Cardigan Empire

Salt Lake City Fashion Stylist

Freshy Spring Trend: Stripes and Brights

Strippety stripes in sorbets and cinnamon, Sonia Rykiel stole my pretty prone heart with her Spring 2011 collection.
When it comes to stripes, only stripe what you want the eye to visually measure.  For example if you want to emphasize the length of your legs, opt for longitudinally lined stripes.  If you want to premiere the narrowness of your waist, ring horizontal stripes around your bust and center to contrast their dimensional difference. 
When it comes to color, apply bold hues using the same theory.  Brightly douse your favorite features.

From Catwalk to Sidewalk

A-Bit-Unruly Top
$48 – anthropologie.com
Striped tops »

Gap Broken-in skimmer
$50 – gap.com
Gap pants »

Pin-slim patent belt
$30 – jcrew.com
Patent belt »

Let Cardigan Empire fashion you for Spring.  Freshen up with a complete Fashion Package: combining a theoretical look book & a practical virtual shopping session

Feed me fashionably fresh

Fitting Room Friday: Petite Lower Figure Body Type

With the recent close of 2011’s New York Fashion Week, fellow stylist Sarah Hosman joined Cardigan Empire to refresh her spring wardrobe with some freshy fresh pretties. 

(More tips and tactics to be revealed on specific Spring 2011 trends next week.)
What Failed:
Lady Hosman knew her body type well and didn’t fuss with many of the trends currently proliferating, knowing they would either draw a box around her top half or swallow her petite (under 5 foot) proportions. 
Below are examples of some of the items she walked promptly past (click the image to view her comments in larger dimensions):
What Sailed:
Pulling It Together Sweater: A pink puffy heart for this cardigan.  The fit closely hugs Sarah’s narrow torso and ends before unnecessarily stretching across her wider bottom half.
Sing Sweetly Party Dress: Flattery from neckline to hem.  The pleated bodice adds volume to her subtle bust, the mint sash highlights her tiny waist, and the a-line skirt skims cleanly over her upper gams.
AG Angelina Petite: AG’s famously soft fabric flexes beautifully into a derriere balancing bootcut.
Primula Corset Top: A proper peplum perfectly flaring from her mini midsection to her fertile southern hemisphere.
Eastpoint Garden Top: A ladylike neck tie and ruffled collar bring attention to her diminutive north.
Washi Wrap Skirt: Normally Sarah would have passed this skirt up because of the bright color, pleating, and pockets.  But the fit turned out to be quite flattering, the pleats pointed in the right direction, and the pockets didn’t poke.  And we agreed color should always be a secondary consideration. (But it does fit small, so size up).
Gathering Blossoms Top: Sarah’s favorite top.  The ruching draws eyes to a visually narrowed center and then flares to the perfect thigh skimming length.  Breaking up her flanks without truncating her already sparse leg inches.

Let Cardigan Empire fashion you for Spring.  Freshen up with a complete Fashion Package: combining a theoretical look book & a practical virtual shopping session

Feed me fashionably fresh