Posts tagged Second Time Around

Trend Obsession: Monochrome Moment, Part 2


Last week, we focused on monochrome looks in their most classic form: black and white. Dressing in just one color can be daunting, so starting with all-black or all-white ensembles is a great way to experiment with the monochrome trend. But now that we’re a little more comfortable with the look, why should we just limit ourselves to black and white? As we enter into spring, we want our outfits to reflect our sunnier moods—that means color, and lots of it!

Once you’ve mastered black and white, try out a monochrome look in one of spring’s hottest colors; my favorites are emerald, blue-green, or orange, but don’t be afraid to try something new! The most important part of putting together a colorful monochrome look is to wear the color in a variety of tones—make sure your look isn’t matchy-matchy and stay away from choosing all pieces that are too similar in shade.

For a casual day-to-day look, choose one piece of clothing in a bright color and build the rest of your outfit around it. Try pairing a pale blue silk blouse with a pair of electric blue pants and accessorize with a navy blazer or a patterned blue scarf. Choosing a suit in a bright color (as seen above) is an even bolder way to try this trend, just make sure your accessories and other components aren’t the identical shade as the suit. To transition the outfit to evening, add a brightly colored clutch or a vibrant pair of blue pumps to your ensemble. Color-coordinating your accessories to your outfit is an absolute must with this trend.

The key to wearing colorful monochrome is not being afraid to experiment; just because you’re limited to one color doesn’t mean you can’t play around with different shades and patterns! Step into spring in a fun, colorful monochrome look-you’ll be sure to stand out!

~Alyssa, fashioniSTA

(Image credits for collage: www.nyanzi.com, carolinesmode.com, www.asos.com)

Why a Consign & Buy is STA’s Best Promotion

We all love a good promotion (who doesn’t like getting an extra discount or added perk?), but there are certain ones that really break the mold. For us, it’s the Consign & Buy, easily our favorite STA initiative, and it’s not just because everyone gets a 50/50 split (10% more than usual). Whether you’re a shopper or consignor, this is the promotion that beats them all. Allow us to break it down for you…

1. It makes spring cleaning about 1000 times easier. Have you looked at your closet lately? Yeah, we know, it’s scary (don’t worry, we’re in the same boat). It can be daunting enough to rifle through your wardrobe, nevermind think ahead to making a consignment appointment. With this promotion, you don’t need an appointment! You can just put your items in a bag and drop them off at any STA store on your way to brunch or dinner. (Can you tell we like to eat?)

2. You get extra STA credit that you can use on the items you want, and it’s easier than you think. Unless you go years without cleaning out your closet, you might think that you don’t have enough to maximize your extra STA credit. Most people don’t think to look at their accessories when cleaning out their closets, but bringing in jewelry, sunglasses and other small accessories is a great way to capitalize on the credit.

3. Tons of new product, enough said. A Consign & Buy makes it so easy to consign your items, the amount of new merchandise that goes on display is incredible. Plus if you’ve taken advantage of the consigning part of this promotion, you can shop these new goodies using your extra STA credit!

4. No wondering about your drop-off. With a Consign & Buy, a store associate will immediately evaluate your items, so you know right away what has been accepted and you can take any unaccepted items home with you. You get the best of both worlds with this promotion, you don’t have to make an appointment, but you get all of the benefits of one.

What are you waiting for?! Get yourself to any Second Time Around store from Thursday, March 7th - Sunday, March 10th to get in on the best promotion around!

Trend Obsession: Monochrome Moment, Part 1

Fashion is all about self-expression, so when black and white monochrome looks became popular, I was a bit hesitant to participate. How can you fully express your fashion sense without the use of color? However, after seeing this trend on nearly every runway, I decided it was worth a shot—and now I’m obsessed!

One of the great things about this trend is that most of us have a bunch of separate black and white pieces in our closets. Because you’re only dressing in black and white, it is actually a fairly easy trend to construct from any wardrobe, as long as you know how. For a subtler look for the office or during the day, play around with contrasting separates in a more unconventional way. Instead of donning the traditional black pants/white top look, try a pair of white pants and pair them with a black cashmere sweater or silk top. Since the look is simplistic in color, you can get away with incorporating more organic detail, whether it’s adding a belt or layering two embellished pieces in the same hue.

