Unisex everything is a trend that has been around for decades; not always at the forefront, but always there. I remember my men’s sweatshirt/jacket days back in high school & the huge hoopla surrounding the release of CK 1, the first unisex fragrance (which I would totally still wear if it didn’t evoke memories of nerdy days gone by). And though the days of women in XXL men’s sweatshirts & jeans are mostly long gone, the era of boyfriend jeans & boyfriend tees still prevails. Boyfriend tees are great & all (HELLO, Mossimo at Target, $8!), but there’s just nothing like creeping into my brother’s closet (sorry Boogs, if you don’t know, now you know..) & borrow hoodies & tees that I can then wear over skinny jeans & a sweet pair of flats. So, go ahead & surreptitiously (or if they’re nice, just ask) borrow your brother’s, significant other’s, or grandpa’s clothing (Macklemore style)..OR just go out & buy menswear just for YOU..and be too unisexy for your clothing!
Seen above, sand faux leather & cotton lightweight jacket (21Men), black cotton tee (21Men), indigo skinny jeans (Forever 21), & classic B&W checkerboard loafers ($4.99, Charlotte Russe..a proud buy!). Sustenance consideration provided by Dunkin’ Donuts. 😉
Today’s Interlude: “Man! I Feel Like A Woman,” Shania Twain
I thought I’d smile for this one because I was starting to scare myself with the other pics & I have no cute spokesmodels. And since Sunday is the day of rest, my contact lenses are also taking the day off.
Exposed zippers are all the rage on the runways right now & what better way to pay homage to my favorite functional friends than to wear them head to toe? I call this look “No Frills” because it’s a little bit tough guy (BUT there are hidden frills in there..SURPRISE!). I paired a sheer white frilled blouse (Forever 21) with Caribbean green capris (Forever 21) (It’s 50 degrees, ok!? For NYC, right now, that’s summer) & black faux leather peep-toe bootlets (I don’t love the word “booties” with exposed brass zippers (Bakers Shoes). Threw on my favorite little NYC boutique find bomber jacket with more exposed zippers (in COLORS!) to complete a feminine fighter ensemble.
Below are some more detailed pictures of my top half (calm down).
Even before I turned into a fledgling designer, fashion was my happy bubble. I cut and sewed dresses for my Barbies, made purses from scraps of my mom’s unused fabrics, found pages and pages of sketches in my biology binder, and even made my family watch my “Madame Four Seasons” fashion show set to a Barbie & The Sensations cassette tape when I was 8. As I’ve grown, my style has evolved & it’s become less about trying to wear all of the “it” trends back in school and more about incorporating the “it” trends into my personal wardrobe, and that too, only if they fit my personality. A current Fall 2014 trend calls for purple lip color; I couldn’t even pull that off if I was Barney the dinosaur & it blended in! Another popular trend is the crop top; now that, I can manage for the time being (but mostly while high-waisted bottoms are also still “in” because, let’s be real, no one has those high school abs anymore..except high schoolers and Alessandra Ambrosio).
Certain investments are worth it when it comes to staple wardrobe additions (a black leather jacket, the perfect white shirt, black suede boots, a denim jacket, those perfectly fitting, perfectly worn in jeans, the ideal pencil skirt, some sequins-use discretion there, please, and obviously the classic LBD) because they will either never go out of style or always come back at some point (check out the department stores right now & if you’re my generation, you’ll see a lot of what you probably remember wearing in high school; HELLO, PALAZZO PANTS!?). And by the way, repetition is not the fashion faux pas you think it is. Most of us are everyday folk and not Anna Wintour nor André Leon Talley nor Eva Chen are quite paying attention to what we’re strutting around in. A lot of true style innovation happens when you mix & match things you already own and see them in different ways with a variety of other pieces.
Below are some of my favorite street style looks where I’ve been able to combine pieces from high school (that I’ve hung on to like a pack-rat) with income-friendly additions from your everyday stores like Forever 21, Bakers, Guess, etc. Add one or two trends that you’re comfortable with, a high-end splurge here & there, and some vintage pieces or acquisitions from your travels, and you can still be non-Stepford Wife fashion forward while embracing your own unique flavor (mine is “champagne & cookie dough”). 😉
If there is any ensemble you want more details about, please comment below. Otherwise, I’ll be writing more fashion posts every Tuesday about designers, trends, faves and fauxs, and more, so please stick around! 🙂
*I’m terrible at formatting, so just picture yourself in your favorite street style look in that little gap in photos down there!!
champagne & cookiedough 