fashion mash-up

It's so totally awesome that spring is here, summer will follow and we get to break out our itty bitty sexy tees and mini's, tanks and kini's. It's time for backyard barbeque's and our favorite summer songs to dance away the sunsets to. I love a music mash-up, when a DJ blends together two songs to make one glorious tune. And when it comes to clothes, I can't get enough of a good fashion mash-up. Of which there are a ton this season. Robertson Ave. favorite Catherine Malandrino has paired up with preppy sportswear brand Lacoste for a 12 piece collection that rocks iconic tennis chic. Malandrino, a tennis player herself, adorns the sporty glam pieces which include slouchy harem pants, wide-leg trousers, pleated miniskirts, tie-dye polos with bat-wing sleeves, and collared crochet gowns that graze the floor with Lacoste's logo, the crocodile. Over in the home department, Italian luxury brand Missoni has paired up with budget friendly Target on everything from clothes to bed sheets to dinnerware to bikes, all in Missoni’s signature swirls, zigzags, and near-hallucinogenic florals. And already on the likes of fashion darlings Rachel Bilson and Rose Byrne is the Derek Lam collection for eBay. E-commerce genius. The designer designed an assortment of iconic dress styles he envisions for every woman's wardrobe and you can bet they are selling out quickly. Will you bid on it?

The Indie "IT" Bag and Emerging Bag Trends

I had the honor of sitting on the pre-judging panel of the Indie Handbag Designer Awards this past weekend. 800 contestants, 8 categories and a whole bunch of creative, cool and relatively kooky submissions. Being somewhat of a bag lady myself, I have really honed in over the years on what my aesthetic is: classic, timeless and structured. If I'm going trendy, it's a Tory Burch Robinson Tote and mini. If it's a major statement I am making, it's the Hermes Birkin. So going into the competition, I knew what I would like and what I wouldn't. Some trends absolutely emerged from the many submissions. Orange is the "it" color and the all natural, cork is a fast rising star. Staying true to my personal bag style, I thoroughly enjoyed the Fiona cork baguette from Jess Rizzuti. And my overall favorite was a satchel-y, structured leather tote with a cotton, eco-accent body and leather tassel from Indigo Blue. I finished the day knowing that cork is an absolute fashion MUST-HAVE moving forward this Spring and Summer, so keep an eye out ladies, for a fab and Earth-friendly cork purchase.

And if you want to vote for the Audience Fan Favorite, you've got until June 6. Click here: www.instyle.com/ihdapoll

HOUSE OF DIEHL VINTAGE & THRIFT SALE TODAY!

HUNDREDS OF PIECES FROM HOUSE OF DIEHL’S STYLE WARS VINTAGE & THRIFT ARCHIVES UNLEASHED AT CRAZY PRICES! ITEMS START AT $5 AND MOST DON’T TOP $50….

WE'RE TAKING YOU BACK...way back, to a time when...Girls wore Uggs at Soho House without panties or irony; when "Shop ‘til you Drop" referenced your LSD-consumption, not your sample-sale consumption; when Michael Jackson was Black and Neverland Ranch was the ultimate sleepover; when “Green” was a color not a controversy; when Luke Perry was bigger than Katy Perry, and kissed way more girls; when JFK was sexier than SJP; when Studio 54 was Studio 24....

DETAILS: Browse a well-curated mix of fashion gems from the 1960s to today —YSL, Versace, Marc Jacobs, D&G, Balenciaga— plus more crazy-cool fashion finds, experiments, and trendy basics, at the Style Wars HQ. **Complimentary wine served.

**LIKE STYLE WARS: A dedicated rack of choicest finds for Style Wars fans. Plus, 10% off all purchases and even more goodies…
http://www.facebook.com/StyleWarsLive

**Designer/Style Battler Chris Habana will also be on hand selling his insanely kick-ass jewelry.

Time/Locale:
4-9pm
House of Diehl studio, 19 West 26th St., Fl 5, NYC
Between 6th and Broadway

+++Please note this is a Style Wars benefit event. If you don't know shit about Style Wars, know this: Style Wars supports the most daring, creative, innovative design talent--WORLDWIDE. And, throws some kick ass parties! For more info on Style Wars go to www.houseofdiehl.com/stylewars

what time is it?

One of my earliest childhood style memories was when I was given a Swatch Watch on my 9th birthday. Swatch had just recently issued a series of smelly watches and the semi-see through jelly band was scratch and sniff, so that, not only did I look super cool, my wrist smelled of sweet strawberries. The better to intoxicate the 5th grade boys with... And then came Pop Swatch, a pop art watch face that you could attach to clothing. What would Miuccia have to say about that? Through the years, the style of the Swatch watch has grown up to include quite a mature timepiece while keeping the casual ethos of the original "second watch" vibe. Recently, on a trip down memory lane, I popped into the Swatch store in Soho to check out what the brand is up to. What I found were sherbert colored pieces that doubly wrap around the wrist, appropriately entitled 'The Lady Collection". So fun. So chic. So SWATCH. I picked up a fab olive strap that goes great with Michael Kors oversized mens gold piece. Two watches together!? Oh yes, ladies! That's what time it is!!

the weight loss of OZ

I've got a new Glamour post on bathing suits up now that you can read here. To best fit into my bathing suit, there are a few 'get thin quick schemes', I'm not willing to do anything illegal or stupid. So, I wrote a quick email to my friend Dr. Oz Garcia, not to be confused with THE Dr. Oz, but who, with three best selling books, is equally sexy and qualified. I wanted to know what I could do in the next day, week, month to get bikini ready without having to get on the Stairmaster from now until then. According to Oz, losing weight quickly, but healthily means increasing your intake of healthy foods, avoiding the guilty pleasures and getting more exercise in than usual, which is what I suspected. He also suggests avoiding salt to reduce bloat, drop carbs and to stay hydrated and rested, allowing the body to run at optimal health. Easy enough. I'm in.

tea party

bridesmaids

hilarious! a MUST SEE. the all female cast is incredible. and kudos to director paul feig for making my new favorite.

go FAB yourself!

Fabulous on a Budget is the lifestyle manifesto for living la dolce vita on a dime. Leah and Mary initiated this concept back in 2004 while lounging poolside at The Ritz. As the girls survived on student salaries, they still managed to indulge in weekly manicures, a healthy dose of heels, and beach side residence. As everyone wanted to learn how, the duo set up shop to do just that, proclaiming to the world, “Everyone can be Fabulous!” Check out my new Glamour post and their adorable, limited edition tee with proceeds benefiting Japan, here.

liv loves denim!

my new glamour post, up here now, covers the behind the scenes happenings at the opening of stella mccartney at the flagship saks fifth ave. in nyc. hosted by the lovely liv tyler, I had the opportunity to ask both ladies what their favorite looks of the Spring are. and if u know your fashion, stella is doing a lot of denim this season. and liv loves the looks. I asked her, besides the denim, what is her favorite trend? fashion conscious liv admitted she doesn't follow trends and just loves what she wears any time, any day. she did give a nod to the comfy romper... and to her favorite stella mccartney little black dress that hangs in the closet from over a decade ago when she met stella at kate's house. kate moss, of course.

holiday haul

get your romper right here!

there is a lot of buzz on my new glamour post, now up here, in regards to the romper. some feel like it's childish. others think it's the bee's knees. personally, I'm with the latter. especially when you can purchase a great looking piece at kmart for under $20. find it here.

elizabeth taylor is a goddess

always at the top of my style inspiration list, read about her serpent jewelry on my new glamour post up now. love la liz as much as I do? click the facebook 'like' link on the glamour page and share it with friends via twitter.

Kate Middleton's Look for Less

wanna win some free Spring beauty goodies?

