Blackwell's 2007 Worst-Dressed List

In the past I've usually blogged about Blackwell's annual Worst Dressed List, (see last year's post here.) But this year while reading the list, I've come to realise that I didn't have a lot of insults in mind for the worse-dressed people. Now don't get me wrong, I don't actually like the style of most people on Blackwell's list. It's just that I've now come to learn to just skip past the pictures of poorly-dressed celebrities (or the celebrities whose style just isn't similar to mine,) and stare at the well-dressed celebrities. Perhaps I have learnt to use my time more efficiently or have grown up?

Anyways, here's the list.

1. Victoria Beckham -While I am no fan of hers, I do admire she has the confidence to wear the clothes that she wears. And while her style is very different from mine, I certainly don't think she's the worst-dressed in 2007.

2. Amy Winehouse -I suppose I do agree with this one. Not only is she poorly dressed, but her hairstyle is just disastrous!

3. Mary Kate Olsen -OK, even though as an MKA fan I am totally biased, I do admit I didn't like some of the outfits MK wore in 2007. But I really don't think one should ignore her better outfits and declare her worst-dressed.

4. Fergie -Huh. I usually just skip looking at her outfits in gossip sites.

5. Kelly Clarkson -Skip again. Plus we obviously care more about her singing than her outfits.

6. Eva Green -Do we even know what she normally wears?

7. Avril Lavigne -OK, so I didn't like some of her outfits. And I really don't like her 2007 pink hairdo. But I chalk it all as part of her marketing and image.

8. Jessica Simpson -I'm definitely not a fan of Jessica Simpson, although hasn't her style improved in 2007? Wait, I actually can't recall any of the outfits she wore in 2007. I obviously don't care much for her style.

9. Lindsay Lohan -I really don't think her style is bad. For Lindsay, 2007 was all about the leggings, so I guess it all depends how much you like leggings yourself.

10. Alison Arngrim -Uh, who? Why bother listing someone who isn't stalked by the paparazzis anyway?

And maybe it's because I'm still in my early-20's but I don't find people named in Blackwell's Fabulous Fashion Independent List really fashion-inspiring either. Btw, they are Reese Witherspoon, Jemima Khan, Beyonce, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes, Kate Middleton, Katherine Heigl and Cate Blanchett. Seriously, Beyonce and Katherine Heigl?

What do you think of Blackwell's 2007 lists?

Wide Headbands

Over the years I've always had these on and off phases with wide headbands. Personally they are quite flattering for me and I've always loved them. But they never really served much practical purposes i.e. keep fringe off face (not if I want it to be flattering anyway). And so after a while, I just end up just giving up on them (I had a fabulous black textured print one from Claires).
Well this season, my obsession with them is back. It first entered my mind early this season when I went to Burberry and tried on these red patent quilted ones (very similar to the ones above left), which looked SOOO nice on me! Then the other day I saw my friend wearing a similar red patent headband from Miu Miu (with different details), which looked soo fab on her! And of course, I've also been steadily influenced by Blair's preppy and trendy use of headbands all season on Gossip Girl.

Now I really want a shiny bold colored headband to accesorize with this season. I have black hair so red (like Blair's above) would look great. I definitely want a patent one like the pink one above (right) from Miu Miu, except in red. Though come to think of it, one of my friend has this beautiful purple shiny satin wide headband from Barneys (similar to the brown one above left: Jennifer Ouellette) that she's been wearing for a while that looks gorgeous with her dark hair.... so many choices!
I guess at the end of the day the most important thing with bold wide headbands is that it matches with the rest of your outfit. Note how all her headband goes so well with the rest of her outfits. I especially love the white headband with the rest of her outfit (right) where there are white accents!
The turban styled headbands are also a good twist to the usual headbands. I am in LOVE with these turban headbands from Jennifer Ouellette (left) and Rachel Pally (right). In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I think the Rachel Pally headband at $38 (not on sale) is a bargain and I'd totally get it if they had it in red. Except they have it only in dark blue, dove (white) and black and I'll have to think about that. I just love the side twist thing!
Some easy colored wide headbands to go with your wardrobe from Claires (above). The trick to not making them look like its cheap I think is texture (if its shiny and plastic) and a clean cut (if its fabric print).
For something fancier I am loving these two from Miu Miu (left) and By Malene Birger (right). Normally I'd discard them at a glance thinking they are tacky and toy-like. But having been inspired by Blair, I think with the right elegant simple outfit, these would be the perfect accessory. And just imagine how gorgeous that blue would look contrasting against dark hair!

So far I got a kind of shiny wide bronze headband similar to the satin brown one from Jennifer Oullette (third one down), except the quality isn't as good since its only $10 as opposed to $50... but the effect is close. Now if only I can get my hands on a purple satin one and a patent red one...and I definitely don't mind a jeweled one (though I guess its not necessary)...... then my headband collection would be complete :)

Image Source: CW TV, Barneys, Net a Porter, Bloomingdales, Shopbop and Claires

The Balenciaga Blazers Lookalikes

Hey people, happy new year! We have finally updated the About Us section, so check it out when you have time. Anyways, BG and I love blazers so I simply cannot resist talking about the Balenciaga blazers.

The Balenciaga blazers were the IT items of the FW season. Vogue.co.uk even reported that a woman who was not on the wait-list refused to leave until she was sold one (-crazy much?) It costed 1295 pounds btw. Obviously, the high street stores very quickly started producing lookalikes too. Here a few that I found: (Most of them are from last year so they might not be in stores anymore.)

Zara came out with a super lookalike blazer. So alike infact, that it had to be pulled out of stores after selling it for a short while. It's supposedly the one Blair is wearing in this picture.

This stripe blazer by Top Shop is a pretty good copy too, isn't it? Very cool schoolgirl looking.

More recently, Top Shop came out with this moleskin jacket. This one looks just a bit more classic and less like its part of a schoolgirl outfit, so much more suitable for those aged over say, 22.

Urban Outfitters has always had blazers in their FW Lux collections so it's hard to say whether these are particularly Balenciaga-inspired. Adopting the details from the Balenciaga blazers might sound more correct. Plus UO tends to sell younger and more casual clothes than Zara, so the lookalike factor might be lower, making it less of a trendy item and more long-lasting.

The solid colours of these blazers comehow remind me of the pink Balenciaga one. But it could just be my imagination.

Then there are the blazers where the outer edges are lined with a thick, solid line. Also by Urban Outfitters. Blazers always manage to make a casual outfit look way cooler and structured, don't they?

Has anyone been wearing this trend this season?

Image Credits: www.vogue.co.uk, www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.topshop.com, www.instyle.com

Happy New Year!

This year, HG and I spent new years with friends in possibly one of the crowdiest places in Hong Kong- Lan Kwai Fong (above)- where we wowed along with the crowd at the little bits of fireworks we saw between buildings and counted along to what we thought was 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (We are still not sure... someone really should put a ball up somewhere so we'd know when to count!). Over all we had a lot of fun and took lots of pictures in our unintentionally matching outfits. I was in my Express red dress with a black cover up and HG was in her FCUK purple dress with a white furry cover up- we could not have planned it better ourselves!
Reflecting on the last year, we'd like to thank our readers, friends and family for their continued support of I am Fashion. It has been a hectic and exciting year both personally and fashionably (what with the ever changing shapes, siloheuttes and lengths!) and knowing that there are people out there who shares our passion means the world to us. Many have also expressed interest in the background of our blog and us- so sweet of you all!

Hence, in honor of the new year, we are going to revamp our Behind the Fashion Scenes page (FINALLY). In addition to a few other things, the About the Site section is going to be updated to include more information on I am Fashion and to answer any questions YOU have about our site and us! So don't be shy and post your questions in the commentary below and we promise to try to answer everything the best we can. And if you ARE shy, shoot us the questions at iamfashion@gmail.com with the heading "Behind the Fashion Scene" asap. We can't wait to hear your questions!

Happy 2008 Everyone!

Christmas Holidays is Here!

Hey people, BG and I will be taking around a week and a half from the blog. I'll be on family vacation in Osaka for the next few days and then be back in Hong Kong; BG already has plans with friends packed for the holidays. Anyways, I know BG already did a post on affordable posts yesterday, but here is a list of presents that I want and I'm sure most of you would love as well, (mind you, not all of them are quite so affordable):

Remember the Nex Check Halter dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs? I blogged about it a few weeks ago thinking that blogging would take it off my mind, but I still want it! It gets many ticks on my list of criterias for an ideal dress: cute, versatile, nice material, good colours, plain enough to be worn more than once without being too plain.

Miu Miu bags have had that golden buckle design for a few seasons but I'm still really liking it. This tan leather bag looks like such a nice and casual day bag.

Black classic Christian Louboutin shoes. No explanation needed.

Tom Ford's Whitney sunglasses. I don't care how overrated Tom Ford is. There just aren't a lot of sunglasses out there that look so cool and fit me as well as this pair.

BG did a post on Tiffany rings a week ago. The one I want is the Frank Gehry Fish ring in brushed sterling silver (or perhaps plain sterling silver). I haven't seen it in real life yet, but I imagine it would look like a small, sleek sculpture on my fingers. Loves it!

I was looking at the calendars of TV shows on Amazon, but I was disappointed not to find a Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster by Dana Thomas is a book about the fashion retail industry. As an over-thinking shopper, there are all sorts of little facts I would like to know in this book. I'm still waiting for it to come out in paperback.

Gossip Girl calendar. Really, don't they know how many girls would love to be able to stare at the gorgeous actors and actresses throughout the year? (Plus wouldn't it be good marketing for CW?) Anyhow, if you haven't read the Gossip Girl books yet, go read them! They're not the same as the TV show but still very juicy.

Veronica Mars is one of my favourite shows of all time and this TV season just hasn't been as exciting since the show's was cancelled. So everyone, get yourself the Veronica Mars DVD box sets!

Have a fabulous Christmas people! We'll see you in the new year!

Image credits: www.amazon.com, www.saksfifthavenue.com, www.tiffany.com, www.eluxury.com, www.barneys.com

Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas

Now that the holiday season is upon us in full force, so is the time for last minute Christmas shopping. Thats right, we cannot prolong it anymore. Typically the gifts we have left to buy are for those who already have everything they want (that we can afford anyway). So what else is there left to buy them? Well, here are some ideas:
Something pretty and cute, like these floral knit ear warmers and colored leg warmers from Urban Outfitters. Personally even though they are not that expensive, I wouldn't spend too much on such items that I may or may not wear next season. But if it were a gift....then I definitely wouldn't mind! I especially love the floral ear muffs! Is this a strange train of thought on my part? I also wouldn't mind getting more basics in different colors. Namely, opaque stockings in bold colors (black, purple, pink, maroon) and quality plain colored tees, like this one from American Apparel. One can never have enough of these! (especially the stockings which always runs!)
Catering to vanity, we have this very pretty mirror from UO (though personally I'd like one of those SERIOUS vanity mirrors with the light surrounding it). Then there is this set of photoframes. When I get to design my own room, I aspire to have a wall of simple photoframes just like this with pictures of fashion inspiration, artsy photos I've taken, my family and my friends. This set is also from UO. As much as I don't really like the quality of UO apparel, I DO love their furnishing and bits and pieces. They are all so funky, funny and cute, yet affordable. They make the perfect gifts!
More photo related things, there is this photo clutch and this snow globe frame. I LOVE the snow globe frame. I bought two this season and lugged it all the way across the Atlantic.
Another thing I wouldn't mind receiving would be a fun board game like this Grey's Anatomy and I've Never board game. A few months ago, I would've scoffed at the idea of board games as something little kids played. But after a really quite excellent house party this Thanksgiving, I'm a convert of board games. Its a great way for a large group of people to bond and have fun.
Gift cards is also a very good idea. As unpersonal as it sounds, it really is the best thing to give if you have no idea what the other person wants. Better let them get something they like than get them something they don't like that will end up cluttering the back of their closet. Choose a store they like, and if you have no idea what that is, department stores like Bloomies and Saks are a good idea. For the younger generation who shops online, Shopbop is also has gift certificates. Ok, so this might not be exactly THAT affordable, but it does come in different price ranges!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Image Sources: Saks, Bloomingdales, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel,

I Dream of a Lifestyle Involving Many Cocktail Dresses VI: FCUK

This season, I have really liked FCUK's selection of dresses. They have a fantastic selection of shift dresses (basically like a huge T-shirt,) which are young, sparkly and trendy. I liked them so much that I've been to French Connection more than to any other high street store this season and tried on most of their dresses in store. The last time I went to the FCUK shop in Covent Garden, all the salesgirl were wearing one of FCUK's dresses in their own style, (with their own accessories). The whole store felt so festive!

One of the things I've thought about FCUK were that for a highstreet shop, it has really pretty clothes. But I also feel that its clothes never quite justify the original prices, which is why I always try to wait for the things to go on sale. Anyways, onto the dresses:

The dress that everyone has probably seen is this sequinned dress. The white version is SO gorgeous! If only we had the events that celebs go to to wear shift dresses...

I really like how the studs are of the same colour as the dress (so the dress wouldn't look like one big mess) but they're just light-reflecting enough to see the pattern. The problem with sequinned and studded dresses though are that I can't really get a tailor to cut the dress shorter. The dress ends at almost the knee for me, when I think it's supposed to end mid-thigh. Sigh.

I've only seen this dress online before. I like that it looks so cute and summer-y and party-ish. Tube dresses are hard to wear though, and the bubble effect at the bottom doesn't make it any easier. But still, if you were partying on some hot and resort place, then you might want one for the parties!

BG and I like to imagine we have fancy dinners to go to (without going out afterwards,) so we thought these dresses would we perfect for the dinners. I really liked the silk, block coloured dress on the left, and BG like the knit dress on the right. Unfortunately, hardly anyone dresses up for fancy restaurants in Hong Kong so the only place we would get to wear dinner dresses would be in the States and London. Perhaps the two of us should organise a fancy-dress-wearing dinner sometime.

Two other dresses that would be great for dinners.

Now I thought this lime green dress looked pretty chic when I saw the model wearing it. However on me, it wasn't short enough and it felt and looked like I was wearing a green box -wide and flat.

The difference between two colours of one dress never looked so apparent until this dress. The light-coloured one is so much prettier. No wonder it's sold-out whereas the pink/purple dress is now on-sale in stores.

Pretty by itself, but not sure how pretty it looks on a person.

I really like colour-block designs and the sequins make the design look young and 'now'. I still haven't managed to try it on yet, although I did notice that it was accessorised with a wide belt at the FCUK window displays.

The two dresses which I seriously condsidered buying were these two. The black chiffon dress (left) is so cute. It looks sort of prim (black, chiffon) but it's also modern because it ends at mid-lower-thighs. It's a nice LBD for dinner and formal cocktails. On the other hand, the sequinned dress (right) that I liked is the navy blue version because the pattern shows up better. It's such a sparkly, party dress. The problem with sequinned dresses though, is that they fall out really easily, so it would probably not last more than a few wears. Nevertheless, if only I had the occasion to wear it...

What do you think of the FCUK dresses this season? Bought or tried on any?

Image credit: www.fcuk.com, www.nordstrom.com, www.asos.com