All Things Fashionating by tracy mausser

In Los Angeles, we are still waiting for the fall weather to truly arrive; however, I have all my newest cool weather duds all lined up and ready to go as soon as the mercury drops below 70 degrees.  I just know it is going to have to happen sooner or later. But -- in the meantime -- I realized that there is one more thing missing from my closet: the neutral boot.  I have black moto boots, brown suede boots, black leather boots, Frye tall boots in banana (my favorite), Louboutin booties, brown color block-booties accented with turquoise and yellow and grey slouchy boots which, I am sad to report, are on their way out so I have to find the perfect replacement. Besides the neutral color palette, I have only one other stipulation: this boot has to be comfortable.  While doing my research, I have come up with two options thus far but I'm just not sure if they can fill my shoes. Why don't you let me know which boots you think are ma...

Jon Josef, Gatsby Cat, $135 I am loving the look of loafers this fall; mix them with my kitty obsession and all is well with my world. It seems that Spanish footwear designer, Jon Josef, has created the "Gatsby Cat" loafer just for me.  These velvet and leather flats -- with the playful kitty cat face embroidered in gold -- are the practical smoking loafer for day or night.  The playful twist takes a traditional shoe and makes it interesting. Purr-fect! http://jonjosef.com/ 

  The British are coming! The British are coming!   Well not really, but British style setter – Topshop – is now selling a hand-picked selection of its much loved range in 14 Nordstrom stores across the U.S. According to Topshop’s site, they will be offering a warm British welcome to the Nordstrom brand with each store-within-a-store concept encompassing around 4,000 square feet of fun; featuring their newest campaign and trend-led racks. In 1964, Topshop set up shop in the basement of a department store and, over the past 40 years, they have grown their brand to 300 stores in the U.K. and they are known for its eclectic British style all over the world. Sort of like a high-end H&M who actually gets respect from London’s fashion elite, Topshop has built strong bonds with industry insiders.   In 2002, they joined forces with NEWGEN, an organization which nurtures new design talent and provides a global platform for the fashion scene’s brightest...

The Grilled Cheese Truck Last Friday was my son’s back to school picnic.   The hubby Jason was out of town so it was date night for Shane and me.   Due to battling rush hour traffic to get home from work and picking the kiddo up from extended care by 6pm, we were about an hour and a half late. When we arrived, I was surprised to see that the picnic itself was set up a bit different than the year previous.   This year, the school had arranged to have four Los Angeles area based food trucks on-hand for the festivities.   As we made our way across the blacktop over to the soccer fields to place our blanket and chair, I eyed the long lines that snaked out from all the food trucks like ants moving at a snail’s pace. They had The Grilled Cheese Truck (Twitter handle: @grlldcheesetruk); The Flat Iron Truck ( flatirongrill@gmail.com ); The Roll’n Lobster Truck (Twitter handle: @RollnLobster); and our personal favorite King Kone (Twitter handle: @kingkonela). ...

With only three official days of summer left, I am desperately trying to cling to them.  This summer has been extremely warm across the world (pray tell Global Warming) and Southern California has been no exception.  Over the past few months, Los Angeles has been having a consistent heat wave.  It has been one of the warmest summers that I have experienced in almost two decades of living at the beach and I LOVE IT. The hot and balmy days bring me back to my youth.  I would choose to be hot and sweaty then bundled up and freezing any day of the year.  I don't mind sleeping tangled up with cool sheets -- one leg in and one leg out -- with the fan blowing on me full blast.  What? No A/C?  Nope, no such thing down here at the beach.  Why would you because 99% of the time there is no need for it. Don't get me wrong; Southern California is always warm and we really won't even experience fall until close to ...

Michael Kors Collection (Image: MB Fashion Week)   With the temperatures sizzling across the United States, it is not hard to envision oneself wearing all the hot new Spring 2013 designs which debut last week at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. Nearly 200 designers made statements by previewing spring collections which included a lot of leather, skirt suits, black-and-white, below-the-knee coats, cutouts, corsets and color, color and more color. The collections in the tents at Lincoln Center were bold and beautiful, but three designers stood out. I have always been a fan of Michael Kors; however, the contemporary construction and clean lines of his newest collection have really hit home with me.   I can see myself wearing almost every piece (in my real fashion life…not the fantasy one) that went down the runway. His look was a very glamorous Sixties mod which embodied every vibrant hue of the rainbow.   Sheath dresses in leather or crep...

Well, we are about to begin the second weekend of the 2012/2013 pro football season and, suddenly, I find myself missing my husband.  Football season is a big deal for Jason and I have learned to accept that, from September until February, I am a Fantasy Football widow.  It used to be just Sundays and Monday evenings but now, with the addition of Thursday night football, well...you know. I believe there are a lot of us football widows out there because over the past few weeks my previous post, "We Interrupt This Marriage to Bring you Football Season," has gotten a ton of hits.   http://allthingsfashionating.blogspot.com/2012/02/we-interrupt-this-marriage-to-bring-you.html As I posted before, Jason is a great husband and amazing father but, when football is on, he is tuned out to the day-to-day more than he is tuned into the boob tube.  Honestly, I could have three and, this would be the only time of the year, he wouldn't even notice. ...

This is how I remember... This morning, while running with my friend Rachel, we discussed the fact that it was the 11 year anniversary of 9-11 – the worst terrorist attacks waged on the United States ever! Unless you have been under a rock, everyone knows that on September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorist simultaneously orchestrated suicide attacks on the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon, and another plane that was headed to Washington D.C. as well which was overthrown by passengers and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks including 227 civilians and 19 hijackers. Rachel said that it was one of those events that you would always remember where you were when it happened just like other momentous tragedies – such as John F. Kennedy’s assassination (in which we weren’t alive), the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and, most recently, I saw the Japanese tsunami cause massive destruction live on television – among ma...

Dior Taileur Bar compact, $75; www.dior.com With New York fashion week in full swing, I couldn't help but find nostalgia in Dior's limited-edition, vintage-inspired Taileur Bar compact which honors Christian Dior's first Haute Couture Collection revealed in 1947. The image on the hand-pressed compact features Dior's iconic Bar Suit and showcases a pulled-together fashionista who dons the Taileur Bar (suit), period-appropriate hat and the forever ladylike gloves.  Not unlike the new look of today, the iconic image is made of velvety shadows in black, soft gray and pink -- shades Dior showcased in his premier collection. So glamorous for the runway of our lives. http://www.dior.com/beauty/usa/en/makeup/eyes/eyeshadows/y9160520/py9160520-ceyeshadows.html

FNO 2012 Balenciaga, Dash, Satine: 10 FNO Events for Celebrity Sightings Thursday, August 30, 2012, by Natalie Alcala     Map data ©2012 Google - Terms of Use Map Satellite Hybrid Show my approximate location Tory Burch 142 S Robertson Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048   Revenge actress Ashley Madekwe will be hosting the festivities here. The party will feature an Instagram printer, which allows people to print out their Instagram … photos using the #TBFNO hashtag in real time. Keeping with the night's tech-savvy theme, the boutique will also offer a limited-edition e-tablet skin gift with purchase.   Rebecca Taylor 107 S Robertson Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048   Celebrity superstylist Nicole Chavez will be in the house to provide partygoers with a complimentary styling session and a chance to win the full styled look via a...