Rave: Old Navy Spring Collection 2008

Every year, Old Navy tends to fall into a rut of winter depression. Their winter collections are cute and cozy but above all, they tend to be a bit too matronly. Don't get me wrong - I love a good cable knit sweater but when everything they offer seems to be straight from a grandmother's closet, the spring collections seem even more refreshing when it arrives.

This year's spring collection is especially eye-appealing as it is reminiscent of Missoni collections. Their bold ethnic prints and billowy designs have me extremely anxious for this summer (when it finally comes). For now, I'm going to try out these affordable but ultra-cute new fashions over tights and under cardigans.

Braided-Trim Top: $16.50

Mix-Print Henley Tank: $14.50

Safari Animal Tee: $14.50

Burnout Babydoll: $24.50

Belted Safari Jacket: $29.50

Striped Tab Shorts: $15.00

Mid-Rise Twill Shorts: $15.00

Cut-Out Strapless Dress; $34.50

Beaded Sandals: $19.50

T-Strap Sandals: $15.00

Rope Handle Tote Bag: $7.99

Wooden Handle Clutch: $19.50

Ivory Bangle: $6.65

Hexagonal Bangle: $6.65

Classic Aviator: $9.50

As you can see, your spring wardrobe can be considerably updated with the purchase of these "jungle explorer/safari fanatic" items. Head over to your closest Old Navy and get yourself stocked up before spring is here to stay.

Rave: Relaxed Luxury

Just yesterday, as I was flipping through the January issue of Details, I came upon on the "Rules of Style" section. It's one of my favorite features in Details, in which each month, a designer (past issues have featured Donatella Versace, Michael Kors, Thom Browne, etc.) presents his or her - well, rules of style! It's always fun to see how the designers you look up to so much dress, live, buy, and believe. Whether it's Michael Kors' love for Hermes flip flops or how Dries Van Noten isn't the biggest fan of vintage looks, I love reading this feature each month and I often find myself trying to follow their rules (well -- the ones I can afford...).

But back to my story, this month, they interviewed Jean Touitou, designer for A.P.C. Although all of his rules were for the most part, great advice, it was the second one that really stuck with me.

"2. I think it’s very important to look sexy at home. I hate it when people say, “I will take this to the countryside because it’s not fashionable anymore.” I love being well-dressed when nobody’s looking at me."

I couldn't agree more! I feel as though true lovers of fashion, not just the ones who dress well for public acceptance, are the ones who will heed this tip with the most respect. Although clothingwise, I tend to look quite pathetic at home -- old sweatshirts and pajama pants and whatnot -- I try to live the fabulous life whenever I can. It's not odd to see me taking a crystal goblet out of my mother's china cabinet just to drink water or put on cologne simply to go to sleep. It's one of my most firm beliefs that luxury and richness should be a part of your whole life, not just the parts that everyone else sees.

Just because no one is there to see you, it doesn't mean you can't wear designer duds to sleep, drink out of fine glassware, enjoy gourmet chocolates, or treat yourself to a relaxing at-home spa treatment. Style didn't begin at your front door, it began when you woke up.

So here are some of my ideas on how you can make your home-life a little more fabulous (at a variety of price ranges!)

Petit Merlot Wine Glasses by Lenox: $40

Waffle Hoodie by The Gap: $24

Red Roses Bath Oil by Jo Malone: $60

Lace-trim Chemise by Old Navy: $17

Check PJ's by Burberry: $175

Silk Fleece Blanket by Ann Gish: $250

Plummy Cobalto Gown by La Perla: $468

Amedei Porcelana Chocolate Bar
(considered by many to be the rarest and best Chocolate around): $13

Sources 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3

Rave: The Perfect Closet

Okay, let me just admit it up front - I actually enjoy organizing my closet. No, I'm not one of those people who must have everything in a certain way (Anthony spaces his hangers equidistant from each other-talk about OCD!) - I'm quite the opposite actually. But I do, however, take special interest when it comes to my wardrobe. To be honest, I get lazy and my closet can go weeks at a time without seeing me hang a single item, but this pushes me to have an ultimate cleaning day where I completely re-organize all of it.

