trends

style file, trends, style, chic

socks and heels: the 101 manual good for every age

Francesca B. ·

I get it it's not a look for everyone, it may seem childish, it's forward, it's a sexy "je m'en fou" to men since the ones advanced enough to appreciate it are unicorns and it must be done well. 

WHAT TYPE OF SOCKS

lace, sparkly, ankle, fishnet, cashmere, see-through tulle or nylon like my absolute favorite ones by Pan and the Dream crystal encrusted, decorated 

WHAT TYPE OF SHOE

pointy, thin heel, kitten heel, vintage sling-back, mary-janes. You can do it with flats, my favorites are N.21 by Alessandro dell'Acqua and Gucci by Alessandro Michele. 

No wedges, oh no, no wedges (who wears wedges anymore?), platforms we should be good, especially if they are Marc Jacobs or Miu Miu.

WOULD YOU DO IT?

WHAT'S IN IT THAT WOULDN'T MAKE YOU DO IT?

style file, style, trends, chic

5 TRENDS gone, 11 still strong: are you on the right train?

Francesca B. ·

We begin the year by closing a circle.

With January comes Epiphany that swipes all the holidays away, the men shows, some snow or the 61 degrees Miami version of snow and all that gear we started swooning over last January's runways. 

That's where it starts allover again. 

So, what are we wearing now? What are we carrying on from last year, that is literally 2 weeks ago?

Are we all on the same track that #wedontfollowtrendswesetthem? If it sounds new to you, go HERE before you continue further.

Concept is: one thing is having a defined sense of style, another 'pair of sleeves' is grasping an overall aesthetic stream and embody it. That's why I am not the regular outfit-of-the-day blogger, I am unpredictable, I may not be cool, but I spice things up with a little bit of attitude and I enjoy getting away with it. 

I keep having these congitations and convince myself I am right, and I am determined to show you so, but what do YOU think? 

Take it to the comments and please contradict me, will you? 

 

THE TRENDS THAT (SHOULD HAVE) NEVER MADE IT TO YOUR CLOSET

  • the nude dress: somehow from Queen Bey it trickled down to the KKlan, but we never adopted it. In my case, I never had the body and should I had the occasion there would have been other Couture options to choose from. Take that. 
  • normcore: we ain't no Steve Jobs (may he rest in peace) nor Mark Zuckerberg. Must be noted that we are strong believers in our own IQ, we just rock it with mooooore taste, style and creativity.

Now here I ought to open a piece of heart: shouldn't this American workplace show a little respect in 2016 and refrain from judging women with the frivolous adjective when they are brave enough to express their own personality and character in a male dominated professional environment? 

It is sad and sickening at the same time to still read  'corporate attire' required as standard jargon that forces a woman to dress with the unspoken uniform (black suit) just to be hired, initiated in the circle and eventually taken seriously.

Rant is over, free the nipple. To say it with the Giorgio Armani pre-fall collection: 

 

Freedom from all that is ordinary 

 

  • sheer and lace underwear as outerwear, although we love to wear pajama outside. 

 

YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK THE ART OF PAJAMA DRESSING  in THE STYLE FILE

 

  • latex (oh man, when did that become a trend, outside of any street mall sex shop?)
  • athleisure is that awkward evolution of the Juicy Couture's chenille tracksuits with UGG boots. Sorry any celebrity signing leggings, tracksuits and yoga pants which you wear as your signature uniform, but by definition it’s still the same average athletic gear made to look expensive and by signing it you make it also over-priced. i am diverging opinion from Corinne Wang who on Refinery 29 approves of athleisure as one of the epic trends of 2015, easy and minimalist way of wearing comfortable clothes on a regular working day. Thing is what if your regular day doens't involve lounging on the couch and being photographed by your Instagram boyfriend?

 

THE ONES THAT survived and moved TO 2016

  • the off-the-shoulder and bell-sleeved top: there was one white Tibi top that became the piece of the summer, but I never bought it. Let's put it this way, the off the shoulder is the 2015 equivalent ot the peplum top of 2010. nope we haven't adopted that one either. However having a shoulder visible in the flesh is sexy no matter the age, as Harper's Bazaar 
  • Adidas' Stan Smith: this is tricky. If you, like me, have always worn them regardless of the normcore/blogger trend, you are already bugged that everyone has been flaunting them. Stick by them because they belong to your style, but maybe, I mean maybe, I will opt for those suede hunter green high-top Nike just because

 

  • the geek chic(k) I can’t get enough of the new Gucci era by Alessandro Michele, the modern Renaissance man, in total awe of his forward gender bending and barriers thinning. Elements of this granny chic? silky tops, socks and pumps, pleated skirts, pussy bows (a lot), embroideries, lace, bomber elevated, middle crease straight pants and fitted jacket, 
  • neck-gear: bandanna, silk and skinny ones(for this heat over to Etsy and search form Smith Lab, Sarah Smith is the girl: you are welcome) 
  • slipdress great under a blazer with platforms for a day look and long, shiny with flat lace-up sandals or pointy ballerinas for the evening.
  • shirt: the element that keeps on giving, the love for a white crisp shirt never fades, but the shirt-dress has surpassed its own role and risen itself to a power dressing position. A simple exquisite blue cotton shirt-dress belted and worn with wedges (like those Gucci ones) makes the woman entering the meeting room remembered in a forgiving silhouette.
  • denim still a strong seasonal plunge, favorite are frayed cropped straight pants and jumpsuit
  • cropped flares: I am having a crush, still have to find the right ones (unfortunately Zara had the perfect one, BUT I am not buying fast fashion any longer)
  • man pants or like The Man Repeller says, who is wearing the pants? #girlboss, #entrepreneurialmind
  • prints I personally have never been a passionate lover of prints, mono-chrome has been a signature, but when a print touches me, the click is done.  
  • animal print I am bias and believe in animal print like in Santa Claus. Jenna Lyons, the Executive Creative Director of J.Crew said something wise
...as far as I'm concerned, leopard is a neutral

Did I omit something important to you?

If so let's discuss it, because I may not agree (smiley face)

 

style file, trends, chic, holidays

The fine art of Pajama dressing

Francesca B. ·

‘tis the season for evening wear and boy, if we love it!

Cocktail or dinner, formal or black tie, swishing silks and startched lepels, tea length taffeta skirts, D'Orsay satin Manolos, heart shaped corsets, appliques and embroideries, sparkles and fur stoles.

Today I.m here to inspire you on how to make it a Gatsby-esque affair without breaking the bank or feeling dressed like a Ferrero Rocher. 

Let's think for a moment that prom style dresses made of highly-flammable sparkly materials were never invented.

How about getting cozy and chic in a pajama for the opening soiree of the opera? Yeah, lose, silky, lushious and fabulous pants, shirts, robes and gowns. Remember Rule n.1 says "Don't take yourself too seriously".

The Italian way of making it happen is first gather inspiration from the masters. In other words, let's dream, wipe our eyes off with gorgeousness and gather the inspiration. 

Let me warm you up and get into the mood with the new Gucci by newly appointed creative director Alessandro Michele and recipient of the International Designer of the Year Award by the British Fashion Awards.

I can't hide my heart bursting with joy for seeing the brand resuscitated with brushes worth of a Renaissance painter, and, yep, pun intended considering the provenance, Firenze and the Medici.   Michele reinvented the powerhouse with touches of modern and geeky, intellectual, bookish, sensual nerdy and eccentric. 

There’s no way of hiding that Oscar Wilde meets understated 70's bohemia of clashing patterns, lurex, ring, midi skirts and furs. 

Gucci is COOL and pajama dressing socially acceptable.

Patrician-looking, modish, lush they are all adjectives that go along with snob appeal one of the best qualities of #theItalianway

LATEST NEWS

Not one piece of any collection designed by Michele will go ever on SALE. Yeah, really, as per words of Gucci CEO, just in case you were considering Black Friday Massive Killing of Someone Who Would Come in Between You and That Crakled Turquoise Leather Loafer ... 

But first our subject: how to do pajama dressing without having to face sold out Gucci, having to top all credit limits and still be happy and enjoy the champagne? 

There’s nothing more appealing and sensual than being confident and feeling cozy at the same time in an evening dress and pajamas can be chic and fun and do the trick. 

J.Crew, Equipment, Madewell and H&M have pajamas worth spending a few bucks (the combos pics come from Harper's Bazaar if you want to check where to buy)

 

Shrimps by Hannah Weiland x Poplin give it the Brit twist making the crave for silk with fur worth indulging. 

La Perla, For Restless Sleepers, Fleur du Mal, Agent Provocateur and Olivia von Halle are the Rolls Royce of loungewear and, hell yeah, they can be worn outside of the bedroom doors. Where else can you find personalizing that goes from monogramming initials to family crests? So British-ly royal to feel blue-blooded. 

For the socially conscious, Pour Les Femmes , created by Robin Wright and Karen Fowler, is the most enticing choice of sleeping, or not, together in soft threads while dedicating a portion of the revenue to causes that support women in conflict regions around the world. For more read www.plfdreams.com

SOME CELEBRITY SIGHT-SEEING

It's on you now: Will you dare thinking outside the box (or the bedroom, for that matter)? 

 

fashion life, style, trends, style file, SS15, chic, classics, italianstyle

How to update your style with fall trends #Italianstyle

Francesca B. ·

How do you keep up with your own style without plunging meaninglessly into trends and end up looking like a copykat with no personality? 

I get the question all the time and that's why I am writing a book. I think that the way Italians do it has a lot to do with timeless style, yet always current and sometimes anticipating the trends.

“Everybody is special. The important thing is trying to figure out who you want to be ”
— Renzo Rosso

Culottes, slouchy pants, wide leg trousers may sound and look anti-passion. The idea is contrast - wear an un-shaped bottom with a sartorial-cut blazer, a crop top and sexy heels.  If you want to go flat with Vans slip-ons it's good too, though.

The mechanic jumpsuit can become bon genre bon chic with strappy heels or dramatic pumps. Trick is good jewelry, a clutch, blush and everyone will be in awe and forget the manual labor attribute that comes with the adjective mechanical.

“masculine esthetic paired with a feminine silhouette”
— Italian style tip

Lace. You can never go wrong, unless it's a cheap one, which, please ... 

Fuzzy necklines boho meets Hollywood glamour. Perfect in the sub-tropics where you may not really need a coat, but a collar is fab. Flea market on Lincoln Road has plenty.

“the absence of reason ”
— Italian style tip

Winter whites. You can wear white all year long as long as you respect those reasonable unspoken rules 

The cape is royal, the cape is stately (in Italy the carabinieri wear it in their official uniform), the cape makes a t-shirt and jeans a masterpiece.

The long vest 

“Borrowed from the boys”
— Italian style tip

Sneaks anywhere: the disruptive element

“make flaws work, we want contrast”
— Italian style tip

Animalier is glorious, yet can be tricky: choose wisely, pony hair for shoes always makes it richer. When in doubt think Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate not Snooki. 

“As far as I am concerned, leopard is a neutral.”
— Jenna Lyons

trends, style, style file

All the fall trends we want to see during fashion month

Francesca B. ·

It's over. Summer is where warm sands, white gauzy dresses and concerts in the park are. August is like Epiphany and takes all the holidays away. It's back-to-school, back-to-work and back to fashion week. if September flashes in bold in your agenda, it means being first-row-bound, scheduling early wake up calls to catch the runways streamlined and undergoing a juice cleanse, like right now. It shares similarities with the first day of school. 

The smell of new coloring pencils and the new Hello Kitty academic diary is as vivid as the first time I would wear the new  sweater in September. Those good intentions like "this year I will maintain the notebooks impeccable" or in older age "this season is all about Mod makeup, I have to learn the Twiggy eye" go hand in hand. They also lasted nearly only a month, but the resolutions were there. Fashion week is nothing short of it - same cozy feel mixed with adrenaline rush. As young as a teen, I remember cork boards covered by cutouts stolen from my mom's magazines and trying to replicate them delving in my grandmother's armoire, in an effort of disguising the evidence that yes, it was me ripping the pages from the crispy new mags. 

“Fashion week is nothing short of it - same cozy feel mixed with adrenaline rush ”

It was dress-up doll, then, what it's now serious business. My daughter is the one in the classroom and I am changing my closet - no more romanticism of dreaming for a longer summer, forget forgiving Miami for forcing me to coexist with hellish temperatures. It's time for action - let's to put in practice what we saw and loved and ignore what we hated at the time last February.

It's confession time: the trends I LOVE, that I would like to see in the streets and I wish that everyone would adopt and adapt to their personality so that the world would be more harmonious and chic.

The Blazer 

Tailoring and button-holes sophistication, smooth and generous shoulders are the season's spin on the blazer. Masculine, bespoke, elegant, chic.

The Scarf 

Do you wear it on your face, 'cowboy' style? On your neck, head or wrist? The cools wear it on their ankle, peacock Pitti style.

www.wmagazine.com Pitti 86 Streetstyle

The Fedora Hat

Borrowed from the boys 

summer version 

summer version 

 

The Culottes 

Elsa Schiaparelli used to wear them, does that mean they belong to artists or intellectuals? No, but they are indeed an item that requires application in order to look good. Here's whom I will be trying to emulate to rock a swell culotte look. In real life ...

... and from the runways 

The Sweater & the Big Skirt 

So what now? I have to come to the realization that I am not in fashion central, I live in the Southern Riviera, how we named Miami Beach in an effort to embellish our mind and convince ourselves that 'you are never overdressed or over-educated'. The glory of living in the tropics, however, is that those concerts in the park I have mentioned st the beginning are about to begin, every fashionably conscious soul comes back and we can play dress-up with our new wardrobe.

trends, style, chic

Prints: to mix or not to mix?

Francesca B. ·

Floral prints are the THING this season, alas I am resisting them. I have always been a monochromatic, solid girl, it's easy in the morning: all navy, navy and white, all black, black and camel, white on white, camel and grey.

Let's put the cards on the table: if we consider stripes as a 'print' then I am game.

some stripes-on-stripes therapy (Dries does it perfect)

Taylor Tomasi Hills mastering some casual raggedy stripes mixing 

As I was saying, no florals catch my eye this season and less the ones  that everyone seem glorifying. They look good on Solange and on a slew of bloggers, those Alta Moda Dolce & Gabbana floral marvels we saw at the MET Gala were incredible.

After reconsidering the parameters,  maybe instead of floral + floral, how about mixing prints?  

Dare the unknown, act at the edges of your possibilities, take your mind to the edge and dive, trust the waterfall and go for it, take a leap of faith and enjoy what comes ... 

florals + stripes 

street style sleek and sensual

street style sleek and sensual

geometric + stripes+ checkers 

Stella Jean is what I have in mind

Do you mix or not? 

chic, style, trends, niche

The boyfriend long shorts: fascination for contradiction

Francesca B. ·

What can be casual, work-appropriate and feminine at the same time?

The long short, bermuda, boyfriend short.

Shall we call it that not-too-sexy item that can be squeezed into the season's looks? It only needs to be pulled off nonchalantly. 

Observing the masters will come handy: watch how they werq it and give all your best to emulate.

Above are my favorite looks from the runway shows back in September. Marc Jacobs and Dries Van Noten have come up with the coolest swag. Unless you prefer someone else, then please tell me.

Below you got the street-style magister ludi of the likes of Miroslava Duma, Taylor Thomas Hill (as seen in Who What Wear) and their interpretations: dress-up doll, casual weekend errands, first-row worth buyer for example. 

And now what? How do we DYI?

Craftsmanship, initiative and will to commit mistakes are the ingredients. Finally we all succeed. 

You can search through thrift stores, or consignment boutiques, you never know how many of those coulottes invented by Elsa Schiaparelli and adored by Mrs. Chanel are still hiding in remote corners. 

To make it easier, here's a line up of my go-to online places (you will recognize them, I prefer not to give credit as I am just an independent blogger and I am not affiliated with anyone other than my own style)

Now here's an Italian brand (to which I am not affiliated neither) that I adore and follow closely. 'It talks to me', it grasps my concepts and translates them into clothing: Semi-Couture by Erika Cavallini. Whenever I think of a piece or a collection I imagine a story, the mood of the look. That is how I have been trained when receiving the presentations of the collections back in the days. Cavallini, collection after collection, does that.

