Category: Outfits & personal style

You probably have accumulated decades’ worth of lessons on what to do to be taken seriously, on how to dress to be taken seriously. For a while before she was the published author she is today, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie did too, and she learnt to tame her love of fashion. She had discovered that women in the West who wanted to be taken seriously had to project indifference to appearance, and to only talk about fashion apologetically or contemptuously. So she gave up her heels, kept her outfits undifferentiated, and learnt to play along to the policing of other women writers who appeared to have invested in their appearance.

She is not the only intellectual to have to contend with the gendered expectation. When Francesca Stavrakopoulou, a professor at the University of Exeter did a 3-part biblical series for BBC2, a commentator marvelled that the series had been commissioned by someone indifferent to the fact  that she looked as if she was “shimmied out of one of the hotter passages of the Song of Solomon”.

The gazers are undecided

Our policing of women’s bodies and appearances though oppressive, is anything but decided. We want to have a say, to gaze and to be pleased, but we can’t seem to decide who we want them to be. We want writers to look frumpy. We want politicians to look put-together, but not too put-together, definitely not too feminine.

In an interview with Die Zeit, Angela Merkel marvels that citizens would write letters if she wore a blazer four times within two weeks, they wouldn’t if a male politician wore the same dark blue suit for a hundred days. It is unfortunately not hypothetical — German newspapers have written about a repeat outfit Merkel wore to the same music event 4 years apart, and about a daring cleavage. And American ones have reveled in Hillary Clinton’s  perceived fashion faux pas — from cleavage-gate, to scrunchie gate, to her bare face after the 2016 elections.

Resisting the policing

Women we look up to have resisted the policing of course. Sonia Sotomayer wore red nail polish to her swearing in against common wisdom for neutral-colored lacquer. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  would chanel Sotomayor at her own swearing in, in bright red lipstick and lacquer, along with a white pant suit and hoop earrings — a nod off to the Latina connection to the chola subculture in which women developed a distinctive personal style to project a “badass, take-no-shit” strength in neighborhoods where they needed to survive.

Many smart women who love fashion know that people will have opinions either way. So they respond ahead of time with their personal goals and personal comforts in mind.

And herein lies your approach to dressing up for the spaces you want to stand out in — define your reasons for what to wear, define the facets of your personal style, and live up to those, boldly, unapologetically. You will have  a defense for critics, but also most importantly, you will be comfortable in your own skin.

Photo by Amanda Vick

There is nothing wrong with youthful fashion, but if you have been defining your personal style around sophistication and grown-up polish, the crop top might seem like an odd choice.

But it isn’t. It is a fun alternative to your usual blouses and shirts. It is versatile and can be worn to be sexy and revealing or demure but teasing. Depending on what you pair a crop top with, your look can be relaxed and casual or chic and elegant.

The trick to tasteful cropping is getting the balance and the pairing right. Pairing a boldly revealing crop top with short shorts is more youthful vogue than grown-up polish. So is doing tight-fitting stretchy fabrics on higher-cut crops. You want to balance bold reveal with structured fabric and shorter crop tops with higher waistlines. Here are some tips for sophisticated styling of crop tops -:

1. Match separates into elegant suits

Find inspiration in Michelle Obama for upgrading your suit with a cropped blazer that is so simply chic. Pair beautifully-colored crops with similar high-waisted skirts or wide-legged pants to form suited elegance.
 

 

 
 

2. Do tailored chic

Pair your crop top with tailored pants, tailored pencil skirts, or midi skirts, add a structured blazer, and complete your look with a pair of strappy heels or thin-heeled pumps. A perfectly versatile look that you can wear from day to night, for date night, even for casual Friday at the office, depending on where you work of course!
 

 

 
 

3. Try structured casual

This is tailored chic, but with a pair of skinny jeans or jeggings. You can also replace the structured blazer with something else structured, for instance, a faux leather jacket or a stylish bomber jacket. Perfect for a day out and about.
 

 
 

4. Pair with A-lines and maxi hemlines

A-lines that graze your ankles make a great balanced pairing with short crops.
 

 
 

Don’t underestimate the semblance of calm and control that good airport style can give you in the face of awful layovers, unexpected delays and the tiring jostling of crowds. In the same way personal style grounds your identity and contributions elsewhere, airport style channels your best in a stressful environment that should otherwise channel your worst.

And if you would like to avoid style that works against you, we have some ideas for a don’t list: shorts, rompers and other short hemlines that have you shivering in the plane and that have your skin exposed to the grime of airport seats — unless of course you lounge pass and business class check-in and boarding guarantees that you will not be the thousandth person on an airport seat on the day you travel.

Here are some ideas for chic outfits that blend comfort and style for your flights

1. Chic separates

Pair bottoms that have great coverage with a chic top in comfortable fabric. Crop tops are a stylish alternative to tees. Pair them with a high waisted bottom, for instance a maxi skirt, a midi skirt, or wide-legged pants. We prefer the latter!
 

 
 

2. Elevated athleisure

Jogger pants? Jeggings? Sweatpants? Yes, we did just say sweatpants! A pair of heels will transform a sweats’ look from frumpy to stylish instantly. So will a structured blazer or jacket.

And yes, for those of us who wear heels everywhere this sounds all good, but if that’s not you, try a pair of white sneakers and a structured blazer.
 

 

 
 

3. Maxi hemlines

Try a solid-colored maxi dress, especially one in rich tones, and you have a sophisticated look without any of the work. Or pair a knitted top with a maxi skirt. You could try a jumpsuit too, but you probably don’t want all trips to tiny plane toilets to require so much creativity.
 

 
 

Villanelle’s almost victim is a perfectionist who knows what’s up for summer 2019 styles. He can’t stand the thought of a black belt destroying the in-vogue visual that is a combination of burnt orange, or terracotta if you please, and dark rusty red. And boy, neither can we! Or maybe we could, before he pointed it out.

Anyway, for summer 2019, layer shades of reds and oranges in fun fashion-forward looks that will look as great as they sound.

We love Villanelle’s pleated maxi. We love the blouse it’s paired with but we would probably go for a lower neckline. We would pair this specific blouse with a fitting midi-length skirt in the same shade but with a slit.

And if you have no idea who Villanelle is, you are missing out on some great television headlined by two incredible women we can never get enough of.

At Yakutti, we partner with designers who have compelling brand stories and whose design processes are ecologically and socially conscious. Naturally, our customers are engaged and conscious as well, and part of such consciousness can entail keeping an ethical capsule wardrobe that does not keep expanding for the sake of expanding.

Can an ethical capsule get boring? We don’t think so. You can always remix essentials in novel exciting ways that play up to trends if you are looking for some fashion-forward fun. For spring 2019, we have some tips!

1. Wear neutral essentials of the same color in a tonal outfit.

Yes, we are currently in love with monochrome outfits. All the neutral essentials in your wardrobe, won at once, will make for a fashion-forward utility look.

 

 

2. Mix prints

This gets bold, but yes, match up pieces that have different prints for a currently trendy mixed prints’ look.

 

3. Mix florals.

Florals are always, always, spring ready. Mix different florals. Mix florals with prints and with tie dyes. And see more tips for braving bold prints here.

 

4. Tonal sunny

Reds, burnt oranges, golden chorals in the Pantone 2019 range – wear different textures and fabrics in a monochrome outfit — basically a more vibrant version of the tonal neutrals in 1. above.

 

Color blocking is guaranteed to make your outfit impactful, but turns out, knowing how to wear monochromatic outfits can do that too. If that sounds a little daunting, that is because it is — wearing the same color from head to toe can look drab. Or to borrow from another fashion editor, it can be the sure fire way to look like a highlighter pen! Ouch.

So how to not look like a highlighter pen? Start in deep end with an elegantly bold selection of colors
 

1. Try rich neutrals

Rich neutrals and utility tones in browns, tans, camel tones and rich beiges are currently a blend of fashion-forward and rustic sophistication. Try them head to toe by mixing textures and fabrics.


 

2.Go pastely

Dress in a much softer tone of your favorite color from head to toe. It’s the best mix there is of understatement done boldly.


 

3. Bejewel

If doing statement boldly is more your thing, then go for stronger jewel colors. Our favorite looks in these category are emeralds, burgundies, and eggplants.

This spring, we are canvassing spring 2018 fashion trends looking for styles to make authentically ours.

We will be power dressing for impactful elegance, as usual, but as layers become breathable, sunnier, we are channeling some of that lightness in beautiful pastels and tinges of flower.
 
Let’s get all set for spring!
 

1. Saturated hues in blocks

Turn heads in saturated hues, worn head-to-toe or color-blocked. Bright yellows and red will are a spring favorite this year, and oh, so befitting for the cheeriness that is spring.

 
 

2. Florals in flirty and edgy cuts

Quite frankly, we’ll never tire of flirty florals in the springtime. It’s the official symbol of the season, after all, and we can’t wait to adorn this happy motif onto all items. Instead of merely going floral in swingy dresses and bright T-shirts, we love the idea of flower prints on our shoes and accessories too.

Floral trainers are the latest streetwear trend we can’t get enough of. How about a pair of flower sneakers worn with a little white dress? Or for an element of tomboy chic, it doesn’t get any cooler than ripped boyfriend jeans plus flower-embroidered Converse trainers.

Another quirky outfit idea? Instead of going full-on floral, we love the idea of mixing styles. How about incorporating the oh-so-cool athleisure trend with a flowery twist? Make your own style rules and combine a pair of striped tracksuit bottoms with a little white crop top and floral trainers.

 
 

3. Beautiful pastels

We are obsessed with lavender. Wear decisive pastels. Even color block them. Our next it-investment is a a lavender midi-length dress with a square neckline – think Alicia Florrick – just to bring a few of our favorite things together.

