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. 

classics, chic, niche, style

11 sexy ways to wear THE shirt, the ultimate (spring) top

Francesca B. ·

A cocktail to revisit the button-down shirt this season:

1/4 of Italian sensuality,

1/4 of fast fashion

50% of your own sense of style

Think blue

When you say the blue shirt the collective imaginary says 'boring'. This season it's a re-birth, a joyful, sexy and playful one. Spruce it up from your man's closet, like Camille Charriere suggests in her interpretation of the man's shirt or reinterpret your own. 

  • with a leather mini-skirt and flat sandals
  • with skinny black jeans and Gucci loafers
  • fasten the first button and let the rest unbuttoned like at the Alexander Wang's runways
  • wear it over a pair of skinny khakis
  • buy a sophisticated, feminine painter's version like in Valentino's print ad
  • bell bottom denim and heels

If you don't own a blue one, when you buy one just remember a few key points:

  1. it should be fitted,
  2. made of a delicate, soft and gauzy cotton, ideally chambray,
  3. the color should resemble a light denim blue. 

The white essential shirt

Ok here is classics department. There's no limit to how many white shirts you must own. No less than three is a standard: fitted, button down and oversized. 

  • oversized over cropped khakis and slip-ons
  • painter's shirt over denim shorts with Birks
  • fitted raised collar and an high waisted long full skirt. here you can go flats or heels, chic as hell
  • french collar, one extra button opened tucked in a pencil skirt and heels
  • french collar, cuffed denim, penny loafers and car coat: a spring winner

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 ...

chic, trends

The tucked-in sweater

Francesca B. ·

Swag, swell, cool, hipster, 'shit-that-bloggers-wear': call it as you please, but if you know how to do it, the bug will hit you and you'll never leave the house again without doing it. 

Fancy playing with it? READ TO THE END

mariniere + cape+ washed denim 

Ingredients 

  • loose fitting tee or knit sweater
  • cropped pants
  • wide legs trousers + sneakers
  • boyfriend distressed jeans
  • jean shorts + knee high boots
  • mini, full, pencil, tulle skirt 
  • stiletto, high heels lace-ups 

Directions

Tuck the top only in the front, around the zipper area. It must luck as if you were running late and could not tuck it all in. That is called: effortlessly chic. 

  1. Look at some master examples.
  2. Practice ---> It is FUN.
  3. Do you want to show your style?

Wanna play 'dress-up dolls'? Share with me pics on how you rock the trend (mail@chicfb.com) and be featured in a collage.