Everything She Wants

Brides, of course, want to look beautiful on their wedding day.  But picking the perfect wedding dress can be a daunting task, especially if you're not willing to spend a small fortune. That's why used wedding dresses are a great option for budget brides everywhere, and PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com* is the first place they should look. Oscar de la Renta gown on PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com. When she was unable to find an outlet to sell her designer wedding gown, self-proclaimed "sucker for weddings" Josie Daga founded the site in 2004.  PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com connects buyers and sellers of new, sample and used designer wedding gowns, many for less than $500. With over 9,000 wedding dresses in stock by more than 300 different designers including Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Marchesa and Oscar de la Renta, the site helps impending brides find their dream dresses. For a one-time, $25 flat fee past brides can also list and resell their dresses. Brides ca

The 84th Academy Awards were a snooze-fest.  But the fashions were fab.  And Los Angeles-based evening wear line Dalia MacPhee  has already created versions of some of the night's most stunning looks-for-less ($300 and up), available at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus stores nationwide. If you adore Michelle Williams' coral/burnt orange Louis Vuitton gown ( left photo ) like I did (she was Everything She Wants' best dressed pick), you'll love this similar, regal dress in red. The peplum is the signature style of the season, and Tina Fey ( left photo ) looked better than ever in her custom-made, dark blue gown by Carolina Herrera.  You can copy the funny girl's winning style in this violet version. I love a red head in red, and Emma Stone ( left photo ) dazzled in her chic Giambattista Valli gown. You too can be a lovely lady in red, minus the Valli frock's beautiful bow. Cameron Diaz ( left photo ) is always red-carpet ready, and this year the

No one loves a bargain more than Everything She Wants . And when it comes to discounts for clothing and accessories, we're all about sharing the good news.   Recently, we were introduced to CouponChief.com *, where pennywise shoppers can find over 50,000 coupons from more than 15,000 retailers.  With the largest database of coupons on the web, all of Coupon Chief's coupons and store discounts for apparel, electronics, travel and entertainment are valid and rated by users.   Ice.com's peridot sterling stud earrings, $20 off!/Image from Coupon Chief Lately, we've been on a mission to find precious stone and gemstone jewelry because of their healing properties.  So we checked out Coupon Chief's coupon for Ice.com for $20 off your purchase, plus free shipping.  And we discovered a lovely pair of 3.5 karat peridot  sterling studs that were regularly priced $50 and are $30 with the discount. According to Jewels of Me, the yellowish-green peridot is a stone

Although Everything She Wants would rather be going to the 84th Academy Awards, here's the next best option.  Join David's Bridal for an Oscars' Twitter Party on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012  at 7 p.m. , and Tweet your way into a new gown from David’s Bridal. David's Bridal party dresses./Tracy E. Hopkins A panel of three top fashion experts will host the Twitter event.  As starlets step onto the red carpet in their glamorous gowns, the experts will give us the inside scoop on how to get the celeb looks-for-less while offering lucky Twitter followers a chance to win these looks via gift cards from David’s Bridal.   To join in the conversation, simply look for the hashtag #DBRedCarpet on Twitter and get the top fashion tips and tricks from David’s Bridal’s fashion experts, including: ·  Katrina Mitzeliotis (@KatrinaM) – Celebrity Fashion Expert ·   Carmen Ordonez (@VivaFashion) – Hispanic Style Expert ·  Cassandra Morris (@SoCassandra) – Teen Fashion

The must-have pop of color in your spring and summer wardrobe is tangerine.  Tangerine-Tango to be exact, which according to Pantone -- the world-renowned authority on color -- is the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year. And as Everything She Wants has seen in stores and at previews and fashion shows, tantalizing tangerine has taken over. A model stands out in her tangerine dress during Fashion Week in New York City.  Add a touch of vibrant orange to any outfit with these adorable ballet flats from Old Navy ($22.94); this trendy  Bamboo Pink Madrid cuff ($49); and this stunning,  Loft statement necklace (available in spring 2012). Loft has plenty of tangerine separates in its summer 2012 collection. An teeny, polka dot tangerine bikini and orange tote from Juicy Couture 's summer 2012 collection. An eye-catching necklace from lia so phia 's red-carpet Zingara collection. Image credit: Tracy E. Hopkins

