Fashion in Films: Bridesmaids

     The month of May usually signals the start of a lot of summer box office hits. And after hearing so many good praises about the movie Bridesmaids, which has been in theaters for over two weeks, I finally watched it and I must say that I'm more than pleased and not just with the comedic performances. Saying that the movie was funny doesn't do it justice. It was hilarious. But what really surprised me was how beautiful and fitting the wardrobe was for each of the six leading women. The costume designer, Leesa Evans, along with the help of her co-costume designer Christine Wada, did an amazing job in portraying each of the different character's story through their wardrobe selections from the dresses down to the jewelry, handbags, and shoes. 

  

Annie - Kristen Wiig 

as the Maid of Honor at her all time low, but still has a lot going for her 

- tailored blazers, short dresses, and rompers 

- lots of colorful prints and jewelry 

- sky high heels that showcases her sex appeal

Lillian -- Maya Rudolf

as the happy bride to be 

- feminine and romantic dresses 

- colorful wardrobe palette 

- lots of glitz and glam, very well accessorized 

Helen -- Rose Byrne 

as the perfect Stepford wife 

- lots of designer clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories 

- country club preppy 

- high fashion and expensive 

Megan -- Melissa McCarthy

as the outrageous sister of the groom, who despite her androgynous appearance, loves men

- oversized golf shirts and hats

- manly trousers with sandals 

- but with a hint of feminism with headbands and pearl necklace 

Becca -- Ellie Kemper

as the conservative newlywed 

- very colorful and youthful pieces with a lot of preppy and feminine accents 

- lots of colorful print dresses and cardigans 

- paisley and florals 

Rita -- Wendy McLendon-Covey

as the depraved housewife with three kids 

- lots of sexy and body conscious dresses 

- chunky gold jewelry and leaopard accents 

- display of cleavage 

Love, KB

Video Obsession: Rosie Romantic Tutorial by The Beauty Department.com

     I was never that little girl who grew up playing with her mother's make-up while wearing strands and strands of her pearl necklaces and trying to maintain balance in her pink satin pumps. As a matter of fact, I was a bit of a tomboy in a dress while growing up. I didn't start wearing make-up until I was eighteen years old and even then I had to learn it all myself. I come from a family of naturals. Make-up was not part of the daily routine but only reserved for special occasions and womanhood. I have this very faint memory in my head of my mother putting on make up while she was getting ready for work. I thought it was something very glamorous, but never really had the need to rush into until I was well in my teens. 


     At twenty-four years old, I still hardly wear that much make-up at all. But on the rare days when I do, especially during the day, it's usually very light, just eyeliner and mascara. But now that I've been introduced to this wonderful and colorful world of make-up and the various ways I can still maintain that natural look, I'm hooked. This Rosie Romantic tutorial by Lauren Conrad's thebeautydepartment.com with her make up artist Amy Nadine is my absolute favorite. It encompasses all of my favorite elements -- a light and natural look and romanticism. And it's perfect for the summer season fast approaching. What I love about this tutorial is that it's very easy to do and it includes a lot of elements that make it very appropriate for a daytime look like brown eyeliner and mascara (as opposed to the heavy black) and tinted balm. My favorite tinted balm is Clinique's Chubby Stick which offers the same moisture as chapstick, but with color yet it's not as sticky or dramatic like lipgloss or lipstick, which is perfect for those hot summer days. Try it, I know you'll love it.

Here's how to achieve that Rosie Romantic look via The Beauty Department.com 

Tools: foundation, rosy cream blush, rosy lip balm, brown eye liner pencil, black mascara, foundation brush or sponge, and small flat concealer brush (or you can use your fingers)

(1)  Apply an even layer of foundation to your skin.

(2) Apply a rosy cream blush to the apples of your cheeks and blend with your finger tips.

(3) Apply a rosy lip balm to your lips.

(4) Line your lash line with a brown pencil and blend with your finger.

(5) Coat your top and bottom lashes with black mascara.

Love, KB

Magazine Covergirl: Teen Vogue -- Jennifer Lawrence (May 2011)

     I've never seen the movie Winter's Bone which catapulted Jennifer Lawrence into the entertainment news spotlight and helped solidify this young actress's spot as one of the young and upcoming Hollywood talents to look out for, but I am excited to see her this summer in X-Men First Class as the blue-skined mutant, Mystique. In the May 2011 Teen Vogue cover shoot which was styled by Clare Richardson and shot by the world renowned photographer, Patrick Demarchelier, Lawrence talked about landing the most coveted role in the movie The Hunger Games and feeling like The Dude from the movie The Big Lebowski, but stuck in a woman's body and in high fashion clothes. I'll never forget that sexy and simple, yet tasteful red Calvin Klein Collections gown she wore to this year's Oscars. But I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot more of her outside of cinema. She's going to be a fashion icon in the making. 

dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs / necklace by Ann Taylor 

shirt by Tommy Hilfiger / skirt by Marc by Marc Jacobs / necklace by Tiffany & Co. 

shirt my Marc by Marc Jacobs / shorts by Sonia Rykiel /
belt by Brave Leather / shoes by Dolce &Gabbana

top by Jill Stuart / necklace by Ranjana Khan /
bracelets by Kyler by Joy O

shirt by Dallin Chase / skirt by Topshop / shoes by Prada

Love, KB

Look Book RTW Fall 2011 Rachel Zoe

     After being out of the public eye due to her first pregnancy, my favorite celebrity stylist of many entertaining one-liners is wasting no time to getting back to work. Just last week, Rachel Zoe leaked this photo of her new Rachel Zoe Collection in her website, The Zoe Report. According to the site, the collection will hit stores in August 2011. Earlier on this year during (February) New York Fashion Week, Zoe released a look book for her Fall 2011 RTW collection with Conde Nast's Style.com. The collection, which features 32 looks, is very resonant with Rachel Zoe's style. The pieces in the collection stays very true to Rachel's style with a lot of 70s, vintage, and Halston inspired pieces and of course, faux fur. The entire collection is complete with a lot of feminine and androgynous looks from a one shoulder, tiered maxi dress to pant and suit jackets with very clean lines. Naturally, after designing an entire faux fur line for QVC, the next step in branding Rachel Zoe Inc is a full apparel collection. So until these pieces hit the racks of high end department stores everywhere, which include names like  Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom enjoy the look book and make a mental shopping note for yourself. 

Love, KB