Excuse my French, but I'm in France

I couldn't get enough of New York, so I skipped the pond for Fashion week for round deux in Paris. 

With fashion partner in crime slash colleague (LA) skipping from show to show and feeding my social media addiction I haven't had time to look up and take a peek...finally...here it is on way home from Isabel Marant, um yes I have a loads to tell you about Isabel Marant FW 2012, but first...la tour Eiffel 

and some non-fashion week tid bits...

If could narrow down to four favorite bits of Paris that are non fashion related, fromt the top left:
old timey buildings and stuff,
Jeff Leatham flower arrangements at George V,
baked flour in all forms,
and of course...le tour eiffel

Romping Spring

Ryce Yanez photography

 No, I'm not acting a sloot and lifting the skirt to moon the missing crowd behind me. The above stretched subject is named Kearny, and he is not a dress, but a romper, or as they call in England (by england I mean net-a-porter) a PLAYSUIT. Quite the suitable name because I want to play in this CrOp SS 2012 suit all spring and summer long. There is no explanation for the long face above. I must have been holding my breath because my head is beginning to turn purple and blue, and by head I mean legs...which explains why I cinched the playsuit with a tape thin belt, slapped on pale leg hiding boots, and went on a playdate this weekend....
by playdate I mean played Simon and made drawer - ings. Art students may have had similar weekend plans.

Back on a cereal note, consider Kearny a taste of CrOp David Peck SS2012 New Orleans inspired collection "Crescent Rising" debuted via David Peck Collection last week.  Among six of the NOLA inspired prints that make up "Crescent Rising", the Spanish Moss print is inspired by the beautiful Audubon Park.

Year O' Cinched

As Sachin+ Babi splashed it in my face in New York, Burberry did in London, and now Fendi has in Milan...it's the year of Cinched Waists!  Fuck Forget potato sack dresses and baggy maternity frocks. No one is having a kid here, and if you are, then cinch just north of the little sucker. The fall of 2012 wont stand for anything aside from a figure shaping look. And if you're an alien slash weirdo that just hates to show femininity, then good luck buying anything this winter because you wont find it.

sachin+babi

fendi

Aside from the central cinching, these collections have themed cinching significantly different textures and fabrics...like sachin + babi with chiffon and leather dresses or Fendi's wool and leather skirts. It's really a winter to unite more so than cinch I guess...so why not unite your torso to your legs via waist line...

Salute 'em Shorts

Just as the power pump has windled its way into the statement shoe of the year, power lunching and all of its essentials have joined. In order to power lunch, you must have a job, or appear to have a powerful job to which you can wear a power suit and give off the impression that if you are powerfully dressed people will trust you with their money. It's funny how that works. Power suit of twenty twelve: is essentially the classic suit combo that men have been sporting for ages, just a little bit cropped.
Cropped jacket + cropped trousers = the perfect ingredients to a modern power suit...perfect example

 Oscar de la Renta open knit tweed jacket + shorts. 

Oscar de la Renta open tweed cropped jacket  -  Oscar de la Renta open tweed shorts

P.S. If you live anywhere outside of Houston, I'm sorry you can't pull this off. The only envy you should feel towards us is swinging this trend off at work but just know that we only wear this to avoid  working up a sweat walking vehicle to building.
Here's a couple of real world affordable options:

 - ASOS high waist silky

- ASOS tailored curved front

Boom.
have a good weekend, and don't forget to cinch your waist...I'll tell you why via next post.

NYFW Pump'ed It

I have a confession to make, almost embarrassed really but I just realized I really wasn't paying attention to whats to come via footwear in the Autumn/ Winter of 2012. I can blame all I want on my third or fourth row seating, but the truth is I just wasn't looking south of the ready to wear pieces. Thank heavens for style.com's replay and front row peek of the subjects strutting Kevork Kiledjian's runway show last week. Kevork Kiledjian, chose fellow franco-footwear designer, Jean-Michel Cazabat's pumps, for his F/W 2012 runway show last week.

