America does have Ladies getting ready for Spring

By Laura Medina

Selena Gomez in Tracy Reese 12JI76- Pea Coat in Black

Does watching the decorous procession of British ladies in hats and dress suits makes you wish that Americans can do that in our own terms and style?

There are. With Easter kicking off Spring afternoon teas and garden parties both here and across the pond, Tracy Reese and Milly By Michelle Smith prove that American style can be ladylike too, without sacrificing that invigorating get-go American spirit.

Selena Gomez topped her black and white floral dress with a black coat for an urbane but refined appearance.

A couple of "Glee" girls, Lea Michele and Diana Agron dash about a Manhattan set in both Milly and Tracy Reese dresses.

Lea looks well put-together in a white, red, and black dotted Milly Heidi Sundress, simply topped with a trendy but functional red, wrap shrug cardigan.

Spring 2011's color, orange, adds a pop of color, in a practical rain slicker over Dianna Argon's Tracy Reese Mompos Dress.


Lea's Milly dress is at Saks.com and Dianna's Tracy Reese dress is available at Anthropologie.
Clearly, America's First Lady, Michelle Obama bolsters American designers. Here, she is in Spring time Safflower Yellow with Floral prints in a Tracy Reese 9G09F7- 3-D Frock.

AnnaLynne McCord in Starboard Stripe Sweater Dress & Jessica Lowndes in Anna Shift Dress

Even "90210"'s Los Angeleno teen queens , Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) and Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) shift into Milly shift dresses.

Naomi sprints in a nautically sleek, striped Starboard Stripe Sweater Dress, a knit that is you can roll up and go.

Adrianna sports the Anna Shift Dress.

American designers, Tracy Reese and Milly by Michelle Smith prove that a woman can be sporty and ladylike all in one package.

This is American sportswear in its original form.

This Sunday, Calypso St. Barth for Target Springs Up

By Laura Medina

Embroidered Ruffle Navy Dress for $39.99

Once Easter is over, people's minds turn to Summer. Actually, what to wear and what to buy for Summer.

The high-end, Bohemian Chic luxury lifestyle brand comes down to earth by partnering with Target for the whole month of May until June 11th.

Plus-sized and petite-sized dresses will hang around longer online, www.Target.com
through August 15th.

If you're stumped what to buy for Mother's Day or don't have a clue what to wear for Summer's White Parties, festival soirees on the yacht or bar-to-beach, the all-encompassing Calypso St. Barth for Target got you covered.

The wide-ranging collection has numerous white pieces and Indian-inspired tunics and batiks in vivid primary colors, such as hot pink and ocean blues.

Why don't you buy yourself matching outfits for you and your daughter from the adult contemporary line and the Kid's and Babies' line, like the matching blue and yellow ombre women tunic and girl sundress with matching wedges.

Here's another Mother and Daughter ensemble, batik and tie-dyed tunics in turquoise or...

in hot pink batik maxi dresses.

What is really hot about this limited edition collection is that it is family-friendly, price wise. Nothing reaching over $43, you and your whole family and house can be bohemian chic cheaper than a plane ticket.

If you're single, you can build a whole new wardrobe for the Bahamas, the Hamptons, then Malibu...and still have enough left for a plane ticket.

Expect more options from Calypso St. Barth for Target...but hurry up before it evaporates.

Celebrities Turn Out for Earth Day with the Greenzys at Ron Robinson

By Laura Medina

Kristin Cavallari

A trove of ecologically-conscientious celebrities showed up on Ron Robinson's "green carpet," supporting Earth Day last Thursday.

The Bagley Family. Wife, Rachelle, Daughter, Hayden, and actor/activist, Ed Bagley, Jr.

Thursday was a significantally politico day. While Sony Studios and Brentwood's Tavern courted President Obama, the Mayor of West Hollywood, John Duran jumped right in and feted Earth Day with celebrities at Ron Robinson.

The earnest environmental activist and actor, Ed Bagley, Jr. espoused how to live green lifestyle as daily life. Fully utilizing the green carpet as a platform, he equates living the green lifestyle with living a frugal lifestyle that saves both the planet and the wallet. Being interviewed by TV Land Networks, he proudly flashed his MTA bus card, saying he gets a lot of use while saving gas and the environment using his bus card. The Environmental Media Association and Arbor Day Foundation were in full force as well.

James Van Der Beek & wife/producer, Kimberly Brook.

Earth Day was also family day. It was the perfect time to launch a children's book and the accompanying stuffed toy collection, "Greenzys."

Truth be told, it was the huggable, plush stuffed, green (they have to be green) elephants, penguins, and cuddly bears that stole the show.

Once the green carpet ended, the official ceremony for Earth Day and "Greenzys," begun. The Mayor of West Hollywood, John Duran officially commenced the ceremony, honoring the author of "Greenzys," Danielle Mentzer, the toys, and the cartoon.

The story of the "Greenzys" is about creatures, from all over the globe, coming together then aiding the environment through recycling and gardening.

This is why the Bagley clan showed up. They are the "Greenzys" family ambassadors.

The legendary actress, Sally Kellerman, cradled her Greenzy. Politicans and celebrities toasted them with organic, sugar-free pink lemonade and lemon-sour, organic gummi bears before dinner.

For such a deep day, it was family-cozy and as light and sweet as the lemonade and candies.

Those huggable Greenzys have that effect on people.

A new type of BFF, HoodBuddie with Built-In Headphones

By Laura Medina

Celebrities downloading& winding down: Left, "The Bachelor's" Vienna Girardi, Meghan Fox & Katie Holmes.

Ever get tangled up in your headphone cords while jaunting around in your favorite, comfortable hoodie? Tired and weary of jamming your fist in your pockets to keep your Iphone or MP3 from falling out?

HoodieBuddie eases that problem. It is a hoodie with built-in headphones.

With the main cord stitched in the zipper lining, this discreetly and neatly connects your player to your ears without the cord dangling out, getting in your way. This instructional video demostrates how to wear your HoodieBuddie , http://www.hoodiebuddie.com/index.php/videos/

As soon as you put on the hoodie and/or zip it up, put the player in the right front pocket where the plug-in jack is located. Once you find it, plug it into the player. Now, the player is safely nestled in the front pocket and securely hooked into the hoodie.

Instead of getting all tangled up in external headphones and cord, they are snuggly ensconced and sewn into the the zipper lining and drawstrings. The drawstrings are the cords. The ends are the headphones. One less hassle to contend with. While adjusting the coziness of your hoodie, you can adjust the length of the cord while you have the headphones already secured into your ears.


If you fallen in love with your lightweight, cotton jersey HoodBuddie so much, it must be time to freshen it up. It's machine washable friendly. Toss it in cold water at 50 degrees. Yes, the headphones are washable.

However, DO NOT TOSS IT IN THE DRYER. The heat will melt the plastic headphones and cord, and the input jack. DO AIR DRY, out on the laundry line under the sun or in the garage or in the bathroom.

For such a high-tech and luxury item, it's easily attainable at $44. Royal/T carries the entire line for both women and men at its gallery shop until May 11th, or online at http://shop.hoodiebuddie.com/.

Now, you can wash and wear all you want.

