Author: Amy Liang

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Classic Coat

I am completely in shock that we’re already almost all the way through December. Time is passing by way too quick, but I guess that can be a good thing; that means summer is another month closer. Who can complain about that right? But for the remaining of this winter, let’s make the best out of it. How about we begin with a little chit chat on coats? They’re so important in our cold-weather ensembles. They are the finishing pieces to every outfit so we have to be extra thoughtful when choosing which one to wear. One that we can always count on is the classic black peacoat. Today’s Fashionisto pulled off a perfect look with it.

His ensemble has a light urban twist thanks to his dark indigo jeans and cognac combat boots. When these two are paired together, they will never fail to create a casual street-style look that can be perfectly cool for a school day. If you want to go for a more semi-formal look, opt for chino pants and a pair of wing-tipped oxford shoes. You’ll be sure to look super dapper and ready for any final presentations or maybe a date night.

As for your inner layers, go for a chunky cardigan. Look for one that has eye-catching details or prints. Or simply go plain like this Fashionisto did. He chose a heather gray double breasted cardigan. The button details and collar folds can be just as loud as colors and patterns. Experiment it for yourself! And last but not least, top it all off with a black peacoat. It will never do you wrong and Banana Republic agrees as it’s shown in their fall 2013 ready-to-wear collection.

A classic black peacoat is timelessly classic and effortlessly versatile. See what pairings you can create. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Holiday Evergreen

Christmas is coming! Who’s excited? This girl right here! I simply cannot wait till finals are over so that I can start celebrating this lovely holiday with my family and friends. The presents and rolls of gift wrapping paper are itching for some affection. The festive outfits and ugly Christmas sweaters are waiting for some attention as well. Today’s Fashionista assembled the perfect outfit to scream some holiday cheer. It also looks very cold-weather friendly — a very important thing for us New Yorkers.

She has on a bright and charming green colored pea coat. Play with Christmas’ signature colors of red and green. Once these colors are in your palette, your ensemble will instantly look festive. For night time transitions, simply add a splash of glam with some shiny metallic details or some shimmery specks of sequins. These will add that magical glow to your outfit — perfect for any party or get together with friends or family.

To keep yourself extra warm, loop a circle scarf around your bare neck like this Fashionista did. To go a little more chic and glam, look for a scarf with some faux fur detailing. Faux fur has been on my must-have list this season. It effortlessly adds hints of luxuriousness to any outfit. As for shoes, slip into some sleek cognac colored over-the-knee boots — they’ll keep everything from our toes to knees covered from the blistering winds this December.

With some shades of red and green, some specks of sequins and shimmer and faux fur, you’ll be so ready for this holiday season to come.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Black Acid

Black acid washed jeans have become the front-runner of some of the edgiest pieces in many of our wardrobes. The rugged look created by the speckles of black and gray helps to channel a tough look for any outfit. Paired with sleeker black pieces like today’s Fashionista, the perfect balance between chic and edge is created.

Start with a pair of acid wash skinny jeans. Stray away from blotchy looking washes and try to look for a pair with a smoother and more evened out wash. This Fashionista chose a lighter gray shade which helps to contrast the heavy black pieces in her ensemble. This may be something to consider. If you don’t want your outfit to look too dark, balance it off with lighter colors. For outerwear, stay warm with a moto coat like the models did for Diesel Black Gold‘s fall 2013 ready-to-wear collection. Look for one that has leather details to give extra oomph to the whole ensemble. It’ll help add points to the glam department and that’s always a plus. As for shoes, go with an over-the-knee boot. It’s super sleek and will keep your legs warm from the bitter cold. But if you’re a little too petite to wear such a tall boot, slip into a knee-high boot instead. It’ll look just as great without making you look shorter than you actually are. Rachel Zoe showed how it’s done in her ready-to-wear collection for this fall. It’s definitely a great look!

With a bit of edge and glam, you’ll be ready to inch your way into this holiday season. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Sweater Bomber

With Christmas around the corner, you know the temperature is getting ready to drop. I would think I’ll get used to the cold by now being that I’ve lived through New York City’s brutal winters my whole life. But, every year I still find myself terrified of it. To combat this bone-chilling weather, I always find myself throwing on a thick cozy sweater. Especially for days when I’m just going to class, a casual cable sweater is my best friend. It’s effortlessly comfortable and warm. Who can say no to that? Today’s Fashionisto pulled together an outfit exemplifying just that.

He chose a light oatmeal color as the main focus in his ensemble. Nothing will ever go wrong with neutral colors. They are extremely versatile in matching with other colors. You wouldn’t have to worry about it clashing with anything. But, never be afraid to play with colors on days when you feel a little bold. Try burgundy or navy as a start. They are great colors to warm up any chilling winter day. Designer brand Marc by Marc Jacobs agrees as its fall 2013 ready-to-wear collection shows it.

As for his jacket, he chose to go with a wool-blended bomber jacket—perfect for days when you just want to relax and get through a long day in school. As for bottoms, jeans are the way to go. Choose a medium washed shade and your outfit is all done.

Stock up on some sweaters and create some winter friendly outfits. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Read Between The Lines

The semi-casual look is always something that we all need to master. For a presentable everyday outfit, the balance between formal and casual is crucial. It’s like frosting for a cupcake — without it it’ll just be blah. So let’s top it off the right way like today’s Fashionisto who pulled together a perfect example of a semi-casual outfit.

He chose to go with a navy and white striped shirt for his bottom layer. This print is classic and it embodies a laid back vibe. Use this print to add depth to a plain outfit. Stripes can vary in all sorts of widths. The wider the stripes are, the more casual it’ll look. Stay away from thin pinstripes — you don’t want to look like you’re heading to an office job after class. Stick to thick horizontal stripes. If stripes are not your thing, go for a fun graphic T-shirt. As for your bottoms, slip into a pair of dark jeans. The deeper indigo shades are most flattering and helpful in bringing the outfit to the formal side. Avoid light-washed shades because they will often look too casual.

Now to amp up your outfit, throw on a blazer like this Fashionisto did. It will seriously solve everything. Its signature formal vibe will do all the work for you. Always invest in a black and navy blazer. Black will serve you well for those job or internship interviews and navy will do you justice for days when you want to just lounge around in school.

Pair formal and casual together to create the perfect mash-up. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Rough Edged

This fall season, I find myself very much interested in grungy street-styles. Dark-colored basics and plaid patterns have been so dear to me lately and let me just say, it feels amazing not having to care about whether or not you look “put together.” Grungy street-styled ensembles are made to give off a cool, carefree and effortless vibe. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to look tough, right?

Today’s Fashionista pulled off the perfect example of such a style. The outfit is built on layers of textures and for details, the king of versatile prints, plaid took its role and presented itself for the pants. Reassemble this look by layering simple dark-toned tops. Go for basics so that you keep the casual vibe going. For your outerwear, throw on a pleather/leather jacket. Nothing is more edgier than that. Look into studded details if you want to give your ensemble extra detail, but be minimal. This style is not meant to be paired with too much pizazz.

As for shoes and accessories, complete your outfit with a warm and comforting black infinity scarf. It’s one of the best things that anyone can have to brace the upcoming cold temperatures. For shorter jackets/coats, you can ring it around twice so that it hits just around your chest area. For longer jackets/coats, throw it on and let it dangle around your waist area. Lastly, onto shoes! slip into a pair of combat boots. Tall or short, a pair of these bad boys will have just the right amount of edginess to finish off your entire look.

Channel your inner rough-edged persona and see what outfits it can inspire you to assemble. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Mixer

Nothing gets me more excited for the fall other than hot vanilla soy lattes, boots and jackets. Each fall I find myself saying, no more jackets, no more coats, stop buying so many! But, like many Fashionistas and Fashionistos out here, I always end up with two or three new ones every year. It’s really becoming a bad habit. Nonetheless, the excitement in welcoming any new piece into my wardrobe is worth every dollar. This year, I will be scouting out pieces with eye catching details. It has always been something that I want to experiment with.

Don’t hesitate in going for jackets and coats with mixtures of textures, colors and prints. It’s an easy way to add detail in our fall-winter ensembles when our outerwear is the only thing that people can see. Try pleather and a wool blend like this Fashionista did. Unlike a full-on leather jacket which at times may be overly edgy, this mix of texture tones it down and leaves more room for versatility. This look will be a front runner for fall and designers, Rebecca Taylor and Rachel Zoe agree as their models presented this look in their fall 2013 ready-to-wear collections.

As for the upcoming holiday season which I’m sure a good amount of us are getting ready to find dazzling sequined pieces for parties, try a tweed jacket with some metallic embellishment. A little shine can go a long way. If the glam bedazzled look is not your cup of tea, add some life into your ensemble by playing with some rich gem tones like this Fashionista did with her luscious teal chiffon blouse.

