The List.

This blog gives a special shout out to Vogue Daily's 50+ picks for spring. Some are right on point and others not so great, to say the least. It feels many different pieces in correlation to the fashion world have an "awe" affect after Vogue lists them as amazing, when in reality they are just awe-ful. So I am going to give my own honest opinion of each pick and, if you have read my previous blogs, you know I don't hold anything back.

1. 3-D embellishment, yes...this example of 3-D embellishment, no. If I wanted to look like an elderly woman I would shop at Chico's. Nice attempt Vogue, but I'm going to have to give this one a FAIL.

2. Slinky dangles could be a good contributer to this springs summer wardrobe, but I would have to say this picture does not properly display just how cute slinky dangles really are.

3. Crafty Craftmanship, I am going to have to give you a two thumbs up. This pleated patterned skirt and rust-colored cowel neck crop fit perfectly together. The choice of the mini clutch just tops off the outfit. Well done Vogue.

4. The Gold Standard. Great choice of color scheme as well as the design of the shoe. The whole booty like pump with a chunkier heel is most certianlyin this year. Another win for Vogue Daily.

5. These shirts defiantly have personality all right. Blousey collered shirts will never go out of style, beacuse there are just so many different looks you can accomplish with them. Add a belt and the shirt looks like a whole new garmet. Once again Vogue takes the lead...

6. Well hello there color block bags, your lookin' real nice for the spring with all your pastel colors and such! 2-3 with Vogue in the lead.

7. Digital Prints. Let me just break this down quick. Dress choice is a no-go. Shoe option, to die for. Mini cluth, another great pick. Patterns are huge this spring, but here is your fair warning, never wear pattern on pattern no matter who tells you it looks good.

8. Who wears a watch to tell time anymore!? This year, everyone has been wearing their watches paired with other individual thin braclets. Granted this look is super stylish, why not swich it up and wear a braclet along with a watch all in one easy wrap.

9. I am going to say this once and only once, I would not be caught dead in that dress. If I wanted to look like little house on the praire I would go back to the early 1900's. It's 2012 people, so dress like it. Sorry Vogue, but you are so not winning this battle.

10. Thank you Vogue for having this moment of clarity. At least we can agree on this one. The colors, the design, and the heels of each shoe screams high fashion. Well done Vogue, well done.

11. Cinching a trench coat is just pure genius. Some form of belt should be woren with a trench coat at all times, enough said.

12. You have got to be kidding me!? This could most likely be the worst idea ever created. Tuxedos are not to be worn by women not to mention, tuxedo strips are never to be paired with denim. Good luck with this one Vogue.

13. Since when where bangels ever not appart of fashions top picks? Bangles have been and always will be in style. Thanks Vogue for the not so new news.

14. I am not a surfer or a wave waiting to be surfed, therefore I refuse to wear any sort of pattern that resembles "catching a wave".

15. What is the point of this? You might as well just attach a sign to you that says, "I am just another stupid girl who cares more about letting people know I have an IPhone, then keeping it in a safe and realiable caring case." I dont know about you, but to me, my IPhone is my everything. I prefer a zipper on my over-the-shoulders.

16. Pastel wash was a great invention. It allows you to wear bright pastel colors with out looking like a human traffic cone.

17. Plastic anything can look cheap, but can also potray high fashion if woren correctly. These earrings are a prime example of just how fantastic plastic can be.

18. I am suprised they didn't display thoes cheap plastic framed glasses everyone wears around assuming they are consider fashion. Hate to break it to ya, but there not nor do they benifit your vision. I feel this Geometry lesson could have been taken up a notche.

19. White on white is fine by me, just as long as it involves a pair of skinny jeans and this pick's white wedges!

20. Bedazzeled jeans will never be in style. Overly sparkle garmets will forever remind me of the "do it yourself" bedazel tool featured on As Seen On TV. These elements are far from extraordinary.

21. Over-sized pendents always help an outfit go from lame to la-me borrow that!

22. This takes shorts to a whole other level. I can honestly say I don't think I will ever look at shorts or pastel colored floweral prints the same way again. Do I really need to say anything else?

23. I would let paislies punch me if they looked like this. Job well done Vogue.

24. Running pants and pea coats should never be worn together...moving on.

25. Yes, I will tie that neck tie around my neck, but only to hang myself so I won't ever have to see it again.

26. Well its about time. Finally something gone right. This Urban Armor may not stop a bullet, but it sure will force everyone around you to stop and stare.

   27. These heels are a sculptural monument. You will never find another shoe quit like this.

 28. Seriously? why?...

29. I'm down with double denim. What I'm not down with is denim skirts period. Denim jackets, denim shorts, and denim jackets are great in any color, but the crazy who thought denim skirts would be an awesome idea, should never be allowed to design anything ever again.

