This Week in Fashion

Images Courtesy of Essence.com

Halle Berry was seen cruising the streets of Los Angeles in a loose fitting sheath style dress with a natural colored rope belt and snake print gladiator sandals.  She accessorized with a large gray leather tote.

Zoe Kravitz is seen here in an ensemble reminiscent of summers in The Great Gatsby.  She wears a straw hat, brown round frame glasses, a sleeveless blue plaid romper, nubuck colored cross body bag and distressed oxfords with bobby socks to complete the look.  Daisy Buchannan would be proud.

Beyonce and Jay-Z arrive in Du Galle airport in Paris.  Beyonce sports a leopard print romper with an oversized pattern.

Selita Ebanks is seen here wearing a fuchsia cocktail dress with leopard print booties.

This weeks fashion indicates that animal print and rompers are still in!

Spring Prints

 

Image courtesy of the ybf.com 

Journey Smollett is seen here in an airy butterfly print dress.  She's paired it with pewter leather clutch and soft gold peep toe pumps.  This is a perfect day into night for the warmer spring months.  

Springtime in the City

Picture courtesy of Essence.com 

Selita Ebanks is seen  here strolling the streets of New York.  She sports a chic bob haircut, tan trench coat, leopard print clutch and snake skin stiletto pumps.  By incorporating pieces and accessories from the same color family, she has successfully combined two animal prints.  

Socks and Other Signs of a Well Dressed Man: A Big Heart

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

A giving and kind heart is the best accessory that a man can have.  Isn't this picture just adorable? 

Socks and Other Signs of a Well Dressed Man: Colored Suits

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

With spring on the horizon and summer around the corner wardrobe color choices are getting more and more vibrant.  Who's to say that this trend can't spread to what is considered one of the most formal pieces of menswear, suits.  Kanye is seen above wearing a red linen suit.  The casual nature of his outfit is emphasized by the black rocker t-shirt he wears and his loose fitting pants.  I'm not sure if a bright red suit would fly in the next board meeting, but as Kanye's indicated it will work perfectly at a concert, party or a night out on the town.

This Week in Fashion

This week fashion is all about embracing the warmer weather.  Stars were seen out in ensembles that reflect the warmth that comes after one of the most brutal winters in recent history.

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

Jessica White was seen at the Purim Party at Prime KO in New York City sporting an airy v-neck ecru colored blouse with cheetah print leggings and brown suede booties.  This is a great transition look that can easily be dressed up by adding a heel, a blazer or cardigan and statement jewelry.

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

Elise Neal was seen at Millennium Network event at Boulevard 3 in Hollywood wearing a neutral colored tiered tutu skirt, a pewter loose fitting sequined geometric blouse, paired with a tan bolero blazer with gold weaving.  She completed the look with nude round toe pumps.  

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

Tameka Foster was spotted at an Essence R & B Star Launch event wearing a studded loose fitting mini dress accessorized with white peep toe pumps and a small pewter and white evening bag.  Her gold cuffs popped against the grey in the dress. 

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

Thandie Newton at a London Louis Vuitton party wearing a floral sea colored shift dress with black piping and black strappy stiletto sandals and a pink multicolor clutch.  

As the Seasons Change: My favorite time of the year

Paris in spring time.

So,  I don't know about you, but as the sun stays out longer and the mountains of snow finally start to melt, I get antsy for warmer weather.  I've even bought a wardrobe of sunglasses in anticipation for the spring, and I rock a pair of shades every chance that I get; even if it is 30 degrees outside.  As long as the sun's out my shades are in tow.  I don't know if you can tell, but this is my absolute favorite time of the year.  I love putting my boots in the back of the closet and replacing them with flats and pumps.  It feels so liberating!  However, since I'm not in a warmer climate, I have to resist the urge to throw on a pair of sandals for a little while longer (unless I want frostbite).

Here are a few of my tips on making a chic transition from the bulky sweaters of winter to the flowy skirts of spring:

Embrace the in-between:  Try to incorporate some of spring's fashion trends with winter trends.  This way you will remain warm, but you can still look a little brighter than the duller days of winter.

Cardigans and Light Sweaters:  These are perfect to wear alone or under a coat.  They guarantee warmth without the bulkiness of a heavier sweater.



A sweater like this Foliate knit sweater from Forever21.com is perfect for the winter-spring months.



This nautical inspired sweater from Forever21.com has the cooler colors of winter that easily go into spring.

A dress like this Geometrical Shift dress from Forever21.com will take you from late winter to early spring. The 3/4 length sleeves and crisp coloring are perfect for the time period in between winter and spring.  Pair this dress with a pair of booties or cognac knee high boots, and you'll be ready to go!

When formulating outfits for the in between time, consider items with 3/4 length sleeves, items that can be layered and materials that offer warmth but are light enough for those 50 degree days.

Socks and Other Signs of a Well Dressed Man: Pinky Rings

As I was watching American Gangster this evening, I couldn't help but notice how impeccably dressed the characters in the movie were.  One thing that caught my eye was the jewelry that the men in the movie had on.  In this day in age, we often don't see men wearing any jewelry other than their watches, but I appreciate when a man has put in a little extra effort to find jewelry pieces that show his personality and heightened fashion sense.   Celebs like Jay-Z and Big Boi have been wearing the pinky ring to accentuate their ensembles for years.  I encourage men to take a chance and sport a pinky ring this season.

Image courtesy of theurbangentleman.com 

Jay -Z at the 2009 Grammy's awards show. 

Image courtesy of upscaleswagger.com 

Big Boi at a GQ red carpet event.  

"As If": The Cher Effect

In the past few seasons, what I like to call the Clueless influence has taken storm of the fashion world.  Basically, the fashions that were popular in the early to mid 1990s are resurfacing in shoes, clothing and accessories everywhere.

Image courtesy of Google Images

Remember the platform shoes that Cher and Dionne wore to class everyday?    A number of designers, including the European ASOS are releasing platformed sandals with thick straps and stacked heels, like the ones seen below.  

Image courtesy of fashionologie.com 

The good thing about the resurgence of this trend?  Stacked heels and thicker straps are more comfortable than the stiletto heels that have become popular in recent years.  Let's hope this trend sticks around for a while.  

Like Brittany Murphy's character, Ty, Rihanna and a host of other celebrities have been spotted pairing combat boots with a more feminine ensemble.  

Image courtesy of UpscaleHype.com 

Rihanna is seen below in leopard print knee over the knee socks by Wolford.  These socks are a nod to the knee-highs that Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash made popular in the mid-1990s. 

Image courtesy of UpscaleHype.com 

This Week in Fashion

This week marked a new year in fashion. Some of Hollywood's major stars were seen at various social events ringing in the new year.

Image Courtesy of Essence.com

Tyrese and Dahntay Jones at Dahntay's 30th birthday party.  Dahntay's striped bowtie and plaid shirt contrast each other perfectly.  

Image courtesy of Essence.com

Jessica White and Drake at a NYE party. Jessica's embellished cocktail dress stands out amongst the crowd of little black dresses that populate the New Year's Eve crowd.  

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

Alex Rodriguez, Jay-Z and Beyonce at NYE Party.  Beyonce's wows in a studded black and white leather mini dress paired with bead bangles.  

Image courtesy of Essence.com 

Malinda Williams looks effortlessly chic at CIROC's New Year's Eve Party in her textured patterned tights paired with a black ruched mini dress and sleeveless fur shrug.