A lovely Friday: LV and Saks

Rhetorical question: Do I love fashion and shopping? Unless you've never met me or read this blog before, the answer might take you a few seconds to think about. 

To my joy, I was invited to attend a Friday night fall fashion trend event sponsored by MasterCard at Saks in Chicago with celebrity stylist, "America's Most Smartest Model" judge and Harper's Bazaar Contributing Fashion Editor Mary Alice Stephenson. This event came at the perfect time because I'm in desperate need of new fall clothes so I need someone to show me what I should be looking at this season. And it was the perfect opportunity to take Speedy out for a night on the town.

Thanks to Friday traffic on Michigan Avenue, Sarah, Teresa and I were a little late, but we were able to grab some drinks and appetizers before snagging front row seats for the trend fashion show, where we got to see some gorgeous pieces from Lanvin, Donna Karen, Michael Kors, Escada, Theory and Ellen Tracy. I also got some great ideas of pieces to add to my wardrobe this fall too like romantic blouses, bold necklaces (my favorite!), deep hues, like purple, and tailored dresses. Not sure if the latter works with a curvy, full chested figure, but we can make it work.

 I am loving the purple bag, sweater coat and Prada shoe-booty!

The most exciting part of Friday night, outside of a fun girls night out and the fashion show, was that I was able to interview Mary Alice quickly for my blog :) I didn't get to ask all of my questions, but I did get to ask her key ones to share with everyone.

Pre-interview picture of me and Mary Alice

What are the biggest fall trends for women?

Costume jewelry, cocktail rings and bold necklaces which are an easy way to dress up any outfit and are available at every price point. Forever 21 and H&M are two great examples of affordable places to get costume jewelry that are great for fall.

If I could only buy one thing this fall, what should I invest in?

Tailored dress - the right tailoring and close cut makes you look your best and flatters every figure

What are the top 5 things a woman should have in her closet?

1. Black pencil skirt
2. Dark denim trouser jeans (perfect for work and weekend)
3. LBD - fitted black dress
4. Top handle bag
5. Boots - knee-high or shoe-booty

What fashion trend should never come back?

This is tough because I draw inspiration from everything, but if I had to pick one, it would be the sheer blouse with colored bra underneath, it's very 80s Madonna. Sheer can work and can be tasteful but not mixing colors like that.

For petite, curvy girls, what are the best cuts/fits to buy?

Any style can work for curvy and petite girls, you just have to really spend time with the particular style you're interested in and find how that works for your body. Flat-front pants work the best, and if you want to minimize your waist, go for hip-slung pants that sit a little lower. If you want a "hippier" waist, go with a higher-waist pant. If you're conscious about your arms, go for an off-the-shoulder look and play with necklines.

What advice do you have for women who are still struggling to find their  personal style?

Play dress up and play with clothes to help you find what works best for you. Look online for tips and ask for help at stores about fit and cut. Identify your best asset and play it up, embrace it! Work what works best for you. And identify your "problem area" and make sure when looking for fit, you fit that area first and tailor the rest of the outfit around that. If you hate your rump, find pants that fit that the best and tailor the waist or cuff. Clothes and fashion should be fun so have fun with it!

Once my interview was over, we got to go shop around Saks to find some of the outfits they modeled in the show. There was a white wool Michael Kors dress that literally made me almost sacrifice paying rent to buy it and a gold Alice + Olivia peacoat jacket that made me hunt it down (literally) in the store. Here's a picture of me modeling the jacket. I think it looks adorable on me.

Forget rent and food, I love this jacket!

Realizing clothes would not be an option, we went and played in the handbag department, indulging in our love of Bottega, Gucci and a little D&G. At dinner after (with champagne of course) we went through the gift bag we got and I am beyond excited about my new Bobbi Brown Tube Tints, which has four mini lip glosses in awesome colors. So excited!

So it was a fun Friday night and I managed to a) behave myself and b) be professional, I was on full bloggy detail after all. 

How was everyone else's weekend?