Tag: black and white

Monochrome Chic: Printed shorts & Polka Dot Skirt

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date June 3, 2013

Photos: Olivia Palermo & Zoe Saldana; Courtesy of fashionbombdaily.com.

As the mainstay this season, black and white are everywhere. Since the monochrome palette can be a little bit heavy and boring, I featured two looks (above), hope they can give you some idea for staying fresh, cool and stylish.

Olivia Palermo kept her black and white combo season appropriate with whimsical elephant print shorts and a light weight, breezy blouse. The shorts are fresh from Milly for Banana Republic collection that just hit stores last week. As a master of vintage-inspired, Hamptons-ready patterns, Milly designed 60 pieces that are ideal for the coming vacation season and beyond. I have been eyeing the Medallion print top, color block maxi dress and the gorgeous coral bib necklace.

Right-on-trend Oxford can instantly give any outfit, either a lace dress, a tee-and-cropped-pants combo or the classic blazer and button down shirt look on Olivia Palermo above, some street cred. A pair of embellished cat-eye sunglasses add a luxurious touch to her look. This outfit is great for women of all ages and can be transformed for many occasions simply by changing the shoes.

Jacket: Express
Blouse: J.Crew
Shorts: Banana Republic (similar here & here)
Bag: Givenchy ‘Antigona’ (featured here; similar here)
Shoes: Tildon (great style here)
Sunglasses: Karen Walker (similar here & here)
Polish: Deborah Lippmann ‘supermodel’

Zoe Saldana also opted for a fun print–polka dot, which brought a flirty and youthful vibe to the sober palette. Her bright red pumps and lips make the look iconic. The piece on her is actually a dress from Emanuel Ungaro‘s Fall 2013 collection. We can easily recreate it by using this polka dot mini skirt and flowy color block top. The key is balance: use oversized top to balance the sexy, exposed legs. The high contrast shapes and classic color scheme make this look an understated statement choice for those special summer events!

Blouse: Vince Camuto (similar here & here)
Skirt: Joseph ($14 here)
Shoes: Tibi (on sale; great buy here)
Earrings: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Lip color: YSL ‘#17 Red Muse’

Tags ankle strap heel, black and white, black blazer, colorblock, Givenchy bag, Oxford, polka dot, printed shorts, red carpet style, street style, White Shirt

CLOTHING

Back to Basics: Timeless White Dresses (Part VI)

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date May 30, 2013

I want to dedicate this final part of our “Back to Basics” series to a spring/summer essential: the white dress. Like that special LBD, we all need a little white dress that can represent ourselves.

As you can see from the six outfits featured below, from Rosie Huntington’s sweet romance to Nora Zehetner’s subtle edginess to Jessica Stam’s modern simplicity to Stacy Keibler & Stacy Keibler’s sexy glamour, these fashion-conscious tastemakers stay true to themselves while nodding to the white dress trend that is spotted everywhere now, from the Cannes film festival to the streets.

how to wear white dress; featured: Christian Dior white bustier, white skirt, white Christian Louboutin pump, Vanessa Bruno Eyelet blouse, Manolo Blahnik BB Patent Leather Point Toe Pumps, Chloe pale pink skirt, Jacquie Aiche jewelry, Burberry aviator sunglasses,

Photos: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley; Courtesy of vogue.co.uk, instyle.com.

How to wear white dress; featured: Susana Monaco Flutter Tube Dress, Rebecca Taylor Strapless Knit Dress, Diane von Furstenberg Zarita Lace Dress,

From left:
Susana Monaco (on sale!)
Rebecca Taylor
Diane von Furstenberg (great buy 40% off here)

how to wear white dress;Black and white trend; On Nora Zehetner: Nora Zehetner Bird cut out white dress, Calvin Klein metallic ankle strap sandal,Calvin Klein metallic box clutch; On Jessica Stam: two tone dress, black and white, black pumps, purple clutch

Photos: Nora Zehetner & Jessica Stam; Courtesy of vogue.com.

How to wear white dress; black and white trend; cut-out trend; featured: Topshop Lace Appliqué Dress with with asymmetrical hem, Three Floor Adolescent Sister Dress with cut out, Sportmax Himare Deep V-neck Knitted black and white Dress,

From left:
Topshop (great designer version here)
Three Floor
Sportmax

how to wear white dress; Featured: Jennifer Hudson at the first annual Amy Winehouse Foundation Inspiration Awards; Stacy Keibler at the Escada flagship shop opening

Photos: Stacy Keibler & Jennifer Hudson; Courtesy of instyle.com; dailymail.co.uk.

