Good News! Your Closet's Probably Already Stocked With the Hottest New Color Trend

Spring 2014 will be entering a blue period, Pantone predicts, naming "Dazzling Blue" the top hue for the season

By Lesley Kennedy - September 4, 2013

If the thought of summer coming to an end has you feeling a little blue, you really must be looking right past fall and straight ahead to next spring.

Just in time for the September 5th kickoff of New York Fashion Week — featuring styles for spring 2014 — the Pantone Color Institute has announced the most popular color for the season for women will be “Dazzling Blue.”

So, what, exactly, makes that shade of of the classic color, used by 17 percent of designers in their upcoming collections, dazzle? Well, it’s the color of Facebook’s Social Butterfly Blue nail polish and Kate Middleton’s much-desired Issa engagement announcement dress, according to Women’s Wear Daily. And it’s more exciting than navy.

If the color leaves you feeling a bit underwhelmed, the runners up, respectively, are Violet Tulip (aka lavender), Radiant Orchid (aka a brighter lavender), Celosia Orange (think Hermes), Freesia (bright yellow), Cayenne (spicy, like the pepper), Placid Blue (or sky blue, as it’s more commonly referred), Paloma (you know it as gray), Sand (that stuff at the beach) and Hemlock (a pretty pale green despite its poisonous sounding name).

Not making the spring 2014 top 10: This year's number one hue, Emerald, or the 2012 color of the year, Tangerine Tango.

“What’s interesting is we’re seeing exciting and fashionable colors as well as more neutral ones,” Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone’s executive director, tells WWD. “It’s not as though everyone is willing to wear the bright colors from recent seasons head-to-toe. There needs to be equilibrium, and that is a more serious word than balance. The world still needs the stability of soft neutrals but we’re not just talking about gray, beige and taupe.”

And if you like your outfit to complement your mate’s, good news! The number one spring color for men in 2014 will be Placid Blue, WWD adds.

“When Placid Blue is redefined as a neutral, more people understand that it’s not just a traditional color but one you can depend on,” Eiseman tells the publication. “There is a reason people look outside each morning, knowing the sky is out there and hoping that it’s blue.”

Some might even call that view “dazzling.”

Lesley Kennedy writes for ShopAtHome.com. Follow ShopAtHome on Twitter @shopathome and Lesley on Google + or email her at LKennedy@ShopAtHome.com.

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Gorgeous Fall Hair Can Be Yours! Try These 10 Easy Styles

Wavy lobs, layered pixies, berry highlights...change up your look with one of the season's cutest, no-fuss fall haircuts and hairstyles

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Get out the flatiron! Natural waves have ruled the red carpet for a few seasons, but expect the return of ultra-shiny, super-straight hair—seen here on Amanda Seyfried—for fall.

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Anne Hathaway's current 'do proves that shorn hair doesn't have to be severe. Sideswept bangs and face-framing layers make the style romantic, feminine and flattering to all face shapes. (Make sure your brows are just as beautifully groomed, since this style puts 'em under a spotlight!)

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Tight curls like Brandy's are making a resurgence on the red carpet, but this time around they're bouncier and less tightly controlled than the ringlets of recent years.

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A wide-barrel curling iron gives a chin-length bob uplift and movement—just ask Mad Men's Christina Hendricks.

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Trendy plaits, meet red-carpet updo! Braided crowns like Jennifer Lawrence's are a fresh choice in a sea of chignons and ballerina buns.

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Lots of long blonde layers can look a bit too Real Housewives…especially when extensions are thrown in the mix. Thicker sections, seen here on Kate Hudson, are more modern, but just as sexy.

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Pink strands (whether dyed or clipped-in) were one of summer's biggest hair trends. For a sophisticated fall twist, try a few highlights in a rich shade of raspberry or cherry, à la Kerry Washington.

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A-listers Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston made straight "lobs" the most-requested cut in recent months. Now a new crop of actresses, including Olivia Munn and Rebecca Hall, are giving medium-length hair their own, wavier, twist.

