AP story about Dallas fashion and the JPG exhibit

This is a great read by my friend Jamie Stengle, reporter for the Associated Press.

Best Lip Balms

In keeping with the theme...

Here's the low down on lip balms I recommend and the ones I don't.

First, the standouts:

1. Skin Organics Premium Coffee Berry with Hemp Oil: This is my favorite formula. I don't care for the glue smell it has, but it's a great product.

2. Laura Kopec's Natural Healing Salve: This comes in a jar. Hopefully we'll see it in a stick or pot sometime soon.

3. John Masters Organics Lip Calm: Oily, but also good.

4. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer: Very good.

5. Nude: Just ordered this one form Barney's and like the formula.

These are some I've tried and don't recommend:

1. Kiehl's' signature lip balm feels good, but it's oily- most of it is petroleum jelly- and overpriced.

2. Clinique's is too sticky.

3. Burt's Bees is overrated.

4. Dr. Hauschka is overrated and overpriced.

5. Clarins' is average.

6. Aquaphor is average.

Best Nude Lip glosses

The NYT magazine recently printed a list of what were supposed to be the best nude glosses. Unsurprisingly, all the brands were mainstream brands. I tried Bobbi Brown's nougat and it wasn't good.

Of the ones I've tried, the ones that stand out are Laura Mercier's Bare Beige and Three Custom Color's Nude and Life's a Beach. These formulas are good: they aren't sticky, they give a hint of color and good coverage. Three Custom Color's Nude is darker than Life's a Beach, a color formulated by a makeup artist from Dallas.

Tailor knows best

Turns out I'm not having my new belted dress redesigned. My tailor, as always, was right: first, he suggested removing the belt's buckle and turning the belt around, to make it look like a sash around the waist. Then he suggested raising the hem just above the knee. It's not a totally new dress, but it makes it more elegant.

It'll be ready by Friday. Pictures to come then.

All roads lead to Lanvin- and recently The Row

Herewith some of my favorite things:

And for a splash of red, Valentino:

Get your tickets for the DMA Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit

The Dallas Museum of Art's Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit opens Nov. 13. Get your tickets sooner than later. Read about it on Art & Seek. Watch video of the Winter 2011-2012 collection here.

Cool glasses and a good cause

I read about Warby Parker on Vanity Fair and ordered trial glasses right away. You can pick several styles to try on before you decide to buy the one you like, and they come in a beautiful lined box. The company's customer service is great, personalized and fun. And ordering with scripts is super easy.

Here's the style I ordered. They're very Al Maysles, aren't they?

Re-furbishing a dress from Neiman's

I recently purchased a pretty gold shift at Last Call in Allen, and have decided I'm going to glam it up. I'm planning on keeping the top, but having a new skirt made for it. Going to Richard Brooks tomorrow to pick the fabric.

Before and after pictures coming soon.

Raiding my mother's closet

My mother has great style, and her closet is a treasure trove of beautiful bags and feminine dresses and skirts. Among my favorite things: a black leather envelope evening bag, a mother of pearl evening bag, two-toned bone Mary Janes and several of her Italian finds. I don't know what she's kept over the years, but she had a proclivity for well-made Italian clothing and shoes (Bruno Magil, in particular) and I'll have to reacquaint myself with some of my favorite things.

I'm going home for Christmas and will be posting pictures then.

I may also pay a visit to Ucci, a boutique in Guatemala City that was a favorite of hers in the 1980s.

Stay tuned.

Old-school never goes out of style, re-print

Just deleted a  post I'd written about the Coach Willis bag. Was going to add the picture (which I just learned how to do...) and hit the delete button...

Just as well because now it's a new entry.

This is the bag I bought two or three months ago. I've been wanting a Coach bag since I was about eleven, and this style's always the one I wanted. It's old-school, it's well-made and structured and it'll never go out of style.

The bag is also available with brass hardware, but not online. You'll have to call customer service for that version.

Chanel Rouge Coco, Laura Mercier and Chantecaille

Tired of glosses and searching for that perfect pink lipstick, the one that's bright and moisturizing but doesn't make you look like you're a teenage-wannabe?

What about a sheer, playful red?

Look no further.

Chanel's Camelia from the Rouge Coco line and Laura Mercier's Rosewater are great pinks, long-lasting and very moisturizing.

As for the red: Chantecaille's Dahlia is soft enough for the office but bright enough for dinner and cocktails.