How to wear white dress; peplum trend;body-hugging dress; featured: Cynthia Steffe 'Brooke' Ponte Knit Peplum Dress, Donna Ricco Jacquard Sheath Dress, London Times Sleeveless Halter dress with waist embellishment

From left:
Cynthia Steffe
Donna Ricco (on sale here; great style here)
London Times

A great pair of shoes is a perfect match for all these versatile knee-length or slightly above the knee dresses featured today. I handpicked eight of my favorites, from basic, functional neutral pumps to bright color sandals to arty, collect-worthy stilettos, they will surely spice up our LWDs! The best part? They won’t go out of style!

how to wear white dress; Spring 2013 shoes guide; Featured: Manolo Blahnik BB Suede Point-Toe black pointy toe Pumps, Nine West Drusilla white pumps, Valentino 'Rockstud' Pump, Jimmy Choo Lance Mirrored Metallic Leather Sandals, kate spade new york 'licorice too' neon colored pump, Stuart Weitzman 'Platswoon' nude Pump, Steve Madden 'Realove' ankle strap Pump, Aquazzura Sexy Thing Cutout Booties,

1. Manolo Blahnik (similar here)
2. Nine West (another great pair here)
3. Valentino
4. Jimmy Choo (more color options here! great alternative here)
5. Kate Spade New York (on sale! also here)
6. Stuart Weitzman
7. Steve Madden (also here)
8. Aquazzura

Hope you enjoy today’s entry as much as I did!

Tags black and white, colored pumps, cut out, cutout booties, Jessica Stam, metallic shoes, Nora Zehetner, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Stacy Keibler, strappy sandal, white dress

CLOTHING

Back to Basics: Timeless White Blazer (Part V)

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date May 28, 2013

How to wear white blazer; black and white; wide leg jeans; white on white; On Laura Whitmore:Paul Joe white blazer, Joie white blouse, J Brand white distressed skinny jeans, Kurt Geiger black pointy toe pumps, Pandora rings, Stella Dot Gitane Tassel Necklace, Stella Dot Soar Necklace; On Vogue editors Esther Adams: white blazer, brown saddle crossbody bag, wide leg jeans,striped top, Photos: TV presenter Laura Whitmore & Vogue editor Esther Adams; Courtesy of vogue.com, contactmusic.com.

Today’s featured item is the most requested one in our “Back to Basics” series: the white blazer. There is no need to say more about how essential it is, so let’s go directly to our “style class”.

As a basic and staple piece, there are countless ways to wear a white blazer (check out related post here & here, you can always search “white blazer” at my home page for more inspirations), today I want to share with you two of my favorites this season:

First one is an all-white look from Laura Whitmore. Head-to-toe white is right on trend now, and I love how she used black accessories to play with the black/white trend as well, resulting a fresh, modern, high-impact ensemble.

Like we shared here, for simple color palette like this, details really matters: her artful layering necklaces add a whimsical & luxe touch, sheer blouse and pointy-toe pumps infuse sexiness, while distressed jeans grounding the polished vibe.

Esther Adams’s retro chic pairing is definitely what I would wear now since the whole fashion world is turning back for inspirations. High-waisted wide-leg jeans teamed with platforms are leg-elongating. Striped top and vintage looking brown crossbody bag enhance the overall retro vibe. Choose a cropped blazer if you are not as tall as Esther Adams.

Both looks are great for women of any age (for 40s and above, change Laura Whitmore’s distressed jeans to a basic white one or straight leg version for a more polished look). Also, for those of you who want to add some cheerful spring color, these are very similar outfits featured on Miranda Kerr & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for you!

Blazer: Rag & Bone (see it on Rihanna here; also on sale here)
Blouse: Mango (Joie version on Laura Whitmore here)
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity (J Brand version on Laura Whitmore here; similar here)
Shoes: Enzo Angiolini (great style here)
Belt: J.Crew
Necklace: Stella & Dot tassel necklace & soar necklace (yes, they are the ones artfully layered on Laura Whitmore)

Blazer: Theory (similar here & here)
Top: Intermix (great alternative here & here)
Jeans: MiH (see it on Miranda Kerr here; similar here)
Shoes: Diane Von Furstenberg
Bag: Fossil (on sale here)
Ring: Jacquie Aiche