style file

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)? 

 

style file, italianstyle, classics, chic

Lingerie should make you feel naked

Francesca B. ·

A well-tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men (@threadsforgents).

“I think the quality of sexiness comes from within. It is something that it is in you or it isn’t and really doesn;t have much to do with breasts or thighs or the pout of your lips”
— Sophia Loren

Lingerie is one of the most eloquent attributes to an Italian wardrobe, believe it or not. The fact that It's not seen under your clothing, it doesn't make it less than the foundations of a house.  

Underwear is a phenomenon, a concept, a story of opposing forces, like the rubber band effect on love relationships, it went from periods of extreme restrictions to decades of lascivious indulgence.

Cleopatra and her Roman counterparts used to wear very little undergarments as their fashions were forgiving, wrapping, enveloping and voluminous. 

The dark ages of reclusiveness and seclusion led to the Renaissance and Marie Antoinette who let them eat cake and declared it was ok to show off the ‘balconies’.

The suffragettes, the first modern feminists and then the flapper girls (I think I was definitely one in a past life, seriously I would live dressed like them, driven in those cars and I don’t dance, go figure).

Voluptuous iconic bombshelles like Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren were juxtaposed with the symbols of the sexual revolution, braless was a way of expression. 

Veruschka, Vogue Paris 1968, photo by Franco Rubartelli

Undergarments play a role in a life of a woman no matter how continent and historical period are combined.

As we live in them all day long, work to pleasure, it’s a relationship, we need to be compatible. Like in a marriage or while dreaming of the ideal man, there are prerequisites that the perfect lingerie has to own to be considered a match.

Sing with me Santa Baby, the Christmas song.

  • Comfort and luxury: we don’t wear Fruit of the Loom granny panties anymore after high school
  • Luscious and sensual: I have always considered seduction that female 6th sense (was I wrong?)
  • Needs to leave room to the imagination, otherwise teasingly called peekaboo effect. in other words, Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate and I am not alluding at her cheating habits.

The Graduate 

  • It doesn’t have to be seen to make a woman feel sexy and confident: it’s like the secret ingredient of an award winning recipe.
  • It makes you want to wear it and looking forward to it: like a good apple to Eve, the good temptation without the snake.
  • It’s lacy but it doesn’t say “sex” (have you heard? The Journal of Psychology has published a study that finally confirms that sex doesn’t sell) 
  • Feminine: It accentuates the girl in you, vulgarity and sexuality are off-putting, said it a second time it has the right amount of redundancy and it makes it real.
  • Confidence: the beauty of a bra is when it makes you feel so confident that you don’t think it twice as to wear it as a top under a manly long deconstructed jacket or a see through blouse.
  • Form pleasing yet not constricting: you know what I mean, those shiny itchy black lace thingy that make you spend the whole day (or night) dreaming of the moment that you (not anyone else) will take them off.

Do I still have you with me?

Are all of the above thoughts that go through your mind or conversations you have had while sipping a coffee?

Because I know what the following assertion will be: it’s expensive.

My grandmother says that “who spends more, spends less” and it’s simply the dirty truth.

Would you rather buy a bra that will be your best friend and possibly a matchmaker, or one that shines for one night and dies like a moth the morning after?

Would you rather wear a bra that malfunctions when you least expect it or the one that lost the wire but you don’t realize it if not the morning you woke up late and you must wear whatever else is available? Don’t tell me it never happened.

What if I tell you 1. They are rhetorical questions, you already know the answer 2. I found the perfect line.  Truthfully, don’t we all want to wear lingerie to enjoy the smooth feel of exquisite fabrics enveloping us?

Les Lunes George V

WHAT IS IT?

LES LUNES, a luxury fashion brand handcrafted in ultra-soft bamboo.  

WHY

It fits like a glove, drapes when it’s meant to, you forget you are wearing it and it's so good I want to wear it out (did I mention it has camisoles, nightdresses and bralettes?)

Les Lunes George V Nightdress

Thing is Bamboo fiber is the latest luscious best kept secret that can happen to you. Remember the first rule about Italian style: ‘you don’t want what everybody wears, you wear what everyone will want to wear’.

