Fashion News Roundup: January 2017

Target teams up with BaubleBar, an all-vegan line from Birkenstock, The Devil Wears Prada will become a musical, and other news from the style trenches in January.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that Mary Tyler Moore wearing capri pants as her character Laura on The Dick Van Dyke Show was controversial at first. In 1961 wearing pants on a popular sitcom was considered groundbreaking, and the studio and sponsors were worried the trousers were too figure-hugging in the seat. They made Carl Reiner, the show’s creator, promise not to let Mary wear pants in more than one scene per episode. “We went along with that for about three episodes, and then finally, I was just wearing the pants”, said the actress, who passed away at age 80 on Wednesday.

Ensemble: White Jeans in Winter

I LOVE to wear white jeans in Winter because they’re bright, crisp, and unique in a sea of street style darks. I like to combine white jeans with an ink blue or black support act, or ink blue or black and a bright. 

Here are two outfit ideas to get you started. The rendition with the brights is crisp, soft, happy, and a bit Ralph Lauren. I wore it a few weeks ago. The rendition on the right is neutral and more hard-edged. Note that you can swap out black for ink blue or navy, and vice versa. 

White Jeans, Ink Top & Brights

Combine white jeans with an ink blue or black pullover, and add black, ink or cream booties. Feel free to wear cosy warm socks with the jeans. Semi-tucking the pullover and adding a cream belt is optional. Finish off the outfit with a bright coat and bag. Any colour that tickles your fancy will work because black and white are versatile graphic neutrals. Cobalt blue, emerald green, purple, red, cranberry, and shocking pink are all good.

I chose my citron peacoat, orange bag, and went with ink blue boots. Here are the exact items of the outfit from my wardrobe. It was a cheerful outfit to wear on a grey, rainy day. 

White Jeans & Black Support Act 

Combine white jeans with a black blouse or pullover, and finish off the look with a textured black coat, and black boots. The texture in the coat goes a long way to breaking up the blandness of flat black, as does adding bling and a scarf to the outfit. Add a black bag with hardware. I like this hard-edged white jeans outfit with burgundy lippie and fingernail polish for a bit of girly glam and more outfit interest. Add jewellery, eyewear, headgear and watch as desired.

White Jeans in Winter

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Three Moisturizing Finds

I use two of these products several times a day. The lip balm is kept on hand in my bag and at home, while the hand cream has a place in two of our bathrooms. I use the facial spray whenever I feel like a quick visual skin boost.

  • Trader Joe's 2 Pack Trader Joe's Spa Lavender hand & body lotion 2 - 12 oz bottles: You have to LOVE the smell of lavender to enjoy this body lotion because it's quite strong. I love the smell of lavender because it reminds me of our time in Provence. I apply it to my hands only several times a day. The texture is soft and velvety. It's not greasy, so you'll want something more oily for very dry hands.
  • Blistex Blistex Ultra-Rich Hydration Dual Layer Lip Balm, SPF 15, .13 oz: BEST lip-fixing balm on the planet. If you have chapped lips - this will do the trick. Apply several times a day, and your lips will be silky smooth in no time. In fact, you'll feel a difference almost immediately, and see a difference in a day or so. Fragrance free. I also like the sheen it creates on the lips. Polished, hydrating and protective.
  • Caudalie Caudalie Beauty Elixir 100ml/3.4oz: Close your eyes and spray this on your face for an instantly more "shiny like an apple" or dewy looking skin. It's not a long-term solution to dewy skin, but does a great quick-fix job when you need a healthy glow. Lightly scented and luxe.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Outstanding Outfit Bloggers

Houston Tomboy

Houston-based Rosamarie Quintero is a freelance writer and neurobiologist who documents her outfits over at Audrey Is a Boy. Her style is mostly casual and relaxed with Tomboy and Sporty influences. Our 40-year-old blogger likes to experiment with trends, enjoys mixing masculine and feminine elements, and is a fan of flats and sneakers. 

“I always look for comfort. As time has passed, I’ve incorporated more classic pieces and try to mix comfort and elegance; the idea of mixing masculine and feminine pieces is and will always be part of my style.”

Rosamarie - 1

Rosamarie has a thing for overalls, and she is rocking this denim pair. You often see them paired with a tank top, tee, or shirt in Summer, but layering a thicker sweater underneath is a bit more unexpected. Our 5″6 blogger has paired them with a cream chunky cable knit sweater for a casual Tomboy Winter look. The asymmetrical ribbed collar is a fun design detail that adds extra oomph. The slim fit on the overalls streamlines the look. The black leather biker jacket adds a touch of Hard Edge. This is balanced out by Rosamarie’s high-heeled booties with strap detailing and her bright red lipstick.

Rosamarie - 2

Rosamarie - 2

The shoes and accessories make this Audrey Hepburn-esque outfit. Our blogger is wearing a simple black slim-fit sweater and a pair of tailored ankle-length trousers. Sequins on the sleeve cuffs provide a pop of colour, but it’s the mustard yellow satchel that adds a true ray of sunshine to this all-black gamine look. The gold in the classically tied scarf echoes that happy colour. Pointy-toed loafers with long fringe create stylish textural interest. Dainty gold rings, black sunnies, dark red nail polish and Rosamarie’s signature red lipstick are the finishing touches.

