some people are born fashionistas, the rest of us just need a little help
Another great trend that I noticed for the fall is the trend toward deep, rich jewel toned clothes. If you’re not sure what a jewel tone is, think of deep, rich colors like burgandies, bright blues, purple, dark turquoise, scarlet, deep fuschia, hunter green, etc. The great thing about jewel tones is that they look great on almost anyone. However, I do understand that there are you ladies out there that stick to the basics. You either do all black or you do all neutrals. Well here are some ways you can incorporate jewel tones into your wardrobe.
If you wear a lot of black:
Now don’t get me wrong, black is a very chic color. It makes you look slimmer and very sophisticated. However, if you don’t inject some color into your wardrobe, you will start to look drab and washed out. So jewel tones are a great way to inject that color without overdoing it. Because jewel tones are deep colors, you can add them to your dark wardrobe and not feel overwhelmed. Take things slowly by starting with jewel toned jewelry and accessories. Once you feel more daring, you can start wearing jewel toned shirts and jackets and then go from there.
If you wear a lot of neutrals:
Neutrals are very easy to wear. You don’t stand out too much but you can still look polished and pulled together. However, wearing a lot of neutral can become boring after a while. It is very easy to inject jewel tones into a neutral wardrobe palatte without stepping too far outside of your comfort zone. Burnt orange, deep yellow and dark reds are great ways to spice up a neutral wardrobe. As I like to suggest, you can start out with jewelry and accessories. Once you realize how great these colors are, you can move into pieces of clothing.
If you wear a lot of bright colors:
As I was typing this, I realized that there are some people that enjoy standing out. They enjoy walking into a room and lighting it up, even if it’s with their outfit. Bright colors are great. They’re a great way to spice things up, but wardrobes should offer variety. If you’re accustomed to wearing bright, show stopping colors, it may be hard to move into jewel tones. In this case, you may want to jump in with both feet. You should look into finding dresses with a great cut but in a darker, jewel tone. Also, you can mix and match jewel tones with bright colors in a similar color family. You will be surprised at how a great jewel tone can make you stand out just as much as a great bright color.
As the weather gets cooler, our wardrobes should change to reflect the changing seasons. Deeper, richer colors are one of the great things about fall and winter. Enjoy them. Feel free to experiment. Fashion is all about experimentation.
western wear on the runway
One interesting trend I noticed for the fall is the western trend. I’ve never been a big fan of the whole western thing but when I saw it on the runways, I realized that there is a way to do it without looking like you have a costume on. It’s all about moderation. Here’s a picture from www.sassychic.com showing the western trend.
It looks quite chic and cute so I figured it is definitely something that you can start incorporating into your wardrobe if you’d like. There are a few great ways you can do the western trend.
1. Western themed jewelry. You can spice up a basic outfit with a piece of jewelry that has a western theme and give your outfit an extra pop. Plus it’s an easy way to ease into the trend slowly.
2. A great pair of boots. The western boots are another great way to slowly incorporate the western trend into your wardrobe. Plus a nice pair of western boots are really cool.
3. Plaid shirts. A plaid shirt that is tailored to fit you and not loose and baggy is another cool way to do the western thing. If you find a plaid shirt that makes you look more grunge than western, get a different size or take it to a tailor.
Now there are other ways to do the western trend and really make it work for you. However, you want to make sure you don’t look like you’re wearing a costume. The key to being trendy is to do it in moderation.
As it stands, the large purse trend is not going away any time soon. Women seem to really enjoy the opportunity to wear a large fabulous bag and include all of their fabulous necessities in it. Now, you have to be careful when you venture into the large purse territory. Not everyone can just go out and buy a large purse and look fabulous with it. There must be some things taken into consideration when purchasing a large purse.
1. Wearability. When you see the purse, try it on. Put it on your shoulder or arm the way you typically wear a purse and see how it looks. A purse should compliment you. It shouldn’t make you look heavy or dwarf you.
2. Ease of use. Before you buy the purse, check it out. Look inside and see if there are compartments, zippers or hidden spaces inside the purse. Make sure you can fully operate the purse before you leave the store. One thing about larger purses is that they may have more contraptions than small purses. Don’t get home with that fabulous purse and not be able to use it to its fullest. Large bags should be utilized fully!
