Man on the Street!

Hello everyone!  This weekend I had some fun finding fashionable people around campus and asking them to be featured on my blog.  On most school days you might be hard pressed to find someone not sporting jeans and a tee-shirt, or sweatpants, but during the weekends students seem to jazz themselves up and head out to the bars.  So that's exactly where I went looking: the campus bars!  And I wasn't disappointed.  People around here know how to dress for the weekend.  I took tons of pictures of people (and with people when they were feeling too shy to pose alone), but unfortunately they were all taken on my phone so the picture quality isn't the greatest.

 Meet Nick.  Nick is the young man on the left with too many beers in his hand (everyone was 21, just as a disclaimer).  Nick was considerably more dressed up than any other guy in the bar, and it definitely caught my eye.  Nick described his style as being classic with his own personality added in.  When asked about his outfit he mentioned that dressing up a little more gave him confidence and usually made his nights more enjoyable.  I asked him where he shopped and he told me a lot of what he wears is from thrift stores!

 Nick wanted me to take special note of his vintage Original Penguin tie.

 This is Ted!  Now if I had to describe Ted's style it would probably be titled "Western Hipster".  According to Ted, he doesn't have a specific style or image in mind when picking out clothing, rather, he just throws on what he thinks fits and looks good.  Sounds like a pretty typical "guy" response", but I definitely see some hipster in him!  Hipster frames, hipster beard, hipster jeans.  And then he threw on a bandana just to be different, and I like it!

Last but not least, this is Tabitha.  As soon as I saw Tabitha, I knew I wanted her on my blog.  The first thing I saw was her long, furry coat and I loved it because it's so different from what most people on campus wear.  Aside from the coat, Tabitha had on denim shorts, plus tights and boots, one of my favorite fall styles!  After summer is over I'm never quite ready to put my shorts away quite yet, so I love the concept of pairing shorts with tights when it gets chilly out.  Tabitha definitely has a style of her own and knows how to dress herself in her own unique way. 

Fashion Week: Oscar de la Renta

There was a definite younger vibe going on at Oscar de la Renta's show this year, and I liked it!  Crop tops, white gauzy dresses, full maxi skirts paired with tee's and tanks all made an appearance on the catwalk, which was a definite change up from the usual evening gowns and suits de la Renta is known for. 

I really liked the full skirt look paired with a cropped tee or tank, and apparently I'm not the only one.  This was definitely one of the more prominent looks from fashion week.  I could do without the black choker though.

Feathers were a huge design component for this collection which was unique from most of the other designs I saw this week.  Feathers were used everywhere for this collection!  Full, floor length feather dresses, feather mini-dresses, feather skirts, feather shoulders, you name it!  The light blue feather dress is my favorite.  It has such a delicate quality to it, and the movement it gets when you walk is beautiful.  The look is pretty ethereal with the frizzy hair and minimal make-up.   And that bright yellow color of the last look has been everywhere this week.  It's definitely going to be all over the stores come spring.

And here is the last look of the show.  This is much more classic Oscar de la Renta to me, but it still fits in with the rest of the collection.  The many voluminous layers of this dress paired with the no make-up look make this look so elegant and lovely.  

I will say this here and now though, because I'm positive it will be true come spring time:  white dresses will be everywhere.  I think white/off white dresses have been the most prominent look I have seen all week.  So if you hate all things white, feminine, and gauzy, you will be tough out of luck in a few months.

Fashion Week: Rodarte

NY Fashion week is almost over.  Is anyone else sad?  I know I am, although a break from frantically checking my phone to watch the next live-streamed show will be nice.  Anyway, on to the fashion!  The Rodarte show would be an exciting one to attend this year.  The front row was filled with young celebrities such as Dakota Fanning and her sister Elle, fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, and Taylor Swift. 

The inspiration for this collection came from post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, and I would say the inspiration is pretty apparent in the shows opening look.  The colors and print is pretty much identical to his Sunflowers painting. 

These other looks are pretty for spring.  The knee length skirts and flower inspired colors are pretty much what you would expect to see for a spring collection.  I particularly liked the triangle cut-out on the top look.  Its an unexpected design element that adds a little sex appeal to an otherwise conservative look.  The one thing I do not like about this show is the make-up.  I'm all for tons of eyeliner, but the raccoon eyes seem to clash with the soft and feminine design to these clothes.  The combination is a little confusing.

 The last looks of the show were obviously inspired by van Gogh's Starry Night.  Aside from the similar colors, swirls, I think this design captured the romantic feel of the painting.  My favorite design feature is the sheer overlay of the skirt and the shoulder line.  The dark eye make-up actually looks good with this look too.

Fashion Week: Prabal Gurung

AKA the "It" show of fashion week.

This collection, in my opinion and many others as well, has been the greatest from NY fashion week so far.  I have heard girls vowing to only wear purple and black this spring!  I even read someone say they wanted their wedding dress to look exactly like the final look!  This collection is a lot to take in, but I love everything.  Gurung was inspired by Japanese artist Araki and his Sensual Flowers photographs which featured bond women.  I suppose that's where the harness corset's come from.  The gorgeous floral prints and rich purple color make this collection look super luxurious and expensive.  Gurung also hand painted some of the pieces without the print, and of course utilized a common trend for spring: sheer panels. Here are some of my favorite looks!

I'm hoping that more affordable retailers like Topshop and H&M replicate some of these purple prints for spring!  They would be a big seller for sure.

Fashion Week: Jill Stuart/ Christian Siriano

Here are just a few quick thoughts on two designers shows that I liked.  First Jill Stuart.  Her spring collection was very feminine and very pastel.  It was a mix of girly little prints on collared tops and gauzy skirts, and hot pants.  I know, cotton candy prints that are oh-so lady like do not seem to mesh with hot pants, but somehow it all worked out into a cohesive line. 

Now, Christian Siriano has been a favorite of mine since his Project Runway days, and he didn't disappoint me.  The first half of his collection was very basic with structured pant suits and maxi skirts with basic tees.  I really liked this part of the collection because it was so wearable and effortlessly chic looking.  Then the second half of his collection came out and it was all about over the top volume and embellishments, but I don't care, I still loved it.  Also, his vibrant orange and yellow color pallet seemed very on point for spring.

Fashion Week: Timo Weiland/Victoria Beckham

I decided to talk about the Timo Weiland show a bit since this was their very first runway show. Plus, I liked the majority of their collection.  The show had a definite vacation vibe going on, and the women's wear had a lot of fun prints and movement to their designs.  There were definitely some pieces that I would love to wear on Spring Break!  I was less impressed with the menswear portion of the show, but if you are into head-to-toe Hawaiian prints, then this could be the line for you!

This lacy, midi dress is gorgeous!  I especially like the see-through section at the bottom and the deep v-neckline.  It's perfectly paired with high heeled ankle boots and the parka jacket gives it a much more relaxed and causal feel.

These two looks are perfect for vacation. The longer length of the skirt is perfectly paired with the tiny crop tops.  I love how much movement the gauzy, slightly see through skirts get as well.  I also love how vibrant the top look is, although I could do without the backwards cap.  The blue print is intricate but very interesting to look at.

Here is my favorite look from the menswear portion of the show.  I think it's effortlessly hip and edgy and something guys will want to wear.  They also kept the big Hawaiian print to a minimum with the jacket around the waist, but I think it's the perfect amount.

Here are some of the shorter length items from the collection.  A gauzy floral print blouse with a short structured shirt are always essential for spring.  I also cannot get over the neckline of this red/pink party dress.  It's absolutely gorgeous and is a perfect, flirty dress for any special spring occasion.

Now this is the look that everyone seems to go ga-ga for, and with good reason.  This look is so fun to look at.  The gauzy, see through, patterned, pleated skirt is an eye-full all on its own, but the intricate top puts it right over the top.  The color in the skirt is really what sells me on this piece though!

Now on to Victoria Beckham.  I honestly don't have too much to say because I don't like this collection!  I feel bad, because personally I love Posh Spice, and I always will!  But this collection just did not do anything for me.  People are saying it was a sexy collection, but I feel like maybe Victoria Beckham is the only lady who could wear this stuff and make it appealing.  I'll be truthful:  The main reason I do not like this collection is because I hate the hats she paired with almost every look.

Yeah, still hate the hats.  It just reminds me of middle school, and not in a good way.

Fashion Week: Zac Posen

I am so glad Zac Posen is showing in New York again!  This collection is the epitome of elegance and femininity and I cannot wait to see some of these gowns on the red carpet. 

 

Here's a sample of his shorter, flirty, party dresses.  They are very flattering and pretty for the female form, but the best of this collection were definitely his floor length gowns. 

Emphasized waist and mermaid style gowns were the overall style of this collection.  These gowns are so fitted that I doubt the models could breathe, but the overall aesthetic is stunning.  The colors were mostly muted grays, blues and blacks, but as you can see, some colors like this red gown made their way into the collection as well.  

This dress sums the whole collection up: Romantic, old Hollywood Glam.

And THIS is my favorite look from the entire collection.  The lustrous green color, the intricate folds on the hips and design of the bodice, and the simple straps- what's not to love?  The earrings and hairstyle are very reminiscent of the glamorous 1930s which makes me love this collection even more.

Fashion Week: Thakoon

For me, this was the first fashion show I have seen all week that has really been over the top!  I can't say that I would ever wear some of these designs (or have a reason to), BUT I loved the show and found it thoroughly enjoyable to look at.  Thakoon incorporated a vast range of vibrant colors, styles, patterns, and references to different parts of the world.  It's kind of a potpourri of all things fashion in one show.  I definitely noticed some Western references, but the style was a bit all over the place because I also saw some very Indian references as well. 

 These two looks were some of my favorites from the first part of the show.  I love the vibrant turquoise color and the intricate embroidery on the tops.  The shape of the flared skirt is super flattering and cute for anyone to wear, and the purple hair makes it even more fun to look at.

These next two looks show off more of the silhouettes from the collection as well as the vibrant orange shoes a lot of the looks featured.  The paisley print was used quite a lot in this collection, which I thought was a fun alternative for spring rather than the usual floral prints everyone throws out there.

These two looks were from the tail end of the show, but I found them to be some of the most interesting. The top look shows off even more color, as well as a cute tailored collar/bodice.  I think the black and pink used together in that look is really dynamic and different from a lot of the other pieces in this collection.  The last look really has an Eastern/Indian feel to me, and I love the maxi skirt for spring.  The colors in this piece are much more neutral than any of the other pieces, but I think the crop top with the pink sash make it an interesting piece overall.

My Style

I think fashion is one of the most interesting things in the world because it encompasses so much!  What is stylish, what is fashionable means so many different things to any one person that it's sometimes a little overwhelming, which could be why fashion is sometimes intimidating to people.  Fashion is ever changing and it's really something that references the past and at the same time the future.  Personally, I think fashion is inspiring, beautiful, and ugly all at the same time.  I don't believe in fashion rules.  I just believe in what I like which is constantly changing.