Katie's Kloset

Hello all!! I’m baaack! I apologize for the longer than expected break, once again my life took over! I still work for Halls, but just got transferred to the Plaza location! I start there on Wednesday, so if you need an outfit or new handbag, come see me in the Contemporary/Accessory department on the second level!

I want to talk today about this year’s Oscar Red Carpet, and this time I’m breaking it down into categories. Then at the end, I will announce my best and worst dressed.

Fashion Police Hosts Need Their Own Fashion Police

I am a huge fan of Fashion Police on E!, and watch it regularly. They were also at the Oscars this year, on the red carpet, giving their opinions as the stars came through.  However, if you have a TV show where you make fun of stars and what they are wearing, maybe you should spend a little more time on your own outfits.  In so many words, what the hell was Kelly Osbourne wearing???????

First of all, she’s had this hairdo for awhile now, and I do NOT get it.  Even my boyfriend saw her on TV and said her hair looks like an old woman’s hair that’s been dyed, but the color didn’t quite take. SO TRUE! It’s hideous. Now on to her Badgley Mischka dress….I don’t get it either. Her hair and dress clashed and the beading looked like something that would be on a prom dress. No, no, a thousand times no.

Now usually I am a HUGE fan of what Guiliana Rancic wears, but in case you were watching the pre-red carpet show, she was wearing a long sleeved sheer dress that in no way made sense on her.  It looked like her nipples were showing through, because of where the lines on the front of the dress ended. I have yet to find a picture, but I will try to work on that. I will give her credit, she did redeem herself when she changed into this Tony Ward dress, LOVED it. 

Even though her dress was amazing, her hair was pulled back too severely, and her makeup was a little too drastic. I felt like she was ready for a dance recital.

In conclusion, PUH-lease girls: If you are gonna dish it, you gotta bring it!

Dressing For Your Size

Now I want to talk about the bigger ladies of Hollywood.  You can still look sexy and amazing at a larger size if you wear the right dress, and it has the right silhouette, color and fit. I want to give props to Octavia Spencer, from The Help, for doing AMAZINGLY so far this awards season. She has chosen Tadashi Shoji for both the Acadamy Awards and the Oscars and they were great on her.

This dress from the Academy Awards was a beautiful color on her, the sleeves covered her arms, the cut accentuated her waist and gave her a shape. (applause, applause) She looks great!

This is the dress she wore Sunday to the Oscars. The light color was beautiful, once again. And the cut and lines gave her a flattering waist and shape. Amazing! Big girls can look fab too, you just have to accentuate the good and hide the bad.

Now Melissa McCarthy has not done as well.  She wore Badgley Mischka to the Academy Awards.

The green color was not good on her size AT ALL. It drew attention to all the bad areas! And the empire waist was not a good cut on her.  The fabric is pulling to the side where her hips are, which is drawing attention to them! Not good at all.

She wore custom Marina Rinaldi to the Oscars. She did a little better with this one.

It was a good color on her and she did cover her arms. However, the sleeves were flowy which at times made her arms look bigger than they are. And the silhouette, once again, made her look wider. Also, her boobs looked very unsupported. I just think she needs a new stylist. Her current one obviously does not know how to dress for her size.

Color, Color, Color!

Color is SO hot this season! Bright, bold colors are everywhere. The runway, market, and they are flying into the stores left and right. So I was surprised to see so much black and white on the red carpet. There were a few stars who choose color:

Reds:

Michelle Williams chose a watermelon Louis Vuitton dress.

I love, love, LOVE the color on her, BUT…. The silhouette is very little girlish.  I have noticed her style has transitioned to this since Heath passed away, and I wonder if that’s why. She used to dress so elegantly and sexy for awards shows, and now she looks like a 12 year old every time she walks a red carpet. I don’t get it!! Good color choice, bad silhouette choice.

Emma Stone wore a bright red Giambatista Vali dress with a huge bow on the shoulder…hmm looks very familiar:

I think the color was great on Emma, but this dress has already been done. In 2007, Gwyneth Paltrow wore a similar Balenciaga dress that she became famous for. You have to do your research when you pick a dress for the Oscars. If it’s been done, move on girlfriend! I will give her some credit; she looked beautiful and I loved the color on her. Just do your research!