First off, I think that a clean closet is important for everyone. It really is the penultimate accessory for any fashionista! Not only does it show your care and value for the clothes you own, but it also makes it a lot easier to find clothes when in a rush. No more turning over your entire bedroom trying to find that purple blouse wrinkled beneath a pair of jeans. While it would be fabulous to have one, you don't need to have a huge walk-in closet to achieve the perfect closet. I've found that color-coding my closet helps me put together outfits, which is definitely an added bonus, and of course, it helps me work with my limited closet space. And i mean, who doesn't like throwing open their closet doors to find a colorful masterpiece where the medium is clothing? Your own personal fashion show, where everything (hopefully) fits, n'est pas?

My Tips to Obtaining the Perfect Closet:
1. Only keep things that you need/will wear. I know this is especially hard, considering most people hate throwing stuff away. But the less junk you have in your closet, the easier it will be to find things, and the more space you'll have for things you will actually wear (as well as more space for the things you haven't yet purchased!).

2. Figure out the best way to organize and utilize your closet space. If you are a huge dress fanatic, make sure you have the room to hang long dresses; if you love shoes, make sure to include plenty of space (including shelving if necessary); if you love sweaters, you may want to invest in a closet organizing system so you can fold your sweaters and still have room for those items that need to be hung. Just like every other aspect of fashion, the Perfect Closet depends mainly on the likes and dislikes - the fit -- of the person who owns it, and only you can decide the optimal way to use your space.

3. Organize your clothes in your closet in a way that will enable you to reach and find your clothes in an efficient major. For me, this is best achieved by color coding my closet. On these days, I follow a ROY G BIV color scheme from left to right. Neutrals, blacks, greys, browns, and whites go before the red section. Within each block of color, I organize the clothing by weight -- thickest item to thinnest. If two items of clothing match in warmth, I put the darker of the two to the left. Jeans and other pants share a shelf under all of the tops, and are folded and tucked away. All the delicates and casual wear are stored in my dresser. And as for shoes -- they're everywhere - my bedroom, the laundry room, my car, and so forth. Any ideas on how to organize these while minimizing space would be highly appreciated.

This isn't the only way to organize your closet. You can go with color temperatures (cool colors vs. warm colors), or clothing type (shirts, pants, t-shirts, jeans, etc.), designer, dressy vs. casual -- the options are limitless.

4) Maintain your newly modified closet. This is the hardest part for me! But if you can keep your closet clean and tidy, your life (as well as your prying mom's eyes) will be a lot happier!

Of course, I'm still waiting for the day when I can have a two-story walk-in with a chandelier, chaise, and huge three way mirror, but for now, my closet is organized in a manner that allows me to enjoy all of my clothes whilst providing a clean, bright environment for all of my new purchases.

Rave: Louis Vuitton Spring 2008

Sometime last week, while looking through the Spring 08 collections presented last September, I realized that I had overlooked the collection presented by fashion powerhouse, Louis Vuitton. In my opinion, it was a great show. Filled with color, odd selections of fabrics, and downright confusing combinations, I suppose this show was quite similar to Marc Jacob's own 'backwards' collection -- done in a much more sophisticated fashion. Style.com put it as being "crazed, random, playful, yet grounded," and I couldn't agree more. It really was like young women playing dress up and getting lost in their mother's makeup-kit.

But alas! The clothes weren't what attracted me to the collection. Yes, they were fabulous as Louis Vuitton clothes always tend to be, but it was the bags that stole the show. Marc Jacobs collaborated with controversial artist Richard Prince to design the spring 08 line of Louis Vuitton bags. They were colorful, spray painted and distressed, and several of the bags even incorporated text (what Prince's artwork is often noted for). From what I've read on message boards and The Purse Forum, these bags haven't yet been welcome with open arms. Yet, I must admit, that when I saw the bags for the first time, my mind was reeling! I could not believe how modern they looked without sacrificing the class and quality that Vuitton is known for. I was hooked right away, and hope that this isn't the last we see of a Prince & Louis Vuitton collaboration.

My take on the bags? To be quite honest, I had nearly lost all hope for Louis Vuitton. Yes, LV bags are fabulous and the epitome of quality clothing, but it seems that today, everyone and their mother has a Louis Vuitton bag (and in most cases, fake ones -- but we'll save that topic for later). I had very little hope that the label could regain it's once revered status, and I feel that the Richard Prince collection, while definitely "out there," has done just that. It has reaffirmed why Louis Vuitton is looked upon with such respect in the world of fashion.

But words aren't enough. Check them out for yourself.

Photo Credits: 1 2 3 4

Rave: Figure-Flattering Finery

As I walked through the mall this past weekend, signs of "SALE" greeted me at every store window. Being the polite shopper that I am, I obliged these signs and visited many stores whose displays boasted major discounts and well-dressed mannequins. Walking through the rows and rows of clothes, I realized a common mistake that many people make - dressing for other people.

It has always been a belief of mine that women do not dress for themselves - they dress for other women. In hoping to outshine their fellow comrades, they put together far more unique outfits. This however leads to one problem - the woman who does not know what flatters their own body shape.

I often see two problems as I walk through aisles of chemises, jackets, miscellaneous tops, and customers looking for something pretty to take home:

1) The most common problem is buying something at a great price that does not flatter your body shape. Often times, we get so caught up in how great of a deal we've found that we do not realize that the "object of our desires" does not highlight our most favorable areas and downplay our flaws. As I held up a camisole from a clearance bin at Express just this past Saturday, I was shocked at the low price but painfully put it down as I realized that the cut was not right for me. Do not, I repeat, do NOT buy inexpensive items based on price alone; fit is just as, if not more important, than price! Do not be fooled!

2) The second mistake is buying something simply for the label. Too many people have been caught in the trap of brand-buying. For example, a friend recently gushed over a designer dress she had just bought. Of course I was very impressed with her purchase - until she put it on. By being so caught up in who made the dress, she had forgotten who would wear the dress. Needless to say, the dress clung to her where it shouldn't have and billowed away where it should have flattered. I quickly persuaded her to return the dress and today, she happily found a much more figure-friendly dress at an affordable price.

So when do you know if something is worth buying? As you've probably already guessed, the flattery-level of the dress is foremost amongst quality and occasion and whatnot. We've found a video clip from the Today Show featuring designer Isaac Mizrahi discussing the best ways to accentuate your body. Also, a guide from TravelSmith can help you figure out what clothing choices to stray towards or away from as you determine the best way to balance your body shape. For example, if you are concerned with a less than perfect stomach, a babydoll top may help you skim over these imperfections. If you are worried about wide hips, an A-line skirt might visually minimize your problem area. However, keep in mind that these suggestions are only guidelines and only you can determine what looks best on you while keeping you comfortable in your skin.

Coco Chanel once said, “The best color in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!” At the Linen Lounge, we could not agree more. The best look in the world is the one that shows off your best assets and increases your confidence level infinitely. As you learn how to find better clothes for yourself, it will become easier for you to spot the looks most geared towards your body shape. Do not buy something because it looked good on a co-worker or friend and on the other hand, do not disregard something simply because it is no longer a trend. I will perhaps always wear skinny jeans, even when they go out of style, because they elongate my legs and that is something that no amount of trend-bashing can take away.

Throughout this post are pictures from The Sartorialist showcasing looks that people just like you have put together to flatter their figure, exude their personal style, and highlight their inner confidence.

So good luck, reader! The world of malls, markets, and boutiques awaits your picky eye!