3. Weight. If you tend to put a lot of stuff in your purse, you may not want one that is heavy while it’s empty. Be realistic about the weight of the purse. Don’t give yourself back problems by carrying around a heavy purse.
Those are just a few things to keep in mind when joining the big purse trend. I am a fan of the large purses myself but I have to be careful not to get a purse that will add extra volume to me. If you are ever in doubt, put it down and walk out. Don’t buy something you’re not totally sure about. Yes that rhymes!
I’ve been away for the past week or so. I took a 9 day trip to tour northern Italy. During that time I visited Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Milan and Venice. I got to see some really cool religious and historical things like The Colesseum and The Sistine Chapel in Rome; The Statue of David in Florence, and all of the churches in MIlan and Venice. I also got to see some of the Italian fashion. The people in Italy embody one word when they dress, polished. Everyone looks so fabulous because they look so polished.
I was visiting Milan during fashion week, however, it was so much more low key than fashion week in New York. I asked around and learned that the fashion shows in one of the most fashionable cities in the world take place in out of the way places. You may find a fashion show at someone’s loft or a small club but from what I was told there is no central place where lots of shows take place. I was disappointed about that but I enjoyed the city nonetheless. I did get to see the first Prada store.
This is the first Prada store!
Yes it was closed when I took the picture but it is definitely cool to see a part of fashion history. Unfortunately my checkbook doesn’t currently speak Prada (yet). I suggest that everyone visit Italy at least once. It’s a lovely country (especially the Tuscan countryside) and the history and fashion that lives there is awesome. One thing that I learned from the women of Italy is to make looking good look easy. To borrow from Covergirl Cosmetics: Easy, Breezy and Beautiful. Focus on doing all three with all of your outfits.
They’re back! Those lovely things that managed to sneak their way onto many dresses of little girls, especially around holidays like Easter and some birthdays. What has managed to return from our childhood? Ruffles. One of the big trends for fall 2009 is the resurgence of ruffles.
As a total non girlie girl, I was worried when I heard that ruffles were making a come back. I had images of Prince circa the 1980′s and I shuddered at how many poorly informed ladies would be donning overly ruffled blouses in an attempt to be trendy. Wearing ruffles is something that should be done with careful awareness. You don’t want to run the risk of looking like you are a reject of the 19th century or the 80′s. If worn improperly, you run the risk of looking like you have on a costume.
Before you jump into the ruffle trend, remember that ruffles will accentuate whatever they are near. It’s best to wear them where they won’t accentuate any areas that you’d rather not emphasize. If you’re top heavy, stay away from shirts with a lot of ruffles on your chest. If you’re bottom heavy, stay away from heavily ruffled skirts. Actually try to stay away from heavily ruffled skirts altogether. Those tend not to look flattering on anyone. If you decide to give it a try, make sure you try one on with a really honest friend and a three way mirror close by.
Here are some pictures of good ways to wear ruffles.
Cute ruffled sweater from http://clothesarealwaysnecessary.blogspot.com/2008_04_13_archive.html
Pretty peach ruffled dress from www.againandagainvintage.com
I went out this past Friday night with some friends. It was a lovely, late summer night. It wasn’t too hot but it was warm enough for the short shorts and strappy sandals to still be in full effect. This will be another feature segment that I will write every so often discussing things that people should not do.
When I went out, I saw so many offenses that I will just list them here and explain why you shouldn’t do it.
1. Boots in August. Don’t do this because it’s just not seasonally correct. There are some very specific exceptions. The current trend of wearing a sleeveless, summery dress with some cute boots (often low heeled or flat) makes it somewhat more acceptable to wear boots in August but I saw a lady with jeans and some very cute calf high boots and a tank top. Don’t do that. Wait until at least October if you live in a warmer climate or mid September if you live in a cooler climate. Now I’m sure some people may disagree with this one, but I think we should respect the seasons with our outfits.
2. High waisted shorts that are too tight and make you look uncomfortably jacked up. Don’t do this because it is not flattering. As I said in this post How do I wear that trend…high waisted, “if you put on anything high waisted and you look jacked up or sausage-y in any way, take the item off”. Apparently the lady that I saw looking both jacked up and sausage-y didn’t check her full length mirror.
