Who are you going to be for New Year's Eve??

…So like every other new year’s holiday it becomes a battle in your head.

The familiar refrains begin such as

 I -don’t- have- plans- yet…I- am- not sure- what- everyone- else- is doing- yet battle,

the I- don’t like -any- of- the- options- being-presented objection,

then there’s I- hate- new years- but- I- don’t- want- to- stay- home- watching- Kathy Griffin- trying- too- hard-to- be- controversial arguement,

Ms Griffin and Mr Cooper NYE 2008. KG seen here in strategic comtemplation on how she can steal the moment/evening/week from AC thereby extending her fame a few minutes more by employing gratutious controversy and vulgar jokes. Compelling reason enough to leave the house.

and the ever popular I- am- fat- from- all- the- holiday- food- cookies- candy- sprinkles- gingerbread- eggnog- lattes- and- have- no- idea- how- I- will- shoehorn -my- body- into- anything,

and finally my personal favorite the I- hate- new- years- but- I- like- the- clothes- so- I- need- to- build- an- event- around -the- dress- I -need- a- good- excuse- to- buy….

 Familiar?? I for one have uttered each of these statements silently in an obssessive duel between my practical nature that knows better than to expect really cool things to happen surrounding this holiday and my A type personality which in the past has taken matters in hand and has either thrown parties even  Diddy would admire or I have made sure I am off to NY or some foreign country to see what they’re doin for New Year’s Eve…

For the record, come on… we’re women. We re genetically predisposed to overthink and overanticipate this holiday. Ive worked my way through the 12 steps to getting off this holiday addiction… but I confess I still fall off the wagon now and again. This year its Sam Edelman’s SKY HIGH  black suede platform pumps encrusted with black, grey and clear crystals  …Georges V anyone??? Look, I can quit anytime I want…

So… dear friends who are struggling I have a few thoughts on NYE glamour for each of the style icons we have covered in the “Who is your style icon” exercise on this very blog…

Who do you want to be when the big ball drops??!!? Here’s a few ideas to get your glamour girrrrrrrl to come out and play!!

Lil Kim / Big Kim (Kardashian) Styles for “The Bombshell”

Go for the Gold...leggings and gold, 2 big trends that go great together!

The Iconoclast (left) The Bombshell (right) these 2 friends showed upto shop for NYE looks and within 10 minutes it was clear they had found THEIR iconic looks for the evening! Dress and skirt by Laroc. It's hard to see here but the clothing is comprised of metalic pailettes which shimmer and flutter alluringly! Definately a party showstopper!

Kate (Moss) Chloe (Seveigny… enough with the Kardashians pleez!) and SJP.

 Channeling The Iconoclast

a great dress deserves great boots! The high low textural contrast between this shimmering Jenny Han dress and strong leather shoe boots strike just the right note of rebellion...

For the Kate Moss boho sensibilty, apres ski lodge party for 2 or anywhere in the midwest...

Options for The LA Woman…

Studded leggings a boyfriend blazer and plaid...Grunge Moderne....

Going to the Key Club Re opening on New Years are you...here's a hott idea that will give you access uhm maybe even all access...Metal Chain Top and Goth Leather Jacket courtesy Nikki Sixx and Kelly Grey of Royal Underground

Lest we forget, Dear Modern Classicist, this holiday is yours! Between all the highly dramatic LBDs, restrained but luxurious use of sequins, paillettes and feathers, my dear, this is a Holly Go Lightly Holiday on parade! Here are but a few examples of moderrn chic that pay serious homage to Grace and Audrey…  

A little David Meister in the evening is a very good thing!

Holly Go Lightly redux by Marc Jacobs. A girly yet ultimately sophisticated sheath and a field if organza rosettes on the sleek but softly tailored skirt. Ladylike refinement for the urban fashionista...

Finally Styles Cool Sister, Ms Casual Chic vis a vis Jenn, Cam and Cindy are the impossible chic epitome of american style. Here’s how it looks when this girl goes out on the town…

Easy, Breezy and Flirty Fun for the Boho Casually Chic Girlie Girl. A sensous Milly LBD! I see shoe boots or the gorgeous flat heeled coach riding boots with this one for a little contrast...

This is a Cameron Diaz style for the quirky but casual girl. This is actually more dramatic and delicate in person. The fact that I am completely distracted and annoyed by the fact that this model’s legs are so long and thin that she has a gap as wide as the Holland Tunnel between her thighs is not helping my mood one bit…the black nets are tacky too… Cindy or Jenn would wear perfectly tanned bare legs, gorgeous pedicure and effortlessly chic sandals as the perfect accessory but then again it’s 70 in so cal right now : )

This is shown as a top but it really shines as a shimmery simple chic shift best worn alone (think Cindy Crawford getting married barefoot on the beach, only different or as a great layering piece under a simply elegant boyfriend jacket or evening coat.

So there you have it , a few moments of sanity for a very tricky holiday. Best advice? (not that you asked) Be comfortable and be very much your gorgeous self ! It’s a long night (life) so you might as well wear what shows you to your best advantage, your personal style and confidence!

For shopping info on these looks and more contact me here…your cyber stylist is at your service and wants the details on your NYE!

In a time when so many of us are starting from zero or finding it necessary to completely redefine our identity, values or what is really worth the fight, I offer the soon to be released documentary “Dressed” www.dressedthemovie.com . It’s the extraordinary true story of fashion designer Nary Manivong who at 14 became homeless and the sole support of 2 siblings in Columbus OH. Living a life without benefit of security, education or resources Manivong surmounted every obstacle. Driven by a desire and a talent for spotting good design, he began a self guided education of vintage clothing in shops on the streets he called home. Creating a line of modern designs with gestures to an 80’s sensibility he emerged in 2005 as a significant and original voice in NY fashion.

Dressed chronicles the trajectory from abject poverty to the beau monde of fashion’s elite and the arduous process of preparing his second line for premiere during Fall ‘09 Fashion Week. It provides narratives on the knife’s edge existence of self -financed designers by highly regarded industry insiders who agreed to be part of this project such as Simon Doonan, Nanette Lapore and Mary Gehlhar, Author and VP Brand Strategy Gen Art.

 This richly drawn portrayal of courage, passion and determination is not allowed the luxury of a Hollywood ending. After his 2005 NY triumph, as orders were pouring in, Manivong’s sole investor pulled out. It remains to be seen how all this will play out. What we inherit is a documentary with no promise of redemption, fueled only by the talent and character of an anti hero trusting that he can draw upon his experience to begin the process of reinvention… yet again.

 Dressed is a testament to the strength of human spirit in the face of overwhelming circumstances and a powerful metaphor for a nation in the process of reinvention.

http://blog.dressed-themovie.com/

QR in the studio mixing a new record with Kelly Gray.

A big ol’ Slap o’ Life is coming down the pike and that will keep me away from the site from the end of the day Friday until….well, let’s just say it depends on how many swings Life takes until it thinks I’ve had enough. The upshot of that isn’t major – god knows outlets for snark, soccer, or both aren’t in short supply on the Web – but this does mean I won’t get to my final Off-Season Progress Report until sometime next week. And that’s just as well, in some ways, because all the players, furniture, etc. get nailed down by next Monday (for the most part), which will give us something concrete to talk about.

In the meantime, however, any player movements that make their way over the transom will get due coverage – provided, at least, I know anything about the players involved. Put another way, you’ll have to look elsewhere for the meaning of Franco Carracio’s arrival in Houston or Kenny Deuchar’s house-call (oh, the doctor puns!) to Real Salt Lake.

What I can kick around is the apparent trade that sent Ronnie O’Brien from Toronto FC to the San Jose Earthquakes. Or, as I like to think of it, wow, Toronto just traded away their offense. An exaggeration perhaps? Mm…maybe. Or, as the Toronto Star’s write-up suggests, maybe not:

“[O'Brien] was on the field for every one of the team’s goals in the first half of the season. Both of TFC’s record goal droughts last year coincided with stretches of the schedule O’Brien sat out with his bad knee.”

[SNIP, RE-ARRANGE, YANK]

“O’Brien, a two-time MLS all star with FC Dallas, registered four assists in 13 games from TFC last season, but chronic problems with his right knee limited both his playing time and his effectiveness.”

I’ve always been high on O’Brien. He’s got a great “soccer-brain” and the physical tools to capitalize. The only question is, of course, his fitness. One the upside, a trip down his statistical memory lane shows a player with remarkably reliable attendance….at least until he got to the plastic-turf paradise of BMO Field. That gets one wondering if O’Brien kind of stamped his feet until some kind of deal came through. O’Brien was never shy when it came to griping about turf, so that wouldn’t surprise me overly. Then again, maybe the franchise pushed. You know, once a knee goes…

At the same time, perfect deals don’t come along all that often – at least for teams who aren’t DC United – but this deal holds serious potential for San Jose. Unlike a number of observers, including me, the Earthquakes brain-trust isn’t so worried about their offense. And I suspect they’re less worried still with O’Brien on board. So, the player gets grass and the Earthquakes get one of the league’s more consistent offensive threats. Neat. I’m still working out what Toronto gets, apart from cap space that is.

(UPDATE: To flag one of my larger blindspots, I tend to be a little tuned  out on the financial/mechancial aspects of any given deal; impact on the field, I think I do OK…the rest, not so much.  Anyway, Soccer By Ives fills in that particular gap, mainly be mentioning space under the cap (hey…I got one) and a pick in the 2009 that should be pretty high.  I think Ives rates the value of that pick higher than I would – e.g. what if the player the choose leaves, what if he sucks, etc. -and I’d credit San Jose for getting one in the hand….assuming that one isn’t broken, right?)

Finally, and on a totally unrelated subject, a line lifted out of an LA Times article about who the Los Angeles Galaxy left behind got me thinking about the vagabond existence of a professional soccer player – one, in particular:

“The latest setbacks involve Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle being sent back to California because of injuries, Kelly Gray, Kevin Harmse and Israel Sesay also returning to Los Angeles, possibly to be traded, and Hong Kong officials saying a March 9 Galaxy game there might not take place because the Galaxy has not done the necessary paperwork.“

Here’s the first thing that came to me when I read that: “Damn. If I were Kelly Gray, I would fuggin’ retire.” And that tells me a couple things, first among them, this is precisely why I’m not a professional soccer player (admittedly, the lack of ability enters into it as well). You might wonder, why not say the same about Kevin Harmse or Israel Sesay? Because neither of them has moved four times in the past three seasons. Maybe Gray likes the variety, I don’t know. But you’d have to think, if he’s not retiring, he’s probably wondering whether he can become The Man on some United Soccer Leagues Division 1 team…you could always come back to Portland, Kelly. We’ll take you. Chris Brown is already here…

At any rate, I’m not 100% sure where I’m going with that. I guess I just feel sorry for the S.O.B. It’s not a tough life for everybody, but it’s tough for a lot of them. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t blame the guy for retiring to sell real estate….though, given the timing, I’d really have to wonder if he’s paying attention to the news.