Moving on to Asymmetrical Ruffles

      In the past couple years, hi-low skirts (often nicknamed "mullet" skirts) were all the rage. They dominated the streets, particularly among 18-21 year old college students. But this trend is fading and is quickly being replaced by asymmetrical ruffles. Working in a clothing store helps a lot when it comes to spotting trends. This spring, I worked at Club Monaco and ruffles were a major adornment among all the minimalistic styles. I then began to see them more and more as I looked through S/S 2013 runway pictures.

      What I really like about this trend is how feminine it is, without going overboard. Too many ruffles is never a good thing, but one clean line of ruffles becomes even more flattering when it's tilted at an angle. Asymmetrical ruffles are like the younger sisters of the ultra cool peplums -- they look the best when they're structured, stiff, and come in a thick fabric.

Gucci SS13

     This style can be worn a multitude of ways. Tops with a slanted, ruffle neckline are super chic right now. A pencil skirt with a ruffle right above the knee is a great way to incorporate it into office wear. The key to pulling it off is to have one large ruffle taking center stage. Any more and you will look like a bird! Also, don't wimp out with tiny ruffles. Small ones look dowdy and outdated. Here are some styles to pull inspiration from...

Balenciaga SS13

Givenchy SS13

Chloe SS13

Here are some runway inspired pieces for the real world. To see the products I used, see my Polyvore set here.

Brooks Brothers Collaborates with The Great Gatsby Film

      As I listen to The Great Gatsby soundtrack for the third time, I'm beginning to warm up to the tracks. It isn't as completely awesome as I expected it to be. I totally thought "No Church in the Wild" would be on there, along with a really great song from Jay Z, but his song "$100 Bill" is sub par. However, my favorites Florence and the Machine, Sia, and The xx make up a few stellar tracks. I don't always like all of Lana Del Rey's music but her song "Young and Beautiful" is surprisingly catchy.

     Regardless of the soundtrack, I am still very excited to see the movie. My film major boyfriend keeps telling me it's going to be terrible, but I have faith in Baz Luhrmann. His movies Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge are among my favorites. He has a very extravagant, theatrical style that's almost always entertaining...I can't say I was thrilled by Australia though. Of course, the most exciting part for me is the costume design. I find 20s fashion endlessly inspiring and a massive amount of creative costumes is guaranteed to be in this movie. Luhrmann's wife, Catherine Martin did extensive research to recreate styles from the Roaring Twenties. She won an Oscar for her costumes in Moulin Rouge and I fully expect her to get another for this film, even if Luhrmann doesn't receive one.

      Martin's research led her to a collaboration with Brooks Brothers. While every fashion magazine has been focusing on the women's clothing from this era, it's refreshing to see someone including menswear in this  trend craze. I was walking down Newbury Street one night and stopped immediately when I saw the Brooks Brothers window displays of Gatsby inspired suits and separates.

      According to the Brooks Brothers' website, their clothing was a staple in Fitzgerald's wardrobe. Martin thought it was only appropriate to incorporate their clothes into the movie. She researched their archives to ensure her interpretations were accurate. Brooks Brothers then collaborated with Martin to create an exclusive menswear collection.

      The pieces are timeless versions of the company's old styles. From full suits and cardigans, to white wingtips and onyx cuff links, men can achieve Gatsby style in many different ways. With all these options, a guy can go head to toe 20s or just add a touch of it with one piece.

      Check out this behind the scenes video below to see Catherine Martin explain more about her designing process and the Brooks Brothers collaboration.

Visit the Brooks Brothers' website here to shop the collection. 

April Inspiration Board

     With only a month left of school, but what feels like two months worth of work, I need a little inspiration in my life. I have a lot of possible opportunities opening up, but that also means facing the uncertainty that follows them. Along with finishing my final class assignments, I'm trying to find an internship in Boston, looking for a summer sublet, and searching for an apartment for the next school year. I am just starting my new job as a stylist at Club Monaco and I'm both excited and nervous.

     This haze of decisions, planning, and hopefulness calls for a lighter mood in inspiration. I want blue skies, lots of white, and clean lines. I've been obsessed with Rihanna's Harper's Bazaar shoot last August...I'm really just obsessed with Rihanna in any photos she takes, but these are among my favorites and the styling goes with the simplicity I'm going for. Her white, thigh-high slit dress is stunning. I found a similar cut-out version in black from Nasty Gal that I would love to add to my wardrobe.

     I'm also loving Rebecca Minkoff's daring spring collection. It's sporty and 60s inspired, but executed in a minimalist style. The prints are vibrant but used sparingly, and she inlayed angular pieces of contrasting fabrics onto several pieces. The other part of her collection that I like so much is how the lookbook pictures were shot. The clothes were modeled in an oasis-like desert with a big pool in front of a mountainous backdrop.

     Another look from the spring shows I really liked was a pant and blouse set from 10 Crosby Derek Lam. Striped patterns were paired together -- the blouse, a white shirt with both straight and angular navy stripes, with blue printed trousers in criss-cross black stripes. Both pieces are very bold, but they work well in balancing each other out.

     I included a detail shot of a dress from the Lanvin spring runway in my inspiration board because I liked the angles created at the neckline and waist with contrasting fabric. I also liked the origami-like folds at the hip and shoulder.

     For the little details, I'm loving lots of delicate, thin rings stacked on a couple fingers. For fingertips, a pale  pink shade of polish looks even more graceful with slivers of silver at the tips.

Boston Fashion Week 2012: Avni

 

 

     Last year's Avni show was stellar. It had a consistent vision and theme, beautiful dresses, and unique fabrics. However, this year's collection wasn't quite as impressive. Some pieces were well made and pretty, but they didn't have the same "wow" factor that I had anticipated. Given the title, "Mahari - The Priestess," the show was more conservative and focused on embellished basics like silk tanks and light tunics. The flutter sleeves reminded me of when I wore bell sleeves in fourth grade and the frumpy, silver, wedge sandals just didn't belong with any of the looks. I did enjoy the cotton ombre trousers and most of the dresses. Avni Trivedi's signature prints were used more sparingly than I had hoped, but I loved them just the same. The models wore gorgeous braids topped off with jeweled headpieces.

 

 

Boston Fashion Week 2012: g.Kim

 

 

     The first show I went to at BFW was g.Kim by Grace Kim. Her line focused on mod and classic separates that could be mixed and matched. There were feminine dresses, unique and structured jackets, and billowy pants that came off as relaxed and casual but still had polished details. An airy, open-back dress in pale pink was my favorite, while a lack-luster LBD oddly belted with rope was at the bottom of my list. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the Marilyn Monroe inspired wigs. They sort of took away from the general theme of the collection and distracted from some of the simpler pieces. Overall, the designs were well-made basics that could find a place in almost any woman's wardrobe.