The military look is “in” this spring, again, you might say, as it’s been going in and out since the late 1960s. But few fashion houses have created military-inspired clothes that are soft and feminine. Max Mara has come up with the best one I’ve seen so far: a long ton sur ton putty knitted silk and cotton jacket-cardigan over wool and silk army green work skirt, with a military style cotton poplin shirt in lycra. Pair this outfit with lace-up ankle boots.

I love simple, elegant clothing. That’s why I like Max Mara (and its other brands, Sportmax and ‘S Max Mara). I finished looking through the Spring 2010 Max Mara collection and found several clothes and accessories that I would definitely wear. My favorite is this black dress.

Not only is the photography stunning, but the dress itself looks sophisticated and timeless. Note that the model is not wearing any jewelry. Unlike most fashion shots today, where stylists pile necklaces, bangles, and earrings upon the hapless models (and increasingly celebrities) creating a look that is more frightening than appealing, this photograph in black and white keeps everything to its bare minimum. After all, a beautiful dress should stand on its own and draw attention to its owner.

I have many elegant black dresses in my wardrobe and I wear them with as little jewelry as possible. To me, this is the epitome of beauty and elegance.

www.maxmara.com

I love Bobbi Brown’s eye and lip palettes. The colors are suit so many different skin tones and the textures are wonderful. For spring 2010, Bobbi Brown does a palette that is much more colorful than her usual neutral tones.

Eye shades include:
Ivory Eye Shadow, Bermuda Pink Metallic Eye Shadow, Seashell Metallic Eye Shadow, Bonfire Metallic Eye Shadow, Tan Eye Shadow, Burnt Sugar Metallic Eye Shadow

Lip shades include:
Cabo Coral Lip Color, Salmon Lip Color, Shell Lip Color, and Coral Reef Metallic Lip Color

You can find the palette at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman for $60. I have not seen it for sale on the Bobbi Brown website.