Looks of the Week
I always give a little sigh of relief when all of the Fashion Weeks are over – There’s a lot to keep up with, a lot going on, lots of photos to try to find and websites to link and models to track down… It’s pretty exhausting even from a distance, I can’t imagine actually being there!
So, to celebrate the end of a month of fashion here’s a Looks of the Week post filled with fabulous, relatable styles that we mere mortals can emulate.
Such a great, easy look. A chic black pantsuit is a great alternative to a cocktail dress. Though most of us aren't running around in Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2012 pieces. Unfortunately...
Stacy Keibler rocked a stunning blue Asos dress that showed off just a hint of skin. This is a great cocktail frock because the longer hemline offsets the flash of midriff to keep it on the classy side.
This is a great mens coat. I love the contrasting belt, faux fur collar & double-breasted buttons. Not a huge fan of facial hair or short pants on men though...
I'm still in full coat mode and I love that this is a lighter version, more of a "preparing for Spring" type coat than a winter coat.
Late Afternoon has a knack for pairing pieces you might not guess would look phenomenal together. Yellow jeans, a white lace top and a floral midriff baring top? Perfection! Spring anyone?
In the mood for florals to get a jump on Spring? Check out Modelinia’s Model Style File: Flirty Florals.
Does it get more chic than this? Cropped black skinnies, pointy-toed pumps and a black leather motorcycle jacket. Fabulous.
Wow. I mean. Just wow. It can be hard to pull off the menswear inspired suit on the red carpet, and trying to spice it up with a little sexiness can fail. But Miss Evan Rachel Wood knows how to do it right. Love the shoes paired with the Jason Wu suit.
So chic! Taylor Tomasi-Hill looked phenomenal in polka dots, wide leg pants and a great belt in Milan.
This is hardly a typical mini skirt look - I like sequined collar on the bright red blouse and the fun zipper clutch. They both keep it far from boring.
Source Want to try a great polka dot look? Eat, Breath, Fashion has some inspiration & ideas on finding the perfect look. Or you can check out the MCLV Style File on Olivia Palmero‘s polka dot skirt!
Stay tuned this week for summaries from the Fall 2012 Paris Fashion Week shows, the front row looks and a very special Moi Contre La Vie giveaway.
Looks of the Week
Pretty! Pretty! Pretty!
Welcome back to Fashion Monday, we’ve got quite a bit to get through this afternoon, believe me. 2012 Oscar after parties, red carpets, movie premieres and good old fashion street style snaps.
Perfect Spring look! I love the mixture of stripes and black & white florals, simple but chic combination that we've been seeing lately.
A brightly striped dress with a pink blazer & combat boots? A surprisingly great combination. Combat boots with a slight feminine twist are all the rage right now.
Another great look from Lookbook.nu - I like the rolled black pants with all of the layers on top, it's a silhouette that can be spiced up in many different ways and is flattering for most people.
Long-time model turned actress Amber Valletta wore a gorgeous, bright coral sheath that accentuated her slim figure. Could have used some standout costume jewelry though...
Its sleek and flattering, and suits her red carpet personality to a T. What more could you ask for from Roons?
Kate knows what suits her and frequently sticks to a mermaid silhouette for her gowns, and while this isn't a huge departure for her, the pale icy blue hue is really stunning.
I really liked Anne Heche's Zac Posen dress - the sleeves, neckline and slightly flared were all great touches. Would have been even better in a vibrant color I bet.
I adore the idea of a suit on the red carpet and this Giorgio Armani version is an inspired choice. I especially like the white piping, it keeps the look from being boring or too business-y.
I love the unexpected when it comes to red carpet fashion. It's always fun when someone has the courage to mix things up, which is just what Kate Beckinsale did with this draping fuchsia Diane Von Furstenberg jumpsuit. Brava!
Zoe proved she's as ready for Spring as I am in this sweet floral frock. Balmain is frequently a little bit punk or rock n' roll so I was surprised that this light & airy dress was one of their creations.
I'm not normally an advocate for bow ties, but I couldn't help but love the satin piping & vest here. Well done.
Sleek and sexy isn't just for the ladies! You've got to love a man in a perfectly tailored suit.
Barney (aka Neal Patrick Harris) and his adorable husband looked elegant and well styled for the Elton John after party.
