NAME: Erin Turner

BLOG NAME: The Elegant Educator

ERIN’S “LITTLE BLACK DRESS EXPERIMENT™ TOURS AMERICA” PRIZE PACKAGE

#1- The iconic Little Black Dress seen throughout The Little Black Dress Experiment™

Retail Value $148

Become a fan of Ann Taylor on Facebook and follow Ann Taylor on Twitter for the latest updates on great new products!!!

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#2- MICHELE Large Tahitian Jelly Bean watch

Retail Value $295

Become a Fan of Michele Watches on Facebook and mention you heard about them from thier friend Valerie Elizabeth!!!

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#3 Saddleback Leather for the Medium Leather Satchel in Chesnut Brown & Black Leather

Retail Value $310

Become a fan of Saddleback Leather on Facebook or follow them on Twitter!!!

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#4- Street Lo tennis shoes (that double as skates) to keep our fashionista bodies in shape.

Retail Value $55

Become a fan of Heelys on Facebook and follow Heelys on Twitter for the latest updates on great new products!!!

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#5- SPANX Shapewear

Approximate Retail Value $32

Become a Fan of SPANX on Facebook (because every woman should be a fan) and follow them on Twitter.

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#6- Heather grey Donni Charm scarf

Retail Value $85

Follow Donni Charm on Twitter and become a Fan on Facebook.

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#7- Hard Night Good Morning Facial Cocktail Serum & Daytime Moisturizer

Retail Value $99

Follow Hard Night Good Morning on Twitter and be sure to become a Fan on Facebook.

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CONGRATULATIONS ERIN!!!

**STAY TUNED BECAUSE ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2010 WE WILL BE REVEALING THE WINNING LOOK AND HER TAKE ON THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS.**

Sleeveless Tops by Victoria’s Secret

Picture this- buckets of warm water, RIT kits, white Hanes tee-shirts, rubber bands and what do you come up with?  Yes! Tie Dye! Remember those nights of being a teen-ager and having a dozen girlfriends over while you all transform basic white shirts into creative, colorful masterpieces?

We would spend hours wrapping rubber bands around all sections of the shirt and then selectively dunking it into certain colors. And if you don’t wait long enough until the shirt’s dry you risk ruining the hard work you did! It was fun and fashionable… but it seems to stick in my fashion head as something teen-ish.  What do you think?

Well, while you decide your thoughts on tie-dye, I’ll let you know that many big designers are all about tie-dye in fashion now. Yes. And I’m not just talking about teeny bop designers. Big designers such as Tory Burch are featuring tie-dye in their summer lines. Have you seen any yet?  Although I’m not solid on my opinion of tie-dye yet, I have to admit between you and me that I am liking a lot of the freshness that the designers are creating with the look. It’s definitely a spring/summer look – that’s obvious.  But I feel that this can be a tie-dye for all ages! When is the last time THAT happened?

From accessories to shoes to dresses to even swim wear tie-dye is the new item to die over.

Tie-dye not your thing? Try using RIT dye to make your faded black jeans, black again or add a fun color to a favorite old shirt or maybe even dye a pair of shoes. Be warned this is messy so wear something you don’t care about, put on some cleaning gloves and maybe mix the whole thing in a paint bucket to avoid staining your sink. Also dye doesn’t worl on all fabrics and color often varies significantly from the packaging so just plan to have fun with it, be creative and let yourself be surprised by the outcome!!!

Editor: Valerie Elizabeth

Style Writer: Karen Yannacio Morse

Assistant Editor: Emilee Hefflefinger

Karen Klopp- WhatToWearWhere
PHOTO LOCATION: New York, New York- The Metropolitan Museum

I am Karen Klopp, founder of What2WearWhere.com, a digital boutique and blog, updated daily, that helps today’s busy women dress for all of life’s events, sports and travel.  The site is an aggregator of all the best online women’s fashion sites.   My inspiration comes from the chicly-dressed “American Women” on the  streets of New York, the style capital of the world.  Nowhere is fashion more evidenced than outside the iconic Metropolitan Museum on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  This is crossroads of so many influential fashion styles.  There are the “ladies who lunch”, dashing into the Met for Committee Meetings, professionals from all corners of the art world coming and going, the “Gossip Girls”  running late to their nearby schools, travellers from all over the globe,  and street performers entertaining the lively the crowds who make the “steps at the Met” such a destination.

This Ann Taylor LBD is fantastic transitional dress that can take you from the heat of Indian Summer,  yet  still look substantial in the cool of late fall and winter.  We had a ball shopping at AT for the perfect accessories – a leopard cardigan and a sleek black belt that created this of-the-moment, belted cardigan look that can literal go anywhere in the city.   The necklace is one of Ann Taylors belts looped over my head but the shoes are the piece de resistance – 4” platform pumps in a gorgeous new shade of grey, made textually more interesting with the mix of reptile skin and patent leather.  Also like the handsome black and brass Michele watch, paired with a Alexis Bittar cuff and Barry Kieselstein Cord alligator earrings. The look is only complete with my black oversized Ann Taylor sunglasses, no New Yorker would be caught dead without some fabulous shades.   You never know who is watching!

