D'Orsay Heels

According to ModCloth, the d'Orsay-style heel is "a woman's shoe style in which the vamp of the shoe is cut away, revealing the arch of the foot." Keeping in line with my time in Paris this week, I thought I'd feature a French-designed shoe. They were invented at the turn of the 19th century, and were sometimes seen as scandalous for showing a bit of the foot. I think they're absolutely adorable, and add a bit of classy French flair to any outfit.


1. Crimson and Bow-ver Heel, $48, ModCloth.
2. Sharelle, $28, Caparros, Piperlime.
3. De Blossom Renee Lace and Rhinestone Peep Toe Sandal in Silver Satin, $35, Target. 

Paris Trend: Orange Skinny Jeans

This week I'm in Paris, and one of the most overwhelming trends there that I've seen so far are orange skinny jeans. Other skinny jean colors that are also popular include bubblegum pink, red, light yellow, and bright blue, but orange, scarlet, and coral are the most popular colors. Luckily I brought my pair, so I fit right in! Even if you're not in Paris at the moment, this look is fashionable everywhere right now, so I highly recommend it. Wear it with a plain shirt in a neutral color like black or white with bright accessories, or wear a shirt with a similar color orange in the pattern to play it down.

1. Orange Belt Loop Skinny Leg Neon Style Jean Pants, $25, Ami Clubwear.
2. Pants in Coral, $25, H&M.
3. Quiksilver Echo Beats Coral Jeans, $49, Lulu's. 

Fashion Quotes

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same." 

"Fashion is made to become unfashionable."

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."

-- Coco Chanel, French fashion designer

"I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern - wearing head-to-toe designer has become a bit passe. It's a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It's all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together."

"British fashion is self-confident and fearless. It refuses to bow to commerce, thus generating a constant flow of new ideas whilst drawing in British heritage."

"Clothes and jewelry should be startling, individual. When you see a woman in my clothes, you want to know more about them. To me, that is what distinguishes good designers from bad designers." 

-- Alexander McQueen, British fashion designer

 

 "I really like to be able to have variety and to try different things - that's the beauty of fashion."

"Daily life shouldn't be a fashion show all the time."

"You know how you're supposed to choose between playing up your eyes or your lips? I always chose lips. I love the drama." 

-- Leighton Meester, American actress and singer

Cameo Jewelry

Cameo jewelry isn't extremely popular, but I think it's a very chic way to add some subtle vintage style into your everyday wear. To me they evoke the Victorian era of style, which I love when mixed with contemporary pieces. Show off the earrings above with a fishtail braid. Drape the necklace below over a band t-shirt with a skirt. The gold earrings below would look so cool if you have a bob haircut. If you happen to have some other Victorian-inspired pieces, take it a step further by wearing a piece of cameo jewelry. If you don't have any pieces inspired by the era but still want to epitomize that, then wear colors that they wore often back then, like cream, burgundy, or pale pink. 

1. So Glad You Cameo Earrings, $12, ModCloth. 
2. Cameo Pendant Locket, $23, Tinley Road, Piperlime.
3. Cameo Drop Earrings - Gold Tone, $15, Target.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Since watching The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for the first time, I've felt really inspired by western-style pieces. I like taking one piece, for example something like the boots below, and mixing that with pieces that don't look western at all. Or if you don't mind taking it completely in that direction, you could wear something like that tank below and wear it with jean cut-off shorts and cowboy boots, maybe with a fringed brown shirt underneath if you're that bold.

1. Printed Chambray Button-Front Tank, $17, Lamb and Flag. 
2. West Light Brown Harness Mid Calf Cowgirl Boots, $34, Soda, Lulu's. 

Babydoll Dresses

Babydoll dresses are defined in the fashion industry to be dresses with empire waists and A-line skirts. They haven't been as popular lately with waistlines falling to accentuate the waist, but these dresses can be just as flattering and classic-looking. Like my article on A-line skirts last week, these dresses have the kind of slimming skirt shape that skims over your thighs to hide them. This type of dress is also awesome because of its empire waist cut, working to hide your stomach. And, as the name implies, babydoll dresses are very cute and sweet-looking, hinting at innocence. You can play up that concept by wearing dresses like the Old Navy and H&M ones I've chosen here, or select a more grown-up shape like in the Piperlime one. Either way, if you like the flattering cut but dislike the connotation, these dresses are easy to toughen up with some great accessories. Bucked ankle boots are great with shorter hemlines, or pick out summery leather wedges for longer hemlines. 

1. Women's Smocked Jersey Tube Dress in Imperial Jade, $15, Old Navy.
2. Ruffle Belted Dress in Rust, $49, Ya Los Angeles, Piperlime.
3. Dress in Beige/Patterned, $13, H&M.

Emma Stone

In the video above, Ellen DeGeneres interviews Emma and touches on a point that I completely agree with: Emma Stone is very down-to-earth. I love that she's 23 years old and has the privilege to play Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-man, and play her well. If you haven't seen that movie yet, by the way, you should. So much better than the Tobey Maguire version from 2002! Anyways, if you're looking for a great young actress to be a role model, Emma Stone is fantastic. She's also famous for her work in The Help, Easy A, Zombieland, and Crazy, Stupid, Love. I love her different fashion taste as well. Take a look.

A-Line Skirts

The reason why A-line skirts are so classic and popular is because they're flattering on any shape. They are called "A-line" because they nip in at the top and flare out at the bottom, just like the letter A. They're so forgiving because, let's face it, what girl doesn't want a small waist? Even if you don't have that, this gives the illusion. For larger women, pick a skirt that hits right at the smallest part of your waist and belt it. These skirts are also fantastic because if you're self-conscious about your thighs, depending on the skirt length you choose, they hide those pretty well too. Oh, and did I mention that they've been around forever? The styles of the dresses popular in the 1930s through the 1950s often used A-lines, because during that time period curvy girls with small waists were prized.

1. Juniors Belted Skirt in Navy/Blue Dot, $18, Xhilaration, target.com
2. Blue Floral Print Back Tie Pleated Waist Skirt, $16, amiclubwear.com 
3. Essential Circle Skirt in Peach/White, $16, forever21.com 

Lace

Lace is a really pretty and really girly way to vamp up an outfit. Actually, there are ways to make it girly, vampy, or both. I picked out some pieces today that are in warm colors and subtle places, because these are an easy way to bring lace into an outfit and look classy.


1. Leaf Flower Lace Tee in Red Leaf Flower, $38, americanapparel.net
2. Lace Box Clutch, $35, flirtcatalog.com
3. Divine Melon Dress, $45, modcloth.com

Cobalt

This jewel-tone blue is so flattering on every skin tone. It can be found in a range from more teal to more purple, so you can even narrow it down to flatter your specific skin tone. It's also a color that is gorgeous year-round, so if you like it, I would highly recommend stocking up.


1. Cute And Kissable One Shoulder Blue Dress, $32, lulus.com
2. Women's Enamel Chain-Stretch Bracelet in Blue Eye, $10, oldnavy.gap.com
3. Crochet Neck Knit Tee in Cobalt, $44, piperlime.gap.com

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

This incredibly funny, amazing, stylistically gorgeous film was made in 1969 and stars Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and Katharine Ross. It's my absolute favorite western of all time, and I recommend it to anyone, even (or especially) those who don't like westerns. It's anything but stereotypical. It's also hilarious.

1. Fancy Dinner Dress, $85, modcloth.com

2. Roll Tab Sleeve Linen Shirt, $90, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, shop.nordstrom.com

Interiors

Interiors is a Woody Allen-directed film from 1978 that's one of his most depressing and serious movies. I found it to be very thought-provoking and intellectual, but at the same time a bit too dark for me to want to watch it again in the near future. The women in this film are very strong characters with very distinct and interesting senses of style, but what remains constant in their clothing are the neutral tones in 70s shapes and styles.


1. Cotton Spandex Jersey Long Sleeve Turtleneck in Nude, $30, americanapparel.net
2. Sheer Cardigan Sweater, $20, forever21.com

Green Bags

Green is such a great color. It reminds us of spring and summer and can be both a bright color and a basic. For winter, these qualities are great. A green bag can be especially cute when it's a cross-body purse, so that you can layer it over your favorite pea coat with maybe a green or blue scarf to match the purse.

1. Bag in Green, $25, hm.com
2. Square Root Green Handbag, $39, lulus.com
3. Green Crossbody, $20, Xhilaration, target.com

Striped Sweaters

What's great about striped sweaters is that they're warm and you can dress them around basics. They're so great for layering in the winter over t-shirts and under coats, and you can usually transfer them to spring and autumn wear, too.

1. Striped Crewneck Sweater, $50, gap.com
2. Women's Cropped Short-Sleeve Sweater in Purple Stripe, $23, oldnavy.gap.com
3. Striped Cardigan in Coral, $44, Ya Los Angeles, piperlime.gap.com

Vintage-Inspired Skirts

A great way to look sleek and chic this season is to wear a sweet-looking vintage-inspired skirt. If it's too cold in your area to wear the skirt as is, you can always wear tights and boots with it and both look cute and be warm! For winter skirts, try to pick ones with heavier fabrics. This green velvet skirt is probably pretty warm, and the other two have overlapping pleats which will also help keep the warmth in.


1. Stretch Velvet Skirt in Green, $38, americanapparel.net
2. Slate Blue Pleated Detail Chiffon Mini Skirt, $31, amiclubwear.com
3. Pleated Nautical Skirt, $20, forever21.com