Peplum Shmeplum

Peplum is a trend that has extended far past the traditional peplum skirt into dresses, blazers, tops, etc. It is a trend that is somewhat universally flattering, if done correctly.

Obviously the main rule is to never wear both a peplum skirt and top, or you will appear as though you have folds in your middle, which is never appealing.

If you are wearing a peplum skirt, be sure to go minimal and with the least amount of volume as possible, and the opposite applies for wearing peplum shirts or blazers. 

Here are some outfit possibilities that I also made through Polyvore

So enjoy this trend this summer, it is a fun and flirty way to accentuate your curves (or create them if you are so lucky)

I Wear My Sunglasses at Night

SO I CAN, SO I CAN

I have been thinking about sunglasses lately, and how much the styles have changed over the years, and then again, how they haven't. Yes, there seems to be an endless supply of new sunglasses at every season, but in reality, how many of the styles are actually innovative? I believe we ran out of our new-sunglass-style quota right around 1980.

For example, on many style blogs and websites, they are bursting at the seams with articles on how "wayfarer" sunglasses are so very in.

I would like to take this moment to throw up the challenge and say they were officially never "out".

These styles have been popular since the 80's, and made iconic by John Hughes films. Yes, there are many cheap copies of these, mainly seen as party favors at bar mitzvahs or proms, but nonetheless, they are universally flattering, and give an instant air of coolness, historically only attainable by Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club. 

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One style that is having another revival from a little further back is the half-frame. If you aren't currently residing under a large rock, you may be aware of the pop culture phenomenon (brilliance) that is Mad Men. If you are familiar with this 1960's drama, then it should be plain to see where this revival stemmed from.

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These, although not as popular as the wayfarer style, are gaining popularity slowly but surely.
Just for good measure, here is a nice little picture to hang on your metaphorical wall of the ever dapper, ever charming, Donald Draper.

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Finally, we come to the cat-eye sunglasses. Many may say these were made popular by a Ms. Kourtney Kardashian, as seen in these images:

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but I would beg to differ.
As seen below, this is yet another revival, this from the 1950s era, and in the prime of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.

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These revivals are beneficial to the world of "sunnies" and will hopefully inspire some to bring in the old with the new season approaching. Bye!!

Plain White T's

Plain white v-neck t-shirts, much like a good hair day and the classic musical Newsies, often go unappreciated.

Jacket: H&M; Pants: Vidalgo; Shirt: Hanes; Scarf and Flats: H&M
Sunglasses: Rayban; Bracelets: Alex & Ani, Stella &Dot

When asked what their wardrobe staple is, many may reply with "a tailored blazer", "an a-line skirt", or "a lbd". Although these are all staples in their own right, I believe that the first words out of their mouths should undoubtedly be dedicated to Hanes. Plain white T's, not the band, are something that has the potential to be the base of any fabulous outfit. It can either be a nice complement to a fabulous pair of pants, or simply adding an air of conservatism to a more revealing outfit.

Printed Pants Dance

As anyone who has been following the fashion shows over the past few seasons, or even gone shopping recently, it is clear that printed pants are being especially featured by many retailers. Although at first, this style may seem hard to style, the main thing to remember is, it's simple if you keep it simple!

When dealing with prints on the bottom, it is best to stay simple on top, as well as with accessories and footwear. Let the pants do the talking! Any of the black or white shirts above would go perfectly with any of the fabulous printed pants below. 

Whether it's leopard printed jeans that have been copied by pretty much every retailer in the world, or the inventive style of Stella McCartney's hawaiian print pants, your lower half should be totally printed this spring and summer!

Gettin' Blazed

Of the many trends I cannot wait to whip out upon the arrival of spring, blazers are one of them that I just don't think I can do without.
Although not a very "new" concept, the adaptation of women's everyday blazers into mass production was a decision I fully support. The years of me sneaking away into my brothers' closets and finding their old prep school blazers are long gone.

The variety of both colors, textures, fabrics, lengths, and styles of blazers for this upcoming season make it possible to don a blazer for essentially every occasion. In an instant, a plain white t-shirt and jeans can be made stylish and put together with the addition of an ombré blazer (like the one shown above in upper left corner). 

There will be an upcoming post about the general trends seen for spring, and how excited I am for each, but I thought a separate post was necessary for blazers due to the fact that most of those trends have been adapted into the blazer world. For example, it seemed no designer could get enough of the "peplum", and it has since been added to blazers as well! Pastels were everywhere on runways, and now it looks as though Easter mass blazers are now considered everyday wear.

