closet building blocks | funnel neck sweaters

generally dislike sweaters. they are bulky, baggy and when created badly make you like a crocheted potato. it's always refreshing to find one with some element of design interest. enter the funnel neck sweater. love a great sweater with an oversized funnel neck. and it has 3/4 length sleeves to balance out the volume on top. it's casual done correctly. loving this cute eggplant? royal purple? (take your pick) sweater by bratislava. comes in ash white, navy, and black as well.

                                                                    image | bratislava

closet building blocks | what's in YOUR closet?

a closet can tell you a lot about a person’s style and personality.

do they take risks? shop in one place? are they scared of color? do their clothes fit properly? are they preppy? bohemian? scared of attention? a brand snob with no imagination? messy? anal? always in a hurry? do they like accessories? are they creative? practical? classic? overly-trendy? a pack rat? well-traveled? do they over-by? (a sign of an over-buyer: clusters of unworn clothing with price tags still on.) a minimalist? stuck in a certain time period? etc......

i like assessing people’s closets before i help them do a style overhaul--it's an essential first step. 
admittedly it’s also my version of peeking through the pages of their diary.

image source | fashion toast

closet building blocks | how to wear stripes

i stomped my foot like a petulant child when I discovered last year that stripes were in. mainly b/c i’ve always had a wildly passionate love affair with horizontal stripes and the idea that the fashion community would suddenly elevate stripes to the highest level possible and then a season later cast them aside for some other “of the moment” pattern like frogs-eating-cross-bows or exploding firecrackers broke my nautical heart. 

and then I realized: i don’t own the rights to horizontal lines (even though i own 9 striped shirts); I need to get over it and become an ambassador to the world on how to wear them properly. hence this post.

corinne bailey rae paints a lovely parisian atmosphere with stripes in the picture above.

the perfect tank dress (paired with gladiators) for running errands. (35)

the dace martin dress breaks your heart doesn’t it? perfect for a spring/summer wedding. (96)

modcloth summer share dress. throw on flat caramel boots + a leather jacket and its the perfect dress for a show. (47.99)

grrrr! can't grab the image.

*** go here to see this ruffled nautical theory dress. it would be stunning with a gold braided belt. wonderful for sunday brunch. or a bridal shower.

boat neck striped dress. this screams "city nights!" (ignore the shoes in this picture). (294)
it would look wicked with these L.A.M.B booties.

(close up of the swoopy asymmetrical shoulder bow!)

closet building blocks | clutches (v-day edition)

not a fan of pink. or the gooeyness of valentine's day. but decided to give in a little to the love swirling about in the air and feature some v-day themed clutches with unusual prints and textures (and varying price points).

        "flower on red" clutch

"love letter" clutch

"winter velvet and silk" clutch

"raspberry rocker" cluctch

"dahlia" clutch

 

"hendrix mini bag"

"flora" clutch

 "frame" clutch

sources | flutter flower clutch [128], j. crew | flower on red [45], tulip couture, | love letter [130], felix rey | winter velvet & silk [60], designdujour | raspberry rocker [62.99], modcloth  | dahlia [70], upstyle | hendrix mini bag [165], matt & nat,  | flora [39], zelaya | frame [195], halston heritage

closet building blocks | how to wear a skinny belt

most women are extremely wary of skinny belts and rightly so. the skinny belt is a tricky apparatus that can make a woman look either bewitchingly chic and streamlined or reminiscent of an italian sausage hanging in the window of a butcher's shop.

general skinny belt guidelines

1. wear them above the navel (tiniest part of the waist).
2. they particularly flatter long torsos and hour glass figures.
3. they look chic on shift dresses, over cardigans, and cinching well-tailored blazers.
4. don't limit them to the torso: they look great in the belt loops of pants, skirts and shorts.
5. never play it safe with skinny belts: the more monochromatic or dull an outfit is, the more a brightly-hued skinny belt adds complexity to it.
6. over-styling is an easy skinny belt trap, don't fall in! (example below.)

J. Crew handles the art of styling the skinny belt pretty well (mostly).

over-styling (i.e. trying way too hard):

great styling:

red belt+ dress featured above | bythebelt

closet building blocks | how to wear a navy blazer

a great closet building block is a navy blazer. it's less austere than a black one and it's a) the appropriate tool to dress up or dress down an outfit,  b) perfect for layering, c) all-purpose: you can wear a navy blazer fall through spring and d) is a strong neutral that complements a lot of colors: purples, greys, mustards, creams, tans, kelly green, etc. (if you have an instinct for playing with color you can get away with wearing the infamous navy + black combination.)

the key to pulling off a blazer is the fit: it needs to fit properly around the shoulder/chest area or you'll just look like a hassled soccer mom from the early nineties. blazers work wonderfully with skinny jeans, shorts, mini skirts, tunics, belted over dresses...the list is endless. Lucky mag has a must-see 4 min video tutorial on 5 different ways to wear a navy blazer for those who need a bit of guidance. the looks range from casual Parisian, to bohemian and laid back all-American. worth checking out if you are trying to figure out how to style one multiple ways.

here are some navy blazers with different price points. (tip: Zara and H&M are great destinations for inexpensive ones.) the blazer featured above is the Need Supply Dressage coat ($58).

J. Crew wool school boy blazer ($198)

Banana Republic ($130) claims this blazer is navy. I claim they are color blind?

real life example of the versatility of a navy blazer: my friend Danielle. Nordstrom brand little boy's school uniform blazer purchased for a steal at a thrift shop.

styling scarves | wrap it up

scarves are the textile industry’s inexpensive gift to the masses. with just a little scrap of functional rectangular or square cloth you can instantly transform an outfit from opera formal to artsy, edgy, preppy, Parisian, etc. scarves are also a way to make a stylistic departure from your usual aesthetic while still playing it safe. when picking out a scarf a) texture, b) color, and c) length are the top three concerns.

as a veteran scarf freak (my closet is an alarming jungle gym of colorful cloth) one question I receive a lot is: “how did you tie your scarf like that?” that’s the other hidden beauty with scarves: one scarf can transform numerous ways into a multitude of varying looks.  ivillage has a short slideshow on how to wrap a scarf 7 basic ways. they don’t include a lot of techniques (e.x. doubling the scarf around your neck twice for volume and securing it with a little brooch—a personal favorite) but it does lay out the basics. Enjoy!

Source| meloveschallah