Crave or Save?

Stripes and all things nautical will always be “in” for Spring, and sequins are totally having a moment so when you put the two together you have an ultra-chic combination that offers both a Captain-Breton and a girlie look in one!

Whitney Port paired her Alice + Olivia Samantha Sequin Striped Tee with some boyfriend jeans, a structured blazer, and some cute heels to add a bit of femininity.

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Left: J. Crew, $75. Right: Alice + Olivia, $385.

While perusing J.Crew this weekend, I saw this oddly similar boatneck tee that I was inches away from buying! J. Crew’s sequin version not only has a more “vintage-y” vibe, but it also is a whole paycheck cheaper! At just $75, you can pick up this tee in the two colors it comes in and still have extra $$ for some boyfriend jeans! The top also comes in this super fabulous neon coral color that would be perfect with skinnies for brunch.

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What do you think? Would you crave or save on this sea-side top?

PS. I WANT to Make This

Erica Domesek of PS. I Made This, which has been linked on my blogroll since the beginning of Everyday to Runway, made the genius move of DIY-ing or DYE-ing a Proenza Schouler look a like. Erica paired with Who What Wear, another amazing must-read style website, to create the look below…

Check out the rest of Erica’s WhoWhatWear’s full post here…

I have been coveting the Proenza tie-dye shirt on the right since seeing it on the runway, and even Kristen Stewart and Tavi sporting it won’t turn my interest away. As a San Francisco native, I’ve always been a major tie-dye lover. I blame it on Haight Street, but this S/S season the colorful swirls will be in full effect and I’m one happy (wannabe) hippie. Tie-dying is such a fun warm day activity and so easy. I love being able to say I made the top/dress/skirt/sheets that I’m rocking and knowing that it’s one of a kind! If you’re new to tie-dye buy a plain white dress and use some black or navy dye to create a calmer look, or if you’re more daring try dye-ing a white flouncy mini skirt with pinks, oranges, and yellows and pairing it with a white tank for a super cute spring look.

Celebrities have been rocking the look and it’s gaining more and more hype. Fergie and Rihanna went with tie-dye jeans for an interesting but not my favorite look. If they were short-shorts paired with a flowy white tank, I could see it being cute. But full on tie-dye jeans or leggings just seem like more middle-school mess than super sweet and chic.

Once you start tie-dying more often you can test out new ways of creating the print, whether dipping it in a full color, using the “sunburst” effect, marbles, spirals, stripes and more! But for now here are some looks you can get without having to dye your hands bright blue…

This OP Dress is only $12!

While this more daring yet still neutral mini from Parker’s is $188.

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Tie-dye is everywhere and if you want to be summer cool you should try this look too. Pair any tie-dye with embellished flats, and a fun beachy hat and you’ve got insta-chic this spring…. Yes, I’m aware it’s just February 1st, but here’s my output to the world that spring should come early… Groundhog Day is tomorrow, you know!

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Photos from WhoWhatWear, OP, Bloomingdales, FabSugar, DenimBlog

A Little Too Lively.

OK Magazine brings us pictures from last night’s Sherlock Holmes premiere and Blake Lively is absolutely bringing the legs to the party. Ok, now if anyone had the body to pull this off it would absolutely be Blake but I’m not really feeling it. I know the bodysuit trend is in (thanks Gaga) but this just seems a little too revealing. Between the plunging neckline, the sheer bottom and the gold glitter Christian Louboutin’s she looks like she should be at the premiere of Nine, or actually in the movie Nine instead of New York City in the middle of December. I mean seriously, isn’t Penn worried she’s going to get frostbite in that D&G mini-mini!?! Blake, next time, please leave the pantless trend to your co-star Taylor Momsen.

What do you think? Does Blake pull off the pantless look? Or should it be left to Gaga alone?

Sweatpants: Hot or Not?

So going back to my Hot or Not series, the new topic of sweatpants arise. I mean, I’m not even sure why this is being brought up, but since the casual greys were all over Spring runways, I guess I must… le sigh.

Via The Cut, we see that the slouchy trend has taken on a whole new meaning with actual sweat pants being shown. Designers such as (from L to R) Yigal Azrouël, Alexander Wang, and rag & bone displayed the comfortable capris all over their Spring 2010 runways. While I believe the shape that they showed is much more attractive than the ones we see in our older brother’s closet, but they still have such a look of sloppiness, in my honest opinion. If any had to be chosen, I guess the Alexander Wang ones would win due to their chic shape as well as being paired with a beautifully constructed top, and the fabulous long braid look that is causing women everywhere to grow their hair out (myself included) or get extensions. The shape is more flattering the high waisted almost harem-esque look that Yigal Azrouël showed and the light grey seems more translatable to outdoor-wear than the bunched-up deeper grey from rag & bone.

If you do decide to embrace this trend, please remember to choose a flattering style, in a translatable color such as greys or black, and absolutely no questions asked pair it with high heels. As you can see from the above pictures, adding an embellished top or a structured blazer can add a sophistication to the otherwise Sunday-morning bed attire. I, for one, will be skipping this trend due to the fact that I believe house-wear should stay in the house. Maybe it was because I went to a college where wearing sweatpants to class seemed like the ultimate sin, but leggings are as far as I’ll go to wearing sleep attire outdoors. And please, please do not bring the velour tracksuit trend back. That was horrible enough while it lasted. These at least have a demure attitude, not a neon pink towel fabric with writing across the behind.

