Women, they say, should have at least one black dress in their closet.  And why not?  The little black dress is perfect for any occasion and proves to be very flexible: you can wear it anywhere at any time of the day.  The little black dress is a classic and simply never goes out of fashion.

And by saying you can wear it any time of the day, we say any time of the day.

Going shopping or just hanging out at the malls with friends?  Spruce up your black dress with comfy sandals, get your bag and shades.

Reese Witherspoon Shows the Way!

And accessorize with a long necklace with an eye catching pendant…

Sterling Silver Cubic Zirconia Curvy Cross Necklace

or nifty bangles and bracelets!

Stylish Thin Cut White Shell Stretch Bracelet

Sterling Silver Bell Charm Link Bracelet

Having a nightcap with friends?  Sneak off with a black dress, a clutch purse and a necklace.  It is as simple as that!

The Black Dress Rules the Night, Too!

You can opt for a simple necklace like this one:

Yellow Gold Multi-Gemstones and Pearl Necklace

Or a dazzling pearl choker.

Double Row Cultured Pearl Choker Necklace

You can also go all out with gold!  Gold and black goes well together for your nocturnal outings!

Black and Gold in Style

For more formal events, you can always spruce up your black dress with pearls!

Black Dresses and Pearls Define Elegance

Have your fill of pearl necklaces here.

You can also never go wrong with silver:

Silver looks good on black dresses and Megan Fox

Try these out:

Sterling Silver Cubic Zirconia Hoop Earrings

Some reminders though.  A timeless black dress should fit you very well and should be simple enough to be able to accessorize it with the latest fashion accessories.  If you are going to have just one black dress, then go for one that is around knee length, this way you can pull it off even at cocktail parties or at the mall.

Military clothing has long been a staple of women’s fashion.  Indeed, military inspired clothing have appeared year after year, season after season.  Whereas last year’s rage was the military jacket and big shoulders, Spring 2010 calls for much muted and feminine military clothes.

And by feminine, it means that military clothing for this season are much less obvious.

The color of military clothing for spring is navy and army green.  By all means, stay away from camouflage wear!!! Go for pieces that are made out of shearling.  Cuts now are more feminine and soft military clothing is what you are looking for.

For the most part, you could never go wrong with a matching top and bottom ensemble, or a military jacket on leather pants.  Military boots, preferably those with shearling embellishments, are also coming back.

There is actually two main looks for spring military wear: aviator and army.  The aviator look is more structured, and nothing much can be done with it.  It’s all about a brown aviator jacket with slim feminine cuts.  If you want to have the freedom to wear anything that you want and still be in vogue, then go for the army look this spring.

The Dog Tag

Who can think about military wear and not think about dog tags?  Well, the dog tag is still very much alive this year, as Giselle Bundchen shows:

LusterForever.com has just the right generic dog tag for you:

Engravable Sterling Silver Italian Dog Tag Pendant

But because spring 2010’s military fashion is all about becoming more feminine, then we suggest this:

Titanium and Diamond in 14k Accent Dog Tag Necklace

Or this:

Rhodium Plated Dog Tag Necklace

Leather

Military wear, especially the army look also calls for a lot of leather.  Again, check out what Gisele Bundchen has on her wrist:

So how about these?

Black Braided Thin Cord Leather Bracelet Engravable Tag

Double Round Flat Leather Bracelet in Black

A Little Bit More Feminine

If you like something a bit more feminine, you can always copy model Lily Donaldson’s look:

And accessorize with gold rings, silver rings, bracelets, and dangling necklaces.

Hair bows are big, literally and figuratively, this spring,

With such fashion heavyweights as Marc Jacobs, Diane von  Furstenberg and Temperley all sending out their spring collections with bows, bows and bows with them, it is difficult to ignore this spring fashion trend.

Glee also had a Madonna tribute episode where her signature bowed head gets a renaissance:

Bows are great accents that adds color to your spring get up and helps you make a fashion statement.  But do not lull yourself into thinking that it’s all about getting a piece of fabric and draping it over your pretty little head.  The truth is, there are a lot of things that could go wrong when you try bows.

For one, you might become the fashion victim.  A Madonna stuck in the 1980s that looks cheap in a cheap bow.  Bows should be made of high quality material like silk, knits or leather.  That means that you should not go for bows that are tacky, childish and mass produced and can be bought by the dozens right off the shelf.

To wear a bow, get one and tie it around your head — all the way around.  You could also go for bows that works as bunny ears, another spring fashion trend.  Remember that wearing a bows takes a lot of sophistication and attitude.  If you cannot project an air of confidence while wearing one, you will never pull it off.

