So is blood the new black?

credit: coutorture.com

Jean Paul Gaultier seems to think so. Exhibitionist? Sadist? Genius? Any three could describe fashion's biggest rebel. In his fall 2010 menswear collection Gaultier took sportswear to the extreme, even going as far as to send battered and bloodied male models in full couture boxing uniform (complete with gloves and knee-high lace ups) down the runway. Menswear isn't necessarily the safest environment to take styling risks, but Gaultier really seemed to out do himself with this one. The titan of 80's couture, who is known for the cone-shaped bra that defined a generation, and made Madonna famous is know stranger to outlandish design in women's wear, but he really came out of the comfort zone to showcase this... interesting... men's collection.

credit:style.com

Part of me thinks, "Wearing couture to the gym? Where do I sign up" but the vast majority is just slightly disturbed and laregly terrified. Courageous? Artistic? Or just over the top? I mean, trust me, I live for avant-garde-- but seriously, fake blood and gaping wounds? How much is too much? What do you think?

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Above: The designer takes his bow and bleeds profusely.

Looking for a Beauty Lifesaver?

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In need of a new haircut or eyebrow wax but running low on cash? Or maybe you want to splurge on a facial treatment or massage for a special occasion. If you haven't checked out Lifebooker.com yet, you are missing out! This website is New York's premier beauty service deal finder. It's completely free to sign up, and then you are privy to an awe-inspiring range of discounts and special offers for top spas and salons in the area. The site even provides user reviews of the service providers. Each month Lifebooker.com offers new and different offers to their customers, and there is a point-based system so the more appointments you book the more money you save!

Recent offers this month include laser hair removes packages offered at $99 instead of $300, and 50% off for haircuts and colorings - from top of the line (think $375 marked down to $150 for a "Bling Bling Blonde" service at David at Gina-Le Salon), to more moderate price with markdowns reaching as low as $28 for a haircut. My personal mid-range favorite is the James Bentley Salon, which I discovered through Lifebooker.com.

So girls and boys (there are men's services too) -- pamper yourselves! Now that you know about Lifebooker.com, you can explore the whole range of top beauty services New York has to offer.

UNIQLO: The New Gap + American Apparel?

When shopping for basics, we invariably have our own go-to stores that always provide the bits and pieces we're looking for, and now in the dead of winter many of you might be looking for some simple and affordable basics to layer up with in the freezing weather. A good store for basics needs to have a wide selection of easy-to-layer, lightweight clothes, in a variety of colors. Basics, like a typical white tank top or a black cardigan, are important because they can make or break an outfit: What if you have a really crazy patterned skirt but nothing simple to tone it down with? Or a dress that plunges uncomfortably low, but nothing to layer under it? At the same time, basics aren't meant to stand out, but to integrate with your wardrobe, so they shouldn't be too expensive - you want to save your money for the exciting stuff, and basics are used a lot so they wear out quickly!

Over the past years, my stand-bys have been along the lines of Gap, Banana Republic, BDG of Urban Outfitters,and American Apparel - but recently I discovered the versatility of Japanese-based UNIQLO. It took me a bit to catch on to the utility of UNIQLO. When I first visited the intimidating two-level store in SoHo last year, I wasn't impressed by the prices or the cuts of the clothes - it just seemed like a boring version of American Apparel with all its colorful stacks. But this year its seems that they've added a lot more variety and the prices have gone down considerably, not to mention they have frequent sales. Pants, jackets, lamb-wool and cashmere blend cardigans, scarves, pajamas - you name it! All in an unending spectrum of brilliant colors and warm-weather materials. A wonderful way to brighten up a winter closet! They have great choices for inner wear meant as padding under your coat, such as fleece jackets in every color for $20 or cashmere blend sweaters for $40. I've found that UNIQLO is relatively easy on your wallet without skimping on materials or wearability.

