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