Going for Broke

Occasionally (usually when something in my apartment requires a repairman) I work from home. My "work" outfit on these days is beyond casual - a simple sarong tied around my chest as a makeshift dress. I do my work, go outside to check my mail or grab something from my car, and accept takeout from the delivery guy all in this little sarong. So non-glamorous, I know. Thank heaven for Young, Fabulous & Broke! I can be comfy thanks to the oh-so-soft jersey modal and still look like super-cute. Plus, I think the delivery guy and my neighbors would appreciate the effort.

Young, Fabulous & Broke Elizabeth Dress, $105

Young, Fabulous & Broke Caroline Dress, $105

Young, Fabulous & Broke Pocket Button Front Dress, $132

I Heart Malandrino

Photo courtesy of People.com

People magazine is asking which star wore it better, but all I can think is how beautifully easy and fresh this Catherine Malandrino dress is - anyone can look amazing in it, no? So as I'm scouring the web to find this sunny, sherbet-y creation (never did find it) I happened upon more covet-worthy Malandrino to kvell about.

A casual piece that can be worn alone or with leggings or skinny jeans and reach-for-the-sky heels.

Catherine Malandrino Gathered Cotton Tunic, $389

An absolutely PERFECT dress for a summer wedding or a nice evening out with my sweetie.

Taffeta Empire Line Dress, $552

Just the right amounts of sexy and sweet, plus the most delicious color on brown skin.

Catherine Malandrino Cotton Tunic Dress, $279

Sweet Links

It's Hump Day! Let's celebrate with some sweet links...

I totally want to use these at my next dinner party! [Shopaholics Anonymous]

Five home remedies for a more beautiful you. [Style.com]

Thrift store chic - so inspirational!! [Painfully Hip]

Blinged out water could be the next craze. [Fashion Inc.]




Check out Eva Mendes on Jane magazine's last cover ever. [Fashion.Verbatim]

Style Goodies Obsession: 18th Amendment Jeans

Okay, so for months I've promised myself that I would not fall prey to the high-waisted jean craze, mostly because I'm more of a dress kind of girl. But today I spotted these babies from 18th Amendment on Shopbop and now I'm literally obsessing over them! Should I or shouldn't I? The good news is that I have the Essence Denim Guide to tell me if they would work for me, but the bad news is that I am so loving them I may just disregard the fact that I've got more junk in my trunk than I have money to buy the jeans!


18th Amendment Colbert High Waist Flare Jean, $212



And the thing is, I wouldn't be satisfied with just one pair - oh no! I would need both pairs because one is obviously perfect for evening (with metallic heels and lots of attitude) and the other is suitable for work, lunch with the girls, or brunch with my sweetie.



So what should I do sweeties? Love 'em or leave 'em? Style Goodies wants, no, needs to hear from you before I whip out my charge card!

Gap Close-Ups

Didn't you love the Gap adverts that featured black and white photos of musicians like John Legend and Joss Stone? How cool were they? So simple they were almost primitive, yet still so.."Gap-like." Well stay tuned because The Gap's September campaign, called "Classics Redefined," will feature the same black and white "fashion portraiture" style and it's sure to sell a boatload of khakis and white button-ups. Expect to see stars like Forest Whitaker, Selma Blair, and Regina King (LOVE HER!!).

Too Faced Fall 2007 Collection

Leave it to Too Faced Cosmetics to take makeup to new heights of glamour. For Fall 2007 the makeup brand is introducing shimmering, sparkling shadows and liners in a kaleidoscope of bold colors, a color kit inspired by cool fashions, the ultimate kit for fool-proof eyebrows, and a whole lot more!

Shimmer Veils are divinely sparkly shadows with serious star-quality! The glittering eye glosses won't crease but will turn heads.

Too Faced Shimmer Veils, $18.50

Too Faced and Miss Sixty have teamed up for one glamorous collaboration! Quickie Chronicles: The Miss Sixty Girl is a one-of-a-kind color kit that combines the sass and smarts of the latest Miss Sixty fashion collection with the in-your-face sexiness of Too Faced Cosmetics.

Quickie Chronicles: The Miss Sixty Girl, $28

Celebrity brow masters have miles-long wait lists and your brows need work done, like yesterday! Skip the weeks of waiting and do it yourself with this fabulous kit that'll help you perfect the art of arches.

Too Faced Brow Envy Kit, $35

Fashion Co-op: Dresses and Handbags and Jewelry, Oh My!

Shopaholics, get your credit cards ready because one of SoCal's very best multi-designer sample sales is coming to Santa Monica July 27th and 28th! Can hardly contain myself!

