2022 was the year that film came back BIG post-COVID-19 & as this year’s awards season is underway, it’s clear that the most creative & talented players in Hollywood are here to stay & have something to say. W magazine has created a portfolio of the best performances of the year, including playful, dynamic, & mesmerizing photo shoots, articles, & videos of some of most buzzed about stars, including Ana de Armas, Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lawrence, Keke Palmer, Danielle Deadwyler, Michelle Yeoh, & more! Take a look below & see what all the fuss is about.
Last night’s #MetGala at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art honored Asian-inspired fashion with Anna Wintour‘s latest exhibition, China: Through the Looking Glass. In attendance were top A-listers from the realms of fashion, music, Hollywood, & more, wowing on the red carpet & showing support for the art of fashion. Some of the greatest risk takers of the night included Rihanna in a stunning over-the-top gold design by Guo Pei, Beyoncé‘s barely there shimmering gown by Givenchy, Jennifer Lopezwho showed off her best assets in a Versace design,Sarah Jessica Parker‘s collaboration with H&M & a masterfully crafted Philip Treacy headpiece, the always elegant Kerry Washingtonin a pink Prada confection, & Anne Hathaway‘s futuristic & sleek hooded gold gown by Ralph Lauren.
Of course, there are plenty of glamour & daring fashion feats in the slideshow below to feed your celebrity red carpet style obsession. Who wore your favorite look? Will you be headed to NYC to check out the exhibit? Who missed the mark on the red carpet? Happy Styling!
I’m all packed & ready to hit the road tomorrow for a highly anticipated break from reality while attending a very intense, yet chic Writer’s Conference out in Southampton for the next eleven days… which means that posts may be sparse for the rest of the month. However, I wanted to leave readers with plenty of inspiration, including some of my favorite celebrity looks who are toting head-to-toe white, black & white ensembles, & fall-ready designer booties that I can’t wait to put on my own feet! My top picks include Salma Hayek Pinaultin a printed Christopher Kane dress with seriously stylish Giuseppe Zanotti booties. Also, there’s much to talk about with the usually belly-baring Rihannawho couldn’t look cooler or more casual, as well as supermodel Karolina Kurkova in elegant menswear-inspired separates & Kristen Wiigin a Viktor & Rolf shift dress at an NYC screening for her new film, Girl Most Likely.
Winter white is a big trend right now, especially when it comes to LWD (little white dresses). I’m a big fan of dresses- no surprise there- but I’ve yet to find a winter white dress that works for me. Whatever I have is definitely too summer-friendly in eyelet, cotton, or linen, however I’ve been very inspired by what’s happening on the latest runways when it comes to feminine white looks, featuring dresses of skirt outfits.
In addition, some of the most photographed stars have been hitting the red carpet in the last month while wear white dresses. Side Effects actress Rooney Mara hit the premiere of her latest film in this flower-embellished dress by Alexander McQueen, which she paired with neutral patent leather Nicholas Kirkwood peep toe pumps. This month’s Self magazine cover girl, Emmy Rossum, took a break from promoting her new album, Sentimental Journey, in Santa Monica in this pleated Andrew Gn dress with sparkling pumps. Everywhere it-girl Kerry Washington attended an after-party for Django Unchained in a white lace Dolce & Gabbana shift dress with pointy toe Christian Louboutin stilettos.
Award-winning singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, hit the blue carpet for the 40 Principales Awards in this plunging Kaufmanfranco three-quarter sleeve design with mixed-fabric sandals by Christian Louboutin & geometric drop earrings. Everyone’s favorite girl-next-door & Gangster Squad star, Emma Stone, helped announce this year’s Oscar nominees in a belted 50s-inspired dress by Andrew Gn with black patent leather pumps. Lastly, the always polished Nicole Richie stepped out for a party in Los Angeles in this white zip-up m ini dress with embellished leather accessories by Salvatore Ferragamo.
For the budget-conscious Style Darling, I wanted to find pieces that are perfect for wear now in the winter, given some mixing & matching of accessories, as well as dresses that’ll work for the upcoming spring season, although that seems to be getting further away from us on this Groundhog’s Day. The first is the sheer sleeve lace dress ($24.80) from Forever 21, which would be perfect with black opaque tights or neon pops of color in a belt or pointy toe heels. Next, for a curve-hugging dress, I found the long & lean dress ($19.00) from Venus, which will also pair nicely over leather leggings & under a plaid button-down. While white is sometime bridal-looking, it can also be worn to work, like with this sleeveless ecru ponte sheath dress ($39.99) from White House Black Market. I’d recommend wearing it with a red blazer & loafer-detailed pumps.
I found this simply sweet & feminine shirt dress ($29.95) from H&M, & it’s the perfect foundation for a metallic braided belt, patent leather accessories, or classic lace & pearl details. Lastly, for my plus-size readers, I was so happy to find this modern Alyx belted twist neckline dress ($40.00) from JC Penney, which is available in sizes 14W-24W.
It’s not often that I wear monochromatic looks, but when I do, it’s usually either black or gray. These are go-to colors that I know I can always mix & match with each other, especially when I’m headed to work & am looking for something chic & fluid to wear. I was inspired by monochrome outfits during my last photo shoot of pictures of myself to post on Style Darling (see the all-green sweater & pants look, for example).
Taking a cue from the runways, there have been plenty of color-on-color red carpet apperances. Celebrities who’ve donned monochromatic looks include Michelle Williams who attended the New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend event in head-to-toe black with a belted mini, tights, & suede booties. Fashion icon Alexa Chung breaks up her nearly-monochromatic look in an oxblood turtleneck by Versus & leather zip-up mini with lasercut flats. Country songstress Taylor Swift went for a more mature look in a custom-made all-white suit by J. Mendel at last year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Victoria Beckham looks nothing short of amazing in her nude sheath dress design with Brian Atwood pumps. Lastly, back in 2009, Penelope Cruz dazzles in a three-piece scarlett suit by Bottega Veneta at the London premiere of Broken Embraces with two-tone strappy sandals.
Now that we’ve seen what’s going on inside the pages of our favorite magazines & who’s wearing what on the runways, I wanted to show how anyone can wear a monochromatic look without breaking your budget. What’s great about finding identical tones is the crisp & clean look that it creates & that’s where you can have fun with accessorizing with a sparkling scarf, baubled cocktail rings, bib necklaces, embossed handbags, & so on. In these looks, I have included at least one accessory, but it’s simply a suggestion & option to really bring the look together & in most cases (except for the teal look) still fits within budget.
First, I’ve been thinking about coral, ever since a post from The $100 Challengewhere I featured a coral dress for the holidays, but I just love the softness of the color, which is perfect for any skintone. It instantly adds some natural rosiness to your cheeks & always looks feminine. The studded Peter Pan collar shirt ($22.80) from Forever 21 already has some built-in detail with the gold that helps frame your face. This matches perfectly with Target‘s Mossimo ankle pant ($27.99) & the sueded uber platform pumps ($12.50) from Charlotte Russe, which have just been reduced from their original $32.50 price. Lastly, I fell in love with the art deco-inspired spike triangle earrings ($8.77) from ASOS, which add a rose gold luxury to such a relaxed, yet sophisticated outfit. Also, if you want to break up these pieces to create a trendy or unexpected look, mix things up with dark denim skinnies, cap toe ballet flats, a silk boyfriend blazer, or metallic belt.
I’ve also been seeing a neonopportunity for your wardrobe for quite some time now. Of course, this color is to be worn confidently & with caution. We all want to look so good we stop traffic, but this look with highlighter yellow or electric lime tones could almost guarantee such a result. It all started with the a.n.a. perfect skinny corduroy pants ($17.00) from JC Penney that I spotted sometime before the holidays, but now they’re marked down & I’m excited to see how these might be worn for the rest of the winter & into spring. I paired these with the boatneck banded bottom tee ($29.90) from Express & Forever 21‘s faux suede pumps ($29.80). While any gold, white lacquered, or lucite jewelry will enhance this look, Alloy‘s Zahara neon necklace ($19.90) was just irresistible, thanks to a search on ShopStyle for matching accessories. Also, for more ideas on how to wear these pieces, consider other neutrals like charcoal, black, & navy, as well as classic patterns like polka dots, houndstooth, & plaid.
I found myself a little troubled when looking for coordinating pieces for my tealensemble- ones that wouldn’t make me go over budget, but… I did. Sometimes that happens when you find absolutely must-have pieces. I just adore this color (on me!) & think it’s a bold way to reinterpret greens & blues since it falls so beautifully in the middle. While checking out the newest arrivals @New York & Company, I found the satiny pleated from belted blouse ($29.95), which instantly made me think to find a skirt. Then the Grace Elements teal skirt with yoke ($24.99) from Loehmann’s was a perfect fit, especially if you’re trying to refresh your work wardrobe. For an extra fun touch, @Steve Madden, the Intrude pumps ($34.99) are just what this look needed to add some texture & despite the myth of material, these can be worn any time of the year. Finally, the Croft & Barrow jet bead hoop drop earrings ($12.00) from Kohl’s put the look just a bit over $100, but you can always keep this affordable by wearing favorites that you may already own like diamond stud earrings or something in silver.
My final look goes out to my plus-size Style Darlings because I think a berrytone is perfect for any shape & any woman. I shopped Wet Seal‘s plus section to find the 3/4 sleeve belted blouse ($18.99) on sale, which comes with a detachable belt, perfect for wearing over a cardigan or jersey dress to help enhance your curves. To keep this look balanced & figure-flattering, the roz & ALI stretch colored jeggings ($19.99) from Dress Barn helped complete the bottom half, especially since they’re available in sizes 14-24. I found the Rocket Dog Monica flat ($24.94) @DSW, which would also help dress down a shirt dress, work if paired with a denim skirt & sweater, or contrast a ruffled blouse & dolman top. My final piece to this looks is the neon metallic teardrop earring ($5.80) from Forever 21, which would sparkle for a date night in an LBD or look cute with a mod shift dress.
I was so excited in August to share one of my newest categories, Fabulous in 4 Ways, especially since the debut post was dedicated to my good friend Laurie, as inspired by her fabulous lace-up knee boots from Victoria’s Secret! Now, I’m talking about faux leather & pencil skirts, but before we dive into the outfits, I turned to some of my favorite celebrities to get some inspiration in how I would style such a classy & modern take on the figure flattering piece.
Kate Bosworth rocks a Proenza Schouler leather-trimmed pencil skirt at the brand’s New York boutique opening with a relaxed white blouse & strappy sandals. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, wore a high-waist pencil skirt in navy with a cropped cardigan & purple top, while visiting a Wisconsin school. Mad Men bombshell Christina Hendricks mixes her old school glamour with a Dolce & Gabbana blouse, red clutch, & classic black pencil skirt.
Total Recall star Kate Beckinsale plays with colorblocking with a chic H&M tank, Diane von Furstenberg turquoise skirt, & spiked neutral pumps. Rashida Jones is polished & professional with a touch of menswear while making an appearance on Good Morning America, wearing a printed button down shirt & white pencil skirt. Aussie starlet Cate Blanchett showed her support for Givenchy in a head-to-toe look with Roger Vivier heels.
Of course, New York Fashion Week has ended, but that only means that the rest of the world is reeling with joy over the continuous wave of fashion, including London. The city is seeing lots of designers embracing the lightness of spring, as seen in the fabulous Spring 2013 Ready-To-Wear Collection. Scottish-born designer, Christopher Kane, has been favored on the red carpet by celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Alexa Chung, Chloe Grace Moretz, & Shailene Woodley.
Solange Knowles is often the butt of every Beyoncé joke made by Joan Rivers on E!‘s Fashion Police, but there’s nothing to laugh about when it comes to this singer’s style. She’s been a serious contender on the red carpets & during various other appearances, teaching Style Darlings everywhere a thing or two about how to make separates work in the most unexpected ways. Her rebellious & flirty style are becoming her signature, clad in ankle-strap shoes, mixing prints & colors, as well as playing with proportions for her hair. As iconic as big sister Beyoncé is, there’s no doubt that Solange is an individual force to be reckoned with. Check out the gallery below to see Solange’s best looks this spring! Happy Styling!
Style Darling Daily 