Colorful Coats

Wearing a coat with color brings alive your look in winter.  Walk into a room and grab everyone's attention.

This colorful coat by BCBG has a flirty bottom.  It is perfect to wear with a skirt or dress.  This also looks great with pants.  The coat is available in Lemon Grass or Boysenberry.  $268.80.  Try changing out the buttons to something that suits your style and personality to really enliven this coat.

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This shows how you wear the coat stylized with a dress, bag, and heels.

                     

For a different look, try a zippered coat.  This looks sleek versus edgy.  The color makes it pop.  Available at J Crew in multiple color options.  Also available in petite.

J. Crew Magestic Purple Double Cloth Envelope Coat, $189.99

The hardware on this jacket makes it stand out.  Interesting buttons grab people's attention and makes a look more fashionable and noticeable.  

J. Crew Double-cloth Townhouse Trench, $239.99 Dark Eggplant  BB Dakota Yellow Jacket with Gold Grommets, $83.99

For a more corporate looking coat, try this one by DKNY.  Available at sylebop.com.  $630.

This blue jacket is a perfect transition coat from fall to winter, or winter to spring.  Trench coats can truly be worn year-round.  In geranium (hit color for 2012) or nautical blue, from Bebe.  $129.

 

Men "Wearing Color"

In recent years, wearing color has become a sign of style for men who care about their appearance and whose wardrobes extend beyond jeans and t-shirts.  Add some vibrant colors in jewel tones, purples, blues, yellows, greens, or melon.

The darker your skin tone, the brighter the color you can get away with.


Rules to follow when wearing color:

Use color to accessorize.  A bright colored belt, pair of socks, or a pocket square to accompany your suit are all great ideas.  To subtly add color, wear a white button down shirt with dark jeans and a colored belt.  For a more conservative look, add a color pocket square to enliven your dark suit.

W. Kleinberg Crocodile Belt, Orange. $350  Jimmy Choo Shiny Leather Penny Loafer, $650 
        

 Blue Gucci Belt, $68.20                                                   Croton Men's Watch, $99.99
          

Wear one bold piece at a time.  Only one garment should be standing out, i.e. your sweater, shirt, jacket, or pants.  Try a colored trench coat, a bright colored sweater or a button down in turquoise, kelly green, emerald green, or melon.  Let that one item be the only item of color and pair with neutrals (brown, gray, black, khaki, navy blue).

                                                Michael Kors, $125.                       Burberry London Men's Raglan Trench Coat  

   

Calvin Klein Non-Iron Silver Stripe City Sport Shirt, $39.99                                     Armani, $425
                

                                                                                Ted Baker, Nordstrom's, $140

Color Coordination.  If you are going to wear more than one colored piece at a time, keep it all in the same color family.  Try wearing a printed button down shirt with a coordinating colored tie.  This looks very sharp for work and great to transition to a night out or dinner.

Pops of Color

It is the drab time of year where it is getting colder and everyone is bundled up.  Add a pop of color to each outfit you are wearing to appear fashion-forward and to brighten your look and mood.  Pops of color works great with neutrals such as navy, gray, black, white, brown, or olive.  This can be done by adding a fun scarf and gloves with your coat, with a fun work bag or purse, or in your shoes and jewelry.  The key is to add 1-2 stand out colors and pieces to an outfit.  Too much and you look sloppy versus trendy.


If your outfit has grey and black, add a tote or purse in a fun shade such as hot pink, turqoise, or lime green.  Add a fun high heel if you work in a more casual environment or for going out at night.  Michael Kors Gia E/W tote, turqoise, $795.  Lime green clutch, Rebecca Minkoff Neon Lizard Mini Mac Bag, $198.  Michael Antonio Teague heels, $58.49.  I would recommend where two complimentary colors together or stick with one color to wear with your neutrals.

   


Wearing black gives the perfect opportunity to add some fun to your outfit.  Add a colorful platform heel, such as they Giuseppe Zanotti Patent Color Block Heel, $695.  Add a complimentary colored bag to complete your look.  This one is by Michael Kors Gia Satchel, $895.

  

The last look is navy with pops of color.  Navy is a great neutral that is very popular right now.  Add a coral purse, or tote, such as Sandra Robert's Patent Tote, $178.  This Kenneth Jay Lane Coral Necklace adds pizzazz, $80.

 


The key is having great color accessories, scarves, bags, shoes, and jewelry, that you can interchange with various outfits you wear over this season and into spring.  As long as you are wearing with a neutral, any of these items can be worn with any outfit.

