Gold Stars at the Golden Globe

I always wait with bated breath for awards season to arrive, so now that the Golden Globes have come and gone, and the golden dust settles, here are my picks of the evening.

Worst Dressed -
Tilda Swinton. "Ghostly in White" Good god she is already quite ghostly and this dress made her look like a true apparition. White, Cream, Light Yellow are all colors someone with her complexion can not wear. She always likes to make a statement it seems but she never gets it right for her coloring, body height, and slender figure.


Worst dressed Runners up -
I really am saddened to put these 3 women on my worst dressed list but here goes:
January Jones - "20's Flapper meets bondage dominatrix queen". Her cleavage was obscene for a classy event like the GG's and the color red was way too bright of a red for her. Seriously, who told her it was ok to walk out of a Halloween shop straight to the GG's?
Anne Hathaway - "Shoulder me this one" OMG. What were her stylists thinking! Not only was the shoulder pads on that dress just too much for her frame and delicate features, it was head to toe sequins with long sleeves! Yuck. The only detail it had going for it was the exposed low back.
Julianne Moore - "Much too much" The concept of this dress was right on but in a duchess satin bright fuchsia fabric it over powered her beauty and presence. The one arm sleeve coming from a twisted neckline was a brilliant idea but due to the sleeve being so full and fabric so thick it did not work at all.

Best Dressed Men -
Justin Bieber - "3 piece perfection" Got to give it to the lil guy, his tux was perfection. The satin detailing on the vest and tux lapel with pic stitching and the white shirt with a skinny tie all worked so well on him, so much so I am willing to over look the patent leather black sneakers on his feet. Bravo lil guy!

Robert Downey Jr - "Out of the Box" - He seems to make my list every year, I just adore his style! This year it was kinda out there but somehow he pulls it off. A deep red taffeta tie and matching pocket square with a steel grey suit was out of the box and I loved it! God he is dreamy isn't he!?

Kevin Bacon - "Better with age" - He struck me when I saw him, but couldn't place it. Now as I look back at all the photo's it is a head to toe package. Skinny tie, satin stripe down his skinny tux pants, the scruff on his face and the eye glasses. All made him look so distinguished. The scruff and longer hair just works and from footloose to fancy, he has truly gotten better with age.
Jeremy Renner - "Smokin in Steel" - He wore a Steel Gray Jacket, skinny pants, black bow tie, and Dark Blue Shirt... Jeremy stole the carpet. He really looked smokin and caught my eye in this ensemble!

Best Dressed Women -
Eva Longoria - "Old Hollywood & to die for" - Wow. The first thing I said when I saw her in this dress was how INCREDIBLE the neckline was and the detail of the open back on this dress. Her hair, make-up, waistline and mermaid sweep of the dress is just beautiful. I hope T Parker was pinching himself last night. A+ Eva!

Olivia Wilde - "OOOhhh, who is this stunner?" - This is the perfect princess dress with an edge. I absolutely loved the ombre effect with top to bottom sparkles. Her make-up, hair coloring and skin tone were just so lovely. What a looker huh?!

Jennifer Lopez - "Vision in White" - J. Lo got her groove back baby. She was stunning in this white curvy number with the sheer bejeweled cover up. She looked like a Grecian goddess a la modern chic! Gorgeous!


'Trends' of the night and shout outs to those who wore it well:

Jewel tones (mostly in Emerald) - Elizabeth Moss, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mila Kunis, Sofia Vergara (Ruby), Angelina Jolie (not crazy about this dress on her but color was right on!)

