Contrasting Collars for Fall

Something fun that I love for fall this season are contrasting collars! Contrasting collars can really make your outfit pop. I just bought a little black dress with a sequin collar that's so unique. I also didn't have to buy jewelery for the event because the collar was the jewelery! That was one of the best parts!

Another trend with collars is collar necklaces! A collar necklace can spice up and old outfit. They are so easy to wear it's great! You can also DIY and create your own unique collar necklace. If you're crafty like that I say go for it!

There are two different types of collars. A peter pan collar has round edges and a wide collar split. Peter pan collars look very vintage and can add a feminine touch to your outfit of choice! The second type is a tuxedo collar. A tuxedo collar has pointy tips and fits tightly around your neck. This type of collar gives an edgy and somewhat masculine look. A broach can add a more feminine and distinctive look.

A good tip when choosing the right collar for you is to pick a collar that flatters your face. Angular faces look best with a peter pan collar. If you have softer features look better with a tuxedo collar.

Velvet for the Holidays

 

Over the past few weeks I’ve been seeing a lot of celebrities stepping out in velvet. Nicole Richie, Lea Michelle, and Kim Kardashian are just a few that I’ve noticed recently. It’s really not even the holiday season yet but, I can tell that velvet is going to be very much in style.

Personally, I’m not a fan of velvet. I don’t really think that I could pull off a green velvet dress for example. I think that velvet if warn improperly can really age someone in their 20’s. Also, velvet leggings…not my favorite and not the most flattering. If you’re going to wear velvet pants or leggings I feel like you need to be extremely thin. Wearing velvet pants if you’re curvy can make you look bigger than you are! It can just be unflattering. 

These pictures of Nicole Richie and Kim Kardashian are good examples of a good way to wear velvet and a bad way. Nicole Richie's velvet dress looks great on her. It's age appropriate and flattering. The best part about this dress is that it can look great on any body type and is great for the holidays. Kim Kardashian's dress isn't very flattering. It shows off her curves but I think the velvet is actually making her look bigger than she is. Something just isn't right with this green velvet dress!

Too much velvet can be a bad thing! I think a great way to make velvet work is to just to have signature pieces for your outfit. For example, a velvet blazer is super cute and chic or a dress that's structured on the top and then has velvet on the bottom (like the one Kim Kardashian is wearing below) Velvet looks very royal and rich and can be great for holiday parties. I think that's when it's most appropriate to wear velvet.

 I believe that you either love or hate velvet. Whether you love it or hate it velvet is in this season! I'm sure we'll all be seeing more velvet as the holiday season approaches.

Pugs in Fashion

Everyone that knows me understands that I love a pug. I got my pug, Lola a little over a year ago and it’s been love since the moment I saw those big bug eyes. Lola has even gone to a couple of my apparel and textile classes and has been used as my design inspiration. Her face was also screen printed on a shirt for a class.  Who knew that my obsession with my dog was a trend in the fashion industry? I was randomly searching pug pictures when I came a crossed this…

Did someone actually use pugs in there fashion show? I had to find out more.

Apparently, these pugs on the catwalk were from a L’oreal fashion show. The fashion show showcased students at the design school, Central Saint Martins. Natalia Mencej is a BA at Central Saint Martin. She originally didn’t want to use pugs in her collection but her teachers pushed her to put them in the show. I think that the pugs brought attention to her collection and set her collection apart from the other student’s work. I mean, the use of pugs must have created some buzz especially if people are still talking about it and if I randomly came a crossed it online. 

 

I also discovered that Valentino is a pug lover! Who knew that his pugs inspire him too! In May, Valentino, Versace, Robert Cavalli, and Emilio Pucci were just four of the twenty-one designers who created the Pug Capsule Collection. They joined with UNICEF to help raise funds for Bangladesh. They put the collection on Ebay and it raised a lot of money for UNICEF. Who knew that pug clothes could raise so much money for charity? These little nuggets are somehow a sign of hope (and maybe comic relief) for troubled times. The fashion Industry must agree!  I hope to see more pugs in the fashion industry! I can’t get enough of it!

Say Yes to a Colored Wedding Dress

Most brides are looking for something unique for their wedding day. Over the past couple of years a new trend for brides is colored wedding dresses. This new trend can be a show stopper and make your wedding unique. Vera Wang wedding dresses are a good example of this. Vera Wang has experimented with different shades of purples, light greens, and neutrals. Last season in her collection, she debut nine black wedding dresses. There was quite the uproar after the collection due to the black. Wang said that she wanted to step out of the box and start something fresh. In my opinion, her collection was beautiful and so distinctive. The dresses could have looked Gothic and harsh but the collection wasn’t like that at all. She made the dresses look very classic even if they weren’t the traditional white.

Sarah Jessica Parker wore black on her wedding day and now regrets it. She said that if she ever renews her vows that “I’m not kidding. White it up. I’d wear a beautiful, proper wedding dress, like I should have worn that day.”

Personally, I love the idea of a black wedding dress. I do love my black! But would I actually be able to go through with wearing it on my wedding day? Probably not. I know for a fact that when looking back at my wedding pictures that I would regret it. Also, my mom would most likely have a fit! I think a good compromise for a bride that likes the idea of a pop of color would be a colored sash or shoes. That’s a unique idea but toned down.

If you can be confident and not end up regretting a colored wedding dress, I say go for it! It’s your day and you should wear whatever color you’ll be the happiest in!

Ombré: Here to stay or going away?

Ombré is the gradual lightening of color on clothing, hair, etc. The Ombré trend is still continuing on with clothing, nails, sunglasses and hair. Ombré is for sure going strong. Do you love it or hate it? At first, when the Ombré trend started I wasn’t a fan at all. I came to the conclusion that Ombré can be really good or really bad depending on how you go about dyeing. I find pastel colored (or lighter colors) Ombré  to be very atheistically pleasing. I like the simplicity of going from a white or cream to a light coral color for example. Your eyes are drawn to lighter colors so starting the Ombré where you are thinnest and working your way down to the darkest color over parts of your body you may not feel as comfortable with is a good trick. This can also be applied to swimwear! Ombré can help conceal your flaws! Are you a college student? Try Ombré shorts to finish out summer or Ombré scarves or leggings for fall! Remember that you can overdo Ombré (Even with your hair color!!!) if not dyed correctly it can look harsh.

                                          Ombré hair

Khloe Kardashian's Ombré

My Ombré

So I gave in a few weeks ago and started rocking Ombré locks. To be honest it was one of the best decisions I could have made for my hair. Being a college student and being away at school means not being able to get my hair done as much as I would probably like. I said goodbye to my sun kissed blonde highlights and dyed my hair back to black with the end’s being a dark purple/red that blends in with my hair.  Over the past couple of weeks the purple/red has started to fade and my end’s are now are a red tinted chestnut brown. It looks super natural and blend’s in. It also harsh like Ombré hair can look.  The worst Ombré is when your ends are super brassy or orange. That gives Ombré hair a bad name! I believe that the key to good Ombré hair is to keep your end color a shade or two away from your natural hair color.

I think Ombré is here to stay! Finishing out summer with fun and flirty Ombré and carrying it into the fall! 

Otte Ombre Ellen Dress