Yes, boot game is totally allowed in warm weather. Summer gave us a perfect example in this snap from Instagram, which demo'd look stuffed with the most enviable casual cool. The key to the style is using sufficiently relaxed pieces, but pairing them in a way that's un-boring. Summer accomplished that with a muscle tee splashed with marigold at the shoulders. That bright color pop gave this look a huge boost. Reach for your fave bright cropped (or knotted to cropped-length) tee as a starting point.(Hint: make a standard-sleeve tee into a cap-sleeve silhouette y rolling the sleeves. Don't fuss over flat, even perfection - crinkled is good!) Alternatively, go for a cute cami with stripes or a fun detail like tie-shoulders (or both). Summer's look has a pared-down urban girl vibe so leave the lace, ruffles and peplum styles at home for this one. Do consider a classic ribbed tank, though! The easy grit of this pairing - especially with boots! - lends itself perfectly to that option. Pair with shorts - cutoff (or rolled) denim is top of the list. Any wash will work. Cargo shorts are a 90's-referencing alternative. Or, ramp up the city vibe with a leather pair. Add flat or low-heeled ankle booties of almost any iteration. Suede works, leather works, hardware works, any neutral color works. Go light to nil on the baubletry. To keep the look out of "this is what I had on last night and I don't care" territory, make sure to add a bit of polish with your hairstyle - a messy bun or cute high pony does the trick. The last crucial accessory? Oversized sunnies! They add just the right dose of casual glam to the chilled-out cool of this styling. I hope this inspires you to show off your boot game a bit this summer :) Happy fashioning, loves!
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When I saw this shot of Cara Delevingne on her promo tour for her movie Valerian and The City Of A Thousand Planets, it immediately had me flashing back to Maryse's looks from last summer, where she unveiled an amazing crystal accessory, set above black clothing. I love Cara, but sorry girl - divas done it first ;). The basic concept of the look still holds it power - that's the genius of an iconic styling spiced up with a handful of statement modernity. Cara's simple black suit is gorgeous - streamlined, minimal, flawlessly tailored. She added some intrigue by wearing it without an underlayer, but the main impact of the look comes from her magnificent crystal capelet. The styling is so unusual and bold, yet still has that element of classic sophistication. She echoed the capelet with her crystal-embellished sandals and brought in a sweet, feminine twist with her black hair band. Maryse went with a glamorous body chain, set above a black bodycon dress. The principles and effect are the same: chic, modern glamour. Cara's pixie cut keeps her look refined, while Maryse added polish via a ponytail.
If you're head-over-heels for this look, you can recreate it with a little black something. Both Cara and Maryse's looks come off fairly formal, but a black monochrome pairing of slim twill or ponte pants, skinny jeans or shorts will begin this styling on a more casual platform. Bear in mind that laidback pieces will be elevated by the dramatic presence of the crystal jewels. If you're going for pants, choose a cropped silhouette or roll full-length pieces (that's to show off your shoes ;)) Keep your second piece simple: a plain, refined tee, a classic black button-down. Avoid prints, lace or other complex fabrics like mesh or distressing (we're going to zigzag around grunge-glam here) or busy embellishments like ruffles, embroidery and tulle. Sleeveless and one-shoulder necklines are do-able, though! For shoes, if you own crystal-embellished sandals, grab those first! (Be-crystalled flats totally allowed!) Other options include solid black sandals - avoid anything especially informal like espadrilles - and crystal-studded pumps. Simple black pumps or peeptoes can work as well. Now, to the coup de grace: the crystals! I don't know too many fashionistas who have a crystal capelet on standby, but if you do, now is the time to rock it! Ditto if you own a crystal body chain. The rest of us get to be a tad more creative. Create a statement by piling up the crystal pieces you own - set a choker necklace above a collar or layer multiple chains of different length. Reach for statement rings or bangles, or trendy, unique pieces like ear cuffs. Concentrate your sparkle in one area: ears or neck or wrists+hands. Or, go with more delicate jewels scattered throughout your look: blend glittery earrings with a delicate ring and add a station necklace at your waist as a belt ( you can clip two together if they're short. Swag the end (clip it unobtrusively in place with a small silver safety pin), or let it dangle. Start with what you have and imagine from there how you can blend the pieces for best effect. I hope this inspires you to get your Maryse (or Cara ;)) vibes on sometime soon :) Happy styling! I went head over heels for this dress of Renee's when she wore it to the Wrestlemania Hall Of Fame ceremony. I would 100% wear this dress with a denim vest or jacket and sneakers