Blues/Purples:

Penelope Cruz wore Georgio Armani and looked fantastic!

The blue color was great, the fit was great and she was glowing. Yes, yes, yes!

Sarah Hyland wore Alberta Ferretti and it was a beautiful purple.

The color was amazing on her and she always does a great job of dressing for her age. She is in her lower 20’s and always picks great options for not looking too old or too young.

Maya Rudolph wore Joanna Johnson. Long story short on this one….not good. Not a cute dress, not flattering on her and wasn’t Oscar worthy.

Greens:

Berenice Bejo, from Best Picture Winner “The Artist” choose a mint green Elie Saab dress.

This did not work for me AT ALL. The color was not good on her, especially with her red hair.  And her hairstyle and jewelry just weren’t classy enough to be on the Oscar red carpet. The dress just did not excite me. It wasn’t a “wow” dress. No thank you.

Viola Davis, from “The Help, wore a Vera Wang green strapless dress.

I struggled with this for awhile. The color actually would have looked great on her if she would have kept her hair how it was for the Academy Awards. But the weird light colored hair mixed with the bright green of the dress, did not work for me. And the way the dress gapped at her breasts, made them look small and unsupported. Not a fan.

Glenn Close wore Zac Posen and I think she looked fabulous.

A lot of the older actresses in Hollywood chose very matronly dresses and they just end up looking like old women whose fashion sense has gone out the window. Glenn looked fab on Sunday. The green color looked great and the blazer over the dress was perfection.

Oscar Golds:

Stacy Keibler wore Marchesa.

I feel like when you wear a gold dress to the Oscars, you are trying to be an Oscar. My advice is, just don’t. Wearing shades of gold is fine, but this is a SERIOUS GOLD dress. Plus I think she needs to get that growth on her hip checked out, 

Now onto a few stars that wore gold right….

Kristen Wiig wore J Mendel.

I LOVE this color on her. It works so well with her skin tone and hair color. I love the simplicity of the dress, however the feathery skirt gave it a touch of fun. She truly looks like a movie star. 

Jessica Chastain, from “The Help”, wore McQueen.

I LOVED this on her. She looked gorgeous. It was different and stood out, but she looked elegant. The colors and style worked so well on her. She took a risk, and it paid off.

Now onto the stars that stayed away from color….

Whites/Ivorys:

Jennifer Lopez wore Zuhair Murad.

We all know that Jennifer is all about SEX, she portrays it in her fashion, on her ads for fragrances and especially with her back up dancers. (She’s on numero dos) But at the Oscars, please leave the sex at home, thank you. You can be sexy at the Oscars without having a low cut, skin tight, cut out dress. So no, J-Lo, I don’t approve of this one. 

Penelope Ann Miller, from “The Artist”, wore Georgio Armani.

This dress wasn’t horrible, however, this girl needed some serious spanx!! The picture doesn’t show it well, but it was not good. Ya gotta use the right under garments!

Rooney Mara wore Givenchi, and apparently picked it out that morning….

Now you can see why. I really don’t have much to say about this, I’m speechless. Fashion Police was raving about this, that she finally chose something other than black and that she looks fabulous. I disagree, on all accounts. This looks like something she found in her grandma’s closet that morning.  It wasn’t fitted to her properly and she looks rough. She also needs to get a personality, as a side note. 

Cameron Diaz looked ravishing in Gucci.

She looked amazing! Enough said!

Milla Jovovich wore Elie Saab.

Besides the weird “movie star” face she kept making everytime she posed (she looks a little scary in this one), this dress looked amazing on her. She was one of the first on the red carpet and the crowd broke into applause. She looked fab, like a true movie star! Just lose the weird face next time.

Black:

Rose Byrne, from “Bridesmaids”, wore Vivianne Westwood.

This honestly looks like a prom dress that was made by someone’s mom to save money. It looks cheap. The end. 