Kevork Kiledjian FW 2012, images per

Ladies and readers, I present the return of the power pump: Platform in absence, pencil thin heel, and pyramid point it takes a real ball buster to pull off these babies. Cazabat's "Emma" are the perfect example of a power pump...

EMMA' pumps will be available at Barneys and the Jean-Michel Cazabat NYC Flagship store (350 Bleecker St), in late Spring (for $270).

I Want to be a Sea Monster, NYFW

Across the collections of FW2012 glamour evening reds reminded me of what we look forward to in Winters, the special occasions and festivities, but it was a striking New Zealand collection "Sea Monsters" by Karen Walker that really slapped me across the face with reality. I mean what do you really wear everyday from october to january? Obviously we aren't spending every night at a cocktail party, well if you are tell me because I want your job. What we really seek during this time is comfort, cozy, and classically persuaded edge to your everyday wear, and what better way than translated into a tomboy nautical themed collection?

Karen Walker F/W 2012, images per

My favorite part of the show was that after three or four skirt suit and printed nautical paisley looks, a drop crotched pair of trousers would jump in...feminine edge and comfort... that is exactly how I want to spend my winter of '12...

Karen Walker F/W 2012, images per

Taxi Cab Concessions

Everyone has a funny narrative of that one awful cab ride with that one awful cab driver that smelled so bad his aroma hurt your feelings. Fortunately I'm going to tell you just one more because it's tuesday morning and a typical Cinched chronicle is more amusing than returning to however it is you make your living.
My story is odorless, well maybe not but I was too busy to notice, here it goes:
After eight hours of independent fashion bloggers conferencing (which really felt like speed dating and tweeting in a classroom where Bryan Boy was the teacher) a sprinkle of snow flakes and mean wind tackled my insufficiently dressed self to hop into a cab as opposed to walking a lovely mile home. "Do you know how to get there? This is my frist day," said the man driving yellow. Um, thank heavens I did, but this was a  rare cinched occurrence.  I barely remember my way around Houston and I've been here for fifteen years. It just so happens this same question was asked of me multiple times during my NYFW visit, draining my iphone battery via google maps usage and cutting my social media addiction time in half. It's as if I accidentally on purpose kept selecting men behind the wheel that were more clueless than me.

Jbrand reds, moschino blazer, sachin+babi blouse

Dear Mark, I loved you, NYFW

I love it when mirrors have televisions. It just so happens that most of us could possibly get bored staring at ourselves, so an option of entertainment must be delightfully included. I can imagine how fun it would be to blow dry my hair while catching up on gossip girl, or applying eyeliner while catching up on the news. In the midst of fashion week, LA and I popped into The Mark Restaurant by Jean Georges for a couple of pasta nibbles that turned into an overall hotel tour...achem: elevator party and the discovery of a television and bathroom mirror combo.
Dear Mark Hotel New York,  I'm officially crushing on you...

The Mark Hotel lobby

Can you spot the television within the bathroom mirror? See if after the jump...

Wish I was Here: LFW: Burberry Prossum

Christopher Bailey's cinched waisted everything has really clouded my day. I wish I could have hopped the pond post NYFW to London, but perhaps it was a blessing in disguise seeing as I cried upon watching the streamed debut of Burberry Prorsum's Fall 2012 collection. Imagine if I had actually been there, how freaking embarrassing would I have balled hysterically? You've got to watch this my dears, let me know if you also cry. Only a real small waisted individual would understand the importance of feminine silhouetted collections. The past couple of years I've been suffering via the potato sacking designers have offered. It's time to bring back femininity, a waist is nothing to waste. 

 

Bang it or Split it, beauty trend NYFW

"Side parts are a thing of the past," image consultant and celebrity hair stylist Pedro Abasolo warned me before I was off to New York. "Middle part or thick bangs is what's to come," Abasolo continued. I laughed and imagined how hideous I'd look splitting my tomato round face in half. For the past four years I've relied on a strong side part to sweep enough hair right to left to conceal a never ending forehead...a middle part is just not an option for me. Which left me to option two: the bold bangs. Another trend I strongly rejected. Have you ever met anyone that really liked their bangs? 

 Before entering my first show at fashion week, Pedro's beauty trend predictions were evident. As the shows progressed, bare foreheads and bold bangs continued to be  the biggest beauty trends I took note of. From my favorite european editors on the front row to fall collection strutting models, there wasn't a side part in sight. 

Mid-split or bangs: hair at Sachin+Babi Fall 2012

Mid Split or bangs: street style hair at NYFW 2012, images per Tommy Ton

Except for Cinched, of course who was sitting most likely third row or forth row on the edge of my seat to see the action. So I did what any fashion slave would do, and jumped on the trend. Obviously I did not go home and chop my bangs off but I opted for a less brave take on the trend and shifted my part central...

A Hub of Serenity within Fashion Madness, Design NYFW

Tucked within the mayhem and traffic swarming Lincoln Center was the quaint and luxurious  Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Star Lounge designed by Wesley Cadle...

Here's a tease of LA and I's Interview with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Star Lounge designer Wesley Cadle...

For the last few years, Wesley Cadle has been the creative genius behind the Star Lounge’s chic décor and star filled atmosphere. For this year’s lounge, he created a serene environment of cool cucumber greens and pops of pink with Pucci-inspired patterns flanking the walls and ceiling. The message is written clearly on Stephanie Hirsch’s Keep Calm and Carry On black and gold hand-beaded canvas mounted above the sandstone fireplace, designed by Chesney’s UK. The overall result is a calm, welcoming space that has seen the likes of  André Leon Talley to Bag Snob editor Tina Craig.

CultureMap: Where have you drawn the inspiration to create this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Star Lounge?

Wesley Cadle: I was inspired by a silk scarf and wanted to wrap the room in geometric prints with cool mint greens and pops of pink. The walls and ceiling are wrapped with Porter Teleo mural panels custom hand made in ink for the lounge.

CM: You have said an environment provokes an emotional response. What emotion do you want to provoke with the Star Lounge?

WC: I want to create a living room experience offering folks a break from the hustle and bustle of the shows.

CM: When designing a space that hosts such a fashionable crowd, do you draw inspiration from the collections that are debuting at fashion week?

WC: I’m attaching it to fashion, but I look into the interior design industry for inspiration. I’m one of those designers that doesn’t heavily rely on following trends, but sometimes am open to using one here and there.  full interview...

Light my Fire, Sachin+Babi F2012

A magical valentine's day moment happened when my red pant wearing bottom was designated to sit  front row of Sachin+Babi's first runway presentation. Anxious and excited, I was snapping iphone pics the entire time. For a hot two seconds my fat thumb switched my iphone camera to video and caught a brief recording...inspiring me to jumble it all together, download The Doors via itunes, and use this damn iMovie thing that my computer came with:
So here it goes, my first attempt via video...
Sachin+Babi Fall 2012

 Sachin+Babi Fall 2012 

full collection and review coming soon...until then check out Sachin+Babi full show...

Reds Coming Through

It looks like my red hot denims might have swapped my biotin with "forget me nows" because I completely forgot to wear anything else besides red jbrand skinnies during NYFW. I mean, there were a couple of stints in which I sported the florals, but I pretty much trotted the reds all over town...check 'em crusing around meatpacking:

Creo que mis jeans colorados intercambiaron mis vitaminas por algun tipo de xantax porque en toda la semana de New York Fashion Week se me olvido ponerme cual quier otro conjunto. De vez en cuanto me puse los jeans floreados pero, de veras que los rojos me los puse casi TODOS los dias. Aqui voy de pasarela en Meatpacking district..

Eugina Kim hat  - Sachin+Babi blouse  -
J brand jeans  -  Chanel booties  -  Celine mini luggage tote

The above narrative is for comic relief, Cinched at the Waist does not endorse drug use.
Cinched at the Waist no promociona el uso de drogas, la narrativa anterior sirve como un toque de humor.

