FFF Friday Flashback: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

Like a tall glass of water, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was the 90’s ultimate cool blonde. Like her mother-in-law before her, she was a style barometer who had us rethinking headbands, knee high boots and that clean, modern uncluttered style she did so well.

Wearing her favourite designers Calvin Klein, Narciso Rodriguez, Prada and Yohji Yamamoto she stuck to a strong palette of black, white and camel pulling together the same elements regardless of the occasion — tailored white shirt, long pencil skirt, flared and ankle grazing jeans, form fitting tees and sweaters, tailored pants and a myriad of perfectly fitted black and white dresses in silks, laces and wool.  She accented her look not with jewels, but with signature pieces so subtle, simplistic and effortless you almost didn’t see them from her pointy kitten heels and woolen pea coats to that immaculate red lip and always a perfectly maintained sheet of white blonde hair.

Were she alive today we wonder, at 44, how her personal style may have evolved. We would like to think she would be busily pulling together her wardrobe from the collections of Stella McCartney, Celine and Donna Karan(above), all of whom this season have, in some way, channeled her minimal, classic style. The low ponytail, headband, rouge lip, long boot and clean modern tailoring are CBK-chic to a T. 

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was the ultimate blonde — in a nod to her we give you the ultimate Blondie via smittenkitchen

Blondies
Adapted from How to Cook Everything

• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Butter an 8×8 pan. Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).

Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Always err on the side of caution with baking times — nobody ever complained about a gooey-middled cookie. Cool on rack before cutting them.

Further additions, use one or a combination of:

• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• 1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
• 2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
• Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter
• Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting

How to do prints in a non-scary fashion 101

If adopting this season’s prints into your wardrobe scares the Chloe pants off you, try winding a vibrantly patterned scarf around your neck. Not only is it the perfect seaonal transition piece, it is also an easy way to do prints without much thought. Our current faves?  These wool pom pom keffiah scarves by OTT.

Quick Bites: YSL launch, Gwyneth, Blake Lively's tipple of choice & the Polaroid collection

Thursday night’s YSL “Belle d’Opium” fragrance launch in NYC saw a myriad of dress codes. Our faves?  Maggie Gyllenhaal in strapless magenta and Ashley Olsen in a trenchcoat and headscarf. YSL not? huffpost

Need some inspiration of the cocktail variety? Take a peek into the star’s cocktail shakers and find out their tipple of choice. We love Blake Lively’s and Nicole Richie’s choice of a Chocolate-Spiked Mint Julep. Chin Chin! instyle

Gwyneth Paltrow made a fleeting appearance at Ralph Lauren’s Wimbledon Party at his Bond Street store this weekend in a Stella McCartney dress, which Vanity Fair’s Elizabeth Saltzman informed us was originally intended for the Iron Man premiere in London but, owing to the ash cloud, had remained unworn until last night. “I loved the ash cloud,” Saltzman said, “It reminded us that we really are very, very small and insignificant. It didn’t matter who you were, or whether you had a private jet, no-one was flying. Tamara Mellon was stuck in New York for her daughter’s birthday and there was nothing to be done about it.” vogue.uk 

Polaroid is pretty much synonymous with Andy Warhol, but he is just one of the fashion-friendly artists whose work is featured in Photographs from the Polaroid Collection, a preview of the upcoming sale at Sotheby’s. Snapshots by David Bailey, Guy Bourdain, Robert Mapplethorpe, Peter Beard, Helmut Newton, Deborah Turbeville, Lorna Simpson and Robert Heinecken are among the snapshots. wwd

Friday lust-have: Cherry red shoes with a side of cake

Our Friday obsession? Christian Louboutin’s Big Lips heels.  Think cherry red calf hair with super low vamp and killer spike heel. Just as sexy and desirous is this deliciously boozey and decadent Port Wine and Cherry Chocolate Cupcake with Marscapone Frosting from our new fave food blog, mingmakescupcakes. Slip into your Louboutins, get baking and have a red-hot Friday FFF’s!

Ming’s Port Wine and Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Mascarpone frosting

CUPCAKES

• 3/4 cup port wine
• 3/4 cup canned cherries
• 1 stick butter
• 3 tbspn + 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream

FROSTING

• 8 oz mascarpone
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Fresh cherries or chocolate shavings

To makes cakes: Simmer port and drained cherries (or use morello cherries in a jar) in a saucepan for 10 minutes. Remove 1/8 of liquid, set aside. Add butter, 3 tbspn sugar, chocolate, and cocoa and whisk until melted. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix flour, remaining sugar, soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix egg and sour cream. Add port mixture and beat briefly. Add flour mixture and beat briefly. Pour into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Spoon remaining port liquid on cupcakes before frosting.

