FabSugar

Simple or Swank: Red Sweater Vests

LilSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:00:52 PST

I'm a sucker for a lil man in a sweater vest - especially during the holidays. If you're searching for the perfect look for your festive photo or something for your toddler to wear to parties, you can't go wrong with a red cable knit vest. There is no shame in shelling out dough for the memories, but you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to score this classic style.

Simple: At just under $17, you won't be devastated if your guy's gravy and mashed potatoes end up all over the vest from Chaps.
Swank: With a little polo player on his chest, your young man will look sophisticated in the Ralph Lauren Sweater Vest ($45). Well, that is, before he puts peas up his nose.

Fab Redux: Quite the In-Vest-Ment

FabSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:00:22 PDT

Since I'm really getting into back to school mode, this little ivory sweater vest is perfect: right along the same school of thought! It's from the 80s and would be a great layering piece, especially come cooler Fall weather. Slip it on over a long-sleeved, blousy number and you're set (well except for the pants part)!

Prints Charming: Celebrities Show Off Their Pretty Patterned Scarves

Brittney Stephens — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 03:30:55 PDT

Printed scarves are the ultimate accessory for Spring - they're lightweight, effortless, and add intrigue to even the most basic t-shirt and jeans look. One of our favorite looks for the season is a solid ensemble - say, a classic black tank and jeans -layered with a colorful, patterned scarf, although we can't deny the sheer chicness of mixing two printed pieces in your look either. For some style inspiration, just see how some of the celebrities pull off the look: Jessica Alba paired her pretty floral maxi dress with a denim vest and contrasting scarf for a fresh, Spring-perfect vibe, while Liv Tyler kept it cool and casual in a camel sweater, jeans, and a cream-colored scarf. So whether you decide to go for cute and colorful or dark and edgy (like skull-print scarf wearers Mena Suvari and Krysten Ritter), this is one accessorizing look that simply can't go wrong. Click through to see the celebs who've nailed the printed scarf look, then shop some Spring pieces for yourself.

10 Great Things You’re Already Doing With Your Money

LearnVest — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:15:17 PDT

You know you rock at managing your money. LearnVest tells you what you're doing right.

We know, we know - at LearnVest, we tell you a lot of things you should do, like:

Save for retirement
Pay off any debt you have
Reevaluate your budget (because you already have a budget, right?)
Stress out about all the aforementioned to-dos

We tell you because they’re all good for you, financially speaking (well, all but that last one).

But sometimes, with all the worrying we do, it’s easy to forget to take a time-out and give ourselves a pat on the back. And we bet there are already a lot of things you’re doing exactly right with your money.

Read on to find out how many of these 10 excellent financial habits you’ve already adopted, then sit back, and feel superproud of yourself.

You Always Shop on Sale

According to industry research, 62 percent of US consumers say they rarely pay full price for clothing. So it sounds like you already know the art of scoring the best deal possible. (Just don’t let yourself get suckered in by the secret ways stores seduce us into buying.) Keep up the good work!

Read on for more.

Serve Up Dinner Mad Men-Style With a Season 5 Premiere Viewing Party

Camilla Salem — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 04:38:51 PDT

Photos: Camilla Salem, AMC, Susannah Chen

Who is excited about the return of Mad Men on Sunday? We are! Kick off season five in style with an intimate viewing party. Invite family and friends over for an evening that will take everyone back to the early '60s. Serve up old-fashioned eats and play music from the era. Ask that women dress up like Joan or Betty, and that the men wear suits and hats or sweater vests. For our specific recommendations, keep reading.

3 Ways to Be a Better Brainstormer

LearnVest — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:15:12 PDT

Learn how to be a better contributor to your office brainstorming sessions with these tips from LearnVest.

When was the last time you brainstormed?

Was it over a group assignment in high school? Maybe over a particularly challenging DIY project? Or was it this week, at work?

Brainstorming is a tried-and-true way many managers encourage their employees to generate ideas.

The goal is to get people in a room with a whiteboard - and snacks, hopefully - and let the fantastic, creative ideas fly.

Here’s the twist: we may have been going about it all wrong. The New Yorker reports that research consistently proves that traditional brainstorming - the type you’ve likely been doing your whole life - is less productive than sending people off to think by themselves. (Although there is a type of brainstorming researchers recommend . . . We’ll get to that.)

This could be good news when you’re privately brainstorming ways to ace your employee review, but it could cause some problems in the office. Namely, you can’t just opt out the next time your boss herds you into the conference room. (Plus, you might miss the snacks.)

We talked to a brainstorming expert - yes, there is such a thing - to find out why this is, and how you can be a better brainstormer in three easy steps.

This Will Make You More Creative

The New Yorker writes that a key principle of most brainstorming is the absence of negative criticism. That’s supposed to encourage people to speak up, since no one wants to volunteer ideas that get shot down. But research shows that it’s not brainstorming that’s ineffective so much as brainstorming without any criticism. This is because criticism encourages us to “engage more fully with the work of others and to reassess our viewpoints.”

Read on for more.

Shop These Pretty Pastel Pieces For Spring

Chi Diem Chau — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:16:08 PST

Pretty pastel hues popped up all over the Spring runways from designers such as Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Miu Miu, and Lanvin. We love the feminine color palette – think lavender, mint green, candy pink, saturated coral, and sky blue - and all of the styling possibilities that come with it. That said, we culled the best candy-colored hues for you to add to your current wardrobe and right into Spring. Just read below for our quick styling tips, then click the slideshow to shop all of our delectable clothing and accessory picks.

Pair pastel-hued jeans with a cozy gray sweater and black ankle boots for a perfectly weather-appropriate Winter look.
Make a bold color statement by accessorizing an all-black ensemble with a minty green clutch or citron satchel.
We love the idea of layering a lavender dress with a turtleneck, fuzzy vest, and ankle boots for a romantic bundled-up ensemble.

Photo courtesy of Vogue Japan

Roland Mouret Fall 2012

Chi Diem Chau — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:37:52 PST

Roland Mouret's Fall 2012 collection was all about ladylike layering. His inspiration point was Paris in 1947, when the big freeze occurred, as he paired a variety of fur vests and caplets over turtleneck sweaters and tops, and origami-inspired jackets over sheath dresses. While the designer featured his signature fitted dress silhouettes, a mix of looser cuts were interspersed into the ladylike mix via full skirts and oversize coats. Meanwhile, baggy-cut trousers and A-line skirt suits provided a more chic approach to day-wear dressing. Highlights included the printed and peplum looks, precisely tailored with just the right amount of modernity. More details from the collection below.

Trends: Ladylike dressing, peplum, baggy trousers.
Colors: Gray, yellow, green, periwinkle blue, navy, lavender, black.
Key Piece: The printed skirt paired with the white origami jacket was the perfect mix of ladylike and modern.
Accessories: Skinny belts, knee-high and ankle boots, T-strap pumps.
Who Would Wear It: Women who prefer an elegant, and lightly seductive, take on cocktail dressing, like Eva Mendes and Kerry Washington.

The Secret to Making Your Dollar Last

LearnVest — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:15:57 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Research psychologists have all the best tricks up their sleeves. Maybe it’s because they study humans like guinea pigs to figure out what really makes our complicated selves tick.

Feeling stressed? Reason yourself out of it (studies show this actually works). Rushed all the time? Slow down, and you’ll be a nicer person (a famous study we cite shows that this is true, no matter who you are).

Feeling broke? Or wish you could stretch your dollar more? We’d normally tell you to head straight to My Money Center and Budgeting Tool (you can’t have enough free tools at your fingertips) - but today, we’re going to give you a break. We’re going to let you in on an easy way to stretch your dollar and enhance your happiness, and it’s also totally free. It’s called savoring.

What Is Savoring?

Savoring is the ability to prolong and stretch enjoyment or positive emotional experiences. It’s the difference between wolfing down a meal vs. lingering over every bite. It relates to how much time you spend sitting in front of a sunset (if you even stop at all).

Scientists have consistently found that the ability to savor promotes happiness (see here or here). Which makes sense. The more you can prolong positive emotional experiences, the more positive emotions are filling up your day. In fact, the tendency to savor benefits individuals across the lifespan: studies show it predicts the subjective well-being for grade-school children, adolescents, college students, and the elderly.

Read on for more.

NYFW Styling Trend: Will You Wear a Dress Over Pants Next Fall?

Noria Morales — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:43:29 PST

There is one strong styling trend emerging from the runways at New York Fashion Week: lots and lots of layers. Designers like Helmut Lang, Rag and Bone, and Rebecca Taylor showed vests over jackets over sweaters over pants (or some combination, you get the picture), and one of the interesting styling combinations includes dresses over pants. What do you think - is it a trend you'll wear next season or is it best left on the runway? From left: Helmut Lang, Rag and Bone, Rebecca Taylor.