The Craze: Putting the pep back into patterns

The Craze is a trend report bringing you the latest (and, duh, the greatest) in beauty and style.

If weather trends hold, we are looking at two more months of winter. It will be a long time before we can shamelessly rock jersey sundresses and denim cutoffs bare-legged, but that doesn't mean we have to match the Syracuse skies with dull attire. 

One of the easiest ways to perk up your winter neutrals is to throw some prints into the mix. Plaid is a simple, reliable bet, like vanilla ice cream, but as the folks at Doo. Ri and Prada show us, the spectrum of winter print possibilities is endless.

 

Doo. Ri pre-fall 2010

Prada pre-fall 2010

Feeling extra daring? Or extra bored with your current wardrobe? Try layering patterns on patterns. Mixing patterns successfully can feel like an intuitive art, but there are a couple of hard and fast rules to make the process less daunting.

 

Proenza Schouler pre-fall 2010

 

Matthew Williamson pre-fall 2010

Mix prints of different scales to avoid overwhelming your figure: say a narrow pinstripe skirt with an oversized floral print blouse. Wearing different patterns in monochromatic or muted shades can also keep the look from entering Lady Gaga territory (unless that’s the direction you’re headed in).

- by Emily Montgomery

The Orange Carpet: Mix plaids? Yes, you can!

The Orange Carpet scours SU to roll out the best of campus style (die, hoodies, die!).

There’s a certain danger involved when one chooses to put on a plaid skirt. And that danger is looking like an uptight catholic school-girl or a cheesy object of male fantasty. 

However, Sophomore PR major Lydia Shahmoon (one of our very own Assistant Editors) manages to pull off the look effortlessly without falling into either trap.

Lydia Shahmoon's creative use of plaids. 

We love this modern twist on the classic plaid skirt. The buttons up the front of this high wasted mini add a twist to this classic style by keeping it from looking too rigid. Pairing it with a sheer black t-shirt by Alexander Wang keeps the look modern and casual by utilizing a current trend.

The tan hues in the skirt are highlighted by a cozy pair of beige wool tights and a draped, oversized sweater coat by Philip Lim. Keeping with the schoolgirl theme, Lydia laced up a pair of black patent pointy-toed brogues.

But, as any fashionista knows, the perfect accessories are an absolute necessity, and Lydia couldn’t have made more perfect choices. Sometimes the best way to pull an outfit together, especially a unique one like this, is to choose accessories that add contrast. 

We love this red plaid and brown leather Michael Kors bag. Mixing plaids does not a good outfit make…well, usually. In this case however, the light orange and beige plaid in the skirt mixed with the deep red and black plaid of the bag, contrast one another quite nicely and keeps the two patterns from clashing.

Michael Kors bag.

To top it all off, Lydia chose a gold, multi layered chain necklace….Somewhat reminiscent of the infamous Mr. T chain — but way more stylish.

The perfect accessories.

Plaid Skirt:  FCUK

T-shirt: T by Alexander Wang

Sweater Coat: Philip Lim

Tights: Bleuforte

Bag: Michael Kors

Shoes: Hugo Boss

Necklace: street sale in Montreal 

- by Monica Delamater

Fierce+Foreign: The French are mad for plaid

Fierce+Foreign draws on the fashion experiences of SU students studying abroad.

At this time of year in France, colors and patterns usually go into hibernation. On the rare occasion that you do spot a pattern, chances are, it's plaid. 

Plaid flannel shirts will always be timeless, but ever given thought to purchasing a plaid coat? It's a nice change from the usual solid colors. 

Why camouflage with the snow, when you can be so distinctive with a plaid coat? The key is that it's distinctive, but not flashy.
 
Here you see couture princess Blair Waldorf, from Gossip Girl, looking fierce in a black and white Betsey Johnson (who's a SU alumna!) plaid coat.

 

We're all about some plaid coats, just like Blair. XOXO  

Yours truly is always on the look out for fresh plaid patterns, and fell in love with this yellow Victoria's Secret plaid wool coat for $129. The military style buttons add even more structure to the crisscrossing lines.

Vicky's secret? A great plaid look.

I'm also lovin' this plaid jacket from Mama Stone Vintage, an online store that sells vintage clothes on eBay. One key thing about wearing plaid: don't pair it with other patterns or a bright color. Let the plaid take center stage by wearing dark leggings or pants to match the coat.

Mama Stone Vintage's retro plaid style.

American Eagle also has a snug green and blue plaid wool coat for $119.95. Again, French style is very conservative with colors, so when picking a plaid pattern, don't steer too far from cool, dark colors. 

Save the tutti frutti palette for a warmer season.

- by Jenny Cheng 

The Orange Carpet: Plaid, layers, boots...so 2009!

The Orange Carpet scours SU to roll out the best of campus style (die, hoodies, die!).

If you looked in our fashion dictionary, you’d see this look under the word Fall.

This outfit is casual chic meets rocker cool, and screams 2009! Riding boots, plaid, and layers, oh my! First-year student Alex Lieb incorporated current trends into one outfit without looking overly accessorized.

First-year student Alex Lieb passing on campus in this year's layered look. Photo: Elan Goss 

The great thing about this outfit is how effortless it looks. Layering an asymmetrical grey sweater from Free People under a longer black sweater lengthens the body while adding some edge. The plaid top adds visual texture to the sweater combo that otherwise could have left this look flat. 

And,friends, what is the most important part of any outfit? The shoes! Nothing looks more sophisticated than a simple pair of riding boots from Anthropologie, but who wants to look prim and proper when you can live on the edge? The zipper detailing and the wrap-around leather straps take these boots to a new level. 

To achieve this casual cool, yet edgy vibe try mixing and matching similar pieces from your wardrobe!

- by Elan Goss

Cuse Closet: Tights are what's up

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there.

Today's Closet: Kelly Dishner

Kelly Dishner sporting fall's essential tights. Photo: Petra Borhani-Bakker

 
Great fashion is seasonal. And while it may not be freezing yet, everyone who lives in Syracuse knows winter is coming soon. 

Walking to class in snowstorms makes sweatpants straight-up irresistible. But a great way to avoid the sin of sweats - especially when all your jeans are dirty - is to wear tights. 

They’re surprisingly warm if you get a thicker thread count and they can make you look classy or cute (maybe even both if you’re skilled) while accentuating the length of your legs. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

I decided to wear tights with an autumn-like plaid mini dress. I wore a black t-shirt under the dress, which made the look a little more conservative to balance out the short length. I decided to wear heels though, to “rock” the length in a sense. 

And finally to accessorize, I added gold hoops and a funky headband.

Dress: Jack BB Dakota
T-shirt: Forever 21
Headband: H+M
Shoes: Jessica Simpson