Link Love: The Changing Denim Landscape

With huge competition and denim preferences that continue to change, Citizens of Humanity has still seen sales grow in the double digits over the past 12 months. CEO Amy Williams explains how the brand is staying relevant in “the era of authentic heritage denim obsession”.

For its revamped women’s collection, Levi’s went back to the drawing board and used extensive customer feedback to completely overhaul its women’s denim line.

StyleCaster lists three new jeans brands that are shaking up the denim industry, and asked the entrepreneurs behind the labels what exactly sets them apart.

Fab Links from Our Members

Diane G enjoyed the discussion over at Colette about why the majority of large businesses design for specific stereotypes, and how it could be down to small companies to put that right.

Une Femme’s post in which she asks if “chic” is passé resonated with Gryffin as chic* is definitely something she aspires to. * The way the word is defined in Merriam-Webster, that is, “smart elegance and sophistication especially of dress or manner.” Marlene wanted to add that it has annoyed her that people out there in the blogging world use the word however they want…cute? trendy? But she always thought it was something different entirely…

Vicki loved reading this New York Times Magazine article on the polo shirt because there is so much history in this simple garment.

You’d think “nude” lingerie for people of any skin tone would be more readily available, but at least that’s changing now, says Robin, who is happy to see that the Nubian Skin lingerie line specifically for women of colour is getting more attention.

Ensemble: Olive, White, Denim & Espadrilles

Street Style

This ensemble was inspired by a casual look I saw on Pinterest that combines olive bottoms with a white top, denim jacket and a pair of striking espadrilles. Of course, you can use any style of casual Summer shoe to complete the look, but the espadrilles make the combination trendy and a little more special. 

Here are the components of the ensemble: 

Olive Bottoms: Choose a pair of casual olive cargo pocket pants, boyfriend chinos, shorts or a skirt. Cropped pants are a great match for lace-up and high-vamped espadrilles. Harem pants are particularly breezy, and so is a high-low skirt. 

White Top: Choose a white top that works with the style of the bottoms. It could be a fluid or slouchy T-shirt, a crop top, a silk blouse, or a casual button-down shirt. A black and white geometric pattern like a stripe is a nice alternative to the white top if that’s more your cup of tea. Wear the top tucked, partially tucked or untucked depending on what works best with the bottoms. 

Denim Topper: Choose a denim jacket that’s either fitted or fashionably oversized in any wash. A denim vest is a breezier option. The topper is optional, so leave it off if it’s too hot for layers. 

Espadrilles: Choose a pair of neutral flat or heeled espadrilles, with or without lace-up ties. A patterned pair creates a fun pattern mixed effect with the striped T-shirt. 

Accessories: Finish off the outfit with a casual tote or crossbody bag in dove grey, white, metallic, tan or black. Add jewellery, watch, eyewear and headgear as desired. 

Ensemble: Olive, White, Denim Espadrilles

NAS Preselection Highlights: Jeans

A last little sneak peek at some of the items that will will make it into my comprehensive top picks list early Friday morning. Along with dresses, fun casual footwear and vests, jeans were a highlight of the sale. Many different styles in flattering silhouettes. There is life after a regular pair of dark wash skinny jeans. 

My favourite jeans styles so far:

  1. KUT from the Kloth ‘Cameron’ Distressed Rolled Straight Leg Jeans (Audacity): Trendy jeans to wear with ankle boots with higher shafts. The rise is structured and supportive. Love the broad ‘90s cuff. 
  2. Treasure&Bond Boyfriend Jeans (Rustic Light Patched): I surprised myself by loving them on my clients who lead a casual lifestyle. They look better in person than in the photo. Great with flats or heels. 
  3. Current/Elliott ‘The Cropped Straight’ Ankle Jeans: Very trendy, soft and run at least a size big. Chic with high-vamped flats or ankle strap heels. They sold out within the first few days of preselections, but items often come back into stock so do check back if you fancy the look. I bought these and I’m excited to wear them. 

These three pairs of jeans inject a whole lot of casual newness into your wardrobe. Use them with your existing tops to refresh your style for Fall. Surprisingly, they work just as well for curvy figures as they do for straighter bodies.

Here’s the rest of my current list.

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.

Read More

Three Reasons to Wear Patterned Tops

There are three good reasons to wear patterned tops and they range from purely aesthetic to mostly practical. 

1. They are Bold, Interesting & Moody

Patterned tops create instant visual interest, making them an easy way to add drama to an outfit. They add punch to a look when a solid feels blah. They can look particularly Spring and Summery in soft fabrications. And they’re a great way to pattern mix your outfit. 

Patterned tops can also create the mood of an outfit. Florals create a romantic mood. Abstract designs create an arty vibe. Geometric patterns look graphic, and digital patterns look futuristic. 

2. They are Forgiving of Midsection Lumps & Bumps

Patterned tops in fluid fits and weightier fabrications are forgiving on the midsection because the pattern camouflages lumps and bumps. Conversely, solid tops can accentuate the extra bits on the midsection. A patterned top with side ruching is usually more forgiving than the solid version would be.

3. They Hide Perspiration, Creases, Pilling & Stains 

Patterns cover imperfections. They do a wonderful job of camouflaging perspiration marks on hot days and the occasional stain. A patterned top tends to hide creases a little better than solids, which is especially useful when you pull them out of a suitcase on a trip. Patterned knitwear hides pilling a little better too.

Vince Camuto Moroccan Tile Stripe Drape TankVince Camuto Batik Floral High/Low Blouse

Patterned Top

Lucky Brand Batik Dot Sleeveless Band Collar Top

NAS Preselection Highlights: Vests

Many of my clients added a vest to their wardrobes during this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale preselections because the assortment was really good. Vests, either casual or dressy, provide a great way to dress up a look when it’s too warm to wear a jacket. They work both outside and indoors. Great for a cool Summer or warm Fall. Some styles look fabulous over dresses.

My favourite vests so far: 

  1. Topshop Belted Biker Vest: An amazing fashionably oversized vest that looks as good unfastened as it does all zipped up. Don’t be put off by the putty colour. It’s surprisingly flattering worn over all sorts of colours. I love the moto style in the dressy fabric. Can work for the office too. 
  2. Lafayette 148 New York Faux Leather Pocket Ribbed Collar Sweater Vest: An extremely elegant piece to wear to a business casual office with long sleeved top and dress pants. Its streamlined trapeze shape looks particularly good from the side. Beautiful drape. Fab with jeans too.  
  3. T Tahari Loey Mixed Media Faux Shearling Vest: The finish on this casual vest is amazing, Gorgeously polished, yet very casual. Looks as good boxy and unfastened as it does tailored and zipped up.  

I tried to make the putty Topshop Belted Biker Vest work for me, but alas, the smallest size overwhelmed my slight frame no matter how I styled it. But I’m able to enjoy the piece on quite a few of my clients, which is just as fab. 

Here are the other ones on my list: