Detail-oriented fashion hounds will love the pintucking details that have been spotted on shirts, skirts and dresses everywhere. The tucks, which are sewn so close together that they can’t be measured, lend a delicate, feminine quality to any outfit.
August 31st, 2005
Welcome autumn in style with this adorable look, a fall take on summer’s biggest trends.
Fashion Formula = Cardigan + Tank + Plaid Cropped Pants + Boots + Studded Bag.
August 30th, 2005
Picture yourself in your closet on a typical Monday morning.
If you’re anything like us, you see more weekend clothes than workday clothes. With a greater range of colors, fabrics, and silhouettes, they’re just more fun to wear. It’s just a shame that they’re fully appropriate only two days out of the week.
Or so you may think.
We try to liberate these fun loving clothes from the closet as often as we can, covering ourselves with the Law of Weekend Clothes at Work. Simply put, the Law states that, in a business casual office, you are allotted one (1) weekend appropriate item per outfit, given that you surround that item with suitably business appropriate clothes.
Why does it work? Well, the formality of the rest of the outfit serves to elevate the look of the one casual piece. Note that the one item part of the law is more of a guideline, rather than a strict rule. With one casual item, you usually can’t get into too much trouble. For those of you who enjoy a challenge, however, we encourage you to try two or more items. If you want to share a cool outfit idea, (or if on the other hand, you run into problems) feel free to contact us at styleintelligence@gmail.com.
Now let’s look at two common examples of the rule in action.
For women: Say you want to wear your favorite t-shirt to work.
Sabrina Embellished Tee | $39.50 at
Abercrombie and Fitch
Dress it up with a cardigan, skirt, and a pair of heels. An added bonus—on the off chance that you’re perceived as unapproachable at work, the addition of a personal item to your look can go a long way to softening your image.
For men: This example is perfect for the man with one (or two, or ten) too many pairs of jeans in the closet.
“Faded Away†Jean | $89 at
Kenneth Cole
Pair your jeans (no wild washes or treatments, please) with dress shoes, a blazer, and a sport shirt. The quintessential dot-com entrepreneur look, yes, but you’ll be backing it up with more than buzzwords like “mindshare†and “eyeballs.â€
August 29th, 2005
Want to "shoe off" your feminine side? Pumps with scalloped edging are the sexiest items we’ve seen since lingerie tops. Jump on the bandwagon with a ridiculously inexpensive suede version, go sweet with demure pumps, or walk the path of a femme fatale with black lace.
Scalloped Suede Pump in Spring Moss | $14.99 at
Newport News
Belle by Sigerson Morrison ‘2964′ in Dark Brown/
Turquoise Suede | $200.95 at
Zappos Couture August 25th, 2005
One part utility, one part exotic, the safari jacket is a key piece in the transition from summer to fall. Think of it as a logical outgrowth of this spring and summer’s military silhouettes.
How can you wear it?
Fashion Formula = Safari Jacket + Gaucho Pants + Wedge Heels + Shoulder Bag.
Chip & Pepper Humdinger’s Gaucho in Delhousie | $165 at
shopbop.com
Enzo Angiolini ‘Gussie’ in Marrone/New Luggage | $89 at
Nine West August 24th, 2005
Without further ado, we present the men’s packing list:
- Denim: For a more versatile look, go for darker washes.
- Sport shirts: Casualize them by rolling the sleeves up, just so. But please don’t pop the collar. Stripes are flattering but also very common. For a sport shirt with more personality, try a patterned shirt.
- Cargo pants/shorts: Casual bottoms provide a great foundation to the college man’s wardrobe. You can get away with wearing more dressy tops (e.g. sport shirts) without overstyling your outfit.
- Khakis: Look for flat-front pants in a color that flatters your skin tone. Generally, I find that sand colored khakis flatter more than the yellowed variety.
- Corduroy: Look for corduroy with a medium-size wale, as it’ll be more versatile over time.