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My favorite innovation of UNIQLO is their new HeatTech line. This includes lightweight shirts and leggings that are made of a special fiber designed to use natural body moisture to insulate against the cold, just the way wool would. Now that the weather is bad, I throw one on every day no matter what I'm wearing. Unlike typical long underwear designs, HeatTech is wearable, including simple but flattering scoop-neck shirts and turtlenecks. Definitely sure to cure those winter blues this season!

Below are examples of HeatTech pieces incorporated into outfits:

Credit: UNIQLO.com

Have you ever shopped there?

From Dainty To Daring

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As I was sorting through the stacks of papers that have accumulated on my desk over winter break, I came across a NY Times Style Section article that caught my eye. The author’s main point was that “the damsel is in distress," not in the fairy-tale way, but how women are styling themselves today. It points to the fact that recently women are stepping out in tougher looks that rely more on studs, leather, and menswear silhouettes than the frills and florals of years past.

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What struck me about this was not the observation itself, but how much it resonates with my own fashion decisions lately. Although I’ve always been a self-proclaimed 'girly girl' with a steadfast loyalty to pink, I too find myself gravitating towards edgier pieces and have realized that incorporating a little more daring into every day looks can really change things up.

There’s something bold and yet still sexy about the way that these pieces can help to reinvent images, or simply bring out a side that you haven’t known how to express before. This trend is great because you don’t have to go all out rocker-chic but can achieve the same look with my favorite fashion items of all: accessories! A simple studded leather belt or cuff, and even a classic shoe, boot, or bag with extra hardware can instantly transform your favorite outfit into your favorite outfit plus some extra special pizazz.

Women of 2010 are complex: feminine and strong, beautiful and brave, and most of all unique, so go for it girls! Accessorize yourselves and don’t be afraid to show off some of that inner toughness! It’s ok to have multi-faceted style, after all it’s the sum of your qualities that makes your personality, so why shouldn’t your look express it?

$tyle Radar

Credit: fashion-train

Ke$ha (pronounced Kesh-a) is an American recording artist who has skyrocketed to fame with her highly infectious party jam TiK ToK. Although her crazy lyrics and stellar swag have made her a hot topic all around, her brazen fashion sense, which she describes as "garbage chic", has caused quite the stir. This artist takes effortless fashion to a new level, using lace tights as pants and combining shirts from German dumpsters with bold fur jackets and ankle boots. Her messy hair gives the impression that it hasn't been washed in days and yet flows perfectly onto her often glitter splattered face. Although some may compare her style to that of the oh-so-famous grunge style coined by the Olsen twins, there is something about the way she puts pieces together that brings an element of pure rock-and-roll personality to the table.

Perhaps the most compelling thing about her rambunctiousness is that it is not your typical "I have money and I'm going to show it" type of fashion but something that is young, hip, and most importantly cheap! Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend you go to your next lecture dressed as the sassy blonde, I would advise you to look to her for possible inspiration for bold tips on how to spice up your wardrobe.

Come to New York Fashion Week!

As a style blogger myself, I've always dreamed of a convention or conference of fashion bloggers, conglomerating together to share ideas and change the fashion industry and social media as we know it.

Well, Chictopia beat me to the race. If you didn't know, Chictopia is an extremely popular fashion-oriented social networking community in which anyone can upload photos, blog, and share fashion ideas and tips. During New York Fashion Week this February, the company is hosting the Chictopia10 Social Influence Summit. According to the website's description:

Chictopia10 Social Influence Summit is where global online taste makers meet executives from premium brands. This half day conference and cocktail party will be feature CEO presentations and high level discussions on what forces are most influential in online brand image. Ten independent designers will also showcase exclusive products from their upcoming lines.

Speakers include Susanna Lau of Style Bubble and Naomi Nevitt, a former online editor of Teen Vogue who also graduated from our own Barnard College!

Unfortunately, the event isn't free -- but you get a discount if you're a member of Chictopia and an additional 50% discount if you enter the code EarlyChic. Information on the event can be found here and tickets can be bought here. You can even apply for a lodging scholarship here, if you're not lucky enough to live in New York City!

