I recently helped style a friend who was having trouble putting together looks from her wardrobe. She had two whole closets bursting with clothes - jackets, skirts, tops - but didn't know what to do with them. What she did know was that she needed outfits to carry her from work to evening. So we needed something conservative enough for a professional work setting, but still dressy enough for happy hour or dinner.
Here are a few of the looks we put together.
This first look pulls together a relatively simple blush-toned BCBG dress with a a black BCBG blazer, taupe suede pumps from Nine West, and a beige Coach bag. By mixing different neutral shades together, we gave the outfit more depth and finished it off with a neutral snakeskin-print scarf for some added texture.
For our second look, we went with a pencil skirt silhouette by combining different black textures with a grey skirt. We carried the black and grey motif through, and paired the outfit with mixed-tone black and grey suede and leather Nine West pumps. Using the same black blazer from above, we created a different look by pairing the skirt with a layered satin shell underneath and a chunky gold necklace to break up the black and grey.
In the third look, we stuck to the pencil skirt silhouette by pairing a black satin pencil skirt with a black satin-outlined Zara blouse and black pumps. This outfit emphasized her hourglass shape in a flattering yet conservative way - making it perfect for work and after.
Finally, using the same satin pencil skirt above, we paired it with a simple, white short-sleeved cuffed button-down and finished it off with a black and white silk neck tie scarf and the same black pumps from above.
And voila! She has 4 outfits to carry her through the week - using the same pieces in different ways to create a versatile wardrobe.
Here are a few of the looks we put together.
This first look pulls together a relatively simple blush-toned BCBG dress with a a black BCBG blazer, taupe suede pumps from Nine West, and a beige Coach bag. By mixing different neutral shades together, we gave the outfit more depth and finished it off with a neutral snakeskin-print scarf for some added texture.
For our second look, we went with a pencil skirt silhouette by combining different black textures with a grey skirt. We carried the black and grey motif through, and paired the outfit with mixed-tone black and grey suede and leather Nine West pumps. Using the same black blazer from above, we created a different look by pairing the skirt with a layered satin shell underneath and a chunky gold necklace to break up the black and grey.
In the third look, we stuck to the pencil skirt silhouette by pairing a black satin pencil skirt with a black satin-outlined Zara blouse and black pumps. This outfit emphasized her hourglass shape in a flattering yet conservative way - making it perfect for work and after.
Finally, using the same satin pencil skirt above, we paired it with a simple, white short-sleeved cuffed button-down and finished it off with a black and white silk neck tie scarf and the same black pumps from above.
And voila! She has 4 outfits to carry her through the week - using the same pieces in different ways to create a versatile wardrobe.
I love Balmain for its strong, angular shoulders and geometric lines and patterns. The fashion house has mastered a fiercely stylish look - one that's androgynous but sexy. This season, we saw gold embellishments on a basic black, white and light blue denim palette, along with bolero-type jackets in a cohesive Western-style theme.
Lanvin is just so quintessentially French with its feminine, avant-garde form dresses. This season, the designer surprised us with a diverse collection that included of-the-moment fringe gowns, silk draped dresses, and minimalist structured skirt suits.
Isabel Marant was probably the most commercially wearable of the French design houses this season - taking a cue from American style heritage and even including football-inspired shirts:
Christian Dior was - unsurprisingly - perfectly feminine:
Elie Saab celebrates the female form in the most beautiful and feminine way. His S/S 2012 collection was no different - this season, Saab celebrated bright colors combined with the sparkly embellishments he does best:
And finally, Alexander McQueen - my favorite. I survey McQueen's collection each season the way I savor chocolate - slowly and relishing each moment. Each collection is wild, imaginative, profoundly artistic and provocative. This season was no different, with the following being my favorite three looks for the way they achieve feminine beauty while still being fierce, in classic McQueen style:
Lanvin is just so quintessentially French with its feminine, avant-garde form dresses. This season, the designer surprised us with a diverse collection that included of-the-moment fringe gowns, silk draped dresses, and minimalist structured skirt suits.
Isabel Marant was probably the most commercially wearable of the French design houses this season - taking a cue from American style heritage and even including football-inspired shirts:
Christian Dior was - unsurprisingly - perfectly feminine:
Elie Saab celebrates the female form in the most beautiful and feminine way. His S/S 2012 collection was no different - this season, Saab celebrated bright colors combined with the sparkly embellishments he does best:
And finally, Alexander McQueen - my favorite. I survey McQueen's collection each season the way I savor chocolate - slowly and relishing each moment. Each collection is wild, imaginative, profoundly artistic and provocative. This season was no different, with the following being my favorite three looks for the way they achieve feminine beauty while still being fierce, in classic McQueen style:
