These black over-the-knee boots are a must have. The black, 16-inch shaft glides over the leg while hugging the calf to create a smooth, clean look that’s not too bulky. The microfiber material keeps them from having that call girl look. However, you don’t need to worry that they won’t standout since their cuff is studded with black rhinestones. The cuff keeps these boots from looking too sweet by adding an edge to any look. The wearer can rest assured she will have ample height as the four and a half-inch heel gives her proper lift. A one inch covered platform keeps the heel from feeling too steep and stops it from interfering with how you strut your stuff while wearing them. The man-made sole lets any woman do all the walking she wants without worrying about putting a hole in her new boots. The split behind these boots’ cuffs keeps them from feeling too tight around the knees, and gives you the breathing room you need to walk comfortably.

These over-the-knee boots’ versatility makes them an asset to any collection, as they work with just about any outfit. Dress them down for a movie night by pulling them over a pair of skinny jeans. Dress these shoes up by wearing them with a pair of tights and a killer dress. Scrunch the shaft down for that sloppy yet put together look. No matter how you wear these boots they will always be an attention grabber.

After mingling, meeting and greeting people in the area the W calls, Wet, I was more than happy to see the runway shaped as a W in the pool. This made a lot of sense since most of the pieces were swim suit attire and it was held at the W Hotel.  The idea behind this cat walk in the pool area was no other than the Runway Director and stylist herself, Arianna Sinclair, who I had the pleasure of meeting.  She is an L.A. based stylist who had the right idea that rocked this show!   It was a pleasure to meet her and talk about all the great pieces that was featured.

Lights dimmed and then it was bright lights as the pool lit up and music began to play.  Put me in coach! I am ready to play! All models in the first part came out in bikinis and baseball attire with mitts and bats as their props which I liked because it tied into the theme of the night. Bikinis worn by these beautiful models were by Sinfully Suited Swimwear.  I loved the uniqueness of the suits, colors and how it looked amazing with a pair of stripped pants!  But the one that slid into home plate would be the black knitted crochet one piece.  Love, Love, Love It! Take a look for yourself and you can be the judge.

The next section was all male models that showed off a little skin in Alastaire Grey Clothing. From evening to hanging around the pool, they all looked smashing in black and white shirts, muted tied dyed shirts, suspenders, shorts and easy relaxed pants. These trendy models really knew how to pump up the volume for this crowd that’s for sure!  You should have been there!

The third section of the fashion show was the ladies again with a collection that had me wanting to see more. They were wearing spring styles for women from Deegie’s Carma. Lovely dresses and cover-ups for this up coming summer or your next vacation at the beach! I tell you, that I wanted a couple of outfits for myself!  One would be the blue jump suit that looked so effortless but so elegant at the same time. With some sandals to dress it down or heels with a fancy chunky necklace from Isaac Jewelers for the evening.   Many of us women are always looking for a great white spring dress and ladies I found one tonight. It was a Deegie’s special!  I loved the simplicity of this mid thigh length, short sleeve dress that is cool as its color. The next model that came out had on a gorgeous black and white hat!  Oh boy….me and my black and white wardrobe! By the way, big hats are in again and it’s a great accessory this spring/summer! Yay! I love the brown one as well because it looked so chic! Take a look at the pictures and pick out your favorites. I can’t seem to decide because this show had something for everyone! It made me want the 100 degree weather to come back really soon! No lie!

Beyond Beauty Basics would like to thank Katie Brashear from the W Scottsdale and Gina Ferrari from Triyar Entertainment for a great evening! Also, Cedric Jones Photography for taking all of these wonderful pictures.  Until the next time Arizona! I have that passion for fashion!

Larger models are increasingly being seen on the pages of mainstream magazines. UK’s weekly Look now features larger models regularly, as does housewives’ favorite, essentials, and last year fashion bible, Elle, featured plus-size models on their cover. In addition, British designers, such as Mark Fast, have started to use larger models to showcase their collections on the catwalk. The message that women come in all shapes and sizes seems to be getting through and in turn designers and retailers are stepping up to the mark.

Although it may be some time before catwalk shows featuring all sizes are commonplace, there are some retailers out there who are already providing fashionable on-trend clothes in larger sizes. One such retailer is online brand SimplyBe. Their present collection successfully taps into the coming season’s biggest trends, including 70s chic. This selection features fantastic floral print maxi dresses, peasant-style tunics, jumpsuits and tassled bags. With reasonable prices and free delivery and returns they offer great every day and special occasion outfit solutions.

