Fashion Orbit

Daily Obsession: Asymmetric Necks and Hemlines

Asymmetric details are a perfect way to add sophistication to bright hues and prints, or intrigue to more stolid neutrals.

$100 and Under

This petal pink Costume Department dress could remain as is for a super feminine look, or toughened up with darker accessories and footwear.
$94.77 (orig. $267.98)

A classic striped boatneck is enlivened by a diagonal hemline and bold red hue in Wal G for Topshop’s Asymmetric Kimono. $54

With a metallic knit body and cutout details, this Arden B metallic tunic would be a perfect beach to bar cover-up. $29.99 (orig. $44)

The Mid-Rangers

Love the dark navy boho chic dye pattern on this Andrew Marc knit dress.
$169 (orig. $240)

This Catherine Malandrino piece is sort of the perfect dress to wear to a summer wedding, no? $225 (orig. $282)

Anna Molinari’s Asymmetric Silk Blouse has a great preppy equestrian vibe without being stuffy. $164 (orig. $820)

The Spendy Picks

Thakoon’s stunningly detailed Asymmetrical Hook & Eye Dress is wearable art. $880

Helmut Lang’s Asymmetric Pullover is minimalist perfection. $310

This Yigal Azrouël jacquard dress, with its abstract print and exposed zippered back, is as tasty as the designer himself. $411.25 (orig. $1175)

Xeniya’s Silk Chiffon One Shoulder Gown

I’ll admit it - I am a certified, shameless Giltaholic. The only exception to my overarching Gilt love has been the surprisingly underwhelming Gilt City, but hey - it’s sort of like finding out that your perfect boyfriend has every album of the Dave Matthews Band downloaded on his iPod - you just pretend that you didn’t see it and focus on the positive.

Lately my obsession has been forced to be somewhat dormant on account of being knocked up. Mini-dresses and spiky heels aren’t really practical choices these days, and shopping for baby-related stuff just isn’t quite as sporting (with the exception of looking for a discount Oeuf crib on Craigslist, which definitely brings out my primal hunter gatherer side).

With a friend getting married next year, I was delighted to see Gilt’s wedding shop come to town - finally, some shopping with purpose and a sense of urgency! I’m all about looking like a million bucks without spending it, so I was hopeful that there might be some super deal in the mix. Dutifully looking at the wedding dress selections, I found this dress almost immediately amongst the $1000+ pieces, and did a double-take at the price - was it missing a 0 at the end?

It’s so gorgeous, and totally her, not to mention the fact that the price tag is about as attractive as you can get for a wedding dress, and allows for a tailoring budget for a perfect fit. My friend agreed, and bought it.

On sale at $195 (originally $395). Wedding shop runs from October 20th to 24th.

Dear FO Personal Stylist: Wedding Officiant Needs to Accessorize

My niece is getting married this summer and has honored me with the request of being the officiant at her wedding. When I asked her what she would like me to wear for this important duty, she said that whatever I chose would be fine. Her only request was NOT GREEN (probably because she will be using a tomato red color for her bridesmaid dresses and flowers).

I purchased a champagne colored dress with lace at the hem that I really like for the occasion. It is a very neutral color and should match just about anything, but I’m wondering what exactly to do with it. Despite what my niece says, I want to make sure that I am appropriate for the wedding, and am a little concerned as the dress has spaghetti straps.

Oh, and one more piece of information…this is taking place in Ohio in July and it will be HOT!

Many thanks,

Deanna H., San Francisco, CA

Dear Deanna,

I’ve learned that in general, no matter how much you agonize over what to wear to someone’s wedding, there will always be someone a) more overdressed than you, b) more underdressed than you, and c) more inappropriately attired that you could ever conceive of being. That being said, you are in the unique situation of officiating over the wedding, and despite your niece’s laissez-faire approach, it is important that you are without a doubt suitably dressed for the occasion.

It sounds like you have a good neutral base for your outfit with your dress. I think it’s best to err on the side of conservatism in this particular situation, so given the spaghetti straps and the heat, I would strongly recommend donning a lightweight shrug or shawl over your dress.

I’ve put together three possible officiant ensembles for you. As always, they are ultimately meant to provide some inspiration to incorporate into your pre-existing wardrobe.

Potential Outfit #1

Outfit #1 is the most neutral of the ensembles. An ecru shrug corresponds to the dress easily (the shrug’s beaded texture makes it less necessary to match the color exactly). It would be nice to bring some of your niece’s wedding colors into your outfit, but unless you have an exact swatch of what she’s using, it would be difficult to match the color exactly. A skinny tomato red belt is small enough that it won’t draw attention if the color is slightly off, and it keeps this outfit from being too monochromatic. See if your niece’s florist can give you a flower to pin to your shrug or wear in your hair, and complete the look with neutral metallic sandals.

The Items

Just Cavalli’s Champagne Gown, $225 (orig. $444)
Ann Louise Roswald’s Crochet Shrug, $455
Taryn By Taryn Rose’s Jewel Sandals , $106 (originally $239.95)
Uniform’s Varnished Belt, $98

Potential Outfit #2

If Outfit #1 is too much of a vision in beige for you, consider bringing another neutral color in to mix things up. Outfit #2 features one of my favorite color combinations: grey and beige. Here a grey beaded shrug and gunmetal heels are matched to your ecru dress for a look that is rich yet muted. Vintage coral earrings match back to the wedding colors and add a little extra personality to the outfit without going overboard.

