MUST HAVE ITEM: Blazer

Work your blazer both in and out of the office!

Very few articles in the realm of clothing in our closet can be as versatile as a black blazer. Seamlessly weaving it’s style from the hustle and bustle of a busy office day, to a wine driven happy hour to the next day’s hung over coffee run, the blazer has got you covered! This classy article of clothing can be dressed up or down depending upon the different combinations of clothing and accessories that you pair up with it, offering you a million different ways to style it!

Ladies, pair your black blazer up with a white cami and a pair of dark wash jeans with a pair of black leather ankle boots and you have an instant art gallery hopping ensemble. Transform it into work wear with a simple change from jeans to a black skirt and you’re instantly ready for your 9 am meeting.  

The blazer might be the most essential article of clothing for a working girl gone party girl, but men are also taking the etiquette out of their blazers and spicing it up with different layering techniques. One fairly popular style many hot men are sporting these days is layering the blazer over a zip up hoodie, creating the fusion of the inevitably comfortable with the classically chic. This is one of my personal favorites as it always translates confidence through an interesting, hip style (not to mention hotta hotta).
So, if you’re down in the rut and looking for a way to blaze your style, check out some of eModa.com’s sweet blazers by Glamour Campaign, Juicy Couture and Roar.

It seems that ever since the climate crisis has gone into full effect with Al Gore’s life changing documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth”, people everywhere have become more conscious of their ecological footprint; but sometimes completely revamping your life with more Earth friendly considerations isn’t exactly the easiest of tasks. One super easy way to reduce your impact on the world’s resources is to consider buying some sweet designer fashion styled with Mother Nature in mind. If you’re going to save the world, you might as well look good doing it!

    It’s actually becoming trendy in the world of fashion to design for an eco-friendly audience as the number of people becoming aware of global warming has increased drastically since the campaign to fight the climate crisis has been introduced. Many top name designers have contributed to the bandwagon.  Noir, Levis, and Katharine Hamnett, an outspoken British activist designer, all use 100% organic cotton, while some like Stewart + Brown, Organic, and Bahar Shahpar used salvaged and recycled textiles as well as vegetable based dyes. However, eModa.com, in a search to expand our market and contribute to the mass global marketing campaign to save the world, has searched far and low for an exclusive organic designer who would match our pre-existing cliental and add some individual flare to our boutique. After extensive searching, we found Sworn Virgins, a California based brand that fabricates all their clothing using 100% biodegradable bamboo and minimal chemical processes. Designers Roshanne Aghevli and Alex Amini create stylish draped tunics, tanks and dresses using completely sustainable techniques.

    Sworn Virgins is far from the Birkenstock flower children we sometimes picture when we think of eco-friendly fashion, as they specialize in couture dresses with modern shapes, cuts as well as exclusive rich vintage color schemes. “This is one of the industries that creates a lot of waste, starting wit the cotton farms, all the way down to the dye houses” says Amini. “It’s something that needs to be watched and done properly in order to be environmentally friendly”.
    By using bamboo blended with spandex, Sworn Virgins’ fabric is naturally Earth friendly as the bamboo does not require pesticides to grown fast and has natural antimicrobial properties, which ensure an even more efficient growth. Amini says he is constantly researching and looking for more ways to incorporate more eco-friendly practices into his company. Although the fashion itself is what captures the customers attention, the company’s success has a lot to do with being eco-friendly. Customers feel like they are doing something good when they purchase organic clothing and they should! Customers also dig the fact that Sworn Virgins clothing does not have to be dry-cleaned further saving energy, even after the garment has already been purchased!
    Sworn Virgins makes saving Mother Nature look like a hot mama. Check out our selection of clothing from them and stay tuned for more!

My fascination with jumpers started about 6 months ago while I was in Chicago visiting friends, sightseeing and, of course, shopping. Chicago has one of the best thrifting communities in the country as far as I’m concerned, so it didn’t surprise me that much when my friend, Britney ran squealing toward me at The Brown Elephant with what looked like a child’s vintage dress. As she got closer, the red corduroy jumper came into focus, my eyes widened and we both knew immediately it was one of those items she was just going to wear out of the store.
It was the winter and jumpers had just hit the scene- they were not well known enough to be caught dead in an everyday retail environment, yet they were still freshly lingering on every designer’s runway; big names from Luella to Alice Roi, it was clear that in a few months, jumpers would be hitting the streets, big time. Although Britney was sporting her thrift store gold when we walked out, we knew it wouldn’t be long until stylish brands and labels jumped onto the trend and made impossible jumper hunting a thing of the past.
Celebrities can’t get enough of them and neither can we here at eModa.com. With hot new arrivals including jumpers form Monarchy, YOU and Grail, it was inevitable that our stylists would start getting asked, “How do you wear one of those the right way?” because we all know that with any type of trend, there’s always at least one way you should avoid wearing. Combining that with the issue of combating the “wearing dresses over pants is for flower children, wah wah wah” attitude, I sat down with our team of stylists who offered some insightful tips on how to make your jumper go from adorable to sexy and from casual to business without sparing the appeal of a hot new look.
Cute, comfortable, functional, versatile- jumpers are a becoming a basic staple in every woman’s wardrobe! They are a youthful, sleeveless, guiltless, just skimming the thigh, suspendered dress for which the industry has no clear definition. Ranging from a mini shift dresses to apron-esque frocks, the ambiguity further proves that there’s a jumper for everyone.
Note to self: Your shape determines your jumper cut.
We’re not all perfect; we all come in different shapes and sizes that should be accented by our wardrobe choices, not exploited. Just like a dress, its important for us all to know what cuts and colors work on our bodies. The best thing about jumpers is that even though they come in many different varieties, they are still pretty flattering for every body type.
    If you’ve got a big butt or a big belly, fear not!  A jumper like this one from Grail provides maximum versatility and flatters your shape by hiding any unwanted bulging! Not only that, but the shape of the jumper is super slimming as it dips in at the smallest part of your body, divvies up a looser fitting hip area and then curving back inward toward the bottom seam. This jumper can also be worn with a cute pair of leggings or skinny jeans, transcending this fresh summer style into a fashionable fall must have! For a dangerous look, skip the pants and try a pair of super short pair of shorts like these Moss Biker Shorts from Taverniti. This combo, when topped off with a pair of hip ankle boots assures that you’ll be heating up those summer nights and melting glaciers faster than global warming, baby.
    If you’ve got the tall and slim blues (yes, it actually exists), this jumper from Monarchy is screaming out for you! What we love about this one is that it has those amazing length-changing pulls that offer a super sexy look with just one yank! Besides showing off your long legs, this gray jumper has a very curvy visible seam that gives the illusion of a fuller chest. Pockets at the bottom not only give you storage space, but some va-voom around your hip area, putting that string bean stereotype down the drain! This jumper looks best without pants and paired up with a basic tank and a cute pair of metallic ballet flats, you’ll be ready to hit the clubs right after work without stopping to change.
    YOU is personally one of my favorite brands that we carry and I’ve featured this hot number because it addresses a really fun, playful option when it comes to jumpers. The skeleton print is excitingly different and puts the childhood, monkey bar, sharing cookies, traditional jumper style back into play. This one can work for any shape, given the gradual flare from the bust to the bottom. It provides a very airy look with optimal movement, and the front pockets are no problem for the big-hipped ladies as they are camouflaged by the dancing print. Did we mention it’s black? Ultra form flattering, this jumper is will have you looking drop dead gorgeous with or without pants!
Things to Do List: Pile on the layers!
    Now that fall is quickly approaching, we wouldn’t want to find a great look and then throw it in the back of the closet until the warmer weather returns! Pants or no pants in the summer is a simple choice, but jumpers demand layers for the fall and winter! Layering goes far beyond the lower half of your body and we urge you to try playing around with different looks, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results!
    A great way to spice up that jumper is to go preppy with your top of choice. Try a mod turtleneck or a 3/4 button down for a new look that’s not only work savvy but super chic. Combine a strapless bodice with the jumper and warm overlay of a long knit cardigan and get a cozy ski shack style that will have everyone’s heart melting. Fuse together a long sleeve tee or thermal, jumper and belt it with a pair of skinny jeans and knee high boots to get a look that’s both classic and cowgirl couture.
P.S.: Jumpers are a dress over look, not an under-dressing look!
Some last minute jumper tips:
If a jumper is a little more than just thigh skimming and more along the lines of bum bearing, please wear pants! Avoid a bare leg with a sweater dress and refrain from anything short and tight. Remember, jumpers are cute, happy, sometimes sexy, and NEVER trashy! So, when you doing the pants dance, dismiss your conservative concerns with hemlines; the only things you even could be revealing are your back pockets!
Don’t get lost in oversized underpinnings! Stay away from baggy pants, saggy leggings and overly blousy tops. Bag lady= not in style.
Keep it out of the classroom. You’d be shocked at how many times have I seen that perfect 3rd grade Christmas photo image translated by an adult walking down the street wearing a jumper with a white turtleneck, waffle leggings, knee high socks and black patent leather mary janes. Has Britney Spears not proved a good example of what happens to adults that dress like school girls?!
Leave the fancy footwork for another time. Stick to flats or kitten heels, stilettos are just going to look silly with this kind of style and create unbalance throughout.

How do you wear jumpers? Send in a photo to taryn@emoda.com to get a coupon for your next order!

Jlo’s got the look, she’s got the man, and when she’s not busy making hit albums or promoting her new movie, Jennifer Lopez keeps it muy caliente with her super sexy style! When we saw these pictures of Jlo wining and dining out to lunch with her good friend Leah Remini, we couldn’t help but drool over her must have ensemble, she looked fantastic! If you’re addicted to Jlo’s mega style, check out how our team of stylists took her look to the level with silky zebra prints, darker wash wide legs and some must have accessories that every woman deserves.

1. Glamour Campaign Crystal Skull Silk Button Down ($297)
From the mastermind behind internationally recognized brand, Rock and Republic, comes Fred Naggar’s new creation for the fashion savvy world, Glamour Campaign. Check out this Crystal Skull Silk Button Down, sure to have all eyes on you! Featuring heavily studded large skull on back that will have you gleaming from any angle! Front remains plain with a simple button down closure and silk pull tie to compliment the back as well as the ultra trendy black and white all over zebra print, sure to catch everyone off guard! This stunning top can make any body look exceptionally sexy!

2. Frankie B Icon Script Wide Leg Jean ($196)
Famous for reinventing the lowest of low rise jeans for the ladies, Frankie B built a fashion empire using denim as her medium. Get your piece of this seasons next big trend with this pair of Icon Script Wide Leg Jean! Lightweight denim contains 2% spandex, ensuring you that these jeans stay just as pretty as the day you got them! Signature matte copper butterfly hardware and light tan dotted outline stitched mirrored “F” on back pockets really adds flare to the dark wash denim, also creating a nice contrast and making them super versatile and easy to accessories! Stylish and classy, with just the right amount of flare, you’ll be nothing short of a diva in these must have Frankie B’s!

3. Gucci Black Plastic Frames with Gray Lenses ($290, www.gucci.com)

4. Hobo By Marc Jacobs ($600, www.marcjacobs.com)

5. Boutique 9/Boutique 58 Waldo ($78 on sale, www.piperlime.com)

It seemed like only days ago that Lindsay Lohan left Promises Clinic, credited her family and her boyfriend for helping her get through this mess and attached a sobriety monitoring ankle bracelet to her leg as proof that she was seriously going to stop the trouble. Well it was only days ago, infact just 11 days ago. That’s how long Lindsay Lohan can take staying sober seriously. She relapsed when 26 year old boyfriend, Calum Best, said she was “too dull” when sober. Ouch.