If you’re a little more daring, try wearing an ensemble of all white—the color is perfect for transitioning into spring and actually helps to create a slimming silhouette. And with winter white popping up everywhere, you no longer have to wait until Memorial Day to break it out.

If you want to rock monochrome in the evening, play around with black and white patterns; throw on a polka dotted blazer or a pair of striped pants and accessorize with a black and white color blocked bag. If you’re super daring, experiment with—gasp!—mixing different black and white patterns in one outfit. Mixing black and white prints is an easy way to try out the contrasting prints trend, giving you two trends in one!

Monochromatic black and white is absolutely everywhere this season, from the runways to the magazines. The trend is fun, flattering and easy, so don’t be afraid to give it a shot! Stay tuned as we show you how to work with other hues for a monochromatic look!

~Alyssa, fashioniSTA

(Image credits for collage: Style.com, Refinery29.com, Harpersbazaar.com)

Get the Look: Spring 2013

The snow is melting (for now) and the flowers are blooming…spring is officially upon us! And in the fashion world this means, pastels, floral prints, bold neons, and skirts sans tights. This spring, with trends coming from every angle - from super masculine to extra feminine - opposites really do attract!

Stripes are always a must come springtime, but this year say goodbye to nautical themed stripes and hello to the big and the bold. Wide, statement-making stripes can be found on everything from leggings to bathing suits. Try subtlety mixing this pattern into your current wardrobe by pairing a striped tee with a boyfriend blazer and cropped pants. Or if you’re the more fashion forward type, fully embrace the look and go for stripes on stripes. Go for the runway-popular black and white look paired with a sharp red lip for an instant ensemble.
To put even more of a masculine edge in your closet, this season is all about the suit gone short. Mixing up your nighttime ensemble has never been easier thanks to suits that incorporate shorts rather than pants. Ease into this trend by donning the shorts by day and adding the matching jacket for a night out.

If you gravitate towards more feminine trends, then spring is your time to shine. With warmer weather approaching, sheer details and cutouts are back. A great way of showing a little skin without being too revealing, try sheer sleeves for daytime and sheer panels for night. To take it to the next level, go with intricate cutouts on a skirt or a dress, a trend that popped up consistently during NYFW.
To embrace the feminine side of spring, in a more unexpected way than florals, try out the ruffle trend that swept the runways. From skirts to necklines, ruffles and origami-like folds are adding new dimension to any outfit this season. If you happen to like non-sparkly embellishments, this is a fresh take on adding a little extra to your ensemble.

Whether you’re all about raiding your boyfriend’s closet or stick strictly to girly shapes, there’s something for everyone this season. Remember, spring is the time to try new trends and embrace what works for your style!

This Thursday: A Very Stylish Girls’ Night Out

Want to incorporate 2013’s latest trends into your wardrobe but don’t know where to start?
STA is here to help you get the look! Whether you’re hoping to break out of your fashion comfort zone by adding some sheer to your closet, or simply looking to up your stripe game - we’ve got you covered!
Join us at any (or all!) of our locations on Thursday, February 21st from 4pm-8pm for champagne, cupcakes and 20% off this season’s must have pieces. Shop our customized racks or just browse your favorite designers while sipping in style!
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www.secondtimearound.net

Red Carpet Rundown: Sparkle and Edge at KAUFMANFRANCO

Front Row Included: Ashley Greene, Maggie Grace, June Ambrose, Joanna Coles, Jane Krakowski (not surprising since she wore the designer to the recent SAG Awards)

Number of Looks: 38

Stand-Outs: Fringed silver sequin dresses, streamlined gowns, dark neutral leather and fur pairings

This was another show with its finger on the pulse of awards season. Always seen on the red carpet, this runway didn’t disappoint with a healthy mix of sparkle and edge. The full-length gowns were accented with cut-outs, sheer panels, feathers, and – my favorite – sequined silver fringe. Fingers crossed that the front row ladies were scoping out their next awards ensemble!

While the gowns were certainly the finale stars of the show, the luxe leather and fur accents gave this show wearable substance. Playing off a palette of neutrals, the designer used luxurious textures and a touch of sparkle to supplement the rich use of earth tones. A few notable looks included brown fur jackets mixed with either a miniskirt or skin-tight leather leggings (of which Joanna Coles, Editor-In-Chief of Cosmopolitan and former EIC of Marie Claire, was spotted snapping multiple photos).

Moral of this story? Stock up on dark neutrals in exotic textures as a sure-fire way to shine this fall.

~Ashley, FashioniSTA

Runway Rundown: Red Carpet Moments at Reem Acra

Front Row Attendees: Katherine Heigl, Tinsley Mortimer, Robert Verdi

Number of Looks: 35, ranging from outerwear to gowns

Stand-Outs: Use of fishnet in formal gowns, colored fur, draped sequins, Asian-influenced detailing

If you’re as awards show-crazy as we are, then you can understand our obsession with Reem Acra’s show yesterday. Tons of glitter has always been our MO, so we were thrilled to see a healthy dose of sparkle on the runway. The highlights of the show included the more traditional, perfectly-tailored, sequin gowns; the tulle peplum, red-carpet-worthy dresses; and the black-tie utilization of fishnet mesh.

The head-to-toe sparkle look also popped up at other shows – see KAUFMANFRANCO and Dennis Basso – just in time for the Oscars. But aside from your basic full-sequin numbers, we went crazy over the sheer details that used mesh overlays instead of your basic sheer fabric. In addition, Asian-inspired ornate details popped up on a number of the looks in this collection, from mandarin collars to the tulle and embroidered gowns that ended the show. The finale dress – a black mesh and tulle gown with ornate, red details extending over the bodice – was museum-worthy and red-carpet ready.

We’ll be looking for the silver draped beading gowns and the tulle and fishnet-paneled dresses on the red carpet – especially if the CBS Grammys dress code becomes a trend – perfect for fashion risk-takers with a slightly traditional palette. For the more casual crowd, kimono-inspired dresses and capes galore strutted down the runway, complete with fur details (a Fall 2013 staple). The lesson from this show? Grab your cape and your luxe-detailed pieces, with your choices ranging from fur to leather to embroidery to formal tulle.

Check out the entire collection here!

~Ashley, FashioniSTA

70% OFF Midnight Madness Starts Tomorrow and Thursday!

The ultimate sale of the season is finally here!

The time has come…it’s Midnight Madness!

Shop your favorite winter items at 70% off, starting February 6th and 7th with 20% off new arrivals for Spring.

And with plenty of our locations open until midnight, you’ll have lots of time to shop. See the list below to find when your favorite store starts the savings!

Starting on Wednesday, February 6th:

Brookline, MA**
Harvard Square, MA
Needham, MA*
Newton Highlands, MA*
Newton Centre, MA*
Northampton, MA**
Wellesley, MA**
Westport, CT*
Englewood, NJ*
Summit, NJ*
Westfield, NJ*
Forest Hills, Queens, NY**
Huntington, NY**
Miami, FL**

Starting on Thursday, February 7th:

176 Newbury Street, Boston, MA
219 Newbury Street, Boston, MA
324 Newbury Street, Boston, MA
Charles Street, Boston, MA
Thayer Street, Providence, RI
Portsmouth, NH
Portland, ME**
Burlington, VT
Greenwich, CT*
West Hartford, CT**
Georgetown, DC**
Mott Street, NYC
Murray Hill, NYC
Lexington Avenue, NYC
Thompson St, NYC
Chelsea, NYC
Gramercy, NYC
72nd and Broadway, NYC
Madison Ave, NYC**
Broadway, Upper West Side, NYC*
Armitage, Chicago, IL
Wicker Park, Chicago, IL**
Philadelphia, PA**

For a complete list of addresses for locations visit:
www.secondtimearound.net

*Open until 8pm
**Open until 10pm

New Haddonfield, NJ location is excluded from this event but is offering 20% off all merchandise.

Nail Colors of the Moment for Any Ensemble

In my opinion, an outfit is never complete unless you have perfectly manicured nails. No matter how great and fashionable you may look, a chipped manicure will bring down your overall look. Luckily, it’s easy to polish your look by stopping by your favorite local nail salon, or if you’re in a pinch put on a few coats of polish yourself! Here are a few nail trends that will keep your nails looking fashion forward:

1. Pale nails.
Pale nails never go out of style. This is always my basic fallback option and better yet, you can get away with having a few chips without it being glaringly obvious! Essie’s Mademoiselle is the perfect pale pink that instantly makes you look more polished and put together. Essie describes this color as “the most classic, grown-up pink,” and we couldn’t agree more! We also love a classic nude nail, and Essie’s Topless and Barefoot is a lovely nude. This is a fresh option for black tie events instead of going with a bold color (like with the Elie Saab dress pictured below), and it’s perfect for outfits that are tricky to match to your nails (like the Theodora & Callum cover-up below).

2. Dark gray.
Although this may not seem like your typical nail polish color, this color surprisingly goes with everything. We love Essie’s Smokin’ Hot. It’s not too dark, but is dark enough to make a statement. We think that a dark gray color can be worn similarly to a dark purple. Think dark gray paired with your favorite slouchy sweater and boots (sweater pictured below is J. Crew, boots are by Ugg). We recommend a nice flat gray that doesn’t have sparkles in it for a clean look worthy of Pinterest.

3. Dark reds.
Dark red is currently having a moment of popularity. This is a classic color that is perfect for this time of year, and we’re fixed on Butter’s La Moss hue. We love a dark oxblood red and have found that it’s wonderfully versatile for our winter wardrobe. We think this color beautifully compliments a wide variety of colors, from winter white to dark colors. Since oxblood has been so huge this fall and winter, you can wear this to add a pint of punch to a neutral outfit (like the black and gold Marni dress pictured below), or use it to complement an already-colorful ensemble (like the Dolce & Gabbana dress below). For the truly oxblood-obsessed, match your nails to your lips for a look that is unbeatably currant (pun intended).

Enjoy your manicures everyone!

~Molly, fashioniSTA

Inauguration 2013: Favorite Fashion Moments

As I tuned into the Inauguration festivities, I couldn’t help but intently focus on what the key players were wearing. From the FLOTUS outfit changes to Beyoncé’s tune-belting ensemble, this ceremony only proved that politics and fashion are no longer mutually exclusive. Here are our top five style moments from the ceremonies:

5. Michelle Obama at the Inaugural Reception in Michael Kors - A repeat outfit from 2009, this black sequin dress is further proof that the First Lady is a woman of the people. How many of us go to a little black sparkly dress for a black tie event and try to economize their closets?

4. Sasha and Malia Obama on Inauguration Day in J. Crew and Kate Spade - Wearing shades of purple, theFirst Kids (Disney throwback anyone?) proudly donned American designers and looked adorably chic. There’s nothing I love more than sisters who wear matching outfits or who have the foresight to alter a look just by changing buttons on a coat.

3. Michelle Obama at the Inaugural Ball in Jason Wu - Since Michelle really only had three color choices, I love that she went with a twisted halter neckline and a flowing shape. This really shows that women of all ages can wear bold colors without looking matronly. Plus is it just me or does this remind you of a modern take on Motown’s full-length, red sequin dresses?

2. Beyoncé and Jay-Z on Inauguration Day - Let’s be honest, we care about what Jay-Z wore to the point where he looked presentable next to the former Sasha Fierce. B’s intricate Pucci gown was understatedly ah-mazing, and I’m so glad that someone new has become the ambassador to emerald jewelry.

1. Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day in custom Thom Browne - This whole look just works. From the impeccable tailoring to the accented jewel belt to the gloves that matched her daughters’ outfits, Mrs. O did everything right with this. She directed enough attention to herself without taking over the event and she balanced the line between fashion-forward and conservative perfectly. And if I had the chance to go custom-made, I would jump at it.

Tell us what was your favorite look on our Facebook or reach out to us on Twitter!

~Ashley, FashioniSTA

Photo credits: Glamour.com, Philly.com, Bellastyles.com, Newswhip.com, HuffingtonPost.com