Daywear Metallics and Studio 54

Metallics have been one of the shining stars (forgive the pun, couldn't resist) of this season, what with the Studio 54 and metallics for daywear trends. While metallics sit easy with the Studio 54 look as it is essentially a clubbing look (for the uninitiated, Studio 54 was a famous disco in New York City during the late 1970s to mid-80s, where illuminaries of that period hung out), the metallics for daywear trend takes a little more, er, shall we say, strategy? and needs to be paired with heavier materials such as brocade and jacquard or/and in more conservative shapes in order not to attract unwanted attention.

Case in point: The Mango dress on the left, while a good piece for those wanting the Studio 54 trend, is strictly night time wear. Please don't attempt to wear it during the day or risk looking like a clubber that overslept at the disco only to have woken up realising that it was already noon. The Alice + Olivia dress on the right is more versatile and can be worn in the day with wedges and a great tan. Dynasty-style broad-rim hat optional.



The fine line between what is appropriate metallics for daywear and what is only appropriate for nightwear present themselves again with these two dresses from Cacharel and French Connection respectively. The Cacharel dress is a bit too shiny and would look a little strange worn during the day, whereas the gold lame of the French Connection piece is subtle enough to be worn as daywear, but would look equally good for night...



...and is to be dressed up or down using footwear.

These yummy thong sandals (very "in" this summer) would do nicely. From Tapeet and Dolce Vita respectively.



Little Black Dress advocates wanting to tap into the metallic trend can have their cake and eat it with these two pieces from Alice + Olivia and Marc by Marc Jacobs respectively. Note that black and metallics don't really go together well for daytime. But when night falls, bling it on!



Fans of the Little White Dress needn't feel left out. This piece from Celine is little, white and metallic enough to keep any hardcore LWD dresser wanting a piece of the metallic trend happy. Be warned though, even though white is typically a "day-time" colour. This would look better at night. Then you could really shine. Heh. Somehow, whenever I look at this dress, I think of Barbella.



If you need a dress for a more formal occasion, but would like to glam it up a little using metallics, you can try those two dresses. They demure cut ensures they are safe enough for summer weddings, while the quiet sheen is unique enough to let you stand out from the crowd.



From who else but Madame Weddings herself---Vera Wang. This lovely option is from her Vera Wang Lavender label.



From A + Eve by Adam + Eve.

It might be a little late for this now, as the weather heats up, but I really like this metallic coat from Zara. It has a nice elegance about it and would look great over a dress to the opera.



And then, of course, there are metallic separates...

While this (from River Island) would look fine either for day (pair with shorts and sandals) or night...



I suggest leaving these two (from Tory Burch and Topshop respectively) for when the sun sets. Reason being that the Tory Burch piece is a bit too shiny for day, and plunging neckline plus electric colour plus sheen makes the Topshop top too outlandish for daywear.



That said, you could pair the latter two tops with these shiny short shorts and look REALLY Studio 54-ish. Especially when paired with high heels and big hoop earrings.



From Miss Selfridge and Alice + Olivia respectively.

And there's this pair which takes metallic very literally...



From Miss Sixty.

And of course, if outfits cut in metallic cloths are too much for you, there's also the option of having a touch of jewelry on your outfit, or having metallic accents in footwear or handbags.



For instance, these respective Brian Reyes and Burberry Prorsum pieces tastefully incorporate the metallic trend without being too loud, and can be easily worn day or night.

Regarding footwear...



...as mentioned above, thong sandals are huge this season and would nicely provide a touch of class to any outfit. These are from Manolo Blahnik and Anne Klein respectively.

Lastly, while I'm not a fan of fullblown metallic handbags handbags, I am partial to a touch of metallic here and there on a bag such as this D&G Dolce And Gabbana one or this Kate Spade one respectively.



A word of caution regarding metallics: In moderation please and NOT to be done head to toe. Leave that to the cabaret girls.


