street style trends

Street Style Trends for Spring 2014: slip-on sneakers

 in General Fashion / Shoes / Trends  tagged casual style / sneakers / spring 2014 / street style trends by

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Photo: Slip-on Sneakers: Joie

The casual flat has a new rival for the spring 2014 season; the slip on sneaker. This skate-style sneaker began emerging on fashionable feet last fall and for the spring 2014 season has been the ultimate go-to casual shoe for style-savvy women everywhere. Fashion editors and insiders alike were spotted at New York Fashion Week attending shows in, gasp!, slip-on sneakers! This was not due to the snow; slip-on sneakers do not grip the ice and are not ideal for snowy conditions. These casual shoes were worn for show and comfort.

Slip-on sneakers are so hot for the spring 2014; they are flying off of store shelves! Designers such as Prada, Christian Louboutin, Lanvin, Saint Laurent, Philip Lim, Alexander McQueen and more have designed their own version of the traditional skater shoe for the spring 2014 season; and they feature pricing which rivals fine leather flats! It is clear on the street, and on store shelves, that the slip-on sneaker is the ultimate casual shoe of the season just out-pacing the flat d’Orsay shoe; another hot spring 2014 footwear style.

Spring 2014’s slip-on sneakers are fabulous shoes for Fashionistas who need a comfortable walking shoe on casual days. Since designers have created their own versions of the skate shoe for spring 2014, even the most discerning shoe lover will find a style on the market which suits her discriminating taste.

Slip-on sneakers are adding a little bit of street edge to the spring 2014 wardrobe. Traditionally, this shoe is associated with teenage boys on skateboards who hang outside coffee shops and turn outdoor stairways into skate parks. This season, expect the fashionable feet of 20-somethings, 30-somethings, 40-somethings and older to be spotted in the same shoe style as any die-hard skater near the local high school campus. Of course, the teenagers will be wearing Vans while Fashionistas will turn towards Prada, Christian Louboutin and the like.

Of course, in every fashionable crowd, there is a women looking for 100% authenticity. Do not be surprised to see a 40 year old woman wearing a Marc Jacobs top with 7FAM jeans and a pair of Vans. After all, Vans are the real deal and it does not get more authentically street than that. 😉

I found a few fabulous pairs of comfortable and beautiful slip-on sneakers for the spring 2014 season around the web and assembled them into the shopping widget below. I hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉

Spring 2014 color trends: pink

 in Color Trends / General Fashion / Trends  tagged pink / runway trends / spring 2014 / street style trends / summer 2014 by

Pink is one of the hottest colors for the spring/summer 2014 season. Emerging from resort 2014’s fuchsia trend, pink has become one of the top colors favored by store buyers and consumers for the warm weather season.

The runways in New York, Paris, Milan and London showed a variety of rainbow colors for spring/summer 2014. While pink graced the runways, it was by no means a dominant hue. During the resort 2014 season, store buyers and consumers favored both pink and cobalt blue, leading stores to stock up on the sweet hue for spring. The result? Pink is dominating store shelves more than the “IT” color of 2014; Radiant Orchid. Can it be?!

Normally associated with flowers, demure styles and innocent personas, pink is sometimes ignored by more sophisticated dressers and those who want to project a more mature being. Not for spring 2014! Pink is being shown in every shade imaginable from sweet pastels through to bold neon hues. Pink is taking the season by storm and not allowing anyone to classify it as a “girly-girl” type of hue. 

Since pink is being shown in so many variations for spring 2014, it is taking on many personalities. At Burberry, pink was shown as an accent to traditional classic hues; making it the perfect way to add a pop of color to an ensemble as well as a way to update one’s look. Burberry also showed pink on vintage inspired silhouettes perfect for a wedding or fundraising luncheon. Chanel gave pink an edgy 1980’s look on its’ couture runway in both medium and pastel shades. 

There are also designers showing pink for spring/summer 2014 who did not show the hue on their fashion week runways! Valentino is showing neon pink on store shelves as is Rebecca Minkoff. Gucci is also showing pink for spring although after watching the Italian powerhouse’s runway show from spring/summer 2014 one would have assumed to see purple, purple and more purple!

It is interesting how consumer interest and store buyers are able to sway which colors actually make it from the runway to store shelves; and ultimately reality. After all, if it was on the runway and it never made it to the store, how will it make it to reality? Just a side note 😉

What do you think of pink for spring/summer 2014? Will you be wearing it? 

Shop pink for spring and summer 2014:

Trend of the moment: black metal

 in Handbags / Jewelry / Shoes / Trends  tagged black / fall 2013 / resort 2014 / spring 2014 / street style trends / winter 2014 by

black metal

Gloves / Bracelets / Watch / Ring / Shoes

One of the big trends to come out of Paris and Milan is the black metal trend. Over the past few years we have seen a big uptick in non-traditional colored metals used in jewelry. One of the popular colored metals in fine jewelry has been black. While this may not seem like an odd color for metal, being that iron is often black, it is not a traditional metal color for jewelry. David Yurman even used blackened silver in his special “Ice” collection for Neiman Marcus several years ago.

As we entered 2013, designers began to use black on items such as handbags and shoes in lieu of traditional yellow, silver or rose-gold metals. The black metal hardware used in accessories offered an edgy yet understated look to luxurious items such as Chanel’s “So Black” classic flap handbag and Valentino’s “Rockstud” handbags and shoes.

With the uptick in black metal being used in accessories, more designers and brands are starting to use black metal in their pieces as an alternative to traditional metals. While black metal will never replace gold, silver or rose-gold metals, it is definitely enjoying its’ place in the accessory spotlight at the moment. It may even be possible that black metal becomes a quiet classic in the accessories hardware department; and possibly in the jewelry department too!

What are your thoughts on black metal? Is this a trend you enjoy wearing? Do you envision it becoming classic over time?

Black metal accessories from around the web: