Cover Craze: Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks Is Lucky’s June Cover Girl!

Christina Hendricks has been one of the most watched out for celebrities on the red carpet, especially with her success on the drama, Mad Men. Plus, it wasn’t that long ago that I featured the curvy actress in another Cover Craze post for her feature in Canada’s Flare magazine, however the fiery redhead is now the face for Lucky magazine’s June 2013 issue.

She talks to the magazine about her favorite red carpet moments, famous for wearing designer duds by L’Wren Scott, Christian Siriano, Zac Posen, & Dolce & Gabbana. Also, her Mad Men fame & iconic role as Joan have created a signature style for the actress who embraces pencil skirts, high heels, & anything bra-friendly. She’s also a bargain shopper as a fan of Nine West & J.Crew, as well as international boutique for vintage-inspired pieces.

Watch the video above to get a behind-the-scenes look at the magazine’s shoot & hear Christina first-hand charm the pants off of us! Christina can be seen next in the Ryan Gosling-directed film How To Catch A Monster, & the Neil Labute ensemble dramedy Seconds of Pleasure. For more magazine posts, check out Scarlett Johansson for Marie Claire, Hayden Panettiere’s beachy shoot for Glamour, & last month’s Lucky cover with Drew Barrymore! Also, be sure to check out InStyle‘s inside look at the costumes worn by Mad Men‘s leading ladies! Happy Styling!

Color Me Style: Spring Into Neon Yellow This Season!

Last month I blogged about neon blouses at different price points, sharing the big neon trend that will help Style Darling transition from winter to spring. I’ve seen so much in stores lately in neons, especially in the highlighter yellow variety in tops, dresses, pants, skirts, & accessories, which are perfect for mixing with essentials like dark denim jeans, crisp white pieces, & other bold separates.

Neons have been on the rise for quite a while now, especially on the red carpet & seen on celebrities on the street. This includes Indian beauty Freida Pinto in a lace Atelier Versace peplum gown at the Cannes Film Festival. Also, Jennifer Lopez‘s honey-hued glow looks even more chic in a long-sleeved Michael Kors sheath dress with hot pink pumps by Casadei. Hollywood it-girl Chloe Grace Moretz was all smiles at the People’s Choice Awards in a floral Simone Rocha party dress with black ankle-strap pumps.

At last summer’s Comi-Con, Twilight actress Kristen Stewart mixed a neon BCBG Max Azria skirt with a cropped tee & leather Barbara Bui high tops. Beyoncé knew about the neon trend a few years ago when she hit the streets of Manhattan with neon accessories, including a straw hat & ankle-strap platform sandals with an over-sized tank & grey shorts.

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to neons is that you must wear them in moderation. I did recently show neon yellow in a head-to-toe monochromatic look in a Basics for a Bargain post, however these separates & dresses are perfect for any style. For example, the Prabal Gurung ruffle dress ($39.99) & Mossimo ponte colorblock v-neck dress ($27.99) from Target are timeless & affordable essentials to wear at the office with a blazer or for date night with some textured pumps. Also, Express‘ split back dolman sweater ($23.94), Forever 21‘s contrast racerback trapeze tank ($6.80), & New York & Company‘s two-pocket blouse ($20.00) are cute, affordable, & versatile tops to mix with patterned pants, colorful jeans, or neutral pencil skirts. The varying neon hues from bright & bold to soft & near-pastel are elegant & modern.  

Next, the cropped high rise trousers ($19.80) from Forever 21 are ideal for elongating the legline if you dare to wear neon on your bottom half. Also, for a softer look with neon, I recommend the Worthington colorblocked pleated skirt ($25.00) from JC Penney for a white scoop neck tee or a lacy button-down blouse. You always see celebs wearing shorts & the H&M shorts ($29.95) can work for both casual & dressy occasions, if paired with pointy toe heels, ballet flats, or a sleeveless top.

