Mail Bombs: Beyonce's St. Barths Look, Rihanna's Black Wedge Boots, and Lauren London's Sean John Jacket!

It's Friday! Time to do what we do best...
Let's go!
First, Alicia says, "I love this dress Beyonce wore while on vacation in St. Barths..."
"...can you tell me who designed it?"
Sure! Bey is wearing this cute and colorful Catherine Malandrino Jeweled Tank Dress:
...get it for $525 at www.net-a-porter.com.
Next Brittney says, "I'm looking for a dress to wear to an upcoming cabaret next month, and I found this dress that I like worn by Ashanti..."
"...Can you help me find a dress like this but more affordable? PPPLLLEEEAAAASSSEEE!!!!!!!!"
Of course! Try these red hot options:
1. BCBG Tiered Satin Halter Dress, $200. 2. Sexy Ruched Halter Dress by Atria, $150.
Chanel says, "Rihanna has been photographed wearing some Black Wedge leather boots..."
"...Do you know who makes the ones she is wearing and where I can find them (and a similar inexpensive pair)?"
An anonymous Fashion Bomb tipster indicated that Rihanna is undoubtedly wearing these Balenciaga Black Wedge Boots...
...hot, but they're currently going on Ebay for about $880. Eek!
If you're watching your pennies, Adriana found these affordable alternatives:

1. 8020 Jackie Pebble Leather Wedge Boot, $132. 2. Aldo Schacht Boots, $90.

Paula from London asks, "I was wondering where I can get the jacket Lauren London is wearing in this photo."
"... I'm from the UK so I'm finding it difficult to track down!"
Adriana found that Lauren is wearing this Sean John Quilted Bomber with Detachable Hood:
Buy it here for $55.50
Now we have a few wardrobe queries!
First MK from DC says, "Help !! What can I wear with this skirt??"
Take a style cue from Julisa...
...and wear your bow skirt with a tight black top and opaque tights. Pop on a blazer for a chic finish!
And finally Jazsi says, "My name is Jaz and I LOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEE FASHION. I am a senior in high school, and I am from Detroit, MI. My question is: Can you give me a few suggestions on prom dresses for the more curvy girl? I must show everyone that no matter what your size, you can still be fashionable."
You got it. Try these plus sized prom appropriate options:

1. JS Boutique Beaded Ombre Dress, $198. 2. Robbie Bee Metallic Lattice Dress (Plus), $98. 3. Daisy Silk Colorblock Maxi Dress, $415.
These dresses stand out, yet are plain enough for you to add your own funky jewelry and accessories. You better shut it down (and send pictures)!
That does it!
Any big plans for the weekend? I planned a trip to Rome, but pushed it to the spring...too much traveling lately, and I'm feeling sick:(
Stay tuned later today for a contest and much more fashion fabulosity!
Bisous!

And the Winners Are...Rihanna & Common for Most Fashionable of 2008

Um, y'all are a hot mess.

Why??
The rules clearly stated that Rihanna was ineligible. But you made your opinions known, and the power of the people prevailed. Who am I to argue?
It looks like Rihanna is yet again Fashionista of the Year, coming in first place with 44.3% of the Fashion Bomb vote:

How did this Chic Queen manage to prevail for both 2007 AND 2008?? You guys said, "It seems that she stepped her game up even MORE in 2008, so I have to give it to her. I will give honorable mention to Cassie though. But RiRi Reigns." "Rihanna hands down, she was better than last year and better than all these girls put together, they need to learn a thing or two from her..."

"...I'm not a fan of Rihanna, but props need to be given where props are due...she definitely held it down fashionably in 2008. She is a trendsetter and I can see her holding down the title of fashionista for a while." "Hands down Rihanna wins. She has so many more hits than misses and everyone is finding themselves "inspired" by her style choices..."

I feel you! This year I wanted to usher in some new fashion royalty, but it was not meant to be. We may not bump her songs, but in the style realm, Rihanna still holds the #1 spot. Whether lunching at Da Silvanos or hitting up a red carpet event, this young popstar exudes style in everything from strapless dresses with accents of animal print to corsets worn with jodhpur pants. It's obvious--this Caribbean Queen wears fashion down to her fingernails.
And we love it!
For the men, there wasn't as much of an upset, and rapper Common took the title home in a landslide with 39.9% of the vote:

Neither of the Fashion Bomb's two male readers gave any insight as to why, but I'm sure it has everything to do with Common's cool aesthetic and mean suit game.
So that does it for the Most Fashionable in '08. Stay tuned for even more end of the year fabulousness!
Bisous!

A few Hits: Rihanna & Common

Since they took home the fashion title, I thought I'd post a few hot songs from both artists:

Enjoy!

Would you Rock? Funky Sunglasses

Rihanna was spied with Chris Brown in LaGuardia airport after this weekend's Z100 Jingle Ball wearing a pair of one-of-a-kind retro specs:
In attempts to further distinguish themselves from the masses, it seems stars are popping on increasingly more out-the-box sunglasses, even if the pair fails to block the sun and encumbers their vision:

Since we typically take fashion cues from our fave celebs, I must ask: would you rock super funky sunglasses?
*Apparently Kanye borrowed the idea for his sunglasses from Sho'nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, in 'Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon' [via Gawker]:
Does anyone else remember that movie? Ha!
In case you don't:

lol

Rihanna to Light Unicef Snowflake Tonight at Grand Army Plaza

Rihanna stans listen up!
The svelte stylista and Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini will light the UNICEF Snowflake at Grand Army Plaza tonight in NYC!

