Street Style Staples: LFW 2013

Fur
IT IS EVERYWHERE. Real, faux, little, big, bright, nuetral. There is so much fur going on right now that half the other trends on this list are paired with a little fur here or there. What is the appeal of fur recently? Is it a sign of better economic times, a longing for Hollywood glamour of old? Whatever the reason, there is a plethera of options for every budget. For those who shudder at genuine fur or even oppose false representations encoraging the trend, I'm sorry to say that you will find little comfort until temperatures rise. Fur has burrowed its way into must-have status and shows no signs of being removed soon. (sorry for the animal parallel. I couldn't resist)

Floodwater Pants
Not sure how I feel about this street style staple. On one hand, it's probably pretty great for biking down Parisian streets showing some sexy ankle for all the gents out there. On the OTHER hand, this is London. During February. Aren't their ankles really extremely cold? The woman on the left is even wearing fur and a sweater. Maybe I'm just not disciplined or open minded enough to brave ankle chill in the name of chic. So despite the cool factor, I'll be keeping my boots on this winter until the spring thaw, thank you very much.

Long Overcoats

And I mean LOOOONG overcoats. These babies can be anywhere from slightly below the knee to mid-ankle. I'm really digging this new coat length. It's very tomboy magazine editor meets CIA agent. Not sure I could pull it off considering the amount of height needed to look good, but any of you fine lanky ladies should slink around with pride (and an air of mystery, no?).  

 

 

These Balenciaga Shoes

Everyone be crazy 'bout these shoes. I don't know if it's the interesting construction, the ability for more ankle bearing excitement, or the  newness of the style. There's no way I can afford these so it doesn't matter what I think of them, but I'm interested to see if any other brands copy or enterpret this shoe in new ways. Conclusion: not decided.

(side note: Does her jacket remind anyone else of Doctor Suess and the Wizard of Oz? I hope it's faux, because if someone killed an animal just to turn it's beautiful fur into this striped disaster I will be very sad.)

 

 

Distressed Jeans
I'm glad this has come back in style only because I still have my distressed jeans from several years ago in the back of my closet. I'm not sure what prompted this repeat so soon after it faded, but I really don't mind. Have old jeans with holes from wear and tear? Great! Rock 'em, sister. Just be sure to pair them with something cute and a little structured to avoid looking too hobo-chic. This sweater and blue button up are a prime example.


[top two images from thesartorialist, all others Harpers Bazaar]


xoxo, TRAX



Fab 5: Spring 2013 Beauty Trends

1. White Lids
I'm really loving the ethereal glow seen on some of the runways, particularly the powdery white eye shadow.  This is such an easy beauty trend to try! We all have that whitish-pinkish-tanish under-eyebrow highlighter shadow, so now all we have to do is go full throttle and cover the whole lid! Easy, free, and beautiful. Wins all around.

2. Bold Grey
The wildest trend I'm looking forward to this spring is steel grey eyeliner and shadow. Personally, I'm a little sick of the classic brown or black smokey eye, and this is a fun alternative perfect for parties. Black can sometimes be a little harsh for spring, so why not try out some urban grey coolness?

3. Apricot
This hue popped up in multiple shows in many different ways. Most often it was used as a creamy, natural shadow. I love this trend because apricot tends to be universally flattering, looking different on different people, but always cute and effortless. One investment can be used as shadow, blush, bronzer, and maybe even lipstick. The possibilities are endless!

4. A Little Blue
Once an embarassing beauty fad of 80's past, there has been a recent resurgence of blue eye makeup on the runway. This is by far the trickiest trend on the list, mostly due to the fear of looking like an old lady makeover gone wrong. I think the key to wearing blue for day is to stick close to the lashes. A little eyeliner or a subtle swipe of eyeshadow make a big impact. Pretty aquas can look youthful and spunky for day, while darker navies can be a fun alternative to black for night.

5. Loose, Romantic Buns
I've always been a big fan of low messy buns (owed to my years in tutus and point shoes). For this trend think Kiera Knightly in Pride and Prejudice: low, slighlty messy updues without a lot of pins or fuss. Avoid a severe middle part to avoid looking too Prarie-woman. Pair it with a strong brow and barely-there makeup and you are ready for spring romance with your very own Mr. Darcy.

(as usual, photos courtesy of style.com)


xoxo, TRAX

Extreme Fashion: Some Crazy Collections of RTW Fall 2013 Part 1

Alexander Wang

Um. What? While boxy jackets have become every street styler’s staple this winter, I’m having some trouble wrapping my head around this show. Gigantic fur gloves? Fuzzy nun hoods? Hairy wolf pants? Style.com wrote that Wang got inspiration from boxing, even playing Eye of the Tiger during the show. I suppose I can see the connection with the long, oversized gloves and boxy outerwear. I just don’t understand  the overuse of brushed mohair and wool, particularly with those unflattering werewolf sweatpants. All they make me think of is women who don’t shave their legs in the winter. And that is not very glamorous OR very Wang.

Threeasfour

I haven’t heard what the inspiration for Threeandfour’s collection was, but my money is on alien rock-dwellers. I actually went back and checked to see if this was a ready-to-wear collection because I honestly couldn’t believe it. I could mayyybe see the tan skirt being purchasable without the gigantic bubble-print sweater, or the suit being worn without the chaps/bellbottom attachment. The fabric looks to be of good quality. Perhaps the problem with this collection was styling, not design. Though I’m not so sure of anyone who creates that torn, beaded black number and goes, “Yeah! I can totally sell this to people!” Or maybe the blue lipstick is throwing me off and I’m being overly critical. Just maybe.

Bibhu Mohapatra

This collection was pretty harmless, but I will not forgive a repeat of the enormous fuzzy pants. Also, that laundry-basket hat.

Jeremy Scott

Anyone else read the Goosebumps series? All I can think of. On a personal note, if I saw that guy in the mouth-suit coming towards me on the street, I would run VERY fast in the opposite direction and never look back. Heck, the wearer must startle himself every once in a while seeing it in his peripheral vision. Beauty-wise, the bedhead hairstyle on the models is quite fun paired with crazy green eyeliner and shadow. 

All images borrowed from Style.com