8/23/11 Darling of the Day: Kerry Washington’s Wild Side in Express & Christian Louboutin!


Actress Kerry Washington recently made an appearance at Jennifer Klein’s annual Day of Indulgence party wearing a mix of affordable & luxury brands.  The wild leopard short-sleeved blouse is from Ann Taylor which she paired with Express red jeggings.  Last week’s guest judge on Project Runway was also sporting lace-up booties by Tory Burch & carried a Christian Louboutin clutch.

The balance of animal print here is very edgy, yet still elegant for a day event.  Red is a sometimes risky color to pair with leopard, but here we see Kerry pulling off the look flawlessly with some feminine flair.

It was hard to find the original blouse worn here, but I discovered that it is currently out of stock, since it was an item from an earlier season.  However, @Ann Taylor, you can find this leopard print trench blouse for $88.00.  That’s a high cost for a top, but if you’re looking to stay as true to the inspired look, that’s the best way to go!  I was able to recover the exact Zelda red jeggings from Express, which cost $69.90.  These are also available in other colors & with embellishments like studding.

@Payless, Christian Siriano‘s new line for fall has arrived & this includes the modern harness ankle boot for $69.00.  While this also may seem like a lot of money to spend on a pair of shoes, sign up at the store’s website to get coupons emailed to you & news on all the latest sales so that you never have to pay full price for a luxury pair of shoes like these!

The final touch comes from Kohl’s.  The leopard clutch by Relic is a great deal for $31.90, marked down from $58.00.  It’s a classic piece to wear with your favorite LBD or for something as chic & tailored as this day look.

For more on Kerry Washington, check out her two previous appearances on Darling of the Day from back in January @Sundance & in November in a sexy all-black look.  In addition, if you’re an Ann Taylor shopper, check out my recent post about the brand’s newest spokesmodel, Demi Moore.

Finally, just to keep with the fabulousness of leopard (& all the other beautiful animals of the jungle), take a click on over to last week’s post about affordable animal-inspired accessories in Quickie Darling Deal & Steal! Happy Styling!

Color Me Style: ‘Orange’ You Glad You’re In Orange?


Bright rich hues are the hot for summer, especially those in the  orange family.  Not everyone can pull of the boldness of persimmon, tangerine, or saffron, but here we have some stylish examples of how to pull off the tricky color in a dress.  Eva Longoria dons an ASOS sheath with coordinating Brian Atwood slingbacks.  Emma Stone plays up her auburn locks at a Today Show appearance.  Olivia Palermo shows off a Victoria Beckham design with leopard pumps & a pink Sondra Roberts clutch.  The Tree of Life star Jessica Chastain mixes hues with bright pink sandals.  Jennifer Aniston breaks out of her LBD with this draped cut-out Vivienne Westwood dress & Christian Louboutins.  Lastly, Kristin Cavallari wears a Jessica Barkley mini dress with nude pumps. To really play up this color, choose softer tones like neutrals in your accessories, or go a little bolder with bright pinks & animal-inspired shoes.  Also, nothing looks better with this color than a healthy tan (but DO avoid tanning beds), but as you can see on Emma & Jessica, a pale glow can also work with the right orange tone!

The selected dresses range in their orange hues from cinnamon to tangerine, & are all under $50! First, the ruched jersey dress by AGB is available @Macy’s.  Second, Urban Outfitters has this Sparkle & Fade knit bow back dress for $48.00.  If orange really isn’t for you, then this orange / red cotton-blend dress from Lulu’s might work better for you.  @Jessica London, this side ruche dress is flattering on many shapes & is currently marked down to $39.99.  The fifth dress is chiffon in rust from Forever 21 & can be coordinated with many different accessories like a chunky or metallic belts & a crochet vest.  Finally, the one-shoulder Bar III dress from Macy’s is reduced in price to $37.49 & can be matched with platform sandals & stacked bangles. Check out our previous Color Me Style posts for more color-coordinated style finds!  Happy Styling!

Luxury Look-Alikes for Less: Lace Pumps From $33 – $758!


If you’ve got a summer evening wedding coming up, I always say: Go for some lace pumps!  But what if you don’t already own a pair, then it’s time to start shopping.  If you’re first step is to check out what’s online & where, then take a deep breath b/c we’re spanning across MANY different price points here.  I know I’m always looking for something stylish & affordable, which is why I turn to some of my favorite resources like GOjane, 6PM, & Windsor Store for budget-friendly special occasion items!

However, if you take a look at the image to the right, you’ll see that three pairs of these lacey shoes are very pricey.  This (I guess) makes sense since we’re dealing with designs by Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, and Elizabeth and James (by the Olsen twins).

Some advice: Don’t ever do all-over lace, unless it’s in something by Dolce & Gabbana b/c otherwise it’ll look cheap or like lingerie, or like both!  Lace pumps would look very demure with your favorite little black dress, or perhaps something ruffled.  Of course when you’re doing lace, you can go a little more sexy with them by picking out a peep toe pair for your most flattering cocktail dress, or try dressy shorts with a silk tank to wear with the cut-out pair.  Maybe even dress up a romper or separate the pieces of a skirt suit to make it look happy-hour-ready with pumps like these!

What do you like to wear lace pumps with?  Which are your favorite bargain shoes stores? Happy Styling!

7/3/11 Darling of the Day: Drew Barrymore Goes Nautical Chic for Chanel!


At a recent benefit dinner for Chanel, the very lovely Drew Barrymore stepped out in this season’s most fashionable colors: navy & white.  Looking every bit a Style Darling, she added a glamorous bib necklace to her white top & navy textured skirt, all by the very stylish brand.  The pieces were matched with cork-heeled wedges by Christian Loboutin. With just the addition of a flowered bib necklace, the look instantly went from casual to dressy.  Not to mention her polished black & white clutch.  Or maybe it’s navy also?  I can’t tell.

Because Drew is one of those actresses adored by women of all shapes, styles, & sizes, I decided to do something a little different by selecting items that are both Misses & Plus Size friendly, as per the request of a very close friend who made a good point on Style Darling’s Facebook group page.

Here we have two very basic, but flattering white tops (from Macy’s & Avenue) that can be mixed & matched with virtually any item in your closet.  Of course it was quite the task to search for two non-peasant looking navy skirts, but here we have ’em from Dillards & the other from One Stop Plus.  A look like this can also be accessorized with a wide textured belt & platform sandals if you don’t have navy wedges.  The wedges are currently on sale @Steve Madden for under $34, which is an awesome deal if you wear a lot of summer dresses in white eyelet or linen.  Something in red would actually look really cute with these wedges too!

Speaking of accessories, the bib necklace is very affordable from JC Penney, along with a cocktail ring from Forever 21.  While I couldn’t quite find an evening clutch worthy of this blog, I did come across a black one & a white, from Express that are just as versatile & affordable! Check out our previous blog on Drew in a Darling of the Day post from back in April, showing off some rock star chic! Happy Styling!