On trend-the man bag

This fall guys, why not take a note from Seinfeld and Joey from Friends and rock a man bag!? Whether for class, work or just for fun you can look ultra chic by carrying a man bag instead of having that crazy bulge in your pants, and NO I don’t mean that kind! I mean that type that your ultra fat wallet leaves in your back pocket.
The man bag ranges in styles from briefcases to messenger bags. They are ultra hip and surprisingly masculine. The man bag can be used to carry your laptop, cell phones, work papers for travel and school work. The signs of a well made bag are as follows: good structure, quality construction, durable material, supple yet sturdy leather, adjustable and thick strap and strong closures.
If you are a white collar worker such as a lawyer, who needs to carry papers around and hopes to keep your papers in good shape a durable and strong briefcase would be your best option. If you are a student or typical guy who wants to carry around a laptop and some additional work, a messenger bag might be your bag of choice.
When it comes to purchasing a bag you need to keep a few things in mind. First, you want to decide what you will use your bag for, second: you need to decide the size you want to use, thirds: you want to decide what kind of interior you need (folder pockets vs. wide space etc. ) and finally you should decide what kind of material you want your bag in (leather vs. fabric).
Once you narrow down what kind of bag you want, you need to decide the color. Man Bags that are masculine will come in bold and strong colors. Do not be afraid to go for a funkier feel because conservative can sometimes be seen as boring and why not take a risk and show your fearlessness?! Bags can often make an impression on potential employers so do keep that in mind when picking your final piece. Designers like Piet Breinholm make some incredibly fashion forward bags. According to the New York times, “Piet Breinholm, a former drummer for the Berlin-based trio 18 Dye, who has transformed the once-ubiquitous leather school bag carried by Danish children into a chic unisex accessory. The Last Bag [was] named for the Last Band.”
Bags like this are carried by men who want to make an impression and who find it helpful to utilize something other than a wallet. Some great trends that you can see in men’s bags are vintage closures, refurbished styles, dyed leathers in colors like hunter green, distressed messenger styles and canvas styles.
The man bag has definitely been a hit in Hollywood! The “Man’s Man” Kiefer Sutherland of Fox’s hit TV show 24 has been seen carrying a man bag! He uses the bag to carry around essential items, scripts and of course the electronics all men need! This season men, don’t be afraid to sport the man bag! You’ll look fresh and funky!
Jennifer M. Lezan is a freelance fashion designer and writer for:
www.Briefcasesdirect.com a website offering luxury briefcases direct from the manufacturer!

Fall Fashion Is Underway

Hello fellow readers!

Sorry it has been a while since I have made a post. It has been quite a busy few months for me in terms of work! I have been interning for a few magazines as well as working full time so I have not had a lot of time to research good stuff for you here on blogger, Although I am still putting up weekly trend reports via my fashion column in the Chicago Examiner! Check them out here!

In honor of the season premier of Mad Men, I have posted some great old school vintage fashion illustrations that showcase and highlight the chic 60's style that the show has become infamous for! You can find more at fashion-era.com! Make sure to check out my recent examiner article for a vintage how to!

As you all can already tell, Summer's end is fast approaching! Soon the chilly fall air will hit Chicago and with that comes Chicago Fashion Focus and NY Fashion Week! Needless to say, Fall is my FAVE season! I just love the chilly weather and the great transition in my wardrobe!! I will be utilizing the blog to showcase top trends over the course of the year as well as pointing you to some of my personal vintage recreations and personal designs.

I will also be steering the blog into more of a professional direction in terms of showcasing my trend researching ability, my styling ability and will use it as a tool to reach out to people who have fashion questions and need direction!

So please start sending questions and requests! I will be more than happy to showcase a question and answer it with great visuals and step by step direction! I also just created my website with my portfolio for your view! check it out here!

Adios!

Jen

Designer spotlight-Celine by Phoebe Philo

Phoebe Philo is this weeks Designer Spotlight. She was the head designer for Chloe in 2007. This summer she showcased her debut line, Celine throughout the 2010 Resort Collections. The line is a breath of fresh air and economical pleasantry. Her designs are versatile, feminice, chic and most importantly they are great investment pieces to add flare to any wardrobe.
According to style.com the line can be, "described as woman-friendly, with lots of great-looking suits, chic cocktail dresses, and fabulous outerwear. (A cargo coat worn over a crystal-embroidered shift was a key look, and there were a pair of capes to delight the designer's longtime fans)".
I was definitely smitten with the line upon review. The pieces can be intermixed and mingled effortly with any basics a woman may already have within her closet. They are well made, great tailored and flattering pieces. The looks are very grown up and mature without being stuffy. The color palette includes incredible nude and black combinations, with hints of marine blue, navy, and utility green. Then there are the special details which truly add to the beauty of the whole line.
Philo was quoted saying, "It's not about total looks," [of her approach]. "After my break, and with Celine in various different hands these last years, it felt better for me to work on an idea of a wardrobe than too much on trends. October will be for that. The collection is about interchangeable investment pieces. I worked hard to create things that will stand the test of time."
This is a line that is definitely worth reviewing for it's beauty, ability to fit well into any Chicago woman's wardrobe, and most importantly the quality and ability for it to work with your current wardrobe.

The Hills Says Goodbye to Lauren and Hello to Kristin Cavallari??

WTF?? Seriously, I must say I am heedlessly dissapointed to say goodbye to Lauren, but why are they saying hello to Kristin Cavallari?? WOW, I guess is goodbye to my Monday night show because it's obvious I will no longer staying tuned with Kristin in Lauren's spot. She just rubs me the wrong way! Too bad, so sad! BUT, on the other hand--the finale episode and preshow for the MTV Movie awards sported some FANTABULOUS styles.

A great hot trend I saw throughout the evening was the ultra sexy, ultra fitted mini dress. Lauren and all the girls from the show were sporting the great mini ensemble in a fantastic array of colors. There were great sequined and beaded numbers like the Megan fox wore (must add though that the hairstyle was not very nice to her face). I also loved the

Editorial Photos-Disturbia Suburbia

Just some incredible fashion editorial images I stumbled across! Hope you enjoy!

Burda Style

For the love of the Fashion Gods! I think I've stumbled upon fashion design nirvana and it is called: Burdastyle.com! It's like a myspace and limewire for fashion designers! It is a great tool for young aspiring designers to share and download free patterns and get free tutorials on sewing as well as a forum to ask fashion design and sewing related questions!

It is manned by a team of professionals with backgrounds in computer science, fashion design, sewing and patternmaking! I have found it quite blissfully helpful and I would reccomend it to all my fashion friends and professionals! Take some time and check it out: http://www.burdastyle.com/!

Happy Sewing Lovelies!

Visual Stimulation for your Creative Mind

Just some beautiful images to get you through the week..The style file installment will be up this week! Sorry for the delay! :)