What made Les Lunes win for picky and demanding me?

Bamboo grows in multiple climate settings, doesn’t need pesticides, once cut it grows healthier, it doesn’t need fueled tractors that promote pollution. Therefore, it’s a clean, sustainable fiber, more ethically and environmentally sound than any others.

It’s breathable, friendly with perspiration, non-irritating, easier to maintain than silk.

The combination of the jersey with the lace is seamless and performing: the flexibility of the fiber makes you feel at ease, no elastic needed.

Caressing and invisible as in your dreams.

WHAT THEY SAY AT LES LUNES?(that you should repeat with me)

‘What you choose to wear closest on your skin reflects your mood towards the world’.

Comfort plus sexy equals confidence.

chic, style file, style, SS15

5 reasons to be addicted to a summer in the city

francesca belluomini ·

 

 ‘I  love the fact that you brought Shakespeare with you and no clothes. Ermelinda says you wash the same shirt out every night. Is that true? … She can do that stuff for you.’

says rich, spoiled, decadent Dickie while in Capri in The Talented Mr. Ripley a movie that always puts me in total summer mood.

I want to wear all Gwyneth dresses, sandals, posh cardigans, and set sail in that boat with Jude Law in my imaginary summer in the Golfo dei Poeti, northern than Capri, but still one of world’s wonders in the Mediterranean sea.

 

I have been talking about essentialism just this past week when referring to one’s closet. I have done my homework and applied the concept one word at a time while unfolding my summer wardrobe and retiring the winter’s.

I killed my darlings and recreated a “no clutter with a meaning” condition. The meaning was: no excuses, something like “I will lose weight”, “I bought this when …”. When in doubt I have used the same question I use with my daughter when she rolls her eyelashes like Bambi to tell me in order that she loves me and that her shopping cart has 15 items: “show me three different outfits”.

Three piles of hand-me-down clothing after, there it was a clear sense of where I am going.

I felt lifted from the drag of shuttling things back and forth to the storage without a purpose, generous as my own garbage will be another one’s treasure and in gratitude for having detached from a most basic form of attachment.

“How do you feel after cleaning up your closet?”

​

the ideal Italian summer in the city eating ice cream al fresco outfit 

the ideal Italian summer in the city eating ice cream al fresco outfit 

And now I am ready for a summer in the city and found what elements we should all incorporate in the closet to make our outfits current, styled, nonchalant, not too stuffy, not too casual, with the right weight of elan and a little spice of sexiness.

The skirt 

 

I just feel that languor of a mid-length skirt that hugs the body, leaves room to strut, go up and down the tram (in Milan) and the car and still be feel feminine with that touch of comfort whether you are a heels or a flats girl. 

The blazer 

You know that blazer that you pull out season after season, stands with the dignity of a Navy uniform in the closet and fits immaculate because  

“It’s not about retro or modern, it’s more about if it’s well done and it looks good”
— Blaze'

You know that piece that is like that one friend you have that you can take at any event, frivolous or boringly academic and he always has the right conversation? That all you need is a blazer is their tagline and THE blazer to look at is Blaze’ 

The perfect dress 

I have one in mind, the Ballerina dress by Marianna Cimini, I have said it starting from last year and it will have to be mine this season.

In crisp cotton white or black, Vichy checkers or stripes, short enough to be appropriate with flat soles and with strappy heeled sandals.  

THE IDEAL FLAT SANDAL 

To say it with Diana Vreeland:

“By flat sole I mean the sole that is heeless sole that creates a walk that is exactly like being barefoot”
— Memos, Diana Vreeland

Do you know those “exquisite shoes […] made to walk […] nakedly in the street” of Capri like Jackie and Lee Radziwill.  With that said, my teen-ager love at first sight for the summer are the sandals by Alvaro Gonzalez 

Check it out and just please tell me you want them as badly in your closet as I do. 

THE BOATER HAT 

It feels so Chanel and Deuville and Wallis Simpson all together.

