Posts tagged "style-friday" - Alexandra Kingsley Edwards

December 31, 2011
Section: style
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Dressing up to stay home for New Year’s Eve

Josh and I aren’t big on partying out on the town, at least not where we currently live. And I’m especially not fond of going out on New Year’s Eve, which is just too crowded and too crazy for a girl like me. But just because we’re staying home doesn’t mean I can’t get dressed up for the occasion!

I love these patterned tights beyond belief. I tend to avoid trends until some of the initial buzz has died down, and even then I like to cautiously see if they fit with my personal style. I know patterned tights have been a thing for quite a while, but I’m just now thinking about working them into my outfits regularly.

If I were going out tonight, here would be my top tips for staying comfy and having fun during a hectic holiday bar-session:

Wear comfortable heels or flats, unless you’re attending a party at a friend’s house where you can kick them off or stay sitting down.
Carry a clutch small enough to fit in your hand, but big enough to contain your phone.
Layer to stay warm! It’s actually unseasonably warm right now, but usually this is a chilly holiday. Try layering a thicker tank top under your dress — it’ll keep you warm and it probably won’t add too much bulk. Wear socks inside your boots. If it’s really cold, wear two pairs of stockings, or stockings and legwarmers.
Keep jewelry to a minimum (less fussy) but dress up your nails with a metallic polish. I love bronze.
I would go with lip tint instead of lipstick, since lots of drinks means lots of reapplying. Also, bronze eyeliner applied to the inner corner of the eyes gives a nice pop of color (and matches the nail polish!).
Make sure to drink a glass of water in between each drink!

Happy New Year!

November 11, 2011
Section: personal, style
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Style Friday | Dressing for the fall colors

“Making” outfits is a serious challenge for me, and I mostly roll out of bed every morning and throw on something very basic. My friends have even named my standard look — when L. wears a t-shirt with a cardigan over it, she calls it “the Alex.” I stick to flats because I have back problems and leggings because they’re more comfortable than anything else.

But every once in a while, I need or want to dress up a little more. This was one of those days. I’ve also been challenging myself lately not to wear so much black; I’m trying to work more brown into my wardrobe as a substitute neutral.

Fall can be drab and dreary here in suburban Philly. The fall color gets dulled by the morning fog and this year by the snow that fell before Halloween. Any fall color lights the background like fire. Instead of drawing those colors into my outfit — I am not a girl who can wear orange — I wanted to put something together that would coolly complement the fiery leaves. Hence the blues and purples hidden away under the gorgeous vintage cut sweater I borrowed from my mom’s closet.

It was hard to capture while traipsing around my backyard in heels, but I really like the vague 1920s silhouette to this outfit. The character shoes (also borrowed from mom!) add the perfect vintage kick. I feel like I could throw on a cloche hat and go out for afternoon speakeasy drinks.

Outfit details: Flowered top – Target // Navy skirt – hand me down // Brown character heels – borrowed // Tan swing sweater – borrowed

July 1, 2011
Section: style
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Style Friday with Christian Dior: Accessories

Accessories

They are so important to the well-dressed woman. The less you can afford for your frocks, the more care you must take with your accessories. With one frock and different accessories you can always be well turned out. But be always careful if you cannot have a complete set for each different color.

You must choose a color that will match many clothes in your wardrobe.

Unless you have a lot of money it is wiser to choose black, navy or brown for your accessories rather than a bright red or green.

It is a question of care and taste.

Don’t buy much but make sure that what you buy is good.

The accessories Dior is talking about here aren’t jewelry, but basics like hats and umbrellas. I imagine other winter wear likes gloves and scarves fit into the category as well. We could probably also count shoes and bags. You know, all the stuff that’s not actually clothes.

I will admit that this realm of fashion is tough for me. After spending the first quarter-century of my life living in warm climes, I only recently moved somewhere with a winter cold enough to require three months of constant hat/glove/scarf wearing. I still haven’t gotten the hang of it. I do tend to gravitate toward black accessories (and shoes and sweaters and bags), which can be both good and bad. They might match my outfit, but wearing mostly black day after day can get really boring.

I recently tried to venture out of this rut by getting myself a black/rose/sea green purse, only to find that I wear a lot of rich colors, and the pastels of the purse clash really badly. Oops.

One of the best things I think you can do is to shop for accessories at consignment stores. When individual items cost less, you can try out eccentric choices without fretting over what happens if you end up hating it. (And if you do hate it, you can probably sell it back to the consignment shop!)

On a recent consignment trip, and with the pastel purse debacle fresh in my mind, I found this gem for $10.

