How To Wear Sportswear For Fall

The sportswear as ready-to-wear trend first emerged last spring with Alexander Wang’s low slung skinny sweatpants worn with pointy black booties. From Derek Lam and Bottega Veneta to Lacoste and Hermès, it was made official . . . workout wear is fashionable and trendy. It looks and feels so comfortable, but also has an edgier side when styled smartly; for example, when paired with a crisp button-front blouse and sharp-shouldered blazer. But now summer and spring are over, but the girls still want to wear their sweats when they go out. How can they do so without looking too casual? The answer is all in the details, and heels have never made more sense that now.

You don’t have to limit the sportswear trend to just the popular sweatpants leftover from summer. Play around with other sporty pieces instead. Replace your classic blazer with a hooded cropped sweatshirt cardigan and wear it over an elegant silk blouse and skinny high-waisted trousers. The mix of dressy with casual is a juxtaposition that can be worn anywhere without a doubt.

Another option is to throw on an oversized college letter jacket over a basic white tee and pair it with denim jeans and black pumps. You’ll look like a sports star with class.

Can’t live without your running leggings? Find a pair in a fun pattern, throw on a tunic top and girlish flats, and top the look off with a distressed denim jacket and baseball hat. You’ll still show off your shape with the leggings, but the extra masculine touches bring out your tomboy side that loves to have fun and get active.

Adding some unexpected jewelery into the mix like a rock star studded cuff or pretty jeweled bracelet keeps the sporty and edgy ratio in balance. Remember, this look is perfectly executed when every detail is taken into consideration.

Channeling your glamorous sporty side has never been easier or more fun! The best thing is . . . you can easily transition from work to the gym in no time!

How to Freshen Up A Black Outfit

Black never goes out of style. Black makes us look long and lean. Black is the go-to color of the fashionable set, from edgy models to top notch front row editors. When we don’t know what to wear, we turn to the color black. But most of all, black is the color of the new season. When the skies turn gray and the rain is more likely to pour from the clouds, this dark and damp hue just seems to fit in so much more with the mood and environment of fall and winter than any other color. But to keep from looking too much like a depressed Gothic Lolita or being mistaken for Wednesday Addams of The Addams Family, a sharp pop of white from underneath all that black makes things fresh and lively again.

The best way to revitalize a head to toe black look is with a crispy white collared shirt. Stick the collar out of the neck of a black knitted sweater, boyfriend blazer, or feminine lace top. The stark contrast of bright and clean against dark and deep is head turning and youthful. It’s kind of like when the sun bursts through after a day’s worth of storm clouds and rainfall. You cannot help but smile and feel hopeful about things.

Check out these two black and white looks that are anything but boring.

F/W 2010 Trend: Fur Attraction

Fur has always been known as winter’s greatest indulgence. It keeps you warm, it looks luscious, and sends off the message that says, “ I am extra extravagant.” But because we modern girls are also an animal-friendly set, we have no qualms about wearing fur as long as it’s faux. Faux fur can make a big statement with just a little of itself here and there. From one long decadent coat to a little furry clutch purse, the eye is easily attracted to this material because it cannot help but be attention-grabbing with its volume. Don’t make the mistake of taking this trend too far by pairing a fur coat with fur trimmed boots and a fuzzy beanie all together. As long as you keep one key fur piece as the focus of the outfit, you are good to go.
The Michael Kors F/W 2010 runway show was loads full of inspiration on how to create the right balance of decadence and simplicity in your fur-filled look. Michael Kors’ collection of fur pieces was an instant hit, with the fan favorite being a chic shredded fox fur skirt belted at the waist. Worn in natural color schemes of gray, black, and brown, Kor’s furs complemented the quiet minimalism of his sandy hued separates so as to bring back down to earth the air of luxury that his furs cannot help but convey.

So follow in the footsteps of Kors, trade in the real for the faux, and get to work on adding a little but of spice to your fall and winter outfits. Check out this amazing selection of faux fur pieces below.

FW Trend: Baroque Style

Fashion is considered by many as art, but this is because fashion to very much inspired by art, whether it be art of the past, modern art, or what art is imagined to be in the future. But there was one style of art that came across the strongest at the fall/winter shows: Baroque art. Baroque art prevailed from the late 17th century to the early 18th century in Europe. If you have ever been to any well-known art museum, then you’ve probably seen this art form before, and it has probably painted a picture of itself in your mind, for this form is anything but boring or mundane. Baroque art is defined by its overly exaggerated, colorful, and highly dramatic and detailed portrayal of movement and emotion, much like the way an actor brings to life a character on stage from a facial expression to the single movement of a finger. Translate this into fashion and you’ve got a stylish aesthetic grander than life that looks like it belongs much more on the throne of a European monarchy rather than the downtown city streets. From opulent brocade jackets, cascading velvet dresses, and jewel-encrusted bodices, baroque art showed up in every shape and form on the runway, almost to the point of costume wear rather than ready-to-wear.

It definitely is beautiful and outstanding down to every such detail, but how does one interpret this during the modern era without looking like she belongs on stage? Well, just by incorporating bits and pieces of baroque-inspired fabric and shape is enough to capture an entire century’s worth of artistic merit in one outfit. A shrunken brocade blazer threaded in gold and silver like at the Balmain show looks well worn yet down to earth with a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and combat boots. But if you are going to stick with a baroque style dress like the ones designed by the late Alexander McQueen, there is no other way to go about it but to keep everything else extremely simple. An extravagantly pleated satin dress has a lot going on with its royal and elegant flair, so leave your hair messy and down, your makeup natural, and throw on some basic black flats. Baroque style evoked a lot of emotion in its time with just single stroke of a brush, so follow suit in reality and keep this trend going one piece at a time.

F/W Trend: Lace-Up Booties

With all the chunky sweaters, scarves, hats, and even socks that lie ahead in our fall fashion future, it is no surprise that chunky booties are coming back once again to adorn our feet with all their platformed, laced, and even lugged glory. The season’s hottest shoe showstoppers were thick with tread at the sole, laced to the top, hit at the ankle, and were made of top notch leather resistant to even the chilliest of snowstorms. Closely resembling a waterproof and weather-resistant mountain boot, but much more edgier with a sleek shape, stacked or wedged heel, and a hidden platform, the cold season’s lace-up booties are fashionably comfortable and able to stand the test of time. You can even get a pair with a buckle strap around the ankle for extra support, even though most of us will be getting it just for the looks. Thankfully in fashion, you don’t have to have a reason to indulge in the extra details. Take a look at these hot lace-up booties on the market right now, and start contemplating which bag you want to match with it.

How To Make Military Green Edgy

Cargo green pieces were a huge hit at the fall/winter shows this year, especially in the form of parka jackets and utility pocket pants. Cargo works as a practical layering material, lending a tough masculine exterior to any outfit, while being comfortable and totally element resistant at the same time. Even flouncy skirts and soft silk blouses lost their grace by being worn in the noticeable army tone. But how do we wear this trend without looking to much like a military sergeant? It may seem like a tough ordeal to transform such a rugged, war-driven color into an edgy wardrobe essential, but really it is much easier done than said. The key is to juxtapose cargo green’s masculine, utilitarian elements with the season’s most soft, romantic, and even sexy fabrics and colors.

Dries van Noten and Moschino Cheap and Chic both paired cargo green with a timeless leopard print. A cargo A-line skirt in itself is a juxtaposition, but layering a faux leopard vest on top adds a much needed dose of sex appeal that takes the look to the next level. Fendi channeled cargo green’s more feminine side with a two piece dress suit in the color topped off with a rich fur scarf. Fendi also pair a cargo green blouse with a classic cropped trench jacket and metallic embroidered skirt at a modest length. From being worn on a sheer, floor skimming gown at Christian Dior to being paired with the season’s young and casual jersey and cashmere knits at Vanessa Bruno and Twenty8Twelve, there is no option that doesn’t seem to work with cargo.

Mixing cargo with your favorite prints, textures, and fabrics is as easy as 1-2-3 as long as you keep a balance between masculine and feminine. Even leather works, as long as it is sleek and smooth. Replacing the sleeves of your cargo pocket jacket with leather is as edgy as you can get in this department. If you can imagine it, it can be done. So get to work with mixing and matching right now, taking inspiration from these runway looks below.

Fall Hair Trend: Black Headbands

Every designer has a hair look that they want to pursue for their runway show, from long and messy strands to teased side parts. But the one hair tend that stood out to us the most was the sleek black hairband that held all the hair off of the face. The look is simple, but extremely edgy, and because of this edginess, many think that they cannot pull it off. Some may say you must have the face shape for it, while others think it makes you look bald, but we think it looks totally chic. Not only is it chic, but also easy and practical enough that anyone can try their hand at it. The Donna Karan and Karl Lagerfeld shows sent models down the runways in shiny black thick banded headbands that were worn right at the hairline. Lagerfeld teased the models hair up high on the top of the head into what looked like a futuristic beehive, while Karan’s models wore their hair in elegantly formed chignons on the back of their heads. The black headband let’s you show off your face and this can really take confidence, especially for girls who take comfort in hiding behind their long, middle parted mane of hippie-inspired locks. A face free of misplaced hair looks fresh, open, and clean (much like fall fashion’s minimalist aesthetic), making the perfect palette to showcase the season’s hottest makeup colors, like a bold red lip. Glossy chili pepper red was worn at the Lagerfeld show while a deep, matte burgundy was worn at Donna Karan. Whichever color you choose, go outside of your comfort zone to really make a statement. Don’t be shy . . . people want to see your beautiful face.