3. Too short shorts. Don’t do this because it’s not tasteful. I saw a lady with a very cute white shorts jumpsuit on but the shorts were waaaaay too short. So in addition to seeing her cute jumpsuit, I also saw way too much of her butt. It was hanging out below the shorts. She kept tugging at the shorts but it was impossible to pull them down so her cute outfit lost a lot of its cuteness because it wasn’t tasteful.
These are just three things that I saw this weekend. I have pledged to be more diligent about carrying a camera around with me to show you guys visuals of what not to do so stay tuned for more of this feature.
Much to my dismay, the trend of wearing high waisted skirts, shorts and pants will continue into the fall and probably winter. The reason I’m dismayed about this trend is because there are so many people wearing it the absolute wrong way. When done properly, it looks fabulous, when done wrong, it looks like a hot mess.
The main thing to do when considering wearing anything high waisted is to try it on first. Spend some time in front of the three way mirror and be totally honest with yourself. If you look jacked up or sausage-y in any way, take the high waisted item off. If you are being swallowed by the high waisted item, take it off. Fashion is not all about being trendy. Fashion is about wearing clothes that compliment you and make you look pulled together and great while feeling confident.
There are a few types of people that should tread lightly with the high waisted trend.
1. Top heavy people. If you are top heavy, you should be careful with high waisted bottoms. The waist of your pants should not be too close to your breasts. You run the risk of looking like you have no waist and end up making yourself look shorter and possibly dumpy. If you want to wear high waisted bottoms, go for the ones that are only slightly higher than normal. Don’t go for the really extreme high waists.
2. Pear shaped people. If you are shaped like a pear, you may want to be really careful wearing high waisted bottoms. You run the risk of over emphasizing your pear shape and that won’t look flattering.
3. Bottom heavy people. If you have a large bottom, hips and/or thighs, you may want to not get too deep into the high waisted trend. High waisted pants and shorts will emphasize your large area and make it look larger. If you want to go high waisted, skirts may be the safest bet but you should still make sure you spend some time in front of the three way mirror to make sure that skirt makes you look your best.
Now don’t get me wrong, that isn’t an all encompassing list of body types that should shy away from the high waisted trend. If you want to take the plunge but you aren’t sure that it looks right on you, walk away from it. There are so many other trends you can wear that make you look great. You can leave this particular one alone. Below are some pics of high waisted worn right. The top pic is from rebelfashion.blogspot.com. The bottom pic is from urbanaudrey.blogspot.com. Check them out!
High waisted shorts worn right as shown on http://rebelfashion.blogspot.com/2007/07/high-and-wasted-or-high-waisted-sorry.html
High waisted pants worn right as shown on http://urbanaudrey.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html
I know that some of you breathed a sigh of relief when cute, ballerina flats became popular and flatter heeled boots made a strong comeback. I do agree that flatter shoes making a comeback was definitely a good thing for those of us who needed a break from those 4 inch stilettos. Well the break is partially over…flat shoes are still very popular, however nothing is more sexy than a pair of high heeled sandals. It’s officially spring time and a great pair of high heels is a lovely compliment to a spring dress.
Wearing high heels isn’t something that always comes naturally, and that is totally understandable. For those of you who don’t feel comfortable throwing on a sexy pair of high heeled sandals, you can advance slowly from flats to heels. If you’re a rebel that throws caution to the wind, you can start out with two inch heels until you get totally comfortable in them and move up to three inch heels and so on. If you’re a bit more cautious, you can start with a cute pair of kitten heels and go from there.
Don’t shy away from those high heels! Besides, this spring thicker heels are coming back so you can make your way down the path of stilettos much easier. Once you’re comfortable wearing thicker three inch heels, you will find it easier to transition into those super thin stilettos in no time!
Plus, you may want to step into something like these babies!
I saw these beauties on this fabulous blog called Haute Mimi. This is a wonderful blog that us clueless fashionistas can benefit from. Haute Mimi will definitely expose you to a wide variety of fashion and beauty tips.
I’m a writer and blogger that works in television and film production. I am a Clueless Fashionista dedicated to making fashion fun and easy to understand. If you’d like to learn more about me, visit my website www.ashiasims.com.
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