What women in their 20’s want

An element of romance accompanies times of war – love for our troops, dedication to our country, a fascination with foreign lands and lonely soldiers. The fashion industry uses this inspiration time and again as both accents and focal points in a continual resurgence of summer’s paramilitary trend.

Sporting the military trend takes too much testosterone for some women and tired khakis and repeat cargos create fatigue. To keep the look fresh, designers paired paramilitary pieces like strong shoulders, camel chinos and combat-inspired boots and sandals with more feminine pieces and exposed skin. See also: legs. Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and DSquared² paired olive and camel toned military-inspired jackets with short skirts and dresses. The look replaces and updates the classic cardigan for breezy evenings or chilly air conditioning. For our part, we fell in love with Marc Jacobs expertly tailored coat and forest chiffon skirt and Aquilano.Rimoldi’s soldierettes in white (left). To try the look for less, check out Gilt.com’s McQ olive army blazer or the Ernie Brinie sample sale.
For footwear, all over Soho ladies are pairing the formerly intense footwear with floral dresses and feminine skirts. Elle editor Joe Zee says go ahead and rock cargo boots at the beach. To keep it light on the feet, try Rag & Bone’s beige canvas combat boot or beige strappy wedges.
Emma Dinzebach

Earlier this week two Chinese criminal offenders were convicted of conspiracy to traffic counterfeit wallets, purses, handbags, and carry on luggage items. One of the biggest case in counterfeit goods in U.S. history, reportedly Chong Lam and Siu Yung Chan and others ran an complex international counterfeit ring including manufacturing, import, wholesale, and distribution of counterfeit Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Coach, Fendi, Chanel and Gucci products valued at a corresponding price of $100 million dollars.

What concerned us more than the actual suppliers of counterfeit goods was the demand. Consumers who create counterfeit demands are hurting designers, the industry, the city, and society in several ways.

Counterfeit bags are not a “bargain.” Sample sales, online sales and trunk shows are opportunities for the middle-class to experience beautifully crafted product for a “bargain.” When you purchase a designer product you know exactly where your money is going. (Leather, production, advertising, creation, distribution, etc.) Counterfeit bags lack craftsmanship, detail and quality; and when you purchase a counterfeit item, the cash money goes to drug cartels, child labor, and the perpetuation of dishonesty and disregard. Their eco-ignorant methods of production and transport hurt people, animals and our planet. People who sell counterfeit goods are neither tax payers nor contributing members of society. Conversely, people who purchase counterfeit goods are neither tax payers nor contributing members of society.

So you can’t pop down to Chinatown on your lunch break to find it, but when you do discover the piece you love (and can afford) the feeling with be forever worth it. Your style is a representation of you. How do you present yourself to others? Are you a cheap, faux leather bag with upside-down LVs? Or are you something worth treasuring?

Emma Dinzebach

What’s pink and white and jeweled all over? Christian Dior Resort 2010 (below, center). And we likie. While some designers thought the recession memo applied to Resort (um, it doesn’t) and draped their models in drab resort wear that hardly resembles happy vaca attire, Mr. Dior, and a few others, stuck to the classic resort brights. Because if we wanted to wear black, grey and various shades of brown, we would stay in the city thankyouverymuch.

Dior took a bite from Hillary Clinton’s pant suits and decorated his models with blazers and loose fitting trousers. Blousy silks and pink taffeta made cameos in both Dior and Armani resort collections with the latter lowering the hemlines. Loose-fitting formality ran rampant in even the subtler collections, and for the more conservative resort designers, pieces that could transcend St. Tropez prevailed. Even Pucci steared clear of his signature wild on print and opted for an alternative in varying blue hues. Celine, Sonia Rykiel, Just Cavalli, Chloe and more stuck with neutral colors but jumped on the Bermuda shorts and blazers bandwagon.

If you were looking for bells and whistles for St. Barth’s New Year’s Eve, this isn’t your year. Preview Spring 2010 before you buy, and you might just kill two birds with one, er, coconut.
   

(Armani, Chloe, Celine – Resort 2010)

Emma Dinzebach

Size aside, there’s something refreshingly simple about statement jewelry.  With consumer attitude shifting away from the “More is more and less is bad” attitude of yesteryear, there’s no wonder that complex necklaces, bracelets and rings are standing their own this spring.  Whether you’re adhering to status quo or just don’t have the time to fuss with accessory overload, consider a cuff bracelet to complete your look – and let The Vogue City show you how to do it well.

Fendi gives a new meaning to bondage with their perforated suede cuff in aqua, $465 (Get Out of Jail Free card not included).  While this bracelet isn’t particularly busy, it’s loud – what else would you expect from an Italian design house? – and should be worn with something remarkably understated, like a neutral tunic and cigarette pants. 

This Luc Kieffer resin cuff, $286, is both demure and daring.  Golden floral details radiate warmth through the clear resin, while Swarovski details highlight the bracelet’s shine.  Resin, a durable plastic, scratches easily; consider leaving this at home while clawing through your next sample sale.

Of course, a trend isn’t a trend unless Forever 21 fornicates a version of their own.  In this case, they’ve done surprisingly well with their jewel burst cuff for less than $7.

With Saint Tropez-inspired design and a choice of (faux) gold or silver base, you’ll forget you’re dredging through the last bite of winter’s arctic blast as you march uptown with visions of little pink drinks with umbrellas pouring through your head. 

-Karyn Polewaczyk

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