Many people know I’ve had an interest in fashion from the time I was 10 years old and sewing my own fabulous outfits. My keen awareness of clothing style at that early age was considered phenomenal and people clamored for my opinion on the latest trends. Really!
I’ve carried this fashion awareness throughout my life, but I must admit, being a young style prodigy often meant I was a lonely little girl. I was lucky, though, because I managed to fill the void by discovering my other passion, reading.
So today, I'm thrilled to bring those passions together as I present my slightly abbreviated version of Kate’s Fall Fashion and Reading Forecast.
It’s official: color is out, capes are in, backless is hot, jeans are going wide, plaid is everywhere. But no matter what you wear, your most important accessory is always -- a book!
Check out the latest backless look on Kate Moss below. This look works for everyone! As long as you're carrying your very own copy of Donna MacMeans' wonderfully scintillating debut, The Education of Mrs. Brimley, you'll be happy and confident and completely pulled together. And check out Donna's gorgeous cover which proves the backless look is always beautiful, always in fashion.
Did somebody mention plaid?
As you can see by this ensemble, plaid can often appear staid and a bit old-fashioned. In order to bring some pop to your look and truly highlight a perennial fashion favorite, may I suggest picking up a copy of Karen Hawkins’ marvelously funny and sexy new novel, To Scotland With Love? You’ll fall in love!
Finally, there is no bolder fashion statement this season than a cape.
Capes come in every color and style from high fashion to Haute Halloween!
I can't think of a better accessory choice to complete your dramatic caped look than with JR Ward’s latest in her fabulous Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Unbound. This is Vishous' story. I can’t wait!
So…what books are you looking forward to reading this Fall? And how about the latest fashion trends – do you follow them or laugh at them? Leave a comment and you’ll be eligible to win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to help kick off your Fall reading season!
53 comments:
Oh, man, Kate, I've been waiting for V's story FOREVER!!! Can't wait. Mind you, JRW should be paying me - I've turned so many people onto her brilliant books, you think she'd let me read her first drafts, wouldn't you? Love the fashion and reading connection. Great blog! My favorite accessory over our coming autumn will be an elegant little creation called Scandal's Daughter by Christine Wells.
Kate, what a fun post! And I agree, the best accessory is always a book. When I was working I chose my handbags on the basis of whether they'd fit a MMP sized novel so I could read on the daily commute.
And Foanna, another bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream is coming your way! Thanks so much--and I hope you'll be wearing pastels this Fall!
Looking forward to the Bandits books and Blood Dreams by Kay Hooper also the one by Julie Garwood. They both come out in December.
Oh my gosh, Kate, what a FABULOUS blog!!!! You had me giggling from the get go! I think the hubby would really love that plaid number ;)
There are just too many books coming out for me to even begin to say what I am waitin for. Every week I find some new book or author that I want to try.
As to the fashions, I tend to laugh at them--unless they look good on me! Then I glom onto them and pray they don't go out of style the next season. *g*
As for what I'm looking forward to...well, I already found "Scandal's Daughter" before the release date! So, I'm really looking forward to "The Education of Mrs. Brimley". I adore historicals!
Great post, Kate. What a clever and fun idea! Of course the second best accessory is a wonderful pair of shoes (or boots or even flip flops *grin*).
To go with my new boots - Christine Wells' Scandal's Daughter and Donna MacMean's The Education of Mrs Brimley.
To go with my new shoes - the fabulous Terri Garey's new book Dead Girls are Easy. (kind of appropriate as the heroine runs a vintage clothing store and wears great shoes ... oh and she hears dead girls *grin*)
To go with these cute Ugg sheepskin flip flip slippers ... a totally not-cute book Tess Gerritsen's The Bone Garden.
Oh and if we want a gorgeous male author to accompany the shoes and books - how about the delicious and charming Robert Crais?
*sigh* Shoes, hunks and books - it's a good morning!
Great blog! And I totally agree that the best accessory is a book!
Some books that I'm looking forward to are...
~Taken by the Night by Kathryn Smith
~Untouched by Anna Campbell
~Scandal's Daughter by Christine Wells
~Secrets of a Proper Lady by Victoria Alexander
~In My Wildest Fantasies by Julianne MacLean
I know there's more....
My wardrobe is pretty basic--I'm too thrifty to buy things full price (gotta wait for those end-of-the-season clearance sales, ya know) so I'm always a few months (or years) behind the trends. And lately fashion has been so UNKIND to women over the age of 16, don't you think? I mean really, who looks good in those low rider hip hugger jeans other than a pre-pubescent girl or a genetic abnormality like Kate Moss?