Aaahh, A Spa for Your Face, MyPurMist

By Laura Medina

Ever find filling your sink, with hot water for a steam facial, a waste of precious water and money? Having to splash and carry a burning bowl of boiling water a hassle? Worse, risk burning yourself by leaning over a boiling pot of water on the stove...and your nose is still irritated. Your sinuses are puffed shut. Your ears are aching while your throat is raw; and the steam haven't made a dent in your pores. There must be an easier way. There is...MyPurMist. It's handheld humidifer with a screwed-on, pliable facial mask that steams warm, moist vapors directly into your nasals, the sinuses, the ear canals, and the throat. Using a small amount of water with adjustable temperature settings, MyPurMist is an easier and quicker way to alleviate allergies and the cold. The dewy moisture lightly and evenly coats the dry and irritated membranes while the humidity melts the mucus and the wax away for an easier clean-up. You don't have to be sick to use MyPurMist. It's really great for singers in warming up their vocal cords. Rather than sipping honey and tea, all they have to is gently inhale then breathe out to warm up. The same tissue from the sinuses are the same tissue as the vocal cords. In other words, if your sinuses are comfortable, your cords are stronger and clearer since the mucus dragging down the cords have melted away. Again, the singer will hear clearer as well, since the ears are clear of wax. What a confidence boost. Ok, having personal tried MyPurMist, it is fun to use as it is relaxing, aaahhh. If you take the mask off the face then hold it a few inches away, in front of the face, you will have an easier and more direct steam facial to loosen up the grit, grim, and gunk out of the pores. No more spilling boiling water all yourself. There might be a brush attachment for a steam exfoliation, further down the line, for a gentler scrub but a simple puff of steam is just as good. MyPurMist is the spa you can take anywhere...aaahhhh.

Fling by Alan Del Rosario's Burlapp

By Laura Medina

What a misnomer, there is nothing burlap about Alan Del Rosario's line or anything heavy and protective for Fall 2011. Actually, it is a pretty delightfully ready for Spring and Summer soirees, ready to wear right around the corner. It's girly without being saccharine. It's lighthearted without being silly. It's mature but it never shows its age. Mr. Del Rosario's line is like the show, "Sex and the City," consistently pretty in perpetual Spring. The knee-high cocktail dress length makes the collection youthful but the black and white overlays, black and cream lace, and floral prints lends an angle of ladylike elegance. The hot numbers are the jewel-toned satin dresses which makes them more eveningwear while the black and white numbers are great for the new generation for the ladies-who-lunch set. The sexiest number is ironically the cute and modest one, the raspberry satin dress with the cap sleeves. The v-neck shows the right amount of collarbone without plunging too deep. The bodice gives the torse and bust some shape. The color blue is the bold color to watch out for, in a strapless, rosette dress with a double belt. A sassy number. The black-on-black tulle top and full skirt is a standby closet classic. A heirloom to pass onto the kids and grandkids. The sportiest one is the one that is the most ready to set sail for Spring. The red, white, and black dress with the multiple keyholes forming a clever neckline petal. The pickering stripes of red, white, and black makes it nautical but the keyholes makes it so right for the yacht yet special enough to smash out of everyone else's french sailor tops. Alan Del Rosario's Burlapp is too nice to be called that. It is nice enough to wear now through Labor Day.

Military School Girl Hip by Susan Bessire

By Laura Medina

Susan Bessire

Susan Bessire is a quintessential Los Angeles designer, mixing the hipster uniform elements of military salvage gear with the craftsmanship of asymetrical tailoring while stretching and warping the boundaries of leather.

Yet, when composed together, the effect is edgy school girl rock.

The army green, wool military band jacket with asymetrical double-breasted lapel and wrap miniskirt with white piping has this jaunty innocence about it.

The ease of the sweater dress is injected with a screen print of a guitar.

The black cardigan with ruffle trim and the slouchy cargo may appear edgy afar but up close, looks wearer-friendly.

The maxi dress with a draped, asymetrical slit is about as edgy as it gets.

For all her edginess, Ms. Bessire constructed a hip but school-friendly collection for the high school girl who wants to stand out without being kicked out.

Mikey Koffman & The Gallery LA's KTLA LA Fashion Weekend

By Laura Medina

KTLA's The GalleryLA Fashion Weekend Runway Show at Sunset Gower Studios.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTz0N2IJqMM

Who says Los Angeles or Hollywood is nothing but glitz-out bedazzling and rhinestones?

Mikey Koffman's The GalleryLA, in collaboration with KTLA's (Channel 5 locally within Los Angeles), proves otherwise.

