While “window shopping” through our latest collection of evening dresses, we’ve noticed a trend that will surely be a hit come Prom and Homecoming season. Our esteemed and not to mention, clever designers gave Prom and Homecoming dresses a tasteful twist this 2013; thus, the birth of the 2-in-1 convertible dress. Get this, with one super dress, you can have two smashing looks for your special night –and, without the complication of having to follow a how-to manual.

Above dress by Mac Duggal (85172R) is one example of what we’re taking about. It has a full skirt, much like a gown. It looks more like a hi-lo dress and/or a dress that has a slit. Then, by simply removing the belted skirt, you get a glamorous short jumpsuit or mini dress. Fantastic, right?

Here’s another example of the said 2-look dress. It’s by Sherri Hill, and it’s one of our favorites.

Sherri Hill 21165

And even better, this lace number comes in two other stand-out colors.

Sherri Hill 21165

Just a little tip, try the ball-gown look of the dress for your grand entrance into your Prom or Homecoming; take pictures with your lovely escort, slow dance, and such. Then later on in the night, transform for party mode in the sexy mini version of the dress. You’ll be able to move more freely and look more relaxed. To completely change-up the look, try changing your shoes and accessories. Imagine that; and more, your Prom pictures would be more fun to look at. Have we got you interested? See more 2-in-1 pieces below:

Sherri Hill 2975

Sherri Hill 21057

Jovani 5955

Alyce Designs 2228

In a few days Christmas will be here and next thing we know, we’ll have to bid 2012 adieu. Time sure flies, doesn’t it? Before we start reading our resolutions New Year’s Eve celebrations are soon on the way, which means only one thing: finding the perfect look to end the year just right is imperative! No sweat– it’s not too late. To help you avenge the crowd of holiday shoppers and sift through what’s left on the racks, here’s our NYE style guide for dressing up for the nights events.

Bold Color

One way to dress festively for NYE is to play with color–the brighter, the better! Colors suggest and bring about positive energy, so go ahead and wear bright reds, pinks, yellows, and neons!

Left: dress, H&M; center: color block sandal, Giuseppe Zanotti; top right: jeans, H&M; bottom right: blazer, H&M 

Sparkle and Shine

Since sequins and studs are still hot and metallics are now back in style, NYE is the perfect occasion to wear these top trends! If you don’t feel daring enough to don an all-sequin number, that’s fine. A studded clutch or spiked/metallic heels will do the trick.

Top left: jacket, ASOS; bottom left: pointed heels, ASOS; center: metallic jeans, ASOS; top right: sequined jumpsuit, Zara; bottom right (a): studded clutch, Topshop; bottom right (b): sequined skater dress, Topshop

Prints and Patterns

Just like colors and shine, prints exude the energy that is perfect for welcoming the new year. Since wearing a head-to-toe printed outfit takes a little more bold edge, it’s understandable if you opt for a more subtle approach to the trend. Just like with metallics and studs, you can start with a printed clutch or shoes.

Left: blazer, Style Stalker; middle: trousers, BooHoo; top right: clutch, Matthew Williamson; bottom right: shoes, Jeffrey Campbell x BlackMilk

The holidays are just around the corner–have you started your gift-buying yet? If you have, then you deserve a round of applause because most of us ladies are just so busy juggling the different aspects of our complex-yet-lovely-all-the-same lifestyles to have completed our holiday shopping lists by now. So for all my ladies who aren’t done with holiday gift shopping yet (or haven’t even started–that includes me), this one’s for you!

While shopping for your man is fun and exciting, it could also be a real challenge especially if you don’t have the luxury of time choosing the best gift for him. So let me play fairy godmother to you this time with my 10 gift ideas!

Jabra Solemate Speaker ($160) As its name suggests, these super-cool speakers have rubber soles as a base, which make them perfect when he’s jamming to his favorite tunes outdoors. Powered by rechargeable batteries, these babies can also connect with devices via Bluetooth 3.0.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau Fraiche Body Splash (approx. $136) A lighter version of its eau de parfum counterpart, this body splash has a refreshing scent, thanks to its citrus and floral notes. He’ll feel handsomer than he already is with this one.

Michael Kors ‘Cameron’ Chronograph Bracelet Watch ($250) This watch tells time in style, thanks to its 3 chronograph eyes. Perfect for everyday use, this versatile piece is a great accessory to uplift his casual outfits.