Now onto Angelina Jolie, her anorexia, and her weird left leg…

First of all, please eat something. You look disgusting. Second of all, stop putting your left leg out like that. We can all see the damn slit in the dress, we don’t need your bony leg sticking out from it every time you pose. And third of all, don’t love the dress. It’s boring and it’s black. Take a risk!! You used to do it all the time when you got tattoos of bad boyfriends and made lesbian movies. 

In conclusion, before I reveal my best and worst, I have just been royally disappointed with the past few red carpets. Stars have gotten sloppy, and they don’t look elegant anymore. This is serious problem, and we need all stylists to come together and fix this madness!

BEST:

drumroll………

 

 

WORST:

Sandra Bullock. She wore Marchesa. I did not like this dress at all. The fit was off, and the black and white was boring. Her hair was in a ponytail, which was not classy. Just all around, not good.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading and I hope to keep regular posts going!!

Happy shopping!

K.

Hello my little shoppers!

I plan to have regular posts soon, my life has just been a little crazy lately! As you all know, 3 months ago I got a job as Assistant Manager at Aldo on the plaza. I was ecstatic to get out of the office and back into fashion, but recently got a call from Halls. They wanted to bring me in. What did I have to lose? I went in, got sent to Crown Center to also talk with the HR director there, and a few days later got the call!  They offered me Assistant Manager of Women’s Ready to Wear! (which means the Women’s department) So here is me, (who hates change and trust me, I’ve had enough change already) having to make another decision about my future! So stressful! But in the end, I took the job and think it is ultimately the best thing for me right now. I’m very excited and hope to continue my styling there as well.

Change is hard sometimes. You get used to things and get in a routine, and then everything is different. Fashion changes almost everyday, and we are fine with that. We have a trend for summer or fall and then its over.  And we are okay with it and are excited about what the new trend is.  Why can’t we be more understanding with life changes??

I think change shapes us and ultimately is good for us.  If you look at trends throughout history, they always are directly related to the world and what is happening politically, socially and historically at that time.  And I think change in our lives are directly related to shaping us as people and teach us something about ourselves and what we want from life.  So I’m accepting change, as we accepted bell bottoms in the 70′s and leg warmers in the 80′s.  I am super excited for my future and all the blessings I have!

Until next time, feel free to come see me at Halls Crown Center (women’s department) for some styling help, and I hope you all have happy shopping experiences! I plan to talk about fall trends for my next post, so stay tuned!

xoxo

Katie

Hello my long-lost little shoppers!! Life has taken me away from all of you for too long now, and I do apologize for that. (For those of you thinking at this point that you didn’t miss me or you’ve never even heard of me, well, there is no way that could be possible )

Anywho! I am all moved in to my house, enjoying some wine and sushi as my first meal while I chat with you all! And now that life has slowed down a bit, I am ready and available to share my thoughts about fashion….and sometimes the lack of!

I want to start by telling you that I am now  Assistant Manager at Aldo on the Plaza in Kansas City, MO.  So if any of you need some extra help with your wardrobe, an outfit for a special event or help accessorizing, please come see me! Ask for Katie!

Now on to my main event: Home Fashion & Personal Fashion.

In the past few months, I have grown a stronger appreciation for home fashion than I did before.  And I’ve realized how parallel home fashion and personal fashion really are!  I start with a home that is stripped of everything (we start out naked…profound huh?), I start dressing my home with the necessities like flooring, paint, trim, lighting, etc (when we pick out clothes, we start with the necessities like underwear, bra, t-shirt, jeans etc.), then comes the aesthetic touches such as furniture, rugs, lamps, pictures on the walls (once we get our outfit together, we accessorize!) I build outfits every day, but this was the first for a house! And it’s the same concept! You can color block, you have to think about the layout of the room and if things are equaled out (like in a previous post, I talked about fashion and how you have to pair things together that are opposite, like skinny jeans and a flowey top, or cargo pants and a tighter top, based on the weight and heaviness. Same with a room. You can’t put two heavy pieces of furniture together. You have to even it out so it flows in the room). You also put your personality and who you are in your home, which I also do in my personal fashion as well.

