Lookbook - How To Wear Denim on Denim

Did you shudder a little when you saw this title? In fact, I was a little scared too to try denim on denim as it can be a tricky look to pull off (remember Britney and Justin at AMA 2001?) But I had challenged myself to create an outfit for which-  

1. I wanted to try denim on denim without using chambray shirt

2. I wanted to use other than my skinny jeans

3. I wanted to make a workplace outfit with denim

And this outfit came out winning (damn you Charlie Sheen for ruining this word for me!), if I say so myself! I love this short sleeves denim jacket for its structure and I paired it with a white button down and a dark wash jeans. To balance the masculinity of all that blue denim, I am wearing my prettiest pair of pumps (just love these pink rosettes!) and a string of pearls - what do you think?

 

Jeans, Bag - Ann Taylor

Jacket - Body Central

Shoes - Liz Claiborne

BEHIND THE SCENES

Earlier this month I assisted on a shoot with the lovely Becky White for her first ever lookbook featuring all her awesome clients including Obscure Couture, Cherry Loco, Deadly is the Female and Rebecca Torres.

Have a peep at the SUPER SLICK behind-the-scenes video shot by Tom Duncan and see if you can spot the back of my head...


Becky White PR || Behind The Scenes from Tom Duncan on Vimeo.

How stunning is model Morven, eh? Well jel.

It was a long but fantastic day, and we all pulled off something rather awesome. Here's a few of my favourite shots from the finished lookbook, taken by Euan Robertson. Click to enlarge em.

Pretty hot, no? Especially the new Rebecca Torres and Obscure Couture stuff.

PS - If you haven't already, PLEASE DO go back and have a swatch at my last post about the proposed blogger GET TOGETHER for International Women's Day 2012 - and get excited! All are welcome, the more the merrier, and nearer the end of the week I'll be posting again letting you all know how to officially register to attend. Myself and Charlene have been cooking up a few ideas and I know it's going to be great! Keep checking back to find out more details, or follow me on Twitter as I'll no doubt be tweeting frantically once plans come together...

x

Home births are making a comeback

By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog

January 26, 2012, 10:05 a.m.
Home birth is making a marked resurgence in the United States, according to data released Thursday by the federal government.

A century ago, most births took place at home. But the rate fell steadily and slipped to less than 1% of all births by 1969 and just over 0.5% in 2004.

Though still not common, home births have risen 29% from 2004 to 2009, according to the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2009, the most recent year for which data are available, 0.72% of all births took place at home. The trend is particularly noteworthy among white women. Home births among that group rose 36% since 2004 and accounted for more than 1% of all births in 2009.

The northwestern part of the country has the strongest trend in home births -- 2% in Oregon and 2.6% in Montana. The sheer lack of transportation in rural areas may play a significant role in home births in some areas, the authors of the report stated. Cost might be a factor too, because home births are about one-third the cost of hospital births.

To read the rest of this article click here.

How Do You Pronounce Yves Saint Laurent?

I have a secret to share - On a boring day, I watched the movie Showgirls on TV! There, I said it! I usually have high standards for my entertainment, but it was the time when I was not a mom, and had a lot of free time on my hands! (Needless to say, that day I wasted the 'free' time!) The only thing I remember form that movie is when the wannabe showgirl says 'she got a ver-sayce dress'! That scene reminds me of countless number of times when people butcher the designer names. And I have to admit, growing up in a non-fashionable city in India, I didn't know the correct pronounciations of the many of the big (French sounding) brands! I overcame my ignorance by seraching/reading/talking to people who know stuff! I thought it would be nice to share the correct pronunciation of  some of the renowned brands that are frequently mispronounced! 


Yves Saint Laurent - Eve Sane Laurennnn{t} (The 'T' in both saint and laurent is barely audible)
Christian Louboutin - Kris-ti-an Lu-bu-tahn or taa{ng} (with the sound of 'n' fading off in the end)
Louis Vuitton - Louie- Vwee-To{ng} (again, with the sound of 'n' fading off in the end)
Versace - Ver-sa-chee
Hermes - Er-mez
Givenchy - Jee-von-shee
Moschino - Mos-key-no
Proenza Schouler - Pro-en-zuh Skool-er 
Jaeger - Yay-guhr 
Marchesa - Mar-kay-sah 
Christian Lacroix - Kris-ti-yaan Luh-qua
Jean Paul Gaultier - Zhon Paul Go-tee-ay


Tell me if you have been butchering any of the brand names?? (Do not feel bad- these names are more fun when pronounced as they are spelled!)

