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.

The second issue is silhouette. The sheer volume of an oversized shirt often needs to be balanced by cinching the waist with a belt. Take note — retire your thick wide belts. They are not only often overbearing, but have been killed to death! The new belts are skinny and a fresh breath of air. Just take a look at the belt in the first picture.

Let’s talk accessories. If you are beltless or using a belt that blends well with the color of your top, a gold or silver chained necklace is a great addition. Also, bangles would work with mostly any top. Just keep your color palette in check. To finish the look, throw on a pair of heels or wedges. As a special touch, the right full skirt might pack extra punch if worn under the top…just pay close attention to proportion.

FASHIONISTOS

It’s true. Guys often have it easier than girls. If you do not have the money to pay Henrik Vibskov prices, I recommend sizing up one or two sizes. Any flannel will do. It’s that simple. Now here comes the fun part – finishing the look! My number one style tip is balance. If you’re going to do oversized, you’ll need tapered/skinny jeans.

To complete the look, layering is encouraged. The more layers you can accomplish without looking or feeling heavy, the better. An excellent and easy layer example would be to leave the shirt unbuttoned and worn over a tee. On top of the button-down, wear a thin cotton buttoned vest; think sleeveless cardigan. B.Son offers the perfect vest. To top it off, add a scarf in a solid color or subtle pattern. When pairing multiple patterns, pick one bold pattern and one subtle pattern. Link the patterns with a dominant color. For shoes, I recommend a pair of TOMS or Converse.

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?

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.

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?

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.

1. Start off with an interesting blouse. It can be longer, like a tunic, or a bit shorter. Ruffles are preferred, but not required. A print is good also, but a solid color is easier to coordinate the accessories with.
2. Every collegiate girl worth her salt knows that some plastic-framed reading glasses add a bit of quirky charm.
3. A few bright-colored items in a coordinating color family add some conversation pieces to the entire outfit. See how well the colored pants, bracelet and blue cardigan look together? The yellow on this bracelet is a bright color, yes, but is also surprisingly neutral.
4. A long, grandpa-style cardigan worn over the blouse helps keep you warm, but that’s not the real reason I included it. Skinny jeans are tricky to proportion: if your top is too short, you end up looking very “hippy,” or bottom-heavy, without balance on your upper-half. Use a longer cardigan to correct that and balance out your collegiate charm look.
5. A big, leather tote bag serves two purposes: one, it has that collegiate–and somewhat scholarly–look we are aiming towards without seeming like a briefcase. And the second reason is that the bag adds a good neutral base for the entire outfit.
6. Interesting, comfortable shoes with a slight heel to accentuate the skinny pants: these are exactly what I’m talking about.
7. An outfit with a bit of quirk would not be complete without a standout piece of jewelry, like this snake bracelet.
8. Skinny pants with color, instead of the classic denim washes, are fun and easier to wear than you might think.

Do you have more Retro Glam or Collegiate Charm?

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.

I might add this bag:

I chose black because it picks out the dark tones of the dress and goes with the tights. I am not sure it should be a “shoulder strap” bearing bag, but it is just an idea. A handbag with short straps like the tan one in the original photo would work just as well if it was burgundy and of a similar style as the one in the photo.

I would probably wear a long necklace with the dress since the dress is short. Something gold like this:

Not too wild but enough to shine and catch the eye.

I am not sure I would go bare-wristed…maybe just a thin, gold, bracelet like this:

It has a bit of the bright bead to it and many thin, gold, wires.

Of course, bright colors are not for everyone and I am sure some people will dislike the “black purse” idea. I am not sold on the black “shoulder bag” myself…I just cannot find a burgundy one that is better suited at the moment. Maybe our readers could find one that would be perfect and would like to share?

Statement accessories:

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

And all the pretty dresses!