A dash of prep has been tossed in for good taste to tame down the preceived whackiness of what outsiders assume is Los Angeles/Californian fashion.

Here are the strongest collections from the two nights show, Doctrine for women and Civil Society for men.

The wearer-friendly Doctrine showcases what is the best in Los Angeles, high-tech, lightweight denim that moves along with the body while retaining its shape and tailoring. Nothing saggy here.

The cutting-edge denim in flares, capris, and culottes-yes, culottes-reflectes the taste and yearning for the free-wheeling, devil-may-care Seventies when gas prices hit sky high, a war was raging on, people let loose their frustration in dance music (disco), and women took full-range of their hard-won but never-ending liberation.

This is Americana Sportswear at its full speed where the American Preppy Woman took charge.

A simple dose of a mustard yellow rib knit turtleneck sweater makes the super-tight but stretchable jeans appealing to the girl-next-door.

Doctrine revisited the American Woman persona in pairing the Western Ranch Blouse with a printed scarf, knotted at the neck instead of a necklace. The interfering skirt was replaced with a pair of culottes with pussy bow blouses or rosettes and riding blazers and those renewed classics of tan leather riding boots.

The subgenre of American Women sportswear was the Southern California item of the flowing linen or cotton tunic with embroidered neckline and collar. Yes, it received the hippie treatment of a fur vest but for hot days and cold nights for the forever-on-the-go American woman, she cannot think of a better pairing.

The foundation of these changings and pairings are the high-tech denim capris, refining the skinny jeans, giving them more mileage or low-slung rise flares in bringing that Seventies sexy back when Parisian chic met Hollywood hip.

KTLA's highlight runway video on second night with Civil Society.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAYE4TNGQRI

Civil Society, likes its namesake, has built a niche of "the gentleman hipster."

It never relinquish of reincarnating the functionally classic military parka and flight jacket and vest then sprucing them up with the preppy mainstay of neckties and bow ties for the rising league of refined Fine Young Gentlemen or Dandies who are still sporty enough to wear gloves while roaring their motorcycles.

Civil Society also retooled preppy style, fabrication, and tailoring. They took knits then resewed them into collared blazers. They slimmed down the frumpy and puffy fishing vest, attached a hoodie and furnished it with zippered military pockets. They replaced the cliche Navy Sack Blazer with a sleeker motorcross jacket.

They opened and ended their show with their new and emerging generation of customer, an eight years-old boy wowed the crowd by tipping his cap to them. Then, he finished it off by titling his aviator shades. All awhile doing it in a bow tie.

Civil Society proves a man can still be hip without being rowdy and still a gentleman without being dowdy.

Twentieth-First Century Dandy.

For the Stylish, Hip, & Active Mom

By Laura Medina

Alo's eco-sports cami, halter polo & pleated skirt. Divine Wear Scuba Jacket.

Get a jump start on Mother's Day by honoring both your mom and Mother Earth.

She will like you better if you give her Alo's ecologically-minded activewear and Divine Wear Scuba Jacket for her yoga and Barre classes than a box of chocolates.

A week before Mother's Day, Target is going to launch Calypso for Target for an one-month stay from May First until June 11th. Here is the sneak peek of the Bohemian-Jet Setting line.

Inspired by lounging on a beach, somewhere in India, the Calypso for Target home and jewelry elephant-based line make chic but carefree gifts for mom. She will find them adorable.

Jessica Elliot "Just Like Mama" Jewelry and Guy & Eva necklaces also make special trinkets.

They go well with Franklin + Gower's sporty, tomboy-inspired but fashion-forward preppy blazers and lean, mean bermuda shorts in chic fabrics and trims.

Your mom will appreciate these easy but urbane black cami maxi dresses from Bella Luxx, on the left, and the Urban 1972, on the right. They can be dressed up with the above jewelries from Jessica Elliot and Guy & Eva or the arriving Calypso for Target collection on May First.

Think out of the candy box, the perfume, and the flowers. Give her stuff she wants to use.

Here's to hip moms.