trendspotting: tropical prints

With images of surfers and palm trees constantly dancing through my daydreams these days, it's clear I've got a tropical story on the brain. Maybe it was my trip to Miami last month where I couldn't stop snapping photos of naturally lit green palms and reflections of them in my mirrored sunglasses. Or maybe it was the test shoot I did recently which featured tons of mismatched, gypset-inspired swimwear and an experiment with palm leaf shadows. More likely, this infatuation goes back to September when tropical prints began manifesting on the sidewalks outside fashion week. Whatever the reason, I've been on a ferocious hunt for pieces in hibiscus and palm patterns as of late and I cannot get enough! Here are some photos that have been perpetuating my obsession.

[images: honestly...wtf, refinery 29, they all hate us, how two live,
luella & june, the man repeller, song of style and style.com]

To shop some of my favorite tropical prints of the season, check out H&M's Conscious collection, Joie, and Juicy Couture. Aloha!

 

Peace, Love and Neon,

Marisa

on styling with elisa and viviana

I came across this video on Garance Doré this morning, in which she interviews two of my favorite street style icons, Italian stylists/consultants Viviana Volpicella and Elisa Nalin. The girls chat about how the jobs of a fashion stylist and consultant work, what it takes to get there and how street style has affected their careers. The two ladies look absolutely adorable, as always, in their signature brightly-colored, well accessorized, playful ensembles (not to mention their color coordinated yellow accents!) and all three girls are so much fun to watch as they gab like old friends.

I hope you'll all find this video as enjoyable as I did!

Peace, Love and Neon,

Marisa

favorite collections: still cool four years later

I was so excited to see that not one but TWO show-goers this fashion month decided to revive this Balenciaga jacket from Fall 2007, one of my favorite collections of all time. I included three of its looks last October in this styling tip post on patterned dresses paired with grey stockings. I'll never get enough of the tribal patterns, scarf dresses, school boy blazers and khaki jodhpurs.

{streetfsn}

{unknown}

Those flowers for me, Anna?

Peace, Love and Neon,

Marisa

all things neon: fashion month sightings

Fashion month neon spottings courtesy of STREETFSN

Peace, Love and Neon,

Marisa

color story: call her green

You can never go wrong with a hint (or smattering) of green.

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

styling tip: discovering the sweater-scarf

I've been trying this out lately. Tell me what you think...

It's a look I like to call the sweater-scarf. A pretty self explanatory look, I'd say.

Step 1: Find a sweater.

Step 2: Wrap said sweater around neck like a scarf.

Et voilà: a fabulous chunky asymmetrical scarf--not to mention a convenient place to keep your sweater when you don't wanna wear it!

Be sure to use a sweater that isn't too chunky or long and preferably one without a hood. Cashmere pullovers and buttonless cardigans are probably your best bets.

Next time when you're looking for that perfect scarf that you just don't have, you may not have to go any further than your own sweater drawer.

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

styling tip: piling on the bracelets

Some subscribe to the belief that one's feet tell a lot about them: shoes, socks, and stockings represent one's profession, style, hobbies and interests. While this is certainly true, I much prefer to interpret the lives of others by looking at their hands and wrists. Bracelets, rings, strings and things all tell the stories of where one's been and who one is.

My wrists are constantly changing in the bracelets that adorn them--both the tiny bracelets that stay fixed on me for months, even years and the chunky guys that make their cameos to jazz up a look. While living in Paris and traveling Europe last semester, for example, I made it a point to buy a bracelet in every new place that I went. The result? I was my own scrapbook of my journeys!

While I've been doing the friendship bracelet thing since the days of Spice Girls and Limited Too, I must give credit where credit is due and admit that my beloved fashion editor muses' own bracelet choices have perpetuated my obsession for keep my wrists ever covered in stringy and chunky bracelet shenanigans.

Voilà Exhibits A and B:

{alex, jess and me in cape cod}

{this summer's usual assortment}

Check out my typical inspiration: editors' wrists in action:

{pictures from style.com}

Bet you're all running to your jewelry boxes right now to jazz up your own wrists, ya?

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

want this now: what the editors are wearing

To me, fashion editors are like the cool girls in school. They’re the ones who know what’s hip before the rest of us and set the trends both in magazines and on the streets.

As you may know, fashion month is well under way (this week: Milan!), and I’ve found myself anxiously awaiting updates on Tommy Ton’s Style.com street style album (a veritable yearbook of fashion’s top editors) than images from the shows themselves. Why you ask? Because I am ready for a CHANGE, something fresh, something new in fashion, and I need the cool girls to be my guide.

What have they told me is in? Camouflage print, military colors and details, leopard everything, denim-on-denim ensembles and camel colored coats. Love, love, love and LOVE!

{photos by tommy ton for style.com}

J.Crew obviously got the memo for fall and has an awesome selection of these trends, many of which are on sale now!! Camo print pants, dress, and skirt, flack jackets, denim shirts, a denim vest, a great camel peacoat and some leopard print ballet flats.

My friend Ana already has the denim-on-denim ensemble down, wearing today a lightweight denim shirt from H&M and a pair of dark lejeans (I refuse to call them jeggings). Personally, I'm on the hunt for a furry leopard scarf as pictured above on fashion's favorite redhead Taylor Tomasi Hill and the stylish show-goer above her. I already got my hands on an army green military shirt and you better believe that I've broken out my Abercrombie and Fitch camo cargos from eighth grade.

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa