Tag: fashion

Trends Tuesday: Precocious Prints

Dana PhelpsBlog, Trends, , , 1 Comment on Trends Tuesday: Precocious Prints

Want to know the latest trends? Tune in on Trends Tuesday!

This is our fourth post in a series that is inspired by the InStyle article 5 Ways to Wake Up Your Work Wardrobe and explores how each trend is influencing fashion and furniture. Today’s post is about prints! Here’s InStyle’s advice: Mix in Prints — The key to making patterns work at work? Stick with muted colors (such as black, gray, brown and beige), and classic motifs (including plaid, paisley, houndstooth, cheetah and leopard).

Does this tip surprise us? Not at all! In fact, we’ve recently blogged about prints prior to reading the InStyle article…

  • In a Copy Cat posted here on the Clairemont blog, we gave a nod (and a meow) to animal prints, as well as excellent copy written about those prints. Read more in Talbots & Our Favorite Feline.
  • Want to know the latest trends in florals, zigzags and color blocking? Read Penchant for Pattern, a post we wrote on the Drexel Heritage (client) blog.
  • Also on the Drexel blog, here are some additional ideas on animal prints, as well as geometric prints in A Bite of the Big Apple.
I love this Boden clutch!

Back to incorporating prints into your work wardrobe. I think Boden is one of the best places to shop to get this right because most of their styles are classic, and because of the company’s British influences, they don’t seem to be as afraid to use and mix patterns and prints as much as some American designers seem to be. I love the Uptown Jersey Dress for a pretty and not over-the-top floral dress that looks great for the office, the animal print belts (with a splash of color) are just the best, and I  might have to put one of these leopard clutches or totes on my Christmas wish list!

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Trends Tuesday: The Return of Lace

Dana PhelpsBlog, Trends, , , , , , , 2 Comments on Trends Tuesday: The Return of Lace

Want to know the latest trends? Tune in on Trends Tuesday!

If the word lace conjures up images of your granny’s outdated tablecloth, think again! Lace is back! This is the third post in a series that is inspired by the InStyle article 5 Ways to Wake Up Your Work Wardrobe and explores how each trend is influencing fashion and furniture.

InStyle knows the trick to wearing and/or decorating with lace:  Try a touch of Lace. Because it’s a classic, lace plays quite well with conservative clothes. For best results, limit yourself to one piece per look, and choose lined items (or layer with a slip or cami) to avoid showing too much skin.

Earlier this year, I bought a lace-patterned suit at Talbots, but at the time, I didn’t even think of it as lace. Honestly, I’ve never been a big fan of traditional lace. That’s what’s so great about this trend this time around — there’s so much more variety. As much as I loved my new suit, it felt like too much for most business meetings and client events.

Mix & match.

Enter InStyle’s advice. One piece per look. The suit is lovely, but I’m getting more wear out of it by separating the pieces. I wore the skirt to furniture market in October with a dark navy background, floral blouse from Anthropologie, bare legs (since it was quite warm) and a pair of moss green leather shoes with wooden heels. Inspired by the outfit in the lower right of the InStyle page shown above, I also  bought a black turtleneck from J. Jill (a more affordable option to jmclaughlin.com) to wear with the skirt, and I plan to add black tights and black suede, strappy Mary Jane heels.

How does the lace trend work in furniture? The Drexel Heritage (client) product design team says there has been a return to things that are hand-crafted or have a hand-crafted look. I noticed visitors to the Drexel showroom touching the chair in the photograph because it looks like the over-sized doilies sewn onto the fabric, when it is actually part of the upholstery with a smooth texture. If you like this look, you can go with a little or a lot.

Lace accent pillows mixed with solid colors and leather for the "a little" look.
This Drexel Heritage chair shows the "like it a lot" look.

Tis the perfect season to add a little lace to your life. I suggest starting with a few basic pieces that can be both dressed up for a festive holiday outfit AND dressed down for office attire. This Banana Republic lace shell easily goes from day to evening, as does this black lace pencil skirt from Anne Taylor. Accessories can make a big difference. I ordered this Bohemian Lace Dress from Garnet Hill that I plan to wear with my great grandma’s crystal necklaces (because sometimes granny’s stuff is hip!) and hose and high heels to a holiday fundraiser. The following week, I’ll layer it on top of leggings, add a scarf and some pretty ankle boots and wear it to the office.

