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.

stripes and spots

{ alexander wang top, frame denim jeans (also own & love these), marc jacobs sunglasses, michael kors watch, shashi earrings, c wonder clutch, loeffler randall sandals } 

every time i walk by a c.wonder store i just barely resist picking up this chic leopard and striped clutch. i've been looking for a leopard bag to add to my arsenal, and not only is this the perfect shape, but the stripes are the perfect extra detail. this clutch would look especially chic with my everyday essentials, like light wash jeans (of which i have far too many), sleek jewelry, and a simple top. 

shop the clutch here or head to your local c.wonder to snag it in person. i'll be doing the same this week.

II emily

gypset

{ images via sincerely jules }

a few days ago, liz told me about her sudden dire need for an antik batik clutch. as you may recall, i was lucky enough to be given my very own oversized clutch last winter -- in fact, it looks a lot like the one above, with mostly red, green and turquoise embroidery. liz stumbled upon these photos and was instantly inspired to get her very own bold, multi-colored, pom-pom bag and wear it with her (extensive) collection of striped tees. together we scoured the internet for a good hour looking for antik batik options online, but since every bag is unique, you never quite know what you're going to get  -- but that mystery is kind of intriguing, too.

as luck would have it, she snagged the very last antik batik "banjo" clutch from shopbop (it is no longer on the site, but it's the cute little bag i blogged about here) and we're both pretty excited to get it in the mail. it's right on track with the parisian-boho trend happening this summer, and by wearing it with more modern pieces -- like ripped jeans, striped tees and maybe a metallic shoe -- you avoid looking like an actual gypsy.

below are some of my other favorites by moyna, zara, and more, plus a few ways to wear the look...

{ clockwise from top left: bags by antik batik, matthew williamson, zara & moyna }

{ images via the man repeller and pinterest }

II emily

stud finder

zara pumps

while you're saving your pennies for those valentino rockstuds, these cute little pumps from zara should fill the void pretty nicely. i'm wearing mine with everything from jeans to flippy skirts to embroidered dresses, and the walkable heel means you can go, go, go all day long. 

get yours (on sale!) here.

roped in

everyone's loving ankle-wrap heels right now, including me (evidenced here and here), and sometimes they even veer into "leg climbing" territory (explored by marlien here). why not go all out, right? on the flip side, i'm looking back to the days of preppy ankle-wrap espadrilles like the ones j.crew used to sell. i remember being in middle school and loving the bright colors and bold patterns on their sky-high, ankle-wrap beauties. i was too young to wear clunky wedges, but i eventually begged my mom to get me a navy and pink pair when they were on sale. i then proceeded to never, ever wear them... rookie mistake! 

that being said, j.crew is getting back to basics by selling some of their classic ankle-wrap espadrilles in chic colors and lower heels. i'm loving them in black or nude; i would wear mine tied in a bow, and with something light and flowy like this...

{ karen walker sunglasses, zara dress, dannijo earrings, 

primary clutch, j.crew espadrilles }

II emily

red pop

{ images via atlantic pacific and le catch }

when it comes to bags, i stick to two extremes - my huge leather carry-all or a teeny tiny clutch or cross-body. there's no in-between. and to make matters worse, i used to have a (super boring) "neutral bags only" policy, stocking my closet with strictly cognac, black, and grey bags. as of late i've come to realize how essential a bold, attention-getting bag can be; paired with an otherwise simple outfit such as jeans, a t-shirt and flats, a pop of color changes everything. after acquiring quite the print collection (documented here), i've been on the hunt for the perfect little red bag like the ones above. a simple red bag feels all at once modern, summer-ready, and trend-proof.

the bags above are all by céline, but i have my eye on a few less expensive options: namely this clare viver fold-over, this basket weave christopher kon pouch, this studded rebecca minkoff cross-body, or this textured forever 21 cross-body. summer outfits... complete.

II emily