for date night, a picnic, a girl squad meeting. But if you're not quite ready to jump that far off the night-for-day diving board, it's easy to be inspired by Renee's look in a subtler way. Her printed floral gown was to the informal side for a black tie event, so she elevated the styling by pairing it with black satin sandals. So, how about reversing that formula? Go floral on the finish. Instead of reaching for an all-over printed outfit, do a black monochrome look. Pair a simple tee with tie-waist satin shorts, or a pretty blouse with cutoff denim. The key is to mix something more formal with something more laidback, a la Renee. Complete the pairing with floral footwear. I love the pop and summery vibe of ankle strap sandals, but pointy toe flats or floral sneakers will work nicely as well. The florals really take on a big presence when set against a black outfit - not only does the color stand out, but the softness of a floral creates a more startling contrast against a dark, solid canvas. It's like a textural contrast without the texture. Conversely, the chic, moody power of black undercuts the garden-y sweetness of the print. It's a perfect example of the dramatic tension of opposites. Consider adding a floral statement ring or necklace to reinforce the beauty and colors in your shoes.
Alternatively, be a little more direct: keep the fancy-shoes-to-elevate-the-look concept, but dial the whole clothing situation back. The theory still holds. Renee's sandals add polish and formality to her gown because of the material they're done in - the sheen of satin always gives it a dressier vibe. So grab your nearest pair of satin shoes and design your look around it, from the bottom up :) Almost any satin pair will work: sandals, pumps, flats. Because your shoes are so formal, the rest of the look should stay refined, but chill. Pair a simple tee with a ruffled wrap skirt or a denim pencil piece, staying within a monochrome neutral color family. If you're craving texture, add it with one lace, crochet, eyelet or sheer-accented piece, but keep item #2 basic. Or, do an A-line (pencil will work nicely too!) floral skirt (or trousers) that includes the color of your shoes within the print. Either way, lean toward a minimalist silhouette and matte materials to help create the laidback vibe that will contrast with the formal sheen of your shoes. Stay with the edited aesthetic for your baubletry - simple stud earrings, a pearl collar. Note: Annabelle @ Viva Luxury has a great example here of pulling this styling off using pants. Her graphic tee is super chill, her cotton cargo pants are a shade more polished. Her leather jacket ups the pants a notch, but the whole look is solidly under the heading of "Casual"...until she gets to her blush satin heels with their crystal accents - they make it fierce! To highlight the difference for yourself, block out just her shoes in a full-outfit pic and imagine the look with sneakers or ankle boots. I hope this inspires you to play with some floral/monochrome and laidback/satin pairings sometime soon :) Happy styling, loves! I love the secret-garden-esque feel of this look from Lana! The simplicity, the mix of luscious colors, the 70's vibe of her flared jeans- it all harmonizes flawlessly in a way that is both appealing to the eye and casually stylish. The key piece in the outfit is her statement jacket and it showcases the raison d'etre for this kind of item: there's no need to do much beyond using it - it makes the look come alive in and of itself. Replicating her outfit exactly, with that long-sleeved bomber, would be a bit toasty this time of year, even without an under-layer (unless you own a sheer or lace one, in which case, have at it! ;)). A kimono makes a fitting metamorphosis for this season. It's spot on trend and the lightweight, floaty fabrics that are the silhouette's usual fare are cool, comfortable and come in a gorgeous array of colors that have the same exuberance as Lana's jacket. To get the 70's vibe, grab a pair of wide-leg, flared or bootcut jeans in blue denim. Alternatively, polish the styling up with wide or straight leg chinos. Add a basic tank on top. This will be a 'blank canvas' item, so it can be almost any iteration as long as it's body con or body-skimming and a single color - choose a neutral or, go brighter and pull a shade from the kimono's pattern. Toss on your topper. Finish with coordinating sneakers (or platformed chunky heeled sandals ;)) and a subtle choker and boom! Done! Too easy, right? Unleessssss...you don't have a kimono yet. Don't panic! It's gonna be fine :) Go with any floral jacket (bomber, blazer, trench) but instead of putting it on fully, as Lana has, just toss it over your shoulders. Or, grab your widest floral scarf and toss it over one shoulder so that one end points to your toes and the other end points at your heels. Add a belt to keep it in place (as shown in the far right and far left pics here.) If it's wide enough, don't scrunch it - leave it open to full width so that it drapes off your shoulder toward your elbow, like a sari would. I hope this inspires you to make a colorful, floral statement sometimes soon :) Happy styling, loves!