Impecca Bamboo Keyboard & Mouse ($98) Perfect for your eco-conscious cutie, this keyboard + mouse duo is made entirely of biodegradable bamboo. He’ll love you even more for supporting his cause with this one.

Will Leather Goods ‘Lennon’ Backpack ($275) Vintage-inspired backpacks are coming back in style, so help your man be on-trend with this leather/canvas rucksack. This comes in 5 cool colors–all you gotta do is choose which one he’ll like best.

Sperry Neon Top-Sider ($90) Give your man’s casual look a nice pop of color with this updated version of the classic top-sider design. He’ll love this shoe’s mix of the past and the future.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Aviator Sunglasses ($161.83) So your guy is into sunglasses too? This is a nice addition. If he isn’t, well, this is the perfect start for that thanks to its classic and elegant design.

Soulland ‘Adler’ Cap ($200) Casual meets style yet again with the ‘Adler’ cap by Soulland. Its Fedora-inspired design gives this accessory a subtle touch of style.

Zara Bomber Jacket ($129) Look cool, feel warm–this bomber jacket comes with a detachable hood, making it a versatile piece that your man can wear with many outfits. This one’s perfect for the guy-on-the-go!

Sony PlayStation Vita ($249.96) Though this gadget can be your potential enemy in the future, it’s still a great gift to your guy simply because there’s something about guys and video games that us girls may never fully understand. If you decide to gift him with this, here’s some advice: lay out your conditions and have him agree with them before giving him this present.

Sparkle to stand-out, or shine just to bring good cheer, with festive frocks that you ought to rock for the Holidays!

We can imagine how much you guys are getting frantic as you go through your wardrobe (and, of course, do some shopping) for work Christmas parties, family parties, and your midnight outing for New Years Eve. We share your excitement, as well as your dilemma, as you try to come up with three or maybe four smashing outfits for this party season. We’re not elves or anything, we lack powers and whatnot, but we sure can help you by narrowing down your options to lessen the frenzy before you head out for your mad dash to your favourite stores. Below are eight gorgeous style trends that will surely add the jolly to your Holidays.

Shine in Silver

We Dig Gold 

Sequined Sophistication 

Furry or Fringed

Knock-out in Knits

Colorful Lace

Passion for Prints 

Rara Red

Well, happy shopping! And, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Sources: harpersbazaar.com, seventeen.com, teenvogue.com, easyliving.co.uk, gettyimages.com, tumblr.com

The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching, and I’m sure many of you are already planning your looks and outfits in the many parties lined up this season. To help you with your planning, here are some hairstyles that you can try to add that fabulously festive feel to your holiday party looks!

Braided Babe

Fishtail braid (Photo: examiner.com)

Braided bun (Photo: Pinterest.com)

Braids made a smashing comeback this year with a lot of variations and recreations. If you’ve got medium-length to long hair, try and nail a loose fishtail braid for a sultry, feminine look. For a cleaner, more Victorian-era chic feel, try the braided bun.

Photo: Pinterest.com

According to red carpet hairstylist Mara Roszak, jewelled or metallic hair accessories give any hairstyle (long, short, pulled up) an instant glamour. Simply add a jeweled brooch to your hair and–voila! You’re instantly party-ready!

Photo: Pinterest.com

Sideswept Sweetheart

Photo: Pinterest.com

Another hot hairstyle you can rock this holiday season is the side sweep. Sophisticated yet sexy, this hairstyle is perfect for dresses that show off your gorgeous collar bone.

Photo: IKnowHair.com

Action figures, teen merchandise, countless magazine covers (Teen Vogue Dec/Jan being the latest, as seen above), a second album, and an army of screaming fans pretty much describe how big 1D has made it. Pretty boys Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles (as if you guys don’t already know them) make up the Brit boy band. They’re cuties, but oh they are more than a face; they’ve got talent, that though they’d only finished third place in the UK X-Factor in 2010, they got signed through the infamous Simon Cowell.

But, beside the talent, they’ve got style, too –and we’ve noticed. In fact, the One Direction infection has prompted us to do some 1D girls style version.

