Oversized Coats

By Amra B. 

For some time now, I have been obsessed with oversized coats. They are chic, elegant, and amazingly comfortable. Also, their ability to hide the rest of your outfit on those days you don’t feel like dressing up is simply GENIUS! I like oversized coats in almost any color, but my favorites for this season would have to be camel, black, blue and pastel pink. Below are some tips on how to wear your oversized coat:

• Combine them with slim pants/jeans: A great way to balance out the “roominess” of your oversized coat is to add a pair of slim pants/jeans. Wearing a loose pant, dress, or a skirt with an oversized coat might make you look bulky. 

Oversized coat and skinny jeans 

• Add heels: Balance out the “casual” feel of an oversized coat by adding a pair of killer heels. I love wearing strappy sandal, a peep-toe bootie, or a great pump with my oversized coat. 

Oversized coat with high heel boots 

Oversized coat with pumps 

• Accessorize: add a fun hat or a scarf to an oversized coat. Oversized coats tend to be basic, but can be made exceptionally fun and dressy with just the right touch of wonderful accessories. 

Oversized coat with a beanie hat 

• Wear them open: I love the way an oversized coat falls when it is worn open. I also love wearing a thick sweater underneath and a scarf to keep warm when leaving the coat unbuttoned. 

Wear your oversized coat open

Wishing you an amazing day! 

Outfit: Coat Custo Barcelona, jeans Zara, hat H&M, purse 3.1 Phillip Lim, shoes Yves Saint Laurent 

Everyday Casual-Chic Style

By Elma B.

Recently, I was asked by a friend how she can pick out everyday pieces that are comfortable yet chic. She has a closet full of clothes, yet she struggles how to put a look together that is effortless, i.e., not time consuming, and chic. 

Me

My first piece of advice: get rid of clutter and take the minimalist chic approach to your wardrobe, here's what I mean. My second piece of advice: focus on the everyday. So, there are those dresses and heels for special occasions and then there is everyday. The question is how to look chic without spending hours on picking out your outfit? 

I wanted to share with you in this post how you can look chic with everyday simple pieces. Style does not actually take a big bank account, simple and easy pieces will do the trick! 

How to Get the Everyday Casual-Chic Look:

1. Black skinny jeans. Black skinny jeans are a must because they are simple, slimming and go with almost anything. If you are curvy, check out what jeans best flatter your figure here. 

2. Black jean shirt. Black jean shirt will go a long way, no matter what season. This is a timeless piece that you can wear everyday and combine it with many different bottoms; this piece exudes chicness, rock-n-roll, and laid-back-cool. 

3. Studded booties. Studded booties will add that extra-chic in your outfit; the studs communicate edginess. If studded rocker booties, are much for you, go for black fringe booties. Both are comfortable, easy to slip on and chic. 

4. Statement jewelry. Whether a necklace or layered bracelets or rings, try snake rings or owl rings, statement pieces will speak for themselves. They will take your outfit from boring to chic. Play around by picking jewelry that looks different, something that you usually see on everyone will not set your style from the crowd.

5. Bold lips. Whatever the season, when you want to give your look some spice, add bold lips. Choose between deep reds or maroons during the winter and fall; here are my top  8 make-up secrets for the fall and winter. 

There you have it fashionistas, the top essential pieces for your chic-everyday wardrobe. What are some of your everyday favorite fashion pieces? Leave me a comment below, I love hearing from you! Until next time, signing-off from New York City, xoxo!!

Plaid Shirts

By Amra B. 

I am a huge fan of plaid shirts; they are timeless, look great on both women and men, and are super easy to wear. In winter, I like to wear thicker plaid shirts and layer them over tanks, or wear them under blazers. Plaid shirts look amazing just tied around the waste or combined with anything denim. Below are some tips on how to wear plaid this season:

• Go for the roomier style: plaid shirts are meant to be casual and look best when they are at least one size bigger. I love vintage men’s plaid shirts and find that they also look amazing on women.

Here I am wearing a men's vintage plaid shirt 

• Length matters: short plaid shirts will make you look bulkier due to the nature of the print. I find that plaid shirts that extend beyond the hips are the most flattering and easiest to combine with other pieces.

Long plaid shirt

• Layer them over denim:  plaid and denim is a timeless look that never really goes out of style. I love wearing my plaid shirt with ripped jeans, denim skirt, or underneath a denim jacket. 

Timeless look: plaid and denim 

• Combine them with (p)leather: add a little edginess to your look by combining a plaid shirt with pleather pants or a skirt. Add a pair of high heels for a perfect night-out-look. 

Plaid shirt with pleather skirt

• Tie it around the waste: for a total street style (model-off-duty) look, tie your plaid shirt around your waste. This look is great when wearing tights to the gym or skinny jeans.

Total street style look: plaid shirt tied around the waste 

Wishing you a great week!

Outfit: Plaid shirt Gap, skirt H&M, boots Jimmy Choo, necklace Givenchy, bag Salvatore Ferragamo, sunglasses Dolce & Gabbana, hat vintage 

Lipstick: Tom Ford 

Fashion Trend: Chic Minimalism

By Elma B.

I am not a huge fan of the minimalist design but it makes sense--getting rid of unnecessary to make room for what matters. Recently, I read an article that emphasized that minimalist fashion was just a reflection of the current state of our economical crisis.  Another inspiration for the minimalist look is the French chic, with its simple cuts and designs. 

What I do appreciate about the minimalist aesthetic is getting rid of the excess clutter. So, how to get the minimalist-chic-look that has been sweeping across the fashion, interior design and beauty industries (even Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have an entire line inspired by the minimalist-chic design)? Here are...

The 5 Key Steps Towards the Minimalist-Chic Look:

1. Tone down the colors. Out with the bright colors and in with the cool blues, black, white and browns. The minimalist look exhumes freshness and coolness. 

Me

2. Back to basic pieces. Pick basic fashion pieces, which have a simple design and cut. For instance, stick to black booties, large sweaters, and  your favorite jeans. For our full list of the 10 fashion essentials, click here. 

Minimalist look

3. Buy quality not quantity. Buy the pieces that will last you for years to come. Check that the material is almost 100% cotton, tweed or silk; feel it, thick or thin cotton, tweed or silk? For instance, if the cashmere is thin, it is more likely to rip (happened to me). Also, the thicker the zipper (on shoes, bags or wherever), the more likely it will last longer. Overall, make sure to feel the material out.

Minimalism beauty: let your hair loose, no blow-drying

4. Get rid of clutter. There is so much in our closets that we do not need; we may have bought it just because it was on sale but in fact rarely ever wear it or have worn it once and realized it is too tacky. Take those items you rarely wear to a consignment store, so at least you can make some money back from them rather than have them sit in your closet collecting dust and creating clutter. 

5. Replace rather than increase. So your favorite fashion pieces are worn-out? No problem! Just replace them! It is better to have those few key pieces that you can wear everyday or that dress that you can wear to almost any occasion than to have a closet full of clothes that you seldom wear. 

I decided to channel my inner minimalist-chic by wearing cool blue colors and simple cuts, evident by my long-one-piece dress, a black bag, and my hat. Fashionistas, what do you think of the minimalist-chic look? What are you favorite essentials? Leave me a comment, love hearing from you! Until next time, xoxo from New York!