StyleWhipped

Sherin Botros: 'Tis the Season

Editor's Note: Stylewhipped welcomes yet another amazing Guest Writer this week...Sherin Botros! Sherin is our newest columnist and resident Interior Design & Home Decor expert. Every other Wednesday, Sherin will bring you the very best in interior design & home decorating ideas that will help you make your home look like it stepped out of a magazine. To read Sherin's complete bio, click here!  ~ Alison.

----------------------------------------------

Gift-giving season that is...

This time of year can be overwhelming especially when you have to think about what to get for the person who has it all. Well take a sigh of relief, an alluring page-turner is sure to please whomever is on that ever-so-long list of yours!

A coffee table book is a thoughtful and engaging gift idea for the home. They are the perfect home accessory to be added to someone’s collection or as a starter gift for someone who may not splurge on one for themselves. What a treat you’d be giving them!

They look great stacked throughout the home, whether by theme, by color or by size.  People love to flip through them, as they often contain gorgeous large glossy photos that open to different worlds, hobbies and interests.  They can be arranged throughout any room for great aesthetic pleasure.

I’m madly in love with Michelangelo’s work and indulged myself with books I bought from my most recent trip to Italy. But don’t worry, you don’t need to travel abroad for your gift-giving. I also snapped up this gorgeous book full of iconic photos of Audrey Hepburn from Barnes & Noble for under $25. 

Whether for a man or woman, you can’t go wrong with a coffee table book as a present; it says ‘I actually put thought into you your gift’. Just be sure to choose books that reflect the personality and interests of those your buying for.  And if you end up getting one for yourself, don’t worry, your secret is safe with me! wink wink...

-Sherin.

Danielle Aspromatis: A new (old) way to do Guest of Honor Trivia

Editor's Note: Please welcome Stylewhipped's newest Guest Writer, Danielle Aspromatis! Danielle is our in-house Bridal & Party Planning expert and will be bringing you the very best in wedding trends, bridal fashion, party planning ideas, and so much more. Every Tuesday, Danielle gives you an amazing event planning tip and every Thursday, she is back with a bridal post...so don't forget to check back for more of her expert columns! You can read Danielle's complete bio here.  ~ Alison.

----------------------------------------------

I am a child of the 80’s so I was super excited to see these as it took me right back to my junior high days with my girlfriends. I have been to countless bridal showers where they do some sort of trivia game with fun facts about the bride and groom…a nice idea, but the generic print-out left on each plate is a little tired.

These old school cootie catchers are PERFECT! Besides learning a little more about the bride and groom, these will get your guests interacting with each other to try and guess the answers. They also double as escort cards to direct everyone to their table number! Etsy.com has multiple shops to order these from, but I love these below because you can play with designs and colors depending on the rest of the events décor. They also are not limited to brides and grooms...they would be great for a baby shower, birthday party or bar/bat mitzvah too!

- Danielle

 

New Blue (Party) Shoes

When I was little, my favorite book was titled New Blues Shoes. It was about a girl whose mother always bought her brown shoes and she wanted blue ones. (It should come as no shock that this was my favorite story. I mean, really...) So my whole life, I felt like somehow, blue shoes seemed just a little more special. Last year I bought royal blue satin platforms with a 5" heel. They are semi-horrible to wear for more than two hours, but you know, pain for beauty (or, er...blue shoes...). And this year, I want these...

From Enzo Angiolini (ok, this one can come as a shock...last time I checked, Enzo made sensible shoes with horrifying 2-inch heels...good for them on being "back"!), these are really, well, they are just delicious. In the richest dark royal blue suede with a 5" heel and a 1" platform, these are beyond sexy. Seemingly inspired by a bit of burlesque and a hint of boudoir, these are rocking a peep-toe, a deep v on either side, the skinniest ankle strap, and a serious dose of flash. The front has a gorgeous feather-and-giant-blue/black-rhinestone embellishment that makes these even more special. Oh, and did I mention that they are $129?! That's right...they won't even eat into your money that is supposed to be for holiday gifts.

Of course, new blue shoes should always be considered a gift. Even if they are for you. So wear these to holiday parties, with your favorite LBD, with leggings, with skinny jeans...anything to show them off, and make you feel special.

~ Alison.

Add one maxi dress. Serve hot or cold.

Thankfully, my husband and I are headed to the Caribbean in a few days. But as I started to make my infamous "packing list" (yes, I really make a list. and yes, it is typed and printed out. whatever...), I realized that while I was super excited to go somewhere warm and wear my cute summer clothes again, I kind of felt funny packing mini-dresses and teeny-tiny rompers. I did feel ok about packing summer maxi dresses (don't worry, they are -- of course -- super bare up top or backless). I don't know if this is because my tan finally faded and I'm not ready to bust out my pale skin the first night in the tropics, or if because I finally got into a it-really-is-actually-winter-outside mode and anything super short and bare just feels weird right now.

