bow to your blouse
Jessica Biel masters a perfect pairing with a flowing white ruffled blouse and dark skinny jeans.
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Photo: Jessica Biel: Splash News
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
In honor of Cupid’s favorite day of the year, today’s post is a little romantic. To help get you in the festive spirit for some sexy-sultry-STYLE. Let’s take a few cues from Jessica Biel, and own it all year.
This look is both timeless and current – achieved with one simple detail, bow-ing your blouse.
“Respect is love in plain clothes.” – Frankie Byrne
xo k
Agnes-Stealth
Kim Kardashian and Katherine Heigl are wearing J Brand’s Agnes ‘Stealth’ coated denim leggings.
Photos: Kim Kardashian, Katherine Heigl: Splash News
I love a skinny black pant, they’re flattering and fashionable. Right now I’m coveting a (faux) leather black skinny legging. Most days and nights, I live in my J Brand black skinny jeans (I have four pairs in rotation – they are my uniform) but when it’s time to glam it up – get your shine on.
Kim wore her ‘Stealth’ with black leather ankle booties, exposing just the right amount of (sexy!!) skin before her pants start. Keeping everything else basic black, white and classic (even the subtle peacock feather necklace) works to let the shimmering pants work their magic. Hello airport-style.
Katherine’s ‘Stealth’ is less-subtle-more-statement while out in LA wearing gray suede slouched booties, layered scarves, and a python print bag. Her popping pink lips add finishing flare.
Who’s ‘Stealth’ gets your vote – Kim or Katherine? Subtle or statement?
Sienna Miller mixing prints
there’s something so perfect about Sienna’s sailor stripes, cheetah, pleated denim and snakeskin.
Photo: Sienna Miller: InStyle.com
Sienna Miller mastered Parisian style in France this fall at the 21st Dinard British Film Festival pairing her Kate Spade Street Car Darya faux Cheetah bag with a nautical striped top, pleated denim, and snakeskin heels. My love for leopard is nothing new, but I have to give Sienna due props for her unexpected pairings. She also successfully dons two animal prints in the same outfit, without being matchy-matchy, tacky or trashy. The loose cropped black sweater perfects the look.
Sienna’s successful pleats also deserve acknowledgment. When we think of pleated denim, mom jeans come to mind but SM’s kept her look sexy with rolled oversized-bf-style trousers. The finishing touch? Snakeskin heels. This look could easily falter to transgender with flats (although a skinner style is cute with boots – pleated skinnies… who knew??). With her dark coke bottle glasses, Sienna’s nothing but stellar. Well done girl, whatever you wear in 2011; we’ll be watching.
a dose of dark… NAILS
Dark nails aren’t a new look, but there are more hues than ever to choose from: celeb-style.
Photos (scrolling): Brooke Shields, Kristen Bell, Khloé Kardashian, Julia & Emma Roberts, Lauren Conrad, Nicole Richie, Jennifer Hudson, Whitney Port: Splash News
If you haven’t taken your nails dark… it’s time. One exception is if you have very large nail beds, a dark polish will add drama, and draw attention to this – however keeping your nails very short can often make it work. Our fav stars show us whether you’re dressing up red-carpet-style, or down for everyday life – darken your polish in various shades of black, navy, red, purple, brown, and green…
I’ll admit I’m dark obsessed. I acknowledge the shortcoming of a dark mani is you’ll only get 1-3 days of perfect-wear time, before it chips – so plan accordingly. Or keep it to your toes where it’s less likely to become imperfected. But wow, when it’s fresh – it’s a 10! My best friend recently came across my polish collection (ok, it might be proudly displayed in a glass vase for me to enjoy), and despite me swearing by my two go-to colors (Chanel’s “505 Particulière and “461 Blue Satin”) she was amazed at its size. I’m always rhyming off colors at my local nail spot, helping other patrons find their perfect hue. And because not everyone speaks in “You Don’t Know Jacques”, here are a few celeb-favs for you to try in time for the most glamorous season of the year.
OPI’s “Lincoln Park After Dark” has been the number one selling nail polish in the country for two years. It’s so-dark-eggplant that it almost looks black, but picks up so perfectly in the light that it’s a fav from preteens to women in their golden years. A recent take on this popular polish is “Lincoln Park At Midnight”, adding an iridescent shimmer. Another dramatic dark that’s not quite black is “Russian Navy”. And for those looking to go big or go home… ONYX is as black as black can be.
Dark greens are holiday-festive without being cliché, last year Kelly Ripa turned me onto Deborah Lippmann’s “don’t tell mama”, and this week she sported a new take with OPI’s “Ski Teal We Drop”.
OPI’s “Sapphire in the Snow”, “Siberian Nights“, Essie’s “Wicked” and “Material Girl”, Dolce & Gabbana’s “Royal” all channel purple. Or if you want to stay with reds, “We’ll Always Have Paris“.
Tips for going dark:
- go to the best manicurist you can find, a self-mani dark is high-risk.
- have the manicurist go around your nails with a polish-remover-coated-brush when finished.
- wait an extra 10-20 minutes for your mani to be considered dry, dark polishes take longer to dry.
- add your own top coat every day after your mani, to reduce chipping.
- Dolce and Gabbana’s polishes use car paint and DO NOT CHIP, no matter how dark.
- keep your nails short, a long dark nail is very October 31st.
- Chanel’s “Extreme Shine Nail Lacquer” topcoat keeps your nails looking dewy and wet for days.
- you might stretch 5-7 days, but don’t leave chipped dark nails be. Buffed naked nails are better.
- some guys just don’t dig the dark, wear it for YOU!
And last, but not least: Anything in the bottle looks A LOT darker on your nails, considerably darker after two coats. This isn’t hair color, you can experiment and remove it immediately; find a new signature color, or even try different shades all season long. It’s dark, it’s dramatic, it’s SEXY-chic.
