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CLOTHING

Summer Shorts: Edgy Leather & Sexy Pump (Part V)

how to wear leather shorts; Floral print blazer; white blazer; colored pumps; Summer outfit ideas; Lily Collins,Beyoncé, street style, party outfits;  On Beyoncé: Helmut Lang white Tailored blazer, white top, black leather shorts,  Karen Walker sunglasses, Jimmy Choo green pumps, Alexander Wang Devere Satchel, black fedora hat;  On Lily Collins: Helmut Lang printed blazer, Thakoon black Leather Shorts, black pointy toe pump, Loeffler Randall red lock clutch, GIVENCHY Shark Tooth Necklace.Photos: Lily Collins & Beyoncé; Courtesy of vogue.com, justjared.com.

The heat wave seams tamed, weather cooled down here in New York. Usually I would immediately pull out my favorite leather shorts, but with a huge belly at 35 weeks, I still need to wait patiently. The good part is my shorts can wait too since I can wear them year round: spring/summer with lace and pastel tops, early fall with jumpers/jackets, later with thick tights and booties.

Besides distressed denim cutoffs, leather shorts are what I wear most in spring/summer. I prefer faux leather because they are more breathable considering the weather. But this season, designers reinvented this beloved piece, treated leather like any other fabric, made them paper-thin, flowy, soft and colorful. Because of my pregnancy, I haven’t try one yet, so those of you who tried, please share with me your thoughts!

For those who haven’t, before move to any printedcoloredscalloped hemcut-out leather shorts, the basic black pair is definitely a must-have. It goes with everything (from a simple white Tee to romantic lace blouse, from a floral printed blazer to tough motorcycle jacket) and instantly make the look effortlessly chic.

Here, Lily Collins & Beyoncé’s outfits are great for a date night or hanging out with friends. The structured blazer and sophisticated palette make these looks ageless too. Changing the shoes to sneakers or loafers, they are great for everyday wear.

And once again, the “Nothing has the transformational effect of a great shoe or beautiful bag” claim had proved: the red clutch and mint green pump on them instantly brighten up the outfits, making them fun & summery.

how to wear leather shorts; Floral print blazer; white blazer; colored pumps; Summer outfit ideas; Lily Collins,Beyoncé, street style, party outfits;  On Lily Collins: Helmut Lang printed blazer, Thakoon black Leather Shorts, black pointy toe pump, Loeffler Randall red lock clutch, GIVENCHY Shark Tooth Necklace.  Alternatives:  1. Helmut LangMandala print blazer,  2. Tibi Classic Racer Back Camisole,  3. Givenchy Women's Small Shark Tooth Necklace,  4. Topshop Zip Side Leather Look Shorts,  5. Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color 'True Coral',  6. Kate Spade New York Licorice black pointy toe pump,  7. Loeffler Randall Lock Clutch,

1. Helmut Lang blazer (70% off! also on sale here)
2. Tibi classic silk camisole (great alternative here)
3. Givenchy shark tooth necklace (similar here)
4. Topshop leather look shorts (on Lily Colins here)
5. Tom Ford lip color ‘True Coral’
6. Kate Spade New York pump (also here)
7. Loeffler Randall lock clutch (on sale!)

how to wear leather shorts; Floral print blazer; white blazer; colored pumps; Summer outfit ideas; Lily Collins,Beyoncé, street style, party outfits;  On Beyoncé: Helmut Lang white Tailored blazer, white top, black leather shorts,  Karen Walker sunglasses, Jimmy Choo green pumps, Alexander Wang Devere Satchel, black fedora hat;  Alternatives:  1. HELMUT LANGLINEN SLUB TWILL JACKET,   2. House of Harlow 1960 Carmen Sunglasses in Black,   3. Splendid Stretch Camisole,   4. Topshop Zip Side Leather Look Shorts,   5. Kate Spade New York 'licorice too' pump,   6. ASOS Wider Roll Brim Felt Boater,   7. Sophie Hulme Khaki Leather Mini Envelope Crossbody Bag,

1. Helmut Lang jacket (on sale; under $60 here & here)
2. House of Harlow 1960 Carmen sunglasses
3. Splendid stretch camisole (or this one)
4. Topshop leather look shorts ($18 here)
5. Kate Spade New York pump (on Beyoncé on sale here!)
6. ASOS hat (featured here)
7. Sophie Hulme envelope crossbody bag (on sale here)

Categories
CLOTHING

Back to Basics: Timeless White Dresses (Part VI)

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.comdailymail.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!

Categories
CLOTHING

Dress Up Classic Black & White

Olivia Palermo, Constance Jablonski ,Anja Rubik, black and white, white silk bouse, black leather pants, gold watch, white sweater, black pants, polka dot ankle strap shoes, black jumpsuit, white tuxedo blazer, embellished belt, how to accessories black and white, what to wear with black, holiday party outfit idea,      helenhou, helen hou, the art of accessorizing, accessoriseart, celebrity style, street style, lookbook, model off-duty,red carpet looks,red carpet looks for less, fashion, style, outfits, fashion guru, style guru, fashion stylist, what to wear, fashion expert, blogger, style blog, fashion blog,look of the day, celebrity look,celebrity outfit,designer shoes, designer cloth,designer handbag,

Photos (from left): Olivia Palermo, Constance Jablonski and Anja Rubik. Courtesy of vogue.fr; celebstyle.com.

During Christmas season, when I’m surrounded by so many red and green, the chicness of classic black and white always freshes me up, not to mention that this combo will be the hottest in the coming spring/summer.

Today, I picked three of my favorite black & white looks lately to share with you how to dress them up and stand out from the crowd.