Neon Fan

Wasn't I just saying that the most flattering of all the neon hues is pink? Well, look at what happened last Sunday: 



Fan Bingbing at the Oscars

This is a lot of dress. And she is tiny. But, somehow, this really works. First of all, look at her face. It's really hard to make that look unattractve. While I don't love the fact that the lipstick matches, it has the effect of making her look even more like a living doll.  

I mean, that is a serious amount of silk satin. I love that the folds are very structural. she looks like a Chinese princess made out of hot pink satin origami paper. I have always felt that Asian are more sartorially adventurous than us Westerners, and this just proves my point. What Western actress can you think of that would have pulled this exact look off so flawlessly? Potentially Blanchett.

The inset of embellishment at the back adds a bit of textural interest without detracting from the rest of the dress and has the effect of looking like an obi being peeled away. Super cool. Marchesa works for her because it has the right amount of dreamy drama to compliment her looks and personality.

This is also an instance of great styling. you can plop the dress on her but, as we saw from Renee Zellweger, that isn't where you should stop. The hair has to fit the face and the angles of the gown, while keeping the head in proportion to the rest of the body. This beehive looks retro, architectural, Asian, and modern. all at the same time. Perfect. I maynot have chosen pink sapphires for the jewelry as I feel it tends to blend in with the fabric and lipstick, but I don't really mind it either. In this case, a contrasting color like turquoise could have been striking, but may have been a bit overdone on such a small frame.

In short, this is flawless perfection and I want to have this dress and wear it around my house and to Target carrying a mimosa and long feather boa.

Neon Nation

Remember 80's neon? I do. I had a day-glo Body Glove t-shirt and neon pink leggings. I wore them with my tiered denim acid wash skirt and side ponytail. It was not a good look, but I was committed.

 

Since those days, designers have tried a few times to give it a comeback, but it's never really stuck. I assert that it's because neon just really is not flattering. In fact, they are harsh and aggressive. 

Neons are bullies. They scream "LOOK AT ME! I will burn your eyes and harass your retinas, but you will LOOK!" And I'm just not a fan of bullies.

Nicki Minaj

See? Isn't that harsh? I mean, the color of her hair actually hurts to look at. With such treacherous waters out there in the neon sea, I figure I should do my part to offer safe navigation.

Start small. Choose a piece of jewelry, watch, bow, belt, etc. They are easy to integrate into a closet and you can buy them cheaply enough to get rid of them when this trend's (hopefully, short) half-life is over.

Deborah Lippmann "Who Run the World (Girls)" Collection

Alexis Bittar

Adidas

Topshop

J. Crew

Nordstrom

If you are going to wear any highlighter color at all, I feel the best choice by far is pink. While you may risk it bringing out unflattering redness in your skin, it won't make you look nearly as zombie-riffic as yellow or green.

For the love of all that is sacred a pure, please put your neon on a neutral. Navy blue works especially well, but khaki, grey, and most any denim will work very nicely. White is a bit more challenging, as it can increase the harshness of the neon and give you a 'highlighter on printer paper' effect. Someone with medium to deep skintones can pull this off, but I encourage the pale girls to stay away.

J. Crew

If you feel particularly bold, choose a neon shoe or bag.

Vans

Rebecca Minkoff

J. Crew

J. Crew

Wouldn't those Vans look adorable with cuffed skinny jeans? The sandals would work with denim shorts and the flats would look great with a navy skirt.

Wear this with khaki shorts/skirt and boat shoes for a nautical look:

J. Crew

 Tuck this into a navy pencil skirt and pop a blazer over it for work:

Ted Baker

Add a dark denim jacket and a grey tank for date night:

J. Crew

And please, please, please, do not wear multiple neon colors at once. You may end up looking like this:

Emma Stone's Mixed Blues (Bonus Andrew Garfield)

 

When I say that navy and red are neutrals and can be worn together with other colors I am serious.

First of all, the skirt is freaking adorable. Its 1960's secretarial vibe would normally lend itself to a pairing with a sleek button-down or even a bustier. I like that Emma has added super-trendy stripes to the look and, by doing so in the form of a t-shirt, adds a youthful edge.

The blue stripe of the shirt does not match the skirt. And it's cool. It's called 'tonal'. I don't love the sepia/sienna stripe in the shirt, but it acts as a nice, earthy base and works tonally with her hair.

To avoid that sepia washing out her complexion, she has added a turquoise collar necklace. It works well with both blues (more tonal) and looks great with the earth-tone. Plus, it's young and fresh.

As for the shoes: who doesn't love navy and red? The cut of the pump is flattering for her feet and legs and gives the whole look pizazz.