The most talked about look from the Vanity Fair part was definitely Kate Bosworth's Prabal Gurung Fall 2012 cocktail dress. Absolutely amazing.
As much as I hate peekaboo hemlines I gasped when this photo popped up. Striking & unusual - Zoe's never one to fade into the background. The jeweled neckline & delicate sleeves make the dress appear almost demure despite the sheer layering.
Miss Victoria vamped it up Posh Spice-style in one of her own designs. Tres chic!
I'm a sucker for polka dots and was really struck by Elizabeth Banks's peacock inspired Chadwick Bell gown. All about the drama!
The number of people who can pull off an exposed bra on the red carpet can be counted on one hand. Diane, luckily, is one of them. Wow!
Gorgeous! Can you ever go wrong with a sleek black Gucci gown? I especially like her gold collar and the dramatic belt.
Sleek and stunning. Rosie can really kill in complex, fashion-forward gowns but she's a breath of fresh air in a simple look like this one.
Anna Paquin's Emilio Pucci dress was dramatic and head-turning, I think she chose right by going with a cocktail-length rather than floor-length gown.
There weren't a lot of black gowns on the red carpet last night, lots of jewel tones, pastels and whites, but not much black. Nina Dobrev made a splash in this simple J.Mendel gown, I especially like the cut-outs at the shoulders.
While Karolina Kurkova doesn't need much to stand out, in a sea of gowns her sequin encrusted silver Armani jumpsuit was quite a sight. The red velvet shoes were a brilliant choice.
Looks of the Week
Ready for some non-Fashion Week fashion? Yes, they’re still rich, famous, beautiful and hanging out places we’re not invited, but I can promise that they’re not sitting front row at a fashion show though!
The 2012 Elle Style Awards:
Tali Lennox wore a dramatic, sheer Julien Macdonald gown with a flashy metallic belt. I'm sure that the grey, white & yellow confection was eye-catching in person, but I was most impressed by the intricacy of the frock.
Clearly I'm just as ready for Spring as Poppy, I sat up a little straighter and smiled a little more when I caught sight of her adorable Mary Katrantzou for TopShop dress. Too. Cute.
There were peplum dresses galore at NYFW so it was nice to see a fun, basic way to wear one from Evan. The black patent bow belt paired with the t-strap heels were perfect!
Writers Guild Awards:
So. Cute. No idea who she is, but this is adorable and age appropriate. If I could get away with wearing this, I'd be alllll over it!
I like this dress because its different. Head-turning without being scandalous or revealing, you would definitely take a second look when she walks by.
Personally, I can't wear rompers, they just do not work for me. That being said, when I looked at this picture all I could think was "Spring's coming!!!" Super cute and fun.
This look is exactly what I pictured when I heard that Marni was designing a collection for H&M. Interesting combinations of prints and fabrics with a fun vintage twist. Imogen Poots looks absolutely great in this silk dress!
Adorable! I probably would have worn tights instead of pants with the great embellished tunic, but Jaime looks pretty great here. Love the headband.
Sofia Copola has great, low-key personal style and this look is perfectly her. Its fun, funky and has a great retro feel with the pattern and shimmery fabric.
I love polka dots and this look (or parts of it) probably would have been what I picked. I really like the bright blue and white combo - very crisp. Go Hanneli!
These are really beautiful colors on Jayma - she looks phenomenal in jewel tones but you have to admit she looks pretty great in these iridescent pastels as well.
LOVE. The styling is perfect for this simple, chic shift.
Veronica Echegui's Gucci gown was head-turning and dramatic, that belt was the perfect accessory!
Mar Saura looked stunning in Ralph & Russo. I really love these shimmery, shiny pale gowns but they can be really hard to pull off - she makes it look effortless here.
Shailene Woodley looked stylish and all grown up in her Bird by Juicy Couture jumpsuit. Very chic!
Kate Mara clearly wanted to prove that her sister wasn't the only one who could make a splash on the red carpet. Her zip-up Bird by Juicy frock is a little bit cheeky, but still very cute. Too bad she didn't throw on some brightly colored pumps!
(L to R) Rihanna, Jessie J & Adele
(L to R) Caroline Flack, Cher Lloyd & Abbey Clancy
Interested in upping your own game when it comes to your daily and weekend looks? Modelinia has a quick & dirty guide to the perfect look using the beautiful and stylish Lara Stone, Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn as examples – 3 Steps to an Effortless Model Off Duty Look.
Best of 2011
As I was doing my daily blog reading this morning I stumbled upon quite a few 2011 recap & “best of” type of posts. I found that they were really fun to read because it let me get the author’s opinion on things I may have missed over the course of the last year – which was especially fun when it came to the blogs that I only recently discovered.
So in that spirit I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites from 2011:
Fashion
- Best Red Carpet Style – Zoe Saldana & Diane Kruger. Sorry, can’t narrow it down further, it goes against nature to pick between these two.
- Favorite Newcomer – Amber Heard & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. They share a certain poise and both favor glamorous, ladylike gowns on the red carpet, which I love. (And I am not at all upset or jealous that Rosie is dating Jason Statham. I swear.)
- Go-to Fashion Blog – I hate to narrow this down to a single site since I’ve discovered some really great ones this year, but I’d have to say that the most entertaining one I read is Tom & Lorenzo: Fabulous & Opinionated. I’ve had to outlaw it at work because I can’t stop laughing at their commentary.
- Best Trend – Bright, minimalist Calvin Klein gowns
- Favorite Collaboration – Karl Lagerfeld for Macy’s Impulse
Fitness
- Favorite Blog – The Fitnessista is a great website with motivating posts & booty busting workouts, I’ve cited it a lot in my Gym Goddess series.
- Favorite Apparatus – Medicine balls! There are an endless number of great workouts that you can do to emphasize different muscle groups and you can even do them with limited space which is great if you don’t want an expensive gym membership or if you travel a lot.
- Best New Workout You Tried – I’m going to have to go with CrossFit. My boyfriend is an instructor so with some not-so-gentle urging I gave CrossFit a try, and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. If you haven’t taken an intro class I highly recommend it. It can be intimidating at first, but it’s challenging, intense and a great atmosphere if you’re competitive and like to push yourself.
- Best Magazine – I adore Women’s Health. They have creative ideas for workouts, pick great, inspirational women to feature and I love the fun little facts & cute workout gear they include every month.
Food
- Favorite Recipe – Vegan Mac n’ Cheese made from butternut squash & ANY of Evan’s desserts over at The Wannabe Chef. Seriously, check out his site, he has any type of recipe you could want – vegan, paleo, gluten-free…
- Best New Ingredient – 2011 was the year of coconut milk! Not only is it high in phosphorus, potassium and iron, its delicious in everything from smoothies to veggies to curries. Yum. (Yes Sean, you were right)
- New Find – Lollihop (which I promise you a full post on in the next week or so!)
- Favorite Blog – Hungry Hungry Hippie & Oh She Glows
- Best Books – I can’t pick just one! The Kind Diet, Peas & Thank You, I Am Grateful and Clean were some of the bests though.
What are you favorite new finds of 2011?
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for more new and exciting in 2012! 🙂
Streetstyle & Front Row Fashion – NYFW
While the runway shows are, of course, the highlight of any fashion week, the parties, front rows and editors & models running from show to show are almost as captivating. Below are some of the great looks captured by photographers during NYFW Spring 2012.
GQ editor Michael Hainey looking dapper (Sartorialist)
Oh Carine, we'll miss you! A great example of how to wear navy and black and keep it sexy and interesting (Sartorialist).
Malin Akerman and Petra Nemcova were chic in grey in the front row at Tommy Hilfiger (style.com)
Lara Stone looking chic and pretty at the Calvin Klein Collection Dinner
Olivia Wilde looked fabulous in a black jumpsuit w/ great accessories as she sat front row at Ralph Lauren
Michael Kors had some sexy & sleek supporters front row in the form of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Zoe Saldana
Hilary Rhoda captured by Craig at Models Off Duty after the Derek Lam show.
Check out Garance Dore’s NYFW piece titled Celebrities in the Front Row for a fun take on this timeless tradition.
And finally, what more could you expect from the men that women turn to when they want to look glamorous and chic?
- Oscar de la Renta & Valentino holding court and checking out the competition at the DVF show (TLo)
I’ll be back soon with more of my vacation adventures and London Fashion Week!
Moi Contre La Vie 