Low blow, but we all thought she was going to be ok, seeing as though she seemed eager to debut her new film, “I Know Who Killed Me”, a low budget thriller from Tristar, but it wasn’t enough.
At 1:30 am Tuesday morning, after an alcohol-fueled pursuit of her own former personal assistant on the streets of Santa Monica, police arrested her. Unable to walk a straight line or touch her nose, she was charged with two misdemeanors as well as two felony charges of cocaine possession, after the drug was found in her pocket. Of course this would mean that she wouldn’t be on The Tonight Show, tonight, even though she was released on a $25,000 bail. Petty cash to her, but serious damage to her career.
The movie she was rehearsing while in rehab, “Poor Things”, was a fact-based dark comedy starring Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis as women who take out insurance policies on homeless people, only to kill them and collect the money. LL was to play the niece of MacLaine’s character, and filming was to start in 3 weeks, after it had already been delayed once by the May incident where Lindsay crashed her Mercedes.
Another finished film, “Chapter 27″ the story of John Lennon’s assisn, Mark David Chapman, was a huge success at the Sundance Film festival this year but has yet to find a distributor. Not sure this is going to help.
So what’s next for Lindsay? Is she following in the footsteps of Paris Hilton?! IS JAIL THE NEW PINK?

Bernie Brillstein, whose company has represented John Belushi and Chris Farley, offers some insight.  “I hope they put her in jail for as long as they can. Maybe she’ll realize how serious it is. I believe she’s uninsurable. And when you’re uninsurable in this town, you’re done.”
At least she still has Maxim.

After a remarkable amount of beautiful customers sending us photos and careful deliberation, for the month of July, our team of stylists have chosen Tiara as emoda.com’s July Style Icon.

Why Tiara?
Tiara is the epitome of the perfect representation that eModa.com loves to project to people about our company: strong, fierce, passionate, and confident; infact, this 19 year old Scorpio from South West Philadelphia was so well liked by our staff that we decided to ask her to come in and do a photo shoot. It didn’t suprise anyone when Tiara took to the camera like a pro, charmed the photographers and still had enough time to answer some questions about her life and her passion for fashion.
 
Taryn- So, Tiara, how did you find out about eModa.com?
Tiara- I am and was a very frequent customer of eModa, so I found out about the store first hand.  I also worked directly across the street from the store for a period of time, it was then that I found out that I could shop eModa.com, which was a great suggestion!

Ta- Sweet, good call. Do you have any favorite brands on eModa.com?
Ti- Yes! My favorite brands on eModa.com are Rock and Republic, Frankie B. and Salvage. I adore Rock and Republic because I have long legs and not alot of jeans really show that, but those particular ones do. lso they are very comfortable. Frankie B. jeans, I absolutely love the super low fit and also it shows off my slim waist. Salvage is always a great look and a new look. My eyes are always open to a new look and you can definitely expect that from Salvage.

Ta- Why do you consider yourself a style icon?
Ti- If it’s not because I have a tendency to set trends, then its because I make clothes work. I enhance the clothes I wear.

Ta- That’s great that you wear the clothes, you don’t let the clothes wear you!
Ti- Exactly!
Ta- So, what trends are you really into right now in fashion?
Ti- Right now I’m a huge Betsy Johnson fan! Betsy Johnson provides wild,casual, trendy,and funky new looks as far as shoes, purses, sunglasses ect.

Ta-  Definately, Betsy rules! Are there any trends that you are totally over?
Ti- With out a question, the gigantic bag look.  Its not that serious any more, however many people still l feel its a necessity, instead of an option.
Ta- Yeah, I agree, that might have to go into the Fashion Graveyard soon! You look like someone who loves to listen to music, do you have a favorite singer?
Ti- My favorite musical act would have to be Mya. The reason I say that is because in alot of different ways she reminds me of myself, from her sense of humor, to her style.  When listening to her music, I find myself able to relate to alot of the things she talks about growing up, relationships, ups and downs, and struggles.  She had to go through alot to get to where she’s at today.

Ta- Good choice, I love Mya, she is so cute! Ok so we know Mya has great style, but who do you think is the best dressed celebrity right now and why?
Ti- I would have to say Beyonce.  Beyonce is always giving off a new look weather it’s spicy, funky, elegant, basic or just casual it’s still not the average look and it’s never over done or  way out there, at least in my opinion. From her hair styles down to her shoes, she’s always giving off a new hot look.

