Bow down designers, Oscar de la Renta Spring 2013

I, like most people, anxiously await the Oscar de la Renta show. Mr Oscar blew me away again. The collection was classically elegant for his longtime clientele but there were also plenty of unexpectedly cool pieces for the younger kids. Lets just get to the fabulousness that is this collection and this designer!

I mean look at these separates. Could you imagine anyone else making latex tops and skirts look this good? Nope, probably not. The first two looks just are fantastic.

Then add in these feminine separates and the beauty continues.The third look can take you just about anywhere next spring. Not usually a fan of lace, but I can definitely cheer for these.

The second skirt is a great pattern and I love the shade of yellow in all these looks.

I love these pencil skirts! These looks can work for any age and the lady wearing them will be look stunning. Again, check out the latex.

Where the young ladies at? By young, I mean anyone brave enough to show off the gams. These are fun, flirty and still fancy.

Pick a favorite here? Nope, I can not do that. If completely forced I would go with the second. I love the lace pattern on this dress.

Sexy, Sexy, Sexy! These three gowns are all stunning. The first is my favorite with the perfect slit. I like how the third look covers her up but still is sexy. Normally I am not a fan of the sheer but it works on this dress.

The show is on now. The ball gowns hit the runway. The striped dress blew my socks off.

Here are the show stoppers! All four tie for my favorites of the show. They have nearly the same hem but all with a different fabric and bodice. I could not possibly pic a favorite. These Oscar de la Renta gowns will be all over the red carpet. 

I suggest finding a site that has photos of all the looks. There were many more, but I just had to narrow it down. So, bow down other designers, Sir Oscar just schooled the rest of fashion week. I really really hope Oscar de la Renta shows again in Nashville. 

Photos by Giovanni Giannoni

Christian Siriano-MB Fashion Week Spring 2013

When the show began I had to keep asking myself, is this Christian Siriano's show? Then of course the gowns hit the runway and I knew where I was. Inspired by a recent performance of the American Ballet Theatre’s “The Dream,” Christian Siriano gave us a collection of pale pastels and polka dots. You could definitely see the ballerina inspiration but with a modern feel. 

I was in awe of these looks. The first one is just beautiful and very wearable. That jacket is also killer. Though none of these screamed the Christian we know, I am loving the Christian we are getting to know.

These little dresses do their job and well. I shockingly loved the polka dot looks.

Party dresses are always fun! Especially that middle one.

The first gown is just so effortless in movement, I could not take my eyes off it. Not taking away from the other two, which are beautiful.

Then we started getting back to the Christian Siriano we all know and love. These beautiful pearl encrusted looks, with their white feathers and tulle, got my attention. I love the third one.

And then there were gowns. When watching a Christian Siriano show you sit patiently watching all his lovely looks, holding your breathe until the gowns hit the runway. Again, he did not disappoint. Beautiful, just beautiful.

I must add my VERY favorite here. This dress was my favorite of the show. It encompassed his inspiration completely and I can see it on a red carpet. Great job on another great show! I hope you make it back to Nashville soon, Christian!



Spring 2013 - Images by: ImaxTree

Another team challenge! PR Ep 8

So, this week we got another team challenge. This time they did not get a budget, but had to work for their money. They were given t-shirts and arts & crafts paint. The designers were then sent out into the streets of NYC to sell the shirts. Even with this terrible part, last night’s episode was one of the better ones this season. Melissa, Fabio and Ven were on a team. Elana, Alicia and Dmitry were another, and Chris, Gunnar and Sonjia were the third. It seemed like another rigging of the teams. We all know about the hatred between Elana and Dmitry and the fact there is no love lost between Chris and Gunnar. Elana and Dmitry did not let the drama lovers down. They went at each other in the first minutes of the challenge. The surprising thing was Chris and Gunnar worked very well together. Let's get to the rundown.

