My (more than) Five - Ralph Lauren Spring 2011

Ralph went really American West for this collection.  Lots of fringe, big belt buckles, distressed leather alongside flowy fabrics and ruffles.  Beautiful pieces, if not a bit costumey at times, but I wasn't blown away.  Until I saw the accessories.  Particurally the shoes, oh baby there are some beauties.  The appeal is that they are rugged and chic, if that makes sense.  See for yourself at the end...enjoy!

Let the fabulousness begin:

Images via Vogue.com

My Take: Ralph Lauren Spring 2010

Well, first let me say I'm going to skip an installment of "Uniform Dressing" this week and start it next week.  You see there are five Wednesdays in September and five installments of a uniform may just drive people (me) to drink.  My 2 year old has her first dental appointment in November so I need to save all my drinking time to prepare for that event. And since we are knee deep in the "Week of Chambray", I figured I would tackle one of RL's Spring 2010 looks I featured in Monday's post.

I think I read somewhere along the line that the "jeans" in this look are heavily beaded and the price is in the 4 digits.  Uhhhh, okay, whatever floats your boat Ralph.  They probably only made the one pair.  Anyway, I used this look as an inspiration point for three looks (and yeah, I threw in some leopard print shoes.  I had to).

Skinny Denim by J.Crew
Hobos by The Sak

Top and bottom-wise this is fairly true to the runway look.  Some may object to the chambray denim combo, I'm on the fence about it, but the blazer does help break it up.

Tanks by Apt. 9
Sandals by Lauren Ralph Lauren

I grabbed some sparkle with the chambray inspired color of the sequined tank.

Blazers by Calvin Klein
Pumps by Nine West

Because you can't wear jeans everywhere!  A little more office friendly.

Runway image via WWD

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Let the "Week of Chambray" begin!

In Friday's post I declared that this week shall be the "Week of Chambray" and I meant it.  Now I sound all mean and crazed, but seriously chambray is everywhere right now.  Dressed up or dressed down it's certainly a trend worth trying (and a trend that comes and goes, because I remember rocking some serious chambray in the 80's, yo!).  A chambray shirt is easy to work into your existing wardrobe and I'll be showing some examples as the week continues.

First, lets look at some inspiration from (who else?) Ralph Lauren's Spring 2010 runway.  This was a strong runway show for him, very "Ralph" with the luxurious take on what you would usually consider working clothes.  Not, 9-5 working, but actual "go outside and get your hands dirty" working clothes.  Some examples:

I adore that beaded tunic/dress.  Anyway, you can see what I'm talking about - fancy!  Here is a sampling of  chambray (and lightweight denim) shirts I ran across, you'll be seeing a couple of these later this week in various looks.  Enjoy!

Longsleeve Tops by Old Navy
Day Dresses by Old Navy

Runway images via WWD

Ralph Lauren Fall 2010

Mr. Lauren has nothing if not a point of view, he has infiltrated every part of our wardrobe and home.  Amazing staying power and an amazing brand. I liked this collection, but I felt like I've seen it all before, which is good and bad.  It's just not me, however I found a couple of looks that caught my eye.  No matter what, I still am a fan (Spring 2010 was great - see my post here):

Images via Style.com

Ralph Lauren Spring 2010

Honestly, I was just thinking about Mr. Lauren this morning. His all-American clothes that we all have, I mean who doesn't have at least one Ralph Lauren item of clothing. (In my case I OD'ed a few years back on his bed linens, I have so many of his sheet sets it's insane). So here are my picks from his Spring 2010 collection:

Please note that he showed * ahem * overalls. I HATE overalls (or "hog washers" as we call them down my way) - he showed them in casual and fancy versions - I will spare you those images. Hog washers aside, I really like this collection! Love the color story, love the sequined shirt dress (5th image down), love the idea of casual made fancy.












Images via WWD

If you haven't already...

go to Ralph Lauren's Rugby. It's such a cool website and has great collegiate type clothing mixed with a downtown vibe. The best part about the site is that you can customize certain pieces with patches and embroidery! It's fun and totally personalized. Love it!!!