Kendra’s Fashion Friday: Halloween Edition!

Are you in desperate need of a last minute Halloween costume? Well, I’ve got you covered on all fronts—from the effortless, to the wacky, to the fashionable, read the suggestions below for guaranteed success!

Wacky: If you want to make a unique statement this weekend, try out one of these hilarious get-ups…

1. Gum under the Table: Make a small cardboard table and wear it on your head. Dress in a cute bubblegum pink number like this adorable dress from ModCloth.

2. Whip Your Hair: Dress like Willow Smith in her "Whip Your Hair" video. Wear white overalls and white boots splattered with different colors of paint. Wear long braids that have been dipped in temporary hair color. Whip your hair!

3. Chip-Monk: Dress in a monk's robe, rope belt, etc., then hot-glue (empty) potato chip and/or tortilla chip bags all over.

Effortless: No time? Don’t worry! The following three clever ideas can easily be created in with things you most likely have hanging around the house.

1. Pinata: Cover yourself with brightly-colored shredded tissue paper. Hand out candy.

2. Cheap Watch Dealer: Wear a large black trench coat with black sunglasses and a black hat. Wear many watches on both wrists, hang more watches/jewelry from the inside of your coat. Look smug and try to talk everyone into buying a "genuine" Rolodex.

3. Bermuda Triangle: Make a large triangle out of cardboard and use straps to hang it on your body. Then find several toy airplanes, ships, and other things that have been lost and never found (like your car keys!), and attach them to yourself inside the triangle. Optional: dress in tropical-themed clothing.

Fashionable: These are by far my favorite. Although these fabulous outfits need a bit more time and attention, you will be the star of the party!

1. Bottle of Champagne: Wear a long, light-gold-toned dress, like this shimmery one from Ralph Lauren. Style your hair piled up, wear lots of body glitter and carry a bottle of bubbles to blow from.

2. Fantana: For something non-alcoholic, wear brightly colored (red, yellow, purple or orange) hot pants or mini-skirt, with a wide belt. Add a matching tank top. Carry around a bottle of Fanta.

3. Chiquita Banana Lady: Make a "hat" out of a basket and fill it with fake fruit. Wear a long colorful skirt and a white peasant top. Add large gold hoop earrings to complete the look.

4. Devil Wears Prada: Make or buy a devil costume. Accessorize with Prada items and

clothing (you don't need the real stuff ...just make your own "Prada" labels).




If you want more fun costume ideas, check out fashion blog Modelinia’s super scary photo collection of top fashion models and muses.

Happy Halloween from all of us at Kendra Scott!

Kendra's Philanthropy Wednesdays: Austin's LIVESTRONG Challenge

A few weeks ago on my Philanthropy Wednesday blog, I wrote about Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Day, which celebrates cancer survivors and raises awareness for the disease that has affected millions of people around the world. As I mentioned, I lost my stepfather to cancer, so the LIVESTRONG Foundation is very close to my heart. This year, I am especially proud and excited because Sarah Ott, one of the gals at my office, took part in this past Saturday’s LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin.

Sarah was part of Team Stanley, a group of 97 people who got up before the sun rose on Saturday morning to walk or run the 5K in celebration of Sarah’s son's close friend, Bret Stanley. Bret was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the young age of 26, but through the advancements of surgery and chemotherapy, he survived. In celebration of his courageous survival, ever since last year, Bret’s family and friends have come together to raise awareness and money for cancer research by participating in the LIVESTRONG Challenge. This year’s large and powerful team of 97, seen in the photo below, stood out in bright turquoise shirts amongst the 10,000 people who showed up for the challenge. Bret’s 87-year-old grandfather even ran in the event!

Sarah’s own husband is also a cancer survivor, so the experience was both inspiring and emotional for her. She said the challenge was very moving and emotional because many of the runners or bikers had shirts on depicting names of friends or family members who they had lost to cancer. The challenge also included a touching ceremony at its conclusion, as all of the survivors lined up to receive a yellow rose. The event took place in Austin, and started on the 1st Street Bridge and went down South Congress Avenue, where Sarah and the thousands of runners and walkers passed right by the new Kendra Scott retail store (coming soon)! Sarah could not say enough about how powerful, amazing, and moving the event was, and she says she'll never miss it from now on. Way to go Sarah! We are all so proud of you at Kendra Scott!

Kendra Scott Flagship Retail Store - Opening November 2010

I am super excited to announce that the first Kendra Scott boutique will be opening this November in the fabulous SOCO district in Austin, Texas! I am thrilled to be open for this holiday season. We are located in the heart of Austin at 1400 South Congress between By George and Service Menswear next door to Perla's (click here for map). This has been a big dream of mine and I am so grateful for having such an amazing team helping to make this come true! Here is a picture of my name in neon lights, thanks to Ion Art. The store will have an amazing selection of my exclusive designs including fine jewelry as well as a live version of my online Color Bar where you can come in, and with the help from a Kendra Scott stylist, create your own gorgeous jewelry that expresses your unique style! Plan to make the store a must stop for your holiday shopping. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Get the Fashion Forecast for Your City, Daily!

No longer do you have to wait for the weatherman's forecast on the temperature and climate every morning before you pick out what to wear. The fabulous StyleCaster.com offers awesome daily "fashion forecast" emails including an overview of the weather in your neck of the woods, as well as great outfit suggestions to correlate! In the midst of my busy schedule, it is such a relief to wake up to a simple e-mail giving me both the report on Austin's temperature AND tips for what to wear. All you have to do is go to StyleCaster.com and sign up with your e-mail address, or

simply download their iPhone application. You will then receive daily messages complete with the high and low temperatures for your city on that day and photos of trendy, weather appropriate looks for your fashion inspiration, like this example from the iPhone app to the right. They even let you personalize your StyleCaster by categorizing their suggested looks into different occasions. So whether you're looking for "cocktail", "everyday casual", or "office professional" wear, they have great tips that won't leave you too hot or too cold! Below is an example of their suggestions for "office professional" wear featuring "dresses" on a "warm" day:

There is an added bonus: if you like anything they have suggested, simply click on the item and it will tell you the price and where to buy it! If you really love the site like me, you can build a virtual closet full of your fashion fetishes, as well as craft an inspiration board that allows you to make a collage out of your favorite images, like the collage below featuring long, full skirts that are super trendy for fall. You can then make your Stylecast profile available for all other users to see, creating a super chic social network. StyleCaster.com has it all!

Kendra’s Fashion Fridays: A Lacey Embrace

One of the biggest trends for fall 2010 is lace! The sexy, feminine fabric is no longer restricted to just intimate wear and lingerie; it’s now being used in every type of clothing and accessory, and it’s at the top of my shopping list! Last night, I went to dinner with one of my good friends and I was obsessed with this amazing lace turtleneck she was wearing, and earlier this week, Taylor Swift’s beautiful lace gown on the cover of this month’s Glamour magazine caught my eye as I was in line at the grocery store.

Celebrities have been spotted incorporating this antique fabric into their glamorous red carpet looks. Lauren Conrad looked amazing in a white lacy little number for her NewYork book signing, while a-listers Kristen Stewart and Camilla Belle stepped out on the red carpet in black cocktail dresses with gorgeous lacey detailing. Michelle Williams proves that lace can be just as chic in a bright color! I love her red lace Erdem dress she paired perfectly with sassy leopard print heels at the London Film Festival.

Celebs have worn this trend in numerous other ways. Emma Watson wore an adorable Alice by Alice Temperly black lace romper to a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows promotion in London, and January Jones was caught stepping out of the car in a beautiful black lace long-sleeve top she smartly paired with sleek heels and skinny jeans. Selena Gomez wore lace pants at a red carpet premiere, and totally rocked it!

Lace was a hot commodity on the fall 2010 runway as well. Valentino incorporated black lace detailing over his nude-colored satin dresses and gowns (below left), and Oscar de la Renta used the fancy fabric in his evening wear looks, like this ultra-girly black tiered lace dress, complete with an adorable bow (below middle). At the Dolce and Gabbana show, lace was also a common thread, showing up in skirts and dresses, and as feminine detailing in business suits. My favorite was this satin D&G leopard print dress complete with edgy black lace sleeves (below right).

This fall, you can find clothes, accessories, and everything in between, adorned in lace detailing. I picked out three of my favorite ways to wear the trend!

1. I love the idea of pairing a sweet, innocent sheer lace top, like this dark gray one from ModCloth.com or this off-white blouse from Revolve Clothing, with some hot skinny jeans and killer high heels or boots.

2. Another great way to get some lace into your fall wardrobe is with an elegant lacey dress, like this charming cream-colored Rich Stitch dress, or this darling black Free People dress with floral lace detailing.

3. Lace skirts are also very trendy for fall. In fact, one of the girls at my office is looking fabulous in a lace skirt today! This Milly lace cream colored mini skirt and ModCloth skirt with both lace and ruffle detailing are both on my wish list!

Get the Mad Men Look With Kendra Scott Stud Earrings

Sunday night’s season finale of the critically acclaimed AMC TV series, Mad Men, ended on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, leaving fans (like myself) anxious and excited for the 2011 premiere of the fifth season. This award-winning (13 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes to-date) drama set in the 1960s in a New York City advertising agency, has brought a wave of vintage 60s flair to the fashion world since it’s first premiere in 2007. What caught my eyes in last night’s final episode was the glimmer of the glamorous studs that sparkled on the ears of all the females in the cast. From the classic, feminine pearls that the straight-lace Betty (January Jones) always wears to the bold, glitzy studs the more daring Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) and Joan (Christina Hendricks) usually put on, studs are undoubtedly the go-to earrings for these leading ladies. Many of the earrings the characters donned reminded me of the studs from my own line.

Check out my new Mayra Studs, part of my new fall/winter 2010 collection. These carved rose studs look quite similar to Joan's big gold studs she often wears.

The statement studs that Peggy wears to compliment the yellow accents on her blue jacket, remind me of my own Carmella Studs, which I offer in a few classic colorways.

These round pin-wheel gold studs that Joan wears with her sassy pink dress are very similar to my Novia Studs in Berry, which are brand new as part of my fall/winter 2010 collection.

If you’re a fan of Betty’s timeless pearls, check out a more modern take on her look in my popular Tavi Stud Earrings in white mother-of-pearl. I offer them in a variety of beautiful colors, and as a special (this week only!), they are 20% off featured as my Daily Deals!

If you're looking for studs that are both fashionable and modern, check out my new Macy Studs, which come in turquoise, cobalt and pink jade. Be sure to check my website to see all the new fall and winter 2010 styles that are being added daily!

Kendra’s Fashion Friday: Fashion Blogger Tommy Ton

Now that Paris fashion week has died down, I decided it was time for me to sift through all the fabulous photos of the catwalk to stay current. While gawking over everything Parisian, I came across some very interesting photos taken by Canadian-born fashion blogger Tommy Ton. I was amazed by how intimate his photos were; Tommy has even admitted that he is a bit of a stalker. His tactics include lurking of the most prestigious fashion shows,

surveying each and every passerby like a hawk in hopes to photograph that one fabulous quilted Chanel bag or Balenciago heel. He is the ultimate fashion voyeur.

I started to research this incredible man and found out that only six months after starting his blog he began to receive over 25,000 hits per day. Now he has his “in” with the likes of Anna Wintour and French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld. I believe that this is because he understands the importance of capturing fashion in its element: on the street where it is raw and real, not styled by a professional or worn by a star on a red carpet. He recently admitted to a reporter, "I realized the power of blogging when I posted a photo of Kate Lanphear's wrist. People contacted me and wanted to see more photos of the bangles on her wrist. It's ridiculous but I understand them completely...they are living vicariously through my blog." This point is exactly whyhas become so famous; his photographs provide an authentic slice of fashion.

Tommy is quickly becoming a sought after photographer, and has an amazing photographic memory that allows him to spot just about any designer label that prances past him on the avenues. He once said about Roitfeld, "She really likes to test me. Once, after I had identified every garment she was wearing, I was thrown by the shoes – but then she told me they hadn't even been on a runway yet."

I recommend taking some time to indulge in a few of his untreated snaps of the world’s most fashionable. You can see more of his gorgeous, intimate photos on his blog at Jakandjil.com