Posts tagged ‘Michael Kors’
Your Epidermis is Showing
Like bare arms and legs, your upper abdomen is going to be getting a lot of sun this season thanks to the spring 2013 runways. Now, if you were to take a survey asking women if they would feel comfortable baring a part of their stomach while wearing a dress or shirt, I guarantee that at least 70% would say “oh hell no.” Not only is the stomach one of women’s biggest “problem areas”, but it’s also an area we cover up for the majority of the year (unless you live in a bikini, in which case you are hereby excluded from this entire post). But before you turn your back on the trend, know this: revealing the upper abdomen — we’re talking just below the boobs — can actually be extremely flattering, and requires little to no work at the gym.
Unlike the crop tops before them, these upper torso cut-outs aren’t here to expose your FUPA. Instead, they show off the flattest part of your stomach, provide ventilation (the under boob sweat is one of my biggest issues come summertime and this nixes that whole problem), and may actually be sexier than cleavage. Should you be a man reading this right now, you’re probably thinking, “Sonia doesn’t know anything when it comes to sexy dressing.” And given my recent stint with gaucho pants, perhaps you’re right. But in the act of self-defense, I too think I am right.
The upper-ab cut-out leaves much more to the imagination than a J.Lo style dress or Lil Kim nipple pasties. While cleavage will always have a place in the world of fashion (as it should), this new epidermal focus is far more refined and elegant than a set of perfectly plump knockers pouring out of a strapless gown. Maybe not for the office or the first time you meet the parents, but for a summer party (like this very Memorial Day Weekend!), it’s definitely worth taking out for a test run. Also, for the record: bras are optional whilst going crop-top. Feel the freedom and find your own suitable cut-out dress from my picks below.
The Maxi Wins Again
Well isn’t this curious. Back in October when the weather was transitioning from summer to fall, I wrote about the maxi dress being a great transition piece. And now, as the weather switches from winter to spring, I am here again promoting the skirts of a longer length. Only this time, instead of a dress, I’ve hiked up my maxi skirt so that it functions as a moomoo tube dress of sorts.
Now, a couple of things about wearing a maxi skirt as a dress. Unless you are a twigster, this type of silhouette can be uber unflattering. So to combat looking like a tree trunk, I stress the importance of a structured, hip length jacket. This not only adds some dimension to your look and says “hey I actually do have some shape I just chose to wear this snakeskin potato sack,” but also adds to the whole notion that we are in a climatic transition here and certain limbs must still be covered.
And while we’re on the subject of covered limbs, let’s take a moment here to appreciate how maxi length dresses and skirts allow us to go tightsless while still covering the deathly pale color of our legs. I’m honestly shocked you can’t see the brick wall through my kneecaps.
So, while you’re busy covering up your gradually tanning limbs, let your mini-limbs (aka fingers and wrists) take the spotlight with extra bulky accoutrements that allow you to track your tan as the day progresses. Ring tans are the accessory of spring/summer 2013. You heard it here first.
Maje jacket | Michael Kors skirt worn as a dress (on sale!) | Rag & Bone boots | Coach bag | Vintage rings
// photos by Emily Malan
The Beauty of the Suit
Topshop suit | Equipment blouse | Lulu Frost necklace | Michael Kors heels | Seiko watch
Allow me to make a generalization: I have often thought mens clothing to be very boring. Obviously the likes of Simon Doonan, Hamish Bowles, and Johnny Depp are excluded from this proclamation, but given the “everyday man” in his suit and tie (hey Justin!), there’s just not a lot there. Or so I thought.
In the last year however, I have accumulated several suits. Plaid, velvet, grey, and black, these coordinated two-pieces have become my sartorial savior in many a fashion bind. Do I wear them together all the time? No. But neither do men. I have seen my brother pair his grey blazer with jeans, his matching grey slacks with a navy sweater, and I have also seen him wear both pieces at the same time with a crisp button-down and tie. So much versatility with just two key pieces! Bananas!
As a preview to one of next week’s post, I have decided to show a not so neutral suit that pairs with essentially everything in any girls wardrobe. Here we go:
Behold the above image — a suit paired together for the classy, work-focused lady. With a silky white button-down, standard black pumps, and a slightly eccentric necklace, this girl could easily be going to the office or attending happy hour with friends; my guess is she’s the white wine type.
Below we have the cool girl who probably lives somewhere in Brooklyn or the East Village. She works at a creative ad agency, has a lot of guy friends, and has one of those sexy raspy voice because she likes to smoke Parliament Lights in between glasses of Jameson on the rocks. Her laid back t-shirt and beat up chucks may give off the vibe that she’s messy, but M-F she’s got her head in the game as is evident by her designer bag.
Topshop pants | R13 shirt | A.J. Morgan sunglasses | Anya Hindmarch bag | Vita Fede bracelet | Converse shoes
Then we have the California transplant (or maybe she lives in LA right now, but I’m in New York and I just picture her here). Never one to let go of her easy breezy Pacific lifestyle, she’s brought all her doily vintage inspired dresses with her. But to add a bit of edge to her west-coast-best-coast flair, she tosses in a bold lip and cozy flannel to fight off that New England almost-spring air.
Topshop blazer | Proenza Schouler bag | Dolce Vita dress | Mac ‘Ruby Woo’ lipstick | Jacquie Aiche earcuff | Ralph Lauren shirt | Asos boots
And lastly we have the mix-master who can essentially wear anything and look put together; which also happens to be the beauty of the suit. Here we have the grunge factor — flannel, boyfriend tee, converse — but the combo of the tailored blazer and matching trousers make her look like the type of person who would leave a note if she hit your car pulling into a parking spot. She also probably has a really hot boyfriend, which is where she got that boyfriend shirt and flannel. Just sayin’.
Topshop suit | R13 shirt | Converse shoes | Ralph Lauren shirt | Vita Fede bracelet | Seiko watch
Stay tuned for next week’s post where I replicate all of the above with the pieces of my own wardrobe and not the world wide web. Goodbye.
The Purpose of Style
With the exception of skyscraper heels, I’d like to think my style is pretty functional. Sure I’ll pile on the accessories or wear an extra layer or two, but it’s important for me not to have an outfit that requires a lot of fidget and fuss. Outfits that have you constantly pulling down a skirt or adjusting a belt are not only frustrating, but make you look uncomfortable. Style is supposed to be fun and experimental, not a nuisance. So for the most part, I nix any outfit additions that get in the way or serve no purpose.
I’ve often admired punks and 90s grunge icons for their ability to look effortlessly cool when really we all know their outfits took some serious time and thought to put together. Sid Vicious and his piling of spiked belts. Kurt Cobain and his multitude of layered cardigans. The kids hanging around Tompkins Square Park or St. Marks Place with their tattered tights and mohawks. Do you know how long it takes to actually get a mohawk to stick straight up? I don’t, but I imagine it takes awhile. And Sid Vicious, I love you, but I’m fairly certain your three spiked belts all fastened to the side were not all there to keep your pants up. Yet, while these pieces serve next-to-no-function (i.e. ripped tights do not keep you warm), they do serve a purpose; the purpose of style.
Taking cues from the Fall 2013 runways, I’ve been testing out different ways to add more layers to a single look before spring and summer roll around and I’m stripped of anything that will cause an excess of sweat. I don’t like things to feel too bulky — having socks bunch up while inside my shoes may be one of my biggest pet peeves — so I started simple with a 90s grunge inspired plaid shirt tied around my waist. Though it serves no functional purpose, it added an extra element of proportion, texture, and style to a look that felt a little too simple without it. I can also report that when double knotted I never had to fidget to keep it in place.
Schott leather jacket | H&M sweater (similar here) | Catherine Malandrino dress (similar here) | Rail shirt (similar here) | Zara boots | Chloé bag | Ray-Ban sunglasses | Michael Kors scarf
// photos by Emily Malan
It’s Not What You Wear
If you had asked me a few years ago if I would ever wear gold snakeskin pants, I would have laughed in your face. For a Lil Kim costume, why not? For everyday Sonia wear? No ma’am.
I believe that much of this hesitance was due to sartorial ignorance. While I’ve always been experimental with styles and pieces, I was often repelled by certain apparel stigmas. As far as I was concerned, bodycon dresses were reserved for the likes of Paris Hilton, polo shirts were for prepsters (which I would never be), and denim-on-denim was forever a no.
If you’re an active follower of my blog, you’ll know that I’ve gotten over all of the aforementioned “stigmas” and embraced each look with an open mind, proving to myself that it really isn’t about what you wear but how you wear it (preach!). So, when I received these gold snakeskin pants, there was a mere half-second where I thought “oh, hell no“. But the doubts were crushed by giant dinosaur feet as my style imagination started creating multiple looks with these Lil Kim stunners.
Almost all the looks I cooked up include more conservative pieces on the top (blazers, button downs, sweaters, etc), but the fun with my disco-worthy pants has only just begun. Gold on gold on gold? Why the heck not?!
Zara blazer & shirt | Buffalo jeans c/o | Coye Nokes heels c/o | Michael Kors bag | BCBGMAXAZRIA watch c/o | Giles & Brother cuff c/o | C.Wonder leopard bracelet
// photos by Anna Kelman