Now that you have an idea of how to wear bows, it is time to learn it to accessorize for them.

The Ears

Big bows cover much of your head, so avoid wearing dangling or oversized earrings with them. Not only will you risk the chance of your bow and your earrings clashing, you also would have too much going on at the top of your head.

It is best not to wear earrings or wear muted and small ones.  If you are going to wear earrings look for smaller pairs that are neutral or classic.  This would help lend an air of sophistication to your look and can save you by being less tacky.

Modern Value Silver Ferroni Round Spiral Earrings

You can compensate, however, with necklaces, bangles and rings.

A long necklace with a cool pendant would suffice.  But just because it’s spring, try layering necklaces for a more dramatic effect.

Wire Dyed Cultured Black Pearl Necklace

And lastly, go overboard with the bangles, bracelets and rings!

It’s spring and it’s time for a new look.  Spring fashion calls for bright colors and sundresses, sandals and accessories.  Here is how to start spring right with a few closet spring cleaning tips.

1. Clean out your closet. When you start to clean up your closet, take everything out of it.  Remember that you should only keep clothes in your closet.  If you are lucky, you can put your shoes, belts and other stuff in it along with the clothes.  You should find new storage spaces for other things that might have accumulated inside your closet.

2. Decide on what you want to keep. As a general rule, throw out or sell anything that you have not worn in years.  There is no sense in having them eat up valuable storage space in your closet.  For those classics such as the skinny jeans, a white tee-shirt and denim pants, keep them in a separate box where you could get to them if they are in style again.

3.  Organize what’s left of your clothes. You can organize your clothes by color, dark to light from one end of your closet to the other.  Sort out pants, shirts, dresses and skirts.  This helps you mix and match your clothing for a fresh look every single time.

4. Work with a budget. Now that you know that you have taken stock in knowing what you have in your closet, it’s time to find what you’re missing.  2010 is the year of military colors, patterns and textures, and red white and blue stripes.  If you don’t have these, then go get yourself one of each.

Military Chic is big this spring!

And so are prints!

5. Accessorize to your heart’s content. Having the right accessories can make even old clothes look fabulous.  Say you have an absolute favorite white tee that you’d like to wear this spring, but it’s certainly out of style.  Update your wardrode with these spring accessories.

Sterling Silver Multi-Colored Millefiori Heart Bangle

Blue Millefiori Silver Flower Pendant

Silver Multi-Color Drop Murano Millefiori Ring

Sterling Silver White Designo Cross Flowers Pendant

While most of us are lucky enough to have a job that pays the bills and also allows us to dress up the way we want, there are some who have to contend with wearing the same thing to work everyday.  If you are one of those who have to wear a uniform to work, then you must lament how your look becomes unchanging every day.  For others, the torture of having to wear a uniform starts early on: at school.

Office uniforms can become boring!

But that should not be the case.  True, you really can’t do anything much with uniforms: they are prescribed for you to wear for a reason and you do not have the liberty to change or alter it drastically so you could look different from your co-workers or classmates.  If you cannot do that, then be creative!

Colors. First is to play with colors.  If you have a drab black uniform to work, you can certainly liven in up with color: headbands, earrings, bracelets, bangles, necklaces, pendants, rings.  You can mix and match your existing jewelry to make sure that you come up with a look that would not get you reprimanded by overzealous superiors (not wearing a uniform!) but will also set you apart.

How about going monochrome on your uniform?  A special color day like a Green Tuesday?  These pieces from Luster Forever should create a good starting point and give you great ideas!

Round Green Peridot Stud Earrings with 14k Yellow Gold

Green Jasper, Crystal and Glass Bead Necklace

Play with your designs. The best thing with accessories is that they come in various designs that you can complement your uniform with.  Take these Chinese pendants for example, they do not only create a diversion from your drab uniform, it can also start conversations.

Green Jade Bar with Chinese Symbol Pendant

Green Jade Donut Silver Chinese Symbol Pendant

Or how about an animal design theme:

Polished Sterling Silver Small Oxidized Frog Earrings

Sterling Silver Light Blue Enamel Dolphin Earrings

Emphasize your femininity. Even if you have to wear the same thing everyday, it does not mean that you have to be boring.  This is especially true if you work in a male dominated industry and your uniform is a tacky or baggy piece that leaves your natural feminine curves out of sight.  You do not have to suffer through being unsexy, you can always, always bring out your feminine side!

Small Polished Sterling Silver Sandals Earrings

Yellow/Orange Enamel Flower Silver Earrings

Power Dressing is all the rage.  From corporate boardrooms, to social functions, to everyday life, nothing can substitute for the confidence that you feel when you look great.  And looking great does not equate to throwing money out the window — thanks to these tips!

