As summer comes to an end, many of us get that sinking feeling in our stomach. No more pool parties and carefree days tanning in the sun. Apple cider takes the place of fresh-squeezed lemonade or another lighthearted drink of choice. Sweaters and tights replace bare legs and brightly painted manicures. The pace of life seems to pick up again and the weather seems to drop off…again. Nevertheless, we move on and create our own fall fun. And what’s more fun than fashion? Look forward to this season’s striking fall collections that will no doubt add flavor to your wardrobe. One great way to dress stylish and keep up with the trends this season is to keep your eyes on 5 fashionable shows while you’re hibernating in your snug abode.

1. The Rachel Zoe Project- Highly anticipated, the show premieres on Bravo September 8th with celeb stylist, Rachel Zoe! She’s dressed stars like Cameron Diaz, Nicole Richie, and Jennifer Garner. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at her life as well as her brilliant styling techniques as she works on shoots and for her personal clients.

2. Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style- Tim Gunn, Project Runway extraordinaire, is back with his own successful show on Bravo. If you want to learn how to build a proper wardrobe, watch Tim Gunn and pay close attention to his 10 must-haves for any closet, at any age. He’s particularly a stickler for fit and the proper silhouette for your body type.

3. Lipstick Jungle- Airing its second season on September 24th on NBC, this television show is about 3 successful business women living in New York City. There’s love, hardship, friendship, and of course exceptional fashion.

4. 90210- On September 2, the CW is bringing a new and remixed version of the famous 90210 series that aired in the early 90’s. This show is sure to feature a young, audacious sense of style and enough drama to match it.

5. Gossip Girl- Starting September 1 on the CW, we’ll be able to see what former Sex and the City costumer, Eric Daman, has in store for our favorite preppies in their second season. High-end labels and designer shoes… it’s like Sex and the City never left. ~ Maria Denardo

**Lipstick Jungle photo via Washingtonpost.com **

**Gossip Girl photo via Gossipgirlinsider.com **

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Carlos Miele Resort 08/09 

An Hour is a Sea by Emily Dickinson

An Hour is a Sea
Between a few, and me –
With them would Harbor be –

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 Tower Of Light by Pablo Neruda

O tower of light, sad beauty
that magnified necklaces and statues in the sea,

Monique Lhuiller’s Resort/Holiday collection 

calcareous eye, insignia of the vast waters, cry
of the mourning petrel, tooth of the sea, wife
of the Oceanian wind, O separate rose

from the long stem of the trampled bush
that the depths, converted into archipelago,

O natural star, green diadem,
alone in your lonesome dynasty,
still unattainable, elusive, desolate
like one drop, like one grape, like the sea.

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Erin Fetherston’s holiday collection, accessorized with Van Cleef jewels

Sonnet 44, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Beloved, thou hast brought me many flowers
Plucked in the garden, all the summer through
And winter, and it seemed as if they grew
In this close room, nor missed the sun and showers.

So, in the like name of that love of ours,
Take back these thoughts which here unfolded too,
And which on warm and cold days I withdrew
From my heart’s ground. Indeed, those beds and bowers
Be overgrown with bitter weeds and rue,
And wait thy weeding; yet here’s eglantine,
Here ’s ivy!—take them, as I used to do
Thy flowers, and keep them where they shall not pine.

Instruct thine eyes to keep their colors true,
And tell thy soul their roots are left in mine.

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Long before Ralph, Tommy, and Tory dabbled in country club-chic, brands all along the Eastern seaboard pioneered—and perfected—distinctive preppy styles. In honor of summer’s arrival—and with it, many picturesque clambakes, tennis matches, and polo games—we pay homage to iconic blue-blood brands. So before you board the puddle-jumper or pour yourself a T&T, take cues from this short-list when planning your preppy summer wardrobe:

Lilly Pulitzer

Jackie Kennedy—the patron saint of all-American style—was one of the first lady-like tastemakers to sport Lilly Pulitzer’s distinctive, patterned frocks. (The former First Lady and the designer were class-mates at the Chapin school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.) Since the Palm Beach-based label’s inception in the late ‘60s, many of Jackie O’s fans (and really, who isn’t one!?!) have followed suit.