Mom Delivers Nearly 14 Pound Baby Without Epidural

Mom Delivers Nearly 14 Pound Baby - Des Moines News Story - KCCI Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A woman gave birth to a 13 Lb, 12 oz. baby boy without medication at Mercy Medical Center on Thursday.

When asked about the birth experience Kendall Stewardson, 24, of St. Charles, said she couldn't talk about it. "It wouldn't be TV appropriate," Stewardson joked.

Baby Asher was born healthy and 9 days late. He was 23.5 inches long. His family has a history of big babies. Asher's big brother Judah weighed 12 lbs., 1 oz. when he was born. Both Stweardson and her husband Joshua were born weighing more than 10 Lbs.

To read the rest of this story click here.

Best and Worst Dressed At SAG 2012

All right, lets cut to the chase!! Here are my Best, Worst, Played Safe and Jury is still out categories at SAG red carpet 2011!

Best Dressed - Emily Blunt looked stunningly beautiful in Oscar de la Renta and Julie Bowen rocked the magenta Temperley London gown!

Emily Blunt in Oscar de la Renta, Julie Bowen in Temperley London

Best Dressed - Jessica Chastain in Calvin Klien Collection and Kaley Cuoco in Romona Keveza made two different silhouettes absolutely work at SAG 2012 red carpet!

Jessica Chastain in Calvin Klien Collection, Kaley Cuoco in Romona Keveza

 Best Dressed - Regina King in Alberto Ferretti, Guilana Rancic in a Red gown! The details on both the gowns took my breath away!!

Regina King in Alberto Ferretti, Guilana Rancic

Best Dressed - Zoe Saldana looked fashion forward in Givenchy Haute Couture gown by Riccardo Tisci, Sarah Hyland looked red carpet worthy in Temperley.

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy Haute Couture gown by Riccardo Tisci, Sarah Hyland in Temperley

Best Dressed - Viola Davis in Marchesa, Michelle Williams in Valentino. Viola's Gown made me scream!!! And Michelle is a sweet sweet sweetheart in red!!

Viola Davis in Marchesa, Michelle Williams in Valentino

Best Dressed -  Juliana Margulies in Calvin Klein Collection, Kyra Sedgwick in Pucci! These two don't age!!

Juliana Margulies in Calvin Klein Collection, Kyra Sedgwick in Pucci

Played safe and looked good - Diane Lane in David Meister, Sofia Vergara in Marchesa looked great but nothing unexpected here! Note to Ms Vergara - We know you got the hourglass figure - can we see another silhouette please - pretty please?

Diane Lane in David Meister, Sofia Vergara in Marchesa 

Played safe and looked good - Natalie Portman in Giambattista Valli, Diana Agron in Carolina Herrera - so pretty but so boring!

Natalie Portman in Giambattista Valli, Diana Agron in Carolina Herrera

Jury is still out - Gretchen Mol in L'Wren Scott and Rose Byrne in Elie Saab Haute Couture. Both the dresses looked good, but for some reason Gretchen and Rose both look out of place here! Rose needed to show at least an inch of the toebox of her shoes, and Gretchen's gown looked poor girl's version of Cate Blanchett's Givenchy Gown circa 2011!

Gretchen Mol in L'Wren Scott and Rose Byrne in Elie Saab Haute Couture

Jury is still out -  Emma Stone in Alexander McQueen, Amber Heard in Zac Posen. I like both the dresses and the actresses, but somehow that wow factor is missing! (Emma Stone could do no wrong - so I let this one slide -barely!)

Emma Stone in Alexander McQueen, Amber Heard in Zac Posen

Worst Dressed - Angelina Jolie in Jenny Pekham, Kristen Wiig in Balenciaga! I know angie looks good even in a proverbial potato sack, but this gown is making her frail frame look anorexic! Golden Globe 2012 seems ages ago Angie!! Kristen Wiig could lose this choker thing and then we can talk!