In either case, I was inspired to find some fabulous maxi dresses that would work in NYC now with substantial platform stilettos and a cropped fur to "winterize" them, or completely on their own for vacation! My favorite so far in my search is this floral print one from Thakoon Addition. Yes, the base of the print is white, but it has so much vibrant color layered over it that the whole thing is perfectly acceptable throughout winter (besides, I completely don't believe in the whole no-white-after-Labor-Day thing...for me, it's about the whole look, the fabrics, etc...). Add in a ton of warm yellow or rose gold jewelry -- bangles, shoulder-duster earrings and a cocktail ring -- and you're good to go to New Year's Eve or to a tropical island.

Of course, my preference would be New Year's Eve on the tropical island. But hey, that's just me.

~ Alison.

A Serious Coating of Style

I could start every post on menswear with the same sentiment...that I feel sorry for the guys because of their lack of fashion choices. As women, we have so many multiple times the amount of options as men. So when I find a really great menswear piece, I always have to share it! And this gorgeous coat is no exception...

I have featured menswear attire and accessories from Paul Smith many times. This is, in my opinion, because Mr. Smith just gets it so, so right, over and over again. With beautiful, often witty little details and a real knowledge of that fine line between "fashion-y" and "over-the-top," this should be a go-to brand for any of you who want to be fashion-forward, spend some money on investment-worthy pieces, and want to look really, really sharp and put-together.

This PS by Paul Smith coat is one of those pieces. At $880, it is not inexpensive, but it is also not wallet-breaking Gucci. It's sleek cut will be slimming, not bulky, but also leaves you room to wear a sportcoat underneath. Its oversized check is a fun nod to English country style, but the scale screams super modern. It is also not yet another black wool overcoat that everyone else has. (Look, an option!) You can wear this over a suit just as well as you can wear it over jeans and stylized sneakers (check out the Lanvin ones I featured here recently). With a sweater underneath it will keep you warm enough during the coldest months, and over just a t-shirt, it won't make you sweat on those not-so-freezing days. It will go to your office, to a wedding, on a date, and out with the guys.

Hmmm, this coat is kind of perfect.

(You're welcome.)

~ Alison.

Spotlighted

Sometimes, you want everyone to notice the amazing dress you're wearing. Other times, especially during the holiday months when you have (what feels like) 9 million events & parties to go to, you want to wear black leggings, a black tunic and some fabulous accessories because you've run out of other options! But to put a positive spin on this situation...this is actually a great chance to have the spotlight be on you and not your "party dress." It is also easily achievable by one of my personal favorite accessories: the colored-crystal oversized earring!

When you wear sparkling, light-capturing crystal in a saturated color right near your face (like in an earring), you are basically creating your own little spotlight. No one will be saying to themselves "wow, she really didn't put too much effort into that simple all-black outfit"...no, they will be saying "wow, those earrings are amazing...she must have planned that outfit completely around them!" Now, of course you could go to Kimberly McDonald or Bulgari and spend tens of thousands of dollars on said earrings with precious stones and real diamonds. Or you could buy one of these stunning costume versions...all of which fall between $5 and $95 (yes, you read that correctly...I have even found you a pair for $5!). All of them look like they cost way, way more, and I personally bought one of them just two days ago. (Can you guess which ones?!***)

So here are six fun suggestions...

Banana Republic has always been a go-to store/online shopping site for me for incredible jewelry. It is on-trend, looks and feels like a million bucks, and always garners so many compliments. Their blue-green chandeliers are super oversized (and $55) and the huge red teardrops are a great way to say "holiday" without an obnoxious theme sweater (and $45)...

           

Another of my favorite online jewelry destinations is Max & Chloe because they have "fine" and "fashion" jewelry, so you can find comparable pieces at so many different price points. The Kenneth Jay Lane light green & periwinkle earrings are an unexpected and beautiful color pairing (and at $95 and with that KJL label, they feel a little extra special). The dark yellow/cognac-y double drops would look absolutely amazing next to tan skin (and are $65), and the quadrouple drops in dark hunter green are the "holiday" counterparts to the Banana Republic red ones (and $68)...

  
And for those of you who are just trying this look for the first time and don't want to spend even $45 (and also don't want to try a super bright color)...I give you these pale peach crystal delicate triple drops from Forever 21. They are $5. And I bet after you wear them once, you would have been willing to spend five times that on them...

Enjoy the spotlight.

~ Alison.

