It's easy to default to tights under dresses all fall, but sometimes it's warm enough (or you're just brave enough) to let the thigh feel the chill and let tall boots go unaccompanied on the leg with a dress. Long sleeved minis are one of my favorite things (in the same arena as shorts with sweaters), and this girl wears the combo well. The big belt defines her waist and adds some interest to the plain black dress, and it's the perfect brown to go with black. The brown boots match the belt perfectl, and because they're accessories and they're simple, it doesn't look matchy matchy. This is a great day look, but with a clutch like above, it's also great for evening drinks or dinner, as well as all those family fun times coming up. I know who I'll be copying in the next few weeks.

As a New Yorker, and as my mother's daughter, black on black should be second nature to me. But I'm not a native New Yorker and my mother and I have different style philosophies, so this is not the case. I don't disagree that all black looks are always classy and it's hard to go wrong. Many times they look automatically more stylish and sophisticated, and one of the many upsides is that it's easy to accessorize. My complaint is that all black and be boring or sometimes too heavy, and throughout the winter, I like to try to keep it light with brighter colors so my SAD doesn't kick in. If every all black outfit was like Zina's here, though, I think I could subscribe to the all black believers. There are so many good things going on here, so let's start at the top.

First, her necklace is really cute AND it stands out without competing because it's the ONLY thing (minus the gold details on the bag, which don't count. And maybe some rings we can't see?) that's not black in the outfit. The sweater is large and chunky and long, so the necklace isn't too much for it, and the high neck is probably the best neckline for this particular statement necklace. I love how the sweater hangs long over the skirt, which is leather making the texture contrast very striking in the absence of color. The sweater isn't so long as to hide the skirt and it's also not awkwardly reaching just past the waistline so you're not sure if it's intentionally long or wonder if it should be tucked. The opaque black tights and cap toe heeled booties are simple but not boring finishes to an overall simple but not boring all black outfit. This is great for fall and winter, and is also great to note with all the holidays that will be upon us in a matter of weeks. 

I think this play on a sort of school girl look is so fun, and keeps it light for fall. The sweater is pretty slouchy and has a removable jeweled collar, and the skirt is perforated leather. The shapes are all classic, but the details make this outfit unique and unexpected. This goes well with heels, boots and flats, but I thought that these extra tall heels would give the skirt that extra swing while walking. The sweater collar does a lot in terms of accessorizing already, so two big neutral rings set in gold are all this outfit needs to be complete. Once it gets a little cooler, brown, plum or maroon tights will also work well with this outfit!
-E

J.Crew just released looks from their November style guide and, not surprisingly, it's filled with great new outfit ideas that sticks to the reinstated simple basics that J.Crew originally became famous for (and was criticized for straying from, though I didn't mind). Here we have one of said looks, and I think it pretty much sums up how we generally feel about November. It's pretty cold, not quite transitioning anymore, but it's also not quite Christmas season yet. It's the casual fall month that calls for more committed layers than October, but when a month of possible parties and potentially stuffy family gatherings lurks not far in the future, you want to keep it simple, easy, quick and comfortable. This girl keeps it cool with a pretty glamorous twist. I love the rich fall jewel tones incorporated in the outfit, and that the sweatshirt is a very luxurious velvet(?) with nice cropped pants that can work with so many different outfit combinations and shoe choices. The chambray shirt layered under the sweatshirt and bejeweled baseball cap keep this outfit casual and cool while the heels balance out the rich solids and keep it feminine and dressy. It's a balanced mix of casual and dressy with nice color combinations and punctuating pattern. It's not trying too hard, but it doesn't look completely thoughtless. Great inspiration for November go-to outfits when the last thing you want to do is leave your warm, comfy bed. 

I found this black maxi dress at Uniqlo last fall for some ridiculously low price like $20 or something, and was so happy that my maxi dress wearing days weren't limited to warm weather. On fall and more mild winter days, this dress is so easy to throw on and layer, and it stays comfortable all day. For this fall, I wanted to keep the summer memories alive with the denim vest, but with no jacket I can still stay warm with one of my favorite accessories, a thick, knit infinity scarf from Gap, doubled up to create lots of volume (and warmth) at the neck. I always find it a little difficult to choose shoes with maxis that aren't flowy around the ankles, and this one doesn't quite hit the floor, which can make for an awkward situation south of the shin. I decided not to mess with bulky boots and instead finish off the outfit with low tops that bring a fun and sporty vibe to an otherwise classic outfit. Boho-ish jewelry completes the look to give the casual clothing a touch of dressy.

