Showing posts with label Sheath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sheath. Show all posts

11.20.2011

How to wear - Sparkle for the holidays

The smell of Christmas is in the air! Coffee shop and clothing stores are blasting the Christmas classics, lights and wreaths are going up around the city, and even the CN Tower's got its red and green on! Everything is so happy and festive and shiny and lovely! With all the sparkle and shine of all-things Christmas, I just had to put together a holiday must-have list.


If you're planning to attend glamourous parties this holiday you better get ready to out shine that Christmas tree... (literally) as  this season's biggest trend is sequin. There's the sequin dress for the bold, and the sequin blazer and mini skirt for those who are interested in dressing the sparkle down for everyday wear.
Day Birger et Mikkelsen sequin dress in creme
net-a-porter.com

Black sequin blazer
nastygal.com
Sequin blazer in brown
nastygal.com

Haute Hippie sequin mini skirt
hautehippiestore.com
gold sequin mini
zara.com
Now, let me just say one thing before we go any further. There are a lot of things in the sequin category and a lot of them are heinous. Stores like Limité, Le Chateau, and Ardene have been showing sequins since the dawn of time. They have no idea what they are doing. So, if you find yourself being drawn to the glittery storefront like a moth to a flame, snap out of it and run the other way because you will be burnt. badly. by people like me. 

Also, there is a difference between sequins and glitter. Somehow people are unaware of this (*rolls eyes*). Sequins are beads (3D). Glitter is flat and looks like grains of sparkly salt. 

There are rules to wearing sequins so please follow them. It hurts to see people make a fool of themselves in tacky sparkly dresses. One can't help but stare...

the three styles to wear this season:

1. the dress (long or short sheath, shift, one-shoulder)

2. the skirt (mini)

3. the jacket (blazer, tux)

three best colours: black, gold, cream
others: red, silver, blue (be careful though...)

The RULES: 

1 - Remember what dresses are actually IN STYLE before blindly purchasing one. This season is about shifts and long form-fitting sheaths. One-shoulder dresses and cut-out dresses are also popular but I don' know how long they'll be in style. One-shouldered clothing so in and out of style almost every season. If you can find one, tailed dresses are NEXT LEVEL. The only one I managed to find was on Nastygal sometime in October. It's gone now ... and I'm  a little depressed.

Vince gold shift sequin dress
net-a-porter.com
River Island maxi sheath in gold
asos.com
Black sequin sheath
net-a-porter.com

Full length sequin dress in black
boutique1.com

TRNC sequin dress
asos.com
2. If you are not the fittest of people, please do not wear a sequin dress. I have nothing against natural bodies (they are beautiful and natural and should stay that way. Being skinny is getting old anyway) it is just that sequin dresses are more often than not super tight, clingy, and bulky. If you are not lean, the dress will only clingy to your core flaws and ride up your bum. Also, the bulkiness of the millions of little disk-shaped beads makes anyone look a size bigger then they actually are. Not exactly flattering.

3. Sequin shoes make me want to kill myself. Flats especially. Aldo and Steve Madden are showing sequin detailed heels that are beyond tacky. You're not 6-years-old anymore, and you're most definitely not Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz so please leave the fish scale-esque footwear to those who are. With that said, I do love Jeffrey Campbell... so I do have a soft-spot for his sequin booties. BUT THOSE ARE MY ONLY EXCEPTION. Keep in mind the difference between sequins and glitter. Glitter heels are acceptable.  
Jeffrey Campbell Lana boots in silver sequin
solestruck.com

4. If you're going for the sequin jacket do not buy a cropped one. They are hideous. Also, be smart and get yourself a black one in a tux cut. The androgynous suit jackets are really important, not only this season but for spring as well.

Zara sequin blazer in black
zara.com
Asos sequin sleeved blazer
asos.com
5. If you have  to pair something with your sequin item of clothing make it something black. The eye-catching sparkle is stand-outish enough. Do not blind people by decking yourself out in a head-to-toe sequins ensemble. Thanks


Versace for H&M - fit for cougars

Yesterday H&M stores all over the world opened their doors to crazed fashion fanatics who'd lined up friday afternoon to get a piece of the new Versace for H&M collection. At 8 a.m. on Saturday morning the hordes moved in and stripped the racks to the bone. By 12:30 p.m. there was nothing left.

H&M on St. Catherine street in Montreal
montrealgazette.com

H&M on Regent street in London
guardian.co.uk

The highly anticipated Versace collection is made up of the Italian fashion house's signature pieces of the 80s and 90s with a modern twist. Equipped with the classics - gold medusa head, the Greco Roman pattern in embossed gold studs, and loud colourful patterns - the 43-piece collection is Versace's attempt to attract an entirely new generation. The old staples are mixed in with some of the new spring/summer 2012 ideas such as bright neon colours, animal prints, leather and studs, and wallpaper print (unfortunately they decided to go with a Miami Beach print rather than something that would keep you from vomiting like a floral or baroque). 

Versace- busy patterns
fashiondevelopmentgroup.com
Miami Beach print in neon- a la wallpaper
torontostreetfashion.com


leather shift dress with gold studs
flare.com
leather, studs, and Miami Beach
torontostreetfashion.com
Versace brights
torontostreetfashion.com


The key pieces of the collection are shift dresses in black leather, or bright colours like yellow, pink, and red, all of which were studded-out in gold. While the collection's objective is to attract the younger generation of fashionistas, most of whom missed out on Versace's hay day in the early 90s due to the fact they had yet to be born, the loudness and tackiness of the over- the-top gold ornaments leaves the collection looking old. When I look at the collection I don't see a new generation of Versace fans, I see 50 + year-old Italian woman with bleached blond hair, botox, lip injections, etc, who want to feel young again (*COUGH* DONATELLA VERSACE).

Donatella Versace the queen cougar
dailymail.co.uk
the cougar belt
torontostreetfashion.com
In my opinion the only good Versace is vintage Versace. That is all. If Versace wants to survive it needs to evolve and drop it's tacky Italian cougar dresses and gold bling and do something new and young. You can do it Donatella! Think of the children!

To view the full collection in all its jungle-fever-cougar-bling glory visit: http://www.hm.com/ca/versace#home



11.05.2011

TFW S/S12 Day 5: David Dixon- black and white classics with a hint of yellow

The David Dixon show was packed. Canadian fashion people flooded the runway room as soon as security opened the doors. Among them were Fashion Television's Jeanne Beker, and former model and judge on Canada's Next Top Model, Stacey Mckenzie. The collection was feminine to say the least. Dixon showed mostly black and white, but threw in a bit of yellow to give his otherwise monochromatic collection a bit of spring colour. There was a big emphasis on female curves, with form fitted satin pencil skirts in both black and white (all below the knee), and several black evening dresses. Dixon also showed black lace and mesh button-ups (in black and white). The yellow accents came in the form of a sheath dress with plugging back, and below-the-knee laser-cut skirts. The one piece that really stood out to me was a white pencil skirt with black panels. It's a new take on the always popular pencil shirt.

the highly anticipated David Dixon runway show 
yellow accent- form-fitted sheath dress

plugging back
yellow laser-cut skirt  
white mesh top with white satin pencil skirt

black mesh button-up with white satin pencil skirt

black and white dress with black lace overlay

black mesh button-up, white pencil skirt with black side  panels