Ta- I often wonder how anyone could try to deny Beyonce’s super style, she’s a true diva for our generation! Ok so other than Beyonce and Mya, who do you look up to?
Ti- Besides my mother and sisters, I really look up to Tyra Banks.  She is a huge inspiration to me. Tyra has had many set backs in her lifetime and never gave up whenever she was told no.  She just became more persistent. Tyra  made it clear to the youth and everyone else that if you want to do something just put your mind to it and go after whatever it full speed, because if you dont believe in yourself  who will. I keep that and her in mind and always move forward.

Ta- Omg, I loved Tyra in the fat suit, that was a great stunt, very powerful. So, if you were as famous as Tyra Banks and you could change one thing about the fashion industry right now, what would it be and why?
Ti- The one thing I would change is the narrow-mindedness, fashion like beauty is individual, it doesn’t have to fit a standard.  These two things, fashion and beauty, seem to work hand in hand in the industry so I would love to see people  became more except ant to themselves and to art outside there individual standards or opinions.

If you have any questions for Tiara, please feel free to leave them in the comments section and she’ll be sure to get back to you! Or maybe you don’t want to ask her a question, but we have a question for you: Do you think Tiara has what it takes to go into head to head competition next year to battle it out to be eModa.com’s 2007-2008 Style Icon? Do you think you can do better? If you think you could make a better icon, email some pictures to me, Taryn, taryn@emoda.com, and you could be August’s Style Icon!
Don’t forget to vote and keep your eye out for Tiara in our Look Book and our New Arrivals sections!

The day that my outlook on the future of skinny jeans changed was when my friend, Rachel, met me for coffee wearing a pair of dark wash, high waist, wide leg jeans by Lips. Normally, I would have shrieked at the very thought of anyone wearing something non-skinny, non-low-rise, but there was nothing to knit-pick this time, they looked amazing. “I had been looking for wide-leg, high-waisted jeans for a while, but unless you struck gold in a thrift store, they weren’t readily available. The hunt was on, but no luck. [Finally] I found the most glorious pair of 70’s-fabulous wide-legged, super-high-waisted jeans. Surprisingly, they were new, not vintage. They fit so perfectly, holding in the belly bulge, accentuating the thinnest part of the waist, tight on the ass and legs that look like a mile long. Ahh, perfect!” exclaims the fashion savvy head honcho of her self started marketing company, Rachel Inc., “They make me feel like a glamorous, young Farrah Faucet, lounging by the pool at some disco Boogie Night’s style party, waiting for Burt Reynolds to bring me a martini”. I was green with envy. I couldn’t remember the last time a pair of jeans made me feel like that unless I had already thrown back a few martini’s.

 She continued to justify her skinny jean hatred to me, “I was really not feeling the skinny jeans trend and gave in to it reluctantly when my friend in the fashion industry told me that she refused to be seen with me in bootlegs. I was dying for the next trend. Skinny at the ankles is so unflattering on the thighs. Then add a low-rise waist? That’s pretty much putting a bulls-eye on all of your ‘problem areas.’ Skinny jeans are also totally 80’s, which I can’t say is the most flattering of decades.” Although Rachel’s business is marketing, no one could deny her bold, unique, and yet, trendy style. Clearly she knew her stuff and made it very obvious that she would not wear something ugly. With this in mind, the next day, without force and without a coupon, I marched over to eModa, which proudly displayed a pair of Frankie B wide-leg jeans in the window, found my size on the rack inside, took a deep breath, opened the dressing room door and took my first step out of skinny leg jeans and into the unknown.

I’ll admit, after you bash something for so long, you get the urge to try it. I am a self-declared high waist/wide leg/colored jean hater. The day I discovered dark wash skinny leg jeans was the day that I thought I had found my dream denim and I surrendered. No longer would I have to ring out the walked on cuffs of my boot cut jeans from the rain, nor would I have to sloppily cram my straight legs into my calf hugging knee high boots. Hemming took about three minutes and I could go from laxed college lady to Devo dancing diva with just a quick shoe change. The darker, the skinnier, the better I thought- heck, even my boyfriend was wearing skinny jeans; but, as the winds of wide leg, and colored denim slowly blew into the trend forecast, I knew that if I was going to stay on top of things, I was going to have to make some sacrifices.

