best dressed guys and gals #Oscars 2014

I thought last night's Oscars show was spectacular. 

There was pizza. There was an epic celebrity group selfie. There was Ellen. And there was amazing, amazing fashion.

Here's a quick roundup of my picks of the evening's best dressed...

BEST DRESSED LADIES

Kate Hudson in Atelier Versace 

Lupita Nyong'o in custom Prada

Emma Watson in Vera Wang

 BEST DRESSED DUDES

Leonardo DiCaprio in Armani

Jared Leto in Saint Laurent

Kevin Spacey in Burberry

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

Charlize Theron in Dior

Thoughts? Agrees? Disagrees? Anyone that I left off that you may have loved?

Oscar Beauties

It's Oscars Night! 

I live for the red carpet, and love seeing what all the stars are wearing, no matter what the award show. Tonight we are definitely in store for some amazing fashion... from the absolutely stunning Lupita Nyong'o to the oh-so-buzzworthy Jennifer Lawrence in Dior (let's hope it's not another strapless number!)

I can't help but think of some of my favorite Oscar looks of all time. And I say "look" because it's not only about the dress, it's the whole package, from hair to jewels.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Ford, 2012

There were mixed feelings towards this look, but I thought she was an absolute show-stopper in this and usually I don't particularly love white (though I picked two white looks here...) but I think she is the picture of elegance. I also love capes, and the cuff bracelet seals the deal here for me. Can you really ever go wrong in Tom Ford? The man is a wonder.

Jennifer Lawrence, Calvin Klein, 2011

Obvious girl crush alert. I remember seeing her on the red carpet and just being absolutely floored. So simple, yet sexy, yet classic. Many people wish she accessorized more, but I disagree. The simplicity is what makes this look.

Charlize Theron, Dior, 2013

This is what I mean by an Oscar "look". She glowed in this gown with her amazing amazing amazing short pixie cut, and proved that being beautiful, and being stunning, does not mean only having long flowing hair.

Which looks did I leave out? What are you favorites?

Also, which Dior gown is Jennifer Lawrence going to wear tonight?!

hey! did you know...

...that I love things, like a lot. And I love making lists about the things I love a lot a lot.

So0o...Inspired by a Facebook post asking "like"rs to list their X-number of obsessions, I decided to make a list of my current must-haves / obsessions, naturally.

1. Khai Khai Jewelry as worn by Man Repeller.
So insanely funky yet chic. So insanely expensive though.

2. Christian Siriano sketches.
Oh how I'd love to display these on my wall or at my desk. (Guess what? They're for sale!)

3. Anna Faris' (Faris's?) sparkly Naeem Khan pantsuit from the People's Choice Awards.
Bonus points for Chris Pratt in all black being adorable.
(Better photo of her actual ensemble here... sorry for swooning.)

4. Ellen's Oscar promo poster look. Suit & tie always wins.

5. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's view on feminism.
Read his quote here.
Photo below has nothing to do with his quote, he's just incredibly good looking.
Also, you're welcome.

6. These two gorg dresses featured in January's edition of InStyle mag.
I want both. For work and for play.
(Left, Jill Stuart. Right, Rebecca Taylor.)

7. Alice + Olivia red plaid pumps. Also featured in January's InStyle.
(On saaaale! Like really on sale.)

8. Essie nail polish in "Material Girl". Super vampy/cool.
First coat goes on like crud, but trust in the second coat!
P.S. These aren't my fingers, wah.

9. Coachella lineup.
Sorry that I will not be making the trek to party with dirty hippies at Coachella this year, but it is a pretty amazing lineup they've put together. Highlights for me include: OutKast (duh.), MGMT, Pharrell, Bastille, Queens of the Stone Age, Lorde, The Head and the Heart, Arcade Fire, Beck, Motorhead, City and Colour.
I'm hoping for some of these to transfer over to the Lollapalooza lineup come August.

10. And I will leave you with some wise words from the amazing April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation:
"Time is money. Money is power. Power is pizza. Pizza is knowledge."

doing it right: star street style

While Ms. Theron was out gallivanting with Sean Penn and picking up sbux, I couldn't help but die over her killer street style and even more noticeably, that crazy/sexy/cool hair flip/curl thing. 

As a gal who chopped off all her locks in lieu of Charlize's amazing Oscar 'do circa February of '13, and as a gal who is currently playing with growing it out a bit (as it seems Ms. Theron is, too), this simple roller or curling iron trick is definitely going in my limited hairstyle tool kit. #pixieproblems

Honorable mention of the week: Reese Witherspoon and her pink sweater. Really I just love everything about her and her street style is always im-pec-uh-ble. Also, um, the way she is wearing that solid gold cuff is insanely genius and of course it fits just right over her sweater. Plus one for her wardrobe staple Reed Krakoff bag.

Why I love them both: menswear. I will probably be rocking a plaid button down + sweater tomorrow, and when my hair grows out again I'll finally be able to wear my fedora a little better. Also, wayfarers. Always wayfarers.

weekend craves: #Lolla edition

Getting stoked for the weekend?

I'm heading to Lollapalooza Friday & Saturday, and I cannot contain my excitement.

Lolla has everything I love wrapped up into one jam-packed weekend: music, fashion, food, Chicago, alcohol, and sun. Oh and did I mention music?