Long sleeves - Annette Benning

One Shoulder dresses (many with a sleeve too)- Almost everyone! Diane O'Dell, Julie Bowen, Julia Stiles, Vanessa Williams

Head to toe Sequins - Melissa Leo

Overall Shoulder details (80's influence)- Jane Fonda, Melissa Leo

Open backs with sleeves - Emma Stone, Eva Longoria, Anne Hathaway

Facial hair on men - Al Pacino, Kevin Bacon, Mark Wahlberg, Michael C Hall, Bryan Cranston, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Jeremy Renner, Jake Gyllenhaal

Long Hair on men - Robert Deniro, Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, Mark Ruffalo

* * * *
Kudos for going with Color - Michelle Pfeiffer in deep electric purple! Claire Danes in tropical coral, Kyra Sedgwick in sunshine's best shade of yellow, Katy Sagal for a shade of orange only she could pull off

Best Acceptance Speeches - Colin Firth & Melissa Leo...Congrats!

Wow they are getting old huh? - Robert Deniro, Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey

Desperately needs a New hair do - Scott Caan, has he ever changed the combed back look? Time to retire it buddy.

Props on wearing a Fedora to GG's - Geoffrey Rush

"Overall Beauty" Dressed to perfection with the Hair and Make-up to prove it! Diana Agron, Piper Perabo, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Langoria, Olivia Wilde

Shout out to those who should have been nominated - Hailee Steinfeld for her outstanding performance in True Grit.

Lastly, I feel the need to mention this, since my husband is a comedian...Ricky Gervais's humor last night was too cruel for this happy occasion and my guess is he won't be asked back to host again...You could feel it right thru the HD TV and it added a white knuckle factor not needed on this celebrated evening. The only thing Gervais had going for him last night was a tux fabric in square brocade that jumped right off the TV! That and saying Bruce Willis was Ashton Kutcher's dad!

UGG....Is for Ugly

Seriously, even Big foot would be embarrassed to wear these things!

I am baffled at this phenomenon that has crossed oceans, continents, countries....have you not noticed how ridiculous these tree trunks look like on women?

I just cannot get behind these boots.
They look sloppy to me - oversized and unflattering with any outfit. I see well dressed women and girls, then I look down at their feet and shudder.

It is the trend of the moment that's for sure.

Speaking of trends, I remember wanting and of course 'needing' to own Jellies, Keds, Moonboots, boat shoes with the laces tied in spirals, Vans, and Shoe Boots.
And you know what? All those trends of our yesteryear give UGG boots a run for their money.

And speaking of money, you (or parents- since the average age of those who are wearing these lovely claud-hoppers is 13-21) have to shell out some serious cashola to own a pair of UGGS.

What are the benefits to wearing these things? As far as I can tell there aren't any.
Do they have arch support? Are they Waterproof? Are they durable in inclement weather? I suspect no, no and no. But the UGGS true flaw? They are simply not attractive on the foot.

Am I alone here in my thinking?

I spot the sun

If you are like me, you may be starting to see the effects of laying in the sun with abandon. You know the 'baby oil' days!?

Of course I no longer use baby oil and I know all the hazards of laying out on the beach, but I still enjoy being in the sun.

Well in the last few years, I've started getting sun spots on my face. When I noticed them in photos of myself, my vanity started screaming at me to do something about it.

I tried a number of other products without results such as Clarins Bright Plus that promised age spot removal until I found this one...

The 'special sauce' I use for removing sun spots is from MURAD called Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel.

Here's the deal, you must use this stuff ONLY in the winter when your face is not in the hot sun. It is 2% Hydroquinone skin lightener, which to be honest smells a bit potent, but this stuff works!
I used it directly on my cheek morning and night and within a few weeks it began to sting just a bit, then itch a tad, then start to flake off. And poof!

The sun spot that had been following me around in every picture, was out of my life!

I personally adore being in the sun and having sun kissed skin, but 'Debby Downer' says the reality is its going to start effecting our skin in ways like sun spots and the C word....

For now, here is my personal remedy.

See ya on the beach with sun screen in hand and a Yoga Journal!

Marilyn throws a curve

Marilyn Monroe has just authored a book which I was surprised and elated to see includes a compilation of her diary's, poems and inner most thoughts.
After she died, everything went under lock and key and now 48 years later they have released them to the public.

