Lust: What Defines Sexy?

In a world where fashion has evolved from corsets and voluminous layers of heavy skirts to long-sleeved, turtle-neck Sunday bests; from white stockings to shoulder padded uniforms; from shapeless and modest clothing to skin tight leather, snakeskin, cleavage, and backless pieces, “sexy” has been constantly redefined.

We’ve gone from Coco Chanel’s long-sleeved classic black dress to Snookie’s tiny skirts, massive cleavage (which, unfortunately, is a great understatement), and ripped clothing in today’s fashion magazines. Granted, Snookie is never praised for her “high fashion sense,” but it is still evident that “sexy” in the minds of many young women equates more skin.

Fear not. The fashion industry is fighting back.

Full-length skirts, oversized sweaters, floor-length dresses, men-inspired women pieces, boyfriend sweaters, chunky knits, and everything else that suggests a cozy, comfy, and sleaze-deprived ensemble is taking center stage on the runway. Each piece is evident in nearly every collection and moves elegantly from day to night, winter to spring.

Even the red carpet’s best dressed are fighting back. There’s a right way and a wrong way to cover up.

Sexy is dressing comfortably while maintaining and displaying your shape, leaving things to the imagination but giving them something to go off of, and covering up while revealing yourself. It’s sounds completely contradictory, but it is utterly simple.

Dries Van Noten pairs a flowing floor-length vibrant purple skirt with an oversized jungle green top and manages to exude utter cool rather than a grandma-dressed-as-Barney look by playing with textures, an asymmetrical hemline, and black sunglasses.

 

Sheer tops with floor-length dresses shed some skin but keeps it controlled. Sheer layers also make a longer piece so much more interesting while a leopard-print coat immediately adds a dose of youth.

Belting at the waist or donning eccentric colors also defines waists and curves as shown on Fendi’s twist on wearing a belt and layering lengthy skirts.

Fashion allows us this incredible flexibility with our own bodies and looks. It’s amazing.

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Author Bio:

Ray is a passionate writer whose obsession with fashion has skyrocketed to a nearly unhealthy rate. But she’s fine with that. Who in the blogger world isn’t? She meshed these two passions into a single word that now embodies her life: Fashionwrites.

 

Love: Australian Designers

Everyone looks to Paris or New York for the latest trends and styles but have you considered Australian designers? Karla Spetic is an Australian designer with the simplistic chic that might characterise BCBGmaxazria mixed with all the colours and cheer that comes with a LV resort collection. But of course that alone cannot explain entirely what the brand entails.

Karla Spetic has a very cheeky way of playing with different colours, textures and shapes that lends it an almost childish and daydreamy air but its chic simplicity ensures that it does not become un-sophisticated. It caters for the little girl inside each of us who likes to squeal with delight at candy hues and yet it also caters for the chic fashionista who knows how to handle her own style. No wonder her ‘10 Autumn/Winter collection was titled “Dreamer”.

 

Karla Spetic two ways by crossthat featuring ankle pants

 

 

I just love her two toned cardis. Wear it with a cute little skirt and you get something casual and girly. Wear it with impeccably tailored slim black pants, fierce accessories and towering studded heels and you get to prevent your outfit from making you look too hard and cold.

Not every Karla Spetic piece is suitable for everyone. Whilst her clothes have designs and cuts to marvel at adoringly, I can imagine that it might not fit with everyone’s style philosophy. But her ability to turn heads without fail is a quality that one can definitely lust after.

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Written by Monica of crossthat.com

Love: Spring Trends 2011

As winter releases us from her icy grasp, its finally time to ditch the fairilse knits and embrace a bit of spring slash summer loving. And what’s not to love? All will be revealed.

THE NEW MAXI

Although maxi skirts and dresses will continue to fight for prize position in our wardrobes in S/S 2011, it will face tough competition in the form of its latest rival. I introduce – the midi. The midi has steadily been creeping its way from the catwalks onto the high street but it looks set to reign supreme this forthcoming season. Swinging pleats are the choice of the day styled with graphic print tees or pretty, sheer blouses and lady-like heels. By night, I would team asymmetric lines and graduated hems with block platform sandals and maybe a dash of leather to contrast the delicate fabrics.

A FRINGE and FLARE AFFAIR welcomes us back the Seventies. Think a 21st century take on the decade mixed with all the goodness of tribal chic. As trousers remain popular, it is no surprise that the pivotal item channelling this trend is the kick flare. I do think it will take substantial time for these to replace the skinny jean though. Resist conformity and team pale denim bell bottom flares adorned with patchwork detailing with knitted tank tops with the IT shoe of the year – the platform.

The flare goes hand in hand with fringing and it has no limits. My initial reaction is ‘oh really’ but the other day my best mate rocked a lush fringed biker jacket, so maybe it’ll rub off in time. Pringle showcased the trend with shoes while Betty Jackson went the extra mile with her black ostrich feather trousers as did Matthew Williamson with his bejewelled, tasselled dresses and fringed skirts. Bags, shoes, coats, skirts – you name it you’ll find a fringed equivalent.

PRINTS

Think the brighter and busier the better a la McQueen. Bright abstract graphics and architectural geometrics steal the style limelight. If you cannot resist a standard safe-bet though, throw cut-out suede or crochet over crazy florals to capture the folksy feel, plaster yourself with playful polka dots and flatter yourself with feathery patterns. All at once. More is definitely more this spring.

A BURST OF COLOUR

Move over nudes, statement rainbow hues are the colour choice of the season. Shocking tangerines and vibrant grass greens reign supreme. Brave block colouring in riotous neons à la Christopher Kane.  As before, the brighter the better. Pop colouring will extend its efforts to the make-up counters of the high-street. Light pinks and oranges on the eyes coupled with blueish-black liners and topped-off with strong red lips will prove a popular look. Judging by the general theme of S/S ‘11 fashion weeks worldwide, unnatural hair colours look set to become a big trend this forthcoming season too. A welcome burst of colour, hurrah.

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Author Bio:

Helen is a twenty-one year old vintage fiend and founder of http://areyoudressingupordressingdown.blogspot.com. A blog in which she shares her light-hearted fashionable experiences, musings and opinions on anything from her personal experiences to her latest purchases.

How To: Carry a Big Bag

 

As you know, I’m a weekly columnist over at The Bags Blog. Be sure to check out my latest article on how to carry a big bag (think Speedy 35) without losing everything to the space vortex at the bottom. Space vortex… I think my geek is showing 😛

Love: Fabulous in February, Take Two

The wonderful Melissa of A Working Mom’s Closet has posted a challenge… to say three positive things about yourself every Monday in Feburary. The goal is to hold off winter blues and get a little positivity and self love happening around the blogosphere. At first this may not sound like a challenge at all, but most of us grew up in a culture where it’s not nice to say nice things about yourself. So, at the risk of sounding like an egomaniac, and defying culture norms, here are my next three things (I forgot last week like an idiot, but you can read week one here):

I love my style

I’ve had people call it different things from “retro chic” to “dirty librarian” but my style is all my own. I wear what makes me feel happy, confident, and sexy even when it breaks the traditional fashion “rules” (white after Labor Day, red lipstick for daytime).

I love that I’m blonde

It took a long time and a lot of bleach to get here, but I’m so happy with the dewy white-blonde color my hair has come out. It fits my personality, my coloring, my 1940s vibe and well, let’s face it, my blonde moments make a lot more sense now.

I love my resume

While my college buddies were out partying, I was working on homework, working multiple part-time jobs and building a future I could be proud of. I’m graduating with my master’s this spring, have a job I love, no debt and I’m truly proud of everything I’ve accomplished.

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That’s that, folks. Happy  Monday and be sure to post your own Fabulous in February!

Love: Prabal Gurung NYFW Nails

I am completely and utterly flabbergasted by these glorious nails, hand painted by Jin Soon Choi for the Prabal Gurung fall show!

Inspired by Chinese calligraphy, they’re definitely eye catching but not garish and even more perfect when you look at the collection they were shown with.I’m thinking of trying a DIY version with Konad stamps and black and white nail polish, first I need to buy this template (m66)…

Take a look at how the black and white gradient feel of the manicures compliments the black and white pieces from the fall collection – perfection!

Love: A Patterened Interview with Melissa

As you all know by now, my interpreter day job means I spend most of my life in various shades of black, gray, and white so I don’t have much experience in the mixing and matching department. When I ran across Melissa from A Working Mom’s Closet, I was so fascinated by her use of prints and bright colors that I spent my lunch hour pouring over her blog. When I asked her to share some of her knowledge with all of you, she very kindly agreed to be interviewed and the following is the result. 🙂

Do you have any ‘rules’ for mixing prints?

I haven’t done a whole lot of pattern mixing but the times that I have, my thoughts are to keep the patterns within the same color family, or keep one of them black and white and only add in one other color. It also helps to use accessories as one or both of the patterns. A belt or leopard print shoes or scarf can go a long way to adding some pizazz with an extra pattern!

What do you look for when buying printed pieces?

Mostly just prints that appeal to me. I don’t have a standard print that I really like, as some others do. Some people really like stripes or polka dots or florals or abstracts…I like them all. It depends on what catches my eye and if the color scheme is suited for my coloring. I will intentionally look for certain things that seem to be trending, like the stripes and polka dots, but generally it’s just whatever is pretty. 🙂

What does your closet look like? Do you put all your prints together or keep outfits together?

I organize my closet according to type of clothing. Dresses, arranged by sleeve length, then skirts, then cardigans/jackets, then long-sleeved shirts and sweaters, then short-sleeved tops and then tanks and camis. I don’t keep outfits together because I don’t usually pick them out until I wake up in the morning!

You’re also an expert at layering, how do you build complete outfits?

Ooooh…I’ve never been called an expert at anything! Thanks! 🙂 It depends, really. Sometimes I’ll start with a basic piece like a dress or skirt and go from there, deciding which top would look best with it, if I need another layer underneath for warmth or if I want to throw another color in there for fun. I wear a LOT of cardigans, plus there’s the fact that my boss has issues with anyone showing too much in the chestal region (not just cleavage, but anything in the chest area at all!) so I have lots of camis and tanks to layer underneath.

