Style Inspiration (2)

I discovered LookBook a few weeks ago (yeah, I’m late to new things, sue me!) and I’m addicted. Yes, I know I’m very prone to addiction but hey, this is worth it! I check the new postings a couple of times per day and feel inspired, envious and… ummm, old!
What is it that all these people are less than 25 years old?! Does it mean more mature people are not so high tech or obsessed about their looks or only that LookBook is a fad more suited to younger people?! Anyhow, there is some sense of global-village-thing in seeing what kids from Oslo, Paris, London, Zagreb and Moscow to Manila, Korea and Japan are wearing and most of them being fashion or arts students…
Here are my observations for summer styles around the globe:
- most people wearing shorts and fitted tops,
- some added long lose cardigans or vests to that mix,
- shoes are mostly platform sandals, chunky ankle booties or colorful ballet flats,
- if skirts are worn, they are short and a little flowy with floral prints,
- everyone has added personal and unique touches to their outfits by adding second hand or vintage pieces,
- and last not least, most of the outfits are from low-price chains like H&M and Zara which are enhanced with a second-hand designer piece like a Chanel bag!

Another favorite is StreetStyle when lots of people have postings. I should warn you though it is a little overwhelming for the sheer number of posts everyday!

Good luck and enjoy your globe-trotting!

My Handbag Addiction

You know those girls addicted to shoes and even attending shoe-addicts anonymous? Well I wish there was a bag-addicts anonymous too! No, I didn’t mean that really! I am proud to be a handbag addict and personally I never understand all the fuss about shoes. I love beautiful, well structured shoes, I’m not blind, you know! It is more like how I admire a piece of artwork though. For me to spend money on a pair of shoes they have to have more than a beautiful exterior, they have to be extremely comfortable and allow me to run in them as well. Now I know most people don’t run in three inches heels but for me, that’s something to consider! So it is a very rare pair of shoes that are beautiful and delicate and comfortable at the same time and I can’t find them quite often. Fancy, cute or unique handbags on the other hand are much easier to find so much so that dear hubby has started to call me a bag-addict! I’ve found out I have to buy at least a new bag every couple of months to keep myself from going into withdrawal and shakes or just plain depression! And if I control my urges and pass those bags which catch my eyes I start salivating over any ordinary bag like a starving puppy!
My last serious bag purchase was sometime in February, a yellow Red by Marc Ecko tote (the one I bought in vacation in May doesn’t count because I was on vacation and the floral print tote from Payless doesn’t count because it is to carry junk to school or to the beach!).

So these past few weeks I was feeling very edgy and in need of my fix. And… well, OK, I confess, I couldn’t stop myself, I had to have it. Here it is my new baby from BCBGMAXAZRIA:

I’ve fallen in love with its vintage style actually.

Yeah, I know, all addicts have their excuses. Anyway, it is official now; I’m a Bag-Junkie!

Shopping or style?

Ok, this post is more ranting than anything else but I feel so misunderstood!
Sometimes ago a frenemy of mine was whining that she doesn’t have anything to wear and she is not happy with her wardrobe to the point of, “…and how can I go shopping with two children and a house to take care of?! I can’t waste hours shopping! I have things to do! Blah bala blah”
Now, was that a jab at me?! Yes, I admit I like shopping and my weekly shopping/window-shopping can be counted as my weekly exercise (at least 3-4hrs walking, bounce points for carrying shopping bags!). But do people like this gal think looking pull together is all about shopping? Style is about what looks good on you and what image you want to project. You can look quite stylish with a handful of well chosen pieces and on the other hand can have a huge wardrobe and look like a bag lady! (although I hear 90’s grunge/bag lady style is trendy again for Fall!)
And it is not about having new things. I like to wear my older items more. My favorite jean skirt and my go to white shirt are four years old (but still look new!). My casual jeans are 6-7 years old! It is about how you combine your pieces together and what color combinations look good on you. You can take an old well loved (and classic) piece and rework it into the trendiest looks.
Also style is not about how much money you spend. More expensive doesn’t usually mean more stylish. My favorite top this season is a $25 ruffled silk one from Heritage 1981 which I got lots of compliments on. I have worn it with formal skirts and casual ones, with wide leg jeans and with formal pants and with jackets, cardigans and anything in between and it always looks good.
So, instead of waiting for a wardrobe fairy godmother to perform an extreme makeover on you (and your wardrobe), go to your closet and check what you got. Look for well made classic pieces as your base and think of new combinations. It may take an hour but surly you can stop watching TV or have a shorter telephone conversation and spend a measly hour on yourself. Can’t you?!

