Tag: street style

Color Dare: Bright From Head to Toe

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date June 4, 2013

Photos: Olivia Palermo & Candice Lake; Courtesy of gettyimages.com, glamazonsblog.com.

If you want to make a statement, go with saturated colors no matter the trend. Luckily, they are right on trend this season! Don’t be scared of the hues, all you need is some tips and the confidence to wear them. Once you start, you will be surprised how fun and easy they are to play with!

A bright-colored suit is a great start to experiment with this head-to-toe color trend. The classic and modern silhouette of the suit balance the loudness of its color, besides you can mix and match each separate with all the neutrals in your wardrobe.

After you picked the suit, choose pieces that are either neutral or in the same color family to complete the look, like the jacket on Olivia Palermo (60% off now!) and the blue cutout bustier on Candice Lake above.

For accessories, you can either choose neutral ones but with interesting details, like this gorgeous white cut-out sandals; or play colorblocking by teaming cobalt blue heels with a coral suit; or mix textures and prints by pairing a leopard belt with a jacquard top as Olivia Palermo did.

Last but not least, fabric is the key when wearing bright pieces. Since colored pieces naturally draws attention, you don’t want them to stick to your body, with that said, select fabrics that drape instead of cling, like breezy silk, lightweight wool, high-density cotton or structured jacquard.

Jacket: Diane von Furstenberg (60% off now! also on sale here & here)
Top: MSGM ($30 here & here)
Pants: MSGM (great alternative here & here)
Bag: Clare Vivier (featured here)
Shoes: Tibi (on sale here & here; similar here)
Sunglasses: Karen Walker (similar here & here)
Watch: Timex
Belt: Barneys New York (similar here)

Jacket: MICHAEL Michael Kors (great buy here & here)
Top: Topshop (great style here)
Pants: J.Crew ($20 here!)
Shoes: Oscar de la Renta (among designer sales! also love this pair!)
Rings: Maison Martin Margiela (featured here; $14 here)
Sunglasses: Asos

Tags ankle strap heels, Candice Lake, color block, colored suit, crop top, lace up booties, leopard belt, Olivia Palermo, peplum, red bag, retro sunglasses, spring/summer, street style

CLOTHING

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 Tops (Part III)

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date May 24, 2013

how to wear overalls, baseball hat trend, high-low mix; Alao featured: Topshop Knitted Textured Crop Jumper, topshop MOTO Bleach Long Leg Dungarees,Gerald Darel orange tote, espadrilles, nike sneakers, gold chain/link necklace, baseball hat

Photos: Alessandra Ambrosio & Robyn Rihanna Fenty; Courtesy of justjared.com, pacificcoastnews.com.

In this part of our “Back to Basics” series, I want to share with you some unexpected ways to style other two timeless white pieces: plain white jumper and sweatshirt. As you can see from above, these looks have a gamine & tomboy vibe that has been spotted on the runway this season. Back in 1992, this type of style inspired by the cool kids on the street made Mac Jacobs lose his job at Perry Ellis. Now it becomes an inspiration for major designers and a trend that attracts the fashion cognoscenti.

Alessandra Ambrosio and Rihanna’s looks above also incorporated two microtrends this season: overalls and baseball cap. Alessandra Ambrosio opted for a cropped version with her white knit which is also in right now. The nice fit, rolled up hems and light wash color polished up her dundarees. A trendy sunglasses and bright oversized tote give her look an urban touch.

A pure white slouchy sweatshirt can be challenging. Rihanna’s look (above right) is my favorite so far. An outfit with boyish shirt, sneakers and baseball cap are sportif, however, with a fitted mini skirt, tied-around-the-waist chambray shirt, gold accessories, preppy glasses and a sober tote, she kept the overall look polished and stylish.

how to wear overalls; featured Topshop Knitted Textured Crop Jumper, topshop MOTO Bleach Long Leg Dungarees,Gerald Darel orange tote; Alternatives: Gap Leather Tote, DSW Aerosoles Solitaire Flat, Asos Round Sunglasses With Metal Bridge Detail,

Jumper: Topshop
Dungarees: Topshop
Bag: Gap (great style here; Ambrosio carried here)
Shoes: Aerosoles (designer version on sale here)
Sunglasses: Asos (20% with code TAKE20 sitewide; more retro styles here)

Chambray shirt: Madewell
Sweatshirt: Topshop (great style here)
Skirt: Mango
Shoes: Nike
Bag:MICHAEL Michael Kors
Watch: Michael Kors
Necklace: Marc by Marc Jacobs ($48 here)
Glasses: Elizabeth and James (great options here)

BTW, It’s the last day of Linea Pelle’s friends & family sale. If you are looking for handbags, go and check it out, they are offering 30% off sitewide with code LPFF30. Below are my picks. This Grayson bar bag reminds me of the Proenza Schouler PS11 shoulder version, but with such a friendly price tag. Good luck!

The art of accessorizing-helenhou.com-Seersucker Knit shorts Golden Lane Small Duo Satchel