Women’s fashion often borrows ideas from men’s fashion, but menswear-inspired looks are especially hot right now. And I’m feeling it. Last week, NYC had some gorgeous spring weather and I busted out all my sundresses. But this week, it cooled off again, and I was happy to throw on a pair of skinny cords and a button up shirt.

Our friends over at College Fashion are feeling the menswear look, too, and they’ve put together a few looks inspired by stylish Brit Pete Doherty. Check it out here.

Menswear-inspired fashion is a huge trend for fall, and I for one am a huge fan! Now, I’m not talking about wearing your boyfriend’s or dad’s clothes (although that can be cute) — everywhere you look, you can find clothing and accessories that are inspired by guys’ clothing, but are made for women! And the best part is, menswear-inspired fashion is available at every price. All of these great pieces are just $20 or less each. Read More »

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use musicians (like Debbie Harry) or movie characters (like Elvira Hancock) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

I’m probably not the first person to break the news to you that Annie Hall and (500) Days of Summer are essentially the same movie. (And if I am, I’m sorry.) Diane Keaton and Zooey Deschanel play basically the same character and each movie illustrates love, going back through time to figure out what (or who) went wrong with back and forth over-analyzing.  But to me, the most important aspect of these movies (besides the “groundbreaking” lessons I learned) is they both demonstrate the iconic style of the fashionably quirky female protagonists.

In Annie Hall, Annie and Alvy attempt a relationship.  They break up.  They get back together.  The process repeats, blah blah blah.  It was a great movie no doubt, but half the time I was watching, I was more focused on how I can dress like a women trying to dress like a man without looking like a man.  Does that make sense? Let’s hope so.

For those of you who don’t know, Annie Hall’s style was revolutionary for its time. Before this movie, it wasn’t extremely popular for women to be rockin’ a tie, vest and high-waisted, wide-legged khakis without getting “WTF are you thinking?” looks from their peers. Annie Hall pushed the envelope, blurring the lines between male and female style, forever changing the landscape of women’s fashion. There’s a difference between something a man would wear and menswear, and the character of Annie Hall proved that. Katherine Hepburn may have started the “pants-on-women” trend, but Annie took it to a whole new, somewhat crazy, level. And it worked, because it was classic and bold at the same time. Read More »

So, what I’m about to tell you is not going to make me look good. Don’t judge me. Don’t send hate mail. OK? OK.

I want to be Olivia Palermo.

To be fair, I don’t want her attitude. Or her brains (or lack thereof). Or her annoying, drunk cousin who is always loafing on her couch. I don’t even really want to be on The City. I really just want her wardrobe, namely those adorable men’s inspired flats she started rockin’ around town last season.

It was love at first sight, really. Shiny, chic flats that didn’t make you miss the 4 inch heel with the red sole Olivia typically donned. They were different, they were tres chic, they were (at least they looked) comfortable, and they were way, way out of my price range. But then, on a late night shopping spree at Kohl’s with my mom last week, I found these: a cheaper ($19, baby!) version of Olivia’s shoes that are still just as hot, classy and comfy as the designer originals. They were everything I wanted and more, perfect for this weird in-between-seasons business when it’s too hot for Uggs and too cold for Havianas.

So I snatched ‘em and before I even got home, I had an entire list of things I could wear with them. These shoes add that extra bit of couture and glamour that a normal flat could not and I believe every girl needs a pair. Don’t believe me? Just look what they can do for these three basic outfits: Read More »

By this time of the season I’ve worn most of my winter stuff  (sans the adorable items I got for Christmas) and I’m starting to get bored with my wardrobe.

Being that 1) I’m a college student 2) it’s right after Christmas and 3) I’ve been celebrating the end of the semester at the bar for about 2 weeks now, it’s safe to say that my bank account is dangerously close to the negative. So going out and buying new outfits isn’t really an option.

Which is why I am interested in investment pieces to update my tired winter wardrobe. I want something timeless that is going to last, not another sweater from Express that will only make it through one season’s worth of laundry cycles before pilling and fraying.

And I have hit the jackpot with Michael Kors’ Gold Runway Watch with Glitz.