Wide leg jeans were my first hurdle to conquer if I wanted a more democratic denim filled closet. While Rachel was my first inspiration to even attempt to pull off wide legs, I was pleasantly surprised by the multiplicity of both brands and styles that they had to offer. While skinny jeans really only consisted of the stovepipe, cigarette, and slim cuts, the wonderful world of wide leg jeans offered slim trouser, sailor, boyfriend, bell-bottom and palazzo cuts, all of which differed in flare intensity and texture. A quick sweep through any paparazzi pasted magazine would show that the wide legs were taking over Hollywood. Stylists around the world were gushing over them, “The higher-waisted, wide leg trouser is just so much more classy”, says Britt Bardo, stylist to the Olsens. As I stepped into the Frankie B’s, with all of these things running through my head, I couldn’t help but hope that they would look good, and guess what? On this 5’2” curvy 23-year-old denim diva, they looked so hot, I actually bought two pair.

Now that the biggest obstacle had been cleared with ease, I feared that conquering the next one would be much more difficult than anticipated, I approached the colored denim rack slowly, hoping that I was not just having beginner’s luck. Completely infatuated with the freedom and movement of wide legs, going up to the once familiar skinny and boot cut jean felt like a chore, especially when presented with their outrageous color schemes. A wash outside the spectrum of navy blue seemed sacrilegious to me, since camouflaging my hips and butt wasn’t always the easiest task and the darker washes tend to do that automatically; but I couldn’t help thinking about how cute Rachel Bilson looked in her purple jeans, or Ashlee Simpson in her electric blue jeans. If I could get over my fear of wide legs, I could stand to try some color. This look took some trial and error, but after a good hour and some advice from a few stylish customers, I found that when paired up with a contrasting tee, these babies instantly transformed me into a hot mama. The trick with colored jeans is to know what colors work best on you. Not all of us look good in Lilac True Religion’s, the Butter jeans didn’t workout for me personally, but I knew, the moment I tried on the Crimson’s, I was on the fast track to causing a fire. Hotta hotta!

Last and certainly the most intimidating of my denim shopping was facing the dreaded white denim. From ultra pigment to the lack there of, I was determined. I’ve wanted to buy a pair of white denim ever since the Snow White Cropped Kate’s from True Religion first hit the market. White jeans just scream out Summer time fun, and I felt like I was being left in the gloomy past of a miserable winter walking around all Spring with my black, grey and dark blue jeans. It was time to break free from the hostage of skinny dark jeans, the future was looking bright and my pants should be too. Without an ounce of fear, I grabbed those white True Religion’s and showed them who was boss…unfortunately it was still my hips and butt, but the bright white demin against the contrasting tank took all the attention from the problematic areas and disbursed it evenly throughout my figure. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I was wearing white jeans and somehow looking slimmer than I did in my dark wash days. Mind games or not, it was the confidence that had come over me when I slipped into these jeans that made them look so good. Have you ever tried on something that looked so perfect that you had to ask the sales clerk if you could wear them out? That was me, strutting my bootyliscious badunkadunk down South Street in my Snow White True Religion’s.

Like the famous ZZ Top song states, “She’s got legs, she knows how to use them”, I used mine to walk into a store and expand my denim collection by trying new styles, colors, cuts and washes. We all have legs, and if we don’t know how to use them, we have to put ourselves out there and see what the options are. If you’re like me and you’ve become asphyxiated by the limited choices you have with skinny jeans, don’t be afraid to try something that looked terrible on you two years ago. The denim industry is constantly evolving and tweaking little things to make you look better in their jeans. Widen your spectrum with wide legs, paint your wardrobe with colored denim and brighten things up with white denim! There’s a whole new denim world to be discovered, ladies, and you can rest assured that there is, indeed, life after skinny jeans.

Check the article out here.