Fashion Forum Christmas

The Lovely Ladies of Fashion Forum celebrated the end of finals, the Christmas season, and the end of a great Fashion Forum semester with dinner at John's in the Village! It was fun! Here's the pics to prove it!

We might be taking a small hiatus over the holiday break... but don't worry Fashion Forum will be back in full force with the start of the next semester. Look for details on upcoming events and our latest trend picks, advice columns, and as always feel free to drop us an e-mail or leave us a comment. We love hearing from you guys!

Ten Lords a Leeping... gifts from Target

OK. So face it the holidays can get pretty pricey when you start considering all the presents that need to be bought, the holiday parties you need to have an outifit for, and the grab bags you need to participate in. Target offers some awesome holiday gift ideas at great for your pocket book prices. Here are our top suggestions for everyone in your life:

For your sister!
Sterling Silver Sister Rings. Price: $19.99
Ok so it is never really cool to match with your sister. Admit it, your mom used to dress you two in matching dresses for the holidays. The pictures are adorable and morifying. But these matching silver bands are cute and touching. The phrase, "Always Sisters, Forever Friends." puts it in simple words that you couldn't have done better. PLus hey, you can't go wrong with jewelry.


For your brother.
Poker Set (in decorative Tin). Price: $16.99
Cards, poker chips, beer... it's a guy thing. Your brother will love the gift. Just make sure if he's in college he's good at being descreet. A lot of universities have rules oulawing betting which includes all types of poker games!


For your little brother or sister.
Cranium Hullabaloo DVD Game. Price: $24.99
This is claimed to be the up and coming game of the year. Think the Cranium Game you and your friends love only more laughs, more giggles and more little kid craziness! What more could you ask for in a game for kids? For 1 - 6 players and good for ages 4 and up!


For your guy friend.
Dart Board Set. Price: $39.99
Every guy wants a dart board to perfect his aim. If he doesn't have one in his dorm room, apartment, this could be the year to fix that problem. Not to mention a lot of bars have dart competitions. if he gets really good you could split the profits! Have at it!


For the party host.
Snowflake Ornament. Price: $9.99
It's silver and cute, perfect to take as a 'thanks for inviting me to your house' gift. Plus this is one of those unique gifts that will be remembered because it wasn't just a bottle of wine or tin of cookies. The host will pull it out next year when all the decorations come out.


For your mom.
10K White Gold Mystic Fire Topaz Earrings. Price: $84.99
Yeah it's a little on the pricier side - but of all the people to spend a little more on... we think mom deserves it after all she's done for you throughout the years. These earrings are just stunning. If you don't like the coloring target offers similar designs in many different colors. Check it out. After all... kitchen supplies become old hat to give to your mom and who says your dad is the only one who can give jewelry?!


For your dad.
Cooking Book. "Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill." Price: $20.48
Hilarious title. Written by a guy. And heck it's all about grilling. What better gift for dad!


For your best friend... We were going to offer a suggestion, but if you don't know what to get our suggestions will help that problem.

11 days till Christmas

Let's talk bags. Let's talk purses. A simple black purse is no longer an easy fall-back accessory! Now we need to mix-it-up. Bags don't need to match so long as they coordinate. That means a green purse is cool. A silver one, a mettalic cooper one, or a hot pink are all game! Here are our holiday purse suggestions. Let us know which you like or where you bought a killer purse this December!

Purse #1: The Silver Bohemian Metallic Sequin Purse.
Yeah these were huge this summer it's true. But they are still around and popular. It the perfect bag for the girl who need to take half her world with her no matter where she is headed. It can be a great holiday party bag, offering a little splash of funk to any outifit. Or it can go with your favorite, no-fail outfit. Purses of this style differ greatly. We suggest you try it on over your coated arm to make sure it easy to carry as a shoulder bag. And a zipper is always a nice feature to stop things from falling out.


