Contributors

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

HIBERNATION IS OVER! AT LEAST FOR NOW...



Dear readers,
Wait, what readers? I don’t have any readers anymore now, do I?
I have not posted since July.
July, I tell you!  
To justify this lapse in blogging, I will employ the pitiful platitude of “life happened.”
Below is a series of events that recently transpired in my otherwise dull existence. Each event served as a distraction from posting on the blog. Either that or I was just being l-a-z-y. Three cheers for honesty! But, if you would like to know more about the former excuse, then read on:

A SERIES OF RECENT EVENTS (IN MY OTHERWISE DULL EXISTENCE) THAT DISTRACTED ME FROM POSTING ON THE BLOG:

Reason 1: In June, I was bit by the spontaneity bug (and also by the “I-need-to-escape-Brooklyn-now-or-else-I-will-die-a-metaphorical-death” bug), packed my suitcase, and rented an apartment in Washington Heights (a.k.a Jewish Singlesville). The transition wasn’t hard; I simply moved from one littered, humid, urban community to another littered, humid, urban community.


            Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I did not experience the much hyped social dynamic of WH’s Jewish Clique, as many of its members left New York for the summer. Instead, I was simply left to my own devices. I explored the energized Dominican area (in its full blaring glory of Latin music), took pacifying walks in Fort Tryon Park (one of New York’s hidden gems) and spend long summer Sundays in WH’s sole, cramped Starbucks (with its array of hipsters and increased foreboding of neighborhood gentrification).
Reason 2: During this past summer, I had also worked at a non-profit in Downtown Manhattan. I was hired to assist with the organization’s Annual Golf and Tennis Championship. I was assigned the humdrum, but still stressful, administrative tasks. My employer flipped between being charmingly sweet and absolutely terrifying; I never, ever knew what to expect. Of course, in the true spirit of one’s #firstjoboutofcollege, I spent a few days heaving back tears in the ladies room and drying my mascara stained cheeks. After that, I rolled back my shoulders and stepped out of the ladies room with renewed poise. I forced myself to tackle whatever other sharp reprimands Ms. Bossy-Boss stocked up for me, occasionally failing and making a second trip to the ladies room for the purpose of catching all those black-mascara-tears.
After these never-ending days of work, I walked into my apartment and greeted my devoted lovers: the previous night’s leftover pasta and Netflix. And just so you know, after-work pasta and Netflix will always trump blogging for Wear Your Invisible Crown. Always. 
Toward the end of July, the Golf and Tennis Championship finally rolled around. Our organization and its slew of multimillionaires guests were very fortunate; the weather was pristine and perfect for golf. I met a few of the organization’s wealthy donors and scanned the golf course to see whether they had any grandsons. It turns out they didn’t—or at least not any that showed up. Boo!
Reason 3: In mid-July, I applied to a graduate program in English Literature education. While journalism and writing are my first loves, I was tired of interning for low-profile companies that didn't pay me a blessed penny. When applying for actual jobs, I was tired of being blithely ignored by HR representatives. Above all, I was tired of dispassionate unemployment.


I craved stability, and thus opted to teach as a profession. Currently, I am being trained to teach grades 7-12 in NYC Public Schools. I am wary of parts of this job as well; the Department of Education is forever punishing teachers and holding them accountable for stagnant test scores. And because of this (and many other reasons), 50% of public school teachers quit within the first two years. Ah well. All I can do is pray that I’m able to discipline hormone-raging 16 year olds and deepen their appreciation for Shakespeare, Bronte, and Fitzgerald.  Hahahahahahaha. Reality Check: I’ll actually be chased out of the class with frayed copies of The Great Gatsby and an impressive collection of paper airplanes. Now, that sounds more like it.
Anyways, being that this was my first semester of graduate school, I had little time for much else. Not to show off or anything (but really to show off) I’ll say that I wrote exactly 134 pages of academic writing these past few months. Hence, another reason for not posting on the blog.


Final Reason: I recently started to loathe the blogging format (Google’s Blogger). I noticed that all the photos I posted in previous entries have disappeared and that the layout somehow mysteriously gets out of sync. I cannot deal with Blogger’s shenanigans. Some nights I lay in bed dreaming of developing a print magazine that’s geared just for 20-something Jewish singles—a heimeshe and kosher hybrid of Marie Claire and GQ. Until then, I resort to posting on this annoying blogging format—or not. Maybe I will desert you all again. And if I do, then shame on me. You have written charming and witty posts on your blogs, in spite of busy professional and personal lives. I need to learn a lesson from you now, don’t I?

Sincerely,

The Beckster


Sunday, July 21, 2013



Are Blogs Narcissism Amplifiers?

       After a long break involving a move from one NY neighborhood to another and a frenetic season at work, I have returned to the blogosphere in the height of a skin-sticking, sweat-dripping July.
        Absence on this blog has left me with a fidgety, nagging feeling. Over the past few months, I took self-expression by the hand and stuffed it callously into a box labeled “daily grind monotony.”
       At a certain point, I began to look forward to returning to the blogosphere and sinking my teeth into colorful fashion photos, summer makeup woes, posts about the rare existence of available, good men…You know, typical fare for the 23 year old Jewish single female.

        Then, one evening, I came across a website that had an article titled “The 10 Most Compelling Subplots on Your Facebook Newsfeed.” The author (who has a penchant for scribbling bitingly sarcastic articles) listed different types of individuals who grate his nerves on Facebook.
       There were plenty. And according to this author (let’s call him Sir Derisive), “the blogger” is one of ‘em.
        Why? Because the blogger will annoyingly beg, borrow, and steal “likes” on social media. He or she will desperately fawn for approval and coerce others to check out the blog.
       Sir Derisive’s complaint against a blogger’s over-promoting on Facebook didn’t bother me. In fact, I readily plead guilty for scooping a “thumbs up” from Facebook friends like some tyrannical octopus with ravenous suctioning cups. I can over-promote to the point of “Goodness, can we just take this blogger and throw her into a pit full of snakes and scorpions already?” annoyance.


       So, yes, I understand the author’s frustration with bloggers on that account. Social media is the way to promote these days, and some of us (me!) take merciless advantage of it. Thus, I accept this criticism with a humbled heart.
      Yet, what did irk me about Sir Derisive’s commentary was his description of the blog as a “personal narcissism amplifier.”

Monday, May 27, 2013



“I Think When You’re Young You Should be a Lot with Yourself and Your Sufferings….”


       I never outgrew my girlish adolescent habit of sticking overtly sentimental quotes on bedroom walls. My collection is still there, hanging loud and proud, cramped between photos of Lucille Ball and Bette Davis. One of the quotes that I printed out says:
“I think when you’re young you should be a lot with yourself and your sufferings. Then one day you get out where the sun shines and the rain rains and the snow snows and it all comes together.”
Diana Vreeland (1903-1989) Editor at fashion magazines, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. My personal heroine.
       This quote instantly resonated. It was a relief to discover a viewpoint that contradicts the societal assumption that youth is merely an exhaustive string of booze fests, promiscuous nights, and general blitheness. I craved to know that even if my existence failed to measure up to secular depictions of a 20-something woman—with a doting lover on one side and a white-hot career on the other—then I would still be alright. I ached to realize that even if I didn’t meet my community’s standards for the 20-something woman—baking quiches for her in-laws’ arrival and wiping the last traces of ice cream from her toddler’s lips—then I would still be alright.
Expectation of 20-something female # 1              Expectation of 20-something female #2
      I was, as they say, “a mess of a gorgeous chaos” at the time when I came across Diana Vreeland’s words. I desperately needed reassurance that my young years weren’t fleeing me, and if they were, then I still needn’t panic. Sunshine would eventually pour across my shoulders and penetrate into my tired heart… 

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

 
Calling All Makeup Geeks
      While Wear Your Invisible Crown may be an online Mecca for modest fashion posts—or so we humbly hope—it has not dipped its toes in the pool of skincare and makeup. This is quite ironic, as I used to be a makeup hoarder. If a community like M.A.A (Makeup Addicts Anonymous) existed, then I would've be a supporting member. I would have proudly burst into M.A.As with my M.A.Cs.  Yet, after a couple of years, this fixation with eyeliners, lipsticks, and powders dissipated and paved the way for an interest in sartorial style.
      As the editor of this blog, however, I still wanted to have makeup articles for all XX chromosome readers (or XY chromosome readers who find the female universe—brimming with frills, lace, and nail polish—laughably ridiculous and bewildering).
      This explains why when I met Talia Silver, from Silver Linings Makeup Artistry, I grew excited. Talia is a talented makeup artist whose work on clients appears to be both natural and luscious. Neither over-the-top nor too minimal, Talia’s artistry strikes the proverbial “just right” balance. (Check out photos of her work on her Facebook page!)
Talia Silver applying makeup on a client
      We are delighted to have Talia Silver on board as the official Skincare and Makeup contributor. Take a look at her first post below offering excellent advice on "How to Protect and Nourish your Skin; Part 1."

Thursday, April 18, 2013

 BOOK REVIEW
       “Wear Your Invisible Crown” would hereby like to reinstate the Book Review section. (Tada! Did that sound pompous enough?)  Although we’ve covered Motion Picture and Indie films in the past couple of months (Mona Lisa Smile and The Giant Mechanical Man), we haven’t cracked open a book on our blog since October (when we discussed Libba Bray’s Beauty Pageants. Please click on the label below to read that column). The book that we are featuring this month is the #1 New York Times Bestseller Little Bee.
       The back cover of Little Bee proudly asserts “Once you have read this book, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.”  When I initially read this, I scoffed the cynic’s scoff. Will Little Bee really be the kind of book that elicits Twi-hard mania in me? Will it be the type of novel that is so emotionally acute that I’m suddenly inspired to start my own version of Oprah’s Book Club? Will I blog about it?
       Yes, yes, and yes. If Chris Cleave, the author of this novel, hires me as part of his Publicity Staff, then he’ll see an astronomical rise in sales.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013



The Never-Disappointing O.P. and Her Spring Style
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        In the Jewish Girl World, socialite Olivia Palermo is heralded as the fashion equivalent of Harry Houdini. She’s got more style tricks up her sleeve than the rest of us. Olivia is admired for her refined yet contemporary aesthetic, and for her feminine dresses laced with edgy urbanity. Above all, she makes modesty look like the crème de la crème of all styles; highly creative but unpretentious. Do you remember when we featured Ms. Palermo in October’s Style Icon column? (If not, then please click on the Olivia Palermo label below this post!) Although we already covered this socialite’s fashion sense, we would like to reintroduce it in light of the glorious spring season!

Take a look below and see how this style icon brings casual elegance to the warmer months.

Thursday, April 4, 2013



What’s the Best Part of Writing? Writing. What’s the Worst Part of Writing? Writing.
 
       I recently received a letter of critique from an acclaimed Jewish female novelist. I do not know her personally. My brother shares a mutual friend with this author and when meeting her said “My sister is an aspiring writer, perhaps you can take a peek at her writing samples and guide her a bit?” Thank you, dear brother.
      I was willing to send this writer (let’s call her Madame W) a few college thesis papers to evaluate. Well-researched and analyzing Bronte, Faulkner, and Grimm’s Fairy Tales, my college essays are certainly more refined and *ahem* grammatically correct than my fashion-centric blog posts.  Or so I hope.
      Yet unknown to me, Madame W had already glanced at Wear Your Invisible Crown with the austere, Judge Judy-ish eyes of a creative writing professor. Oy vey. 

Monday, March 18, 2013

 
 
Wear Your Invisible Crown will be taking a blogging break until after Pesach. What’ll be after that? LOTS of posts on Jewish Talent/Events, articles for the Jewish 20-something girl, and of course Modest Fashion/Style. Stay tuned.

 
Until then…happy cleaning and have an excellent Chag!
 
 

Monday, March 11, 2013


A Study in Contrast Part 1:
 
Skirts + Combat Boots
 

Or “How my Ex-Prof Influenced my Style.”
 
Photo via Stockholm Street Style
 
"Why would you want coherence and harmony from youth? Youth is about mashing, breaking and reassembling life to find new answers for your generation. That’s one of the reasons youth moves fashion, they haven’t found their harmony yet, and I’m thankful for that.” –Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist
 
       Welcome to our NEW monthly column on Wear Your Invisible Crown called “A Study in Contrasts.” (Please click on the “Study in Contrasts” label below to view our introductory article). This column will examine ensembles that may seem atrocious-looking on paper, but in reality, exude pure intrigue. The ‘philosophy’ behind this column is that youngsters often turn to fashion to mirror their befuddled identities and subconscious quirks, thus resulting in outfits that juxtapose a variety of aesthetics and stylistic influences.

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Photo via www.Luckymag.com
 
        I personally have a tendency to pair oxfords or combat boots with flared, floral skirts (hence Alexa Chung is one of my favorite style icons). But seriously, if I can, then I will wear this kind of ensemble. Overtime, I became addicted to mixing the masculine with the feminine.
        One morning in October, I unexpectedly paused during my mad dash to college. I was in middle of tying my laces, when the dancing light of an epiphany blazed over my weathered combat boots. The reason why I was drawn to masculine + feminine pairings was suddenly revealed (albeit at the very inconvenient time of trying to catch the Q train).
This epiphany involved one of my ex-college professors. Let’s call him Mr. K.I.A (which stands for “Know-It-All”)

Friday, March 8, 2013


Happy Women’s Day Dear Readers!
 
-Wear Your Invisible Crown

Thursday, March 7, 2013


Wear Your Invisible Crown’s Spring 2013 Faves: Part II
 
       In line with our recent post “A Study in Contrast,” we enthusiastically introduce Dries Van Noten’s Spring 2013 collection. This collection married two very different stylistic genres—Kurt Cobain grunginess and frou-frou florals—in order to create unpredictable beauty. More than any other Spring 2013 collection, Dries Van Noten’s perfectly embodies “A Study in Contrast.”
       This Belgian-born designer, known for his humility and innovation, generally thrives on idiosyncratic taste and style “that reroutes us from the ordinary.” This season he fashioned plaid, which is usually associated as boyish, into airy chiffon and taffeta. Van Noten continued to investigate “masculine + feminine” intrigue by pairing plaid with floral appliquĂ© skirts. He also styled plaid skirts with leopard print clutches. “The more clashing there is, the more I like it!said Van Noten.
 
 
Scroll down to see how YOU can easily adapt the nonchalant elegance that defines Dries Van Noten Spring 2013.

Monday, March 4, 2013



The Giant Mechanical Man
A Movie about Postmodernism, Struggle & the Power of being Genuine
I usually experience the abrasive reality of postmodern life during the Subway’s rush hour.
      You see, at my previous employment, the commute from my house to the Upper East Side was utter agony. I’m the official “Priestess of the Non-Morning People Population,” (that’s a mouthful, I know) but I would attempt to unglue my body from the bed anyways.
       When I boarded the overcrowded train, my lethargic brain had difficult time processing information. I couldn’t read. I couldn’t mumble Tehillim. All I could do was slink my body against the train’s door and examine my fellow commuters. Who are these people? As a writer, I yearn to know another’s story. Why is he dressed like that? What country is she from? How did that couple meet? What is he reading on his iPad? I will never know their story. They will also never know mine.

Sunday, March 3, 2013



A Study in Contrasts
Photo via The Sartorialist

       A week has passed since Purim and I’m still contemplating it. I was going to dress like a gypsy. I wished to embody that free-spirited woman; fresh from the fight and raw with restlessness. I envisioned my dark hair gloriously unrestrained, bangles creating music with every moment, a folkloric patterned skirt sweeping the floor. Yet, waking up on Purim morning, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and mumbled “nah—not in the mood.”
      What to do? What to do? I initiated an invasion of my mother’s vintage-laden closet. There was a psychedelic top from the 70s, a few flannel shirts from the 90s, and wait a minute—what’s this? I excitedly eyed a hat perched on my mother’s shelf.
It was a round straw hat with a dainty veil attached. Made in England! Very Duchess Catherine. Very “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
I swooned at the hat’s effeminate beauty. All I needed was a quintessentially British suit and I would be all set.
“Ma, do you have a tailored, ladylike suit? I need it for my costume.”
“No, I don’t” she said perusing her closet.  
“Hey! What about this one?”  She pointed at a mustard-yellow power suit with shoulder pads the size of my face.
This monstrosity? I balked. If I were to wear this outfit, then I would look like the hypothetical love child of Princess Diana and Superman.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013