Fashion Week can be hard on a fashionista.  Although I didn't run as rampant a pace and some of my peers, I was still exhausted by the time it ended. On the plus side, however, the week-long fashion-fest gave me an opportunity to test drive a few beauty products that have been patiently waiting in my beauty cabinet -- and they all passed with flying colors: OMHH Hair & Body Wash Developed by natural hair guru Debra Hare-Bey, Oh My Heavenly Hair Fabulously Therapeutic Vegan Hair & Body Wash ($13) is made with organic aloe, organic lavender, roman chamomile, vitamin E, pro-vitamin B-5 and essential oils.  With its fresh scent, you'll look forward to using it to cleanse your hair and body. Bare Minerals Blemish Therapy ($18) is a life-saver.  It's formulated with natural sulfur to conceal acne and prevent future breakouts.  And the100% pure RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex helps stimulate cell turnover and offers antioxidant protection. To keep my lashes

Celebrities and bloggers alike love lia sophia . During Fashion Week, we got a posh preview of the high-end costume jewelry line's colorful Spring/Summer 2012 collection, as well as the gypsy-inspired Red Carpet Zingara collection. Photos by Tracy E. Hopkins Two favorites included the Natayla Necklace ($350; above photo) with clear cut crystals in antique gold and the Agape Cuff Bracelet ($300) with clear cut crystals with tangerine resin in matte gold. As I left the lia sophia Fashion Suite with my gift of a brilliant pair of long, crystal drop earrings, an always dapper Miss J Alexander was on his way in. "They [lia sophia pieces] are easy to wear.  You can dress them up or dress them down," gushed the "America's Next Top Model" runway coach.  "Not only can you wear them with a cocktail dress, you can also wear them with jeans." "Extra" co-host Maria Menounos in lia sophia.* While the Red Carpet pieces star

How you doin?   Wendy Williams -- the woman who coined that pop culture catch phrase (okay, maybe Joey from "Friends" was first, but Wendy gave it a different spin) -- is having an absolutely fabulous week.  The former radio shock jock already hosts a hit daytime TV talk show, and she just launched her costume jewelry collection -- Adorn by Wendy Williams -- on QVC. Move over Joan Rivers.  Wendy's glam, big and bold styles include bangles, earrings, necklaces and rings all under $65. Wendy posing with necklaces from her Adorn by Wendy Williams collection./@Wendy Williams photo credit Wendy Williams Pear Shaped Draped Chain Earrings, $29.50./photo from QVC Wendy Williams Quilted Color Stretch Bangle Bracelet, $34.50 each./photo from QVC

Everything She Wants recently   previewed  Jellypop 's girly Spring 2012 collection during the Fashion Footwear Association of New York ( FFANY ) showcase.  Most shoes in the budget-savvy brand are under $50 and are available at retailers nationwide including Famous Footwear and DSW Shoe Warehouse. Jellypop founder Jennet Chow./Image from Jellypop Afterwards, I chatted with Jellypop founder Jennet Chow via email.  The 31-year-old is an avid photographer and learned how to sketch and design shoes by watching her father. Here's what Chow had to say about  about what inspires her her trendy designs, what's in store for spring, and more. Everything She Wants: What was your inspiration for starting Jellypop (owned by Evolution Design Lab, Inc.)? Girlie platform sandals in playful patterns are hot for spring.  Jennet Chow: The creative team I work with inspire me.  We always wanted to create our own brand one day.  I also saw how there was a lack of

Model Elettra Weidemann saw a void in healthy lunch options for hurried and hungry Fashion Week attendees.  So last season she launched the Goodness pop-up restaurant at Ed's Chowder House at the Empire Hotel. Elettra Wiedemann "I've been through so many Fashion Weeks' where I didn't have access to good food," says Elettra, the daughter of Italian actress and model Isabella Rosselllini and granddaughter of screen legend Ingrid Bergman. "Everyone looks their best for the first two days, but we crash after living on [nothing but] wine and champagne." This season, from Feb. 11- Feb. 14 Goodness returned as a pop-up restaurant at Robert, atop the Museum of Arts and Design.  Each day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., guests noshed on regionally sourced seasonal cuisine by a rotating line-up of hand-picked celebrity chefs including  Iron Chef  Mario Batali of Babbo and Julian Medina of Toloache.  A la carte and prix fixe ($35) menus were available. &q

Fans of MTV's The Hills and the short-lived New York City spinoff The City are already fond of California girl Whitney Port.  We watched the 26-year-old's charmed career ascend from an internship at Teen Vogue  alongside Lauren Conrad to assisting fashion PR guru Kelly Cutrone to launching her own clothing line. Whitney Port in Whitney Eve. In 2009, Port debuted her Whitney Eve collection. Her line embodies an ease and effortless chic inspired by the laidback aesthetic of her native Los Angeles, with a hint of New York City street style she dubbed as ‘"feminine, chic street wear."  Global online retailer Very.com will sponsor the showcase of the Whitney Eve Fall 2012 collection during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center on February 15th. While Whitney has previously shown during Miami Fashion Week, this will be her first solo show in New York. Although you have to be a fashion industry VIP or invited guest to witness the show in person,

We will miss you, Whitney . Your voice was a gift from God.  Your beauty was an inspiration. Whitney Houston on the cover of Seventeen magazine, 1981.

A world traveler and fixture in the New York City nightlife scene, Monika Chiang brings a chic and cultured sensibility to her well-heeled line of clothing and accessories.  Chiang's luxe Fall 2012 collection was inspired by "the notion of beauty found in unexpected places" and included a variety of striking, ready-to-wear pieces and on-trend accessories.  Highlights included a fitted leather jacket with oversized shearling sleeves and a sexy, leather zip-up skirt. Monika's looks were complemented by her edgy footwear (high-top sneakers and studded flats and pumps) and standout leather handbags and embellished clutches . Designer Monika Chiang. Photos courtesy of Paul Wilmot Communications

Fashion Week in New York City officially kicks off Thursday, February 9th.  But Obakki , a luxury fashion brand built on modern style, got a head start with their presentation on Tuesday.  The international design house founded by creative director Treana Peake in Vancouver, B.C., speaks to the urban sophisticate with an effortless sense of style. Scenes from Obakki's Fall 2012 presentation in New York City. Photos by Tracy E. Hopkins Women who wear Obakki -- including Tyra Banks, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson -- appreciate the brand for its elegant yet easy-to-wear range of dresses, coats and separates. The flattering and completely wearable Fall 2012 collection was awash in earth tones and inspired by the fields and village life in the South Sudan. Field Inspiration F/W12 from Obakki on Vimeo . For more Fashion Week coverage through Feb. 16, check out my National Fashion Week Examiner column. 

Everything She Wants is a sucker for a stylish comfort shoe, and my go-to brand is usually Aerosoles .  Recently, I stumbled upon the brand's spring 2012 preview during the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) convention. Aerosoles styles for Spring 2012./Photos by Tracy E. Hopkins For spring, Aerosoles runs the gamut from office-to-brunch-ready tailored and modern styles to shoes in bright colors and animal prints.  A few fashion-forward boots were also on display including cute peep-toe, wedge booties and fringed booties.  The selection was impressive, however, I'm still in search of a replacement pair of my all-time fave Aerosoles' boots -- the Flamcoyant in black suede. These knee-high boots zip up the back and are accented with tasteful brass studs around the top and up the sides.  I purchased the durable shoes about four years ago and literally wore them out.  And if it weren't for the holes in the soles, I would never have donated the

Hilary Park is a Brooklyn-based designer who specializes in limited-edition and exclusive pieces hand-crafted in silver and gold and often accented with semi-precious and precious gems.   Jewelry designer, Hilary Park. Everything She Wants went to the opening of Park’s new boutique in Williamsburg for a preview of her Spring 2012 Divination collection, and we later chatted with the former Wall Street trader via email. Everything She Wants: Please explain the connection between your jewelry and astrology. Hilary Park: Jewelry and astrology are both instruments of empowerment and transformation. By choosing to don golden feather earrings or a warrior-inspired silver collar, you are revealing different sides of yourself to the world. Once, I stayed up all night making a pair of earrings with Masai warrior silhouettes because I wanted to feel powerful the next day (and combat boots were simply not appropriate for the scenario I was facing)! Astrology helps to iden

While many of you were sleeping in or getting ready for a Super Bowl Sunday celebration, Everything She Wants was headed to Target by in search of the Jason Wu capsule collection .  Doors opened at 8 a.m. and I knew that diehard shoppers had lined up early, so I was anxious to see what was left. Jason Wu for Target shoppers./Tracy Hopkins When I arrived at the store in downtown Brooklyn around 8:35 a.m., at least 40 women bundled in winter coats, hats and boots milled around the tiny section where the collection was set up.  All I really had my heart set on was the Milu the Cat Signature T-shirt ($19.99), which was already sold out online. I asked one woman about the shirts and she said, "those were the first to go."  Luckily, a Target salesman put a Medium Milu tee back on the rack, which I promptly picked up.  The Jersey Dress in Red/Navy Stripes ($34.99) also caught my eye and found its way into my basket. "Mischief is in the Details" is the tagli