Louis is into nautical. Niall likes the relaxed vibe and usually rocks polo shirt+khaki. Harry is often caught doing preppy with blazers and bow ties. Liam “Daddy Direction” goes for the responsible gentleman look with plaid button-ups. While, Zayn goes for sporty, often donning a varsity jacket. To match their style, we got some help from Topshop, Chuck Taylor, and Jeffrey Campbell:

Okay, so we know it’s been done before, but why can’t we join in on the fun? Confess. You’ve been infected, too.

Sources: fansshare.com, onedirectionfanclub.co.uk, teenvogue.com

Defined as “shaded or graduated in tone” ombre is the french term we’ve heard buzzing around lately. You may have noticed a lot of girls rocking this trend in street style along with A-listers like Britney Spears and Alexa Chung. Giving off a grown out look, the hairdo transitions from darker shades at the roots to lighter shades at the ends and has become a fun way to experiment with multiple colors. It’s even pretty fairly low-maintenance as it allows fewer trips to the hairdresser. But since it’s popularity has begun to die down we’re wondering, is the trendy ombre ‘do still hot?

We’re not totally sure if this trend is still in but just in case you’re considering the ombre look, here are a few tips.  Try temporary dye or hair chalk; with these you can play around with more vibrant colors like pink and blue. You can also select colors according to your skin tone. For darker tones try deep reds, bright caramel, and shades of ash. For medium skin tones brown, muted blonde and gold work best. And for fair skin you can go for lighter blondes and also ash tones.

Weigh in: Is the ombre hair trend still hot?

Images via: la belle et le blog / flickriver / pinterest / posh24 / ivillage / iblogbeauty / keepmeinspired

The 2012 American Music Awards was the energy jolt we needed! Wedged in the middle of award season and a prelude to Thanksgiving week, it was a kick-off of vast proportions if we’ve ever seen one. It had all the necessary elements: (1) spectacular performances– Ke$ha on drums, Justin Bieber in acoustic, and a killer Mc Hammer and Psy duo, (2) a few memorable moments– mainly Christina Aguilera’s bizarre freak show of a performance and Bieber’s boatload of awards, and (3) of course sparkly dresses galore among other glamorous fashion. Classic entertainment at its finest.

Aside from all the antics and shinanigans (there were plenty) we couldn’t help but notice a few recurring beauty trends. There were more than a few bold bangs, sleek ponys, and pale pink lips. Now that’s speaking our language. Take a look at some of Hollywood’s leading ladies sporting theses hot beauty trends!

Bold Bangs

The “Best New Artist” award wasn’t the only thing Carly Rae Jepsen nabbed at the AMA’s. She was also nailed one of our favorite hairstyles– can’t go wrong with a messy bun/bang combo.

Christina Aguilera‘s dress wasn’t a favorite of ours but we loved her sleek cut and bangs. Her nude makeup pulled the look together, giving her the fierce edge she was going for.

Taylor Swift has mastered the red carpet at this point. We’ve been in love with her bangs since she cut them and paired with a nude face (another big trend) she looked fresh and classic.

Sleek Ponys

Heidi Klum is no stranger to a hot ponytail or bun. With that face, we wouldn’t be either.

Jordan Sparks looks sleek as ever with her pulled back locks, which made room for her mixed print gown. We think she could have glammed it up a bit more, but we are a fan either way.

Donning one of our favorite looks for the night Elisha Cuthbert was radiant. Her pulled back blonde tresses went perfectly with nude makeup and drop earrings.

Pale Pink Lips

Pink lips were a huge beauty trend for the night! Sporting a surprisingly subtle look, Ke$ha gave us old Hollywood glam and we loved it! Please keep this up Ke$ha; pretty please!

Can we just take a moment and express how much we’re obsessed with Ginnifer Goodwin? She literally glides down every red carpet she hits! Her pale pink lip and and dress were perfection– and that pixie cut just makes her the cats meow.

Brandy sparkled on the red carpet from her dress to her glamorous makeup. The “Put it Down” singer’s pink lip went perfectly with her faux bob and smokey eye– two thumbs!

Though her short dress may be better suited for a Las Vegas stage, Hayden Panettiere‘s makeup was lovely. Delicate and rosy it went well with the shimmery silver.

Kerry Washington is always a treat for the eyes! In usual classically sleek fashion, her makeup was natural and her hair was seemingly effortless. We won’t even start on that Stella McCartney number…

Middle Part

It’s hard to go wrong with a middle part and wavy locks. Stacy Keibler wore the look it well, though we were craving a wee-bit more spice.

Kelly Rowland looked simple and chic wearing her usual middle part and short dress.

Gwen Stefani does it every time.  Bold red lip + wavy blonde tresses + Balmain perfection = complete and utter bliss.

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

The charismatic, considerably talented, Taylor Swift has released her highly-anticipated fourth album, RED just less than a month ago. With it she proves just how (quite appropriately) red hot she is as she maintains to hold the #1 position in the Billboard’s 200 top albums chart, earns U.S. sales exceeding 1.5 million albums in RED’s first two weeks (scoring music’s highest first-week sales in more than a decade), and reaches #1 on the iTunes sales charts in 42 countries. When asked about the album title, she shares:

“Red is such an interesting color to me because you have the great part of red. Like, the red emotions that are like daring and bold and passion and love and affection. And then on the other side of the spectrum you have jealousy and anger and frustration and ‘you didn’t call me back’ and ‘I need space.”

With the release of her album she has also posted photos used in the album artwork. Style and Taylor lovers like us have taken note of the styling, individuality and honesty of the images. She sticks to her own prim and proper style, and we love it. Check out some more of the photos to get a sense of her unique style.

To add fuel to her hotness, Taylor Swift took home 3 of the most sought-after awards at the 2012 Europe Music Awards held in Frankfurt, Germany: Best Female Act Award, Best Live Act Award, and the first ever Best Look Award. The Best Look Award celebrates the music star with the greatest style for the year and rightfully so, Taylor Swift was voted as this year’s style leader beating Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Jack White, and A$AP Rocky.

Taylor’s awesome night at the EMA’s capped her week in Europe which included stops in London and France for promotional appearances for RED. Before and after that, she also completed a wave of shows and guest spots in the U.S. Let’s breathe in more of Taylor Swift style goodness as we look at photos of her recent appearances in Europe and in the U.S.

Sources: nydailynews.com, justjared.com, modoration.com

By Guest Contributor Anya Sarre of ShoeDazzle.com

If you can’t wait to start looking and feeling fantastic during this cold weather season, you will be delighted to know there are multiple amazing and new women’s fashions available this winter. From darling sweaters to cute blazers, you can browse through numerous great-looking styles to select a chic new wardrobe that will make you look amazing and feel radiant and confident.

No matter how much time you spend getting ready, when you leave the house, you should look as if you simply slipped into a stylish outfit. Sophisticated new styles help women to gain extra confidence-boosters and feel great while you wear them. From chunky, wedged winter shoes to trendy sweater dresses, you can let your fashionable side shine through this winter.

Retro cardigans that are smartly styled and cut near the waist can be paired with a long maxi skirt and a pair of knee-length riding boots. English riding boots, sleek women’s shoes and elegant tweed slacks are making comebacks this winter season. If you want to change out your work-day tweed slacks for a flowing maxi skirt in the evening when you go on a dinner date, this is easy to accomplish when you have a few primary pieces of fashionable winter wear items.

Vintage pea coats and cute wool hats are the perfect items to wear when you head outdoors during this chilly winter season. If you want to pull off a completely fashionable and chic look, don’t forget to make your accessories make a statement for you. Knotted scarves, fashionable, chunky necklaces and beautiful, teardrop earrings can completely pull an entire outfit together. Vintage jeans and thick, winter mittens with beautiful embroidery designs will help you to stay both warm and stylish this cold weather season as you go from one place to another.

Every woman should have one or two favorite dresses hanging in her closet for those last-minute dates. Consider investing in a simply cut, stylish cocktail dress that you can pair with a faux fur, knee-length coat and a great pair of staggeringly shoes. Bulky, soft sweaters and ultra slim cardigans are two more items that will help you to create a fashionable and pulled-together look this winter.

About Anya

• Anya Sarre is one of Hollywood’s most influential trendsetters. A nationally recognized celebrity stylist, Sarre is known for her impeccable eye and ability to tie any look together with the perfect accessory. Named “Best Television Fashion Stylist” for her appearances on Entertainment Tonight, The Insider and countless other media outlets, Sarre is the go-to fashion expert for Hollywood’s biggest celebrities.