Pink Rock Candy – Top fashion trends, news and shopping of 2010

This post is— let’s see— at least a week late, but I think it takes time to fully digest an album. Since I buy my music like the rest of you— LEGALLY, when they’re released— writing about how awesome the new Kings of Leon album is, the day it came out, was out of the question. That’s a lie, because anyone who’s following my twitter would have seen multiple tweets of me raving about Only By The Night.

The album isn’t as rough as their previous albums have been, which is something I’ve heard criticized, but I for one don’t mind that it sounds a bit more produced than normal. There also aren’t any standard hipster dance-party songs and they have gradually stepped out of the country rock sound they had when I first heard of them.

I’ve listened to Only By The Night, in its entirety over 20 times in the past week, and that’s pretty good considering I have entire albums on my iTunes that I haven’t even heard once.

I love Caleb’s constantly strained and urgent vocals. I love that the guys were probably drunk while writing most of the songs making the lyrics sort up confusing. I love that the drums in “Cold Desert” are truly like a heart beat. I even love how some of the songs begin by sounding like songs by other bands, but then change into this amazing, totally KoL rhythm. I doubt there is one song on the album I wouldn’t listen to a thousand times and still adore.

However, I am a staunch advocate of hearing is believing, take a listen to their single “Sex on Fire”, and fall.

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For more info on Kings of Leon head to their website or myspace.

p.s. They have a ton of Kings of Leon home videos on their youtube page. The videos are mostly really funny, and the guy’s southern accents are bound to charm your pants off, even if you don’t find them attractive in the least.

For some reason, everywhere I look, someone or something is talking about the exigence of a blazer. Unfortunately, when I think of blazers I think of those terrible women’s power suits from the 90s with the type of shoulder pads we would now qualify as couture. Fortunately, I can keep my fashion credibility in tack thanks to the Spring/Summer 2009 Balmain collection. Now, I can swoon over a weird shouldered blazer with the rest of you— well, sort of.

I promise you, this will not be the first time you hear about this Balmain collection from me or any other blog— actually, it’s doubtful this is even the first time you’ve heard about it this week! The fact of the matter is, the collection is sort of perfect in this off, 90s-meets-rock-star way.

Have you seen the entire Balmain collection yet? The stand out pieces seem to be the many studded blazers and jackets with skinny sleeves and accentuated shoulders. The style ranges from the perfect plain blazer to these unbelievable marching band jackets— FATAL!

I realize a marching band jacket (MBJ?) really isn’t a blazer, but it’s probably the closest I’ll willingly get to wearing one. I know all blazers aren’t heinous, and they actually look amazing on most people, but am I the only person who isn’t that fond of them?

The MBJ trend is one the fashion industry just can’t seem to shake. Sure, it may disappear every now and then, but inevitably someone will latch on to it, and the appeal being so strong, it stays for seasons. Some may say the trend is going out, because models have marched down the runway in them for what seems like eternity, but the mass retailers haven’t quite run with it yet. Perhaps, that’s a blessing in disguise for those who believe seeing a trend in Forever 21, Target or, gasp, JCPenney is the nail in the coffin.

I wish the jackets worn by my university marching band were this cool, because I totally would have learned to play a woodwind or, better yet, the snare drum!

Pink Rock Candy is featured as a ‘Blogger to Bookmark’ on Pronto.com’s new fashion blog, Shop Therapy. For those of you not in the know. Pronto is a new shopping/bookmarking site, and the Shop Therapy blog is run by the amazing Jackie who also blogs on Some Notes on Napkins and the extra-cute Jazzi who not only keeps a personal blog but writes for Fashionista.com, among other things.

Pronto is sort of like Stylehive an all those other bookmarking sites, except it’s bookmarklet is so much easier to use because it pretty much fills out the info for you— thumbs up for lazy bloggers!

Shop Therapy, so far has been really informative when it comes to, well, what else, SHOPPING! All the collages Jackie puts together as so pretty. C’est l’amour!

Go check out Shop Therapy, make a pronto account and add me as a friend.

P.S. That was an order!

Finding the perfect graphic t-shirt is like finding the perfect pair of black leather pumps— almost impossible unless you’re willing to majorly shell out. Don’t get me wrong, there are multitudes of amazing t-shirts and t-shirt companies, but none of them really seem right in the context of my situation. I know I can’t be the only person with this simple yet utterly frustrating problem.

I could go through thousands of t-shirts online and even read every single t-shirt blog around and its very doubtful I’ll actually find a tee with the perfect design and fabric quality with a fit to die for.

Why exactly is it so hard to find that perfect tee? I guess part of my problem is I don’t know exactly what I want the shirt to represent. I know I don’t want anything lewd, rude, or childish. I don’t particularly like anything gruesome splashed across my chest, but can deal with a skeleton or two. I don’t want to be a walking billboard, so generally shirts with the brand name on them are out. I don’t really like when there is an emblem splashed across my chest i.e. guns, cartoons, sassy phrases, etc., and I’m not too fond of large pictures with defined edges splashed across the tee.

When it comes to fabric texture I like soft— always and forever— and, when it comes to fit I like something only slightly more fitted than an Alexander Wang t-shirt with a v-neck or a low scoop.

So where does that leave me?

Shit out of luck, and though this topic may seem trivial, I’m completely tortured.

So, instead of driving myself completely nutty, I’ll leave it to you. What t-shirt brands do you suggest? Maybe, through your suggestions I’ll find the perfect tee!

Thin or gaudy, delicate charms or over-sized trinkets, wood or stone, rock chick or girlie girl, there are so many different options when it comes to necklaces, and jewelry designer, Heather Hyde, seems to have tapped in to them all. With nine collections currently featured on the Heather Hyde website you are bound to find a piece of jewelry that fits your personal style, but its Reigning Chain collection— more notably the ‘BAUBLE-ICIOUS Necklace’— that has me swooning.

I have this dirty habit of buying extremely long necklaces, but I do have a good excuse. I’m a fiddler, so if the necklace is long, I won’t have to worry about feeling like I’m strangling myself as I nervously pull the chain. I know playing with jewelry is a bad habit, but that’s why I don’t wear rings—I’m sure I’d lose them within the first 12 hrs.

The ‘BAUBLE-ICIOUS necklace’ comes in ten different colors of textured glass pearls, and depending on the color of the glass pearls, the chain may be gold or silver. I also like how nicely these necklaces layer—considering how “in” layered necklaces happen to be. The design is very simple but still has the ability to make a strong statement, and at $110 each they better!