Outfits Not Just Clothes

In lieu of outfit posts over the next few days I'll be looking at trends for this coming spring, which is apparently only 18 days away , even though it feels like I'll never be able to leave the house without tights under my clothes every again!   But enough of the dreary weather talk, let's instead check out the upcoming fringe phenomena that's about to break! Fringe, in some form or other, cropped up across the collections last fall. At Celine , fringe met minimalism, which in theory is kind of an oxymoron, but gives texture and volume to structured silhouettes in monotones.    Giambattista Valli   had a swinging 60's vibe to his fringes on cocktail dresses.  Proenza Schouler featured fringe on eveningwear When I hear fringe I think of more western, boho styles like these: Free People Saint Laurent But it looks like fringe is getting a bit edgy and showing up in unexpected places... But don't feel like this tr...

I did a brief/limited look at Fall '13 Collections shown in New York here . It's taken me some time to look through the collections shown across the pond, but I'm finally starting to troll through the photos over at Style.com and I have some thoughts on four collections in particular.   Louis Vuitton   I love the detailing on these coats. This sparkle ombre effect was seen on a variety of pieces in this collection.  Makes me think this might be an interesting look to DIY imitate. Adding sparkle to the hemline of a big coat? Of course, when sparkle and DIY are in the same sentence one can't help but think " Bedazzler " and that can be a scary road to drive. I HATE the wigs though. I get the 50's kind of vibe the runway presentation was going for, but that hair is horrid.  Saint Laurent Okay, I felt like I was watching a mashup of "Singles," "Boys on the Side," and "The Craft" when ...

In this post I kind of railed against Saint Laurent's Fall 2013 collection for not being high-end enough, even though I responded to its grunge influence/aesthetic. So I was quite surprised how much I adored Dries Van Noten's Spring take on grunge and how luxurious it appeared in pics from the runway. When reading the review over at Style.com I learned that the luxury feel was achieved through luxury fabrics, like silk, cashmere etc. that weren't hidden by the grunge element, but more so celebrated through the use of plaids and disheveled styling.  Several looks caught my attention for outfit inspiration.   my take:   blouse- Uniqlo , sleeveless jacket- Forever21 , skirt-Banana Republic(old), heels-Nine West(similar here ) I broke the runway look down into three key pieces: skirt, blouse, sleeveless jacket/vest.  And having all three components in my closet in various forms, I focused on the subtle blue tones of the designer look to put my v...

  Here are some pictures of outfits I like from the Pre-Fall collections. Images via Style.com Band of Outsiders Bottega Veneta     Marni   Saint Laurent (as its now called...)   Balmain   GANT (this image via Tom & Lorenzo )   I'm definitely feeling androgyny, which is a look/style that I've always gravitated toward, even as a little girl wearing my dad's hunting flannels.  There's just something about a crisp pant and blazer that does it for me. Of course, with menswear its advised to provide contrast with feminine pieces, which I get. You don't want to look like drag king, but on the other hand, a woman in men's clothes head-to-toe can be kind of chic.  Here's a pic of me Summer 2011 in Ireland rocking all sorts of men's wear:   Action shot!   Now, I'm wearing women's clothes, but the styling here is all about menswear. Sure I could have balanced it out with a blo...