Fall 2011: 3.1 Phillip Lim

I think I may always be a person who loves eccentric fashion.  However, the sky-scraping carved heels at Alexander McQueen and the opulent luxury of Chanel are too extravagant for "real life", which is why the casual minimalism at Phillip Lim appeals to me with it's simplicity.  Texture, draping and basic colors are the main focus of the collection, yet it doesn't suffer from being boring or monotonous.  One of the clever details that caught my eye was the tying of the scarves and sweaters.  This unusual detail is simple but makes but the clothing have a messily put together vibe, without being sloppy.  And the textures.  Tweeds, satins, cardigans, leather- gorgeous!  It adds a richness to the collection that you can almost feel (literally).

As a whole, I would say this collection is very refined and elegant-with a twist on minimalism and of course, modern.  I didn't totally go awaroq9qfg on it, but there a lot of elements I liked.  Can you look at that scarf, in the second look?  I want a scarf like that, to tie in a bow and attach to my ridiculously long, unbuttoned tweed vest.  Yep.  With the green pants too!

Fall 2011 RTW: Creatures of the Wind

Happy Valentine's day, guys!  Or Singles Awareness Day or whatever you want to call it...(my favorite so far has been 'forever alone' day).  I finally started checking over the Fall 2011 collections and discovered a brand I had previously not encountered before.  I'll admit, I checked it out mostly because of the name (Creatures of the Wind?  How could I not?), but I was really digging the retro-inspired vibes from the collection a lot.

 

I don't know why, but I really like this look.  I don't like that the skirt is rather sheer, but the combination of the sweater + embroidered skirt just gives off an oddly appealing school matron vibe...strange, I know.

A more elegant look.  I still like it because of the unusual shoe choice, but spruce it up with some jewelry and an evening bag (do people still say that?), plus high heels and this could turn into an outfit for a more formal party.

Finally, the outfit that got me interested in the collection in the first place.  Again, I saw a really retro school-inspired theme throughout the whole collection, which was reiterated here.  The color scheme would seem out of place anywhere else, yet it works in this outfit, each part of the outfit echoing the texture or saturation of another element.  And the shoes kind of scare me.  But they seem like an interesting weapon, so that's a plus?


So, yay!  I know many of you are starting to get bored with the retro vintage hipster old school thing that's been floating around for a while, but this collection, even though it wasn't groundbreaking, was still interesting for me because of the way they incorporated those common elements into something visually interesting and fun.

Fall Shopping

I'm shopping way too much lately, really.  For the last few weeks, I've been buying fall staples...jeans, cargo pants, sweaters, boots, and cardigans.

So to prevent my bank account from fainting on me, I've been living vicariously through online shopping, creating fall outfits in my head.  Can you believe it was 80 degrees today?!  Fall is out of whack(yes, I know that is a really old reference).

Here we are: Casual/Business

Open for Business Cardigan  Pair a sleek, casual tank underneath this cardigan to transition from business to casual wear.

Traipse Around Town Top

Pris Skirt

Quirky, and playing into this year's leather trend, this skirt brings just a little bit of edge to an otherwise strict outfit.

 Today I Met the Perfect Boot

I just realized that all these items look very business/classy/casual, so why not continue the trend?  These boots are perfect for dreary gray days, and have the right amount of sass to stand out on their own.

images from modcloth.com

Disclaimer:  I don't get paid to endorse ANY thing on my site, if I link to another site, it's because I think they're cool.  I buy everything I review myself.

Fall Finds

Fall has come so quickly this year; only two weeks ago, it was 80 degrees out!  However, now, even on the usually sunny West Coast, the weather is getting colder, and just yesterday it started raining.  Time for fall, and fall trends!

Jeans:  I found out just today that Target has really upped their denim game.  Currently, they have six different fits (though I only saw four in the store), like mid-rise, low rise, relaxed fit, etc. throughout the store, with different washes and styles and lengths in short, regular and long.  This makes denim buying a snap!  As long as your know your fit and size, it's easy to buy a particular style of jean.  I'm especially pleased that they have different lengths, because usually pants are too long for me, and it's annoying to hem them.  However, the jeans I bought were cheap, stylish, and fit perfectly!  I definitely recommend going to Target if you need new, budget-friendly jeans. (Note: The fit 6 jeans come in odd sizes, are are more of "juniors" jeans.  The rest come in the typical women/misses even sized jeans.  Also, this is 99% cotton, so it might stretch a bit in the wash, though I haven't tried.)

 

Nebby Navy Cardigan

Knits:  Hand made, alpine, and cable sweaters are getting popular this season.  Keep warm this winter!

 

chelsea crew citrus lace-up ankle boots

Boots:  Utilitarian style boots are back, but more feminine-softer contours, slimmer heels and and comfier than platform heels.

Nail Polish:  Gray, brown, taupe, and green nails (keeping in with the military theme) are the focus here, from Chanel to drugstore.  I like Sew Psyched by Essie, a greenish-gray shade.

Steampunk Necklace Gothic COSMIC OWL - Vintage Old Watch Movement with Silver Wings and Chain - Steampunk Fashion Jewelry from Cosmic Firefly

And not necessarily on trend, but how cool is this steampunk necklace?  Definitely statement jewelry.

images from : beautysolutions.ca