R&B artist Ne-Yo will perform live during the ceremony before watching Rihanna and Frida flip the switch to illuminate the Snowflake.
Can't make the ceremony? There's a cocktail party at Gucci's 5th Avenue flagship later on. The guest list will most likely be in full effect, but you can always catch Ri-Ri on the way in:)

Random Thoughts: Beyoncé & Rihanna Swap Styles, Grace Jones, Robin Givhan on Sarah Palin, Next Throwback?

Remember when people accused Rihanna’s style of being too much like Beyoncé’s?

Now some people are saying Bee is looking quite similar to Ri:

Does this mean we’ve come full-circle?
Off-topic, I would love to see them do a song together on some “The Boy is Mine 2009.” Not just for the song—can you imagine the video wardrobe??

Ever since Fashion Bomber Erica sent in that Grace Jones album cover, I've been obsessively watching GJ videos on the 'Tube. Especially "My Jamaican Guy":

So avant-garde and fashion-forward--GJ is underappreciated as a style icon, I think. BTW, recognize this song as the sample for another icon's sexy hip-hop classic?
I’m thinking about my next Throwback post and can’t decide what to do: Guess Jeans, Triple Fat Goose coats, or Re-Run Style?

Kidding! (on the last). But wait...hmm...Fred Berry's red, white, and green are giving me a crazy idea. Hmm! OK, I'm hyped. Off to start work on it now...
P.S. If you haven't already read it, I highly, highly recommend Robin Givhan's piece on Sarah Palin's style. As usual, Ms. Givhan is right on point (and funny) with her analysis.
~A

Fashion News Roundup: Chanel in Central Park, More '90s Trends, Last Night's Red Carpet

WWD reports today that the long-awaited Chanel Mobile Art pavilion will open in NYC's Central Park this coming Monday, October 21. The pavilion features installations that revolve around Chanel's iconic 2.55 bag (below) by 18 different artists, and you'll even be able to buy limited edition 2.55s at the exhibition. As both a Chanel and art lover, I cannot wait to see this! Pics of the venue below, and get the full scoop over at WWD.com.

As we reported a few weeks ago, the '90s are back full force this fall and that means we'll probably see ALL of the trends (good and bad) again in some form, including these bubble-gum Doc Martens featured over at Essence.com:

I loved my black Docs when I had them back in the day but this might be a little too 90's...hmmm....

Over in Santa Monica, the 2008 Spirit of Life Awards dinner was held in honor of music executive Doug Morris's charitable work, and the stars came out in their best. Rihanna, Akon, Robin Thicke, and Toni Braxton all brought the fresh to the red carpet:

Rihanna can rarely do wrong fashion-wise, can she? Love it.

Adriana

Mail Bombs: Rihanna's Plaid Jacket + Alicia's Military Look

Hey!
So life has been super busy with my impending move, but Mail Bombs of course take priority!
Let's go!
First Deja says, "I just love this plaid jacket Rihanna is wearing and I'm positive that its very expensive..."
"...Could you find something similar on a college girl's budget?"
So Adriana found that Rihanna is wearing this $325 L.A.M.B. Draped Collar Blazer...
..expensive, so if you'd like an alternative, go with these:
1. Aqua Women's 3/4 Sleeve Plaid Jacket, $128. 2. Priorities Green Plaid Emma Jacket, $99.
In another Rihanna Mail Bomb, Mariah says, "Rihanna recently wore this jacket to T.I.'s Myspace Music Concert..."
"...Do you know who the designer is and where I could find a similar leather jacket for a lower price?"
Stuntin is a habit for Rihanna, as Adriana found that she's wearing this $890 Mike & Chris Lambskin Nathan Jacket...

Get a similar look with these lower priced options:
1. Aqua Women's Hooded Leather Jacket, $298. 2. Theory Women's "Juna" Hooded Leather Jacket, $525. 3. Soia & Kyo Kymia Jacket, $375.
Crystal says, "The coat that Alicia Keys is rocking in the following picture is a must!"
"...I'm lovin her whole outfit, the coat, the boots, the hat.... but the coat is a must have. Can you post some more affordable versions of it (as I'm sure it must cost a fortune)?"
Mimic Alicia's Military steeze with these high and low priced coats:
1. Burberry Wool Coat, $1,495. 2. City Style Wool Captain's Coat, $91. 3. BCBGMAXAZRIA Women's Melton Luxe Military Coat, $595.
Next, Tola says, "Where can I get this dress or something similar!"
"..It is TOOO FAB!"
Adriana recommends emulating J. Lo's Dolce & Gabbana frock...
...with this $242 Guy Baxter Julia Dress...
Lastly, Devin says, "I found this belt on Christina Milian's promo pic that I absolutely loved."
"...I actually love the entire look, but I would love to know where I can get a belt like that?"
Adriana found these options:
1. Calvin Klein Black Leather Wide Belt, $33. 2. Ann Taylor Loft Obi Belt, $34. 3. Belworks Black Leather Wide Sash, $108.
Smootches!