BLOGGER BIO: Karen Klopp founded What2WearWhere.com to help today’s busy women dress for everyday events, the workplace, sports and travel. “We take the guesswork out of dressing, the legwork out of shopping and the panic out of packing!” With a background as a writer, documentary film producer, life-long conservationist, traveler, board member for various organizations, chair person of countless events, and wife and mother of three, Karen has a broad background in dressing for all of life’s events. Her inspiration is drawn from the energy of New York City, the fashion capital of the world, and from the pulsating life on the street there.

BLOG: What2WearWhere

BLOGGER: Karen Klopp

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Kelsi Smith- Dedicated Follower of Fashion
PHOTO LOCATION: Los Angeles, California

My name is Kelsi Smith and I am the Editor and Founder of Dedicated Follower of Fashion and I’m here in sunny and fabulous Downtown Los Angeles. Peeking out of my background there is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, a beautiful landmark in this fabulous city designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry. Now it may seem that I’m just standing in an ordinary parking lot – for the view perhaps? Nope, this ordinary little parking lot will be, in 6 months from now, a Downtown Los Angeles landmark in itself as the new home of Los Angeles Fashion Week thanks to Fashion Los Angeles (http://fashionlosangeles.org) and architect Marmol Radziner. Exciting stuff happening in my amazing city!

As for what I’m wearing (which is what this is all about right?!) the second I slipped this Ann Taylor dress on I felt sexy, to amp up the sex appeal I cinched the waist further with a vintage belt, slipped on my pencil thin stilettos and vamped up with a vintage silk scarf. Ultimate pin-up chic complete with bright lips, thick bangs and winged eyes.

ABOUT THE LOOK

Dress: The universally flattering dress from Ann Taylor.
Belt: Vintage, my absolute favourite belt, gorgeous colour with just the right amount of wear.
Shoes: These Vicini heels are crazy, super thin and super high they ooze sex appeal…and they match my favourite belt perfectly.
Scarf: My Mum gave me this beautiful vintage silk scarf for Christmas a few years ago, it has a gorgeous muted palette of pinks and blues and is covered in illustrations of fashionable ladies of the twenties – it’s a treasured possession.

BLOGGER BIO: Kelsi Smith moved to the US from the UK almost 5 years ago to pursue a career in acting, upon realising she wasn’t the only one with this epic dream she decided to add a few other long shots to her career wish list, including accessories designer, fashion photographer and fashion journalist. Fashion journalism stuck and her site, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, now 18 months old, is a success, opening doors all over the fashion community. Kelsi recently launched Two Point Oh LA, a Los Angeles based organization for fashion, style and beauty bloggers, building and uniting the blogging community in Los Angeles. Additionally, she will be working Fashion Los Angeles furthuring the connection between bloggers and the Los Angeles fashion community at large.

BLOG: Dedicated Follower of Fashion

BLOGGER: Kelsi Smith

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Sarah Bray- ChicTexan.com
PHOTO LOCATION: Houston, TX- Lake Woodlands

ChicTexan.com does the Little Black Dress Experiement

I chose to pair my classic black Ann Taylor sheath ($128) with some bold statement pieces that express my true personality and style. The cotton shirt-dress is versatile, comfortable and flattering – making this piece the ultimate closet staple. Yet those three factors proved as an unexpected challenge when it came down to styling my individual look for Society Stylist’s Little Black Dress Experiment, because the directions this dress could be taken are limitless! Paired with black pumps the look is “Career Chic,” worn with a cardigan, layered with polos and paired with ballet flats or loafers it’s “Country Club Chic,” but what I was looking for was a glamed-out, on-trend, head turning, but not gaudy, fabulous “Texas Chic”!

One of my favorite wardrobe pieces I own now is my brown faux fur vest. This trend came onto the scene last winter, and I was immediately dying for the warmth and instant chic-ness the vest instantly adds to virtually any ensemble. I scoured everywhere looking for a faux fur (no real fur in my closet!) vest with the exactly nomadic Icelandic look I had in mind. Finally after months of searching a vest in my price range, I found what I was looking for in the most unexpected place – The Buckle! Yes, somewhere buried behind all of the Ed Hardy on a sale rack I found my great BB Dakota vest for $50 bucks (originally $100)! It pays to be persistent and a digger when shopping ya’ll!

My white and gold Michele watch, worn on my left wrist, is the perfect for pairing for the black Ann Taylor shirt-dress – they both play just as perfectly with casual looks as they do with more dressy outfits. The band of the watch is this new stretchy rubber that gives off the appearance of acrylic – I have never seen anything like it! And in comparison to some of the heavy, uncomfortable acrylic watches I own, I honestly prefer this Michele’s wristwatch innovation so much more!

You can’t really see my earrings, but I picked this Beyonce-worthy bedazzled pair up at one of my favorite cheap and chic shopping destinations, Forever 21.  I bought them last week and since have been managing to find a way to incorporate them into every outfit. Even if the flashy bling isn’t exactly daytime appropriate, they’re simply fun!

My brown leather bag, by Saddleback Leather, is just what I have been looking for fall. Open up an fashion magazine and everything is all about women incorporating menswear into their wardrobes. This durable briefcase-like bag is a timeless piece that can double as not only a handbag, but a book bag and computer case. I love it’s masculine structured look paired with a dress other feminine and other accessories. Not to mention, the bag by Saddleback Leather is Texan made with the company’s home base in San Antonio!

My shoes I picked up at Zara in March when I was up in NYC for summer internship interviews. I didn’t realize how warm it was going to be, and with my solid black heels I felt my interview outfit was way too stuffy for the fashion industry. But these gray suede sandal pumps did the trick and spiced up my simple shift.

My sunglasses are from Anthropologie ($20) and my lipstick is my favorite color of all time Chanel Rouge Allure 187.

BLOGGER BIO: Sarah Bray began her fashion journalism career in high school in Tyler, Texas, where she served as the fashion editor for the All-Saints Episcopal School Trojan Times. In 2008 she was an editorial intern for ENVY, a Texas pop-culture and lifestyle magazine. During the three-month internship she had the opportunity to write food, movie and boutique reviews and also interview actor Matthew Goode and directors Jay and Mark Duplass. In the fall of 2008, she interned with North Park Center’s seven-day runway event Fashion at the Park. As an intern she helped organize the event and assist with the Vogue CFDA auction. In addition, she reported on runway shows such as Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta. Starting in December 2008, she interned with PaperCity Magazine working with the fashion editor in Houston and the Dallas co-editors. During her six-month internship she had the opportunity to have several articles published in the magazine, including her full coverage on the 2009 AFI International Film Festival. In March 2009, she along with SMU alumna, now Assistant Editor of PaperCity Magazine, launchedSMUStyle.com, a lifestyle blog that features articles on art, fashion, dining and travel. In the summer of 2009 she interned at Vogue in New York City in the accessories department. Sarah had the opportunity to work with fashion’s best including Vogue’s Creative Director Grace Coddingtion, famed fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, and MET Gala director Sylvana Soto-ward, to name a few. Sarah is VP of the SMU Retail Club and has been serving as fashion editor for the SMU Daily Campus since June 2008. Currently Sarah is an editorial intern with The New York Times Style Magazine, T.

ChicTexan.com is a blog devoted to my random thoughts, carefree adventures, fashion obsessions and the things that catch my eye.

BLOG: Chic Texan

BLOGGER: Sarah Bray

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LeeAnne Locken- LeeAnne Locken
PHOTO LOCATION: Dallas, Texas

So here’s my version of Society Stylist, Valerie Elizabeth’s “Little Black Dress Experiment”. First of all, I must say Ann Taylor created the perfect dress!! It really doesn’t need a thing but for the experiment I added a little!! Being on camera really does add 10 pounds so I started with Spanx to keep me thin looking on camera! I love textured hoisery and tights and for fall ALL shades of gray just perfect, like these fabulous tights from Assets- which I have to say, are a real “asset”!! I even painted my nails with OPI’s newest fall color Lucerne-Tannly Look Marvelous! For a little pop of color I added a fun purple jelly strap watch from Michele Watches and to tie it in I used a fabulous purple eyeshadow from Make-up Forever. I carry around a lot of scripts and paperwork and this satchel from Saddleback Leather Company does the job perfectly!!  95% of the time it’s FREEZING in the studio so between takes and during script re-writes I wrap up in my fashionable donni charm wrap, which also looks perfect with a pair of jeans!! Well, there you have it! My version of the little black dress- Go Little Black Dress!!! <3

BLOGGER BIO: One thing you can’t miss about LeeAnne Locken is she LOVES what she does! Her passion for educating and informing her audience in an entertaining way shows in her work! Maybe you recognize her right away from her national commercial for Wing Stop which was so popular they ran it during the NBA Playoffs or maybe you were pulling for her to win the second season of “She’s Got The Look” on TV Land where she ended up in the top 3. Either way one thing is for sure LeeAnne has been in front of the camera for years, from the early days when you she competed for the title of Miss USA as Miss Arizona-USA to when she acted next to Sandra Bullock in the film “Miss Congeniality” or maybe you saw her co-host an infomercial with Vanessa Williams for Pro-Activ.

LeeAnne loves when the comedic scripts come along and she has even had one of her commercials chosen by ABC as one of “America’s Funniest Commercials”. She gets to keep her improv skills & dialect skills strong performing as the spokesperson, Svetlana for V.O.D. Cocktails. You can see her most weeks as the anchor for Plano Television Network and has guest hosted the popular Good Morning Texas!

LeeAnne is a true social butterfly and you can find her most days updating her 5,000+ friends on FaceBook as to her daily schedule or just her dose of daily positive attitude!! She currently serves on the board of Women In Film Dallas as their “Martini Madness Co-Chair” but with her huge love for animals she gives most of her time supporting charities such as Paws In The City (an organization which saves shelter animals lives). LeeAnne is happy to be working as the co-anchor of Realty Times and if you want to see more of her work- check out her website at www.LeeAnneLocken.com

WEBSITE: LeeAnne Locken

BLOGGER: LeeAnne Locken

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