Okay, I’ve been preaching about fashion and technology for months now and this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for… smart clothes. I’m talking about clothes that make your life easier, whether you’re training for a marathon or headed for a night out with the clique; these clothes can redefine efficiency and time management. Here are a few of my favorite tech-savvy pieces:

The adistar Fusion Apparel Sports Bra

This bra by Polar and Adidas gives you a sleek design with textile heart rate sensors built into the bra, moisture wicking fabric, and an engineered pattern that maximizes your freedom to move. The chest transmitter has a user-changeable battery.

The Rock Rose T-shirt by Music and Sons

Cute funky green t-shirt by Music and Sons include stereo earphones as part of the apparel. Features a washable, side pocket for your iPod, button hole to hook it to your jeans, and a iron safe screen print. On sale for 31.50 euros, each design is handmade so even though they may look alike, everyone is different in its own way.

Audex Jackets by Motorola

Ready for winter sports? Audex Jackets by Motorola and Burton have Bluetooth stereo wireless technology for streaming music from a Bluetooth enabled devices. The controls are on the jackets sleeve and allow hands free calling with a push of the button. Best part, no wires!

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The best thing that could ever happen to a tech geek fashionista is the new nerd chic trend! I love the style, and there are plenty of designers that I think really capture the essence of nerd chic. My fave part of the trend is definitely the funky LEGO jewelry that’s popping up everywhere! Here are some of my favorite LEGO pieces:

The fruitstripe plus limited edition bracelet by - reware by emiko which retails for $240 is made from repurposed LEGOs, with patented sterling silver tubing and synthetic rubber corundum set in 14k gold.

Dee and Ricky pixel heart pin for $20 dollars. This pin is soooo cute that it’s sold out for now.

Dee and Ricky, who happen to be twins, design jewelry and recently had their pieces featured on the Marc Jacob runway (below).

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Oversized button-downs are hardly a new concept, but this season, designers and buyers alike have warmed to the idea.

FASHIONISTAS

Most trendy stores like Urban Outfitters and H&M offer the look as an oversized shirt or a shirt -inspired dress. As an alternative, go the cheaper route and raid the closets of the men in your life.

Finding these pieces should be relatively easy, but it is often difficult to style them. Use the look with a heavy hand, and being one step away from a hot mess is probable. The first issue is length. If you’re going for a dress look, it should fall about half way above your knee. If going for an oversized shirt look, slim/tapered pants or leggings are a necessity and you’re going to want the length to cover a good six inches of your thighs. Imagine you’re wearing a mini-skirt. The length should go down at least that far. You might want to go a tad longer, depending on the fit of the pants and your individual proportions.

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Thank you SO much for weighing in on my wedding wardrobe conundrum!! My cousin’s wedding was last week and I ended up going with something completely different from the Vera Wang gown and Betsey Johnson dress I was considering.

Pretty much my whole family decided to wear Ghanaian kente cloth – kinda like our family uniform for the day – and my sister (that’s her on the right in the blue kente) surprised me by having a one-shoulder kaba blouse and slinky maxi skirt sewn for me.

I loved the way it fit (the tight skirt gave me hips!) and I felt like flitting all over the dance floor thanks to the ruffled one shoulder strap. Here’s a full-length view (that’s me with my aunt…not the one who advised me to show off legs and shiny lips).

Ironically, my outfit ended up encapsulating the idea of both dresses I was considering. It was floor-length like the Vera Wang gown, but bright with a flirty flourish up top like the Betsey Johnson dress. Think I made the right decision?

The new Crate and Barrel arrived in the mail today and I took a rare moment to sit and flip through it! Here are a few great finds for fall.

The Allegro Settee is a great deal at $499 (though it does say assembly required, which might mean nothing more than screwing in some legs) and looks substantial at 54 inches wide. It appears to slant back ever so slightly, which I like in a settee. I prefer it in the Mocha Micro. At this price, it would be a great piece to reupholster after a year or two if you get sick of the fabric! Stack a few brightly colored pillows on it and you have a unique new settee.

