Alexander McQueen in Oct 2008

Hi. I’m Brandon. I’m a girl, but I have a boy’s name. I am one half of TWENTYTHIRTYFORTY.net. I’ll let my partner introduce herself in her own time. Unfortunately, that will probably be never because she is insanely camera-shy. Like, she’s seriously terrified of attention. And the funny thing is that she — hands down — is the most stylish person I know. Anyone who knows her will tell you exactly the same thing. And amazing, effortless style does garner attention. We’ll see what happens.

Anyway, we launched this site back in October of 2008. Our idea took its initial breath a year before, in Paris. Which we love. Our goal is to be able to go to Paris in the fall and bring back some incredible Parisian designers for spring. Think Sonia Rykiel, Vanessa Bruno… 

Sonia Rykiel homepage

Sonia Rykiel’s home page has always been an inspiration to us. It always looks like the cover of a fashion magazine. We love fashion. Obviously. But we are not Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda or Samantha. We are midwestern, middle-aged, family women who work for a living (and live in a place where the ground is covered with dirt-laden icepiles 4-5 months out of the year). So what? Does that mean that we can’t wear a $600 dress with $450 shoes when we’re hanging out at Starbuck’s on a Saturday? I’m not talking about a silk dress with heels. I’m talking about a dress that you wore the night before to a black tie event but now have on over a t-shirt and jeans with riding boots. To us, that is what fashion is about. You always have an excuse to buy something new because you know that you are going to wear it. ALL. THE. TIME.

So, we decided to create a place where we could indulge our love for fashion and make it all accessible to the masses. Fashion just shouldn’t be that hard and it shouldn’t be intimidating and it shouldn’t be confusing. It should be fun. Long live fashion. Long live wearing it just because you love it. Long live the bunny suit.

We had the true pleasure of working with Ford model, Michelle Hicks last week.  This beauty is the beauty we love…playful, confident, effortless.  We are so happy that she’s our featured model for Feb09. 

American royalty

The Obamas are officially in office. YAY!!!

There has been quite a lot of discussion about the style of our new First Lady and I have to say, once again, that I think she totally gets it right. The Isabel Toledo ensemble as a whole wasn’t my favorite, but the color was amazing and she did look terrific.  But the Jason Wu gown for the evening celebrations. Loved. Fabulous. I love that her choices are totally unpredictable. Her choice of Jason Wu for such an important occasion got me curious about this young designer. So thank you, Mrs. Obama, for putting him on my radar. Check him out…

And cheers to a brand new day!!!

All photos courtesy of WWD and Style.com.

Everyone who loves fashion loves an awards show. It’s a chance for us to ooohh and aaahh at all the lovely dresses, jewels, bags and shoes and, of course, to make fun of the all the missteps. What’s more fun than creating your very own best and worst-dressed lists? I have to admit that my lists don’t usually gel with everyone else’s — for example, one of my favorite Red Carpet moments from last year was Tilda Swinton at the Oscars — so don’t be shocked when you see my picks…

In Lanvin at the 2008 Oscars

I really appreciate risk-takers on the Red Carpet. Virtually all the ladies in Hollywood have smokin’ bodies and can easily rock out a classic form-fitting gown and, frankly, I get tired of looking at the same thing over and over and over again from one year to the next. Did Kate Winslet look beautiful? Sure. But was it  anything new? Not in my book. My personal fave from this year’s Golden Globes popped up on a number of other people’s worst-dressed lists so maybe I’m crazy. But I know what I like. And I like a lady who’s not afraid to put herself out there.

That having been said, it should come as no surprise that I actually liked Marisa Tomei’s “pirate” get-up. I thought the ensemble fit her beautifully and that the whole look was perfectly styled. To me, she had a very easy, vintage appeal. I’m probably the only one who appreciated this look, but I still stand behind it!

In Oscar de la Renta

Channeling Marilyn Monroe and exuding that old-Hollywood glamour, another one of my picks of the eve was Drew Barrymore. And although this is more along the lines of typical Red Carpet fashion, I thought she looked better than some of those ladies who played it a little safer. 

Flawless in Galliano for Dior

My favorite of the entire evening, though, has to be the always-interesting Maggie Gyllenhaal wearing a print, one-shoulder dress by Lanvin. In all honesty, I was shocked to see people put her on their worst-dressed list. What’s wrong with a print? It looked fantastic on her and definitely made her stand out from the crowd. When going for bold, I’ll take a print over red any day of the week. 

