Coquette

Gingham in Check

Gingham prints are looking fresh again with a myriad of bright colors like this J. Crew perfect shirt in mini-gingham in bright dahlia ($75). I was re-invigorated on this checkered print thanks to one of Hello! Lucky's recent blog post featuring these mini-gingham check cupcake liners ($7.50 on Etsy/thebakersconfections). Now I long for corn on the cob, swimming in the lake, and a bike ride through the country-side.

Here are more of my picks for inspired gingham:

Boy. by Band of Outsiders Gingham Check Jacket ($1,095 at Shopbop)

C&C California Gingham Check Roll Sleeve Pocket Shirt ($118 at Shopbop)

Gingham Plaid Tunic ($15.80 at Forever 21)

Gingham Retro-Bandeau Tank ($110 at J.Crew)

Gingham Poplin Sleep Set ($16.94 at Old Navy)

Flux Wedges ($198 at Anthropologie)

Miu Miu Gingham Heart Key Fob ($195 at NET-A-PORTER)

Web Snob Weekly Roundup

Here is this week's Web Snob with the latest in fashion, beauty, celeb, and lifestyle:

• Find it hard to separate the fabulous from the frumpy at H&M? Let the H&M Spring Trend Guide at Stiletto Jungle be your roadmap for affordable shopping success.
• Valentine’s Day alert the black pleated Parker Gown is the best dress Shopping and Info has seen in a long time that combines elegance with modern chic .
• The Beauty Stop previews Essie's new Luxeffects polish line.
• Allie is Wired has a first look at Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows.
• The Jet Set Girls are dreaming of Paris and Christian Louboutin's Crazy Horse cabaret.
• Second City Style interviews Alison Hessert of Mixology NYC who dishes on decanters, dreams and design.

KARL at NET-A-PORTER Collection

(Photos: Leigh Ferreira)

Karl Lagerfeld launched his new exclusive KARL at NET-A-PORTER collection with a bevy of pop-up shops in Paris, NY, London, and Berlin. Our own Leigh Ferreira took a trip to the Bleecker Street pop up shop where customers were able to shop for the clothes via iPad. The exclusive collection offers over 70 different pieces from the collection including draped jersey dresses, classic pants, sweatshirts, skirts, shirts, dresses, T-shirts, shoes and bags. Channeling Lagerfeld's distinct aesthetic, the color palette is predominantly black and white with a rock 'n' roll edge. These are classic edgy pieces that can live on for years in your closet.

Here are my favorite pieces:

KARL Batya wrap-effect metalic silk-blend crepe top ($200), KARL Sachi pleated faux leather skirt ($160)
KARL Ordina sequined biker dress ($485), KARL Sabine sequined shorts ($270)
KARL Textured-leather clutch ($270) KARL Metallic leather wedge sandals ($405)

Shop online or visit one of the pop-up shops here:

• 176 Boulevard St Germain, Paris
• Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris
• 375 Bleecker Street, New York
• Unit 3, Covent Garden Market, London
• Taubenstrasse 14, Berlin
• 178 Campbell Pde Bondi Beach, Sydney

(Photos: NET-A-PORTER)

Karl Lagerfeld in Paris viewing his collection on the iPad at the Paris launch. See more photos from the KARL at NET-A-Porter Paris launch after the jump.

Kate Somerville Skin Care Kits

Last night I touched my face to rub my eyes because I was tired. As I was smoothing my palms over my cheeks, I was a little shocked to feel how extremely soft my face was. This is a rare thing during winter and I have to attribute it to my use of the Kate Somerville skin care line since October. (Here's the list of products I use daily.) It's hard to know what works for your skin so if you don't have a Kate Somerville counter near you to get samples (SF has Neiman Marcus), I highly recommend getting one of Kate Somerville's skin care kits. The great thing about purchasing online is the free shipping for purchases over $50 and you'll also get to pick 3 samples too! The kit I recommend the most is the Ageless Solutions Kit ($75). It's got the best anti-aging products for you to test out. Remember ladies, it's never to early to start a good anti-aging skin care regimen!

The Ageless Solutions Kit (pictured above) comes with Gentle Daily Wash (2 fl. oz.), ExfoliKate Intensive Treatment (0.5 fl. oz), CytoCell Dermal Energizing Treatment (0.5 fl. oz.), CytoCell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream (0.25 fl. oz.). Read more about each product and directions online.

Here are more Kate Somerville skin care kits:

Kate's Essentials Kit ($115)

Comes with:

• Gentle Daily Wash (2 fl. oz.)
• Nourish Daily Moisturizer (1.7 fl. oz.)
• ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment (2 fl. oz.)
• Bonus CytoCell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream Trial Size (2 mL)

The 911 Kit ($125)

Comes with:

• Detox Daily Cleanser (4 fl. oz.)
• Clarifying Treatment Toner (5 fl. oz.)
• Anti Bac Clearing Lotion (1.7 fl. oz.)
• Clearing Mask (2 fl. oz.)
• Oil-Free Moisturizer

The Glow Kit ($265)

Comes with:

• ExfoliKate® Intensive Exfoliating Treatment (2 fl. oz.)
• Quench Hydrating Face Serum (1 fl. oz.)
• Deep Tissue Repair Cream (1 fl. oz.)

Related:
Q&A: Skin Care Expert Kate Somerville

Skin Care Q&A: The Answers To Your Questions Are In!

Hi Lovelies! Lisa from the Four Seasons Maui Resort in Hawaii is back with the answers to your skin care questions (previous post here). I found her answers to be super helpful myself so I hope this new series can help you on your path to better skin for 2012.

One of the best products that Lisa recommended to me last fall was the Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Cleansing Brush ($225) as it works both for your face and body. It's really helped my clogged pores and I find it has worked well for my skin care routine. I use it about three times a week for my face and twice a week in the shower for my body. Yes it's a bit more than the Mia but not by that much. You really aren't going to need to buy this product frequently so why not get the best?! The Clairsonic PLUS has three speeds for the face and a body mode as well. For those of you that don't know, Clairsonic uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth skin. In just a minute, the micro-massage action removes six times more makeup and twice the dirt and oil than cleansing with your hands alone. You can use your own cleanser with the Clairsonic. (I use Kate Somerville's Gentle Daily Wash.)

Lisa Mascaro of the Four Seasons Maui Spa

And if you ever make it to Maui, you must get a facial with Lisa at the Four Seasons Maui Spa. It's amazing and your skin will thank you for it!

Lisa's skin care answers to your questions are here after the jump! (I also included an edited version of the questions for easy reference.)

FLORA: Open-Source Wearable Electronics Platform

Fashion technology is one of my passions and it's always exciting for me to see more movement in this direction. Adafruit just announced their new open-source wearable electronics platform, FLORA. What does this mean? It means that in the near future, you will start to see much more interesting ways in which clothing or accessories can light up, connect with your devices, and take things into the future.

FLORA is very beginner friendly so if you are looking to get into fashion technology – this module can be a great first step! I'll continue to keep up on this new technology and will post new developments in fashion tech as they come up.

Read the FAQ and find out more about FLORA at Adafruit.

FLORA by ADAFRUIT from adafruit industries on Vimeo.

Web Snob Weekly Roundup

Here is this week's Web Snob with the latest in fashion, beauty, celeb, and lifestyle:

• The Beauty Stop checks out Dior's new scented nail polish.
• Stiletto Jungle shows how pretty color will take center stage for Spring, just like it did at the Rodarte show.
• Golden Globes trend alert Charlize Theron stunned in her buff pink Dior dress Shopping and Info shows you how to get this look.
• The Jet Set Girls are lusting after the sexy, new Trina Turks and Caicos Collection: bikinis, coverups and more exclusively for the Grace Bay Club.
• Allie is Wired covers the launch of Honest.com, Jessica Alba's new eco-friendly baby essentials product line.
• Fashion Pulse Daily discovers that the winter can instantly be made more tolerable when wearing a Wellensteyn jacket.
• Second City Style gives two points of view in He Said/She Said: The Celebrity Fashions of the 69th Golden Globe Awards.
• StyleBakery has the perfect remedy for the mid-winter blahs: a printed blazer.

iNecklace

This iNecklace ($75) by Adafruit is a fun way to show off your geeky tech side. The aluminum necklace features a pulsating LED pendant reminiscent of the Apple "breathing" LED on Macs. Before you wear it out, just pop the battery in and the LED will gently pulsate for up to 72 hours. And even better geeky news? The iNecklace is completely open source! Watch the video below to see it in action.

iNecklace by Adafruit from adafruit industries on Vimeo.

Easy Breezy Stripes

Let's get down to the basics. When I think back to the many times I visit France, the women I see are draped in classic, easy style, not in brands. One of the chicest ways to look stylish without sacrificing comfort is the striped t-shirt. Coco Chanel had it right and it's been right for over 50 years. I'm a sucker for style variations on the classic stripe that justs continues to make this trend fresh each year. This slouchy carefree look above featuring the Striped Shawl-Collar Boatneck ($68 at Anthropologie) looks so perfect for a weekend morning paired over denim skinnies. Dress it all up with a bright bag that will make running errands seem like a trip to Paris. This spring, it's also about the mix of color combinations with stripes. It's a great way to try to go bright and bold! Green stripes seem to be calling me.

Stock up on stripes with the sale at Piperlime.com! Shop now and save 20% off. Use code NEWYOU! Ends 1/19.

Here are more picks for easy breezy stripes:

Stripe V-Neck Cardigan ($49.50 at LOFT)

Striped Dolman Sleeve Poncho Sweater ($69.50 at LOFT)

Marina Stripe Boatneck Top ($29.50 at LOFT)

French Stripe Crop Sweatshirt ($74 at Piperlime)

Pim + Larkin Striped Belted Dress ($79 at Piperlime)

Web Snob Weekly Roundup

Here is this week's Web Snob with the latest in fashion, beauty, celeb, and lifestyle:

• Here are BagSnob's favorite bags in every color of the rainbow, in the authentic order of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
• The Beauty Stop previews Jason Wu for Target.
• Winter isn’t over yet.V-Style shows you the best black boot option.
• Bold. Saturated. Womanly. François Nars’s latest color collection is all those things and more. Find out more about the NARS Spring 2012 Collection + MUR Water at BeautySnob!
• Inspired by the Prada runway, Stiletto Jungle is featuring gorgeous green handbags for Spring.
• Brad and Angie stopped by the White House this week. Allie is Wired has the pictures.
• Second City Style lists New Year's resolutions from a woman who usually doesn't make them in Fashionattitude.