Knit Macrame Luxury from La La to Clutch Under Your Arm. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

The leather trim & clever wooden handles take this to the level of wow. Available at Bluefly.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Menswear Chic is the Epitome of Buttoned Up Sexy in the Capable Hands of Dries Van Noten. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

Rack up major style points by rocking this snazzy shirt with a high-waisted, wide-legged pant, and turning the green tie into a bow. Available at BrownsFashion.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Fashionable Fellas Tend to Get Overlooked in the Laserlike Focus on Female Fashion. Style Maven Lloyd Boston Offers Up Tips for Stressfree Style, Plus FT Picks the Fall Must-Haves. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

In a recent piece on AOL.com, Lloyd Boston - the Today Show's on-air fashionista, and author of Men of Color and Before You Put That On - offers up this fundamental piece of advice for fellas in search of personal style: spend the bulk of your money and time of classic pieces, and add pizazz with some trendy items. The result? High style with a minimum of effort.

Some tips from Lloyd Boston on becoming stylish:

• UNIFORM STYLING "I think when you understand what your investment pieces are, meaning your classics, which should be about 80 percent of your wardrobe, and what your trending pieces are, meaning your more trendy or seasonal items, that balance can make it so that you don't spend as much energy and effort getting dressed," Boston explains. "The man that knows the power of a tailored suit, whether he can afford a $200 suit or a $2,000 suit, he can invest in that and update it any season with interesting trends like a V-neck sweater or funk it up with a track jacket after a day in the boardroom."

• STUDY CELEB STYLING, NOT THEIR CLOTHING LINES While many celebs have jumped on the fashion bandwagon and come out  with an eponymous label, Boston is not impressed. "Being a fashion designer or creating a clothing brand isn't something you do on the side. It isn't a part time job. If it were, Ralph Lauren would be starring in films and also recording an album." (Boston does however like Mark Ecko's secondary line, as well as Sean John.)  Instead, use celebs' appearances on  the red carpet and at press events as a guideline - chances are, they were professionally styled for these events, and their outfits are a bonafide source of fashion inspiration.

• THE HIP HOP CONNECTION From Kanye West to uber-peacock Andre 3000, hip hop undeniably sets new fashion directions and trends.  “I think Kanye West has been instrumental in allowing men to feel more comfortable expressing themselves through color and unexpected trends, but you can’t rule out Andre 3000 either. I think he was ahead of Kanye in showing you can mix traditionally feminine colors with classic men’s sportswear. Even some of the more hard core rappers like CamRon who wore pink, made guys in Harlem or the Bronx feel confident enough to do the same thing,”

Fashiontribes Picks the Top Five Must-Haves for the Style-Minded Male:

A classic trench from Dior Homme.

Pinstripes are always a classic fashion "do" & this Etro suit gets it right.

A fun & funky shoe for a necessary touch of trendiness - the Jack by Todd Welsh.

Because everyone's crazy 'bout a well groomed guy - Monaco Shaving Set with a silvertip badger hair brush by Hommage.

Gucci Pour Homme is unabashedly sexy...just like you.

- Lesley Scott

(photo from IAmPrettyNYC.com)

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Fall Makeup is Completely Different This Year. Shine is Out, Matte is In, and Lips are Luscious. Makeup Artist Elke von Freudenberg Lays Out the Fall Beauty Blueprint. FASHIONTRIBES BEAUTY BLOG & PODCAST

PODCAST: Fall Makeup is Completely Different This Year. Shine is Out, Matte is In, and Lips are Luscious. Makeup Artist Elke von Freudenberg Lays Out the Fall Beauty Blueprint. FASHIONTRIBES BEAUTY BLOG & PODCAST - mP3 File

"This is the first time in years when fall makeup is completely different than summer," explains Elke von Freudenberg, celeb makeup artist & the beauty blogger behind The Beauty Newsletter. "Summer was all about bronzer and lipgloss, while for fall, everything is different from eyes, to lips, to cheeks & skin. They are all matte, especially skin. But not like in the Kevyn Aucoin days of foundation with powder and more powder. Now It's matte, but not flat." She also loves the new smokey eye rendered not in the standard black, but in softer, more flattering grey tones.

