue jeans — or is there? This fall, denim is anything but dull, popping up on more than just pants. Dresses, bags and even shoes have gotten a dungaree makeover. "Denim is always in style because it's a classic look that you can dress up or down," says Theresa Watts, owner of U Street boutique Lettie Gooch. "And most people have a comfort level with denim, so they're not afraid to go outside the box." This season, there's a huge vintage revival, from Marilyn Monroe-inspired jumpers to Farrah Fawcett-esque high-waisted styles. More traditional? Don't worry — skinny jeans are still around, as is the ever-flattering boot cut. (You can stash away your extreme wide legs until the next time they come around, which they inevitably will.) With so many decisions, it's easy to go overboard with the blue, so just keep in mind the cardinal rule: Never wear two pieces of denim clothing together — and, yes, that includes your jean jacket.
HAVING OVERNIGHT guests of the non-romantic sort can make your home feel as crowded as the nursery chez Brad and Angelina. And when you don't live in a swanky French chateau or mod Hollywood mansion, finding a place to accommodate Cousin Jed or your college roommate can be as difficult as remembering the names of all the Jolie-Pitt kids.
So, when company's coming — and they want to stay over — what can you do, short of steering them toward the couch with a blanket and teddy bear? Even if outfitting a posh guest room isn't feasible, you have options besides packing your friends and family off to the Motel 6.
"There are three things you should think about when looking to convert or to utilize space in a small apartment for guest quarters," says James Grayson Trulove, author of "25 Apartments & Lofts Under 1,000 Square Feet." ($40, Collins Design) "The first is to create an illusion of privacy. The second is to let furniture do double duty. And the third is to find hidden bedrooms where you didn't know they existed."
Folding screens, dividers or even bookcases can help give guests privacy, especially if they're sleeping on a futon in the living room.
Leslie Power installed sliding Japanese-style shoji screens in the guest nook she created on the upper floor of her Takoma Park bungalow to separate it from the nearby family room. "We call it our 'guest room-enough,'" says the 37-year-old computer programmer. "Our guests have a comfortable place to stay and some privacy, but they probably wouldn't stay too long."
IS ECONOMIC DOOM and gloom making your clothing budget shrink faster than a cashmere sweater put in the dryer on high? Us, too. Which is why Express' annual outfit challenge — in which three stylistas assemble ensembles on the cheap — trimmed its $100 budget to $75 and limited venues to thrift stores, consignment boutiques and vintage shops. With accessories for as little as a buck and designer dresses for less than $10, it's no wonder the fash pack has been flocking to secondhand stores. "There seems to be a growing appetite for what we're doing and the kind of merchandise we sell," says Goodwill of Greater Washington's Em Hall, who blogs at Dcgoodwillfashions.blogspot.com.
That said, uncovering chic bargains still means digging through piles of crusty old shoes to find those $20 Prada pumps. But with vintage increasingly in vogue and the eco movement promoting clothing reuse, it's clear that recycled threads have cycled into fashion. Gas prices may soar, but so can your style cred.
LAUNCHED IN 2006 under the direction of media mogul Nduka Obaigbena — the editor in chief of Africa's leading daily newspaper, Thisday— "Africa Rising" is a festival aimed at shedding a more positive light on the continent.
With a fashion and music focus, the festival is about "trying to promote African music, African talent, African musicians and African designers and trying to get them global attention," according to Obaigbena.
To reach this end, "Africa Rising" forgoes the usual panel discussions and focus groups for a night of pure entertainment — featuring headliners rap artist Jay-Z and soul crooner John Legend — with the hopes that a different approach may reach a more varied, larger audience.
"Certainly, it's not the best or only way," says Obaigbena of the festival's entertainment-oriented approach. "Music is just an additional element. ... We do lots of conferences too. But we also want to do events like [this] as we want to appeal to the younger generation, so that we can reach out to everyone through different mediums."
Continue Reading "A Continent's Global Face: 'Africa Rising'" »
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