Posts tagged Victoria Beckham

What’s Your Coat Personality?

I’m sure all fashionistas would agree, we hate having to cover up our outfit every time we go outside when it’s cold out. In the winter, your coat is the outfit the world sees, and at  STA we love sporting jackets that are as fashionable as we are. But with so many to choose from, how do you know which coat best suits you?! Like your outfit, have your winter coat reflect your personality! Here are a few celebrity style inspirations to help you pinpoint your coat personality:

Trench Coats and Wool Blends

Personality Traits: Elegant, classic, classy, pretty, composed, girl-next-door

Inspiration: Kate Middleton and Jennifer AnistonAt STA:

A wool peacoat or a classic trench are the perfect cover for a nice occasion, or when you feel like looking sleek and put together.  The simple addition to your outfit not only keeps you warm, but exudes your beautiful and confident personality.  It’s impossible to go wrong with this sophisticated outerwear.

At STA:

  • Susana Monaco mohair/wool - STA 219 Newbury St.
  • Alexander McQueen short peacoat wool/cashmere - STA Portsmouth
  • Burberry Olive Trench - STA Wellesley

Fur

Personality Traits: Bold, Fearless, Confident, Diva, Glam

Inspiration: Victoria Beckham and BeyonceAt STA:

The look speaks for itself.  Nothing says “I’m a star” like fur.

At STA:

  • Lapin cat vest - STA Gramercy Park
  • Mink - STA Gramercy Park
  • Ombre dyed fox fur - STA Brookline

The Puffer

Personality Traits: Easy-going, fun, casual, big personality, lovable

Inspiration: Reese Witherspoon and Sofia VergaraAt STA:

The puffer is the “ready for anything” coat.  Whether your running errands, off to work, or out for the night, the puffer can handle anything.  Its versatility and undeniable warmth gives that “girl next door” feel, who’s easy going and up for anything.  And who doesn’t love a little fur trim when trying to add a little bit of edge?

At STA:

  • Northface Puffer Jacket - STA Portsmouth
  • Moncler Puffer - STA Charles St.
  • Cole Haan quilted jacket - STA Portsmouth

Unconventional and Daring

Personality Traits: Bold, Daring, Confident, Striking, Show-stoppers, risk-taker, trend-setter

Inspiration: Jessica AlbaAt STA:

Vests, bright colors, and different textures are all ways to bring unique flair to your outerwear.  Who needs to follow trends when you can set your own?  Whatever your heart desires, there’s a coat out there to match.  And when you flaunt it on the streets, everyone can tell that’s a girl with a fun, unique, and glamorous style.

At STA:

  • T by Alexander Wang jacket with leather sleeves - STA Nolita
  • Barbour vest - STA Charles St.
  • Bod n Christensen bomber jacket - STA Brookline
  • Barneys leather vest - STA Gramercy Park

Whatever your personality, flaunt it to the world through your winter coat!

Photos: pintrest.com

Our Favorite Trends at New York Fashion Week

Just when we started to embrace fall’s temperatures and wardrobes (Layers! Cashmere!) – New York Fashion Week had to come along and tantalize us with some of the sleekest and chicest spring/summer 2013 offerings we can think of. The next six months can’t fly by quick enough so we can get our hands our favorite NYFW pieces.

Who says sequins are for evening only? Us fashioniSTAs love everything that shimmers, like this Rachel Zoe. With its silver sheen and a hint of gold, we can’t wait to incorporate this top into our everyday wardrobes. Adding a bit of bling at the supermarket, on the subway, or at a dinner date never felt so easy. (We love it paired with Zoe’s crisp seafoam green shorts and oversized cat-eye sunnies too!)

Amping up our arsenal of summertime day dresses is one of the best things about spring (along with fresh flowers and paper-thin cardigans). Victoria Beckham’s new line, Victoria Victoria Beckham, makes our selection that much better for 2013. With a blended watercolor-inspired print, and a bold pop of cobalt blue, this dress will be one suitable the first al fresco brunch of the year. Perfect for brunch with your girlfriends, throw on some sandals and an aforementioned paper-thin cardigan and you’re good to go.

A common fashioniSTA dilemma? How to dress for warm weather to the office. Thanks to Z Spoke by Zac Posen (left) and Juicy Couture (right), short suits are on-trend in a big way. With their bold prints and vibrant colors, we’re able to bring tailored professionalism to the 9-5 work day. Pair them with flats and neutral accessories to make them instantly office-appropriate, whether your daytime style is quirky or sleek.

Want to see what else we loved from NYFW – and what we’re currently lusting after from London Fashion Week? We have you covered over at our Pinterest boards.

~Meredith, fashioniSTA

Spotlight On: Emilio Pucci

Nothing says “mod” more than the kaleidoscope-like prints of Emilio Pucci. From the first jewel-colored prints (inspired by motifs from the Italian Renaissance) to the ultimate simplicity of little silk jerseys shifts, Pucci was one of the hottest looks of the early ’60s. Pucci fans included some of the decade’s most photographed women—Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—which helped bring the brand into the public eye and gave it its jet-setting reputation. Monroe’s estate alone held enough vintage Pucci for its own display via Christie’s Auction House.

Pucci History The evolution of the Pucci label is tale of innovation with roots steeped in regality: the brand’s founder, the Marchese Emilio Pucci di Barsento, was a charismatic aristocrat whose lineage extended back to the 14th century. His foresight into fashion, however, was anything but traditional. Pucci was one of the pioneer brands to bear a logo, and the label was one of the first to diversify into interiors, athletic wear and accessories. It introduced free-moving, lightweight fabrics, pop art prints, and new color palettes into womenswear. Looking at the early designs of Pucci today, it is astonishing how contemporary it seems; the featherlight dresses cut as simply as t-shirts and the silk shirts in brilliantly colored jewel prints (designed to be worn with simple white pants or jean) are of today, not yesterday.

