Dolce & Gabbana's Remix of Ksenia's Romantic Fashion

~Black velvet coat and skirt with gold thread piping...

~I love the chic austerity of this dress...the puffed sleeves, winged collar, and tight tailored silhouette

~This liquid gold colored jaquard dress does it for me- it makes me look good as gold.

~This is one of my favorite dresses ever. I love the silk-taffeta satin blend fabric, the gorgeous plum/purplish color, the dramatic puffed sleeves, puffed to puff perfection...and the black grosgrain belt. I am fanning myself here.

~Dolce&Gabbana remix Romanticism with loud neons, sparles galore, puffy puffed oh puffed sleeves and finishes of black.

~This dress is not for a wallflower. It is for a Romantic fashionista who wants and flaunts attention. This glamourous and sexy neon pink satin body hugging dress is eye-catching!

The lighting makes this dress even more bright.

A black bow tied at the waist is quite a Romantic Fashionista thing to do

~The pink neon fur is nuts- come on, how much would/could someone wear that?

*Word for the wise, listen up fashionistas, unless you are Lady GaGa or Juliette Lewis, please do not wear neon fur. Yes it is a pop (BLAST) of color much needed to this Romantically gothic lace dress, but please be practical and realistic.

Ksenia's Romanticism in Fashion II

Romantic mood has always been a strong in fashion, trying on new styles, shapes and silhouettes; flower appliqué and print are new romantic styles. Key style features include sheer layers, lace, ruffles and playful frills that send the message: sensual romantic lady.

Beautiful girlish dresses, blouses, skirts are my favorite alternative to practical parka dresses and folksy frocks.
The dress is romantic by definition therefore if you want to be more feminine wear more dresses.

From dreamy flowing maxi dresses with exotic and floral print to short baby doll or Empire line dresses, from evening cocktail dresses or floral silk muslins, perfect for summer days, Romantic fashion is irresistible.

LACE
There is a lot of gothic "widow" black lace and pastel rococo lace. But, my favorite one is the "vintage" lace in beige and gray shades that looks like you found it in an old hope chest. You can make your own shiny lace by following the pattern with metallic thread.

ETHNIC and NATURE
Eastern European rich crafts and folksy influences create tunic dresses, peasant hats, short kimonos with flowing sleeves make for a chic “back to the nature” look. Paisley patterns or border prints with strong bands of color, lacing, embroidery and piping, smock shapes and square yoke necklines, ruffles, flounces and full sleeves; handicraft textures like patchwork styled smock frocks.

VELVET
From luxurious embroidered jackets and evening gowns to day dresses, skirts, trenches and even pants, velvet proved to be quite a versatile fabric. So hurry up and get your own velvet piece. I don’t know what to say about pants but a simple dress or a fit short jacket in dark rich hues will never go out of date.

GODDESS

One-shoulder dress became lovely draped toga-like tunics, dresses or maxi gowns. One-shoulder dresses can have a cinched waist and a just below the knee hemline.
The long, draped goddesses gowns have soft, sheer, fluid fabrics and a studied simplicity.
A bejeweled belt or shoulder details are the embellishments.

Romantic Dress's Ksenia Loves

What does it mean to be a Romantic fashionista?

Your look is feminine, and you prefer feminine details on clothing and soft, flowing fabrics.
Ruffles, lace, and velvet attract you. You view the past as a more romantic time and can picture yourself as the heroine in a historical romance. The Victorian Era appeals to you as part of a romantic past when women always wore long skirts, hats, and gloves. You are likely to be a collector of beautiful objects, perhaps antique hatpins or china with floral motifs.Your jewelry may be antique or vintage, but if it isn't, it still reflects a vintage fashion sensibility.

What does 'Romantic fashion' mean?
Surfeits of ruffles, flounces, lace, and classical draping. There are chin-grazing collars, floor-grazing skirts and voluminous sleeves.

Romantic looks:

~If you want the focus to be on the blouse, pair tops with streamlined skirts.
~Tuck voluminous sleeve versions into slim fitting pants or jeans.
~For chilly days, wear tops with fitted cardigans or 3/4- length-sleeve jackets.
~Wear cameo or layered necklaces with a half-open top or dress for Edwardian perfection.

~Wear sexy shoes that tie around the ankle.

BOWS
Whether it's a sexy stiletto embellished with a bow on the back, a tie-front blouse or a sequined bow belt, these sweet details lighten up fall's otherwise somber mood. For once, it's a good thing to be fit to be tied. Here's how to pull off this ladylike look:
~Wear a slim, bow-front belt over a cardigan or fitted jacket.
~Tie a satin ribbon under your bust to give tops and dresses an instant empire style.
~Pair a tie front blouse with a full cinched waist skirt for a look that's prim in proportion.
~Add punch to a black outfit by putting a crimson bow in your ponytail or looping it through your jacket or coat buttonhole.

