1. .ATONEMENT BEAUTY.
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2. .RECENTLY OUTDATED THINGS.
3. .SWINGING.
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4. .NAPS.
5. .THE PLANET WE LIVE ON.
6. .BROCADE.
[Left to Right] Sienna Miller, Charlotte Ronson Fall 2009, Forever 21, and Alexa Chung
7. .ALL THINGS HARRY.
8. .GUY FRIENDS.
9. .THIS HAUNTING STATISTIC.
10. .MONTAGES. AND THE WORD MONTAGE.
Have a beautiful Tuesday.
Peace,
Never mix black and brown.
One of the supposed fashion golden rules, the shunned upon mixing of black and brown in an outfit is one that I religiously break. Not only do I pay no attention to this rule, I actually like the look of the combination. And don’t let your mother’s tsk tsking stop you from walking out the door! An all black get-up with brown accessories like boots and a belt is perfection. Truthfully, the combo is not all that strange given the fact that black and brown are both neutrals and since when do neutrals clash with anything? I think the reputation arises when victims wear black and brown together and then subsequently break a whole bunch of other rules at the same time. Black mom jeans and a brown turtleneck? Hm not so much.
Kate Moss, Anne Hathaway, Lauren Conrad, and Kristen Bell mix brown and black in their chic outfits
Don’t wear white after Labor Day.
It’s a tale as old as time. Newsflash: white is fine. White skirts, dresses, and pants should be worn all year round! And now that you’ve decided to break the rule: go crazy. Bust out the Angel costume on Halloween. White (loose) skirt on Thanksgiving. Have a white Christmas. What I mean in my uncaffeinated attempts at humor is that this rule is so dated that it makes absolutely zero sense. So by all means wear your white bottoms to your heart’s content!
Olivia Palermo, Keri Russell, Kirsten Dunst and a Forever 21 model all wear white after Labor Day
Match your purse to your shoes.
I wonder if anyone actually still believes this one. Caring about the matchy-matchy thing is just a waste of time. Spend time picking out beautiful and unique shoes and bags and no one will bother wondering why they don’t match each other. Add interest and contrast like the ladies below.
Rachel Bilson, Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, and Lindsay Lohan don't bother matching their shoes to their purses
Most importantly, never let empty rules or set norms dictate what you wear. It’s fun to follow trends and no one likes to be over or under dressed, but in the grand scheme of things no one cares more about what you wear than you yourself. So you might as well make your biggest critic happy!
Peace,
Indian summer in Boston is my favorite time of the year. Some of the days of September begin to feel like fall but the warm weather surprises you and makes for some lovely breezy nights. Speaking of Indian summer, Native American-inspired fashion has been showing up on runways and on fashionable sidewalks. Any of the following additions would suffice for the trend: moccasins, beading, embroidery, American Indian patterns, feathers, headbands, Southwestern jewelry, fringe, vests, bright color pops, and earthy neutrals. Be brave with the trend. (Pun intended). But make sure not to wear more than a couple of these items at a time. Avoid wearing your hair in any braid-like formations for fear of falling into Pocahontas-costume territory. Now grab your dream catcher and start sitting pretty.
Navajo chic by Anna Sui, Isabel Marant, Matthew Williamson and Etro
Navajo chic by Forever 21, Kate Hudson in fringe and turqoise, Ashley Tisdale in moccasins and Daveigh Chase in a belted tribal print
Pocahontas fashion in Elle China
Peace,
How much would you like to wake up every morning in this bedroom?
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1. Start by doing a thorough cleaning of your bedroom before you start shopping or packing. Go through every inch of your space, sorting through all your drawers. You’ll be amazed at all of the hidden gems you might stumble upon: unopened toiletries, lost clothing, and tons of other sweet finds. Now you can save some precious cash and some plastic as well with all of the things you won’t have to purchase. It’s a win-win situation.
2. Organize all your clothing and root out the bad boys that haven’t been worn in four years–think sundresses from Wet Seal and polos from Aeropostale. Bring the misfits to your local donation center or bin. Smile at your generosity and your newly available hangers. Forever 21 time, who’s with me?
3. Unplug everything that won’t be in use while you are off living and learning at school. These items include fans, lamps, stereos, alarm clocks, TVs, etc. Your family will save money on their energy bills and the environment will have to deal with a lot less CO2 emissions. Unused but plugged in appliances are called “energy vampires” in environmental circles. So unplug these energy-sucking machines!
Peace,
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Juanes had me at “La Camisa Negra,” the Border Cafe in Harvard Square had me at homemade tortilla chips. Mexican-influenced clothing? It had me at being loose, comfortable, and exquisite. For the record, I am engaged in a long-term love affair with many aspects of Hispanic culture: language, food, people, and clothing. And summertime has me thinking about loose and breezy style. So what better way to actively channel my obsession into day to day life? I will throw on an embroidered peasant top, jam to Juanes loudly in the car, improve my now extremely proficient Spanish, and enjoy a veggie burrito from Ana’s Taqueria. iHasta luego!
Nicole Richie in an embroidered Tocca top, Molly Sims in a crochet dress, Anne Hathaway in an embroidered blue peasant blouse and Kaley Cuoco in a Mexican-flaired Tibi mini dress.
Margherita Missoni in Missoni, Mischa Barton in Matthew Williamson embroidered blouse, a Lookbook ensemble and a Forever 21 outfit.
Lo Bosworth in Fifteen-Twenty, Rosario Dawson in Missoni, Cupcakes and Cashmere Mexican-influenced ensemble, and Forever 21's take on the Mexican trend.
Cat Deeley in a romper I actually like!
Paz,
Rocking its way off of art supply shelves and onto clothing racks, crochet was in this season seen on runways of A détacher and Nina Ricci. Avoid looking like a grandma by keeping the trend simple, structured and contemporary and weave it seamlessly into your wardrobe. (Pun definitely intended.)
(From left) Rachel Bilson, Forever 21, Nicole Richie, Lookbook
Rachel roughens up her sweet crochet cardigan and mild khaki shorts with tough boots, and follows the match the bag to your shoe rule. Though, I don’t think the rule usually applies to Doc Martens. Forever 21 takes the Dazed and Confused route adding a flannel and cut-offs for an overall stoner-chic vibe. Nicole is idyllic in her House of Harlow jewelry and adorable dress. Similarly in the Lookbook ensemble, the black tights and cami make for a striking contrast with the white knitting.
(From left) Forever 21, Mischa Barton, Free People, Mandy Moore
Forever21 again places the crochet in an outdoorsy ’70s context, worthy of a festival or open-aired concert. Wearing the knit over a color adds interest to the look. Mischa appears to have created her dress from a tablecloth, but in a completely positive way. Her Jimmy Choos are spectacular, as well. Free People spins the white crochet dress into a more prairie-chic look adding moccasin boots and knee socks. Mandy Moore breaks up all black with her white vest. I dislike the graphic tee underneath but approve of her attempt on the whole.
Peace,
Title from “Secret Smile” by Phish