Heart purse

I love this purse to death. Since the fabric is black with a pattern in bold colors, it will match most of my clothes. The red woven handles and red buttons add fun details, which fits with my slightly quirky style. The only downside is that it won’t be big enough to hold my school books when the fall semester starts. But for only $10, it’s worth it to have a fun summer and weekend purse.

Heart purse detail

Before winter weather sets in this year, I will have to experiment with picking out matching accessories like gloves/scarf/hat. Hopefully I can steer clear of all black!

What are some of your favorite accessories? Do you have “matching sets,” as Dior recommends?

June 17, 2011
Section: comic books, style
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Style Friday | Philly Comic Con edition

I’m spending the day with co-workers at Philly Comic Con, getting inspiration and making contacts for this year’s annual Graphic Novel Event at my library. (Read all about last year’s event here.) The fun of attending a con is getting to dress up in your best superhero duds, but, this being a work thing, I had to be very careful not to overdo it. Spandex and capes have to be saved for a later date, but that doesn’t mean I can’t show off my comic book-loving style.

I decided to put together a Jimmy Olsen outfit after being inspired by this incredible one. Olsen is known for being “Superman’s pal,” a photographer at the Daily Planet, and an excellent bowtie-wearer. I don’t have the guts to rock a bowtie, but I did have a camera necklace I bought not too long ago that I thought could use a bowtie charm added to it.

Jimmy and Clark, from All-Star Superman #1.

I made a tutorial for the bowtie charm, which you can find here. I also tested out the outfit and got photographic evidence, so I could share it with you!

Jimmy Olsen outfit

Jimmy Olsen bow and camera necklace

I’m not big on structured menswear, so this version of Jimmy Olsen’s traditional slacks and button-down is a lot more casual, but I think it conveys the basic idea. It’s also guaranteed to be comfortable enough to walk around a con in.

Now all I need is a Superman signal watch, and I’ll be ready to hit the streets of Metropolis!

June 10, 2011
Section: style
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Style Friday with Christian Dior

I’m trying out some new ongoing series; the monthly round-up I did was the first, and Style Friday is the second. I hope you like it!

While on holiday in London in 2007, I visited one of the greatest museum exhibitions I’ve ever seen: The Golden Age of Couture at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Golden Age of Couture brochure and ticket, Dec. 2007

Brochure and ticket, stuck in my London travel journal

In the gift shop, I just could not resist picking up a copy of The Little Dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior. His very name is synonymous with good taste, impeccable dress, and lasting luxurious style.

I’ve only randomly flipped through the book since buying it four years ago, which is a total travesty on my part. So many awesome tips and tricks tucked away in the cute pink book, and I’ve been ignoring them! Well, no more. Starting now, I’ll be going through and blogging selected entries, with my own added commentary, questions, and hopefully pictures. I know from flipping through that I don’t agree with everything Dior had to say about fashion, but finding where we agree and disagree is part of the fun!

Without further ado, and starting right at the beginning:

Accent

An accent is that little personal touch which makes a dress designed by a couturier your own dress. It is of great importance.

The accent must always have the touch of your personality… The place you put a clip… The way you tie a bow… How you fold your scarf… The colour you choose for your flower…

With your personal feeling no one can do it better than you… But, be careful, one accent is enough. And if you choose a colour accent, select it with great care — and remember that except in the hands of an expert two colours in one outfit is enough.

Accents are, I think, the number one sign of a fashionable girl (you know, the ones who always look perfectly put together). Accents are also one of the hardest fashion things to get right, if you ask me. How do you pick? How bold or demure should you make it? How do you adapt it over the years?

I only have one item I wear all the time, my mother’s wedding band. But that’s hardly big enough to be considered an accent. A blogger I really admire, Betty Felon, always wears a handmade bow in her hair — that’s the perfect example of an accent to me.

You can’t force an accent, either, otherwise it feels gimmicky and you’ll probably opt to trade it out sooner rather than later.

Lately, I’ve taken to wearing comic book-related pins, which counts as an accent but is probably not at all what Dior had in mind. I know that this little trend won’t last forever, but it’s fun for the moment.

Today I'm Supergirl.

I guess as you grow up, accents can change and evolve with your style. Maybe one day I’ll start wearing scarves all the time and come up with a signature way to tie them.

What accent piece(s) do you wear and why?

Alexandra Kingsley Edwards

Dressing up to stay home for New Year’s Eve

Style Friday | Dressing for the fall colors

Style Friday with Christian Dior: Accessories

Style Friday | Philly Comic Con edition

Style Friday with Christian Dior

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