Fashion Blog

As fast as the days turned too hot in the sultry summer heat, the lure for boots, tights and sweater dresses is also catching on. Here’s a simple look from Banana Republic. Marked at $130.00, the sweater is a bit out of range for young shoppers with a budget. No worries! To snag this look, I’ve found similar styles for a fraction of the price.

Twelve by Twelve sweater: $36.00

Try any of these other fabulous finds with your choice of tights or skinny jeans and boots:

Forever21 Grey sweater: $26.90

H81 (Heritage 1981) Grey sweater $22.90

   Forever21 Teal tights: $5.80

Express Black clutch: $23.70

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more clutch handbags.
                                        Shop for more sweater dresses.
                                        Shop for more sweaters.
                                        Shop for more tights.

Believe it or not, it’s August, friends…that means it’s your last chance to pull out The Bright n’ Loud Fashion before Humble n’ au Natural comes back in style with the falling leaves. Think bright colors, loud glamour sizes. Orange sundress? Check. Bug-eye sunglasses? You betcha. Heavy on the hemp and necklaces? Couldn’t live without it. But what does that mean for the workplace? How far can the color rainbow go?

The answer is…tights. Not ‘pantyhose’, the grey wrinkly, Yoda-looking layer of bunched elastic around your Great Auntie Aggoo’s ankles at Thanksgiving. No, my friends, we’re talking glitz and sparkle. Bright n’ tight. The color spectrum that poor ol’ Auntie A can’t even pick up on anymore with her triple prescription glasses. And thank god, in the workplace, tights are practically mandatory! You can always justify it was your occupational duty.

“Wear” to go: First of all, watch aptly named ‘Silk Stalkings’ star Rhonda Shear’s promotional video on her own brand of leg accessories:

                  
YouTube - Watch Rhonda Shear Touchable Legs Fashion Tights

Not only does she advertise her tights are the ‘smoothiest tights’ (can you drink that???), but her little models around ¾ of the way in to the video sport some awesome office-appropriate fashion combos, including vests and grey babydoll dresses.

THEN, surf the web for the best colors you can find! Don’t forget the cardinal rule: horizontal stripes make everything look wider and larger (which you don’t want!!). Vertical stripes make your legs look sleek and lean.  A second rule to keep in mind: no peep toed shoes and tights. Unless you want to be subversive. Which we totally condone.

                                                       HOT:

                                                           NOT:

And of course, the ultimate creator of colorful tights: American Apparel. They average around $40 a pop and you can totally just check out the colors at Macy’s, but if you need some inspiration, AA will always help.

Happy Shopping!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for tights.

From patent leather pumps to ballet slippers, the square toe is in full effect. We all know that world of fashion is cyclical, and since we’ve been swimming in a sea of pointy toes flats and stilettos for seasons and seasons, it makes sense that a squaring trend would surface. I love the details of these BCBGMAXAZRI Dida Square Toe Pump to the right, but there are lots to had at more, at more democratic prices.

The square trend works with skirts, dresses and skinny jeans, but I wouldn’t throw out my pointed toe shoes if I were you because whether they’re “in” or “out” squared toes won’t give you the leg-elongating affect that the streamlined point does. Still, though, I’m always up for trying new things, and I’d love to wear this look with some textured tights and a denim pencil skirt this summer.

Here’s some more ways to be square:

Nicole Fairfax, $69.95

Enzo Angiolini ‘Lalange 2′, $92.95

BCBGirls ‘Zabrina’ $64.90