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The first iterations of ombre hair were wild and carefree. For autumn, the color fade is going elegant—as evidenced by Olivia Wilde's polished, high-shine take on the trend.

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Say goodbye to wispy bangs and ask your stylist for a thick fringe that dips slightly lower on the sides, like Taylor Swift's. It's luxurious, glamorous and the perfect way to show off fall's smoky shadows and colorful eyeliner.

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It's About Time! Plus-Size Show a Fashion Week First

Cabiria catwalk show features designer styles for women sized 12 to 24.

By Lesley Kennedy - September 6, 2013

A plus-size designer showed her styles at New York Fashion Week this morning, and, yes, that was a collective sigh of relief you heard from non-waifs everywhere.

But before you strip off your Spanx for good, you should probably note that Eden Miller’s Cabiria line, part of the Fashion Law Institute's spring showcase, was one of a kind.

Never mind that the average American woman wears a size 14. Today.com reports this collection is a Fashion Week first.

“I’m not going to walk in with garbage and just say, ‘Well, I’m this plus-sized designer, you better be glad I’m here,’” Miller, 41, a costume designer, tells the news site of her line featuring bold colors and prints. “I feel that my designs are strong. I like what I’m putting together. I have confidence in my eye. I also hope that it’s received in a similar fashion by those who attend and in the press.”

Cabiria (the name comes from Nights of Cabiria, a Fellini film) sizes run from 12 to 24, and Miller, a size 18-20 herself, calls being chosen to show it in front of the world’s fashion press an honor.

And while almost every model strutting down a catwalk in New York over the next few days will top out at a puny size 2, Cabiria’s inclusion sends a message to retailers, NPD Group fashion industry analyst Marshal Cohen tells the news site.

“This a really good time for designers to take advantage, because the market is absolutely starved,” he tells Today.com, noting that plus-size clothing accounts for just 14 percent of the market.

Maybe there’ll be room for Miller’s designs.

“I remember looking at her line when she came to the clinic and thinking, ‘Wow, I wish she cut clothes in my size,’ because I wear more common sizes,” Fashion Law Institute founder Susan Scafidi tells Today.com. “And immediately, I got it. I suddenly understood, looking at this line of plus-clothing, what so many curvier women feel when they look at the traditional, very narrow range of designer sizes.”

And, as long as the Cabiria presentation wasn’t “a total disaster,” Cohen says, plus-size models will be stomping down the runway soon.

“One thing about fashion, they’re not ashamed to follow success,” he tells the news site. “If somebody else did it well, they’ll come right back and do it themselves in their interpretation, in their way of selling plus-size.”

Spanx? Consider yourself on notice.

Lesley Kennedy writes for ShopAtHome.com. Follow ShopAtHome on Twitter @shopathome and Lesley on Google+.

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Jeans That Will Make Your Butt Look Cute -- For Less Than $50!

Just what you want in an everyday jean: five-pocket styling, a mid-rise waist and a slim—but not suffocating—fit.

To buy: Mango medium wash jeans, $49.99 at mango.com

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Material Grill: Why Is Madonna Sporting a Diamond Mouthpiece?

The 55-year-old icon has been seen rocking a diamond grill on her top teeth lately -- but does it seem more like a mid-life crisis than a fashion statement?

By Alesandra Dubin - August 22, 2013

Earlier this month, Madonna had a birthday. She turned 55. That made a lot of us feel old -- including, probably, Madonna, given that her latest fashion statement looks a little bit like a mid-life crisis.

In Rome on Wednesday, she showed off a big, shiny, flashy grill outlining several of her top teeth. But it wasn't a debut: It's an accessory she's been rocking this summer. She snapped a toothy Instagram selfie a couple of months ago with the caption "Don't hate me. Hate my #grilz." She also wore her diamond-encrusted dental bling while out with her boyfriend in the south of France earlier this month. 

