Walk Like an Egyptian

I am such a fan of the collaborations between designers & retailers such as Target, Kohls, Penny's, etc. --as you all well know. So when Payless joined the ranks, I was equally as intrigued and excited. But sad to say, I was quite disappointed in the Alice + Olivia collection & hoped that another designer might swoop in & produce something fierce in the future to really catch my eye. Well his ears must have been burning because Mr. Fierce himself, Christian Soriano, (we'll let him & Tyra quibble over who coined "fierce") is the newest designer to debut his footwear & accessories collection for Payless. His line is set to grace select Payless stores on September 8th- BUT there is still some question about what these shoes will look like when they are finally unveiled. His initial collection came down the runway at Fashion Week in February with guns blazing! The Egyptian inspired footwear was ravishing with spikes, chains & sky high, gold, cone heels-- but apparently they have already gone through a serious editing phase to appease the masses. A slightly lower heel would be more practical for those of us not sauntering down the catwalk on a daily basis-- But, I LOVED the initial collection so I'm hoping there is still some sass and grit left when they finally hit stores next month. I think the light blue, hieroglyphic like, platforms are seductively sweet & the rich, brown booties have a wearable edge. Everything is reasonably priced as expected, $25-$45-- so recessionistas rejoice!

Project Pregnancy

I have been gearing up all summer for the return of one of my favorite reality shows & finally the momentous day came--last Thursday. Project Runway's 6th season is underway & as always I am sitting on the edge of my couch praying that they put together a show stopping garment within their limited time frame that will wow both me & Heidi. Oh, there is always a zipper gone awry, someone has their measurements off a bit & they are scrambling at the last second-- it is grippingly intense. I am in complete awe of these people-- every time I watch PR I promise myself (again) that this is the year that I will take a sewing class. The first episode's challenge was a red carpet dress--always fun, but alas no red carpets are in my immediate future... But the second episode, to my delight was actually something relevant & ready to wear for who else- Mommies to be! How timely! The designers had to make an outfit for guest judge, who was then expecting twins, Rebecca Romijn. Maternity wear on Project Runway-- for moi?! I can only hope that Blue Fly offers up a similar style to winner Shirin Askari's dress ASAP! (Pictured 2nd) (Don't mind her model's morning sickness look--she was trying to get into character, I suppose.) I've included my favorite garments from last night's episode-- Dressing for two never looked so good!

Rockabye Baby!

As I said in my previous entry-- life has been such a whirlwind as of late & my biggest discovery yet came just a few weeks ago... Ryan & I are expecting! Being pregnant has opened me up to a whole new world of fashion, music & necessary contraptions, so I have decided to include some of these things from this point forward on Di'chic! I always give credit where credit is due & I was not responsible for unearthing this unbelievably precious, musical gem! My older sister, Alex, who is also preggers, (sister's doing it together, that's right) called me the other day to tell me about a line of cover cd's-- but this isn't Scarlett Johansson covering Tom Waits, thank goodness (it just wasn't her best project)-- it is a collection of popular rock tunes that we all know & love but in lullaby form to soothe the little ones to sleep. Brilliant! Right? You're still offering up the same relaxing, plucking sounds of familiar lullabies but already increasing their musical knowledge from day one! Everything from the Beatles to Metallica to Marley is available-- so while your mini me is napping in their car seat, you can secretly be rocking out to your favorite jams! It gives a whole new meaning to "I wanna rock n' roll all night & party everyday" doesn't it?

Nothing's better than the Fall

So let me start by apologizing for my leave of absence-- life has been crazy! But alas-- fashion waits for no one & although I've been MIA I've still had my eyes open to what's coming down the runway to inspire our Fall fashion. Just as the leaves on the trees stay put-- but change colors, we must find ways to transition our warmer fashion frocks into the cooler, coming months. No need to rush out & buy an entire new wardrobe just because the seasons are a changing-- just grab a few Fall pieces that will allow you more time with your sunny, summer staples. One of the easiest ways to carry on through the colder months is an obvious choice-- adding a jacket, blazer or cardigan over your current sleeveless/short sleeve tops/dresses. My favorites for Fall overlays are cropped leather jackets, anything military inspired, fitted blazers, especially with a rock & roll edge & cardigans in bold hues or animal prints! But layering is not just about piling fabric on top of fabric-- look underneath. Grab your favorite Spring/Summer dresses & throw a turtleneck on under it, instead of adding bulk with a heavy coat. Plus-- make certain that you're paying attention to the fabrics. My newest fabric obsession is rayon. Finding t-shirts that have an 80% rayon-20% cotton blend are great! They are lighter than cotton- so they are wonderful in the warmer months, but also work better when layering so you're not adding inches to your shape! They seem to hang better, looking more chic & more figure flattering than our cotton tees of yesteryear. I bought 3 this summer (100% rayon, actually) in black, grey & light blue- great pieces to have! Plus, don't feel obligated to bury all traces of summer trends. Take the fluorescent pink top & pair it with something sleek & black for Fall, amping up the eternal relationship between fashion & rock & roll. Although I love the Fall color palette, don't confine yourself to darker colors. Hot pink is still going strong! Continue to find your inner bohemian by adding a furry vest & knee high boots to your floaty, floral dresses. I promise f you rake through what you have & add some of these key pieces to the mix you'll be floored at how many Fall outfits come to fruition without breaking the bank. You'll thank me when you're not hitting up the CoinStar machine for your holiday shopping!