Is Everyone on Facebook Having Fun Except Me?
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        Have you seen yesterday’s article dubbed “We Need to Quit Telling Lies on Facebook” by Sarah Emily Tuttle-Singer (a guest contributor on Kveller.com)? Sarah’s article is hilarious and saturated with truth. She coaxes herself, and other parents, to paint a more realistic portrait of their life on social media:  
“My life on Facebook is an airbrushed and instagrammed image of my real life,” Sarah claims. “I edit the suckage because I want people to think I have my act together. I give everything a hipstacular filter to make the drudgery look interesting. Most of the time, I think I’m a decent mom, and I think I’m giving my children a pretty good life. But I also think I’d be a better mom if I stopped pretending, and making friends on Facebook feel like they have to pretend as well.”
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        Since this blog is geared towards (mostly) 20-something singles, here’s a post that carries the same theme and relates it to our age-group. It may come across as a bit of a downer—but it ends with a single line that brings our Internet-absorbed, Twitter-lovin’, Facebook-fueled selves back to earth; a place where we must take off our synthetic masks in order to breathe.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013


St-EYE-lista;
Editor’s Edition
 

Welcome back to our bi-monthly column: The “St-EYE-lista”! This column features an individual whose personal style captured our EYE and whose fashion sense can be reinterpreted for the modest dresser. From talk-show hosts to socialites and from Creative Directors to bloggers, Wear Your Invisible Crown prides itself on revealing the kaleidoscopic gamut of fashion ingĂ©nues and icons. From January until March we will specifically focus on style icons who are (or once were) Editors of prominent fashion publications. We look forward to presenting our audience with an array of style and information regarding our featured Editors. Enjoy this special one!
 
 
       There are certain runway clothing that will make your face contort into a “who-on-G-d’s-green-earth-would-wear that?” kind of expression. They just will.
       Alexander McQueen can send a gown down the runway that will make your eyes voice shock and your nose scrunch in disapproval. Well, while you’re sitting in the Front Row and clutching your poor heart, there is someone out there whose eyes are expressing rapture and whose lips are positively dancing.
“Bellisma!” she exclaims, clapping her jewelry laden hands together.   
That someone is Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Japan, Anna Dello Russo.
       Described as a “Fashion Maniac” by legendary photographer Helmut Newton, Anna Dello Russo approaches style with the sheer enthusiasm of a 5-year old girl playing dress-up. Her frocks, skirts, and shoes (she has 4,000 of those!) are ridiculously ostentatious. Exaggerated silhouettes that remind one of a vulture, hats shaped like eggs, fiercely colored shoes—this woman owns it all.
In addition, if the name "Anna Dello Russo" rings a bell, there’s a chance you heard it this past Fall. In October 2012, Anna designed a delightfully gaudy accessories collection for H & M.
We specifically chose to feature Anna Dello Russo prior to Purim, because perhaps HER everyday wear can potentially inspire YOUR costume. Who knows?
CAUTION: You’ll need just a bit of humor to appreciate this enamoring lady.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013


 
Mona Lisa Smile
A Movie of Female Empowerment
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This past Saturday night, during a trip to Miami, my friend and I chose to stay in. (Yes—we’re prone to dullness at times). Our hotel *cough, cough* (a 1 star, mind you) barely offered 15 TV channels (7 of which were in Spanish and 1 in French). Oh, and did I mention that a remote control was non-existent?
We took turns to drag our lazy backsides off the bed and be the official “channel switcher.” Eventually we succumbed to a laptop and Netflix.
My friend and I opted to watch a film called Mona Lisa Smile starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, and Julia Stiles. (My friend likes Julia Roberts and I like the “Mona Lisa.” Thus, it was a fairly easy way to compromise).
Mona Lisa Smile is about an Art History professor named Ms. Watson (played by Julia Roberts) who arrives at Wellesley College in 1953. This professor notices how the all-female student body analyzes art. They utilize rigid textbook methodology. The way they approach their personal lives is not that different either. These young women are expected to marry young and become homemakers extraordinaire. Once married, they are to vacuum, iron, and cook perfectly—with lusciously lined lips and coiffed curls of course.
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         What makes Ms. Watson indignant is seeing how her students’ sole drive is to marry well and embody the stereotypical 50’s housewife. She watches how her otherwise intelligent students shrug off their talents in favor of a purely domestic lifestyle.
         Predictably, Ms. Watson’s feministic philosophies are quickly upended by fierce opposition (from both teachers and students). It was the ‘50s after all. In spite of this, Ms. Watson continues to bulldoze over “a woman’s boundaries” by telling her students that they have a choice: They do NOT have to belittle their ambitions because of marriage. They can do both—career and family.
         This subject is obviously exhaustive and hackneyed: “Women and Work,” “Women and Family,” “Women and Societal Expectations.” We’ve seen and heard and read it all. Right?
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Vogue December 2012
 
But four days later, and I'm still contemplating this movie. The characters reminded me of my former classmates, my fellow Synagogue-goers, my neighbors, and of....yours truly.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013


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It all began when my older brother was able to get greatly discounted tickets to this year’s “Disney on Ice” at Barclay’s Center. He gathered his little brood of boys and offered tickets to his nieces and nephews as well; it was a sweet Chanukah present for all the children. An extra pair of hands was needed to chaperone, so they gave the ever-dutiful Aunt (me!) a ticket as well.
To the outer world, I like to pretend I’m a trendy yuppie with a hopping social calendar. I meet the girls for drinks, then I attend some swanky East Side professional-networking event, and finally, I freshen up my lipstick to meet a dashing date.
Yeah right.
My reality is more “with the kids” than “with the band.” More “Dora the Explorer,” less 22 year-old exploring. Of course I love being with my nieces and nephews, but whenever I attend a Sesame Street Show at Madison Square Garden (3 times so far) or toddlers’ amusement park, I’m reminded of how “un-adultish” my existence truly is. When my friends are too occupied to meet me (which is usually the case), I’m left with no other alternative but to color, er, paint the town with a trio of 5-year olds. If it involves a stash of Care-Bear DVDs and Mott’s apple juice on a Saturday night, then so be it.
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As far as this “Disney on Ice” situation? It was different than the usual “Oh-my-G-d, why-am-I-here?” sentiments that Uncle Moishe concerts brew in me. I haven’t seen a Disney film in years, but when Sebastian sang “Under the Sea” while doing Triple-Axels that evening, I felt very happy. You read that correctly. Happy.

Sunday, February 10, 2013


Color Coding
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Miroslava Duma in a Dior Coat

Our monthly column "COLOR CODING" is baaack baby! Click on the “Color Coding” label below this article to see our previous Color Coding posts (if you haven’t seen them already).
February’s color is FUCHSIA. Sure this color may be reminiscent of all those cheesy, jaunty hearts plastered in every store in honor of Valentine’s Day. But I assure you that is not why I chose this color for February. I care not for this holiday. Firstly I’m single, and secondly Saint Valentine has Christian roots (did the term Saint give it away?).
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Diane Von Furstenberg Fall 2012
Valentine’s Shmalentine’s aside, I chose fuchsia because it’s a perfect bridge between winter and spring. Its jewel-like tone suggests winter depth, while its undeniable buoyancy alludes to sunnier months ahead. Simply stated, fuchsia works beautifully in all seasons, as it does on all complexions. This  color  is able to suffuse warmth into every skin tone...from ivory to ebony.
What I especially like about fuchsia is that it’s feminine without being overtly girly. Unlike a paler pink, fuchsia is more ballsy. This color possesses the “characteristics” of the woman I’d like to become. Fuchsia also made an appearance on Zac Posen's Spring 2013 runway. Check out this beauty!
Zac Posen Spring 2013
Here are a few ways to don this hue
 in the upcoming months: