Floral Denim – Summer 2012 Trend

This season, I’m seeing floral denim pop up everywhere.  They are coming out in various hues and prints, making it a refreshing addition to your summer wardrobe.  For many, it may not seem like the most wearable trend, but paired with a solid neutral makes it look effortlessly stylish.    

When I was much younger, I found myself naturally gravitate towards floral prints, but not as much as I’ve gotten older.  With this trend in full bloom, I may just have to re-consider!    

[Are you loving floral denim this season?]  

[Stylish Picks of the Week]: Floral Bodysuit + Leather Shorts + Peep Toe Wedges

I absolutely adore this floral bodysuit.  The print design is just beautiful, along with the blend of colors within the print.  It also happens to be Dolce & Gabbana, so what’s not to like?!  

I styled this with high waisted black leather shorts, that would go over the bodysuit.  I wanted the shoes to also be edgy like the shorts and went with these black peep toe wedges.  I thought it would be nice to throw in a little white with more subtle accessories, hence the white crossbody selection finished with a lucite necklace (lucite jewelry is ALWAYS a nice finishing touch in my eyes, especially paired with an outfit that already has a lot of colors) and a silver knuckle ring for added edge.

What I really love about this outfit is that it captures the true essence of my styling aesthetic:  edgy feminine chic.   It has a soft feminine quality (the floral print) layered with more edgy pieces such as the leather shorts and black peep toe wedges.  I truly love playing up both qualities of a woman through fashion.

I don’t know about you, but I’m totally liking the thought of black leather shorts right now (it may not have much practicality, but for fashion statement purposes, I would rock them in a heartbeat).  I guess I should first start by wearing my new black lace shorts, then I can move onto the black leather! ;)

[What is your favorite piece from this look?]

The Maxi Dress Trend: Meli’s Top 10 Maxi Dresses for Spring 2011

A reader had recently contacted me regarding my thoughts on the maxi dress trend and wanted me to share some of my favorites, so I created a style collage with this season’s hottest styles just for all of you!  I’m really happy with my selection (after going through a ton of images) and hope you like the ones I chose to share!

There are many fashionably fun styles to the maxi dress for spring 2011, from bold colors to delicate embellishments, to unique necklines! I would wear any of these!

Style Confession:  I’ll be completely honest, I’ve never really been a fan of the maxi dress as I feel it doesn’t really flatter most people and for me personally, I don’t think a dress should cover the legs completely.  That’s me.  However, I must say, I am incredibly impressed with modern styles of the maxi dress and want to shop for at least one maxi dress this season.  (I currently do not own a single maxi dress!!)  They also look very comfortable and also look so effortless chic!

Things to look for when shopping for a maxi dress:

– SHAPE:  Make sure the dress does not make you look like a potato sack (in all seriousness for lack of better terms).  It’s very easy for this to happen if you don’t pay attention to styling details.  In terms of shape, I like when it’s tapered at the waist or has some sort of MOVEMENT (a nice flow when you walk) towards the bottom.  These styling elements will do something for the shape of your body.

– NECKLINE:  I’m really attracted to maxi dresses with a unique neckline…such as a one shoulder, a dramatically deep v-neckline, embellishments, etc.  This add visual interest to the overall look.

–  PRINT vs. SOLID:  I especially love maxi dresses with a GREAT (meaning you’re absolutely in love with it) print.  Prints can be very tricky, so choose extra wisely and ask for a second opinion if you have another set of eyes available (or if I’m on your speed dial, that works too :)).  As a general styling rule, when in doubt, do without.  Also pay attention to the SCALE of the print.

In terms of choosing a solid, with a maxi dress, this can be tricky as well.  When choosing a solid, you take a risk in lacking visual interest (it’s boring to look at a block of solid color with no other styling going on!)  Also make sure you LOVE the color, if it’s something that you’re not really into, just pass altogether.

*  If you look at my collage, I only ended up choosing 3/10 that were completely a solid color (the white, magenta, and teal).  However, if you notice, there are INTERESTING styling elements going on within each of those dresses that allow for it to have some wow factor.  They all happen to have embellishments in different areas.  

[What are your thoughts on maxi dresses?  Do you currently own any?]