black – Always Fashionably Kate

People’s Choice Awards Fashion

Awards Season has arrived!! (We can count this as a legit awards show right?) And that means the season’s latest fashion will be splashed across red carpets for the next few months – I personally am so excited, it’s like another holiday for me.

If these ensembles were a glimpse into the future of what is to come, we can expect to see a lot of a)pants/suits for ladies, b)sparkles and c) cutouts. At the PCA’s there were some decent showings and others were complete disasters. However, I’m all about the positives so let’s take a look at my choices for the BEST dressed stars!

Sarah Hyland in an embellished number by Christian Siriano – love the monochromatic look created by incorporating the same metallic accessories.

Portia de Rossi in a Zuhair Murad jumpsuit – loving the deep blue and sexy yet sophisticated pants!

Allison Janey in a gorgeous Rani Zakhem gown – girlfriend totally wanted a “I’m the host” dress and this was just perfect!

Olivia Munn in Giambattista Valli sequined striped look. This may be too casual on any other red carpet, but to me this just fit perfectly and looked so amazing on her!

Viola Davis in a bright Escada gown. Maybe it’s because I love pink or because this bright color makes me think of summer while I’m currently freezing in these frigid temps – but i.love.this.dress!

And of course the biggest trend of the night – everyone looked great in BLACK!

Summer Black + White

Many think that summer is all about vibrant colors, popping prints and glowing ensembles in general. However, we can’t forget about the old-faithful color combo – black and white! Yes, this can be done in the summer months and can look put-together and cool (even in sweltering temps). All you need is a few shorter hems and some breezy material and you’ve got yourself a classic summer look. Take a look at the inspiration below for fabulous summertime blacks and whites!

Don’t Forget the Basics for Spring ’13

While most may think of an abundance of colors for the Spring months, Alexander Wang decided to give colors the season off and stuck with basic blacks, whites, grays and creams. However, there really is nothing basic about his collection – with leather accents, major cut-outs (including some seriously intense cutout, strappy shoes), zippers and mega-sexy high slits and low V cuts, the designer has got us begging Mother Nature to bring on the warm weather to wear these pieces! See some of the looks below, enjoy!

always FASHIONABLY kate

Black & White & Mod All Over

Marie Claire recently had a photo shoot showcasing the ever-popular colors : black and white. The magazine paired some fabulous looks with a bob-sporting model. While I’m indifferent about the hair, the clothes speak volumes all by themselves. With graphic prints and sharp lines adorning suits, dresses and separates, black and white never looked so good. No need to read anymore from me, see for yourself!

always FASHIONABLY kate

The Perfect It-Bag

I feel like something has been missing in my life. Oh, I know – I need a new go-to, perfect for every event, and super cute BAG! When I saw Michael Kors Large Fulton Pebbled Leather Satchels, I almost fell over and died because I had found it, the perfect bag. This bag comes in fabulous colors. It has a top handle as well as a strap – totally versatile. And finally, it’s roomy so I can store all my totally unnecessary items that I must carry around with me at all times. At a perfect price of $328, what else could you want besides Michael Kors himself to walk around with you, guiding you to the vey best styles and trends (wait, can that happen please?) Until that can actually happen, I’ll just take the bag for now…. But I’ll be waiting for you Mr. Kors.

always FASHIONABLY kate

Get a HANDle on the Cold

(Valentino)

Everyone knows we can turn jeans and a t-shirt into a glamourous ensemble with just a few key accessories. Well, the newest underrated accessory is now making a comeback with some fancy embellishment – the leather glove. No longer will this cold weather add-on be overlooked, it now has all eyes shooting toward your hands with spikes, studs and lots of sparkle that adds lots of pizzaz to any outfit. Yes, one little item can change an outfit and this season, it’s all about the hands.

always FASHIONABLY kate

Roughin It With Leather

No longer do we see leather only associated with bikers on Harley’s. Anyone who knows even the slightest bit about fashion knows that you cannot have a complete wardrobe without some leather! Those in the know are also aware that leather has transitioned from basic black (although that is most definitely still most popular) to a variety of colors! You can wear leather for it’s warmth – such as jackets, gloves or boots, or you can wear a leather shell top or skirt and feel instantly slimmer and a bit tougher. Maybe we haven’t left behind the whole leather-wearing-badass-on-a-bike picture, however we’re making it a much chicer trend these days.

Here are some pieces that I love!

Alice & Olivia Front Zip Leather Leggings

Free People Vegan Leather Sleeveless Dress

Zara Quilted Leather Jacket

Kookai Metallic Leather Mini at ASOS

always FASHIONABLY kate

Let Your Feet Shine!

While statements are usually made by our clothing, why not let our feet do the talking for a chance! Shoes are usually the last pieces of our ensemble to be slipped on but now they are taking charge of the rest of what we adorn ourselves with thanks to shiny shoes! The high shine trend which I’ve spoken about before, has traveled it’s way down to our feet and I absolutely love it! The metallic gold shine will brighten up any dreary day and remind us of summer sun! The shiny glamour can be subtle with just a gold capped toe or heel OR it can be a completely gold shiny wedge or bootie. Either way, this trend will cast eyes downward very quickly and leave everyone drooling over our gorgeous footwear! Here are some of my favorites from Net-A-Porter!

Left to right : YSL Mae suede and metal pumps / Christian Louboutin Rock & Gold 120 metallic leather ankle boots / Stella McCartney Metal-heel velvet pumps

always FASHIONABLY kate

Pitch Black

Marie Claire recently printed a fashion editorial piece that emphasized the presence of the “gothic” look for the fall. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was black, dark and almost scary. Starting at the model’s bluntly cut hair and dark pout down to the most intense black shoes – there was not a color to be found. Although a large portion of my closet contains black clothing, I’m not sure the whole gothic look is for me. What do you think of this colorless photo shoot?

always FASHIONABLY kate

Fall’s Color Guide

Today was so fall-like I wanted so badly to finally hike on my boots and slip into a cozy peacoat. Please understand “fall-like” to someone who wants fall to just get here already means it was about 70 degrees and bright sunshine – no where near the kind of weather appropriate for that kind of attire I’m dying to flaunt. However all that desire to raid my closet and pile on all my fall pieces made me choose a few key colors for this season. These hues could be the main event in your outfit or you could pull together some basics and use the colors as accessory pops. Dress them up or down, whatever you’re feeling! Below are my picks, enjoy!

Crimson Red