Fashiontribes.com

Chartreuse, Silky an pleats galour-Oh, yes, Chloe, close (and cloth) our month-Spring Fashion Preview: Items We Idolize Paris Fashiontribes Fashion Blog

Think of this as the Sienna Miller dress of the season.  Chloe Chartreuse Silk Pleated Mini Dress, our new boyfriend.

-Rachel

You can never be too thin, too rich or have too many LBD's-Spring Fashion Preview: Items We Idolize London Fashiontribes Fashion Blog

Fashion East showed Marios Schwab-an this little sexy number.

-Rachel

Give good School Girl with this arling cropped Chloe jacket-FASHIONTRIBES "GLAM SLAM" FASHION BLOG

Big Brass Buttons?  A definite way to amp anything up.  Chloe's Double Breasted Croppe Jacket is no exception.

-Rachel

"Wine Pouring for Dummies!" - Not Really, but the Wedgwood Vera Wang Collection of Stemware Includes an Elegant X-Marks-the-Spot Etched Right Into the Glasses. FASHIONTRIBES HOME DECOR & FASHION BLOG

        

Overpouring is for amateurs. With these, you'll pour like a pro...and don't forget to casually namedrop who they're by. Available at CrystalClassics.com

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Home Decor Wedgwood Vera Wang Glasswear, Stemware, Wine Glasses, Champagne Flutes Parties & Entertaining Lifestyle Fashion Fashion Expert

Think Ice Cream is too Vanilla? Think Again-Fashiontribes Sweet Tooth Blog

BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM

• 9 cups sweet cream ice cream base*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon concentrate
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 6 1/2 ounces high-quality cheesecake chunks
• 3 1/2 ounces graham cracker pieces, broken
• 10 1/2 ounces blueberry sauce

Put the ice cream base in a 1-gallon container. Add the vanilla, lemon concentrate, and buttermilk and stir to combine. Freeze until the mixture forms a peak, about 10 minutes.

After freezing, fold in the cheesecake and graham cracker pieces. Then swirl in the blueberry sauce. Let harden thoroughly in the freezer before serving, approximately 12 hours in a home freezer.

*Cook's Note: This recipe assumes you are using a pre-made ice cream base. You may use softened vanilla ice cream, but then omit the buttermilk, and fold all the remaining ingredients into the softened ice cream at once and then freeze until hardened.

You can swirl the 2 ice cream flavors together (Blueberry Buttermilk Cheesecake and Chocolate Cinnamon Caramel) if you keep 1 flavor semi-soft while the other is being prepared.

State of the Fashion Union: Is New York Too Commercial to Foster Creativity & Encourage Young Talent? The Fashiontribes Editors Discuss. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG & PODCAST

PODCAST - State of the Fashion Union: Is New York Too Commercial to Foster Creativity & Encourage Young Talent? The Fashiontribes Editors Discuss. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG & PODCAST - MP3 File

Oh yes, fashionistas, yet another day of the good old FT State of the Fashion Union.  Todays topic?  What your Editor Lesley and Blogette Rachel want from the upcoming New York Fashion Week.  What we are looking forward to.  Oh, and what we want to dissapear.

SOme of the highlights for ya:

• We are hoping for a little less commerciality.
• We want to find a new American saviour (a la Marc Jacobs)
• We are sick of designers showing to young.  Designers in Europe apprentice, which enhances their talent.
• No more over/under styling.  The clothes should speak for themselves, but we should avoid terrible shoes.
• No more freshman mistakes-impeccable tailoring please.
• We can't wait ot see what people like Tuleh and Marc Jacobs do.  Fall always switches things up a bit, since with coats and tights there is so much to play with.

LESLEY'S TOP SHOWS:

• Sass & Bide
• Thakoon
• Chado Ralph Rucci
• Carolina Herrera
• Keanan Duffty
• Doo.Ri

RACHEL'S TOP SHOWS:

• Marc Jacobs
• Proenza Schouler
• Sass & Bide
• Luella
• Boudicca
• Cloak
• Derek Lam
• Peter Som

-Rachel and Lesley

Angelina Jolie Knows for the Power of a Simple but Sexy Black Tee. A Cozy, Well-Made Version of this Fashion Staple from ilux. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

Crafted from the softest cotton with just a touch of Lycra, you'll find yourself reaching for it again and again and again and again and................... Available from ilux.com

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Fashiontribes Files ilux Black Cotton Tee T-shirt Tank Fashion Fall Fashion Fashion Expert

Luella's Heart Bracelet capture our...well...hearts-Spring Jewelry Preview: Items We Idolize-Fashiontribes Jewelry Blog

Looking for some spirited Valentines Day accessories?  Luella has your solution-A Luella Logo Heart Bracelet.

-Rachel

Please the neat-freak in your life with cool coasters-Fashiontribes Gifting Blog

Kniow someone who cries when glass touches table?  These hand-pressed animal coasters from Sprout home are not only cool-they do the trick beautifully.  Any giftee will be impressed with you taste-and cleanly ways.
-Rachel

Sex up Hot Chocolate by Preparing & Serving it in a Reproduction of One of Louis XVIII's. FASHIONTRIBES HOME DECOR & GIFT BLOG

For foolproof hot chocolate fit for a king:

1. Place the ingredients into the hot chocolate pot, along with the "molinillo".
2. Place the cover over the handle of the molinillo.
3. With cover in place, hold the molinillo bettween your hands & use a rubbing motion to froth up the chocolate.
4. To pour, hold from the top and side handle.
5. Extra Credit: How do you tell a coffee pot from a chocolate pot? While coffeepot spouts are long & sometimes arched, and usually contain a filter, hot chocolate pots are short with no filter.

Available at GourmetSleuth.com (which also has a virtual chocolate pot museum of vintage chocolate pots from around the world).

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Fashiontribes Files Gourmet Sleuth Hot Chocolate Pot Gift Home Decor Parties & Entertaining Fashion Food & Cuisine Fashion Expert

State of the Fashion Union #3: What the Bloggers are Saying. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

The State of the Fashion Union - the Fashion & Lifestyle Blogosphere weighs in for Tuesday, January 31, 2006:

Much of the state of the fashion union starts with the schools that train and pump out graduates. Verbal Croquis gives the system the once over with her gimlet eye, and the system doesn't come out lookin' too stylish. In order to stay relevant, schools need to de-glamorize the industry & help prepare students for a career they'll succeed at - rather than investing vast sums of time and cash in a business they think they'll dig. As an added bonus, she suggests fun curriculum changes such as classes in "How to Produce a Fashion Show aka How to Work with Skinny Models All Day and Not Develop an Eating Disorder" and "Cantonese for Garmentos 101 aka How to Tell Your Contractor That They Did Everything Wrong"

Fashion vs. style - make no mistake, there is a difference. The Fashionable Kiffen explains that while fashion is part of the culture and a huge industry - ie. a fashionable type would rock the new "formal" shorts, textured tights, frilly blouse, and Chloe'esque bag - style is a means of personal expression, and the stylish fashionista would rock these elements at different times...provided they actually fit with their personal vision of how they want to represent themselves visually.

Part of the difference between fashion and style is the way each is approached. Erin at Dress a Day explains that when a fashionable person sees a dress, bag or shoe, they tend to think in absolutes: "love it!" "hate it!" and eventually, after much overexposure, become indifferent - like Uggs, once fashionable but never stylish.  A stylish person, however, will see a dress and think, "I like this and this, but would change this, that, and the other."

Balenciaga-obsessed (we feel you here!), Kimair loves the spring collection, but has a beef with the lofty prices.

It's wedding season, and what's the first thing that comes to mind? The dress, of course, which Never teh Bride points out is usually an oversized & lacy princess gown - something that conforms to your friends' and family's expectations of what a "wedding dress" is. Which is why the giant white meringue shows no sign of yielding to the times, fashion, or just about anything else. While we love change, we also hold our traditions dear, so even the most fashion-forward woman will - when transformed into a bride-to-be - opt for a poofy confection over a sharp-edged runway creation.

Fight the Man! At Shangri Law, the fashion Fash'ists are in for a bitch-slapping for turning women into clothes hangers, rather than creating fashions that women actually will wear & look good. Citing the case of the recent Kate Moss cocaine-snorting scandal, who was simply living up to the image they created, H&M dropped her as their spokesperson for not being "healthy, wholesome and sound" - they wonder what's wrong with a business that feigns shock when one of its products actually prove effective.

And the State of the Men's Fashion Union is....the same ole' same ole reports The Bag Snob. Other than a groovy puffy shirt at McQueen and a bunch of "skinny and gay looking models", the song remains the same.

White is still NOT the new black reaffirm La Dolce Divas, even though Valentino - like Chanel - sent a gorge and, yes, white-filled collection down the spring couture runway, filled with curve-enhancing skirts and flattering frocks.