Know your colors. Sometimes, just knowing whether violet goes well with pink or blue with green makes a mountain of difference when power dressing.  You can definitely have fun mixing and matching colors, how about a black skirt with a fiery red blouse? EPIC WIN!  A mint green shirt and violet cut-offs? EPIC FAIL.  Well unless you have your hair dyed purple.

Limit your dresses and other one piece clothing. While dresses make you look and feel more feminine, it closes all the possibilities for mixing and matching.  Having more separates in your closet (tops like blouses, tee-shirts and bottoms like skirts, pants, capris) enables you to be more creative with your look.  Plus this gives you the added advantage of not having the same look twice: that white top might have looked good with skinny jeans this week, but it will look equally gorgeous with a knee length skirt for next week.

Jackets and blazers.  Blazers can make your whole get up more professional.  It does not matter if you have jeans and cowgirl boots on, a blazer can upgrade your wear from casual to corporate in a hurry.  Jackets and blazers are also great accents when mixing and matching as both are very flexible.

Know your fabrics. Stay away from clothes that you have to dry clean.  They may be attractive and eye-catching, but these are usually very expensive to keep.  Choose washable clothes made of cotton and other fabrics.

Accessorize properly. Jewelry and other accessories can add the desired effect to your get up anytime.  Running late for your son’s baseball game while still being stuck in the boardroom?  Drop the blazer, and put these on:

Triple Strand Leather Necklace with Yellow Amber Pendant

It won’t make your son blush, and you still look very feminine.

Woke up late and need to make an impression at the weekly status meeting?

14k White Gold Round Citrine Diamond Pendant Necklace

Want to look more elegant at a party?

Sterling Silver Cubic Zirconia Pearl Journey Necklace

Rhodium Plated CZ and Cultured Pearl Drop Post Earrings

As you can see, looking good does not need to be expensive.  All you have to do is to mix and match by trial and error.  Don’t be afraid to experiment!

This time, we ogle the boys…

The girls of Gossip Girl  may be heavy on the fashion, but we can’t just discount the preppy boys of the show:

Yummy, right? So let’s get down to business.

Hottie Chace Crawford.  I will never see this guy jailed by the fashion police. You often see him in a coat-and-tie, in and out of the show. Sometimes, you see him without a tie but still with the formal jacket. But on some occasion, I did see him with just a sweater on. He still looked sexy though especially with those piercing eyes.

So men, don’t be afraid to take on the jacket once in a while, especially on dates. Give out a wonderful first impression with a colored plain shirt—I love light blue or light pink (seriously, it’s sexy) topped with a dark jacket. Keep it in between simple and formal, a tie is too much.

Give the outfit a rocker edge with this thumb ring:

Penn Badgley is the most fashionably imperfect of them all, out of the Gossip Girl set of course. He just makes it up with a wonderful accessory—girlfriend Blake Lively. But of course, his outfit is the most guy-friendly of them all, very laid back.

While Lively wears the ruffled dress and boots, Badgley has on a pair of shorts, simply shirt and flip-flops. On an airport, he has on a white shirt and jeans. These are exactly the kind of clothing guys want to wear. So go ahead, men…do it! But keep it a little bit edgy with this Bracelet »”>leather bracelet:

What is Ed Westwick’s most famous accessory? Chest hair! Sexy, right? It doesn’t help that he loves button down shirts and keeps the three top buttons open. Now, most guys can’t pull this open shirt thing off. First of all, a lot of those with hairy chests are not entirely sexy-looking. So I suggest that you open a button or two the most. Nothing more.

So as not to put focus on your chest, show off some of these masculine leather necklaces:

The women of Sex and the City used to be the favorite fashionistas on television. But they left. But then, came Gossip Girls. Many of us, especially those who cannot relate to the high school cattiness and love triangles anymore, watch it for the fashion. The girls could be a generation under us but in fashion, age does not matter… well, not always.

So how do we get the Gossip Girls look?

My favorite beauty would have to be Jessica Szohr. Those sultry eyes do it for me. But the fashion, even better! You barely see Szhor layering. She is used to wearing one-piece clothing but she knows how to accessorize to keep the entire outfit hot. Take this…on a date with beau Ed Westwick, Szohr wore a pair of sleeveless pantsuit. She did layer though—on her neck. She work a number of chain necklaces to keep it funky.