As for accessories, a neon pop of color is always a great choice. Bags that I just couldn’t resist sharing are the Nine West tech mini cross body bag ($19.95) from DSW & H&M‘s clutch ($24.95). Not to mention chic jewelry pieces like the BCBGeneration Le Piaget neon & crystals stretch bracelet ($24.99) from 6PM & enamel coated stretch ring ($6.00) from Charlotte Russe can turn a day look into something ready for cocktail hour. Lightweight gauzy scarves are always fun to consider with your casual look when you’re running errands or headed out shopping with girlfriends, which is why I picked the plaid scarf ($29.95) from Gap to wear with a denim jacket, leather bomber, or twill blazer.

We can’t talk about neon without mentioning shoes, which are always my favorite part of an outfit! I selected the Prabal Gurung pointy toe pump ($39.99) from Target, neon cap toe ballet flats ($19.99) from American Eagle Outfitters, & Forever 21‘s neon strap platform sandals ($26.80).

What do you think about the neon trend? Would you wear it? Do you like the pieces of clothing or prefer the accessories? Which trends are you following this season? For more posts on affordable fashion, check out spring must haves from Old Navy & Payless, stylish stilettos from Forever 21, all-white looks inspired by Kerry Washington & Emmy Rossum, stylish stud earrings for any occasion, & the latest collection for Kohl’s by Lauren Conrad! Happy Styling!

Show Me The Shoes: Up To 70% Off Clearance Shoes @Nine West!

Retailers are still in that transition period between seasons, which means that it’s the perfect time to get your hands, or feet in this case, on clearance deals on shoe. More specifically, Nine West is clearing out their online shelves with deals up to 70% off on a sale shoes. These prices are perfect for wearing the redt of the winter, preparing for this coming spring / summer, & even wearing on an upcoming vacation.

I picked the Leggy wedge ($39.99) in camel multi leopard, which is perfect to match with a belted neutral shirt dress or with your favorite denim shorts & blouse.  The Heartbeat pumps ($39.99) in purple are essential for upgrading any office look- not to mention, they’re also available in blue. I featured the Love Fury ($39.99) pumps in a post last year in Black Friday Sale Update, but in red, however both pairs are now reduced from their original $89.00 price. Lastly, since I’m a sucker for animal print & ankle booties, I just had to include the Haywire booties ($39.99) in natural multi pony, which are probably the best deal I’ve seen on the Nine West site since they’ve been marked down from $129.00!

How would you wear these shoes? Do you like to shop during the end-of-the-season deals? Which style of shoe is your favorite? Do you prefer classic leather shoes or like to experiment with textures? For more from Show Me The Shoes, check out posts including Payless’ new arrivals by Christian Siriano, Rachel Zoe’s ShoeDazzle collaboration, footwear from Prabal Gurung’s Target collection, & video about the shoes the stars wore to this year’s Golden Globes! Happy Styling!

Basics For A Bargain: Pointy Toe Heels Are Here To Stay, Inspired By Katie Holmes, Stacy Keibler, Miranda Kerr, & More!

While this little Style Darling has been busy with holiday preparations & fighting off a nasty cold, I’ve been finding joy in shoes, pointy toe shoes, more specifically. While perusing through the latest gallery pics of the most recent & fabulous red carpet looks worn by my favorite celebrities, I started noticing that pointy toe shoes have been making a sneaky comeback.  Of course, celebrities have been donning these on & off, but throughout the summer & fall, they’ve been mixing up their looks with towering platforms, round toe pumps, as well as cut-out & deep-vamp booties this season. I decided to feature some affordable pointy toe shoes in classic black, nude, & fun designs for a variety of looks for day, evening, & work. 

First off, I wanted to share some celebrity inspiration with nude pumps. Katie Holmes pairs her neutral shoes with a bright magenta Narciso Rodriguez sheath dress & olive trench coat. Kerry Washington softens her leather A.L.C. frock with nude shoes & House of Lavande jewelry.  This is 40 star Leslie Mann is all smiles in a knotted coral number with a luxe cream coat.  Singer / actress Mandy Moore offsets her stunning cobalt asymmetric dress with a colorful Bvlgari clutch & super pointy shoes. 

