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Fashion News Roundup: Week 37, 2014

— by Inge

on September 12, 2014

A high-heeled wellie from Hunter, Twitter tests a “buy it now button”, Levi’s branches out into body-shaping denim, and more fashion news that made headlines this week.

Twitter is testing mobile e-commerce service, with Burberry being the first fashion brand to jump on board.
Levi’s is branching out into body-shaping denim with its new Totally Shaping Signature jeans with tummy-slimming panel.
Jane Birkin is auctioning off one of her namesake Hermès bags on eBay for the charity Anno’s Africa.
Uniqlo is bringing back +J: 42 “greatest hits” from the Jil Sander collaboration will hit the stores this month.
Kate Lanphear becomes the new Editor-in-Chief of men’s magazine Maxim.
Target is teaming up with TOMS for a limited edition holidays collection that will include, footwear, apparel and home goods.
This season Hunter wants to trendify the rainboot with the introduction of the high-heeled wellie (rubber and leather versions).

Fun Fashion Fact

The ingredient a perfume is named after isn’t always present in the scent you are buying. I love this quote from Jean-Claude Ellena, parfumeur exclusif for Hermès, from the book The Diary of a Nose: A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur:

“As a perfumer, when I want to evoke a smell, I use signs that — taken separately — have no connection with the thing I’m expressing: there has never been any tea in Bulgari’s Eau parfumée au thé vert, mango in Un Jardin sur le Nil by Hermès, or flint in Terre d’Hermès, yet the public ‘feels’ they are there. To cite Jean Giono, ‘all the work of expression takes place in the reader’s mind; from that he derives his pleasure and the satisfaction, gratification and joy it gives him’. Although perfumers are traditionally compared to musical composers, I have always felt like a writer of smells.”

News

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Ensemble: Denim Skirt Refresher

— by Angie

on September 12, 2014

This ensemble was inspired by a very positive reaction to the denim skirts fringe trend. There are countless ways to style a denim pencil skirt, but I’m kickstarting your creative process by suggesting three easy outfit combinations. They all combine trendy and classic pieces, refreshing the look of the skirt. I’ve used mostly neutrals with a hint of colour, but feel free to choose a palette that is more to your taste.

Choose a denim pencil skirt in any wash and colour. I’ve used a basic faded denim pencil in the outfit on the left, a new look quilted denim pencil skirt from J.Crew in the centre, and a black waxed denim pencil skirt on the right.

Here are the components for each ensemble.

Denim Skirt with Sweatshirt & Bomber Jacket

Combine a denim pencil skirt with an upscale sweatshirt and top it off with a bomber jacket. Keep the jacket unzipped to create a vertical line down the front of the body. Finish off the look with booties and a satchel. If bomber jackets aren’t your thing, wear a moto or cropped boxy jacket. I kept the palette black and white for graphic effect. Throw in a pair of patterned booties for extra interest.

Denim Skirt with Welted Pullover or Blouse

Combine a denim skirt with a fully or partially tucked blouse or button-down shirt. Add a belt if the skirt has belt loops. Or pair the skirt with an interesting welted pullover like a style with a woven collar. Finish off the outfit with tall black boots, booties, peep-toe booties loafers or pumps, and a bag of your choice. By all means throw in patterned footwear if that’s more your cup of tea. Pop a trench coat or moto over the lot for extra insulation.

Denim Skirt with High-Low Pullover & Trench Coat

Pair a denim skirt with a roomy and fashionable untucked high-low pullover. The higher hemline in front provides structure, which offsets the oversized fit of the pullover. Finish off the outfit with tall boots, booties, peep-toe booties, loafers or pumps. Add a trench coat as a topper, and jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired.

Sport bare legs with booties and tall boots while the weather is mild. As things cool down, add hosiery to the ensemble. I look forward to seeing your refreshed denim skirt outfits in the forum.

Ensembles

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Link Love: Fine Jewellery Today

— by Inge

on September 11, 2014

The Business of Fashion investigates whether the branding revolution that transformed fashion may soon be coming to fine jewellery.

Kelly of Alterations Needed wrote an informative post with fun facts about gold jewellery.

In this older article, jewellery designer Melissa Joy Manning has some good tips on how to wear multiple earrings.

Fab Links from Our Members

Laurinda reports that Imogen Lamport posted a clever technique in her helpful video How to Style a Waterfall Cardigan.

Deb thought this was a good article on how beauty companies try to manipulate women and the general audience. She agrees with the author: “who cares!”

The Wall Street Journal announces the return of the dainty watch. Joy hopes that this is not the case, as she loves her big chunky watches. In other trend news: she also found this New York Times article reporting that gingham will be popular for Spring.

Annagybe and Jezebel wonder if fast fashion is over?

Gigi loves these “street style” pictures taken in 1906 by photographer Edward Linley Sambourne: “It’s amazing to see pictures of women going about their daily lives in garb that is so different from our own. They look all dressed up, but this was just normal everyday wear. I also thought it was amazing to see how tiny their waists are from their corseting.”

Here’s a great article from Slate about why you should dress up for travel. It’s written from a man’s perspective but MsMary says this sentence could have been written by Angie:”When we dress well for travel, we are not only making ourselves look good; we’re also signaling that we are invested in making this shared experience pleasant for everyone around us.”

Aquamarine enjoyed this story about personal shopping services via email.

Bridgette Raes shared a video with 12 universal truths about women and fashion. Marlene says they seem so obvious, but she never really thought about it this way until Bridgette said it.

Free People is doing a Selfie edition of their catalogue featuring “a large variety of models, bloggers, musicians, and artists, and their social media accounts.” Pretty smart social media marketing, according to Angie_T.

Vicki would like to share this article about the Style Thief app, that uses image recognition software to help you track down clothes you admired seeing on someone else.

On Tuesday Apple presented the Apple Watch. Greg thinks Apple has made big moves to go further into fashion and style with this new product. Here is a piece in the NYT assessing it from a fashion point of view. I’m curious to hear if you are interested in sporting wearable tech like this new watch.

Angie has been pinning directional outfits from the 2015 Spring Collections at Fashion Week, and so far her favourite shows have been: Altuzarra, Rebecca Taylor, Opening Ceremony, Derek Lam, Alice + Olivia, Theory, and Michael Kors. Angie adds that she wants this outfit, but promises not to eat soup in it! Last but not least, she’d like you to check out this Yorkie that stole the show at Paris Couture Week.

Link Love

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Roundups

Simpler Items

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

Assorted Items

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

Casual Summer Vibes

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

Summery Earth Tones

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

Hints of Spring

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

Dressier Items

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

Four Shortcuts to a More Current Style

— by Angie

on September 11, 2014

Often I work with clients who are happy with their wardrobe overall, but want to make their outfits more current. In this situation I have found that there are four places to make your style modern and fashionable that have the most visual impact. In fact, the first two, hairstyle and eyewear, are things that I also suggest tackling first when you are doing a major wardrobe refresh.

Hairstyle

Reassess your hairstyle annually and make sure you’re happy with it. Cutting it shorter is one option, and growing it into a different style is another. So is going lighter, darker or to a different colour. Perhaps you should enhance the curl of your hair, or softly straighten the waves to create the style you’re looking for. Choose a fashionable look that you can style and manage daily. Have it reshaped and touched up regularly.

Eyewear

This applies to those who wear specs daily, and I can’t stress this point enough. Wear a stylish pair of frames because it’s your number one accessory. Reassess the shape and colour of your frames every two to three years. Some styles of frame look current for five years, especially when they’re Retro. Prescription eyewear is expensive, but online stores like Warby Parker can provide a great look at a fraction of the price.

Footwear

Footwear has the ability to update and elevate an entire outfit. And one pair of shoes can be worn in many different outfits, so a single new pair can have a big wardrobe impact. You don’t need to wear uncomfortable shoes for the sake of fashion. Now more than ever before, comfortable shoes are making a fashion statement and there are plenty of options to choose from. Find the footwear trends that work for your feet and incorporate them into your style.

Handbag

Handbags are another item that can impact many outfits. They are less important than the previous three elements because we don’t always carry a handbag. Still, when we do wear a bag it makes a big visual impact. You don’t need to swap out your bag frequently if that’s not your thing. Feel free to carry one bag for the season, but make sure that it’s fashionable if you want your style to be current.

Hairstyle, eyewear, footwear and handbags can go a long way to update a well maintained wardrobe. The other side of the coin is that if none of these elements are current, even the most fashionable clothing can look a little dated. Rather go modern on the elements above and classic on the clothing than the other way around.

Instant Style Tips

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Weekly Roundup: Transitional Pieces

— by Angie

on September 10, 2014

Many of these pieces can be dressed up for the office or dressed down for casual settings. Of particular interest is how good H&M looks at the moment. I was impressed with the quality of their new lined jackets for Fall, and of course, the prices are very affordable. Look through all the colour options.

H&M Short Jacket: A nice fit on a petite apple with a shorter neck.
H&M Tailored Jacket: One of the best comfy knitted blazers I've seen in a while, although the photo does not do it justice. It's well made, lined, tailored and with sufficient length. The blush is particularly pretty.
J.Crew Needle-punch lace sweater: This piece has an AMAZING distressed lace inlay. Looks very "designer". Fluid, comfy and soft.
Club Monaco Oneila Cashmere Wrap: A cascading cardi style with angular drape. Straight and not conventionally flattering, but fun and fashionable worn over slim-fit underlayers. Fab pockets too.
Treasure&Bond Classic Fit Plaid Shirt: Crisp and well made. Great for Team Purple and Green.
Seychelles Lucky Penny: A repeat style bootie in an interesting Zebra pattern for the season. Very comfy.
Sam Edelman 'Justin' Leather Bootie (Women): I have not seen this graphic style in person yet but it's on my radar despite the higher heel and slightly chunky appearance. It looks as though it could be comfortable because of the elastic insets.
Modern Vice 'handler' Boots - American Rag - Farfetch.com: This bootie has a lower heel, a pointier toe, and a less chunky sole than the one above, so it creates a more refined impression despite the cracked texture of the leather. I will be trying this style too.
Free People Catch Up With Me Top: A rare plaid shirt that is fitted on the waist. It's great worn untucked over slim or bootcut bottoms. It works as well partially tucked if that's your preference. The pocket placement is high which draws attention away from the bustline.
Karen Millen Dot print sweatshirt: A distressed dot sweatshirt to wear with a skirt for Team Neutral. Particularly fab with a black leather bottom. Runs small.
Karen Millen Graphic stripe sweater: A super sweater to wear with a pencil skirt because of the shorter length and interesting hemline. Runs small.
Karen Millen Ombre dip dye sweater: A pull-on-and-go for casual and warm Fall weather.
Karen Millen Tailored Cuffed Trouser: Excellent fashionable dressy trousers with a tapered hem. Runs small.
Karen Millen Indigo denim pencil skirt: A denim skirt with built-in Hard Edge. Runs small.
Halogen Seamed Pencil Skirt (Regular & Petite): Kickstart your love for tartan with a checked front panel pencil skirt. Add a fluid welted pullover and pumps, and you are ready for the office.
Opening Ceremony 'luxore' Embellished Boot - B Store - Farfetch.com: A studded and buckled mid-calf bootie for Team Maximal. Impeccable quality.
Club Monaco Wouters & Hendrix Earring: Fun safety pin pearl earrings.
Club Monaco Wouters & Hendrix Pearl Ring: A modern pearl ring that works with just about any outfit.
Boden British Tweed Blazer: A fitted and well made tweed blazer. Preppy meets English Countryside. Runs small.
Halogen Camo Front Zip Back Crewneck Sweater (Regular & Petite): A subtle camouflage pattern that's great with jeans and booties.
Treasure&Bond Classic Fit Plaid Shirt: I almost bought this plaid shirt because it's beautifully made and very crisp. The pockets are "invisible" and the top stitching adds a polished touch. I want more of a tartan check than a gingham check so that's why it eventually did not follow me home. I am still thinking about it though.
French Connection 'Ronan' Bootie: Modern and versatile.
H&M Draped Wrap-style Blouse: A good transitional blouse for Fall. Looks fab over a pencil skirt or with jeans. I like it paired with bootcut trousers and flared jeans too.
Sam Edelman Petty: A third season repeat style because it's a really comfortable bootie with a manageable heel height. It's particularly comfortable in suede and nubuck. I am toying with the idea of adding these to my wardrobe in bone because they work well with my oatmeal knitwear capsule, and I know they go the distance with my fussy feet.
Sole Society 'Romy' Bootie (Women): Sole Society generally makes a comfortable shoe. The shade of navy here is quite light and lovely. Good price point.

The next three months of retail will showcase the bulk of Fall and Winter stock for 2014. I’m really excited to see how the rest of the season will unfold.