See my #YoungPosh Spring survival kit in the May issue of Glamour Mag on stands now! Enter UPC code on Twitter @glamalert.com for your chance to win a very cute cosmetic bag filled with beauty yummy. And follow me @Jess_Zaino!

introducing... beautiful boutiques

my american road trip

I was asked by banana republic to interpret the great american road trip as part of their "journey in style" campaign. seeing as how new yorkers transport via subways and yellow taxi cabs in collective morning commute, my perspective of a road trip is different then say, campers in north dakota.

beautiful stranger

According to Christina Brinkley of The Wall Street Journal, "Now comes the age of attractive strangers". Beauty and fashion site Beautiful Stranger takes the cake on finding style on the street. And they happened to be on my street not long ago. For more, click here and please 'like' my feature. It makes a strange girl like me feel beautiful ; )

Occupation: Producer, Writer, Occasional TV Host, Style Ninja, Social Media Pioneer, Good-Time Gal

Home: Upper East Side, NYC

Spotted: Upper East Side

Hails from: Long Island, NY

Her blog: www.Jess-Zaino.com

What she’s wearing: Shoshanna dress, Tommy Hilfiger trench, Steve Madden wooden heels, L'eggs Profiles, Tarte Lip Stain

Fave item in her closet: “My Prada virgin lambswool black dress. I feel like Sophia Loren when I wear it.”

Inspirations: “NYC, Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Fran Lebowitz, Coco Chanel, Edith Piaf, Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall, Michelle Obama, Milly, Shoshanna, Kate Spade, Chateau Marmont, the Crosby Street Hotel, Lonnymag.com, Tina Fey, Jessica Simpson, Gwyneth Paltrow, my friends, family, love.”

Look she’ll be sporting for spring: “Sleeveless Ikat jumpers, Proenza Schouler Perfed Wooden Wedge, Roy Orbison sunglasses by Rodarte for Opening Ceremony and lots of natural gemstone jewels stacked with gold.”

Top online shop: Zappos

On-land: Bergdorf Goodman and Target

Fave designers: “Lanvin, Shoshanna, and yes, Jessica Simpson.”

How she'd describe her style: Cheap Chic. “I can rock an outfit that doesn’t cost lots and yet inspires ‘where’d ya get that?’ on the daily.”

Beauty buys: Carol’s Daugher Foam Face Wash and Toner, Ole Henricksen Truth Serum and Express the Truth facial lotion, Molton Brown body wash, L’Oreal EverpureRosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner, Chanel Rouge matte red lipstick, “and Rosebud Salve for everything.”

Her 3 scents: Stella Nude, Apothia Child and “my boyfriend’s Tom FordGrey Vetivier.”

Worth the splurge: Travel. “I’m just back from Buenos Aires and readying a trip to Paris, Geneve, Provence and the Italian Riviera in a few weeks.”

Free-time fun: Reading, spa-ing, yoga-ing, walking, kissing

Where she does Yoga: YogaWorks

Music she grooves to: Charles Trenet, Trace Adkins, Cee-Lo Green, Paul Simon, Slayer

Fave restaurant: Yuka on 81st Street

How she’s reducing her carbon footprint: “Changing my lightbulbs to LED, turning off the water while brushing, and investing in global green clothing."

Charities she supports: Human Rights Campaign and Let's Move

The Glam List #27: The Turtleneck

Do you LOVE*deep?

Like Ghandi fasts for his cause, in the name of The Urban Grocer, I'm starting up the NYC fave, spiritual juice cleanse, Love Deep by Organic Avenue. Tomorrow. LOVE*deep is a 5-day deep dive into pure liquid nourishment. So, yes, no food. For a foodie. I love the metaphor of Spring springing, the ressurection of a new spirit and the unveiling and revealing of a new me. So stay tuned.

how to tie a head scarf

while waiting for my fabulous friend, kathryn finney aka the budget fashionista to get back from chicago, so we can shoot her how-to on the head wrap, here's a simple and authentic african guide to get you started