Fashion & Style Daily News Digest

Filed under: Fashion, News, Designers & Brands, Shopping

Trying to watch your spending for the big day can be a tricky situation. But whether you opt to cut back on the catering, choose fewer flowers, or nix the open bar in favor of a signature cocktail, there’s no reason The Dress has to suffer in the name of saving.

White House I Black Market has entered the bridal game with a new limited-edition collection featuring a beautiful ivory satin gown with a fitted bodice and asymmetrical skirt for just $498.

Add in a matching ivory satin clutch for $68 and satin sling backs with a pretty rose detail for $108, and you’ve got your wedding ensemble covered for less than $700.

If you’re in New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, or Chicago, you’ll be able to find wedding specialists in select boutiques. If you’re located elsewhere, you can still get their services over the phone at 888-WED-WHBM or online.

Bridesmaid dresses, accessories, and gifts are also available, as are outfits for wedding guests and honeymoon trips.

You know, with all that cash you’ll be saving on The Dress, that bar might be just be open. (Your guests will thank you!)

Now that you know what you’ll be wearing on the big day, what about your best pals? Here’s what’s hot for bridesmaids.

White House Black Market Unveils Affordable Wedding Dress originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Fashion, News

The red-hot curvy-girl revolution is taking a major wallop thanks to a new study claiming that ads featuring plus-size models make women suffer from lower self-esteem, ASU News reports.

Since when did Kate Moss get her PhD?

The study, conducted by Arizona State University, Germany’s University of Cologne, and Erasmus University in the Netherlands, measured the effect that larger models have on female consumers of various sizes and found that curvy bodies make women with normal and high body-mass indexes (BMIs) depressed, according to the paper.

And that news has plus-size model Crystal Renn (aka Glamour’s upcoming cover girl) fighting mad. “I think one-standard beauty is going to make women have lower self-esteem,” she tells StyleList in an exclusive interview.

Picking up from previous studies showing that underweight models have a negative impact on women’s self-esteem, the research team reportedly factored in the size of the consumer as well.

“We show it is not just the size of the models in the ads, but also the relative distance between the consumer’s size and the model’s size that affects self-esteem,” Naomi Mandel, marketing associate professor at ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business, told the paper.

While consumers were still negatively influenced by stick-thin models, participants also reportedly experienced low self-esteem when shown ads depicting fuller-figured models.

Curvier women with high BMIs experienced a dip in self-esteem while looking at both thin and plus-size models, because they saw themselves as different from the thin, “perfect” types and similar to the overweight ones, the paper reports.

Meanwhile, those with normal BMIs reportedly reacted strongly to the ads, feeling good when looking at a thin model they related to, then getting down when looking at a larger model because they worried about being similar and being overweight.

By contrast, thin, low-BMI women had no negative impact, because they identified with the slim models and saw themselves as different from the plus-size models, according to the study.

The conclusion? Ad campaigns with voluptuous models are a big bust because, presumably, no one will want to buy something advertised by an average-sized woman who has you staring at the bottom of a pint of Ben & Jerry's while listening to Joy Division.

“We believe it is unlikely that many brands will gain market share by using heavy models in their ads,” Mandel told the paper.

“We found that overweight consumers demonstrated lower self-esteem — and therefore probably less enthusiasm about buying products — after exposure to any-size models in ads [versus ads with no models].

“Also, normal-weight consumers experienced lower self-esteem after exposure to moderately heavy models, such as those in Dove soap’s Real Women campaign, than after exposure to moderately thin models.”

The kicker? The study, which will be published in April’s Journal of Consumer Research, reportedly claims that plus-size models could be effective if used in ads for — wait for it — gyms or diet pills. Because, you know, then normal-size gals will be so horrified and worried about getting fat that they’ll hightail it to the nearest Weight Watchers.

Well, screw that.

Renn, whose “nude” Glamour shoot with other plus-size models garnered the publication’s most positive feedback ever, says fashion magazines and advertisers should represent all body types that everyone can relate to, and sees the recent trend in size diversity as a step in the right direction.

“Women are hungry for this,” she tells StyleList. “They are empowered by this.”

Call us crazy, but we love seeing curvy figures on the runway and on billboards. They don’t make us feel bad about ourselves — they make us feel bad about the other fashion brands and advertisers that think that curvy women can’t be sexy.

And judging by the success of size-friendly brands like Mark Fast and Evans, we’re not the only ones who feel that way.

Exhibit A: British department store Debenhams tells StyleList they’ve received initial positive feedback to the curvier mannequins they’re currently road-testing in the Oxford Street store.

Exhibit B: A separate study we previously reported on that says curvy female bodies give men a high. So, men get a high but woman want to jump off a cliff? Hmm…

And should we bother pointing out that high-BMI women reacted negatively to ultra-thin models? Should we ban them, too? Fair is fair, right?

Meanwhile, check out the voluptuous models that ruled the Giles runway.

Plus-Size Models in Ads Cause Low Self-Esteem, Study Claims originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Accessories, Fashion, Celebrity, News

It looks like former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton might be taking a page from Michelle Obama’s style book.

The U.S. secretary of state appears to have finally ditched her signature headbands and prom-worthy dresses in favor of a more sophisticated look.

Sporting a poufier new ‘do, Hillary has been playing with whimsical patterns and textures, taking fashion risks (need we remind you of the embroidered flowery coat she wore in Afghanistan?), and jazzing up her classic skirt suit with a flash of gold jewelry at the March 14 Women in the World Summit.

When the Yale Law grad deplaned in Moscow this morning — where she will push for arms talks — HRC looked every bit the chic jet-setter in a pair of rectangular Robert Marc sunglasses (style 602, in Stone with brown lenses, in case you were wondering) that flattered her rounder face shape.

Marc’s subdued, elegant eyewear — no flashy hardware and logos here — has attracted a loyal celebrity fan base, including Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Kate Hudson.

Even if Hillary’s labels don’t include the big-name fashion designers that Mrs. O favors, such as Jason Wu, Thakoon and L’Wren Scott, we think she makes a pretty persuasive case for understated power dressing.

What do you think of Hillary’s more fashion-forward style?

When not tackling political issues, Hillary is busy planning daughter Chelsea’s wedding.

Hillary Clinton Ups Her Style Quotient in Robert Marc Sunglasses originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Fashion, Street Style, Stylish Living

Austin’s South By Southwest Music festival brings together some of the most creative people in the independent music scene. It is no surprise then, that these gods of rock - and the fans who love them - are some of the best-dressed people on Sixth Street. After scouring the scene, we found the reoccurring trends were vintage pieces, heightened hemlines, lots of cowboy boots, and some plenty cool shades.

After perusing the arty crowd (and finding out which bands they were keen to see), check in with our brother site, Spinner, for the full SXSW rundown.

South by Southwest 2010 Street Style originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hair Care, Beauty, Hair, News

For many women, frizz is an inevitable part of their days — good hair, and bad.

But it was even worse 20 years ago, before John Frieda pioneered the frizz-control market with the introduction of Frizz-Ease Hair Serum in 1990. Now, two decades later, the company is introducing Frizz-Ease Smooth Hydrating and Repairing Shampoos and Conditioners, to do to wet hair what the serum does to dry hair, and ensure that smooth hair starts in the shower.

Formulated with an exclusive Frizz-Mending Complex containing silk protein and lipids, these duos replenish essential oils and proteins while restoring your hair with moisture to prevent frizz and protect against humidity.

“It’s about realizing its that time to fight the battle!” said Harry Josh, John Frieda International Creative Consultant. “A lot of people don’t realize that you can’t think that coming out of the shower and taking your hair down out of the towel that’s it’s time to start styling.”

Josh urges women to understand that the process begins as soon as you suds up.

“These shampoos and conditioners fill in the cuticles to create shine and add body to the hair,” he said. “Because we have two different shampoos and conditioners, you really want to focus on whether your issue is reparative, which is if you’re hair is fried and frizzy, or hydration, if you’re hair is dry and frizzy, and prescribe accordingly.”

Josh also recommends using Smooth Start shampoos and conditioners prior to and on the day of a big event to achieve a hairstyle that lasts as he did with Amanda Seyfried at this year’s Oscars. Finished with the Root Awakening Strength Restoring Gel, Seyfried’s sleek chignon stood out on the red carpet.

Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Shampoos and Conditioners by John Frieda ($6.49 each) are now available at food, drug and mass retailers.

Want more tips for shiny strands? Check out what the pros have to say!

John Frieda Launches Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Shampoos and Conditioners originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Manolo says, it is Thursday, and you are all wound up and ready for the weekend to arrive because, for the first time in months, clement weather has been forecasted by the Channel 11 man of weather, Skip “Stormy” Steele (née Ranulph Grabble).

It has been the long and dreary winter, to say the least, and you are ready for it to be over, and even the slightest hint that Spring (Glorious Spring!!!) is in the offing is enough to send you into the frenzy of plan-making.

“A Picnic!,” you shouted to no one in particular when Stormy Steel announced sunshine and temperatures in the low 60s, “a picnic at the park, with small cucumber sandwiches and cold fried chicken and watermelon and potato salad…maybe red potato salad…and fruit-flavored iced tea…”

Your mind raced with the possibilities of frolicsome summery entertainment, never mind that any watermelon you could find would have been air freighted in from New Zealand and cost more than your first car, the 1968 Saab 96. (It looked like the upside down bathtub, and had 3 and the half on the tree, and the strange freewheeling thingy, and seemed to be designed by people who had heard about cars but had never actually seen one in person).

Time to take the deep breath.

Yes, the first day of spring is nearly here, but unless you live in the more southerly parts of North America (like perhaps Tegucigalpa or Cozumel) the weather is not yet all that. Soon, but not yet.

In the meantime, you know what you need, jelly sandals, like these, the Sunny Jelly Flats from Fendi.

Soon, my precious, soon.

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