***Oh, and I bought the blue-green ones from Banana Republic. And I'm kind of obsessed with them.

Two Halves of a Whole

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all occassionally have multiple-personality-disorder when it comes to style. After three ultra-glam nights in a row, I want to be edgy and dark and rockery. Even the preppiest girl wants to show off her sexy side once in awhile. And that true rocker girl? You know sometimes her alter-ego comes out in the form of a really elegant dress. So when I saw these chain-link bracelets from Marc by Marc Jacobs, I immediately wanted two of them...one was calling to my glam-girl, and one fit my need for dark and edgy.

In gold plate with champagne-colored crystals, the first version of this bracelet I noticed is suuuuper glam. It fits the bigger-and-more-is-better aesthetic and works with your most over-the-top caftan dress, highest gold platforms, biggest "Gisele" hair, and reddest lips. Wear it on the same arm as an oversized gold watch and add in some serious earrings. The second version is the same bracelet, but done in dark hematite with black crystals. Suddenly, the oversized shape becomes tough and edgy. It's still sparkling and gorgeous, but it gives off a completely different vibe. Pair this one with leather leggings, platform booties and a bodice-hugging tunic. Perfectly flat-ironed hair, a studded leather jacket and a tiny fringed clutch complete your downtown, rocker-chick look.

Quite simply, these are perfect for those two halves to your whole style personality. 

~ Alison.

Hostess Gift, Perfected.

As the holiday -- and therefore the holiday party -- season approaches us, we cannot forget about having beautiful gifts on hand to bring to those parties' hostesses. There are only so many times you can bring a bottle of wine (think about the hostess that doesn't really drink outside of the party she's hosting...or the 40 other guests who will also bring wine with them...). I like to put a little more thought than a stop at the liquor store into something I bring to someone's home. At the same time, with the many parties we all have to attend, it can get rather expensive to bring anything more than an average bottle of wine.

Alas, Stylewhipped comes to the rescue. (Really, would you expect anything less?!) From a company called Fringe, and available at Bloomingdale's, come these gorgeous little glass dresser trays. In designs that include striking Asian-inspired paintings, lovely Old-English lettered sayings, and even religious icons and fashion references, there is one of these for everyone. I recently bought one for a friend's new apartment that looks vintage and has a pretty little saying about "friendship" on it in fancy calligraphy. Two of my other favorites (and perfectly holiday-party-appropriate) are pictured here...the larger rectangular "lace" tray fits right in with current fashion trends (and a black-and-white palette tends to work with any decor), and the smaller red "fleur-de-lys" square tray in vibrant red & white would be adorable in multiple design schemes. And here's the best part. The larger tray? It's $25. The smaller one? A mere $15. Hmmm, sort of like a nice bottle of wine. But way, way better.

~ Alison.

Ballerina Girl

After spending basically my entire childhood (really, 15 years...) as a ballet dancer, I have always been drawn to dresses that remind me of that world. They tend to be feminine with very bare tops, cinched waists, and pleated or flowing skirts. And they are almost always in floaty chiffon. Of course, no one really wants to look as if they are on their way to dance rehearsal, so some twists need to be made.

From the made-super-famous-by-Kate-Middleton REISS, we get the Myla dress. Available in rich fuchsia, gorgeous teal/emerald, and ultra-flattering black, this is the ultimate "ballerina" dress, but only in inspiration...it is actually completely  wearable and modern. It's skinny little straps and blousen top with a pinched-in waist show off toned arms, while it's full but above-the-knee skirt make it work with bare legs or black opaque tights. Its simplicity is gorgeous on its own, but also lends itself to so many styling options. As a perfect holiday party dress, you could go glam with gold platforms and substantial vintage jewels. You could go funky with leopard-print heels, a skinny black belt, and a huge statement necklace. Or you could make it daytime-appropriate with the aforementioned tights, knee-high leather boots, a wide belt and a leather-and-fur jacket. No matter what, it will make you feel like a willowy dancer, which is always a nice thing to feel like.

~ Alison.

And All That Jazz

There are certain items that I come across that I find almost too beautiful to wear. Something about them strikes me as just stunning and I secretly want to place them on a chic little shelf as artwork. My hot pink satin Louboutin mules with the oversized bows fall into this category. As do these "Jazz" sunglasses from the venerable Tiffany & Co.

These are '70's fab mixed with 2011 chic. They are special, "fancy," and have a pricetag to match ($430). They are also in gold-tone with gradient green-blue lenses and Tiffany-blue arm tips. But most lovely is the row of turquoise-y, ice-y blue square Austrain crystals lining the arms. It's what makes me want to put them on that shelf. (Of course -- OBVIOUSLY -- if I bought them, not only would I actually wear them, but I'd probably sleep in them!). They invoke images of the most fabulous holiday on the French riviera of the 1970's, but would look just amazing with today's skinniest jeans, platform booties and cropped grey motorcycle jacket.

So, yeah. Clearly, they are kind of perfect.

~ Alison.