Ralph Lauren: The All American Designer

With the Olympics coming up I thought this would be a perfect time to write about one of my favorite designers. Ralph Lauren has been designing the opening ceremony outfits for the last four Olympic games.  As you may remember, Lauren got in a bit of trouble for having the 2012 summer game uniforms made in China.  Lauren released the uniforms for the upcoming winter games three days ago, all aspects of the wool sweater being constructed in the USA.  I don't just want to touch on Lauren's Olympic successes, but a brief telling of himself, and his amazing design qualities.  Lauren was born in New York City to two polish immigrants. After dropping out of business school, and spending a couple years in the Army, Lauren started working as a sales assistant at Brooks Brothers.  At the age of 26 Lauren pitched his wide necktie designs to Brooks Brothers, only to be denied.  Lauren left the company, and continued with his designs.  Not long after, Lauren hit the jack pot when Neiman Marcus decided to sell his ties in their department stores.  Present day Lauren has menswear, womenswear, home decor, childrenswear, runway, ready to wear, and even more.  I love everything about Lauren's designs, there is something for everyone.  If you are ever in Chicago, PLEASE check out his store on Michigan Avenue.  It was the most beautiful store I have every stepped foot into.  From the staircase, to the door knobs in the women's bathroom, everything was absolutely beautiful, and reflected the Ralph Lauren company to a tee. Literally I would get married there if I could.  Ralph Lauren is living proof of the American Dream.  Born to two immigrants, worked hard, stuck to his own designs, and is now one of the most known designers in the world.  I've attached a commercial that I can relate to in terms of fashion, design, and art.  I'm DEFINITELY not saying my talent is anywhere near that of Ralph Lauren, but it gives you a hint of how designers, stylist, and other fashion obsessed think.
GO TEAM USA!
Olympic Uniform photo found on thebiglead.com 

Sweatpants make the world go round*

Yes I love my four inch heels, peplum tops, pleather leggings, and the latest accessories, but some days I just need a break! We all need a break, even fashionistas!  One week I ran out of clean sweatpants and didn't have quarters for laundry, so I went to the bookstore and bought new ones.  Yeah, bad I know.  Whether it's to class, the grocery store, a trip to the movie theater, or whatever you choose to do after work, you can make sweatpants look cute! Let's start with pretty much every women's favorite; yoga pants.  To add a little something to this look switch out a hoodie for a colorful tank top and a comfy cardigan.  Just as comfortable, but a little bit more put together.  Adding a scarf is another way to crank it up a notch. If you prefer the more traditional non spandex sweatpant here are some tips to add a little something! Sport a pair that showcases your favorite sports team, throw on a matching cap and you'll look like their number one fan! Perfect for Monday night football, or just a cozy day inside. Also when it comes to lounge wear don't be afraid to be matchy matchy.  If your pants have a pink waistband, go ahead and buy the matching shirt.  My favorite lounge wear is PINK and Nike.  Here's some pics to inspire you :) Happy MLK day! Take a minute to appreciate the wonderful things he did for our country!

Photo one found on thefashionaddiction.weebly.com
Photo two found on fashionbombdaily.com

Keeping It Real

We all have our own fantasies of a closet full of Chanel or Louis Vuitton, but lets be honest, most of our wallets cant afford that big of a loss.  A way some shoppers go around this financial burden is to purchase fakes.  Fingers crossed I can help convince everyone to stop supporting this poser of an industry.  Counterfeit bags are something I never really gave much attention too until I learned more about it in one of my fashion classes.  Counterfeits are becoming more and more prominent, I actually spotted one in West Acres today.  The bag was made to look like a Michael Kors but instead of the famous MK logo they used NX, which from a distance could fool you.  What are you gonna say when someone asks you what NX stands for "ahhhh new xylophone," yeah not cool.  There are several reasons to ditch the counterfeits 1. It's illegal to sell counterfeits.  2.  Majority of the time child labor is used to produce these fakes.  And 3. They're ugly.  Sorry but it's true.  If you want to avoid accidentally buying a fake here are some tips.  Know your logos, the smallest thing can be changed to make it a fake.  If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.  Shop at well know stores like Macy's, Herberger's, our the designers store itself.  Lastly look at the quality of the bag.  When something is worth so much, they wont skim out on production costs.  You don't need to carry a $300  bag to be fashion forward, two of my favorite purses actually came from DSW, and cost less then $50.  If you're wanting the designer look, save up and buy the real thing, it's so much more rewarding! Keep your eye out at T.J. Maxx and outlet malls, they're truly a magical place!
Enjoy this  rare heat wave in Fargo!
Katie

Catching eyes in 2014 ;)

Let's talk trends! I LOVE trends, there so fun and give me confidence knowing not everyone has the guts to wear them.  So, here's what I think every women should own in 2014. 1. Pleather, pleather, pleather, and more pleather.  It's impossible to walk into a store and not spot this faux leather.  No, you do not need to step out looking ready to hit up Sturgis.  A perfect way to modestly rock this trend is to wear a shirt or leggings with pleather accents.  Pleather sleeves and appliques are one of my favorite fashions.  Ok, I could go on for days about pleather, but lets move on to the next trend. 2. Crop tops.  I know, they can be daunting but you don't have to be a size zero to  wear them.  Trust me, I eat my fair share of Taco Bell and Papa Johns and I still wear them.  High waistlines are the best way to showcase the crop top.  I pair mine with high waisted skirts, and jeans.  Weird, I never thought I would wear mom jeans out of my own will.  Don't worry, if you don't want to show off your torso you can still wear a crop top. Majority of crop tops are long enough to cover up your skin when you pair them with a high waist line.  And #3. Jumpsuits and overalls.  I'm DYING! I cant get enough of this blast from the past trend! When I told my mother I was writing about overalls she offered to give me hers from college.  Who knew my mom and I would be wearing the same thing in college!  There are subtle and bold ways to wear jumpsuits and overalls.  While shopping you can find a head to toe pleather jumpsuit to a basic cotton jumpsuit.  I don't care whether it's pleather, camo, denim, or cheetah print, PLEASE rock a jumpsuit.  Can you tell I love them? There are so many trends I could talk about but I don't want to make anyone fall asleep!
Have a wonderful and fashionable week ;) 

Pleather shorts found on  http://wheretoget.it/look/259465
Crop top and overalls found on Forever21.com