Lifestyle & Tech Archives | Page 14 of 30 | Blueprint for Style

Buzz

Never Too Soon To Think About The Holidays, Right?

You might disagree, but eBay just announced their Holiday Collective and you should be psyched! It’s a collection that will launch November 12 and everything will be priced under $100. We snagged photos from Glamour (see below) but in general don’t expect high-end designer pieces but do expect fun gift-giving items and a couple of things you were likely considering but just never did. Don’t get caught up in the hype (and there’s lots of it) but know that you’ll

2012/08/08

Technology

Share Your Tech Know-How

Manoush x LeSportsac Are you tech savvy? If so, prove it! Share one cool techy piece of information with your fellow readers and the person with the coolest tech know-how will win a Manoush x LeSportsac Pom Tech Case (valued at $98). Your tech know-how can be anything from a cool new app (iPhone or Droid) to a website or blog we should read to an accessory we need to own to an innovative way to save data from

2012/08/07

Health & Fitness

To Better “Watch” My Progress

Julia and I are two full weeks into our 30 Day #BodyReboot and, I’m not sure about her, but I’m feeling it. My body is feeling “tighter” but moving up and down the stairs isn’t so easy anymore. I’ve been keeping up with my 2-3 minutes of jump rope everyday (except one day I forgot because I was out of town) and now I’ve started running. In all fairness, I was running before but went cold turkey after the last

2012/07/27

Stores & Sites to See

Carol Lim: A Fashion “Two-fer”

Do you know Kenzo? They’re a 42-year-old label founded by Takada Kenzo in Japan in 1970. He quickly changed his focus to parfums and by 1987, launched Kenzo Parfums. Kenzo is part of the LVMH empire and is now under the direction of Carol Lim along with co-creative director Humberto Leon. Ever heard of Opening Ceremony? The international chain of “young & hip” mini-boutiques that showcase emerging talent and established designers. The stores are known for their offbeat collection and

2012/07/27

Fall Trends

A Pre-Fall Peek At Designer Derek Lam

Derek Lam will be bringing ‘sexy back’ to classic menswear with ladylike interpretations of the classic styling. I’m excited because that means the pieces have a greater likelihood of being timeless (& thus worth investing in). Derek takes care to focus on the feminine psyche when designing his pieces and it comes through most of the time ~ this collection looks like he took texture, color and print a little more seriously. Don’t look for edgy or new wave; this

2012/07/26

Paper

Tech Isn’t Tactile, The Power of Paper

There’s something lovely, memorable, sincere, and treasured about paper. Think about the last time you received a handwritten note ~ chances are pretty good that you still have it. Contrast that with your most recent email “thank you” ~ it’s likely in the “Trash” waiting to be permanently deleted. I think my love of paper came from my mother ~ it was in the form of note pads, journals, calendars, daily planners, cards (lots of cards!), and doodle paper {not

2012/07/25

Stores & Sites to See

Just Be-COS

COS stands for Collection of Style and is a store with no U.S. presence. I’ve seen them in Paris and although I wasn’t prepared to make any purchases, I loved it for the clean lines, uncomplicated styling ~ very Celine-esque and Carven feel. Here are the critical points: it’s an H&M upscale brand H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson is opening several locations this year! it’s for men and women their focus is on high-end design, decent quality and reasonable pricing = nothing too

2012/07/11

Stores & Sites to See

Can We Give You $175 To Spend?

We’d like to give you a gift certificate for $175 to spend at Lands’ End Canvas. To get it, just do the following: subscribe to the blueprint for style email newsletter ~ here get one friend to subscribe to the newsletter too (make sure they complete the “Referred By” portion) Like Lands End Canvas on Facebook cross your fingers and wait for the WINNER announcement on August 1st BONUS: get one additional chance for each additional friend who subscribes! I

2012/07/10

Stores & Sites to See

The Perfect Denim (Fit) For YOU!

Click below and you’re on your way to figuring out the right denim options for you (men & women alike). I did ~ and I’m a believer! The Blues Jean Bar Blueprint for Style has worked with The Blues Jean Bar before (see Diamonds & Denim), so we’re well aware of their extensive stock and options but everyone wonders which denim they should get. This fit quiz will help you figure that out….from there, it’s all about looking good.