Has all the hoopla surrounding Fashionweek got ya scratching your head? You're not alone. Girl a Whirl gets to the heart of the fashionable frenzy.

Forget waiting months after Fashionweek to see how fashion is presented and "preached about in Vogue and Bazaar" says The Beauty Newsletter. She also suggests that designers forgo million dollar production shows - which keeps many a small designer out of the game - and posting small collection previews which could easily be blogged about, or even letting fashionistas comment on designs before they're committed to fabric.

Hellooooo...that's Asia calling says Making Things, and in Shanghai - yuppie central - you are what you buy. Where five years ago, wealthy Chinese had to visit Paris for their LV, today, every luxury brand is well represented in China. And just as every world capital tries to revamp their image through fashion, China is no different, so stay tuned.

Just like the love, the creativity is gone in fashion...but is it? The Fashiontribes editors podcast/discuss the demise of London, the rise & influence of alternative fashionweeks like Australia, and how streetfashion is the new muse. They also list their spring must-have fashion picks.

- Lesley Scott

(NOTE: For Summary #1 of what the bloggers are saying, click here. For summary #2, click here.)

Fashiontribes State of the Fashion Union Pop Culture Fashion Fashion Expert

Wear your Heart on your eyes with these sweet, Lolita-esque Moschino Sunglasses-Spring Accessory Preview: Items We Idolize-Fashiontribes Accessory Blog

-Moschino Heart Shaped Sunglasses-
-RAchel

Toast Your Love with gorgeous and unusual Chapagne Glasses-Fashiontribes Home Decor Blog

Fun, Modern Aarne Crystal Champagne Glasses.

-Rachel

Chrisi.com's "Peonies from Heaven" are Indeed a Fun & Possibly Heaven-Sent Way to Accessorize Everything from a Jacket to a Jar. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

How cute are these adorable flower jar toppers? Way too cute to stay home, if you ask me. Available from Chrisi.com

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Fashiontribes Files Chrisi Peonies from Heaven Jar Topper Accessories Fashion Fashion Expert

Bright Fuschia Footwear? Yup, and it's patent leather too-thanks Prada-Spring Shoe Preview: Items We Idolize-Fashiontribes Shoe Blog

-Prada Pink Patent Leather High-heel Sandals-
-Rachel

Channel a hippy-gone-Palm Beach with Anna Sui's divine lace number-Spring Fashion Preview: Items We Idolize New York Fashiontribes Fashion Blog

Our favorite rock fanatic sent out a series of simple, flowing dresses.  We love this Anna Sui Lace Mini Dress-wear it over a bikini or a slip.  We don't care.

-Rachel

The Wellbox Promise: Give All That Connective Tissue All Over Your Body a "Work Out" & Find Yourself with a Younger Looking Face & Shaplier Rear. FASHIONTRIBES BEAUTY BLOG

   

By mechanically rejuvenating one of the most fundamental components of the body - the connective tissue which transports, attaches, envelops, fills, insulates and protects every square inch of us - the Wellbox staves off deterioration (cellulite, localized fat, wrinkles, skin loosening...). And judging by the speed at which they're flying off the shelves at Saks Fifth Avenue, the fashionistas have spoken & there's something to this mad science. Available at WellBox.com

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Beauty Wellbox Anti-Aging & Cellulite Treatment Fashion Fashion Expert

Need a cool party trick? Try Fish in a bag-Fashiontribes Food Blog

SEABASS BAKED IN A BAG

• Tin foil
• 2 pound whole sea bass
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Fennel tops
• Handful basil
• 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
• Bay leaves
• Olive oil
• 2/3 lemon, juiced
• 2 ounces butter

Ask your fishmonger to gut and scale your fish. Lay out a piece of tin foil and fold in half. Place the sea bass on top of the foil and score the flesh about 2 inches apart on both sides. Rub plenty of salt and pepper into the scores. Lay out the fennel on the foil and place fish on top of the fennel and push to one side of the foil. Cover liberally with the basil, red onion and bay leaves, making sure you tuck some into the belly. Drizzle over plenty of olive oil, lemon juice and knobs of butter. Fold over the left hand half of the foil and seal the 3 sides to gently hug the fish. Place on tray and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 16 minutes (8 minutes per pound). Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 3 to 4 minutes without opening the bag.