So next time you are fixing up a room in your house, or maybe you are getting a new house or apartment, think about what I said and bring YOU into the space. Treat it like your outfit for tomorrow, and use the same advice I give you for your wardrobe for your home as well.  It all applies and it will give your space the personality and pizzazz it needs.

Until  next time, Happy Shopping!

K.

So let me start by apologizing to all my Katie’s Kloset followers for being MIA for awhile.  All I can say is life happens, and it’s been happening A LOT lately! New relationship, new house, new job, it’s all taken over for awhile. But never fear, because Katie’s Kloset is still here, to help you with all your styling and fashion needs!

Not only am I back to give you more Katie’s Kloset, I’m also back in the fashion industry. As my BFF Sofia stated to me, “Welcome back, the fashion world has missed you.” Thanks Sof, I’ve missed it as well! Recently I was given the opportunity to return to fashion as Assistant Manager of Aldo on the Plaza. This is a brand I have worked for before and strongly believe in, so it is a pleasure for me to return.  And it’s exciting for me to be able to use all of my ideas and creative mind for use!

I’ve also recently purchased a house, my first home! But it needs a lot of work, which I am getting lots of help with from my man, my family and my friends.  Once finished, it will be super cute…of course! As a result, however, I’ve been cheating on fashion with homegoods. I’ve been picking out paint  instead of summer tops, flooring instead of shoes, and buying doors and hardware instead of skirts and jewelry….hopefully fashion will forgive me once it’s all said and done.

So no worries, my fashion friends, I will be back once a week with creative pairings, summer fashion ideas, and of course…shoes! (Being Assistant Manager of a shoe store will factor into Katie’s Kloset, trust me ) I may also throw in some home decor ideas as well, for something different!

Until then, happy shopping!

xoxo

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,900 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 18 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 21 posts. There were 79 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 13mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was March 10th with 72 views. The most popular post that day was Love it or Over it: Oscars 2010.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, touch.facebook.com, stumbleupon.com, asavvylife.wordpress.com, and facebookiggadget.appspot.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for winter fashion 2010, cynthia hendricks, tight jeans, cynthia hendricks mad men, and military fashion.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Love it or Over it: Oscars 2010 March 2010
2 comments

2010 Primetime Emmy Awards: Red Carpet Fashion Police September 2010

About Katie’s Kloset… December 2009
1 comment

Birthday Thoughts: One Day After October 2010

Want a Piece of Katie’s Kloset? August 2010

 

 

So thanks for making Katie’s Kloset successful in 2010! Let’s keep it going for 2011! Stay tuned for the fashion of the Golden Globes 2011!

Hello Katie’s Kloset followers! I apologize for the two and a half month break, I’ve been a bit preoccupied with a new special someone

So!

I want to start with a few New Year’s Eve tips! I’m sure everyone is going out tonight or maybe just hanging with friends, but no matter what you are doing, ya gotta look good, right??

I have a few options below that will cater to any and all.

First I wanna show a simple hang out New Year’s outfit: maybe having a party at a friends house, going out to dinner outfit:

This is actually similar to what I am wearing tonight!

 

The next look is similar but a little more dressy. This look may be for a night out on the town, maybe to a bar or club, but nothing too fancy:

 

 

 

 

The final look is for the more fancier parties!

OR

I hope this helps with your last minute New Year’s Eve fashion decisions! Have fun and be safe!

And remember, the new year always brings a new YOU! Think outside the box in 2011 and wear something out of your ordinary wardrobe, give something new a chance. You never know, you just might love it

 

HAPPY NEW YEARS MY LITTLE SHOPPERS!

Birthdays are a lot like a designer dress on the clearance rack. 9 times out of 10 you buy the dress, even if you don’t need it, and then you return home to realize it really wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. (Pardon my Midwest phrasing) Same with birthdays. You get all excited for the day, and then it comes and 9 times out of 10, it’s not what you expected it to be. Just because it has that “label” on it, doesn’t mean it’s gonna be amazing. But that’s okay, because that’s how life is too. It’s just a darn good thing we have the ability to shop, and drown our birthday sorrows in a handbag and a pair of skinny jeans… and a few cocktails couldn’t hurt.

Not to downplay the importance of a birthday, because some people have amazing birthdays.  I’ve just learned over the years, that birthdays are another day, another day in which you just so happened to be born however many years ago.

Personally I’d rather just have a designer dress instead of the birthday.

However, this year I was pleasantly surprised.  My favorite people (minus a few that were not in town or live out of town) gathered to make my birthday the best yet. It was definitely, even though it pains me to say so…..better than a designer dress! I know, I know…it must have been amazing right??

So I guess that 1 time out of 10 happened.  And for future reference, if you see a designer dress on a clearance rack….make sure you would buy it full price.  Because trust me, YOU WON”T WEAR IT!  And for that matter, you can save that money to go towards something you love that IS full price.

Here is my clearance rack mistake…although it did work for a photo shoot I did!

Happy Shopping!

 

Welcome to Part 3 of my personal opinions and views on the upcoming trends of fall and winter!  I discovered in the first edition of this series of blogs, that one blog just wouldn’t cut it.  There is too much information  to share!

Military

I talked about this in an earlier blog, and at this moment, I’m OVER IT. I have purchased a button up army green top with gold embellishments from Express recently that is military inspired, and I can promise you that will be the only military inspired piece I will purchase.  And that is what I recommend to everyone out there as well. When it comes to “trendy” pieces (things that are not classic, and that cannot be worn for very many seasons), I recommend purchasing one piece of clothing in that inspiration family.  So pick your fav military look, whether it’s a jacket, a top or a dress, and end it there. Please…..for the love of God!

Long  Sleeved Mini Dress

This look, I am LOVING IT! We are seeing it everywhere: on the runway, on the red carpet AND even in real world.  It’s such a great look because it shows some leg for sass, but covers everywhere else for warmth.  You can find it form fitted for a sexier look or more of a shift dress for a straighter silhouette.  Love it, love it, love it.

 

 

Socks with Tights and Heels

This is a look that I’m only seeing in fashion spreads and runways, and is very hard to pull off in the real world.  It looks fun and is actually very smart, because wearing tights and heels never work out, let’s just be honest. The socks would allow for that to happen, but I can just see this look going soooo wrong with most of the general public trying it.  So my advice? Don’t.

Raised Shoulders

This look can be very striking, if you do it the right way.  Regular 80’s shoulder pads are a no-no.  You gotta go with the new and improved shoulder padding, with the sharp lines.  See examples in pictures below.  This can be in jackets, mini dresses, and tops.  This is a good look for shorter bodies, but can be worn by anyone. As long as the garment is structured everywhere else, it will look fabulous!

There you have it my little fashionistas! Check back next week for a special birthday entry!

Until next time,

Happy Shopping!

Happy First Day of Fall, my little fashionistas!

And as promised, I will continue my Fall Trends series with some jacket styles you must grab up for this fall when you are completing your fall/winter wardrobe.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE jackets.  They finish off a look, they serve a purpose, and there are so many styles to pick from.  (I also am one who hates heavy winter coats, so I wear jackets over sweaters waaay into the winter.  Call me crazy, but that’s how I roll). Some of my personal favorite styles include leather biker, military, boyfriend and fashion forward tailored.  Let’s discuss!

Leather Biker – I love this look because the majority of us (I’m guessing ALL of those who read this blog) do not dress like bikers.  So it’s fun to throw a little something unexpected and different into our wardrobe.  I have a leather jacket from Express that I wore so much last fall and winter, and I can’t wait to wear it again!  It’s surprisingly a classic piece in a wardrobe, even though it has so much going on and is such a statement piece.  It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.  I love it with jeans, heels and a t-shirt, or even thrown over a ruffle dress for a fashion forward statement.  This look is definitely recommended for your fall wardrobe.

