Aug

Ask Alexis: Does this make me look old?

Q: Dear Alexis: I find myself in love with THIS dress, but will it make me look old? – In Love with Lace

A: Dear Lace, If you loved it, I certainly hope you bought it as it’s now out of stock. Honestly, one can age almost any outfit with dated hair, jewelry and shoes; so if you purchased this, remember to keep your look youthful or else yes, you’ll look like Thelma Harper. Note the model’s styling: her hair and shoes are pretty simple, right? That’s for a reason. The shorter length and the sheer hemline keep this dress out of Golden Girls territory. The navy hue is a fresh take on the classic LBD, and the bateau neckline balances the hemline, because to have bare shoulders or an exposed bust AND a short hem would cheapen the look. Try a snakeskin or metallic strappy shoe, a coordinating (but not matching!) clutch, and either statement earrings or bracelet (a necklace would be a bit much). DO NOT wear lace shoes, pearls, pantyhose or a shawl. And please, no prom updo.

Do you have a style dilemma? Ask Alexis!

Image via Cache

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Haute or Not?/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Birmingham style/how to wear lace/Same Chic Different Day

Jul

Rouge Louboutin is coming!

Rouge Louboutin

Is designer nail polish along these lines the next status trend?

If you can’t afford a pair of crimson-soled Loubs, now you can at least get a little closer via your mani-pedi! Rouge Louboutin is available for pre-order via Saks Fifth Avenue…now! It retails for $50, and I am in LOVE with the bottle! It just looks like something luxe to display on a well-appointed dressing table and wear for special occasions.

Per Saks: “This long-wearing, chip resistant formula is highly pigmented with luxe, glossy color and UV protection to keep the color true. Two coats give the effect of 20 layers of traditional lacquer, with a brilliant shine. A custom-designed, patented triangular brush ensures precise application, while shorter bristles pick up the right amount of product, preventing air bubbles and ensuring flawless coverage.”

According to Essence.com, 30 shades are on the way and will be sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and select Sephoras. Check for Pop, Nude and Noir! on shelves August 6, and the remaining shades August 31.

This hue and packaging reminds me of the infamous “jungle red” polish from The Women, one of my favorite movies about the lives and loves of the very pampered. It always makes me wish I’d been born when women wore hats and gloves and DRESSED for dinner or shopping downtown. Here’s a clip:

Happy shopping!

Images via Saks

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Birmingham Live!/C'est Si Bon/Haute or Not?/Shopping is My Cardio

Alexis E. Barton/Christian Louboutin/Rouge Louboutin/Saks/Same Chic Different Day

Jul

Ask Alexis: wedding guest on a budget

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Q: It seems like everyone I know is getting married this summer! I don’t want to wear the same cocktail dresses over and over; how can I look like a million dollars on a budget? – Stressed Guest

A: Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a hardworking socialite who appreciated a bargain. When social season rolled around each year, she found herself in a dilemma: she was unwilling to pay exorbitant prices for black tie ensembles that might only get worn once or twice, and equally unwilling to buy something ho-hum but budget-friendly. What was a diva to do?

Enter Rent the Runway, which makes couture fairy tales come true for fashionistas seeking a “Cinderella moment.”

The online retailer – the brainchild of Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss – rents formal and cocktail attire from major designers (think Prabal Gurung, Badgley Mischka and Herve Leger) as well as high-end accessories for a fraction of the price. These gowns are current, and RTR has options for plus, petite and tall sizes. Shoppers register online, peruse the digital runway of gowns and choose one or more to rent (as well as a free back-up size). The dresses are shipped via UPS, arriving according to a date you select; after your event, you simply return the items to Rent the Runway via the enclosed shipping envelope.

Have a fit question? Chat with a virtual Go-To Girl, who can help you make the best selection.

Worried you’re going to get something obviously used? I tried the service twice; all four dresses were professionally dry-cleaned and had no stains, odors, rips or issues. RTR also included fashion tape with the first order, which came in handy.

But what if is doesn’t fit? If nothing in your order fits, return the items to RTR within 24 hours for a full credit.

How big of a deal is this? In my opinion, it’s major. The dress I borrowed for the UNCF Masked Gala earlier this year (Badgley Mischka’s Rouge Rosalind Peplum Gown) retails for $530, and I rented it for $86.65 (the price included tax, $5 insurance and $9.95 shipping). RTR offers first-time renters promo codes that can be used for additional savings. If you attend multiple social events (dances, weddings, balls and awards ceremonies, etc.) and find yourself buying dresses you wear once or twice and then are leery of wearing again soon (because let’s face it: most of us don’t want to be seen in the same outfit multiple times in one season), you can find a tremendous variety of options at Rent the Runway, without emptying your piggy bank. And who wouldn’t want to wear something that echoed Jennifer Lawrence’s peplum Dior, worn at this year’s Oscars? (Okay, so that was a total coincidence.)

Of course, you do have to send the dress back (unless you want to be charged, per RTR’s rental agreement), but if you were really looking for a dress to keep, you wouldn’t be renting one to begin with. The site also offers private sales on dresses from time to time that registered users may take advantage of.

Will I rent again? Only my fairy godmother knows for sure…

Happy shopping!

*Pictured: Badgley Mischka Rouge Rosalind Peplum Gown via Rent the Runway, J. Crew Grande Crystal Drops Necklace (sold out); Jennifer Lawrence via Jason Merritt/Getty

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Champagne Taste Beer Budget/Haute or Not?/Love That!/Shopping is My Cardio/Who Wore What Where

Alexis E. Barton/Rent the Runway/Same Chic Different Day/UNCF Masked Gala 2014/what to wear to a wedding

Jul

Birmingham designer Sandyha Garg to appear on Project Runway Season 13!