To make frosting: Beat ingredients together a t high speed for 2-3 minutes or until soft peaks from. Spread on cupcakes and top with cherries or chocolate (or be an FFF and top with both!)

Quick Bites: Net-a-man, Isabella Blow, World Cup nails & Eat, Pray, Spray!

• Net-a-porter’s woman has finally met her man. In January, the online fashion retailer will unveil Mr Porter, a stand-alone Web site with a global reach. wwd

• The Isabella Blow auction, set to take place at Christie’s on September 15, has been called off … because Daphne Guinness has bought the whole lot! huffpost

• Whilst we are highly allergic and mortally offended by any kind of fake nail, these have to be seen to be believed! Now until July 11, WAH Nails are inviting those with more than a passing interest in the beautiful game to reveal their patriotic side with a set of World Cup 2010 nails: intricate designs feature the flags of the 32 participating countries. vogue.uk

• Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love may be about how she found herself when she pared down to life’s basics, but that hasn’t prevented the film version starring Julia Roberts from spurring a merch-fest. Jewellery line Dogeared is selling necklaces inspired by the book, and Me & Ro made necklaces, bracelets and rings embossed with the title. Meanwhile, Sony tapped Fresh to create a trio of eponymous eaux de parfum, while Como Hotels and Resorts is doing themed itineraries (“Eat” in Thailand, “Pray” in Bhutan and “Love” in Bali), and a slew of other synergistic products are reportedly in the works. Moral of this story? Write a bestselling book! wmag

Resortwear - Bottega Veneta-style

We love the sheer simplicity of Bottega Veneta’s Resort 2011 collection. Poolside chic? Tick. Perfect summer day frock? Tick. Ultimate black dress for evening. Tick TICK!

Sharp and succinct in a wearable palette of black, white and strong sunny hues like mango, lime and sea-green that echoes American abstract artist Mark Rothko’s striking works (centre). We love the wider shoulder straps and soft flow of the fabric. Note the barely-there black sandal and contrasting coloured soft bag. So classically modern and easy-to-wear. What more could you ask for from your summer wardrobe? We’ll take the lot thank you!

Images via style.com & leninimports.com

Fringe benefits

Theory Zaley Facade tunic with detachable fringed vest, Roger Vivier bag, Alexander Wang sandals, Azzaro fringed stretch jacket, Acne jacket, Isharya 18 karat gold plated necklace

There is something simply fabulous about a little shimmy-shimmy, shake-shake as one moves. Be it sequins, beading or silky fringing, it wreaks of confidence, decadence and a daring sense of style.   So how to pull this look off without going fashion-OTT?  Luckily for most fashionistas, our uniform of modern, simplistic silhouette in our favourite colour palette of black, black and black demands a little texture.

A flash of fringing is a strong, luxe and timeless look with just a whiff of boho-glam about it. Even better, it’seasy-peasy to pull together. Go on, get a little fringey with it.

FFF Look of the Week 05/4/10

Charlize Theron in sky-high Givenchy, Stella McCartney heels and Jimmy Choo clutch.  

FFF verdict:Ooh yum! You look just like a modern-day mermaid in this thigh-grazing frock; all shimmery and sea green. Love the coloured eye and loose textured hair. Most of all LOVE those shoes. Their fierceness offset your slippery gown to perfection.
Img via instyle

Runners up…

Jennifer Hudson in blazer, taupe tee and charcoal skinny jeans with Givenchy booties.

FFF verdict: Chic and svelte, and not just because you have dropped the kgs. You have always known how to dress yourself: fit, finish and vertical lines. You are THE expert at dropping in a brave surprise like a sleek, chic too-short fringe. If I could just add a great neckpiece it would be the cherry on the cake. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!
Img via instyle

Olivia Palmero in Julian J. Smith dress, Roberta Freymann neckpiece, Topshop jeweled jacket,  Christian Louboutin pumps and a Mulberry clutch.

FFF verdict: We were initally touch-and-go on this ensemble, then we were just GO! What an ecelctic and exciting combination. It is never easy to mix print and pattern but you clever little thing, you have found the key to effortless print combining. Orange is your common hue that links your jacket to your dress whilst your necklet marries the two together. Like a fabulous dessert, you look just delicious! Seconds please.
Img via instyle

Victoria Beckham in Victoria Beckham and her fave Brian Atwood ‘Maniac’ pumps.