Don't think Southern Music is your thing? Well-it probably influenced your favorite artists now. Help preserve the rich musical past-Fashiontribes From The Heart Blog

We love Southern Music-the richness and depth that it inspires in today's musicians is undeniable.  Music Maker is devoted to saving a dying form of music.

OUR MISSION       

Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization         dedicated to helping the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern         musical traditions gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. Today,         many such musicians are living in extreme poverty and need food, shelter,         medical care, and other assistance. Music Maker's aid and service programs         improve the quality of recipients' lives. Our work affirms to these artists         that we value the gifts of music and inspiration they have delivered to         the world.

      

Our mission is to give back to the roots of American music.

      

Our criterion for recipients is they be rooted in a Southern musical         tradition, be 55 years or older and have an annual income less than $18,000.

      

Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. is a tax exempt, public charity         under IRS
        code 501(c)3.

Make a donation today              

PROGRAMS

      

• Musician Sustenance - grants to meet basic life needs and emergency           relief.
         
• Musical Development - grants and services for recipient artist professional           development and career advancement.
         
• Cultural Access - supports the preservation and proliferation of American           musical traditions.

-RAchel

Building better lives. Revitalizing Indian communities. Replacing despair with hope. This is What the American Indian College Fund is All About. FASHIONTRIBES BLOG

 

Through scholarships for American Indian college students and support of America's tribally controlled colleges and universities, the American Indian College Fund - CollegeFund.org - is giving hope to, and creating better lives for, generations of Native American students and their families and communities.

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes American Indian College Fund Fashion Fashion Expert

American playwrite extraordinaire Sam Shepard has some amazing early works-Fashiontribes Book Blog

While many people are familier with Sam Shepard, some of his earlier works are lesser known.  The Unseen Hand and Other Plays gives a little view into his past life.

From Library Journal
This duo offers a full-length play and a collection of 14 shorter dramatic works from various points in Shepard's career. As one of the best of the modern crop of American playwrights, Shepard belongs in all collections. With the current Broadway outing of his 1979 play Buried Child receiving multiple Tony Award nominations, interest in the playwright and actor should increase.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
The complete scripts to six Sam Shepard plays: The Unseen Hand * Forensic and the Navigators * The Holy Ghostly * Back Bog Beast Bait * Shaved Splits * 4-H Club

SAM'S EARLY PLAYS ARE AMAZING, January 19, 2000

   

Reviewer:

"joshr22" (Boston, MAUSA)

WOW! This book is absolutely electrifying. I was first turned on to Sam Shepard from reading "True West", one of his later amazing plays. As I read more and more I thought I had a good understanding of his writing: until I read this book. This book contains many of Shepard's earlier plays from the time he first landed in New York and, as his roommate Charles Mingus Jr. has said "Would go into a room with a ream of paper and come out two hours later with a finished play". If you have really enjoyed some of Shepard's later stuff, I definetly recommend this book to give you a fresh perspective on someone who literally turns "conventional theatre" upside down. If you are new to Shepard, you might want to tryhis later works first, only because they are easier to follow. These earlier works are very much like the "Beat generation"- throwing out speeches and sentences without punctuation, with tons of craziness happening on every inch of the stage. Sometimes the plays may be hard to follow, or confusing, but if you really "get" what Shepard is doing, you will love this book. Just be warned that all the plays are far from conventional theatre. If you are an "Our Town" type of person this isn't for you. If you enjoy Albee and Beckett, if you enjoy equal parts peace and chaos on stage, then check this book out.

-Rachel

Drapey Dolce Suspender Shorts make our summer hitlist-Spring Fashion Preview: Items We Idolize Milan Fashiontribes Fashion Blog

Once again Dolce does it.  These Dolce & Gabbana Baggy White Suspender Shorts are the perfect example of how they can take anything and make it sweet and sexy.  THought suspenders were only for nerds?  Think again.

-Rachel

IOC gives good denim-and we eat it up-Spring Fashion Preview: Items We Idolize New York Fashiontribes Fashion Blog

Tara Subkoff ventured into denim for IOC, which had what we like to refer to as mixed-bag results.  The pieces we love, however, we really love.  Take this Imitation of Christ Denim mini-short overall Jumpsuit.  Worn with or without a t-shirt, it is stunningly fabulous. 

-Rachel

Nine West Bettina Flats are on the Spring Fashion Point-literally-FASHIONTRIBES "GLAM SLAM" FASHION BLOG

Looking to improve your summer shoe 'drobe?  We love these Nine West Bettina flats from Glam.  Available in light pink, light blue and black, there is a choice for every mood.  With pointy toes and buckles, we can't get enough of there sugar-coated rocker chic.

-Rachel

The State of the Fashion Union: the Fashiontribes Editors Picks for a Can't Fail Spring Wardrobe FASHION BLOG & PODCAST

PODCAST: The State of the Fashion Union: the Fashiontribes Editors Picks for a Can't Fail Spring Wardrobe FASHION BLOG & PODCAST - MP3 File

What should be on your must-acquire list for spring? In this podcast discussion of The State of the Fashion Union, Fashiontribes.com editors Lesley & Rachel sort matters out for you.

LESLEY'S SPRING MUST HAVES:

• A white lace dress (worn with a more rock'n roll edge - to avoid sugar overload)
• Black lace tights - to rock the white lace dress until it's warm enough for bare legs
• Giant white python tote - preferably from Lambertson Truex
• Oversized belt - the larger the better
• Chloe platform sandals - in a neutral brown with the season's must-have virtigenous stacked heel
• Trench coat - the perfect topper for less-than-balmy evenings & any unseasonal chilliness
• Oversized Sunglasses - always, anywhere & anytime
• Skinny zippered jeans
• Xena-worthy cuff bracelets - Verdura's jewel-encrusted Maltese cross version is fashion heaven

RACHEL'S I-GOTTA-GET IT PICKS:

• Open-Toe Flats (Love the Fendi Ones)
• Mini Dresses (Think Chloe, Marc or Miu Miu)
• An Over-sized 3/4 Sleeve Jacket-The Marc by Marc Jacobes "Gates" Coat is my current passion
• Some sort of denim shortalls-Imitation of Christ is love
• Dresses from Luella-both collection and Target
• A spandex one-piece with legs-perfect for under anything sheer
• All things nautical
• A denim bag with a designer pin
• Spiffy shorts-think tailored, not denim
• A High-wasited, bright pencil skirt with suspenders
• Lacey blouses-punk Victoriana is key
• The big belt, pushed up to just-below-boob-level
• A killer tan, so all the micro items I am wearing look lovely

Fashiontribes State of the Fashion Union Spring Fashion Must Haves Podcast Fall Fashion Fashion Expert

Well, It's About Thyme. Plant & Grow Your Very Own Herb Garden in a Heart-Shaped Windowsill Container. FASHIONTRIBES HOME DECOR & FASHION BLOG

Each 4" x 5" heart garden comes complete with creeping thyme seeds, soil, and granite drainage medium. All you have to do is add water....and love (awwwwwww). Available at Wishingfish.com

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Home Decor Wishingfish Thyme Heart Garden Gift Fashion Fashion Expert

The State of the Fashion Union. The Business Side of Fashion Maybe Killing Creativity, But Clever Fashionistas Who Love to Mix & Match Are Bringing it Back. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG & PODCAST

PODCAST: The State of the Fashion Union. The Business Side of Fashion Maybe Killing Creativity, But Clever Fashionistas Who Love to Mix & Match Are Bringing it Back. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG & PODCAST - MP3 File

In this podcast discussion of the State of the Fashion Union, FT's Lesley & Rachel discuss the growth of less traditional fashion locations such as Australian Fashionweek; why creativity in fashion is on the wane; and how streetfashion is the industry's new muse.

Podcast highlights:

LONDON: London may (arguably) have the best fashion schools, but the industry does nothing to entice young designers to stay & work there. The Stella McCartneys & Alexander McQueens have been enticed to head to Paris. While London has rockin' young designers like Giles, a single designer can't an entire industry sustain. Also, too many young designers came out of places like Central St. Martins & sent way too much abstraction down the runways - wearable tables & chairs, anyone? Fashion is not fine art; ultimately, it is about craft & has an inescapable practical side that can't be ignored - someone, somewhere has to wear the stuff.

AUSTRALIA: With fresh young design talent like Sass & Bid, Lover, Willow & Karen Walker, Australia now occupies the spot on the fashion landscape that London used to. To generate interest & prestige, the intrepid Aussies have been flying premier fashion editors in for their Fashionweek...a practice which will soon be no longer necessary. Their geographical isolation, as well as the fact that their seasons are reversed, means that they not only "lead" (in a sense) the fashion cities from the Northern hemisphere into spring, but that they can develop according to their own fashion drummer, without the almost incestuous copying that occurs between design houses based in New York-London-Paris-Milan.

NEW YORK & PARIS: All about the money, true, but New York has the added element of many design houses with a thriving private client business, while Paris is known for the creativity of the shows.

MILAN: The intersection of sex and money, such as Versace & Dolce, but also a mix of wearability thrown in - Prada & the new Gucci - which often show hemlines, colors, silhouettes & accessories that seem downright unwearable or ugly at first, but then transform into something entirely covetable...ie. Milan is often directional & a harbinger of change in the fashion winds.

THE BUSINESS OF IMAGE: Cindy Crawford has often said that even she works for Cindy Crawford, Inc. Celebs are big business, and their image is a crucial part of the package. Wear something "creative" or questionable, and expect to be slaughtered & ridiculed by the press & tabloids the following week. Not having a perfectly slick image 24/7 can hurt the bottom line from the roles you are cast in, to the products you are paid to endorse. To avoid costly fashion mistakes, celebs hire professional stylists & handlers, and the result: incredibly slick & completely boring.

THE BUSINESS OF FASHION: As creative as fashion can be, it's also a business & exists to make money. Fashion designers have to bow to the bottom line.  Since celebs are no longer free to be the creative & inspiring Jackie O-style icons they once were, fashion designers now look elsewhere for inspiration. And these days, true fashion creativity comes from the streets.

STREETFASHION: THE NEW MUSE In a post-9/11 world, people are reaching for more luxurious, higher priced fashion staples...after all, who knows what will happen tomorrow, so why not enjoy now? In addition, there are more choices that ever in stores & on the internet, and at any pricepoint from H&M and Target, to four-figure designer. And the fashionista who can mix a little of this designer with a dash of that designer, with a fun H&M piece thrown in, rules the fashion roost.  A chic girl who edits what's out there and boils it down to an essential look - without worries about what it will cost her & her career - is the new fashion muse for the likes of influential & talented designers like Marc Jacobs. The chic French fille tends to do this naturally, as do musicians - so it's not surprising that the White Stripes's Meg White is currently starring in Marc Jacobs ad campaign.

BE YOUR OWN MUSE & SAVE FASHION IN THE PROCESS: Thanks to venues like H&M or Luella Bartley for Target, or even the relatively affordable Marc by Marc Jacobs, everyone now has a way into fashion. And the way to really enjoy fashion & stand out from the pack? Put to rest any lingering loyalties to a single designer. What will save fashion? Ignore what the press is determining are "the trends" of the season & focus on what looks good on you & what you love. Then splurge on something fabulous & use it all the time. Take that designer bag with you everywhere from school to the gym, and don't treat it like it's precious (those clever French fashionistas understand this intuitively).  It's empowering to think that it's we, the people, and our own personal sense of style that are going to bring back what we love best about fashion.

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes State of the Fashion Union Blog Report Fashion Podcast Fashion Expert

Go ape for a banana Pudding Napoleon-Fashiontribes Sweet Tooth Blog

BANANA PUDDING NAPOLEON

Banana Pudding:

• 1/2 cup milk, plus 2 cups
• 1/3 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 firm, ripe bananas

Napoleon Layers:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 ounces butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

For the Pudding: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, egg yolk and cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups milk and 3 tablespoons sugar almost to a boil. Whisk in other ingredients. Bring to a low boil. Whisk constantly until thickened and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Strain custard and whisk in vanilla. Place 2 bananas in food processor and pulse until cut into small pieces. Fold this into custard and refrigerate.

For the Napoleon Layers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk egg whites with sugar. Stir in melted butter and vanilla extract. Fold in flour. On a parchment lined sheet pan, spread 1 tablespoon of mixture thinly into a 4-inch diameter circle (like a thin cookie). Repeat until there is no more batter. Bake in the oven until light brown, about 5 minutes. For each serving, use 3 "cookies". Slice thin remaining bananas on bias. On each plate, place 1 cookie, followed by 2 slices of bananas, 1 1/2 tablespoons of banana custard. Repeat and then top with remaining cookie. Garnish with powdered sugar and mint leaves.

Cashmere is Guaranteed Seasonless Chic, Whether it's a Snuggly Sweater or Masquerading as a Sexy Halter from Avita. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG

Sexy & sultry, this lil' number would look as hot with jeans as with a mini. Available at AvitaStyle.com

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Fashiontribes Files Avita Cashmere Halter Fall Fashion Fashion Expert