Winter White Wonderland

Winter White is a great color to be wearing this season.  It looks crisp and fresh.  Wear solely winter white or pair it with color to stand out.  They key to wearing white is that the colors correctly go, either compliment each other or match.  Cameron Diaz, shown below, makes winter white seem chic with a belt and gold bangles.

Try a white beaded dress.  Two options shown below, both by Arden B.  The beaded tube dress, $189 or a v neck beaded dress, $189 are great options to wear out at night.  They can be worn with a long silver or winter white coat to a dressier event, or a short leather jacket to somewhere fun and casual.

   

White satin pants and a sweater or tank top are another great option.  Pair a long cashmere sweater, such as this one by White House Black Market, $99.98 or this off the shoulder sweater called Poet Sleve Marilyn Tunic, $30 with a pair of satin or tuxedo pants.  Try a faux fur shrug to dress up your look for a night on the town.  Nordstrom's $98.

  

To dress up your look, try a sparkly skirt to accompany your white top.  This gold and silver sequined skirt , $89.99, looks great with a wrap, such as this Bernie of New York silk chiffon wrap, Nordstrom's $68.  This can also be worn with a thin knit winter white sweater or a chunky knit sweater and shoe booties.

 

To stay warm this winter, add a winter white coat.  You can go stark white where nothing distracts from the lines of the coat, or try this option, a Ecru Ponte coat, with a dramatic neckline and buttons. $104.99.  This MICHAEL Michael Kors Grommet Trim Trench Coat adds some pizzazz to your look. $295.

 

Dressy Jumpsuits

Jumpsuits are fashion-forward.  Great for wearing out for a night on the town, to work, or to an event.  Add accessories to make your jumpsuit pop!


This Halston jumpsuit with wool scraf cinches in at the waist.  The side swept neckline and color make this pop.  $2695.

This smokey flower gray jumpsuit is a sexy twist on the basic black.  $69 at Arben B.

Young, Fabulous & Broke's black jumpsuit cinches you in at the waist.  The opening on the shoulder gives you a perfect amount of skin.  This looks great with shoe booties in a bold print, or a bright colored decorated heel.  $184.80.

Temperley London's Silk Black Jumpsuit's exquisite neckline and backline make this outfit pop.  This is best worn by a taller, thin built woman with heels.  Great with a fun clutch or bag and heels.  A cocktail ring and large colored statement earrings complete the look.  $973.

  

This Bebe Tuxedo Jumpsuit is a great option to wear to work.  In Winter add a fun colored blazer or cardigan.  For Summer wear the jumpsuit for a colored work bag.  Change to a fun clutch and heels to go out at night.  $111.99.

The ruffle side shoulder detail makes this jumpsuit stand out.  Another way to wear this is to remove the black belt and add a jeweled belt and sparkling heels.  Or try it with a colored belt and clutch in complimentary tones.  Bebe, $98.

Things to note when wearing a jumpsuit are the fit and feel of the fabric.  Ideally you want it to hang from your body.  Make sure it is not gathering in any areas.  If it is, try a different jumpsuit on.  There are jumpsuits in all price ranges and most boutiques and all department stores carry them.  See you looking stylish!

Flowy Tops for Ladies

Ladies are always looking for what works best with leggings.  Longer blouses are great as they can be worn for work first, with a skirt and belt or with a blazer and then out at night with boots or stiletto's.

This BCBG blouse is great with black leggings for night and a pencil skirt for day.  The leopard print is very on trend.  Available at Lord and Taylor's and BCBG, $198.

 

This top by RACHEL Rachel Roy would be great paired with leggings now and a fun necklace.  As spring arrives, wear it with gold or olive colored capri's.  $46.99

This loose black top with a square neckline would be great paired with stiletto's or boots and skinny jeans.  Make it pop with colored jeans in a bright tone, such as deep purple or hot pink.  Top by Rachel Roy, $43.99.

This Diane von Furstenberg silk blouse is great for most body types.  The open neckline and detail emphasizes shoulders.  Larger busted women can wear this as it draws in at the waist to still give you a figure.  Add a dramatic statement necklace and leather leggings to dress it up.

A pop of color is a great way to brighten up your drab winter looks.  This RACHEL by Rachel Roy Top is a perfect addition.  A great top to wear in the winter with leggings or skinny jeans.  Add a cropped leather jacket and a long necklace. $46.99.