But let's talk fashion first. Here's what I'm craving for this upcoming incredible weekend:

1. A killer dress.  Be you. Rather wear cut off jeans and your favorite tee? DO IT. I tend to live in dresses so...

2. Sweet sunnies. I like a funky-fresh-retro pair.

3. Ear danglies. a.k.a. ear cuffs, but danglies sounds better. I just recently went on an ear cuff craze and bought like 4 different kinds. So, fingers crossed that trend stays relevant for a while.

4. Converse. Two points for addition of quirky anklet.

5. Badass lip color. I just got this color last week. It's way less vampy than the picture shows, but a little (or a lot) of vampy isn't gonna hurt.


Oh, I couldn't leave out the music, so I put together a little sample playlist of the acts I'm most looking forward to seeing. Enjoy!


peace. love. rock & roll.

definition of "it girl"

IT GIRL STATUS. 

I can't get over how cool Michelle Williams looks in her new Louis Vuitton campaign, and I can't get over how much I want to BE HER. 

Her lip color, her skin, those eyebrows, the nail polish, HER HAIR.  Rocking the growing-out-the-pixie phase like no other. So vampy. So edgy. Yet so fresh.

Off to fill in my eyebrows, don a red lip, and attempt to achieve that perfect blonde hair color... 

gettin' strappy.

So, I was walking around downtown and I was surprised to see a major lack in high-heeled ladies walking the streets. (Sensible is chic!) Flats of all shapes and sizes dominated the sidewalks, but if I had to pick my favorites, I'd say that ankle-strapped flats are not only a perfect wardrobe staple, but they are versatile to any personality & style.

Whether you change into flats to do your commuting or rock 'em all day long, stay comfy & stay cute in flats with an ankle cuff. I personally love the cuffs that double as jewelry / accessories - chains, metallics, and spikes. Besides, this footwear (especially the closed-toe options) transitions into your fall wardrobe quite smoothly.

Here is my round-up of five ankle cuff options under $50! Oh, oh, oh! Aaaand, I had to include a splurge / inspiration pick. Scroll down to see those beauts.

1. MIA "Ashley" Flat, Nordstrom.
2. FLOCK Leather Sandals, ASOS, $25.46.
3. Tildon "Aubree" Flat, Nordstrom, $49.95.
4. "Piper" by Tommy Hilfiger, Piperlime, $49.99.
5. Ballerina with ankle strap, ZARA, $29.99.


MUSE: Druide Spiked Patent Flat Sandal, Christian Louboutin, Neiman Marcus, $995.

 

Ta-da! Aren't they beautiful? Spiked, so stream-lined, so punk, so princess. So it girl. Alas, this it girl will just have to keep dreamin'...


Until next time, loves!

Extravagant vs. Affordable Accessories: Game of Thrones Style

Now that the oh-so-controversial season 3 of Game of Thrones (no spoilers here!) has come to an end, we certainly have to find a way to keep it in our lives while we anxiously await the next season (besides re-watching the series over and over). 

So why don't we wear our Game of Thrones love? Some may think that GoT fashion is "outdated" or "medieval", but the elaborate and fantastical art and design of the costumes and sets is inspiration enough for me. I can't get enough of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy novels-turned-television series.

The first piece of Thrones fashion that inspired me was Cersei Lannister's breastplate in "Blackwater" (season 2, episode 9). Lena Headey (Cersei) looked absolutely stunning and I have been coveting the piece ever since.

So, feeling Thrones-inspired, I put together a short list of "extravagant vs. affordable": Game of Thrones Fashion edition. On the left hand side we have the extravagant - pricey or over-the-top items, and on the right hand side we have the affordable - the more reasonably priced and more wearable styles. You choose!

extravagant            vs.            affordable

     

necklaces: The extravagant pick here is right on the money for the Game of Thrones theme; this bone beauty looks like it came directly off the Iron Throne. (The matching earrings are also a great pick.) But if you're on a budget, fear not, the affordable pick isn't far off; it's got the shine of royalty and the swords of the fighter.

the extravagant - Ashley Pittman, Kura bronze and bone necklace, $642. 

the affordable - Forever 21, Arrow Fringe Necklace, $12.80.

     

bracelets: I came across the extravagant pick on Pinterest, and instantly fell in love with its literal Thrones-like protective armor yet clean finish, sharp lines, and elegant simplicity for a modern take.

the extravagant - The Cools, Gauntlet Warrior Bracelet, $1,800.

the affordable - Forever 21, Double Spiked Cuff, $3.80.

     

rings: I love how similar these two rings are for such a drastic price difference. Both are bound to make a statement, but I kind of like the affordable pick more for it's delicate armor-like quality and unique statement of a full ring piece.

the extravagant - ShopBop, IaM by Ileana Makri Chantilly Ring, $300.

the affordable - Etsy, Versailles Armor Ring, $15.

     

     

miscellaneous: And for the wild card picks, statement pieces. Now, the extravagant pick is an art piece by M. Annie Kilborn, but it's breathtaking, and I would probably wear one. Or two. On a smaller scale, the dragon claws from Etsy offer a bit of shock value with a delicate edge. While the claws aren't practical for day-to-day business, maybe try wearing one or two on a hand if you want a subdued look. They also come in different finishes.
the extravagant - M. Annie Kilborn, Carriage Dress, n/a.
the affordable - Etsy, Silver Dragon Claws, $18.

Which are your favorite pieces? Any other Game of Thrones-inspired fashion you want to share? Leave a comment, or email yoursfrankielondon@gmail.com

P.S. If you don't watch Game of Thrones, start!