April 21st, 2011 by crystal
This is the first of a series of ‘Must-Have’ posts for Spring and Summer 2011.
Must-Have Top #3 – Lace
Once you determine your lace style, choosing a top is the easiest, most subtle way to wear the lace trend.
Must Have Top #2 – Nautical
It goes without saying that the Nautical trend is a must-wear style this Spring. You can do this in a number of ways – dresses, skirts, shorts, shoes – but the most-versatile is the nautical top. You can mix and match with other items in your wardrobe to create very different looks with the same on-trend piece.
Must Have Top #1 – Drapey Tank
Whether you go for something simple or something more elegant, the drapey tank is definitely a piece you should have this Spring. Even the dressy version is versatile to the max – wear with shorts, a pencil skirt, cropped pants or a maxi-skirt. Pretty much, you can wear it with anything, making it the top must-have shirt for Spring and Summer 2011!
Stay tuned for more ‘Must-Have’ posts featuring the must-have items in bottoms, outerwear, shoes and dresses.
April 20th, 2011 by crystal
Warmer temperatures don’t mean you have to ditch your coveted layers. In fact, layers make even more (functional) sense during the Spring, when nighttime temps drop drastically.
One of the best short-sleeved cardigans on the market right now is this Elbow Sleeve Cardigan from Caslon (via Nordstrom). It’s simple, it comes in a variety of colors, and it provides that extra layer that’s both functional and fashionable.
April 15th, 2011 by crystal
If you haven’t heard, lace is ‘in’ this season. Not just a little lace, either. A lace hem? A lace neckline? No way! I’m talking lace all over, baby. Head to toe lace (though I don’t suggest going too overboard).
Lace is SO in, there are different lace styles. Here’s a breakdown for you.
Vintage Heirloom
Nicole Miller at Nordstrom
Do you collect antique teacups?
Is your grandmother’s brooch one of your most cherished possessions?
If you’re a lover of all things vintage, this is your lace style. The Vintage Heirloom style is the lace you might see on antique tablecloths and drapes. Mostly though, it reminds me of dresses from the 1920′s –
Boardwalk Empire style.
Racy Lacy
Victoria’s Secret
If your style is more vixen than victorian, this might be more your speed.
The Racy Lacy style takes your favorite lingerie styles and makes them wearable for everyday.
Doily Demure
French Connection at Asos
If you love lace for its feminine qualities, this is your style.
It’s the girl-next-door lace…the sweet and innocent girl-next-door, not Hef’s girl-next-door.
This style usually features a lace overlay that is remarkably similar to your Aunt Helen’s coffee table doilies.
It also does double duty in the trend sense because many of these styles are
70′s inspired.
So, which will it be? What’s Your Lace Style?
April 13th, 2011 by crystal
Temperatures are getting warmer! It’s time to start baring those legs. Shorts have been on the backburner for the last few seasons. This season, however, they were front and center on the runways. Here are the top 5 top 6 styles.
High-Waist
Pleated
Statement
Trouser
Cut-Offs
Bonus – Romper
The romper was a wild card for the last two summers – something only a few brave souls wore. Look for it more and more this Summer as they become easier to find in stores (even Target is carrying them). If you’ve been timid about trying this style before, now is the time to muster up the courage and take the plunge!
April 12th, 2011 by crystal
I’ve been thinking about fashion a lot lately. Well that’s not a new thing, I guess.
This has been different though. A little more cerebral. Bear with me…
In my mind, there are two types of fashion blogs out there – personal style blogs where women take photos of themselves wearing fashionable, trendy, creatively put together outfits and style how-to blogs that break down the latest trends, show you how to put outfits together and give you shopping guides on where to find the latest trends reasonably priced. This blog is the latter.
When I started taking photos of my outfits and posting them here a couple of weeks ago, I started to feel this weird juxtaposition. I started to feel like I wasn’t fashionable enough to hang in the ‘personal style blog’ world. Especially with stuff like this floating around the Internets (funny…and I get where they’re going…but like the first commenter on the Refinery29 article, it just seems a bit elitist??).
My insecurities made me start reevaluating what we’re doing here. I had lots of questions…
Are you still fashionable if you wear something from Old Navy?
Can I call myself a fashion blogger if I share big box store items with you?
To be fashionable, do you have to do things like wear a necklace as a headband or shorts as a shirt?
Is this blog not on-trend enough?
This article helped. Particularly the ‘Beth and Christian’ segment. Beth’s before photo is totally on-trend. Oxford flats, tights with shorts, boyfriend cardigan…she looks like something from a personal style blog. And she works in the fashion industry to boot. But, I REALLY like the way her boyfriend styled her. She looks far more put together. So, that made me think…
And then I started looking to the people around me. REAL people who read this blog. And I realized a personal style blog that pushed the limits of a wardrobe and took risks with fashion wouldn’t be helpful to them. What most women need and want is help on how to look stylish and put together. It doesn’t matter if it comes from Neiman-Marcus, the hippest vintage store or Wal-Mart – they just want to look good (actually, they’d prefer it come from something as accessible as Wal-Mart). After seeing stylish models and celebrities in magazines and on TV, they’re looking for something like this blog to tell them how – in a REAL way.
They’re two entirely different things, really – those two different types of style blogs. Most people will look at the personal style blogs for inspiration, but never really feel like they can pull off the looks themselves. It’s an unattainable, not-for-me exchange.
What we do here on Ssasy Chic is inspire, instruct and make trends accessible so you leave feeling confident enough to wear them.
Does that make this any less of a style blog? Nope. It’s just different.
So, I’ll continue posting the how-tos, the what-to-wears and the where-to-finds. And, I’ll keep working on the what-I-wores, too. ‘Cause it sounds like you want to see how to pull it all together…not just in theory – how to ACTUALLY do it.
Glad we got that cleared up. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming…
