Wild Thing

Animal prints were mentioned in the last blog post, and I think they deserve a bit more attention today. It seems they've always been around, but are now making a bold comeback in today's fashion. For one, animal prints held a very strong presence at the various fashion weeks around the world this fall. Personally, I never thought this was a style I could pull off and have never worn any animal prints before. More often than not it ends up being just too much for me.  Maybe if I was some rock-star I wouldn't mind getting all decked-out in a leopard print outfit to make a statement; but clearly I'm not. I simply want to be fashionable and nothing outrageous. Now though, I realize this is possible even with animal prints. The key is to use them as an accent piece- so just one, maybe two leopard or zebra print patterned pieces. This is a nice way of finding a sort of middle of the road approach to a typically edgy style. With the animal print, you really can take your pick of whatever clothing article or accessory you want and build around it. Animal prints are no longer a style to be left to a select few to try and pull off. They can be incorporated into every woman's wardrobe and add the extra lift we all need from time to time. Variety is the spice of life. So go ahead and do the wild thing. I think you'll be surprised by how well you wear it, and it will help fight the monotony that likes to creep up on us all.

So what are your favorite animal print pieces?  Is it the ...shoes? ...bag? ...cardigan? ...leggings? ...scarf?

Paris Fashion Week!

I wanted this very short clip of Chloe from Paris Fashion Week to represent my post for this event not only because I appreciated the clothing style, but also because of something interesting I noticed about the type of shoe selected for the runway models to wear. They were pretty much all wearing flats, and mostly ballet style flats. Certainly this had to have made walking the catwalk much easier for them as opposed to wearing gigantic heels- but this is the runway in Paris! There's no way the designer would be making selections for the runway based on what's most comfortable! No, the flats were purposefully chosen as an accent to the styles presented. And I must say, I think the flats did a wonderful job of enhancing the elements of grace and elegance for this collection.

This runway event confirmed that flats can be worn with any outfit- whether dressed-up or dressed-down. Choices range from the ballet flat and loafers, to and all sorts of prints, straps and styles.

Only a couple of weeks ago I was "talking shoes" again with a friend and she mentioned to me a piece of advice given by Oprah. I'm paraphrasing here, but she said one item every woman should have in her wardrobe is a pair of leopard print flats because since they don't go with anything, they go with everything. Excellent point. If you start trying to coordinate different leopard print pieces, it's easy to go overboard with it; so it makes a nice little accent on its own. Plus, this pattern combines blacks and browns in a way that totally works- like tortoise shell. The leopard print flat is just one way of having a neutral that is anything but neutral. So...many thanks to my good friend and thanks to Oprah. I love wearing flats, and this little bit of advice will help me to branch out a little, explore different styles and create fun new looks for myself.
Any other suggestions for fun little flats??

Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

It's now October, and as many of you already know, this month commemorates Breast Cancer Awareness. There's never been a better time to wear pink and find ways to raise awareness and lend support to the cause. This month while shopping, try and take the time to make purchases that go beyond being a lovely fashion piece, but that also contributes to raising funds for the fight against Breast Cancer.

Milan Fashion Week!

There was, of course, a huge variety of styles presented by designers at the Milan Fashion Week. The video attached is of a runway event by Versace, and if you watch it, you'll notice that every model is wearing a dress or a skirt and top combo.  Although this collection was designed for this coming spring and summer, there's no reason why we can't find a great dress to wear now that will also work well with fashion trends around the corner.

The Sheath dress is a classic style of dress that I feel demonstrates and reflects the overall tone presented by Versace in the Milan Fashion Week clip posted here. Also, the sheath dress is an especially great style to highlight after having written about the perfect black dress for my last post- I think the two were destined to work hand-in-hand. What's more, a sheath dress can be found to suit any body type. The sheath dress is truly the ultimate classy, lady dress. While it seems wearing one would be particularly well-suited for upcoming spring fashion, I feel safe saying that it is more than ok to start wearing one now.
P.S. Anyone following Paris Fashion Week?

The Perfect Black Dress

A well known fashion fact is that a black dress is a staple for every woman's wardrobe. So as I appraised my closet the other day, I saw that yes, technically I have a black dress; but it's definitely doesn't fit the role of the perfect black dress fashion experts often refer to. Having a black dress and having the black dress are two very different things.
I certainly don't see anything wrong with having multiple black dresses, but what it ultimately comes down to is have the black dress. The perfect black dress distinguishes itself by its ability to work for a wide variety of occasions, and maintains a sophistication and elegance unlike any other dress out there.

Here's a quick summary of what I think the perfect black dress should do:

The perfect black dress can made up to be fancy for a wedding, but also be made more subtle and subdued for a funeral.

It should have the potential to work for both a professional or work scene, as well as can be played up for a dinner party or classy social event.

• What else have you found that makes a black dress the perfect black dress? Any favorites? 

P.S. Looking up celebrity styles as well as blogs devoted to exploring perfect black dress options can be helpful in your style search.

Tights- Show a Little Leg

We're not talking about the hosiery your grandmother used to wear. Not at all. Today we can find a huge variety or colors, patterns and textures for ladies tights. There is plenty of room to play around here and you can easily adapt your statement to be either bold or subtle- So enjoy the freedom and experiment a little. Fishnets are not just for hookers nor are floral prints and stripes just for little girls. By adding a style of tights with more personality, you are able to both balance your outfit as well as give it more dimension. Basically, mix messages and play up the contrast between your tights and the rest of your outfit.
 

The new-and-improved vision for tights: all the benefits of new fashion and style, while retaining plenty of practical purposes.
Here are just a few practical pros for wearing tights:

• Extra layer from the cold. Less so if the style of tight you are wearing has a more of what we'll call negative space; but it's an added layer nonetheless.
• Not everyone has tan legs year round, so your tights can work a lot like a nice even tan and even things out. 
• They can hide unsightly bruises or scratches etc. Even a more tightly woven fishnet can be enough to dispel the appearance of a bruise on your knee so that nobody will notice it. You can still wear a skirt (or perhaps a coordinating pair of shorts) if floor moves in your dance class keep giving you bruises- hooray!

In the last blog post I mentioned that the scarf is an accessory meant to be collected. The same most definitely goes for tights. Too many fun varieties and options to allow yourself to pass them up any longer.  Now wearing tights can be a much different experience from when you were a little girl and mom was trying to force them on you for Sunday church.

Heart the Scarf!

I am sooo excited for fall and all of the accompanying festivities and holidays! It is such a wonderful time of year. The leaves are beginning to turn and the colors are breath taking! Though temperatures haven't really dropped much where I'm living, we're beginning to feel the cool, crisp air in the mornings. There are so many fun fall activities to look forward to and I don't know if I can handle waiting much longer! Luckily, we can begin to incorporate favorite fall fashion pieces now, even if it's still too early for carving pumpkins.

With the increased popularity of scarves you can find some that are fitted for any season; but despite how light-weight they can be, I have a hard time adding the extra layer in the heat of summer. Now though, I feel I have waited long enough and can justify including a scarf with my outfit. Scarves are the perfect accent, and the options are limitless. They come in all different colors, patterns, textures, styles... is there anyone out there who has yet to realize that the scarf is an absolute necessity for every woman's wardrobe? I feel certain that I am preaching to the choir here. So I'll just continue on under the assumption that you're already a believer, ready to embrace wearing scarves as we head into fall, and that I don't need to try and convince you further.
The scarf is an accessory meant to be collected- seeing the variety in your own closet is oh so satisfying. Let's begin preparing for fall fun with a beautiful scarf or two, and by the time you're jumping into a pile of leaves, drinking hot cider, or carving pumpkins you'll be all ready and picture perfect!

You can find them everywhere, and I always start by checking out my favorite stores. But I would like to highlight one place that is probably not your typical stop to shop for clothing: World Market. http://www.worldmarket.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=4315690 
I always love looking at their scarves, and they have great prices. Enjoy!