Outside of Yigal Azrouel, check out LA's review here...

Afuera del show de Yigal Azrouel, lee sobre la coleccion aqui...

"Your Heads Will Probably be Cropped"

And they were...heads, shoulders, knees, and toes were cropped out of the images that New York Magazine's The Cut shot of LA and I outside of Milk Studios over NYFW. Those of you who have yet to follow me on the intagra-ham cracker (which has been the only way to keep up with Cinched the past week, sorry I had little time to blog), LA is Lindley Arnoldy, jewelry designer of Korcula, author of the flip side,  and fav new travel pal. Pretty sure I wouldn't of survived my first New York Fashion Week without LA, not only is her style inspirational, but over all philosophy in life is one to imitate. 

Can you guess which ones are Lindley or Cinched? 

Here's a clue...

Woah, What Wear Where?

Madness. Just complete and utter insanity. For the first time in my fashion loving life I headed north for fashion week to absorb and enjoy a tease of what is heading to our wardrobes come Fall & Winter. Boy was the rush of life full throttle early in the day. I say early in the day because I had never felt so unsure about what to actually wear. I mean, what a bunch of bologne is it to have to begin a week long trip amongst one hundred other fashion bloggers, brave finger frosting weather, and actually look like I was invited to some of these shows. I mean, seriously, my skin began to break out from outfit insecurity. Although I couldn't resist a couple of Ina essentials, a killer sale at Moschino, and new bag crush at Tom Ford...I must give myself props for the killer pieces I imported from Houston:
Thank you Trump Soho for the lovely closet space during NYFW!

From the top:

- Celine babies: phantom and mini luggage tote

- Chan Luu crystal top from Calypso St. Barth

- CrOp by David Peck: organic silk mullet top, Spanish Moss print playsuit, and Blanche Coat

- 5 Stack Vintage floral dress

- Citizens of humanity 

- Rag & bone rust

- J brand reds

New for the Night  LBD

YOU'RE INVITED

After a week of Fall Winter 2012 collections, I'm thrilled to return home and cap Fashion Week with a celebration of LOVE at Calypso St. Barth's. Cinched at the Waist hosts an evening to shop for  "LOVE" Maison de Vacances collection at exclusive US retailer, Calypso St. Barth. Celebrating Calypso St. Barth Home. Join me at Highland Village thursday February 16, 2012 for  an exclusive 10% shopping discount featuring maison de vacances made with LOVE collection and Calypso St. Barth Bellini Fragrance.

Love is in the chair,  Bellinis in the air...

Repetto After Me...

Not only under over dressed* at IFB con, I felt like a total bore in thigh cinching flats among a crowd of bloggers towering over me in stunning wedges. But as the conference resumed, fabulously heeled bloggers stepped into a snowy breezy and slippery afternoon. I realized just how lovely it is to Repetto after me: every now and then, it might just be okay to flat it out for the day...So I must respect how flat-ing it out came into good use, even if it was just for a two block walk to hail a cabby.

uno  -  dos  -  tres
cuatro  - cinco  - seis

*under-over dressed is when i use common sense and actually permit weather predictions to restrain and alter a preassemble ensemble. I totally over layered with an ugly coat and thigh hiding flat boots resulting in an under dressed look among a sartorial blogging crowd.

On Ballerina flats:
Classic or classically boring?
Share your thoughts Cinchistas!

Siamo Arrivati: New York

We've arrived in my favorite city in the world, sorry Rome I know I've told you several times we are soul mates but you just don't host Fashion Week or the IFB Con for that matter...

Don't Miss: A Night of Fashion & Glamour

Hair and makeup artist to the stars Pedro Abasolo will launch image consulting services this Wednesday, February 8! Join us in his honor for cocktails and bites at Hotel Zaza... 