Alicia Hardesty was stuck with Elana and Dmitry. With all their drama and such they put out a mess of a collection. They were obviously going to be in the bottom. Alicia made pants and and two tops, while Dmitry made an entire look and Elana made a coat. Alicia made a good pair of pants but the tops were just plain ole boring and not that great. Dmitry made his standard dress but then he made a fringe shaw that made no sense at all. Crazy Elana turned out her worst piece to date. This all led to goodbye Alicia. I really wanted her to be on a bit longer, but her designs were almost as boring as she was. I will miss that lil Kentuckian. 

Gunnar Deatherage got paired with Chris and Sonjia. This happens to be my three favorite designers of the season on one team. Gunnar got a close call last week and so he knew he had to step up his game. Chris and Sonjia both decided to go with one very complex piece each which allowed for Gunnar to put out two dresses. This team was the top team and for very good reason. Chris turned out a very unique twist on the classic camel trench and Sonjia produced a fantastic little jacket for the win. Gunnar's dresses were both pretty fantastic. They were totally in his wheelhouse and I was more than pleased with them. They were pretty covered up on the runway, but when we were able to finally see them I was excited. He was able to finally show how good he can be. Sonjia of course won and she did have the best piece of the episode.

Photo Credit: Barbara Nitke for myLifetime.com

Vegas Goes Country, Again

Country Superstar couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill met the press in Las Vegas August 7th, announcing the details of their long-rumored Las Vegas residency. Great news for the 1,815 people a night who'll be populating the Venetian come December and the four months that follow. The couple insists this is not a "residency"—preferring to go with "limited engagement" instead.

"We're in the process of building the show now," said McGraw, "but we can say that the production's going to be cutting edge. We want to do really cool stuff, things that certainly we haven't done before and probably some things that haven't been done before (by anyone), in a lot of ways. We're gonna do some things you can only do in a beautiful setting like this."

As exciting as the news is of our Nashville Royal Couple making a stop in Las Vegas, let us get to judging what they wore.

Faith was wearing a short black cocktail dress and looked stunning. She was all sparkly and her make-up was flawless. The big hair is kinda her thing these days and I must say this is the best it has looked of late. The dress could have handled being a tad longer, but with legs like that, I say go for it. Tim looked fantastic. His shirt could have had one more button closed and his pants are definitely too long. A nice little tailoring would have made a huge difference. All-in-all, Tim and Faith made a huge announcement and looked great doing it! Way to go guys!

Photo credits: Steven Lawton/FilmMagic, PRPhotos.com

Another day at the office. PR Ep5

Drama was full-on for this week's episode. There was not more than a minute without. This week the crazy lady from the Ukraine packed the hour with bitching. Elana is clearly the most hated member of this cast. We still got some bitchiness from Raul and Gunnar, but they were overshadowed this time around. This was another team challenge and they were to design a collection of clothing for a working woman. The winning team would get an editorial spread in Marie Claire @work. We had team 5 which included Gunnar, Fabio, Ven, Christopher and Nathan (who I barely ever remember). Team 6 had Elana, Melissa, Raul, Sonjia, Dmitry, and Alicia.

Alicia Hardesty and her team decided not to just give each designer one look to do. They went with the idea of doing what they do best. This meant that Alicia was given pants as her task. She did not disappoint. They were fantastic and fit well. We got two diverse looks by her doing one wide leg and one skinny pant. She seemed to work well in the group, even if that meant staying pretty quiet. It makes it hard to judge her looks though, as she just did the pants. But props to her.

Gunnar Deatherage's team went with the concept of designing a whole look per designer. Gunnar was not happy with his team or their choices of fabrics. He let this distract him for several hours and then produced a sub-par look. The dress was boring and unflattering. I do think the judges made too big a deal about the suffle-ish boob area. He was subdued again for most of this episode with just moments of the bitchiness. Or maybe he was just so overshadowed by the cray cray of Elana, I gave him a pass. Yet, I must admit he is finding himself really close to leaving the show if he does not turn it out next week.

