latex-rubber-nylon-lame-leather

I think I'm going to do it. Buy latex/rubber/nylon/lame/leather/whatever you need to call it leggings. I hate leggings in all forms or shapes, but these are just so different. I want some that come to the ankle so they look like pants, not leggings. I'm hoping the American Apparel pair will fit the way I want. Now what to wear it with- my eternal dilemma. I've taken some celebrity, real girl, and runway inspiration to help me out...

The way celebrities normally wear leather leggings is very masculine- blazers, oversized shirts and sweaters, and slouchy cardigans. This look is attainable for me since I just ordered a blazer and although I haven't received it yet, am already cooking up thousands of possibilities with it. American Apparel has every item that goes perfectly with the leggings. 

The model way is pretty similar, with a few more unique touches. Erin Wasson wears it well, with a studded vest and tall ankle boots. Natalia Vodianova, although not shown, wears hers with brown crocodile ballet flats. This is a welcome change from the usual sky high heels that we see with them. 

The runways are very inventive in what they put their leggings with. This Brazilian designer, Caroline Rossato, pairs hers with feminine tops and jackets. It's a feminine look on the top half but masculinity on the bottom. McQueen puts the leggings with a dramatic ruffled jacket for a more glamorous look. 

The first girl gives her leather leggings a quirky, downtown feel with a colorblocked scarf, a knit hat, and oxfords paired with bright turquoise ankle socks. Her look is all in the accessories, you'll notice her outfit is basically a white tank top and the leggings. The next is a casual weekend look- the denim jacket is making a comeback and this girl pulls it off flawlessly. Third outfit- I love, love, LOVE the idea of the feminine, flowy dress (or any other girly item) with leather leggings. It's a perfect juxtaposition. 

Get the look:

American Apparel, $42 (ouch)

So...should I do it? Do any of you have leather leggings and if so, what do you think about them?

xoxo

fashionista

if miss marc can go eco then so can you

Hemp doesn't have to be ugly. Marc by Marc Jacobs has debuted two new organic hemp tote bags featuring his famous Miss Marc character. These are so adorable, and I love the eco-friendly concept. Everyone's getting in on it- beauty, fashion, and accessories. It's big. 

Get in on the earth friendly trend- ShopBop even has a whole section devoted to eco-friendly fashion and accessories!

xoxo

fashionista

156

Today as I was doing absolutely nothing in my room, my mother dropped the New York Times Thursday Styles page for me. The front page caught my attention- it was all about online-only fashion magazines. There's apparently hundreds of them! I had heard about some, but I never really visited them. Some magazines the article mentioned were Gloss, Hint, Fashion156, Unvogue, and Iconique. I love this idea- not only does it save money on magazines, but it's easy and accessible to read. 

check them out.

xoxo

fashionista

Article: New York Times

wwoo

Yes, I'm a little late, but I really love this week's outfits, I hope you do too!

Monday:

I'm really loving the idea of mixing prints lately, I've been wanting to try it all the time. The cardigan here is so cute and you could wear it so many different ways and make it a lot of different styles. I fell in love with the skirt the second I saw it, the colors are so girly and fun. To balance out all of the pinks and reds, go with a simple shoe in a simple color, like beige. 

Cardigan- Urban Outfitters, Tank top- Topshop, Skirt- Marc by Marc Jacobs, Shoes- Topshop

Tuesday:

 

This outfit is definitely one of my favorites this week. The top is lovely, the sheer pink is about as girly as you can get. The idea was taking something that was so undeniably feminine and giving it an edge. Putting it with the skinny gray jeans starts off that edgy look. Add a chain necklace and gold stud earrings for accessories and finish it off with Lanvin patent studded gladiators that I really, really want...

Top- Miu Miu, Jeans- Sass & Bide, Earrings & Necklace- Barneys Co-Op, Shoes- Lanvin

Wednesday:

I love the strapless-dress-under-t-shirt look, so that's what I did here. The dress is actually called a prom dress, but it can easily be worn during the daytime. I love the floral print in every color in the rainbow. Put more color in it with the color block belt. Again, with so much color, keep the rest simple- a white t-shirt and tan shoes. 