I will always make time to read a Bandita (salivating at the thought of SD!) but have just started a new manuscript, so I won't be reading much till I get it done. Once I start something new I get sucked into the writing world and don't find the time for much else.
Great blog Kate!! :-)
Anna, I agree with you on the JRW royalty situation! I've told so many people about the Brotherhood, I really should be getting a kickback!
Fashion? To me, fashion is a good book in hand. Bookcovers seem to follow fashion trends as well. For instance, the multitude of backless dresses shown on covers right now. Plaids too. Another good example of a plaid used to advantage is the cover set back of 'Beware A Scot's Revenge' by Sabrina Jeffries. Yowza!
Fall is starting out right for me since I am currently reading 'Claiming the Courtesan' and impatiently waiting for 'Scandal's Daughter', 'The Education of Mrs Brimley' and 'Untouched' to publish.
Christine, you won't believe me but I had SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER on the blog when it started acting up!! Um, not your book, the blog...
Anyway, Blogger was being demonic, then Alexander McQueen, who had the perfect outfit to go with SD, refused to give it up! I finally had to surrender. It was very annoying!!
Nevertheless, the first thing on my To-Do List for next week is BUY SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER. I know everyone else has the same game plan. Right, gang? Right!
Nothing makes a woman look her best like a book!! I should just cut and paste andreaw's list and insert it here!! Dying to read all of those! I have to confess a weakness for capes and I sigh when I realize that I cannot wear any of the lovely ones I have collected over the years because it does not get cold enough to do so in Alabama!
Kate -
What a wonderful blog combining fashion and books. Here I am reading along about backless fashion when I saw your comparison to Mrs. Brimley. You definitely made my weekend.
That fashion accessory is quickly becoming my office accessory. So many good books coming out, so little time to read them!!!!
Oh, Stacy S, I simply love Julie Garwood. Lion's Lady was the first romance I ever read. I hear she has another historical coming out next year and I can't wait!
Great post. A few of the books I am looking forward to are Lover Unbound, Julia London's The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount and Elizabeth Hoyt's The Serpent Prince. I could name many more. :)
Hi Buffie! Yep, that little plaid number was for the guys, LOL!
Caren, my lifesaver! ;-) I'm with you on the fashion front. I so rarely find something that works for me that when I do, I buy up every single one I can find and make that look my uniform for the next few years.
Anna, I feel like I've been waiting *years* for Terry Garey's DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY to come out! I can't wait to scoop that book up and read it! And I'm sure your news shoes will look fabulous with it!
Oh, Anna, I almost forgot...I'm sooo with you on Robert Crais!!! What a cutie!!
Hi Andrea - gosh, would you happen to be a historical fan? *g* I completely agree with your list of must-reads!
I really need to give up the day job so I can spend my quality time reading all the great new books coming out. :-)
Kirsten, I so agree that fashion can be cruel to anyone over age 20 and *ahem* of a certain weight!
And good luck with your new manuscript, Kirsten. Thanks for stopping by. Now get back to work!! ;-)
Hi, Karen H! YOWZA is exactly my opinion of Sabrina Jeffries' inside cover art!! That man can take his revenge on me any old time!! Whew!
Kate, what an absolutely clever and interesting post! You rock!
When I was a younger mother, I listened to my teen girls who "dressed me," and I was known as the hip, cool teacher on campus. But when I reached a certain age (not mentioned), I realized that fashion should complement one's body and coloring far more than what was shown on the runway models. I've never gone wrong dressing to accentuate my strengths rather than following fashion fad.
Ooh, la, la, JR Ward is to die for. I'm also reading Elizabeth Hoyt's The Serpent Prince (or I will when it arrives from Amazon).
Kate, this is a GREAT post!! Loved it!!
For me, fashion is my jeans and a comfy tee shirt. and if I MUST get dressed up, it's WASHED jeans and a nicer shirt! It's much simpler that way.
For books.......cannot wait for JR's latest and then there's JD's latest also...oooh. a good fall!! hmm....maybe I should start writing under the name JM?? I'm seeing a pattern here!
I am so looking forward to LU! I love this series and I will go the day it comes out to get it and read it. I also can't wait for more Kinley McGregor/Sherrilyn Kenyon. Love her writing.
I love that plaid and wider leg pants are making a comeback for fall. I hated the skinney jean mostly because it didn't look good on me. I love fall clothes and I like to keep up with fashion. Fun post today!
Hi Doglady! I feel your pain in Alabama because I grew up in sunny Southern California and every year I used to drool over beautiful plaid wool outfits that would never be mine. It's just not fair!
Hey Donna -- I must confess, the cover on THE EDUCATION OF MRS. BRIMLEY was my inspiration for this post! It's gorgeous and sexy -- and I can't wait to read what's inside! ;-)
Crystal and Jo, you both named one of my favorite new authors (and a fellow Packer!), Elizabeth Hoyt. The Serpent Prince is on my list for next week's trip to Borders.
Jo, how lucky you were to have a couple of hip teens in the house who could dress you better than you could dress yourself, LOL. I need them to hang around my house!!
Doglady and Kate, I so relate to the wool-envy! In junior high (7th grade if painful memory serves), I bought a gorgeous Shetland wool sweater. Long sleeves, v-neck, shawl-type collar. Very chic!
I was *dying* to wear it to the first dance we had. In early October. In Nashville, TN. To say I was sweltering is quite the understatment. I believe my Dorothy Hamill haircut suffered mightily from the profuse sweat. I'm sure that impressed the boys I so wanted to impress! (And I was tall, skinny, gawky, glasses, braces--a total disaster to start with. Ack!)
Maureen, hi! Now you're talking high fashion, LOL. Maybe next month I'll blog about the latest trends in pajamas and sweat pants. ;-)
Hi Filmphan! I so agree with you on the skinny jeans issue. Ugh! Here in L.A., everybody wears them, even when they shouldn't. It's not pretty! I'm so glad the wider legs are coming back.
Sigh...fashion for me in a word is clean scrubs! LOL. Seriously, I get up and write in my p-js. Get dressed for work, in scrubs which are as soft as p-js. Come home, get in p-js. Yep, I'm a fashion statement!
I'm looking forward to The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt.
Christine, more Bailey's? Hic! Shank yooo, my shober fwend. Hic!
Andrea, you should buy shares in Avon! Thanks for including Untouched on your list. I personally think green is going to be next season's color!
And Karen H, midnight blue is pretty flattering too! ;-)
A book I'm looking forward to is Shana Abe's follow-up to The Smoke Thief and the Dream Thief. I loved both of those - they were amazingly written and so unusual! Dragons in the Regency. How cool is that?
I just can't get into what some call fashion. Some of those designs just aren't things I would be comfortable wearing.
Some of the books I am looking forward to are Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh, Riding the Storm by Sydney Croft, Untouched by Anna Campbell and Julie Garwood's book
Hey, thanks, Cherie! Hope you enjoy Untouched! At the risk of being a promo ho, I'm holding a contest for one of the advance reading copies on my website in October so check it out!
How could I have forgotten Nalini's latest? I lurved her first two psy books. Just brilliant!
Um, somewhere in here, I have to do some writing. Stop me, someone!!!
I will be reading Loving Frank which I am looking forward to greatly. Also Garden Spells and A Sense of Paper. Love your cute blog today. Simply adorable.
Caren, I feel your high school pain! Naturally, those boys are now kicking themselves for not seeing the vixen beneath that Dorothy Hamill do!!
Hi Suz - you're so lucky! I would dress in jammies, sweats or scrubs every day of my life if I could.
Hi Maureen. Wow, Elizabeth Hoyt has become so hot in such a short time. I really love her work, and I love her website, too. It's so pretty and elegant!
As for fashion I loved the pics Kate but I am built for comfort LOL Books I am looking forward to reading this season
Scandals Daughter
The Education Of Mrs Brimley
Untouched
Jenna Petersens
Shana Galan
Karen Ranney
The list goes on and on books are what I spend most of my money on and I can't get enough of them I say keep them coming Ladies. I am know that I have left some of the list but it is early Saturday morning here and I worked last night
Have Fun
Helen
Living out in the stix, I have a long list of books and authors by the time I take a trip to town. I liked Jeffries' Beware a Scots Revenge and am looking to buy Well's Untouched, along with Secrets of a Proper Lady by V. Alexander & D. McMeans' Education of Mrs. Brimley.
As for fashion, I need a crutch for mobility so capes are great for me. I like the wider legged pants, too. And while I think a plain black dress topped with a length of colorful plaid across the shoulders and fastened with a silver thistle brooch would be a hot outfit, my idea of enjoying a good book is to do so in comfort .... as in curled up on the sofa under a fuzzy throw while wearing a soft tee-shirt and jeans!
Happy reading,
Mary
Oh I SO get the whole "book as accessory" thing. I always have a book with me and I too am a bit of a fashionista. But perhaps I am alone in my own personal obsession... finding the perfect book... the one that goes with everything! I mean, I am pretty sure that self-help books are out and according to US Weekly, so are memoirs written by famous recovering drug addicts. So what I look for lately is the perfect blend of font and coordinating color. When I peruse the Costco book section my eyes are constantly searching for just the right thing... like LOVED WALKED IN by Marisa De Los Santos... perfect for my fall ensembles. For spring I prefer the cooler colors, like ANGRY HOUSEWIVES by Lorna Landvik. And of course there are certain writers that go with anything. The "little black book" so to speak. I find that I will always be happy carrying something by Anna Quindlen... except for BLACK AND BLUE, because... well... blue really isnt my color. :)
Hi Cherie - We're all looking forward to Anna's Untouched!
