Spotlight On: Lulu's

So I know I haven't been posting too often in the past week or so, but I thought that I would at least take a moment to stop and talk about one of my favorite online obsessions, Lulus.com. Let me just start by saying that online shopping is a perilous world. Sizing is often deceptively depicted, colors are different in person than they are in photos, and SHIPPING... don't even get me started on shipping. There was once a time in my life when I was firmly against any form of online shopping... that was the time before I moved away to a college in the middle of nowhere in terms of shopping. Now, I can easily say that at least half of what I buy on a regular basis is bought online.

Personally, I've bought from Lulu's on two occasions, and on both, I experienced excellent service. The product in person was equally as stunning if not more so than it was online, and the fit was surprisingly accurate. Probably one of my favorite things about Lulu's is that it shows all of its clothes on a real person, which is much more indicative of a garments styling and fit than any mannequin. The models are also photographed against real backgrounds, instead of just a white backdrop, which helps to gauge the true color of a garment. Perhaps even more importantly, they shipped promptly---even though one of my items was backordered, they still shipped and delivered the item at least two days earlier than they said they would.

I love Lulu's, not only because of their excellent customer service and presentation of the clothes, but because they carry lines like BB Dakota, RVCA and Collective Concepts, which aren't often found in your average mall, and all of their clothing is trendy yet tasteful, often with the potential to become any girl's classic closet staple. Also, while many websites specialize in dresses and are lackluster in the outerwear or pants section, Lulu's has great options for anything from dresses to shoes to jewelry. Best of all, most of their stuff is less than $60 an item! I definitely recommend Lulu's to anyone scared to try out online shopping for themselves; I promise, you won't regret it. Here are a few of my favorite things that Lulu has out right now:

Spotlight On: Ashley Tisdale

Is it just me, or are those Disney starlets making giant positive steps towards mainstream media? The opportunities for girls like Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens and Demi Lovato to get noticed outside the Disney channel arena seems to be growing every year. If you think about it, they have a lot easier time translating to the larger world of acting than their male counterparts, with Zac Efron being the ONLY one whose name even comes to mind right off the bat. Personally, I don't think it takes much to see what makes the difference for them; it's the potential to make headlines in the fashion community. Just think about the buzz they get when they step onto the red carpet at, say, Nickelodeon's Teen Choice Awards. Observe, Exhibit A:

How awesome does she look? I've started to respect Ashley's style more and more with every red carpet appearance, specifically starting with when she ditched her ditzy blond locks and went for a more flattering, enviable chestnut shade. As time went on she started to develop her own personal style, which has manifested itself in a couple of her past red carpet looks as a sexy, polished form of rocker chic. For example, this is what she wore to the MTV Movie Awards:

Both instances depict Ashley's style at its best. She pulls off a sleek, feminine look with a short hemline in a color palette that flatters her loose, lovely locks, and then toughens up the look with rock and roll details. Her studded bracelets and belt are a trendy way to accessorize right now, and they look fabulous on her. I think my favorite part of the way Ashley styles this look is that she usually pours on the glamour with her footwear. Like in the first photo---get a glimpse of those fabulous studded Louboutins; they are sheer perfection. And her wrap sandal wedges that she wore to the MTV Movie Awards are not only a more functional but original approach to the typical high heel worn on the red carpet.

All in all, Ashley masters the returning trend of 80's glam while still modernizing the trend and making it her own. I give her a thumbs up and can only hope she manages to navigate her acting career just as flawlessly.