Breaking the Rules of Fashion with Kaelah of Little Chief Honey Bee! Part 2

Posted by: Stephanie Gaito

August
17
2011

Hey girls! I'm Kaelah from Little Chief Honey Bee and I am back for Round 2 of fighting fashion do's and don'ts! So we're talking fashion faux-pas here, right? What can we say about this outfit? Don't mix black and brown? Don't match your belt with your shoes? Or how about don't try to make the tired ol' military look work by wearing straight up cam colors?

I don't like camouflage. I never got into the dirty olive hue and I never tried making the "Army" style of military fashion work for me. Give me some navy, white, and gold, we'll say we're channeling the Navy! That's my kind of military style! We all know nautical inspired outfits work. They have this seemingly effortless ability to just look awesome and we think nothing of it. Instead I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone a little and finally go for a military based look, all with the hope of not looking too "try hard." To me the biggest faux pas with military looks is that they're just boring!

1) Bring in the girly accents when and where possible! I opted for a mesh top on this dress which offers up a sweetheart neckline and a peter-pan styled collar. The pleats on the dress also give it that "twirly" effect. The dress is a bit more olive than it may appear in the photos but it's definitely a masculine color. By choosing to balance it out with the dress' feminine accents, we're able to balance it.

2) Go with a different hue for everything else. Black and brown are neutral colors, that's for sure. But when you pair them up against this dress then they start looking more theatrical.

3) Make a statement somewhere in your outfit! To me, military looks based on this color combination just have the tendency to fall flat. They look boring or too overdramatic. There never seems to be a middle ground. When you go for something crazy like woven platform shoes with a 5.5" heel and a big woven belt, the outfit starts to come alive.

4) Throw in something bright like an ivory! I wouldn't go white for this since you typically think of military life as one spent "in the trenches" getting dirty, so ivory was the perfect balance. It offers a clean hue as a pop color, all while remaining connected.

I wouldn't recommend Jeffrey Campbell Litas as your battle attire, but they're so comfortable you could easily do a few drills in them! March to the beat of your own drum by taking a tried and true style and bumping it up a few notches!

What I Wore:

Jeffrey Campbell Lita WaffleWeave Brown Lace Up Platform Booties

All About Weave Belt

Trip to the Library Grey Dress

Breaking Fashion Rules with Kaelah of Little Chief Honey Bee! Part 1

Posted by: Stephanie Gaito

August
15
2011

Hi ladies! Im Kaelah from Little Chief Honeybee! I am over here visiting the LuLu*s blog to break some fashion rules and answer some important fashion questions! Such as, can you really have 'too much of a good thing'? Just curious because I'm the kind of girl who could wear red, pink and ivory every single day of the week and never ever grow tired of it. Maybe it's my affinity for Valentine's Day or just girly hues, but I instantly feel more "me" when I'm donning some pretty pastels!

When you think about those 1980's monochromatic suits or the way the 90's had their way of wearing purple on top of purple on top of purple (only to be paired with… a purple!), you start seeing a trend: Too much of something is never good! Well I'm here to throw caution to the wind and help rewrite some of the old fashion faux-pas rules.

I've never been a matchy-matchy kind of girl. More often than not "my thing" is wearing every pattern conceivable and still trying to pass it off as "acceptable." Instead of going crazy with the florals and the dots and the stripes, I decided to keep it simple for this task: an eye-catching print on the skirt of my Cherry Parfait striped dress, and then everything else I'm wearing is taken directly from that (except that fun necklace!).

My rules may or may not work for you, but why not just give it a shot?! Here's how I (try to) keep from looking like a monochromatic clown:

1) Make sure you have one statement piece in your ensemble. In this instance I'm working with a fun, bright red dress with a playful pattern of stripes on the bottom. The rest of the dress' torso will undoubtedly scream "Oh hey! Look at me! I'm here!", so make sure you know what is screaming and what is supporting.

2) Whatever clothing is immediately touching the statement piece should be a toned down version of it. I wanted to keep it fun and playful with this outfit so I opted for a pale pink blazer. This very same hue is found in the skirt of the dress so it works. Yes, a pink blazer is far from "neutral" but it's so toned down in comparison to the bright red that you can get away with it.

3) If you're going loud with the main piece of your outfit, keep the rest minimal. I opted for an ivory wedge (an even more diluted hue to pink), a red bow in my hair (to draw the eye up), and a turquoise and red necklace just to add a bit of zest!

I think it's important to keep at least one small piece as a "pop" item, such as this necklace. It still has the red in the stone so it ties in, but the blue is so vibrant against the other colors.

It's easy to go straight to a bright red lip for this outfit but I decided to keep it neutral with a natural pink lipstick and I alternated my nails with the bright red and gold! My tattoos tend to do most of the accessorizing for me so they instantly bring more color to the outfit. By wearing a blazer and some tights I was able to tone it down, still look classy, and make it Autumn/Winter appropriate! Feel free to go bare legged or swap the blazer for a vest or cardigan for a more Spring/Summer feel!

This outfit is totally something you could wear to a wedding, girls night out, or a date! The choices are endless! Except maybe bike riding… I tried it and while it worked, I'd maybe switch out those shoes! ;)

What I Wore:

Cherry Parfait Striped Dress

Qupid Tales Platform Wedges

That Seventies Red and Green Necklace

Blush Pink Blazer

See you on Wednesday for my next post where we will we examine another fashion faux-pas!

Art Inspired Fashion by Jen of Jenloveskev: Henri Matisse

Posted by: Stephanie Gaito

June
1
2011

Hey everyone! It's Jen again from Jenloveskev. Here we are with the 2nd installment of our Art Inspired Fashion posts. This month I decided to choose a famous French painter because I am going to Paris next month for a week!! I am so excited. One of my favorite painters is Henri Matisse. He used such beautiful bold colors, and every painting is a joy to look at. That is why I chose this Seville Still Life painting; it is so full of life with all the contrasting patterns.

I didn't want to be so literal with my interpretation, but I did look around for a fancy couch in a red room to take pictures. I guess we are in short supply of those in my neck of the woods. Haha!

Anyway, when I saw this dress I knew it would be perfect. Not only for this painting but for summer as well. I love the floral print and the colors that are used, not to mention how cute the collar is. Isn't it adorable?

I swear the color of this dress is the same color of the background of the painting. I see lots of remixing in our future together!!

Outfit Details:

Bada Bloom Red Floral Dress

Big Buddha Zig Yellow Wedge

Right on Point Navy Blue Purse

*

Seville Still Life by Henri Matisse

Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

c.1910-1911

www.henri-matisse.net

Any other Matisse fans out there?

Comments:
Make A Comment
Blog Tags:
- Fashion
- Art
- Blogger
- Guest
- Shorts
- Lulus
- Guest Blogger
- JenLovesKev
- Art Inspired Fashion
- Henri Matisse

Playlister: A Playlist for Your Day from Guest Blogger Carmen B.!

Posted by: LuLu*s !

September
17
2010

Playlister:

Now that school’s started, I keep finding myself making homework playlists on my iTunes instead of actually writing essays. Oops! Here’re the songs I’ve got on repeat this week:

Of Montreal – “Hydra Fancies”

This song is filled with synthesized goodness that sprinkles out Kevin Barnes’ weirdly satisfying melodies with an upbeat, trippy gusto. Pumping this on my morning walk to school never ceases to amaze.

Brandon Flowers – “Swallow It”

I’m obsessed! BFlo’s sweet, intelligent “Swallow It” features a steady build that makes me want to dance with my eyes closed and my hair in my face, fearlessly. Either that or sing really loudly by myself in the car on the freeway. The usual.

Bow Wow Wow – “Fools Rush In”

This cover of the classic song has a killer new wave twist. Not only is it a great karaoke song, but you’ll feel all bubbly and colorful while you listen to this excellent version. It’s like being at a luau in the middle of an African safari. Who could resist?

What's on your playlist for the week?

Introducing Guest Blogger: Meowsk!

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

March
1
2010

The Lulu*s à la Mode Blog is excited to introduce our newest guest blogger: Shauna Ehninger. Navigating her lovely blog, Meowsk, you can find Shauna sporting an inspiring mix of peasant-style dresses, topped off with unique belts not to mention an array of adorable skirts paired with colorful and printed tights. Shauna has some great blog ideas regarding hair and fashion to share with Lulu*s fans. But first, this Salt Lake City native was ever so kind and let me interview her on fashion, life and what she covets most from Lulus.com!

Describe your style in regards to hair, makeup and, of course, clothes. Do you draw inspiration from any particular decade?
At the moment my style is quite feminine with touches of idiosyncrasy for a more modern aesthetic. As a interactive designer I find that graphical elements often find their way into my look. I keep things simple with my makeup and hair because fussing with those things too much will only lead to regret later in life. Since growing my hair out long, I let it air dry then run a flat iron through it later in the day. Partly to keep it healthy but mostly because I am too lazy to blow dry it. I prefer to use makeup subtly to accent my features rather than let it overpower my face. My clothing ranges from t-shirts to dresses and includes girly embellishments, tons of purple, tulle and vintage inspired pieces. I tend not to draw my inspiration from any particular decade but rather try to incorporate the timeless elements. Lately, I am hooked on dresses and am inspired by the iconic 50s full skirts and overall polished look. I sort of wish we all dressed up like that these days, instead I am constantly asked why I am dressed so fancy.

What are some wardrobe basics that you can’t live without?
Tights and a variety of cardigans are musts for the frigid Salt Lake winters. In the summer I cannot live without my flip-flops and cotton skirts.

What fashion trends have you see recently that you’ve been excited about?

While I am not the type of girl to follow every trend that comes around there are a few I am glad are gracing us with their presence. Tulle makes me happy and I am excited to see this fabric making a classy comeback with the likes of designers such as Rodarte. Country florals mixed with iconic western garb (cowboy boots, hats, etc) is something I have started to see popup here and there and quite enjoy. Tights - especially patterned ones have become quite popular lately which I love because it makes finding them so much easier.

What do you splurge on when it comes to completing your look?
Lately, I have been trying to make a conscious effort at frugality when it comes to my style related purchases. Making sure I really love something before I bring it home to make my closet that much more crowded and adding things to wish lists for holidays. This has also inspired be to be more creative with the pieces currently in my closet by coming up with multiple ways to wear One thing I still splurge a bit on is skincare - I just can't give up my Origins products. Healthy skin is essential though right?

Do you have a favorite item on Lulus.com? If so, how would you work it into an outfit?
My absolute favorite thing on LuLus.com that I have been coveting for months are the Jeffrey Campbell Pacific Teal Leather Double Ruffled Heels and the designer in me just couldn't help but create an outfit for these shoes...