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fall trends

Sarah, our Personal Stylist Manager at Nordstrom Waterside in Naples, FL shares her 10 essential trends and tips for your best holiday season shine.

 

 


1 – Novelty Suit Separates. Mix-and-match suit separates will take you through your holiday season seamlessly. Whether you choose a bold metallic like the Topshop blazer pictured, or a luxurious velvet, you can wear them with classic pumps to an evening event, or separate the pieces to dress up your favorite black pants or classic white blouse. (Pictured:Vince Camuto blazer | Topshop blazer)

2 – Bright Lip. The easiest way to elevate your look—and get noticed—is to slide on a saturated, bright lip. Choose a classic red, or sass it up with a berry or pink: you’ll shine either way. My favorite this season is NARS in ‘Heat Wave’; it stays on day to night, so you can go straight from the office to hosting a holiday gathering with no transition necessary. (Pictured: NARS lipstick)

 


3 – Smoking Slipper. Not just comfortable, the smoking slipper is a throwback style that will give you a finished look, whether with your favorite skinny jeans during the day or a flirty skirt at night. I love their playfulness with a pantsuit, and they can give your feet a rest from the party heels when you need it! (Pictured: Jimmy Choo Slipper | Miu Miu Moccasin | Prada Smoking Slipper)

4 – Peplums. This vintage flair gives a little extra feminine shape, adding curve to your figure while still being comfortable. Pair with your classic black pencil skirt for cocktail, then finish it with your novelty pants and smoking slippers for effortless hostess style. (Pictured: Vince Camuto TopYigal Azrouël Blouse)

 


5 – A Beautiful Clutch. Your day bag just won’t cut it for holiday parties, so embrace the vintage romance of the season and find your favorite embellished clutch to carry to all the get-togethers. Choose one that you can easily fit in your day bag for when you’re on the go. Bonus: you can pull this jewel out during the day to fancy up a casual dress. (Pictured: DVF Leather Clutch | DVF Minaudiere)

6 – Stiletto Pump. If you don’t already have a clean-lined, pointed-toe stiletto, this season is the perfect time to find yours. Always a classic, it’s an important basic when pairing different patterns, colors and textures. If you want a little shine, find one in patent or with a hint of metallic finish. The sky is the limit with this style, so go with the tallest heel height that you can handle. (Pictured: Ivanka Trump Pump | YSL Metal Heel Pump)

 


7 – Embellished Button-Down. If you’ve already invested in bold colors and patterns, try a simple white blouse in a feminine material, like silk: it makes a seamless transition to evening. Or you can go with a patterned blouse to create interest around more neutral pieces. Wear these tops buttoned up, and if you’re feeling daring, add a brooch or necklace for an opulent finish. (Pictured: Ted Baker London Top)

8 – Bold Jewelry. Fun, bold jewelry can fit easily into your lifestyle, whether it’s an oversized cuff or a strong necklace. Have fun with your pieces, and don’t be afraid to wear them anytime as a way to punch up your casual, everyday wardrobe. (Pictured: Cara Accessories Cuff)


9 – Hostess Gifts. Make the party rush easier by filling up a gift drawer ahead of time for all of your holiday soirees. Along with being the best dressed, you should never arrive empty-handed. Grab one of these fabulous goodies that any of your friends or family will love, and be on your way—no last-minute stop for flowers this year! (Pictured: Ben’s Garden Note Pads | kate spade paperweight)

10 – Cozy Sweater. Even when lounging at home after a big holiday meal, we still want you looking chic and finished, so the last piece on my list is a cozy cashmere sweater, perfect for winter nights with family and friends. I suggest something with a metallic finish so you can look complete with very little accessorizing. Style over one of your favorite dresses or with leggings and boots. And most importantly: Have fun! (Pictured: MARC BY MARC JACOBS Sweater)

We’ve already shown you 16 ways scarves are fit to be tied; now it’s time to pin down our 9 favorite ways to sport a brooch, because these bright little baubles are definitely making a comeback.

Check out our Brooch Lookbook for our favorite how-to tips and find where to shop all brooches featured.

Get the most out of the black blazer you have hanging up in that closet—it’s a secret weapon of versatility that can be layered onto almost anything. Check out these 5 looks Sole Society put together with pieces from Nordstrom, and get inspired!

Speaking of inspiration, we’re loving these four trends from the video. They’re totally right for fall.

A structured handbag. This Diane von Furstenberg lovely makes for a bright pop of color, but we’re also craving duo-tones as well as graphic and exotic prints on handbags.

Patterned pants. Speaking of prints, they’re still all over pants this fall (Rachel Zoe pictured) and looking best when just a little quirky and boldly mixed with other patterns.

Contrast collars. Add a little unexpected flare to that button-down with contrasting collars, plackets and cuffs. The snake-print trim on that Equipment shirt definitely has our attention.

Graphic skirts. An overarching trend on everything from handbags to dresses, but bold graphics on skirts is an eye-catching way (and flattering—see that Jason Wu contrasting panel number) to update a wardrobe staple.

Next season is on sale now! And we’ve got your list of fall’s most important trends to watch out for while you’re shopping. Consider this your Anniversary Sale road map.

Bold Toppers: Perk things up with a bold and beautiful completer piece that really stands out.

Narrow Cropped Pants: Show a little ankle. For the pant shape of the season, try playing with proportions and clashing patterns.

Thrown-Ons and Toppers: The go-to piece for easy layering. Pair them with lean bottoms and cinch them with a belt for flattering that figure.

Leather Jackets: Looks sporty and luxe with a narrow cropped pant or adds edge to soft, feminine tops.

Soft Tailored Shirts: Tucked or not, these are perfectly versatile and ready for layering. Go for shirts with contrast collars and cuffs or feminine prints.

Skinny Denim: Look for these guys in shades of grey or black. A no-brainer for proportion play.

Peplums: Ladylike details enhance a womanly silhouette. Amp up the glam of a tweed peplum jacket with skinny leather pants and sky-high heels.

Brooches: We love their retro-femme, finishing appeal. Make a statement with a mix of multiples.

Novelty Pencil Skirts: Add a little attitude to this wardrobe essential with patterns or bold color.

Shifts & Sheath Dresses: These are a versatile one-piece style solution.

An Array of Hosiery: From anklets to tights, think color, ribbed and sheer.

Structured Handbags: Have a little fun with playful bold colors, or add a sophisticated twist with exotic, embossed prints.

We’ve finally accepted that it’s time to bring our sweaters out of hibernation. For anyone else who’s been watching the temperatures on their weather apps drop, here are our favorite styles to rotate some warmth into your wardrobe.

1 – Nordic Patterns. Inspired by our northerly neighbors, these subtle to bold patterns add an icy-cool touch to your warm layers. [Pictured: Diane von Furstenberg 'Bonni' Cardigan]
2 – Dusters. Give a flowy finish to casual looks. Keep your silhouette slim and simple underneath with skinny jeans and a tee. Elongate and avoid looking overly casual by styling with a great pair of platform booties. [Pictured: Village Road Long Cardigan]
3 – Bold Colors. Rich hues and color blocking remain on trend, while providing a mood-lifting pop of color as the days get greyer. [Pictured: VPL 'Low O' Colorblock Sweater]
4 – Cable knit. Airy, open knits highlight the pretty details of cabling—perfect for country-girl luxe—while more cozy, chunkier styles are updated with hoods, toggles and jumbo pockets. [Pictured: Willow & Clay Cable Knit Sweater]
5 – Embellished. These beauties would never set foot in an ugly-sweater party—simple styles showcase sequins, metallic fibers and stone details for just the right amount of dazzle. [Pictured: MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Quad' Sequined Sweater]

October 20, 2011

Pretty in Peacock

“Proud as a peacock” wasn’t coined because peacocks are ugly; it’s because they’ve got built-in dramatic glamour—if you can call a bird glamorous. The blue and teal jewel tones found in their feathers are everywhere this season. Add these colors to your wardrobe, and they’re guaranteed to make you want to do a little strutting of your own.

You can find blue and teal on anything, so it’s easy to incorporate one of these hues into what you’re already wearing. Here are a few of our styling tips for working it:

For a gorgeous night out, highlight the cool notes of a teal dress by mixing with silver or champagne-toned accessories and footwear. A prim blouse in a peacock color with metallic skinny pants and sky-high wedges make a perfect retro style for a girls’ night out. Or, for office-appropriate ’70s chic, take that same blouse and pair it with a cognac-colored midi suede or leather skirt and knee-high boots or ladylike loafers or oxfords.

Pictured:
Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique Tie Waist Silk Dress
Hinge Pintuck Sheer Chiffon Blouse
J Brand Stretch Sateen Leggings
kate spade new york ‘knightsbridge mod iva – small’ clutch wallet
Ivanka Trump ‘Sumi’ Sandal
Burberry Check Scarf

October 13, 2011

Feeling It: Opulent Fabrics

From lush knits to Liberace-approved glitz, these are the fabrics we can’t wait to get our hands on.

1 – Cable Knit. We love a serious sweater. And airy, old-world cable knits—constructed in classic fisherman or updated honeycomb patterns—are the original article. The homespun look of these wooly neutrals works whether you’re curled up on the couch, or out for a daytime play date. [Pictured: Vince Cable Knit Cardigan]

2 Calf Hair & Pony Prints. Leopard-print calf-hair shoes are a well-established style mainstay by now. For an even fresher approach, bring this farm-friendly texture to your stable of accessories with handbags in a patchwork of pony prints and denim-dyed calf hair. [Pictured: Longchamp ‘Patch Pony Toile - Medium’ Tote]

3 Sequins. All-over sequins are glamming up cocktail dresses in silver, gold and deeply decadent jewel tones. Shimmy into a sequined shift dress and wear it with bare legs and black strappy heels for instant party appeal. [Pictured: Haute Hippie Sequin Dress]

4 Leather. Supple leathers continue to make an impact in not-so-basic skirts, dresses and tops that will function as go-to pieces throughout winter and spring. And although there’s not a lot of biker in this mix, a rich, caramel-colored skirt gets our motors running when paired with lace, velvet or sequins. [Pictured: Leith Leather Midi Skirt]

5 Velvet. In a veritable goldmine of applications, velvet transforms jackets, dresses, jeans and more with a very-Victorian vibe. Take it to work as a midi skirt or tailored jacket, or BYO drama to the holiday party in a velvet frock complemented by smoldering eyes and ruby-stained lips. [Pictured: Versace Barocco Print Velvet Jacket]

6 Lace. In abstract or floral patterns, lace is more than just a sexy accent. For day, tuck a lace top into a boardroom-appropriate pencil skirt. Or show a lace dress a good time after dark with prim Victorian accessories like a beaded clutch, cameo earrings or choker necklace. [Pictured: Obakki ‘Marie’ Lace Top]

Give your closet a promotion this fall. Incorporate one or all of our favorite office-ready trends into your 9-to-5 looks for effortless style that works as hard as you do.

1 – Heritage Jackets. With twists on classic wool and tweed fabrications—like piping, contrasting details and elbow patches—these riding-inspired jackets have unbridled versatility. [Pictured: Trina Turk 'Ivy League' Jacket]

2 – Bow Blouses. Suits, trousers, skirts, flared denim or lean leggings—these feminine tops tie anything up in a pretty little package. [Pictured: Bellatrix Tie Front Blouse]

3 – Midi-Length Hemlines. This newest length is all about balance. Complement it with chunky footwear and a fitted jacket up top—pleats add a touch of retro-elegance. [Pictured: Trouvé Pleated Ballet Skirt]

4 – Brightly Colored Skirts and Separates. Bring an unexpected pop of color into the fold with your office-appropriate neutrals. [Pictured: Halogen® Seamed Pencil Skirt]

5 – Color-Blocking DIY Separates or Done for You. Simple silhouettes and lines paired with two or more saturated, contrasting colors take that pop up a notch to something that’s bold and beautiful. [Pictured: Pour la Victoire 'Marlow - Large' Tote]

6 – Capes & Ponchos. For a jacket with super powers, reach for a cape or poncho. They’re functional, fresh-looking and couldn’t be easier. [Pictured: Helene Berman Leather Trim Cape]

7 – Animal Prints. They’re showing up on everything this fall. Incorporate a little or a lot in your tops, bottoms and accessories—or with the season’s hot stacked heel—to show everyone you’re not afraid to walk on the wild side. [Pictured: Sam Edelman 'Lyla' Pump]

September 27, 2011

Gallery Hopping: Art Walk Style

When your neighborhood galleries welcome the culture-seeking masses after dark, show your appreciation with an artfully balanced outfit paired with carefully curated accessories.

For an evening of art gazing (and complimentary-vino sipping), we wanted to create an outfit that could function as blank canvas for some of fall’s best accessories. So we paired an understated blouse in an asymmetrical cut with moto-detailed skinny denim coated with a waxy sheen to create an edgy, yet still elegant, backdrop for attention-getting extras:

A long pendant necklace embellishes this otherwise quiet top. Extremely architectural wedge heels and a neatly structured leopard-print box clutch ground an ornamental cuff and free-spirited tassel earrings. A red lip provides the final flourish.

Art Walk can take you from sidewalk to gallery after crowded gallery, so keep in mind that your outerwear should be a versatile layer that’s as chic as the rest of your outfit. The volumetric shape of a cozy, go-anywhere cape layered over skinny denim will give a lesson in proportions, while its stripes will declare that you’re no novice when it comes to mixing prints and patterns.

If you want to venture beyond your local art walk—and happen to be in NYC—check out the Daphne Guinness exhibit at The Museum at FIT and catch Ocean’s Kingdom Ballet, written and scored by Paul McCartney with costumes designed by daughter Stella McCartney.

Pictured:
Vince Camuto Asymmetric Drape Top
Victoria Beckham Twist Zip Waxed Stretch Jeans
Caslon Merino Wool Toggle Cape
Finsk ‘Fender’ Cutout Wedge
House of Harlow 1960 ‘Orlina’ Box Clutch
Alexis Bittar ‘Alexandria’ Encrusted Pendant Necklace
Kendra Scott ‘Celeste’ Leaf Wrap Stone Cuff
Daly Bird ‘Julie’ Leather Tassel Earrings
Lancôme ‘Le French Touch Absolu’ Rouge

September 20, 2011

NYFW Wrap-Up 2: The Shoes!

Apart from all the excitement of the runway shows, there’s one other thing that gets our hearts racing at Fashion Week: the shoes! Crystal, our NYFW style spotter, kept an eye to the ground for all of us shoe addicts out there and reported back on the nine showstopping trends that she saw all over NYC streets.

1 – Animal Print. Not just for shoes—this is showing up on everything—but a great animal-print pump reigns king of the closet in our book.

2 – Blocked Heels. Chunky. A little retro. Perfectly grounded. Call it what you like, this heel is perfect for balancing cuffed jeans and a chunky knit sweater. Or skew a little ’70s with wide-leg pants or a midi-length dress.

3 – Casual Lace-ups. There’s just something about leather and laces that adds a hiking or Victorian vibe to boots or a little flirty flare to oxford pumps and platform booties.

4 – Pointed Toes. The perfect way to add a subtle note of drama and elevate a more minimal look.

5 – Ladylike Loafers. Pair these with cropped pants or longer-length dresses and midcalf socks, for example.

6 – Menswear Inspired. Details like tassels, kiltie fringe and brogueing add a witty touch to a feminine silhouette.

7 – Snake Prints. The animal kingdom takes another bite out of fall trends—seen everywhere, but especially on shoes and handbags.

8 – Wedges. We’re loving these in ankle- and knee-high boots—looking gorgeous in suede and animal prints, too.

9 – Color Blocking. Either a bold color or mix of colors in the shoe, a controlled clash remains hot through the season.