ROSETTES
Roses are red... and brown, and black, and green and purple this season. These sweet flowers are emblazoned on just about everything, from blouses to boots to bracelets. Appropriate for day, evening or day into evening, pick your favorite styles and wear them with flourish. After all, life is just a bed of roses.

~Shop vintage stores for antique-rosette-embellished handbags and tops
~Mix it up... a bit. You can wear a rosette belt with a ruffle-front skirt. But don't over-rose it by pairing a rosette dress with rosette boots.
~Make small statements with floral decorated hair accessories and jewelry.
~Tailored suits need softening. Wear a romantic rosette blouse with them.

LACE

Gauzy lace pieces can be richly romantic, but they can also be subtly sexy.
The translucency of this fabric gives a hint of what is hidden beneath your dainty dresses or tops without being obvious. Basic black and vanilla colored lace pieces are fab, but keep an eye out for deep plums and lavish golds as well.

~Be a Victorian vixen and wear a pretty lace bra under a sheer lace top.
~Look for lace trim bags and shoes.
~Wear a lace pencil skirt with a chiffon elastic waist top.
~Spice up your lovely lace look with modern metallic shoes and accessories.

The pretty, ultrafeminine fabric has come a long way since its boudoir reign. Lace is adorns everything from blouses to handbags. It’s all part of the ladylike looks dominating the fashion scene, so it makes sense that the fabric once found only on camis (and doilies) would turn up on the fashion radar. The most work-appropriate intimates are sophisticated and sharp—not dainty and delicate. To balance the sweetness of beautiful lace dresses add architectural heels. Layered lace tops with a bold black skirt and ankle boots are an outfit. While you may not be able to waltz into the office with this chic little ensemble, a more opaque lace blouse with a black pencil skirt is instantly boardroom-ready.

Erin's Closet

Erin's closet is mostly in her wooden dresser, not in her closet.
I don't want to take everything out of her dresser for my Style File study because that would be just a pain in the ass for both myself and for her.
Erin does have a closet however!
In her closet is a loud collection of clothing in no order really; a few dresses together here and a few shorts and tops hung up over there. Erin likes miscellaneous pieces that lean toward cute over edgy, modest over horny.

I did notice a naughty-yet-FABULOUS fashionista dress in Erin's closet that caught my eye and I am sure would catch others as well: a metallicly gold-glazed tiger print dress that hits the knee and hugs those curves. I won't tell you the brand because quite truthfully, only Erin can wear that dress to its awsome potential. Sorry ladies.

What makes this dress so fab is that it is just the right use of an animal print (tiger).
Animal prints in fashion tend to be too much. Designers need to learn how to design prints that aren't hard on the eye or are too obnoxious.

~This dazzling, sexy gold and black tiger print dress is not hard on the eye (this one is quite 'nice' on the eye!) or obnoxious.
~The gold glaze over the tiger print adds some allure over the punch of the tiger print inself. The straps have an gold glittering embellishment on each of the straps that bring the eye to her shoulders.
~The hemline is not too short. Dresses that are too short are just awful. This one hits the knee just right without exhausting the print out itself by making it a long dress. Long animal print fresses are a no-no. They are too confusing and take the attention away from the fashionista who wouldn't be a fashionista that time because of her Fashion Mistake. Erin does not make this mistake.
~The tiger print colors actually create contour and illuminate my cousin's Didn't-Even-Try-Yet Hollywood Tanned figure.
~The gold, bronze and black colors of the print and the print itself does not dominate/overwhelm her
~The design works for her body and tanned skin.
With all that said, this dress makes Erin dazzle across the room.

Ladies, make way for the Tiger Fashionista!

Leigh's Closet

Just by walking into Leigh's closet I can tell something is off.

OPTIONS Leigh:
1 Doesn't live here anymore and is off at college and took most of her fashion to college
2 Just has a sucky closet in itself
3 Wears all of her clothes at once and then puts them all back into her closet at the end of the day (this is highly unlikely)
4 Someone stole all of Leigh's clothes
5 Is hiding her clothes (possibly from me. Who knows...)
6 Forgot she even has a closet
7 The closet is evil and won't let her put her stuff in it
8 Is a slob
9 Cares more about her room than her closet
10 All of these options are bullshit exception option 1

What is the truth to this mystery of this closet?

Option 1! Leigh has gone away to college and has taken most of her fashion with her.
What she left is just a bunch of whonoswhats shoved in a few cubbies and on the floor.
She has a few tops that I can tell she doesn't wear anymore as they are too small or out-of-date. She has one outfit hung up and the rest in her duffle bag that she brought back home for a visit from college.

Leigh tends to wear the Rolandeli signiture t-shit/top with a pair of shorts and sandals/flip-flops. Despite my investigation and study, I do not have enough Style File evidence to fully study her closet.

Trisha's Closet

I briefly studied Trisha's closet. She likes prints (vivacious but not obnoxious) on her dresses, flats (zebra and cheetah) and on her bikinis.

She has a lot of knits- I asked her why. She said that in North Carolina, it is hot in the summer, cold in the winter. The climate of where the person lives highly affects the closet. Trisha has quite a bit of knits, long sleeve or even short sleeve.

A key piece in Trisha closet, her go-to piece is The T-shirt/Top. Trisha has enough to feed a rhino. Her t-shirts are stacked all over each other on a board above her hanger line. She has lots of sports team shirts that say a team name or a school, which I can presume is hers. Ha! I know where she went to school now and that she likes UNC and Duke, played soccer and previously basketball. Trisha is an athlete allright! Shirts tell quite a bit here!

Her clothes aren't specifically arranged, but still, her closet is navigatable. She has a stub for belts on the wall. When I noticed the absence of scarves, she told me she wasn't much of a scarfer (a person who loves/wears scarves). She has a plop of bikinis, all of bright colors and some prints; this girl likes to get her tan!
She showed me her new houndstooth baby blue and white skirt; baby blue and white are the colors of her university. By her skirt, I can tell Trisha is proud of where she attends college because she herself pointed out that the skirt was her school's colors. She also is creative in finding a way to express that, and she did through a houndstooth mini skirt with her school's colors (despite of all possible college appearel out there. But I am sure she has a t-shirt of her college amoungst all her shirts!).

I looked at her shoes. Mostly sandals and flats. She has a few strappy sandals and heels; one pair of wedges. I can assume she doesn't really like wedges too much because she only has one pair.
I look at her pants/shorts section. She loves her shorts! Athletic, denim, colorful ones and 'just hang'n 'round the house' shorts and sweats. She has a few pairs of jeans. I can tell my cousin's main outfit is a t-shirt/top and a pair of shorts with sandals/flip-flops. Honestly, that is what I see her in most of the time anyway.

One thing in her closet that I found particular was a purple straw sombero. Trisha does not seem like a sombero fiesta chicita. I asked Trisha and she said 'oh that's just from..."
Well, she didn't answer my question but she did give me the impression that the sombero is just...in her closet and that is the only reason why. It physically is there and just hasn't been removed.

Trisha is moving to college, so her closet might not be an entirely legitimate source of Style File evidence, but it is enough to know that Trisha likes to keep her style casual but she does like to have fun. Her playfulness mostly comes through from her dresses. She has cute mini-dresses; dresses that aren't too revealing but show her legs; 'you can see a bit of my legs but not too much ha ha' dresses. This playful spieces of dress is great to tease all those who oogle.

Family Style

I am currently visiting my cousins. Oh, the joys of looking through their closets! Looking through your friends or family's closets is a great way to get to know somebody. We can tell a lot about a person by the clothes they wear, but what about their closet?
When looking through someone's closet:

~Look for patterns (lots of scarves over handbags, color block dresses over print dresses)
~The climate of where the person lives (if they live in Alaska and they have tons of tank tops and mini skirts the Polar Bears must have stolen their coldweather climate fashion or the person is just an idiot)
~Anything particular (a pair of vintage hot pants from the 70's amoungst prom dresses)
~How it is organized (by color, brand, random, type, matching, occasion etc.)
~What the closet actually looks like (organized by a professional, fancy organization or none)
~The amount of clothes (quality over quantity, quantity or quality or a mix)
~The brands (are they designer lovers, a mix or do they stay loyal to one brand)
~The sizes of the clothes (you can tell the gradual weight gain or loss or, well either)
~What they like (duh!)
~What they don't like (what is contrary or absent in their closet)
~The age of the person (why are there frumpy Hilary Clinton pant suits when the person is 22?)
~What items look unused or barely worn (why? is the question)
~What items are most used (why? is the question)
~Are there still tags? (Why?)
~The gender of the person (how their style reflects their gender etc.)
~What do they have too much of? Too little of?
~What do they need/should get to improve it or update it?