Stubbs & Wootton

A favorite all along the Eastern Seaboard from Palm Beach (where the label got its start) to Newport, Stubbs & Wootton slip-ons are a staple of upper-crust attire.

Emilio Pucci

A favorite of the pearl-wearing set, Pucci’s swirling prints have been hostess-attire since the 1960s, when hostess-with-the-mostesses like C.Z.Guest and Babe Paley began sporting the Italian house’s signature frocks.

Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley’s quilted duffel bags are a frequent fixture on Nantucket ferries, Palm Beach puddle-jumpers, and Newport sidewalks. Fortunately for us, these cheery satchels–priced between $50 and $150–don’t require trust funds to purchase.

Sperry Topsider

Whether on or off the water, the yachting crowd often opts for the sweet, starboard-ready boat shoes from Sperry Topsider.

CK Bradley

Founded in 1999 by young Manhattanite Camilla Bradley (then a student at the prestigious Trinity school) CK Bradley features a candy-colored assortment of cheekily-printed belts, headbands, and more Blair Waldorf-worthy accessories.

David Yurman

Those that think of “summer” as a verb prefer the sophisticated, yet simple designs of David Yurman. The jeweler’s signature twist and buckle-accented baubles complement both private school wardrobes and doyenne dress.

Kenneth Jay Lane

Coral pendants, colorful enamel, and charming aquatic animals are key motifs in Kenneth Jay Lane’s cheap’n'chic baubles. (Because the diamond tennis bracelet can be so gauche to wear non-stop in the summer.)

L.L.Bean

A must-have from Cape Cod shores to South Hampton greens, monogram-ready totes from Maine’s L.L.Bean label appeal to those whose surname comes with stately roman numerals.

Vineyard Vines

Founded by former investment bankers, brothers Shep & Ian Murray, Vineyard Vines takes its name and aesthetic inspiration—think seersucker shorts, patchwork skirts, and ribbon belts—from the tony vacation hot-spot, Martha’s Vineyard.

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Dan Flavin

Perhaps it’s because he was just recently featured in both the MOMA’s Color Chart exhibition and had his own solo show at Zwirner + Wirth, but artist Dan Flavin is having a moment–and the fashion world is contributing to his resurgence by paying homage to his oeuvre. The influence of the minimalist artist’s masterpieces–i.e. his distinctive fluorescent light works–can be seen across the current sartorial landscape, in realms both high….

…and low:

Of course, that fluorescent lights are becoming a popular fashion prop makes sense considering the rising “It”-factor of neon hues. (Only problem is, these colored lights aren’t exactly green, but that’s for another post—and blog.) But the irony is, that since Flavin’s novel approach (the artist broke onto the scene in the ‘60s, and passed away in 1996) was that he used commercially-available items as his medium…and now similar installations are being used to make commercial visuals seem more artistic.

Flavin’s work at LACMA

Whether Flavin-esque bright lights will be a permanent fixture in the fashion world remains to be seen of course, but the artists works can be found at The DIA’s Dan Flavin Art Institute.

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Rootstein’s Agyness Deyn Mannequin

Here’s a preview shot of one of the Agyness Deyn Rootstein mannequins that will be formally (and by formally I mean with a turntable and champers-fueled fête) unveiled later this week. When I first saw the pose I must admit I was a bit disappointed; the subservient turned-in-legs-arms-all-akimbo stance isn’t exactly an appropriate pose to immortalize the bold, head-turning British catwalker.

But then, brushing my feminist concerns aside (for a few minutes anyway) I realized that the mannequin stance did make reference to some iconic (albeit fictitious) women: Nike, The Winged Victory of Samothrace which can be found in the Louvre and A Crainte des Traits de l’Amour, by 18th century sculptor Jean-Louis Lemoyne. (His rococo masterpiece is located in the Metropolitan Museum.) The comparison of the 3 sculptures kept the aforementioned criticism at bay, as it suggests that Agyness’s career—and the mannequin she inspired—is indeed an impressive work of art.

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The Soft Rock Trend, as illustrated by Urban Outfitters

Full disclosure: I like soft rock. A lot. It’s a recent obsession, prompted by a resurgence of retro soundtracks and one tantalizing infomercial. ( Time Life Soft Rock Series. Try to catch it if you can. Hell, TiVo it if possible. Ten bucks says you’ll start singing along with the TV before it’s over.)