I discovered these by Leontine Vintage with PLV Milano, a mix of flair for vintage haberdashery with a modern gipsy feel that turns out to be feminine, gamine, understated, chic.

The love collection comes personalized with a tassel and a gram of love ... check this out for more 

MAKE-UP 

I barely talk about beauty routine because mine lasts the minute and a half of a red traffic light.

In the summer I used to think that no make-up was needed thanks to the glowing healthy rosy cheeks and the golden suntan. My eyelashes were thick and long and prosperous that they didn’t need mascara (my most dreaded element of the nightly wash-your-face routine).

Now with a few wisdom years on my shoulders, I still put make up at the traffic light or down/up the elevator, because that is what Italian women do.

We are never late … because of the restauration progress, we are late because whatever we decided to wear needs ironing, the shoes are not polished or that clutch was riposta in the other season’s armoire.

My best friends this season is Beauty For Real’s cheek tint & luminizer  by beauty maven Leslie Musnell.

It works wonders and it does everything that you want it to do plus smelling delicious like a vanilla infused pastry shop.

It inconspicuously hides those expression lines on the sides of the eyes, rises the cheekbones, and makes people tell you “you look great” even when it’s one of those days when you haven’t slept all night, but fell asleep right five minutes before the alarm rang and the whole enchilada begun, including those 6 coffees to keep your eyes open.

 

P.S. There’s not one word of this piece that has been sponsored, it is all fruit of my dedication to the beautiful things the Italian way. 

style file, style, SS15, chic

that 70's show

Francesca B. ·

Spring arrived and officially the '70s vibe the runway perspired for this season trickled down. No signs of stopping.

Ever fascinating Suzy Menkes' latest column questions what is it that made the contraddictory return of the Seventies, otherwise known as 'the era that taste forget'. She recalls a conversation with Yves Saint Laurent, compares the denigratory and outraged press that his 1971 Scandale collection received and wondorously concludes that most probably current designers went  a trip down their youth memory lane. 

High waisted denim, A-line skirts, suede, fringes, vertiginous platforms or mocassins, bohemian dresses, long, flowy and sheer is what comes to mind together with Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot.

I am going to say 'street style' but I want you to stick with me.

I will not pontificate. I am going to roll out my opinion through a chain of thoughts: let me be your Happy Potter. 

“From outbound to inbound.”
— Yours Truly

The concept was born in the '60s, and it meant tribes of individuals freely expressing themselves through style,what they were wearing and the way they were styling their wardrobe at their own paste and taste. Ted Polhemus has been the most prolific sociologist to collect, describe and document how fashion has taken inspiration from the streets. One of his books, published twice and accompanied by an exhibit at London's V&A, witnessed the evolution of Street Style: from Sidewalk to Catwalk by showcasing how style found in the streets, spontaneous, genuine and bountiful of self-expression has been a long time inspiration for fashion designers. 

Now fast forward to today, or let's say, yesterdayear.

A lot has been said about the current state of "street style" affairs, including that it's dead or false. But, what is it? It involves a crop of popular gamines, bloggers or influencers, wearing sample-size dresses of whatever season is about to hit the stores, accessorized by their own team of videographer, photographer, social media manager, living in an eternal state of photoshoot - take the picture, post the picture, work a new "secret project" post it on their blog and so on.

See the difference? 

In the late '60s it was bringing your way of dressing out in the streets and there it was staying, outside. Birkin and Bardot defined an era by wearing their bikinis and basket bag just because they were naturally and uniquely chic and elegant (ok, gorgeous too).

Nowadays, until someone really pronounces it dead or unreal, the chosen influencers get showered with gifts of what brands and designers want to fly out of the shelves, put them on, go out in the streets, get snapped and photoshopped professionally and send them back to their millions of followers through their social media profiles. 

Both cases are the equivalent of wearing clothing with a purpose, but, chronologically we go from wearing whatever you want and becoming an icon, to making money out of other people's buying what you have been gifted to wear. 

So, after my Edna Mode exploit, let's go back to the Seventies and all there was so good that it came back. 

The instructions to read this redux is: keep your style in mind, don't delve into a trend just because it's allover. 