And the winner is.... Melissa Fleis. I have talked to several people and they all agree with me, this was not work wear. It was a fantastic dress, but NO ONE would wear it to the office outside of a fashion magazine. It photographed fantastically and moved well on the runway. It was, without a doubt, the show stopper amidst some very boring looks. But if the challenge is something to wear to work, then she should not have won this round. I mean, they mentioned that Dmitry's look could not be worn to an office because the back had tiny cut outs. Come on now judges! But Congrats to Melissa, I really do like her a lot.

Photo Credit: Barbara Nitke for myLifetime.com

Woman on the Go! PR Ep 4

The show started off with "Oh no, Andrea is gone." The drama unfolded, well kinda. Needless to say Andrea has left the show. The big shocker was that Kooan also left the show and was not talked into staying. So being down two designers left the producers nothing to do but bring back a previous offed designer. Raul came roaring back in, talking himself up big time. He was sent home for a reason and he should not have been brought back IMO.

This week the challenge was to design one outfit that could take a woman on the go into day and night in their design aesthetic. Who better to get that started than Michael Kors himself?! He designs for the woman on the go and has been very successful at it for years. With the motto of jet-set, sophisticated and chic, he gave them a lil rundown while they got to admire his flagship lifestyle store in NYC.

Alicia Hardesty was able to get back to her aesthetic this week. I must say I kinda dig it. Her woman is not the most elegant and not everyone would wear this, yet it works for me. My only exception is the crotch of her shorts is ill-fitted. With a tad more altering she could have really done something great here. With the right styling her design could easily be worn into night. She was not the winner, clearly, but she made great strides in my eyes.

This week I felt like Gunnar Deatherage was almost there. The design of his skirt was good. With the right fabrics I think he would have had a really good skirt. This is when editing needs to come in. Because the top with that skirt does not work. Either of these pieces paired with something else might have worked. I definitely think that this is a day/night look and that it shows his aesthetic. He was clearly safe, but I do not think this look shows his potential. I also liked seeing that this week his bitchiness was not so prominent, that they let Christopher take the reigns a bit.

And the winner is.... Sonjia Williams. I knew it was only a matter of time before she got a win. I have liked most of her work up to this point. I think I would have picked Dimitry as the winner, but hers was definitely great! I would have left off the cascading sash at the hip. It makes it all a bit busy and it is to dressy for most people to pull off during the day. I love the color and the way it fits though. It was a well crafted piece and I can see how it got the win.

Photo Credit: Barbara Nitke for myLifetime.com

Dressing the "stars"; PR Ep 3

Episode 3 was almost painful to watch from start to finish. They dressed designers from previous seasons for the Emmy's red carpet—most of which I really had no desire to see again. They plopped the new Lexus in the middle of a street and told the designers to match their designs to the cars. Just plain silly. Then, to add to the drama, this was the pairs challenge. And drama there was! So I am just going to hop right into our southern folks and the winner of the challenge.

Alicia Hardesty was paired with Raul Osorio for this challenge. Alicia and Raul went on and on about their background in menswear and how they were not gown designers. They were to dress Mila Hermanovski from season 7. Mila likes a tough look and is often wearing blazers and pants (which she was when they met her for the challenge). Yet these two decided to go for a full on gown. What we got was a hot mess. They picked a red and black print to begin with, and after Mila said no, they went black. They obviously ended up in the bottom and ultimately Raul was sent packing. Alicia will find herself ousted very soon. She is still not performing at levels to stay much longer. She seems so sweet and, I am sure, talented, but she is not playing to her strengths.

