Southern Protocol

The craze for huge and detailed headbands may be slowly returning to normalcy (appropriate sized bows that lay flat on the head versus piles of ribbons and feathers), but thankfully hair accessories in general are sticking around for the long haul.

Everyone from Louis Vuitton to Marc Jacobs to J. Crew is selling bobby pins, hair ties and headbands with a little bit of oomph – decorating your hair is one of the easiest ways to look perfectly summer. But perhaps we don’t all have the necessary cash flow for Monsieur Vuitton’s $800 bobby pin set, or want something a bit more unique than J. Crew’s varieties…

Enter Love Child Designs, created by savvy and fashionable College of Charleston graduate Gillian Love. Her floral bobby pins have taken Charleston by storm, appearing in multiple shows during Charleston Fashion Week, and selling like hot cakes at V2V, Stella Nova on King Street, and Teal Boutique in Mt Pleasant. I personally love the simple and sweet matching pink set!

Replace your (boring!) regular bobby pins with one or two of Love Child Designs’ pieces, and you’ll immediately update your summer in Charleston look to something new and different. Love it! Browse some of her most recent creations via Facebook, or hop into one of the above mentioned boutiques to snatch one up in person.

It was satisfied and relieved smiles all around last night at the Marion Square tents, as the shows went off substantially more smoothly and entertained infinitely better than the night before – not to mention the fabulous 70 degree weather that had guests mingling and socializing in the great outdoors as opposed to inside the Style Lounge.

And let me squeeze in the unfortunate lack of pictures from last night…I was either
a) Too excited about what was coming down the runway to remember to take a picture…would remember I should take one…then got a blurry one of the model’s backside exiting the runway
b) Too confused or uninterested to take them
c) I did take one, but it turned out awful and it was just a blur of colors. Use your imagination, or hey, go down to the stores today and check it out for yourself!

Everything was happy, and Teal – the boutique that moved to Mt Pleasant last year – started that precedent on the runway. It was sweet as candy late ’70s-early ’80s (the parts of those special fashion years we WANT to remember), with music that was impossible not to bounce along with. Bright pops of neon, roller skate accessories and the first jumpsuit I’ve seen that I actually loved were amongst the highlights. Another plus? Teal’s funky fresh clothes are WAY affordable!

Up next was Mary Mojo, and…bleh. It was a bit dated, a bit trying too hard, and a whole lot of unmemorable. There was one gorgeous bright salmon swingy dress that I wouldn’t mind having for a Saturday strolling along the battery, but other than that I was way less than impressed. And the models’ shoes were a huge snooze, too (hey, the feet are at eye level!). And Biton? Ick. Not a huge fan of the guido/urban King Street retailer to begin with, and their show only cemented that for me last night – word to the wise: slicking back the 3 inches of hair at the very center of your head, then poofing out the surrounding mane is so unflattering.

And then came my favorite new find of the night: LaRoque. Don’t be fooled by the name, like I was-I almost chose that show to run to the bar; the Columbia boutique did fashion week how a boutique should do fashion week. It was upbeat, cohesive, and every single garment that sauntered past me I wanted. The vibe was Twiggy ’60s with lots of white and yellow polka dots. And you KNOW I’m a crazy fan of the socks with heels…LaRoque put their own spin on that by cutting off the foot of little girl’s lace socks and creating an interesting ankle cuff. Practical? Perhaps not. Innovative? Absolutely.

V2V was one of the most anticipated shows of the night, and they didn’t disappoint! I am literally obsessed with a one shoulder 3/4 sleeve Barbie pink dress. I just have to have it. I was so transfixed by it walking down the runway that I didn’t even think to get a picture. Candy colored dresses in minis and maxis, as well as some fabulous blousey tops were in abundance. You can always count on V2V for perfect going out ensembles.

Lizz and I both raised our eyebrows and looked at each other when Gwynn’s intro said they were “edgy”…have you been in their Mt Pleasant store? If by edgy they meant we have patterned tights and low-cut tops sometimes, then yes, they are edgy. To be honest Gwynn’s was similar to Mary Mojo for me – flat out unmemorable, because I remember disliking everything that came down the runway. And they even wore leopard print socks with heels!

