neiman marcus - target collaboration.

The fashion community has been buzzing about the most recent collaboration between Neiman Marcus, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Target, set to be released on December 1st. Prices range from $7.99 to $499.99, and will be sold both at Target and Neiman Marcus as part of their holiday collection. How Target thinks it will sell $500 dollar items is beyond me, but most items are said to be under $60.

What's really awesome is that Target and Neiman Marcus are donating $1 million to the Council of Fashion Designers of America for its 50th Anniversary. This is great news because the CFDA provides great opportunities for fashion designers just starting out in the business. Here are the designers that will be participating in the collaboration:

Alice + Olivia
Altuzarra
Band of Outsiders
Brian Atwood
eddie Borgo
Judith Leiber
Lela Rose
Marchesa
Philip Crangi
Prabal Gurung
Proenza Schouler
Rag & Bone
Robert Rodriguez
Rodarte
Skaist-Taylor
Thom Browne
Tracy Reese
Carolina Herrera
Derek Lam
Diane von Furstenberg
Jason Wu
Marc Jacobs
Oscar de la Renta
Tory Burch

Given that my two favorite designers (Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta) are both participating in this great venture, I've created two outfit posts inspired by their most recent collections. Enjoy!

Oscar de la Renta: Necklace, Top, Skirt, Shoes
Carolina Herrera: Necklace, Dress, Brooch, Shoes

curly hair at work.

Hello Everyone!

As most of you probably don't know, I have very curly hair. I've struggled with my curls for many years, until I finally learned to love and adore them for who they are. However, it took me a while to come up with work-appropriate curly hairstyles for those days when I don't have time to completely style my curls.

So, I'd like to share with you all my favorite work-appropriate curly hairstyle tutorial videos to help my curly girls out:

carolina herrera in the summer.

The Limited Skirt, $69.90; Old Navy Shirt, $27; Ellen Tracy Shoes, $47; DSW Handbag, $50; JCPenneys Earrings, $10; Endless Watch, $34; JCPenney's Necklace, $12; Forever 21 Belt, $5.80


It is getting so sticky lately. Summer hasn't started and I already feel like I need to take 3 showers a day. Once the weather gets warmer, I see pencil skirts all over the place. But pencil skirts naturally stick to your body, making for a number of women walking down the streets with sweat marks where there just shouldn't be any! So, today I'm pulling out the airy, breezy a-line skirt. It's a great staple for summer, and doesn't feel restrictive like a pencil skirt often does.


I was inspired by Carolina Herrera's trademark white dress shirt and long, black a-line skirt. It's so classic. I hope you enjoy it!

trina turk for banana republic.

Trina Turk and Banana Republic collaborated on a new line that was just released last week. The looks scream summer with Turk's signature Palms Springs-esque, flirtatious prints. My favorite part of this collection is that they sell for about half of what they usually do at department stores ($34.50 - $150). Here are a few of my favorite pieces:



Trina Turk Swirl cowl-neck knit dress $120



Trina Turk silk bow top $69.50



Trina Turk sateen pencil skirt $79.50



Trina Turk orange swirl bracelet $45



Trina Turk pinking shears tote $120



Trina Turk turquoise swirl scarf $69.50


Did you know that, after Trina Turk's mother taught her to sew, she made a halter top and knew, from then on, that she wanted to study apparel design? Sometimes it's those little things that can make a huge impact on the world.


Readers: What do you think about the collection? 




**I'm updating this post and adding the Zazzy Zebra Sateen Skirt because I just saw it on the blogger at Alterations Needed, and this skirt looks awesome on her!

Trina Turk zazzy zebra sateen skirt $79.50

tweed indeed.

Mango zipper dress, $69; Victoria s Secret metallic jacket, $25 (sold out); Lauren Ralph Lauren pumps, $60; DSW Bag, $30; Piperlime Necklace, $24; Juicy Couture resin bangle, $17; Amrita Singh 18k jewelry, $20; Wendy Mink drop earrings, $31; Sephora Collection nail lacquer, $9.50


Hello Everyone! This is the last blazer week post. I hope you had as much fun viewing these as I had creating them. I absolutely looooove this blazer. It's so hard to find a good tweed jacket under $100. Unfortunately, and not to my surprise, this jacket sold out just after I posted it on my first blazer week post. However, here are a few similar tweed blazers that are just as cute at Talbots,Tobi, and Lord and Taylor. 


My Daily Musings:


On another note, I was updating my resume today and found myself mulling over my "Skills and Interests" section. The typical questions of (1) what should I include, (2) how long should it be, and (3) should I include this section at all came up. I'm sure many are concerned with whether they'll be judged negatively based on what they write in this section. I came to a few conclusions on this:


1. Tailor your interests to the job you're applying for. For example, if you're applying for a job related to international issues, include any languages you know or are currently learning. 


2. Don't include anything controversial: nothing political or religious. You never know what your potential employer's stance is on a certain issue, and you don't want them to judge you solely on this fact.


3. Three is the perfect number. Maybe it's just my OCD, but if you can come up with 3 or less skills/interests, your resume will look well balanced. A great tip is to include 2 professional skills and 1 fun interest. i.e. "Fluent in Spanish, Certification in Lexis Nexis and Westlaw Legal Research, Latin and Italian Cooking"


4. Think about what you're skills/interests say about you. I love fashion, obviously. But I'm not going to write that in this section because that really doesn't say anything about my abilities in the work place (unless I represent designers in intellectual property cases). Now, the fact that I trained for and ran the Boston marathon (not true) says that I'm dedicated, disciplined, and can deal with high-stress situations.


5. Don't lie. It'll bite you where it hurts in the long run.


The point is that this section is supposed to set you apart from other candidates. When reviewing resumes at work, I've often seen myself scrolling down first just to see what the candidates are interested in because you want to hire someone who is interesting and fits in with your office culture. 


What are your views on the Skills/Interests section of a resume?