FFF verdict: Oh Victoria, I dread my mother seeing this. She is not a fan and told me I should stop wasting my time on you. But I can’t. How can I when you keep getting better and better? I adore your slinky trench dress with your devil-may-care flipped lapel (a new quirk for you and I like it!). The obi belt is fabulous and those pumps of yours divine. I can’t wait to see what you whip out next!
Image via dailymail

Kate Moss in white blazer, leather pants, boots and Ray-Ban Wayfarers.

FFF verdict:Kate the great, you’ve done it again. We all know you are the reigning Queen of Rock-Chic (musician boyfriend on your arm? Check!), but you still manage to flaunt it with panache. The super tight leather pants with silver zips, black tank and tailored yet unstructured white jacket hark back to an 80’s Chrissie Hynde, yet looks thoroughly modern and timeless. And of course, the ultimate classic in rock & roll eyewear – Ray-Ban Wayfarers – complete the picture. This look goes to eleven!
Image via dailymail

Thoughts FFFs? Love, not or indifferent? Let us know…

Tee-Totaller

From top left to right: Balenciaga, Diane Von Furstenberg, Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, Alexander Wang, Aubin & Wills, Richard Nicholl, Victoria Beckham Denim, Preen Line, Superfine, Stella McCartney, T by Alexander Wang

The start of a new season and it’s time to restock the wardrobe. Tees top my list as they are the pieces I wear every single day. My favourite shape right now is the racer back. The kindest top of all with its uber-flattering cut-away armhole (perfect for creating broad shoulders), long body-lengthening line and non-clingy fit, it’s perfectly versatile and transeasonal to-boot.

In summer I slip it over low-slung comfy boyfriend jeans, tuck squarely into pants or skirt, team with satin evening pants and jacket or throw carelessly over my cossie. Come the cooler months, it looks perfectly chic worn over leggings and topped with cropped leather jacket. Its low sides demand clever layering (wear the wrong underpinnings and you’re tanked). I turn to the trusty combo of strapless bra and Wolford boob tube to avoid revealing an ugly bra strap or flash of unwanted flesh.

My go-to-tank? T by Alexander Wang is my first love. Simply styled with a perfectly scooped neck and long body in hard wearing jersey, I collect them in every colour - black, white, grey, khaki, dusty blue and stripe. Alas I am a faithless fashionista and am constantly tempted by other tasty tanks.  Here is my list du jour. Stock up. 

Last of the summer dime

With the warm weather waning and my 2010 clothing budget tragically depleted, I can only dream about the perfect summer outfit to farewell the warmer months.

Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses, Fendi bangle set, Jimmy Choo bag, Paul & Joe Sister denim dress, LemLem scarf, Hannah Martin ring, Lanvin wedges.

Based around a cute denim frock (because denim is my workhorse and a frock is just so darn easy), I am teaming sunny orange with earthy neutrals and to finish, some slick silver hardware for good measure. All that is missing is a crisp glass of Pinot Gris and a sunny summer salad. My friend Mellen is an awesome cook and whipped up this fabulous concoction for a picnic at The Basin on Rottnest Island a few months ago.

Simply roast a chicken and some pumpkin (it will go perfectly with my Lanvin espadrilles) and toss with chickpeas, fetta and flat leaf parsley. Dress simply with a splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a sprinkling of seasalt. A chic FFF farewell to a glorious summer.

Tip-Topper

With fashion seasons merging and more women dressing trans seasonally, the item everyone needs to own is the perfect topper.

Be it a man-style jacket, tailored blazer or luxe tux, it’s the fashion lifesaver that will take you from day-to-night and season-to-season. Slung over a fatally fab frock, it imparts that irresistable masculine-meets-feminine fashion contrast that is easy peasy and eternally chic-to-boot.

Just don’t forget the non-negotiable deal breaker; truly great shoes. Your topper is the dominant piece in this ensemble and needs another super-strong item to anchor it down. As if you need an excuse for truly fantastic shoes.

Left to right: Jennifer Aniston in Valentino frock and Alexander McQueen tuxedo jacket, Sarah Jessica Parker in Stella McCartney, Jessica Biel in Thakoon dress and jacket images via people.com, instyle.com

FFF's Oscar Noms

Come Sunday night, we will finally see what this year’s Oscar red carpet chooses to throw at us. Impatient as we are, we have come up with what we would like to see Meryl, Sandra and Maggie et al wear when they visit the little Gold man. 

