style 101 c/o tommy ton

when you work in fashion, you see a lot of things. a lot of beautiful, amazing, way-out-of-your-league things. you start to rationalize spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on "that perfect sweater/bag/shoe/etc" because hello, it's perfect, while at the same time you start to feel like you have no style whatsoever. (not to be dramatic or anything...) try it out: surround yourself with a few dozen fashion editors, lithe models, and chic new yorkers in general, and you will feel like you can't compete!

this rings especially true when you click through tommy ton's street style photos (also mentioned in my last post). if you get snapped by the elusive tommy, you deserve a cupcake or seven because you are one stylish gal. me? i'm still waiting to make the cut. but i can certainly learn a thing or two about adopting a unique sense of style by checking out his latest crop of images, taken at the spring '14 shows in new york, london, milan and paris. 

let's begin.

LESSON #1: wear a slip dress, and wear it with an oversized sweater.

in case you are seriously living under a rock, you should know the 90s are back and, in some ways, they're better than ever. take my advice and forgo the acid wash mom jeans, neon high-tops and crop tops; instead, try the most elegant and understated piece from that wonderfully terrible decade: the slip dress. it's demure, it's sexy, it's minimal. but don't underestimate the sweater. without a chunky sweater (or a loose blazer, or a sweatshirt, or whatever else you're feeling – as long as it's substantial) the look veers into neglige/baby spice territory. don't channel baby spice. hanneli mustaparta, above, looks stunning in her printed louis vuitton slip, but I have my eye on this (crazy-affordable) black zara one (this one is good too).with a little black dress, giant sweater/sweatshirt/jacket possibilities are endless. 

LESSON #2: mix it up. 

there are few things i want more right now than this bedazzled 3.1 phillip lim "i heart nueva york" t-shirt. it kind of captures this precise moment in fashion, and as such i want to wear it like the girl above – with a mash-up of other unexpected things, like a flippy tulip skirt, tough leather jacket, a stack of bracelets and probably some mirrored sunglasses, too. less can definitely be more, but in this case, it pays to pile it on.

LESSON #3: when all else fails, wear all black and/or copy emmanuelle alt.

i don’t know if you can get away with it everywhere, but black-on-black-on-black is really the easiest way ever to get dressed, and it will always look chic, 100% of the time. the reason i don’t think this is necessarily a universal rule is that i never even considered wearing all-black in my hometown of indianapolis; it would read as dark, moody, even a little "goth." if you wear all black in indiana, chances are your friends will ask if you're heading to a funeral. but in new york? london? paris? chicago? LA? not the case. but be bold. wear black wherever you want! chicness knows no bounds. mix up the textures and try this quilted jacket, kitten heels like these or these, and cuffed jeans for a look similar to emannuelle's, above.

LESSON #4: go grey early.

as stated above, all-black is always awesome. it is perennially chic. it is flattering. it is powerful. but maybe i want something a little softer, a little more plush… enter: all-grey. i love this look above -- it's everything i want to wear this season (chunky sweater, structured skirt, giant clutch and subtle heels). i would pair this knit (a size or two up) with this skirt for the ultimate winter minimalist outfit. 

LESSON #5: think (baby) pink.

pale pink is my favorite color, but i'm not the only one -- i could hardly click through style.com or any blogs without seeing someone decked out in the cotton candy hue. pale pink coats are huge for fall (i snagged the perfect one from zara that is now unavailable, but you can get a similar one here, here and here) and alexander wang is doing pale pink bags and accessories for spring. it is universally flattering (your skin will glow next to, say, a pale pink cashmere sweater) and it goes with a range of colors -- like burgundy, navy, black, and dark gray as well as other pastels like pale blue, lilac and dandelion. avoid looking like an infant with some sleek accessories, or dress it down with some ripped denim. 

all images via tommy ton for style.com

back in black

image via tommy ton for style.com

despite the parade of mind-boggling outfits you see in tommy ton's street style photos on style.com (neon-rainbow hair, basketball jersey-dresses, mickey mouse ears, etc...) this particular image caught my eye. not only has this girl mastered the art of draping a jacket over your shoulders (something i still can't quite figure out) and not only has she effortlessly combined leather, floral prints, metallic gold, and earthy rings (just a few of my favorite things), but the the moto jacket itself, the essential piece for the fall season, looks like the richest, softest, most perfect moto jacket you've ever seen. i momentarily forgot about the perfectly good (faux) leather jacket hanging in my closet, but quickly assumed this  jacket was probably by a luxe designer and subsequently out of my price range. 

that is, until liz sent me the following text message: "i need a faux leather jacket! it's your job to find me the best one out there." in my opinion, the essentialness of a black leather jacket cannot be stressed enough, so i happily obliged. i started searching for chic, affordable options for her when voila -- my dream jacket appeared. right before my eyes. and not at barneys. or net-a-porter. but at zara.

that's right: this supple jacket is faux leather and guess what? it looks even better in real life. this piece is sure to become my new go-to, but i found about ten equally lust-worthy options during my search. it turns out zara is really the only place worth looking for a good leather jacket; i'm tempted to get this quilted one as well, or maybe this bomber style, and if you're looking for something a little more basic, this one and this one are perfect starting points.