According to Elke, put away anything that contributes to shine or dewiness, and go for the more refined toned-down shine. "Matte skin gives an elegant, refined look from head-to-toe, and if your skin isn't matte, your look won't work."

Elke von Freudenberg's Picks for fab fall makeup:

• Grey Eyeshadow "The big eyeshadow color is a light, soft blueish grey. It was everywhere on the runways. Except now, instead of lots of color on the lid, it's about a neutral bone color on the lid, with the grey in the crease and around the eye." Eyepencils have been retired for the time being: "You don't notice them as they're thin and smudgy." (Jane Eyezing available at Drugstore.com)
• Dusty Pink Blush with Nude Lips Shimmery blush is out-out-out, and dusty pink with grey undertones gives the cheek du jour, along with a barely-there lip. The secret to avoiding corpse lips is to choose colors that are on the lilac side, but not too grey. (Rimmel - Drugstore.com)
• Cherry Red Lips "Especially if they're dark & glossy, with black eyepencil & mascara." Good options come from  MAC and Estee Lauder High Gloss. (EsteeLauder.com)
• Contour  Yes, that 80s staple is back. "Put away apple cheeks, and apply a honey brown color under cheek and focus on bringing out bone structure." Wet 'n Wild makes a great, cost-effective bronzer that works perfect for contour for almost all skin tones. Choose the medium shade. (Walgreens.com)

- Lesley Scott

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Juicy Couture Looks Great for Fall, Both Boots & Bags. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION & SHOE BLOG

Hop on at NeimanMarcus.com.

- Lesley Scott

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FASHIONTRIBES DAILY 5 MIN. PODCAST: TV’s "Fashion House" Ignores the Real 7th Ave in Favor of a Soap Opera Filled with Catfights & Intrigue. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG & PODCAST

(Morgan Fairchild & Bo Derek at rest & tussling in a full-on catfight.)

Catfights, intrigue and over-the-top frippery. When Bo Derek, Morgan Fairchild & Tippi Hedren take to the small screen in the daily MyNetworkTV’s "Fashion House," the rag trade is finally getting its soap opera due. "It ain't Tolstoy," Fairchild told WWD with a laugh about the plot of the one-hour drama which features Derek as Maria Gianni, going to any lengths – including fistfights…in a fountain at one point – to prevent a takeover of her fashion company Gianni, Inc. "On the other hand, not everybody wants to read Tolstoy. It's fun, fast-paced with a lot of twists and turns. It works like a good beach read."

In addition to the Southern California location which makes for a cheerier vibe than NYC’s traditional black-clad ground zero of the fashion business, Seventh Avenue, the authenticity of the fashion part is questionable to the eye of an insider. Fairchild sports a number of suits in eyecatching hues such as bright green and yellow from her extensive personal wardrobe of Versace, Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana – in contrast to the neutrals favored by Derek’s character. "Bo and Morgan had a lot of input about what they wanted to wear," explains stylist Sherrie Jordan. "We also had a lot of young, hot models to dress, including two girls who are models in real life." Bill Blass, ABS & Betsey Johnson all contributed, and casual gear was provided by Mavi jeans, Paris Gordon and Halle Bob.

With the 80s back in fashion & entertainment, along with remakes of over-the-top shows like that catfight & intrigue-fest Dynasty, it’s not surprising that a show centered around the glamourous but bitchy world of fashion would appear now. In addition, shows like Project Runway have exposed a much wider audience to the inner workings of the fashion business, which makes for a better looking alternative to the ubiquitious crime and lawyer dramas that have dominated the airwaves for so long. (via WWD)

• To hear the Fashiontribes Podcast, visit the Fashiontribes Daily 5-Minute Podcast Show at PodcasterNews.com.

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STYLEHIVE BUZZ: Come & Get 'em! Fall Tights From Pretty Polly Fit the Fashion Bill. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

A great online resource for patterned or colored tights, and the must-have footless ones. via Stylehive.com.

- Lesley Scott

fashiontribes.

Chic & Cool as Can Be, Even Wallets by Comme Des Garcons Are Fabulous. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

Measures 4"x5" with European-influenced gold stamping. Available at AlohaRag.com.

- Lesley Scott

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GLAM SHOPPING BEAT: Bad Hair Days are But a Bad Memory this Fall Thanks to All the Fab Hats that Complete the Layered Look. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

   

(From left to right: Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Burberry Prorsum )

Glam Shopping Beat column for the week of 8/21/06 - by Lesley Scott:

Once frigid temperatures set in, every day can feel like a bad hair day. Fortunately, a key part of fall's layered looks is hats - in all shapes & sizes. Burberry's Christopher Bailey sent out chic little knit berets, while at Bottega, Tomas Maier opted for more structured caps that captured the jaunty feeling of an English driving cap crossed with the volume of a sixties topper. The showstopping, equestrian-bowler-tophats at Balenciaga left many an editor speechless with lust. And for days when wearing a bag over your head seems like the only viable option, Marc Jacobs sent out the next best thing at Louis Vuitton: a super-sized & lampshade-like Inspector Clouseau-style number which literally hides the eyes and skims the top of the nose.

When recreating the look for your own wardrobe, choose hats with interesting shapes or innovative choices in  fabrics, such as hounstooth & or plaid. Hats with historical references feel especially fresh such as the Edwardian age (top hats), bowler hats (19th century), Flapper-era cloches, and, of course, the Pop Art 60s. While the shapes are exuberant, the color palette of the moment is extremely muted: greys, black, earthy greens & murky earthtones, with occasional splashes of lipstick red.

Great hats by Eugenia Kim for fall:

   Chloe Circle Knit Beret

Muffy Herringbone

  Jimmy Driver's Cap

All shopping picks are available through Glam.com.

fashiontribes.

(runway photos from Style.com)

Don't be a Stooge on the NYC Subway. "Subway Etiquette" Serves Up All the Myriad Ways to Annoy the Locals, and How to Avoid this Fate. FASHIONTRIBES TRAVEL BLOG

• Why won’t this person take off her backpack?
• Who thinks it’s okay to lean against the pole & force everyone else to grab the ceiling?
• Does that guy really need all three of those seats?
• And, of course, what is that awful smell?

R.D. Fowler was fed up. Riding the subway during rush has never been an experience anyone would mistake for pleasant, but rudeness is reaching epidemic levels. Every day, the battle for space on the lurching, screeching trains offers up the same set of annoyances and puzzling dilemmas. While most subway riders accept rudeness as an unwanted part of their $2.00 fare, Ms. Fowler decided to do something about it. “I went on Craigslist to vent my anger,” explains Ms. Fowler. “And I asked other people what made them crazy when they rode the trains and buses.” What started with a simple post on an online bulletin board quickly grew into something much bigger. “It definitely struck a nerve,” she says. “I was not alone in noticing that there were some serious subway etiquette problems out there.”

Fowler decided to catalogue and share the responses she had received in Subway Etiquette: The Rules We Should All Know, Especially During Rush Hour. And just what did New Yorkers have to say to their fellow travelers?

• Riders should respect each other’s privacy: “Don’t lean over my shoulder to read my newspaper!”
• The train is not the place for personal grooming: “The vision of flying fingernails is disgusting!”
• Not everyone has the same definition of entertainment: “I hate it when I need to hear the announcements but the original cast of Stomp is banging away on plastic wastebaskets!”
• Hygiene should not be optional: “If you know you’re going to be riding the train, brush your teeth!”

From giving up your seat to a pregnant woman to realizing that other riders might not be thrilled you decided to travel with your bike, backpack, sleeping bag and shopping cart, Subway Etiquette offers an interesting, and often hilarious, look into the daily commute that millions endure everyday. For those who might not realize that they’re part of the problem, she also offers some solid advice on how to remember that you are, after all, riding “public” transportation. But don’t worry. Ms. Fowler isn’t asking New Yorkers to stop being New Yorkers, nor is she trying to take the “rush” out of rush hour. It is the Big Apple, after all; so when your next train pulls in “get out of the way or you will get pushed out of the way.” Available at Amazon.com.

- Lesley Scott

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