The Cropped Top is Back

Remember back in the 90s when no one was afraid to show off their mid-drift? I sure do because I was always getting in trouble at school for violating the dress code. I had to show at least an inch of skin between my jeans and the bottom hem of my top like the pop queens Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The mid-drift has been hidden for almost a decade, but now it's showing up again, not just with pop stars, but in high fashion.

Now, this doesn't mean that any cropped top is fashionable, and it definitely doesn't mean that anyone can wear one (sorry to be discriminatory). Showing too much skin isn't good; if the top is barely covering your boobs you're starting to get to the risque side. The looser the better! And you have to have the right body type, meaning you better be fit and comfortable with showing off your midsection.

This is bad! Please don't do this.

These are some great street fashion examples of cropped tops

It's always great to see old fashions making a comeback!

And Here They Are

I mentioned back in March that the CFDA Awards nominees were going to be announced, but I realize I forgot to follow up with who the nominees are for 2011. And so without further adieu, here are the nominees for:

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez, and Reed Krakoff

Reed Krakoff

Menswear Designer of the Year: Michael Bastian, Michael Ervell, and Simon Spurr

Accessory Designer of the Year: Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez, and Reed Krakoff

Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Mary-Kate and Ashly Olsen, Joseph Altuzarra, and Prabal Gurung

The Olsens with Diane von Furstenberg

Swarovski Award for Menswear: Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, and Robert Geller

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Alejandro Ingelmo, Eddie Borgo, Jason Wu, and Pamela Love

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Marc Jacobs.

Fashion Icon Award: Lady Gaga (of course)

The Media Award: Hilary Alexander of The Telegraph

Founders Award: Hal Rubenstein of In Style

International Award: Phoebe Philo for Celine

From left to right: Jack McCullough & Lazaro Hernandez, Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, Lady Gaga, and Eddie Borgo

Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the air! The flowers are blooming, the sun is peaking out from behind the clouds, and it's time to take out those dresses that have been buried behind your coats and scarves all winter long. When the weather starts getting warm, there's nothing better than just slipping on a cute dress and strappy sandals and walking out the door without a care in the world! Here are some dresses to inspire your springtime wardrobe.

An Icon, a Hero, a Legend

On the morning of March 23, 2011, we lost an icon, a hero, and a legend. These are not three different people, but, in fact, just one encompasses those three words, Elizabeth Taylor. She has been a style icon since the 1940s, a hero in her work for AIDS funding, and a legend of our time. She was the woman whom diamonds were made for; the woman whose role as Cleopatra could never be rivaled; the woman who was admired by the world for her beauty and style. She will forever be missed and never be forgotten.

"I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can't possess radiance, you can only admire it." - Elizabeth Taylor

And the Nominees Are...

Tomorrow, Diane von Furstenberg, president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, will be announcing the nominees for this year's CFDA awards at her studio in New York. Style.com will be streaming the announcement live on its website.

Awards are given for design excellence in womenswear, menswear, and accessories, as well as accomplishments in journalism, creative vision, and lifetime achievement. It is the Academy Awards of the fashion world. There are 12 awards given out, and last year's Lifetime Achievement Award went to one of my favorite designers, Michael Kors. He started his career at the age of 19, and has since created a global brand of womenswear, menswear, and accessories, both in couture and ready-to-wear. The Womenswear Designer of the Year went to Marc Jacobs, and the International Award went to Christopher Bailey for Burberry.

It is going to be an exciting night! I can't wait to see who is nominated!

Diane von Furstenberg, president of CFDA

Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors with their 2010 CFDA Awards

The Guardians of Our Feet

Some people give me funny looks when I tell them how many pairs of shoes I own. When I went to study abroad in London for a semester, I brought one pair of every type of shoe I owned, a total of eleven pairs. My flatmate looked at me like I was crazy. She only brought two pairs of shoes. And she thought I was crazy? A girl needs ballet flats, tall boots, short boots, tall boots with heels, short boots with heels, Oxfords, pumps, moccasins, kitten heels, tennis shoes, and the list goes on. I had to weed out shoes in order to get it down to those eleven pairs. And I came back from London with fourteen pairs.

Shoes are the guardians of our feet. They keep us warm, they keep us cool, they keep us protected, so why shouldn't they keep us stylish as well? I don't like to wear the same jacket every day, or the same shirt every day, so it's only natural that I wouldn't want to wear the same shoes every day. I need a variety of shoes to go with my variety of outfits. A smart woman said to me once, "I'm not just wearing clothes, I'm wearing an outfit, a head-to-toe outfit." So for those of you who own many, many pairs of shoes, don't be ashamed, be proud, and rock your head-to-toe outfits!

Shoes, Oh Shoes by ESP3726 on Polyvore.com

The Eighties

Neon green tights, a washed out jean jacket, permed hair, and a scrunchy. What am I talking about? That's right, the 1980s. The 1960s is my favorite era of fashion, but I have to give a shout out to the crazy styles of the eighties. Who is the one person you should think of when thinking about the decade? Why Madonna, of course. Her dark makeup, curly blond hair, black leather gloves and jacket, and patterned leggings were what girls wanted to look like. And let us not forget the styles worn by Molly Ringwald in movies like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club. The pink neck-high prom dress was something to be remembered. One can already see how the interesting styles of the time have crept their way back into current fashion in the form of patterned tights and leggings, jean jackets, Ray Ban sunglasses, and, yes, even shoulder pads.