Trend Alert

With only about a month left before I complete my undergrad, I am determined to make the most of my final days in the beloved university environment (my working friends are telling me they miss the campus life, so I may as well breathe it all in while I still can). Of course, besides taking up kickboxing and catching up with friends, part of enjoying my final year includes going to the mall with my roommate. We went two Saturdays in a row because she was getting her boots re-heeled, so I did what I do best: window shop. Here are a couple of observations from my two trips:

The Latest Trends (ie. things that are everywhere)

Ankle Boots + Gold Metal
Remember when metal tips were in style? Well nowadays, the hardware is taking a backseat by adorning the heels. I am a huge fan of this trend, and have a feeling it was influenced by Alexander Wang's cutout heel. While gold heels are seen on flats too, golden accents are most prevalent on ankle boots. As for the boots themselves, I notice they tend to be either chunky heeled (possibly with buckles and cutouts), or flat and streamlined.



Lace-up
This trend has been going strong for a while (especially on Instagram), although lately there seems to be an increase in the number of lace-up shoes and tops as the warmer season approaches. Seen most distinctively in Givenchy's Spring 2015 collection and popularized by the Kardashians, lacing has reached mainstream retail. I don't inherently dislike the trend - I think lacing is sexy and fun - but as is with all trends, I fear it will become overdone.

The Sixties & Seventies
We're having a blast to the past (as usual) with a '60s and '70s hippie/boho revival. I've been seeing a lot of suede, bell sleeves, fringe, button-up skirts, wide-leg sailor pants, and off-shoulder tops. It's an aesthetic I didn't think would be so popular with young girls (being a '90s kid, zip-up hoodies, flared jeans and skater shoes were the extent of how fashionable we were), but in some ways it's nice to see the newer generations have more fun with fashion.

Pendant Jewellery
This trend makes me laugh. It so explicitly demonstrates how easily trends come and go. Not too long ago, statement necklaces were all the rage. Big, bold and colourful. Now, we've scaled back immensely, and simple pendant jewellery is the sign of a modern woman. However, women are often still layering multiple pieces for a fuller look. I remember disliking my minimal jewellery years ago and wishing I had more eye-catching pieces. Guess I better make use of this current trend wave and give my jewellery collection some mileage!

Shrunken Bags
I'm not sure if I would classify shrunken bags as a trend, although it is something I have noticed. I call them 'shrunken bags' instead of 'mini-bags' because I find the designs more typical of medium-sized bags: structured with top handles. I've mentioned this phenomenon to my shopping companions to see whether I'm just delusional and imagining up trends, but they seem to understand where I'm coming from.

Long and Loose Coat

Even though I may struggle to pull off this trend with my shorter stature, I do like the look of it. I've come across a number of long coats and loose trenches, and adore the stylishly languid silhouette. These coats are a fantastic layering piece and would create great movement as you walk.

Interesting Products

Kate Spade New York Makenzie Aviators
My roommate and I got caught up in the Hudson's Bay eyewear section, and I came across this pair of Kate Spade aviators. I've tried Kate Spade eyewear once before and loved it - once again, I was pleasantly surprised! My face shape does tend to suit aviators better, although I often have trouble finding ones that fit. Kate Spade, again, fit my face nice and snug. You can't see in this photo, but the gold rim of the frame is slightly shimmery, which I loved. The gold and pink combo is so chic, and I like the sleekness of the gold arms. My only complaint is the thicker transparent pink frame, which looks a little cheap from the front. If it were slimmer, these sunnies would be perfect.

Banana Republic Blue Lace Button-Up
I have a soft spot for lace, but wasn't expecting to see it in this form. My roommate and I were coincidentally conversing on the topic of how conservative business attire is when we saw this button-up. I'm torn. I think the thick lace would make this a very difficult piece to wear, yet at the same time, I appreciate that it's different and would welcome the challenge to style it (my mindset is how can I wear this, not I can't wear this). Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend wearing this in a business setting, as much as I would love to shake up the world of traditional officewear.

