There comes a time in a woman’s life when she feels a certain…pull at her spirit, a tug on her psyche. It’s as inevitable as the changing of the seasons, and as natural as the sunset.

It’s time for Fall fashion.

As usual, around mid-July I start thinking about cultivating a “look” for  Fall. No, said “look” is never fully manifested; and yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds, especially since I’m wearing Daisy Dukes and a tank top as I type this–but it’s, like, nature and stuff. Totally out of my control.

This is what I’m thinking so far:

Images: Style.com

All of which is to say that not much has changed since last Fall. Designers and retailers aren’t stupid–they understand that consumers are tighter with their cash and aren’t interested in dropping copious amounts of dough on styles that will look outdated in a year.

As usual, black is the new black–but surprisingly, I’m no longer interested in the leather-clad powerbitch getups that have been stomping down the Autumn/Winter runways for the past few  years. Aww…maybe I’m growing up?

Nah.

When do you start to think about the upcoming season? Do you have a plan or do you just wing it?

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Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a style rut? You know, skirt + blouse, pants + cardigan, jeans + tee, blahblahblah boring. I hate that.

When I do feel that way, I look elsewhere for style inspiration–usually to my fellow bloggers or recent designer collections. I was procrastinating doing research and checking out some of my favorite blogs, when I came across a photo from Dries Van Noten‘s Spring 2010 collection.

I immediately remembered a sarong I received as a souvenir from a friend’s trip to Thailand and thought, “I can do (something similar to) that!”

I just added my trusty gray sweatshirt and some “exotic” accessories:

Elaborate earrings purchased as a direct result of my ongoing obsession with Indian bridal jewelry.

A combination of beaded African bracelets and a few wooden bracelets I picked up at the hair store. No, the hair store–the place where they sell weaves and wigs. Don’t underestimate the selection in those glass cases in the front of the shop, okay?

A beaded bag and nude shoes (Attention apparel manufacturers: light beige doesn’t equal “nude” for everyone.) I love the little gold elephants marching across the sarong.

Sunglasses I got on sale years ago. I’m surprised I still have them–I usually lose sunglasses within, like, a month of purchasing them.

It’s not a difficult look to replicate. The idea is to take a bunch of varying cultural influences, toss them together, and see what happens. Don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit!

1. J. Crew sweatshirt  2. Bracelets, Ainamoja.com 3. Skirt, Milliana.com 4. Chloe sunglasses, Aloha Rag 5. Earrings, Kaneesha.com 6. Rosegold heels, Shopbop.com

Sweatshirt, American Apparel; skirt, souvenir; earrings, Bombay Jewelry; shoes, Steve Madden; bracelets, random; purse, Miss Selfridge; sunglasses, Gucci.

By the way, bellydancing costume boutiques are my new favorite places to shop online.

Where do you find inspiration when you’re in a style rut?

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Clueless was, and still is to this day, one of my favorite teen movies. Really, it ranks right up there with Girls Just Want to Have Fun! and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (also directed by Amy Heckerling). Sadly–or gladly–I have all of the above on DVD.

I watched Clueless pretty much non-stop after my uncle was kind enough to tape it (err…remember VHS?) for me. I was the girl who thought “Rolling with My Homies” was a pretty darn catchy song, and I really wanted to go to a school where people walked down the hall talking to each other on their cell phones.
Since my parents wouldn’t let me transfer to a fictional high school in another state, I scoured the sale rack at Contempo Casuals in search of Cher-like outfits back in the day. Turns out, it’s just as much fun rifling through my current closet for pleated minis and thigh-high socks. I still miss the black patent leather t-strap heels I bought at DEB, though. Man, I really wish I still had those shoes…

Anybody else a Clueless fan? Wanna hit the Val party with me?

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One of the best things about the interwebz is the rise of street style photos. Sure the world wide web has other semi-useful purposes, but when it comes to checking out what other people are wearing, it really starts to earn its keep.

These are a few of my current favorites. Clearly, I’m feeling the Parisian dandy/deconstructed stage costume look right now.

