Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Varsity Jacket, Nostalgic or Just Ick?

Recently, I was reading one of my favorite blogger, one that refers to herself as "The Man Repeller", who I truly admire for her lack of concern for what the male population thinks of her stylistic choices. Her  most recent post was all about the revival of the varsity, or letterman jacket, and instead of my usual giddiness when reading any of her posts, I found myself wondering if I agreed with this particular fad. Maybe it's just me, but when I tend to think of varsity jackets, the first image that comes to mind is one from a music video circa 2001 (Gwen Stefani and Fergie Ferg to name a few).

here
here
Now, I love a new coat trend, because, living in the northeast means you will probably be donning something heavier than a sweater for pretty much 5 months out of the year, and I enjoy some variety. My doubts of the reminiscence of 2001 pop videos was erased when I saw Rag and Bone's and Givenchy's adaptation of the letterman jacket, posted below.

Rag and Bone

Givenchy
So cool! Naturally, being a broke college student, I obviously went to websites such as Forever21 and Delia's to find a more economically conscious number. Here's what I found:
Delia's

Forever 21
Totally wearable! I have been converted. Thankfully, my dad was a track star in high school! Yay vintage!


Friday, December 16, 2011

Outer(where?)

Being a current college student, I don't expect much from my fellow classmates on the fashion front, especially later in the semester near finals. Want to wear sweatpants and Uggs? Your prerogative! Lately, though, I have come across many girls suffering on how to stay warm while walking to class and stay stylish. Simply putting a North Face fleece on will not only not warm you to the fullest ability, but will probably make you look like a clone of everyone on your campus, and who wants that? In order to combat the attack of the clones (nerd reference..) I have compiled some stylish ways to keep from freezing on the impending long snowy winter ahead of us.

As I said in my "Fall Fashion" post a few months ago, (can be found here!), capes are very much making a comeback, and I am elated. Burberry produced a more insulated cape number for the winter that will satisfy any cape needs for the snowy season. 

Burberry, via here
As always, pea coats are always stylish and classy, and a well-made pea coat should be in every woman's wardrobe. This version, by BB Dakota, puts a slight twist on the typical pea coat by removing the collar, and making it in a bright, mustard color, perfect for brightening up a dreary winter day!
BB Dakota, via here
Although not very practical on a college campus, if you are looking for extreme warmth with some extreme glamour and diva-feelings, fur is the obvious way to go.  Fur was seen all over the runways, but luckily the faux variety can be found in many of your favorite shopping establishments, just make sure you get a faux that at least seems to be from an animal...(no need to go for the green furs that look like you killed a muppet!).
via here
In my opinion, the easiest way to class up a boring outfit is to add a scarf. Whether you fancy the printed variety, the extreme comfort of an infinity scarf, or the classic look of a silk scarf, you will look that much more polished with the simple addition of a neck-warming tool. Instead of showing some runway-inspired scarf looks, I am instead showing you some of the more price-appropriate variety (hint hint, Santa!)
Infinity Circle Scarf, via here
Printed Scarf, via here


Let's top it off (haha) with hats. This season, one of the best accessories you can own is one of the trendy hats. Many designers like Hermes, Missoni, Victoria Beckham, just to name a few, have been all about the hat this season. From wide-brimmed 70s wonders, to retro baseball caps, and of course, the best of them all in terms of warmth, the knit cap. It is a known fact that the majority of your body heat escapes from your head, so why not get something cute to keep that all in?
Hermes, via here
Missoni, via here
Enjoy the time of layering and experimenting with different, heavier fabrics. Attempt to stray away from the college girl stigma of North Face and Uggs as best you can, and stay warm!!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Tis' the Season to be Trendy!

With the Christmas season quickly approaching, social calendars are losing space (much like my closet). This means many fabulous ensembles are needed for the upcoming 4 weeks of constant party rotations. And let's just be honest here, who wants to be an outfit repeater to a bunch of parties?! Not me!
To make sure there are not too many "repeat offenders" (haha), here are a few tips, pictures for inspiration, and ideas for outfits for every occasion, from Aunt Gertrude's holiday potluck to the pre-Christmas wine-palooza with your besties.

Occasion: Family dinner or Party

Now, many times these may not be the most interesting thing, and therefore may feel as though they go on for HOURS. Because of this, many people choose comfort over style and sacrifice a prime time to execute and practice styling certain outfits (if it's a total miss, your family will tell you, rather than some strangers at another function who may tell you that it looks fab). While this is a good forum to try out some looks, these looks should be somewhat conservative, and with this season's trends, that shouldn't be a problem.


Courtesy of Paper Crown
One of my favorite trends this season is the high waisted, short, a-line skirt. This lace adaptation done by Lauren Conrad's line, "Paper Crown" is the perfect way to seem polished yet comfortable. 

Courtesy of Jcrew
If your family soiree is less formal, thankfully, the oversize/chunky sweaters with patterns known as "fair isle" are very much on the cutting edge, and pretty much one of the most comfortable things we can have in our closets. Pair one like this from J. Crew with some black corduroys and you will be good to go!

Occasion: Night Out with Your Girls

These are the most fun to dress up for. Express your sense of style, if it matches that of the rest of your group, you will look like cohesive models straight off the runway, if not, you will appear as an eclectic group of confident women. Win-win! (Although when my friends make me laugh so hard I snort, I think the model illusion is somewhat shattered...)

Courtesy of Paper Crown
Maxi skirts have not left us yet! For shorter girls like me, these are a bit daunting for fear of having them swallow me alive. This maxi, done once again by Paper Crown, is very high waisted, with bow detailing at the waist, making it somewhat available to girls of shorter stature.


Courtesy of Jcrew
Can you tell what my favorite brands are? Once again, J. Crew is detailing the effortless elegance of color blocking, and the level of "funky" you can get out of just a few pop colors here and there. Although this model somewhat resembles Velma from Scooby Doo due to these color choices, to make it somewhat holiday-appropriate, maybe change the base color from orange to red or even black and accessorize the heck out of it!  Skinny ankle-length pants are almost universally flattering, so you can never go wrong. 

Occasion: Holiday Party With Friends

This is a tricky one, go conservative or fun? Well, this season, the dress silhouettes are so versatile you don't have to choose!

Courtesy of H&M
These sweet dresses apply many trends of this season, the slight a-line of the skirt, while keeping it slightly shimmery and fun!

Courtesy of H&M
This perfectly cute pink shift dress is accented by a simple black belt, but could not look more polished! The color makes it young, but the sleeves keep an air of conservatism. Either of these dresses could be worn to pretty much any holiday affair this season, and because they are at H&M's fabulous price point, why not get both!?

I hope I have covered every possible function you will attend this season! Enjoy your soirees and look fab doing it!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I Like Turtles



When reading this morning's "Thursday Styles" in the New York Times, a Thursday morning ritual of mine, there was an article depicting the great advancements and comeback of something I revered as a torture device a mere decade ago. The turtleneck.

The article delves into many different designers such as Olivier Theyskens for Theory, Ohne Titel, and Dries van Noten, all who marketed turtlenecks of differing fabric weights, textures, and lengths in their fall and resort collections. Irina Aleksander, the author of this piece, does not forget to mention Michael Kors and Donna Karan, designers known for their classic silhouettes with modern adaptations, and their many "resurrections" of the turtleneck over time. For whatever reason, it seems this season it finally stuck.

Further on in the article, Aleksander mentions a famed turtleneck donner, the late Steve Jobs. Remarkably, it seems that very recently after Jobs' death, the company that manufactured his famed black mock turtlenecks' sales doubled.

Many may stray from the turtleneck for fear of the male population finding them unappealing. Other than my grave disdain for these individuals (fashion should be about you, not men), the article quotes a woman named Ikram Goldman, a boutique owner in Chicago, as she says; "It hugs your body, your neck, your arms--its like a mold...and that tightness on your neck is almost like bondage. What's not sexy about that?".

Here, I have included some of my favorite of this trend, turtle turtle!

you can read the whole NYT article here!
 Resort 2011
Alexander Wang

                                                  
via here                                                        
 
 0307-white-turtle-necks-fall-trend-costume-nationale_fd.jpg
Costume National and Martin Grant 
And a personal fave: