This Spring, we’ve all had a wake up call- thanks to the skinny jeans. Every trend is not for everyone. Lesson learned. So, I have to stand my ground with suspenders.

I’m not a masculine dresser even when the trend calls for it. I don’t own a boxy shirt dress and will never wear a man’s tie. The closest I’ve come to dressing manly may be the little boy’s polo shirt I have in bright yellow, which of course is a few sizes too small. Therefore, I’ve decided I will not be partaking in the suspenders trend when it invades the streets this fall. Although it leans towards masculinity, that’s really not what turns me off. Frankly, I think it looks goofy and seems more like a costume than fashion. Sure it looks ok on the models, but not great. And what doesn’t look decent on a 5’11” frame with 34 inch hips swaggering down the runway? I can’t help but be reminded of an over-sized clown suit with floppy shoes and a big red nose- a look that clearly can’t be taken seriously. So I’m hoping it passes quickly, because in my book- suspenders have been vetoed.

I’m trying to understand everyone’s obsession with Cory Kennedy, a Fiona Apple look-a-like, back when Fiona should have been cast for ‘Girl Interrupted’. She’d writhe around in her underwear looking so disturbed, it was sexy. I realize Cory has mastered the hipster look and goes full force as a fashion anarchist. Making sure every outfit clashes as much as possible. Although, occasionally she gets it right and mixes vintage labels well by downplaying an over-logoized Gucci, Chanel or YSL piece making it actually wearable. But who is she? Is she just a club kid who’s always at the scene and gotten herself noticed because of her fashion sense (or lack there of)? Because to me she just looks like a young girl in desperate need of a shower.

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Although the side pony has lived at the top of the ‘fashion don’ts’ list for years now, I’ve changed my mind about it entirely. And lately, I’ve been wearing my hair in a messy side ponytail and experimenting with ways to keep it looking cool. I think the key to successfully pulling off this look is to follow a few simple rules.

1) Wear it messy. This plays down the look and gives it an edgy, alternative feel rather then a prissy, polished look.
2) Wear it low. Do NOT pull a Stephanie Tanner and wear your ponytail high up on the side of your head. I’m predicting this slumber-party look will be forever out.
3) Wear it just off centered, rather than drastically pulled to the side. Almost as if it’s accidental. Simliar to how you sort of tilt your hat to the side, rather then rapper style circa 1991.
And I hesitate to list the final reason, only because I trust that my readers know better..but for the sake of stating the obvious…
4) No scrunchies.

With the romantic babydoll dresses now in full swing, the loose, messy side ponytail completes this look. So keep it casual and play with the style a bit. Don’t skimp on pulling out loose pieces to frame your face, add a flower hair accessory, braid it, twist it or dread it. For especially long hair, wrap hair ties down the shaft placed 2-3 inches apart and pull at the segmented sections to make it appear fuller.

T-shirt designer Atypyk has caused quite a stir with their ‘Be Tough’ t-shirt which includes a trompe l’oeil print in the back. It seems UK officials are offended and have made statements regarding the seriousness of gun culture. And as expected, the publicity it received has made the t-shirt even more popular. I personally like the t-shirt and don’t think it’s over the top or socially dangerous in any way. I dig the blunt silhouette, placement of the print and the subtle ‘don’t f with me’ message it reveals. It’s certainly a shirt I’d add to my wardrobe for the days when my mood applied.

9 times out of 10, I think women look best when keeping their hair color close to its natural shade, with a few added highlights to bring out the texture of the cut. This usually compliments your skin tone and eye color etc. Being a brown-eyed brunette, I always figured I’d look foolish as a blond..with dark roots and mismatched eyebrows, I deemed the look as being all wrong. That is, until now. With the new technique of highlighting, called bayalage, I am ready to enter summer with a whole new look of natural sun-kissed highlights. Ok, enhanced-natural.

Gisele Bündchen’s bleached waves generated so much attention, it wasn’t long before celebrities fled to their hair stylist seeking the same multi-tonal do’ So, I wondered…what is this new buzz word ‘balayage’ and what makes it so different?

Balayage, a French word meaning ‘to sweep’ is a new method of highlighting which lightens the hair gradually from root to tip. This technique has shaken the salons from coast to coast because it achieves an ultra-natural effect by mimicing nature’s way of lightening hair. Hair should always be darker on the base of the hair shaft or the root area, rather then having light roots and dark ends. To balayage the hair, a lightening agent is painted on using a brush and paddle in a sweeping motion giving the hair colorist a bit more room to play and less methodical streaks. Foils aren’t used and the precision of the fine-tooth comb weaving in tiny streaks is no longer necessary. The thick mixture of lightener is applied onto a section of hair using one of three paint designs: singles, slants and V’s. The stylist uses a “sweeping” motion to apply lightener from thin at the roots to thicker towards the ends. This provides ultimate control over color application, allows for less outgrowth, much more color contrast within the hair and since the process requires no heat or foils, the hair experiences minimal damage (which is key for those of us with long hair).

The result is a gorgeous sun-kissed color of various shades of blond and honey-toned hues that look as if you just spent the summer frolicking on the beach. And thus far has proven to be the most natural looking highlights ever. Balayage is more carefree than highlights because the streaks aren’t defined and a pattern isn’t developed. But because the method is less regimented, it gives the stylist much more creative freedom, which can be fabulous or regrettable depending upon the experience and overall flair of your stylist. From the sound of it, the stylist works on instinct so very similar to an artist on a canvas. I’m not someone who takes many risks with my hair..that is after the one bad experience when I was nicknamed Peggy Bundy (yea..enough about that). That being said, if you are considering changing your look with balayage, be sure to research colorists in your area that specialize in this technique. I have committed myself to the idea and narrowed my search down to three well known stylists in the NYC and am ready for my beachy Gisele-like blond locks. Now if only they could find a way to recreate her long legs for us common folk.