Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook: A Little Bit of Leopard

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: A Little Bit of Leopard
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

You can’t walk the streets without seeing spots this season.  No, you’re not on safari - but animal prints, especially leopard, are all the rage.  While I love the drama of the leopard look, it’s starting to feel a bit overplayed.  So how do you show your spots without being part of the herd?  Go with a little bit of leopard instead of a lot.  Ditch the leopard dress and opt for something a little more understated.  Here’s how to get the look:

1. Start with textures.  I layered a lace shell on top of a leather skirt for a look that’s a little bit naughty and a little bit nice.
2. Layer on a patterned blouse for some extra coverage.
3. Add your little bit of leopard with this fetching leopard print handbag.  Optional tip? Add a pair of sunglasses in a spotted print to tie back to the leopard print handbag.

How would you wear a little bit of leopard?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 17th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: Triple Play Layering with the High Low Dress

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Triple Play Layering
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

If you’re looking for a kick ass layering piece, look no further than the high low dress.  Higher in the front and lower in the back, this dress looks great layered or alone, giving you supreme versatility.  PS: If you’re headed out of town, this piece is a no-brainer to pack.  I’ve styled the high low dress as the foundation of a trio of layers - here’s how to get the look:

1. Start with your basic high low dress.  This plain black dress features a round neckline and short sleeves - which will keep it relevant come spring.
2. Add your next layer over the dress: an oversized sweater with a gorgeous unexpected jacquard texture. 
3. Finish off the base look with your third layer - a sequinned collar that instantly elevates the other two knit layers.
4. Slide on a cuff bracelet, grab your handbag, find your platforms, and you’re ready for the day.

How would you layer with the high-low dress?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 16th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: Curious Accessories

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Curious Accessories
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

While your clothes make a statement, your accessories often speak louder about who you are.  It’s all in the details - whether it’s a bold color on your purse or a fanciful detail on your heels (hello, wings!).  In this look, the foundation clothing feels all business - but the finishing accessories allow the look to play.  Here’s how to get the look

1. Start with a neutral foundation: a drapey grey tee over a taupe skirt.  Easy shapes in comfortable colors.
2. Layer on a navy jacket to keep your arms warm.  The navy is softer than black on the grey and taupe foundation, and it’s more visually interesting than another shade of grey.
3. Now have some fun with your accessories.  We chose a few pieces with personality - an orange and red chain necklace that provides a funky counterpart to a fuchsia and red handbag.  Note the details on the bracelet (see that snake head?) and the heels - wear these, and you literally have wings.  Usually it’s best to sport these statement pieces separately - but here, the effect is additive.

What’s your favorite fanciful accessory?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 15th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: How to Take Your Look from Day to Night

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Day to Night Dressing
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

Looking fabulous for date night when you’re on the run from work doesn’t have to be a challenge.  But how do you pull off the day to night outfit transformation?  My favorite trick is to make my date night dress play double duty.  It starts off the day as a skirt, paired with a structured shirt.  But when the work day is over, I remove the layered shirt, and poof, it turns back into a stunning dress for evening.  Here’s how to get a fabulous day to night look, perfect for Valentine’s Day and beyond:

1. Start with your stunning cocktail dress.  I personally love dresses with a bit of drama - the sequins on this Aztec inspired dress give it such beautiful texture.
2.  Layer on a daytime top, turning the nighttime dress into a daytime skirt.  I chose this rugged brown top for its sense of structure - and for how it juxtaposes against the luxury of the sequinned dress.  Depending on how the shirt and dress pair, you may also want to add a belt to give a bit of extra polish to the look.
3. Keep cozy in a sweaterjacket that goes double duty for day and evening.
4.  Finish off the look with the right accessories.  For day, I chose a bright red laptop bag that’s functional for business but suggests pleasure.  For evening, switch out the work bag for an envelope clutch and adorn yourself with a dramatic pair of earrings.

What’s your best trick for day to night dressing?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 14th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women | 1 comment

February 2012 Lookbook: Monochromatically Fabulous

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Monochromatically Fabulous
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

I’m not a tall girl, but I’d like to pretend I am.  So I do whatever I can to visually add height - add high heels, think vertical lines, and avoid anything that visually widens me.  I also like to, where possible, dress (nearly) monochromatically do give myself a long, lean line.  But keeping your look in the same color family doesn’t have to look repetitive.  All you have to do is mix it up with texture to give your look a whole new dimension.  Here’s how to get the look:

1. Start by mixing matte with shiny: a black drapey matte silk tank paired with a sequinned skirt in a beautiful bluish grey.
2. Echo the blue of the skirt with a smart looking navy blue blazer.
3. Add two more textures with your handbag and shoes: a quilted leather texture with your handbag and a shiny leather finish on your booties.  (Yes, those booties feature a bit of a heel - all the better to give you an extra few inches.) 
4. Grab your sunglasses and go.

How would you make your monochromatic look fabulous?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 13th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: Tactile Pleasures

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Tactile Pleasures
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

Part of what makes fashion so fun is the way an outfit looks - but the way an outfit feels to the touch also adds to the delight.  The beauty of playing with textures is that it’s so subtle - it’s only when you see the pieces up close that you fully appreciate the intricacy of the look.  I layered up three key textures in this look - a traditional lace, a snazzy tweed, and leather cutouts - for a look that’s as fun to touch as it is to look at.

1. Start with a textured base: a white lace shell paired with a neon tweed skirt.  The white shell makes the neon green in the skirt pop, and vice versa.
2. Grab a blazer to give the look a little extra polish.
3. Add additional texture via your accessories.  Along with the leather cutout clutch (love love love this pattern), I added a ribbon tied beaded necklace to make the look more ladylike.
4. Slip on a pair of suede pumps, and you’re good to go.  Why did I choose blue for the shoes?  The blue of the pumps echoes the navy blazer and reads well with the yellows and greens in the look.  Together, these pieces are a great study in pairing analogous colors.

How would you play with texture?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 10th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: Tradition and Bohemia

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Tradition and Bohemia
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

Personal style is about taking something and making it your own.  You can mix silhouettes, you can mix pieces from different eras, you can mix pieces with opposing style sensibilities.  But as long as you have a point of view about how they mix, you’re good to go. 

Case in point?  This look, which juxtaposes traditional and bohemian style.  The chunky sweater is classic, while the flowy floor length maxi skirt reads more bohemian.  Likewise, the mixture of accessories toe the line between the classic and the free spirited.  What I love about this look is how the pieces come together to create something larger than the sum of their parts - something that’s at once traditional and non-conformist.  Here’s how to get the look:

1. Start with a cozy chunky knit sweater and a sweeping floor length maxi skirt - a mix of the comfortable and the dramatic.
2. Next, add a bit of the exotic.  Slip on a pair of wedge heels in an embossed lizard pattern and a tribal-inspired statement necklace that adds texture to the top of the look.
3. Finish off the look with an accessory that’s at once classic and au courant - a boxy cross-body bag.

How would you mix and match styles?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 9th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: High Low Layering

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: High Low Layering
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

One of the key silhouettes of the season is the high-low look: a piece that’s higher in the front and lower in the back.  (Yes, it’s the fashion version of the mullet, but it’s much more fetching.)  You’ll see it on tops, you’ll see it on skirts, and here, you see it on a basic black tee/dress.  What I love about this silhouette is that it’s accessible for women of all heights - it works just as well on a tall woman as it does on one who is petite. 

Based on this playfulness of the high-low silhouette, I thought it’d be appropriate to add another light layer to the dress - a patterned blouse that adds visual interest to the look.  (As it’s the middle of winter, you’ll probably also want to throw on a jacket when you head outdoors.)  Here’s how to get the look:

1. Start with your high-low dress: a basic black knit dress that will take you from winter to spring.
2. Grab a patterned blouse to layer on top of the high-low dress.  The white blouse against the black dress is classic, and the beading on the blouse adds visual interest and an air of unstuffy sophistication.
3. Cover your legs with a pair of tall, slightly over-the-knee boots - it is winter, after all.
4. Grab your chapeau and a bright handbag (don’t you love how the blue pops against the black of the look), and you’re ready for whatever the day has in store for you.

How would you wear the high-low silhouette?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 8th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: Lunch with the Ladies

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Lunch with the Ladies
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

You don’t have to be a lady who lunches to sport this prim & polished (yet effortlessly chic) look.  What I love about this look is that it’s perfectly put together, yet it doesn’t take itself too seriously.  Yes, it features a gorgeous tweed skirt - but that tweed skirt is paired with a military inspired smock shirt (and a pair of patterned sunglasses to boot!).  Here’s how to get the look:

1. Start with a playful juxtaposition - an earthy, casual smock shirt with a proper tweed skirt in a neon green.
2. It’s winter - so wrap yourself up in a sweaterjacket (or a sweater and/or jacket). 
3. To walk the fine line between effortless and polished, choose accessories that give a nod to each.  Here, I’ve kept the shapes classic - but each accessory features a cheeky detail, from the pattern on the sunglasses to the bold color on the clutch to the colorblocking on the shoes.

How would you walk the line between effortless and polished?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 7th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

February 2012 Lookbook: Put a Collar on It

Omiru's February 2012 Lookbook: Put a Collar On It
This look is part of Omiru’s February 2012 Lookbook series, which builds upon our 16-Piece February 2012 Capsule Wardrobe.  See more information about this look.

Detachable collars have been on the style radar since Miu Miu Spring ‘10, and they’ve steadily been migrating from the province of fashion stylists to the Real World.  The beauty of these detachable collars is that they finish off your look by adding visual depth - without the bulk of a full shirt.  Here’s how to get the look:

1. Start with a solid foundation - a grey oversized chunky knit sweater over denim leggings.
2. Put a collar on it to dress up the sweater.  The gold sequinned collar adds texture and color to the grey chunky knit.
3. Glam up the look with serious accessories - a pair of buckled military boots grounds the look, along with a hard edged metal bracelet. 
4. But then add a bit of fun with an animal print clutch and a pair of bright red sunglasses for a pop of color.

How will you wear a detachable collar?
  Share your style in the comments!

Posted by Trisha on February 6th, 2012 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |

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