Invasion of the Stripes

Stripes have been found on the runway this season as one of the up and coming trends for this spring and summer. Granted, stripes have always been a trend, but I take this to mean that you will be seeing more striped products out in stores and boutiques. I'm all for it. This trend is one that I followed even before I discovered it as a trend this season. They add quite a bit of flare to an otherwise plain item. For example, a shirt is simple until you add some colorful horizontal or vertical stripes to it. Personally, I only wear horizontal stripes as a top simply because I feel like vertical stripes elongate my body's appearance and are hard to look at for a very long time. However, I love vertical stripes on shorts and pants.

They look nice, clean, and as previously mentioned, make boring pieces exciting. They're fun! And you can wear them on just about anything and look stylish. My favorite stripes items are accessories. The red tie picture above by Smith Street would look great with a white button-up and blue suit, giving a very simple look a bit of a nautical twist. Adding to the idea of flare, other accessories which look great in stripes include backpacks, shirts, and even some shoes if done properly. The boat shoes and espadrilles pictured above are examples of nicely constructed striped shoes. To you right, you can see how I personally wore stripes. I've paired my navy pinstriped shorts with a very eye-popping blue and a simple vintage brown leather belt. It's a classic look that has an added touch thanks to the patterning of the shorts. Take away the stripes and you have just another boring outfit. I don't like to mix more than one patterned detailing with outfits, so I personally wouldn't try adding another striped piece but that's just me. Feel free to mix it up and make them your own! And just as a quick style tip, I would suggest going nautical with navy blue or red stripes for this season to match that incoming summer feel. Thanks for reading and stay styling! :)

The Most Colorful Time of the Year

Neon and fluorescent colors are making their way back for the Spring / Summer '13 seasons. The signature 80's and 90's style can be outfitted in many ways. Use simple accessories, like the subtle Blue Crown sunglasses pictured above, or go for a bolder statement by wearing a full collection of colors, such as the icy blue or tangerine oranges pictured above. Either way, do with the colors as you will. Playing around with your wardrobe is always something fun you can do. And if you don't own any neon, start with purchasing something small like a shirt. Since these colors made their way back this year, you never know when they'll make their next appearance.