Tangerine Tango

Tangerine Tango is the hottest color around!  Literally everywhere I look, I see this shade.  I must have tried on a dozen Derby dress contenders in the color.  Every striped article of clothing I see has at least a sliver of the warm orange-red hue in it.  As the color name suggests, it’s bright, energetic, passionate and bold.  Admittedly, I was skeptical about wearing it at first- I’m a fair skinned gal with blonde hair and blue eyes.  I don’t have the luxury of bronzing skin in the summer, so I figured the lovely Tangerine Tango would wash me out.  Au contraire!  This color looks good on everyone (what a rarity!).

Speaking of rarities, colors are not often popular in the home fashion and the apparel industry at the same time.  Typically, a shade hits the fashion scene big and then a season or two later makes its way into home decor.  Once again, this color breaks all the rules.  I have seen Kitchen Aid mixers available in this hot orange shade, bold fabric patterns splashed with it, and wall colors covered in the famed tangerine.  

I’m not sure of it’s staying power, but for the time being Tangerine Tango is THE color to decorate with and wear.  If you’re scared to take the plunge, start small and incorporate the color in your accessories (think handbag or jewelry for fashion and pillows or vases for the home). Happy Tango-ing!

Derby 138 Fashion and Fun

Some days my life seems like it comes straight from a fairytale.  Saturday, May 5^th was definitely one of those days.  It was my fifth time at the KY Derby but never had I experienced this way.  My husband and I along with two of our best friends had the pleasure of spending the day in a finish line suite as a guest of a sweet client who I have grown very close to over the past two years.  I couldn’t have asked for a cooler early birthday present!

If you know me, you know I am an avid people-watcher.  I love admiring others' clothing and watching the crazy shenanigans people get into at major events.  Kentucky Derby 138 did not disappoint!  The hats were big and beautiful and the people were entertaining.  We looked on as Aaron Rodgers, QB for the Green Bay Packers, was interviewed. 

Watched the UK basketball team get interviewed on the red carpet (and later come up to our floor of suites).  

My pal, Amber and I, were ecstatic to pick out big hats to don for the day.  We proudly wore them until the bus ride home.

  

Some of our favorite hats we saw on other people happened to be on the balcony right below ours.  The colors this year were gorgeous!  Coral, chartreuse, cobalt blue and deep purple.  

I was hoping for a Nick Lachey sighting, but no such luck.  Hubs and I had a great time and capped the day off by getting a photo with the twin spires that Churchill Downs is known for. 

Fashion Guest Blogger: Amber Philpott, WKYT News Anchor

Amber Philpott, anchor for WKYT shares some great advice for what to wear on and off camera.  Enjoy!

I find it comical that I am writing a blog entry on fashion, I often tell people it’s funny that I work in a business where hair, makeup and clothes matter because I seem to not know a lot about any of them.  I have never been a fashionista, one who keeps up with the latest trends and fads.  What I do know is that I like what I see.  In fact this time of year is very hard for me because the weather can still feel like winter, but all of those great summer looks are calling my name as I walk through the mall.  

I think style and personal fashion should not be about trends and fads, rather what makes you comfortable and beautiful.  I am quite conservative in how I shop and what I choose; I am the type of girl who would wear pearls every single day if she could.  Pearls are timeless, classic and can be casual or dressy!

For this entry though I wanted you to have some expert advice from a woman who I rely on to help me look the best I can each and every day on WKYT.  We have an image consultant that helps us determine the right look in terms of clothing, color choice, makeup and even hairstyle.  For someone like myself I truly appreciate the help that she provides me, it means I don’t have to study magazines to figure out what I should look like.

Our consultant is Sherry Ailor with Focus Image Consulting, when I asked her what the hottest trend for spring is this year, she said Yellow!  Here is her advice for all of us out there that are a little fashion clueless!

"Yellow is a great color for every stylish woman and fashion Diva to invite into their wardrobe this spring and summer. Consider a great piece of clothing in a yellow shade or tone that flatters your skin tone, eyes and hair. Or, a yellow accessory such as a great piece of jewelry, a scarf, a belt, shoes or purse would be a great addition too. It is all out there just waiting for the right person to incorporate it into their wardrobe.

Yellow is not only an on trend color for spring it's actually the color of happiness, and optimism, of enlightenment and creativity, sunshine and spring. In almost every culture yellow represents sunshine, happiness, and warmth. This alone is good reason to add a little yellow to your fashionable life."

Sherry also says it’s “Game On,” when it comes to a popular spring trend this year.  She says sports and fitness are not only influencing our health, but now it is becoming part of our wardrobe.  Sherry says this spring you will find sporting designs that are wearable, but also allow you to show off all of the hard work that you have been putting in at the gym everyday!  She says taking care of your body and soul is very important and finding that right outfit for this spring might just help you feel even better about yourself.  

 Happy Shopping!

-Amber

Amber Philpott is an award-winning news anchor with WKYT. She is living her dream as a television news journalist, she proudly brings the news to Central and Eastern Kentucky each night as co-anchor of the 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.  www.wkyt.com

Guest Blogger: Lucy Lashbrook of White House Black Market

 Keeneland's Spring Meet opens this week! Don't be seen wearing outdated styles. White House Black Market's Lucy Lashbrook shares five fashion must-haves for this Spring:


There are so many great trends coming this Spring including lots of color, prints, high contrast patterns, and fabric mixing. Keep reading for just a few of my personal favorite runway looks!

1) Color-blocked Anything!

From dresses to bathing suits, nothing makes a statement like color-blocking. I say, the brighter the better but for you ‘play-it-safers’, simple black and white color-blocking is a classic, stunning look. Word to the wise, stick to a max of three colors so you don’t look like you walked out of a Katy Perry video!

2) Bold Prints

Stripes, polka dots, florals, geometric designs, and (my personal fav) animal prints were all over the runway this spring. Spice up a pair of denim and a simple white t-shirt with a classic blazer in a floral or animal print. Pair a button down blouse with printed jacquard pants. A polka dot handbag is a great addition to (almost) any outfit! You can do this look in a big way with an all over print or in a small way with a simple printed accessory. Don’t be afraid to go bold!

3) Sherbet Hues

Pastels are huge this year in skinny jeans, shift dresses, and blazers. These light and airy colors are perfect for spring and will transition easily into the warm summer months. You really can’t go wrong with this trend; just pick your favorite color(s) and go wild!

4) Metallic Pieces

Try a metallic skinny belt, a blazer with studs and/or sequins, and (of course) gold strappy wedges! This look is not only perfect for a night out on the town, this can also be toned down for the office. For a night out, try a blazer with mixed metals and your favorite skinny jeans. For the office, put on a gold skinny belt with a black pencil skirt and a cardigan. There are endless options with this trend so mix and match and look fabulous!

5) Lightweight Sweaters

There are so many different options in sweaters this spring. Add a cardigan in a pop color to brighten up any outfit. Patterned sweaters in various shapes and weights are perfect for the office or a day of shopping. As it gets a little warmer, try this trend in an open knit style.

-Lucy

Color Blocking

I love the current trend of color blocking!  Don’t know what I’m talking about?  It’s when you pair a few solid colored items together to create an outfit.  Here’s a great example I found on Pinterest. 

This dress combines three colors to make a bold statement!  I’m so engrossed in the trend because if you take inventory of my closet, you will see that I own a lot of solid color clothing.  Color blocking gives me an excuse to pair it all together and look chic.

Color blocking is just as popular in the home decorating world.  You can pair a few bold colors together through wall color, sofa fabric and throw pillows to create an energizing space that is beautiful to look at.  

This bed exemplifies color blocking and it has a serene, peaceful look to it.  I’m ready to curl up on it with a good book right now!

Provided everything goes as planned tonight, I will be doing some color blocking with my outfit on Saturday- some green for St Patty’s day and some blue for the UK game.

Happy color blocking to you!

Best Dressed

I love all things fashion.  In college I studied Merchandising, Apparel & Textiles which offered an emphasis on fashion while still being very applicable to the interior design world I am in now.  In my opinion dressing a room is very similar to dressing yourself.  There are a few key pieces that you must have to be on point.  

The Rug-  A rug in a room is like good undergarments on a lady.  That is your foundation for a good room.  Your outfit would be ruined if you had on a super-cute dress but didn’t wear seamless undies.  Or imagine how awful a shirt would look if (not to be too crass) your bra were too small.    We are appalled by this, but everyday people buy rugs that are too small for their space.  Don’t skimp on size!

Quality furniture- Trendy is fun, but it can be costly to keep up.  If we only buy clothing that is the latest trend, we would be shopping and spending a lot.  Our best bet is to find quality pieces that will stand the test of time that we can update with trendier accessories.  The same is true with furniture.  By selecting some classic upholstered pieces we set ourselves up to bring in trends through other elements in the room.  This helps us to avoid being unhappy with our sofa when newer models come into the stores.  

Glitz & Glam- Everyone has their preferred level of WOW! when it comes to accessories.  With some people, you can’t put enough diamonds on them.  With others,  a simple pair of stud earrings and their wedding ring is all they choose to wear.  I, myself, fall somewhere in the middle.  I think accessories are where you can afford to play around with trends and get a little funky.  Accessories in the home are not all that different from those we wear in fashion.  We have pillows, window treatments, candlesticks, finials, etc to layer upon the furniture just like we have bracelets, necklaces, belts, scarves and leggings to create a layered outfit on ourselves. 

Conversation pieces- I use my shoes as conversation pieces.  When the sky is dark and dreary but I am wearing a black & gray ensemble, I throw in bright yellow shoes for cheer.  I rarely select a plain shoe.  I’m gazing into my closet now and don’t see one pair that doesn’t have an oversized buckle, a fun texture or sheen, or a bold color to it.  The same should hold true for your art.  Select pieces that catch your eye and lead you around the room.  Think about what has meaning to you, what makes you feel comfortable and what might strike up conversation with your guests.  Those are the pieces you want on your walls.  Don’t feel like you have to put the same thing up all over.  Not every pair of shoes you have goes with every outfit, and your artwork won’t naturally fit in every room.  Mix it up with mirrors, painting, photos and framed prints.  

Think about some of these things and how you’ve dressed your house.  Does it really reflect you? 

Vintage Vantage Point

I’m Liz and I’m a Madmen-aholic.  It’s true.  I love some Roger Sterling and Don Draper.  Better yet, I love eyeing the set design for the show.  Set in the 60’s- one of my favorite eras for fashion and furniture- the homes and offices used for the show are so eye-catching.  Sleek, low-profiled sofas.  Sprinkling in metal and glass furniture to modernize a room.  Clean lines and silhouettes.

I think this period is my favorite because everything fit well.  We weren’t wearing baggy clothes OR bustles under our skirts.  A woman’s feet would touch the floor when she sat in a chair, as opposed to the overstuffed and incredibly deep seats abundantly available now.  Tailoring is classic and beautiful and the 60s were full of tailored pieces.  Here are a few things from that decade that I find inspiring:

Portrait Collars

Streamlined furniture

Picture Windows