"Fragments" Poems, intimate notes, letters by Marilyn Monroe'.

Her death was such a mystery. Did you know there was a glass by her bedside that went UNTESTED during the investigation into her death? That she called one of her friends and begged for his help that fateful night.
I quite honestly have been obsessed with Marilyn since I was in high school.

I have always identified with Marilyn Monroe. The sparkle in her eye, that infectious smile, those fabulous curves, the platinum blond hair, the flirtatious pouty way she spoke her lines in all her films. She has been my muse for over 2 decades.

They say the trend these days in Spain is headed towards curvaceous models on the runway. Someone just told me a big time designer is now focusing on all curvy models to represent their collection in print. Amen.

I have curves. I've loved them and of course I have hated them at times but diet or no diet they are always going to be a part of me. Marilyn embraced hers. And so have I.

When women come in to my boutique who have curves and hide under over sized clothing, the result is that they end up looking bigger then they are.
Then I sometimes get to watch the transformation happen right in front of my eyes. I offer them a pencil skirt and a fitted top or a dress that reveals her curves. At first, most resist. Then they begin to see how sexy, powerful and truly beautiful they look.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you have curves and resist accentuating them, you are making yourself look bigger.
A few pointers for dressing your curves: Wrap tops, pencil skirts and form fitted dresses are always a great way to start dressing for your body type. V-neck wraps draw the eye down the center of your body and honestly ladies, a little cleavage never hurt:-) Even if you think pencil skirts would never ever work for your body type, trust me, try one. I bet most of you would rock it!

Did you ever see Marilyn in baggy over-sized clothes? No. Always always in something that revealed and accentuated her curvaceous size 12 body.

If you got them, flaunt them. What do you think my curvaceous friends?

Confidence. It is all in how you dress!

Last night I realized as the clock got closer to 6:30pm, one of my dress designs was hanging there waiting to be put on to go to a Holiday party at the White House by a client of mine!

Whoa. This is truly a moment in time and a huge highlight in my career. I needed to bask in the moment.
And because of some wild karma going on, this is actually the second dress in ONE week that has been selected from my collection to be worn for an event being hosted by the Obama's!
A wish come true? Absolutely! Pinch me? Definitely!

From what I have heard so far, my client that went last week had the pleasure of a photo op with the Obama's and got to walk through a beautifully decorated White House.

So here's my take away from being asked to dress 2 fabulous women for a 6:30pm Holiday Reception at The White House:

The event invite, which, by-the-way, was an extremely formal embossed heavy paper invite, DID NOT in fact state the dress code for an event at the WH.
What? I know right, a White House invitation with no dress code listed??
So how do you find out how to dress for your WH event?
Well you call the White House and they connect you to the Social Office messaging center to get further information. The gal on the message states to call x number to leave you and your guests full name and social security number and then, at the VERY end of a rather long message, she finally states that the attire will be: BUSINESS.

BUSINESS? At 6:30pm, at a Holiday party at the White House, where you will get to MEET and take a picture with the Prez. and F.L.O.T.U.S.?

Yes. Business.

Ok so Business attire to me means a very nice SUIT because most likely you are coming from WORK. But Business attire for a WHITE HOUSE Holiday party is a whole another level of dressing, don't you think? And neither of my clients were coming from work!

Neither of these 2 FAB ladies wanted to wear a suit?! And a floor length black tie event it was not, so where does that leave you?
So after MUCH debate, we decide it was more than appropriate to wear a DRESS. But a Dress that is COCKTAIL LENGTH ONLY.
In there 40's, with 3+ kids, both women have svelte figures and can luckily can pull off anything at all so I/we went with a fancy cocktail length dress in holiday colors such as deep red satin, and Chantilly black french lace with deep red silk taffeta underneath. Both ironically went strapless. More power to them!
The dresses looked right, appropriate and they felt beautiful, comfortable and most importantly confident!

