Tuesday Tips & Tricks: From the Pages

Oh man, I'm so gonna be eating my words on this one.  Last year my friend and I were giving her husband a hard time about his affinity for boat shoes.  Now they're one of the biggest trends for men this spring.  Looking through the pages of GQ, Esquire and other men's magazines, they're everywhere!   The look goes hand-in-hand with the overall preppy trend for spring.  So bring out your inner WASP and rejoice!  Go get yourself a pair of topsiders!

Depending on your age and style you might want to go more or less traditional.  Here are some ideas: 

 The Classic Casual:

                                         

Classic Dressy-Casual:

 Modern Dress-Casual:

           Modern Casual:

 I think it goes without saying... but just in case... no, you should not wear socks.

Want ideas of what to wear with your snazzy new shoes?  I think I might know a wardrobe stylist that can help!  Check out www.stylesuccess.net and/or become a fan on Facebook.  The link is to the right.

Have a fantastic week!

Tuesday Tips & Tricks: From the Pages

Fair warning... this one is just for the ladies.  Next week I'll write about menswear.  For now, I'm calling this week's blog "From the Pages"... of Vogue, to be more specific. 

I LOVE fashion magazines, I always have.  Ask my mother.  She can attest to my inability, even as a young girl (oh so very, very long ago), to make it all the way through the supermarket checkout line without purchasing a new magazine.  That being said, I have always been distressed by the chasm between the fabulous pieces in the pages of the magazine and my very ordinary life.  With this in mind, I would like to bridge that abyss by showing how to translate some of the things I see, to our closets.  Unless, of course, you buy Gucci and Prada on a normal basis, in which case, please feel free to send me a belated birthday gift.

On page 372 of the March 2010 issue of Vogue, they feature one of my favorite trends for Spring, the natural accessory.  By this I mean shoes, bags and even jewelry made from natural fibers like straw, jute, burlap and natural colored linen.  If you click on the picture of the page above you can see the whole article.  Now I love just about every single piece on this page.  So I sat and thought, "does our son really need to go to a full 4 years of college?  Really???"  Unfortunately I decided he does so it doesn't look like I'll be buying the $3,000 "tote" from Fendi.  The good news is, we have options!

"Rocket Dog" woven flats, DSW.com, $35
Gotta love Target!  Here's their take on the trend with a jute chain necklace... now where I have seen that before???
Jute & wood necklace, Target, $20
If you're up for hunting a little, here are some pieces I found in resale situations.  This is a pair of shoes that I saw at "The Resale Boutique" for probably under $20:

 And these are two purses I bought at the antique fair in Ann Arbor last summer for under $30 each:

So you see, a girl's just gotta have options.  And thank goodness we do!!

That's it for this week.  Be sure to check back next week for a trend from the men's fashion pages.

Also, if you haven't already, be sure to become a fan of Style Success on Facebook

If you're ready to realize your style potential and you live in SE Michigan... or you're willing to fly me out!, call or email to set up a consultation: http://www.stylesuccess.net

Have a wonderful week!!