Style Stores: The Grey Area & Preppy Chic
Style Story: The Grey Area…
It is by no means an area without clarity. On the contrary, grey is in a class by itself. It’s the neutral safe space between light and dark that looks great on its own and enhances the beauty of another color – the ultimate facilitator. It’s also a major color for Fall as are lavenders vests and pleats; exactly what I’m wearing, today. My homage to grey starts with a textured tweed vest in grey lavender black and white, Dolce & Gabbana. It’s a bit of a chameleon because it takes on the colors that surround it. Look how the vest fluctuates in color as the base for my geo print scarf, Marc Jacobs.
The white/green/lavender scarf infuses the vest with colour at the same time the vest intensifies the scarfs’ details for a perfect symbiotic relationship. My grey sheer pleated skirt, Bardot, is embellished with tiny silver sequins for a reflective shine that brightens my whole look. At first, I considered wearing my metallic silver sandals but the extra shine was truly unnecessary. Instead, I opted for these olive green strappy sandals, Schutz. The olive not only works back to the green from my scarf it works well with my vintage grey clutch. If you don’t think you’re a “grey” person, I urge you to give it a try. It’s one of those really special colours that can extend your wardrobe options because.
style-tip: when styling with a single colour or mostly one be sure to include different fabric textures so your look doesn’t read as flat
Style Story: Preppy Chic
A little preppy can go a long way. The simplicity of body styles and the clean unfussy lines make it a great base to spin your own way. It’s also another one of Falls’ big trends. My shrunken Academy Blazer, Gap, over a fitted patterned shirt, Tronjori (Amazon), from the boys department is proportionally perfect especially over a pair of low rise straight jeans, Rag and Bone.
I didn’t want my preppy look to be too on the nose so I added an electric blue sling back, Sam Edelman and a twisted deep red bandana that changes it up enough but doesn’t make the trend unrecognizable. Notice how the intense colour pop from the shoes grabs and holds onto the eye before it allows it to move upward. Pop colours: when properly placed can offer the right amount of contrast so your whole look can be viewed collectively rather than individual pieces.
*please treat your wardrobe well. many people worked very hard to get it to you
Felicia Arlin
Felicia Arlin’s work as a stylist and costume designer has been featured in print, tv, film and on the red carpet. As a 20+ year veteran designer/merchandiser in the LA/NY garment industry her work has graced the racks of every major department store and specialty chain in the country.
She is passionate about helping women look and feel confident no matter their age, shape or socioeconomic status. Her hope is to empower other women by sharing some of the things she’s learned along the way to better cultivate and express their own individual and ageless style.
