SNAPS: Like Mother, Like Daughter

Sophomore broadcast journalism major, Corbin LaJeunesse, takes fashion tips from her mother, who handed down this Saks Fifth Avenue maroon pea coat from her wardrobe circa 1980.

TRIPLE THREAT: Fur for Winter

With the winter weather in full force, it seems the best way to tackle the Syracuse weather in style is with fur this year. The furry hunter hat is making as big a comeback as plaid, and it doesn’t stop there. Snow bunny earmuffs are keeping heads toasty as well. These add flair to any winter coat and are super soft- you won’t want to take it off once you’re inside!


This Kaldi Arctic hat from 66° North Iceland comes in two sizes to fit snugly to your head. They come in four colors, black, maroon, brown and off-white like this one. ($85 66north.com)


If you’re looking for a luxurious splurge, this Ashley Trapper Hat by Helen Kaminski cap will certainly make a statement. Made of velour fur felt and dyed shearling from Sri Lanka, its sure to keep the chill out and look fabulous. Comes in black or coffee. ($450 Neimanmarcus.com)


This intarsia bomber hat by Urban Outfitters is a similar version of the Kaldi, with a looser fit and longer flaps. The knit pattern adds a winter garnish to the hat good for style, cross country skiing or a good old fashioned snowball fight. With a price more within reach, this is a must-have. ($34.00 Urbanoutfitters.com)

A-LIST: Scented Secrets for the Season

Finding the right fragrance for the holidays requires a strong constitution. One foot in a department store, and a salesperson hovers over your shoulder trying to sell you the most expensive item on the counter. Or, worse yet, spritzing you in an nasal ambush. If you attempt to test a few on your search, you create a concoction that obliterates your ability to sniff a clear winner. You leave smelling like you took a bath in perfume and with a headache to boot. Let these picks make your search for the perfect holiday scent short and sweet.


1. Miss Dior Cherie ($68 for 1.7 oz lordandtaylor.com): This scent reminds me of being wrapped up in a cashmere sweater by the fire or laughing at a holiday party. The floral and musky scent, which makes it flirty sexy. Though it runs the risk of being overpowering, one spray is enough to last the evening.


2. DKNY Delicious Night ($58 for 1.7 oz macys.com): Less sweet and more spice, this scent is an ideal garnish for your New Years Eve. It includes blackberry and ginger, which create a tangy scent. Perfect for a woman in platforms or pumps, a slinky dress with an attitude to match.


3. Maybe Baby ($48 3.4 oz benefitcosmetics.com): This floral scent is subtle, as if you just put on lotion or clean laundry. It smells light like rose water, with hints of water blossoms and apricot. Perfect for a date or a just an evening with drinks, this scent does the flirting for you.


4. Pure Vanilla from Lavanila Laboratories ($56 for 1.7 oz lavanila.com): Remember as a kid making cookies when it came to measure the vanilla, and it smelled so delicious that you took a taste (only to find it bitter). This perfume delivers the same experience, capturing the scent of gingerbread houses and holiday baking (minus the bitter finish).


5. Thierry Mugler Angel ($72 0.8 oz nordstrom.com): This perfume offers a woodsy scent with a hint of honey and chocolate, which gives it a feminine profile. This playful perfume makes a great everyday scent. One user from Sephora.com commented, “It gives you confidence when you enter a room and people want to know what you are wearing.”

LOOK BOOK: Celluloid Chanteuse

Britney Spears has been making headlines since she asked us to hit her one more time 10 years ago. Since then, the pop princess has made a number of bold statements and unforgettable risks with creative costumes in her music videos and performances. Some outfits launched trends. Others just made jaws drop. With Brit on the rise again, we pay tribute to the star with her fashion risks over the decade.


Sexy School Girl: The Catholic school girl uniform from Britney’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time” video with its innocent grey cardigan and sexy staple white-button-down tied to show a little more skin made Britney Spears a hot commodity. Guys drooled over her. Girls wanted to be her. Not to mention the pink puff ponytail accessories that became a must accessory for months.


You Drive Me Crazy: Before she did go crazy, Brit looked great as a club waitress. After her video came out, hair crimpers replaced curlers and bed-head braids became a norm.


The Red Jumpsuit: A perfect example of a Britney, jaw-dropping move. This pleather jumpsuit stuck to every curve in the “Oops I Did It Again” video started jaws jabbing. Blame it on the millennium hype, but not even the Spice Girls could take a risk like this and get away with it.


I’m A Slave 4 U: While the video didn’t necessarily turn any heads, Britney’s 2001 VMA performance of her sultry song included an albino snake the size of the pop star. She looked fierce in her green bustier top, pixie-like embellishments, and rock-hard abs. This costume was unforgettable.


