Keep your eye on: RIZWAN

Bright colors, tribal prints, and what Net-A-Porter describes as “Bohemian Rhapsody”- our spring 2008 trend list keeps growing. Overall spring 2008 has my approval, but lately I’ve been coveting something with more glamour, more texture, and more sex appeal (Admit it: as refreshing as change is, there is precious little that is outwardly sexy about tapered khaki pants). I found a designer whose clothes fit the bill, but who would’ve guessed that such class could come out of Mississippi?

Mississippi native Rizwan Barkatullah presents a tiny collection that has some of the finest and simplest designs Atlantans have seen in a hot minute. His label RIZWAN mixes contemporary Southern style with influences from his parents’ country, Pakistan. The results look to be a combination of Matthew Williamson ready-to-wear and a trip to a Decatur-based sari store. Note the velvet silk pants under the asymmetrical tunic. If Sass & Bide need more inspiration for the appropriate way to make skinny legwear they should look no further.

When asked if anything inspired him outside of the deep south and Pakistan he replied, “Mrs. Dalloway. Just the idea of that type of person and what they would love to wear… not really. But that sounded like a good answer, kind of, right? I mean, should I say ‘The Hills’ or something? Then no one would buy my clothes.”

Watch out Atlanta. This man has a sense of humor and an eye for design.

Re-do the old standby

Recently I have worn the same minidress/tunic from American Apparel with a frequency rarely enjoyed by any item of my wardrobe. Interestingly enough, this dress was the first piece I bought from the ubiquitous chain and the one that should have worn through by now—but it hasn’t! So I’m looking for a few good accessories to keep The Tunic from becoming the only thing that identifies my style.

Ten Thousand Villages has a whole bunch of beautiful accessory options. One of my favorites is this tie necklace. Available for only $20 you can rest easy knowing that the artisans in India have been paid a fair price for their wares.

Finding something to cinch in the tunic is much more difficult for me. I’m very finicky about what i will accept around my waist, though I think i would be able to handle this corset belt from Arden B. The matte thickness of the belt is a nice alternative to the shiny and stretchy belts we’ve seen too much of in the last year.

I love to pair long subtle earrings with lots of big bangle bracelets. These two items together would work well with the magenta tunic above. Matching the color of the tunic is another option, but I prefer to up visual interest with contrasting or complementary colors instead.

my way: How KatLanta does smoky eyes

Go ahead and click on either of these links.  Both are from fully reputable beauty sites, but truly- who needs or wants such nonsense? It’s TOO COMPLICATED.

If you’re going for a typical black, brown or gray smoky eye, apply liner in one of those colors above the upper lash line, drawing line thicker in the middle of eye. If your opting for a jewel-toned eye (violet makes a gorgeous smoky eye), line eyes with a purple, blue or deep green liner.

1. Apply a cream concealer over your eyelid to create a smooth base for your eyeshadow.
2. Use a pencil liner (black or gray looks best) to trace your top lashline from the inner corner to the outer. Then, use the same pencil to dot between your lower lashes. Smudge both lashlines with a cotton swab or

Most of us don’t have time to bother with more than two or three steps if we’re trying to get out of the house by 8:00am, so I do my daily smoky eyes this way.

1.  Apply dark, shimmery shade to eyelid with your finger and smudge up and out at outer corners. I have hazel eyes and like to use this Almay i-color bring out powder shadow. I just use the darkest one in this middle.

2. Apply a pencil eyeliner with some shimmery light particles in it.  My current day-to-day favorite is a dark green that came from MAC years ago but is now discontinued.

However, the new Heatherette for MAC line has some that I plan to try out today or tomorrow. (Please clickety-click the link and watch the video on MAC’s website!)

Smudge, smudge, smudge. Use a q-tip and put whatever is left of the top liner on the q-tip underneath your lower lash line.

3. LOADS of mascara.  I get the best results from applying the Maybelline bright green tube Define-a-lash mascara first, waiting for it to dry, and then applying MAC Prolash. I reccommend NEVER applying Waterproof mascara because I find very few that don’t clump in a fully inexcusable way.

That’s it! Nothing else. If you have thoughts please comment and let me know.

What do you do for your daily eyes?  Comment and let me know!

Big Ballet

It’s finally here!

You don’t have to be a drooling-breakdancer-wannabe-m.c.-crazy-hip-hop-freak like me to appreciate this.

Yeah. GO GO GO GO get your tickets now.

Get out of your house– it’s spring already

I am totally guilty of sitting inside my apartment the last four months stubbornly refusing to do anything if the temperature is not to my liking.

No more excuses.

Please feel free to join me this Friday at Hudson Grille doing this:

See that tiny blue print?! That means that you can be doing something GOOD for kids while you are doing something GOOD for your body and mind.

Sweet kiddies. Let’s go.

High Wasted?

How do we feel about high waisted things? I, personally, am not totally opposed. But then you see a picture like this:

or even worse, this:

and you start rethinking the whole concept. I mean, not sexy at all, am I right?

I encourage all of you to mull it over, find me an image or two of things that are high-waisted and not Glorified Mom Jeans, and get back to me.

Really guys.  I have a stat counter.  I see hundreds, even thousands of you out there on good days.  Drop me a line.

Did I just lose my mind?

Yes folks– two laptops and three months later she is back for sure.

So tell me what you think, because I very nearly purchased these in an outlet store this past week:

I know they are kind of tacky, but they are interesting tacky, right? I didn’t buy them, but… I would wear them? To, say, dinner with carefully selected almost flat boots and a 3/4 sleeve, right?

$39.99 on the web.  I would’ve paid $24.99.

Thoughts. Post them.

A few DON’Ts

DON’T: Work 12 hour days and leave yourself unable to work on your own damned blog. Sorry kids. And even worse, I’m anticipating moving to my very own domain name later this week!

DON’T: Wear non-vintage fur.

and finally…

DON’T: Buy this handbag.

Net-a-Paycheck — Marc-y Janes

I’m so addicted to the sites that show me things I can’t afford.

But I love these Marc By Marc Jacobs Mary Janes.

I could only find these Delia’s Mary Jane shoes to come even close.

Clickety-click and see. Comment me if you know of any other affordable options.

Internet this — Does anyone remember Rampage?

Am I such a dinosaur that I am the only person who remembers the Rampage stores in metro Atlanta?

And their great sales?

Sigh.

I was on their website today pining away for their dresses when I saw this one.  Really cute, but with the size of my ass I’d better buy up a size or wear some opaque tights to lessen the risk of being banned from all areas around schools.

Don’t believe me? Check the “back” pic on the website.