Tux Redux and TAG!

In honor of the 2008 Premio Awards (see tag below!), today's post is dedicated to elegant and cheeky tuxedo-inspired looks!

Think ruffled blouses, tailored jackets, slim pants (maybe with satin side stripes, a la formalwear, as at Roland Mouret), bow ties, and lots of bold black and white!

On the runways (pictures via nymag.com except where noted):

Roland Mouret Resort 2009; first three images courtesy style.com
Balenciaga

Chanel

Ruffian

6267
Givenchy
Givenchy detail, via style.com.

Balmain

Temperley London, courtesy style.com

Conceptually:

The lovely sketch below was done by Premio Award Winner Annabel. See link at end of post!

Real Way:

The Collector, a stylish Aussie lawyer and Premio Award Winner, wears the look two different ways. See link below!

In the stores . . .

Cynthia Steffe keyhole dress.

Go to shopbop.com to purchase!

Alice + Olivia Tuxedo Blazer, at Bergdorf Goodman

Stella McCartney cropped tux jacket. Visit net-a-porter.com.
Rachel Roy Eliza blouse. Visit the Designer Boutique at shopbop.com.

Betsey Johnson black strapless dress, currently half off at bluefly.com.

The following dresses are ALL at
net-a-porter.com, and many of them are on sale!!

Roksanda Ilincic strapless mini dress -- CC loooooves this one!

Michael Kors contrast trim vintage-inspired zipper detail dress

Paul & Joe Sister Elysee gray ruffle placket mini dress

Thread Social bow detail dress

Marc Jacobs belted frock

RM by Roland Mouret Rhea dress
Rachel Roy sleeveless dress

American Apparel opaque two-tone hosiery - tuxlicious!
Chanel leather two-tone carousel boot. Photo via style.com.

TAG!

I was given the wonderful 2008 Premio Award tag by the incomparable
Danz of http://fatalfashionattraction.blogspot.com/
Tina of http://youreverydaystyle.blogspot.com/
and http://www.styledumonde.com/
Thanks, darlings!

The rules for passing on the award:

1) When received, you may post the premio to your blog.

2) Link to the blogger you received it from.

3) Give it to 7 blogs

4) Link to those 7 blogs

5) Leave those seven bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.

I'm tagging the seven bloggers below because they're stylish, talented, original and inspiring!

Annabel of http://frauda-chanal.blogspot.com/

Brandi at Blicious http://engagedtobengaged.blogspot.com/
Clara http://comewhatmai.blogspot.com/
Daisy Chain Dreams http://daisychaindreams.blogspot.com/
Erin http://erindelacruz.blogspot.com/
Fashion Frenzy http://nikkimaria.blogspot.com/
The Collector http://inprivatecollection.blogspot.com/

Congratulations to all! Hopefully you'll wear one of the above tux looks to the awards ceremony (j.k.)!!

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Late Addition: Thanks to Danz of Fatal Attraction 2 Fashion (link in right hand column and at top of post) for pointing out that the black tie look was recently worn by none other than Miss Universe! Thanks, D!

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Correction: The Collector, whose lovely self-portraits are featured in this post, is Australian, not British. CC regrets the error.

The Beautiful People + TAG!

Okay darlings, today's post is totally gratuitous, and may be filed away under T.M.I.: Couture Carrie is using a recent tag from fashionable Brit The Dapper Kid as a pretext to share her personal predilections.
First, THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, according to CC, beginning with Selma Blair, featured in Mens Vogue.
Second (see end of post): TAG!

Above: Kate Moss

Left: Rachel Bilson

Gwyneth Paltrow

Sophia Bush in Maxim Magazine

Left: Cameron Diaz

Ali Larter, instylemag.com
Above: Zooey Deschanel, blackbookmag.com

Emma Maclaren (all 3 photos at right via hintmagazine.com)

Laurel

(see #6 below)

Dear Readers: Who do you consider beautiful?

NEW TAG! From the stellar http://dapperkid.blogspot.com/

The rules:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

Unimportant things:

1. I can swim one lap of a 25 meter pool underwater.

2. My favorite items of clothing are my La Petite Salope bustiers. I have four (one recent ebay purchy pictured at right).

3. I am the oldest of five children.

4. I have three degrees: a B.A., an M.A., and a J.D. (and not a clue what to do with ‘em!).

5. Words and etymology thrill me! For example, have you heard of the mysterious Japanese concept called “moe” (pronounced both moh and MORE-ay) Literally translated, moe means “blossoming or sprouting like a flower from a bud,” but it has come to refer to the quality of overwhelming cuteness (like a Miu Miu minidress!).

6. I am totally obsessed with voting for our fellow fashionista & blogger Laurel of It's Her Factory – wouldn’t it be awesome if she won the V Mag model search?? (Vote for her here, daily until August 1!)

Couture Carrie is tagging these lovely people:

1. Sunniva of http://style-spot.blogspot.com/

2. Miss B of http://imacrazydreamer.blogspot.com/

3. Diabolina of http://diabolinafashiondiary.blogspot.com/
4. Mary of http://hailmary-fullofgrace.blogspot.com/

5. AusAnna of http://nextannawintour.blogspot.com/

6. Always in Style http://alwaysinstylenyc.blogspot.com/

This tag is a fantastic excuse to share something non-fash with your fellow bloggers – have fun with it! xoxox CC

All tag, all the time! BOOKS

So, I just got the page 123 tag from the fabulous Make Do & Mend http://makedostyle.blogspot.com/. It is totally random but totally worth doing!

The page 123 thingy is as follows:

1. Pick up nearest book

2. Open to page 123

3. Find the 5th sentence

4. Post the next 3 sentences

5. Tag 5 people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

One of the many books on my bedside table is Couture Culture, a nonfiction work by Nancy J. Troy. Here's the bit from page 124 (b/c p. 123 is an illustration):

"The adepts of the jupe-pantalon envision something other than to charm or surprise. They represent the desire to break with the traditions of their sex, of their race, of their country. They want to break the last chains holding back their complete emancipation."

I am tagging:

Strawberry Kitten http://strawberrykittens-playground.blogspot.com/

This Is Glamorous http://citified.blogspot.com/

Nothing Is Worth More Than This Day http://tonialexis.blogspot.com/

Sinead http://itscalledstyle.blogspot.com/

Persephone http://persephonewrites.blogspot.com/

Couture Carrie LOVES to see what her Fellow Fashionistas are reading! Enjoy, darlings :)

Everybody must get stoned & TAG!

ROCK THESE DETAILS!
Today's Couture Carrie post is about rock, in 2 ways: stones on clothes and accessories AND the fun music tag I recently got from both Marta http://withlovegabrielle.blogspot.com/ and Bostonista http://bostonista-bostonista.blogspot.com/ . See below!

We begin with stone-decorated dresses, from conservative ladylike luxe to beachy chic.
At left, Alberta Ferretti felt dress with stone detail, at Neiman Marcus.

At right, T-Bags stone embellished top, at Net-a-Porter.com

Of course, accessories were rocked as well!

"Gaud" was in the details at Missoni. See the brilliant runway looks at left, where stones embellished everything from necklaces to belts.

At right, a Missoni crocodile envelope clutch with stone details. Missoni photos courtesy style.com.
Erickson Beamon stone cluster ring. Go to net-a-porter.com.

Isharya Kadamba square bangle, also at net-a-porter.

Renaud Pellegrino satin Flore clutch with cabochons. Photo via style.com.

Kotur Hornby leather frame clutch with stones, at searle.com.

Fave footwear choices, both practical and glamorous?

Anya Hindmarch t-strap flat sandal, pictured at right and currently half off at shopbop.com!

Below right, Miu Miu stone embellished flats -- half price at net-a-porter.com!

TAG, YOU'RE IT!

The rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

1. Gift of Gab - Way of the Light

2. Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy in New York

3. Finger Eleven - One Thing

4. Maroon 5 - Secret

5. Ne-Yo - Because of You

6. Steve Winwood - Higher Love

7. Ugly Duckling - Get on This

I'm Tagging:

Raspberry http://myraspberrynights.blogspot.com/

Blonde hair, blue jeans http://blondehairbluejeans.blogspot.com/

Sharon Rose http://sharonrosepixie.blogspot.com/

Hunters Glory http://huntersglory.blogspot.com/

Ediot http://hanmedhatten.blogspot.com/

Terren http://bejabeja.blogspot.com/

Ivoreece http://ivoreece-style.blogspot.com/

This is quite an enjoyable tag (many thanks to the lovely Marta and the stylish Bostonista!), and I know many of the above-named bloggers adore the tunes, as these fashionistas include music in their daily posts - check all of them out!