We invite you to a special night filled with surprises.  Cinched at the Waist, Pedro and guests will gather at Hotel ZaZa on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 5 - 7pm. The first 50 guests will receive a gift bag supplied by Pedro Abasolo, Phyto Hair, Dolce Vita and Stila Cosmetics. In a raffle, one lucky attendee will receive a gift certificate valued at $2,000 provided by award-winning Houston plastic surgeon Dr. German Newall, one of the nation's most respected body contouring specialist. The gift certificate includes a complimentary CoolSculpting session, one free session of laser hair reduction,  and a facial for more beautiful skin. 

Let the Borrowing Begin...

Shaking in my Loubs in excitement because today at 11am central New for the Night will begin taking appointments to visit a darling showroom filled with endless frocks for your any occasion!
If you live under a rock and have yet to hear about New for the Night, it is a designer dress rental site with a showroom in Houston, offering dresses for rent for a fraction of their retail value. The site stocks an assortment of in-season styles bought directly from designers and rented to customers for a 3-10 day rental period. NFTN focuses on the “Southern girl”—meaning big prints, bold colors and lightweight fabrics. The selection of dresses is growing by the day as the site partners with well-known and emerging designers before its launch later this month.

Be it a Valentine's date, cocktail soiree, or just because you're tired of your closet, here's a peek at the LBD's (little blue & black dresses) at New for the Night...

Waist Cinching Little Blue and Black dresses!

Schedule your fitting:

 appointments@newforthenight.com 

or 

call 713.526.1166!

Wish I was a taller

I'm not that thuggish, not that sluggish, and beyond terrible with rhymes but the Willows have inspired me to flow a little bit. On regular rounds of Shopbop cruising, a Zanotti crossed my path. The sculpted nude leather wedge with ankle cinching gold buckles whispered from across the screen, "I bet you can't wear me you short plump." I handled it pretty well and smiled back. Italians can be so crude sometimes. I smiled because I know underneath that sleek facade is nothing but a terrified innovative platform that will twist hundred of ankles. See you in the summer Z's, I will dominate you...until then, I wrote a song for you, inspired by Skee-lo. 

Hey, this is radio station C-A-T-W  

 We’re takin’ calls off the cinch line

Making all the waists' wishes come true

Hello 

I wish I was a little bit taller,   

Thunder thighs a lil smaller

I wish I had this platform and then stood

Up in a crowd, I would smile

I wish I had a zanotti in a box, lined with fox

topped with my cherry lip gloss...

Lend Me a Clicky...

Well, hello there...wink wink. You're looking mighty fine today.
My darling readers, would you care  if I troubled you for a tiny clickaroo? Just clicky clicky to vote for Cinched at the Waist on Refinery29's Next Big Style Blogger Contest...help me win and I just might promise you my first born.

I Used to Write

I used to write letters, I used to sign my name. 

I used to sleep at night, before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain.

by the time we met, by the time we met

the times had already changed.

So I never wrote a letter,   I never took my true heart,  I never wrote it down...

uno: Lanvin envelopes & pencils   -  dos: Lanvin Animal Printed writing set

tres: Send my love Valentine  - cuatro: Love Stationary Gift Set

...I'm gonna write,  a letter to my true love. 

i'm going to sign my name.

-Arcade Fire

Missin my Shorty

I gotta share a borderline crazy moment I had this weekend. Spring shorts shopping led me to serious tears and faucet running nose the other night when I realized just how empty my bed is these days without my shorty.  How the F do mothers send their children to boarding school? My beast has been at training camp for about sixteen days, three hours, and twenty nine minutes. I know because I've been counting till she return a well behaved lady that will no longer consume her sister's red soles. I swear she only likes the reds.

similar 3.1 Phillip Lim shorts

Many of you may not know that Saint Bernard's have drool friendly shaped mouths, making my Carina friendly ensembles harder to pick. Shorts are my favorite clothing piece to wear with her because the less fabric involved, the less chances of drool mishaps...

1. ASOS vero moda shorts  2. Rag & Bone Shorts
3. Rebecca Minoff Desert Short burnt orange  &  4. Bright orange


Advice for the beast lovers out there: always carry a pack of wet ones, perfect to wipe any drool mishaps off with!