Hello Ladies!
I'm here to report to you yet another trend for this fall, houndstooth. I'm a bit hesitant to even refer to it as a trend, as I consider it more of a classic. What I love about it is that it adds instant chic to any outfit and it's not a busy print that would otherwise restrict it for more casual occasions. I think that either a scarf, jacket, or pants, would be suitable for work. In this case, I'm wearing a jacket, which I purchased on sale at Caché a couple of months ago, paired with basic pieces. Depending on your work environment, I suggest you allow the jacket to be the statement (statement coats and jackets are also another trend), and everything else to be the backdrop. To add some hints of color, to keep some interest going on, I sported a red lip and necklace that had some red detailing. If, however, you work in an environment that permits for more flexibility in colors and patterns, then I suggest paring your houndstooth piece with: red, blue, yellow, or emerald green.
Now, you know that I try my best to provide styling tips for each of the body shapes in many of my posts. I always stress the importance of achieving a balanced out look, so that no one body part appears too overwhelming, but that you can enhance and/or create by using clothing that help establish a nice and clean silhouette. Of course, your self confidence is a huge factor in where you want to place your statement pieces, so here are just a few suggestions based on your body shape:
PEAR: Work with houndstooth blazers or jackets to create interest on top. As you can see, the one I'm wearing doesn't have much of a shape of its own, other than being boxy. This creates a modern, fashion-forward vibe, since it's more sculptural. You can pair a jacket like this with a colored bottom, as mentioned above, and the star of the show will still be the jacket, since it'll be the only piece with pattern and a combination of two colors.
APPLE: You can also wear a houndstooth blazer, as long as it falls a bit longer than the one that I'm wearing. In your case, you don't want it to stop around your mid-section, since it will cause the eye to stop there as it's skimming your upper body. Try going for a jacket that falls around the hip area. This will lengthen your torso, which will also visually slim you. If you still feel a bit insecure about creating attention on top, then try going for a high-waisted houndstooth pant or skirt with a flowy top that you can tuck in and fold out a bit. This will lengthen your legs by causing the waistline to appear higher, which will in turn create the illusion of a smaller mid section.
RECTANGULAR: I would suggest you either wear a houndstooth dress or a skirt paired with a peplum top. You can belt the dress, which will distinguish your upper and lower body, by creating a bit of volume on top (with the natural folding). The peplum top will create the illusion of hips, since it has width.
HOURGLASS: I would suggest you wear a houndstooth printed sheath dress. Sheath dresses compliment your figure perfectly! Try belting the center with a pop of color, shown in a W3 post a few weeks ago HERE
OUTFIT DETAILS:
JACKET: Caché
PANTS: Victoria's Secret
SHOES: Nine West
PURSE: Tory Burch
NECKLACE: Ann Taylor Loft
XO,