Style Inspiration

There is nothing like a great movie to inspire you. You know people gushing about “Breakfast at Tiffany”? I don’t know why! The movie only had two great outfits: the infamous black dress in the beginning and the trench coat at the end. Now my list of movies with great outfits, they have you drooling over all those beautiful outfits:

“Penelope”, watch it for good posh country style.
“Confessions of a Shopaholic”, marvel at inventive color combinations.
“Devil wears Prada”, fashion makeover, cool outfits on every character, kick-ass shoes! What more you want?!
“Down with love”, great 1960’s style and full of color, vintage handbags and amazing hats.
“Marie Antoinette”, shoes, shoes and more shoes. Just you know, it has a sad ending so…!
“Get Smart”, watch it for handbags and coats!
“One touch of Venus”, all three female characters have awsome outfits!
“Sabrina”, Staring Audrey Hepburn, it teaches you how to dress like a Femme Fatale!
“Funny Face”, cool makeover and outfits.
“Four weddings and a funeral”, different wedding themes and quirky characters.
“27 dresses”, the name says it all!
“Amelie”, casuall and fuss- free French style.
“Priceless”, elegant and seductive Riviera style.
“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”, full of great outfits.

Well, that’s all I can remember for now. This list can keep you busy for two weeks and maybe you end up watching these movies more than once. They’re really worth it!
Enjoy!

An unstylish day!

It looks like a start of a very bad day when you see your turquoise top doesn't look good on you! What happened really? This top was fine a month ago! I guess the problem is my unflattering unwanted summer tan. And they say everything looks better with a tan! Huh!
I solved the problem by wearing a white tank top instead of turquoise under my white/ turquoise/blue jacket but the damage was done. I’m feeling very unattractive and quite rumbled today!

The jacket in the picture is dowdy but I couldn’t find one that resembles my jacket. Mine is costume made and I don’t feel playing fashion model and taking pictures of myself! My jacket has a white background with blue watercolor patterns. Also my metallic wedge is silver and gold so the silver tote goes really well with it!

What to match with...

A few days ago I went on a shopping frenzy and bought three skirts and a top. Two skirts from H&M and one from Anthropologie. I usually give myself a couple of days before removing the tags and try the new purchases with the stuff from my closet to see how they’re gonna work out. If they still look as good as they did in the store’s fitting room, I keep them and try to work them into my wardrobe; if not it’s back to store for them!
Anyway, today I was checking my purchases and found out that H&M skirts were not as flattering as they were in the store (also I’m teaching myself to wear only what I love and looks great on me) so they went to the return pile.
The Anthropologie top is purple with lattice work on the collar and I have decided to wear it with white jeans or white denim skirt. Also with distressed jeans or any other simple bottom which will let the top take the center stage.

But the skirt was hard to match. I checked all my tops for a suitable blue one all the while thinking it will look very boring. Problem is the skirt is this muted aqua color and very hard to match with other blues even navy. I had setting it with white T-shirt as a back up plan although the combination felt very uninspired! So I started playing with my color wheel and… yeah, this is the result. A little matchy-matchy and too yellow but I can always wear tan shoes and carry a metallic gold handbag instead of these. But I just love the look of these Keds! I have to find them!

I found out that I can set the skirt with orange as well. Am still looking at other colors and tops from my closet!

What is style?