2012/07/05

Stores & Sites to See

Watch as Target Stores Grow Up!

Target turns 50 this year and they’ve come a long way baby! Focusing on their fashion endeavors, they started out selling bargain filler items for your closet, shoes that were cute and worked in a pinch, and accessories that didn’t scream super stylish but added something fun to your look. In early 2000, they launched collaborations that didn’t necessarily get tons of press, but they’ve come full circle and starting May 6, 2012, they kicked off The Shops at Target.

2012/07/03

Stores & Sites to See

$300 at Zara, Uniqlo & Barneys

Racked recently did a store comparison of Zara, Uniqlo and Barneys; and shared what $300 could get you at each store. I loved the post so much that I scooped the entire thing but, I did want to add a few style notes to the purchases: Zara ~ they showed six pieces with two pieces being items you’ll have for years to come (necklace, hat); the necklace dresses up any look and the hat — we all love/need the oversized floppy

2012/07/02

Stores & Sites to See

Brunello Cuchinelli in Chicago

Just opened on one of the most picturesque alleyways in Chicago and surrounded by legendary Gold Coast restaurants, Brunello Cucinelli has opened its doors. The fairly monochromatic Italian maker of clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories focuses on quality of material in contemporary shapes. The autumn/winter Cucinelli material library has expanded to include more versatile outerwear made of leather and reversed shearling. For down jackets, all the quills are removed from the feather so pieces are even easier to squish and comfort. The

2012/06/23

Buzz

Cars, Art & The Motor City

Me likey. Buick put together a terrific event that brought together art/design/style creatives to look behind the new design inspirations of Buick’s line of automobiles including the Verano, Enclave, LaCrosse and Regal. It not only showcased Detroit’s resurgence {we’ll get to that under a different post} but weaved the city’s rebound into the context of the raw, artistic renaissance that GM is in the midst of. We spent the entire day riding Buick’s newly remodeled vehicles (my clear favorite was

2012/06/22

Stylish People

Designer Insight: Rachel Roy

Rachel Roy is one of my favorite designers because her pieces are always feminine and wearable, and they accommodate the woman with a real body. Yes, she’s dressed Gwyneth Paltrow (super thin) but she’s also styled up Kim Kardashian (not a great example for classic style but curvy nonetheless). She’s also a movie buff ~ and this showed in her fall 2011 collection as it was inspired by the film The Lover (1992- the movie is about a young girl in

2012/06/18

Stores & Sites to See

Shopping. Brotherly Love. Road Trip. Green.

My Philadelphia Shopping Road Trip! If you’re in the mood for: something ‘quick-n-dirty’ but stylishly eco-haute, drive an environmentally and wallet-friendly Malibu Eco and pray for some stealthy parking karma in Old City and City Center (made easier by the compact build of the Malibu with a rear vision camera!!) as you tap into the city’s stylish underbelly. Route to take: Straight shot on 95 North ~ not too scenic but quick and painless Good to know: Have your $13 in tolls available

2012/06/15

Men's Matters

Youth Is Wasted On The Young, Fashion On Everyone

Exemplaire is a new knitwear line by Jean-Victor Meyers and Louis Leboiteux. The two friends don’t even have design backgrounds (Meyers is the grandson of L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt). These guys are supposed to know a things or two about the ‘finer things’ so just keep your eyes peeled for their pieces like a knitwear motorcycle jacket {very Mr. Rogers meets Led Zepellin} and your ears open for where you can scoop it other than Barneys New York. Clearly, I’m

2012/06/13

Bridal Bliss

What to Wear To A Concrete Wedding

Wedding season is upon us and if you’re not in the wedding then you’ve got to figure out what you’re wearing. Here’s what to wear to a city wedding ~ that is a wedding that occurs in a city location (at a hotel or museum), typically occurs during the day, and is more about the party and the liquor. Let’s plan accordingly…… a dress that moves with you….don’t forget it’s about the party! a look that plays to the location

2012/05/31

Just Because...

Sup in June?

