Invaluable

1 / 2 / 3

When it comes to watches, I have been dedicated to my gold Michael Kors since I got it in high school six years ago. Usually I am drawn to chunkier mens style watches, and I love feeling the weight of it on my arm and the finish that it brings to an outfit overall. Invaluable is the world's largest online auction marketplace for so many luxury items from fine jewelry to artwork. I styled three looks around a particular mens watch on their site and while a Rolex isn't typically anywhere in my budget, I appreciated this style for it's silver and black sleek appearance compared to my glaring gold Kors for a change. Far too often I find myself wandering the mens watch section in department stores (and my dad's arm) for these styles that I am particularly attracted to, and this was a fun opportunity to see how a change in a timepiece can change an overall outfit and attitude. Here I have put together three different looks with this beautiful watch that I felt enhanced and worked well together with such an elegant and timeless piece. 

1 / 2 / 3

1 / 2 / 3

Which is your favorite look above? How would you style this watch?

Check out all of the other mens watches on Invaluable! 

Favorite Fall Patterns

1 / 2 / 3 (sold out!) / 4 / 5

Everyone has their favorite prints and patterns that they can't wait to specifically pull out for a certain season. For me, fall and winter are always associated with leopard and plaid. While leopard is a favorite of mine year-round, there is something about pairing it with wooly coats and sweaters that makes it particularly a favorite during cooler weathered months. As for plaid, going to Syracuse I absolutely can't live without my L.L. Bean fleece-lined flannels. They are absolute lifesavers and I've managed to hook about four of my friends onto them. With my oversized mens flannels as such a go-to during fall and winter here, I was in need of an equally comfortable, warm, and still stylish option but with something in a more feminine shape. Enter the GAP plaid shirtdress. As soon as I saw this during the GAP sale I knew that I needed it. While clearly not as warm as my beloved mens flannels, it is heavily lined for the weather and the colors of the plaid in it look great with my favorite leopard Zara chelsea boots--I've already checked. Look out for a post with this dress later in the week!

Have you ever mixed leopard + plaid? What are your favorite patterns to mix?

A to Z: Oxfords

If you have been following 85Dresses for a while now, you've realized that we're kind of obsessed over here about the oxford loafer. Everything from traditional brown menswear style to glitter and candy colored, we've covered just about every style--don't think we're done, though--. However, this Monday's A to Z post on oxfords isn't about these greatly adored shoes, but their under appreciated same-named relative, the classic oxford button-down. 

When word associating with an oxford button down, a first word may near towards either uniform or conservative. While oxfords are a main make-up of private school uniforms, we wore them at my high school, as well, in wearing them sleeves rolled up, disheveled with a fur vest, pattern pants, and the right accessories, this classic oxford instantly goes from a conservative piece, to the perfect base of a pairing to the rest of the outfit. 

To add to the school-girl look if you please, by layering a sweater over your oxford with simply the collar and cuffs peeking out from underneath, your already instant polish is polished even more. Here, in pairing her more traditional sweater and oxford pairing with a leather mini skirt, burgundy blazer, and menswear oxfords--the shoe kind--, she compliments the appropriateness of the oxford with a little bit of edge. 

And, for those who need a basic to work with their most extravagant piece in the hopes of making it "day-time appropriate", The oxford in this image above brings an almost boyish approach to a skirt that is about as feminine and sequined as you can get. In choosing a light blue instead of a crisp white, the contrast between the brightness of the skirt and the solid of the oxford work together better than a stark white might have. 

Although oxfords and button-downs are probably the most common article of clothing for working women (and men) to have in their wardrobes, they can also easily be styled stylishly for work, or quickly and easily changed and altered around for another occasion.

What is your favorite way to wear the classic oxford?

Tuesday Shoesday

Though my love for loafers has since taken over, for a while I was oxford obsessed. I paired the Madewell ones that my sister passed down to me with everything from casual shorts to more formal dresses and always felt that they provided the perfect dose of menswear quality to balance off my typically feminine outfits. Until this pair by Deena & Ozzy, I thought that I was surely done with oxfords. They sort of remind me of glass slippers in the sense that they are iridescent, which I clearly have been drawn to lately. Completely opposite of my Madewell pair, instead of providing a menswear addition to a feminine outfit, this pair appears feminine due to their less clunky shape and size and their shiny exterior.

Do you prefer more feminine or traditional style oxfords?

A to Z: Menswear Inspired

As much as I have a soft spot for extremely feminine and delicate designs, menswear inspired pieces, or incorporating components of menswear into otherwise lady-like looks, is a style that I have been gaining interest in over time. Starting with my love of a pair of Madewell oxfords, menswear inspired pieces focus mostly around fit and quality. Currently, I am really loving a more modern take on menswear with a well tailored short suit that is both polished and whimsical at the same time. 

Below are some of my favorite menswear-inspired pieces. 

Have you ever styled your outfit around menswear? What's your favorite part of it?

1 2 3 4 

Why Not Sneeze Rrose Selavy?

In my Art History class, we are currently studying Dadaism and Surrealism. With these art movements, one obviously cannot pass up Marcel Duchamp, the French artist most associated with the two. Aside from his interesting and seemingly random pieces such as his "fountain", he was also a famed cross dresser often displaying himself as Rrose Selavy. My professor declared the following class as "Rrose Selavy Day" in which my classmates and I received extra credit if we take part and celebrate by cross dressing.
So, in thinking of Marcel Duchamp (and Rrose Selavy), here are some of my current favorite menswear inspired pieces.

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}