Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
Calling all inquisitive, style-loving Washingtonians: Wondering what to pair with your new pair of laid-back boyfriend jeans? Clueless about what you should be wearing to a summery black-tie wedding? Or perhaps you’re curious about picking a fab spring fragrance. Regardless of your fashion inquiry, we’re here to help! Introducing Style Q, our new advice series, at your service to offer up outfit suggestions, divulge our best styling tricks, and scour the Web for just about anything. Got a burning style question? Ask us! Send us an email, or tweet us your Q—and then watch for your questions to be answered each Wednesday.
Some trends are not universally adored. Take leggings, for example. Crop tops. Harem pants. Denim on denim.
This season, we’d add wedge sneakers to the list of especially divisive, love-’em-or-seriously-hate-’em fashions. (For the record, we’re on the “love ’em” side of the argument. We love us a heel—on anything.)
But we have a theory on one reason a relatively innocuous pair of shoes might incite such emotion: They’re just so very tricky to wear—or wear well, at least. That’s why when we spotted the elevated sneak on the feet of two local style bloggers, we immediately wanted to know their secrets to making this trend look chic, not silly. Read on to see how our brave fashionistas styled theirs, then shop 12 of our fave versions on the market.
“They give a tomboyish edge to any outfit and are a welcome alternative to the flats and heels we’ve seen season after season. I wear mine with skinny jeans and short skirts to really show them off.” Sanaa Ansari Khan, the Style Matrix
U Street's vintage-inspired home store Foundry. Photo courtesy of Foundry.
This week’s can’t-miss list of shopping deals and fashion events includes a style seminar and a mimosa-filled morning of beauty treatments.
Gilt City Best of 14th and U Street
The local edition of the luxe Gilt City serves up deals at the most stylish spots along the 14th/U Street corridor, guest curated by Foundry owner and interior designer Yvette Freeman. The flash-sale deals include discounted cupcakes at Cakelove and a mixology class at Marvin, but our fave is for Freeman’s own Foundry: a tiered offer for the store’s merch ($150 for $300 in-store credit, for example) or discounted design services from the store’s decor experts. The Parisian-inspired furniture and decor store is one of our local faves, so don’t miss this chance at the equivalent of an all-store discount. Monday through April 22 on Gilt City DC.
Sassanova’s Autism Fundraiser
The chic shoe boutique hosts a fundraising event supporting autism advocacy nonprofit Autism Speaks: Donate $5 to the cause and take 20 percent off your entire purchase. Sassanova will match each contribution and add a dollar for every customer that comes into one of the three area locations. Through April 15. Sassanova stores: 1641 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 7134 Bethesda La., Bethesda; 805 Aliceanna St., Baltimore.
We don’t know about you, but we are so. very. ready. for a big dose of bold color. And when it feels like you’ve been stranded on winter’s gray and black fashion island for far too long, a double (or triple!) shot of vibrant hues just seems appropriate. One way to work in some major color: Go for the ultra-graphic, high-drama combos of mod, geometric color-blocking. We love this ’60s-esque look in clothes, so naturally we’re feeling the reinterpretation of crisp color-blocking when applied to fold-over clutches, ladylike shoulder bags, and structured satchels. Shop the eight faves above, then click through our slideshow to see 12 more graphic goodies.
Alice + Olivia Catherine gathered skirt A-line dress, $597.
Though the seemingly never-ending cold has managed to push back the peak bloom date of Washington’s tourist-magnet cherry blossoms again (and again, and again), there are still plenty of National Cherry Blossom Festival events happening, with or without the namesake flowers. So obviously you need something appropriately festive to wear, right? Luckily we found this ruffly confection of a cherry-blossom-print sundress right in the nick of time. Apparently Alice + Olivia’s design team was really feeling the DC-centric print this year—check out the brand’s delicate, feminine pumps and this darling (and perhaps more practical) cap-sleeve silk frock. Best part? Even once the pretty pink blossoms are long gone, the dress will still be equally lovely.
Oh, wedding season. As we launch into the spate of nuptials, it can feel like a girl needs nothing more than dresses. A sassy little number for the bachelorette girls’ night out. An elegant choice for the wedding itself. And, of course, the trickiest of them all: the shower outfit. This one poses its own set of criteria: It can’t be white, obviously. Or black. It has to be day- and grandma-appropriate. So what to wear, then? Read on for our tips on finding the perfect party frock, then click through the slideshow for 20 adorable options.
Fit comes first. For this, think classic femininity. That means looking for simple, elegant sheaths, hourglass fit-and-flares, or retro shifts. Avoid super-tight body-con styles and too-bare strapless types.
Go for color. We already mentioned avoiding solid black or white (and we might even add red to the no-no list, too). This is a celebration, so it’s a great opportunity to indulge your color-loving side. Go for poppy pink! Sunny yellow! Languid blue!
Pick a print. While we love a sophisticated solid, this is a fab time to spring for spring’s flirty florals, a playful polka dot, or a preppy stripe. Have fun with it.
Some say that before you plunk down cash for a piece of clothing, you should be able to envision it paired with at least three items already hanging in your closet. Yes, it’s a good way to keep from buying things you don’t need. But we say, why not just build your wardrobe to create three different ways to wear something? Less budget-healthy, perhaps, but WAY more fun.
With that in mind: Maybe you already own one of the omnipresent and oh-so-flattering peplum tops. Or maybe you’re just entertaining the thought of springing for one. Either way, today is your lucky day, because we’ve already done the outfit imagining for you. Here are three ways to work the peplum top—here in perfectly on-trend black leather.
Leather peplum, $295 at the Outnet.
AT WORK
Soften the edgy vibe of black leather by pairing it with delicate, feminine pieces and work-perfect silhouettes, such as a floral pencil skirt and a sharp fitted blazer. Finish things off with a spectator-inspired heel and a structured satchel, all in hazy hues of blush and cream.
Paul Smith pencil skirt, $350 at Farfetch; textured-panel jacket, $119.99 at Mango; Pour La Victoire Darla pumps, $250 at Shopbop; ombré stone statement necklace, $78 at Capwell; canvas-and-vachetta satchel, $140 at Kate Spade Saturday.
Brow-sculpting genius and cosmetics guru extraordinaire Adrian Avila is Nectar Skin Bar’s in-house makeup artist. Trained by the one-and-only Erwin Gomez, Adrian’s worked his magic on a laundry list of boldface notables, including Cynthia Nixon, Katherine Kennedy, Rosario Dawson, and Keyshia Cole (to name-drop just a few). And Adrian’s artistry isn’t his only skill: One of his services includes a makeup bag checkup, during which he’ll paw through your collection to check expiration dates and analyze your colors in relation to your skin tone, then toss the missteps and give you a checklist of what you really need to get. Pretty useful, right? So obviously Adrian’s formed some opinions on what a girl needs, stat. We asked him to divulge his top five essentials—read on to see his picks.
1) Becca Luminous Skin Color Ultrasheer Foundation
Adrian
says: “This is a lifesaver as the seasons start to change—with SPF 25,
vitamin B, and coconut oil, it will help keep your skin soft and smooth.
Always match the shade to your neck.” $42 at Sephora.
We’re not going to tell you to buy a white tee and a pair of perfectly fitted skinny jeans, because: duh. Why is every “essentials” list stocked with boring basics you already have? We don’t know, but we’re here to remedy that: Here are the eight style musts to mix in for the ultimate so-right-now spring wardrobe. Get one of each, and give your style an instant upgrade. You’re welcome.
1. A Sharp, Structured Jacket
This is a way chicer approach to battling
overzealous AC than a ho-hum cardi. Look for a jacket with a sleek,
futuristic silhouette—that means shoulder pads, some killer draping, and
a slim-yet-sculpted shape.
Helmut Lang Sugar Combo jacket, $575 at Intermix.
2. A Chambray Shirt
Ok, this one isn’t so new, exactly. But still,
this is an über-versatile piece every style-savvy girl should have
sitting in her closet. The laid-back workhorse pairs with everything
from a pleated chiffon maxi skirt to sleek leather short-shorts. It’s a
must.
Perfect chambray ex-boyfriend shirt in Ferrous Wash, $69.50 at Madewell.
3. Leather Shorts
And
speaking of leather shorts: Get yourself a pair. Wear them with
everything, just like you would jean shorts. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Premium leather shorts, $130 at Topshop.
4. The Statement Collar Necklace
We love the dramatic punch of a
major statement necklace, and the latest versions sit right at the
collarbone for face-framing perfection. Mix yours with this year’s
florals and stripes for a modern take.
Dannijo Zinnia necklace, $612 at Shopbop.
All photographs courtesy of Shobha.
With a cult following of beauty editors and celebrities already established in New York, the luxe waxing and threading salon Shobha will test the Washington waters when it opens its doors at 1730 M Street, Northwest, the first week of June. The DC location—Shobha’s very first outside of New York city lines—will offer the salon’s signature brow, body, and bikini treatments, including threading, sugaring (the formula is the owner’s family recipe), and waxing, as well as an assortment of at-home hair removal and skin-soothing products.
“We have a surprising amount of clients in Manhattan from Washington that have been asking us to open here for years, so it really felt like a natural progression for us to come here,” says Shobha Tummala, the salon’s founder, who herself relocated to DC in recent months.
Read on to get the first scoop on the upcoming Dupont store, Shobha’s signature services, and Tummala’s plans for world domination.
Why did you decide to open a Shobha salon in DC?
I started this company 12 years ago in New York when I saw a need in the market—a need I had myself—and we quickly grew to four salons throughout Manhattan. When I came to Washington a few years ago, I saw the same need, right as DC really started coming into its own on the retail/fashion/beauty front. I thought then that the time was right to start making plans. We’ve been so well embraced by the fashion community in Manhattan, and I feel like DC is, in many ways, a kindred spirit on the beauty front. This is a city full of gorgeous women who take impeccable care of themselves, and yet this is a need that is barely being addressed.
How is your salon different from other waxing salons?
From the remarkable quality of our treatments and products to the immaculate cleanliness of our salons, we believe in perfection—and in the continual improvement of everything Shobha. We strongly believe in educating ourselves and using what we have learned to evolve and grow so we can provide our clients with simple and practical ways to maintain their hair removal routine, because life can get hairy enough on its own.
As part of our company culture we have been committed to furthering the lives of South Asian women and children. We have sponsored the college education of ten women through Sarada Kalayan Bhandar and have contributed to School-on-Wheels, which converts old buses into mobile classrooms in Mumbai and Pune for street children, offering them an alternative to begging and teaching them that education is their way out of poverty. Most recently, we made a $100,000 contribution to Shobha’s Home for Girls & Women, which is dedicated to my grandparents. The home supports 60 girls and young women who range from preschool to college age. The home is run by two retired professors who value education and are making sure the orphans are cared for and able to attend school. It is our hope that these early philanthropic steps will lay the groundwork for a full-fledged nonprofit organization in the years to come.