In June, we’ll be….. writing a piece on our Philly shopping road trip (what to drive and where to stay/eat/sleep/shop)! doing a contest with Lo & Sons focused on “packing for your summer weekend getaway” {hint: show us everything you’ll pack and a Lo & Sons travel bag could be yours} waiting to hear back from Victoria on her Lifetherapy bootie (she won the body scrub & stuff!) kicking off our “Stylish Technology at Work Series” in conjunction with Microsoft

2012/05/23

Technology

Sexy, Sleek, Stylish Dell

I went to Dell Spring Media Launch last week in NYC. They had four areas of focus: work (Vostro), play (Alienware, gamers nirvana), create (XPS, my personal fave), and inspire (Inspiron). I grew up on PCs and until now, they were the apparatus that equated to a corporate tether ~ not sexy, just necessary. Dell showed me something completely different. The XPS is sleek, fully functional, and makes a real statement about style (read: I have some!). As a stylist and blogger,

2012/05/22

Just Because...

Are Skinny White Models Bad For Business?

Finally ~ The Guardian says it….skinny white models may be bad for business. The debate over how small is too small and vice versa is nothing new in fashion. Who was it who said, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.“? Or perhaps Jo Swinson calling for the banning of airbrushing that highlighted the craziness. Either way, Ben Barry, a modeling agency CEO surveyed over 2000 women to understand the representation of females in fashion. His results were astounding, “My

2012/05/21

Stores & Sites to See

Boho For Zara

I’ve been deeply in love with Zara for years. They also have a section called TRF (here is their May lookbook) which, to me, represents the younger, West coast boho aesthetic. It’s not me but I can appreciate that several pieces are basically fabulous and worth a skim through the book.

2012/05/14

Just Because...

Happy Mother’s Day

2012/05/13

Events & Happenings

So Sad Didn’t Do #DellLive or Jazz Fest

Music festival season is upon us and the only thing that kept me from heading to NOLA for this year’s Jazz Fest was styling commitments on the East coast. Lucky for me, the peeps at Dell live streamed both weekends via YouTube! Shout out to the BuzzMG crew, who knew I loved Janelle Monae and gave me the heads up about her live stream performance. Hopefully scheduling conflicts won’t keep me from enjoying the rest of the festivals this summer, but

2012/05/11

Beauty

The Winner of the Lifetherapy Giveaway Is….

This contest was super easy to enter and our winner announcement is loooong overdue….Vanessa Martinez is our winner! She’ll not only get my favorite item {nourishing body rub} but hers as well {Lifetherapy Chill Pulse Point Oil Roll-on Perfume}.

2012/04/30

Contests & Giveaways

Swimsuit Sweet Spot

Across the last month, we’ve done a four-part series on swimsuit savvy trends and dealing with our less-than-ideal shapes. What did you learn? For me, I’m doing animal prints! That said, Susan was kind enough to not only give us everything we need to make the right decisions, but a $50 gift certificate to put that knowledge to good use at In Style Swimwear. To get it, just… like InStyleSwimwear on Facebook like Blueprint for Style on Facebook tell us

2012/04/27

Our Blog

News, Articles & More

Never Too Soon To Think About The Holidays, Right?

Share Your Tech Know-How

To Better “Watch” My Progress

Carol Lim: A Fashion “Two-fer”

A Pre-Fall Peek At Designer Derek Lam

Tech Isn’t Tactile, The Power of Paper

Just Be-COS

Can We Give You $175 To Spend?

The Perfect Denim (Fit) For YOU!

Watch as Target Stores Grow Up!

$300 at Zara, Uniqlo & Barneys

Brunello Cuchinelli in Chicago

Cars, Art & The Motor City

Designer Insight: Rachel Roy

Shopping. Brotherly Love. Road Trip. Green.

Youth Is Wasted On The Young, Fashion On Everyone

What to Wear To A Concrete Wedding

Sup in June?

Sexy, Sleek, Stylish Dell

Are Skinny White Models Bad For Business?

Boho For Zara

Happy Mother’s Day

The Winner of the Lifetherapy Giveaway Is….

Swimsuit Sweet Spot

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