Style + Beauty - Page 279
You guys know what today is, right? It’s the official start of Shark Week, the annually anticipated seven-day block of shark-filled programing on Discovery.
While that’s exciting in and of itself (some people wait all year for Shark Week—true story), it’s hard to miss the fact that sharks at large are having a moment, both in entertainment and fashion.
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On television, ScyFy B-movie and campfest sensation “Sharknado” probably sealed its place in the pop culture canon when it premiered last month to millions of viewers, while fashion-wise, the scary swimmer also turned up on a surprising amount of clothing, shoes, and accessories during the past year or so.
While some “shark fashion” items are understandably kitschy, others are pretty high-style, spurred by Givenchy’s Spring 2012 runway show that included models strutting down the catwalk wearing oversized shark-tooth necklaces. The label’s Pre-Fall 2012 men’s collection also made a splash, as it kicked Rottweilers to the curb and rolled out graphic tees and sweatshirts emblazoned with realistic images of sharks.
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If you’re looking to get in on the shark trend in a big way (or simply want to up your Shark Week style), we’ve rounded up 12 killer pieces to buy now, from cool dresses, chic jewelry, sleek leather iPad cases, and more!
Open up any “style guide” and you’ll be met with a long list of wardrobe essentials that “every woman should own.” A trench, an LBD, a pair of ballet flats, a white button down, a string of pearls, the list goes on.
While we’re not saying those items aren’t classic, versatile, and often very necessary, we also think every women already knows how valuable they are. It’s hackneyed to tell us we need a classic trench, when we’ve been told that since we were old enough to read fashion magazines.
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Plus, let’s be honest: Times are changing. While women still value the importance of looking polished, sophisticated, and timeless, we also want to look unique and modern—something that’s difficult to do while wearing dime-a-dozen ballet flats and classic trenches, for example. When every women is told they need the same thing, we run the risk of starting looking similar, even if if we style our essentials in different ways.
That said, we decided to call out six of these tried-and-true essentials and offer simple swaps with modern alternatives that’ll still retain a similar vibe, but modernize your wardrobe all year long.
If there’s one thing women love, it’s a fabulous pair of shoes. Or, more specifically, a fabulous pair of insanely high heels.
Never mind that high heels come chock full of baggage—they’re hard to walk in, they pinch our feet, they force our bodies to contort in ungodly (and often detrimental) ways, but yet we wear them anyway.
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Interestingly, our perception of what’s acceptable for a heel height has changed massively during the past decade. In the early 2000s, a three-inch heel was considered high, while now, most women don’t balk at a shoe that teeters on a five – or-six-inch heel. And while a plethora of fashion reports have asserted that heel heights may have reached their peak (probably because, topping out at six inches, there’s nowhere to feasibly go but down), that doesn’t mean women are any less enamored with sky-high heels.
In fact, a New York Times story that ran earlier this summer looked at women’s love for designer shoes, and noted that many are more than willing, it seems to shell out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to own a pair of status shoes from heel-masters like Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, and Manolo Blahnik, as well as those designed by a glossy new guard of “It” shoe designers such as Charlotte Olympia and Tabitha Simmons.
So, why this adoration for heels? It’s due to a number of factors, among them the idea that women feel empowered and wholly feminine in high heels, coupled with the premium our society places on height. It is pretty amazing that we have the option of standing up to six inches taller in a pair of shoes, while men (barring risk-takers and drag queens, of course) have to remain firmly planted on solid ground at all times.
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In honor of our undying love for insanely high heels, here are 12 pairs that are absolutely worth falling for.
In case you haven’t heard, grunge is back for fall. Yes, the fashion side of the iconic ’90s movement spurred by Seattle rockers, brooders, and slackers made waves on both spring and fall 2013 runways with designers such as Phillip Lim, Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent, and Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy putting their own spin on grungy staples.
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One piece is particular that’s poised to be a major trend for fall: The floral babydoll dress. Since there’s a good chance you might still have one (or three) hanging around your closet, you might not be that invested in picking up a new one, though the styles being shown on our favorite shopping sites are seriously cute, and most are within sane shoppers’ budgets (no offense, Saint Laurent and your $68,000 babydoll dress).
In the ’90s — and, it seems, on current runways and in lookbooks — the empire-waisted ditzy floral dresses were most often worn with a pair of Doc Martens boots and a flannel tied around your waist. Not so into the head-to-look? Pair your babydoll dress with a sleek leather moto jacket and a pair of polished ankle booties for a sleeker take on the trend.
READ: Remember the Bodysuit? It's Back!
We’ve compiled six floral babydoll dress to shop for fall — and they’re all under $70! Angela Chase, Donna Marten, and Courtney Love would be so proud!
