Stylebytes: Texture Thrills

If the catwalks were anything to go by this year, Fall 2011 has been all over the place. In an attempt to divine some coherence in the trends, we've discovered that while seasonal staples spilled into one another, while hemlines rose and fell, and silhouettes first fit and then exaggerated, and often in the same friggin' show, one thing still holds true for this season, and that is texture.  Comfortably straddling Summer and Winter, Fall is one season that allows you to go all out with different fabrics and textiles to create effect. Let's take a look at some pretty textures that are en vogue right now.

Lanvin, Fall 2011
Source: nymag.com

Velvet

     Because it's such a high-maintenance fabric, velvet has taken more of a back seat in menswear for a long time. With the political swashbucklers in shows like Boardwalk Empire bringing back a wealth of texture into their men's clothing, showing that a little elbow grease can have a huge payoff, designers and style-hounds have been pretty prompt in jumping aboard and reviving the textile.

    Indeed, you could do a lot worse than incorporating a velvet jacket into your evening wear. Please note that velvet is strictly evening wear, for practical as well as stylistic reasons. Also, if you buy a whole suit, never wear the blazer and trousers together, unless you want your outfit to look like a costume.  Pair a velvet jacket with a cool printed shirt (this is one fabric you can wear busier prints with) simple, dark jeans or trousers, some stylish footwear, and you're ready to turn heads. Black is the colour of choice, but feel free to darker jewel tones and pull it off, with decreasing order of versatility from midnight blue, emerald green, chocolate, royal purple and then red. 

Source: alphasincorporated.blogspot.com

Leather

    Nothing adds excitement to a look faster than a leather jacket. Whether we're talking biker chic or military cool, leather is a staple. 

    Since everything James Dean is suddenly enjoying renewed interest, the easiest way for a guy to look badass is to combine a black leather jacket with a white wife-beater, classic jeans, fedora and Ray-bans. If you take your style cues from movies, you can opt between black bomber with crisp white shirt, slim black tie, baggy-ish jeans, and white trainers, or band tee, jeans, vans, and Wayfarers. For the preppier dudes, we could suggest you pair your favourite 'job interview' formal pants with some dark loafers, a simple neutral shirt, and a motocross jacket in a lighter colour, like tan or butterscotch. Smart casual with pizzazz!

   For girls, the cropped jacket is your best friend. Pair a black biker jacket with a light tee and dark trousers and smoky eyes for an edgy look. Maximise the maxi dresses and long skirts of summer by teaming them with a cropped jacket - they'll last a while longer yet. Pairing a sweet flirty frock with an edgy leather jacket creates an irresistible good girl/bad girl combination. Deshi girls could even try a cropped jacket with a long kurti and calf-length tights for a fusion twist to their usual wardrobe.

Denim

Source: mens-fashion-tips.com

At the surface level, this one's a no-brainer, because denim was never out of fashion to begin with. That being said, the creative minds in the industry have given everyone's favourite fabric a serious update, and it's bigger than ever before. 

First up, jeans styles for men. Grunge is once again enjoying its moment in the sun, so you'll see a lot of distressed jeans. Acid-washed, ripped, faded, and pretty much fashionably abused in every way you can think of, these are paired with dressier shirts and jackets for an interesting combo. On the other end of the spectrum, you have dark-washed stiff-starched jeans with rolled hems. And in between, you have straight jeans tending towards darker shades and slim fits.

For women, there are four fits to choose from: flares, skinnies, wide-legged trousers, and the boyfriend jeans. While your basic blue pair tends towards the darker shades, that's just one hue in the palette. Colour blocking is back in a big way, and now you can wear your skinnies in just about any colour you can think of. Thumbing the Labor Day rule, white denim, in particular, is all the rage. Finally, the grunge theme is played out through patched jeans.

   There's more to denim this year than just jeans, as the picture above shows. We love, love, love the look Jake Gyllenhaal is sporting, which takes the workman's denim shirt straight to the boardroom in this classy upgrade. And in fact, high-end labels continue last year's trend for incorporating the fabric into shirts, jackets, waistcoats, and everything in between. Ditto for women, who can choose from skirts to jeggings to dresses and tunics, all in this versatile material. Did we mention we are absolutely thrilled with Banana Republic's Mad Men line?

Valentino, Fall 2011
Source: fashionimperative.blogspot.com

Lace

   As materials go this peek-a-boo fabric will probably never completely drop off the radar; it's at once sexy and sophisticated, and it has been all over both clothing and accessory lines this season, in various forms. Blumarine and N12 went for colour statements, while Jason Wu chose to blend lace with other materials. Either way, there's a lot to choose from.

   For those a little shy about jumping on board with both feet, you can try starting with a little lace trim on your collars or cuffs to add a fancy touch to your everyday staples. When you're ready go bolder, pop a lace shell over a camisole, under a jacket for a polished, but alluring look. And finally, when you're up to going all out, choose between a tailored piece with construction details, or a sheath or tunic in clean lines. Be careful of 'trendy' accessories like lace gloves and shorts; they look great on girls, but may appear faddish on women over 40. (This doesn't apply to footwear - lace slippers and booties are cool at any age.) 

The London Show

This is LWIS' first ever review of a fashion week. If you want to see coverage on the previous fashion weeks  (Milan, Paris, NY), they're on M's personal site (click here: The New York Show). But for now, we give you our favorite looks from the London Fashion Week menswear runway and the trends that were spotted.
*images from GQ.com UK

-Topman Design-

Topman is one of those stores that will never let you down. Not only are they known to be chic and affordable, but they keep that essentially British style and cut, although there is so much you cannot replicate from a tailored suit from Savile Row. Ready-to-wear, in essence, has to keep that form without compromising on authenticity.

• Inspired by: "Bohemian, Kashmerie and Moroccan influences in romantic palettes with patterns and printed silks." "Youthful bohemia"
• Highlights: "Smart suiting with an Eastern twist. Double-breasted jackets with cropped trousers. Bright patent tasseled loafers in fluorescent colours. Silk shirts and pyjama-style trousers in jacquard prints. Man clutches in printed Maroc leather."

 

-E Tautz-

• Inspired by: What was shown here was classic tailoring mixed in with athletic wear. "Patrick Grant told the story of how in the Twenties a Havana postman Félix Carvajal decided to ran for Cuba in the Olympics and turned up late. He ended up running the race in the full outfit and would tip his hat to the crowd as he went round the final lap of the stadium. That story inspired further research into classic athletic wear."
• Highlights: The athletic tailored pants stood out the most. In this show: "Technical jackets in waterproof Ventile. A beautiful orange high-vis parka. Reinvented pac-a-mac in Ventile. Some very wearable of linen cable knit sweaters. Pre-fall - Grant revealed that E Tautz will now be doing four collections a year - inspired by American artist Richard Serra and they showed double breasted suits in eight-ounce worsted with cropped trousers." 

 -Hardy Amies-

• Highlights: One by one, I kept seeing flavors of Italian style, while traditional British three-piece looks were kept intact. The summer colors were muted here, which is perfect for this type of collection. I couldn't help but think this collection has plenty of sprezzatura. It was almost a fusion of styles in the design and colors. Lapels that could be seen in a French label as well from some of the jackets in display. This was a great surprise to have in the week and a pleasure to include in our favourites list.

 

Stylebytes: Polka will never die!

Extra points if you caught the Dresden Files reference. Fantasy author Jim Butcher's musically-inclined coroner Waldo Butters may have been referring to his favourite genre of music, but his sentiment holds true for a timeless classic that's holding strong this season: the polka dot.
We're going to kick off our serial coverage on S&M's Fall 2011 with a medley of some of our favourite trends for Autumn this year, all in one sweet polka theme.

Source: gosh-makeup.blogspot.com

This one perfectly captures three key trends this season: polka dots, geometric motifs, and nail art. We're really digging the monochrome look, but if you're looking for something brighter, experiment with earthy neutrals, or cool metals. Nail appliques are all the rage.

Source: kaboodle.com

One of the looks that's really in vogue right now, is the innocent schoolgirl look, which pairs flirty flats with feminine frocks. Bows are also really back in a big way, and we love the splash of red (the hottest colour on the catwalk and the red carpet right now) against the monochrome palette. Don't let us stop you from experimenting with other hues and shades though.

Source: prom.about.com

One of the biggest factors influencing the paradigm shift in fashion, on and off the runways is the slew of critically acclaimed retro-themed television shows (Mad Men, anyone?). The ever-flattering A-line silhouette has been brought back and incorporated to the flared waistlines and flouncy skirts that characterized 60's fashion. Updated with modern textures and timeless prints, this number can be a hit on the dance floor, and is the perfect number for prom. 

Local Export

Source: hellomagazine.com

While we're still riding the tide of Emmy 2011 fashions, we wanted to look back a bit and remember this striking ensemble Dame Helen Mirren sported on the red carpet two years ago. Most magazines described it as an 'Indian garment', but this gorgeous silk number is actually a product of Aarong, purchased from its Vallance Road outlet in London. How's that for a dose of deshi pride?

Some thoughts on self-image

      Despite its current beauty/fashion-heavy content, LWIS is not essentially a blog about clothes and make-up.  Style, to us, is more about self-expression. Yes, what you wear is a big part of it, but so is how you carry it off, and basically the face you portray to the world through your words, your actions, your taste, and your work. It's in how you choose to make your mark on the world and make them sit up and take notice.
    One question that has come up a number of times is 'why does any of this matter?" Sadly enough, fashion and style are often seen as superficial, and even supercilious, but we at LWIS beg to differ. Every now and then, we will be posting essays on style and self-image, and self-expression, but we thought we'd kick off this section by borrowing something from Hearty, the online magazine: Julia Wertz's views on fashion. For those who haven't read her stuff, Julia Wertz is an American graphic novelist, most famous for her transgressive Fart Party comic series. An artist and Lupus survivor, she cuts an interesting figure, and for those most interested in the full interview, you can check it out here.
      For everyone else, we're reposting her cartoon essay on her views on fashion.

Source: heartymagazine.com

Red Carpet at the Emmys

Red carpet events are obviously the most glamorous when it comes to showing off beautiful designs from amazing designers. The stars who take the carpet make it even more glamorous. LWIS, from this point on, will have its opinion on who wore what the best at red carpet events.
We start things of at this year's 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. The thing, I'm sure, all of us have noticed was the many shades and styles of red on the red carpet worn by the lovely ladies of both film and television. It doesn't stop there, of course. Here are S&M's favorites from the red carpet!

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Kate Winslet in her gorgeous Elie Saab, no fuss updo, and freshed-face make-up." - S
"What I've always loved about this woman is her ability to keep it simple and elegant. She has never failed to look breathtaking with so little effort." - M

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Sofia Vergara  in this ridiculous hot watermelon Vera Wang, vintage chandelier earrings."- S

"A little too heavy on the make-up, but it's because of her sultry features that makes her drop-dead gorgeous in this dress." - M

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Lea Michelle, almost solely for the roses on the cap-sleeves of her Marchesa." - S

"From a non-bias perspective, being a big fan of hers, I believe Lea is definitely in the top 3 for best dressed." - M

Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup via AP IMAGES

"Christina Hendricks dripping with bling on her Johanna Johnson and Palladium." - S

"She's a-whole-lotta woman. From head to toe it's an in-your-face look. The thing about it is we actually want more of it when it comes to this beautiful woman. We don't mind it a bit." - M

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan and Neil Lane, and that gorgeous sun-kissed skin." - S

"Simply stunning. Very old school Hollywood. If you look this beautiful in a slight hint or flavor of vintage, you will always make it on my top dressed list." - M

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Cobie Smulders, stunning in her goddess gown by Alberta Ferretti and Neil Lane." - S

"This was a very welcoming sight from all that fierce red. This is so calming and easy-on-the-eyes, definitely one of my favorites." - M

Life.com

"Loretta Divine looking divine in a teal empire waist sheath gown with with sleeve detail." - S

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Louise Roe, bucking the red trend with a fresh halter-neck sheath gown in mustard gold." - S

Life.com

"Cat Deeley, dazzling in Monique Lhuillier." - S

"Her smile has always won me over, which makes this look even more pleasing to the eye." - M

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

"Michelle Forbes in a feathered black A-line ballgown." - S

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Emily Blunt, to me, has always had this regal beauty about her. I absolutely adore this beautiful woman, especially in this stunning Elie Saab gown from the Fall 11 couture collection." - M

Jordan Strauss/WireImage.com

"This one was a jaw-dropper for me. It's a relief seeing Adrianne Palicki out of that Wonder Woman costume and into this sizzling fire-engine-colored satin frock with a thigh-high slit." - M

Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com

"Naya Rivera, another young lady who opted for something other than red, nailed it with this seductive noir style dress. What can't be seen here are the modern side pockets to the dress and the very sexy Christian Louboutin heels. She wins my "3S Effect" seal and approval." - M

Heavy Metals

Source: 3.bp.blogspot

When you're taking your look from daytime to evening glam, a good way to do it this season is to go with metal eyelids. The smoky look of last year is taking a back-seat to the shimmer and shine of metallic eye-shadow.
The shiny look is easier to achieve than you would think, and if you're shy about going all out, there are several ways to wear the look.

* A simple way to ease into the look is to start using silver eye-shadow as a base to your usual make up. Sweep from lash line to brow ridge, and then layer and blend your regular colours on top, for added depth and definition.

* When you're ready to let some metal show, add a streak of copper, bronze, or gold across your crease, and slightly above it, to add some pop to your regular colours.

* For a quick pick-me-up that's hot day or night, just use a shiny metallic eyeliner. Silver works well with cooler colours like green or blue, gold is perfect for warmer shades of purple and red. Draw a shiny line above your regular dark liner, and you're ready to rock it.

* If you're going for the smoky winged eyeliner, you can use metallic shadow as an accent. There are two ways to do this. You could sandwich a thin shiny line in silver or gold between the parallel 'wings' (the top one taking a leap from the edge of the upper lid, the bottom one following suit like this). Or, if you're sporting thicker, more Amy Winehouse-esque wings, draw a metallic V around the inner corner of your eye.

* Some people are too attached to their smoky eye look to part with it just yet. For them, we suggest updating the look by layering on some purple or bronze shades to create a sexy, colourful look.

* When the latest installment of the Twilight series hits the theatres, you can be sure that all things vampire will make a resurgence. You can incorporate the shadowed-eyes look into your metal eyes in some easy steps. Start with a darker cream shadow base of black or dark brown (we prefer the latter) and then lighten by layering with a lighter shade of blue or grey that goes in a lightening gradient towards the brow, and along the lower lashes. Can we say Rrawrr?

* Our favourite metallic eye look however, can be achieved in three steps. Start with a dark liner - we recommend dark brown or plum - smudge, and then sweep bronze shadow over the the lids. Finish by dotting your inner eye corner with a splash of gold.

Products to look for
(Source: Sephora.com)


- Dior 5-colour Designer All-in-one palette in Smoky Design
- Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Stick in Ice Pick
- Make-up Forever Smoky Lash in Smoky Lash

Winging it

With retro-themed shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire racking up some serious ratings, and Hollywood turning to history for inspiration, it's safe to say that period is the new vampire. That means that in the fashion world, retro is back, in a way it has never been before. We're seeing a revival of vintage styles, and old-school Hollywood glam in make-up. The winged eyeliner or 'cat eye' is one such timeless look that's enjoying a resurgence in popularity this season.

The winged liner basically consists of a line drawn across the eyelid, that extends beyond the natural lash-line and ends in an upward tilt. You can either have a single 'wing' taking flight from your eyelid, or have a second, parallel line going under your eye. In both cases, the effect is to make the eyes look larger and dreamier at once.


How to achieve this look:


* Practice makes perfect. It's hard to get it right at one go, so invest in a lot of cotton swabs, which minimize the mess.

* Draw finer lines. That means sharpening your pencil, or getting a thinner brush, depending on which tools you use. Try sticking as close to your lashes as possible, without actually lining the inner rims of your eyelids (doing so will make your eyes look smaller and beadier). Try leaving no skin showing between line and lash.

* Draw two lines. A single line is hard to achieve, and doesn't always flatter your eyes. Instead, start with an 'under liner' in a gold or similarly light colour, and draw a prominent wing that starts at the corner of your eye and extends upwards until it is slanting towards your brow. Then, when you have achieved the desired shape, using your dark liner (black is default, but dark browns and plums look even better), colour over the lighter liner.

* Gel > Solid > Liquid. Liquid liner is hard to be accurate with, even if you're not drawing wings. It tries quickly, smudges easy, and is hell to remove. Solids are a lot better; you can achieve greater control with them, especially if you're prone to making mistakes. Gel liners marry the utility of the pencil with the precision of liquid liners and allow for more comfortable applications.  Laura Mercier also has a superb cake liner that is applied with a teardrop shaped brush.

* Get rid of excess. Wipe down your brush or pencil, to prevent smudges caused by excess make-up.

* And finally, a bright idea: amp up the winged look by using pencil or cream in jewel tones.

Products to watch out for:
(Source: Sephora.com)

- Stila Stay All Day waterproof liquid liner in Alloy
- Smashbox Jetset waterproof liner in Midnight Black
- Guerlain Terracotta kohl kajal in 01 Black Frida

Paint it Red

The bright orange lips of spring have darkened to red, and with all things vintage being very much in vogue again, the vixen red lips are all the rage.

Photo: Alexandra S. http://fav.me/d1voihg

The red lipstick is a powerful tool in a woman's make-up arsenal. It is a look that signifies old-school glamour, boldness, passion, and sexiness all wrapped in one kissable pout. This is one reason why a lot of woman are shy about using it.

Whereas traditionally 'red lipstick' meant a blood red colour, modern cosmetology has given us a whole spectrum of shades to choose from, so now there's a red for everyone.

