Manscaping

Men have feared the idea of pampering for years, believing that it lessens their masculinity.  However, a new term has been coined called “manscaping”.  Manscaping is a fine art form exclusive to men, entailing the continued upkeep of exceptional hygiene and strategic hair removal.  Ladies, get excited because it is finally acceptable for your man to be groomed in all the right places. Manscaping includes haircuts, shaving, and even waxing. For those men who don’t want to go to the salon some manscaping techniques can be done at home, such as tweezing your eyebrows or trimming those nether regions.

There are numerous salons that cater specifically to men and the idea of manscaping, however there is one in particular that I am dying to tell you about; a salon that goes above and beyond. Style of Man is a chain salon located in the Philadelphia area.  They have three locations in Center City, Manayunk, and Conshohocken and were voted Best of Philly in 2008 and have continued their path of excellence. Thanks to Style of Man, which offers a unique balance between barbershop techniques and salon style all you men can finally feel how great it is to be a woman. Style of Man is one of the first establishments to take men out of the barbershop and women’s salons to give you all a place of your own. The business prides itself on minimum wait time, a tranquil atmosphere, and great haircuts with a personal touch. Kathy, the founder, strives to have the customer looking good and feeling confident when they leave. From her training in London, she learned that a “good haircut” is not always the “right” haircut. She believes that every customer is unique and every haircut should suit his characteristics, personality and lifestyle. Her approach is a very intelligent one, going on twenty successful years in the business. With manscaping hot on the horizon, there may be hope for them after all. 

Shoes Through the Decades

As most of you know fashion is endlessly evolving, and trends are constantly re-appearing through the decades. You all have had your parents bore you to pieces saying, “When I was your age I had those same shoes,” and your thinking “Yeah right mom”. If your parents are as bold as my mother, they will go on to say, “And I wore them better too!” Our parents may think that they were the first to rock the platform shoe, however high rolling women have been wearing them since the 15^th century.  Way back in the day these gaudy English women wore shoes called, chopines, which were used to keep their feet out of the filth of the streets. They were also used as a status symbol, the higher the shoe the more money you had. These shoes rose to such ridiculous heights, some reaching over 30 inches tall, that servants were assigned just to help these women walk without tumbling over. However, there were some powerful women who practiced wearing these shoes to such far extents as to be able to move with no assistance, and were even able to dance.

Many of you probably identify the platform shoe with the 70’s disco era, which is true, but there are many more iconic platform moments within the past few decades. If you don’t remember Spice Girls brought the platforms back in the 90’s rocking around in their British coolness, which I totally tried mimicking as a little ten-year-old. Today, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj are wearing insanely high platforms while singing and dancing in them like it is no big deal. Popular brands, such as Free People, are too showing off the platform shoe as a part of that bohemian vibe. High-end designers such as Giuseppe Zanotti and Prada are showing platforms on their runway as well. Be brave and go out and buy some platforms; I promise they are more wearable, a little lower, and easier to walk in. But as shoe addicts before you go out and buy the latest trend, you may want to check in the way back of your closet to make sure you don’t already have a pair of platforms from way back when.

Stylish Pups

Think fashion only exists in the human world? Think again! In the doggy world, fashion is all about the high quality and making a statement. For the 2012-2013 season, leather accessories are taking over the dog world. With brands like Bark Jacobs, Chewy Vuitton, and Manolo Barknik on the market, it's clear pet fashion is taking on luxury labels. 

Dogs have a variety of garments to choose from, including bridal gowns and bathrobes that are made to fit four legs. What’s the most popular item to buy for your adorable pooch? That’s simple, tuxes are a perfect purchase where your money will be best spent. A simple tux can come in handy for plenty of occasions. Think birthday parties, holiday seasons, Valentine’s day, and even summer gatherings. This may be the one purchase you don’t want to miss out on. Ever think you’d be spending hundreds of dollars on your dogs? Well, designers know that celebs will push to get their dogs in the paparazzi spotlight. Henri Bendel, a major luxury fashion brand, started making a pup’s wardrobe line. Coming from Henri Bendel, it’s obviously not going to be cheap, with prices ringing in around $128 for the sweater. Your dog can stride in fashion, wearing all the best labels, just like their owner. Not only do these designers jump on the doggy trend, Coach also started their dog collection. Considering they were one of the first “big name” fashion labels to manufacture luxury dog accessories, they require to utmost detail and workmanship. The dog fashion is really starting to take over all luxury brands. It’s the next big thing to bring out your pooches personality. One last question, what will you have your dog in this season, Coach or Chewy Vuitton?

Steal The TV Star's Look

Every fall, television fanatics and fashionistas alike eagerly anticipate the return of their favorite shows. As always, the viewers enjoy the shows as much as they enjoy receiving new fashion ideas. This fall, Nashville, Once Upon A Time, and Hart of Dixie should be planned in to all of your weekly schedule. These three shows really stood out this season with strong leading female roles who happen to have fabulous wardrobes.

For the country girl at heart, Nashville’s Juliette Barnes and Rayna Jaymes should be your style icons. Rocker accents give the classic country look a modern and wearable feel. Wear a black leather jacket and/or black studded boots to take a casual dress from farm to big city. Of course, every star wardrobe needs sequins and the stars of Nashville do this best. Layer a sequin jacket over jeans and a tee shirt like Rayna or wear a full gold sequin dress like Juliette. In any of these looks, you’ll be sure to steal the show.

For those of you who wish you could wear a Disney Princess costume every day, reference Mary Margaret’s real-world take on Snow White in Once Upon a Time. Classic pieces like a simple cardigan and full skirt remain fantastically feminine while feeling modern and chic. Add flats or kitten heels and keep everything within the pastel and neutral color palette. For a more whimsical look, consider delicate pieces like a candy apple necklace.

For those of you who love making a statement in high-end pieces with sexy silhouettes, look to Rachel Bilson’s character Zoe Dixie in Hart of Dixie. High waisted short shorts, form-fitting dresses, leather, and heels should be part of your daily wardrobe. I know there are some of you who love being the center of  attention and Zoe Dixie is the perfect style guide for you.

It is not always easy to recreate an outfit inspired by TV shows on a budget, but with these helpful tips and smart shopping ideas, all of your fall closet can look like just like your favorite TV stars. 

Passion for Pinterest

For those of you who don’t already know and love Pinterest, I am about to make you fall in love. Pinterest was started in 2010 and is an online tool for collecting and organizing things you love. The concept of a virtual pin-board where you can organize or "pin" your ideas and passions on different "boards" has blown up in the past year and half, making Pinterest one of the hottest addictions since Facebook. There are so many great things I love about this site, but one in particular is that it allows you to have different boards for various categories such as food, fashion, and travel. People can follow each other’s profiles to search their ideas, get inspired, and you can "re-pin" to your own boards. YOu can even follow your favorite celebrities or fashion designers, such as Marc Jacob's to see what they are "pinning". Pinterest makes incredible use of digital curation, which is an easy way to share content in one place. 

I also adore the ability of having “private” and “public” boards. Obviously I love to share my passion for fashion and all the delicious recipes I come across. However, some things are just meant to stay private, like my workout and love quotes board. Personally, I have a board for food, beauty products, fashion, and my favorite, the wedding page. Now ladies, if you are getting married or have a bestie who is planning a wedding I highly suggest logging onto a Pinterest wedding board right after you finish reading this post! Looking for cute cupcake ideas? If you type “cute cupcake ideas” into Pinterest, within 30 seconds your screen will be full of hundreds of adorable cupcake recipes; remember, Pinterest is a great way to quickly find whatever it is that you may searching for. If you need a cheap alternative to a makeup artist, Pinterest is the way to do it. You can literally find any makeup tutorial to create Lady Gaga looks to simple, everyday looks. “Do it Yourself” fashion is a popular phenomenon that has people crafting away. On Pinterest you can find tons of different DIY projects such as, Dip dying your hair to create an ombre, transferring photos onto t-shirts, and making men’s shirts into a cute women’s tops. Since Pinterest is free and available on phones, computers, and iPads go log on now, create a board, and start pinning away, or if you already have a Pinterest go find a new user to follow and get inspired.