This post was provided by Simply Be women’s plus size fashion offering sizes from 10 to 28

Q. How did you get started in fashion? What sparked your interest?

A. My interest in fashion was sparked at an early age. My parents actually used to let me and my sister pick out our own clothes when we were children. Their thought behind that was to instill self-belief and confidence in our own choices. I got a good fashion sense from it. As an adult, I knew that fire for fashion wasn’t fading, so after business school, I went to design school. A year later, I created my brand.

Q. Who, or what, influences you as a designer?

A. My influence actually comes from my upbringing. My family is where I get all my ideas. Then I take that, look at the world, and start creating. I grew up with positive affirmations and a holistic lifestyle, and that certainly plays a role in the messages in my designs.

Q. What is the inspiration behind your collection? What message are you trying to convey through your designs?

The inspiration behind my brand is that I want to give back to society something we are in such lack of. All of the t-shirts we create have a motivational, inspirational, and uplifting saying or quote on them. I feel that our society, as a whole, is so engulfed in the negatives of the world, and there is so much to be thankful for, and so much to live for. I think that children at an early age should be surrounded by such positive messages and be encouraged to follow their dreams, and not shut down. Because we all have boundless potential, we just need to recognize it and embrace it. We all have the power to be great.

Q. If you had unlimited resources, what would your dream collection be that you would design?

I am designing my dream collection each time I come out with a new collection. I couldn’t be happier. I have had such wonderful success since the Brand’s inception, and I am so excited to get more buzz out there for everyone to be a part of something so wonderful and positive.

Q. Do you have any tips or words of advice for someone who may want to pursue their dream of being a designer?

A. My advice for anyone pursuing their dreams in general is GO FOR IT! Nothing can stand in your way except yourself. Share your dreams and goals with people that have been there, and done that, because most of the time, others will knock you down and put you down. Have a tough skin and smile. Be nice to everyone, because you never know who you are surrounded by. Plant yourself where you want to flourish, and never give up!

You can find Adriana’s collection on her website adriana-marie.com. You can also find her on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Yes, we have style straight from one of our favorite stores here in the Valley of the Sun! The Store that I am referring to is none other than Bestsey Johnson. On Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010, The W Hotel celebrated their one year anniversary of  their Fashion Forward Series here in Scottsdale, AZ.  Hosting the fashion show poolside at the amazing Shade Lounge.

Everyone was really excited to see Betsey’s Fall/Winter wardrobe as we waited for the show to begin.  One of her fans, Hallie Pasch, came in wearing a Betsey vintage dress.  She said to me, “I didn’t want to show up wearing the same thing as someone else so I wore vintage!”  She wore a black satin bodice with black lace that finished the bottom half of the dress. She looked fabulous!   The weather was a cool 80 degrees with a slight  breeze, but when the models took the stage, the temperature rose a bit! In keeping with Arizona’s wild wild west reputation, the models were dressed in an outlaw theme. The accessories were faux guns holsters in Calamity Jane style and of course belts made of bullets.

In true Betsey fashion, this fall and winter collection put together floral strapless dresses with hoodies and tight leggings.  I was pleased to see that the outfits were very wearable because it was versatile for during the day to evening.  One of the reasons I love Betsey, she designs her clothes to be combined in all sorts of patterns and textures.  Her sweaters, hoodies and blouses were matched up like I said with her corset dresses, accented with belts and finished off with matching leggings or fishnet tights.  I was eyeing one pair of tights all night long!  A must have in any girls winter wardrobe for sure!  It was the fishnets with a criss cross pattern on top.  It would look great with any skirt or dress for this season or under your boots as a conversation piece.

After the gun slingers presented the fun side of the show we had intermission. The entertainment was a professional Roper. I do believe he was a real cowboy wowing the audience to Johnny Cash with his rope art tricks, his shy cowboy smile and quiet thank you left every girl blushing!  The second half of the show was all about Betsey’s softer side, with all of the frills and lace to boot! The colors were  black, hot pink, purples, red, army green, plaid, green/blue floral and sweaters with a lot of yellow, green and orange.

BBB would like to thank Gina Bagby and Katie Brashear for an amazing event that left every fashionista to curious on lookers wanting to make a trip to the Betsey Johnson store in Fashion Square mall.  Also a great thanks to Ty Wilda, photographer, for this event; you can find him on www.tyronwilda.com.  What a fun night that ended so well with a bright pink party bag from Betsey Johnson with her yummy perfume, lotion and so many more fun goodies from the W Hotel.  Thanks again for a wonderful show!

Style connoisseurs agree that this coming fall will be all about sophisticated glamour and bold, yet soft silhouettes. Here are some cool, must-have trends that will have you bringing in the autumn months with style.

Velvet

Whitney Port was spotted wearing what will be one of fall’s biggest trends. Velvet Jackets can go perfectly with jeans for a cool and chic casual look, or on a night out on the town.

You can find this celebrity style at a wide variety of clothing stores this fall. One of our favorites is this Velvet Schoolboy Blazer from J.Crew.

Large Satchels

Large satchels are a definite must have this  coming fall. Beyonce exhibits her always fashion forward taste with this large satchel. These roomy bags are stylish yet practical.

This Kabrina Drawstring Leather Satchel from Nordstrom caught our attention.

Oxford Shoes

Nicole Riche sports this comfortable, casual, sleek and stylish oxford style shoe. They prove to be a classic fall style that go perfectly with skinny jeans or a cute skirt over tights.

Steve Madden has huge selection of oxford shoes.

Click the picture to see more.

Lace Tops

Lace tops offer a dreamily beautiful option that fits right in with the feel of autumn. They are elegegant and delicate, yet hip and cool.

Saks Fifth Avenue has this awesome lace top.

Blazers with Dresses

If you’re pondering a way to make those strapless floral frocks appropriate for the office, consider pairing a blazer with your outfit and slipping on a pair of heels or chunky espadrilles. The result? Professional with a side of whimsy. If your closet is filled with LBDs, consider a floral blazer for a vibrant touch. We like this heart-printed boyfriend blazer from Topshop.  $110, topshop.com.

Be sure to choose a lightweight fabric for those sweltering summer afternoons, and remember to consider skirt or dress length when piecing your outfit together. Tuxedo blazers should be paired with shorter skirts, and cropped blazers look lovely with pencil skirts. We like this C&C California number, $110, at shopbop.com

Fedoras

Kevin Federline might have given the fedora a bad rep, but we’ve noticed that it gives just about any outfit a fresh, put-together feel. Straw fedoras worn with floral maxi-dresses will create an edgy, bohemian vibe; you can also channel the Olsen twins with skinny jeans and chunky ankle boots. Check out this uber-feminine fedora from Juicy Couture. $58, at Bloomingdales.com.

The next time you go out with the girls for salsa dancing and margaritas, throw on a fedora. A fitted cocktail dress combined with a black fedora (and a feather for the daring!) will help you look sassy and fashionable. Here’s a great option from Village Scandal for $64, thevillagescandal.com

Before I get into why these bags are so great for the global community, let me talk about their multi-fashion purposes. The tote bag is the perfect size for just about anything you would want to do this Spring/Summer/Fall. Big enough to serve as a beach bag but small enough to use on an everyday basis, the bag comes in several luscious summer colors that anyone would absolutely fall in love with. Also, its the perfect green grocery bag! I know I can’t be the only one who despises carrying those generic paper-thin cloth grocery store bags as I walk to WholeFoods. Think of it, could there be a more perfect bag to show the world just how much of a “green” goddess you are?? I think not.

The FEED Guatemala bags are handmade by Nest, a nonprofit organization that empowers female artists and artisans around the world. The bags come in 2 sizes – FEED 1 Guatemala” zippered pouch and the sturdy and sizable “FEED 3 Guatemala” tote bag (I’m with the tote bags on the right), are created using traditional Guatemalan Ikat fabrics, and come in a variety of vibrant colors and patterns.

They are also incredibly affordable. The “FEED 1 Guatemala” pouch costs only $19 and “FEED 3 Guatemala” tote costs $39. Wow!  Both can be purchased at Lord & Taylor stores in the US and online. For more information, visit: www.lordandtaylor.com/feed

By now you’ve heard that the formidable tents at Bryant Park have been folded down for the last time. On September 9th, 2010, fashion editors and bloggers alike will click-clack their Louboutins into the newly expanded Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. The location boasts three runway venues with updated digital resources and a fourth space for designer presentations, press conferences, and industry forums. Attendees will enjoy the outdoor garden, increased lounge-style lobby seating, and modern décor. IMG Fashion is also planning to launch a new Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week website, as well as an updated digital system for seating and press credentials. As always, we’ll be tweeting live from the shows in September and bringing you up-to-the-minute insider details. Stay tuned for updates!