Houndstooth’s Back With A Bite

What are a few tenets of minimalistic dressing partial to your Winter wardrobe? Much-touted classic colors of black and white? High octane selection of beige, camel, and golden tan? And if you’re me, being swayed by the equally infectious normcore trend generating sartorial pins from Stockholm to Seoul, you probably have a wide selection of wardrobe staples like drapey coats, button-down flannels, and cult-favorite skinny jeans.

With most trends tested from palazzo pants to leopard print midis (as I’m not stranger to the “life is trying things to see if they work” mantra),  I find myself eschewing the typical in favor of a much edgier look. Make no mistake, I take canny heed in monochromatic colors. Black, white, grey, beige, the entire color spectrum. However, it’s the varied texture, the au courant design, the luxe fabrics, and the crisp detailing that warrants my attention (and shopping galore). And when i came across this Black White Oversize Houndstooth Coat from Sheinside, with its stand collar and vintage style, I immediately envisioned my capsule wardrobe embracing a new gem with a stamp of approval.

Like a lot of oversized coats in menswear-inspired silhouette, the outfit pairings are endless. To stylishly grace through bone-chilling weather in the Midwest, wear it with a statement sweater and a pair of grey skinnies for a seamlessly executed and polished look. For golden damsels in LA, drape over a warm-weather ensemble to flaunt that perfect transitional outfit. And to the Alexander Wang-clad, fashion month circuit-infused style mavens in New York, be perennially stylish as you always are and top it over your head-to-toe black ensemble à la shaggy mohair loose sweater (this Helmut Lang one is on my wish list) + leather jeans + towering booties.

With a spawning list of outerwear to try this season, have you found your newfound glory? 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Photos: Jason J Photography

Top: H&M// Pants: J Brand// Jacket: Sheinside// Boots: Vince Camuto// Bag: MadStyle// Fur Scarf: Bloomingdale’s

In collaboration with Sheinside; thoughts and opinions are my own

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Well Vested

As we’ve long bid our adieus to summer and the abundance of sunshine, warmth, and saccharine-colored dresses, there are certain wardrobe staples that I like to keep on heavy rotation when we plunge into Fall. Though the fickle weather has awakened our affinity for hot cocoa and toasty evenings by the fireplace, liminal time still exists for us to polish off our looks sans hefty jackets, thermal puffers, and shearling-lined boots.

My favorite outfits to work into that interim phase? A souped up moto jacket with a jersey panelled number. An oversized camel coat over a nifty sweater. Or an olive green suede vest with faux fur lining paired with a patterned blouse like this one I got at Nordstrom (where now you can save up to 40% at the Nordstrom Clearance Sale through November 11!)

While some wear a long vest like a sleeveless coat, others ditch the menswear-inspired look by choosing a gilet like this fuzzy TopShop version. But there’s one tenet of this trend that makes it a cult favorite – it can be worn open as a layering piece, so you can stick to your choice of minimalistic dressing with a faux fur vest in the same hue (all-black ensembles rejoice!), or add a bit of spunk with a printed shirt in the same color family.

Given the vest’s prominent color is green, I made sure my Tory Burch shirt picked it up along with other fall foliage hues (I also like this funky leopard print by Roberto Cavalli). And to give this eminently wearable outfit all the ease for travel and commute (granted you don’t have a chauffeur or you take public transportation to work everyday, you stylish urbanite), I paired it with black skinny jeans and brown Chelsea boots (this UGG pair I’m wearing has wool sockliner and foam-cushioned footbed!)

There you go, a classic Fall pairing that’ll have you one step away from perfecting those wanderlust-inducing snaps on Instagram!

Xo~ Lena

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Photos: Jason J Photography

Top: Tory Burch// Vest: Vince Camuto//Pants: Paige// Boots: UGG// Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs// Shades: Prada

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Black Ink White Canvas

Some things just look better in black and white: old French films, snow-drenched pavements, Sephora’s eponymous store front, and of course, your Fall wardrobe. Take a cue from Victoria Beckham’s Spring 2014 collection at New York Fashion Week where she incorporated a mishmash array of draped frocks and polished silhouettes in mono tones of black and white. Simple yet sleek, high fashion yet enviably cool.

The classic color combo gets a sophisticated makeover this season as fashion luminaries bring to the spotlight mod designs and pattern play  From futuristic runway shows to sartorial street fashion, there’s nothing less than swoon-worthy ensembles in this plain palette. Houndstooth. Checkered print. Graphic geometric patterns to name a few.

To reference the ease of black and white pairing, many damsels in Dior and gents in Givenchy rock the two-tone trends by simply pairing 1.) a white lace dress with a moto jacket 2.) white polka dot shirt with leather minis (add sheer tights to ward off chills), or 3.) monotone dress shirt with patterned trousers like this paisley print HERE. Oh the swoon-worthy choices are infinite!

Adding the tiniest of tweaks to #3, I wore a silk button-down shirt with a pair of palazzo trousers. To steer clear from the antsy job seeker look, I turned the table by choosing a black form-fitting shirt on top of these graphic printed pants. Long and languid in composure, eminently wearable for work and play. Not to mention lengthening your frame as do all high-waisted pants with the shirt tucked in. To complete the look, I wore these Salvatore Ferragamo pumps (with its signature Vara bow like HERE) and a large monogrammed bag like this Louis Vuitton one to keep my downtown-trotting essentials intact.

So let go of the wide-legged panic and try out this drapey flared look devout to style and comfort. Remember — keep the look polished by tucking the shirt in and slightly pulling out the edges; promise you won’t look like a medieval jester! 🙂

Xo~ Lena

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Photos: Jason J Photography

Jacket: Hinge// Top: Banana Republic// Pants: Francesca’s// Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo// Bag: Louis Vuitton

 

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