Images: Jak+Jil, dropsnap.jp, The Sartorialist, Street Peeper, Style-Arena.jp

Do you have any favorite street style sites? God forbid I spend my time being productive, I’d rather look at strangers’ clothes!

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I figure we’ve known each other long enough to expose you to my errant babble and rambling life reflections:

• I discovered Scandanavian designer Henrik Vibskov a few months ago and am LOVING his effortlessly blase pieces.
• Did y’all ever “design” new outfits with Fashion Plates and a bunch of stubby colored pencils?
• And did you play with Designer Denim Barbie? I remember those pink molded plastic cowboy boots like it was yesterday…
• The leather cheerleader skirt in this image from Net-a-Porter is so naughty French schoolgirl.
• Confession: I have a mild girl crush on Ashley Olsen (I know, I know) and am now dying to hit the local thrift stores in search of a pair of slouchy (men’s) tweed pants.
• I’ve been wanting a chunky bib necklace for months and the chains make this one look pretty hard core.
• Black Givenchy cutout shoe-ties add a touch of badass to anything. ‘Nuff said.

Have a good weekend!

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Though it’s almost the complete opposite of the fierce Xena Takes Manhattan looks we saw on the Fall runways, I was drawn to this softly feminine ensemble at Louis Vuitton. By using draping and ruching instead of ruffles and frills, toning down candy-sweet shades of pink with neutral beige, and adding glossy black accents via accessories, it’s a modern take on femme fatale that’s easy to duplicate:

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After wasting spending time watching reruns of My Name is Earl on Hulu, I was inspired to dress like Jamie Pressly’s character who, let’s be honest, is a l’il trashy. Trashy can be fun when it’s done right, though! Let’s take a look at some of the key elements:

1 & 2 “A-line” Tank top Shown: American Apparel 2. Hanes
To keep it simple, go for the ol’ standby classic: a ribbed cotton wifebeater. If you don’t like the idea of wearing such violent-sounding clothing, try to find something that looks like it was procured at an impromptu roadside biker rally. I picked up my combination tie-dye/bald eagle flyin’ atcha duck! ribbed tank top from a mall in New Jersey. ‘Nuff said.

Bonus points: Tube top or bikini top–anything that opens the possibility of “accidentally” exposing boobs.

3. “Gold” accessories Shown: earrings, girlprops.com
You can’t go wrong with a cheap gold accessory in this case, so I say doorknocker earrings for the win! You could also try hoops the size of a small foreign car–as long as they’re not real gold. Because really, what would be the point then?

Bonus points: Wear a several pairs of said oversized earrings.

4. Cutoffs Shown: Ksubi, LaGarconne
I made my denim cutoffs from an old pair of jeans–my “8th grade jeans” to be exact. I remember roaming the halls of WWMS thinking I was hot stuff when I wore those jeans, but eventually I, er…”outgrew” them. Not to worry! A few rough measurements and handy pair of scissors took care of that in less than two minutes. You can buy ‘em or do it yourself–they’ll fray and fade nicely after a few washings.

Bonus points: Cut the leg higher than the bottom of the pocket lining for a Britney pre-comeback look.

Note: If you stop here, you’ll probably fall into “trailer” side of this look, which just so happens to be all over the runways right now so score! If you prefer to add a bit of chic, keep going.

5. Add a cover up Shown: Lux, Urban Outfitters
I know I said the point was to show skin, but limiting the exposed skin to one body part (legs, shoulders, back, etc.) will keep you from getting arrested while standing on the corner waiting for your bus. I chose a black open cardigan because it’s easy to put on and remove. For when I get hot, not to fool the cops! Jeez…

Bonus points: Wear a well-cut designer piece like Nini.

6 & 7 Keep the remaining accessories sleek Shown: Belle by Sigerson Morrison sandals, Shopbop; Michael Michael Kors belt, Bluefly
A simple black belt with a gold buckle, strappy black sandals, a vintage cuff…I wore these because black leather is always trailer-appropriate, but also because of the streamlined silhouettes. In this case, too many accessories can look busy and distracting.

To achieve style harmony you must balance the trailer and the chic, grasshopper.

Do you ever get inspiration from unusual places? What are your tips for mixing seemingly disparate styles?

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