Style Crush: 90's Jennifer Aniston

I didn't realize this until recently but I totally have a style crush on Jennifer Aniston circa 1995 through 1999.  Not only do I have a crush on her but I also have a crush on her most famous alter ego, Rachel Green.  Jen and Rach (yeah, we're close like that) had amazing 90's style that fits right in to today's fashion landscape.  And yes, while Jennifer Aniston makes perfectly nice, safe style choices these days (and sometimes downright awesome; remember those Vivienne Westwood drop crotch jeans?), her star power was just beginning to rise in the 90's which means she was more experimental with her sartorial choices and that can lead to some truly memorable outfits.

Rachel Green had a serious thing for fashion and at one time that included overalls.  She revisited the look nearly 15 years later, just around the same time they started returning to the runway.

 

 

Another one of my favorite Rachel outfits is this Clueless inspired getup.  It's a bit preppy schoolgirl with a hint of grunge thanks to the plaid skirt.  And the shoes remind me of something from Miu Miu or Dries Van Noten.

On to Jen's personal style.  High waist pants?  Check.  Shirt under a dress?  Check (bonus points for the sweater tied around her waist).  Baggy denim with what appears to be flatforms?  Check.  Pretty floral dress?  Yep, check.

 

  

Who said all black was boring?  On the left we have a classic LBD that looks so cool and does such a great job at embodying minimalism that I promptly ordered this slip dress from Zara.  The red carpet outfit from 1999 goes for a different take on the all black look but I love it just the same.  It's sleek yet bold and one of my favorite red carpet looks she's ever worn.

  

Of course, one cannot talk about Jennifer Aniston without talking about her hair.  She's had it long, short, straight, wavy, and cut into what can only be described as the "Rachel."  She also once had it dreaded.  Is it her best look?  Maybe not but I dig it because it was a departure from her standard blowout.

Do you have any old school Aniston looks that you love that didn't make the list?

Images via Marie Claire UK, Nearly Vintage, NY Daily News, Huffington Post, Grazia.

Fictional Fashion Icon: Darlene Conner

One of my favorite television shows to watch growing up was Roseanne.  I still watch the reruns played daily on TV, sometimes for hours at a time without even realizing it.  In fact, I'm surprised it's not playing in the background right now as I write this.  Although the show has been off the air since 1997, somehow it doesn't feel outdated and it continues to make me laugh (minus the season where the Conner family won the lottery but that's a whole different post).

 

My favorite character on the show was Darlene.  The middle child of the Conner siblings, Darlene had a sarcastic sense of humor and an I-don't-give-a-fuck-attitude.  She started off the series as a tomboy but along the way morphed into a moody teenager who draped herself in black and felt like an outcast.  I found her very relateable during my own teen years.

 

Dan's fashion choices are also kind of awesome.

 

Eventually Darlene traded in her all black look for a 90's approved grunge wardrobe.  Her look was effortless and cool, like she just rolled out of bed and threw on the first thing she saw.  I see pieces of Darlene's fashion influence all over these days whether it's on the streets, runways, or the pages of the latest Urban Outfitters catalog.  Let's now take a look at some of her best moments.

Never one to shy away from her opinions, Darlene wore this "MEAT STINKS" t-shirt to her mom's loose meat restaurant, The Lunchbox.  Forget supporting your favorite band, Darlene chose to show her anti-support for meat with this tee.  If you're also anti-meat (I'm a carnivore), you can buy the same tee at Bona Drag.

 

 

Darlene's wardrobe contained the most necessary clothing item ever: denim.  Here she sports a baggy, ripped up pair with boots.  I dig it and so do these models off duty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still keeping with the denim theme, Darlene knew the importance of a denim jacket.  My closet was lacking one until I recently picked up this one by Levi's.  Bonus: it's on sale!

 

 

Plaid flannel shirts were a 90's staple and continue to be now, whether on your back or around your waist.  Darlene and her dad Dan knew this and so did those other 90's TV icons, the Olsen twins.

 

 

 

 

Darlene also knew the importance of layering pieces, which is why she inVESTed in this piece.  See what I did there?  I'm sorry, I'll stop.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll leave you with one of my favorite moments from the show between Darlene and Dan, complete with denim and flannel.

 

Images via thirdanddelaware, Style, Olsens Anonymous, TheyAllHateUs, Sass & Flash, Models Off Duty, Breaker Breaker Blog.

Eyebrow Envy

Once upon a time aka the '90s, I had big, bushy eyebrows.  I inherited them from my father and never thought much about them.  This changed when I became a teenager and noticed my eyebrows slowly inching towards each other, desperate to meet.  Yes, I was in danger of forming a unibrow.  I begged my mom to take me to have them waxed and she eventually obliged.  After the deed was done, I looked in the mirror (through watering eyes) and no longer saw two caterpillars sitting above my eyes.  From that moment on I spent years maintaining my brows through waxing, threading, and tweezing.

Throwback Tuesday, eyebrow and tube top edition.

Fast forward to July 2012.  It was at this time that I decided I wanted my eyebrows back.  Blame it on the '90s revival or on Cara Delevingne, but bushy brows were back and I wanted to be part of the action.  I stopped my routine eyebrow grooming and it showed.  It showed so much that every time I would get a manicure the manicurist would ask me if I wanted her to "fix" my eyebrows.  I resisted the urge to go back to my old ways and continued to play the waiting/growing game.

 

My current status nearly a year and half later?  Still waiting and still growing.  My eyebrows don't look like Cara's but the manicurist stopped asking if I want her to fix my eyebrows.  Progress.

 

Some of my favorite eyebrows, past and present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images via Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia, Harper's Bazaar, Harper's Bazaar UK, Style Addict, Huffington Post, All Things Cara Delevingne.

Throwback Thursday: Little Black Backpack

When I was in high school all I wanted was a Prada backpack.  I considered it to be the "It Bag," the bag to end all bags.  If I had that bag I would never need another bag again in my life.  I worked and saved until finally it was mine.  I brought that thing with me everywhere I went, we were the best of friends.  Sadly our BFF status came to a sudden halt when another bag stole my heart and I decided I needed that bag (this was a cycle I would repeat for years to come).  My backpack was put in its' dust bag and into the closet with all the other bags that I at one point needed.  At least he was in good company.

Isn't he cute?

 



After years spent in retirement, my friend is back in action and ready to conquer the world.  Or at least hold my stuff.  Backpacks are back and sticking around according to the spring 2014 runway shows.  At Chanel, models carried backpacks covered in graffiti with charms dangling off the back, while Marios Schwab showed us leather backpacks in black and white.

 

 



 

 



If you couldn't already tell, I am quite happy to welcome back the backpack.  It's very reminiscent of the 90s and gives off that cool girl vibe like you're not trying too hard.  These girls totally get it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get your own Prada backpack or try out one of some of my other favorite options.

• Alexander Wang 'Marti' Backpack
• 3.1 Phillip Lim Zip Around
• MARC BY MARC JACOBS Work It Baby Got Backpack
• Alexander Wang Prisma Skeletal
• Marni Two-Tone Leather Backpack

 



Images via Vogue, Style, Jak & Jil, Elle, WhoWhatWear.

Sweat It All Out

Like Mr. Lagerfeld, sweatpants were never an item I considered to be fashionable. Sure, I am guilty of owning a few pairs but their use has always been restricted to bumming around the house and maybe a quick run to pick-up some takeout food.   To me, sweatpants have always been comfort wear reserved for lazy days.   However, I am starting to rethink that idea after my latest purchase from the new online shop at H&M.

A whole new breed of sweatpants that don't have your college's name or the words "JUICY" on the butt.  Sweatpants meant to be worn in public, day or night.  These are for the fashionable set that want to be comfy but not sacrifice style.  This pair in particular has a bit of an Alexander Wang vibe going on but at a more budget friendly price. I have already mentally paired mine with plain tanks, boyfriend fitted button down shirts, and a pair of Elizabeth and James sandals. If you are spending everythang on Alexander Wang (or at least T by Alexander Wang) you can shop the real deal here and here.
 

Still not ready to embrace sweatpants outside of the home? Maybe these ladies will convince you otherwise.

 

 

 

 

Images via TheyAllHateUs, Stockholm Street Style, Harper's Bazaar, WhoWhatWear.