For fair skin

Red looks striking against fair skin. If you've got cooler (pinkish) skin tones, avoid the pinkish reds, and opt for the orangey or black-red shades to counteract the ruddiness of your complexion. Conversely, if you have a yellowish skin tone, go for the really reddish reds. Avoid too pale pinks and orange tones, because they make your skin look pale and colourless.

For medium skin tones

Wheatish and duskier skin tones really open up under a variety of red shades. You can go from cherry red and fuschia to burgundy and maroon. What you do want to avoid are orange shades that look washed out against your skin.

For darker skin

If you're dark, but not bordering on black, you want to go for browner shades of red, such as brick red, or fuschia. Avoid pale pinks and oranges because they're too much of a contrast. For very dark skin, however, avoid the deep brownish reds, because it looks awful. Very dark skin, like very fair skin, provides an excellent canvas for bright, bold colours, which the mid-ranges find difficult to pull off.

Tips for the prettiest lips

* As is the case with any make-up, use a primer. Lipstick primers hold the colour in place. If you don't happen to have some handy, use a lip balm, and pat off the excess with a tissue paper.

* Lip liners are currently passe, so use a lip brush, your fingers, or the stick direct to apply the colour, dab away the excess, and you're good to go. The look is natural, and playful.

*Layer a transparent glossy coat for a wet look. If gloss isn't available, petroleum jelly does the job just as well.

*Tone down a too-rich shade of red by applying a coat of bronze or golden lip colour and blending like crazy. You can even recycle your bronzers and metallic eyeshadow by dusting them lightly over your too-red lipstick and blending to create unique colours.

* Balance a red pout with minimal make-up, and let your lips become the focal point of your face. Too much going on in terms of eye make-up, red lipsticks, etc can overwhelm your face.

Trending goodies for the season:

* Sephora Collection 01 Always Red cream lip-stain

* Urban Decay Super-saturated High Gloss lip-colour in Fbomb

* Make-up Forever Rouge Artist Intense #8

(Source: Sephora.com)

If you're trying out red lips for the first time, and aren't yet comfortable with going all the way, you can experiment with lip-stains and tinted balms to give you that sheer coverage. Laura Mercier's Truly Red Creme lip colour and Sexy Lips sheer lip colour are both great buys. If you want an environmentally friendly option that moisturizes your lips, grab yourself a tin of 'It Started with a Kiss' by Lush. It smells great!

On a final note, keep your lips exfoliated and moisturized, to get the most of your lip colour. Pucker up!

Voila, Viola!

LWIS will spend a lot of time discussing established brands and labels, tracking trends and forecasting fashions. However, we at S&M believe in mixing it up to keep things fresh and interesting, so we’ll also sometimes be profiling and interviewing raw talent and newcomers to the scene. What better time to start than with our first Fresh Face? 

Meet Fariha Tashmeen Tinny, a BBA student with big dreams and an eye for fashion. Her story begins in the seventh grade, when, emboldened by her efforts at creating outfits for the cartoon characters her friends used to draw, she decided to design her own dress for the class party. Right then, she knew what she was meant to do.

Fast forward to the present where she’s enrolled at the Independent University, Bangladesh. At this point, she had been designing her own clothes and styling for her friends for a few years. Observing the attack of fashion clones around her, she realised something. “I hardly find any showroom in Bangladesh that sells quality designs for western outfits. I’ve seen people complaining more about their designs than the price.” She knew an opportunity when she saw it, and on February this year, launched Viola, an online clothing store, exclusively on Facebook.

As of now, being a new project, the marketing for the venture has been very low-key, and the store boasts a modest, but growing client base. How this works is, you add Fariha on Facebook, and she adds you to the private group where you can browse the current catalogues and place your order. Viola – so named because its petite creator is a self-confessed “purple freak” – offers tops, tunics, cocktail and party dresses at affordable prices. All items are customised to the buyer, because she wants to cater to all shapes and sizes. The company slogan is ‘Unmatched Design’, which means you won’t be picking a mass-produced style off the rack; rather, your outfit is tweaked to make you stand out.

Like many in the business, Fariha doesn’t have formal training in the field, but calls her work ‘an education in progress’. Combining her own innate sense of style with a lot of trial and error, research and practice, her repertoire grows through hard work and experience. Her favourite designers include Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi Mukherjee for their experiments in colour, and Jean Paul for his classic and epoch designs, and Ayesha Depala for her progressive approach to style.  At present she is focusing on tunics, shirt-dresses and party frocks, but plans to add items like corset dresses, high-waisted pants and more to her new collection very soon.

Sink or swim, Viola deserves kudos for initiative, and we`re keeping our eyes peeled and our fingers crossed.