fffabulous

go nude

Okay, not really. I am in love with these Christian Dior Cannage Patent Pump. I have them in black, and I've been wearing them all summer and all winter long; talk about a great return on investment! And I am considering buying a second pair 'just in case' mine break or something. Btw, my girlfriends think I am totally crazy to do that, so I haven't ordered them yet. And I probably won't because, yes, I'd be crazy. But  seriously, when you have a colleague who says in the middle of a meeting: "Oh my, your shoes are gorgeous!" and then carry on on our very serious conversation, you've got to believe you are wearing the real deal. And I don't want the compliments to stop coming, sista!

Anyway, I do love these pumps in nude too. This color is classy and a classic and goes with everything. And you can start wearing them now, now that the sunny days are here. Yeah!

20 sur 20

Just when you thought fffabulous guy week was over, it's not! Isn't it fffabulous? I've been amazed by everyone's eagerness to contribute all their favorite fashion items to fffabulous, so we'll have to have another fffabulous guy week again soon. In the meantime, here is a recommendation from my boss after he heard that lots of people on the team had contributed already; his reaction was literally: "Dude! Check out my shirt, 16 sur 20 is my favorite brand!". So here is what Mr. Dude! has to say about his favorite Seize sur Vingt shirt (and I have to say he has the talent to become a fashion editor too):

• The cut is awesome. It’s slim. It doesn’t billow out (like, say, a Brooks Brothers shirt might) when it comes slightly untucked
• The collar’s cut is legit. It’s similar to a Thomas Pink “Classic” collar. Somehow nicer tho
• The fabric feels super fine on each of the shirts I’ve bought from them over the years. Egyptian Cotton, mostly, from what I can tell
• There’s no pocket on the chest
• They last forever. Shirts from Banana Republic or H&M make it through the laundry about 10-20 times (or less) before they start to fall apart. I’ve had a few Seize sur Vingt shirts last for 6 years and still look solid and feel fine
• The downside, they are expensive. Get one or two and then come back in 18-24 months and get another one or two. Especially now with the dollar so low, it’s hella expensive. You get what you pay for though

I think Mr. Dude! said it all and he's even convinced me that these Seize sur Vingt shirts  are the best shirts ever. And I may even give them a Vingt sur Vingt or 20/20. Ha!

happy casual friday

Today is Mr. Marketing day! After seeing all the cool jeans I am wearing (I sure do), Mr. Marketing went to the blues jean bar to get a nice pair of trendy jeans of his own. Mr. Marketing chose the 7 For All Mankind Bootcut Jean in Dark New York and here is what he has to say: "I was really looking for something a little less classic, but eventually settled for that one, which is classic enough to wear at work and casual enough to go out. But in the end it comes down to this: if a woman checks out your butt and asks you to turn around, you have a winner! And this one is a spinner ;-)". This basically translates into: Seven jeans make a great butt and this is all that matter. Btw, I also like the Citizens Of Humanity jeans for guys for that very same reason.

On a side note, you really need to go to the blues jeans bar to try out some very trendy or more classic pairs of jeans. This is probably the best way to find a pair you really like and then buy it over and over again --I know how you're thinking! One of my colleagues never wears jeans (they think they are too tight), but go try some out once or twice a year for his wife to see how cute of a bootie he has in them. So sweet! The blue jeans bar is a nice venue for that purpose as well, with its nice lounge and comfy chair on the first floor. And who knows, he may get tempted to buy a pair after all?

feeling lucky

The cool thing about fffabulous guy week is that all the engineers I work with are now gathered at my desk to show me the cool pair of jeans they are wearing, the shirt they bought over the weekend, etc. It makes me the happiest woman on Earth to work with engineers who have style and can talk fashion in between 2 lines of code. So today, I am featuring our webdev's latest acquisition: the super fancy Hugo Boss Elip Shirt. You’d expect from Hugo a classic, plain shirt, but this one is actually a stylish, vintage-inspired short sleeve shirt that is perfect for the sunny days to come. Here is Mr. webdev's review on this fffabulous shirt: "I like the nice sort of pointy shape of the collar and the double chest pockets; I also like the nice thick cuffs at the bottom of the sleeves, although I could go with slightly longer sleeves. This shirt also has a flat cut on the bottom, a little longer than usual cuts of that type, which is good for covering up a small beer gut! Ha!! And it is a nice slim fit so I had to go a size larger."

Oh, and he added: “But be sure to tell them NOT to get it, ‘cause I don’t like it when people have the same clothes as me!”. I'm sure he was kidding, eh eh!

the total look

The lululemon extravaganza is not over! Now that I have convinced you to get the lululemon Player Jacket (I have, right?), I think you should get the Player Pants too. Then, you'll be able to reach your full lululemon potential, trust me on that one. Those pants are low rise <wink><wink>, straight leg, and made of a super thin, yet stretchy fabric with quick dry capability; all of that is perfect for Spring and Summertime. It'll look super elegant with the matching Player Jacket, whether you go to the gym or swim practice, or just plan to hang out on a lazy Sunday. For the record, one of my friends got the outfit in black, and he loves it!

Note that this picture doesn't give the product justice, so stop by one of the lululemon athletica store near you to try those pants out. And then, don't get scared by the length of these pants: lululemon athletica offers free heming if need be. And you'll get your brand new fancy pants in less than a week. Wooza!