Closing out the show was 2008′s Emerging Designer Competition champion, Ashley Reid. Her color pallet was so wonderful, in tans, corals and red-oranges, that I would have given anything for it to be beach weather. The designs were a bit hippy and flowy for my taste, but fit in perfectly for the beach bum crowd. Truthfully it was a bit underwhelming, but I loved it more than any other show I’ve seen this week. Why? Because it was an actual collection, from an actual designer. That makes it ten times more interesting to watch, don’t you think?

About to head over to King and Calhoun for the Bridal Couture show – in the words of the ever-lovable Chandler Bing, I don’t think I could BE any more excited! Catch our tweets for up-to-the-minute coverage, or check back tomorrow for all our highly valuable thoughts. And of course tonight is the Emerging Designers final competition and fashion finale…what a way to end a week of craziness!

Catch ya on the flip side…

Remember: this holiday season you should be buying from your lovely local boutiques! We have some great retail options at our fingertips here in Charleston, and one of the faves here at Southern Protocol is V2V on King Street. In honor of the vast array of festive cocktail parties that will be thrown our way for the next three weeks, we decided to lay out some current holiday trends – and found so many examples at V2V we never left!

Not only are there dresses, tops AND bottoms (something rare downtown…overload of dresses and skirts) galore, but V2V also stocks loads of gorgeous jewelry, fun totes, warm scarves, and even cozy cute pajamas (I personally fawned over the penguin pattern). But sticking to some of the Holiday 2009 trends in apparel was easy – see below for some of your best bets this season.

SEQUINS
The picture above is a perfect example of how you can tone down the sequins – because we know that most people are a little weary of braving this trend. The skirt, by Tart, is entirely sequins (with a satin smooth lining, don’t worry!), but because the sequins and lining are black, you don’t scream 1980s showgirl; the sleek black color just gives you sparkle and sheen with every turn. Tone it down even more by pairing it with a rich neutral, like this gorgeous champagne BB Dakota top! For holiday parties you can get away with bare legs in a look like this, but if you must wear tights, always choose the color that matches your sequin skirt – the sequins should be the only risk-taking element of your outfit!

JEWEL TONES
It’s the perfect time of year to flaunt your figure in luxurious jewel tones. They’re flattering and so appropriate for evening elegance. This Amanda Uprichard dress is a great example of a flowing cocktail dress in a warm magenta/fuschia tone – notice the “nice” factor is taken up a notch by the sheer black overlay. The shape of this dress is perfect for those of you trying to create curves; the ruffle over the bust gives you more than God gave you, the tie around your waist accents your smallest area, and the flowing A-line skirt (with additional ruffle) creates a great visual line. Throw on some retro gold earrings (40s vintage is also a huge Holiday 2009 trend!), give your hair a nice little wave, and you’re ready to hit the town.

ONE SHOULDER
This neckline has been popular all fall, but what a great way to be demure-yet-sexy! Not to mention they beautifully highlight your collar bone; one of the most slender and delicate parts of your body. Black one shoulder dresses just scream the easy sophistication of Angelina Jolie, and I love the little touch of shimmer the shoulder detail gives. If you find a one shoulder dress that’s all one color and want to amp it up a bit, just find a brooch or pin in jewel tones and pin it right where the detail is on this Weston Wear dress – immediate upgrade! Notice the slight ruching on the side of this dress, too – it shows you have a waist, and still gives you a little room to fit all the appetizers and champagne

FOR THE PANTS LOVER
Sometimes we forget that we now live in a time where trousers and jeans are appropriate evening wear for women! While jeans (always in a dark wash for evening!), the currently popular varieties of leggings (denim, leather, sequined…), and your average dress pants are a great option, remember that you should still find a way to jazz them up for evening events. A bright pop of color in your shirt is a great way to do that; the “notice me” pink of this Yoana Baraschi blouse is just the thing you need! It still incorporates some of the shimmering paillettes that make evening so fun, and when paired with dark wash jeans or fitted black pants and heels, you will be among the best dressed. If you’re a bit intimidated by a color this bright, choose a blouse in a high quality material, more muted color, or amp up the volume with some chunky jewelry.

V2V seriously could be your one-stop-shop for the rest of your holiday soirees! What makes it even better? They have an unreal amount of merchandise on sale…it’s a crime to look that good for so cheap!

V2V is located at 295 King Street. 843.723.5155.