THE PASHMINA SCARF

How do you tie a pashmina scarf? There are so many different ways that there is really no wrong way. Honestly, (and we know everyone says this) when we were touring in Paris we were really inspired by the imaginative and sophisticated ways Parisian women tied their scarves. So we went home and experimented. Now we just twist and tie away until we feel it looks good and finished. Generally, we found that we love our scarves to be pretty full and cozy. We don't know about you, but it makes us feel like we're wrapped up in a blanket. Scarves are and will always be a staple for colder weather, so they're definitely one of the layering pieces you don't want to leave home without.You can also check out others who can't leave home without them... Katherine Heigel here and Anna Wintour here. This look for us is really an everyday, casual one playing with hues of brown paired with navy and grey. Vintage navy blazer, Zara messenger clutch and sweater, and Nordstrom boots. 

OSCAR RED CARPET 2012 - MODEST DRESSES

 Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

 Shailene Woodley in Valentino Couture

 Maya Rudolph in Johanna Johnson

 Louise Roe in Black Halo

Kelly Osbourne in Badgley Mischka

Gwyneth Paltrow definitely stole the red carpet in our opinion last night at the Oscars. Cream seemed to be the color of the night. We liked this quote from the fashion blogging world... "Amongst a sea of heavily embellished dresses that spanned the rainbow of colors, the always stunning Paltrow opted for the simplicity of TOM FORD." According to Isabel Wilkinson of The Daily Beast, Tom Ford deemed this gown his favorite of the upcoming Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection because it is “dead simple.” And this is exactly why we too loved it so much. The simplicity, yet sharp lines looked so refreshing on the red carpet. And didn't Octavia Spencer look so sweet in her Tadashi Shoji gown? How could you not love her refreshing attitude on the red carpet. The Valentino Couture worn by Shailene Woodley was definitely daring in it's simplicity as well. We figured we'd show you the almost fully covered dress and see your take on it. Also, although Kelly Osbourne's hair is obviously a bit difficult to get past, we saw this dress on the fall 2012 Badgley Mischka runway and thought the sleeves were nice. We really liked Guiliana Rancic's Tony Ward gown with gorgeous cap sleeves, but thought it just a wee low cut in front so we didn't post it (but you can check it out here). All in all, the gowns were definitely more understated this year. What are your thoughts on them?

OSCAR DRESSES 2012 PREDICTIONS- Will they wear it on the red carpet?

 Carolina Herrera

 

 Jenny Packham

 Jenny Packham

  Marchesa

 

 Michael Kors

 Oscar de la Renta

 Zac Posen

 Zac Posen

For the celebrities that want to be a little more covered up, here are our guesses in more "modest looks" for the Academy Awards tomorrow. For instance we could totally see our fellow Juilliard graduate and nominee Jessica Chastain in the blue Oscar de la Renta dress. Or maybe Rooney Mara or Michelle Williams in one of the Jenny Packham dresses. But it's hard to say which ones will make it to the actual red carpet. What are your guesses?

(Oh and pardon the red Marchesa roses dress. We had to put it up even though the top of the dress isn't terribly modest)

CLUB MONACO SPRING 2012 - LESSONS IN LAYERING

Ever wondered how to layer clothing well? These looks from Club Monaco for this season show exactly that - layering done perfectly. We'll definitely be taking a cue from these looks. Go ahead and view the whole collection here.

MODEST LOOKBOOK - Kate middleton's belted coat

No wonder Kate Middleton won Vogue's "10 best dressed" this week. She definitely has a very refined style. And  do you believe us yet? Belt your coats and jackets! This particular coat is from Hobbs if you'd like to buy it. Then again, it's probably sold out by now.

CAPES - FALL 2012

We've been seeing this particular fashion trend on and off for a couple of years now. But it seems for Fall 2012 capes have finally taken hold. There were many designers who used the cape as an alternative to coats and jackets. Although here I used mine in a more preppy way, if I had seen the way 3.1 Phillip Lim sent his version down the runway in his fall 2012 collection, I would've definitely rocked it out a bit more. You obviously have to be a bit more brave to wear a cape outside of a bigger city (as I am doing here). I'm not gonna lie, I felt a bit self conscious. But I'm gonna build up the confidence for fall. We told you up there that if you're brave you'll have lots of options in fashion! Well here's one that you're just now starting to see more of on the street.Cape is vintage, pants are H&M, white button down vintage, Aldo bag and Nine West pumps.