 
 

4. 90s Revival

It’s been confirmed: the 90s are back. You only have to look at Instagram style stars to know that chokers, scrunchies and combat boots are the hottest trend since, well… the 90s. Nothing defined the bygone area more than Doc Martens boots.
We are breathing new life into this edgy look by switching up the trend. Pair edgy Doc Martens with a flower-patterned dress for the sweetest 90s style.
Our favorite look though is head-to-toe denim, paired with a unique choker. Style this look like a true fashionista and wear a dungaree!

 
 

Another season, another new fashion trend. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that we’re guaranteed to see new fads and styles of clothing become en vogue as the weather changes. One style of dressing that never gets old though has to be edgy fashion. We’re talking biker jackets, ripped jeans and even a touch of athleisure. The best part about this trend is that it can be easily applied to casual and plain outfits. Here are our top tricks on how to style edgy chic!
 

1. Denim as a Basis

Style icons like Rihanna, Gwen Stefani and Kate Moss make it look so easy – street style casual looks that seem to work seamlessly as both day and nightwear. Their secret? Denim as the foundation of their outfits. Invest in individual items like boyfriend jeans, denim chambray shirts and fitted denim jackets. An edgy trend these days is to pair your denim with another matching item also in denim – skinny blue denim jeans worn with a button-down denim shirt, for example. Jennifer Lopez is a fan of this look which she rounds off with statement pointy stiletto heels – simply stunning!

2. A Hint of Leather

The coolest way to complement any casual ensemble is undoubtedly a little black leather jacket. Make sure it’s fitted tight on the shoulders, tailored down towards your waistline and ends right on your bellybutton. A leather jacket is a foolproof technique to upgrade a plain outfit into something instantly suave and edgy. That floral day dress you love to wear? Throw on a leather moto jacket and give it a modern edgy update.

To take your edgy outfit a notch further on elegance ladder, think a mid-length leather skirt. And if it has a sexy front slit? The better!

3. Sporty Chic

Trainers with a little black dress, stiletto heels with boyfriend jeans and a sporty hoodie or tracksuit bottoms with a button-down silk shirt… all outfit combinations with that oh-so hip athleisure street style appeal. The key to making the sporty aesthetic truly wearable yet stylish is to pay attention to the dimensions of your body. Make sure that the items still show off your feminine shape – a shirt tucked into an elastic waistband highlights a slim waist, for example. The aim is to look edgy and hip while remaining feminine and chic.

It’s easy to follow trends. The true fashionistas know that genuine style means breaking trends and creating something completely their own. For date nights this year, we’re aiming for stylish on-trend ensembles that still capture romantic effortlessness while escaping the usual LBD-resort.
 
Here are some sexy picks for what to wear on a first date –
 

1. Some blend of powerful and sexy

A jumpsuit, a pantsuit, or a wide-legged pants ensemble in a decided color — like a head-to-toe white, burgundy, or emerald green — and in softly flowing fabrics and cuts — think chiffon than fits and flows along your silhouette — will be just the right mix of power and flirt.

 

2. White, the Eternal Winner

Let’s move away from the little black dress. Take an unexpected style route this year and opt for a little white dress instead. We’d even go as far as to say it’ll become your new sexy staple item. A slinky little all-white number styled with nude stiletto pumps plus glittering gold jewelry – trust us, you’ll knock his socks off!

 

3. Florals for the Win

You’d have to be living under a rock not to notice the floral trend. It’s become so popular, floral motifs have moved beyond spring and we’re still seeing it everywhere from the runways to the department stores. Embrace the cheerful flowery aesthetic and give it some charm. How about a sweetly feminine ensemble of a floral maxi dress topped off with an edgy little denim jacket? So even if you don’t receive any actual flowers after your first date, at least you’ll still be wearing them ;)!

 

4. The Brighter, the Better

Do you have a certain color that always rakes in the compliments whenever you wear it? Whatever it may be, make it your secret weapon for your first date. Brights are always eye catching – think sunny yellows, girly pinks or earthy greens. But if more neutral shades make you feel most desirable, go right ahead. Navy blue makes a classier alternative to monochrome black, while nudes of your skin color have the alluring effect of acting as a second skin – oh so sexy! Of course, if you’re looking for that sultry finishing touch, a swipe of sexy red lipstick can do wonders.

 
Happy styling!
 

We don’t know about you, but we love wearing red. It’s decided. It’s bold. It’s unapologetic. It’s perfect for power dressing dull days, for claiming space and presence even when it’s begrudged.

Obviously, your own authentic style should be your raison d’être for wearing red. It just happens that this fall there is an extra reason, and we are taking full advantage –

1. Over-the-knee edge.

If you’ve been with us for a while, you know that we love a white dress. It’s beguilingly simple, yet so stylish. This season, pair it with red over-the-knee boots, and sexy edge doesn’t even begin to describe your style.

2. Head-to-toe crimson boldness

Go big or go home. It is as they say. Stylishly adorn red head to toe in a midi-dress, a pantsuit, a midi skirt-suit. Your options are endless. Take it further with red accessorizing.

3. Color-block analogously

Color-block your red with another striking color that exists next to red on the color wheel. Corals, hot-pinks and purples are just some of your options!