I've only just begun season 2 of Revenge, but Ashley Madekwe's character, Ashley Davenport, is easily one of my least favorite characters on the show as of now. However, real life Ashley seems pretty great and also has an extremely endearing fashion blog that I discovered while working at StyleWatch (they love her over there). Pretty much everything looks good on her, but she has a knack for creating colorful outfits with great proportions and brings some of her British influence to the predominantly LA-based photos. Here we have a great transitional outfit that's very easy to re-create. My obsession with oversized chunky sweaters continues, and this is a great example of why. It's not too overpowering, but the oversized-ness of it makes it hang nicely, almost like a flowy shirt. She keeps the rest of the outfit snug with some perfect black jeans and Zara two-toned sandals that I'd really enjoy having in my life. Neon jewelry and, of course, that red Chanel bag add some vibrant touches to this mostly casual and neutral outfit. The heeled sandals and punchy accessories really dress up an easy sweater with jeans look, but nothing competes with each other and nothing is overdone. Perfection.

The blogger behind 9 to 5 Chic doesn't work in fashion, but she's made it her mission to showcase her style sense in work-appropriate attire, something I'm personally a big fan of. Just because you have to dress professionally, doesn't mean you have to be drab. And this outfit is anything but. Like Jenna Lyons, I consider leopard to be a neutral of sorts, and she outfit mixes perfectly with an almost magnified version of leopard. Keeping everything in the same color family, she grounds the print mix with a belt and black pumps with wooden heels. This is such a simple, easy outfit that is made up of normal workday wear at its core, but elevated and made much more interesting with complementary pattern play. This is a job well done.

The other day, I was doing my daily Pinterest once-over, and I clicked on a denim baseball hat that piqued my interest to see where it was from. Now, from a removed point of view, that hat is probably best left in the mid-90s where it more rightfully belongs, but I can think of a million outfits that it would look great with, made out of clothes hanging in my closet right now.

And then I thought about how great it is that something that seems destined to live on 90s sitcom kids would now be accepted by those in the fashion industry. But so are the neons of the 80s, wide leg pants of the 70s and mod jumper dresses of the 60s. You'll find drop-waist flapper type dresses of the 20s in stores with 40s pinup inspired shorts. You'll also see the fit and flare midi dresses from 50s housewives from some of the biggest designers. 

The past century has seen the biggest fashion innovation in history, and with it, new styles came and went practically with each decade. People always say that nothing is new in fashion, which I guess you could say is partly true, but today we're lucky enough that all decades apply. Whether fashion week runways see mainly decade callbacks or modern silhouettes, we can wear either, and mix and match as we want. Sure, people can get a little crazy with street style and experimentation, but at least it's interesting, and we can't say it's not in style. Bright colors, crazy patterns, unexpected layering and pairing, accessorizing wherever accessories will go--it's all fair game.

These days, if it comes back, it sticks. It might fade in popularity to new more popular trends, but it's still not weird to sport a trend from a few seasons ago. Stacking rings is the go-to right now, but it doesn't mean people will glare at an arm party, a trend that is technically past its peak. Designers and brands have fun with fashion. There's irony and humor and exaggeration and so many different kind of playing around. Nobody takes themselves too seriously, but it's still just as creative, artistic, respected, studied and obeyed. Now it's our game, and we don't have to retire something until we get tired of it, not when someone else deems it's "out of fashion." They give us the goods and we get to do with them whatever we want.

I love that I can wear a 90s "grunge" oversized plaid button down over a more modern maxi skirt with 70s style platform heels and accessorize with a mustache necklace. Or, you know, so many more "anything goes" combinations. We're so lucky to have so much to choose from, and the lack of limitations means outfit making can be really fun. Just a thought!

Happy Friday! To celebrate the almost weekend, I think a casual look is in order. Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific is one of my biggest style inspirations. She really thinks outside of the box in terms of what can or should "go" in an outfit, and though this is one of her more casual looks, it's no exception. This is the perfect fall put-together lazy day outfit, and it's so simple when deconstructed. At its base, it's just a classic striped long sleeved shirt over distressed, (not too) boyfriend style jeans. Instead of a jacket, she layered a chunky, shorter-sleeved fisherman's sweater over top and dressed it up with some fall-appropriate strappy velvet heels in a nice rust color. Pile on the lighter statement bracelets and opt for a clutch instead of a big bag and this outfit seems so light and girly with a cozy twist. It's something fresh now that there's a bite in the air.

On cooler days, it's nice to be able to "bundle up" fall style, but leave the coat at home. A sweater with jeans and boots are the perfect combination for this temperature. Instead of your typical choices, though, it's fun to mix up the color combos. I love this color blocked sweater I found on sale at Madewell. I think it was supposed to be a summer sweater, but it's actually a pretty heavy knit, and with white skinnies and knee-high riding boots, the look is light but will keep me warm. I love winter whites, but summer and winter shouldn't get all the fun. White jeans are striking in every season, and "rules" no longer apply. This outfit is simple yet each item is bold, so I keep the accessories refined with a little leaf necklace and a ring for each hand, all in a muted gold. This is a simple, easy casual look that's still polished and feminine. It's perfect for strolling around on those ideal fall weekends.