A Skiing Start The first clothes designed by Pucci were for the Reed College skiing team — hardly surprising as he was a member of the Italian Olympic ski team. However, his designs came to wider attention in 1947 on the slopes of Switzerland when skiwear that he had designed was photographed by a reporter working for Harper’s Bazaar. He was quickly asked by the magazine’s editor to design more ski ensembles for a story on European Winter Fashion, which ran in the winter 1948 issue.

Jet-Setting Style After his published Bazaar exposure, Pucci used his newfound recognition to set up a haute couture house on the beautiful Italian resort isle of Capri. By the 1950s, his boutique was catering to wealthy sophisticates, heiresses and movie stars buying his “Capri pants,” silk scarves and lightweight separates. By the mid-60s, the label was synonymous with the gilded lifestyle of an international jet-set. To further strengthen his image with the excursionist elite, Pucci was hired by the Braniff International Airways to help update their image — Braniff was seeking to create, as their ad cleverly stated, an “End of the Plain Plane.” Pucci would end up designing seven complete outfits for Braniff hostesses and pilots between 1965 and 1977. These uniforms (examples seen below) became so iconic that by 1968 even Barbie had versions of his first four uniforms. These avant-garde creations were designed as individual components to be added or removed as weather dictated; among the more unusual innovations was a “bubble helmet” – a clear plastic hood worn by flight attendants on the tarmac to protect their hairdos from rain and the blast of jet engines. What began with ski garb has expanded into an international empire, with almost every piece carrying the brightly colored, often swirly prints of his original 20th-century style. Today, more than sixty years later, the house remains as vibrant as ever — celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Kylie Minogue, Isabella Rossellini, Elizabeth Hurley, and Jennifer Lopez wear Pucci creations. Although Pucci’s fabulous prints defined a jet-setting generation in the ’50s and ’60s, his influence on textiles and prints is still very relevant in today’s couture. Want some Pucci in your life? Check out these picks from STA:

Terrycloth Tunics, size 6 — $179 apiece at STA HVD SQ

Pucci Pumps, size 7.5 — $79 at STA Charles St.

Pucci Canvas Bag — $179 at STA Charles St.

~Kim, FashioniSTA/Store Manager Harvard Square

Celebrity Designers: Successes and Failures

It seems that almost every celebrity – both A-list or otherwise – has come out with their own clothing (or shoe, or jewelry, or hand-bag) line. Most are just ho-hum, but some are very successful. What is the defining factor you ask?

The successful brands are those labels which can exist independently of their creator based upon the quality of their design. While the style or personality of the celebrity informs the spirit of the brand, it is not solely the link to the celebrity that gives the label validation.

Want some examples of this success? Here are my favorites:

Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B.

One part new-wave preppy, one part rocker-chic and all parts cool, Gwen’s higher-end line (she also has a diffusion label named Harajuku Lovers after the Japanese street style that she loves so much) is extremely successful. The singer, songwriter and fashion plate is incredibly talented. Although her rock star status came first and most certainly informs her collections, there is no doubt about her designing talent. Pun intended.

Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s The Row and Elizabeth and James

The world’s most famous twins’ high-end ventures into designing have cranked out some very cool duds. Famous for their “homeless chic,” M-K and Ashley have produced a line of very wearable basics and fashion pieces for the downtown girl who loves fashion. Slinky tees, menswear-inspired pieces, sexy dresses, shoes and jewelry abound.

Mila Jovovich’s Jovovich-Hawk

Model turned actress turned designer, Mila Jovovich, teamed up with her friend Carmen Hawk to make “clothes that are relevant to the lives of independent, hard working, creative, funny, elegant and romantic women.” The look is extremely feminine with a heavy vintage influence and has a strong following.

Justin Timberake’s William Rast

The pop prince’s label with his childhood friend Trace Ayala consists of premium denim and coordinating casual pieces. The look is classic Americana with a rock and roll vibe. The look has a very universal, easy-to-wear appeal and the jeans fit like a second skin.

Victoria Beckham by Victoria Beckham

Posh Spice certainly knows a thing or two about fashion. She knows how to shop for it, how to wear it and – as evidenced by her clothing line – how to design it as well. Her collection consists of dresses, denim and eyewear, undoubtedly 3 of Mrs. David Beckham’s favorite things. I believe that the dresses are the most successful. They are fitted, sexy and polished – the kind of things that you could wear to the office with a jacket, but also rock out at the club in with the addition of some sky-high heels.

What are your favorites?? I am sure that I have overlooked some… Comment above!

~Marisa, Director of Styling, Second Time Around

Victoria Beckham in her line

Channeling New York Fashion Week at Beacon Hill STA

Victoria Beckham NYFW

Our stylish British import pulled off this rocker look at the W Lounge in Bryant Park during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York. Though I was unable to attend the event due to my incredibly booked schedule ;) I was still able to skip down to the Second Time Around in historic Beacon Hill and grab some fabulous items that would cause even Posh to do a double take.  I was able to to recreate her look for less than $200!  ~Kirsten, FashioniSTA

Beacon Hill Second Time Around

82 Charles St.
Boston, MA
(617) 227-0049

Diesel Graphic Tee $12

Cole Haan Heels: $72

A/X Armani Exchange Jeans: $42

Max Mara Blazer: $52