When Project Runway season 13 debuts on July 24, Birmingham will once again be represented, this time by Sandhya Garg! Meet #DesignerSandhya:

Click HERE to learn more about Sandhya and to view her portfolio! Will you tune in on July 24 to see if she can make it work?

Images via Lifetime

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Birmingham Live!/First Person Fabulous/Haute off the Press/Haute or Not?/Scene and Heard

Alexis E. Barton/Project Runway/Same Chic Different Day/Sandhya Garg

Jun

Ask Alexis!

Q: Where can I find a top similar to the cute printed blouse Reese Witherspoon wore in New Orleans, as seen in People? – M.

A: Isn’t her blouse easy breezy? While I don’t know exactly where Ms. Witherspoon found her blouse, I will say you can find one that is just as cute and (bonus!) easy on the pocketbook at TARGET! This button-down by Merona is in a lightweight lawn and is $22.99 online. Even better, Target is offering a “buy one, get one half off” deal on select clothing, shoes and accessories through June 28! So go ahead and get the pineapple or whale print versions too!

***
Looking for something haute or hard-to find? Need style advice? Just ask!

Images via Reese Witherspoon’s Instagram and Target, respectively

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Haute or Not?/Shopping is My Cardio/Who Wore What Where

Alexis E. Barton/Reese Witherspoon/Same Chic Different Day/Target style

Jun

Deep breath.

I’m preparing to give some tips on dressing for success to the ladies of the Leading Edge Institute…and I’m nervous. So I’m doing a quick change to add accessories that make me feel powerful.

Okay, I’m also an 80s baby, and it’s already been established that I love Wonder Woman. Don’t judge me.

I love that a sense of style can be a way to bolster confidence and send a message about who I am without me saying a word. Here’s to bold, gold cuffs, my favorite pumps and Ruby Woo for getting me through.

I’m curious: what fashion item makes you feel like your best self?

Xo,
Alexis

Scalloped cutout cuff, Forever 21

12 years ago Short URL 3 Comments

C'est Si Bon/Haute or Not?/He Said She Said/Random Acts of Fashion

Alexis E. Barton/Leading Edge Institute/Same Chic Different Day

May

In which I am made over…

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What else would have me at Saks Fifth Avenue with a makeup-free face?

When Trish McEvoy artist Kimberly Black-Crawford offered to give me a fresh face before The Birmingham Chapter of The Links, Inc. gala fundraiser last Saturday, I was a little nervous (although she’d previously gotten me to try the lippie seen HERE). Confession: I haven’t had a makeover since I first bought makeup with my mom, at Gayfer’s Fashion Fair in Cordova Mall! Now, I’ve definitely had my makeup professionally applied since then, but I hadn’t had a custom makeup session.

After trading some messages and a picture of my chosen outfit for the evening – and with a little trepidation, a freshly washed face and a big pair of sunglasses – I headed to Saks. Kimberly immediately put me at ease and gave me a look that literally made me teary-eyed! I didn’t realize I could look so…glow-y! You know how you have an image of you’d like to look in your mind? For me it’s dewy skin and dramatic eyes, and Kimberly brought that to life.

She also skillfully introduced me to products I’d never considered by Estee Lauder, Chanel and Yves St. Laurent (I’d gotten into a product rut.). Kimberly used the following to craft my look:

To prep my moisturized face, she applied Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Cream ($90) as a primer on my cheeks and Laura Mercier Secret Finish Mattifying ($27) on my nose to eliminate shine. Then for sheer coverage she used Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay in Place Makeup ($37), Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup SPF10 in “Rich Caramel”($36) to absorb any oil, Yves St. Laurent Radiant Touch Highlighter to brighten my eyes and lightly contour my cheekbones, ($41) and CHANEL Joues Contraste Powder Blush ($45) in 89/Canaille to highlight my (newly-contoured) cheeks. She used Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess eye palette for shadowing(for a similar look, try Estee Lauder Pure Color Intense Eye Shadow Trio in “Amber Alloy,” $36), and applied lashes I’d chosen. Kimberly’s tip for applying them? DO NOT use hair glue! If you’re doing that, STOP! Use Duo lash adhesive instead! I finished with my own MAC lipstick in Freckletone later.

Three peole stopped toask me where/who I’d gotten my makeup from that evening, which NEVER happens. And yes, the look lasted all night long! I was sad to wash it off at the end of the evening. What I loved most was I still felt like myself, not like an overly-contoured caricature. As Kimberly says “Blend, never beat!”

She is available to do your makeup too (seriously, go check her out!), either at Saks or at your home. To schedule your session, email her at kimcrawford88@gmail.com or call (205) 612-9788.

(Wondering what I’m wearing? Remember THIS dress?)

12 years ago Short URL 4 Comments

Birmingham Live!/C'est Si Bon/First Person Fabulous/Haute or Not?/Love That!/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Kimberly Black-Crawford/Saks Fifth Avenue/Same Chic Different Day

May

This is another “No.”

I Wanna Know what made singer-songwriter Joe think this ensemble was okay? Of All The Things one could choose to wear, why this? If you Don’t Wanna Be (mistaken for) a Player, guys, this isn’t the look.

There are better ways to incorporate color ad print into your wardrobe; this just isn’t one of them. The open neckline and pants from the upholstery department at Calico Corners are an assault on the eyes. Please don’t try this at home, gentlemen.

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Haute or Not?/Learn From My Mistakes!/Random Acts of Fashion

Joe/Menswear

May

For the love of God, why, Dwyane? This is the look you decide to break out for Game 3 against the Nets? Or anywhere else, for that matter? This is exactly the type of get-up that makes me throw my hands up in dismay. *clutches pearls*

If you’re wondering whether this look is one you need to break out for spring and summer, the answer is an emphatic “No.”

Just…no. Please don’t. Trust me.