Trend Spotter: Utility Jackets

Since I've been in France, I've noticed a lot of girls wearing these light fall jackets. They usually are a bit long, and usually in khaki or olive tones. I had no idea what to call the jacket, but I knew I wanted one. By the looks of them, they're lightweight and a little lose, making them the perfect jacket here in the every changing weather climate of Rennes, France (one morning, it's about 45 degrees F and pouring; by the afternoon, it's sunny and close to the 70s). 

Preparing to put something on The Hunt (if you haven't hear of this website and love fashion, where have you been?!), but I decided to check on F21 first. Now, I may have not been on the site in a while. but I certainly do not remember them having a section under "coats" specifically for utility jackets. That's a sure sign that what I've been seeing over here is a growing trend.

Utility jackets from F21, ASOS, and Missguided

I went through a bunch over on Polyvore, and most seem about the same; lightweight, loose, a little boyish in fit, but very functional. According to research (thanks, Google), the trend has at least been around since the late spring. Obviously, I must have been working to many hours in my uniform to notice. 

List:

• Leopard Utility Jacket in Olive/Black from Forever 21
• Four Pocket Utility Jacket in Denim from ASOS
• Klara Aztec Utility Jacket in Khaki from Missguided

 

French Essentials

French Essentials by elle-kelly featuring a purple tote

Peaches and Cream

Even though summer is known to be the time for neons and bright clothing, neutrals are not to be forgotten. I was inspired to do this set by the image included in the set featuring Demi Lovato from the November 2012 Teen Vogue photo shoot. These neutral peaches and cream patterns/shades can give a soft feel and reminds me of a girly meets boho trend.

Date with Summer

A night summer date can sometimes prove to be challenging. Even if it gets warm out in the sun during the day, a cool summer evening next to the beach can be a bit chilly. I put this set together using hot summer trends -flowy skirt, crop top -along with something that may still be in your closet from fall and winter. A boyfriend cardigan can come handy to keep the concentration on the date instead of how chilly you are in your outfit.

Rocker Chic @ Meet and Greet

I have a thing for winning giveaways. I have won concert tickets, movie memorabilia, and the latest one adds a meet and greet to the list. Though I have been to my share of rock concerts, I wanted to put a little more thought into the outfit since I knew I was going to meet my favorite band of all time.

Being me, I of course was over-thinking the entire thing. Exploring Polyvore, I created the above set in order to get some inspiration. I wanted something that would still look girly, but not to the point where I was going to glances because I obviously didn't belong at the venue. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything in my closet to replicate the set. Did I really need to buy a whole new outfit? According to my logic: yes. According to my bank account: um, no. Luckily, I was able to pick and choose between my own clothes and my sister's, who was also going with me.

 I came up with wearing a VSPink black tank and patterned black and white jeans. Yeah, I may have been the only one wearing Pink anything there -let alone sequins -but at least it was black. And what can be better than sequins??

Regardless of what I was wearing, I met Fall Out Boy, got Patrick's autograph, and pictures with all of them. What's better than that? Well, besides sequins.

Make Way for Duckling

Make Way for Duckling by elle-kelly featuring monsoon shoes

Color Splash

Color Splash by elle-kelly featuring miss selfridge

Trending: Chevron

If there's one thing I have seen all over Pinterest and Polyvore lately, it's chevron. Chevron tops, chevron nails, chevron rugs; it's hard for me to scroll and not see them somewhere!

The pattern hit the runway a year ago in many Spring 2012, but has been around for decades. Italian fashion house Missoni is one of the most famous users of the zigzag design, incorporating it into tops, bottoms, and dresses alike.

Olivia Bonas top

JCP top

Chevrons can be very flattering on people when worn correctly. Larger, thicker chevron lines are able to balance out a larger frame while thinner lines can create curves for those lacking in them.

Not sure about the trend? Try it out on nails! I found this great tutorial on Pinterest (Originally from Lines Across) that uses three different nail colors and tape to achieve the look.

                                                                                           Source: linesacross.com via Noelle on Pinterest

Winter Wear

It can sometimes be difficult to transition out of the holiday months into January. With the gift exchanges and work parties in the past, it can be hard to differentiate what can be appropriate for the Secret Santa exchange and what would still be useable in a few months in the future. After all, there is a lot more you can get away with in the fashion arena during the time between November and December; sequins and glitter seem to be never ending, as are the patterns and colors they are paired with.

Dresses and tops in this set resemble some useable items that may be in a wardrobe after the flurry of gift wrapping has subsided. The baroque patterns in the sweater and sweater dress somewhat resemble the holiday months, but in a way that more represents the fall 2012 trends instead of St. Nick. The dark colors will look great when paired with pops of color, such as a pair of violet heels or a mustard yellow satchel. 

The shift is a classic and must have for any closet. A black one can become a year round staple and can be worn to multiple places and occasions when paired with other items. With the one in the above set, a pair of riding boots, tights, and even a studded motorcycle jacket can make it an exciting outfit for January instead of being paired with pops of red and green as in the months before.

Cinema Style: Lisbeth

This set was completely unexpected.  I knew that I wanted to move on from The Dark Knight Trilogy for some more movie sets, but I was at a standstill as to what movie or character I was going to review next. Luckily, my Netflix Instant Queue led me to the answer.

I have always had a love for a good crime mystery. When I was younger, I used to watch the Murder, She Wrote series starring Angela Lansbury, even though many of the episodes originally aired years before I was born. I went on to watching Law and Order, which introduced me to Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Although not as popular as the Special Victims Unit series, it still remains one of my favorite television shows. It was not just the complex crimes and search for who did it (many times, it is revealed to the audience early on who the killer in question is); it was the performance of Vincent D'Onofrio as the character Robert "Bobby" Goren. His complex back story revealed throughout the series sheds light on his unorthodox methods to seek justice. Though he is many times questioned by his colleagues and partner about his actions, his search for the truth always serves as his redemption.

Vincent D'Onofrio as Robert Goren

My love for Lisbeth is similar to that of Bobby. She is someone who has been through tragedy, hardships, and stripped of her rights as a free person because of her search for justice against her father. And yet, though she appears to be stone cold and apathetic to the average person, she has a great capacity for love. She demonstrates this throughout the series, whether it is the scene where she feeds her former guardian Holgar after he suffers from a stroke, or saving Mikael's life towards the end of the first film. What is equally remarkable are the sacrifices the characters who are close to her are willing to go through in order to protect her. Mikael puts his career and relationships on the line in order to seek justice for her. Paolo and Miriam nearly burn to death in a barn, though they could have at anytime revealed what they knew of Lisbeth's whereabouts. Her own doctor Anders goes against the prosecutor's wishes in order to help Lisbeth while she is confined to the hospital.

So what makes these characters do this? How can some people so easily hate and wish her harm while others seem to almost gravitate to her? Noomi Rapace does a remarkable job of telling the story through body language and looks rather than language (In comparison to other protagonist or actors that are first billed, Rapace does not seem to have as many lines as would be expected). Although she may spit venom with nearly every word she speaks, her gestures tell another story; her holding Mikael's hand as they lay together, the brief smile she gives Anders, the nod she gestures towards her lawyer Annika signaling their triumph.

Millennium Trilogy movie posters

The set has the familiar lack of color that Lisbeth dons in the trilogy. A mix of punk rock and biker clothing pieces and accessories ties them all together. The hairspray is one which Lisbeth uses amply to create her head turning mohawk she displays at her trial. The stack of books represent the scientific DNA textbook she is given by her doctor in order to pass the time as she awaits her trial in her cell. The necklace was a special touch; I thought it was funny how she insisted on having some pizza to eat while she was recuperating, and Dr. Anders pulls enough strings to give her some, if just so that she can become stronger both physically and mentally. I did try and include three things to represent the three book titles: the dragon piercing, the Alicia Keys lyric from "Girl on Fire", and the Burt's Bees chapstick.

I always found it interesting that Lisbeth's father asserts himself to be a survivor, but through him alienating himself from those who have helped him, he ends up being killed. As a parallel, Lisbeth does not ask for help from anyone, but people come together in order to protect her, making Lisbeth the true survivor.