Fashion Family

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that I have a younger, thinner, hotter sister who has more style than I do. That's how families work. One of you gets to be good looking while the other gets to be clever (okay, that's not really true. My sister Danielle is ALSO really smart).

She's smart enough to know that when I told her to bring clothes home over thanksgiving so I could put her on my blog, she packed not one, but five outfits. We're two peas in a pod. What's funny is we weren't always that way when it came to fashion. When we were little I would frequently dress in monochromatic outfits, with matching accessories and hair bows, and Danielle would wear floral night gowns with jeans, rain boots and sunglasses that she stole from our stuffed animals.

Somewhere along the way, I learned to loosen up a little and she learned that doll clothes are for dolls. What's funny though is although her sense of style is still very different than mine, I absolutely adore it.

Take the shoes she's wearing, for example. I would never in a million years buy these shoes. But somehow she manages to pull them off fabulously (due partly in fact to how she paired them with those black tights. I often remind myself that tights are a privilege and not a right, and are rarely an appropriate substitute for pants, but I digress.).

Nevertheless, this girl has got a keen eye for details. Her eclectic taste in fashion fits perfectly well with her trendy San Francisco surroundings, and I envy her ability to make layering look so chic.

Being more of an LA girl, I'm always that girl who thinks its totally fine to wear a cute, short dress in winter as long as you have a coat on, but I'm also the idiot who's legs are turning a lovely shade of blue if it dips below 60 degrees outside.

I'd like to take credit for contributing to Danielle's great sense of style, and being the fashionable big sister who taught her everything she knows, but let's face it, she's a force all on her own. Check her out here: somethinglikehunger.blogspot.com

Danielle Royston

C+S: What do you do? 

Danielle: I'm a student at San Francisco State. I'm majoring in Japanese and getting a certificate in Music and Recording Industries. 

C+S: If you could go shopping in anyone's closet, who would it be and why? 

Danielle: Definitely Audrey Hepburn. She inspire my hairstyle, by the way. I'd also like to shop in any SF State dance student's closet. They always look so cool. 

Vivienne Westwood is my favorite accessory designer.

Also, Ai Yazawa. She's a writer and artist, but she puts together outfits that I love and I have always dreamed of having.

C+S: Tell me about where you got those great shoes? 

Danielle:  I was in Japan this summer, visiting Harajuku, and I found them in this teeny, eclectic boutique. They were only like $10! I had been looking for a pair like them everywhere, and they were all like $40 or $50. At first, when I tried them on, I thought they were marked down because they were two left feet, but they turned out fine. 

C+S: Tell me more about the outfit you're wearing:

Danielle: I wear this outfit a lot, usually to my ballet class, but not with those shoes. It's easy to move in and light weight. I feel dainty in it, and I really like the empire waist that the skirt creates. It's a little poofy and it looks great up high. It's a combination of old pieces and new ones that I really like. 

C+S: Tell me about style in San Francisco, has it influenced the way you dress? 

Danielle: It absolutely has. In San Francisco, you can pretty much wear anything you want, so that has let me experiment more with the way I dress. It's also kind of a hipster-ish city, and I've always been a closet hipster, so I don't feel self conscious about wearing whatever I want. 

Guilty Pleasure

You are either going to love me or hate me for this post. I'm deviating from the usual C+S format for two reasons:
1. Because you need to know about this amazing website I found.
2. Because I haven't gotten around to styling new models yet. Sorry.
You know how around this time last year everyone was so twitterpated with Pinterest.com? Yeah, well I never got on that train. I was too busy thinking Iwas too cool to waste hours pretending I had money to burn and "pinning" all sorts of gorgeous, useless things. Well, that was before I discovered Polyvore... Oh my.

Let me explain.
When I was little I had paper dolls. If you are like me and you grew up in the 90's and had an ever increasing need for more Barbies, your mom probably got fed up and bought you some paper dolls, which came with  about 10 perforated outfits that you punched out and dressed her in. Polyvore is just like that, except a gazillion times better.


Basically, you can choose from billions of articles of clothing on the internet and arrange them into these really fun fashion magazine like spreads, called sets.


If that weren't cool enough, there are also enough design options, text, backgrounds, pictures, and accessories to choose from that you will probably pee yourself with excitement.


And if that still wasn't cool enough, it then itemizes all of the pieces that you used in your set, and lists where you can buy them (and how much they cost, which is kind of a buzzkill, but I digress. The set I made below costs approximately three months rent for me).

Fall is Golden by janaenicole featuring a peep toe bootie

Shift dress
$178 - warehouse.co.uk

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania double breasted pea coat
$800 - repertoirefashion.co.uk

Giuseppe Zanotti peep toe bootie
$1,095 - giuseppezanottidesign.com

Leather cross body handbag
$100 - topshop.com

Breagha bow jewelry
£11 - hannahzakari.co.uk

Privileged locket necklace
$95 - maxandchloe.com

Emilio Pucci printed silk scarve
£93 - theoutnet.com







 In all seriousness, Polyvore does have some practical applications: Planning a wedding? You can use this as a style-board/ color palette. Shopping for a specific outfit for an occasion or a trip? You can literally search all of the pieces you're looking for and then see what they look like together before you buy them.

The set above is a very rudimentary example of what you can do with Polyvore, but you get the gist. Now for the fashion moral in my set: I was inspired to put together a vibrant look for Fall/Winter, probably because I am deprived of winter weather in Southern California, and because I am tired of people talking about how they can only wear yellow in the summer/spring. Not true! Is this outfit winter-y? Yes. Is it sophisticated? Definitely. Is it the color of rotting leaves or pumpkins? Nooooooooo. Remember, Fall does not equal boring. Spice it up!

Now, I'm off to waste three more hours on Polyvore. 

P.S. I nearly forgot, here's the link to my Polyvore account: http://janaenicole.polyvore.com/

Self-made Style.

This week's featured fashion icon is not only well-dressed, she's also my design crush/friend, and is only my list of Blogs to Envy (see sidebar). On top of all that, she made the top she modeled for this shoot.

I know. Like me, you are all now aspiring to be Naomi Con. In fact, the first time I read her blog, she was debuting this cute little top, and I immediately thought "I need to have that." Sadly, I am not as talented with a sewing machine, and if I tried to make this, it would look like a doll apron, or an unfortunate fashion accident. At any rate, I am whole-heartedly in love with the funky, vibrant tribal-print juxtaposed with the gray silk.

I've seen a lot a tribal prints in mass quantities this season, and the trick to wearing it successfully is to use it in small doses, otherwise, you'll look like you massacred a small village and stole all of their area rugs. This single panel of bright color is just the right amount of pop. Paired with skinny burgundy corduroys, this is a perfect look for a casual fall outing, or an afternoon spent lazing around with gal pals (which is what we did for most of the day after this shoot). (Note, we also paired this top with black skinnies and red skinnies. All wonderful).

Naomi also bribed her cat into modeling for me. He was kind of a diva, but he was dressed to the nines so I couldn't resist.

Can't get enough of Naomi's style? Do yourself a favor and check her out at http://nearlynaomi.blogspot.com/

Style Profile: Naomi Con

C+S What do you do?
Naomi: I'm a marketing coordinator for Cordoba Guitars.

C+S: If you could go shopping in anyone's closet, who would it be and why?  

Naomi: Alexa Chung - everything she touches is pure gold. Jessie Baylin - girl can rock a mean pair of skinny jeans, booties, bangles, and a flowy top (she also inspired the title of my blog!) I also have to throw the Olsen twins in the mix...they are so ridiculous but I can't help but love their slouchy, comfortable street style. If I could hide behind buggy sunglasses all day, I   would.

C+S: Tell me about this top you made! Also, where'd you get that great printed fabric for the middle panel?

Naomi: I found the fabric in the fashion district downtown while on the hunt for ikat. The geometric shapes and bright colors drew me in and I knew I had a gem in my hands when other shoppers asked for the bolt once I had taken my share. Since it's such an overwhelming pattern, I knew I had to scale it down and balance it out with a neutral color. A little triangular strip down the center was the modern touch I was looking for. And let's be honest, I don't have the skills to sew anything too fitted - good thing slouchy is "in"!

C+S: How would you describe your approach to style?  

Naomi: Comfort and versatility! I try to buy pieces that are wearable for work and play...I also like to mix up my wardrobe with accessories and jewelry.

C+S: If you had to wear the same outfit every day for a month, but you could accessorize it however you wanted, what pieces would you choose?  

Naomi: I'd have to go with the classic little black dress. Can't argue with that. Then I'd accessorize with gold and silver jewelry. I love mixing metals. OOH and don't forget shoes! Since I'm saving all that money on clothes, I'd have to buy shoes to fit every occasion...booties, heels, wedges, flats...the works!

A Flirty New Look for Fall.

 

I have to admit, when I first saw these asymmetric, short in front - long in back skirts and dresses popping up everywhere for Fall, I was not impressed. Initially, it struck me as the fashion version of a mullet, and there's a reason why no self-respecting person in 2011 has a mullet. Even so, when I saw this skirt on my friend Liz, I immediately had to recant my snap judgment.  It's edgy, and different, and paired with a romantic floral top, it really makes a statement. And that statement is not "I'm the fashion equivalent of a bad 80's haircut."

This chevron-striped skirt is also perfect for this 'Fall masquerading as Summer' weather we're having in Los Angeles right now. It straddles the seasons just well enough that you can wear it with chunky wedge sandals this week, and knee high boots and a heavy-knit cardigan next week.  

On top of the skirt's versatility, I can't get enough of the girly details in this look: the big bow belt, sultry cut-outs and romantic floral print. It's definitely first-date material.   

 Love her look? Get it here: http://brandymelvilleusa.com/

Style Profile: Liz Navarro

C+S: What do you do?
Liz:  English teacher by day, grad student by night, blogger by free time.

C+S: Who are your style icons?
Liz: I just watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time and love everything Audrey Hepburn wore. She's so classic. I also love Jennifer Aniston's simple chic-ness, and don't hate me for adding Lauren Conrad. 

C+S: Where'd you get that belt? I'm in love with it.
Liz: That belt cost about 3 euro in Florence. My husband bought it for me (to go with a dress) right before he proposed to me.


C+S: If you could go "shopping" in anyone's closet, who would it be?
Liz: Hmmmm. I'm not sure about whose closet I would shop in, but I do have a recurring fantasy about robbing a Nordstrom.


 C+S: What are your go-to style trends and fashion items?
  Liz: I love color, stripes, florals, animal print, the works. Rarely do I wear an outfit without some sort of print. I wear a lot of skinny jeans and leggings, or pencil skirts and jackets for work.              
             
C+S Secret: Liz was wearing a really cute pair of ruffled shorts under her skirt, because she was worried about the skirt flapping open in front. She was too classy to let me photograph them though.  How Audrey Hepburn of her.

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Hello and thanks for visiting my blog! Cotton + Silk is my journey to document all of the great style that I'm constantly exposed to. I'm fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends and acquaintances with wonderful fashion sense, and my goal is to share that everyday style with all of you!

I'll be posting pictures each week of a featured fashionista, along with a short interview and bio detailing their personal style preferences, influences and must-have style items. I'm also going to include DIY tutorials, product reviews, giveaways, and more, so stay tuned!