Each women said to me that she wanted to look more curvy in her dress, so we padded the bras as much as possible and kept the dresses slightly a-line at the hem to create a curve in their silhouette. Fitted at the waist with a 3+ inch heel, they both set off for their exciting event in Washington D.C.

So my overall take away.
If you are unclear on how to dress for an event, I personally feel it is always better to be OVER dressed than under dressed. Dress UP rather than in a more casual direction. You will always feel confident in something you look good in. And ultimately it will create a more powerful energy around you.

Here are three items that always increase my confidence levels when I need to dress for an important meeting or a special occasion. Not necessarily worn together but 3 separate items to wear at any giving time.
A pencil skirt which falls just below my knee that has a hair of stretch for comfort.
A blazer that fits across my back and arms well, never fails to help me to feel strong and clear headed.
And lastly, I am forever in a pair of shoes, heels or boots I can power walk to my event in.

Confidence can always be found in well fitted clothing.

Long Johns saves lives!

I know what you are thinking?!
Does Cibeline really wear Long John's!?!
....YES! I do.
And man have they saved my a$$, (literally), during the LONG New England Winters.

So a tip for this COLD winter December week:
Wear Long Johns under everything! Ok, Ok, so I am not talking like the thick bulky lumber jack ones, I mean the super light weight silk ones or cotton blended ones. Believe it or not, they actually help your jeans slide on a bit better if you have the right ones. LL Bean has superior ones.

I just decided last night, that this is the week I need to dig them out, dust them off and start warming my core everyday with my beloved Long Johns.

LONG LIVE LONG JOHNS!

Fashion Festivus, don't let it get the best of us

gifts extraordinaire: fender amp, jersey Tobi dress/Tasa earrings/vintage bracelet at Cibeline

Here it is cool cats, whether you look forward to it or dread it, the Holiday "shopping season" is upon us.
So the question is, are you the "perfect" one who has it all done by Turkey day or do you wait until Dec 23rd to run frantically around town shopping for 2 days straight?

OR are you the one who shops continually over the course of several months or through out the year and select random things which you are drawn to knowing someone in your life will enjoy it more than you and then pull it out when the time is right and say "OH so and so would probably love this!"

Can you guess which "one" I am?

I suppose I now need to divulge to you my little secret, I am the "one" who has, what my husband likes to call, the "magical little gift closet".
Yep, a closet dedicated solely to gifts I buy throughout the year!

I then dig through it, pull out a few precious little finds and debate whether or not the person in question would like said fabulous 'do-dad' I have in my hand.
You name it I got it for birthday, baby, wedding or x-mas. Gifts galore I got.

Guess how much stress I have alleviated from my life?

I used be the "one" who would round around town an hour before an event when I needed a gift, end up buying something out of pure desperation, spend much more then I had hoped and inevitably be later than I usually am to the party!?! AAh! (yeah yeah yeah, if you know me you have to factor in the "cib time.")
I have enough stress in my life as it is, no need for more.
Gift giving can be uber stressful for a lot of you right?
Well, let me tell you this has been a godsend for my quality of life.

How I got the idea to have a special gift closet?
Two wonderful people in my life. A gal pal & my Aunt. My post college roomie, lets call her 'Soccer-Chick', used to buy cards in bulk and keep them in a drawer for when she needed one or two or three...(you could always count on getting more than one sweet card from her too!)
And my aunt who told me years ago that she "collected gifts in a room" as well as gifts that she "would receive that weren't quite" her style and then of course would have gifts when she needed them. WOW. And then ultimately how much it saved her in time and money to just go into her "room" for a gift as needed.

Viola! And that is how my card drawer in bulk and magical gift closet were born.

I have saved oodles of dollars on affordable amazing gifts, bazillion minutes of precious festivus time, and several unwanted pounds from pumped up adrenals which inevitably created extra weight on my waistline...from having my prized "magical little gift closet".

PS. I LOVE giving gifts can you tell?