Are you ready to graduate to lululemon?

be a player

Who said that lululemon athletica is only for women??? Not me! A couple of months ago, I was shopping at Longs Drugs and, in aisle x, I saw a guy dressed up in lululemon from head to toe. It took me about 1 millisecond to 'detect' the lululemon logo on the back of his jacket and on the bottom of his pants, but it took me literally 2 minutes to come back to my senses and finally move on -- I think the guy must have thought I was totally crazy though, but that's what I call the 'lululemon effect'. So sexy!

If you are a lululemon virgin (it's totally okay, there is a first for everything), I recommend you get the Player Jacket. It is a classic jacket, with a lot of cool perks, including multidirectional stretch and underarm mesh (now, that's fancy), and an Ipod nano pocket on sleeve with ease of use cord tunnel and exit system, yeah!!!

So, gentlemen, you know what you have to do to impress the ladies at Longs. Ha!

 

here you go, guys!

By popular demand, this week is fffabulous guy week. Woohoo! I am going to feature some cool stuff for you guys, hoping I won't ever hear again: "You, ladies, have so many options and we have none", and for you ladies to prove to guys, that, yes, they can also spend an insane amount of money on clothes, if only they knew what was out there... So I’ll get started with this super cool pair of jeans, the 575 Men's 5-pocket Dark Wash Bootcut Denim Jeans. They are super fashionable without being over the top -- gotta love the dark wash featuring mildly distressed details, they are the most comfortable pair a jeans a guy can own (according to my friend, the fabric is super soft with a bit of stretch), and they make a great butt (according to me, ha!). A warning though: if you want to show off your super sexy Calvin Klein underwear, this is probably not the best pair of jeans to wear ‘cause they ain’t low rise.

And they are on sale on Overstock.com for a mere $89.99 so you won’t even have to spend the big bucks on this terribly fashionable pair of jeans. Lucky you!

out of a Bond movie

Oh my! I found the swimsuit of my dreams, the Trina Turk Swimwear Monokini, and I am dying to try it out. Imagine yourself wearing it and getting out of the water towards James Bond himself. Wouldn’t it be super cool? Of course, I would probably wear it after 5pm or wear SPF 100 all day long (but that’s so not me), to avoid the huge tan line on my belly, but that’s another story all together…

chic and practical

One of my girlfriends uses this Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Pochette Cosmétique to carry her makeup around and she loves it! Here is why I am ready to spend the big bucks for a very small Vuitton pochette (and I am not trying to convince myself here):

• It is small (ha!) and therefore will fit perfectly in my handbag, or gym bag; it is roomy enough though to contain my everyday make-up, which is great. Note that it can also be used to carry keys and ID/credit cards for a quick trip to the supermarket
• It opens all the way, allowing for easy access to makeup and brushes. Yay!
• The lining is in leather, making it easy to clean up any makeup disaster –- you know what I am talking about here
• It is a small price to pay considering that I have bought many many cute pochettes in the past, and I haven't been satisfied with any of them: the glossy finish of that one had my fingerprints on it at all times (who needs that?), or the fabric lining on that other one made makeup disasters difficult to clean up
• Last but not least, it is so chic... I wouldn’t have it any other way!

gwen in da house

Gwen Stefani has been collaborating with HP to create some very cute designs for birth announcements and shower invitations. You select a design (those are so cute!!!), customize it, add a photo if this is a birth announcement -- I have to admit I have been playing with it quite a bit, and then download and print it. It is as simple as that... and cute and original too!

spring forward in style

I am a sucker for nice watches. I think they are one of the best pieces of jewelry a woman can wear everyday, without looking like it’s too much. And they come handy when you are wondering what time it is too, ha!

I have a big crush on the Chanel J12 watch these days. I saw the Chanel J12 watch in white on a couple of women, at the beach on the French Riviera or at parties and this watch looks so classy and unique. I think Chanel managed to become the brand of reference for ceramic watches with the J12. Note that the small model has a quartz movement, while the big model has an automatic movement. I’ll probably go with the big model in white (with diamonds of course), just because I’m worth it.

And don’t forget to spring forward your watch tonight. It’s summertime already. Woohoo!

in havaianas heaven

You should see how happy I get each time I get into a store that sells Havaianas flip flops. I bought my first pair last summer on a trip to Sydney, and I love love them. I actually got two pairs that time; they seem so cheap compared to all the high-end shoes I have been purchasing lately! I know a girlfriend who bought 4 pairs the last time she went on their website so watch out, as this can happen to you too!

Havanaias sandals come in all 'shapes' and colors. I own a pair of black of Top sandals, and one in dark brown too. I wear them all the time, with jeans, capri jeans and sweatpants. I also love the Metallics sandals and I am tempted to get a pair of Slim Animals sandals for springtime, spicy! And of course, if you want to show off you are wearing the real thing, get the Brazil sandals as they feature the Brazilian flag on the strap.

get a glow

Whether you are planning to go on a sunny vacation and need a nice -fake- tan to fake it until you make it (that would be me!), or you just want a nice winter glow, I have exactly what you are looking for.

I discovered the Comodynes Self Tanning Towelettes for Face & Body about 3 years ago. My mum actually introduced me to those self tanning towelettes and she was so convincing I had to try them out (I usually prefer the real deal, a.k.a. get-burnt-in-the-sun-until-you-turn-brown type of deal). The packaging is very practical and the towelettes contain just the right amount of lotion for a nice easy application. I usually use this self-tanner on my cleavage, shoulders and arms and finishes with my face, a thing I would not even try to experience with a regular self-tanning lotion; I'd be too afraid to overdo it. The lotion dries quickly, doesn't smell much (you know what I am talking about) and you end up with a nice glow. Definitely worth a try!