"Personal Style is like playing the piano.
First you must learn to play by the rules,
then you must forget the rules and play
from your heart"

Style Inspiration - Rachel Bilson

She may be lower down in the pecking order of the celebrity world, but Rachel Bilson has a great natural style.  She uses accessories such as jewellery, shoes, boots and bags really cleverly to give her look a quirky edge, as well as regularly changing up her hairstyle, make-up and experimenting with different colours.  She is also an inspiration to those of us not blessed in the height department - showing how both maxi skirts and neat knee length dresses can work equally well.

See below for some chic examples...

 

Love the colour and the detail on the dress @ the hem.  The shoulder pads and the cinched in waist, combined with the flared shape of the dress work well with her petite frame to accentuate her curves.  The simple hairstyle lets the dress do all the talking...

A simply shaped dress is made interesting with detail at the shoulders, animal print, double wrapped belt and quirky accessories

Completely covered up!  The central panel is slimming, but the shimmery material at the sides adds interest and shape, as well as the fabulous fishtail hem

Almost little girly in its simplicity, this neat dress is accessorised with a vintage necklace to add sophistication

Love the waterfall jacket & nude heels!

I love this summery-laid back-relaxed look

 

Not sure if the bag would work for everyone, but she manages to pull it off!

Until next time... xoxo Bracha

Imagine waking up to this...

Let the creativity begin!  Have a great day!

xoxo Bracha



Belts, Trinkets, Baubles & more...

Accessories are a key element in any capsule wardrobe in order to keep up the variety of your look.  This is one area which in my opinion can change an outfit completely for little cost, and brings any old piece of clothing right up to trend with minimum effort.  It's important to get it right, as accessories can make - or break - an outfit.

Headbands - I favour the wider jersey bands - I think it's a good idea to have one in every basic neutral colour and work from there - black, brown, grey, navy & white.  Then you have the embellished, decorative bands with beads and feathers which are perfect for smarter events.

check out my friend lorren's couture headbands - each individual and hand made with her inimitable style!

 

Wide Jersey Plait Headband - Topshop - £6

Silver Sequin Spiral Headband - Claire's Accessories - £15

Miss Selfridge Oatmeal Pom Pom Headband - £10.50

Jewellery - I just love big earrings!  Most people suit either silver or gold and stick to one or the other.  I generally wear silver but have started to experiement with gold.  It can depend on the season as well; gold looks fab in the summer with a tan!

 Still looking for the perfect charm bracelet....



Belts - ...through thick and thin....black, tan, brown, or you could go for a statement colour such as red, purple, leopard or zebra print!  They are so useful for giving shape and structure to an outfit.  The most current look is to wear them on the waist.

Bags - I like over the body bags for ease & practicality, and I like brown bags a lot; I am currently using a tan colour bucket bag with stud detail and drawstring tassels from marks and spencer, and I shall continue using it till it falls to pieces.....!!  For a smarter look a (fake!) chanel style quilted purse always looks right

Hats - a really easy casual style to wear is the beanie or beret.  A trilby can look v stylish.  Try a fascinator for a smarter occasion.  If you're brave and/or cold - go for an eskimo style or russian fur hat!  No need to sacrifice style for the sake of practicality and warmth...

more later....xoxo Bracha

Form & Structure

In an interior design setting I love to group objects together in sets.  Somehow I find the symmetry and similarity very satisfying and pleasing to the eye.  The objects should have some similar features, ie colour, material, at the same time as some randomness and differences, ie in shape, size, height, texture.

See below for a few examples from my home.  (incase you haven't noticed I love white!)

The black and white prints are by an artist called Yaacov Kaszemacher who has a gallery in Tsfat.

http://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/628249/jewish/Yakov-Kaszemacher.htm

How To Tie a Head Scarf

How To Tie a Head Scarf (bandana style) - with kind permission from Laura @ ascotfriday (click the link!)



http://ascotfriday.typepad.com/ascot_friday/2010/05/how-to-tie-a-head-scarf-video-tutorial.html

Key Trends

Here are some key trends for this season that I've noticed in the shops.  Incorporate these into your wardrobe to keep your style up to date...

Leather is an important factor as usual, for example in jackets, boots & bags.  Adds a real luxury element to any outfit.

Visible Zips

Shoulder detail, whether it's puffed sleeves, shoulder pads, frills or sequins

Texture, whether it's fur, leather, suede, velvet, embroidery or brocade

Tailoring

Ruffles

Draping (love it with jersey)

Chunky Knits!

Embellishment - studs, bows, beading

Tassels

Animal Print

Circle Skirts

Nautical - I just love this so I wear it all year round, although it's probably only strictly for spring/summer...I am a huge fan of stripes, as well as navy, gold, white, red, denim, tassels - all key elements of the trend - in any combination.... I like it on kids too, especially boys.

Shoe Boots - still not sure about these....but they're everywhere!

Don't be afraid to bring in some vibrant pops of colour, particularly with make-up:



As with all these trends, it's important to adapt them to work for you.  Take one, put your own spin on it and you are a step closer to developing your own personal style!

Until next time...xoxo Bracha