Inspiration Part Deux :)

I have found that inspiration for fashion and beauty can come from many things. Of course magazines would probably be one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of it, since most magazines have fashion printed throughout every page showing the newest trends and style of every A-list celebrity. Another way to be is watching TV. Flipping through the countless number of channels you can find so many different styles and fashions, especially if you watch the Travel Channel, which normally shows all of those amazing exotic and unique places.

Personally, my favorite way to get inspiration is from other people around me. I love walking down the street of a big city people watching and taking in all of the different styles and all of the different looks of clothing. I love taking bits and pieces of other people's style and making it my own. That is the most fun thing about fashion, I would say. Making everything YOU wear, YOU. I love reading fashion blogs as well to get inspiration from others in big cities that I have yet to travel to. It's incredible on how different style and fashion is from country to country (or even city to city!)

Overall, I love looking for new inspirations to incorporate into my wardrobe. Even though I only named my inspirations as being people and different types of media, that does not mean those are the ONLY places to look for inspirations. Look at where you live. Look at your surroundings. Look at different cities, or places or even animals for inspirations. You never know what you can come up with! :)

What are you favorite places to find inspiration?

Women in Menswear?

For many years, we have seen women in men's attire. Whether it be collared button down shirts, blazers, loafers, or whatever it may be, women have found a way to make it fashionable. The problem that occurs with women in menswear is portion. If you wear a broad shouldered blazer, or trousers, they need to be proportionate with the rest of the outfit. Instead of loafers, add a cute pair of flats or heels to add a feminine touch. In order to pull of the menswear look without looking too "boyish", you will need to find a good tailor. A tailor can do wonders with your clothing to make it proportionate and to fit your body perfectly. This trend has come in and out for decades, and will continue for years to come. The good thing about menswear for women is that it adds fashionable taste to a simple tee or jeans. Add a blazer and your entire outfit is jazzed up! Experiment and try new ways to rock this trend this season! :)

*Images - Google

What are your favorite menswear items?

Style Influences

Style is something magnificent. Something that is different for each and every person. I love that getting dressed every morning is just like it was when I was little. I loved playing dress up then, and I guess you could still call it dress up now, but I still enjoy it just as much. The way someone dresses and portrays their outer appearance shows a lot about them. Wearing certain clothes is a way of expressing yourself. That is my favorite thing about clothes. I see getting dressed every day as more than just getting dressed. I see it as almost an artwork? I guess you could say. Here are a few of my favorite fashion influences.

Lauren Conrad is probably one of my favorite people as far as style goes. She is always so effortless and chic. She knows how to nail a casual outfit with the perfect amount of accessories. I love her style because she wears a lot of bohemian inspired outfits, but keeps it all classic.

Kourtney Kardashian is another one of my favorite style icons. I love all of the Kardashian's style, but I love Kourtney's in particular. She always have an effortless, easy-going style, but she always manages to amp up her style in some sort of way, whether it be killer stilettos or an amazing handbag.

Last, but definitely not least, I have recently stumbled upon an extremely stylish blogger Mariannan - she is from the UK, so I think that automatically gives her an advantage of being high in style. Every outfit that she posts on her blog I am absolutely obsessed with, and I always immediately Google search the stores in which she purchased them from. I imagine her closet to be every girls dream haha.

These girls all hold their own in style. They are all different and unique, but are similar with their chic and classic styles. 

Who are your favorite style icons?

Feathers & Fringe

As most people know, trends come and go but they often repeat. What I mean by this is many trends from previous decades are still worn today, they are just modified to fit into today's society.
Two trends that are still going strong are fringe and feathers. You may remember fringe from the roaring twenties on those amazing flapper dresses, and feathers from the 60s & 70s. Well it's not time to put those trends to rest yet! This is the perfect opportunity to dig through your grandparent's and parent's closet to find some amazing vintage items!
Fringe has been spotted all over the runway for this upcoming fall. Fringe dresses, handbags, shoes, you name it and I'm sure you can find a type of fringe to fit your taste. Fringe can add a lot of detail to a simple outfit, so don't be afraid to try it!
Another trend popped up again in the past year, feathers. This is probably one of the more popular trends of 2011. You can walk down the street and easily spot people with feather extensions, feather accessories (ie. necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc), and even on gowns and shoes! This trend is easily accessible, nearly every retail store sales something feather-y.

[Alexander McQueen gown featuring feathers]
Even if you don't want to go all out with the fringe and feather trend, just adding a detail of either of them in your outfit is sure to make you stand out in a crowd!

Colors of Fall

So I have been doing my research for the up and coming fall colors for this year, (I know I am a little too excited about fall to come as you may have read in my previous post.) I find that fall fashion can be the most fun. It’s the in-between season of summer and fall so you have many different options. You don’t want to dress in super bright hues, but you don’t want to pull the boring trend of all dark colors of navy and black. (Although all black and navy are great sometimes, don’t be afraid to add other colors to the mix of your wardrobe!)

On to the color trends of Fall 2011..

            Mustard – not everyone will be able to pull this look off, unfortunately, but if  you have the skin tone and complexion to pull this off, do not hesitate!

            

            Rust- A darker shade of what was last year’s It color, (Camel), this more “fall-like” color has been seen all over the runways for the upcoming season!

Camo-inspired – I am sure most southerners will love this trend, but Cameo-inspired patterns have been seen gracing the runway for the upcoming fall 2011 season!

Jade Green – Another popular color seen on the runway was this bold green. This has been stated to be the “go-to party outfit” for this season. (It’s also a great way to stand out in a room of LBDs!)

Bright pants- Although most people get in a rut of wearing only dark colors in the fall and winter months, this trend is a great way to spice your every day outfit up!

I know most of us are still holding on to summer as long as we can, but let’s embrace the fresh and upcoming trends of this fall season!

xo - Brittnie