Brunch

Hello there fellow fashionistas,

I recently went to brunch with my bestie and took a couple of pictures as I found the food and place there to be super cute (it was actually a tea room in downtown Athens). For the occasion I went for a girly, casual but not-too-casual outfit in my favorite Fall colors. I got the dress from Zara and it's become a favorite already. I can totally picture myself wearing it in winter with opaque black tights and booties. I'm definitely looking out for wearable fall/winter dresses these days, I've scoured every website trying to find those perfect, versatile, casual but still pretty items that will get me through the winter months. Speaking of which, if you don't know it already there is a huge sale happening right now at Asos, you must check it out!

Btw, if you have any questions regarding online shopping feel free to ask. Maybe I'll do a post about it.

Spring 2014 Review: PFW: Hits & Misses

Oh la la! Paris, the fashion capital of the romantics hosted another quite long fashion week and had a lot of surprises coming. Marc Jacobs presented his last and rather impressive collection for the house of Louis Vuitton. Raf Simons presented another collection that got people raving or hatin'. So did Stella McCartney. Now, as the season wraps, the trends really start to read and fashion readers worldwide will brace themselves for the trend reports and editorials that are coming like a storm. 

I know I didn't recap Milan fashion week but it was really overwhelming to keep up with everything so I decided to do a well-rounded review on Paris fashion week instead.

Paris is like a European dream. I've never been there which is quite unfortunate since I studied french for a long time and just finished last year, so french culture is something that I'm proud to say I'm familiar with. La parisienne is a lady that is chic, elegant, romantic, loves to walk by La Seine and eat macarons at La Duree but most of all she's refined in a simple way. Paris isn't about the fuss. Paris is about grace.

Let's take a look at my personal faves and what I consider to be misses:

THE GOOD:

Chanel

 

What is a Paris fashion week or Paris in the first place, without some Chanel? Perhaps the most distinctive french brand. Lagerfeld wowed the crowds again with this beautiful and inspired collection. Black and white held strong once again, so did tweed, but it was quite nice to see some multicolored garments featuring all the colors of the prism. In the picture above, you can see a pretty B&W dress with lace all over the belly area which I found to be a nice touch to a rather classic frock.

How to wear it: Midi

Midi length is a trend that's been around for a couple of seasons and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. Remember the times when all we wanted was to wear shorter and shorter skirts and dresses and mini was the only way to go if you opted for 'cool'. Midi skirts were always associated with older age, older decade, conservatism and definitely not any coolness whatsoever. 

It's funny how things turn around in fashion as trends come and go. Now wearing a mini is not outdated but a rather safe and quite predictable choice. Not that it's a bad thing, we all wear minis every day. But midi now holds a certain allure it never did before, that of a hip trend that only fashion-savvy girls will pull off. Plus let's not forget its practical value: you're not afraid if your underwear will show, it's always appropriate and for those that don't have Blake Lively's legs it's a lifesaver!

How to wear it: Midi by fashionistalooks featuring a sleeveless plaid shirt

Topshop leopard bodycon dress, €52 / Étoile Isabel Marant long sleeve crop shirt, €300 / Vince Camuto sleeveless plaid shirt, €33 / Skirt, €115 / Daniele Carlotta pleated chiffon skirt, €270 / Pumps, €100 / Zara mustard yellow pumps, €74 / Topshop ankle booties, €105 / MICHAEL Michael Kors handbag, €380 / Zara messenger bag, €44 / White cuff bracelet, €7,39 / Suzanna Dai handcrafted jewelry, €135

As you're probably familiar with this type of post now, you will realize that once again I decided to go with three different looks that each addresses a different age/style/personality. 

First comes the hip, fashion-savvy girl-next-door whose identity can vary in age since I don't find this look exceptionally limiting. I don't understand why a 40 year old woman cannot pull off this look, it seems very appropriate and even if she doesn't wanna go all out with those bright bright heels she can choose a ballerina or a loafer instead that will last her all day.

Second comes the comme-il-faut, Lily Van Der Woodsen (gossip girl lovers will understand) look that leans towards the formal side but at the same time isn't too formal/evening for one to wear during daytime. I always love unpredictable color combinations, hence the green animal print with the yellow pumps. The dress' print is quite overpowering on its own so accessorizing can be kept to an acceptable minimum.

Third goes the obviously teenager/hipster outfit that all self-respecting rock/grunge chicks envy. A hard one to pull off nonetheless, but a head-turner when done right.

If you missed the previous 'how to wear it' post click here

Which other trends would you like me to feature in a 'how to wear it' thread?

Welcoming Fall

This is my first official Fall outfit. Weather can get a little tricky here. One day it feels like summer and sundresses and sandals are pretty much all you can bear to wear and then one day it gets a bit chillier and a cardigan or a longer sleeve is much appreciated. This was one of these days. I love me some autmn-y burgundies and forest greens, and I was more than happy to wear my new shoes from ZARA and that leather skirt I got when I was NYC.

Spring 2014 Review: LFW: Hits & Misses

London has always been the fashion capital where everything new and hip and out-of-the-box comes out. London-based designers despite the dullness of the weather always dream in color. They come up with new quirky styles, fun prints, crazy shapes. It's true that English people are weird - but in a good way. And this good weirdness comes off on the runway as innovative and fresh.

No one can deny though the other side that exists in England: the appropriate, pulled-together, let's-have-tea-and-crumpets, conservative side. This one translates as well.

The mixture of both, well, that's the big bang. And what makes London Fashion Week so appealing in the first place.

Let's start this recap then:

THE GOOD:

Burberry Prorsum

There you have it. The double identity within every woman. The elegance and the appropriateness of a real lady and the sexiness of a vamp (almost). Burberry was subtle but sexy at the same time. Christopher Bailey never fails me. His clothes always make me feel like I wanna wear them, like I wanna be that woman. It validates my beliefs that a woman doesn't have to dress masculine in order to feel powerful, but she can use her femininity and the weapons that nature has given her to be a poised, motivated, strong individual.

Spring 2014 Review: NYFW: Hits & Misses

I meant to publish this post earlier but it took me some more time to put it together because I wanted to make one really really good NYFW overview. I've never done anything like this before but since I got lots of free time right now I was able to stay updated with all the news from the New York catwalks. The funny thing is as soon as I left NYC, fashion week kicked off so keeping up with the new collections (thanks to style.com) was a way for me to still feel like I'm being up to date with the city's flow.

I've never experienced fashion week up close, but it always gave me this impression that it is one big celebration of the "inexhaustible variety of life", as Fitzgerald eloquently puts it, and what better city to host this variety other than New York.

Overall, I thought this fashion week was a hit. My list of favorite collections for Spring 2014 is far longer than my list for my least favorite collections. I believe many designers managed to maintain a steady progress, a great deal of them presented some exceptional pieces, some underwhelmed but didn't particularly disappoint and a few were just really bad.

Let's start, shall we:

THE GOOD:

Victoria Beckham



Okay, leave it to Victoria Beckham to present a perfectly put together collection with modern accents. What I love about Mrs. Beckham is her ability to create clothes that people are gonna wear. I love an artsy, complicated, mysterious collection BUT I think there is a certain art in making practical, flattering, wearable clothes that still make heads turn. I loved the geometry in this collection, the simplicity, the pleats, the flares. You could see this was a collection for the girly type of girl who is maturing and growing into a confident young woman. And there's nothing that I love more than a collection that conveys female empowerment.

How To Wear It: Plaid

Plaid has been for most of the time a familiar and a rather safe choice for Fall and Winter. However designers took it to a new level this season. Wearing plaid can be challenging now. You risk looking like a prep school student and this autumn plaid is going beyond looking preppy and put together. I guess in the fall collections there were more tamed, high-end versions of punk looks rather than comme-il-faut plaid skirts like the ones we were used to.

I tried to create 3 versatile outfits- each featuring a different plaid item. Each look corresponds to a different style, age and personality.

How To Wear It: Plaid by fashionistalooks featuring black wedge ankle booties

Wal G peplum mini dress, €18 / Topshop rib shirt, €52 / Sea, New York peplum top, €285 / Ganni coat, €340 / Rag & Bone mid-rise jeans, €170 / Moschino green tartan skirt, €800 / Zara black wedge ankle booties, €46 / Repetto round toe flat, €215 / Casadei brown sandals, €820 / Michael Kors gold tone bangle, €150 / Mawi spiked collar necklace, €585 / Cateye glasses, €7,62

The first item is a cute, girly, preppy shirt that you would imagine a classy urban girl in her late 20s- early 30s wear. To balance out the girliness of the top, I chose a pair of boyfriend jeans and bright flats to make this look practical for a multi-tasking, busy woman that spends here whole day out.

 The second item I chose is a pleated mini skirt, the one that a very young girl will pull off. This girl is fun, but kinda hipster, she doesn't take fashion seriously and she doesn't think through her outfits entirely. She loves dark colors and these wedge boots make her legs look good and give that "rock chick" edge.

 The last item is an oversized coat. This outfit is ultra ladylike, chic and has an uptown vibe to it. It's a about the classy woman that shops at Bergdorf's and invites her girlfriends to tea. It's basically an outfit that is very classic and can work for every woman, whether she's 25 or 45.

New Attitude, New Perspective

Tan lines might fade and the weather might get chillier as the new season kicks in but for the first time Fall isn't sad or depressing as it was for me every year before. I found myself a new confidence to contemplate the future with, since this year is definitely something unknown yet intriguing. Finishing high school was the most refreshing thing ever. So from now on, we can pretend that we can start a new life - from scratch.

Now is the time to do things. 5 days ago I was in New York - my dream city - and it was magical. New York has given me a new attitude and reason to wanna do good. New York is my future and I'll do anything to get there.

First thing on my list is updating this otherwise neglected blog of mine. Brace yourselves, dear readers, because there's a storm of fresh posts coming!

This one was just a little update and a peak into what things are gonna be like from now on.


Until next time (which won't be long),
xoxo

A.

PS. For starters, I changed the look of the blog and created a new header for the title! Tell me what you think!

Well-plaid

Hello Everyone!
Merry Xmas!
How are y'all doing?

Hope you're having the most amazing holidays ever with your families and friends! This year, my holidays are a little different than other times, since the finals are waiting for me at the end of the school year and there is a lot of studying that needs to be done. However, I stole some time to post on my blog, 'cause it just looks sad with all its old posts from 3 months ago. I apologize for that, but as soon as the school year's over I promise I will make it up to you and make this blog BIG.

For now though, I'll just share a few pics I took these past few days. Family dinners, friendly gatherings, shopping fests gave me reason to take some photos. Others with my phone, others with Katie's camera.
Yesterday I went to my aunt's annual second day of Christmas lunch, and once again everything was perfection. She really knows the secrets of l' art de la table and the food was beyond fantastic.

What I wore: Since those kinds of gatherings are more casual - to my dismay may I add - I decided to go for a plaid shirt (from Stradivarius) with an embellished collar, a black flared mini skirt (from Zara), black opaque tights and my favorite ankle boots.

Take a look and let me know what you think:


 

F/W '12 - '13 Trend Report: Cut-outs & Mesh

1st row (from left to right): 

1. Badgley Mischka 
2. Matthew Williamson 
3. Cushnie et Ochs 
4. Versus

2nd row (from left to right):

1. Emilio Pucci 
2. J.Mendel 
3. Peter Pilotto 
4. Prabal Gurung 

Cut-outs: what's sexier than that? Even the most severe-looking subtle dress can turn its owner into a sex goddess with a nice cut-out in all the right parts. The exciting thing about this trend - besides making boys' heads turn - is that now we see cut-outs in all sorts of unconventional places. It is not just about the neckline or the midriffs or thigh-high slits anymore. We see cut-out sleeves and bodices playing with the eye and geometry. Sometimes they're the smallest, with just a peek of skin showing through or they are big and out there, exposing a serious amount of skin and making hearts beat faster. The thing about them is, you have to be very careful for it not to look trashy. I mean, you gotta leave something to the imagination, right? And that's when mesh steps in.


Now, you're thinking: how do I style a cut-out mesh dress? With not much. I suggest simple pointed-toe pumps to enhance the legs and one piece of jewelry. Whether that will be a necklace or a cuff bracelet, that depends. I have created a set for you including other options as well as ways to wear this trend in your daywear.

Cut-outs: how to wear them by fashionistalooks featuring cut out shirts

Miso deep v dress
€19 - republic.co.uk

A Wear glamorous dress
€19 - awear.com

Zadig Voltaire rose shirt
€330 - stylebop.com

Cardigan
€44 - wallis.co.uk

Rag bone cut out shirt
€100 - rag-bone.com

Zipper pants
dotti.com.au

Rupert Sanderson high heel booties
€795 - mytheresa.com

Rock republic
€32 - kohls.com

Flat heels
€79 - witchery.com.au

Zara shopping tote bag
€62 - zara.com

Dorothy Perkins shoulder handbag
€16 - dorothyperkins.com

Skull clutch
€150 - ahalife.com

Amrita singh jewelry
€195 - amritasingh.com

Tear drop earrings
€39 - jewelry.hsn.com

Forever 21 chain jewelry
€5,25 - forever21.com

Forever 21 leaf jewelry
€6,79 - forever21.com