- Sandals or flip flops: especially if you live on the West Coast.
- Polo shirts: For a more distinctive take on this collegiate classic, try an eye-catching color and/or a slimmer fit.
- T-Shirts: But beware of the career fair t-shirt…it’ll peg you as anti-fashion, and not in a trendy way.
- Sweaters: Have a few on hand in both crewneck and v-neck styles. For a more fashion forward look, go for a zip up.
- Casual Jacket: Try an interesting cut in a versatile color. One of my current favorites is a bomber-style jacket in black nylon.
- Overcoat: Especially in colder climates.
- Sneakers: If you’re not an athlete, look for sport sneakers with style, such as Adidas’ classic Samba shoe.
- A great-looking messenger bag or backpack.
- Blazer, Dress Shirts, Ties, Slacks and Formal Shoes: Have a couple of sets on hand for the social occasions that will inevitably arise—dorm dances, dates, and the like. Make sure to have more than one set of dress shirts and ties so that you won’t be “the guy with one set of clothes†when you review photos of your college life.
- A few good-looking pairs of PJs for when you roll out of bed and head straight to class.
August 23rd, 2005
Your best bet for collegiate style: combine style with casual comfort by looking for special pieces in established categories like denim, knit shirts, and the like. The key is to purchase versatile pieces that will take you from your dorm to class to social events.
But what should you be packing for school? Look no further, and check back tomorrow for the men’s packing list!
- Denim: A variety in different fits, washes, and colors will do you well. They’re a fashion staple for college and beyond.
- Knits: Knits are great for fitted casual tops, sweaters, and even skirts and dresses. Look for fashion forward cuts with interesting detailing. Cropped sweaters are and will be hot for Fall 05.
- Tank Tops/T-Shirts: Great for casual days, and you can dress them up or down depending on the situation. Look for fitted cuts in fashion forward colors, such as teal, white, and leafy green. Layered tees were very Summer 2004—to update the layered look, try mixing two knits with different textures.
- Camisoles: Perfect for dressing up jeans during the day, and they’re party-friendly as well.
- Flowy tops: For going out at night. One extremely common fashion formula: Flowy top + Jeans + Heels.
- Lightweight jacket(s): Cropped blazers, bomber jackets, etc.
- Overcoat: Especially in colder climates.
- Casual pants: Corduroy, cargo pants, cropped pants, etc. From Bermudas to Clamdiggers, cropped pants are not only fashion-forward, but also easily adaptable to a casual college wardrobe.
- Skirts: Mini, A-line, and Full skirts are preferred to the restrictive and formal pencil skirt. Many are found in casual fabrics, such as cotton or denim.
- Sundresses: A perfect daytime look. Wear with casual shoes so as to not overdress.
- Casual shoes: Chic sandals that are both flattering and walking-friendly. Stylish sneakers. Flip flops. Lots of flats.
- A few pairs of dressy shoes for going out.
- A great-looking messenger bag or backpack.
- Formal dresses: A few formal dresses for events like dorm dances and dates. Have one long dress and at least two shorter dresses.
- A few good-looking pairs of PJs for when get lazy and wear them to class.
August 22nd, 2005
Tired of flash-in-the-pan denim washes and jeans distressed to the point of unwearability? Style Intelligence Report is pleased to present a denim trend that’s much more wearable: creased denim.
Think of your trouser pants, right after they come back from the dry cleaner. Clean, freshly pressed, with that nice crease running down the front of each leg. Creasing your jeans imparts a sense of the same formality that is embedded in your work clothes. And it’s perfect for Casual Friday at more conservative workplaces.
How do you get the look?
- Bring out your iron and ironing board. Turn on to medium heat.
- Position your jeans on the board so that the center front of one of the legs is on the fold.
- Slowly press the fold flat using the iron, moving from mid thigh down to the hem.
- Repeat steps 2-3 with the other leg.
Easy, simple, and oh-so-chic.
August 18th, 2005
