Fashion is back to that 80s technique of layering element upon element in looks – not just colored leather, colored snake leather. Not just bright tees, bright embroidered tees.  Nothing simple.  I find too much of that in a look can get overwhelming unless you have a very sure and confident sense of how to balance it all, so my take on this trend is to layer colors and blend them in thoughtful ways. This look was centered around the multi-sequin colorway of the Hazel pump by Sam Edelman (which I am still obsessing over. Read my obsession kick-off here. I could easily add three or four more pairs to my already-too-large collection of them! Yanyway…). I love my shine, but you can start with any shoe you own that has multiple colors in it: floral prints, embroidered pairs, multi-hued snake pairs. Take stock of the  colors that jump out at you or that you want to highlight. Cobalt, coral and yellow were the shades I chose here, but I could definitely have swapped out on of those for teal, mint or emerald. Blue denim echoes the cobalt shade, while a classic pullover carries the coral. Those two form the main effect of the look. A navy jacket reinforces the blue tones (a brighter blue would have worked perfectly as well).  The citrus yellow necklace nods softly to the pretty yellow flash that comes out in the shoe when the light hits it just right. I particularly love how the iridescent finish on the crystals gives a similar effect to the sequins. Earrings and boldy-colored bangles would make flawless alternatives should you not have a necklace in a  shade that moves you. Or eschew jewels altogether and add that harmonizing last splash of color with a belt or a solid-toned scarf.  Multi-colored scarves are also your bff’s if you want give this a try but are sans multi-colored shoes. ID the shades in the print you want to draw on for your outift and work from there. Noteworthy: you don’t need the colors to match prescisely; they just need to be in the same family. Lighter, brighter or deeper, darker versions of the color (navy or denim blue for cobalt, coral for blush) will do the trick. I hope this inspires you to build a look around a multitude of colors sometime soon :) Happy styling!

I’m so behind on my fav fashion blogs lately, ugh! But I was trying to catch up a little at Sea of Shoes and Jane was describing in a recent post how she has scrolls through runway shows for inspiration and it made me smile because I’ve been doing the same. In her case, it’s vintage Prada via their website archives, in my case, it’s recent Chanel and Fendi via the Vogue website. One look that caught my eye in Chanel’s Spring 2019 Ready To Wear line was #66, a pairing of a crisp white button-down with a sequin skirt. We often see glam tempered for day with denim and similar casual fabrics, but using polished, preppy chic as a sharper counterpoint to the shine got my imagination firing! Instead of dressing the glam down, why not soften the party vibe with proper, classic chic? It’s such a fun twist on convention! The formula is simple: black sequin pencil skirt (A-line works too!) + white button-down.  Add black leather ankle boots and, for chilly days, top with a cropped jacket (a la the runway look) or oversize blazer (for a true-to-the-collection 80’s nod).  Keep everything else simple: a statement ring or earrings, a sleek pony or plain up-do, a dash of color at your lips and done! Don’t have a sequin skirt or not ready for that much glitter? Try a satin skirt instead – and pleated pieces work just as well as pencil and A-lines. Highlight the sophistication angle with slingback pumps. Alternatively, reverse the formula and do the shine on top: a relaxed sequin/shimmery tee or tank pairs perfectly with a minimalist skirt. Think swishy poplin, classic suiting pieces or polished, weighty knits more than fluttery voiles and whisper-light fabrics. Pair with of-the-moment mules to ground the look.  I love the boldness of this statement when done in black and white, but other neutrals work fabulously too: gray, navy, beige, khaki, olive.  Happy styling! :)