The awards shows have begun, and Fashion Week is just around the corner.  This means we’ll soon be bombarded with images and posts of Best & Worst Dressed list and rundowns of the major collections.  While I’ve never posted recaps from these fashionable weeks (and don’t plan on starting!), you can guarantee I’m peeking through the photo galleries as they come up.

Most of the time, the red carpet and fashion shows just give me a little taste of “Things I Want But Can’t Have.”  Frankly, I don’t like spending my time going COVET COVET COVET when their unattainably and unbelievably out of reach.  (Michael Kors watch? Attainable with some savings & sale shopping.  Cartier vintage jewelry? Not even in my wildest dreams.)

When I’m not struck by a case of the covets, I use these sources as what they’re meant to be (for the average gal)–inspiration.  For those of us who don’t always know what our style is, who are looking to incorporate fresh flavor into our wardrobes, or who need a sartorial pick-me-up, the runway and red carpet are a great place to look!

Runway & Red Carpet Style Can Teach You About… Your Favorite Cuts & Fits

I’m gonna start with three VERY different outfits, but all three that I love– and feel are very me.  Christian Dior here, fun, playful, and whimsical.  Mila Kunis at the Golden Globes in a very classic, yet understated dress.  And Alexander McQueen–who need I say more?  Yet, at the heart of these outfits, we find similar structures: a fitted, structured bodice and, in the first two, fuller skirts.  The McQueen outfit provides a more streamlined silhouette, but you do begin to find weight towards the bottom of the skirt.

Look at your favorite picks each season– and what common elements are you finding? Are you drawn to the avant garde? The loose and elegant? Fitted skirts and plunging necklines?

Runway & Red Carpet Style Can Teach You About… Your Favorite Colors & Prints

Hey– did you know I’m an avid fan of your wardrobe having a color palette?  Especially if, like me, you’re a color FIEND?

Sometimes a gal doesn’t know where to start though– where to narrow out colors, where to find the ones she truly wears.  I’m attracted to, and feel best in, jewel tones and vibrants.  I stay away from citrus-y oranges and yellows (though love to embrace a little chartreuse!) and pastels.  Not a surprise? I’m not attracted to those colors on the red carpet or the runway, unless it’s SPECK-TACULAR.  Same goes for prints.  I’m mad crazy for leopard print, polka dots, and stripes.  I don’t often buy florals or abstract prints.

Start hoarding those images in a folder, and figure out what colors you love– and which pretty prints!

Runway & Red Carpet Style Can Teach You About… Textures, Details & Accents That Attract You

Great outfits come from great details.

Great details can also bring to life the most basic pieces– the perfect studding on a top, the peplum on a skirt.  Details take the boring and ordinary to extraordinary.   Imagine Rachel Evan Woods dress if it were just a basic silk– beautiful, but ordinary.  Or Nicole Kidman’s without the intricate studding and channels.  Betsey Johnson shows us we can mix textures and a bit of pattern to create a look that’s over the top.

Runways and red carpets are great for figuring out what details you’re attracted to–whether ruffles, studs, sequins or feathers (all of which I love).  Then it’s a matter of integrating those in to YOUR personal closet.

Runway & Red Carpet Style Can Help Find You… A Style Icon

Crazy, no?  It’s hard to find a style icon if you’re not obsessively watching what celebs wear out on the street.  And those fab fashion shoots?  ARE ALL PUT TOGETHER BY A STYLIST.  Soooo…sheeetttt. How DO you find a style icon?

This is why I love the red carpet– it’s like seeing the best version of a performer.  While many have assistance by a stylist, the red carpet is often where you’re finding them representing themselves–best or worst dressed lists and all.  I love the red carpet because you can find out who are risk-takers, who always play it safe with pastel strapless dresses, and who uses each event as an opportunity to be share another side (Rachel McAdams, Emma Stone– I’m looking at you!).  If you search through each event as it happens, I’m sure you’re going to notice yourself attracted to the same performers over and over… and what do you know? You’ve got an icon.

I’m mad crazy about Emma Stone– and a quick look above probably shows why.  She picks amazing colors and simple silhouettes with a unique twist.  She realizes the details (the lace and shape in Tom Ford, her belt on the right, and the power of a hot pink lip against a black and white gown).