Rosamarie - 3

For this borrowed-from-the-boys look, Rosamarie paired distressed boyfriend jeans with a wool crew neck sweater and black blazer. Mixing feminine and masculine pieces is our blogger’s trademark. Here, the straight fit on the blazer together with the black socks peeking out from under the rolled jeans and rugged brown suede oxfords are the masculine touches in an outfit that is reminiscent of Ines de la Fressange. Going with baby blue for the sweater on the other hand adds feminine softness, as do the red lippie, the simple bracelet and stud earrings.

Rosamarie - 4

Rosamarie built this outfit around an elegant knee-length full skirt with eye-catching nature print. Tucking a lightweight black turtleneck pullover into the skirt lengthens the leg line and showcases the fabulous print in its entirety. Black opaque tights keep our blogger’s gams warm and, together with the wood block-heeled wedges with dainty straps, further elongate the outfit. Opting for an equally eye-catching topper like this red mixed-media leather and suede jacket amps up the style quotient even more. Butterfly sunnies are the glam finishing touch.

Rosamarie - 5

Rosamarie - 5

This is a great example of Angie’s Denim on Denim Lite formula. Wearing two different shades of blue denim creates a tonal look that is visually interesting and doesn’t feel overly masculine. Rosamarie is wearing a bleached denim shirt with distressed boyfriend jeans in a medium blue wash. Rolling the shirt sleeves and popping the collar emphasizes the relaxed nonchalance of this Sporty look. Rolling the jeans once creates structure and exposes the fun green details of the Stan Smith sneakers. The black quilted crossbody with chain strap adds a girly playful touch, as does the red lippie. Rosamarie has kept the rest of the accessories simple: a single silver bracelet, her trusted sunnies and a belt with buckle that echoes her gold watch.

When asked which footwear trend for Spring 2017 she is looking forward to the most, Rosamarie said:

“For me it’s all about comfort. I’m looking for colorful sneakers, metallic oxfords and flatforms. All of these pieces can be used with monochromatic tones, my favorites.”

Rosamarie - 6

Rosamarie’s vibrant red moto jacket comes out to play again in a feminine casual look that makes me smile. Tucking the white V-neck tee into the cropped kick flare jeans elongates the leg line. At the same time this showcases the waistband with thin animal print belt. Pairing the on trend cropped kick flares with equally trendy square-toed ankle strap pumps also ensures a longer leg line. The kicky red shoes and leather jacket make the outfit sing. Neon red nail polish complements the outfit colours in a playful non-matchy way. Wearing her hair back in a signature knot showcases the dainty necklaces that fill the V-neckline of the T-shirt.

What do you think of Rosamarie’s Tomboy style? Let us know in the comments and then hop on over to her blog to browse the rest of her outfits.

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Wear a Dress over Flared or Straight Crops

Wearing dresses over skinnies or leggings is an easy combination that some will wear forever. Wearing the frock over flared or straight cropped pants or jeans is a fresher version of the combination, and one I’m into quite a bit. The subtle or fuller flare on the hems of the bottoms adds a more fashionable sensibility to the outfit. To my eye the vibe looks chic, elegant, fun and a little avant-garde. 

Combine a length of dress that falls somewhere between mid-thigh and above the kneecap with a pair of flared or straight cropped jeans or pants. Straighter knee-covering midi dresses can work (here I am wearing this with jeans last year),  but you’ll probably need a heel with that pairing unless you have a very long leg line. Finish off the look with footwear that works with the bottoms, accessories, and add layers for warmth if necessary.

Keep the contrast low, the colours tonal, or create a column of colour between the dress and crops if you’re concerned about chopping up your long lean line. You’ll want a dress that is fluid over the waist so that you can’t see the silhouette of your jeans or pants. Unstructured shirt dresses are ideal for this look. That said, waist-defining dresses made of thicker fabric, or with strategically placed ruching can glide over the waistband of the bottoms quite successfully too. No grinning. 

I don’t have great visual examples, but the Summery renditions of the vibe below and in this pin might get your creative juices flowing. Mess around in your closet and combine a dress with cropped flares or straights, and see what happens. Heels are not essential for the look.

REDVALENTINO Cashmere and Point D'esprit Mini Sweater Dress

I wore my linen and denim shirt dresses over straight white cropped jeans quite a bit last Summer. I finished off the outfit with pearls, flat white sandals, and a gold or white bag. I find the insulating and structured feeling of the jeans under my dress quite comforting. 

Just last week, I pulled together a dressier version of this vibe for a friend’s birthday party at a restaurant. I combined my new black holiday dress with dressy black cropped flares, black Heattech socks, cream booties, and pearls. I finished off the outfit with an orange bag, chartreuse coat, matching patterned scarf, watch, and green specs. I enjoyed how layering the dress over the pants amps down the dressiness of the frock. Here are the exact items of the outfit. I was very comfortable, and felt fab.

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