In any event, blazers are timeless pieces that instantly class up any outfit, and should not be used sparingly this coming spring. Blaze up people!!

Social Media Style

My weekly dose of news basically consists of the New York Times on Thursdays and Sundays, which coincidently are the days in which the newspaper boasts the Style section component.

This week's Thursday Styles detailed the future of fashion social medias. I was instantly intrigued, as I am always looking for new ways to procrastinate, which as a college student, is how the majority of my time is spent. 

Pinterest

I am very proud of myself that I jumped on the pinterest bandwagon almost a year ago, go me! Anyway, I am ecstatic it has caught on like wildfire because I think it is such a good way to track inspiration, ideas, websites, etc.

If you are unaware of what pinterest is, the general jist is that it is an online pinboard where you "pin" things you come across online onto differently themes boards, created by you! At any time, you can come back to these boards and go straight back to the website without having to use up sticky notes writing down web addresses. You may also see what other "pinners" have pinned and re-pin their pins onto your boards! (lots of lingo there...you have to keep up).

I, personally, have 16 boards including some for my style, shoes, future apartment decorating, food I would like to try and make, and just funny things I come across. I highly suggest getting a pinterest if you don't already!! (And follow my boards here)

Here is a screen shot of one of my boards:

Stylitics.com

The jist behind this site is you can track your entire closet, what you wear on a daily basis, and based on these factors, the site determines the price-per-wear you are getting out of the items in your closet. When I read the description, I was instantly intrigued! I have a bad habit of buying expensive pieces that I like for a day, and then they proceed to sit in the back of my closet. By using this, I would be able to track my spending habits better!

I have had a stylistics account for about 3 days and it is just SO MUCH WORK to search on a database for everything in your closet, especially if you bought an item a few years back. I am willing to stick it out and see what comes of this new venture, especially because it is such a new site, I am hopeful it will improve!

Polyvore.com

This is another site that I am proud to say I have had an account since this summer! It is a place to express any interest in trends, or to plan out ideal outfits for certain occasions.

What I love about polyvore is that you have the ability to act editorially, and not only bring outfits together, but the inspiration behind the outfits, words, etc. It reminds me of what a magazine editor would do on a daily basis when working on a spread for some new trend.

The best part is, you can save your creations, which can then be "liked" by people of the polyvore community, and feedback is constructive. You may also see what other sets are made by the people of polyvore, and the inspiration is never ending.

Still a little confused? Check out my polyvore here!

These are some of my sets in the past--






There are, of course, many other sites to try, but these  3 should get you started on each type. Whether you are searching for inspiration, re-inventing your wardrobe, or acting on inspiration, go out and enjoy your creativity and procrastination!

SAG Hags

Okay, so they're not hags in ANY respect, but actually goddesses (I honestly just liked the rhyme). The SAG awards were last night and there was so much to take in! Yay "The Help" winning best cast!! ( I am a little sick of "The Artist" sweeping across the boards...) And congrats to Betty White, who, at 90 years old, still made me laugh during her acceptance speech.

I have included pictures of the best of last night (in no particular order)

Viola Davis=Grecian Goddess! So stunning. 

Stacy Keibler wearing the most beautiful lace Marchesa gown, and George is looking pretty snazzy too. 

Kyra Sedgewick looking 10 years younger and showing off her rockin' bod in a Pucci gown. 

Cutest couple of our generation by far. I love Emily Blunt's bold color choice! With her neutral accents she looks awesome. 

Okay, I might be a little biased because Modern Family is my favorite show and purple is my favorite color, but how good does Julie Bowen look?! You go Mrs. Dunphy. 

Okay, mixed feelings about the look, but loving this cut on Kristin Wiig. The choker lived and died in 6th grade..let's not bring it back. 

Not going to lie, I screamed when I saw Meryl. This is perfection! Everyone was freaking out because she was wearing Vivienne Westwood, a british designer, and paying homage to the UK because of her most recent film. Bravo, Meryl. 

This might be my absolute fave of the whole night. I would give my left foot to look like Naya Rivera, and this dress I would wear until the day I died (probably from a botched foot-removal surgery). 

That's all folks!! (Until the Oscars...and Grammys.....)

All photos courtesy of NY Daily News