There’s no doubt in MAH MIND– if we were besties (which I think we could be), that I’d ALWAYS be going, OOOH GURL. WHERE’D YOU GET THAT?

 Do you use the red carpet or Fashion Week season to give your style a boost of inspiration? What are your tips for beginning the process (lawd knows I find all the designers at NYFW overwhelming!)?

All images via Elle.com.

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed What Runway & Red Carpet Fashion Can Teach You About Your Style, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

When Beautifully Invisible asked me to participate in her We are Women. We are Beautiful. We are Real. post, I was hopeful that my schedule would allow it (and thankfully, it did!). On Wednesday she shared part 1 and part 2 went live today.  Please stop by and see what 28 women have to say about being a “real woman,” and read my own contribution below!

From a young age, being a woman has been a loaded gun – it meant being put on diets in elementary school to realizing how much power my confidence and sexuality had in undergrad.  There’s an incredible power to being a woman and I think that’s why society tries in every way to make us powerless.  From telling us how we need to look, what we should weigh, what kind of households we “should” have, and how to balance beauty and intelligence – because god forbid in 2011 we’re both.

Sadly, I feel like most women aren’t in a position to receive messages and education on empowerment – and in a blogosphere of outspoken and passionate women, that’s incredibly easy to forget.  When I think about the women I work with, there’s often too much on their daily plates to really THINK about how they’re treating other women or themselves.  They’re too busy trying to get meals cooked, work full-time, get the kids from soccer practice, finish their homework, get good grades, fall in love or stay in love.  In many ways, it’s the biggest way the feminist movement has damned us – it put us in a position of needing to do it all now, and, in the process, providing us with so much that we neglect to think about how we interact and treat our fellow sisters.

The only way to empower all women is through how we act.  Be kind. Share compliments. Offer hugs and support. Work to break stereotypes and celebrate the choices women make in all aspects of life, because we have the ability to make a choice.

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed “We Are Women…” at Beautifully Invisible., please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

Are you in love with a gamer geek?

I’m not alone in this. You’re in a relationship, and the boy reveals his darkest, dorkiest habits: he loves Mario & Zelda. Call of Duty. World of Warcraft.  Magic. Dungeons & Dragons. Settlers of Catan. Apples to Apples (but really, it’s okay to admit that’s a fun one).

Not only does he love them– but he expects you to play them too.

Your response is, “Um, no, I’m cool, I like fashion.”  But he still expects you to play (and lose off a few of those precious cool points).

Face it, you’re going to have to play. So why not maintain SOME semblance of cute while doing so?

For Dungeons & Dragons on Sunday

Dungeons & Dragons by Ashe Mischief

For Super Mario Cart Date Nights

Mario Cart Date Nights by Ashe Mischief

Friday Night’s Apples to Apples with Friends

Apples to Apples by Ashe Mischief

Playing Candyland with Your Favorite Kids & Family

Candyland with Kids by Ashe Mischief f

For When You’re Pushed into Playing World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft by Ashe Mischief

Face it– if the dude has you playing World of Warcraft, at that point, cuteness becomes only 10% of the equation, and 90% comfort because your ass will be planted in that computer chair all night.

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed 5 Outfits to Look Great While Gaming, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

I’ve been thinking about Gwen Stefani’s style a lot lately and how much I appreciate it. Whether you love her or hate her– she has a style that is very much uniquely her own.  She’s successful in her style; over the years she’s evolved and changed while maintaining a signature sense of Stefani.

It baffles me, and inspires me, that I’ve been a fan of this woman for 16 years.  I was about 12 when Tragic Kingdom came out, and I’m pretty sure her plaid bondage pants &  So-Cal style inspired the skater/punk girl that I became in high school.

While I may have donated my plaid bondage pants long ago, Gwen Stefani is still sartorially inspirational to me. (How could she not be, when she dresses up like Alice in Wonderland?)

What I Love About Gwen Stefani’s Style:

• She manages to look put-together and coiffed, even when she’s not on stage.  She can be kicked back in holey jeans and flip flops–and she manages to make it look urban, hip and together.
• She makes motherhood look great. She’s got “yummy mummy“  down pat!
• She’s aware of her age, but she doesn’t let her age dictate her style.
• She takes care of her body– all of that jumping, dancing, running and thrusting over the years has given her a great shape– and dresses for it.
• She active explores and integrates new elements in to her style–whether it’s elements of India, Japanese Harajuku flair, Harry Potter schoolboy-esque blazers and ties, or business-fashion fusion.

How to Get Gwen Stefani’s Style:

• Adopt a couple of trademarks that can stick with you forever.  This works on women like Anna Wintour, too.  For Stefani, it’s her signature platinum blond locks, a winged eye, groomed brows, and a fresh face (and often bold, red lip).  It’s classic & timeless; it’s retro and vintage; it’s entirely modern at the same time.
• Bouf, tease, comb, and tame your hair. I’m a big fan of the slight bouf, and Stefani has it down pat.
• Know what’s appropriate for work, for play, for stage and for school.  She doesn’t wear sequined hot pants or 9″ harajuku inspired heels while carrying the kids.  Despite her eclectic style, it’s relatively modest as she’s gotten older– she may wear shorts, minis & hot pants, but with tights underneath.
• Know where the heart of your style is.  Gwen Stefani is a Southern California girl, through and through.  Ahead of the trends, the first to get them (or create them) and the nation follows suit.  What’s at the heart of your style?
• Value accessories and details.  A top hat becomes more than a top hat when it’s in an unusual color and has netting attached to it.  A cameo becomes more when it when it’s multiples molded together.  Even in her casual outfits, a polo becomes more fetching in a shrunken boys’ size.  Even when carrying the babes, she still has details like small studs and large barrettes to keep her look interesting.

And one of my favorite No Doubt songs and videos– I think the video really shows the eclecticism of Stefani’s style, and–at the end– her genuine beauty when she’s so stripped down.

I can’t wait to see how Gwen’s style evolves over the next 15 years.

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed The Dramatis Personae: Gwen Stefani, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

1. Work with your natural assets.
Can you imagine what Hendricks would be like if she started out with those curves and then worked out beyond recognition after the success of Mad Men?  Instead of denying her natural figure, she works it.  She knows how to highlight one part while subtly showcasing & emphasizing the rest.

2. If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
Epic breasts? She flaunts them. More curves than a interstate clover? Her clothes skim them.  She’s not an exhibitionist, but she shows off what she’s got.

3. Don’t listen to the naysayers and haters.
People are obsessed–obsessed with Christina Hendricks’ body. There’s a lot of criticism and judgment floating around for a woman who was voted Esquire‘s Sexiest Woman Alive.  All that criticism and judgment? It’s probably coming from other women.  So cut her some slack, cut that girl in the office some slack, and cut yourself some.

4. Surround yourself with people who celebrate you and your body.
One of the best things I remember reading was about her relationship with her husband; she loves his curly hair and he loves her breasts.  He loves her body as it is, and when you’re spending the rest of your life with someone? That’s awesome.

5. Take pride in your natural body.
Some rumors went around recently that Hendricks was working on losing 35 pounds.  Hendricks was quick to squish that rumor saying, “I’m completely happy with my body!”  She’s said in interviews, “Sure, I’d love to lose 10 lbs, but what woman wouldn’t?”  Her ease and comfort in her body is one of her sexiest traits.

6. Wear what you want and what you love. Ignore the critics.
For as often as Hendricks makes the best dressed list, she also receives lots of criticism for her choice in outfits.  You know what? She wears what she wants, and her confidence on the red carpet is enviable.

7. Have a signature and own it.
All those trademarks and signature styles that get people talking about Hendricks?  Is there a more talked about redhead? Is there a more talked about sex symbol? Is there a more talked about curvaceous goddess on the screen?  She OWNS them.

8. Your signature looks and trademarks don’t have to be natural.
Where would Christina Hendricks be without that signature flaming red hair? And you know what? It’s not natural.  Very few of us are born with all the qualities that make us who we are; I’m don’t have a blond personality and don’t see why I should deal with blond hair.  There’s no harm in changing little things to feel like yourself.

9. Sexuality, Sensuality, Power, and Confidence comes in all shapes and sizes.

Are you a lover of Ms. Hendricks? What has Christina’s prominent role in Hollywood taught you about your own body, confidence, and self-love?

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed 9 Things Christina Hendricks Taught Me About Body Love & Confidence, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.