Oversized button-downs are hardly a new concept, but this season, designers and buyers alike have warmed to the idea.

FASHIONISTAS

Most trendy stores like Urban Outfitters and H&M offer the look as an oversized shirt or a shirt -inspired dress. As an alternative, go the cheaper route and raid the closets of the men in your life.

Finding these pieces should be relatively easy, but it is often difficult to style them. Use the look with a heavy hand, and being one step away from a hot mess is probable. The first issue is length. If you’re going for a dress look, it should fall about half way above your knee. If going for an oversized shirt look, slim/tapered pants or leggings are a necessity and you’re going to want the length to cover a good six inches of your thighs. Imagine you’re wearing a mini-skirt. The length should go down at least that far. You might want to go a tad longer, depending on the fit of the pants and your individual proportions.

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The new Crate and Barrel arrived in the mail today and I took a rare moment to sit and flip through it! Here are a few great finds for fall.

The Allegro Settee is a great deal at $499 (though it does say assembly required, which might mean nothing more than screwing in some legs) and looks substantial at 54 inches wide. It appears to slant back ever so slightly, which I like in a settee. I prefer it in the Mocha Micro. At this price, it would be a great piece to reupholster after a year or two if you get sick of the fabric! Stack a few brightly colored pillows on it and you have a unique new settee.

Another piece which caught my eye was this magazine rack. Goodness knows I can use all the help I can get in corralling the piles of magazines I have! I like the faux leather which is different than all the metal ones we see out there and the ivory stitching is a nice detail. At $21.99 it is available in green, red and white. Now if they had purple or orange, it would be ever so trendy.

The Alpha coffee table is a unique piece with its vintage looking printers blocks. It is a great conversation piece and could be the highlight of any living room. At $899, it’s not necessarily inexpensive, but it is a piece I would suspect one would keep for a long time!

What home decor pieces are you liking for fall?

One of my favorite fall combinations is boots and bottoms. Bottoms are anything that covers, well, your own bottom. Skirts, dresses, leggings, tights, pants and jeans all qualify.

Here are some really varied combinations of boots and bottoms so you can find a set that fits your personal style.

1. Look 1 from Forever 21 combines the trendy and the retro. Can you guess which is which? Although the dress is from Forever 21, it has cute, 50’s styling. Ankle boots, which were popular in the 80’s, have made a huge comeback. To spice up the look: Add a scarf, headband and black or colored tights. For something more edgy, wear leggings with the dress.
2. Look 2 from Delias is for the daring fashionista. When I saw these boots, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Pink! And plaid! And a button! These boots include so many fashion trends in one small package that it’s hard to figure how to pair them. The best way to make these boots be the stand-out item is to pair them with other solid colored clothing. These black skinny jeans, for example, let the boots stand on their own. To spice up the look: Wear the boots with a contrasting solid color up top. Bright blue, maybe?
3. Look 3 from Urban Outfitters is all me. I like wearing muted patterns and colors–nothing too wild!–and pairing them with interesting footwear and accessories. These boots are versatile and stylish, and I can’t say enough good things about this Urban Outfitters shirt dress. To spice up the look: Add a bright-colored jacket (yellow, orange, etc.), throw on some gray tights and put on a chunky necklace.
4. Look 4 from Target is the epitome of ladylike-chic dressing. This dress is fantastic–I love winter white. The boots, though, are the real catch. Less than $35 from Target, and they look hot. I love the mini wedge. Perfect for winter, perfect with a dress like this. Add some tights or leggings if you get cold. To spice up the look: Throw on some big sunglasses and belt that dress!
5. Look 5 from Alloy is trendy, trendy, trendy. From the colored pants to the low-heeled boots, there is nothing subtle going on here. Step out in confidence–after all, colored pants are all over the place right now and be amazed as the compliments roll in. To spice up the look: Wear something patterned on top. A houndstooth scarf with a simple, chic peacoat would lend a mod edge here.

J Crew’s children’s line, Crewcuts, is featuring the sweetest coat at the moment. Their September ‘08 catalog features a beautiful little girl wearing the Jacket. The model has fiery red hair and is posing with such an attitude, it reminds me of someone I used to know! Seeing her fabulous patterned orange coat sparked something in my memory.

Four months ago, I saved a swatch of fabric by Philip Gorrivan for Highland Court Fabrics, almost identical to the pattern in her coat.

For the last two seasons, orange has been everywhere and as one can see by my StyleFeed, I’ve been a wee bit obsessed. Now that the trend has calmed down a bit, I revisit the pattern and find I still enjoy it. This is a good indication I should have it in my home. This pattern would look smashing as pillows with a fat, corded welt to surround it, or even as a bed coverlet with a wide band of winter white border. This just goes to show once again, that fashion and home decor really do go hand in hand!

What have you saved to your StyleFeed that you may have forgotten about and fallen in love with again? Do you like the trend of orange in home decor?

There are two looks–Retro Glam and Collegiate Charm–that seem to be the benchmark of Fall trends from year to year. Slight variations like plaid, bubble skirts, short boots, high boots, colored tights, black tights and the like only enhance those basic looks.

Here’s what to look for when you shop for a retro glam or collegiate charm look:

1. The print of this gingham dress is new and trendy, but the old-school 50’s cut is all vintage-chic. To dress retro glam, don’t be afraid to wear vintage cuts in new and unexpected ways. If a print is a little too old-fashioned for you, have the dress, skirt or blouse altered into a more modern shape. On the other hand, if the cut of the item is very vintage, pair it with modern accessories to avoid a costumed appearance.
2. Jewelry is key to a retro glam look. A little goes a long way, and try mix up what you wear so as not to appear straight out of Grease, for example. Pearls would be too much with this outfit, so I paired the retro-fitting dress with a long, rock-and-roll chain necklace.
3. When it comes to retro glam, the bigger the sunglasses, the better.
4. Much to my eternal dismay, the shoes pictured above are no longer available on the fickle friend that is Forever 21 online. However, try these alternatives. Here’s what to look for: a chunkier heel (no stilettos), buckles, round-toes, vintage (gold, red, etc.) or muted colors, mary-jane styles or classic peep-toe pumps.
5. A scarf completes the retro glam outfit. Tie it loosely, or with a more retro-flair by flipping one end over your shoulder.
6. For a bit of authentic ladylike coordination, use a clutch instead of your huge, leather tote.
7. A 50’s/60’s style jacket finishes off the outfit. A bit of boxiness is a must. Look for large buttons or a peter pan collar. With longer dresses/skirts, try a cropped jacket. If you’re wearing something shorter on the bottom, then make sure your coat falls slightly above your hemline, but not too far.

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After a break due to being busy with my photoshoots…I am back with a new blog post!

Again, I was inspired to put together an outfit with clothing items I came across and added to my StyleFeed.

I came across this gorgeous dress:

Wonderful dress with a busy, striped, pattern. I am not really into the shoes or bag they have with it on the dress form, however.

I would keep the black tights because the dress needs basic black to not make the eye go “What am I suppose to look at?” Plus, the black tights would show off these shoes that I would wear with the dress:

The burgundy color of those high platforms I like a lot better than the tan shoes of the outfit the website picked out to go with the dress. Burgundy is in the same color family as the colors in the dress and the black tights would show off the shoes.

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I know you don’t wanna even THINK about fall right now, but the truth is, September is just weeks away. The good news is, very soon you can start experimenting with some of the coolest trends this month’s fashion mags are featuring. I’m most looking forward to wearing big boxy plaids with cowlneck sweaters (like the look Adam Lippes sent down the runway for fall):

Statement accessories:

Metallic flashes (that aren’t over-the-top) like this skirt by Abaete:

And all the pretty dresses!