Canadian Tuxedo: Summer Edition

Whenever I’m in an “I have nothing to wear” mood (which happens at least once a week), my go-to outfit tends to be double denim.  It’s pretty much a no fail combination that can be styled in any number of ways.  You can mix different colors and fabrics of denim and then take it from dressy to casual depending on your shoe choice.  That’s the look I landed on this past weekend while in my closet trying to pick out what to wear.

What's your go-to no fail outfit?

Sandals by Stuart Weitzman, cutoffs by Levi's, chambray shirt by J.Crew, bag by Celine.

Raiding Grandma's Closet

A few weeks ago I put on a dress that made my boyfriend ask me if I had been "shopping in his grandma's closet."  While I appreciated the flattering comparison, the answer was no.

Dress by H&M, sunglasses by Tom Ford, bag by Balenciaga, gladiator flats by Madewell (last season).

Met Gala 2014: Best Dressed

Last night was the annual Met Gala AKA "Fashion Prom."  While my friend and I were discussing our excitement for it the other day she described it as our own Super Bowl.  I laughed but agreed with her.  Throughout the year we watch playoff games in the form of various red carpets and they all lead up to the ultimate red carpet.

To me this year's dress code wasn't as exciting as last year's "Punk: Chaos to Couture" but luckily fashion is filled with rebels who do their own thing and we have them to thank for these standout red carpet looks. 

 

Nicole Richie in Donna Karan Atelier.  This is the only look that I'm posting from two angles, that's how much I like it.  And that hair, oh, I love that hair.  My vote for best look of the night.

Cara!!  One of a few ladies to rock pants last night and she she did it the best.  She's so cool it hurts.

Like Cara before her, Kate Bosworth also opted for Stella McCartney.  This photo also gets bonus points for capturing the back of Rihanna's white Stella McCartney dress.

Joan Smalls in Vera Wang.  The braid and the purple lipstick really take this to the next level and from being too safe.  It doesn't hurt to be a supermodel, either.

Dree Hemingway in Proenza Schouler.  She looks like a Hitchcock blonde and I've never heard that used as a negative.

I'm biased for the Olsens and probably will find good in every outfit they ever wear but I love that they do their own thing and totally own it.

Honorable mentions go to Emma Stone in pink Thakoon (bonus points for a crop top) and Zoe Kravitz in  vampy Topshop.  Best all white?  It's a tie between Rihanna in Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham in her own design.  And my favorite pretty princess ballgown of the night goes to Giovanna Battaglia in Dolce & Gabbana.

 

  

What were your favorite looks at this year's Met Gala?

Images via Harper's Bazaar, Huffington Post, WWD, PopSugar, Getty.

Starting The New Year Off With a Bang

Happy 2014!  In honor of the New Year I have decided to make several resolutions that will result in some big changes in my life.

No, I'm totally kidding.  I got bangs.

The last time I had bangs was in 2007 so I felt that it was time to revisit the issue.  Why bangs?  I've always had a thing for them and like an addict, I keep coming back.  If done right, they can look super fashionable and a bit rock 'n' roll.  They also evoke that cool, effortless French girl style.  You know the one I mean, girls with messy but perfect wavy hair and thick, cool bangs.  Dare I say that certain je ne sais quoi.

Some of my favorite bangs are worn by forever cool model Freja Beha, "It" girl Alexa Chung, and French girls Lou Doillon and Caroline de Maigret.  Not only do they have enviable style, they also rock enviable haircuts complete with bangs.  When I went to get my hair cut I even showed pictures of Freja as a reference (yes, I'm a dreamer).

Do you have a certain hair style or color that you keep coming back to or do you find what works and stay committed?

 

  

Images via StyleBistro, Google.

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.