Drew Barrymore: Drew has been a little grey of late. Whilst we have loved her “Grey Gardens” moment consisting of lots of vintage-inspired constructed gowns in nude, nude and nude, we think it’s time to shake things up a little. And what better way than with a dose of lilac ruffled Halston. Sprinkle liberally with diamonds and she’s a winner.

Carey Mulligan: We are feeling pink for Carey and when Audrey Tatou stole our first choice of hot pink Lanvin for the Baftas, we chose Chanel for Ms Mulligan. Long, luxe, pink and sparkling, it’s like pink Persian Fairy Floss. Red carpet delicious.

Helen Mirren: Head-to-toe, heavily embellished Lanvin for Ms Mirren. We would die to see this. It’s uber-sophisticated and fit for a Silver Screen Queen. We love.  

Kate Hudson: If Kate pulls out white again we may well blanc out. We are stealing nude from Drew and slipping it on Kate. Her “Nine” body will more than do this Donna Karan justice. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal: Maggie does off-beat seamlessly plus we are loving orange right now. This is a BIG Bottega Veneta gown to pull off, but if anyone will, it’s Maggie.

Marion Coutidard: We tried her in every other designer, but she is a Dior girl thorugh and through. She is made for this gown; sexy but sweet. Just like Marion. 

Meryl Streep: Meryl looks best in dark, midnight hues. A touch of navy and a little bit of structure is just what she needs. How fabulous would she look in this Givenchy pant suit?  It is Streep-to-a-T.

Penelope Cruz: Red, it must be RED for our fiery little Spaniard. Penelope has had a red on red carpet mishap before (she virtually vanished and was but a floating head), but we are confident this Dior concoction will stand out. Love her and love this dress. 

Sandra Bullock: Sandra has been all about purple of late which is why we are throwing her in navy. The perfect update, this Armani Prive dress is sleek, minimal and modern and sure to show off her lithe, athletic shape to Oscar perfection. 

Love or not? Let us know and don’t forget to check in with us Monday morning for our FFF Oscar debrief. May the best (and most red carpet-worthy) win!  Happy Oscars people!

Runway images via style.com

Paris Fashion Week: Balenciaga

The A/W 2010 collections have kicked off in the City of Lights.  Two of our faves, Balenciaga and Balmain treaded the boards overnight and whilst Balmain remains the same (albeit less MASH and more glam rock) Balenciaga has served up something completely special. It’s Pop Art meets A Space Odyssey and we suspect Andy Warhol would completely dig it. It’s futuristic with a 70’s vibe.  Waisted streamlined silhouettes with padding in select areas to give it the edge we always suspected noughties fashion might look like. Best of all though is the colour palette: pale blue, cherry red, mustard yellow, sky blue and caramel in varying size Pop Art-esque stripes, spots and newspaper print. Reminiscent of Courrèges’ collections of the late 60’s (a designer well ahead of his time), this is a refreshing and exciting twist for the house of Balenciaga.
Images via style.com

Quick Bites: Anna impersonators, Merci + Liberty, Carla Bruni & YSL

,

• As if Alex Katz’ portrait of Anna Wintour (sans sunglasses) wasn’t
  irksome enough, this week we had to contend with possibly the worst imperonating effort ever. Protesters at Milan Fashion Week donned Doris Day wigs and sunglasses that frankly AW wouldn’t be seen dead in. Will the real Anna please stand up! Both pics via huffingtonpost.com

• FFF’s fave Parisian concept store and London’s Liberty department store is set to launch its home and clothing collection this week featuring Liberty’s iconic floral prints. The collection will be available at Merci and Liberty for 3 weeks only. wwd.com

• Carla Burni has welcomed the Russian President at a State dinner in an extremely form fitting Roland Mouret dress. What makes it all the more remarkable is that she doesn’t appear to be wearing any support beneath. Tres admirable! But what was she thinking when she slipped on those shoes?! Quel horreur! Check it out and do you agree? dailymail.co.uk

• A major YSL exhibition is to open in Paris’ Le Petit Palais, Musee des Beaux-Arts from March 11 -August 29 2010. It will feature 250 garments as well as a selection of objects, drawings, photographs and films covering his 40 years of design. For details log onto museums-in-paris.com

FFF's Friday lust-have

The nude shoe is a staple in the FFF shoerobe, be it buff, blush, rosy pink or a marriage of all.  Slick, modern and versatile-to-boot, this clever little shoe can be worn with EVERYTHING and is guaranteed to add inches to your pins.

Alexander McQueen, Nicholas Kirkwood, Camilla Skovgaard

Oh ZIP IT!

With All Hallow’s Eve upon us, make a more stylish choice than Frankenstein’s neck bolts and opt for fashion’s hottest new accessory trend; Hardware.   

Fashion’s hardest working haberdashery items including zips and safety pins appear in collections by (clockwise from top right) Tom Binns, Miss Bibi, Giles and Brother and Marc Jacobs.  Other day-to-day must haves we may (or may not) be sporting include screws and soda can pull rings.

Won’t be wearing the latter anytime soon, but would be more than happy zipping around in that Tom Binns necklace.

Oh screw it..It’s Halloween I’ll take the lot!

Kate Moss for Top Shop Christmas 09

Be on your ready, finger poised on mouse, for the Kate Moss Top Shop release Thursday 29 October.

Inspired by the glamour and opulence of the orient, expect 30’s style dresses, lounging pieces and silk chiffon teddies in vintage rose and butterfly prints. 

My pick? The mini kimono and slip in the sweetest oriental butterfly print. Too chic to just wear around the house, unless you are sipping a Mai Tai of course!

The small but mighty clutch

Left to right:   

Emilio Pucci Bean-shape clutch, Alexander McQueen Knuckle Duster Clutch, Stella McCartney patent rivet detail clutch, Alexander McQueen houndstooth clutch, Temperley Mehndi leather clutch, Vintage Pucci clutch

I am a self-confessed Bag Lady. Just love them. I like mine big and oversized. Plush and lush. Sexy and, quite often, very ex-y! I carry a LOT in my bags. They are well-used and much loved. Deep, dark and bottomless, it’s awfully exciting to think what one might discover in its depths… except when it’s a squashed grape or leaky biro.

So fashion’s new it-bag, the tidy clutch, provides me with quite the challenge. It means downsizing on a mighty scale. Travelling light for a change. On the up-side, no longer will I helplessly forage for ringing mobile or car keys. I will locate said items quickly and efficiently! Gone will be my ever-present lean to the left and daily risk of curvature of the spine. Now I will stand ram-rod straight, unburdened by the weight of my accessory obsession. 

Best of all, the clutch is chic so race out and bag yourself the perfect pochette. Be it structured or soft, new or vintage, pretty or tough, the clutch is THE sac of the season… I’ll be clutching mine oh so close to my chest!

My not-so-secret lust affair with the Coco Cocoon

With only five sleeps until I depart for Paris and my faithful old suitcase waiting patiently to be packed, I find myself slightly jumpy, distracted… a little like a Siamese on a hot tin roof.

Why? Because although said suitcase has accompanied me loyally on many a journey, it is difficult not to entertain the idea of a far sexier and luxurious travelling companion. Something a little chicer, more polished –perhaps in an inky, plush, quilted lambskin, lined in blood red satin with slick ruthenium hardware finishes.

Voila! Chanel’s new Coco Cocoon Quilted Trolley Bag, the piece that will make my luggage pop and that has stolen my fickle fashion heart. With it’s release a week away, and Lily Allen holding onto it for dear life, sadly it won’t make the flight and my trusty Samsonite will once again be by my side. Perhaps if I remove my glasses and squint hard enough, I can pretend it is Coco Cocoon moving romantically toward me on that conveyor belt instead of my cruddy, clapped-out old faithful in its place.  

Sigh, swoon and aim high at www.chanel.com

Buff is back... but it's anything but beige

   

Left to right: Hervé Léger by Max Azria, DKNY, Victoria Beckham

How nice to see nude will be back stronger than ever for Spring. This time, the emphasis is on the sexy silhouette. Think waist-wasping, feminine shapes with extra emphasis on the long, lean leg.  Thakoon, Victoria Beckham, Donna Karan, DKNY and Hervé Léger did it best teaming their form-fitting frocks with nude heels that all but vanished on the foot (adding a good inch to the leg) in the form of caramel suede, satin and towering nude platform pumps.

Hemlines too high for your liking? Breathe, Donna Karan turned out leg-friendly versions which hit the knee but are still oh-so-sexy. Slick patent red (3.1 Phillip Lim) or a flash of neon yellow (as seen at DKNY and Devi Kroell) imparted a strong, contemporary edge reminiscent of Stella McCartney’s neon-nude moment for Spring/Summer 09.

Feel like a scoop of this perfectly pale palette?
Why not make this delicious Vanilla Ice Cream, courtesy of one of our favourite food bloggers, David Lebovitz. Lip-lickingly good!