Coco Before Chanel

"Coco Before Chanel" is a biopic of fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, played by Audrey Tautou (pictured above) before she became an icon. The film begins depicting her life as a french orphan. She falls in love with french millionaire Etienne Balsan who helped her start her fashion empire.  Coco spent countless hours sewing her own clothes.  Back in the 20th Century, women wore corsets and other highly structured clothes that they could barely move around in.  Coco Chanel changed the face of fashion by designing "men-inspired" fashions out of her boyfriend's clothes like sailor shirts, trousers, tweed jackets.  She also designed women's fashions out of wool jersey material which was typically used in men's underwear.  Coco Chanel eventually went on to become a legendary couturier.

 

 

 

Coco Chanel was also known for piling on tons of fake jewelry, like faux pearls, on top of her clothing.

Here is a young Coco Chanel wearing one of her early designs

Everyone is familiar with the famous Coco Chanel logo that is often times imitated in knock-off fashions.

Her Chanel No. 5 perfume is the number one selling fragrance in the world

Here are some of my favorite famous quotes by Coco Chanel:

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” 

“I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little – if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that’s the day she has a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” 

 “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

“A woman is closest to being naked when she is well dressed.”
 
"Coco Before Chanel" is already playing in select theaters in California and New York.  Check here for release dates in your city.

Check out the official movie trailer:

For all of my readers in the Atlanta area, there will be a "free" private screening this Thursday, October 15th:

There will be a  Champagne Soiree from 5:30 - 7:00pm at W Atlanta Buckhead and the actual screening will take place at 7:30pm at AMC Phipps Plaza.  Hurry! Hurry! You must RSVP no later than Wednesday, October 14.  Send your RSVP to ChanelAtlanta@gmail.com.  The RSVP is good for you and 1 guest.  Hope to see you there!

Real Men Wear Pink

During the month of October, the NFL will be supporting the fight against breast cancer with the Amercian Cancer Society and its campaign called "A Crucial Catch".  NFL players, coaches, and referees will be seen wearing pink game apparel such as gloves, wristbands, and cleats to raise awareness for the campaign.  All pink apparel worn at the games will later be auctioned off  at www.NFLAuction.NFL.com with proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society.  So, if you were wondering why players have been wearing pink during any of the NFL games this season, you know why.

 

 NFL teams will be using footballs bearing the Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon logo

Buffalo Bills Donte Whitner sporting a pink mouthpiece during a game

Cleveland Browns Running Back Jerome Harrison with a pink towel over his head during a game on October 4th.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Ryan Sims having a moment at a pink goal post pad before an October 4th game against the Washington Redskins

 

New England Patriots' Wide Receiver Randy Moss showing his support by wearing pink gloves

New England Patriots Tom Brady wearing pink cleats on the field during a warm-up before a game

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Clifton Smith wears pink gloves and wristbands during an October 4th game against the Washington Redskins.

 

 

New Orleans Saints Reggie Bush showing his support in pink gloves, pink wrist bands, and pink cleats before and during a game.

Carolina Panthers DeAngelo Williams shown both on and off the field in pink apparel

In yesterday's game, the Philadelphia Eagles vs Tampa Bay Buccanners, Defensive End Trent Cole (#58) hits on QB Josh Johnson (#11) whole wearing pink gloves

And here Trent Cole is again celebrating his hit (shown above) on Josh Johnson

Matt Bryant of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shown wearing a pink towel during an October 7th game

I am so thrilled to see the NFL take a stand in support of a very serious and worthy cause.  Also, I know how hard it is for some men to tap into their feminine side by wearing a color like pink while still displaying a level of masculinity.  I personally think men who are not afraid to wear what are considered to be feminine colors (i.e. pink, yellow, purple, etc) display a high level of confidence.  There's nothing more sexy than confidence in a man.

I'm glad these players are able to put their egos to the side for an entire month.  I especially admire the ones who went all out with the pink cleats, pink golves, and pink wristbands. You can tell the players who aren't in tune with their feminine side.  These are the ones u see with just a pink towel thrown over their head while sitting on the bench, lol!

I am an avid supporter of breast cancer myself.  I had a scare a few years back when I discovered a lump in one of my breasts.  Thank God it turned out to be benign (non-cancerous).  I have had family members on both sides die from some form of cancer, so there was a very high level of concern when I discovered the lump  But not every woman is as fortunate as I was.  That's why it is important for women to do self breast examinations starting in their 20's and to get regular mammograms after the age of 40.

Revlon Fantasy Lengths Maximum Wear Eyelashes

Revlon has come out with a great new line of false "self-adhesive" eyelashes.  Yes, you heard right...they are self-adhesive, meaning no messy glue.  If you wear lashes like myself, then you know how frustrating the application process can be.  The glue gets everywhere and by the time you're done, you have dried-up, white glue all over your lids. I know many of you can relate to this.  So, imagine how happy I was to find out that Revlon's Fantasy Lengths line of eyelashes are self-adhesive.  These eyelashes are also available in "glue-on" form for the pro's.  I've been wearing and applying my own lashes for so long now, I consider myself somewhat of a pro.  Even though I have pretty much mastered gluing on lashes, I would still prefer not having to deal with the messy glue at all.

If I have piqued your interest in any way, you can be in the running to win yourself a free pair of these lashes over at my girl Yakini's page over at Prissy Mommy Chronicles .  She is holding a contest for 2 lucky readers to win a pair of these luxurious, long-lasting lashes.  So head on over to her page and check out the rules and regulations to enter the contest.  Also, be sure to check out her cute younger sister, Sibo's Youtube video review on the lashes.  In the video, she applies the lashes on camera for the first time and gives a live review.  Head on over there now.  Good Luck!

M.I.A.

I apologize for being M.I.A. for the past couple of days.  My Internet went out last Sunday and I have not been able to get online.  But, I'm back up and running now, so expect some new posts from me soon.  Hopefully this evening. 

I also want to say "Hi" to all of my new followers. (waving)

Go Nude!

Nude pumps are probably one of the best fashion investments you could ever make.  Like basic black pumps, nude pumps go with virtually everything.  Throwing black shoes on when you don't have any to match the color(s) you're wearing can get rather boring.  There have been times when I've decided to just not wear an outfit until I bought matching shoes for it instead of throwing on black shoes.  Ladies, if you've ever felt this way, nude pumps is the answer.  We have seen this look on several of our favorites celebs while out and about or at red carpet events.  Check out some of my favorite looks below:

Kim Kardashian wearing a nude pump with a yellow dress.

The beautiful Eva Longoria pairs nude pumps with an aqua colored dress.

Hillary Duff at the MTV Studios

Ema Watson rocked a cute and simple look with her nude pumps

Cameron Diaz opted for a new pump instead of throwing on a basic black pump.

Singer Ciara was spotted a couple of times with nude on her feet.

Beyonce wore nude pumps with this cute light teal colored dress as she was honored this past weekend by Billboard as Woman of the Year

Nude heels creates an illusion of added height.  The nude color works to extend the leg.  This is perfect for someone short like myself.  I am definitely on a hunt to find a comfortable pair of nude pumps to add to my wardrobe.

The Other Sister

Solange Knowles (younger sister of Beyonce Knowles) recently had a HAUTE photo shoot with Honey Mag.  This is her first photo shoot since retiring her weaved tresses for a chopped off, natural look.  Her fans (including myself) weren't very receiving of her going au natural at first.

 

These were the first pictures of the drastic cut that made her a Trending Topic on Twitter.  I have to admit that I wasn't feeling this look "on her" at all either.  Her fans on Twitter had a field day with all the negative jokes and comments about her hair.

Shortly thereafter these pictures surfaced:

She and her sister Beyonce Knowles promoting the Samantha Thavasa Disney Collection in Tokyo.

 This was a much better look for Solange.  She looks gorgeous! She looks much more polished and the cut makes her facial features stand out more. It definitely shows her natural beauty. The side part is just adorable.  I immediately took back all of the negative comments I made about her at first.

Now, on to the HAUTE photo shoot and she did for Honey Mag:

 

faux fur coat, Topshop; tank, American Apparel; necklace, Custo Barcelona; leggings, Christopher Kane for Topshop; rings, Lia Sophia; shoes, Walter Steiger

 

sweater, Topshop; boots, Cesare Paciotti

 

blouse, vintage Versace; leggings, Custo Barcelona; all jewelry, Lia Sophia; shoes, Walter Steiger

I enjoyed all of the colorful images from this shoot. She definitely has a more eclectic style (and style period) than her older sister.  She's also more outspoken, a characteristic that I love about her.  Be sure to check out her candid interview and the rest of the cute, artsy images here.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

The low temperatures in the morning and at night are clear indicators that the Fall season is definitely here.  Pretty soon it will be down to 18-20 degrees here in Atlanta.  That means it will be time to break out one of my favorite fashion accessories.....coats!  I LOVE wool trench and military style coats and I desire to own one in every color imaginable.  Even though I dread the cold temps, Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons for fashion.  These seasons will let you know who's up on their fashion game.

I love the color and the buttons on this coat

Love the color and the bustle back design on this coat. The bustle gives it such a girly look.

Again, I love the color and style of this coat.  It has a hood on it which I don't really care for though.

 

This military style coat is too cute! It also comes in maternity.

 

 

I have a red coat very similar to this one.  Can't wait to break it out again once it starts getting cold.

 

I love the color on this one along with the frilly detail going down the front.

 

 I'm not a big fan of suede coats, but this one is HOT! I am loving the feathery detail going down the front and around the sleeves and hem.

I'm really feeling this faux fur coat.  I am so happy that designers are going the "faux" fur route these days because real fur can be rather pricey.  And, I remember a time you were looked down on for sporting a fake fur coat.  Now you're frowned upon and liable to get red paint thrown on you by PETA for wearing the real thing, lol!

 

This double breasted pea coat by Karen Millen is cute.  That yellow is HOT!

*All of these coats can be found at asos.com