Hey everyone! It’s been a good week! February (my birthday month and therefore favorite month) has begun! Culture II dropped, it’s actually good, and I’m not too sick of it yet! I didn’t wash my hair last night and it’s not too greasy! Praise be!
I was really looking forward to taking all this good energy and putting it into a few of my favorite pastimes: looking at beautiful clothing, writing, and being snarky. That’s right, since Haute Couture week in Paris wrapped up last week, I was going to laud and tear into designers’ collections like a young Joan Rivers (R.I.P, sweet angel) and pen another “Hits and Misses” article. This process involves camping out in front of Vogue Runway (sans pants, of course), scanning numerous collections, and judging the sh*t out of them. It’s great fun, I assure you.
But then, after browsing a few ballgowns, I had the realization that this is haute couture, not ready-to-wear. No one’s going to take these styles and wear them to the DMV in a few months (I assume). And even though there are certainly pieces I wouldn’t be caught dead in, each trouser, trench, and tiara featured on these runways is a meticulously crafted work of art. To confine these pieces to something as simple as a “hits and misses” article would be borderline blasphemous to the Fashion Gods.
Being honest, my inner mean girl was pretty disappointed by this news. However, just because the pieces from Couture Week are better suited for the red carpet than a normal Saturday night doesn’t mean that we can’t incorporate aspects of these high-styles into the rest of our wardrobes. Nothing is cooler than dressing high-low, and there’s no better source of inspiration than the highest of the high: haute couture.
In this article, I’ll illustrate three ways you can sneak a little art into your everyday outfits… it’s actually not as challenging as you may think. 😉
Channel your inner Serena Van Der Woodsen like Schiaparelli
I’m doing us all a favor and starting with something totally wearable (especially if you’re a dramatic teen on the Upper East Side). The wearability of this collection was shocking to me, because Schiaparelli has always been known for being the most outlandish; the house, well-loved by 2010 Lady Gaga, has been mixing surrealism with classicism since 1937 with its infamous lobster dress (soooo Leandra Medine).
Anyway… this plaid ensemble would totally be at home on Gossip Girl, and therefore most of us are probably pretty comfortable with the idea of it. If I was to steal this look, I’d lose the tassels, but the rest is perfect. Despite popular (cough, wrong) opinion, mixing patterns is totally kosher, and is an easy way to jazz up a look without peacocking. It also gives the illusion that you just threw something on, which is always a plus in Comme Une Soleil‘s book.
How to wear: Mix a tartan skirt with a plaid or pinstriped blazer in a similar tone, an old t-shirt, chunky necklaces, argyle socks, and flatform trainers.
Channel your inner Instagram fitness model like A.F. Vanderforst
We’ve all seen them, and I think most of hate them: women with very sharp contours and perfectly straightened hair AT THE GYM– ugh– flaunting their black and pink waist trainers/corset-made curves on Instagram (bonus points if they have a shaker bottle of FitTea in their non-selfie hand). Personally, I think it’s pretty obnoxious, but it’s undeniable that corsets in all shapes and forms have made a comeback in a big way the past couple of years. And honestly, I don’t mind it if it’s done as a fashion statement (aka outside of the locker room in MUV Fitness).
Corsets are an awesome way to highlight your existing curves, create the illusion of ones you don’t actually have, and also channel your inner 18th-century prostitute if that’s what you’re in to (no shame). However, they do have a certain Scarlett Johannson factor that can be a little sexed-up for most of our daily activities. A.F. Vanderforst contradicted this notion well in this awesome show (which actually featured pieces recycled from their past 40 collections– neat!) by dressing down a leather corset with casual staples, making a very va-va-voom accessory almost androgynous. In the words of gay twitter, I stan.
How to wear: a simple, but sturdy, corset (in leather or a boned latex, preferably), over an oversized hoodie with worn skinny jeans and kitten-heeled sock boots.
Channel your inner, well, ME like Valentino
This particularly rich look is very near and dear to me, because I more or less wear it every day! Okay, maybe not Valentino, and maybe I usually leave my large, feathered headpieces at home, but I incorporate monochromatic black into 90% of my daily outfits. Why? It’s classic, versatile, slimming (even when you’re wearing a million layers), a little intimidating, and very luxe: mixing the right combinations of black pieces can make a $50 outfit look like a $500 one with a little knowhow and creativity.
I recently decided to get reacquainted with my Norwegian roots, and have therefore been studying Pernille Teisbaek’s Dress Scandinavian religiously. From my studies, I’ve been reminded that the key to making any outfit interesting (and achieving perfect black alchemy) is to play with textures in monochromatic tones. Mixing similar tones of leather with satin and tweed and whatever else you have on hand gives an ensemble depth, intrigue, and a certain level of that haphazard sex appeal that Comme Une Soleil loves so well.
How to wear: a woolen pea coat over an oversized cotton men’s dress shirt (predominately unbuttoned and knotted at the waist), high-waisted silky culottes, and heeled Chelsea boots. All in black, of course. Also, full disclosure, I’m wearing this exact outfit as I’m typing this. It’s 2018, we can self-promote if we want. 😉
That’s all I’ve got, but I would highly suggest checking in with Vogue Runway for fresh outfit inspo each day (it can come where you least expect it, like gaudy Haute Couture). Be on the lookout for more style advice and snark coming soon!