Street Style at NY Fashion Week: mulletskirts, buns, and denim...oh my!

Behold above the signal for the most beautiful time of the year! Unsurprisingly, many of the themes from FNO were back amongst the NYFW StyleSetters. Check it: 

Washed out denim vests and jackets have been everywhere, but we love this version for pairing it with a feminine floral touch. 

Casually stylish, with a fun and easy version of the omnipresent super-high bun.

Mullet skirt chic'ified by sleek hair, red lips, and, of course, a touch of Prada.

An eye for details. We are in pastel heaven between the necklace and the nails.

See you tomorrow, Fashion Week!

Fashplosion at Fashion's Night Out

Following our own advice, we braved the stylish swarm that descended upon Meatpacking for FNO last night. For those of you who couldn't make it, let us paint the evening in broad strokes. Dancing in the street -> accessory shopping and cotton candy consuming at Urban Space Meatpacking -> dancing in the street...all against a backdrop of champagne corks popping.

If in need of inspiration for your weekend looks, here are some of our favorite trends that we spied on the Street StyleSetters:

  

Fashplosion! 90s throwback (washed out pearl-studded denim vest), sky-high bun accentuated with enormous 90s style bow, mulletskirt (we decree that this should officially be one word), and, obviii, sparkly converse sneakers.

 

 Xoxo...sky-high bun and wrappy bracelet combo. 

   

Tribal print + maxi skirt/dress

 

For our part, we were inspired by these trends to style an ensemble of simple neutral maxi-mullet dress + accessories from Wink and Flip + Candela sandals.

Welcome back, Fashion Week.

Fashion's Night Out Survival Guide

It's here...the most beautiful time of the year!! Fashion Week, taking place in New York starting on 9/6, kicks off with Fashion's Night Out on September 6th. 

FNO boasts a treasure trunk of options, meaning that there should be something to suit your taste no matter where it may be. Get there early and scoop up swag at Rifle + Radford at Urban Space Meatpacking, drink champagne pretty much anywhere, listen to live music, or check out one of the many FNO parties. Overwhelmed? Here are our top tips for survival...nay, success, at FNO!

1. Stick to one or two adjacent neighborhoods. The last thing you want to do is spend your evening stuck in transit on subways jammed full of eye-candy on their way to the next event.

2. Make friends. Word of mouth is sometimes the best way to figure out the best things going, especially since there are tons of underground parties just waiting for you to discover them. (Special shout-out to Barry Yoko, my bff from last year's FNO!)

3. Be charitable. Whilst it fun to accumulate free swag everywhere, keep in mind that most events are geared at least in part towards raising money for charity. Good karma, StyleSetters.

4. Take sartorial risks! If ever there was a night to wear that outfit that you normally won't chance, now is the time. Nothing is off-limits. This is the most beautiful time of the year, inside and out...time to express yourself, whatever that means for you.

5. Drink champagne. Just a rule, that's all.

To start training, review StyleShifter's coverage of FNO 2011 here. 

                                                         

To check out the official website of FNO: http://fashionsnightout.com/fno/nyc

A handy guide to 10 fun and affordable summer accessories

Nails - the perfect accessory. You may not be able to buy the perfect new sundress, but you can definitely treat yourself to the perfect new nail color! And, lately, we are loving the digit-al trends. While the options abound, we've been coating ourselves in Essie's latest collection. To be technical, we've specifically gone with mojito madness, bikini so teeny, and off the shoulder. Check it:

 

Bikini so teeny + off the shoulder = summer.

We are fully aware that people harbor mixed emotions about the rogue ring finger concept, but we love it. Our inner 10 year old is cheering on every grownup with these tutti-frutti combinatinons.

Mojito Madness

And, as if anyone needed added incentive, who doesn't love a hand massage?

Highs and Lows...the "mullet skirt"

Remember how much we loved hats this fall? Well, at last we have discovered our summer amore in the so-called mullet skirt. Breezy, flattering, festive, all rolled into a diagonal. 

The only problem is the name, which rings of unsavory scenes. What to call it? Maxi-min? Two-faced? Suggestions? Perhaps we need some aesthetically pleasing inspiration:

http://www.suzannerae.com/ 


The mullet  conch shell (maybe?) maxi dress done right by Brooklyn-based designer Suzanne Rae. We are inspired to traipse, nymph-like, through the cricketed summer night.

http://www.rag-bone.com

Another version of the mullet dart maxi dress, so named and designed by rag & bone. A simple piece that can be accessorized for most occasions.

Kickin' it at the Eurocup

For all of our Euro-phile brethren, the excitement reaches fever pitch at this time of year. For those of you recording skipping out of work to watch the semifinals over the next two days, the real question is, as it always should be, what is the proper cheering attire?* 

Spain v. Portugal. As we are rooting for Spain, the old country, as it were, naturally this means something red and/or yellow. Which leads to tomorrow's plan - 10:30 a.m., get on line for and subsequently dominate the Amanda Uprichard sample sale with the efficiency of Alonso's feet. With any luck, we will snag this and pair it with one or more red bangles: 

Italy v. Germany. Another of our homelands, Italy's Forza Azzurri is our pick. The eponymous nickname necessitates blue apparel. Leave it to the Italians to nickname their team after their uniforms. For this game we turn to Improvd for a blue maxi-dress, avant-garde couture designed by Valentino Vettori, who is, fittingly, one of our favorite Italian designers based out of NYC:

 

Buona fortuna, buena suerte, and so forth! 

*Because, trust us, you know no self-respecting European would dare be seen in anything less than form-fitting clothing perfectly contoured to their annoyingly petite bodies. Seriously, have you seen the Italian fans? Wistful sigh. But we digress...

Summer Sample Sales

Today NYC swelters at a balmy 100 degrees...which means that the only reason to venture outside of any air conditioned space is to go sample sale-ing! Yes, it is unfortunate that sample sale season coincides with a heatwave, but this is it. What you've been training for all year. Remember these tips, and sally forth, StyleSetters!

While these are an abundance of sales within the upcoming days and weeks, we curated some of our favorites for those of us who don't have time to make it everywhere:

Today - Start at Shoshanna (231 W. 39th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, Suite 422) and then head on over to Parker (234 West 39th Street). Walk downtown and pick up some lingerie at Eberjey (40 East 34th between Park and Madison, suite 1215, 6/21-6/22). End your jaunt with some plastic shoes at Melissa (520 West 27th Street between 10th and 11th Aves, Suite 601).

Next week, 6/27-6/29, 11-6: The eagerly anticipated Amanda Uprichard sale at 306 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor.

Eberjey

 Amanda Uprichard

Melissa + Jason Wu

Stay tuned on twitter for updates on our (hopefully) success at the sales!