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Why Did You Wear That: Dive In

By |March 6th, 2014|Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smithEveryone knows I love lingerie, a good cocktail, and my maltipoo, Smitty.  Something else I love more than the average juice fasting female is swimwear.  Some girls are all about bags, some about shoes and while I love both, a bikini is always certain to catch my attention as well as my paycheck.  I even consider myself a bit of a bathing suit expert.  I mean, I spent two years having the pleasure of filling Bendel’s with barely there beachwear.

I love bathing suits so much there are times when I wonder why I don’t just move to an island and live in a bikini whilst sipping on fresh coconuts, but then I get bored even imagining it and continue on in my concrete jungle.

Sure, this took me the greater portion of a day to pull together, but because I love swimwear so much, I enjoyed every moment of it.  Whether you love a one piece or the teeniest of itsy bitsy bikinis, I’ve rounded up a suit in almost all of this spring’s biggest trends that should tickle your fancy or at least your fanny.  So, here it is.  The most elaborate swimsuit guide you’ll see and ever need to get you beach bum and poolside ready.

bikinis summer

 

  1. Peekaboo Panels: Indah Slam Mesh Patches Top and Bottoms, T by Alexander Wang Mesh Paneled Swimsuit, UNIF Relic Suit, Lee + Lani The Rio one Piece, Norma Kamali Spliced Bandeau One Piece,
  2. Dirty Pop: Beach Riot Ay Papi Freemont Bikini Top and Colada Bikini Bottoms, Cynthia Rowley Underwire Bikini, Salinas Ocean Print Racerback Swimsuit, Giejo Abstract Plaid Bra Top and Mixed Boy Briefs
  3. Global Graphics:  Zimmerman Instinct Paneled One Piece, Cecilia Prado Optico Triangle Top and Tie Side Bottoms, Mara Hoffman Laser Cut Bandeau Top and Bottoms, Kushcush Bali Bikini Top and Bikini Bottoms, Tori Praver Cabazon Top and Bottoms
  4. Team Spirit: Minimale Animale Calamity Jane Bikini, Lisa Marie Fernandez The Lisa Marie Two Tone Bikini, Lisa Marie Fernandez The Farrah Neoprene Swimsuit, T by Alexander Wang Mesh Combo Halter Top and Bottoms
  5. Black (and White) To Basics: Clover Canyon Torqued Walls Bikini Top and Bikini Bottoms, Zinke Emmi Reversible Bikini Top and Reversible Bottoms, Beach Bunny Laser Cut Top and Skimpy Bottom, Rachel Pally Gia Maillot, Jason Wu Bandeau Bikini
  6. Fresh Blooms: Red Carter Floriculture Peplum One Piece, Nanette Lepore Fleur de la Mer Bikini Top and Bottoms, Minimale Animale Work It Bikini, Miu Miu Floral Print Ruched Bikini, Dolce & Gabban Zaraga Blossom Print Swimsuit, Shimmi Stevie Embroidered Wrap Bikini
  7. On the Fringe: Indah Sports Illustrated Marley Crochet One Piece, L*Space Skinnie Minnie Bikini Top and Blake Bikini Bottoms, Indah Havana Bikini Top and Santiago Bikini Bottoms,  Indah Patron Fringe Bandeau, Luli FamaCosta Buena Fringe Plunge Bikini Top
  8. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Croptops: Maaji Crop Top and Bikini Bottoms, Beach Riot Coral Gables Bandeau Top and Bikini Bottoms, Mara Hoffman Naga Cropped Bikini Top and Tie Side Bottom,  Thayer Ruffle Bralette Bikini Top, Ella Moss Belle Floral Ruffle Bandeau Top and Tunnel Bottoms, Wildfox Couture Tankini Top and Reve Crisscross Brazilian Bottoms
  9. Perfect Pastels: Nookie Beach Hermosas Bandeau Bikini, Zimmerman Verano Layered Frill Bikini, MIKOH Swimwear Banyans String Racerback Top and Lanai Multi String Bottoms, Zinke Weekender One Piece
  10. Heavy Metal: Zimmerman Scout High Triangle String Bikini, Vix Swimwear Solid Copper Triangle Top and Bikini Bottoms, Lisa Marie Fernandez Genevieve Bikini, Agent Provocateur Zonia Sequined Triangle Top and Bikini Briefs, Zimmerman Scout Balcony One Piece

 

Red Carpet Recap: Are We There Yet?

By |March 3rd, 2014|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

lupito nyongo cate blanchett oscarsCharlize Theron in Dior, Kate Hudson in  Atelier Versace, Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani, Lupita Nyong’o in Prada

It feels as if this particular awards season stretched out a bit longer than years prior, but maybe that’s the overall theme of 2014 thus far.  Long winters, long award shows, long winded speeches.  Tonight’s award show, the 86th Annual Academy Awards, was no exception.  Seeing as the red carpet arrivals started at five thirty (Eastern time) and the actual show didn’t commence until midnight, I literally spent six and a half hours of my life staring at dresses, listening to sometimes awkward interviews with Seacrest, and holding my breath in hopes that the music didn’t come on during winners’ acceptance speeches.  I couldn’t tell if I was still exhausted from the weekend or if the cold had finally taken a toll on my cognitive thinking because I’m pretty sure that every actress on the red carpet was required to wear the same dress.  Either that or I was watching 1984 and didn’t know it, which is entirely possible.  Fortunately, for the first time in WhyDid’s history, I was unable to award an entire category to the worst dressed women of the night.  Instead it went to our charitable roast beef hat wearing friend, Pharrell, who decided that full trousers were not fully necessary for the red carpet.  I might have let it slide because he’s so darn cute if he hadn’t somehow convinced his lovely wife, Helen Lasichanh, to dress in tandem.  I guess it would be hard to say, “no,” to those dimples.

As for the rest of the red carpet, nudes, metallics, and soft whites and pastels were the overall theme with a spattering of both basic as well as embellished black.  Navy was a trend for both men and women and first time Oscar winner, Lupita Nyong’o, deemed her hue Nairobi blue.  Everyone was going nuts over her headband, which I hated because it made her look too “costumey” and would have preferred she’d accessorized her decollete with a delicate lariat, but she gets a pass for that stand out shade of blue.  Speaking of hair, cropped pixie cuts were the biggest trend and soft subtle styles as seen on Jessica Biel and Naomi Watts were the second runner up.  Jennifer Lawrence in a pixie cut and who wore red, didn’t even wait until she was inside before repeating last year’s tumble.  She either needs a better seamstress or a higher tolerance for champagne.  A notable trend for men was wearing a white jacket with their tuxes and why, why, why is Jared Leto so damn pretty?  Rarely do I covet another’s hair, but if someone can get me in touch with his stylist, I’ll be forever grateful… or at least for the next month or two.  And while I finished wrapping up the red carpet, I realized that the real style mavens held out until the afterparties.

Pretty in Pewter:

oscars red carpet Giuliana Rancic, Jessica Biel in Chanel, Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta

Long (Sleeve) on Shine:

angelina jolieAngelina Jolie in Elie Saab, Sarah Paulson in Elie Saab, Julie Delpy in Jenny Peckham, Sally Hawkins in Valentino

Flesh and Gold:

oscars red carpet Kristin Chenoweth in Roberto Cavalli, Jenna Dewan Tatum in Reem Acra, Portia de Rossi in Naeem Khan

Bright Whites:

kelly-osbourne-naomi-watts-oscarsKelly Osbourne, Calista Flockhart in Andrew Gn,  Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein, Laura Dern in Alberta Ferretti

Petal Pink Princesses:

camila alves penelope cruz Penelope Cruz in Giambattista Valli, Cristin Milioti, Camila Alves in Gabriela Cadena

Lavender Ladies:

kristen bell oscarsLady Gaga in Versace,  Kerry Washington in Jason Wu, Kristen Bell in Roberto Cavalli

 Basic Black:

julia roberts oscarsGlenn Close in Zac Posen, Julia Roberts in black Givenchy, Karen O in Camilla Staerk, Olivia Wilde in black Valentino

Embellished Black:

oscars red carpetAnne Hathaway in Gucci, Emma Watson in Vera Wang, Anna Kendrick in J. Mendel, Chrissy Teigen in Monique Lhuillier

Moody Blues:

amy adams sandra bullock academy awardsAmy Adams in Gucci, Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen, Kevin Spacey in Burberry, Liza Minnelli in Halston

Red on Red:

jennifer-lawrence-oscars-dressJennifer Lawrence in Dior, Ireland Baldwin, Bette Middler in Reem Acra, Olga Kurylenko in Alice Elia

White Knights:

jared leto matthew mcconaugheyJared Leto in Saint Laurent, Ryan Seacrest, Matthew McConaughey in Dolce & Gabbana

No Pants, Well, Kinda Are a Problem:

pharrell williams Pharrell Williams in Lanvin

After the Party It’s the Afterparty:

vanity fair oscarsKarolina Kurkova,  Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab, Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli, Diane Kruger in Valentino, Jane Fonda in Nicholas Oakwell 

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Spring 2014: Style Cheat Sheet

By |February 25th, 2014|Why Did You Wear That?|

snow flowerAlthough it was fifty degrees over the weekend and snow flurrying today, we really are in the home stretch of winter.  Just hang in there, pretty birds, relief is on the way.  While we wait for the last frost of the season to cease, let us refresh ourselves on the clothing that is just waiting to make itself quite comfortable in our closets come spring.  Since each fashion week presents collections a solid six months in advance of when we can actually get our greedy little hands on it, it’s easy to forget what we need to start scoping for and what to relegate to the back of our wardrobes for the time being.  The fashion elite may be a bit clairvoyant perhaps predicting the dreadfully long winter we’ve endured as the spring collections did not shy away from color, bold patterns, and plenty of shiny embellishment.  Though black and white were ever present, it’s time to drop the dull all black uniform and have a little bit of fun.

While florals are really nothing new for spring, this season’s are a bit bolder and less feminine incorporating the trend of black and white as well as darker tones as opposed to the predictable pastel colorways.  Speaking of which, Easter egg colors abound and are best done head to toe, but if that has you feeling apprehensive of emulating Great Aunt Ida, the presence of a pastel leather jacket or clutch will do the trick.

Along with bold graphics that will have even the biggest globetrotters giddy, art aficionados rejoice.  Patterns for spring give a nod to pop art using brights that make them downright framable.  Wearable art, if you will.

Embellishment was big and came in the form of fringe, 3D embellishments and gilded golds, bronze, and silver.  An alternative to shine in the form of straightforward metallics is presented in the option of iridescence.

And to those who attempted a croptop intervention on me… bad news: the croptop (which will live on through Fall 2014) is stronger than ever for spring.  Might I suggest enrolling in a Pilates class, like last week?  Though tops are shrinking bottoms get a bit of volume in the form of wide leg trousers and full skirts seen prevalently in the midi length.

Most notably to me was that all of the various trends seem to work together quite seamlessly and in some cases there’s quite a bit of overlap.  Full metallic skirts, crop tops with sheer panels, and boldy printed wide leg trousers make hitting a few trends at once a spring breeze.

spring 2014 fashion trends

  1. Fresh Blooms: Rebecca Taylor Sweet William Dress, Joie Talina B Pants, Elizabeth and James Klaus Floral Print Silk and Mesh Dress
  2. Go Wide: by Malene Birger Cosyna High Waited Silk-Satin Pants, Diane von Furstenberg Salma Wide Leg Silk Pants, alice + olivia Pleated Eric Pants
  3. Dirty Pop: Paul Smith Black Label Maxi Skirt, Lisa Perry Patchwork Skirt, M Missoni Neon Crochet Knit Mini Dress
  4. Heavy Metals: Rachel Zoe Pearl Sequin Fishtail Skirt, DAY Birger et Mikkelsen Metallic Chiffon Wrap Dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim Crossover Biker Skirt
  5. Peekaboo Panels: Yigal Azrouel Scuba Waterprint Mesh Skirt, Rag & Bone Molly Skirt, Rebecca Minkoff Antoni Silk Top
  6. Full Circle…Skirts: JOA Striped Skirt, TOME Taffeta Skirt, Tibi Full Pleated Skirt
  7. Team Spirit: SEA Cotton-Blend Tweed Shorts, Sacai Luck Striped Cotton and Taffeta Dress, Equipment Abbot Silk Bomber Blouson Jacket
  8. On the Fringe: alice + olivia Caitlin Fringe Maxi Skirt, Haute Hippie Fringe Pencil Skirt, Jason Wu Cropped Fringed Crepe Top
  9. Buttoned Up: Diane von Furstenberg Trudy Blouse, MiH The Oversize Shirt, Carven Silk Floral Print Collared Cotton Shirt
  10. Perfect Pastels: Halston Heritage Asymmetric Satin Twill Peplum Dress, J Brand Ready To Wear Durham Oversized Leather Biker Jacket, Lotusgrace Polka Dot Sheath Dress
  11. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Croptops: Tibi Cropped Embellished Cotton Blend Top, Jonathan Simkhai Cropped Intarsia Jersey Top, BCBGMAXAZRIA Kaja Harness Top
  12. Black (and White) to Basics: A.L.C. Harrison Skirt, Donna Karan Printed Silk Wide Leg Pants, McQ Alexander McQueen Slash Effect Stretch Knit Dress
  13. Iridescent Does It: Acne Tine Sequined Silk Georgette Shorts, Roksanda Ilincic Oriel Colorblock Wool Crepe Dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim Colorblock Suede A-Line Skirt
  14. Global Graphics Clover Canyon Diamond Quilt Printed Cropped Track Pants, Diane von Furstenberg Phaedra Jacquard Skirt, Line & Dot Silk Palm Tree Print Dress

 

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Pants Off, Dance Off

By |October 21st, 2012|Celebrity Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

erin heatherton bergdorfWelp, I guess we’re not wearing pants anymore.  Here’s the lovely Erin Heatherton at Bergdorf’s 111th Anniversary party… wearing (or not wearing) a Jason Wu creation (he’s pictured here with her).

Earlier this week, I posted this photo of Lea Michele on WhyDid’s Facebook page.  Also not wearing pants.  And earlier this year, the beautiful Beyonce was also seen wearing a pantless wonder at the Met Gala.  So, is this a thing now?  If so, I’ll dust off my leotards right now.  I’ve been looking for a good reason for a bikini wax.  You think Lady Gaga is laughing somewhere?  I mean, she started it.

Keep your pants on.

xx,

WhyDid

Would You Wednesday: Are We Doing This, Ladies?

By |March 4th, 2011|Celebrity Style, Why Did or Why Don't?|

Okay, so I pride myself on being pretty good at spotting trends–and folks, I think I’ve found one.  Seems to me like the return of the belly shirt is happening once again.

Camilla Belle showed up to the premiere of From Prada To Nada with her belly bare in Jason Wu and I figured it was just a one off.  However, not one, but two mega watt music divas have shown off their taught tummies this week in belly baring tops.  Rihanna sported one in Sydney and Jennifer Lopez exposed herself in LA (homegirl looks fan-freaking-tastic for 41, no?).

So this is my question: Are we doing this?  Will we go ahead and hop on this trend train?  I’m cool with it.  I like crop tops and I mean, my stomach is probably one of my favorite body parts, but just give me heads up so I lay off the Sour Patch Kids and up the crunches.

All aboard!

xx,

WhyDid

images via JustJared