I'm planning to dress up this Garnet Hill dress for the holidays & then wear it to the office sans bling.

What do you think? Can lace live beyond old curtains and holiday outfits? Let us know how you are incorporating lace into your wardrobe and your home decor.

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Trends Tuesday: Bling in the Boardroom?

Dana PhelpsBlog, Trends, , , ,

Want to know the latest trends? Tune in on Trends Tuesday!

Last week we started a series of posts around the InStyle article 5 Ways to Wake Up Your Work Wardrobe! Today we are exploring the second tip and how it fits into the two worlds of fashion and furniture.

Tip #2: Experiment with Sparkle — Shine needn’t be sequestered to the evenings. Make sequined or metallic pieces boardroom-ready by pairing them with subdued shades or layering them under solid fabrics to tone down the bling factor.

I relied on my new found love of Zappos to quickly find some pieces that I think could work in a professional setting. Here’s what I found:

  • This sparkle top comes in gold or ivory. I like the gold the best because it looks more neutral than metallic. I’d pair it with a black skirt and a plain black scarf or black chunky beads.
  • I love this Betsey Johnson sparkle hinge cuff bracelet. A great accessory to add some bling to  the basic black suit or a pretty print dress.
  • Kate Spade’s Lots O’ Sparkle Tights come in black and red, for another accessory option to add just a little shimmer.

Under the don’t category, I advise against the UGG Classic Sparklers. If you have to have them, save them for non-work related events! (I’ll admit I once had a hat that matched the gold ones perfectly… but I never wore it to the office.)

Drexel Heritage shows a little shimmer in its showroom.

I also noticed more shiny objects in the Drexel Heritage (Clairemont client) showroom at High Point Market last month. I especially liked this vignette (see photo) with an upholstered cocktail table that has just the right amount of shimmer in the fabric, topped off with over-sized diamond-like accessories. Just the right amount of bling.

What do you think about bling in the boardroom? How much is too much? How about the bedroom (or other rooms in your home for that matter)? Is a sequined pillow or sequined wallpaper more your style?

 

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Trends Tuesday: COLOR!

Dana PhelpsBlog, Trends, , , , , 2 Comments on Trends Tuesday: COLOR!

Want to know the latest trends? Tune in on Trends Tuesday!

One of our favorite sources for fashion trends is InStyle Magazine, and this month’s issue has a step-by-step dressing-for-work guide with a story called 5 Ways to Wake Up Your Work Wardrobe! We couldn’t help notice how similar these trends are to the very ones we are seeing in our work with our home furnishings and interior design clients, so today is the first of a 5-part series that explores how these concepts can add some pizazz to your closet as well as throughout your home.

Anthropologie shoes!

Tip #1: Add in Color — The concept is easy to apply, especially if you wear mostly neutrals at the office: Select a boldly hued separate in a work-appropriate shape (such as a tailored skirt or cuffed trousers) and swap it into your usual ensemble. A vibrant shoe or bag does the trick too.

I think the words work-appropriate are key here. In the office, a little goes a long way. In addition to the examples in the article, here are a few colorful pieces that caught my eye while doing a little online browsing:

What are we seeing  with color trends in home fashions? Check out this post by Drexel Heritage (Clairemont client), Arrested by Color, that talks about intoxicating reds, not-your-granny’s green and  wild blue yonder to get an idea. And from what we saw in the Thomasville Furniture showroom (also a Clairemont client) at the spring and fall High Point Furniture Market, Thomasville already knows the secret behind mixing classic shapes with bright colors.

Thomasville’s homepage shows classic sofa shapes in bright colors.

Need more color inspiration? Go to the Kate Spade website where you can shop by color for Kate’s holiday gift guide and check out this video from the Kate Spade blog called Give Colorfully.

I for one have always been a big fan of color and lots of it. The resurgence of bright colors makes me happy and makes me want to repaint my entire house. How about you? Tickled pink to see brights back in the spotlight? Or feeling blue that neutrals are taking a backseat?

 

 

 

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