Daily Pampering: The little black cellphone dress

by Melanie Nayer on

The little black dress is a staple in women’s closets, and soon it will ring. London-based fashion company CuteCircuit has just released the newest version of the Little Black Dress, complete with a cell phone.

Called the “M-Dress” (Mobile Phone Dress), the elegant silk jersey dress also doubles as mobile phone. All you do is slide your standard SIM card into the dress label and you’ll be able to make and receive calls without carrying around your phone. When the dress rings, the simple gesture of bringing your hand to the ear will allow the sensor to answer the call. When you’re done with the call, simply drop your hand and the dress will close the call.

According to CuteCircuit’s website, “The M-Dress was designed after our research showed that very often phone calls are missed because mobile phones are quite awkward to carry, especially for women, that have garments with small or no pockets.”

The LBD of the future won’t be out until sometime in 2011, and the price hasn’t been set yet, but we’re keeping a close eye on this one and will let you know when it’s available (and when we get our hands on one!).

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Socks with sandals? Blame the Romans

by Sean McLachlan on

Last month we reported on a survey of the worst fashion violations men commit while on vacation. Speedos, of course, came in first, and while the banana hammock is certainly the worst of all fashion sins, wearing socks with sandals got high marks too.

Now it turns out we may owe this particular form of geekiness to one of the greatest of all ancient civilizations–the Romans. According to a new excavation in Yorkshire, England, the culture that gave us much of our law, language, and architecture may have also given us this travesty.

Archaeologists excavating a Roman site discovered a rusty nail from a 2,000 year-old Roman sandal that had impressions of fiber on it. Evidence of more socks comes from several Roman graves also found on the site. While Romans often wore boots in bad weather, it appears they didn’t mind using their sandals as long as they had some socks to keep their tootsies toasty.

Yorkshire is full of Roman remains to visit. The Aldborough villa has some wonderfully preserved mosaics, and there are the remnants of a Roman fort near Richmond. Plus local museums are full of Roman artifacts. While exploring England’s rugged north, it’s easy to imagine tough Roman legionaries marching through the moors. Now we have to imagine them with socks on.

Hey, at least the Romans didn’t invent Speedos. Imagine a bunch of greased-up gladiators fighting to the death dressed only in banana hammocks. Um. . .actually don’t think about that.


Image courtesy user Hebrides via Wikimedia Commons.

First look inside the Diane von Furstenberg hotel guestrooms

by Melanie Nayer on

Diane von Furstenberg, the iconic designer of the wrap-dress, has taken her designs from the catwalk to Claridge’s. Now, one of the world’s most revered fashion icons is collaborating with one of London‘s most glamorous hotels to design a series of 20 guestrooms and suites, the first of which were unveiled on June 23, 2010.

Each guestroom features contemporary prints, Chinese florals and animal prints – a few of the patterns synonymous with DVF designs. In addition, each bedroom will have a Diane von Furstenberg custom designed cashmere blanket and feature light fixtures created exclusively for the rooms using Murano glass. Boxes and trays positioned throughout the suites were hand-crafted in Bali and all the handcrafted rugs are from The Rug Company, a long time design partner Diane von Furstenberg’s.The window dressings, inset wall coverings and upholstery, are all part of DVF’s exclusive textile collection and will be made available to interior designers and consumers in September 2010.

According to Claridge’s, each room was inspired by Diane von Furstenberg’s travels. For example, the dressing table recalls trips to Italy, the traveling trunk evokes images of caravans and stylish steamer trunks, and the cocktail bar resembles jewelry boxes found in the Middle East.
%Gallery-97389%

British fashion site to men: Don’t pack the Speedos on your summer holidays

by Leigh Caldwell on

Online fashion store Very says it surveyed 3,000 people to find the worst male summer fashion sins and Speedos and other men’s bikini bathing suits topped the list.

So, Very is urging the so-called “vacuum-packers” who wear the tight suits to leave them at home, and buy a new swimsuit from them, of course.

“As many as one in 10 men say they only go shopping once a year – which may explain why so many men continue to embarrass us with their holiday fashion choices,” according to a Very press release.

The campaign to leave the Speedos at home follows the banning of Speedos at British theme park Alton Towers last year, and I, for one, must say I’m pleased to see the campaign against Speedos expanded to apply outside of the country, as well.

Other men’s summer fashion crimes on Very’s list include the “vacation uniform” of a football (soccer) shirt and shorts, socks with sandals and clashing Hawaiian shirts and shorts.

[Photo credit: Flickr user elastic design]

Diane von Furstenberg designs London’s Claridge hotel guestrooms

by Melanie Nayer on

Ask any jetsetter to show you what’s in her carry-on bag and it’s likely she’ll produce a Diane von Furstenberg dress. After all, the iconic fashion designer does have a way with wraps (her legendary wrap-dress caused a sensation back in the 1970s and today, those dresses are a must-have in many closets).

Now comes word that von Furstenberg is bringing her designer dresses straight to the hotel – Claridge’s, to be exact – the five-star London hotel that she’s been a regular in for almost 30 years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While Armani and Gucci work on the interiors of their new Dubai hotels, von Furstenberg is focused on decorating 20 rooms and suites in Claridge’s, four of which are scheduled to open next week.

“I’m very much a traveling soul. I have spent so much time in hotels. I know what people who stay in hotels need,” von Furstenberg told the newspaper.

According to the article, von Furstenberg had a hand in everything – from paint to furniture to art – in the new hotel rooms. The von Furstenberg designed rooms will also feature a vanity, traveling trunk, desk and cocktail bar that she designed specifically for the hotel.

Ever the traveler, and with a keen eye for fashion and photography, some of the rooms at Claridge’s will also feature personal photographs that von Furstenberg took during her travels to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

[via Wall Street Journal]