Futuristic Flight Attendant: This costume has been beat to death, but Britney’s take from “Toxic” is a reinvention. The halter neck with a front keyhole reveals enough skin to leave something to the imagination. The shoulder wings change up the look a bit, garnished with a tilted hat makes a Halloween costume to die for.


Bedazzled: With Britney in her prime, no one could forget her nude bedazzled body, also from the “Toxic” video. Another stunning move from bombshell Britney.


The Ringleader: In her newest video and album title song, “Circus” Britney brought back trends from the 1920s with platinum finger curls, gaudy pendant jewelry and a feathered top hat. Fishnets and a whip added a touch of naughty to her tailored ringleader suit. Once again, Brit is stealing the show.

REVIEW: A Definite Do!

Whether you’re a die-hard vice-ite or just in need of some comic relief from trend report overload, Vice Dos and Don'ts: 10 Years of VICE Magazine's Street Fashion Critiques, serves up the perfect cocktail of clever humor and catty commentary. Authors Gavin McInnes, Shane Smith, and Suroosh Alvi travel the world over to bring you some of the greatest fashion faux pas. Vice chronicles everything from lizard-body-tattoo man to disco grannies, and a few other groups of people you never knew existed (Glam Jocks?). Caustic, pee-your-pants-funny commentary punctuates each farcical photo with obscure pop-culture references (Terry Shivo?). While taking the Do column seriously may be a fashion offense, this paperback packs a punch leaving you with a feeling of superior style. When shopping for the fashionista with killer wit and a (very) open mind, Vice Dos and Don’t’s is a definite do!

EXPERIANCE: Haircut Confessions

If you met me three years ago, you would remember me by my hair. It was big, bushy, and brassy: a curly auburn mane that fell just below my shoulder blades. My hair earned compliments followed by caresses of my tresses, but I felt that I needed a hair change. Rather than go for a cute, angled shoulder cut, I decided to cut it all off. I envisioned a pixie cut similar to that of Michelle Williams or Audrey Hepburn.
While my decision remained firm, my hairdresser took some convincing. She called it “drastic” and pleaded with me to keep my mane. She almost swayed me, but I knew I needed a change. While I loved my hair, I felt it was all people saw when they looked at me. I also had sparkling hazel eyes, a milky complexion and oh yeah, a great personality. My hairdresser, Ji, pulled herself together and delivered a spectacular coif.

It felt odd to run my hand through my hair in one quick stroke. But it also felt liberating. My cut shouted: “I am still beautiful even without all my long locks.” It gave me confidence, made me more adventurous with my fashion and beauty, and prompted a domino of other changes. Blush became my new best friend because a shelf of hair no longer covered my cheeks. I indulged in frilly lace dress, a fashion statement that seemed like overkill with my former fairytale Rapunzel hair. Many girlfriends commented on how bold I was to cut off my hair, and some were so inspired they shed their hair too.
For anyone considering a new ‘do for this holiday season, I say go for it. Remember: Life is short, and hair grows. So why not try something new: A short pixie cut, an asymmetrical Rhianna bob, or even just a new hue. You’ll be surprised at what you find when you step out of your comfort zone.

OBSESSION: The BeneFit of Glamour

As a mature 12-year-old, I skipped over CoverGirl and went straight to BeneFit. The San Francisco based company was my favorite babysitting-money splurge, and it’s stuck with me throughout the years. Not only did I buy the sparkly eye shadows and lip gloss, I frequently bought products for fixing under-eye circles I didn’t have, lip plumper I didn’t need, and cake eyeliner that I never wore. Those years of research paid off, and I consider myself the unofficial, number-one tester for BeneFit products. Here are my favorites, some new and some old:


1. Dr. Feelgood ($28 Benefitcosmetics.com): This product has a lemony zing and goes on clear. It’s meant to give you a smooth palate to work with when putting on foundation or bronzer and the rest of your makeup. Think airbrush in a tin. Of course, in middle school I didn’t need to worry about fine lines or large pores, but today I use it under my bronzer every time.


2. Some Kind-A Gorgeous ($28 Benefitcosmetics.com): My roommate introduced this newer product to me last Christmas. I’ve never been one for heavy makeup so this silky, smooth faux foundation offers just a bit of coverage. It comes in two shades, but it is so translucent that it matches just about any skin tone. It’s also great to cover a red blemish or for under-eye circles.


3. That Gal ($28 Benefitcosmetics.com): During my internship this summer, I got a peek at the Allure magazine beauty closet and got to keep this product. It became an instant favorite, especially in summertime when I wear less makeup. The bottom half clicks, and the pink shimmer product comes out the top. Swipe on places where the sun hits your face i.e. cheek bones, forehead, chin. Rub in for a simple glow.


