Blog - Sharon Haver - FocusOnStyle.com

Cannes Do Chic: Can’t beat a timeless crisp blue shirt a la Sofia Coppola

It's that time again... my favorite red carpet. The one where everyone looks so pulled together, so classic, so Cannes Do Chic (click on that for past coverage)! Yup, it's the Cannes Film Festival so let's get our style sparks going with some inspirational I'll Have What She's Having starting with Sophia Coppola's crisp blue shirt. When you're looking for a simple, chic, ageless, and E.A.S.Y. way to get out of the house for running around town, the office, or even a film festival photo call, look no further than modeling Sophia's signature clean and minimal style into your wardrobe. Take a look at the snap above of Sophia standing with the French actress Carole Bouquet and you don't need any extra convincing. Her signature

Dear Sharon: Hello! I have a short torso on top of being only 5'2". I am definitely not a size zero but I am not on the big side either. I have a terrible time finding clothes (mostly dresses) that fit right. It is so frustrating I can't leave a store without crying or being very upset and EMPTY HANDED! What kind of dresses would you suggest? (via Fashion Advice) >> RELATED: How to Dress For Your Body Type Guide, the most popular posts on what to wear for a flattering tip Whew, don't cry. No body is perfect. When you want to know how to dress a short torso what you want to do is visually lengthen rather than foreshorten or obviously define your

Kid in a candy story time! And a dirty little beauty fake it secret... If you love makeup and how it can change your looks from glum to glam, you're gonna like this one. Especially, some of the tricks of the beauty trade. First thing to consider is that all makeup is not created equal. There's consumer cosmetics that many times have more advertising puff than powder puff. And then there's the pro brands that must stand up to the close eye of a camera. Professional makeup usually has a bigger bang for the beauty buck and tends to go on more even and lighter to allow for retouching without buildup. From selfies to big time, we all deserve to

Shoe Alert: A couple of summers ago, I bought a pair of Puma by Hussein Chalayan Black Label open toe wedge bootie platform net sneakers. Let's break that down. I have never been a fan of open toe booties, most hybrid sneakers, and net shoes, well... BUT, I loved these shoes. Wore them to death as they were one of the most comfortable summer shoes ever that seemed to work with just about everything in my closet. You can tell from the snap above, that I've left the skanky, worn out pair in my closet because I couldn't bear to part with them (yet). Here's my morning thrill. Puma knocked themselves off, and at a fraction of the price that

Or, what my mom taught me about quality, bargains & a discerning eye I had an early Mother's Day surprise when my husband unearthed a few envelopes of photos while he was hunting through some storage. This set of pre-digital pics were most likely what I had given my mom when my son was an infant. And, now ended up being tucked away in a box. What a pleasant surprise to see photos of my mom with my 11 week old baby, and of my little white girl poodle who was always on high alert watching over my son. There's even a snap with Po, the favorite Teletubby, all pictured above. In honor of Mother's Day, I started thinking about some of

Italian street chic is one vibrant source of inspiration that's worth giving a go when looking to give your look a playful yet grown-up sense of whimsy... Dear FocusOnStyle: What is Italian street chic? I am going to a event where this style of dressing in required. Please help. Grazie -P.G (M.C via Fashion Advice) Unlike the timeless simplicity of quintessential French Chic, a quick scan through Italian street style images sets one thing for certain; the Italians do have more fun with it and a zest for the livelier sartorial options. >> Catch Up on Italian Style with these posts While shoes and accessories are on the more playful, glamorous side (think high and shiny), what's the most distinctive about Italian street style is both their

I popped uptown yesterday to the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute’s new Anna Wintour Costume Center for the press preview of its first exhibition, Charles James: Beyond Fashion spotlighting the career of the legendary 20th-century Anglo-American couturier (1906–1978). Through the years, I've seen pieces of James work and many of the gowns on display seemed like beautiful old friends that I was delighted to reaquaint with. But it wasn't a gown that made me smile. The first down jacket, and it was couture. It was seeing his white celenese satin jacket with eiderdown filling, 1937, a textile based sculpture in response to the boxy fur jackets that designer Elsa Schiaparelli was showing and what many women wore at the time. Love it or leave it, this

Let's call this week's review of FocusOnStyle's 15th anniversary online post, the anti- Mommy Chic battle of those who overdo and those who purposely schlump out, and the relvelation that comes from their "sameness," even though they may think they are light years apart. As we gear up to Mother's Day let's look back at the neighborhood of the mom's at my son's elementary school, the ones I called the YUMDAF's and the OAFH's. -S.H. Mommy (Un)Chic: Mommyheads Blowin' In The Wind... Dear Diary: One of the more interesting aspects of motherhood is that you find yourself thrown into a pool of people whose interests and social makeup are as dissimilar to yours as a bee is to a baby elephant. But that should make it interesting,

Red Carpet Beauty: Gugu Mbatha-Raw is definitely a name to watch. For the premiere of ‘Belle’ in New York the other night, Gugu's natural hair and makeup stunned on the red carpet and off. It's not the fussiness and doneness that we often associate with red carpet beauty, it's that grace and prettiness which can be worn any time of the day. Thrilled to have celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose who used Juara skincare products share his makeup tips with you. Nick created a makeup look based on fresh, spring, sun kissed skin with soft, plum smokey eyes and peach lips and cheeks to complment what she wore. “Gugu is wearing a green dress that has a gorgeous golden sheen to it. Her jewelry has

I'll Have What She's Having: Jessica Alba's casual runaround style is something to take note of next time you are out & about and on the go... The actress and busy mom recently stepped out in your average but forever stylish plaid top and jean ensemble recently but what made her look so memorable was her gorgeously face framing vibrant ombre topper. And what is becoming a signature cute floppy fedora for her too! So next time you are heading out the door ready to combat your daily routine, think about opting for something similarly distinctive while avoiding having to sacrifice comfort. Just look at how arresting she looks without having to try too hard. >>More Casual Chic What makes Jessica's casual

On Trend- How To Wear White Right a la Gwyneth Paltrow and Kelly Rutherford

For this week's 15th Anniversary of FocusOnStyle online, and in honor of the warmer weather (finally!), let's revisit timeless tips on how to wear white BEFORE the old adage of waiting for Labor Day. I don't know about you, but looking light & brght is tops on my list after this wicked winter. Postcript: since the writing of this post, I know own a couple more white coats! --S.H. >> RELATED: White Clothing Care Tips- You Don’t Have To Marry the Drycleaner (if you don’t want too) I'll Have What She's Having: White clothing tips to not look like a bride, a nurse, or the Good Humor man! According to old school fashion rules, Memorial Day is the official time to finally break

Spring comfort shoes mark a trend that's worth taking from the runway... Finally, in style and practical options are here! Ok, some will call them ugly. Let's just say they're stylishly ugly (how's that for a fashionable oxymoron?). After years of seeing girlfriends in freakishly tall platform heels and wearing confining yet proper shoes myself, I for one am on board with what's been coming down the runway, and you should be too. Might I add, this is one throwback I'm willing to try as the comfort shoe trend is just as easy as it sounds. >>Back to Basics: The Return of The Chic Sneaker Back in the 90's, it was a big departure from my preppy phase to go

What is American Cool? One of the highlights from our family trip to Washington, D.C. this weekend was taking in the "American Cool" exhibition of 100 People Who Define Cool in Arresting Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery. It's a collection of 100 photos that go deep into the soul of those who posess that certain edge. In this selfie world of "duck lips" and "signature poses" we often lose the spontainaity that comes with honestly capturing oneself as these photos of icons Laureen Bacall, Patti Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Depp, Michael Jordan, Deborah Harry, Susan Sarandon and the spontenaity of those images work to showcase each subject's individual style. Honestly, cool is probably the most overused word in my personal vocabulary.

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The Blog Posts...

Cannes Do Chic: Can’t beat a timeless crisp blue shirt a la Sofia Coppola

Stylist Advice: How to dress a short torso

BIG beauty round up: What makeup do professional makeup artists really use?

Puma knocked itself off and I want in!

The Shopping Gene…

Stylist Advice- What is Italian street chic?

A sneak peek into Charles James: Beyond Fashion at the Met

Uma Thurman’s Motherhood was my yucky pill

So pretty on the red carpet or off

Something to focus on: Jessica Alba style inspiration for casual runaround easy chic on the go

On Trend- How To Wear White Right a la Gwyneth Paltrow and Kelly Rutherford

Yes, I’m telling you to wear ugly shoes! Spring Comfort Shoes are not just for the schlumpy set

American Cool: What is cool to you?

Female Entrepreneurs: Helping You & Your Business Get Out There!