Fall White

Making things work from one season to the next can reaaaally stretch your wardrobe and often times lead you to new and interesting outfits you may have not considered putting together before.  You may have heard of the classic summer nautical look (navy and white) and maybe you have heard the words "winter white" being tossed around here and there.  So ladies,  what's up with fall?  Can you wear white in fall?  I say, ABSOLUTELY!  Our off white ankle jean from Blank we had all summer (now 40% off)  can easily be turned into a classy fall look with a cotton knit sweater from Wooden Ships and Whiskey colored leather boots from Miz Mooz to warm things up :) The gold cutout necklace from Fair Earth really takes the outfit from good, to, great with a splash of sass. What things will you be taking from Summer into fall?  Come in and find new fabulous pieces to fallify your old ones! To see more pics of this look check out our facebook page and to buy click here!

Fall Trends: Episode 3: Skin Is In

Skin bags when under your eyes are the devil's work and definitely not a fashion look to covet.  However when skin bags have a strap/s and you carry your stuff in it, it's totally fierce.  This season we are seeing bags made from skins real or fake everywhere.  Think python, ostrich, crocodile (preferably faux for the sake of the critters) to add depth and texture to any outfit.  Our crossbody bag from Latico available in black and brown is rich looking and, made from recycled materials, comes without the hefty price tag of a real animal skin bag.  We particularly love this because it's practical and classy. The cross-body feature allows you to have fun and book it while maintaining your "look."  What do you think?  Will you be rocking the skin bags this season?

Fall Trends: Episode 2: The Bootie Factor

Shake your booties tra la la la.  Shake your booties.  This season booties are in every company's collection, every store and on every celebrity and I am ready to join the movement...are you?  I first started noticing these on Sienna Miller.  She was photographed multiple times wearing a pair from rag and bone.  As of late I have seen even more celebrities rocking this trend like Gwyneth Paltrow and Misha Barton.  Some of us don't have legs that go on for days and may feel hesitant that these won't be the most flattering.  I say throw on a pair of tights the same color as the booties to continue the line and make your legs look longer.  Another option is to wear them with pants that flair a bit (another big trend this season which I will get to soon).  The pair we've got that just arrived today from EVERYBODY featured above is perfect for pairing with dresses or pants and a black and brown combo always feels so European to me (almost always a good thing when it comes to fashion).  Stay tuned for the arrival of more booties and more Fall 2012 trends to come and check us out on www.williamsshoesonline.com to make them yours!

The Best Accessory

The other day as I was walking down the street by my house I noticed a guy with a casual cool summer style walking down the street with his pitbull.  The two of them both looked so happy to be together and enjoying the beautiful weather.  I realized that while this guy had great style what really made me take note was his best accessory; his dog!  Putting together a great outfit that you feel good in and reflects your mood as well as your personal style is always a good thing but sometimes the best accessory is the company you keep be it canine or otherwise. If you are happy with the people you are with, they give you positive energy, and make you feel good. That is what takes you and your outfit to a whole new level of style!

Silver on Silver

Yesterday as I sat outside at a cafe on my day off reading the worst book ever written (50 Shades of Grey) I became rather bored and started to people watch, day dream, sip my iced chai and wonder how many times an author can say murmur and why she didn't use a thesaurus.  Anyways, out of nowhere I see a gorgeous silver Cadillac with silver detailing.  I have loved Cadillacs since as long as I can remember coveting a Gold Cadillac Coup Deville in my younger years and now admiring the more modern sleek designs which, while not as "vintage cool" would make a sassy ride for a city girl.  So why am I talking about Cadillacs when I am supposed to be writing about fashion and my boutique, Next Door?  Well seeing this gorgeous thing drive by in its subtle metallic silver with silver metal detailing made me think just how good a silver dress/top or even grey with bold silver jewelry (enough to really stand out and pop) is undeniably chic and rich looking.  They don't call them luxury cars for nothin' right?  This look can also be carried off with gold on gold or some variation of gold ie: mustard or camel and will perhaps be a bit more on trend since gold is everywhere this season.  What do you think?  Would you rock the silver on silver or gold on gold look?

"Go" with Nature

Ladies. I have been M.I.A. in a major way for a long time.  However, I am back and newly dedicated to sharing my thoughts on fashion and insights I have gained from working at Next Door and Williams Shoes and observing people and their choices everyday!  One thing I encounter constantly at my store which I'm sure you encounter constantly in your closet is figuring out if things "go."  Does this color go with this color?  One thing I often use as a reference to see if things work is nature.  As we approach fall there are beautiful things happening in nature that we can take our cues from.  Think of a tree with the leaves changing.  Reds, oranges, yellows, greens, the browns and tans of the trunk and all of these in varying hues ALL on one tree.  Nature usually doesn't get things wrong especially when it comes to colors.  Beautiful sunsets, a field of flowers, the night sky with stars (think a Navy dress with silver jewelry or something white like the moon) even as things wither and fade there is a certain harmony in those colors too (think pastels).  What nature inspirations will you channel?