New Year, New Look, New Features

New Year

For New Year's Eve, I added some party pizazz to a Little Black Dress with colorful printed tights and a bold necklace. Cheers to 2009!

New Look

What better time than New Year's to revamp the look of my blog? I decided to eliminate the tree silhouette graphic to achieve a cleaner, simpler aesthetic. I'm going to change the background periodically to whatever shade suits the season and my mood.

New Features

Couture Q&A
I don't claim to have all the answers, but I usually have an opinion. So, if you ever have any style-related questions, just use the Couture Q&A form on the right and ask away. Can I wear black and brown together? Navy and black? Open-toe shoes with tights? I have an awesome new skirt but don't know what to wear it with. What's appropriate attire for a daytime wedding? Whatever!

Product Details  
I'm going to start specifying where I purchased all items featured and how much they cost.

Enough About Me  
From now on, I hope to have more posts that feature other people. Whether it be makeovers, random street style snapshots or friends and family members, expect to see new faces. To achieve this, I'm introducing a new type of post called "Looks I Like." Instead of a full feature story, these posts will just show a picture or pictures of looks I like without much text and without runway examples. Hopefully this will enable me to post more frequently. We'll see.

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

Re-Styling

Travis' look gets an update.

For the Record: Travis was a willing participant in this "makeover." There is absolutely nothing wrong with his "Before" look. I just wanted to demonstrate the difference a few small changes can make to your overall appearance.

Before

Travis' usual look consists of a button-up shirt, his favorite Levi's, a light jacket and his Adidas.

After
 

I added a tie and v-neck sweater to the standard button-up, kept the same jeans and swapped the sneakers for some polished lace-up boots.

I replaced the jacket with a black hoodie, plaid peacoat and red scarf.

Two Easy

Look chic in a cinch with two-tone dresses.

Delicate neckline pleating and a vibrant purple skirt make this is a fab cocktail dress by itself. Paired with tights, booties and a cardigan, it's perfect for work. You get the look of a top tucked into a high-waisted skirt without the hassle.












The simple silhouette and neutral color palette of this dress let you transform it with accessories depending on the occasion.

On the Runway: Marni Fall 2008 RTW. Image source: Style.com.

On the Runway: Roksanda Ilincic Fall 2008 RTW. Image source: Style.com.

Party Season

I shopped my closet in search of outfits for upcoming holiday soirees.

Embrace the spirit of the season with festive colors, satiny fabrics and metallic accessories. Loose-fitting blazers are a trend to look out for as spring approaches.

Party dresses are always fun, but sometimes I feel best in a good pair of jeans. Dress up your favorite denim with an embellished top and some distinctive heels.

Thigh-high stockings, a miniskirt and a statement necklace make for a trendy look. If you don't own an extra large necklace, just throw on multiple necklaces as I've done here. I made the stockings by cutting off the top of some old tights.

On the Runway: 3.1 Phillip Lim Fall 2008 RTW. Image source: Style.com.

 

On the Runway: DKNY Spring 2009 RTW. Image source: Style.com.

Black Out

Let this pitch-dark staple dominate your ensemble for a sleek, minimalist feel.

Eliminating color from a look encourages experimentation with other aspects of the outfit, such as layering.

When paired with all black, a vibrant accessory really pops.

Use the simplicity of black to call attention to distinctive pieces like this jumper.

On the Runway: Tao Fall 2008 RTW. Image source: Style.com.

On the Runway: Zac Posen Fall 2008 RTW. Image source: Style.com.

On the Runway: Erin Fetherston Fall 2008 RTW. Image source: Style.com.