What's Trending? ... Fall/Winter 2013

Hola,

How are all my fashionistas doing? I know it's been a while since we've connected, but here I am. I hope life has been treating you great, and that you are all preparing yourselves to look fabulous this season. While I have not been posting any new blogs, I have about six in the works that I've been working on simultaneously so I'm hoping to complete all of them soon. Sometimes I just get stuck on how I want to word things so I leave it until I find my way and I move on to another. Haa I know, multitasking at its finest but darn that writer's block! :)

So my favorite season has begun: FALL! I adore these next few months because the fashion is so wonderful. Even though the weather is not that cold, you can still wear sweaters, hoodies, jackets, scarves, hats and my number one favorite: boots! There is just something in the air that calls for the elegance and classiness of dressing up to honor this beautiful time of the year. Beginning with the outfit and accessories, and adding the outerwear with the classic coats, the shoes and not to mention the mix of delightful colors. Even the leaves feel the need to cater to the season with their change from green to orange, yellow, brown and red giving the world a charming hue. It's no wonder many of us are in love with this lovely time of every year.

On that note, I wanted to discuss the fall/winter 2013 trends and give everyone an idea on what's hot this season. I've gone through many photos and designer's websites to pick and choose all the cool trends. There was so much variety this season. Pants, dresses and skirts (short, knee length and below the knee) ...oh my! There were coats, sweaters, shoes and boots. Also, great accessories and wonderful colors that lit up the runways. I was in fashion heaven! It was hard to choose just a few to show, but I hope these will give you an idea on what to shop for.

Let's get started:

WINTER WHITE: I laugh at whoever says you cannot wear white after Labor Day. Gone are those days. White was all over the fall 2013 runways. There were coats, tops, skirts, pants and even shoes. The runways look so beautiful and so calm. Just check out the photo below. Don't be afraid to go all white. You'll look so classy and elegant. Go for several pieces in white and wear them all as shown below or mix with colors.

PLAID: This pattern made an appearance in many runways. The trendiest were coats and pants. I adore the coat in the photo below because of the wonderful fall colors that were mixed. You can be bold and combine your plaid item with another print or let it shine on its own with a solid color. Either way, plaid is in! Other popular prints were pinstripes and houndstooth.

OVER-SIZED COATS: Also rocking the runways were over-sized coats in a variety of lengths, colors and prints. Coats are on my list of weaknesses so I am definitely investing in one of these. I'm in love with the idea of a plaid over-sized coat and I also adore the short capelet version in the photo below... hmmm. The belted version is great for both slim and curvy ladies as they give both shapes a different kind of contour. Over-sized coats are great for those of us who like to layer and wear bulky sweaters.

TURTLENECKS: These were very popular for this season. In the photo below you can see that "layering" look I was referring to above. Also, you don't really need to use a scarf although I certainly would. The scarf can be your accessory. I'd go with a printed one in bold colors. You can also layer a fitted turtleneck under an over-sized sweater for those blustery days, under a short biker leather jacket or with a blouse.

*The photo below is great because it shows so much of what's in for the season. Check out the beautifully tailored coats, bright turtlenecks, boots, leather and velvet to name a few, as well as the trendy colors: black, brown, orange and white.

THIGH HIGH BOOTS: They were everywhere. Boots! Oh how I love thee... If you don't already know, boots are my number one weakness. If I can find a pair of fitted thigh highs, you can bet that I will be rocking a pair this season. These boots go great with skirts and jeans. Unless you're going to a club to dance the night away, I'd stay away from wearing them with mini-skirts because well you know....

KNEE HIGH BOOTS: Do I really need to caption? I feel like knee high boots will always be "in." You can invest in any style: Flats, wedges and heels or all of the above. Go for it!

The IT color of the season was...

GREEN: This color was used by almost every designer. Emerald green was the winning color, but anything in between goes as well. Green believe it or not, can be mixed with several unlikely colors. Don't be afraid to go out of the ordinary. You'll be surprised.

Other colors that the runways made popular were deep purple, dark blue, bold orange and red, dark gray, brown as well as white and black. You've got variety this season so take advantage of it and have some fun. You can also add your favorites to this list and incorporate them into your new wardrobe.

SLOUCHY PANTS: Although I'm still not sure how I feel about these pants because the majority were high-waisted and I'm more of a low-rise kind of girl, the slouchy pant was popular with designers. As seen below, you can pair with a fitted or loose top and even a blazer. This style looks great with heels or flats for comfort.

LEATHER: Let's be honest, will leather ever really go out of style? Coats, biker jackets, skirts and if you're bold enough, pants. I love that designers did not stick with black but went with bold and bright colors.

And last but not least, the cutest accessory...

BEANIE HATS: I adore these oh so cute hats. I love the slouchy ones too, and I actually bought an adorable one which I will post in my next "look book" series. Beanies look great with a casual look as well as with a cute short or a maxi dress. They can be worn whether you have short or long hair and even with a side braid for a sexy look. Plus, let's not forget that they can keep your pretty little head nice and warm on those cold days and nights. 

