leggings here, leggings there, leggings everywhere!!!!!!!

If there is ONE fall must-have this year, it is definitely LEGGINGS. I do hate "must-haves", I usually go against what they say, but leggings are just too COMFORTABLE, VERSATILE, and PRACTICAL to let go.

How to wear them?

more on that soon...

Go 80's without going overboard

Hi to all my TEENSIZERS out there!

School started, kids are away and here I am trying to find the right clothes to wear everyday to work. Since my work is not always fashion-related (I teach!) I try to keep updated and fashionable without feeling out of place.

I had recently gotten a great "blouson" (A garment, such as a dress or shirt, with a fitted waistband over which material blouses.) at TARGET for $6.76, following the 80's spitit, I paired it with a cool belt I got from H&M at $14, black Capri pants and black sandals, you have no idea how many compliments I got!

The trick here is going 80's without going overboard, even if you read in magazines, time and again, that shoulder pads are back, BEWARE, they are not for every body, every style, and every occasion, and they are not your mother's shoulder pads!

Don't dress like a quarterback just yet. We will talk more about the topic,and for now, keep the 80's to the accessories, and maybe only one piece of clothing at a time.

Send you comments or questions, or even better pictures!!!!!!!! and don't forget to join the RSS feed, emails or twitter.

season's Palette, and why do we care...

You could be amazed at how designers come up with season's "palettes", or you can be disappointed on how it is a vicious circle. The truth is, there are forecasting companies charging tens of thousands of dollars, trends researches and even color psychologists out there trying to figure out what's the next big color for the upcoming season, and by upcoming I mean at least 1.5 years in advance.

Where do they get the information for their "research"?
Well, they look at the economy, social happenings and so, but mostly, they look at what people are wearing, painting, or using over the world. They look at us!!!!!! Then they produce fabrics, clothes, accessories, make-up, wall paint, etc, and we go out and buy it. A little spike in the use of one color becomes a full-out trend.

Let me be clear, they don't go and choose one color for each season. They propose 8-10 different stories, and each story has a palette of maybe 10-12 colors. Each designer or fashion house chooses what they would like to present.

So, why is this important to us?

To begin with, we don't really have an option. Unless you are willing to dye your own clothes, you have to wear whatever is out there.

But we can (and should) use season's palettes to our advantage, and that's what will come up in my future posts.

Please write with any question about the topic, and stay tune for tips on using this Fall's colors.

Cheapest...impossible!

Forever 21 by Jalibu featuring Forever21

One of the things us frugal TEENSIZERS do, is to get accustomed to buy in a couple of store, and those stores only, which is, in my opinion, a very good strategic move. We know what we will find, and we know the price range.

Now, there is something about the thrill of conquering an unexpected location... and that brings me to Forever 21. I love the look and feeling of the store, it is hip and young, as you can expect from its name, but it presents some serious problem for beautiful TEENSIZERS like us, for starters, their biggest size is L (about 13 in pants), and their fit is closer of that of the junior market.
That said, I never stop checking it out for two main reasons:

1- there is simply NO OTHER cheapest place for accessories. I just got the cutest necklace for about $4, and I have received tons of compliments on it.

2- You can, if you are willing to try on a lot of stuff, find great pieces of clothing, but that'll bring me to my next post...

So, be brave, go and conquer!

Shorts for the TEENSIZERS (is she for real?)

Summer in Venice by Jalibu featuring Tory Burch

Wearing a pair of pants when is 90 degrees outside is more than torture, it's almost a sin.

So, yes, I am for real!!!!!! we CAN and should wear shorts. Now this is a touch topic for many TEENSIZERS (including me). Our first reaction tends to be "what the heck! I'll wear them and throw a t-shirt on, and pray nobody sees me". But trust me, there is a much smarter approach.

First of all, if your are going to wear them, wear them proudly! spice them up with extras (take a look at the collage), don't wear those awful "soccer grand-ma" Bermuda shorts and GET YOUR LEGS READY!

This should go without saying, but I've seen so many things out there...

1.- Shave, wax, do whatever you do to get smooth legs.

2.- Get them TAN, you have no idea the difference this will make. If you are not a fan of laying in the sun, get a self-tanning cream and use it. just don't go orange.

3.- Hydrate and shine! We do it to models about to go out on the runway, every movie-star applies this secret as well. Get a light hydrating oil (ex. baby oil) or thick cream and rub some on your legs before going out. This has to be done carefully, you don't want to look greasy, you just want your skin to shine, and your muscles to look more define when light reflects on them.

Go on, try this, and thank me later...

GOOD NEWS - boyfriend jeans!

They are back!!!!! and we should be happy about it... They are comfortable and forgiving, but they can still look sexy and feminine.

Now please, don't just throw your husband pants on, remember, the idea is ALWAYS to look great while feeling we are wearing those disgusting sweats that nobody should ever see.

Yes, you can start by trying on your man's jeans, make sure your bum looks awesome in them, we should all be proud of our bums, if they are too tight, just go get your own par of jeans.

Now take a hint from the pic, rolled them up just enough to show your ankles. For a weekend trip use cute flip flops or flats and a great tee (don't forget accessories! EVER!).

For a more dressy look use high heeled sandals (those chunky ones Gwyneth Paltrow hasn't taken off the whole summer), and a blouse, and go show yourself off to the world.

Remember, for us TEENSIZERS proportions are very important. If the pants are baggy, try a fitter top. Or go to the other extreme and wear a very loose blouse, but be careful not to look masculine, I am not talking about a XXL tee, I am talking about a loose blouse.

Oh! this pants are from NY & Co. . But you should try Old Navy or the Gap also, my gorgeous friend Rachael was wearing a great pair from there a couple of weekends ago.

Styling H&M, favorite clothing store, great deals and styles

H&M is my most favorite clothing store. Most of the models I work with use underwear from there... Did I mention I am a fashion designer?... But don't get scare by the prospect of trying on clothes made for a model. I am far from a size 2 (try a 14-16) and I always find beautiful, well fitting things there.

REMEMBER: Fitting is the No. 1 requisite to buy a piece of clothing!!!!! price is the 2nd.

Now, before you go nuts and buy things at full price ALWAYS check there bargains. I just found great organic cotton t-shirts for $5, and jeans at $15. Sadly they had no pants on my size in this particular store, I will look in another one, but you can get lucky.

-I recommend the "very wide" wide jeans, or the skinny one, with one of the tees I mentioned before. -But don't stop there! This is when it gets fun. Get some long thing necklaces and wear them over the shirt.

-Try on a tee one size larger than the one you would usually get, maybe tie a knot, or tuck in one little corner. The baggy look is coming back.

-Please don't wear sneakers, unless they are very sleek, feminine and stylish (and believe, I DO love sneakers). Better wear sandals, or ballerinas.