If it doesn't feel or look good to your eyes, it won't work just because the magazines tell you so.

Just pass, there's always something you will be able to embrace and wear that will make you feel at rhythm with the times and magazines.

Be aware of the "It" anything, it most probably costs an arm and a leg, it may look good on paper, it will be stored next season and you will end up looking like everyone you follow on Instagram and who pins on Pinterest.  

“I often said I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes”
— Yves Saint Laurent

Denim for everybody, seems like a liberating slogan like "free the nipple". 

Dust off what's been lingering in the closet, store skinnies (F I N A L L Y), dark washes and wide legs are a must, they are the best trick to elongate the legs and they go to work and after work. 

Let the pant do the legwork.

Wider leg, cropped hem, add super luxe materials like suede and croc and it becomes a dusted modern '70s interpretation.

Flared denim: we can finally declare the skinny DEAD (let's not tell the Kardashians)

Patchwork denim: daring alternative, MUST be watchful not to do the scarecrow performance.

Denim salopette: glorious with a blazer, A-line skirt and knee hight boots

Denim on denim: this is the mother of all mothers. 

P.S. this is actually denim on chambrai, but it gives the idea.

The A-line skirt.

Vintage sounding indeed, especially when it's suede. The denim skirt buttoned in the front can be made actural with kitten heels and a trench or your classic navy blazer. 

Long bohemian dress.

The long, swirly, flow-y, easy-breezy chiffon dress  

Fringes.

Yes, but be cautious, life's not Coachella.

Shoes.

Make a statement: the saucier the platform is the better it is, be bold, think about the bachelorette party scene of Mamma Mia, be yourself, have fun BUT don't dress up. Two things I should add: stay away from knock-offs (by that I mean don't pretend to substitute the Saint Laurent with some King's Cross street market pleather concoction) and the good thing about the platform is that they are comfortable. 

 

All pictures are from Pinterest.

classics, fashion life, style, style file

the 5+ things you need to do to avoid one more wardrobe nightmare with winter whites

Francesca B. ·

 

It's still winter all over except in Miami where we had a 5-day stint of cold front (temperatures in the 60s) in which we had to cram the whole winter wardrobe.  

The thing is simple: there is a right way to do it and a wrong one. when you live in the tropics, or somewhere close the concept of fireplaces, cozy knits, THE coat, winter gear is merely reduced to those above mentioned 5 days when, at the most, people repair to layering those linen shirts and be like "it's freezing bro'. 

it all ends up like walking the rope suspended without a safety net: winter proper or beach party. We don't recreate beach parties in the winter, no, even if we live in the south or wherever people are used to warmth and humidity . 

 

 

Fashion must be an intoxicating release from the banality of the world - Diana Vreeland

There are 

Some myths unraveled:

  1. Labor Day. You got the memo that the 'no white after Labor Day' is so last century, right? So relax: it's just that you must wear the right whites.  How, we'll go through it later. If you live in Europe, the situation is similar - Labor Day is in May, hence you just invert the seasons, 'you don't wear white before May 1st' but the deliberation is the same and it's expired big time.
  2. Linen is a fabric that you must have in your closet, but etiquette wants it strictly limited to summer. This is a rule that will always be valid, opposite of n.1.
  3. White jeans are that chic wardrobe staple, how you pair them is what makes a winter white or not. Boy don't we want to keep them like our life when we land our hands on the perfect pair? Some of 'us' use them as a scale: whether they fit or not there is a nutella crepe or a juice cleanse on the tray.
  4. The white T-shirt There's no way it must be eliminated from your closet, don't store it. I remember my mother would lock them on the hybernating summer side of the armoire with the dismissal "they are cold, in the wonter you don;t wear them". I will contradict that dictatorial motherly discipline (sorry mom) because it takes such a dedicated person to find the perfect white tee that when we have them, no way we will part from them. Winter white etiquette requires tweaks, a sort of Darwinian adaptation that we'll discuss below. 

learn from designers & street-style authorities

you may ALSO like

MARIANNA CIMINI: WHERE COMMON SENSE, COURAGE AND RECKLESSNESS MEET

 