Military Jacket – I’ll have to say, as much as I am a fan of the military look (which will be discussed in Part 3) I’m a little scared that military jackets are going to start getting on my nerves.  I do like the look when I see it on someone, but they are everywhere…all over the internet, in all the stores and plastered all over commercials on television.  I do not believe this look will stay around very long, so if you get one, buy cheap.   I’ll end this topic with this; I do like the look, but if you are thinking about buying a military inspired jacket, think outside the box.  Buy one that is a little different than the rest.

Boyfriend Jacket – This is a look I rock often!  LOVE it with skinny jeans, heels and a fun shirt underneath.  I truly believe this is a classic piece that you can buy now and keep for years to come.  Definitely get it in black or gray and if you want another one, find another neutral color that you can mix with almost everything. I have one in black and one in taupe.  I wear them ALL the time in the fall and winter.  This is a piece that you can spend a little extra on; since you will use it season after season.  I got mine at New York and Company, so check them out this season; they might have them back again!

Fashion Forward Tailored – This is actually a look I don’t have yet….I know, I know, it’s SHOCKING!  But this is my favorite one for fall. You definitely have to be a fashion risk taker, but I truly believe that any of us can be.  As long as you wear something with confidence, you can pull it off.  So never think you can’t pull off something fashion forward, because you totally can!  With this look, you can wear it with so much: liquid leggings and a long t-shirt, skinny jeans, bootcut jeans, trousers, wide leg pants, dresses, skirts…and the list goes on and on and on.  With the jacket being tailored, it’s really an endless list of what you can wear it with.  And this look can have many different elements to make it fashion forward: puffed sleeves or padded shoulders, ruffles on the front, exposed zippers,  menswear inspired lapels and once again, the list goes on.  If you are a little wary about the extra touches, you can always get just a tailored jacket.  It will serve the same purpose and will be a classic piece in your wardrobe for years to come.  See pictures below for examples.

Well that’s it for this installment of Fall Trends, stay tuned for Part 3…Oh yes you read right.  There will be a part 3! So go grab up your fall wardrobe jackets, and meet me back here in a week!

Until then, Happy Shopping!

Xoxo

Hello little shoppers! (I’ve decided to take Lady Gaga’s name for her fans, Little Monsters, and make it my own. Little Shoppers!)

Fall is upon us, whether we are ready or not.  And boutiques and department stores are loading their stores with fall apparel and accessories.  I am actually ready for boots, skinny jeans and sweater vests, believe it or not.  But this fall season, I am a little disappointed in the selection. So what I am going to do is list and discuss the fall trends, that I’m sure all of you are seeing in the stores, share my opinion and ask for yours! So here goes….

Leather/Liquid Clothing

Now this look I like. Especially the leggings/skinny pants. It’s a great way to add some rock and roll to a normal outfit.  See below….

This is definitely how to wear the liquid/leather look. Now on to how NOT to wear this look….

I mean, let’s not be slutty.  The key to adding something like liquid leggings to an outfit, is less is more!  Wear them with something very casual or something really modest so you don’t turn out looking like these “lovely” ladies above……

Lace

Now this trend I’m sort of already tired of.  I think that lace can add so much to an outfit, if it’s done in the right way, and once again not OVERDONE! Did you hear that Forever 21?? It seems like everywhere I go, I see lace thrown on shirts, pants, and leggings like they got caught in a lace fight.  And you have to be careful putting lace on things, you run the risk of making it look trashy.  And so far, I’ve seen way more trashy then flashy.  Here are a few lace pieces I love….

Here are some lace pieces that I wouldn’t be caught dead in…

Enough said there.

Sweaters

Sweaters this year are transitioning from full sweaters to short sleeved sweaters and sweater vests and shrugs.  I absolutely love this trend.  Mostly because I am a self furnace and wearing full sweaters just doesn’t work for me, but mostly because this allows for layering and unexpected pairings.  Here are some examples of looks I like….

Clogs

This trend has actually surprised me.  I really like them! Now let me be specific. I do NOT like the “old lady who is too lazy to have backless shoes” clogs.  I do, however, love the new modern clogs that are out for fall.  Here are a few examples….

Here are some clog no-no’s….

So I don’t want to leave on an ugly clog note, so I want to share some looks that I recommend for fall!!

Happy Shopping!

xoxo