New Trend Alert: Chevron!

I have noticed that the chevron pattern has gotten really popular in the last few months. I see the pattern everywhere; especially in pants, dresses, and decorative rugs.  I see this pattern used for bell-bottom or wide-legged pants a lot these days. The wavy pattern is very reminiscent of the 70s, and yes bell-bottoms are back, just in a looser lighter more beachwear way. Can't you just imagine a classy mature woman sitting on the beach with chevron patterned loose bell-bottoms, a big hat, and big sunglasses, enjoying a cold beverage? I can!

From what I gathered, the pattern is most popular when there is a dichromatic color scheme, often white and another color, and when the zig-zag lines run horizontally instead of vertically.

www.ordress.com

 Personally, when I first saw the pattern used in bell-bottomed pants I was little skeptical, but I have since boarded the chevron bandwagon. The pattern is zany, fun, and bold! I like the idea of a black and white chevron dress that is cinched at the waist with a bright belt. While I have grown to like the pattern, especially in home decor, I do have my reservations. I do not like when the lines are to wide or when many different colors are used in one pattern. I also think that the zig-zag patterns makes it diifcult to introduce other patterns.

www.modcloth.com

 Overall, I am a fan of chevron as long as it is kept simple.

What do you think of chevron? 

Would you wear it? Do you prefer when the pattern is modified or when it is the classic pattern? Do you like multiple colors or just two. Please share!

Law School Looks: Oh No, White After Labor Day!

When we enter into a professional setting, we often feel the need to leave our youthful looks behind. However, I believe that this is not necessary. My general rule of thumb is to include both conservative elements and fun/adventurous elements when operating in a professional setting. That is one of the reasons that I really like this dress. The black and white combination is very classy and clean. The form is reminiscent of the '60s with the simple lines, loose bodice, cinched waist, and full skirt, and collar. A few special elements of this particular dress's form is that the flowing skirt is pleated and the black trim is very effective at both highlighting and contrasting.

Then, there is the wonderfully whimsical pattern with the mint colored birds wearing top-hats, the water-like lines and swirls, and the small bird silhouette.

Accessories: I decided to wear turquoise earrings to complement the mint colored birds and black flats to stick with the classic black and white combination.

Oh No, White After Labor Day!
While his ensemble is very cute, I have violated one of the cardinal fashion rules of the United States: Don't wear white after labor day. What horror! But where does this steadfast and seemingly arbitrary rule come from? It is a common belief that this rule originated with the elite. Most people in the "olden" days wore dark clothes, because it was impractical to risk wearing light colored clothes that would be ruined by the ordinary drudgery of the day. However, the wealthy members of society rocked white clothing throughout the summer while vacationing at their summer homes. Labor Day is often seen as the day that signals the last day of summer. Thus, out with summer, out with white. This rule became a good way to distinguish those that were in (part of polite society) from those that were out.

While this is a big fashion faux pas in the U.S., there were many fashionistas before me that pushed back against this rule; one example is Coco Chanel. Coco Chanel wore white year-around. Bronwyn Cosgrave, the author of The Complete History of Costume and Fashion: From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day, said that "Fashion rules are meant to be broken by those that can pull it off." I completely agree.

So what do you think, did I pull it off?

References:
http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1920684,00.html

Being Fancy! Metallic Print

I decided to wear this outfit to a reception dinner. I really like this outfit because it is very feminine, young, and fresh. The dress is cream with a silver metallic floral print. The dress actually came with the silver belt, which is awesome because I can take the belt off and pair it with other outfits. I got a new dress and a new accessory, yay!. This dress accentuates my curves well because of its structure and relative stiffness, though it was not form-fitting. The back was a little low-cut, making it kind of sexy and adding to the femininity.  Originally I thought that the sliver metallic print would be over the top, but it gave a classy dress some sass. I give shiny, metallic, and glitter two thumbs up.

Accessories: I chose to wear the blue-green shoes because they added a pop of color and did not clash with the sliver. I wore a silver earring and necklace set, but I think that that the outfit would have been cute with green jewelry as well. I also think that it would be fun to experiment with belt color and flats instead of heels.

What is your take on metallic prints? 

Do you like them or do you think that they are too much?

Let everyone know what you think!