Angelina Jolie in Jenny Pekham, Kristen Wiig in Balenciaga

Worst Dressed - Tilda Swinton in Lanvin, Lea Michele in Versace. Tilda swinton was on my best dressed list on Golden Globes 2012 with blue tuxedo gown, but here she goes back to washed out colors and no-definition silhouette. Lea again insists that less is more!

Tilda Swinton in Lanvin, Lea Michele in Versace

So here it is - my list of good bad and ugly!! who is on yours?

Photo Credits - 

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage  

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com

Lookbook - Psychedelic Swirls

Well, another sunny day - another bright outfit! As I mentioned here before, I am putting some effort lately to add more color to my wardrobe, and put together an outfit without fearing the bright colors! I guess today was one of those days when I was feeling bold:-)
I have had this BCBG dress that reminds me of 70s fashion in my closet for more than 2 years. Somehow it seldom gets solo attention it deserves. I end up pairing it with dark leggings and even a shrug or cardigan, thus eventually hiding its psychedelic glory! But today I let it take center stage with extra help from the yellow handbag. How do you like it?

Here is the closer look -

Dress - BCBg Max Azria

Bag - Ann Taylor

Boots - Etienne Aigner

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Spring 2012 Trend Alert - Pastels Are The New Neutrals!

Move over beige - delicate mint green is here! Last year, spring was all about the opposite ends of the spectrum - screaming bold colors and the silent neutrals. Jewel tones and beige-and-taupe. This year you can surely bet on the bold colors but update your neutrals with these stunning pastels! Blush pinks, mint greens, seafoam blues and yellows will rule the wardrobes as they did on the SS'12 Runways and the Red Carpet.

Here are some of my picks of pastel pieces for spring - pair them with similar palette or go bold by mixing them with primary colors. 

1.Jacket  2.Sheath  3.Earrings  4.Chiffon Dress  5.Leather Bag 

6.Jeans  7.Sandals  8.Ballet Flats

1.Dress 2.Tee 3.Jeans 4.Sequin Clutch 5.Sandals 6.Platform Sandals

1.Dress 2.Top  3.Silk Blouse 4.Kate Spade Ring 5.Patent-Trim Straw Wallet 6.Legging Jeans 7.Skinny Belt 8.Sandals

Which pastel shade do you plan to add to your wardrobe?

What the Doctor Isn’t Telling You about Pregnancy and the Flu Vaccine

by Jennifer Margulis

When Katie Tyler, who’s 33 years old and lives in Truckee, California, went in for her 28-week pregnancy checkup, the nurse at the doctor’s office urged her to get the flu shot.

At first, Tyler, a real-estate agent, was skeptical. About to go on a 10-day vacation with her husband, she didn’t want to do anything that might make her sick. Because she was pregnant she was avoiding medication, and was a bit perplexed about why she should get a vaccine. She had never had a flu shot before.

“I want to do whatever’s right for the baby, and for myself during pregnancy,’” Tyler, who has shoulder-length brown hair, light brown eyes, and a warm smile, remembers telling the nurse.1

The nurse responded that every pregnant woman in the practice was getting the flu shot. She reassured Tyler that she’d be fine, and that the vaccine definitely wouldn’t make her sick.

Within 12 hours of being vaccinated for influenza, Tyler had a sore throat, aches and pains, and was feeling generally horrible. She was sick with flu-like symptoms for two and a half weeks. One night, on vacation in Hawaii, she began to have trouble breathing. Wanting to save the out-of-pocket expense of an emergency-room visit, she called her doctor, who, over the phone, diagnosed her with bronchitis. When Tyler mentioned that up till then she hadn’t been sick during her pregnancy, had never had the flu in her adult life, and thought the illness might have been caused by the vaccine, her doctor was adamant that there was no possible connection.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Trend Spotting - Black Lace Overset Dresses

What is sexy and sweet at the same time - a black lace overset dress with blush lining! And it seems to be the trend for fashionistas everywhere - from Paris Fashion week to movie promotion tours to evening out in the town. Salma Hayek wears this trend with plunging neckline while Rachel McAdams brings her signature charm and sweetness to the black lace overset sheath.