- The End -

So there you have it mis amores. It was hard to pick just a few because there were so many great choices. However, these more or less will give you an idea on what's trending for this fall/winter season. You can always add your own touch of what you like and mix it up with the above suggestions. You know two of my favorite phrases are "play with it" and "find what's best for you." Don't forget to accessorize with pretty scarves, over-sized watches, large sunglasses and a great pair of gloves.

I hope I've helped you make your decisions on what to wear for the cold weather. I wish you all a wonderful season, may you all be the best dressed in the crowd and the ones turning all the heads. Most importantly however, don't forget to stay warm while you're looking fabulous. Even more so, stop in and have some delicious hot cocoa or a caramel macchiato at your local coffee shop and show off that spectacular fall outfit. Oh yeah! :).

As always, if you have your own ideas and would like to share, you all know the deal... please comment below and let's have a conversation and help each other look like the fantastic fashionistas we all are. Go! #engage

Once again, thank you for stopping by my "Open Closet."

Until next time my loves.

Gracias,

AnnaCris <3

*The pictures in this blog are not my own. They were borrowed from Google Images. Please contact me if any of the above photos are yours and you'd like them removed from this blog.

Prints Anyone? ...Oh Wait!

Hola,

What's new my fashionistas?

So... now that you've seen the title of this blog, can you guess what I've decided to chat about this week? If you guessed "printed fabric," you are correct. I figured since color was last week's theme, why not elaborate a bit on solid colors versus print and what is most popular. So let's go...

While I believe that solid colors are by far more popular than print, printed fabrics always seem to find their way onto our fashion runways. Some are quite beautiful and eye-catching. There is no denying that some designers use print in a lovely way. It all depends on your personal tastes and what type you prefer. Some of the more common prints are floral, polka dots, stripes, animal, plaid, geometric, paisley, hounds tooth and conversation print which is most often used on t-shirts. They can be bold, bright and busy or more subdued. Again, it all depends on your taste.

As for myself, I prefer solid colors. I actually went through my closet before writing this blog just to see what I had going on, and I admit I'm guilty of going pretty much "print-less." I have a pair of Hollister plaid shorts which I adore, and a few other prints but not too many. I do like a pretty, tasteful animal print, a hounds tooth coat or short dress is also very pretty. Hmm, I just may invest in a printed coat this winter ;).

Now then, if you are going to go the print route, I would ask you to keep it to just one article of clothing. Everything else you wear should be solid and subtle. Let the print speak for itself and stand out on its own. Mixing prints is hardly ever a good idea except on the runway or if you find prints that really work together which is very possible. Here are some "how to wear" suggestions by yours truly:

• Animal print goes perfect with black or dark brown, depending on which color is used on the fabric. Both of these solid colors will give the print an elegant look and will allow the print to shine.
• Floral goes well with neutrals (black, white, brown, gray), depending on the type and the colors on the design. You can also choose one of the stand out colors on the print and wear that shade as your solid color.
• Hounds Tooth looks great on a skirt, blazer or coat. I usually prefer this material for winter which makes it easy to pair with a dark solid color. Very lovely!
• Stripes and Plaid again, depending on the design you can match accordingly. A well designed plaid pant can be really cute (i.e.: my cute Hollister plaid shorts).

When I choose print, I usually go with a top, dress or skirt. It's kind of tricky finding a really cute pair of pants with a nice floral design, polka dots or animal print. I feel like it would be too much; too busy. I would, however, suggest a striped pair of pants in a subtle design with a gray, navy or black background. You cannot go wrong especially if you need to dress for business.

As far as body type, some printed fabrics can be tricky. Horizontal stripes are not a good choice if you are on the curvier or stocky side. Same goes with prints that are extremely busy (too much floral, polka dots). These prints can work against my curvier fashionistas. Definitely go with animal, a delicate hounds tooth or a very subtle geometric print. Remember you can tone these down by wearing a solid black. All in all, there are great choices for everybody but you just have to choose the right ones. Go ahead and try, work it!

So there you have it my loves. My take on print... Going back to my title and the reason I added "oh wait" is because I would prefer that you not go overboard or jump right in. Think it through first. I repeat, prints are very tricky but as long as they are worn correctly, anyone can wear them. Stop and make a wise decision when shopping. Make sure you have purchased or have a solid color in your closet that you can pair the item with. If you take these ideas into consideration, you will be one sexy, confident and fabulously dressed woman in print! I promise.

So what do you think? Are you a fan of any or all prints? How do you wear them? Do you agree with my point of view? Have you ever mixed prints and if so, did it work? Let us all know. Comment below and let's chat. Go... #engage!

Until we meet again! Hasta luego.

Gracias,

AnnaCris <3

ps: Thank you to the lovely "Gretchen" for her input. ;)