Then Gunnar Deatherage was teamed up with Kooan Kosuke. From the minute they were paired, I just knew they would implode. They did not, however, because Kooan just moved over and let Gunnar take over. They were in charge of designing for Irina Shabayeva, the winning designer from season 6. She was by far the most difficult "star" of this challenge. She was miserable from the beginning. Gunnar did not let this stop him from doing what he wanted to do. The result landed them in the top two. Granted, they should not have been in the top two, but I will get to that in the winners section. The  fabric choice was very odd for a gown, but the judges seemed to praise it. From a distance it looks great, up close some serious issues in the gown.

Once again this week, Ven Budhu won the challenge. Fabio Costa was his partner on the challenge and they had to dress Kenley Collins from season 5 and All-Stars. The dress was so very Ven, it was quite obvious that he designed it and Fabio was his worker bee. The dress is cute and well made. The color and fabric are a bit boring and it would not be a great red carpet gown, but their client was in love with it. It was a dress Kenley would for sure wear. It would not have been the winner if I were judging, but alas it was. I do believe it would have been in my top 2 though. I would have had to pick Dmitry Sholokhov and Melissa Fleis as my winner. They designed for April Johnston from season 8 and All-Stars. It was a silver gown that actually flattered April who is not normally a shiny girly girl. (I am not picturing it because I am covering only the winners and southern contestants.) So congrats to Ven again!

This episode was full of drama, which the producers love. Yet, it was low on design. I was not drooling over any of the looks. I am looking forward to the next episode to find out how the Andrea drama unfolds. Until next time....






 Photos: Barbara Nitke for myLifetime.com

Sweet as Candy: PR Ep. 2

As Heidi and Tim pointed out several times on this episode, it was their favorite challenge. For ten seasons the unconventional challenge has proved interesting. This year they went with a candy challenge. Ralph Lauren's daughter, Dylan, invited the designers to her upscale candy boutique. They had 500 dollars to spend.

Let's get started with Alicia Hardesty. I was really hoping for her to shine this week. She let me down with this one. She was safe and should have been. Yet, her look was pretty much forgettable. I have little in the way of a critique, other than to say: I hope she can do more than this and soon.

Gunnar Deatherage made a pretty good look. I am not so sure I would have him in the top three, but it was not a bad look. I personally hate peplums on just about any look, so I instantly was not a fan of this look. It was also not a new or Earth-shattering design concept, but it was an overall good look. I think his "candy" styling really put him in the top three (in my opinion). So kudos to Gunnar on his top three and for not being quite as bitchy this episode.

And the winner is...Ven Budhu! I have no real problem with this win, other than it was just not my favorite. Ven did make the most wearable piece and I was impressed. It was hard to tell that it was even candy from a distance. The pastels are slightly boring and he once again used a rose motif. The design of the dress is up to par with current trends and he did a wonderful job on the construction. So props to him.

Photos: Barbara Nitke for myLifetime.com

Project Runway Season 10, Episode 1

Project Runway Season 10 has arrived. It all started with a runway show in Times Square. Now that is big time for the first episode. The best part for me: Tim Gunn is back! All-Stars season was just not the same with out him. This season of the fashion reality show features two southern contestants. Both hail from Kentucky.

Alicia Hardesty, 27, from Brandenburg, Ky. She loves mixing the look of men's wear into her women's wear. She calls it a "tomboy" look. For the first challenge, the designers were asked to make a piece that collaborates with the look they brought with them. Alicia came with a cranberry-ish jumpsuit with a hood. She followed it up with a pants and top combo. The jumpsuit works; not my cup of tea, but it is not terrible. The pants in the next look just look ill-fitted. The top is nothing special, but it was fine. She was understandably safe from elimination. She seems to be a sweet girl and I look forward to seeing what she has to offer over the next few weeks.

