Generally, I like Leighton Meester. She's pretty, she's hilarious/awesome on Gossip Girl, and she has good taste in clothes. Or so I thought. Let's examine Exhibit A below. Didn't recognize her? Me neither. It looks like Leighton, but about 15 years older, 20 pounds heavier, and down with a serious case of the Tilda Swintons. Now, it's not that she can't look cute. Note Exhibit B, from the Teen Choice Awards. She looks adorable and young and fit in that Louis Vuitton frock. So either her stylist hates her, or she got suckered into wearing an uber designer's top and couldn't say no at the risk of offending say, Alber Envaz, etc, etc. But I feel like if she had to wear this top, there are better things to wear it with than ski pants, no? Check out how I'd restyle it below.
Dolce Vita Jody Skirt, $132 at shopbop.com, Elegantly Waisted Addison Belt, $96 at shopbop.com, Prada Multi-Strap Pumps, $695 at neimanmarcus.com: First off, the pants have to go. The top is vastly unflattering and a lot of look on its own, so it needs to be paired with a simple, sleek skirt. The extra skin exposed helps balance out the bulky upper half nicely. I'd go for black accessories, so they don't compete with the top and make the overall look too busy, but black with some sort of interesting detail to keep the feeling young. A slightly narrower belt would be more flattering and much more chic. I like this Elegantly Waisted belt because it's elastic in the belt, so it'll blend right into the skirt, and the black on black studs in the front draw the eye to the waist without being too attention-catching. I'd finish it all off with these Prada peep-toe pumps. Since they're basic black, they don't steal the show, but the big platform and all those tiny straps add a very necessary bit of edge, taking this look from slightly matronly to fashion forward.
Image Sources:
Leighton Meester, in order: gofugyourself.com, glamour.com, Dolce Vita skirt: shopbop.com, Elegantly Waisted belt: shopbop.com, Prada pumps: neimanmarcus.com
So at my school there's this big dance thing this Friday (which you know I'm not going to because 2,500 people plus tiny room plus crazy dancing equals waaaay to overwhelming for me. And because I'm too lazy to put on heels. You know.), and it's gotten me thinking about party dresses. More party dresses. I know. But they really are the funnest thing to shop for. And I promise the next post will include exactly zero dresses. I think.
BCBG One Shoulder Dress, $248 at bcbg.com, Juicy Couture Lace Print Tank Dress, $248 at shopbop.com, Preen Band Dress, $440 at net-a-porter.com: So this BCBG dress has one, a jewel tone, two, gorgeous asymmetrical draping that cinches nicely at the waist, three, one shoulder, and four, zipper details. You know I'm all over that. It has such an Alexander Wang vibe, and it's not even $250! It's a total standalone piece. You don't really need anything with it except a pair of sky-high heels and some serious attitude. Doesn't this Juicy dress look like Anna Sui? That might just be my crazy, sleep-deprived brain, but it has the same slightly gothic, romantic aesthetic. It taps into the nude trend that was big on the runways, the lace pattern taps into the sheer trend because it looks like a sheer overlay. But even though the print is very on-trend, the tank silhouette is always a classic, and since it hangs relatively close to the body, it's also flattering. It's a win-win! This Preen dress intrigues me. I love the vibrant hue, I love the one-shoulder, I love the cut-out and the ruching and the banding, but...the lace-up detail on the sleeve is killing me. It's so '90s, and not in a good way. But the rest of the dress is so great that I'm kind of okay with the lace-up. I don't know. I've had too much coffee today. My brain is literally twitching right now. TMI, I know.
Rache Pally Long Cutout Dress, $238 at shopbop.com, LaRok Absolutely Studding Skirt, $268 at shopbop.com, YARNZ Crowns Cashmere Scarf, $165 at shopbop.com: Without looking at the price tag of this Rachel Pally dress, I'd have placed it in the $500+ range. The cut is perfect, the slinky fit is so Angelina Jolie (I don't know why, it just is), and the cut-outs are subtly sexy from the front, and totally attention-grabbing from the back. Just think about how much wear you could get out of this! And that full skirt...I die. These last two have nothing to do with party dress, I just want them. You guys know how that goes. I feel like this skirt could have some logistical issues, like with sitting...or moving...but it's so damn cute. I mean, I love a high-waisted mini in any form, but put studs on it and you may as well just steal my wallet. Same with this scarf. I love big, comfy scarves. I love crown motifs. Put both of them together, and do it in grey and purple (it's like they read my mind), and I'm literally drooling.
Image Sources:
BCBG dress: bcbg.com, Juicy Couture tank dress: shopbop.com, Preen dress: net-a-porter.com, Rachel Pally dress: shopbop.com, LaRok skirt: shopbop.com, YARNZ scarf: shopbop.com
I'd like to apologize for blog failing yesterday. I didn't not post because it was Labor Day. I literally thought it was Sunday and forgot to post. Don't worry, I'm trying to pull myself together, I know it's Tuesday, we're all good. This college thing is going pretty well so far, but I've realized that I have a serious lack of tops in my wardrobe. Don't get me wrong, I have about 348699368 million tees, but like 2 actual tops, and they're both button-ups. I thought I'd be wearing dresses a lot here, but there are lots and lots of stairs, and dresses + stairs = way too many up-skirt moments for me on the way to class, and wearing v-necks and jeans every day is getting old pretty quickly. So the next things on my shopping list are tops, actual polished, dress up-able tops.
Tibi Lace Trim Silk Top, $255 at net-a-porter.com, J. Crew Textured Jersey Ribboned Collier Tee, $49.50 at jcrew.com, VPL Convexity Breaker Tee, $175 at shopbop.com: I'm dying over this Tibi tank. I usually rant and rave about empire waist tops and how they make you look pregnant and need to be avoided at all costs, but this one is working for me. I think the amount of exposed skin up top and the fitted band at the waist mediate the a-line bottom nicely, and the jewel tone purple and lace trim take this tank from casual to refined and chic. You guys know I'm a fan of anything that involves a statement necklace, and this tee is no exception. The trompe l'oeil effect is fun and quirky, the nature of the white tee itself makes this a super versatile piece, and the mixture of textures at the neckline makes totally luxurious. I've wanted one of these VPL Breakers tank FOREVER. They're the perfect mix of lingerie-inspired and casual chic. I mean, that tank would look perfect with jeans for a more easygoing look, but you could dress it up with some jewelry and a high-waisted skirt and have a fantastic going out ensemble.
Juicy Couture Zipper Front Ruffle Tank, $138 at shopbop.com, Tucker Camisole, $176 at shopbop.com, Joie Masha Smocked Top, $198 at shopbop.com: The zipper/ruffle detail on this Juicy tank is adorable. The ruffles are a little girly, the zipper is a little edgy, and the whole thing has a bit of a tuxedo vibe. Plus, you don't even need a necklace with this tank, and the basic white means it goes with everything. This Tucker cami is velvet. Velvet with leopard print patterned cutouts. I'm dying insde. The slouchiness of the neckline and low-key sexiness of the velvet leopard print go together perfectly. And yes, I kind of do just want it because it's leopard. But I think everyone needs a little bit of leopard in their closet, right? And just to prove that I'm a closet hippie at heart, I love this Joie top. It's the perfect length to be roomy without overwhelming, the dip in the neckline shows just the right amount of skin, and the grey on grey color palette keeps it all 2009 instead of 2003. Perfection.
Image Sources:
Tibi top: net-a-porter.com, J. Crew top: jcrew.com, VPL tank: shopbop.com, Juicy Couture tank: shopbop.com, Tucker tank: shopbop.com, Joie top: shopbop.com
I know I failed last week with the Project Runway (if you didn't watch it, trust me, you didn't miss much, it was an epic maternity fail), but I'm going to make up for it in good posts next week, I promise. The challenge this week was to do a surf-wear inspired look, and then an avant garde inspired surf look (I don't know who comes up with this stuff, I really don't). I won't tell you guys who won/lost, I don't want to ruin it for you, but I'm still going to pick apart all the outfits, of course.
The Good: This first look is soft, refined, and chic, and I know the shirt looks awkward, but it moved really nicely on the runway. The print is a lovely, girly take on safari, and the cut has a great retro-chic vibe, and the skirt comes off to reveal that the top is actually a one-piece swimsuit. This second look is straight out of a Balmain show. I mean, it's verbatim Balmain. But, aside from that, it is a really nice piece (because it's Balmain), and I have no idea how it's surf-inspired at all, but it's young, fun, and glamorous, and even though it was the avant garde piece, I'd definitely wear it.
This blue dress isn't realistic or wearable at all, BUT I can actually see the surf inspiration here. The cut has such an organic, oceanic vibe, and I really, really love what's going on at the collar. It's this great mix of the exaggerated shoulder, wide collar, and asymmetrical sleeve trends, but it doesn't look over the top or too trendy. The bottom half of this white and black dress screams D&G to me (remember those tulle-skirted, splatter painted dresses from a couple seasons ago? Exactly the same). The S&M, rock and roll top and giant, rebellious princess skirt could clash terribly, but somehow they complement each other, even with that popped collar. The top is obviously scuba-esque, and the skirt reminds me of the white foam on the top of a wave, so I think it works.
The Decent: this green dress actually won. Ok, it's made out of Neoprene, and it's decently cute, but it's so, so unflattering. Avant garde doesn't have mean make your model look like a sack of potatoes. I get where they were going with this, but I think the fit and the draping are just a little off. If it was more fitted at the waist, maybe? There's nothing wrong with this second look, it's just kind of boring and pedestrian. The dress part does detach from the necklace and turn into a sarong, though, so I have to give them points for that.
I feel like this first look could have been awesome if one, the hat didn't look so cheap, and two, the leggings/pants fit better and were a different color than the top. But the slouchy shirt/exposed swimsuit (the exposed bra thing is going to be big for fall, I'm telling you) with the drapey belt is spot on. Very surfer inspired, but also pretty chic. I love the actual swimsuit part of this second look. It's hard to see, but it's actually woven in different shades of purple, and the cutouts are perfectly placed. But I can't figure out what's going on with that skirt. On the runway it looked like a pair of paints, here it looks like a sarong...I just don't think a beach outfit should be that confusing.
This white dress is another example of great idea, interesting execution. I actually really like the dress on it's own, and I can kind of see the surf inspiration there. It almost has a Rodarte vibe, which is always a good thing. But when you put the purple lace cutout tights/pants/skirt over it, it just draws the eyes straight to the model's inner thighs, which is kinda awkward in a dress that short. And maybe it's just me, but the way the paghts (pants meets tights, yes I make up words) go over her shoes is really creeping me out. I really like the top half of this second look too, the slouchy shouldered top over the cute, woven one-piece, but the skirt just feels lazy. I feel like with a top that casual and relaxed, you need more structure in the bottom to pull the look together.
The Bad: All I have to say is trainwreck. The belt doesn't make any sense with this dress, the colors don't go together, and the awkward semi-train at the back just makes it look like the bottom half of the dress got caught in a shredder. Maybe with a different belt, a more even hem, and with white instead of that awkward green it would have worked a little better. This second look is just boring. Oooh, a bubble-skirted tank dress. Crazy. And it somehow managed to make the model look pregnant. On the plus side, the bikini itself is pretty cute. That's about it though.
I don't even have words for this first outfit. I mean, what the hell is going on? Really? I'd love someone to explain that to me because I honestly have no idea. I just...wow. Moving on. This second look is so colossally unflattering--just look at the wrinkles at the waist! On top of that, it looks like a mushroom is growing out of her shoulder and someone tried to tie it down with bondage straps across her chest. No. Just no.
Exciting, but not really: I got new glasses. Yay...they're Chanel 3137 glasses and you can find them at eyewearus.com. It looks sketchy, but it's not. I was a little scared about the orange band for a while, especially because I didn't try them on in person (long story short my old glasses were discontinued but no one told me so I had to pick out a new pair online--OMG anxiety), but I think they're kinda cute!
Image Sources:
all Project Runway images from: mylifetime.com, Chanel glasses: eyewearus.com
So I know I told you guys I would be coming back to continue with my series on fashion book reviews. And I have! (Even though it's been like five days or something since the last post. Sorry! What can I say, I've been really busy. College, you know?) Anyway. My next book to review has actually already been out for awhile, but it fits the subject so I'll talk about it nonetheless.
You may know them from Full House, but I try to help their image out by forgetting all about those days and focus on the fashion they are so passionate about now. I mean, if I was worth a few billion, why not start a fashion empire as well? So Mary-Kate and Ashley (Olsen, if you haven't caught onto that fact by now) put together a book of interviews they did with members of the fashion world that influence them on a daily basis with their clothing choices. The interviews are mixed together with a bunch of photographs and all is assembled in an extremely large coffee table book. It's fun and inspiring and there are some entertaining conversations that go on. Plus, you get to go inside the heads of some of fashion's most important people (minus Anna Wintour). Again, always cheapest on Amazon. (There's also a video interview of the twins on the Amazon site if you want to check that out too.)
Image Source: stacistringer.wordpress.com
With a great liberal arts education should come, well, a great cultural education as well. Recently there was a concert at my school that showcased Down, Down, Down, As Tall As Lions, and the Cold War Kids. Now I know that out of this lineup the CWK are the most famous, but I have to tell you guys that As Tall As Lions is one of my new favorite bands. They're really good and they've actually been around for awhile (they have three albums already). If you're into alternative/rock listen to them for a bit, I promise you'll like at least one song (they're are soooo many to listen to). You should check them out. I highly recommend "We's Been Waitin" and pretty much everything else.
P.S. It doesn't help that the lead singer slightly resembles a tv actor I might just have a crush on. And the rest of the band is really crazy cool too. After their show they came down into the crowd and ran around with us for a bit. They're pretty nice guys, so help them out and buy their music!
Image Sources: purevolume.com; canyouseethesunset.com
I think I've posted this eye look from Proenza Schouler like 6 times. I love it. To death. It's got the impact of a smokey eye, but it's a little more low-key, rock and roll instead of full out glam. The key here is finding the perfect brown, cream shadow. At the show they used Cream Color Base in Dark Brown, but since that's a MAC Pro product, it's a little hard for me to track down. So I tried using the Cream Color Base in Root instead, scroll down for my results:
Root is a medium, plummy brown with silver shimmer. It's technically a multi-purpose product, but I'm using it as an eyeshadow. It's pretty firm for a cream eyeshadow, much firmer than the Benefit Cream shadows, but it warms up quickly with the warmth of your fingers and is easy to spread. It goes on pretty sheer, and it actually feels a little oily at first, but it dries to a more matte finish quickly. As for the wear, I feel like this would crease like crazy if you didn't use an eyeshadow base, but aside from the creasing the wear is pretty good. I like this color because it's subtle, and be smudged on for a more natural look, but then you can layer it on for a more dramatic, night time look.
To get the look from the Proenza Schouler show, I'd take your eyeshadow brush, either a smudge brush or a regular shadow brush, and brush Root into the lower lashline, extending it a bit below the lashline itself and blending it out past the eye a bit. Then apply Root to the upper lashline and lid, going just a bit beyond the crease. Grab your crease brush and blend the shadow into the brow bone. Then grab MAC's Pearlglide Liner in Molasses, $14.50 at maccosmetics.com (if you haven't gotten this already, DO IT NOW. I'm not kidding. I haven't touched another liner since I bought this, and it's the first liner I've actually repurchased before I've run out. I'm stockpiling it), and lightly line the upper and lower lashlines. Finish with a coat of mascara on the upper lashes, and you're done!
I give the Cream Color Base in Root a 9/10 (1 point off for creasing), and normally this is where I'd say you can get it for $16.50 at the MAC website, but...it's not on the MAC site. It's not Pro, because I just got it at the MAC store today, but I think it might be one of those hard to track down products. Try calling your local MAC to see if they have it before you drive out there?
291 Peace Sign Cashmere Scarf, $356 at shopbop.com: I realize that $350 is a totally insane price to pay for a scarf, I really do, but...it's big and cashmere. And grey on black. And it has a giant, oversized peace sign. A peace sign! When it's all wrapped around your neck it looks like some hardcore, abstract pattern. The cashmere is practical for, say, a Boston winter climate (hehe), the size works because it functions as a scarf but can moonlight as a shawl or blanket (great for plane rides). The neutral palette brings the cost per wear way down because it'll go with anything, the peace sign is young and whimsical, but has a bit of an activist message, and the fringe gives it an easygoing, casual vibe. I'm starting my Christmas wishlist early, people.
Image Sources:
Proenza Schouler behind the scenes: style.com, MAC Cream Color Base in Root: livejournal.com, 291 Scarf: shopbop.com
My relationship with Lady Gaga has been starting to get a little rocky lately, I'm not going to lie. On the one hand, I love her music, but on the other hand, it's been so overplayed that it's starting to make me feel like my ears are bleeding. Her style is crazy awesome, but it's also crazy. Even though she obviously has something against pants (or skirt, shorts, or any sort of bottoms for that matter), I kind of find her fashion inspiring because she's not feminine in the traditional way at all. She compares herself to a tranny all the time, wears stripper heels and hoods and leather bodysuits, and yet there's something deeply feminine about her because she's deeply in touch with her own sense of style and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about it.
V Magazine was kind enough to email us the images from her upcoming cover and story from their September issue, shot by Mario Testino and styled with all Marc Jacobs. The Marc Jacobs inspired sunnies on the cover actually peel off. You can play with them. I've never been so excited to get a magazine in the mail. If I had a car, those would so be going on one of the windshields (not even joking). The cover comes with either blue or pink sunglasses. As for the inside, well, it's Lady Gaga. A very tan Lady Gaga, sans pants, doing something mildly shocking, and wearing some sort of accessory made out of hair. What I like about this spread is that they haven't tried to change Lady Gaga, they haven't styled her into a story or given her a new look. It's just Lady Gaga (in on-trend clothes she'd actually wear), and that's definitely enough.
Speaking of Marc Jacobs, I have to gush about how much I love the Marc by Marc Jacobs stores. Every time I walk in I tell myself that I won't be able to buy anything, that I'm just window shopping, and every time I'm surprised by how affordable their stuff is. They have $28 rain boots (black/navy with a kicky color trim), $28 tees (see below), a bunch of affordable totes, wallets, clutches, and jewelry all under $40, and all the usual Marc by Marc bags, shoes, and clothes. While all that Marc by Marc-ness could come over as intimidatingly hipstery (I just made up so many words), it's actually a really fun, relaxed environment to shop in. I know they have stores in San Francisco and on Newbury St. in Boston (woot woot), and in a ton of other cities that I'm having trouble tracking down right now. I bought a Paris tee there about three years ago, and I wear it all the time, so I thought I'd pick up a London tee this time. My iPhoto won't let me flip the photo around, but what they do is have the city and country over Marc Jacobs with the country's flag in the middle. I like them because these tees are ridiculously soft and comfy, and they have an adorable, punky retro vibe. (And that splotch on the middle is just water, because I'm clumsy, not some random t-shirt deformity).
Image Sources:
Lady Gaga: vmagazine.com
This is the fun part. I think the overall look is around $4,000? It's so completely unrealistic, but so fun to dream about wearing. I mean, if someone invited me to a red carpet event and handed me their credit card, this is what I'd be wearing (and keeping).
Stella McCartney Crepe Lace-insert Gown, $2,425 at net-a-porter.com: I feel like I've waxed poetic about this dress about 25 times, but I can't help it. Just look at it. I'm dying. The silhoeutte is so drop dead sexy, early Hollywood glam chic, and then you add the sheer lace paneling and it becomes totally modern. The way the cutouts radiate in a sun-like pattern, revealing slices of the rib cage, is so genius. It's the perfect way to do the cutout trend without going over the top or showing too much skin. And the slight lift in the middle of the hem is absolutely perfect to show off a pair of sick heels. I love that this dress is definitely a gown, but it's not stereotypically 'gown-like' at all, so you could wear it on the red carpet, to a formal event, to a fancy cocktail party and not look out of place at any of them.
Yves Saint Laurent Arty Enamel Ring, $195 at net-a-porter.com, Stella McCartney Long Woven Metallic Clutch: Gunmetal, $495 at intermixonline.com, Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Platform Sandals, $995 at net-a-porter.com: I didn't want to over-accessorize this dress because I feel like it stands so well on it's own. I choose a ring instead of a necklace because I didn't want anything to take away from the gorgeous neckline on this dress. A cocktail ring works because it's away from all the detail on the dress, but it still pops because of the dash of cobalt blue. The cobalt and gold are bright, but not too bright, so they lighten up the outfit without being distracting. I kept the other two pieces totally neutral. The bag works because it's Stella McCartney, like the dress (hehe), and while it looks basic from far away, the chain mail pattern adds nice, subtle detail and a hint of edge. The heels are basic black, to blend nicely into the dress, but the bold straps and platform of these Tribute heels peeking out from under that hem add a whole new, strong dimension to the outfit.
How much can you really say about Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent? I'm dying. It's insane. I want it.
Stella McCartney dress: net-a-porter.com, YSL Heels: net-a-porter.com, YSL Ring: net-a-porter.com, Stella McCartney clutch: intermixonline.com
