Forget Red

After much contemplation over the significance of fashion in our society today, I have decided to change the direction of my blog.  High fashion, after all, is so frivolous, and I can't imagine spending the rest of my life fretting over the latest designer collections and whatnot.  I have a sudden desire to indulge myself in a more conservative kind of fashion, the kind of fashion the typical, everyday citizen revels in.  With this new frame of mind, this blog will no longer be called Red-Soled Fashionista (red soles...honestly, who wants them?), but rather it will be known from now on as Flat, Foam-Soled Fashionista.  It has a nice ring to it, does it not?

April Fool's Everyone!

Honestly, give up fashion?  Crocs?  As if.

Image Source: Crocs

Loco Over Coco

My first Loco Over Coco post was really the first post that fueled the emergence of my model features.  Being my favourite model, Coco Rocha, of course, will always be featured on this blog!  Here's a look at what she's done since I last posted about her:

Vogue February 2011

After a disappointing absence from the runway, Coco returned in Spring 2011 to do a couple of shows, but she slowly took back the runway for Fall/Winter 2012.  Here is a look at all the shows she walked for:

Z Spoke by Zac Posen

Anna Sui

Francesco Scognamiglio

Moschino

Blumarine

Roberto Cavalli

Bottega Veneta

Giorgio Armani

Mugler

Zac Posen

Christian Dior

Jean Paul Gaultier

Never afraid to do something that might be considered "ugly", Coco comes up with the most unique model moments (might I add, she was one of the only models at Jean Paul Gaultier who threw down her scarf and looked like she meant it!).  Like always, I'm looking forward to seeing what she'll do next!

Image Source: Photo 1, 2, 3, 4, Style.com

Talbots Fall/Winter 2011 RTW

When I was little, I spent the majority of my shopping experiences in stores like Talbots, The Bay and Holt Renfrew.  Obviously, I wasn't shopping for myself, but I used to spend hours and hours in those stores with my parents.  My mom went to Talbots so often that when she walked in, the salespeople would greet her by name, and I knew the layout of the store like the back of my hand.  Back then, I wasn't interested in fashion at all, and shopping with my mom was absolutely dreadful.  My mom has stopped shopping at Talbots for many years now, and I pretty much dismiss it as a store for the older demographic, and as a store that doesn't quite "get" fashion.  But while sifting through style.com yesterday, I saw Talbots under the list of recent Fall/Winter 2012 collections, and I decided to check it out.  Wow!  Talbots seems to have moved away from their usual shapeless tops and overly classic designs for something more fashion conscious!  Maybe they made this shift years ago, and I just never payed attention, but either way, it's a shift for the better.  Here's a look at some of Talbots' best Fall 2012 looks:

The nicer cuts, leopard print, and use of other fabrics - this is not the Talbots I grew up with.  They still cater to professional, classic woman, but now they do it with flair.  Looking at this collection makes me slightly nostalgic, and maybe next time, instead of breezing past the store, I'll take a look inside.

See the entire collection here.

Image Source: Style.com

Jenny Packham Spring/Summer 2011 Bridal

I never expected to be looking at so many different bridal collections, especially at my age, but it seems one request leads to another!  Styleonthecouch has requested a review on Jenny Packham Bridal, and it's astounding to me how all the bridal collections that I have looked at can all be so diverse.  For Spring 2011, Packham presented us with a variety of styles, but one thing that stood out throughout the show was this sense of vintage from the 1930s.  Instead of going through this collection in order, I'm going to group the styles together.  Like any bridal show nowadays, there were short options:

A significant part of the show consisted of column dresses, sometimes done with scallop flaps on the skirt:

But the most beautiful silhouette was that of the subtle A-line (my favourite dress in the entire collection is the first photo):

Finally, as no bridal show is complete without it, Packham brought out classic, traditional ballroom dresses with skirts so soft the models looked like they were walking in clouds:

All this talk of bridal really gets me excited for that day I finally get to say "I do", and whatever dress I happen to be wearing, I know that, in the end, it'll be dwarfed by the true star of the day: love.

See and watch the entire show here.

Image Source: Wedding Style

The Unconventional Bride

After taking a look at the most recent bridal collections from Monique Lhuillier, Marchesa and Vera Wang, E... suggested that I take a look at Alexander McQueen and Lanvin for a more interesting take on bridal fashion.  From McQueen, one can always expect outlandish designs, while Lanvin Blanche approaches bridal from a non-conformist, humorous perspective.

Net-a-Porter offers three McQueen bridal dresses, and all three are well-constructed, reveal a significant bit of leg, and range from the more traditional, to the highly daring.  While the first dress doesn't appeal to me whatsoever, I am drawn to the peeking out of the floral embroidered underskirt in the second dress.  The third one is absolutely exquisite, and even though I would never wear it myself, I would love to see someone getting married in it.

Lanvin Blanche, on the other hand, doesn't go as dramatic as McQueen, but instead offers up bridal dresses that could easily be worn as cocktail dresses or simply as eveningwear.  Another thing that is unique about Lanvin Blanche is that it suggests elegant t-shirt and skirt separates as alternatives to a dress, and it also provides angelic trenches and shrugs as coverups.

As much as I do want something unique as my wedding dress, I find Lanvin Blanche to be too playful and casual for somewhat of a traditionalist like me.  However, I do appreciate McQueen and Lanvin Blanche's modern take on bridalwear, and no one will ever forget the bride who wears any of these dresses.

See the entire Lanvin Blanche collection here and here.

Image Source: McQueen, Lanvin Blanche