So the 27th is a Girl's Nite Out shopping event with wine tasting, spa treatments, cocktails, yummy dessert samplings and, as always, a live DJ. Plus first-pick at all merchandise from over 150 rising stars in the fashion world. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. The 28th is an all-out, no holds barred, shop 'til you drop marathon. Tickets are $3 in advance and $5 at the door. Both days you can look forward to deep discounts of up to 80%!

Here are the specifics:

Where: Santa Monica Civic Center

1855 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90401

When: Friday, July 27 from 8pm-11pm

Saturday, July 28 from 10am - 4pm

This is one of my absolute favorite sample sales, ya'll! Last year we were treated to Tab energy drinks (the pink one!), complimentary eyelash applications, goodie bags, and more. The DJ was amazing, spinning everything from Prince to the Police. And I scored a super-cute minidress from Fighting Eel for $45!!! Serious fun for serious shoppers! Click here for more info, then meet me in Santa Monica!

Fashion on the Square 2007

Hey San Francisco! The 4th Annual Fashion on the Square Runway Show is coming to your town on July 28, 2007 in Union Square Park! The sponsored event is a benefit fundraiser for The Fashion Group Foundation San Francisco and this year's celebrity guest host will be Nik from America's Next Top Model. Starting at 1pm you can enjoy a raffle and entertainment, but stick around because things get really stylish when the models hit the runway at 3pm. There's limited Runway Seating for $15 (go to www.brownpapertickets.com/ for tickets) but standing room is free - that's capital FREE!




Runway images from Fashiononthesquare.com

Coming down the runway:

And a whole lot more! You won't want to miss "The Largest Outdoor Fashion Show on the West Coast!" Head towww.fashiononthesquare.com for more details!

Meet the Man of Steel

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Calvin Klein Underwear has named the oh-so-sexy and equally-talented Djimon Hounsou as the face (and rock hard body!) of Calvin Klein Steel underwear for men, WWD reports.

"He looks like steel. We thought he was the absolutely perfect talent we were looking for." - Tom Murray, Calvin Klein Inc.

Expeect to see this gorgeous specimen of a hottie on billboards in Los Angeles, Houston, and New York, as well as bus shelters in Miami and bus sides in San Francisco. The campaign will extend internationally to parts of Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Canada. Now that's what I call a Happy Anniversary!

Jessica Simpson Swimwear Line at Mercedes Benz Miami

Things really heated up in Miami this past Saturday when Jessica Simpson unveiled her eponymous line of swimwear at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Here are pics from the runway.

Images from MBFashionWeek.com

So what do you think? Sound off - Style Goodies wants to hear from you! Want to see more so you can make a more educated decision about the collection? Head to WireImage .

Fashion Flashback - Hammer Pants

Happy Friday loves!


Okay, please tell me you all remember these...





MC Hammer made them popular back in the day - I remember mine were navy blue and FIERCE! Well, Lebron James took us on a nostalgic trip to the 80's when he donned these exaggerated baggy pants at the ESPY awards. Check out his performance as Bobby Brown on the ESPY's, airing this Sunday at 9pm EST on ESPN.

Have a great weekend!

Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down

Make room in your closet for the flirtiest dresses and blouses of the season! In the most luxurious fabrics, these pieces are both sexy and sweet with girly ties at the shoulders. Check out these Style Goodies must-haves.


This Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent frock is absolutely delicious! The silhouette is easy and the tie at the shoulder is so sweet. Pair it with a tan or grey heel and pull your hair into a messy, devil-may-care updo to show off your sexy shoulders.




Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent Shoulder Tie Shift Dress, $196



Leave it to BCBG Max Azria to design the perfect blouse for any occasion. Worn with jeans, leggings, or even as a minidress (if you dare!) this 100% silk number has a gorgeous blouson shape thanks to a banded hem and adjustable sash at the hip. Plus the loosely-tied bow at the shoulder is so daringly seductive. Skinny jeans, large silver hoops, and buttery leather ballet flats would complete this casual-chic look.



BCBG Max Azria Black Silk Chiffon Blouson Top, $142


The fashion-forward design duo of Lewis Cho have succeeded in constructing what is possibly the sexiest LBD of the summer! A single tie at the shoulder creates a flirty asymmetrical keyhole and the up-to-there hem lets you show off your gorgeously tanned gams. Wear it with an armful of shiny bangles and a sexy, strappy heel for a night out or layer over black leggings and ballet flats for a chic, hipster look.




Lewis Cho Rib Knit Keyhole Halter Dress, $253

Essence Magazine Denim Guide

Seems every year around this time fashion publications put out what they call the "Ultimate Denim Guide." Mostly cool jeans, trousers, jackets, and even skirts and dresses that drape beautifully on thin (very thin) models but aren't too practical for the rest of us. Not that the rest of us aren't gorgeous, because we sooo are! But we have curves - sometimes a lot, sometimes a little - but they're there. And they're longing for denim that actually accentuates, hides, shapes, or perfects them. Thank goodness Essence magazine has given us a denim guide for real bodies with real curves. It's eight glorious pages of jeans that'll look great on the hippiest, curviest, bootylicious-est bodies!

Check this out...

For ladies with a little waist and a lot of behind, Essence suggests denim from Gap or Notify, which offer cuts for curvier figures.

Photo courtesy of Essence.com

For chicas with wide hips but no defined waistline or butt, Essence recommends trouser cut or sailor pant styles.

Photo courtesy of Essence.com

There's a lot more - head to Essence.com to see more of the Denim Guide!

Budget Beauty Tip

So, you all know about O-GLOW, the fabulous, Smashbox "intuitive" blush gel that has everyone going crazy, right? Well now beauty junkies on a budget can have the same effects with the new Almay smart shade® blush for less dough.


The Almay variety offers three shades - Pink, Natural, and Berry - with special "smart beads"that activate instantly to create the perfect blush shade for your skintone. Smart! And you get can get this revolutionary beauty technology at a drugstore near you. Genius!




Almay smart shade® in Pink, Natural, and Berry

Okay, Blogger is giving me heartburn!!

Not only are all my posts listing from last Tuesday, but I can't even put a title on any of today's posts. But don't worry, nothing will stop me from delivering your recommended daily allowance of fresh goodies... stay tuned!

With lots of love and a big kiss,
Style Goodies

This Little Piggy

I was in Phoenix over the weekend for my sweetie's cousin's graduation (Congrats Latrice!) and it was hot, hot, hot! But besides the grueling, sure-to-sweat-your-hair-out heat, we noticed a trend among Arizona women - big, round, pregnant bellies. Yup, it seems lots of little ones will soon be taking over the desert. And Hollywood! We all know Julia Roberts and Keri Russell recently gave birth, and Naomi Watts and Salma Hayek look like they're due to go any day now. Plus, it's been confirmed that Nicole Richie is preggers. So all this baby news has one thing on my mind...

SHOPPING!!!! Is there anything more adorable than baby clothes, bibs, and bonnets? I think not! Though I don't have a wee one of my own to shop for, I'm pushing some of my married friends to produce a niece or nephew for me. And of course I would spoil them with goodies from Piggy Dots!

Chenille Blanket, $40

This sweet Chenille blankie looks so cuddly I'm tempted to get one for myself. There are tons of other patterns to choose from, all just as adorable.

Diaper Bag, $120

Just about the chicest diaper bag you'll ever carry! And when the wee one's all grown up it doubles as a laptop tote. A bit pricey, but so pretty, no?

Burp Cloth, $24 for a set of 2

How cute is this burp cloth? The pattern is called Chocolate Paisley, which in itself is beyond adorable, but it's also so chic, considering its function.

The Girls Are Back! Sex and the City Returns

Okay, SITC fans, get ready to see many more Manolos because the Sex and the City movie starts filming this fall! According to Variety, New Line Cinema will distribute the film about our favorite shoe-obsessed writer and her gal pals. Here's a look at some Manolo Blahnik shoes I hope to see on the big screen:



These Stretch Suede Boots are not exactly Carrie's style, but they're so damn sexy, aren't they?! At $1,695 I can forget about it (they're definitely only in my dreams), but if you can afford them, would you mind if I live vicariously through you?




These shoes are just sick! The Buckle Slide features a 4" stacked heel and style to spare. I'm hoping Carrie will wear them with a sheer, flowy dress (that is so her signature, right?) and a messy updo.



The Jacquard D'Orsay is all at once funky and pretty and sexy and sweet! The perfect shoe for any occasion, no? I can just see Carrie running around in a sexy tank, short shorts and these fabulous shoes.



Okay, so I think it may be a little obvious that I'm a Carrie fan. As a fellow writer and shoe-shopaholic I can relate to her character the most (though I can't yet afford the shoes she wears). Her style is a bit different, but that's what's so refreshing about her - she just doesn't care what anyone thinks!



Tell me, loves, who's your favorite Sex and the City girl? Which of the four do you most relate to? Style Goodies wants to hear from you!