I like soft rock so much that I actually spent a good chunk of money and time to see Christopher Cross in concert last weekend. (Perhaps you remember his hits: Sailing, Ride Like the Wind and the Authur’s Song? Are you misty-eyed with nostalgia yet? Thought so.) Much like the aforementioned infomercial, his performance was simply amazing, in that super-sentimental, uncomplicated kind of way.

While it can be hard to adequately define the ‘70s musical genre, Cross describes his music as being mid-tempo; neither fast or slow, but some slow, hazy blend of the middle. It was then that I realized there’s a full-on soft rock sartorial movement going on right now.

Think of it this way: When applied to clothing, “mid-tempo” can translate into something that’s neither dressy nor casual. Now think of the number of items in your wardrobe—or in your favorite shop—that are neither formal nor fuss-free?

Still don’t know what I’m talking about?

Take a look at these ensembles:

From left: Lux @ Urbn, Mint @ Shopbop, Kimchi& Blue @ Urbn

Not party dresses exactly, but not schlumpy outfits either right?

Clockwise from top: Moccasin @ Urbn, Pau&Joe @ Shopbop, Frye @ Shopbop, Gladiator @ Urbn

And these shoes? You could wear them to work, maybe, but probably only on CasFris. (A.k.a. Casual Fridays. Sorry, my lame inner Gossip Girl made me do it.)

Bags all from Urban Outfitters

And these lovely little structure-less totes? Can wear them most places, but can’t bring these to grandma’s house or the gym.

From left: Madewell, Charlotte Ronson @ Shopbop, Free People @ Urbn

Chances are you’re quite familiar with the kind of styles above—all of which, might I add, serve as the pitch-perfect answer to the tough-luxe rock’n'roll trend that’s just about to wind down. Channeling a romantic ease and a faint ’70s vibe, these pieces fit into a trend that I’ll now fondly refer to as Soft Rock Style. Catchy isn’t it?

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In case you didn’t know, Diane Von Furstenberg, she-of-the-wrap-dress and globetrotting-style bar-raiser (hel-loo?! Have you seen those H.Stern knuckle-dusters?) is certifiably awesome, in pretty much every way that counts. And in just the past ten days she’s given us 3 more demonstrations of her awesomeness:

1) She unveiled her Wonder Woman-inspired collection for holiday ’08. The freshy, sporty line features bold hues and patterns that recall my grade-school sticker collection, and is sure to fly right off shelves come November. (Get it? Fly?)

2) Last Monday she held court at the star-studded Costume Institute Ball. With the Olsen twins as one of her 6 dates. And she brought a camera.

3) She recently posted her VIP candids for all to see on her online “magazine.”

Love.

Check. It. Out. Now.

Snaps from DVF.com

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Good-bye neo-Goth, hello old-school graphics. For our second installment of Casual Observations, I’d like to turn your attention to the recent resurgence of TV test patterns and Trapper Keeper-style graphics. Both feature bold colors, distinctive patterns, and conjure up bygone eras which many of us associate with a sense of joyous naïveté. (Remember when you actually wrote on paper and had to turn the non-cable TV on by manually turning a dial?) And as a quick glance at a few of today’s pop-culture artifacts and sartorial backdrops will demonstrate, these iconic graphics are current favorites of today’s taste-makers:

First, take a look at Apple’s latest Ipod commercial:

Then compare it with the intro credits to everyone’s favorite ’80s guilty-pleasure, Saved by the Bell:

Both recall your ’80s school supplies, no? Surely you remember Trapper Keepers and their distinctive geo-patterns…

Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, savvy window-dressers are zooming in on the same ’80s graphics as well as TV test graphics, as they make a perfect back-drop for the season’s vivid, New Wave-inspired pieces…

Bergdorf Goodman, Fifth Avenue:

Diesel, 14th Street @ Union Square:

Note the color palette and gradient pattern in the backdrop of the store’s “Diesel TV” window, and how similar it is to the Ipod commercial. Nice how it all comes full-circle isn’t it? (That’s what the fashion demi-monde likes to call A Moment.) Considering the ’80s TV inspiration behind this nascent trend, it seems fitting to now say, “Stay tuned for more…”

Snaps= TV Test pattern, iStock; Folders, Flickr; store photos Kate Terranova and Erin Dustin

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