Fashion week, 2009 has come to an end and among all of the fabulous people, red carpets and glamour, there was a lot to be seen- including Barbie’s First Ever Runway Show! But as we all know, not everything actually makes it past the runway. I’ve created a compilation of what I think will actually show up on real people this fall. I’ll be curious to see which of my predictions make it this fall.

Feathers-Not everyone is going to be wearing the full-on pheasant feather hat, but there will be a whole lot of feathery and bird inspired fashion happening.  I’m thinking lots of feather headbands.

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Chunky Jewelry paired with more feminine pieces.

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High-Waisted Skirts have slowly been making their way back into fashion for the past couple of seasons. I’m pretty sure this look is going to fall into most girls’ closets by September.

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Streamlined Cut Out shapes are going to be all over the place in tops, pants, dresses. You name it.

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Metallics are going to be huge in purses, shoes and accent colors.  I noticed that almost every designer had a shiny metallic dress or evening gown.  Which makes sense because historically, metallics have been a staple in hard times. We still want to shine.

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Jeans Tucked into Boots- This is one of my favorite looks that was all over the runway. This look is here to stay for a long, long time.

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Asymmetric Hems The asymmetric hem kind of comes and goes and comes and goes. They reminds me of my favorite skirt from the 80’s made by UNITS.  The hem line started at mid-thigh on one side and then was bias-cut all the way to mid-calf.  It was really cool at the time.

My friend Angela has recently posted about how amazing Payless shoes can be in Pumped for Payless: Designer Lines!!! Well, I just discovered that Christian Sirano, last season’s winner of Project Runway, is doing a line for that will be available in about 10% of all Payless stores for $25 to $45.

This line and the rest of his ready to wear line is inspired by egyptian landscapes and come complete with fierce names like Slither, SheDevil and Strut.

What do you think?

Never thought I’d say this, guys. . .but I’m feelin’ plastic jewelry! Yeah, these pieces are flat, usually monochrome, and could be interpreted as “punk”ish, but lots of the acrylic laser cut jewelry I’ve seen is super-chic, intricate, and pretty. Some is pretty humorous, too (see Badass Bride Acrylic Knuckles and Very Sad Egg Head Ring). I wanted to see how this type of jewelry was made, so I did a (superquick) search for a laser cutter going at some acrylic. It’s pretty cray-cray. Click here to check it out.

I added a TON of cutesy-cool laser cut jewelry I liked to my Laser Cut Trinkets buyer’s guide. I’m thinking of hollering at the Big Star earrings and perhaps getting a Custom Name Plate Necklace for myself- what do you think? (I must have become attracted to this look a while ago; see the sexy Blue Mirrored Obama Necklace in my Obama Gear for Gals guide!)

It’s a fact that drinking coffee out of a cute mug adds merriment to your life. Each morning I have my coffee in a red mug. . . That’s it. A plain, red mug. A mug that is plain. And red.

Boo. Morning is tough enough as it is.

Why would you want to wake up to a cup of coffee served in a blah mug when you can guzzle your caffeine from a mug that makes you laugh hysterically? Laughing in the morning wakes me up better than coffee does anyway! Each of the mugs in my Comical Coffee Cups for Chicks guide literally made me laugh out loud, no matter how many times I read them. You can buy me one if you want.

TIP OF THE DAY: If you like to laugh, get a coffee muggy that you think is funny and you’re guaranteed to start your day off on the right foot!

I cannot say enough good things about Etsy; except maybe that it has almost TOO much stuff.  You can easily get overwhelmed and lost among the amazing one-of-a-kind finds. Etsy has always been my go-to spot for all things handmade. Some of my favorite things in my closet I found on Etsy years ago. Over the years the magnitude of talent for fashion has grown.

If you are looking for some amazing up and coming designers, you will for sure find them on Etsy. One of my favorites, Supayana, is a designer based out of Montreal.  She was recently featured in Daily Candy, Bust Magazine and the New York Daily News.  She creates feminine and flirty pieces made mostly from recycled materials. She also manages to find some wonderful vintage designs and adds a little something of her own to them or leaves them as they are. My favorite pieces of hers are various versions of the reconstructed man’s shirt. Some of my other favorites are the Silk Flapper shirt and the Grey and Green Ruffle top.

Check out the rest of Supayana’s amazing pieces and some other great Etsy Fashion Designers.

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I know we just semi-recently entered 2009, but I’m ready for 2010 already! Mainly because of the release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. It’s Tim, so you know what that means: Johnny Depp - YES!! (Mad Hatter… I must have channeled Johnny last Halloween. We’re meant to be!), and Tim’s wife, Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen). And I’m really excited to see Alan Rickman, a.k.a. Professor Snape’s performance as the Caterpillar! I have a feeling that’s about to be very entertaining. . .

The Alice story is already warped to begin with, so I can’t wait to see Burton’s (purportedly 3-D) interpretation of the twisted tale. To get everyone pumped and primped for the movie release, I’ve found some darling Tim Burton-esque fashion to inspire you. (Make sure you click that link to the full guide on Kazowie to see all the other cute Burton inspired apparel and accessories I found!!)  

I can’t believe I sat through an entire award show the other night. The 81^st Annual Academy Awards were on and I watched it from start to finish. Wow. I’m not really sure what kept me watching, because I haven’t seen half the movies that were nominated to receive awards, but I watched it nonetheless. And today, I chose three random Oscar looks to see if I couldn’t find more casual versions or adaptations of the stars’ styles for regular ol’ non-celeb chicks, like myself! I chose Angelina, Natalie, and Kate. This one was a challenge! Check it: 2009 Oscar-Inspired Style.

Cardigans are all over the place in fashion these days: they can be worn dressed up with a little fancy number, over a tank top with jeans and heels, or thrown on with jeans and flip flops for the ultimate in comfort.  In my opinion, the cardigan is the perfect lightweight, versatile layering piece. In fact, I always find myself buying slightly different versions of the same gray cardigan and have recently had to ban myself from buying gray cardigans.

I put together a list of some amazing spring cardigans. Seeing as how they are on everyone’s spring picks list, they weren’t very hard to find!  The mustard floral cardigan and  the Celine Versatile cardigan have that drapy, dramatic look that works great with jeans, and the varsity and striped sweaters have a casual sophisticated look. Of course, I had to throw in the quintessential gray one… Check the rest out: Hello Cardigans!

Clockwise from top left:

Cardigan in gray by Geren Ford Winter, Neal Sperling ZigZag Cardigan, Kimchi Blue Heathered Cardigan, Ditsy Floral Cardigan, Long Stripe Cardigan, Varsity Cardigan, Talia Pocket Cardigan.

When I’m on a mission for shoes, Payless is always one of my first stops. (Because I don’t know about you, but I actually like to WEAR the shoes I purchase, so a $300 pair isn’t going to fly. They’d never leave my closet). I’m tads obsessed with the current designer lines for Payless, among which are some familiar names, such as Lela Rose and alice + olivia. They run around $40 a pair, which is more than I’d ordinarily like to spend at Payless, but if they’re cute AND comfortable, I’m sold. Check out my shopper’s guide: Yup, They’re from Payless!

I have yet to try any of these shoes on, but my favorites from payless.com are the Lela Rose for Payless Palmetto Peep Wedge and the alice + olivia for Payless Erika Sweetheart Mary Jane Pump. The classic Sassy Espadrille in black, brown, or cutesy coral is a must-have for spring/summer. And I wish the Lela Rose Gillan Wedge came in black as well as navy because the “wood” stripes on the wedge are hot!

FASHION TIP: Sleek, sexy black shoes with unexpected “natural” accents, like wood, cork, or twine lend themselves well to a wide range of outfits.

Which is your favorite Payless shoe? Vote now on kazowie.com’s Payless Picks Poll.

Those who know me are aware of the fact that I’m not one to sport the clean-cut, polo shirt and khaki American Girl look. But I do admit to owning a pair of anchor earrings and a shorty striped nautical sweater. And I do want to holler at a polo shirt in the near future.

I think the fashion industry has succeeded in making Nautical Nancy less “Nancy” and more “Nikki.” It’s funkier (see Hey Sailor! Stretch Charm Bracelet), more pinup than prissy (see Ahoy Skirted Bikini), and way less reserved for those who want to add just a touch of sexy sailor style to their wardrobe (see Wideleg Sailor Trousers). Nautical’s hot (if you don’t go overboard with it! hehe). Add some cherry red lips for hotness ahoy!