I guess that's just another 'Easy A' (wah-wah) for Emma Stone!

New Blog Alert!

Make sure to check out my friend's new blog Shanghai Vaquera! One of my food and fashion mentors, Julia takes a logical approach to the study of food, fashion, and travel. And she can peel a crawfish faster than anyone I know!

She's Baaaa-aaack!

Well, after a near- 2 month hiatus, I am back in the blogosphere.

Changing jobs from fashion to banking really makes for an interesting transition. It's been a challenge figuring out how to keep my unique style while working within the conservative constraints of the suit-and-tie set.

Something that has been very surprising: the number of badly-dressed bankers is astounding. I truly do understand working your wardrobe on a budget, but your clothes still have to fit you.

Take Chase, for example. Men are expected to wear black slacks, black shoes, black belt, Chase blue shirt, Chase tie and an optional black blazer. Women wear all black and have a choice of various Chase-logo'ed blue cardigans and tops.

That's got to be one of the easiest 'uniforms' I've ever heard of. Which is why I find it particularly puzzling when I see bankers whose pants are too short or sleeves too long. It's particularly annoying because a hem is typically one of the easiest and cheapest fixes to execute.

Banking is all about numbers: everyone wants the big money accounts. So, do you think a millionaire who wears custom Italian suits is going to trust his money to a man whose blazer is over large or a woman who doesn't know to remove the tacking from the kick pleat in her skirt. I doubt it.

Like it or not, the way in which we present ourselves can have a marked effect on our success in business.

The Duchess Does Citrus

Looks like Miss Catherine's been at it again. With her hubby off in the Falklands, she's keeping busy by hanging out with the in-laws. Stylishly, bien sur!

What Kate Wore

What Kate Wore

For a visit to Great Britain's Men's and Women's Olympic Field Hockey Teams, she wore a navy Pucci blazer, official London 2012 scarf, white tee and navy L.K. Bennett 'Art' pumps.

The jeans were a smidgen too tight for my taste- she is a Princess after all...

But, I adored the color. Way to look youthful and trend-appropriate, Kate! "The Today show" called her as-yet-unidentified jeans "tangerine", though I would definitely err on the side of coral or, perhaps, bittersweet.

Wikipedia

Kate's look may be easily adapted for daily wear:

1) Classic Preppy

Boat shoes /Sperry Top-Sider @ Nordstrom

Joe's Jeans @ Nordstrom

Boyfriend belt /Asos

Man's faux ostrich watch /Asos

Ikat printed scarf /Asos

Washed chambray shirt /J. Crew

2) Romantic

Dainty earrings /anthropologie

Girly ring /kate spade

Bow clutch /Ted Baker

Ladylike heels /Nordstrom

Lace Tee Shirt /J. Crew

J.Crew

3) Modern

Cobalt pumps /Aldo

Printed silk blouse /Theory

Joe's Jeans @ Nordstrom

Buttercream bag /Asos

Statement cuff /Asos

Dita Von Teese Wants Natural Beauty

So, I don't really know all that much about Dita Von Teese. Probably more than the average person, but that's just because I pay attention to stuff. To me, she is an embodiment of Dolly Parton's famous quip: "Find out who you are and then do it on purpose." She has her styling down to a tee and truly commits to her look.

Take off all her makeup and she's probably a very pretty woman, but lacquer her up and she is a bombshell. This is one thing I love so much about styling: that every woman, no matter how 'average' can find what really works for her and shows her to her best advantage.

This woman is almost 40.

Dita here has her own line of lingerie which goes into the plus sizes and up to a G cup. The little I know about lingerie tells me that going to G is not very extraordinary, but for a celebrity line I think it's pretty decent. She had women of all sizes walk the runway at her show and tweeted: "To set the record straight, my Von Follies lingerie show 'no spray tan policy' means NATURAL skin tones will be represented, pale & dark.''

Fabulous. Severely. I really, really love it. Pale =/= Ugly (or 'pasty').

Beautiful skin and she definitely has lines around her eyes and on her forehead. Awesome. She doesn't appear to be injected with fillers or paralyzers, either.

She's got a sort of Ava Gardner thing happening, and I adore the sharp red nails with half-moon mani. "I've had 2 years to sharpen my claws, mother; Jungle Red!"

Check it: 3 different-sized women wearing very similar garments (i.e. the 'plus size' one is not covered head to toe) and all of them look sexy, confident, and real.

The blonde in the back on the left? A bit heavy in the middle. The brunette next to Dita? Thick thighs. The lady on the right? Hips, baby, hips. Figure flaws? Oh heck no. They all look luscious.

Photos courtesy of JustJared.