4. Brow Zings ($30 benefitcosmetics.com): I never listened to my mother when she talked to me about my eyebrows. She always said they were too thin. Now I realize that the ‘80s Madonna unibrow may be better than underwhelming wisps. This product fills in brows to make them look as full and as fleshed out as your heart desires. It comes with a little set of tweezers to help you achieve the perfect arch.


5.Kitten ($26 benefitcosmetics.com): I literally was obsessed with this glitter-lovers product. I originally bought it because it reminded me of something you’d find on a movie star’s vanity, but ended up loving it. The classic kitten contains champaign glitter dust inside the pink poof. There are two other editions: Kitten goes to Paris and Kitten Shops NYC with silver and copper glitter respectively. It offers a subtle glow to chest, shoulders or back for a night on the town.

STREET STYLE: Playful Vintage

If senior PR major Katie Spoletti would switch closets with me, I’d gladly do so. She can spot a jewel in a sea of sand. She’s also the type that can get away with wearing practically anything. Put her in a vintage shop and it’s like a kid in a candy shop. Here’s a look that works for her:

Favorite piece: My sweater. I got it at a vintage shop in San Diego. I like it because it’s one of a kind.
Fashion icon: Sienna Miller
Trend you love to hate: The Syracuse trend of the plastic claw clip holding your pony tail. It looks tacky and cheap.

OBSESSION: Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick

In my bag you will find four things: my wallet, my house keys, my cell phone, and my swivel stick. Yes, it looks like a glue stick. And yes, it’s not very pretty. No matter. I cannot leave the house without this. I’m not one to carry makeup around in my bag for touch ups, and lip gloss drives me crazy when the wind blows and my hair gets stuck in the mess. Palmer’s is creamier than a normal chapstick and double the size (so you get more moisture for your money). It has a slightly sweet scent but without the taste so it works for both men and women. If you’re a girl who likes her color, this works as a moisturizing base for lipstick.

Cocoa butter is an extract from cocoa-tree beans and acts as a universal smoothing product. According to Palmer’s website, it remains solid at room temperature and melts at body temperature. One hint: perhaps because of its lackluster packaging, all of Palmer’s products reside on the bottom shelf at drugstores. ($3.29)

SNAPS: Happening in Houndstooth

Junior communications design major Kelsey Liss takes some time to work on final projects in Bird Library donning her red and white houndstooth coat.

TRIPLE THREAT: Wings of Desire

Runway designers fancied feathers this fall season, but it looks like we’re in for a winged spring as well. Designers like Louis Vuitton, Sonia Rykiel, and Roberto Cavalli showcased more feathered fun on the spring 2009 runways. Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs created plumage sprouting from structural heels and feathered tassels accessorizing bags and belts. At Sonia Rykiel, Vegas-style feathered headdresses livened up the collection, and Roberto Cavalli used feathered fringe as a flapper-esque accent to the bottom of lacey dresses.

If the thought of feathers sounds a bit frightening, stick to feather details on accessories like headbands or necklaces to spice up your outfit without looking overdone. Consider these starter options to help your feather fancy:

As headgear:
Headband, $18, available at Some Girls Boutique
(Urban Outfitters also offers a great selection of feather headbands.)


As an accent for jewelry:

Earrings, $5.80, Forever 21
(For an easy DIY project, pick up some plumage and wire earring hooks from your local craft store and simply attached the feather to the bottom of the ear piece for a dangly effect.)


As a full ensemble:
Feather dress, $528, Sue Wong
(For a more understated look, try Juicy Couture’s feather accented LBD.

REVIEW: 3 Fashionistas + 1 Miami Store = Happy New Year

Time to turn in your Ugg boots and head down south to Florida for a warm, sunny vacation over the holiday break. While basking on the sandy beaches of Miami, take some time to visit the latest shopping must. The Webster Miami, a 20,000-square-feet high-luxury, multi-brand fashion store, opens in January. Located in the heart of Miami Beach, in a historical art deco building designed in 1939, this three-level store will carry only the best men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories: Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, and Miu Miu to name a few.

A trio of fashion veterans founded The Webster: Milan Vukmirovic, who worked with Lacroix, Lanvin and Tom Ford at Gucci; Laure Heriard Dubreuil was at Balenciaga and YSL; and Frederic Dechnik helped Hermès, the Gucci group, and YSL. Capitalizing on their fashion connections, the store offers items that other stores can’t. For example, “the recently resurrected and smoking hot label Balmain and Mason Margiela’s new, much-coveted jewelry line,” reports W magazine.

Currently located at a temporary store in Miami Beach while awaiting the renovation of its new digs in the Hotel Webster, the store focuses on fabuluous clothing paired with photography and art (including a mural by French artist Christophe Brunnquell). So if you happen to be in Florida after the New Year, don’t miss seeing this retail haven. In the meantime, visit thewebstermiami.com.

LOOK BOOK: Porcelain Girl

At 16, Aussie model Gemma Ward was the youngest model to grace the cover of Vogue in the September 2004 issue highlighting the “models of the moment.” With her porcelain doll-face and alien-like features, Gemma’s is a face you can’t forget. We’ve loved watching her strut the runways, but she recently took a leave of absence to pursue an acting career. Her film debut in The Black Balloon opens just in time for the Oscar season, and we can’t wait to see if her acting skills match up to her brazen beauty.

OBSESSION: A Mighty Mini

Finding the perfect bandage-esque skirt is a challenge. We’re all body-conscious. Anything super-tight and skinny must look irresistible (the line between sophisticated snug and tramp tight is a very thin one). Thankfully American Apparel created the perfect solution. Their Herve Ledger knockoff bandage skirt, the Interlock Mini Skirt, is cute and comes with a friendly price tag ($25). But beyond price, it deserves adoration because of its versatility: It does fashion duty on a night out with four inch stilettos or tucked in to a tank or longer tunic (tip: look for one that hits about an inch or two above the bottom of the skirt). For a day look, throw on a loose-fitting white tank or graphic-print shirt and add a pair of t-strapped sandals. Either way, the skirt looks fabulous. Other notables: It’s made from 100 percent cotton and comes in six different colors. Visit store.americanapparel.net to purchase.

STREET STYLE: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Mere Littas fuses practicality and style to keep warm on this chilly Syracuse night. The junior television, radio and film major wears a Moncler coat stylishly cinched at the waist, American Apparel leggings, Ugg boots, and a Victor Osborne hat. 

Favorite item she's wearing: Her hat, $150, which she purchased at Intermix in Boston. 

Fashion Icons: Nicole Richie and Rachel Bilson.

Trend she loves to hate: Any "jean on jean" combo, but especially denim jackets paired with jeans.

EXPERIENCE: Annie Leibovitz's Wonderland

Memory is a funny thing with a will all its own. We forget something told to us 10 minutes ago, or even the mission that brought us to a room. Then there are other times. Precise, small moments that seem unimportant but stay imprinted on us like a photograph we carry in our minds. These powerful memories often attach to the first time we heard a favorite song or read the final pages in our most beloved novel. For me that moment is the first time I saw my favorite fashion editorial.

In December of 2003, I was a junior in high school. I always enjoyed fashion and the latest trends such as chandelier earrings and the Hard Tail pants craze. But something in me changed when I first saw Annie Leibovitz's “Alice in Wonderland” fashion editorial spread for Vogue's December issue. The 12-page editorial featured a 21-year-old Natalia Vodianova, the doe-eyed Russian model with a fairytale rags-to-riches story of her own. Each page delivered an adventure unto its own. Staying true to Alice's signature color, Vodianova dons a new breathtaking blue couture gown in each photo, and the designer of each dress poses alongside the model as a character from Lewis Carroll's whimsical story. In one scene, John Galliano poses as the Queen of Hearts; in another, Tom Ford and Vodianova fall down the rabbit hole together. Apart from the beautiful imagery and the decadence of the dresses, what I realized that day was that fashion isn't just clothes. Fashion possesses the power to tell a story, to reveal something about a person that escaped you before. It reflects human emotions and desires, and the best part is, fashion unlocks the imagination. At least that's what it did for me that day in my high-school library.

A-LIST: Top 5 Fashion Photographers

Professor Lawrence Mason founded and directs a summer program in fashion photography at Syracuse University's London Centre and teaches classes in fashion and portrait photography at the Newhouse School. Here, he gives Salty his top picks for the world's best fashion photographers and why:

1. Albert Watson. “For his phenomenal lighting ability,” Mason says. “His images are powerful and he's passionate about all genres of photography.”


2. Richard Avedon. “For the same reasons that I like Albert Watson. He's passionate about all kinds of photography including portraits, and photojournalism. He is most known for the motion he brought to fashion photography.”


3. Paolo Roversi. “For the outstanding dimensionality and contrast in his images,” Mason says. “His images are not totally sharp because of his long shutter speed making the quality of light in his images very romantic and very Italian.


4. Helmut Newton. “Extremely controversial and very misunderstood. He was able to create a world of photography by being true to himself,” Mason says. “Many people don't realize that he was actually afraid of women, and by using his sly humor and unique vision he was able to create a fantasy of himself.”

Self-portrait with Wife June and Models.

5. Jeffrey Licata. “He's my best friend, and I was his first photography teacher,” says Mason. “He does more for students than any other photographer. He's near to my heart plus he's amazingly talented.” Licata has shot advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Liz Claiborne and directed TV commercials for retail stores in the U.S. and fashion videos for Valentino and Nicole Miller.



Check out Professor Mason and Professor Chessher's new book Looking for Lockerbie!

All images from Google Images.