Vote: Not.

Forever and Always.

Yes, I will “Forever and Always” like Taylor Swift with her natural curly-wavy-slightly frizzy perfection that she normally wears. But some stylist/photographer/friend convinced her to go straight and with bangs, and here’s the result!

She definitely looks older, but for me, she doesn’t really look like herself, she looks like a clone of what Hollywood and the modeling industry would want her to look like. Upside: everyone has to shower, and then those gorgeous curls will return.

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Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

I think that in order to enjoy fashion you need to have some fun every once in awhile. In college, I took dance classes and sometimes I just refused to take my leg warmers off even if it wasn’t a dance day. I actually had an advisor for my sorority laugh in my face at my fashion “faux pas” but look, now people like Rihanna, Vanessa Hudgens and Shanea Grimes are wearing them! Streettalkin shows all about legwarmers these days in the video below!

All about Legwarmers

Wearing leg warmers with ankle boots or taller boots add a sense of comfort to the otherwise structured style.

But what’s my go-to piece right now? I’m all about kitschy items! And this one personifies kitsch. My over-blinged-out Hello Kitty iPhone case! Growing up on Guam, Sanrio was every girl’s obsession. I loved Hello Kitty, Keropee and Pochaco, all the characters, but Hello Kitty’s cute bow and love for pink always made her have a special place in my heart.

You can find this case from Hong Kong on eBay ($25), or lots of other designs. I’ve gotten so many compliments from friends, and even random people on the street. It’s a way to add some ridiculousness to my day and I enjoy it.

Do you think my kitschy piece is fun? What is your guilty pleasure fashion piece?

(Video from streektalkin, picture from ebay)

Sunday Style…

On these lazy California Sundays, my last of a few, all I want to do is hang out with friends and family, watch my Saints win another game (hopefully!), and wear comfy clothes. This is where flannel comes into play. We all know that big flannel pajama pants are prime when you’re home alone during the winter, but is it now acceptable outwear?

Plaid was huge in Fall 2008 but it has now become a Fall/Winter constant. I didn’t embrace this trend until this past week, when I came across a cute plaid version at Target. I find that red and black versions of plaid resemble a lumberjack far too much and I can’t handle it. This top (below) is only $15, so I don’t feel bad wearing it only a few times. It has a relaxed feel since it’s called the “boyfriend fit” but it also nips in at the waist so you can still see shape. Now, my boyfriend would have to be pretty tiny and like to rock purple in order for anyone to believe I borrowed it from him; But I think the color combo (definitely sans the orange tank underneath- not cute!) is great and it’s so soft and I definitely think this will be a guilty pleasure piece for me this Fall.

Who else is wearing plaid?

Lauren seems to look chic no matter what she’s wearing, but here she pairs a color coordinated blue shirt with a great white purse to dress up the look. Accessories are a way to dress up the casual flannel look, so try big sunglasses, cute stud earrings or a big purse!

Sienna Miller went bold with a yellow jacket. She dressed up the jacket with a frilly white blouse which balanced out the structure of the jacket.

By belting the top with a wide version and adding heels you can bring this trend back into 2009. Just don’t pair the plaid top with this season’s trend of motorcycle boots because you might be teetering on actual lumberjack. If a whole top or jacket is too much for you try adding a plaid scarf or plaid tights to your wardrobe. It’s a fun play on the patterned tights trend that arising, and adds some depth to your outfit.

What do you think? Will you be wearing plaid this season?

(Photos from Target.com, whenyouarebored.wordpress, coutureinthecity)

Pasties: Hot or NOT.

With so many designers out there, someone is bound to get it WRONG. Maybe, a little shout out to Ungaro hiring LaLohan?

Some houses should just leave the designing to the designers. Note: pasties should never be a replacement for a shirt. Lady Gaga continues to be fashion forward on the upcoming episode of Gossip Girl by wearing pasties on the outer layer of your top.

Is this a new trend that we will see Spring 2010? I, for one, hope not. Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Posh: go ahead. I’ll stick to my VS bras.

Will you try this look?

(Photos from The Insider and NY Mag).

Trends vs. Trendy

One of the main things every girl interested in fashion needs to decipher is the difference between trends and being “trendy.”

For example, right now light green nail polish is the new “it” color, specifically Chanel’s version in Jade ($25,  currently sold out). 

Does this mean we should all run out  and buy this nail polish regardless of whether we like it or not. No. The most important thing about style is YOU. Take the trends and tweak them so they work for you and represent your personal style. Being trendy is following the pack blindly. And let’s be real, Rihanna is one of the only people that can pull of those Balenciaga gladiator knee highs! So don’t give in to every trend you read about because then you will be trendy.

As for trends, I am all about taking what is shown on the runways and figuring out how I can incorporate them into my (already-overflowing) closet. Buying all new pieces every season is unnecessary, and economically rough. So for me this seasons trends such as over the knee boots can be incorporated into my staple pieces that I believe every girl should have (post to come soon). For example, these (below) over the knee boots paired with black tights and a flowy floral dress can be mixed with this season’s other popular staple, the blazer, or the cropped motorcycle jacket!

(Blowfish Wisker Boot, $100).

What are your thoughts on being trendy vs. trends?