HOORAY!!

So who did I think flopped? I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

I was planning to post this blog on Friday, but I was completely captivated for DAYS!   Favorites from over the weekend….

MY HERO, JANE

This young star rising is just a mere 16 yrs old!  I will be the first to say it is much easier and a whole lot of FUN when you have not one, but TWO closets (thanks mom!) of fabulousness to style from.  BUT I also know that this level of sophistication is either honed through many years of experience or it’s just plain in your blood!  Thanks to mom & dad, this lucky Jane can save YEARS out in the retail/fashion world.  The parents…..

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Jane’s mom, Judy, and her take on fashion.  Mom and daughter also pair up to share their tips to scouting vintage (Oct 24, 08 post)

all photos courtesy of seaofshoes.com

many thanks to dear friend, Elle, for giving us yet another addiction

Out with the 08 undies, In with the 09 new undies!

Well, I don’t completely overhaul.  I really just update my ONE favorite, Eberjey.  These are the girly undies that cling to a woman’s curve - big AND small.  This famous fit is the same in all their different styles in all their different collections.

My top picks are every piece in the above Delirious collection.  Believe me, you’ll feel like that model above

THEN I came across, thelakeandstars.com via Chicagopicks.com.

 This flirty lingerie line is beyond just sexy, there is equal part fashion.   I quickly bookmarked this chic online site when I also discovered my favorite piece of outerwear as well….the trench.

Best Behavior out of Denmark.

Love the pops of yellow and the irresistible scarves and onsie!

 

girl crush, Giovanna Battaglia

This is the first time I came across Giovanna Battaglia, fashion editor of L’uomo Vogue.  To me, Giovanna Battaglia practically IS the definition of style.  Her look is a perfect combination of sophistication and wit, which is oh so sexy.  What she does so successfully is wear what she loves in creative different ways.  Hands down, I find her to be the most interesting to watch.

 

 

puffer & boots

with gloves & heels

the high waisted pant worn casual & chic

still chic worn monochromatically

prada shoe in the spring/summer

prada shoe into the fall

all photos are from fellow Giovanna fans - allure allure, why fashion? , jak & jil

selling out J Crew

First Lady chic in Narciso Rodriquez

keeping it real in Maria Pinto

Dressing in the public eye certainly takes courage, but again we maintain it’s all about owning your look. Our new First Lady does this to perfection. What can you say about a woman who can raise the profile of a local designer (Maria Pinto) to a level of international recognition? And at the same time, cause the J Crew website to crash due to the number of people she inspired to seek out and obtain her chic yet affordable outfit? Now, that’s some impressive style influence.

Hail to the Chieftess.

Recently I’ve been feeling the pains of a serious style rut.  I’m bored with trend items, I’m bored with my own personal wardrobe, and I’ve been craving something that will jumpstart the sartorial (and perhaps, life?!) transition that I’m really wanting. 

I’ve been on shopping trip after shopping trip recently, my head filled with visions of grandeur as to the wonderful treasures that I would undoubtedly find.  The whole host of new items that I would acquire, providing me with a new wardrobe and a fabulous new sense of personal style.     NOTHING.  I have come home from all of these shopping trips with nothing!  And let me tell you, I love to shop.  I find few things more satisfying than that of a successful shopping spree.  So you can imagine my severe disappointment as I experienced this seemingly unrelenting succession of unresolved, unsuccessful shopping escapades. 

But as much as I love clothes, and find fashion to be the ultimate form of self-expression, I thought about the other things that I’d been wanting to do to kind of kick my personal style up a notch (aside from throwing out my entire closet and starting fresh).  So, I got a tattoo and chopped seven inches off my hair.  Now I’m not recommending that everyone do this.  Because certainly inking something permanently onto one’s skin and drastically changing one’s hairstyle is not for everyone.  But I happen to love dramatic changes and as a result of mine, have felt this resurgence in the ownership of my own personal style. 

My point is this: change.  We all crave it, and we all need it.  Fashion is the most rapidly changing industry in existence; as Heidi so eloquently puts it: “One day you’re in, the next you’re out.”  And obviously, if you’re craving something different, there’s a reason.  There are all sorts of ways to reenergize your style, to refresh your personal self-expression.  I like to go a little crazy, perhaps you’d be satisfied with something a bit more subtle.  Either way, change it up, sugar.  Keep yourself feeling fresh.