“I’ve always been about style for people. It was the way you put yourself together and the imagination, not buying this number off the rack, but the way you wear it.” -Ralph Lauren
Let’s face it, every day we get up and we put on basically the same thing. Men wear some variation of a pant be it shorts, trousers or sweats. We all put on a shirt of some sort. Ladies luck out and can toss on a dress. But it’s what we decide to add to the mix that makes us individual. As a stylist I think it’s the use of accessories that separates us from one another. Two men can wear the exact same suit. How they chose to accessorize that suit is what makes it different. Individual.
I’m from the school that to build a wardrobe you need a few basics; a black or navy double vented, single-breasted suit, dark denim jeans that are not distressed & have no holes, a crisp white cotton shirt, black, grey or navy flat front trousers or a knee-length pencil skirt for ladies, and a Khaki blazer for men/light-colored, light weight cardigan for ladies. Once you have the basics then you add accessories which show your personality and separate you from the proverbial fashion herd.
Summer 2010 is all about bright color, bold prints, plaid, and classic menswear touches. Don’t want to invest in that au courant Spurr plaid blazer or that amazing sherbet orange Ralph Lauren maxi-dress? Accessories can help you be trendy and right now. Here are my top accessory picks to boost your personal style into the stratosphere:
Nothing says summer like a hot pair of SUNGLASSES. When your future is bright you must wear shades. For men it’s about classic styles like the Ray-ban aviator. Let’s all thank Jon Hamm of AMC’s hit show Mad Men for that. And let’s not forget Tom Ford who gave us last year’s most stylish movie A Single Man. My pic for summer ’10s hottest shades is Tom Ford’s ‘Christopher’ aviator. Look for them in tortoise to match just about everything in your wardrobe.
SCARVES are a great way to add color and of-the-moment trendiness to any outfit for both men and women. A scarf is a great and often inexpensive way to look instantly current. Of course every woman wants an Hermes scarf but with stores like H&M and Zara getting in on the craze, a hot scarf can be had at any price. Plaid is so big this summer. My pick for men is a plaid scarf by Engineered Garments. And for the ladies I love the amazing ‘Pleated Petal’ scraf by Diane von Furstenberg. Here’s a style tip ladies: forgo a blouse and wear your scarf under you fave boyfriend blazer as a shirt! Just remember, keep that blazer buttoned!
HATS have made a strong resurgence for summer as we take our style cues from the ’50s and ’60s. Think about it, a gentlemen wasn’t dressed without a hat in the good old days. And when I say hat I don’t mean a Christian Audigier trucker hat or your fave NY Yankess baseball cap. I mean a hat much like your grandfather would have worn. I can not get enough of Christy’s Crown Series hats. Christy’s has been making hats since 1773 and suddenly some of entertainment’s hottest men like Joel Madden, Justin Timberlake & P. Diddy have discovered them. They’ve even turned up on ladies embracing the menswear trend like Britney Spears & one of the World’s best dressed women, Kate Moss. From panamas to bowlers to flat caps, Christy’s does it all.
Everyone needs a WATCH. Wait… scratch that. Watches have in a major way become obsolete. Think about it; now when we need to know what time it is we reach for our iPods or our cell phones. But watches unlike any other accessory communicate power, class and wealth. Yes, a good pair of shoes can do it too… and for ladies a good purse can show wealth. But nothing says money like a Patek Philippe, Rolex ‘Submariner’ or a Cartier ‘Tank Francaise.’
The aforementioned watches start at $6,500 and up but if you can’t play with the big boys do not fret. Nixon is doing cool, over-sized watches for the modern hipster. A style tip for the girls: nothing is cooler than a mens watch on you. Over-sized mens Rolexes have been spotted on Sharon Stone & Paris Hilton.
Let’s face it, SHOES are how women judge each other. Thanks in part to SJP on SATC everyone knows about Jimmy Choo & Manolo Blahnik. And with J. Lo releasing a single titled ‘Louboutins’, famed French shoe designer Christian Louboutin is definitely a household name. Right now, at this moment, here on planet Earth, no shoe is hotter than the Louboutin ‘Meree’ lace-up bootie. It’s sex on heels period. And at $1,100 you’re not gonna wanna wear this bad girl unless it’s a very special occasion. What I love most about it, aside from the lacing, is its neutral color is perfect to wear with summers hottest trend, brights.
If Jimmy Choo & Manolo Blahnik run this as far as ladies shoes, the male equivalent must be John Varvatos. From his uber-cool collaboration with Converse that’s taken sneakers to the next level, to his beat up, worn out, ‘please sir I want more’ Oliver Twist take on his namesake collection shoes, John is making the most covet-able shoes on the planet. Style note for the guys: for summer it’s all about the John Varvatos slightly distressed Converse slip-on. Cooler than flips, they make suits hip casual yet dress up shorts.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen how accessories can help express your personal style, keep you of-the-moment and boost your swagger. Questions? At your wits end on how to wear the newest trend? Email me at Marcellas@MarcellasReynolds.com. I’m just a few mouse clicks away! M*