Image Source: Lyst,Chaos-Mag, Trends.Jewelry, RhymeandReason, FashionAgony, MyLifeInPink, Zara, LeFashion, Bloomingdales

Alberta Ferretti Limited Edition Spring 2016 Couture

I am loving Alberta Ferretti's foray into Haute Couture with her Limited Edition line. The first look in her Spring 2016 collection had me melting. The sparkly ombré, the fringe along the sleeves, and the loose and long silhouette instantly transported me to the middle of a lavish soirée. This mysterious woman is commanding the attention of all who are in attendance. She has a sense of dark danger about her, but everyone keeps looking because she is strangely irresistible. She is a femme fatale.

The collection's use of black lace continued this theme of irresistible danger. You feel uneasy, yet can't help but be drawn closer and closer.

Occasionally, the collection was weighed down by the heavier brocade ball gowns, but craftsmanship was clearly of high caliber. The allure of exoticism was also evident in the bold animal print and slithering snake accessories. I adored the piping on the high-low ball skirt - and, oh, those glitter ankle boots! They remind me of sleeker versions of shoes from Miu Miu's Fall 2011 collection, which I also loved.

There were instances of reprieve from the ominous decadence in a series of lighter-shade confections, but the intensity of the model's gaze served as a reminder of the woman behind the virginal white lace.

Alberta Ferretti Limited Edition also released a strong debut collection last couture season. While it at times was again weighed down by misuse of heavier fabrics, there were moments of great lightness and opulence. I look forward to seeing how this label develops.

See the full collection here.

Image Source: Vogue.com

Firmoo Glasses Giveaway! [Closed]

Edit: Congratulations to our grand prize winner, Valerie, and our five runner-ups, Ireon, Norgful, Penny, Victoria and Herbert!

Over the past year or so, I've been on the hunt for new glasses. I had been meaning to blog about it for a while, but as school and life took over, it got put in the back burner. However, my procrastination appears to have paid off in this case because I was recently invited by Firmoo to host a giveaway on my blog. I thought it would be a great tie-in to this post - as well as a great way of motivating myself to actually get this post written!

But before we get to the giveaway, let's talk glasses. My two existing glasses are both of similar style: black, rectangular frames. While they do complement my features, they are admittedly quite conservative. In recent years, I have found myself wanting to venture out and own a trendier pair of frames. More specifically, I want havana/gold browline glasses, as inspired by YouTubers Kalel and CutiePieMarzia:

Unfortunately, the problem with being blind as a bat is that it's hard to tell whether a pair of glasses looks good when I'm trying it on (I can't even see what I look like!), and the thickness of my lens limits the style of glasses I can select from. Since I will be getting contacts soon, I'm contemplating simply buying affordable and stylish non-prescription frames for fashion purposes.

Giveaway

If you're looking for affordable glasses too, then maybe Firmoo will be one of your pit stops.



About Firmoo:

Firmoo is an online optical store, bypassing most of the expenses incurred in the brick and mortar stores. Through collaboration between optical experts, direct manufacturers and overseas laboratories, Firmoo offers customers affordable eyeglasses.

Prizes: 

• One (1) person will win a voucher for a pair of Rx-eyeglasses/non-Rx sunglasses from this selection of frames. The voucher will cover frames with 1.50 index single vision lenses. The winner will need to pay for shipping & handling and any additional upgrades. 
• Five (5) people will win a $10 voucher. The voucher can be used on all glasses site-wide ($19-$39), but will not apply to discounted products.

Eligibility:

This giveaway is for new customers only. It is open to countries to which Firmoo ships. Please check to see if you are eligible here.

Entering: 

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below. The only mandatory entry is to comment below with a link to your favourite pair of glasses from this selection of frames. For additional entries, simply follow the instructions!

This giveaway will end February 14, 2016 at 11:59pm EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners will be selected by Random.org and notified by email. Winners will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Please note Red-Soled Fashionista is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. 

Thank you to Firmoo for sponsoring this giveaway. No form of compensation was received for this post. I do not own any Firmoo products, and therefore make no statement on its quality or service.

Image Source: Weheartit, Instagram, Firmoo