Ensemble: Florals & Stripes

Does the floral & stripes combo ever get old?  I'm starting to think this look has some real classic potential.   

Add splashes of punchy color with a mint bag and vermilion shoes (the understated shapes keep this ensemble chic, instead of discombobulated), and top it off with a tiny pastel charm necklace for a dash of playfulness.  This little Ted Baker ice cream cone is juuust grown up enough to get away with, by virtue of the thin gold chain, innocuous size, and limited pastel surface area.    

    

yves saint laurent lip color in fuchsia, $34  /  ted baker london ice cream necklace, $80  /  rien mint leather bag, $378  /  zara striped blouse, similar, $60  /  paul & joe sister floral print shorts, $179  /  zara orange ankle strap heels, $50

layout made with polyvore 

Most Wanted | Spring-y Rings Under $100 !

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A few favorite (affordable!) spring-y baubles from across the web, complete with flowers, nautical stripes, scallops, and woodland critters.  It'll soon be getting too hot out to wear much else, so I say accessorize with substance. 

  

1. lotus flower ring by ara, $49    2. nach porcelain blue bird ring, $103  (oops!  got a little carried away here)    3. kate spade enamel and gold scallop ring, $38    4. kate spade white and navy stripe ring, $78    5. merry go-round porcelain deer ring, $98

layout made with polyvore 

Style 101 | Bohemian Mix

Is there a formula to Bohemian dressing?  One might think not, as this style seems rather intuitive and impulsive (or slapdash - as my sister might say). 

For those of us with a hankering for eclectic pattern and print, but without the know-how, I say there is indeed a formula!  The real key to making this look work is balance.  You know, give-and-take.  With this look, pattern takes, so everything else must give.   

Style Guide  |  Bohemian Dressing

1.  Go wild with pattern  /  print  /  texture / vintage elements.  This includes embroidery, beading, eyelet, raffia, leather, flora & fauna motifs, you name it.

2.  Simple silhouettes only!  Patterns are high-energy elements, so keep everything else about this ensemble low-energy. The top in my ensemble is a basic tee shape, and the shorts are crisply tailored.  This keeps the patterned elements just wacky enough to be cool and eclectic instead of wacky-bizarre.   The fastest way to send this look down the toilet would be with too many frills or too much volume.  

3.  Keep color saturation low.  Balance clashing patterns by keeping colors mostly muted.  

4.  Restrict your color palette.  Choose just a couple of main colors for your look, so that they don't compete with the mix of patterns.  My main colors are blue and orange/red - they range between navy, royal blue, aqua, tangerine, vermilion, and light peach.    

5.  Invigorate the look by adding just one or two pops of bright color.  A bit of bright tangerine at the ears, balanced by a petite dash of vermilion red across the feet keeps this ensemble from getting too muddy.  The look ends up both playful and modern.

6.  Finishing Touches?  All you need is a fresh face and a sheer lip balm.    

  

isabel marant embroidered silk top, similar, $558  /  joie mid-century print tailored short, $298 /  zara tassel sandals, $80  /  palm tree embroidered leather clutch, $460  /  asos crocodile drop earrings, $31  /  white & gold striped floppy beach hat, $144  /  kiehl's spf 15 lip balm, $10  /  lennon retro style sunglasses, $60

layout made with polyvore

Style Notes | The Bright Lip

A lesson on bright red lips from the coolest girls around;  A darling, daring statement that seamlessly works with any style, and every skin tone.  Plus, the little tubes are pretty enough to brighten your day just a tad on their own.  More ideas on how to wear bright lips here.   

Here's an honest confession, gals: if you are wearing bright red/orange lips and I pass by you, I will have a girl-crush on you immediately.  This is, after all, how I met one of my favorite friends in New York.  She's witty as hell, and a massive sartorial inspiration.   

chanel rouge allure matte in la favorite, $34  /   nars semi-matte in heat wave, $26  /  yves saint laurent rouge volupte in orange shiver, $34  /  sephora collection bright tangerine, $12  /  tarte aqualillies 12 hour in bright coral, $26  /  layout made with polyvore 

photos via  /  rainbow wildfox  /  we the people  /  wit & delight tumblr  /  refinery29  

Oh, Hello There May

Shiza Minelli, how is it May already?  I guess it's true; I really did just spend the last two weeks buried in (read: fixated on) graphic design alone.  Yeesh.

You might notice a few aesthetic changes happening around here as I adjust the StyleMachine landscape.  I'll let the cat out of the bag (!) and be back full force soon enough, I assure you.  There's glorious phosphorescence at the end of this HTML tunnel! 

Meanwhile, let's do this properly...

Flowers are always, but always, in fashion.  Take a look at this gorgeously whimsical DIY project from Delighted Magazine.  They made "jewelry"- a head band that doubles as a bib necklace- out of real flowers, and simultaneously blew my mind.  (Just a thought: might want to wear this early in the season, you know, before the bees come out).   

photos  /  peonies in vintage bottles by jenna alcala for matchbook magazine  /  flower jewelry by caroline winata for delighted mag

Wear It | The Boyfriend Jean

This is one of those tricky styles that seems like it was invented for only the coolest gals.   

How do you wear the "boyfriend" jean without looking mom-ish?  The biggest secret to pulling this off is confidence.  And no, you can't buy that.  The good news is that confidence is one of those "fake it till you make it" type things.   

Here's my favorite way to wear the look:

 -    My Guidelines    -   How to Style Slouchy BF Jeans

1.  Keep it simple.  

2.  The top should be slightly loose- not overly fitted, and not voluminous. 

3.  Maximize on clean lines and minimalism to keep the slouchiness balanced.   

4.  When in doubt, pair with black. 

5.  Leather makes these jeans more badass, and erases all notions of hippies and moms. 

6.  No horizontal stripes.  Period. 

7.  Keep the cuffs rolled up just past the ankle.  (Keeps you from looking swallowed up in a giant denim tarp / places emphasis on the fact that you do have legs) 

8.  Have fun with the shoes!  Almost anything goes.

marni printed button down, $740  /  allsaints biker jacket, $668  /  sass & bide boyfriend jean, $270  / alexander wang bag, $860  /  zara heels, $90  /  photo (top) via the sartorialist   /  layout made with polyvore 

Side Note... While we're (back) on the subject of denim, I posted about one of my fave looks - the infamous Canadian Tuxedo - the other week, and this is verbatim what my hilarious sister (isn't she a peach?) had to say: 

"OH GAWD no Hunney that just looks AWFUL like the poor thing got LOST in the CLEARANCE section of GOODWILL."  

Y o u r   T u r n .

 Have you given these a whirl?  What's your favorite way to wear them?