Rachel Mcadams in Collette Dinnigan black lace dress
Image via People Magazine

Salma Hayek in Prada Bash in Paris
Image via People Magazine

Vanessa Minnillo Image via People Magazine

The key to style this delicately sexy dress trend - simple black or neutral pumps and minimum jewelry! In my opinion, Rachel McAdams here totally nailed the trend! 

Want a black lace overset dress? Get it here-

My Attraction (HomeBirth After 3 c-sections) HBA3C. A story of healing ♥

GET TOGETHER FOR IWD 2012?

*This post goes somewhere, I promise!*

March the 8th marks yet another International Women's Day and all over the world women (and men!) will be taking part in events which serve to celebrate women's successes and also highlight ongoing inequality which still exists. This year's global theme is CONNECTING GIRLS, INSPIRING FUTURES.

International Women's Day means a lot to me - you might remember I blogged about it last year. Click the link to find out what it's all about. In case you don't, here' a little blurb again from the website:

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives. 

SO, now to my point...

This year Oxfam are encouraging women and girls to hold get togethers (tea parties, dinners, pampering days, clothes-swap days, whatevs) to help raise some money for selected women's charities around the world. If you register on the site they send you out a part pack with lots of party-type goodies, SO I WAS THINKING, since us bloggy ladies love a wee get together and have a pretty darn significant combined audience, that maybe it would be cool for us to help spread the word and hold our own Scottish Blogger get together to raise some dolla?

We could do anything - hold a wee tea party, a clothes-swap party, or just a good old fashioned NIGHT OUT! If I can drum up some interest then I'll get on the case about booking somewhere and whatnot, but I've never organised a blogger event before and I know some of you gals hefty specialise in that sorta jazz so don't be shy with the suggestions/helping me out/organising the whole thing for me!

March the 8th is a Thursday so bloggies, please let me know if, A you're into it and, B if that date would suit you for something in the day or evening... If no-one's available or particularly into it, no worries. But I really hope y'all will be! Obviously ANYONE can get involved - bloggers, non bloggers, guys, kids, grannies, trannies, fannies... Yeah. Anyone. So if you're reading this and fancy a lovely night with some awesome folk for an amazing cause then please comment and let me know.

Also, please leave any suggestions for the kinds of things we could do since the possibilities are endless (I myself like the idea of a clothes-swap party innit), and anyone who fancies helping me actually organise something - email me!! k-mclaren@hotmail.com

Lotsa sisterly love x

Things A Woman Should Always Carry In Her Bag!

You can tell a lot about a woman by looking at the contents of her handbag. What she carries in her bag tells her story. I say give the same bag to 10 women and they will customize it in a way that each bag will look unique - from the inside! A mom's handbag looks totally different than a single girl's, a traveling professional carries whole different set of things in her bag than a work-in-an-office woman. But whatever our lifestyles are, there are certain things we all need in our bags to carry us through the day! In my opinion there are six categories of things we all need in our handbags -

• Make up - Lipbalm, Mascara, Face powder - for a 2 minute makeover to put a fresh face forward!
• Clean up - Wet wipes, Hand sanitizer - to deal with any messy situation
• Freshen up - A travel size perfume spritzer, breath mints - to be ready to enter any room with confidence
• Connect up - A fully charged phone - No need to explain - we live in the phones!
• Money up - At least $40 cash and your credit card - you know its always sunny.....
• Ready up - Things for our feminine needs - remember that time when (ahem) your cycle went crazy and you-know-who came unannounced?

I asked some of my readers, who by the way are super stylish women, to spill the beans on their handbag contents and here is what they told in their own humorous style. You will be surprised how useful this info is!! In alphabetical order, here are the handbag secrets of Style Delights readers!

Jenna, NYC - Mom of 3 kids, blogger @ Mommy In Manhattan

"I always carry baby wipes, Mac Cremesheen Lip gloss, Jonathan Adler planner, kids' snacks, baby teether (for her little one), Downey travel size wrinkle release spray, Purell, Orbitz gum, NYC map, Mommy cards for playdates (from minted.com)

Mrigakshi, New Delhi - Documentary Filmmaker

"I have oily skin so I always carry a powder compact, hand sanitizer, lipbalm/lipstick. 