I try very hard not to wear the same outfit twice, unless it’s one that made me feel really good, so I consider it a challenge to come up with new ways to wear the same piece (which for me only happens with layers or accessories). I have one piece that I’ve worn as a skirt the way it was made, but also as a tunic and as a tube top to work – with a blazer! Blazers and cardigans can make almost anything work-appropriate.

What are the go to pieces in your wardrobe?

My purple dress (that I desperately wish I could buy in every single color but so far haven’t found any more like it!), my black dress, my black rosebud boots and pretty much any of my belts and cardigans. I wear belts and cardigans ALL the time. It’s almost absurd how often I wear belts. I think I might have a problem.

What inspires your unique style?

Belts and cardigans. 🙂 Honestly, reading blogs has been incredibly inspiring to me. Before I ever knew style blogs existed, I never wore skirts or dresses and thought belts were ridiculous. Now you can’t get me to wear pants much and I have LOTS of belts! It’s through all of these friends I’ve met through blogging that I’ve been inspired to push my boundaries, try new things and thus figure out what *my* style is. I’m a belter, a layerer and a cardigan/jacket/dress girl. I love wearing at least one color, usually more and would like to venture more into pattern mixing territory. I haven’t done that enough or at least not bravely enough.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Thank you for interviewing me! I’m incredibly flattered that anyone would be interested in my answers to these questions. I hope I’ve been able to help someone push their own boundaries to find their personal style, too!

Friend Friday: Body Image and Blogging

1. Since you started blogging has your image of yourself changed?
I don’t think it’s changed so much as become more defined. Having a daily fashion blog means talking about fashion a lot more than I ever have, and in all that talking, I’ve started to develop a better language for describing  my own style.
2. Are you self-conscious about any aspect of yourself? If so, do you go out of your way to avoid it or do you post it/talk about it anyway?
I’ve gained about 20 pounds over the last year and my body has morphed into this entirely different shape that I never thought I’d have. Pretty much everything in my closet doesn’t fit anymore, and the stuff that DOES still fit fits completely differently. For a couple months now it’s felt like every time I try something on, I’m either throwing it out or figuring out a different way to wear it. It sucks, and for awhile it made me super self-conscious until my mom gave me the best advice. Whatever is going on with my fashion sense, I talk about it in the blog, nothing is going to be solved by hiding things. Plus, I feel like it’s important to the community that we keep an open, honest dialogue about the fact that we’re not all perfect.
3. Based on how you are feeling now, what do you think the future holds in the evolution of your body image?
I’ve never been ‘curvy’, but now I’ve got these hips and boobs and an ass that pretty much came out of nowhere. I feel like I’m redefining myself as more of a Marilyn and less of a Twiggy.
4. Do you photograph yourself for your blog? If so, how do you feel about the experience when you’re having your picture taken? If you choose not to post pictures of yourself,

what prompted that decision?
I hate taking the pictures, it’s such a struggle to set up the camera, put on the 10-second timer, run over and try to pose and I feel like all my backgrounds are boring and uninspired. But I love the pictures themselves, the camera shows me things a mirror just can’t, the first time I ever felt ‘curvy’ was in the leopard skirt photo I took for the blog. I’m trying to come up with better ways to snap the photos, but for now I’m doing the best I can.
5. What would you want every person who struggles with body image to take to heart?

I was the stereotypical model size 0-2 for years and in real life, it just scared people more than anything. My boyfriend at the time told me he was afraid to break me, and my freshman roommate would listen outside the door because she thought I was bulimic, and I answered questions about my weight a dozen times a week. In short, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Embrace what you’ve got, work on healthy ways to change what you can’t stand, and then move on with life because there’s so much going on outside the mirror.

Want to read more answers? Check out ModlyChic, the home of FBFF!

Lust: Lavin + Shoe Challenge

Lavin by jennaw featuring platform high heels

After browsing around SSense today, I have such a crush on Lavin. I love the soft colors and sturdy almost boxy lines, I even like the snakeskin even though animal print isn’t usually my thing.

Who’s your fashion crush of the moment? Give me something new to drool over before I spend my rent on Lavin shoes!

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Shoe Challenge Outfit #3

362 days, 47 pairs left

I hate that this photo came out blurry because the outfit was so cute! High waisted pants are so comfy and chic and the black studded flats I could walk all day in without a single foot ache.

 

Lose: Recap on Ugly Swimsuits with Rihanna + Shoe Challenge

Does anyone remember these awful We Are Handsome swimsuits that I posted on a few months back? Just like every other bad fashion trend, celebrities have embraced them (really, should we be surprised?). Check out Rihanna and Diane Kruger in a suit that makes any joke you can think of just too easy.

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Shoe Challenge Outfit #2

363 days, 48 pairs left

I bought these Report boots on clearance two or three years ago for $7 and thought I’d never wear them except for brushing snow off the car. Turns out they’re the most comfortable shoes I own, go with everything, and I get tons of compliments every time I wear them. Sometimes shoes can surprise you 🙂

This photo cracks me up, I’m always falling in the crack in the center of my couch! 😛