The Items

Brian Reyes’ Corset Slip Dress, $430
Lutz & Patmos’ Beach Shell Cardigan, $525
Michael Kors’ Berkley Sandals, $98.50 (originally $128.95)
Fay Cullen’s Art Deco Coral Earrings, $1050

Potential Outfit #3

If you would like to go for a slightly less structured look, Outfit #3 uses a shawl in lieu of a fitted shrug. A loosely knitted (and not-too-oversized) shawl is draped over your shoulders and fastened with an oversized statement pin. Silver-toned earrings and sandals complete the look.

The Items

Badgley Mischka’s Isabella Beaded Tulle Dress, $477 (originally $795)
Trendy Knitting’s Mohair Shawl, $75
Pour La Victoire’s Enid Sandals, $249.95
Alexis Bittar’s Anemone Flower Pin, $225
Kohl’s Tahitian Pearl Stud Earrings, $314.99 (orig. $700)

Have a fashion emergency, or just looking for a helpful hint or two? Email Fashion Orbit’s Personal Stylist!

Look of the Day: Beyonce Knowles at The Late Show With David Letterman

Beyonce’s style can be a little uneven at times (it happens when your mom still dresses you, sorry B), but there’s no doubt that she rocked her white Elie Saab dress at a recent appearance on the David Letterman show.

The dress is one of my more favorite Saab pieces that I’ve seen as of late: the matching belt emphasizes the waist (perfect for curvy ladies), asymmetrical pleating details up the sophistication factor, and the single flutter sleeve adds the right touch of femininity. Her oval earrings and embellished heels gave the ensemble personality without detracting from the general clean and chic look.

Get the Look!

LOVE YAYA’s Davis Dress - $143

Jay Godfrey’s One Shoulder Dress in White - $394

Thread Social’s Seersucker Dress - $418

MINKPINK’s Lovina Dress - $128

MINT by Jodi Arnold’s Contrast Skirt Dress - $198 (orig. $330)

Brian Reyes’ Cartridge Short Sleeve Dress - $1795

Rendez-Vous by Paul and Joe’s Sister Printed Dress - $128

Type Z’s Cammyy Pumps - $89

Moschino’s Peep Toe Mary Janes - $207 (orig. $625)

Pour La Victoire’s Genevieve Pumps - $85.14 (orig. $189.95)

Donald J Pliner’s Zudora Open Toe Pumps - $112.50 (orig. $254.95)

Oscar de la Renta’s Pleated Peep Toe Pumps - $675

Target’s Merona Drop Oval Earrings - $8.99

Lauren Gandini’s Oval Earrings - $815

Amrita Singh’s Jodha Earrings - $150

Beyonce Knowles photo credit: Celebuzz

Dear FO Personal Stylist: Wedding Shoe Dilemma

I really hope you can help me! I am getting married in less then 3 months, and I have not been able to find a pair of shoes for ‘the’ day.

I’m about 5’2”, and have found a wonderful dress that fits my frame. It’s a floor-length, off-white silk chiffon gown, with tonal satin stripes. It’s strapless and very airy and light looking (if that makes any sense). I was hoping to find shoes that would fit the style, but that also have a platform (a la Christian Louboutin), with a fairly high heel. I would love to find something for under $300 (otherwise I would go with Christian!).

Can’t wait to hear what you might find for me - I’m getting close to the cut-off date and getting nervous about not finding anything.

Thank you!

Julia P., San Francisco, CA

Dear Julia,

First of all, congratulations! Having gotten married myself last year, I completely feel your sole searching pain. Finding the right pair of wedding shoes is ridiculously difficult; unless you’re able to completely throw caution to the wind and eeny meeny miney mo it, even the most reasonable of brides can find herself obsessing over the most frivolous of details. Your eyes start to glaze over, all of the shoes start looking the same, yet none of them are what you’re looking for, and then you start questioning what you’re looking for in the first place. Don’t start thinking about the fact that your floor-length dress will more or less obscure your shoes no matter what, unless you want to spend the next week or so picking up pieces of your brain off the floor.

Imposing practicality on your selection helps the decision making process. I am personally biased towards non-bridal bridal shoes (no dye-to-match or cheesy rhinestones here, please), and neutral metallics. Matching your shoes exactly to your dress is sort of a hopeless and pointless endeavor, as is buying a pair of shoes that are so specific to your dress that any future use is ruled out. A neutral metallic – such as soft gold, antique silver, platino, etc – matches just about anything and is appropriate year round.

Given that you want to wear a high heel, I think your preference towards some sort of platform is a wise one, even if only for comfort’s sake. Since your wedding is in spring/summer, your dress is strapless, and by the sound of it, fairly ethereal looking, I think a dressy sandal would be your best bet.

I’ve found a number of shoes with good wedding potential, listed below and divided into various categories. The great news is that a lot of styles are on sale right now (yay, recession?). My personal favorites are the Claudio Merazzi dress sandals, the Badgley Mischka Marsilia peep toes, and the Pura Lopez Lana sandals, but ultimately you know best in terms of your own personal preferences, appropriateness with regards to your dress, and the general look and feel of your wedding.

A couple last pieces of advice that, like many sage bits of wisdom, originated from Martha Stewart. Make sure to wear your shoes of choice around the house to break them in at least several times prior to your wedding. If the bottoms are somewhat slick, take a piece of sandpaper to them to scuff them up a bit. Your feet will undoubtedly be hurting at least a little at the end no matter what you pick, so it’s good to do a little damage control beforehand.

Platforms