You want to look like Szohr? Try wearing an overall, any color will do. Then wear these chain necklaces one on top of the other. Don’t be bothered by the mixture of gold and silver, it’ll work:

Now, to the most popular of them all, Blake Lively. Did you notice how she loves bright colors? That’s her identity, which had her dubbed as a Barbie because her blue eyes and blond hair just flows out. At the Council of Fashion Designer Awards, Lively donned a bright pink tube fitting dress by Michael Kors. It was lovely and she kept the accessories at a minimum. No necklace, no bracelet, no watch. She did have two cocktail rings on her.

You too can have her look. Wear a lime green halter dress with these cocktail rings:

They’re better on just one hand, a finger apart.

Now for the girl who loves layers, Leighton Meester. Her style is the most complicated of them all. And it takes a Meester to carry all the items that she dons in one day.

But let’s keep it simple for you guys. Walking on a street one day, Meester had on a white onesie, striped cardigan, large blue bag, headband and long, thin necklace.

Meester’s style is hard to pull off but a plain dress with printed cardigan will do. Match with her signature headband and this necklace:

American Idol has produced America’s best singers.  The clout of American Idol is such that even runners up and those eliminated early in the season could still land a recording contract and make it big in the music scene.  But one offshoot of American Idol is the fashion.  Each week, Idol hopefuls take the stage not just to showcase their singing prowess but also their style — fashion style, that is.

This season, many are watching Crystal Bowersox.  With a finals showdown being predicted between Bowersox and Lee DeWyze, Idol fans are also waiting with bated breath as to what Bowersox would be wearing on the Idol stage.

The Ohio native surely has bohemian rocker stamped all over her, yet she still dazzles and evolves with the clothes that she wears.  Bowersox could get homey and comfortable with a black tee, jeans and her unruly hair bunched up on top.

Then she takes the point home with simple hoop earrings and a jeweled pendant.

LusterForever.com has just the same accessories for you:

Sterling Silver Rhodium Plated Hoop Earrings

Sterling Silver Black Marcasite Onyx Oval Pendant

Note that the designs on both matches Bowersox’s no non-sense attitude and simplicity.

For Crystal Bowersox, rocker chick does not have to be masculine.  She makes sure that the “chick” part is kept alive with accessories, and breaks the black monotone with colorful accents that spells allure and femininity.

A different color for the neck, the ears, the wrist and the fingers would surely pack a sexy rocker chick punch.  Try out these pieces.

Sterling Silver Stylish Curved Heart Ring

Caramel Designo Cuff Silver Bangle with Flowers

Millefiori Ladybug Pendant

Silver Millefiori Murano Glass Butterfly Earrings

Giving the best performance of the night, Crystal wowed audiences when she sang a Janis Joplin song while wearing a dark revealing maxi dress.  While looking effortlessly elegant, Crystal retained her individuality by sprucing it up with accessories, dreds and red hair clips.

Elegance meet bohemian rocker chic

You can definitely own this look with these pieces:

Drop Necklace with Pearls

Stainless Steel and IP-plated Fancy Bracelet

Silver Marcasite Elegant Dangling Stud Earrings

As you can see, Crystal Bowersox has her own fashion philosophy that upholds her individuality and uniqueness.  A bohemian rocker chick that is not afraid to use colors and accents to flaunt her softer side and dares to experiment!

Agatha Christie once said, “One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.”

Boring piece but Christie knows what she’s talking about. That all we ever need is peace—peace on earth and peace on our necks.

Statement accessories is about making a stand and standing out.

Luster Forever has a sterling silver peace sign pendant that will just make you shout for world peace, just check out the piece:

The glittering stones are cubic zirconia.

Why limit statement on peace on the neck when you can dangle two peace signs on your ears with a pair of this oxidized sterling Earring »”>silver earrings:

Or these French wire earrings:

So you see, making a statement can be fashionable too.

The hippies started the peace revolution as a form of objection to the Vietnam War. They did not exactly stop the war in Vietnam despite several protests, but they did revolutionize fashion. The hippie fashion is a statement of colors. So wear your peace accessories with trendy, colorful clothing, just perfect for Spring.

Now here’s a little bit of Peace 101. The symbol was made in Britain in the 1950s as a sign for a group advocating nuclear disarmament. It made its way in the United States a few years later through a student who bought with him a number of “peace” buttons from Britain.

The peace sign though has lost its impact because as of now, it is more popular as a fashion statement.

So how do we dress like a hippie?

The simple: jeans, shirt, fringed vest, granny glasses, a flower, and of course, the peace necklace. In wearing a plain shirt, wear the bigger peace pendant on a long chain.

The more complicated: tie-dyed dress, leather sandals, scarf on the big hair, pot, and a small peace pendant on a short chain. Keep the peace sign above the dress so it won’t clash with its colors.