the dressing room

DRESS was very lucky to be included inDecisive Magazine’s Winter 2012 issue, their first Eco-Edition and first fashion spread!  Decisive Magazine provides culturally relevant news and information to minority consumers in order to help them make purchasing decisions on products and services.  You can view DRESS’s story at www.Decisive Magazine.com or in print.

Check out one of our favorite dress rentals for Spring by Robert Rodriguez Black Label (rental fee: $205 3-Days including dry cleaning) featured in Diablo Magazine’s Spring Issue now on newsstands!

What can be said about this years fashions at the Academy Awards that hasn’t been said already?  Or, at least stated well by Joan Rivers.  As I took notes during the broadcast ( the ‘ol memory ain’t what she used to be), I found that I matched pretty closely with the Fashion Police.

Let’s  get right to my favorites.  The first “wow” on the red carpet was not only the ever-handsome George Clooney, but the tall, blond Stacy Keibler attached to his side.  Her gold-tone Marchesa was stunning.  Not many could pull off a huge floral accent on the hip, but Stacey did, and quite well.  Who knows how long she will be by his side, but if he’s going  for a looker who dresses well, she could be there longer than the odds-makers predict.  Her hair color and skin tone complimented the dress perfectly.  Way to go George and Stacy.

Milla Jovovich is not someone normally on my radar, but her one shouldered, white (big theme of the night) Elie Saab gown was a show stopper in my book.  I tend to go for understated elegance and this fit the description perfectly.  The hair and make-up, highlighted with matte red lipstick  along with her subtle jewelry all worked for me.

My  favorite of the night?  Thanks for asking.  Hands down, Gwyneth Paltrow in her theme following white Tom Ford gown with matching over the shoulder cape.  AWEsome!  So smart, so subtle, so glamorous.  Once again, the whole look meshed.  Even with the cape removed when she was on stage, the draping of the two shouldered gown totally worked.  The addition of a big cuff was all she needed to perfect the look

Making my special lasagna might have interrupted some of my fashionable viewing, but there wasn’t much that truly offended this year.  At first glance the color of Viola Davis’ gown struck a positive chord, but upon further review the ill-fitting top made it fall to the bottom of the list.  Shailene Woodly,  from The Descendants had on a lovely (white)Valentino Couture.   Lovely if she was forty years older; not too fab  for a twenty year old.  Last of my least favorites might surprisingly go to the  Elie Saab dress worn by The Help star Jessica Chastain.   Sorry, but the black and gold Alexander McQueen just fell flat for me.  It seems Twitter followers loved it but it had too much going on for my tastes.

Whatever will we do now that  award season is over? Fashion Police always finds something to say……

Every once in awhile we at DRESS get lucky and our customers send us a great photo from their special occasion.  This year we got our first Grammy Nominee…Lisa Grodin a violinist nominated twice for her work with El Mundo for “Best Small Ensemble Performance”, and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra for “Best Orchestral Performance”.  She looked amazing and shows the power of COLOR on the Red Carpet.

Please check out live CBS coverage of El Mundo (including Lisa) at:  http://www.cbs.com/shows/grammys/video/?play=true&pid=Qf6M0lVZbQOf1lAwugsKEq8_jxq5Rogu

You can also purchase El Mundo “The Kingdoms of Castille” on iTunes.

As  you know cupcakes are all the rage and everytime  you turn around there’s another shop popping up on a corner or someone selling some special recipe out of a foodtruck that you can only locate if you have Twitter.   But even with the plethora of choices not all cupcakes are…well…created the same  (yes I’m a C.C. – Cupcake Connoisseur…just ask my love handles) but my friends let me tell you, I have found the best ones in Oakland made by Eurydice at James & the Giant Cupcake (Yes, her name is Eurydice and she really, really is as cool as her name.)

Some of you might have already tasted her insanely good creations but for those who haven’t you’ve got to go try at least one at her new shop in the Golden Triangle located off of San Pablo.  My recommendation is her signature:  Sea Salt and Carmel.  O.M.G.  Salty, sweet, chocolaty goodness at its best.

JAMES & the Giant Cupcake

Wednesday-Saturday 10:30 – 6:30

Sunday 10:30 – 5:30

6326 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA

I know this is late and if I was a TRUE blogger I’d have had a post up the moment the credits rolled about the Golden Globes. But guess what? I was tired and to be really truthful I just wasn’t WOWED.  There wasn’t one lady that made me look at her and say “I wish I had THAT dress.”  This year just didn’t do it for me (the movies weren’t that great either if you want me to be completely honest.)  But I’m hoping the SAG’s get my juices flowing.

My Favorite:  Sophia Vergara in Vera Wang.  She was my closest WOW.  I love that she’s a curvy girl, I loved the color of the dress and I loved the detail Ms. Wang put into it.  That’s mermaid styling at it’s best and she looked A-Mazing.

#2: Charlize Thereon in Dior just because she really did look like a goddess.  The cut showed off everything that’s great about her body (legs, arms…) and it was just so feminine. I could have done without the headband though.  Note Ladies: That nude/soft pink color she was wearing IS NOT EASY TO PULL OFF.  A lot of my customers love the nudes and unless you’re will to put in the work on the make-up and tanning…don’t do it.  It can wash you out!

#3:  Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji.  Loved the soft lilac, love the bling and love the ruching!  Listen to me: if you’re curvy a little stretch and a little ruching hugs where you need hugging, shapes where you need shaping and basically shows off all that’s great about your body.

Eh… Award:  Angelia Jolie in Atelier Versace.  I like you better in jewel tones Ms. Jolie. You looked a little Cruella de Ville to me mama.

My Sigh Award…: Meryl Streep in cowboy chic? Seriously I know she could give a darn but it kills me that such a beautiful, talented woman can’t get it together on Red Carpet.  She has access to BEST hair, styling, fashion and yet she still looks like she just threw it together an hour before the limo picked her up.  Meryl… Come to DRESS we can help! Or at least call Helen Mirren’s stylist!

Last but not least… HATED IT:  Piper Pearbo wearing Olivier Theyskens.  That’s a lot of dress for such a petite woman and the color made her look a little uh…ill.  Of all the dresses out there this was the one that did it for you?  Really?