Photographs from: www.neimanmarcus.com, www.shopbop.com, www.topshop.com, www.missselfridge.co.uk, www.elle.com, www.mango.com, www.activeendeavors.com, www.stylefinder.com, www.net-a-porter.com, www.fcukbuymail.com, www.riverisland.com

The same difference: 3.1 Philip Lim, Ella Moss and Velvet

Summer clothes have hit the stores again, and what could be more summer-y than the little white dress. I really like this 3.1 Philip Lim lwd. It would look great with my tortoise shell or my aviator sunnies and is just great for wearing either to school or around town.



Ella Moss (left) and Velvet (right) also have similar designs.



Pair with shiny happy metallics sandals in varying heights...







(all from Topshop)

Or for a preppier choice, with wedges in punchy colours...




(all from Topshop).

And finally, accessorise with a funky cocktail ring like this...



The gold and black colour combination is way cool, and the panther adds a nice edgy touch.


Photographs from: www.matchesfashion.com, www.topshop.com, www.shopbop.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com

cobalt blue

If like me, you did chemistry from secondary 1 to jc 2 (the equivalent of grades 7 to 12), you might remember that cobalt was a common feature, especially when paired with copper during electrolysis. Come to think about it, the cover of my secondary 3 and 4 chemistry textbook was cobalt blue as well. And for this season, electric blues (pun unintended) the colour of copper sulphate solution has made its stamp, part of the 80s trend that dominated the spring 2007 runways. (And while i blog, the song Blue (da ba dee) by Eiffel 65 has come on the airwaves. Ironic huh.)




Stella McCartney has Jessica Stam (my favourite model) in cobalt blue. Very city slick.

Moschino Cheap and Chic and 3.1 Philip Lim respectively have also included cobalt blue in their dresses. The 3.1 Philip Lim's dress reminds me of the blue long sleeved tunic one Kirsten Dunst wore some time back. Or was it the same piece.



As usual, what shows up on the runways quickly diffuses to the high street, which is now awash with cobalt blue pieces. If cobalt blue dresses are what you are looking for, Urban Outfitters has some nice ones from Lux. These two are my favourite of the Lux collection and I like their easy breezy vibe.



Topshop and Miss Selfridge respectively also do a mean cobalt blue dress. The Topshop piece seems very suited for a night out partying, especially when paired with sky high heels to keep the volume sleek, and while the Miss Selfridge piece has a nice 50s feel to it, the cobalt colour keeps it fresh and modern.



These pieces are a bit darker in shade, but I couldn't resist adding them in. From Mango Limited Edition New York, Mango and Delias respectively.






The Delias' piece looks cute for school. Especially when paired with stacked wedges like these ones from Topshop.



The cobalt blue trend is not just confined to dresses however, but to jeans as well, particularly as coloured denim is having a hayday now with bright colours being plastered to celebrity butts.

Rich and Skinny (top) does electric blue, with Topshop (below), providing a nice high street alternative.



Then there are the cobalt blue tops. These are from Forever 21, Alisha Levine, Miss Selfridge and Delias respectively.





As befitting the summer vibe, methinks they'd look best paired with shorts, mini or slightly-above-the-knee length skirts, or cropped pants in colours like white or biege.

These would all do nicely.



From Juicy Couture.



From Paul and Joe.



From Lux at Urban Outfitters.

Alternatively, the cobalt blue tops, especially the Forever 21 piece, could also be paired with pencil skirts in neutral colours for a nice burst of colour for an otherwise conservative outfit. From 3.1 Philip Lim and Development respectively.



And if that is all too much for you, you could dip your toe into the cobalt trend (literally) by having these...



Pretty cobalt blue wedges from Old Navy.


Photographs from: www.oldnavy.com, www.net-a-porter.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.barneyscoop.com, www.topshop.com, www.forever21.com, www.delias.com, www.missselfridge.co.uk, www.activeendeavors.com, www.mango.com, www.style.com, www.shopbop.com, www.elle.com