Here's the thing: We've always loved Madonna for her fearless personal style, and for her ability to do, pretty much, whatever the heck she wanted and get away with it. That's because she owned all of her over-the-top style realness, even (or especially) when it came in the form of crazy cone-shaped bras and other out-there concepts.

But we gotta tell ya, Madge. We're wondering about the grill. Is trying to do what 25-year-old Rihanna does really that original? And honestly: Are grills really that cool? (Um, that was rhetorical. Also, recall that not-so-culturally-relevant-anymore Nelly was rapping about them eight years ago.)

Having said all that, Madonna was rocking a gold tooth back in the '90s -- so maybe this is just a new twist on a look the Material Girl truly, authentically loves. She's just, er, expressing herself in a different way.

Let's hear from you: Is Madonna's grill (ahem) over the borderline, or a look you totally cherish? 

Alesandra Dubin is a Los Angeles-based writer and the founder of home and travel blogHomebody in Motion. Follow her on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

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Pin This Now! iVillage & Pinterest Bring DIY Style to Fashion Week

We're making it easy to find your fall style by teaming up with Pinterest for NY Fashion Week

By iVillage - September 5, 2013

It's New York Fashion Week, and for the next seven days we'll be bringing you our favorite ways to have a little fun with fashion.

To kick things off, iVillage editors will be scouring the shows to find the most wearable looks that designers send down the runways. Our fashion blogger friends will be turning up too, sharing some of their favorite ways to make the new season as affordable as it is stylish. And keep an eye out each afternoon for exclusive behind-the-scenes peeks at the prettiest new beauty trends we've snapped at the tents, paired with insider secrets to DIYing them at home.

And this season, we're making it incredibly easy for you to keep track of all the new looks you discover by teaming up with everybody's favorite image sharing site Pinterest. We're really excited to be among a select group of influencers asked to participate in Pinterest's Fashion Week hub, and have created a customized board that'll help you discover DIY looks that are totally you.

Get pinspired by following and repinning our DIY Fashion board!

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Snail Slime. Bird Poop. The World's Most Totally Disgusting Beauty Treatments

Women around the world are trying some pretty out there beauty treatments.

By Tanya Edwards - September 4, 2013 John Robertson/Barcroft Media/Landov

This beauty treatment (shudder) was launched in Japan last year and has made its way to the UK. Proponents believe proteins in mucus from snails that have been fed organic fruits and vegetables fights aging. The treatment involves letting snails crawl across your face while a facialist stands by to make sure they don't go into your eyes, mouth or nose. Cringing hard here.

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The fish pedicure, wherein tiny fish nibble away at the dead skin on your feet, was made famous when a pregnant Kim Kardashian received one while on vacation in Greece — on her reality show, of course. The service is not legal in many parts of the US, due to concerns around infection and bacteria. We'll stick with a hearty scrub with a pumice stone, thank you.

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This procedure is already quite common, as it was originally conceived to create new "nipples" for breast cancer patients after mastectomies. There are artists who specialize in this restorative practice, which is a great way to make women feel good about themselves. However, in the past few years, it has become an increasingly popular practice in the UK to get one's areoles expanded and darkened in a quest for "perfect" nipples. Sigh.

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Think that pretty nightingale can give you great skin? Many women do! Imported from Japan, the "bird poop facial" contains enzymes extracted from the waste of nightingales (don't ask us how that works), brushed on the face to exfoliate the skin, keeping it soft. We'd probably be okay with this if we didn't know where the exfoliant came from. But, we do know. And we can't not know.

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The toe tuck, or toe slimming, is one of those procedures we thought was an urban legend for a long time. Unhappy with the look of wide toes, or wanting to fit into the slenderest of high heels, women are getting portions of their small and large toes "slimmed." This involves cutting the toe open, removing fat, and filing down the bone. That's a lot to fit into shoes. A lot.

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