Another piece which caught my eye was this magazine rack. Goodness knows I can use all the help I can get in corralling the piles of magazines I have! I like the faux leather which is different than all the metal ones we see out there and the ivory stitching is a nice detail. At $21.99 it is available in green, red and white. Now if they had purple or orange, it would be ever so trendy.

The Alpha coffee table is a unique piece with its vintage looking printers blocks. It is a great conversation piece and could be the highlight of any living room. At $899, it’s not necessarily inexpensive, but it is a piece I would suspect one would keep for a long time!

What home decor pieces are you liking for fall?

Fashion is all about personality, flavor, and style from head to toe…and that includes your laptop! The concept of fashionable technology is not new, but today some companies are putting out some great designs that are becoming harder to ignore. My three favorite fashion laptops are by Ego Lifestyle, HP, and Lenovo.

Ego Lifestyle’s new laptop collection entitled Ego for Bentley includes elegant, car-inspired pieces made for glamorous gigabytes. Even the handle of this laptop and the doors that cover access ports are luxurious. The color options match Bentley’s exterior paints and the outside is trimmed with Bentley leather and crossed over with hand stitching just like the inside of a Bentley. Winner of the Microsoft Fashion PC Award, you can bet the inside is just as lovely as the outside.

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Aha! The male perspective!

Hi, my name is Carl. I’m 21 and live in California. I’m fashion obsessed and run the Fashionisto, where I blog about menswear. Before starting my blog, I was always on the search for the latest designers and brands, but never found a place I could call home. You see, my fashion tastes are quite varied. I’m all about keeping up with the latest fashion houses like Prada, but also like to be on the lookout for new brands like Without Backbones. I’m also a big fan of mixing high and low fashion. I cannot recommend H&M enough. It’s a very affordable option and an easy way to stay on pace with the trends. In addition, I get a natural high from catching the best sales. You would be surprised how easy it is to snag designer clothing at a stellar discount. In the future, I’ll share some pointers.

Stylewise, I’m currently feeling blacks, grays, pops of deep earth tones (ie: burgundy and forest green), oversized wear, and crazy over-the-top accessories. I hope to use this as an outlet to share and discuss ideas about both menswear and womenswear. I’m excited to join the Tastemaker Diaries and look forward to interacting with you all!

One of my favorite fall combinations is boots and bottoms. Bottoms are anything that covers, well, your own bottom. Skirts, dresses, leggings, tights, pants and jeans all qualify.

Here are some really varied combinations of boots and bottoms so you can find a set that fits your personal style.

1. Look 1 from Forever 21 combines the trendy and the retro. Can you guess which is which? Although the dress is from Forever 21, it has cute, 50’s styling. Ankle boots, which were popular in the 80’s, have made a huge comeback. To spice up the look: Add a scarf, headband and black or colored tights. For something more edgy, wear leggings with the dress.
2. Look 2 from Delias is for the daring fashionista. When I saw these boots, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Pink! And plaid! And a button! These boots include so many fashion trends in one small package that it’s hard to figure how to pair them. The best way to make these boots be the stand-out item is to pair them with other solid colored clothing. These black skinny jeans, for example, let the boots stand on their own. To spice up the look: Wear the boots with a contrasting solid color up top. Bright blue, maybe?
3. Look 3 from Urban Outfitters is all me. I like wearing muted patterns and colors–nothing too wild!–and pairing them with interesting footwear and accessories. These boots are versatile and stylish, and I can’t say enough good things about this Urban Outfitters shirt dress. To spice up the look: Add a bright-colored jacket (yellow, orange, etc.), throw on some gray tights and put on a chunky necklace.
4. Look 4 from Target is the epitome of ladylike-chic dressing. This dress is fantastic–I love winter white. The boots, though, are the real catch. Less than $35 from Target, and they look hot. I love the mini wedge. Perfect for winter, perfect with a dress like this. Add some tights or leggings if you get cold. To spice up the look: Throw on some big sunglasses and belt that dress!
5. Look 5 from Alloy is trendy, trendy, trendy. From the colored pants to the low-heeled boots, there is nothing subtle going on here. Step out in confidence–after all, colored pants are all over the place right now and be amazed as the compliments roll in. To spice up the look: Wear something patterned on top. A houndstooth scarf with a simple, chic peacoat would lend a mod edge here.