30. When your going out for a night on the town there is nothing worse then throwing off an entire cute outfit because you don't have the right bag. If you owned either of these, that wouldn't be an issue.

31. Everyone needs pj pants, right? Well yeah to sleep in. Anyone that thinks its fashionable to wear your pj pants to the mall, I feel oh so sorry for you. Even yoga pants are pushin' it.

32. Chunky rings are amazing! Rocking one on your pinky finger, even better!

33. I wish all women wore matching wedges with their bikinis, but matching cover ups, not so much.

34. Not quit sure what Vogue is trying to say here. Is it a spring must to wheel around a large rolling duffel or is it simply the color that catches the eye?

35. Pleated skirts, pleated skirts, and more pleated skirts. I really dont see the problem with this. Metalic shine reflects so beautifully in the spring sunshine.

36. I would totally break my ankle for you.

37. Love. Love. Love. Right colors, right patters, great shapes. For every couple horrible picks, there is one amazing one.

38. Showing skin is common for spring time. Unfortunatly, mid-drifts aren't the most socially acceptable, even for thoes with the bodies to pull it off.

39. This "best" collaboration could very well take first place among the worst collaborations ever.

40. Tule can be overly used, but in most cases contributes the right amount of couture fashion to a garmet.

41.Out of all the clutch choices Vogue has provided, I would have to say this one is the wildest. Cute pick, if I was still in middel school.

42. Nothing about this all white dress is tough. I am not to sure how I feel about this combination.

43. Fringe is not my favorite, but I must say this would be my only exception.

44. Where would you even begin to find something like this and an even better question is why woud you want to?

45. The best shape to a sunglass is otherwise known as the retro fit. You can never go wrong with this shape no matter what kind of face structure you have.

46. Gross. Lets save this look for the southerners.

47. I don't care what type of shoe it is, high tops are in. At least Vogue did their research on this one.

48. STRIPES! stripes are so hot this summer and I couldn't agree more. As long as you don't wear them on both the top and bottom, you can't go wrong.

49. Ballet flats are both comfortable and fashion forward. This example is killer. Way to go Vogue!

50. Finally, something both chique and sexy. I wouldn't mind bringing back the good ol' flapper days.

51. This want-to-be wind braker will not be on my list for this spring.

52. I use to have shoes like that, only without the heel and I was five. That dress...don't even get me started on that dress.

53. Pearls are classic and only become more beautiful not to mention more valued with time.

54. Lastly, what looks like an orange potatoe sack, a clutch made from my great grandma's rug, and rope-like sandels with little appeal whatsoever. So much for going out with a bang.

A Fashion Faux Pas

Ever so popular Wikipedia states, "A fashion faux pas is an unfortunate error in fashion etiquette." and I couldn't agree more. Kenzo and Altuzarra to Prabal Gurung, Burberry, and Proenza Schouler. I don't care how much repoure you have built with the world of high fashion, deciding to pin large animal-like fabrications on the garments of your new fall collection was a horrible idea. From lingerie-inspired dressing to furry creatures on sweaters, I can't help but begin to think couture fashion is losing it's luster. Another Vogue Daily article states, "But Lam is quick to point out that animal logos, by way of astrological significance, were also embraced by Chanel and Anne Klein: “They both used a lion’s head to represent their work—they were Leos!”". How original...NOT. Vogue Daily titled this artical, "Animal House: Pet Logos make a Fall Comeback". But what I really think they meant to say was, "Animal House: Pet Logos Don't ever comeback, EVER". Seriously where have the days of paisley inspired dresses, classic low rise jeans, and belted tunic tops gone? Ralph Lauren’s pony and Lacoste’s crocodile were brilliant not to mention trendy, but over-sized lion heads on a thick wool sweater, not so much. I can honestly say even the models of the European runway don't seem thrilled to be sporting this falls new pet logo collection. I wouldn't be either. It is hard for me to believe that anyone could possibly think a wool sweater containing a large owl perched on the front, paired with a puke brown corduroy skirt and sheer black tights, would ever be an awesome idea. "“It’s important to have something instantly recognizable,” believes Jason Wu, whose owl, named Ms. Wu, graces his accessories line.," Vogue's Animal House article states and continues, "Derek Lam, who uses a sculptural metal ram’s head (a nod to his astrological sign, Aries) to identify his bags and shoes, agrees: “I’m not a fan of making my name a noticeable element,” he shrugs. “The ram’s head is graphic and bold, but I like to think it’s discreetly conceptual, too; a clever wink rather than an in-your-face emblem of usual commercial branding.”". Hate to break it to ya Derek Lam, but nothing about this new collection says discrete. If anything it screams, " free the over-sized, pastel colored, knitted animals from this terribly gone wrong fashion faux pas so they can be realesed back into the fashion world of don'ts along with their friend parachute pants"! Note to the world of couture fashion, think before you create.

Fashion is about taking risks.

Designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Proenza Schouler, as well as Parada, have found a way to bring your average undergarments to the streets of couture fashion. How they pulled it off is beyond me, but the question is can and will this lingerie-inspired look take off? Is this a trend that would even be consider "socially acceptable" anywhere besides the runway or did the world of couture fashion just run out of ideas? I know for a fact that if anyone, including Dolce or Gabbana themselves, tried to rock this through the streets of Grand Rapids, heads would turn. Everyone knows when it comes to Grand Rapids, or Michigan for that matter, people contain little knowledge of couture fashion. Corsets and bralets, otherwise known as a bando, still have yet to take off regardless of the fact they have been sitting upon every other store's shelves since summer of 2010. Even the cutest cropped shirt can be considered pushing it. A Vogue Daily artical states, "As for bralets that bare the midriff, sporty fabrics and shapes reduce the association with lingerie". A bra is a bra no matter what way you twist it. Running in a sports bra, wearing a bra-like bathing suit to the beach, or simply walking around in a standard bra amongst your closest friends creates a shock factor. Like most high end fashion designs, very few garments appeal to the common person, bralets with sheer layered tops being one of them. Most women anywhere from 25 and up wouldn't be caught dead in any of what Vogue considers, spring's new lingerie-inspired dressing. For it is only a woman of 110 pounds at a height of 6'1, that could pull off this look and still be judged.

Who are you Joe Fresh?

The question of today's blog post is, who are you Joe Fresh? Vogue has labeled him as an unfamiliar designer, but with prices like his, he won't be for long. Sadly you will only find his designs on the streets of Manhatten and like always, far from the greater Grand Rapids area. Lily Kwong, model and fellow bargain shopper, took the Joe Fresh challenge involoving the finding of a new summer outfit just under $150. Could this be possible? Vogue daily and Lily Kwong say "yes". For well under $150, Kwong purchased a fabulous minidress, a all white tee-shirt, and a light blue denim pencil skirt. Only if designers like this existed in less fashion forward cities like ours. It's seems the only appealing trends in west Michigan are the tight logo tees with plaid parttered booty shorts from the overly sented and unusually dark store, Hollister. This "California" look realates very little to the streets of LA and mets absolutely no fashion qualifications when it comes to style. Who really wants a tiny segal on each corner of their clothes, besides everyother hormonal 8th grader. Because kids are exposed to such horrible style at a young age, they remain cursed for their later years to come. If we had more designers in the world, like Joe Fresh, that had a grasp on the balance of good fashion at a cheaper price, then there would be less people searching for a track jacket to match their Tweety Bird pj pants.

Hats off to Versace

In not so recent news, Versace decided to start a vibrant summer collection at the always so popular, H&M. Finally a couture designer that understands the want for high end fashion at a cheaper price. Rumor has it that Versace's cruise line is completely sold out. The question is, what makes this new line so hot? Is it the bright pastel selection or the 70 dollar price tag? Answer, it's all about the price tag. No matter how ugly a Versace garmet is, if you slap a clearance tag or better yet an original price of less then 100 dollars, someone will still buy it. This is simpley because the everyday woman craves couture fashion at an everyday price. I can honestly say I am not to sure how this will result for Versace. Take Vera Wang for example, she was seen as a well known couture dress designer. Woman killed to have an over priced wedding dress with the Vera Wang label included. After deciding to cater to the more common person by launching a knew line at Khol's, "Simply Vera" became simply forgotten. The "awe" factor of Vera's designs lessened and her title as a couture designer faded. As of right now people are in shock that they can purchase garmets straight from Versace's runway without breaking their bank, but sooner or later, like Vera, Versace will lose its couture luster and fall off the grid of high fashion. It's like the saying "we always want what we can't have". Now that such a well known couture brand is in reach, it is only a matter of time that the want for it will wear out. Think about it, the outfits Vogue advertises every month are well over 5,000 dollars and to most everyday women these outfits are unresitably cute. But what if that same outfit was put on display in a window of Forever 21? Would it's appeal still be as strong knowing that you could easily afford the entire outfit and still have money left over to buy your favorite Chinese dinner from the food court? Probably not. Fashion industries like Vogue, set the tone for a seasons new trend, but gives very little credability to local department stores as well as other common, not to mention, cheaper places to shop. Fashion shouldn't be about putting the cutest, most desirable garments on a pedestal where they can not be reached. Fashion should be about purchasing a well designed product made from substantial mineral, without having to max out every credit card to do so. Everyone deserves to feel special in the clothing they purchase with their hard earned money. The saddest part about the world of fashion today is that a $35 garment, no matter how cute or well crafted, will never compare to one triple that price.