It didn’t take very long to find some affordable counterparts, without having to break the bank.  This includes Forever 21‘s patent & faux leather pump ($27.80) in tan with a 4 1/2-inch heel, perfect for elongating your legline.  I also recommend the Madden Girl Tartt pumps ($34.99) in blush patent from 6PM, which are currently 30% off from their original $50 price tag.  Of course these shoes are perfect for any dress look, making any pair of gams long miles long, but they’re also especially flattering with skinny jeans & a tunic top, leggings & an oversized sweater, or a 70s-inspired jumpsuit. 

As for the basic black pump, a pointy toe is edgy when matched with feminine frocks, & they can even dress up the most basic of outfits.  Tina Fey shows off her digital printed top with skinny pants, whereas Kate Bosworth mixes her pumps with a sophisticated Emilio Pucci peplum dress. 

Maria Sharapova plays with separates, including a floral Zimmermann top, Tanya Taylor skirt, & Iwona Ludyga earrings for her Giuseppe Zanotti pumps. The svelte Stacy Keibler looks long & lean in her wool & leather Monique Lhuillier suit while walking the red carpet at the VH1 Divas show. Clearly, black pumps are an essential for any wardrobe, including the Nine West Love Fury pumps ($47.99), as well as the Dianna pumps ($39.95) by Diba from DSW.

Lastly, if you’re going to wear pointy toe pumps, there are some occasions when a fun & flirty shoe is a must-have.  Make an unexpected move by going monochromatic like Miranda Kerr‘s all-white look at an event for Mango, or get wild with something textured like Sarah Jessica Parker‘s Jean-Michel Cazabat snake embossed pumps which well-coordinated with her vintage Estevez dress & Fendi bag. 

Rashida Jones plays with color in her slim leg cobalt suit, Peter Pilotto blouse, Jimmy Choo clutch, & Dana Rebecca Designs jewelry.  Lastly, Olivia Wilde makes her sexy leather head-to-toe look even more enviable with spiked Christian Louboutins & a House of Lavande ring. 

For a splash of sass, I looked for pointy toe pumps with some color & personality.  @Charlotte Russe, I found the patent pointed toe pump ($25.50) in hot pink, which will pop against any all-black look, or bring out the best from a watercolor print dress.  Also, since it’s the holiday season, add a little sparkle to your pump with the Robidoux ($27.99) in bright multi from Aldo. Try these with a classic LBD, leather jacket & mini skirt, or sweater dress & tights.

Which pointy toe shoes do you like? How much do you usually spend on footwear? Do you prefer pointy toe or round? Happy Styling!

Black Friday Sale Update: Nine West’s 50% Off Select Boots & Booties, & Select Pumps $49.99!

Have you got the holiday blues? Has the holiday spirit just not hit you yet? Well, I have a solution, by sharing the latest Black Friday sale from Nine West. Select boots & booties are currently 50% off, & select pumps are reduced to $49.99! I love a Nine West shoe… there’s something about the combination of quality, affordability, & style that makes me swoon b/c this is one of my favorite name brands to follow in footwear.

If that doesn’t excite you, then head to a doctor (a cute one)! Anyway, I want to share all of the styles, but simply don’t have the time to talk about each & every one, so I picked my four favorite styles to share for a variety of occasions during the season.

Play with the neutral shoe trend with the Sheryl pumps ($49.99) a nude / black patent combo. These are fun to mix with cocktail dresses, & can work well with suit separates for the office.  They’re available in four other colors to help round out your wardrobe.  Get your glam on & all of your Wizard of Oz dreams to come true with the Love Fury pumps ($49.99) in red, which also come in dark silver & black- ideal for making your Christmas wish more festive.

I’m a big fan of flat boots for those days when you wanna give your arches a break, but you still want to look fashion forward, which makes the Bogie bootes ($59.50) in bronze metallic perfect for wearing under jeans with a cable knit sweater or layering with a button down.  For something a little more edgy, these are also sold in silver metallic, calling on your 80s-inspired duds! Because anything animal print sends me into a fashion fury, I had to include the Haywire booties ($69.50) which will hug your foot in all the right ways & call on lots of attention when you walk into a room!

Which shoe is your favorite? Do you frequently order footwear from store websites? What kind of shoe sales are you looking for? Happy Styling!