Namrata, New Delhi - Journalist, NDTV India

"My bag is huge because I carry a lot of stuff - Make up (because she is on TV!), Kohl pencil, mascara, lipstick, perfume, MAC studio fix, sunglasses and a sanitary pad!"

Natasha, Evanston IL - Super mom of 3 kids 

"I always carry two diapers (universal mom thing), bottle of water, wallet, snacks, baby wipes, a little toy from McDonald's Happy Meal and my cell phone. I wish I had some feminine stuff - like hairbrush, lipstick, foundation and tickets to the best show in city!" 

Neetha, New York - Lawyer by profession, stay at home mom of 2 by choice 

"I always carry - Vanity mirror (To see me pretty face!)

Kleenex (To dab away anything I don’t like on my face)

Lipstick (For a gloss over when you need it)

Small make-up kit (ditto)

Facial wet wipes (the most ingenious thing discovered since sliced bread)

Pen/notebook (to jot down what I need hubby to buy after work)                                    Small perfume bottle (how I wish it was Joy)

Gum (to chew while waiting in traffic)"

Puja, Chicago  - Management Consultant - collecting airlines miles faster than Meryl Streep collects awards!

"These days my laptop bag is my purse. With 2 items limit in the cabin, I can only have my laptop bag and carry-on luggage with me.  No room for a fancy purse! So, here is my list -

Lip balm - MUST HAVE

Eye liner - this has recently become my MUST HAVE. Very convenient for instantly adding some life to my sleepy eyes. 

Breath Mints - Never know when your man gets in the mood!

A light black shawl - I get cold easily so helps to have an extra layer handy"

Supriya, Richmond VA - IT Professional (and my own Martha Stewart on speed dial - seriously, she has the most amazing ideas about style and decor)

" When I don't carry a big bag, I always keep my driving licence, credit card and a lip balm in my pocket! In a bag I carry these 3 things, my checkbook, a pair of tweezers and a little idol of Lord Ganesha."

Tweezers! Wrinkle release spray! Who would have thunk!! Did you notice how even in a little bitty purse women can carry everything but the kitchen sink -  we are so awesome!! 

What do you carry in your handbag??

Part 2 - Fear and Pain: A Cultural Picture of Childbirth...and What We Can Do to Change It

As discussed in Part 1 of this post, the experience of childbirth - and particularly the experience of childbirth as inherently painful - is strongly influenced by cultural perceptions and norms. In America, birth is largely defined by the culture-bound idea that pain and childbirth are inextricably linked. Insofar as thoughts and beliefs can impact personal experience, women who are told repeatedly to expect that birth will be grueling, difficult and painful naturally internalize these views (and the fears that result from them) over time and, thus, their birth experience could more likely be a painful one.

Challenging Our Views of Birth
If an understanding of birth as fundamentally painful and unpleasant can lead women to experience it as such, one has to wonder if this rule can be reversed. Are women who view birth as inherently comfortable -something to be embraced rather than resisted - and themselves as calm, confident and capable, less likely to have painful, difficult birth experiences?
This idea - that one can "deprogram" the mind of the cultural mindset that childbirth must be painful - is the basic premise of one particular approach to childbirth education and "pain management:" Hypnosis for Childbirth.

The Hypnotic Mind

Remember how in Part 1 I said that my own birth experience was virtually pain-free, drug-free and without any major medical interventions? In large part, I credit hypnosis for this.

There are two major hypnosis programs/styles that cater to pregnant and birthing women: Hypnobirthing (a.k.a., the Mongan Method) and Hypnobabies. There are also a number of childbirth education methods that utilize components of hypnosis. I used the Hypnobabies program for my pregnancy and birth with Little Man.

To read the rest of this article click here.

DRIES VAN NOTEN MENS AW12

SO, I'm currently sitting in work at 8am having already been here FOR A WHOLE HOUR, so alas this isn't a review as such, but instead a collection of my favourite looks from the Dries Van Noten menswear AW12 show:

Psychedelic Elegance...

Yeah, me likey, but then I AM a sucker for slogans and a narrative print, innit.

Just for kicks let's closer inspect that amazing first look.

Work of art, right? Well, yeah, exactly. This motif print is lifted from Dutch artist Gijs Frieling and the reinterpretation of Oscar Wilde's 'The Happy Prince' by calligraphy artist Letman. So there.

Red hot.