Alexander to Vera

Go Buy Now: Printed Pants

While I usually reserve my favorite prints for tops and dresses, lately I have become completely enamored with chic, straight leg pants emblazoned with pretty florals. 

This look was all over the Spring 2012 runways. As well as many of the bloggers and fashion editors that were in New York for fashion week.

1. Alexander Wang 2. Peter Som

3. Proenza Schouler 4. Chloe

5. DKNY 6. J.Crew

On the runways, floral pants were either paired with neutral tops or head-to-toe prints. Either way works! Check out some great options below

Get the Look

If I had to choose, I would say that my fashion icon is Taylor Tomasi Hill. Taylor was formerly the Style and Accessories Director at Marie Claire magazine and now the Creative Director for Moda Operandi. I have saved close to a hundred different pictures of her street style looks and find her mixture of pieces to be truly inspiring. For todays post I decided to focus on one of my favorite TTH outfits (which I also featured in my Winterize Your Neons post) and provide you with options to create this awesome look for yourself.

Trend Forecast: Peplums

Peplums were all over the Spring 2012 runways, some more wearable than others. J.Crew offered a subdued take on the trend with a pretty floral top with a bubble hem, while Cushnie et Ochs showed sexy structure with sharp metallic hips. Jason Wu and Lela Rose went soft and flirty with their peplum looks while Phoebe Philo continued her flawless reign at Chloe with chic minimalist peplums.

 J.Crew

 Cushnie et Ochs

 Jason Wu

 Lela Rose

 Celine

For those of you who want to get an early start on this trend, there are plenty of winter-worthy peplum jackets out there along with adorable dresses that are perfect for holiday parties. Peplum tops are probably the easiest way to incorporate the look into your every day wardrobe and provide a little more visual interest than the average blouse. You can also create your own peplums with a chic belt like these women did.

Below are some of my favorite peplum pieces that will allow you to get this designer look for less!

Peplums by alexander-to-vera featuring peplum tops
Aqua cocktail dress, $154
Max cleo dress, $148
Reversible dress, $40
Reversible dress, $148
ASOS long top, $63
Peplum top, $165
Oasis peplum top, $63
Alice Olivia stripe t shirt, $200
BCBG Max Azria animal print jacket, $174
Winter kate, $130
Fullcircle, $117
Oasis, $54

[photos via nymag.com, lateafternoonblog.com, streetfsn.blogspot.com]

Instant Cool: Graphic Tee

One of the best things about fashion is that it is always changing, so naturally our personal style should evolve over time as well. Lately I have been making a conscious effort to add a little edge to my usually classic everyday look. I always love when a conservative or preppy ensemble is balanced out by a cool edgy piece. One of the easiest (and most inexpensive) ways to put this idea into practice is with a graphic tee. 

When paired with a tweed suit or a ladylike skirt, a graphic tee instantly takes an outfit from stuffy to cool.

When paired with statement jewelry and a great jacket, a graphic tee + shorts combo becomes uptown chic.

And then of course there is the always-cool combination of a graphic tee and leather jacket. I suggest pairing them with corduroys or a plaid skirt for an unexpected interpretation of the look.

What’s great about this look is that cool, inexpensive graphic tees are so easy to find! Below I’ve included some of my favorites from Topshop, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters. 

Graphic Tee by alexander-to-vera featuring a white scoop neck tee
Chaser white scoop neck tee, $49
Printed top, $36
Cotton t shirt, $44
Forever21 short sleeve tee, $16
Forever21 scoopneck tee, $16
James Dean Crop Tee, $16

[Images via streetfsn and nymag.com]

Winterize Your Summer Wardrobe: Neons

I have to say that I was beyond excited when neon made a major comeback this spring. I love how easily a great neon piece can totally transform an outfit and add an instant fun factor to pretty much anything. Luckily, according to the Spring 2012 runways, the neon trend shows no signs of slowing down. It was everywhere: from J. Mendel to Jason Wu to Prabal Gurung.

 J.Mendel

 Jason Wu

 Prabal Gurung

Instead of waiting around for Spring, I decided to incorporate neons into my winter wardrobe with a few strategic styling choices. The easiest way to include a little neon into your look is with accessories. A great day-glow shoe, bag, or jewelry paired with neutral winter layers can be a chic, unexpected touch.

For those of you who want to get a little extra use out of your neon dresses, skirts and tops from the Spring/Summer, I suggest adding tights, booties, and a sweater or jacket in a neutral tone. Black provides fun contrast but I love a more unexpected pairing such as grey or camel.

Now if you want to REALLY embrace this bright trend, I think a neon sweater or jacket would be an awesome addition to any girl’s Winter wardrobe. While not for the faint of heart, these pieces can literally make any outfit special.

Hopefully this post inspires you to try and “winterize” your Spring/Summer wardrobe. As usual, I have included some well-priced shopping options for those of you who want to add more neon to your life.

Neon by alexander-to-vera featuring neon t shirts
Neon t shirt, $185
Joyrich neon top, $110
ASOS neon top, $54
ASOS knee length pencil skirt, $45
Senso heart pump, $175
Senso heart pump, $175
Jeffrey Campbell leather shoes, $114
NADA SAWAYA yellow handbag, $270
Bag, $155
Venessa Arizaga neon jewelry, $110
CC SKYE yellow jewelry, £110
Ettika vintage style jewelry, $62

[photos via: 1.bp.blogspot.com, nymag.com, jakandjil, streetpeeper, elle.com, atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com]