HOW you DO IT 

  1. If you are brave enough to dare the all-white look, monochromatic can be utterly chic if interrupted by cognac brown, chocolate or black suede and silver or Eighties gold in the evening
  2. Accessorize with black suede or leather accessories: it makes your summery white frock lower temperature.
  3. Cashmere, mohair, angora must be profusely used in the winter. In the south just substitute wool with long sleeved tops, crop tops if you can pull them off they are welcome.
  • Switch strappy sandals with some suede boot. if you are of the 'androgynous intellectual' team pull man-repelling brogues or oxfords.
  • White t-shirts are your best friend, but even in the 60s you add a scarf, a (faux) fur stole, a furry vest, a slouchy felt hat, knee boots and a miniskirt, long fingerless gloves and distressed jeans with your moto leather jacket and you got yourself prepped for a weekend sexy outfit. 

 

  • A new trend emerged amongst stylish street-stars: the most delicate all white sheer, embroidered gauze dress on all-black outfits. I find it a fresh take on an otherwise summery dress.

WARNING: this is not for anyone, if, looking at the pictures, you fear you'll look like a mosquito net in the night transfer of a safari, there are good chance you will, otherwise you'd love it at first sight. So I don't recommend any time spent in making this look work. Let me digress for a moment and give you a

style advice 

by yours truly

You know that saying "sink or swim"?

It's doesn't work in fashion.

One of the keys to make your wardrobe work  is to keep in mind your style, rhythms, curves, background, life, taste, features, age, feelings and mix it with a certain level of irony, forward thinking, risk-taking and thrill.

Whatever you decide to buy or to wear must give you the adrenaline surge of a first kiss. Welcome to the palyful world of "closet therapy" [here to register].

 

the dont's (my edna mode alter ego here)

Linen, muslin and crochet bell sleeved tops are to be retired for the winter.

 

Was there anything I missed? 

 

 

classics, style file, italianstyle

Kick-off the Holiday Season with @princesslondn X CHICfb

Francesca B. ·

Please join me in welcoming ultimate fashion blogger and #stylechat peep Lana Parker of @princesslondn, and officially kick-off the Holiday Season with this indulgent "Christmas is all around" post. 

The weather outside is certainly frightful, but that does not mean it can’t be delightful.

I for one love shopping for holiday gifts and am excited to share some of my great finds this year.Check out my Pinterest 'Holiday gift guide' for Her, Him, and Kids.

I will also be giving out for the first time my favorite hot chocolate and a delicious Italian Christmas Cookies (Sprinkle Cookies)   recipe.   

Before I share my holiday tips ,  I want to thank the lovely Francesca for letting me guest post for her. It has been a true pleasure working with such a talented blogger.

Now let the celebrations begin!

@princesslondn special Hot Chocolate recipe

 Instead of using regular cocoa powder to make hot chocolate lets step it up a notch. This recipe takes a few extra minutes to make but it is worth the time.

DIRECTIONS

Start by heating up as much milk as you like once the milk boils take your favorite chocolate bar and stir it in until it melts. You can add mini marshmallows or whipped cream with mini chocolate chips for a decadent touch.  

Image Getty.com

Cookie Recipe (Courtesy of Food.Com)

INGREDIENTS 

·         1 cup butter, softened

·         2 cups sugar

·         3 eggs

·         1 (15 ounce) carton ricotta cheese

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         4 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

FROSTING

·         1/4 cup butter, softened

·         3 -4 cups confectioners' sugar

·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         3 -4 tablespoons milk

·         colored sprinkles

DIRECTIONS 

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in ricotta and vanilla.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies and immediately decorate with sprinkles. Store in the refrigerator.

sugar_cookies.jpg

Finally one of my other favorite things about the holiday’s is it gives you an excuse to dress up. I will be sharing some of my favorite pieces that I think you can mix and match for multiple holiday party outfits.

 As for shoes I would do a nude heel with the first look.  And a gold or black heel with the second look. As long, as you look fabulous and can dance in them.

     Happy Holidays Everyone !! 

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.