Gunnar Deathrage, 22, from Louisville, Ky. Oh, Gunnar has been cast as the "bitchy queen" of this season. He made it to the top 25 last season, but not onto the show. Last season he seemed to be the sweet southern guy, but they needed that attention getter so here we are. His design aesthetic is "southern lady". He is surrounded by them and chooses to design for them. This was evident in his look that he brought from home. The pencil skirt needed a tad of altering but I loved the pattern. The top with it may be a bit bold (the color) for some southern "ladies". But I liked it. The jacket I was not really able to figure out. I never saw it still long enough. For his challenge piece, it was fine. Nothing Earth-shattering, but it works. As far as him, well he will be around for a while because the producers love to have a big personality. He has the talent, but I just hope he is able to design outside of this small box.

Overall, the first runway was a bit underwhelming. I was not disappointed as it was expected from the first challenge. What I was disappointed in was the winner. Christopher Palu gets to be featured as the "sweet" guy. Then he gets the first win. His brought-from-home look was actually fun to watch move. The design concept was great. The fabric was HORRENDOUS no matter how you spin it. The judges praised him for making it look good, he did not do that. He made it bearable from a distance. His challenge dress was a nightmare. I mean, all you have to do is look at the zipper in the back. That alone takes him out of the winner's circle. The rest of it was just sloppy and boring. I would like to see more out of him and hopefully I will be more excited about his future looks.

I'm looking forward to the next episode and finding out who the real divas are. HEHE! I will continue to cover Alicia and Gunnar for as long as they are on the show. I will also cover the winning looks. If Alicia and Gunnar fail to make it to the end, I will adjust my coverage. Stay tuned!



 Photos by: Barbara Nitke for mylifetime.com

Lemon Chess Pie

Since I have not teased your taste buds in a while, I thought it was time for some good ole southern dessert. I made a lemon chess pie for my co-workers this week and it was a huge hit. It was just the right mix of tart and sweet. Of course they were easy to please since very few of them had ever had chess pie (so no comparisons ;)).

Here is what you need:
1 (6-oz.) ready-made shortbread piecrust
1 egg white, lightly beaten 4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I actually used a tad less)
Garnishes: whipped cream, fresh raspberries (I left off the garnishes)

Here is what you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Brush piecrust with beaten egg white. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
2. Beat 4 egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. Whisk together 4 egg yolks, sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl until blended. Stir in lemon juice. Fold in egg whites. Pour mixture into cooled piecrust, and place pie on a baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until set, shielding edges with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Remove from oven to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Garnish, if desired.

CMT Awards 2012

I waited until after CMA Music Fest to try and write the review of The CMT Awards red carpet. Then after reviewing the fashion, I kinda cringed. I had just spent a week defending Nashville against a recent survey that ranked the city low for fashion. Well, stars, thanks for NOT helping my argument. I am going to start with the four looks that I found to be the best.
 
Kristen Bell's Reem Acra gown is beautiful. I would have liked to see her in a bolder color that did not match her hair and skin so closely. Yet, it is the best dress of the red carpet. Lauren Alaina went with a short black dress with lots of sparkle. It was nothing special, but the blue heel was a great idea and brave (though I do not love the shoe on its own). The silver gown Grace Potter sported was really nice. I am not a huge fan of this plunging neckline on her, but the back of this dress was sexy and beautiful (sorry no pic of that). Hillary Scott was in the most simple of these looks. The dress flatters her and I like her bangles and clutch. I really wish she had worn a different shoe. Like so many of us that cover fashion, we want to see the end of all these nude colored shoes.
 
This group of ladies went with the short high school formal look. The beautiful Carrie Underwood had a bit of a fashion fail this round. The dress is eh ok. But those shoes just do not work. I think she was trying to add edge, but it just looked odd. Ashley Greene in Donna Karan Atelier was also a letdown. It does not flatter her and the shoes again do not work. Even though her hair is dark, she looks completely washed out. Poor, poor Jennie Garth. That is all I will say on that. Denise Richards would have looked fine if she were still a 17 year old girl. Oh, Elizabeth Cook! Yes, I am one of the rare people in fashion who like boots with dresses. That is only when they are worn with the RIGHT dresses. This one is not it. This is so not Nashville.
Paige Duke pulled out a mullet dress, and it failed. If designed right, they can, on the rare occasion, work. This is not one and, to add insult to injury, she wore cowboy boots. Rachel Reinert's dress has potential for some events. I am not thrilled with the "flames" that seem to be burning their way to her chest. In another print or solid, Samantha Stephens could have pulled this dress off. American Idol contestant Skylar Laine not only wore a mullet dress, but it was a mullet dress made of aluminum foil and shards of glass. Okay, not really, but it sure looks that bad.

There were many more looks, but I could not bring myself to critique any more harshly. So I just hope the next time the stars come South, they do better.


 Photos: Jada Wong

Nicole Kidman, Stunning at Cannes

The Festival De Cannes wraps up today. It ran from May 16-27 2012. The stunning city in the French Riviera not only plays host to the film festival, but is a playground for the world's biggest stars. I have not covered it thus far because it is covered so well by others. Be sure you check out Tom & Lorenzo's blog (one of my favs), they have some great coverage of the red carpet looks. Today, I decided to show you how Nicole Kidman done us proud. She may be a native Aussie, but she now calls Middle Tennessee home. If you have seen her around, then you already know how chic she looks no matter what she is wearing. Check out these two looks from her week in Cannes.

Not much to say here! She looks Chic and Sophisticated. This new hair color also looks superb on her. Don't we all wish we stepped off a plane looking this great.

Mrs. Kidman-Urban hit the red carpet in one of her best looks in a minute. The Lanvin gown is stunning on her. The color is perfect for her skin tone. The top of the gown is really interesting and the back lends the sexiness to it. Of course, all of the Cartier jewelry sure helps, too. Thanks, Nicole, for making us here in Nashville proud to call you one of us, yet again!


 Casual Photos: DLM Press/PacificCoastNews.com
 RC Photos: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Oscar de le Renta Resort 2013

I tend to favor Oscar designs over many other designers, mostly because they are chic and wearable. His 2013 Resort line is no different. You will find black and whites, reds, blues, greens, and golds. The fabric patterns range from abstract florals to gingham. So lets get started.

The first pants are fabulous. The entire look, a bit matchy for me. I would style it a tad differently, add some color in the bangle and clutch. Granted with a print like that, it limits the type of woman who can wear it. But if you are heading to just the right evening event near Charleston you could totally do this look. The second dress is adorable. It leans towards looking young but I think a hip lady in her 30s could still pull this off. The shorts are cute, as a suit it makes it a bit tougher to pull off. Especially here in the south. I think the shorts with a different blouse could really take you anywhere, even a nice casual look. I heart the next look, a lot. It is sophisticated and classic. Need a new look for the office, then this is a look to replicate. It is also easy to add color and personality with this suit. The last takes a special woman to wear. You have to be bold, a risk taker. I like the look but it is not for everyone.

The first dress is cute. It is a lovely shade of blue, but not really an inspired look. If it were not an Oscar dress, I could see a many of high school girls choosing it for a school dance. I love this next look. If not for the plunging neckline, this could be an anywhere dress. The neckline makes it an evening only look. The "Dorothy-esque" gingham dress is actually cute. It also appears young to me. Both of the last two looks are just, "eh" for me.

The fabric in the first look is great! I love the reds and abstract floral. I do not love the top, but the crop pants are great. They can be dressed up or down and that is always a perk. The four dresses are all cute. The center one being my favorite, but that is more because of the fabric than the cut. In still photos it is hard to tell, but the next to last one seems to be more formal than the others. (I missed the live steam :() These four dresses also have a silhouette that would flatter many different women.

The greens stood out to me most. Green is my favorite color, but not usually in women's fashion. Again in the first look I do not like the whole look together but the coat is superb. As is the crop pant. I think as a whole look it gets a bit bulky. The second and fourth looks are chic. I love them both. The first of those may be to much print all at once for some ladies, if that is the case go for the other. The floral dress in the center is adorable. Any age and most shapes could wear this, sans that necklace. This is for any spring or summer event that is less than formal. This last coat is stunning. I love the floral, the colors and the cut. I have already decided one of my fabulous red headed friends needs this stat.