I am hopelessly in love with menswear watches, which is what drew me to this in the first place. The sturdy band, the oversized face, and the three sub-dials are masculine and classic. But the boyish charm is accentuated with feminine details that balance the piece from being too heavy: a brushed gold surface, crystal detailing and elegant numbers written in a whimsical font.

It’s the perfect mix of stately sophistication and playful girlishness.

To. Die. For. Read More »

There are some people who always come to school looking like they just picked up whatever piece of clothing was in their line of sight, that may or may not be clean (determined by the ever scientific “Sniff Test”).

Then there are others who are always dressed so fashionably that you wonder if they live in a clothing store. Or how freaking early they wake up to pull an entire outfit together before making the trek to class.

While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls (and guys!) on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style. And maybe a restraining order or two. But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.

And to kick off this whole revolution I chose my friend Shane. I couldn’t think of a more fashionable person; he makes bold choices with his wardrobe daily, making him not only my best dressed guy friend, but my best dressed friend. Period. I mean, isn’t his whole silver eclectic vibe amazingly hot?

Here’s the deets:

Name: Shane Yang
Year: 2010
Major: English with a minor in Chinese
Shane in 3 words: Urban, metro, chic. Read More »

The food isn’t the only hot thing on Bravo’s hit show Top Chef; the host, and former model, Padma Lakshmi always adds a little spice to things with her great fashion sense.

Both in and out of the kitchen, Padma is looks consistently pulled together and fabulous. She’s a big fan of fun and flirty dresses, adorned with draping and beautiful details that are oftentimes inspired by her Indian heritage. She’s got gorgeous gams that she loves to show off in mini-dresses, but she also knows how to pull off (and totally rock) the menswear-inspired look. Lakshmi makes form fitting vests and classic trousers look ultra chic and feminine, which is not easy to pull off.

The most notable (and enviable) aspect of Padma’s signature style, though, is her love of bright colors that flatter her deep skintone. She looks fantastic in everything from bright yellow to hot pink, and she isn’t afraid to wear them. She also gets major bonus fierceness points for not shying away from pieces that expose the large scar on her right arm caused by a car accident when she was younger.

This girl is more than a Style Idol; she’s a freaking fashion hero. Read More »

Every fashion magazine I flip through lately has pictures of women sporting men’s clothing: oversized sweaters, the “boyfriend jean,” and large, knit vests. The look seems to be taking over the world from runways to college hallways, and has me wondering if I should raid my guy friends’ closests in search of trendy options (Hey, it’s a recession and I like “shopping” on a budget), or just stick to my more feminine looks.

Some girls look really cute in this trend, but I fear that I would just look like the 7th grade version of myself when I used to be a little hefty and could only fit into my older brothers’ hand-me-down flannel shirts. Yeah, those were the days.

On the other hand, maybe this look is good for those of us doin’ the Walk of Shame from our boyfriend’s; instead of looking like a hot mess, we may look uber stylish!

So, what do you think? Is the menswear look hot or very, very not?

George Bush and Sarah Palin meet on Thursday SNL.

The economic downturn has some upsides.

We can’t wait for Whitney Port to hit The City!

Porn for the fashion obsessed.

Etch-a-Sketch art.

Are Brad and Angie finally gonna get hitched?

Tips for getting over the breakup (without ice cream sundaes).

Incorporate some menswear into your style.

Check out a sneak peek at this year’s Simpsons Halloween episode.

Sick of all thoe election commercials? Watch these instead.

Calorie Counts: Friend or Foe?

Celebrities are always wearing hats. And looking very chic and sophisicated when they do so. When it comes to the common girl, though, most of us get a little insecure when it comes to donning some headwear. When you wear a hat you usually give off one of two vibes: 1) The “I’m so fashionable and trendy that I wear hats” vibe, or, 2) The “OMG that girl looks ridiculous in that hat” vibe. If you love headwear but you’re nervous that you might be vibin’ with number 2 if you even try on a cute hat in the store, follow these tips. If you know where to buy em and how to wear em, pulling off the hat trend will be a cinch. Read More »