10/13/11 Darling of the Day: Gwen Stefani’s Sleek Casual Stroll in London!

Gwen Stefani took a stroll around London looking beyond chic! She’s donning a white sleeveless top, skinny pants, movie star sunglasses, & classic peep toe pumps.  This look is so easy to recreate b/c it’s made from basic pieces that we all have.

I love the simplicity of a sleeveless white blouse & fitted black trousers.  Gwen always looks good in black & white, often sporting polka dots, houndstooth, or stripes, but this look is always elegant & very age appropriate for the forty-two year-old L’Oreal spokesmodel.

I found the cream crepe de chine shirt ($22.80) @Forever 21 & the pleated button front blouse ($29.90) from Avenue to help bring this look to life for Style Darlings of all sizes.  The slim crop pants ($49.95) from Gap come are available in size 00-20.

There are so many different black peep toe pumps out there, but I just love that GOjane layered patent peep toe platforms ($23.90) are a little more edgy than your average pair of heels.  Since the look is so minimal, a textured tote ($19.99) by Merona from Target is the perfect everyday accessory for a day-to-day basis.

To finish off the look, oversized round black sunglasses ($5.80), mixed chain necklaces ($8.80), & two-tone textured bangles ($12.60) are subtle ways to show off your style.  I know this look has inspired me to put together some classic pieces of my own for a polished go-to look.

Check out my previous Darling of the Day posts, featuring stars like Lea Michele, Rosie Huntington – Whiteley, & Jessica Biel. Also, if you love Gwen’s style, check out my post on last season’s L.A.M.B. collection! Happy Styling!

Basics for a Bargain: Slip Into A Sweater Dress with Inspiration from Angelina Jolie, Nicole Richie, & Cameron Diaz!

It’s fall, which means that it’s time to take out your favorite knits & sweaters.  The easiest way to start your outfit is with a sweater dress, both comfy & chic.  I’m on the prowl to get one for myself, now that I’ve discovered that I too can wear leggings!  Like it was really such an epiphany lol! Anyway, you have your basic black dress, basic cocktail dress, but what about your basic sweater dress?  You can pair it with tights & knee boots, or flat boots & a crossover bag, a scarf & sunglasses, or some opaque tights & a belt.

To get a little inspired for this basic, I’ve found a slew of famous faces donning the very fall-forward look.  Cameron Diaz slipped into a Bottega Veneta with color Jimmy Choo sandals at the premiere of Knight & Day last year.  Heather Graham sports a black & white striped Diesel turtleneck sweater dress with metallic pumps. Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta Jones wore her gray sweater dress with leggings, a short-sleeved cardigan, slouchy boots, & a scarf while running errands on a chilly November day in New York City.  Lauren Conrad attended an event for Kohl’s in her black sweater dress with matching gladiators, by LC by Lauren Conrad.  Nicole Richie also did some self-promotion wearing her own House of Harlow 1960 ankle boots & a dark green sweater dress at a signing for her book, Priceless.  Angelina Jolie enjoyed a night out in Manhattan, wearing a navy cableknit sweater dress by Loro Piana with Salvatore Ferragamo knee boots.  And way back in 2006, Eva Mendes was super stylish, wearing this Max Azria turtleneck sweater dress with killer brown knee boots & stunning silver cuff bracelet.

These seven sweater dresses will instantly update your dress collection for the season & impeccably show off your figure!  @Macy’s you can find this Style&co. sweater dress / cableknit tunic ($26.98) in espresso.  The ‘Happy Place’ black & taupe sweater dress ($49.00) from Lulu’s is a little more sexy & wild for a sweater dress, but with the right black tights & black patent leather pumps, you’ll look fierce in this 80′s-inspired dress! The third pictured above is the one I want!  I’ve never actually bought anything from Dress Barn, but this cabled sweater dress with envelope collar in fern ($39.99) best represents my style in the form of a sweater dress!  The neckline is modern & flirty, but the cableknit calls on everything I love about preppy style.

I thought it was fitting to find this next dress @Forever 21, which is a burgundy ‘Angelina’ sweater dress ($27.80), since I featured Ms. Jolie up top. The matching belt is super cute & allows for its wearer to mix it up with something in leather.  The dress is also available in cream for the same price.  While clicking around my favorite store, White House Black Market, I saw that the black bateau neck sweater dress ($29.98) was marked down from $100.00! I should warn my readers before clicking that it is only available at this time in size: XL.

As for my fuller figured Style Darlings, I went nuts when I saw the ivory cabled sweater dress ($49.00) @Dress Barn, which I definitely want for myself, but it’s not available in my size.  This would look very chic with a gold belt & metallic ballet flats for a day at the office, or spice it up with something red for the upcoming holidays.  Also, the gray ruffle front sweater dress ($64.90) isn’t necessarily a bargain @Avenue, but is sold in sizes 14-28. It’s professional enough for work, but dressy enough for a special occasion dinner with your beau.

Check out my previous Basics for a Bargain posts, featuring classic items like leather pants, pencil dresses, & more! Do you have a sweater dress?  Where did you get it? Would you wear one of these sweater dresses?  Which celeb looks best in a sweater dress?  Happy Styling!

Red Carpet Review: Jennifer Aniston’s Little Black Dress Looks!

Jennifer Aniston is America’s Sweetheart- without a doubt. She’s filling the style ranks as a modern-day Audrey Hepburn (in her own way- of course nothing can truly compare to Miss Audrey)!  Jennifer is all about being comfortable & sexy, always complimenting her very fit figure, however she never looks overdone or as though someone else dressed her.  She makes the little black dress her own in every way possible, adding black tights for the cooler months, sticking to ultra strappy sandals, & always showing off some serious toe cleavage.  I watched a recent episode of Fashion Police on E! & Jennifer was being criticized for wearing yet another LBD to an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but I think it suits her, especially looking so ridiculously effortless & hot in them.  She really puts twenty-somethings who don’t own their sense of style to shame.

These seven images capture Jennifer at various events over the last few years,  but most recently while she’s promoting her endless slew of rom-coms & other films.  Starting from left to right, here we go: First the former Friends star dons a flirty shoulder-embellished Nina Ricci frock for the February premiere of Just Go With It in Berlin.  Next she wears a structured black 3/4 sleeve dress with black tights again for another winter appearance, but this time at The Early Show.  Both of these looks are super easy to pull off & it really seems like she’s wearing the same shoes & tights.  Here’s a tip straight from the actress herself, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

The third image is from a 2004 luncheon in Los Angeles & she’s wearing a ruffled Moschino wrap dress & super skinny stapped sandals.  This is very figure-flattering & the thin straps on the heels don’t cover up her feet, thus helping elongate her legline.  At a 2006 event, she chose a metallic Calvin Klein dress with a little fringe detail at the bottom & plenty of decolletage to go around.  However it does look like she’s just thrown on yet another easy LBD & looks super comfortable in it, continuing with her skinny strappy sandal rule.

While promoting The Switch last summer, Jennifer went with a dolman style mini dress, layered necklaces, & peep toe pumps. This style of dress is very easy to wear, especially if there are parts that you wanna cover up, but really, do you think she’s got anything to hide?  At the Madrid premiere of The Bounty Hunter, she returned back to black metallics in strapless Valentino number & seriously bondage-looking heels.  The frilly look of the mini dress vs. the edge of the shoes is a surprising combination on her, but it totally works!

At the recent premiere of Horrible Bosses in Los Angeles, she chose a Balenciaga mini dress with her signature style of sandals by Versace & accessorized with Fred Leighton jewelry & a clutch by Salvatore Ferragamo.  Lastly, the alleged crime of LBDs (only b/c Joan Rivers is so sick of talking about it- I personally think it’s adorable), Jennifer returned to Nina Ricci in this feminine, floral LBD & cute accented peep toe pumps.  For the afternoon appearance at The Daily Show, she looks polished, professional, & like a lady, saving the sexy side for night.

Here we have some great little black dress suggestions, available at New York & Company, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Lulu’s, Forever 21, Avenue, EDressMe, & Express!  Happy Styling!