Blog Posts by Sarah Bernard

Every once in a while we have to take a hard look at our fashion choices. Are we really wearing the right pieces for our body type? Do the current trends--although deemed fashionable by reputable sources-- really work for us? Now that we’re happily turning our attention over to spring looks, let’s all make an honest assessment of the style mistakes we might be making without realizing it. Since recognition is the first step, in this episode we highlight the most common sartorial transgressions. See if they apply to you and let us know. 

You know how you get in a routine--you eat lunch at the same place, take the same route to work. Sometimes the same thing happens with our fashion. We get used grabbing certain items out of our closet, but suddenly the slouchy sweater is really more frumpy than slouchy. The miniskirt is more mini than it should be. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

Mixing too many trends

Staying current is a great idea, but make sure you’re not

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Heidi Klum, I love you. I really do. “Project Runway” has been a stylish, dependable friend these past few years. But ever since I heard about the premise of “Fashion Star,” I’ve been anxiously awaiting this feat of instant gratification. In each episode, buyers from Saks, Macy’s, and H&M bid on contestants’ designs, which will then be available in stores THE NEXT DAY. The designers are challenged with making wearable clothes (blazers, jeans, cocktail dresses), not art pieces. And while there will surely be flame-throwing personalities on display (this is reality TV, after all), the purpose is also a peak inside the real business of fashion. We stopped by the premiere party at Macy's to talk to the buyers and designers, as well as host and executive producer Elle Macpherson and mentors Nicole Richie and John Varvatos (Jessica Simpson was too pregnant to make the East coast fete.) See what they think makes “Fashion Star” shine and let us know if you agree.

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Whether you embrace your natural color or not (we’re all for experimentation), taking note of the shade you were born with can yield some insight into health issues that you might face down the road. Women’s Health magazine’s Health and Feature’s editor Sascha de Gersdorff explains the surprising amount of info your natural hair color can reveal, from a predisposition to health conditions to what you need in your diet right now.

Let’s start with blondes like your cover girl Kristen Bell since they’re supposed to have all the fun.

Actually, compared to people with other hair colors, blondes have a higher risk of getting age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness. Most natural blondes have fair skin and light eyes. Light irises let in more UV rays than darker irises, and one theory is that that’s why blondes tend to have more age-related macular degeneration.

Does that mean never forget the sunglasses?

Exactly. Wear UV-protected sunglasses all year round.

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We talk a lot about dressing for your body type instead of following trends simply because they’ve been anointed as the look of the season. The same idea applies to makeup. Just because a certain lip shade is in fashion doesn't mean it's flattering for your skin tone. In this episode, Emmy Award-winning celebrity makeup artist Valenté Frazier talks us through the colors that work best for fair, yellow-toned, olive and dark complexions using me and three Thread viewers as examples.

Bright, bold lips are an easy attention-grabbing statement. The key to picking the right hue is to think about what works best with your skin’s undertones. Valenté helped three viewers-- and me!--find our ideal shade using COVERGIRL’s new line of Blast Flipsticks. Each Flipstick has two sides--a creamy and a shimmery one--which allow for serious customization because you can add a lot or a little of each to get the color you’re in the mood for. 

Fair skin

Those of us with pink or porcelain

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We love it when stars show us that you can’t put a price on style. Many of our favorite Hollywood ladies prove time and again that they have a keen eye for fashion-- and a great bargain. In this episode, see what smart shoppers Selena Gomez, Katharine McPhee and Elizabeth Olsen picked up for $80 or less and where you can find the same on-trend styles.

Clearly, she can shop anywhere she pleases (and so can her boyfriend) but Selena Gomez is one star we see in bargain finds over and over again, even on the red carpet.  This time we spotted the singer/actress in vacation-casual mode wearing a black and white $45 cardigan from Forever21 with black shorts and a cropped white tee. Then we saw her out and about in New York City in an $80 scarf-print skirt from Zara. Also, in New York City, we spotted “Smash” star Katharine McPhee sporting one of our favorite trends of the moment—bright red colored “jeggings” from American Eagle. You can spend hundreds on a pair, but Katherine’s are a great

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When Will Ferrell gets into character, he really gets into character. We ask you, who else could wear a Tom Selleck-style moustache ("Anchor Man"), a pair of electric yellow tights ("Elf"), and a sparkling jumpsuit with "flame" embellishment ("Blades of Glory") without so much as a hint of self-consciousness? In his latest film, “Casa de Mi Padre,” a farcical telling of the Alvarez brothers' struggle to save their father’s Mexican ranch which opens March 16, Ferrell sports a fabulous array of 1970’s-era cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and jaunty neckerchiefs. See what Ferrell, Diego Luna (who plays the younger Alvarez brother Raul) and Genesis Rodriguez (Raul's fiancée Sonia) say about how their wardrobe impacts their performance and how it compares to their everyday style.

 

Check out the latest from The Thread below.

How to Pull Off a Bold Red Lip	Best Lip Color To Flatter Your Skin Tone

Check Out The Thread Homepage	How to Get Sofia's Sexy Look

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Vibrant retro reds. Blinding pinks. Glosses so shiny you can see your reflection. If you love experimenting with lip color and consider Nicki Minaj your makeup hero, how about taking a minute to consider what guys think of the latest addition to your makeup bag before you whip out that gloppy wand of vanilla-scented gloss? We asked Men’s Health Senior Contributing Editor Matt Bean for the male perspective on the varying shades of lipstick.

 

Classic red (as shown by Taylor Swift)

That’s a look-at-me color. An I-want-attention kind of color. If you’re at a bar with the girls looking to meet people, it can work as a beacon of sorts. If you’re on a date with your husband, it says that you’re really kicking it up a notch. On the other hand, you can’t kiss a girl with bright red lips or you end up looking like a clown.

Hot pink (as shown by Blake Lively)

It doesn’t have the classic romance of a bright red. It’s more punk, rock star, adventurous. It reminds me of “Jem and the

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No excuses on this one. Everyone needs to have little black dress in their closet. There’s nothing that’s as versatile, flattering, and slimming—provided you select one that enhances your particular shape. In this episode, we show you how to do just that using six lovely Thread viewers as models. See how the dresses we selected highlight each girls assets, and let us know which one you'd like to wear.

There’s no one-size-fits all with the LBD. You need to customize the dress to show off areas you like and to detract attention from the areas want to downplay. All of which is doable! Here are our suggestions for what works on six different shapes:

Petite

Your goal is to elongate your frame. A sheath dress with a hem that hits just above the knee is a perfect cut for making your body appear extra long and lean while also giving your legs some of the limelight.

 Pear shape

To balance your larger bottom half, you want to go with a halter neck or T-back style to show off your shoulders

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