.017 IN THE NAVY

I am a navy baby - in the literal sense and in the figurative sense, implying that I love to wear navy (pointing out the obvious). To me, nothing will ever be the new black. I surround myself in black, draped up like I am Death in Ingmar Bergman's, The Seventh Seal. But sometimes it feels good to branch out a little. Maybe I will make olive my new color or perhaps I will wear more camel than usual. Though, there has always been one color that has fought for the coveted spot of "staple color" and that is, as the title suggests, navy.

Navy is a color that does not need Patone's "Color of the Year" to earn a place in every designer's heart. The dark shade of blue has enough of a reputation to thrive on its own. Whether it is in classic Americana (Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren to name a few) or in haute couture (Dior immediately comes to mind), navy has no trouble finding a place on the runway or in the everyman's closet.

Now, I am probably telling you nothing that you already do not know. Hell, I am sure most of us already have more than three navy colored items in our closet(s). But, I must ask, can we ever have enough navy? I think one could make navy refreshing by playing with textures: velvet, mohair, tweed, and silk, to name a few. Lately, textures have made quite an appearance on the runway. And with fuzzy sweaters being a new "it" item, how can anyone disagree?

I figured I would make this post a bit more relevant by showcasing navy pieces from the latest pre-fall 14 collections. (All of the photos are sourced to style.com.)

(Pre-Fall 2014 See by Chloé - p.s. here's the trend I reported on earlier!)

(Pre-Fall 2014 Kenzo - super about the piped pleats and 70s school girl vibes.)

(Pre Fall 2014 Helmut Lang - shift dresses are still my favorite style of dress)

(Pre Fall 14 BCBG Max Azria - kinda diggin' the southwest themes - love the skirt.) 

(Pre Fall 2014 Band of Outsiders - I am still not over this collection. The patterns!)

Keep eyes peeled for navy both on the runways and on the sales racks! I absolutely love Madewell, Topshop, and Zara for some solid navy pieces. 

.013 NOT SO NINETIES WEDNESDAY

Hello, hello. I finally have the day off and instead of taking in the sun and fresh winter air, I decided to stay inside with a warm blanket and my companion laptop. My feet are tired but my thirst for internet knowledge is real. I spent the better half of my morning time on my usual sites, checking to see the latest in all things fashion and whatever else I had missed in the pop culture news this past week. Those who religiously follow fashion just as I do probably already know that pre-fall 2014 looks are being revealed on the daily.

I am absolutely in love with the House of Holland's pre-fall 2014 collection. The colors, textures, and patterns are enough to make me reconsider the direction of my current wardrobe. Mulberry's fall 2014 sneak preview is another favorite. The boxy silhouettes and tailored jackets give a fresh look to the current menswear trend. The Band of Outsiders pre-fall 2014 collection also had me awkwardly bouncing about in my bed. I am super jazzed that tartan is still finding its way into designer's collections. Band of Outsiders (tried to go with BOO to keep things short and sweet - failed) blends prep and punk perfectly and I feel like my pseudo-1970s-school-girl trend can live on. (Look number 9 kills me.) Thank god for that, am I right? Something about this fall screams early 2000s (perhaps it is the color palette and the return of the wild west thanks to Chanel). We can only hope "Don't Tell Me" by Madonna returns to the airwaves and maybe, just maybe, we will even hear a bit of "Señorita" by JT (not western but whatever). The possibilities of feeling like it is fifth grade again are endless.

Rewinding time a bit and thinking about warm weather and college graduation, I wanted to bring up the excitement that is the new Marc by Marc Jacobs spring campaign. No joke, I saw an article on Fashionista about the launch of the campaign and was instantly inspired to post about it.

(Source: Fashionista) 

The satin. The shine. The promise of a millennium. I am in love. 

(Source: Fashionista) 

The blue eye makeup. Those looks that say "So what? Who cares? It's just fashion." Once again, I want to be a Marc Jacobs girl and while my wallet cries out in protest, I may need to find a way to get my hands on a piece of this spring collection. (Or, you know, find a way to emulate it.)