The verdict is in: ecco has the best pumps

After wrapping up in court yesterday, I made a bee line for the ecco store at the Galleria in Dallas. I'd been tired of wearing chunky sensible shoes with dresses and skirts, but hadn't had any luck in finding a good pump. The ecco Junction pump did not disappoint. It was just as pretty in person as it was online.  Hands down, it's the best pump out there: well-made, good leather, stylish and just the right height.

The shoe comes in two other colors, a dark tan and a papaya red in slightly pebbled leather. Not one to wear flats, but they have some stylish ones.

You can get the duffle online!

The duffle's available on the Coach Web site!

Coach's best kept secret: The Coach black duffel

This feels like a scoop but it may not be: Coach still sells it's classic duffle bag in black with brass hardware. You can't get it online, but you can purchase it if you call its customer service number.

The bag also comes in tan, and again, you can purchase it over the phone but not online.  Net-a-Porter has been selling the navy version for several months, though it seems they're out now because I couldn't find it online.

F.I.G. sale is a dud.

Yes, the much-touted and anticipated F.I.G. sale was nothing to write home about. The clothes and jewelry were one big blur of the same: trendy, clingy blouses, pants, skirts, dresses and accessories for twentysomethings. Many (if not most) of the sizes were fours and zeros.

There were, however, a few finds.

San Antonio-based boutique Penny Lane had several Isabel Marant wool jackets that were seventy five percent off. My personal favorite: a blue sequined long-sleeved dinner jacket.

David Peck, a Houston-based designer, showcased his CrOp collection and fall line of wool dresses. Mr. Peck's boatneck blouses are made of 100 percent crepe de chine, and the collection's blouses, dresses and skirts are printed with eco-friendly techniques. These clothes are luxurious, well-made and affordable.

Here are other reasons why to love Mr. Peck's clothes:

1. They are manufactured in Houston.
2. A percentage of CrOp's proceeds are donated to charitable causes.
3. Mr. Peck uses certified fair trade, natural and organic fabrics.

My last stop was at Poleci, and there were a few standouts there, too: an elegant grey jumpsuit, a colorful dress and a burgundy cocktail dress.

New purchases

The Calvin Klein dress I found at Nordstrom (online), and the pink shift at Talbots. I especially like the neckline of the Calvin Klein dress, and that it is form-fitting and ladlylike. The Talbots dress is a light-weight blend of silk and wool.

Browsing at Last Call

Maybe it's because I went two days after the sale started, but the racks at Neiman Marcus offered slim pickings.

I went over to Neiman's in between breaks and went through a couple of racks of Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and others. The standouts: a long-sleeved mod bejewled dress by Marchesa; Chanel skirts; a cream-colored jacket, a grey shift and silk navy shell by Akris.

The St. John rack had not much to be desired. What's with the cotton sequined tank tops? It's disappointing when high-end designers make clothes that are cheap and overpriced.

I'm going back Sunday for another look at more clothes, shoes and accessories.

Turn to ¡Hola! to get your fix of runway shows

No magazine seems to cover fashion shows like the quintessential Spanish gossip-cum-fashion magazine ¡Hola! 

I had forgotten just how fabulous the magazine's coverage is of runway shows, and recently rediscovered those great spreads flipping through old editions at Richard Brooks. The seasonal preview editions are spectacular, packed with hundreds of photographs of Valentino, Versace, Lanvin, etc., as well as some lesser known designers.

The magazine is not available locally, but you can order it online.

10 Best Dressed from Vogue

I look forward to Vogue's 10 Best Dressed every week. Cary Mulligan's always on it, and she's always spot on. Never trendy, always stylish.

Neiman Marcus Last Call Sale

Neiman Marcus is having a Last Call sale in select stores in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Texas. Discounts up to 65 percent off.

In Dallas, at downtown store and only through Sunday.

Victoria Beckham: Who Knew

Pinned on my bulletin board is a picture of short-sleeved red cocktail dress by Victoria Beckham. This is a great dress, and what makes it a great dress is that it's simple: no patterns, no frills. Very Lanvin-like: the designer took a solid-colored fabric and made an interesting and elegant dress.

(Unfortunately, I couldn't find a picture of this dress online, but it's available at Neiman Marcus.)

This dress piqued my curiosity about Ms. Beckham's collection, and what I saw on her Web site stunned me.

Clean lines, structured dresses, solid colors.

I am sold.

Who knew? Can't knock her anymore for being a celebrity-designer wannabe.

See the collection here.