Hope to see you there, future fashion bloggers!

And yes, there is an afterparty.

The Return of the Puffer

Having spent the last eleven years of my life within the frigid confines of Toronto and Chicago, I am no stranger to enduring subzero temperatures, waking up to 3 feet of fluffy snow, and stuffing my petite self into puffy winter coats, all the while cringing at how ridiculous I looked.

Proof:

The heinous one-piece snowsuits of Sharon's childhood: age 6 posing at a museum in Copenhagen and age 7 in Toronto after the biggest snowfall in 100 years. Not sure whether they're different snowsuits in the same primary color blocks or if it was reversible...

I abhorred the down jackets of my childhood so as soon as I was old enough to override my parents' protests of functionality over vanity, I embraced the much less warm but much more flattering world of pea coats and trenches. Then as the years grew on, when I began to drive in the winter (with the car heater cranked on full blast of course), the need for thick outerwear in general diminished as life became connected by the continuous warmth from car to building and building to car.

However, I now find myself a college student in New York City scurrying across Columbia's campus without the luxury of heated cars, and for the first time in years, I shivered under my wool coat and realized something: It's really cold outside. My friends hailing from the West Coast and equatorial destinations overseas failed to understand my lack of preparation for winter. The Californians' collection of outerwear easily outdid mine. I am Canadian - what happened to knowing how to live in igloos?

Thus, this winter break, I was determined to hunt down the very item that I had avoided for so long - and was pleasantly surprised. The puffer has evolved a long way from those lumpy childhood contraptions and those shapeless ankle-length coats with fur-trimmed hoods my mother was so fond of in the 90s. Remember those bomber jackets that were the "It" items of middle school? The kind featured in the Sean Paul video for "Temperature" where the booty-shaking girls wore them with teeny shorts? Yea, I was hoping to avoid those too.

Puffers are now more fitted and proportional, designed to add bulk only in the right places thus remaining sophisticated and polished. On top of all that, they're surpassingly warm and cozy.

Structural elements such as large shawl collars use the inherent volume of these jackets to their advantage creating a new focal point for the eye:

Top: Elie Tahari "Lisa" Tie Collar Satin Puffer Coat, Mackage "Harlow" Knit Pillow Coat, Bottom: Rainforest Short Down Cinched Jacket, Via Spiga "Serena" Pillow Coat. Photo credit: Bloomingdales.comLonger coats are no longer overwhelming and figure-engulfing with fitted waistlines, belts, and slimming silhouettes:

Top: Laundy by Shelli Segal Satin Down Jacket, Cole Haan Down Jacket (Packs into a pillow!)Bottom: Betsey Johnson Double Breasted Down Coat With Faux Fur, Marc by Marc Jacobs Long Nylon Puffa JacketPhoto Credit: First three from Bloomingdales.com, Marc Jacket from Net-a-porter.comAnd shorter jackets for the sporty and edgy are both bright and bold. A long puffer in yellow or shiny black fabric might give you the appearance of a life-sized banana or garbage bag, but in just the right dosage, colorful and shiny materials add a noticeable punch without being overpowering.

Top: Rossignol "Swan" Hooded Ski Jacket, DKNY Quilted Bomber with Faux Fur TrimBottom: Burberry Sport Extra Light Down Jacket, IRO Zaken JacketPhoto Credit: First three from Bloomingdales.com, IRO jacket from Shopbop.comPuffers are no longer scary. I myself have embraced the cozy cocoon of down coats and have bought myself a fitted black knee-length number which I have lived in all break. Yesterday, sitting in the familiar warm comfort of the boyfriend's car with my toes stuck stubbornly in their usual position by the foot heater, I snuggled into the embrace of my puffer and forgot the wintery landscape beyond the windshield. He, turning his gaze from the steering wheel to my languid and contented form slumped on the passenger seat, reached into my fleece lined pocket for my hand which was nestled happily inside and exclaimed, "Wow, that is really warm".

What to Wear On (and Off) the Slopes

So you've finally finished finals and are enjoying a well deserved winter break. That means sleeping, eating a decent meal (no more John Jay!), catching up on your favorite shows, spending time with friends and family, and maybe even going on vacation. For many of you, this means going skiing or snowboarding.

As for myself, I will be going on the Columbia ski team training trip. Although my first priority will be keeping warm (I'm a total baby when it comes to the cold), I still want to look stylish on the slopes. After all, I don't want to be upstaged by my new Burton board!

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Leave the black for Manhattan, and try a ski jacket in a fun color will complement your board and help you stand out against the snow. Make a statement with bold graphics to ensure that you're the most stylish skier (or rider) out there. An athletic look is a fun chance to try some brighter, more extreme styles that just weren't appropriate for your 9am Lit Hum class. These options from Ride are sure to keep you warm, while proving that you're not afraid to make bold fashion choices - even if you're not quite so daring in the terrain park!

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I haven't forgotten about the guys out there! Here are some cool options for men:

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After a long, tiring day on the slopes, all you want to do is cuddle up with a book and hot chocolate while wearing pajamas. However, keeping comfy doesn't mean you need to skimp on style! Silky tanks, knit leggings, and cashmere cardigans look stylish, but feel as comfortable as your favorite pair of old sweats! To top it all off, why not try one of Yokoo's cool scarves or cowls? Bonus: they can double as a pillow or blanket if you're feeling the winter chill!

Credit: etsy.com/shop/Yokoo

What do you wear when you're out in the snow?

h00t - A Tribute to the '00's

It's easy to recall memorable fashion shifts in the past decade, moments that have defined the era as one of extreme change, progression and daring statements. The '00's brought us bold looks influenced from music, art, and even politics, not unlike that of previous decades. I aim to remind you of highlights from these years. Looking back , we can reminisce, cringe, laugh and rejoice in the fashion choices of the first decade of the new millennium.

'0Trend #1: Low waisted jeans

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This trend, brought upon by the rise in pop music in the early part of this decade (Think : Britney, Christina ), was quite a change from the higher-waisted styles of the nineties. While parents everywhere were shocked, fashionistas dared to challenge previous conventions of denim.

'0Trend #2 : Hip-Hop influence

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Also during this time, it was clear to see that Hip-Hop was having an impact on women's fashion with the rise of 'hip-hop chic'. Designer tracksuits, like the one above, could be seen on everyone from the soccer mom next door to Paris Hilton.

'0Trend #3: Leggings

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This trend reflects the new appreciation for more sophisticated artistic interest. Leggings, sharing a ballet-themed limelight with ballet flats, become extremely popular. Stylish, comfortable and functional, this garment can be easily identified as one of the hottest trends of the decade.

'0Trend #4 : The kids are leading the pack

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The nineties gave rise to the supermodel, a woman who inspired what everyone else wore, who defined the decade as a household name. Tyra, Naomi, Kate, and Heidi dominated fashion mags and runways, having complete control over the fashion masses. The '00's, however, brought us a whole new slew of trendsetters : the young elite. Thanks to the internet, socialites, musicians' children, fashion bloggers and more have stepped into the forefront as our fashion queens - most under the age of 25! Cory Kennedy and Peaches Geldof among others have shown us that you don't have to be legal to make a fashion statement.

'0Trend #5: Geek Chic

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We all remember when Kanye cleaned up and started wearing those huge glasses and grandfather sweaters. He even rocked the argyle socks. What we remember even more? How well received his trend was by the public. Looking "distinguished" become extremely fashionable towards the end of the decade. The Obama craze during this time went further to cement the intellectual into the fashion world.

All I can say is that the '00's is a decade that I will never forget. The falling, and then rising of waists, the widening and slimming of pant legs and the brightening of colors all come together to define this amazing time period for fashion. Looking back can inspire us to look forward to and anticipate trends to come and where fashion will be going in the next few years. Let's just hope that teeth jewelry don't come back.