Dress- Topshop, Shirt- Splendid, Belt- Topshop, Shoes- Marc Jacobs

Thursday:

With all of these bright outfits, you need a little bit of neutrals in there. This outfit is more toned down but still has a lot of interest. The top is so versatile, you can wear it day or night. The shorts look so comfortable, perfect for just relaxing. Break up the all brown palette with a white bangle, gray shoes, and an essential metallic bag. 

Top- 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent, Shorts- Vince, Bracelet & Shoes- Urban Outfitters, Bag- Marni 

Friday:

And we return back to the explosion of color. There's not a piece in this outfit that's not a bright, in-your-face color, but it all somehow works. 

Cardigan- American Apparel, Jeans- Elsom, Shoes- Frye, Ring- Urban Outfitters

Saturday:

A laid-back, Kate Moss-inspired outfit. This has more mixed prints and is a perfect outfit for a relaxed day out. I love the slouchy sweater vest over the striped shirt, I think it's definitely something Ms. Moss would wear...add charcoal-colored cigarette leg jeans, Kate's signature scarf, and navy boots, and you're done.

Vest- American Apparel, Shirt- Vince, Jeans- J Brand, Scarf & Boots, Urban Outfitters

Sunday:

From menswear to prim, proper, and preppy. To go along with the schoolgirl preppy feel of the cardigan, I added a pure white pleated skirt and dusty pink Mary Janes. A string of pearls is a classic accessory, but the black bracelet breaks up the pale colors. 

Sweater- 3.1 Phillip Lim, Skirt- Miu Miu, Shoes, Necklace & Bracelet- J.Crew

xoxo

fashionista

the perfect man

Most male celebrities these days don't have a great sense of style- they throw on a nice expensive suit and go. It's really the men who are on the street or the male fashion insiders (like Hamish Bowles, who makes an appearance in this post...) who have the really outstanding style. The guys on the Sartorialist never cease to amaze me. They have a superior eye for fashion- the fit of their clothes is always perfect, they mix colors flawlessly, they make me want to buy everything they wear. Some of my favorite Sart looks lately:

I used to be entirely against men wearing shorts. I just thought it was weird. Now, I'm really changing my mind after seeing all of the men on the Sartorialist pulling it off. But men, if you're going for this look, do it like these guys- sharp, clean, and with presentable legs. I still hate the men running around in tiny athletic shorts. Knee-length, please. 

These men make the suit exciting and not the boring ones you see day after day. The first look is undeniably handsome with the double breasted jacket. You don't see that every day. I love the look in the middle- fitted blazer, clean khakis, and a pop of color in bright purple moccasins that tie together seamlessly. The fit on the last outfit is what makes it look so good. 

Men wearing color is unexpected and so fun. It shows they are brave and bold, which I really respect. The man in the baby blue suit is the coolest. He pulls it off perfectly, pairing it with the light cream colors and the dark tie and bag breaks up the outfit from being too pale. And Mr. Bowles, looking flamboyant and fabulous as usual. The last outfit I'm in love with. If I were a man, I'd wear it in a heartbeat. 

I'm obsessed with the first man. And look, more purple moccasins!

xoxo

fashionista

i will not say flower power, i will not.

I shopped yesterday. I found love yesterday. That love is in the form of this skirt. 

I can't even tell you how much I love it. It's from Urban Outfitters and they have about a jillion prints to choose from. I love the smocked waist, it makes it so easy to just pull on and go. I've been having so much fun just figuring out ways to wear it. My favorite so far is wearing it high-waisted with a cranberry-colored J.Crew tank top and an orange African-style beaded necklace. There's just so many things I can do with it...

I also bought this "dandelion field" shirt from UO. It's so cute! I tried it with the floral skirt (high waisted) above and I think it looks pretty good. I'm not usually a supporter of the graphic tee, but I loved how this one was just like a little kid went crazy with a crayon. The back has a dandelion on it, too. 

xoxo

fashionista

legwear

Fall's going to be here before we know it, and that means our favorite accessory, tights. I've been eyeing so many new tights colors that I want very, very much. White ones, to be specific. I usually associated them with little girls, but the more I look at them, the more I love them. I'm also loving the look of over the knee socks scrunched over tights, I'm so excited to try it out this fall/winter. 

Tights

I love all of these colors! The first is a deep navy/violet shade that I think would look so cute with grays, blacks, and whites. The next is so fun! A hot pink pair of tights, I just wish it came in a more opaque version. These are just so cute. Gray tights are an unexpected alternative to black tights that I'm really looking forward to wearing. And the white I already mentioned. 

Socks

Black and hot pink over the knee socks to scrunch over tights. I'm getting so excited about this look already! The pink would look adorable over the white or gray tights, and the black looks clean and simple with the white.

xoxo

fashionista

runwaylicious edition ii

Okay. First of all, highlight of the entire episode- Tim Gunn. "Holler Atcher Boy". I died. So funny. Anyways, I loved the challenge. I always love when they give them a camera and go let them explore New York. Especially at night, I thought it was really cool. The challenge was to make an outfit for a night on the town inspired by New York at night. 

Terri

Like Stella last week, I don't see why the judges were so amazed. The top/dress was shapeless and was really nothing but a long sleeved dress in a bold fabric. Putting it over pants doesn't help. I didn't like it, maybe it's just me..

Suede

A sad downfall from last week. This looked so cheap to me, like a Southpole ad or something. The studs, the gold chain belt, they don't complement each other at all.

Stella

"Leathuh, leathuh, leathuh. I'm gonna use leathuh on awl of my gaw-ments! I'm makin' a leathuh vest an' a pay-uh of leathuh pants. I'm rawk n' roll. That's what I'm abawt." Okay. I'm being harsh. It wasn't that bad. But really, lay off on the leather. Nobody can wear leather pants.

Leanne

 This was so perfectly made, it looked like it just got off a rack at Bergdorf's, not hand-sewn in 24 hours. I mean, look at that skirt. Leanne translated her inspiration perfectly through this top and skirt (NOT A DRESS! I couldn't believe it.)

Korto

I can imagine how hard it is to make a jumpsuit look flattering, but Korto did it. It was just a bit too simple for my taste, but I respect the work that went into it. It looks great. 

Kenley

I love Kenley so much! All of her designs are adorable and she has a huge amount of talent. When I first saw her fabric choices, I was skeptical, but she made it look perfect! It fits like a glove and I am so excited to see what Kenley does in the future. 

Kelli

I am not exactly sure what to say...

Keith

Keith had a good idea when he was putting his inspiration into a garment- use shredded fabrics to convey a worn and torn magazine laying on the streets. But as the judges said, it was all about the white fabric and the fit (or lack thereof). It completely messes up the dress. If only he had used a different color and fitted it well (or even just thrown a belt on), he might have done better. 

Joe

Much better than last week. His inspiration was a bit obvious with the lines on the bodice, but it's a pretty dress nonetheless.

Jerell

My, my. Does olive green really look good on anyone? Especially a metallic. This dress confused me.. and why did he do a gown? Most nights out on the town don't involve evening dresses. 

Jennifer

The fit made the model look huge! The hem was messy and unfinished and the whole design was old and unflattering. 

Emily

No more Emily! I'm so sad...but I'm sorry to say she deserved to go. Listen to Tim- moral of this story. Do what Tim says. He knows what's good for you. 

Daniel

I like it, but it seems so familiar. I can't place it, but it's the mixture of the black and gold and the twisted bodice. A little voice in the back of my head says Proenza Schouler, but I'll check style.com to be sure. :]

Blayne

I liked this one a lot, I just wish there were no sleeves. I love the rainbow swoosh that goes down to the bottom, I thought that was really creative. Blayne had his signature thing going on here , but he toned it down a bit so it was actually wearable. 

xoxo

fashionista