Tag: black and white

Back to Basics: Timeless White Pants (Part IV)

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date May 27, 2013

How to wear white pants; On Gwyneth Paltrow:Barbara black shirt, Tom Ford black Kidskin Natalia Bag,Daniele Michetti strappy sandals, white pants, On Hilary Rhoda: Topshop printed peter pan collar top, Sportmax white wide leg pants, Madewell brown belt ,vintage crossbody bag, Eddie Borgo white crystal bracelet, Prada shoes, Photos: Hilary Rhoda & Gwyneth Paltrow; Courtesy of instyle.com, flickr.com.

In our fourth part of “Back to Basics” series, I want to talk about the timeless white pants, two common types in particular: wide leg pants and skinny jeans. As you can see from above, balance is the key: wide leg bottom calls for cropped or slim fit top, whereas body hugging skinny jeans look better with relaxed fit or boxy cut top.

Since wide leg pants, especially white ones, will make us look shorter, choose high-waisted version, tuck in your top, slip on a pair of platforms to maximize our visual leg length. White skinny ankle jeans or leggings are more flattering, but I would suggest to size up, nothing is worse than too-tight white pants. The cropped length is also great to show off your statement heels.

Like other timeless white pieces we shared before, white pants are so versatile and easy going. This season, I especially like these two pairings showed above:

Gwyneth Paltrow chose the hottest black/white trend. Since the palette is simple, she focused on details, from her slit neck top to outstanding heels (check out the back of her shoes!) Gwyneth Paltrow is known for her minimalist style. But you can always add splashes of color to make your own spin. This look is great for women of any age.

Hilary Rhoda’s flowy pants and lightweight sleeveless top is a great summer combo. I fell in love with this water-ski silk tank from J.Crew. Earth tone accessories tone down the brightness perfectly. This is also an ageless outfit. You can opt for this cap-sleeve top if you are not comfort with your arms: the bright hue and luxe material make it equal parts stylish and comfy.

How to wear white pants; Alternative: Madewell Perfect Leather Belt, Alice + Olivia white Eric Pants, Ivanka Trump 'Hollyann' Wedge, Michael Kors Sport gold Watch, Shashi Sarah Yellow Nugget friendship Bracelet, Yves Saint Laurent lipstick,

Top: J.Crew (great style here)
Pants: Alice + Olivia (also here, $29 here)
Shoes: Ivanka Trump
Belt: Madewell
Watch: Michael Kors
Bracelet: Shashi (the white crystal one on Hilary Rhoda here)
Lip: YSL ‘#8 Fetish Pink’

How to wear white pants/white jeans; Alternative: A.L.C. EXCLUSIVE Henrietta Overlap Sleeveless Blouse, Gap Old Navy Women's The Rockstar Super Skinny Jeans , MICHAEL Michael Kors - Charlton Crossbody bag, Jimmy Choo Lance Strappy Patent Leather Sandals,

Top: A.L.C. (also love this version; the one on Gwyneth Paltrow here)
Jeans: Old Navy (great style here)
Bag: MICHAEL Michael Kors (Tom Ford version Gwyneth Paltrow carried here)
Shoes: Jimmy Choo (great alternative here; on Gwyneth Paltrow here)

Tags black and white, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Rhoda, party look, platform sandal, printed top, spring/summer, strappy sandal, white jeans, white pants

CLOTHING

Modernize Your Stripes

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date May 15, 2013

Photos: Diane Kruger & Olivia Palermo; Courtesy of instyle.com, starstyle.com.

Since Coco Chanel introduced Breton stripes to the fashion world, this print has become part of fashion history. This year, thanks to top designers like Marc Jacobs, this classic pattern takes major role again. Trends don’t simply repeat themselves, so let’s take a hint from today’s featured ladies above, learn how to give classic stripes a modern and unexpected twist in three simple ways:

Mix it with another on-trend print, either botanical patterns like this Balmain printed pants on Anja Rubik, or dynamic leopard print like those on Diane Kruger & Olivia Palermo above. The key to mixing prints is making sure they are in the same color family and with similar proportions. They should complement each other rather than compete.

Brighten up the monochrome look with a pop of color: For black/white striped clothing, try bright red, sunny yellow or cobalt blue; For blue/white stripes, since blue is a primary color, the other two primary colors yellow and red will complement it very well.

Last but not least, finish the look with modern or unexpected accessories. The menswear inspired Oxford, like that on Olivia Palermo, is a great example. If that’s not your thing, an oversized metal watch, leopard sunglasses or of-the-moment pumps will keep your ensemble up-to-date without looking overdone.

Dress: Dorothy Perkins (great style here; the designer version on Kruger is by Preen)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (reminiscent of Chanel 2.55, with a fraction of the cost!)
Shoes: Söfft (also here; $40 here)
Watch: Michael Kors (gold version here)
Belt: Cole Haan

Top: Oasis (great buy here & here)
Skirt: Tibi
Bag: Dooney & Bourke (featured here)
Shoes: Munro (also available here; $60 here)
Sunglasses: Karen Walker (similar here)
Bracelet: Reiss

Tags black and white, Diane Kruger, Karen Walker, leopard skirt, Michael Kors, mixing prints, Olivia Palermo, Oxford, Rebecca Minkoff, red bag, red belt, Reiss, strappy sandal, striped dress, striped top, stripes and leopard, Tibi

CLOTHING

Floral Blazer: One Piece, Different Styles

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date May 14, 2013

Photos: Olivia Palermo & Jessica Alba; Courtesy of pacificcoastnews.com, justjared.com.

Soft, delicate floral prints are great for warm weather. To make them modern, fresh and unexpected, choose pieces with classic, sleek and structured silhouettes: instead of a floral cardigan, try a floral blazer or jacket; instead of a floral sundress, try a sheath or a pair of floral shorts…

For spring/summer outerwear, half silk, half linen is my favorite combination. This Tibi Daisies jacket fits the bill with impeccable details: from the irresistible and easy-to-pull-off print to the tailored silhouette, versatile length and structured shoulders. No wonder two tasty ladies–Olivia Palermo and Jessica Alba–both chose it. And as always they each put their own spin on it:

Olivia Palermo blended several hot trends harmoniously together: graphic print, black and white color combo and menswear shoes. Sounds busy, but she wisely kept them in a relatively simple palette. By changing the skort into cropped pants, this look will be great for women at any age and also appropriate for many occasions.

Jessica Alba’s pairing is what we all can pull off: Team this statement piece with basics (simple V-neck tee and dark washed skinny jeans). The strappy sandals are this season’s must-have!

I love how they both chose another bright color (as the solid colored bags seen on them) to go with the blue/white printed blazer. As primary colors and contrast colors, red and blue are always a great combination. Purple is a secondary color made up of equal parts red and blue, so naturally, it goes great with both colors.

Jacket: Tibi (on sale here; $34 here)
Skirt: New Look (great buy here, similar here)
Bag: Dooney & Bourke
Shoes: Munro (also available here; $60 here)
Sunglasses: Karen Walker (similar here)
Bracelet: Reiss

Jacket: Tibi (on sale here; $34 here)
Top: James Perse ($6 here)
Jeans: Rag & Bone/JEAN
Shoes: Steve Madden (my favorite! Plus so many options)
Bag: Coach (also available here)
Necklace: Gorjana

Tags black and white, Givenchy, Jessica Alba, Olivia Palermo, Oxford, printed blazer, purple bag, red bag, skinny jeans, spring/summer, strappy sandal, Tibi, white tee, wrap skirt