Closets & Couture

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

"The List" Part 4: The Dramatic Earring

Jewelry can be one of the biggest ways to make an impact on a basic outfit. A basic white tee goes from gloomy to glamorous in an instant with a wow piece of jewelry.

Costume jewerly is an inexpensive way to be fashion forward on a budget. You can wear it with several outfits in your closet, you don't have to skip lunch to fit into it, and you can wear it year after year as long as you buy a quality piece and take good care of it.

INSPIRATION

Neiman Marcus - $1800

Alexis Bittar - $295

Available for pre-order

Oscar de la Renta - $395

Ippolita - $295

REAL LIFE

Tips for wearing dramatic earrings.

TIP 1:

Don't go crazy with your jewels. Let one piece be your statement whether it be a dramatic pair of earrings or a big statement necklace.

Serenity Stone Drops - $49

Stella & Dot

Capri Chandelier Earrings - $49

Stella & Dot

Tigris Earrings - $59

Stella & Dot

Tip 2:

Costume jewelry for the most part is made with gold or silver plated metals. If you have sensitive skin, be sure to ask an associate before making a purchase. Gold prices are high right now so many manufacturers are having to use less expensive metals such as brass to keep the costs down.

Anthropologie - $48

Anthropologie - $38

Panacea - $58

Tip 3:

Take a risk! If you only wear silver, branch out and buy a great pair of gold earrings. Be even more daring and buy a pair with bold colors. It will add instant color to your face!

Tinley Road - $24.00

Old Navy - $9

Old Navy - $6.50

Here are a few celebrities sporting their favorite "Dramatic" ears!

J Lo

Photo courtesy of http://monicatsao.com

Beyonce LOVES the big earrings.

Drew Barrymore

Blake Lively

Happy Shopping!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

"The List" Part 3: Fancy Pants

I have to say it is a bit refreshing to see pants making a comeback after all of the shorty shorts and mini skirts that have been rearing their ugly heads the last few seasons.

INSPIRATION

Diane Von Furstenberg - $298

Alice + Olivia - $250

Thakoon - $990

REAL LIFE

A few tips for wearing "Fancy Pants":
TIP 1: Don't pay attention to the number (size) on the label.
I have a love/hate relationship with pants. There are one of the harder pieces of clothing to fit on a woman because more than likely they are too big in the waist and too tight in the thighs and rear. My advice to all of you no matter if you are a size 2 or a size 12 is to buy a size bigger and take them to a tailor. A good tailor will take them in at the waist and create the perfect pair of pants.

Zara - $80

TIP 2: Avoid big prints and pastel colors if you are heavier on the bottom.

Not much to explain here. Both can make the thinnest of our girlfriends look a little heavy. Stay with darker colors for a slimmer look.

Anthropologie - $148

I think a different shoe would work better with these pants. This is not my favorite look, but wanted to show you a printed pant.

New York & Co - $50

TIP 3: Capri pants are not your friend.

Avoid any and all pants that cut off at mid calf. They do nothing for your figure and will make you look short and dumpy. Choose a pant that stops right at or slightly above your ankle bone. This will give the illusion of longer (and leaner) legs.

Gap - $50

J Crew - $80

Boden - $88

TIP 4: Balance

If you love the wide leg trend, please balance it out with a more fitted top or jacket. If skinny pants are your thing, choose a tunic style top (that accentuates your waistline) or a blouse that has a little more volume to it.

Anthropologie - $98

Loft - $80

Photo courtesy of http://stylebust.com/tag/summer-2011/

Bring on the fancy! Happy Shopping!

Friday, January 20, 2012

"The List" Part 2: PINKS

Ahhh - who doesn't love the color pink? I never get sick of it - not even after having two girls. The color pink looks good on just about every complexion. And the beauty of this color trend is that it is not partial to just one shade.

INSPIRATION

REAL LIFE

Anthropologie - $68

Anthropologie - $88

Roberta Roller Rabbit - $99

Happy Shopping!

Monday, January 16, 2012

"The List" Part 1: The New Neutral

One of my favorite retailers who also happens to be out of my price range, is Neiman Marcus. Each season they educate the fashionistas of the world with their "LIST' of top trends. Last year I blogged about each one of them here.

This year, I am going to post one trend at a time so it doesn't take me six months to get this incredibly vital information to you.

Trend # 1 - The New Neutral: YELLOW

Carolina Herrera - $6000

So this surprises me a little. I figured that the fashion gods would be moving on from this color since it has been out there for awhile now. I do love yellow and did a post about the color a few months ago.

But as a leader and an advisor to all things trend appropriate, I must obey the laws of fashion and give you my affordable picks for yellow colored clothing and accessories (again).