I just finished Nina Garcia’s “The Little Black Book of Style” and am thinking about personal style. How do we define it? Nina Says: “Style is a way to express your culture, your identity, your passions, and your spirit.”
Style is not fashion. As Coco Chanel said: “Fashion fades, style is eternal.” So be careful not to confuse the two. Coco Chanel, Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn,…had style. They invented their outfits, they created trends. Many of the actresses and models today are simply fashionable; they have stylists. They are followers and that is the difference. Style is coming from you. It is the sum of all your moments and experiences until now.
Style is what sets you apart from anyone else. It is the same thing that defines and describes you. Have you ever said “I don’t wear that” or “pleated mini skirts are/aren’t my thing” or maybe “oh, that top is so me!”? Yep, those items, those likes and dislikes, those self-restrictions are your style. Style is your sense of properness, your personal definition of beauty, and your very own vocabulary.
So here is how we’re going to discover our personal style:
1- Make a list of all the things you like and another one of things you absolutely can’t stand. These lists will include every thing, clothing, accessories, colors, cars, foods, shapes, cities, stores, and anything else you can think of.
2- For a week look around and find pictures of all the things you like, pictures, ad’s, color samples, etc, and collect them in a binder or be high-tech and have a special file or make a weblog for them. The idea is to have a visual example of things you find beautiful to use (later on) as a point of reference.

Keep tuned, we are going to find our personal styles!

Hot weather SOS

When temperature passes 85 even a belt is extra and suffocating. Imagine wearing a skirt (or worse, pants), a top or blouse (if they are lined, add a couple of more layers) and of course underwears (another layer!), so at your waist you are wearing at least three layers. It is a lot! Now if you are wearing a belt, sash, summer scarf or … you’re definitely having a hard time! I guess it’s time to lighten up and look for something else! We should go looking for lighter less complicated clothes. The perfect solution is of course a dress or a sundress.
Now tricky part: man-made fabric like polyester don’t offer good ventilation and get hot, so forget them. Silk is great but the fabric doesn’t breath (doesn’t offer good ventilation) and usually silk dresses are lined and if the lining is man-made… well, let’s not go there! Linen and cotton are your best bet. Problem with linen is it gets wrinkled and usually looks faded too. The look is kind of rumbled and casual and many people don’t like them. Cotton dresses on the other hand are perfect. Just pay attention to the lining. Get a dress with a cotton lining or better, one without any lining. Matt cotton jersey is great, light weight and a little stretchy which makes the dress drape well.
As of the cut, sheath dress is great for hourglass and rectangular figures. Shift, A-line and wraps are flattering for all figure types and a dress with fitted top and flowy skirt will look great on a person with reversed triangle figure.
Colors, well; I say go wild and pick whatever your heart desires!
Well good luck shopping for your best dress and don’t forget to have a cardigan in you bag for when AC-ed rooms get chilly!

Make it a Uniform

I was talking with a friend today and she mentioned she has an easy routine for getting ready for work. She said she has five dressy work pants that she wears in turns every day. So in the morning she just has to pick a suitable top to go with that day’s pants. As I’d read this post (Your Summer uniform) last week, my friend’s comment had me thinking. And I looked back at my own outfits and yes… who knew?! I have a couple of uniform that I go to in a pinch. My favorite one is kind of informal and great for many occasions: shopping, running errands, quick pop in to the office, lunches with friends, weeknight’s dinners and…
It includes my Generra Jacket (Spring 2009 Collection), my black denim miniskirt (Ann Taylor Loft) and a cool thin top (an H&M one with embellished open collar or a simple colorful tank top). My shoes are usually metallic wedges from Aerosoles and to add color and funk, I pick a bag that matches the color of my top.
Here is what it looks like (usually not this sunny!):

Sometimes instead of the black denim skirt, I wear a cream khaki skirt but the whole look is pretty consistence!
This uniform has made my getting ready effortless, quick and pain free. I think many of our outfits can be labeled as uniforms. This outlook can make wardrobe planning much easier.

A New Beginning

I started this weblog some months ago but life got in the way of posting. Now being bored with my own summer style and looking for new ideas, I’m back; hoping to be consistent in writing. I have to put my at-least-2hrs-a-day style search and checking fashion websites and magazines to a good use anyhow!
So here it is my newly updated and gorgeous fashion weblog, my handbag diaries.
Enjoy!