I am ready to give them a shot. 

chic, style, trends, niche, classics

Stan Smith, Adidas Originals: so iconic it doesn't even realize

Francesca B. ·

The Stan Smith and their legacy multiplied by millions. Everyone has one or infinite definite memories laced to them. 

it all started here: blue and flag green

Those beaten up Stan stand with pride in the sneakers section of your shoe closet. Every time you look at them a picture, snapshot of that field trip you took in 10th grade, the smell of freshly baked spanakopita of that summer you ended up in Greece. 

The revealing moment when you see a piece of your life as a rewinded movie behind a garment is when you got the fashion bug.

That's when you know you are the proud owner of pieces in your closet that will stay there forever and survive no matter how many times you move, sizes you change, years are gone by. 

Check all that apply.

Converse, that size 25 Levis 501, your first Porselli, the Panama hat, the black biker jacket, the Burberry trench coat. It's a mini museum of yourself, a retrospective to dive into with a sigh, a teary eye and a Monalisa smile all together.  Nobody will take them away from you.

This spring the award goes to the Stan Smith Adidas Originals. They have walked miles from their birth, we may or not still have them. 

The new generation has evolved.

Bloggers wear them, they are featured online and in magazines as the seasonal trend.

They have their own Twitter handle and they have a life on their own. That is why a series of limited editions have started trickling down, with meticulous science. 

Adidas Originals Stan Smith embossed reptile 

And then the bomb. As if we weren't excited enough for having put our hands on the embossed reptile Consortiums and having found the ostrich version at Dover Street Market, Pharrell announces a collaboration. 

The man who auctioned for charity and sold for $44 K a Vivienne Westwood hat, opens the imagination to infinite possibilities. At the press conference he talked about reinterpreting the Stans and the tracksuit with the 3 stripes and, for the conscious consumer, using fabrics recycled from ocean's plastic debris. 

Are we hyped enough? 

Wait until you see this: did you see him wearing Custom Crystal Swarowski Stans at SNL??? Bedazzled! He only knows what we are set to expect from such a statement. 

Custom Crystal Swaroski Stan

classics, style, trends, chic

The army jacket: the spring essential revisited

Francesca B. ·

It's been there for a couple of decades: don't fall into the temptation of getting rid of it. Time to wear it and be chic about it.

Do you own an utility jacket? One of those military green short coats with lots of pockets?

You (or your boyfriend) should have it in the closet, it's a staple, that is how stylists call those elements of a wardrobe that loyally stay, move with you, hibernate during winter and wake up again for summer, be landed to a friend with a ransom in place if she will not consider returning it and never end up in the Salvation Army pile. As for that, you should go to Salvation Army to look for one. Consignment and vintage stores are the best source for the military jacket.

Why? 

Because fashion is a recurring river of reinvented innovations and you should never #consciouslyuncouple from the investment pieces. You may have bought it in the '90s in a flea market and then it wasn't cool anymore. You should at least have one (5 if your name is Garance Dore). Pull it off the corner of the closet where it took the dust of the year, take it to the dry cleaner and be prepared: the army jacket is back. 

How to wear it [and don't look like an extra from MASH]

  • Use it as a disruptive element, to spice up a conservative pant suit with distressed gold brogues and give some attitude to an eyelet pleated dress with single sole strappy sandals.
  • Just because it was born as an utility instrument to use at war or training camps, it doesn't mean it cannot be worn at work. Wear a LDB with heels (avoid boots, remember MASH) and throw the jacket on your shoulders. Like Miroslava Doma does in the streets of Paris.
  • The jacket has some character no doubt, but if you think outside the box, dust off its masculine flair, you'll end up a chic winner. 
  • Trick here is to borrow it from the boys with a twist 

Where to buy it?

Anyone can send you to Ralph Lauren and hurt your credit card for generations to come (sorry buddy, dear Ralph we love you and would not survive without you at fashion week, but the only way we can splurge on you is at the outlet store).

  • You can buy a cool timeworn look for the best of your bucks at TopShop, J. Crew, H&M, Zara (some on sale now);
  • consignment stores, flea market, Salvation Army have the best digs. Look for character, history, patina, personality. And enjoy now and forever ...