Purse #2: Black Street Chic Satchel Purse.
This is totally the purse for your friend who carries everything but the kitchen sink in her purse. On the streets we have seen this purse in classic colors like black and brown but also in muted flourescent colors of green, blue, pink, purple, white. The straps are too small to fit over your shoulder so be ready to carry this bag in your hand or let it ride on your arm. If the shoulder carrying is a must, just look for the ones that sell with a strap enclosed.


Purse #3: The Ultra-soft Pink Scallop Purse.
This cute little clutch will fit the necessities for a holiday party, phone, little wallet, and tiny digital camera. It's scallops add a unique flare to the purse that makes it more party appropriate. We especially like the silver mettalic inside! A shoulder strap can come with, but if you are prone to losing or forgetting your purse, this probably isn't the one for you.


Purse #4: The Large Camel Brown Tote Purse.
We love this tote bag that's all there is to say about it! The saddle-type style is really popular now and the silver hoops are a great accent. It comes in other colors but the camel is the most flattering. Yeah, we just love it!


Purse #5: East-West Snake Purse in Burgundy.
This purse has a funky shape, not usually seen out on the streets. The owner of this purse needs to like purses a lot. She needs to like making a statement with the bag on her arm. This one makes a statement. Like the style but not the color or snake-skin pattern? We've seen round purses all over! This weekend one of our Fashion Forum girls was in a NY boutique where round purses made out of old lisence plates were being sold! Talk about making a statement!


Purse #6: Moderna Women's Breifcase.
Who said a bag for work needs to be boring and old ladyish? NO ONE!!! There are a lot of bags out there. This is our pick for fuctional, practical, and still on the fun side of life. Yeah the bag sells in black, but everyone's briefcase is black. Red is unique, but not abrasive so that it would jar a jotential employer. The handle with the silver base adds a little more funk to the tote. We suggest the use of the shoulder stap only if absolutely necessary. This bag swinging from your hand will look much better than slung over a shoulder.


Purse #7: Studded Suede Black Hobo Purse.
In case you didn't know the country look is big this year, aka you need a purse to go with those killer western boots you bought a month ago. This one is subtle-country! The studs and hanging fringe give the purse the western feel although the suede makes it suitable for almost any winter outfit. (Ok you really can't use this purse if you are going to a black-tie affair, but hey with almost anything else this purse is fair game!)


Purse #8: Celebrity Purses.
Ok the trick to buying and working a celebrity purse of your own, or buying the perfect one for your friend, is originality! Practically everyone has the purse of the WWII soldier kissing that nurse (admit it, your's is probably buried in the back of your closet now!) Ok so origniality... this takes some real searching. Online there are a lot of places that sell purse, if you live in a major city you can check the random tourist stores or street vendors (although those are more likely to sell the typical, unoriginal purses) This one of Elvis is an original. We haven't seen another like it out there on the streets.


Purse #9: Cream Zoe Hobo Purse.
Ok this purse wins big points for that originality we talked about above. We LOVE it and that's all there is to it!

12 days before Christmas...

So with Christmas quickly approaching and people still in need of shopping... Fashion Forum is going to provide a daily shopping themed tip/idea/suggestion. For those of you at a loss for what to get... pay attention!
The grab bag gift or Secret Santa gift is sometimes the hardest. Afterall, at times you hardly know the person you are shopping for but don't want to resort to the old and frankly boring gift card.

Idea #1:
For her!
From Sephora: A Charm Bracelet Lip Gloss Set. It sells for $16. The shades you can choose from are either: pink bracelet withsheer grape and shimmering peach gloss or baby blue bracelet with warm nude and glittering watermelon for the lips. The pink bracelet comes with a heart and cat charm. The blue with a dog and heart charm.


Idea #2:
For her!
From Sephora: Divinora Fairy Mascara by Guerlain Paris. Price tag = $30. But Mascara you may be ask. Oh this isn't just any mascara. This is holiday mascara that coats your lashes with a multi-colored, glittering, frosty sparkle. It can be used alone when gone for a more subtle look or it can be applied on top of your usual mascara for a more eye-popping experience!


Idea #3
For him!
From American Eagle: Eagle Beanie. Price is $19.50. A hat is an essential winter accessory, even for a guy! So why not get him one that's a little cooler than the one his mom bought for him at Target? This one is reversible offering Charcoal or Blue. Plus the American Eagle eagle is screened on the front.


Idea #4 :
For him or her!
From Kohls Department Store: Scrapbook box. Putting a $14.99 dent in your wallet. This is perfect for the hard to buy for person on your list. Everyone needs a place to store their pics. Add a personal touch by personally adding a couple pictures of you and the person you are giving the gift to. Or decorate a few of the photo insert area so there will be ready made backgrounds for their pictures.


Idea #5:
For her!
From Kohls: Relic Grommet Hobo. Dig around for $22.80 worth of pocket change. This bag with it's metallic silver finish, large O rings, and silver tassel adds a bit of spice to a normal hobo-bag. This one says take me out to a party or pair me with jeans for a day out with friends. It's the perfect piece for someone with a little wild side, that comes out in random accents.


Idea #6:
For the nerd you know!
From Barnes and Noble: The Word a Day Calendar. Priced at $10.95. Ok so you might be thinking for really now! A word a day calendar = lame! But if you know someone who loves word. If you know someone who is obsessed with the ancient origin of words, read the OED like it was the Bible, then this is the gift for him or her! Each day there is a new word, including a definition and often the historical context.
PS - For those of you that dig this calendar idea but think a word a day is weird, Barnes and Noble has a huge variety of box calendars. You can So Doku and a joke a day, etc...

Idea #7:
For her! (maybe him)
From Target online: Iudaea Hand-stitched Book of Kells Journal. Cost is only $12.89 and so worth it! Now a journal could make for a pretty lame gift. But this one is not just a boring journal. It has a great front cover design, giving the feel of an ancient scroll. Just the look of the outside would inspire its receipent to write daily. The uniqueness of the design, makes it a great find this holiday season. Could be perfect for a budding writer or aspiring journalist. Personalize this gift by turning it into a quote book. Start a couple pages by adding your own personal favorites to jump start the book!

Idea #8:
For the 80's fan him or her!
From Target: The 80's Game. Price = $24.99. Ok, we all know one out there, an 80's fiend. They can sing every Ace of Base and Michael Jackson lyric on the planet. They were into hair bands, wore bright leg warms, curled their bangs up three inches from their forehead... This is the game for them! The game include 3,000 trivia questions from the 80's.
PS - Not the biggest 80's fan. No fear there is The 70's Game and The 90's Game too! Oh and there is an 80's and 90's combo game too!


Idea #9:
For the classical music lover!
From Amazon: Il Divo! CD price is $10.98. If you haevn't heard of this group. You don't know what you are missing! They are fairly new, up and coming and totally ground breaking. Ok yeah, so they are kinda opera, kinda classical - but oh so amazing! They sing in Spanish, French, Italian and English. They sing mostly classic hits that they have remade. Not so sure if you'll like them? Download a couple tunes off LimeWire then go out and buy their CD! At least buy it for your classical music loving friend! If they haven't heard of the group before they will thank you for the introduction!

Return tomorrow for more gift ideas!

The sites to know:

For all you fashion lovers out there we thought we would compile a list of fashion-related websites for you to keep up on all the recent trends. Here's what we have to offer, feel free to leave a comment with your own personal favorites!
Women's Wear Daily: http://www.wwd.com/
Lucky: http://www.luckymag.com/
InStyle: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/flash/0,24293,1133904,00.html
Vogue and W: http://www.style.com/vogue/
Fashion Trends and Fashion History: http://www.fashion-era.com/Trends/fashion_trends_05_colour_autumn_2004_winter_2005.htm
Fashion Designers bios: http://www.fashionwindows.com/fashion_designers/showall_fashion_designers.asp
Beauty Addict: http://www.beautyaddictmag.com
About.com's Fashion: http://fashion.about.com/

And let's not leave out the blogs:
http://conversationsaboutfashion.blogspot.com/
http://slavetotarget.blogspot.com/
http://highsnobiety.blogspot.com/
http://www.ladykickz.com/
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/
http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/
http://www.fashiontrendsetter.com/