Elle’s 2013 Oscars Red Carpet Roundup

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

How flawless are all of the ladies above?

Anne Hathaway may be the only startlet who can pull off nipples as an accessory and still look completely pulled together and amazing. I wish her hair was a little more slicked and less Dorothy Hamill though.

Giorgio Armani and Naomi Watts pulled off a feat of almost impossible dressmaking engineering here. The cut of this dress makes the possibility of armpit fat, cleavage, and any errant squishy bits gone awry very real, but there are none in sight! The fit is impeccable. Naomi’s choice for super simple hair and jewelry suits the dress beautifully as well.

Amanda Seyfried has been gorgeous in white this season, and this gown is no exception. Just the right amount of sparkle, and somehow (even with the train) this dress does not come across as “bridal” at all. Hair, makeup, and jewelry are all perfection. I think this is my favorite look of the night.

Sandra Bullock’s Elie Saab has enough detail and sparkle to make black seem fresh and new. The straight hair really lets the dress shine. Love. (Don’t love the clutch though. Doesn’t seem to match or contrast with the dress at all.)

The amazingly detailed spiderweb beading on Jessica Chastain’s gown elevates the flesh toned Armani to angelic proportions. Ms Chastain has made questionable choices this award season, but this time she got it right, down to the pop of color on her lips.

JHud is a sparking vision in Cavalli. Everything about her look is just right.

There weren’t any looks that I outright hated, but there were a few I strongly disliked. Here they are.

While I’m sure that Helen Hunt’s dress is supposed to look like that, I really hate it. She looks like a wrinkled mess. I want to rip it off of her, steam it and then give it back. I also don’t think the fit is great.

As far as I’m concerned, Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek look a little too much like mafia wives at the don’s daughter’s wedding. The hair, the gowns, all of it. Ick. I’m not loving either of their looks.

What were your favorite looks? Same as mine? Or do you think I missed the mark? Lemme know!

xo,
Elle

Elle’s Grammy 2013 Best Dressed!

This best dressed post is going to be a bit different from my usual red carpet roundups because of CBS’ batshoot crazy dress code this year. No side boob? No underboob? No fleshy bits? No nip slips? What the what, CBS? This isn’t the Oscars or Golden Globes when we all tune in to see our favorite stars dressed to the nines in high glamour! This is the Grammys! Home of rock and roll and shocking outfits! Such a disappointing move, CBS.

In light of the new dress code, the four ladies pictured above earn my vote for best dressed.

JLo’s leg. Nice working around the rules, Jennifer.

Katy Perry’s cleave. Don’t you let anyone tell you to hide your fleshy bits, Katy! They’re spectacular!

Kelly Rowland’s mass of sheerness which could have shifted at any moment. Live on the edge, Kelly! Destiny’s Child forever!

Alicia Keys’ performance dress which showcased the elusive Grammy underboob. (Also, how amazing was that performance? Drums? Adam Levine? Love!)

These ladies all straddled the line of what CBS considered appropriate and looked great doing it.

What were your favorite looks?

xo,
Elle

Super Bowl Style!

As far as I’m concerned, Beyonce was the real winner of the Super Bowl. Football isn’t really my thing. I was surrounded by Ravens’ fans on Sunday though, so I rocked their team colors in support (and because I love a theme)!

Tank: American Apparel | Cardi: DKNY Cozy | Necklaces: Bauble Bar

I’ve got purple, I’ve got loads of gold I piled on, I’ve got black, I’ve got white. I might as well be a Baltimore Raven. Seriously, I went all out.

Hope you guys all had a great Super Bowl weekend!

xo,
Elle

PS, Did you guys notice something off about the photo above? Pssst… I forgot to remove something!!! Whoopsie!

Dress or Pants? Um…BOTH!

I know that dresses over pants are kind of a thing but I can’t get 100% behind it just yet (maybe because I get flashbacks of hippies I went to art school with who took this look to a whole other level). I modified the look here by layering my dress over leggings, and tying everything together with my favorite striped cardi.

Cardi: J. Crew; Dress: Cynthia Rowley; Loafers: Rampage; Bracelet: Bauble Bar; Ring: H&M; Necklace: Grandma’s.

I feel like this didn’t photograph very well. The skirt looks stiffer than it actually was and the the stripes aren’t quite lining up right in the photo. But trust me, it was super cute. Silver loafers provided a pop of bright metallic, so I kept the rest of my jewelry very simple and gold.

Are you guys into the dresses over pants trend?

xo,
Elle

Crisp White Shirts and Dark Denim Jeans…

…coupled with some big, bold, colorful accessories are the ultimate in chic. There is no way to not feel pulled together in an outfit like this, any time of year.

What’s your go-to outfit?

I want a houseboat…

… so I can have a reason to dress nautically all year round. That, and so I can pretend to be even half as cool as Dylan McKay.

I’m wearing those Target sandals to death this summer. I can’t help it; they are ridiculously comfortable and match with almost everything I own.

My mission over the next two few weeks is to perfect this hairstyle:

See that messy parted section on the right? That section is my current nemesis. This would be so much easier if I could twist my arms on backward and have an elaborate mirror setup. I will find a way.

xo,
Elle

Style Me Chic Monday: Pinspiration

Happy Monday! Last week I was inspired by the pin you see above. The leopard, the bright pop of the blue blazer, the solid tights offsetting everything else; I loved it all. And I had similar components in my closet to make it all work (for me, what I had, and my casual Friday at work). Are you guys utilizing Pinterest to inspire your outfits too?

xo,
Elle

Hawaiian … Pastels???

Hello my lovelies!

I found out one day last week that we were having a Hawaiian themed day at work for casual Friday. There are not many trends or looks that I rule out, but I draw the line at Hawaiian shirts or coconut bras. No and no. Instead of the company suggested Don Ho-like button downs (who comes up with these things?), I opted for a more subtle sheer pastel floral top that had been hanging out in my closet with tags on it for months. I accessories with some simple flat sandals and green and blue J. Crew necklaces. And sunglasses on my head, since it was Hawaiian day, obvi.

My awesome coworker happened upon that gorgeous little vintage broach and gave it to me that day. (An “L” for Elle, get it?) It went perfectly on my necklaces! I think I have a new favorite piece that I’m going to wear a million different ways.

What would your Hawaiian interpretation have been?

xo,
Elle

Magenta and Turquoise

I apologize for the poor quality photo. I don’t even know what happened there.

I am LOVING this color combo. And since it is too warm to layer clothing, I decided to do some extreme necklace layering. Thoughts?

xo,
Elle

Summer Peacock (and How I Stage My Outfits)

A few notes about this outfit:

1. I LOVE this AA dress, but it is so short that it is downright indecent, hence the leggings.

2. I’ve decided to overdo the topknot this summer since it’s a cute look and so cool and comfy. Expect to see it a lot.

3. I’m not what you would call cheap (in fact, some may say I have a spending problem), but $150 for this necklace is RIDONK. I do not feel bad about picking up cheap copies from eBay.

Now, let’s chat about outfit prep for a mo, shall we? Before bedtime, I lay out an outfit like you see above. It makes mornings INFINITELY easier. I get to sleep for an extra 15 minutes, and don’t rip my closet apart frenetically trying to piece an outfit together before my coffee has had a chance to kick in. Everyone wins!

Do you guys prep the night before? Or do you fly by the seat of your outfit pants each morning?

xo,
Elle