Now it is time for the sparkle portion of the show. The first dress is a hot lil number. If you wanna be a show stopper at a cocktail hour then pull out one of these. The fabric in the second look must be left over from the fall collection but I do still like it. I love the sweater with skirt combo. I have seen it from several designers. This may be the best I have seen it done though. Then we get the beautiful Cinderella dress, which in the south is also called the Taylor Swift dress. The grecian dress is pretty and appropriate for many formal events you might be attending this summer.

We all love show stopping formal wear. If we are all honest, we really are there waiting on these gowns. All five of these gowns are stunning. The green one is for a specific body type and even that body type will be wearing her spanx. If you liked the grecian dress but did not think you could pull off the gold, here you have it in red. The gingham surprisingly works better in full length for me. Somehow Oscar made it look formal, when I usually on think of gingham as a tablecloth. The black and white may be my favorite of the gowns. Much like the green gown, the black and white one is not for everyone. Another successful collection by the fantastic Oscar de le Renta. There were a lot of looks featured, so I did not get into as much detail as I normally would have wanted. Remember, you can always study these looks and head out shopping to find ways to come up with similar looks. Go have fun, that is what fashion is all about. Photos from: Oscar de le Renta Facebook https://www.facebook.com/oscardelarenta

It is simple: This is Royalty

I have very little to say here. Catherine Middleton Mountbatten-Windsor sure knows how to dress. This actually may be her best look to date. I will allow exceptions for her wedding day. I do wish she would wear a tiara from time to time just to remind us she is a Princess married to the heir apparent (ok well should be since Charles should Abdicate) Jenny Packham dresses seem to be her go to and why not? They seem to suit her perfectly. So enjoy!

KY Derby meets Nashville

In 1875 an estimated 10,000 watched the first Kentucky Derby on May 17, the opening day of the meet. This year a record 165,307 people were in attendance with millions watching from home. "I'll Have Another" took home the roses after a come from behind push to pass "Bodemeister.

 Being from Kentucky and having the privilege of attending the Derby four times, I tend to get Derby Fever. I love the idea of it all. The most exciting 2 minutes in sports gives me chills. Then of course there is the fashion. Which I am going to touch base on.

 Both female and male attendees pull out all of the stops when selecting their Kentucky Derby apparel. There are no rules when it comes to Derby dressing but you do want to feel like part of the steep history of both the sport and the crowd. Ladies typically wear pastel-colored frilly dresses or bold separates that coordinate with their Derby headwear and accessories. Almost everyone is aware of the "hat tradition." Gentlemen opt for seersucker suits, light-colored sport coats and the occasional plaid jacket. Guys, when in doubt, a navy sports coat with pressed khakis or dress slacks, a light-colored shirt and flashy tie (long or bow) is perfectly acceptable!
The lovely ladies above give a fine example of dressing for the Kentucky Derby.

I am now living in Nashville, TN and of course still wanted to be part of The Kentucky Derby. I hosted a Derby Party at my house. I asked all my guests to please come dressed in their finest. I wanted them to also feel like they were actually at Churchill Downs. My friends did not disappoint.

My friend Erica Miller won Best Dressed. She wore the lovely ivory dress, pumps, beautiful earrings and her wonderful Fascinator. Sam Bradley came adorning this magnificent hat that she created herself. Roses and even a cardinal were included. She won Best Hat with second place no where nearby. She also wore this beautiful chocolate polka dot dress with a red peep toe heel. Classy and very Derby were both of these ladies.

Here I am hanging with the winners! Everyone looked fantastic though and I thank each of them for being in the spirit of things. I am already looking forward to the first Saturday in May 2013.