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Greetings! 

My fellow TAM major and I (Leslie) have been trying to get back into the swing of things. This is our last semester as underclassmen!! *tear* And to think, Mizzou might actually be poppin this semester! What a concept...

Well February is a few days away, and you all know what that means: Valentine's Day! Awww!!! I'm no longer bitter about this cheesy day, because I have a boyfriend now!!! And what a great boy he is. 

So obviously the color of the month is RED! All variations and shades. So what do you need for this month? An amazing bag, shoes that will probably hurt your feet but will make your outfit, and another classical piece: in this case, I chose a trench coat.

I know I keep featuring pricy items, but sometimes you need to splurge in order to look your best. Do you all know Hayden Panettiere? She was the coach's daughter in Remember the Titans and also plays Claire on NBC's Heroes.

Well she teamed up with Dooney & Burke and made this stunning bag (which sells for $500).

The key is, use this bag as a conversation starter. I wouldn't suggest wearing anything else red with this, because you want the bag to be the main focus of your outfit. 

Second, the shoes. Girls should already have a pair of red pumps, so I didn't want to just show 

you a regular pair of Stuart Weitzman's. So I searched for something unique. The designer is Vince Camuto and these beauties can be found on Nordstrom.com. They cost about $125. I can picture a young hottie wearing skinny jeans and a button up with these peep-toes, and breaking every neck when you go out to lunch on the weekend. But make sure you keep them critters painted and moisturized. No one wants to see your crusty cuticles and month-old polish! If you're in Dallas, try Jeannie's Nail Salon on Mockingbird. In Atlanta, go to the luxurious Sugar Coat in Buckhead. I've never gotten my nails done in New York, but according to CitySearch.com, Nao Salon & Spa got 4.5 out of 5 stars. Check it out on Madison Ave. 

I so wish I had a trench coat. I've always thought they were for my granny, but now they're

 pretty trendy. I found a red trench on Kaboodle.com (a fantastic shopping community).

This is made by Tulle Clothing and costs $105. Wear this to class or work, with khakis and a plain shell and you're good to go. I think it would be best to wear big chunky accessories to add a little spice to the look.

Don't forget to share your best love with all of your besties and your boo's. And show us some love here at Our Popular Culture!!!

APRIL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

(April 77, Men's Winter Collection)

Okay, colored jeans are my new obssession!, so from seaching the World Wide Web for cool colored jeans, i came across April 77, which has some of the flyest jeans I've ever seen. What caught my eye the most were the vibrant jeans from the spring/summer 2007 collection. Never heard of it??? Well read and learn!!!

April 77 was created by french designer, Brice Partouche. "April 77 is not a jeans brand. We sell an attitude and we make jeans just because it fits with our inspiration, with the music we love".

(Brice Partouche)

Aprill 77 is a punk rock label, and every style of jean is named after a rock legend. The target market for these jeans are musicians and people into the underground scene. And the best thing about these jeans are that they are all unisex!, thats right, so you and yours can have a matching pair (if you're into that type of thing). So If you're all aboout skinny jeans that will make you stand out on the brightest day, take a look at April 77, because deep down inside we all want to be a ROCKSTAR!, http://www.april77.fr/.

(April 77, Women's Winter Collection)

Back in 2008 (by semi-popular demand)

Sorry for the extra-long hiatus. Things are absolutely wonderful at home on this FABULOUS Christmas break!!! 

So in the next couple of weeks, we will be starting second semester. My friends and I ended 2007 with a bang! And definitely started 2008 on the right feet. Let's take a look at some trends and things, shall we?

Tights (leaning more towards the opaque style like I'm wearing to the left) are definitely "in" for the winter time. They give your outfit classic expression and they're not expensive! So get your butts down to the local Target/Walmart and get some in every color! They had some pretty fall colors in Forever 21 the last time I was there.

Second, for the men. One of the hottest, most exclusive items that came out in 2007, my man has on his feet. Supra released the 14K Gold Skytops which are disgustingly sexy with ANY outfit. Chad Muska did it on this one! Sadly, there were only 1000 made in the WORLD so I'm sorry if you can't find them. 

And I told yall that black was a no-go for New Year's!!! Don't be afraid to stand out, like my best friend did in her jewel-toned dress! 

 

But the trend doesn't stop at NYE dresses. FashionTrendsetter.com reports that the colors for Winter 2008 are not so bland. The website describes, "The Color Association [of the United States] fashion projections for Fall/Winter 2007-08 continue the multi-colored approach of recent years, but takes a starker and moodier stance that mirrors our more complicated and uncertain times". I think that sentence describes womenswear perfectly, as we are exceeding boundaries once put on us. Here is the color palette they came up with:

Let's have fun and continue our colors into the spring! Stay tuned for more color forecasts as we reach our warmer months.

Readers have said that I don't talk about menswear enough. SORRY fellas!!! It's not on purpose! (LOL) Designers have such wonderful things in store for you, so how could I miss it, right?? So I'll feature some brands that cater to my counterparts:

KiSER

(Click the name for the website!)

I hadn't heard of this brand until my boyfriend's best friend started interning there. They quote: "We are NOT a 'lifestyle brand'! Our customers appreciate good design and refuse to be stereotyped into any one lifestyle. People are not one-dimensional and KISER as a brand is no different."

I totally agree. Kiser is cutting-edge and needs some recognition. Their designs are DUMB FLY and the artist is crazy on the graphic work! Check out the lookbooks on their website, and buy something! They're also relatively inexpensive for good quality stuff!!! So mark my words....(and shout out to ANT!!!!)

The second brand I'm going to focus on is......Ralph Lauren!!! Sounds pretty boring/basic, but I 

love to embrace American designers. Right now, he is featuring his Resort Line, which is PeRFeCT because I know we are all making plans for Spring Break '08! Cruise in style in this unique knit cardigan (made with soft linen and cotton yarns) which goes for $185. Seems pricy, but throw this on top of the Polo's that you already have for daytime or with a short-sleeve button-up with nice denim for the nightlife, and you're good to go!

Think about these tips and incorporate them into your daily lives, and you are sure to be as FABULOUS as God intended you to be!