Ellie - Loving Frank sounds really fascinating, too. I might have to pick that one up. Like I need more books on my TBR pile!
LOL Helen! I feel like I'm moving into the "built for comfort" phase, myself!
Wow, it's great to have so many visitors!
BWMary, you've got the right idea about curling up on the sofa with a good book. That's about my most favorite thing in the world to do!
Great post Kate! You fashion mavin you! :> Kirstin, I SO agree on the hip hugger jeans. And Christine, I had "mommy" handbags waaaay before kids for the same reason, they fit a book. Snork. I'm with Filmphan in that I'm looking forward to Fall and Winter because I love to dress for cool and cold rather than try to un-dress decently for hot weather. Ha! I'm looking forward to all the upcoming Bandita book as everyone has mentioned, as well as the fall In Death book by JD. Mercedes Lackey and Robin McKinley both have new books due out, as does Kathy Caskie. I've picked up my friend Sophia Nash's book but haven't had time to read it, so I'm looking forward to curling up and getting in some good reads in something unfashionably comfortable. Ha! Again, Fun post, Kate!
Shannon, you are a hoot! Never forget that Scandal's Daughter (Sept 4) goes well if you're wearing pastels this autumn. *g*
Couldn't agree with you more on the "little black book". Wonder why the publishers haven't figured that out?
Yay, Shannon, what a clever response and metaphor in "the little black book." Your mom would be proud -- giggle.
Today my friendly UPS fellow delivered my Amazon order: The Raven Prince, Kill Chain (Meg Gardiner) and JR Ward's Lover Revealed. I'm so happy I won't mind staying inside during this 100-plus degree weather.
no i do not follow trend. i wear what feels comfortable.
kim h
no i do not follow trend. i wear what feels comfortable.
kim h
Sorry I'm late chiming in....I was following Suz's fashion advice and working 12 hrs in clean scrubs!
I hear ALL ya'll when talking about certain "in" fashions not being for those over the legal drinking limit. I went shopping for jeans the other day (I've recently lost 15 pounds and it makes shopping LOTS more fun) but tried on a pair that were those low slung type and thought frantically "Where's the rest of the zipper?". LOL
As to books, at the risk of sounding repetitive, all the Bandita's latest and Karen Marie Moning's latest Fever book. Gotta love sexy Fae men roaming Dublin.
I love fashion, Kate, although I have to admit my usual attire is sweat pants and a cute t-shirt *g*
And of course, no outfit is complete without a book! I'm looking forward to Scandal's Daughter, The Education of Mrs. Brimley, Dead Girls Are Easy, Nora Roberts' Sign of 7 trilogy and Jinx by Meg Cabot :-)
Have never been one to follow the trend, but wear what I like and what is comfortable. Naturally, a good book is a 'must' accessory and there are so many on my list to buy that I will be broke after going to the bookstore, but a very happy and satisfied reader.
Great post! I'm into watching fashion shows on TV, but when it comes to what I wear I really don't follow the trends. I'm a lazy shopper, without the time or money to keep up with the fast changing whims of the fashion world.
I'm looking forward to Parallel Desire by Deidre Knight.
LOL Shannon, that's what I'm talking about! The right book with just the right outfit.
This has been been great fun and I've got a whole slew of books to add to my list. Thanks!!!
Kate! You little fashionista, you! You and Anna S. and Anna C. just KNEW I'd be drawn through cyberspace to read this post, didn't you?
While I do love a cute pair of shoes :), I also love me my jeans and a cute top (preferably in red). While I have been known to go backless (like Kate Moss), the back has to stop well above the (in Kate's Moss's case, nonexistent) derriere. Mine is all too... EXISTENT. lol
I just read an article about how shiny, metallic fabrics were back; wide belts were back; and so were wide jeans. Thank goodness I haven't cleaned out my closet since the seventies!
Great post, Kate.
Terri
Hey, Kate, no worries about Scandal's Daughter! I don't know what you were going to do with an evening gown, yellow kid gloves and a riding crop! (Hmm, come to think of it, Aunty C would know what to do with the crop!)
Thanks to everyone who said they're looking forward to reading Scandal's Daughter. I'm so excited that it's finally on the shelves!
Kate, this is a great post. I love it how you can just let loose in here. You are such a blast.
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