Trends

Handbag trends 2014: the inside-out handbag

 in Handbags / Trends  tagged bucket bag / drawstring bag / fall 2014 / mansur gavriel / spring 2014 / summer 2014 / totes by

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Photo: Mansur Gavriel red and black drawstring bucket bag. Online here and here. Tote version online here.

A few seasons ago, Saint Laurent and Valentino introduced reversible tote bags. These beautiful handbags reminded us of high-quality garments which look just as amazing inside as they do on the outside.  There is nothing like looking inside of a handbag and seeing just as much beauty inside as outside.

This brings us to the current trend in handbags which is exemplified by the current “IT” bag by Mansur Gavriel. Instead of a reversible handbag, Mansur Gavriel stayed true to the fashion industry mantra of making a piece beautiful inside and out. In doing this, they created a line of tote bags and drawstring bucket bags which have fabulous colors inside, and finished seams inside, without fabric lining. The color on the inside of the handbag peeks out from the top of the bag creating additional interest in the piece from casual onlookers, while keeping the handbag owners’ interest. Love that!

Mansur Gavriel’s popularity did not go unnoticed in the fashion industry. Aside from becoming the most sought-after handbag of the decade, which is next to impossible to get your hands on, iconic designers such as Prada have followed suit and created bi-color handbags for the summer 2014 season; and into the fall 2014 season.

That’s right! Mansur Gavriel’s drawstring bucket made a quiet trend explode; a trend which goes beyond the drawstring bucket bag silhouette. This new trend offers one color on the inside and another color on the outside. They have reinvented the basic black or tan handbag; giving handbag fans everywhere something fresh to cheer about!

As we move from spring 2014, into the hot summer months, and the new fall season, be on the lookout for more designers and brands creating bi-color handbags which offer inside-out interest. This is the beginning of the trend . . .

Bi-color handbags from around the web:

Casual printed sweatpants

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged bcbg / casual fashion / casual style / chanel / gap / outfits / spring 2014 / sweatpants / twisted silver by

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Photos: Earrings: John Hardy / Lipstick: c/o Laura Mercier “Temptation” / Top: Gap / Necklace: c/o Twisted Silver (use code INSIDERS for 15% off) / Pants: BCBG (also in grey here) / Handbag: Chanel (also love SAVE or SPLURGE) / Nail Polish: Chanel Sky Line (similar here) / Bracelets: Tory Burch, Beau Bijou (similar here) / Shoes: SIXTYSEVEN / Toe Nail Polish: c/o Dolce & Gabbana “Petal“

I love wearing pants on casual days, but I don’t always want to wear jeans. Therefore, I love the current “sweatpants” or “track pant” trend from the New York runways right now. Although these pants are classified as sweatpants or track pants, they are nothing like what a typical, sporting pair of sweatpants would normally look or feel like.

The current sweatpants on the market are made from the same fabrications found on trousers and slim pants. The construction of the pants is loose, but not too loose, with an elastic waistband and elastic around the ankles. This gives the pants drape and makes them extremely comfortable around the waist. I have decided these are the perfect pants to wear to a buffet! 😉

Hopefully the “sweatpants” trend continues into 2015. They did appear on the fall/winter 2014/2015 runways in New York, so that is a good sign that we will continue to see the style into next year. Fingers crossed they appear on the spring/summer 2015 runways too!

Have you tried out the current sweatpants trend? What do you think of them?

Denim trends for spring and summer 2014

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged casual fashion / casual style / denim / historical fashion / spring 2014 / summer 2014 by

One of the biggest debates every season centers around the current styles of denim and denim washes. Denim over the past few seasons has been skinny, retro and has been offered in more styles than just pants. For the spring and summer 2014 seasons, denim is maturing past the skinny jean and pulling in retro or vintage influences from the 1980’s, 1990’s and modern 2000’s.

Denim pants: The denim pant for spring and summer 2014 is being offered in three distinct styles. The skinny jean is continuing, but quickly becoming overshadowed by the boyfriend jean; which has been gaining in popularity over the past few years. The boyfriend jean has officially overtaken the skinny jean as the “IT” denim style of the season. This means everyone who was afraid to wear skinny jeans can fret no longer. The boyfriend jean is forgiving, relaxed and easy to wear with almost any figure. 

The third denim pant style which is gaining popularity is often referred to as the “Mom” jean. These are the jeans our dear Mother’s wore in the 1980’s; and unfortunately many kept wearing them in the 1990’s. The “Mom” jean offers a high waist and loose fit which is neither boyfriend jean nor skinny jean. The loose fit is comfortable, but not always flattering.

Denim washes: The wash of one’s jeans can instantly set the piece apart from denim “win” versus denim “failure.” The denim wash for the spring and summer 2014 seasons is medium, light, white or muted. In addition to regular denim washes, we are starting to see variations of the vintage acid wash with a less splotchy finish.

Over the past few seasons we have seen denim or chambray shirts, denim jackets, denim dresses and the like. For the spring 2014 and summer 2014 seasons the denim trend has calmed down. Chambray or denim shirts have moved aside for crisp cotton shirts and the denim dress has moved into storage. For spring and summer 2014, the only denim at the front of your closet should be pants, shorts, skirts (short) and jackets.

Colored denim has been a huge trend over the past few years. For the spring and summer 2014 seasons, colored denim is still around but not very important. Look more for muted blues, blue variations and white.

Printed denim has also been a huge trend over the past few years. This trend is also continuing into spring and summer 2014, but has lost its’ dominant edge. You can keep printed denim pants in your wardrobe rotation but it is not something you want to invest in for the long term.

Destroyed denim is another trend we have watched explode over the past few seasons. This trend is still in place but has been starting to fade. If you have destroyed denim from a past season you can still wear it this season, but do not invest in a new destroyed piece. The trend is about to end.

Cropped jeans are also popping up for the spring and summer 2014 seasons. This denim style enjoyed popularity is the late 1990’s through the early 2000’s. The style is back for 2014 and offers a cool alternative to ankle length jeans on a warm spring day. Look for light washes and white.

What is your favorite denim  trend this season?

Shop the denim trend for spring and summer 2014: