Lines I Love!!! ♥

Hello Dears,

I've missed you :) This time on "Lines I Love" I want to share with you about: ZARA.

So, this store has been one of my favorites for many many years, first time I visited this store was in 1991 (please DO NOT DO THE MATH! ;)) an addict was born! and since then, their garments have rotate in my wardrobe with lasting grace and endurance ha-ha...I kid you not, I have skirts and blouses I bought literally 10 years ago and I still get compliments about them! That is the beauty of ZARA, they very successfully achieve collections that are current and very "NOW" and at the same time deliver items that can last you a long time without looking dated.

Now, quality and budget wise it is important to point out that my beloved has different lines within the brand: ZARA WOMAN, ZARA BASIC and TRAFALUC also known as TRF. WOMAN has the most exquisite cuts with more of an adult appeal and it is easy to figure that it's meant for the career woman that has a a bigger wallet if you know what I mean...BASIC has the garments that are a "must" for all kinds of styles and appeals to a wide range of tastes, this include both essential layering pieces and also the "off the moment" items that are affordable and very often mimic what we've seen on the runways but for a much more affordable price and in a "toned down" interpretation :) Last but not least TRF, which is the younger face of the brand, on this one the hems are much more shorter, the cuts are way more edgier and it is dedicated to a younger crowd...which means that on terms of cost this is the "low end" option but in no way less fabulous than the other two ;)

As you can see I'm a Lover and if you have questions about this brand please let me know, I consider myself an expert and I proudly can say that I've been in ZARAS from 7 countries and I spent most of my 20's income in them!! I think that if shopping was like the army...this would make me...a ZARA LIUTENANT GENERAL!! At the very least!! :D

Thank You as always for stopping by!!!
♥
Liliana.

Damage Control

Hi Dears!

So, let's face it...In the next couple of weeks we will surrender to a sea of yummy holiday foods, desserts and more :), this is the one time of the year when we look forward to visiting our love ones and taste all the wonderful delicacies that are part of our cultures :) The one thing though, that we don't look forward to, is the aftermath ha-ha meaning the few pounds that we will probably be gaining, and I say if it's in the name of the holidays SO BE IT! :D But, while "things" go back to normal and we can fit into our skinny jeans again, we need some "Damage Control" Options to look cute and pulled together and here are two that will give us a comfortable fit while still showing we care ;) 

I don't know about you but a floral dress and well manicured hands always make me feel good and pretty no matter what :D

Thanks for stopping by!!!

♥
Liliana.

Office Toast & Christmas Party

Hey hey! :)

Time has come for the Office Christmas Celebrations and depending of the seriousness and formality of the event I have thought of the typical scenarios that could present:

1.-Small Toast held at the office; for this you just need to be appropriate to transition from work day to celebratory elegance, this is probably the trickiest one because obviously you are not showing up at the office at 9AM wearing sequins! ha-ha, but if you keep your outfit sleek and just add a distinctive touch of shine (in this example the signature necklace) you will be just fine ;)

2.-Christmas Dinner with the colleagues at a fancy restaurant; this calls for a little more glamour but without overdoing it, I thought of this all-creme option because it screams Winter Wonderland and it will definitely set you apart from the other 15 girls from your office who will be wearing "the little black dresses"...

3.-Christmas Party at a Ballroom or Venue; this is a great opportunity to pull out the big guns, showing up looking stunning! and if you are pretty conservative with your office wardrobe and normally live in slacks and button-downs, this is the chance to shock everybody at the party with an ultra-feminine ballroom-worthy dress!!! In the one I've chosen you could dance all night long and literally be the Belle of the Ball!!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!!!
♥
Liliana.

  

ESSENTIALS #1: Leather Pencil Skirt

Hello Dears!

This is the first of a series of posts I'll be doing with specific garments that can kick any wardrobe up a notch ;)  We all have heard about “The Basics”, you know black blazer, white button down shirt, etc, my intention is to bring you "The Essentials" (wonderful items that add ESSENCE! to our closets) things that can take us from Basic Girl to a Fashionable One! :) Sometimes we want to stand out but we are also smart about our budgets and obviously we want to optimize our clothing as much as possible so I am showing you 3 ways that today’s item can serve many purposes, that way you are not buying a “one occasion garment” :) 

The LEATHER PENCIL SKIRT it’s a wonderful alternative that adds edge and personality to an outfit, not to mention that it's so NOW since we've seen the leather trend all over, since last year. There are different options and price ranges and here are a few options if you decide to give this Essential a try ;) :

$ Sears $29 USD
$$ ASOS $86 USD
$$$ Nordstrom $137 USD
$$$$ Net-a-porter $1533 USD

Let me know if you like it and Thank You for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

New Yorker

Hi Dears,

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am NYC obsessed, on a past post I shared with you how would I go to work if I lived in Rome...Well, today I am showing you how would I do it in my beloved New York. I think anyone who has been in this majestic city cannot help this thought: Would I live in NYC? How would my life be here? There is just something about the Big Apple that makes you want to be a part of it!!! Sinatra was right on spot!!! ;D

Obvious to say, the start of my inspiration for this one was the quintessential NYC Cab.

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

Saturday Groceries

Hey Hey! :D

I start my post today with this big smile because obviously the weekend its officially starting yeeey!! Who doesn't like weekends huh? I have to confess there is one little thing I don't particularly enjoy on weekends and in life and it is grocery shopping...I am not proud of this and consider it one of my biggest areas of opportunity. My friends and I joke about the fact that in my house you will never see a mouse, a roach or any kind of disgusting insect and the reason is.....They will die of starvation!!!!! ha-ha Practically they are running for their lives!!!

On a more serious note ;) I bet some of you have been in the situation where you roll out of bed, put on your Lulu Lemon's and off you go to the grocery mission! Then a horrible thing happens...In the supermarket you bump into your Ex!!! looking like hell and wanting to camouflage yourself in with the greens and veggies ha-ha...It is THE worst! And don't get me wrong while I loveeee Lulu's (for workout) I think when you are in a situation like this you want to look the best you can for a Saturday Morning right? So, that is my inspiration for today, an option for this cold winter mornings to go run your errands looking like a decent human being. I hope that you notice "my gal" is carrying her reusable bag to put her goods in and keeping the experience Eco-Friendly ;D

Hope you rock something like this tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

Disney Outfit!!

Hello Dears,

One of the things that I NEVER get tired of it's DISNEYLAND!!! When planning a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth you definitely want to have the Comfiest Outfit on Earth also :D But please ladies! NO TRACK SUITS! ha-ha, here's an option that I think it's pretty comfy, practical but still stylish.

Hope you like it ;)

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

Unexpected!

Hi Dears,

Sorry for the days of absence, last couple of days where a whirlwind and lots of fun, part of it was, I had a totally unexpected invitation for drinks, so picture this: I am in my house ready to have a much needed session of DVR :) I had like 3 weeks of shows and series piling up...so I prepared the territory...I am in my PJ's, I have my noodle soup on the side (I know what an adventurous gal am I ha-ha...such a bore), and In Style Magazine and VOGUE also ready (they serve a purpose during the commercials because I prefer not to fast forward and rather use that time to "multitask" and check into the latest trends :) So there I was...and then phone rings and it turns out my friends are two blocks from my building! and invite me to go to a local bar to have some drinks and listen to some 80's music!!! Alcohol & 80's??? PJ's are off!!! :) I had literally 5 minutes to get ready and luckily I was lazy and still had my makeup on from the day...I had to think fast and this is the easiest fastest outfit I could come up with. Strapples Top (I just slide in to), a pop of color with the Jeans, Clutch, Botties and my Peplum Leather Jacket (I live in this thing!! I almost shower with this on :))and to top it all...the HERO of the night, this Zara Necklace that is stunning, chunky and definitely takes the outfit to a level of sophistication that its appropriate for the occasion.

Hope you like my "express" outfit ;) and just in case you where wondering...YES the night turned out to be AWESOME , and I am glad that I said YES to the invitation, even if it was so so so short notice!!

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

LADY PUNK

Hello Dears!

I wanted to share with you my ideal everyday outfit, it's comfy, easy to put together and functional for the in-between seasons climate. Style-wise this perfectly embodies my personality, the peplum top brings in the feminine form-fitting lines that I love while the plaid pants and the punkish jewelry bring a little sass to it ;) and what can I say about the shoes!!! let's just say I LOVE LOVE LOVE any Black & White accessory ♥ and if you have seen my other posts it's pretty evident.

If you have questions about any of the items in this ensemble please leave a comment below :)

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

Work & Play

Hi Dears!

Tomorrow is Thursday and as I say the weekend is "Unofficially" starting! wohooo :) When I have plans for drinks after work on Thursday's or Friday's I prefer to go straight from the office to the bar or restaurant, otherwise if I get home after a long day of work I tend to hesitate and sometimes even flake on the plan, specially during the winter because once you get in the house and start getting cozy you might prefer the idea of a movie with some hot cocoa right? But then, the day after, everybody start sharing the pictures of all the fun they had (without you :( ) and cracking jokes about the best moments of the night and you regret not being there for it...My solution? Bringing 1 or 2 things in my car that I can use to easily morph :D from "office appropiate" to "ready for drinks"!! Here are 2 options one for Thursday and one for Friday, hope you like it :)

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

PS: If you are wondering about the lovely blouse it is one of my best finds of the fall, it is from Target and it is only $25 DLLS! I have paired it with so many things and always get compliments on it because of the colors (pretty much goes with any complexion) and the faux-leather detail on the shoulders, definitely doesn't look $25!! If you want it too, click HERE

Lines I Love!!! ♥

I don't know how about you, but in my case, sometimes I like certain stores for certain specific things, if I need office or business clothes I know where to go, if I need a going out outfit, if I want some ephemerally trendy top that I know it's going to be "IN" just for 5 minutes I also know just the right store. It is just a couple of stores or clothing lines that can deliver all-occasion beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories that make me happy consistently season after season, today I am sharing you one of them: TED BAKER!

My affair with TB began with their prints!!! They have a wide range of beautiful, classy and timeless florals that are just to die for, you can easily buy one of their printed shirts or dresses and wear it 5 years from now and they will still look current and unique. But the prints are just the start...The Construction of their garments is i-m-p-e-c-c-a-b-l-e, this are clothes that are meant to flatter the women figure :) (If you've read my first post you will understand this is the CLASSIC part of me) Their Designs are made to reclaim your womanhood in all its splendor!!!

Take a look on how TB achieves multifunctionality and extreme elegance by visiting http://www.tedbaker.com/ and let me know what you think ;)

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

THE REPURPOSE

So here is my idea for repurposing...Ok, so we all agree this is not meant for a Breakfast Date at IHOP! Somehow, I don't think that the Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity would be appropiate :D...This outfit is for that kind of beautiful morning that you are meeting with this man that is starting to reaaally get under your skin (in that great romantic almost high schooley way !! :)) and decides taking you to THE "trendy neighborhood" to have more of a european breakfast followed by a stroll around the vintage shops and picking up some flowers perhaps...Don't we all want to look just unforgettable for that kind of morning? :)

Let me know if you like the repurpose of our Mary Katrantzou.

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

SATURDAY NIGHT FUNCTION

It's true that sometimes we have that particular event where we wonder "How formal is this affair really?" On this occasions a unique dress like this Mary Katrantzou is a perfect choice because the print makes it look super unique but still fresh and approachable, I think in this dress you would be THAT girl that everyone wants to talk to :)

I am a big fan of buying things that you can wear 100 times for different purposes, different seasons and with a different feel so all of the accessories on this inspiration I feel can be in your weardrobe forever and you will always find a different use for them, they are timeless.

Now about the dress? We will find a repurpose...Stay tuned ;)

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

INCOMPARABLE

Today I wanted to share with you a little piece of me. Obvious to say being involved in fashion I have many icons and muses that serve as inspiration, but the first woman that as a little girl struck me with her stunning presence was Sophia Loren. I found her unique beauty, personality and sex-appeal very commanding, it’s like you couldn’t stop looking at her! so I stared at her pictures for hours on my mother’s magazines (there was no Google then). She had this air of confidence that till this day I have never seen…Being completely enchanted by her I got to learn about her humble upbringing and got to love her even more when I found out that as a little girl she was so thin they called her "Stuzzicadenti" which means “Toothpick”, something that I could relate with and the first time I felt like someone knew how I felt :D I remember thinking “Sophia is cool and so if Sophia was a toothpick as me then I am cool!!” …Oh! self acceptance :)
Based on Sophia’s elegance, femininity and style I put this two ensembles together that are curve hugging, figure flattering and very Italian :) completed with her later-in-life signature cat-eye glasses!

So, who is your icon?

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

EX*PURR*IENCE

One of the current trends are Cats! Cats everywhere! Cats motifs, hats with cats ears, cats related quotes on t-shirts, you name it, we’ve seen it... Not a Cat Person? Still, you can try a Cat-Inspired Look without being too literal and embrace the feline attack!! ;)

Let me know how you like this.

Thanks for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.

It's Time...

Thanksgiving is around the corner and for many of us who have to travel to attend “THE DINNER” a stressful part also is….No I’m not talking about reuniting with relatives that most likely will ask inappropriate questions about your personal life or give unsolicited advise about your love life! Ha-ha :D …I’m talking about PACKING!!! Now, you don’t have to pack like Rose from Titanic to achieve looking stunning at all times, here I have put together an idea that will aloud you to stay distinguish but comfy! So let’s get to business:

For dinner I’ve chosen a Fabulous Black Jumpsuit, in this you will feel sophisticated and since it’s roomy you will be able to eat without guilt and even ask for seconds!! The morning next day, most likely you will wake up at 5:00 AM to embark on the adventure of the Black Friday Sales, so you will need something that you can easily take off on the dressings rooms again and again and also keep you warm since, remember you will be leaving the house at sunrise so I thought of a sweater dress in a saturated seasonal color that can just do the trick :) I added the 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Satchel which is perfect to hold your wallet, your boyfriend's wallet ;) and of course a good size umbrella just in case of rain or most importantly to protect your selections from the other shoppers! :D ha-ha...Last but not least you will need an outfit to travel back so you can’t beat the Jeans, Top, Scarf combo paired with an awesome Leather Blazer, and voila!

So, do you like the selection? Let me know ;)

Thanks for stopping by
♥
Liliana.

The Chic Biker

If I lived in Rome and needed to go to work in my Vespa this is how I would Rock It!!!Hope you Love It too.

Thanks for stoping by!!
♥
Liliana.

CLASSIC FORWARD

Welcome to my blog, this is a space to share with you my personal style and hopefully to connect with many of you who might share the same taste in fashion and who drool over the same beautiful things I do. I will start by saying: “Hi, I’m Liliana and I'm a Fashion Bipolar” :) reason for the name of this blog and my clothing brand which I will share with you about on my future posts. This term was born when I was studying Fashion Design and on one assignment we had to describe our style in two words, I kid you not, INSTANTLY this two words came out of my mouth and I had to literally hold myself not to scream them at the class ha-ha :D

As a Fashion Designer of course I appreciate all kinds of aesthetics and eras and I definitely have a favorite designer for each of them, but when it comes to MY personal style, MY everyday dressing and of course MY designs there are 2 silhouettes and trends that impact my choices in an undeniable way and they are:
First, the extreme femininity and elegance of the 40’s and the second would be the rebelliousness and originality of Punk...See, I told you I‘m a fashion bipolar...I AM CLASSIC FORWARD. Hope you enjoy exploring this two in my future posts….

Thank You for stopping by!
♥
Liliana.



Photo Credits: CitizenCouture.com, Becomegorgeous.com