Dissecting the NY Times Runway Blog

This week, I read an article from the New York Times "On the Runway" blog. The post I interpreted was by Cathy Horyn and was titled "Prada: Working Girl." In the article, Cathy describes the Prada Spring 2014 runway show and shares her thoughts about it. I've separated Cathy's vivid language into 5 categories: silhouette, details, color, fabric, and creative jargon. This break down should help everyone better understand fashion language, and get a feel for what the overall appearance of the Prada runway show was like.

• Silhouette - sleeveless, dresses, leg warmers, web sandal, box-pleated skirts, schoolgirlish coats, shift and coat shapes, simple sportswear, shifts, coats, bags
• Details - ribbed, sports elements, varsity stripes, box-pleated, freckled with colored stones, chunky embroidery, printed

• Color - colored stones
• Fabric - viscose knits, wools, screen-printed silks, printed mink
• Creative Jargon - schoolgirlish, femininity, lavish compositions, transparently muscular, feminine portraits, poster art

Here are some of the shots I liked best from the Prada show...

Overall, I was impressed by Ms. Horyn's writing.  Her use of descriptive words is out of this world. I'm impressed by and respect her vocabulary. She paints a picture of this runway show with ease. However, I was surprised by her lack of color language in this article. The only word she used to describe the colors in this show was, in fact, a pretty vague word, "colored." This could mean many things to a reader (multi-colored, red-colored, complementary-colored -- which one is it?). To a reader with limited visuals this could pose a problem. 

After looking at the show in its entirety, I think color plays an important factor in this show. Prada used a wide range of colors in this collection. Dull neutrals like deep army green, grays, and blacks were mixed with pieces of richly colored hues like bright yellow, pumpkin orange, and cobalt blue.

Other than the lack of color emphasis in Cathy's article, I really enjoy what she has to say. I agree with some of her opinions on this show, like how she wasn't crazy about Miuccia Prada's use of graphic portraits. Something about this Prada show just wasn't on point for me. I think the collection had a little too much of a mishmash of different design elements. Prada's designs were a little too out there for me, and that's coming from someone who usually appreciates a crazy runway show.

Read Cathy Horyn's full article here.
& watch a recap of the Prada Spring 2014 Runway here!

Give it the Green Light

This past weekend I went exploring around the city looking for trends. I started out by walking toward Madison Square Park. On the walk there, I saw a girl with an amazing pair of denim and leather jeans. I asked for photo of her outfit and got denied...not off to a good start. But, whatever I guess leather just wasn't meant to be for this fall streetwear trend post. Once I got to Madison Square I couldn't quite find anything there that inspired me so headed back west toward the High Line. I ended up stumbling upon this lovely woman pictured below at a flea market. I loved her casual, cool look, and I especially loved her army green jacket! Things were looking up...  

Continuing on, I spotted another girl wearing a similar style jacket, and again in that awesome army green! I sneaked a picture of her as I crossed the street and continued my venture to the High Line.

Next, on 27th, right near the FIT museum, another girl's outfit really caught my eye. This girl looked so chill in this green jacket with sleeves scrunched up. I fell in love with the fun embroidered back details that added a pop of color to the outfit. Her casual weekend look was on point by adding simple white sneakers and distressed jeans.

Finally, I reached the High Line which was looking amazingly beautiful in the early evening. Once I stopped getting distracted by the gorgeous views, I found this adorable young woman in another awesome army green jacket. I really liked her combination of stripes and bright denim. Her look was simple yet stylish and sporty!

All in all, it looks like army green is a hit on the street of nyc. I mostly saw this color in women's jackets but it also is a great color for pants, skirts, t-shirts, you name it! I think this green is a great alternative neutral! I would pick something up in this color and maybe in a military style if you want to embrace this fall trend.

PS - I couldn't help but add this incredible picture that I took while scoping out the High Line. Every time I go there I take a million pictures. It never gets old! And I can't help but share it...

Meet Me in the Middle

A trend that's recently captured my eye for this Fall is the midi length. Hi-low skirts have had their moment, and now it's time to move on to a new style of hem. Midi length skirts and dresses fall between the knee and the ankle. This trendy hemline is versatile and can be played up as sexy or classy. The midi trend showed up on the Fall 2013 runways and is making its way to the streets.  Here's some runway looks to inspire your future midi hem outfits:

Printed full midi skirt from House of Holland Fall 2013 RTW

Engineered Print Skirt from Mary Katrantzou's Fall 2013 Collection

Textured Leather Midi Dress by Mary Katrantzou
encompasses multiple Fall 2013 trends

Proenza Schouler does a chic & crisp midi look
for Fall 2013 RTW

On the runway, Victoria Beckham's relaxed midi skirt pairs
well with a turtleneck for a trendy Fall look

Not only was this look prevalent on the runway, but its also readily available for a more frugal shopper. My favorite thing about this trend is that it is so versatile. No matter what styles of fashion you lean toward, there's a midi out there for you. I personally just ordered this midi dress online from Urban Outfitters. I plan to rock it with a leather jacket or even an unbuttoned flannel when the weather gets colder. Below are some affordable midi dresses and skirts that are ready to be taken to the streets this season!

English musician Nicola Roberts wears an Asos printed midi

Pleated leather midi skirt from Asos

Bodycon style midi dress from Boohoo.com

Super affordable & super casual striped dress from Forever 21

Sophisticated A-line midi skirt from Asos

My Favorite Fashion Bloggers

I've rounded up a list of some of my favorite fashion bloggers. I delved back into the archives of three amazing bloggers in the hopes of discovering just what makes them so great. Turns out that the three blogs I selected have very different styles of blogging, but they all get their point of view across flawlessly. Here's the scoop on why Keiko Lynn, Street Peeper, and Man Repeller are all blogs you should start keeping up with...

Keiko Lynn

Keiko Lynn has come to be one of my favorite fashion bloggers for a multitude of reasons. I can't help but swoon over her vintage inspired style, handsome bartender boyfriend, fun-loving Brooklyn lifestyle, and of course her love of designer Rachel Antonoff. On top of all that, we even own the same pair of shoes.  It's hard not love the way she mixes vintage and modern pieces as well as high and low end clothing. Keiko's blog is filled with stunning images which show off her style and highlight her daily activities in New York City. Reading about her exciting endeavors inspires me to take better advantage of living in NYC. Most of all, I enjoy how she always references where she purchased each portion of her outfit.  If I ever see a piece I really like, I can scope is out instantly!

Street Peeper

Street Peeper is another awesome fashion blog that will help keep you up to speed on what's going on with street style across the globe. The blog, run by Phil Oh, categorizes street style by major city. It's pretty incredible that you can simply click on the link for a city, like Tokyo, and immediately check out some highlights of the city's current street wear. Even though you may be half way across the world, Street Peeper will keep you updated on what everyone is wearing. Not only is this blog conveniently organized by city, it also includes a more formal blog section that groups together trends. I love that Street Peeper allows me to see the trends occurring within a city as well as across different cities. This blog is an amazing way to get new creative ideas. Sorting through the endless photos of people's unique styles is extremely inspiring.

Man Repeller

Leandra Medine is the mind behind the blog Man Repeller. Her blog is fantastic even for its namesake alone. Leandra's term, "man repeller," emphasizes the act of women dressing in a way that may be likely to repel men. I appreciate her promotion of this sense of style. I consistently adore how she dresses and how she thinks in her own way that is relatively uninfluenced by what other people might think. Man Repeller is an interesting read due to Leandra's witty yet eloquent writing style. Her blog remarks on many topics from runway fashion to pop culture to postmodern love. I love how, no matter what mood I'm in, there is always a post on her blog I can read that will suit me. To top it all off, Leandra's clever titles and subtitles will always make me smile and hook me in to keep reading.