Experiment with mixtures in detail. See what combinations you can find. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Beanie Season

It has surely gotten a lot chillier here in New York. I can feel myself getting more and more sensitive to the cold as each year passes by. Early signs of aging perhaps? I sure hope not (fingers crossed). To keep myself warm and toasty, I love to top off my outfits with scarves, gloves and hats. One of my favorite hats for this season is the beanie. It’s super cozy and perfect for my street-urban styled outfits. Today’s Fashionisto pulled off a perfect street-urban styled look with no other than the beanie.

He played with a spectrum of gray hues. He chose a pair of faded gray jeans, a charcoal bomber jacket and a heather gray beanie. For an accent color, he chose a light indigo button-down shirt. Since these colors are of the same family, they work very well together. Go for a similar color palette technique. Dive into a family of one color and tweak out different shades to create a cool canvas of a cascading color. Or delve into several colors and select similar shades from each color. For example, if you’re going for a tough urban look like this Fashionisto, consider browns, grays and for an accent color, red. Now from these three colors, pick a shade from each and make sure that they are similar in lightness. You may want to consider a deep taupe shade from the brown family, a sharp gunmetal shade from the gray family, and a plummy maroon shade from the red family. You’ll instantly pull off a grungy urban vibe. Experiment with your colors and don’t be afraid of stepping out comfort zones.

As for beanies, stock up on them! They’re going to come in handy for bad-hair days and they’re going to be the much needed source of heat for your exposed head in the cold. They are available in many different styles. Their shapes vary from pointy, rounded to slouchy and details such as pom-poms and prints are plentiful.

With a beanie to top it all off, your ensembles will be so ready for fall and winter. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Black Magic

Black: the monarch of all powerhouse colors. It is just about the most timeless and classic color. It attributes to the only garment piece with an acronym, the LBD — little black dress. It’s known to be versatile, sophisticated and glam. It will remain strong throughout this fall as designer brands such as Viktor & Rolf, Yves Saint Laurent and Rachel Zoe showcase it all over their fall 2013 ready-to-wear collections. Models are donning head-to-toe black ensembles and today’s Fashionista pulls this trend out from the runway to assemble a perfect all black outfit.

She created a very sophisticated looked by choosing a fitted blazer to layer over her peplum tank. Go with a similar approach. Mesh a blazer with a light blouse or if it’s a little chilly, opt for a feather soft cashmere sweater. Cashmere is extremely delicate so you wouldn’t have to worry about it looking chunky. It will help maintain a classy sophisticated look. For the bottoms, keep it slim like this Fashionista did. She chose a pair of black faux leather paneled leggings. This hint of leather beautifully sets an edgy tone for her ensemble. If you’re planning for a night out, go bold and hit a higher note by slipping into a pair of leggings with a full leather front.

Now on to the shoes. Go for a heeled bootie! It’s going to magically elongate your legs since it will blend into your black leggings. Your walk will be mesmerizing. Just don’t get caught up looking at them while you’re making your way down the street — watch where you’re going and don’t clumsily miss a step.

Cast some of your black pieces together to construct effortless and classy ensembles. See what magic you can create. Good luck!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Pop Of Collar

Plain comfy sweaters can save us major headaches when we cannot decide on what to wear for a chilly fall morning. You can choose to go simple and throw it on as it is, or go glam by topping it off with a statement necklace and a fur vest. Or go for a ride on the equestrian side like today’s Fashionista who pulled an urban twist to it.

She chose to wear her elbow-patched sweater with a white button-up for her bottom layer. This add of detail from the collar gives life to her outfit. The simplest show of details can really have your look go from boring to something. Imitate this simple technique by pulling up your bottom layer’s collar for a subtle add of detail. You can go for a full equestrian look by layering on a long boyfriend blazer and finishing it off with a pair of knee-high riding boots. Or go for a street-styled urban twist and choose a laced-up combat boot.

Lastly, stack on some arm candy like this Fashionista did. A little accessory can go a long way. She has on a mix of black and gold to complement her soft tan sweater and black jeggings. Whatever color scheme you decide to go with, layer on some jewelry for final touches to the outfit.

Not every add of detail has to be a layer-on. It can be from below the surface like this Fashionista’s collar. Try it for yourselves and see what ensembles you can come up with. Good luck!