The New Plaid Dress

Plaid frocks these days are less lumberjack, more Scottish princess. Be sure to check out Jeffrey Banks’ new book, Tartan: Romancing the Plaid. Photo at right courtesy amazon.com.

There are so many amazing tartan dresses to choose from! But since we will have to delay the gratification of wearing most of these wonderful confections until fall, CC thought she'd provide at least one summer plaid: this Badgley Mischka Platinum Label strapless silk twill dress, available at neimanmarcus.com.

D&G stretch wool tartan bustier dress, at Neiman Marcus

D&G double plaid runway look . . . tights, too! Photo via nymag.com.

Just Cavalli Fall 2008 Collection . . . leopard tights, tartan frock & blazer - dizzyingly delicious!

2 runway looks from Martin Grant's Fall 2008 show - both belted at the waist; one short and red, the other long and dark, with a fabulous SATC-ish flower.

CC loves the bias cut of these gowns! Pictures via nymag.com.

Paul and Joe side-gathered pouf-sleeve minidress

Burfitt Cony multi-plaid dress, at creaturesofcomfort.us

Asprey Fall 2008 ruffled plaid dress; photo courtesy nymag.com

Wunderkind satin dress. Photo via elle.com.

Peter Som strapless taffeta frock, via nymag.

Ralph Lauren Fall 2008 plaid dress; go to ralphlauren.com to purchase.

Preen sheer plaid dress; runway shot courtesy nymag.
Dolce & Gabbana floor length plaid overlay organza gown, photo via nymag.com/fashion (you guessed it - CC's favorite!)

Which tartan suits you??

All tag, all the time! BOOKS

So, I just got the page 123 tag from the fabulous Make Do & Mend http://makedostyle.blogspot.com/. It is totally random but totally worth doing!

The page 123 thingy is as follows:

1. Pick up nearest book

2. Open to page 123

3. Find the 5th sentence

4. Post the next 3 sentences

5. Tag 5 people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

One of the many books on my bedside table is Couture Culture, a nonfiction work by Nancy J. Troy. Here's the bit from page 124 (b/c p. 123 is an illustration):

"The adepts of the jupe-pantalon envision something other than to charm or surprise. They represent the desire to break with the traditions of their sex, of their race, of their country. They want to break the last chains holding back their complete emancipation."

I am tagging:

Strawberry Kitten http://strawberrykittens-playground.blogspot.com/

This Is Glamorous http://citified.blogspot.com/

Nothing Is Worth More Than This Day http://tonialexis.blogspot.com/

Sinead http://itscalledstyle.blogspot.com/

Persephone http://persephonewrites.blogspot.com/

Couture Carrie LOVES to see what her Fellow Fashionistas are reading! Enjoy, darlings :)

Everybody must get stoned & TAG!

ROCK THESE DETAILS!
Today's Couture Carrie post is about rock, in 2 ways: stones on clothes and accessories AND the fun music tag I recently got from both Marta http://withlovegabrielle.blogspot.com/ and Bostonista http://bostonista-bostonista.blogspot.com/ . See below!

We begin with stone-decorated dresses, from conservative ladylike luxe to beachy chic.
At left, Alberta Ferretti felt dress with stone detail, at Neiman Marcus.

At right, T-Bags stone embellished top, at Net-a-Porter.com

Of course, accessories were rocked as well!

"Gaud" was in the details at Missoni. See the brilliant runway looks at left, where stones embellished everything from necklaces to belts.

At right, a Missoni crocodile envelope clutch with stone details. Missoni photos courtesy style.com.
Erickson Beamon stone cluster ring. Go to net-a-porter.com.

Isharya Kadamba square bangle, also at net-a-porter.

Renaud Pellegrino satin Flore clutch with cabochons. Photo via style.com.

Kotur Hornby leather frame clutch with stones, at searle.com.

Fave footwear choices, both practical and glamorous?

Anya Hindmarch t-strap flat sandal, pictured at right and currently half off at shopbop.com!

Below right, Miu Miu stone embellished flats -- half price at net-a-porter.com!

TAG, YOU'RE IT!

The rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

1. Gift of Gab - Way of the Light

2. Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy in New York

3. Finger Eleven - One Thing

4. Maroon 5 - Secret

5. Ne-Yo - Because of You

6. Steve Winwood - Higher Love

7. Ugly Duckling - Get on This

I'm Tagging:

Raspberry http://myraspberrynights.blogspot.com/

Blonde hair, blue jeans http://blondehairbluejeans.blogspot.com/

Sharon Rose http://sharonrosepixie.blogspot.com/

Hunters Glory http://huntersglory.blogspot.com/

Ediot http://hanmedhatten.blogspot.com/

Terren http://bejabeja.blogspot.com/

Ivoreece http://ivoreece-style.blogspot.com/

This is quite an enjoyable tag (many thanks to the lovely Marta and the stylish Bostonista!), and I know many of the above-named bloggers adore the tunes, as these fashionistas include music in their daily posts - check all of them out!

I believe in peace, bitch!

Couture Carrie can’t help but quote the Tori Amos song, to express her skepticism at this self-conscious “hippie”. Sure, we all want to be comfy and hug everyone, but the look hardly carries the same weight that it did 40 years ago when love-ins outnumbered celeb gossip sites. Yikes, CC is jaded!

Here are some samples of the bohemian rhapsody that is finding its way into our closets of late.

CC abhors the phrase “maxi dress”, but it seems to have caught on, so . . . here’s a strapless T-Bags version (upper right) in a sensational print. Go to shopbop.com

Alternatively, try the far less expensive Victoria’s Secret halter dress. It also comes in a floral print, and it’s just $75! Visit victoriassecret.com.
If you’re still not sold on the long frock, the short boho options are limitless. CC has four picks, arranged from most to least expensive. First, there is Poleci's silk ink bleed printed tunic dress, pictured at left and available at asos.com.

Second, simply swoon at the sight of this Dallin Chase print silk Graham dress, with glorious details like pintucking, contrast stitching, ruching, on-seam pockets, and an open back! At shopbop.com, where it is currently on sale!

Or, more affordable, go for this Banana Republic patterned v-neck frock pictured at left. Light and airy, perfect for a sultry summer evening.
CC is also liking this strapless smocked chiffon dress with sunburst floral designs . . . and it’s just $22 at Forever 21!
And yes, like it or not, the peasant top is back. I like this Joie Summer Rain cotton-gauze tunic with tassel ties because it can easily double as a chic beach cover-up when the boho trend again falls out of favor (photo at right via shopbop.com).
Forever 21 has a short-sleeve version in sheer floral chiffon, with a drawstring waist. So cute with some high-waisted bell-bottom trousers!

Tie-dye is a quintessential form of hippie expression, but pray don’t do it with a tee. Instead, opt for this TDM Design Maison Sun tie dye wrinkled chiffon scarf. It is truly elegant, with wool banding and ruching throughout. At shopbop.

There is a glut of peace-sign adorned accessories on the market right now, but CC favors a less literal approach. How hippie chic is this silver and leather Jill Platner Stix bracelet? Go to jillplatner.com to buy.

Whatever you do, don't be afraid to GET CREATIVE with this postmodern hippie trend. CC knows that runway often doesn't translate to real way, but this Wunderkind look at right, with breezy patterned dress and sandals with bright socks is a fashion DO, in CC's humble opinion. Let the love-in begin!

Bracelets and Other Arm Candy

These gorgeous bangles and such speak for themselves!

Above: Accessories and Beyond elastic bracelets, at ravinstyle.com

Left: Amrita Singh 15-piece bangle set, at chickdowntown.com



Badgley Mischka leather and stone bracelet, at Henri Bendel (CC's fave!)

Silk Fruits purple silk cuff, at creaturesofcomfort.com

Stephen Webster silver "superhero" cuffs with semiprecious stones, at Bergdorf Goodman New York. Photo via elle.com


Cero Design wood and silver cuff, at aplusrstore.com (color: cornflower)


Louis Vuitton metal cuff; photo courtesy elle.com
And now, for some more delicious arm candy (thinking ahead to fall, perhaps):

Chanel Couture arm warmers; photo via style.com

Fendi clutches; picture courtesy French Vogue

If you got to pick just one of these little lovelies, which would you choose?

Amazing Talent: Queen Gilda

Fellow fashionista and Parsons student Gilda continues to wow me with her designs. Just check out this awesome series entitled "The Spirit of the Samurai" . . . Go to http://queengilda.com/2008/06/22/the-spirit-of-the-samurai/

Which look is your favorite? I am enamored of the coat in the center!

Hey, stud

Had so much fun making that collage . . . all the deets are on polyvore, but CC's personal faves are that rocking lavender Valentino tote in the lower left hand corner, and the YSL ring in the center. Here are some more studded options:

This Alexander McQueen belt is MAJOR!

Christian Louboutin bootie.

Gianfranco Ferré studded pump.

These three accessories photos via French Vogue.