How do you make the sophisticated venom of an editorial work for actual life? These are the kind of style perplexities that occupy the fashionista in my brain. Barbie's incredible python-printed wrap dress with its charmeuse accents is an incredible mix of color and pattern with a rippling undercurrent of luxury and danger. Barbie plays against the purple-tinged black shades of the print with her flame lipstick, giving the whole look a hypnotic easy sophistication. It's a complex, intense concept to translate from page and screen to the real world. The trick is to smudge certain elements, while retaining the punch. If you're the brilliant and stylish owner of a python wrap dress, this would be the time to dig it out :). Add red heels and lips - and maybe a black satin sash :) - and you're good to go. But, if not, well...there's more than one way to skin a snake (metaphorical comment - no snakes were harmed by this phrasing. Promise!). Color swapping opens up a lot more options: try a red dress of any simple iteration. You're looking for a plain-canvas type of piece which relies on its vibrant color for effect. A wrap piece will do, as will an unembellished sheath or A-line. Avoid frills (ruffles, lace, etc). The more edited the silhouette, the more powerful a backdrop it will be for the coup de grace: your snake-print heels. The black and white combo makes a big statement and serves as a bold, fresh twist on standard black, white or nude. No snake-print pumps? Try a snake belt, or snake-printed scarf as a sash or choker. Finish with edgy black sandal booties. None of the above? Recreate the vibe with another black-and-white pattern, like chic stripes, racy zebra, dramatic harlequin checks - almost any daring and/or strident black-and-white pattern will do. Or, go with a warmer but equally fierce variation using leopard accessories. Alternatively, choose a black, charcoal or white dress based on the above-outlined principles. Red lip. Red sash or belt, printed shoes (or vice versa!). Super-sleek hair please: pin-straight and face-framing, slicked back, chignon. This is also a flawless spot to play with a smoky eye or deep plum nails (or both! ;)). I hope this inspires you to inject a bit of venom into one of your upcoming looks :) Happy fashioning !
This look from Renee reminds me of my pretty much perpetual fashion in high school, minus the awesome hair. In those days, I was still in the "fighting with my tresses" phase. Have I ever mentioned how much I love buns and ponytails? Their respective inventors should be kissed. Also given plaques. It's a total tribute to Renee that she's making the shacket work here. Unless you are a magical fashion goddess (and sometimes even then...), it's waaay too easy to fall into the "I'm so busy adulting/almost-adulting that I don't even care how I look" look. The tricky part here is the whole shacket concept and we're gonna talk about that because you can make this über-cool, casual look function for you, even on days when you're not feeling like the magical fashion goddess you are. First, the easy part: slim or skinny bottoms. The simplest way to make oversized or flowy on top work is with form-fitting on the bottom. It's a proportion-play that's 101 go-to. Do leggings, do vegan leather, do track-striped polished knits, do denim - it's all good, as long as it's leg-hugging. Ditto your underlayer. Body-skimming, body-kissing, body-con: it and your body are ca-lose. Like, bff close. Ok, to the trickier aspects we go! Renee's look works here for a couple of reasons. First, she's wearing an actual shacket, with has a jacket-type styling and a little more heft/stiffness to the fabric than a shirt. Also, it has a straight hem, instead of a shirt-tail hem (rounded at the bottom, curving upward toward the hips, making a u-shape when viewed from the front or back). If you have a shacket, feel free to employ it here. [Note: Renee's does have a bit of drop-tail hem (longer in back than in front), but that doesn't have a relevant effect on this styling]. A straight-hemmed shirt creates a more polished, jacket-like connotation, which is something to keep in mind if you're doing this look with a shirt. The challenging part about that option is that a button-up shirt doesn't have the same polish as a jacket and leaving a basic, shirt-tail hemmed shirt open over a tank top is a really quick route to Soccer Mom territory. (No offense to Soccer Moms; I get it - life's busy, practicality rules.). You can segue around that avenue in a couple of ways. Go for a button-up tunic (duster and other unexpectedly long lengths encouraged) , instead of a shirt, especially one in a more sophisticated fabric (i.e. silk or voile). Avoid stiff woven cottons. To up the chic factor, keep the color story minimal and bold: black and white, red and navy, beige and graphite. Don't worry about the formality of a fabric like silk. It won't feel fancy when you complete the look with sneakers or flat espadrilles; it will be just enough to elevate the outfit. Ditto with voile. Note: with drapey fabrics and this longer length, you can also button or partially button said tunic if you so desire. If you're sticking with the standard-length button-up, def skip the leaving-entirely-open part. There are easier ways to do casual ;). Try knotting the shirt in front as low as possible to create a slouchy feel (don't button the rest of it up - the deep 'v' that's created will elongate the line of your body). Or tuck it in and button only the bottom button for another variation on the same theme. Alternatively, use an oversize shirt and create your own asymmetrical hem by doing up two or three central buttons using a button-hole that's one or two holes below the one straight across from the button. The fun thing about these knotted and partial-button options is that you don't need a super-drapey fabric, which opens up linen for consideration and all the amazing summer shades it's available in: aqua, lilac, tiger-lily, lemon. Yum, right? :) Finish with block-heeled sandals or wedge espy's in a coordinating color or light neutral. Lastly, amp up the stylish intent on all these variants with a polished hair style: a sleek pony, a refined bun, pretty braids. Happy casually cool styling!
The maxi dress is such a great summer outfit - so easy, work appropriate or play appropriate, simple to change from day to night and cray comfy. Prints just make it that much more fun. Florals, dots, toiles: they all add a different vibe to
the standard monochrome look. They also open up some new ground for throwing in that twist that creates the stylish je ne se quoi that makes a look stand out. The way Charlotte took this semi-floral print dress and made it work overtime by dressing down with flat sandals is a look I can totally get behind! Don't you just get so tired of pants sometimes? A maxi makes a great way to change things up. Char went with a simple metallic thong, which works perfectly with the femme, floaty vibe of her cap-sleeve, full-length piece. It's easy to gravitate to certain neutrals; I reach for metallics plenty often myself. And here, their shine hits just the right balance of fancy and carefree. On the other hand, you can easily branch out into more unusual pairings. While a neutral is a safe choice with a multi-colored floral, you can make a bigger splash by choosing one of the colors in the print for your shoe shade. Don't fear a tangential tone, either. The red in this dress is quite muted, but a vibrant cherry tone looks fab and makes a distinctive statement. So, fire things up: accent soft spring green with bright lime, pale aqua with neon turquoise, light mauve with magenta. The obvious choice for this black and blue print would be a black sandal. Chic, but who hasn't done it? And it takes the look in a more somber direction. For a lighter, summery twist, consider a so-hot-right-now bright white sandal instead. Go with a fierce, strappy style that brings some attitude, or a try carefree espadrille. The contrast of the white against the blue and black gives the look a big pop. A standout color (think orange, bright pink, yellow) would work similarly. Or, do a neutral... but an unexpected one! Instead of pairing this polka dot dress with classic navy or white, go with a jute-toned shoe. Give it a vintage beach-resort vibe with sandals, or a modern cool-girl feel via sneakers. Whatever you choose, try making a shoe change-up part of it. Think of what you usually do and wear anything but. Surprise yourself. Experiment! And have fun :) Happy styling, loves! |
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AuthorBrie: shoe-lover :) fashion-lover and generally glamorous semi-dork Archives
July 2019
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