So Long Summer

Yes, it's almost that time to wave goodbye to summer and welcome the Fall Fashion.

This is the time of year that pairing fabrics and colors can be challenging.  It's still warm enough for linen blends and light colors, but when you put them on together, it just doesn't quite feel seasonally appropriate.

Pick one or the other.  If you're wearing a light fabric, choose a darker or richer color.  If you're wearing a light color, keep the fabric choice on the heavier side.

For example, this linen blend blazer by Vince in this rust color is perfect for day or evening.  Because of the fabric, you'll still be able to stay cool but the color is better fit for the end-of-summer August fashion.

 

 

For more options and full outfit suggestions, shoot me an email or leave a comment!

XoxoX

Fashionably yours,

Dani

1 Blazer: 2 Looks

Item Spotlight: Tailored Chambray Blazer

I love the look of a well tailored blazer that can be worn multiple ways and this chambray blazer from Banana Republic offers that! Not to mention, at a great price point of $198.00 (retail price).

I styled this look for a dinner date (with the red chinos) and a summer wedding (with the navy pants). If you're like my client and would rather not go for a very formal look for these summer temperatures, you should try these ideas. 

XoxoX

Fashionably yours,

Dani

 

Summer Suit Look: Color Play

Wearing a suit during the summer can be a challenge.  It's all about choosing the right colors and fabrics.  Because summer is so hot, there is a more lax dress code for suits.  Also, summer suits are lighter weight with cotton and wool blends that allow for some breathing room.  For colors, look for blues (pictured here), dark oranges, grays and light browns for suit color choices and layer them with like-colored shirts on the lighter scale.  Your shoe option should always be the darkest of the colors and should pull your entire look together.  For example, if you choose a teal suit with a grey and turquoise gingham shirt, pick a gray loafer that grounds your outfit.

 

Summer also allows for one other rule: skip the tie!

Paul Smith teal suit, Gucci felt loafers, Isaia gingham shirt, Burberry watch. 

Summer Wedding Look: Bring Out Your Style

Summer weddings are the best kind to really bring out your personal style.  Whether it's a day or evening wedding, you can incorporate your own personality into your look.  If you like color, go with a great bold hue; if you like certain accents (skulls, feathers, animals, etc.) bring it out in your accessories.  This is the time where you get to choose cool pieces like cuff links, pocket squares, tie bars, watches and suit jackets to really display your style.

 

Have fun, be daring and make a great impression!

Camo + Cargo Weekend Look

 

Frye boat shoes, Givenchy tee, shorts sold on luisaviaroma.com

Man, It's Getting Cold!

A men's weekend look that's both stylish and warm for the cold nights.

Men's Styling Tips

Hola Gents! 

Hola to the gents' spouses as well! ;-)

In the gigantic fashion world, we RARELY see men's tips unless you specifically open an men's magazine. Such a shame! This makes me want to quickly fill this void as stylishly as possible. 

So, don't call me a savior just yet!  But check back often and I will surely aim to please the people searching for a men's style source for any and every occasion of life!

Feedback, comments, questions, etc., will all be affectionately appreciated and acknowledged!

I'm on Bloglovin'!!

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Casual Friday: Tread Lightly, My Friends

So, you're one of the lucky ones that gets to dress down on Fridays in the office...great!  But let's remember -- you're still at work.  Here are a few tips and ideas when it comes to dressing casual for Friday at work.

Ladies...

Three-piece rule!! Denim paired with ANY two peices on top will save you from looking "too casual" and feeling out of place.  Please, please, PLEASE, no tears in your jeans or holes anywhere in your clothes!  The darker the denim, the better.  Colored jeans are hot right now, so feel free to play with "safe" colors (blue, grey, brown, dark green, burgundy, mustard yellow) until you can get a feel of how fun you can get.  
Think: cardigans, scarves, blazers, button down shirts, basic tees, and chunky necklaces (yes, I said chunky necklaces!)  For footwear, start off with simple flats and venture as far out as a basic color pair of Tom's or boat shoes if your office environment is ok with it (running sneakers should stay in the gym bag).

The overall idea of casual Friday is to make you feel more comfortable before you start your weekend, but still keeping you focused on the fact that you are at work.  You don't want to be that girl that gets casual Friday taken away.  (I've seen it happen!)

Gents...

Keep it boat-house friendly.  Jeans and a tee shirt can send the wrong type of work vibes to your boss on any day!  If you would wear it to meet your spouse's parents on a weekend trip, more than likely, it's ok for work (unless your spouse's parents are the President and First Lady, or the like). 

Think: sweaters, polos, cardigans with a basic tee, leather footwear with or without laces, and stright leg jeans (again, no holes/rips/tears) or khaki pants or chinos.  NEVER EVER EVER GYM SNEAKERS!

Think about it like this, if you had to be called into an unplanned meeting on a Friday with the CEO of your company, would you be ok with how you look?  Your boss will think higher of you if you know how to keep your Friday casual as close to business-friendly as possible.

I hope my little tips help!!

From Online to In-store!!!

I know, I know...this is nothing new, right?? Wrong!

It seems that even though the economy is "tanking" or we are in a "recession" or whatever you want to call it, retail chains aren't swaying. So much that piperlime.com (a Gap, Inc. online only brand) opened its first physical-hands-on-try-on-merch store. And where else but good ol NYC!! They opened the boutique-esq store in the beating heart of the East Village. Although not as expansive a selection as the online store, it's pretty damn dead-on with the size of the venue.

I suppose this is a test-run to see how people catch on and also a way for those living in a bubble to discover the online store.

The one thing missing is menswear, which I really hope they begin to carry by Spring 2013. Guys, don't fret... piperlime.com is always open for your stylistic pleasure!!

Here's a little snapshot collection to entice you to shop the store!!

Work Your Prints!

When is print too much print for the workplace? This is a commonly asked question and commonly poorly executed by men and women alike. Mixing prints at work can be risky, but just as rewarding, if done correctly.

The first thing to consider is what's appropriate for your work setting.

If you work in an artistic environment, mixing prints in a bold way can be totally fine. HAVE FUN! Feel free to mix stripes with florals; animal prints with camouflage; geometrics doubled up. Be as expressive as you'd like.  As long as you feel comfortable with your look, then wear it with CONFIDENCE!

If you work in a more conservative environment, subtlety is your best friend. Going wild with prints may not be as welcoming at those 8:30 exec meetings! Stripes and florals are totally fine, but pass on the animal print and camouflage.  If you keep your color scheme similar, your mixed prints look will be flawless!

Balancing Act: How to Soften a Hard Look

When pairing a leather jacket with motorcycle boots, adding the perfect soft touch can make your look go from "Hard Rock" to "Rocker Chic" with ease.

Just think 2:1 ratio. Don't be nervous- this is NOT a math lesson! For every 2 "hard" pieces you have on, add in 1 delicate piece. For instance, if you have destroyed jeans and a motorcycle jacket, grab a pearl necklace or lace top to layer on. Don't forget, makeup and your hair style also play a major part and can be included in your 2:1 equation. The right ballerina bun can also play down the toughness of your look.

Color choices must also be considered. Pastels and cool colors add an instant delicacy to any look and can be inserted to tip the scales in the right direction for your completely pulled together look!

Wingtip Gone Weekend

I absolutely love the idea of a wingtip with MOST men's looks. So naturally, the weekend wingtip immediately grabbed my attention in a good way. This is a great alternative to your boat shoes or sneakers when you want to still keep your weekend looks polished.

See below for some examples.

Men's Style Tip: Denim Shirt Swap-out

The Perfect Chameleon

A denim shirt can be your saving grace!  Denim shirts now come in so many different shades, prints, weights and washes, which make them very easy to dress any way you want. Substitute a denim shirt as jacket or cardigan and it will work like a charm each time!!

image source: http://www.shopstyle.com/users/iDreamChanel

How to Plan a Look

When you get dressed for an event, how do you plan your look?  Where do you start??

Your clothes in your closet?
                                             Your shoes?
                                                                  A magazine?
                                                                                        The guest list?

Sometimes the toughest part of putting an outfit together is finding a starting point.  Follow these easy steps and you may find yourself getting dressed much faster and less stressed for every event!

Dress for the time of day.  Layer according to your comfort and the weather.  Cardigans, blazers and open sweaters are a great way to add on or take off layers for ultimate comfort.  If you're dressing for the day, you can opt for less layers and a less formal look (unless the event calls for formal wear).  For evening and late night events, you can dress more formal and simply carry one extra layer, if needed.

Just keep in mind the season and make sure your fabric choices are appropriate.

Pick a statement.  When dressing for any event, you should always think about the message your look conveys.  Think about your look as a title of a chapter or heading of a list.  Whether it's laid-back casual, elegant and formal, or rocker chic, to name a few examples, you want to make sure that your entire look is pulled together by some type of theme.  Mixing textures and prints can be very risky if not executed properly, so just make sure that your look flows from head to toe and you'll be flawless!!

Color accordingly.   If you're going to be out from sun up until night fall without changing clothes, you'll want to keep your look neutral and layered. Think black, browns, beige, and white. Then add your color choice in small doses.  This will keep your look streamlined and day-to-night-friendly.  Great ways to add color to finish your look include: a layer under a blazer, jewelry, accessories, shoes and makeup.  They are also easy to change when going from day to night.

OWN YOUR LOOK.  No matter what you do, make sure YOU like the way you look!  Confidence is the most important thing you can put on and the most detrimental thing to forget at home! 

NOW GO GET DRESSED!!!

Men's Suiting Style Tips: Easy as 1, 2, 3!

CUFFLINKS:  When wearing cufflinks, a good way to decide the color or metal is to keep it consistent with the material of the time piece you're wearing.

POCKET SQUARES:  These are an easy and stylish accessory to add to any suit.  If unsure on how to mix patterns, keep the pattern similar to the suit or tie pattern.  The color is a bit easier to get creative with -- just use a similar color palette, choosing a color only a few shades lighter or darker than the dress shirt.








MATERIAL:  The key to staying comfortable in a suit is to keep in mind the season.  Wool comes in a array of weights to accommodate the average man that wears a suit daily.  Lighter weight wool is now vastly available in many different stores.  This is highly encouraged for the summer months.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO YOUR STYLE FOUND!