Blog: Off the Cuff

Welcome to my blog, taking you behind the curtain of fashion.
-- Michele

AAAA Basinger 4f7ed0561d1086ffcb22bcc5b8dc38d6

OSCAR RED CARPET: We Wait, We Wince

Forget the glorious circle of life. As Oscar’s red carpet looms, let’s diss about the sometimes less inspiring circle of...
IMG_3804

ENOUGH ALREADY! BAN THESE OTT TRENDS

MAKE IT STOP!   Asymmetrical ruffle tiers -- too many offenders to be named. Piles of patterns -- yes, you...

INNER BEAUTY: ADVENT CALENDARS ARE A WIN-WIN FOR CONSUMERS AND BRANDS

Joy to the girls. The countdown to Christmas is on, via a British holiday tradition that’s gained momentum in the...

CYBER MONDAY READY? OFF THE CUFF’S BEAUTY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

  We can’t help but rhapsodize about beauty options that are beautiful in themselves – no wrapping required! These presentable...
kevinpenelope

DAZZLING DRESSES: 10 MUST-SEES AT MFAH’S OSCAR DE LA RENTA EXHIBIT

Give yourself over to this stylish feast – and reserve two hours for the experience. I loved it so much,...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Forget candy. ‘Tis the season for spooky get-ups. The following looks may get your creative juices flowing for creepy costumes....
Oscar de la Renta for Balmain

DE LA RENTA LIVES ON IN GRAND EXHIBIT

Talk about a grand exit. If anyone knew how to make one, it was late great designer Oscar de la...
tux

DON’T FORGET THE SPEED BUMPS OF FAST FASHION

When will fashion’s revolving door -- which just ejected Lanvin designer Bouchra Jarrar -- slow down? No time soon. “Fast...
IMG_3550

“FASHION CAN CHEW YOU UP AND SPIT YOU OUT” SAYS INSIDER

The talk of this year’s collections isn’t hemlines or hats. It's a searingly revealing interview in rag mag Vestoj with...
Oscar de la Renta in 2010
Photo by Peter Bregg

WHY KIM KARDASHIAN SHOULD LOVE OSCAR – DE LA RENTA

Silly me. When I saw the “Culture” headings on women’s magazine websites, I assumed I’d find more stories about art...
JonathanSimkhai_FW17_Backstage_05

JONATHAN SIMKHAI: BACKSTAGE CONFESSIONS

"I like to design in bursts, so I’ll be running around the office in the morning choosing fabrics, draping on...
Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld

#TBT CHANNELING CHANEL

#TBT  Long before Coachella, there was Karl Lagerfeld, designer at Chanel and Fendi -- and a Renaissance man.
Les Copains Belt Choker

A FASHION STYLIST’S CHEAP TRICK

Wrap a belt around the neck as a choker or around the wrist as a cuff -- as does Les...
Carpet Bag Meets Lawn Mower at Intermix

WHY I HATE #COACHELLA

  Fashion marketers are ruining fashion. Their vehicle? Coachella. The once modest rock event for aspiring indie bands has morphed...
Getty Images

THE EMPRESSES’ NEW CLOTHES

  People keep asking me: “What did you think about the inaugural fashions, and why haven’t you blogged about them?”...
IMG_8183

FASHION’S RUNWAY ROULETTE

  Designers and department stores are endangered species, thanks to fickle shoppers -- and investors.   With runway spectacles instantly...
Courtesy: Gratisography

8 WAYS TO SPEED CLEAN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Courtesy: Gratisography   Mother-in-law -- military inspection. Same difference. There’s nothing like holiday visitors and scant...
xmas-clarins-tonic-scented-candle-400g

MY 5 FAVE PRESENTABLE PRESENTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

No gifts, no time? My top five as-is presentable presents will enrapture, no wrapping needed:   R Nichols’ Glisten Candle...