Today’s Outfit Idea: Valentine’s Day Without The Red

All right, all you ladies who push your style aside because you’re too dang busy just trying to get your kids or your partner or yourself out the door in the morning – the Fastionista is here to ease your style fear.

When it comes to Valentine’s, everyone seems to have their own way of approaching the day. If you have that special someone, maybe you celebrate. If you don’t, maybe you watch that season of Ghost Whisperer that revolved entirely around Melinda and Jim and one of the greatest love stories of all time (or maybe just The Fastionista does that…). You might even be one of those people who protests the day entirely by dressing in black. But no matter your feelings or circumstances, you should look fabulous, because…well, you should always look fabulous. That’s my attitude anyway. And what better way is there to look fabu on Feb-1-4 than by complementing the color that everyone else is wearing? So here’s what’s in my closet today:

· Lavender Dress: Oh, lavender dress, you complete me. Although yellow, blue, and green would be good complements to red and pink, I’m going with purple here because to me it’s a bold color that conveys the same passion as red. This is a great day-to-evening frock: with a completer piece for the office it’s a professional look; on its own its sleeveless, sleek cut with a pencil skirt and faux-belt waist is super sexy.

· Blazer for the Office: As for that completer piece I mentioned, I’m going to use this as an opportunity to work in some pattern, and wear a champagne-colored blazer that has a tiny houndstooth running through it. My blazer is cropped to hit at the hip, just beneath the belt detailing on my dress. Come to think of it, this would work as a completer for after-hours too, just in case it’s a little chilly in the restaurant/movie/friend’s house/fill-in-your-V-Day-venue. A black or white blazer would work well with this dress too, but both of those neutrals are seen a lot on Valentine’s, and I’m always one to take a big pump-clad step away from cliché.

· Accessories: All right, all right. I suppose I need a little bit of red in honor of the day. So I’ll wear red and gold feather and chain drop (dangly) earrings. These are fairly delicate and understated, actually, but they give enough movement, color, and shine for a lovely little touch of style. I’ll also wear a gold-plated anklet that features links made to look like roses. And to pull the gold jewelry together with my silver faux belt buckle (and as one more nod to what the day’s about), I’ll wear a ring with gold and silver strands twisted together.

· Purse: Boy, would I love it if I had a purse that matched the lavender of my dress. But fashion, as with love, rarely falls perfectly into our laps. We have to tailor, nip, tuck, compromise. So I’ll go with my red satchel with gold fixtures. It may not be my Purse Charming, but it certainly works.

· SHOES!: I think a little more champagne is in order, since Valentine’s Day should be fun no matter what. Champagne-colored pumps with a sparkly buckle embellishment are tame enough for the office, hot enough for after work, and the perfect fairy-tale ending to bring my ensemble together.

Voila! There you have it: great fashion fast. And you, gorgeous lady, are ready to take on the world, Fastionista Style!

Be ahead of the trend and work these styles into your ensemble before they hit the mainstream.

Today’s Trend: Playing it Close to the Collar

Designer Cynthia Rowley hit the Fall 2012 runway with structured angles and heavy materials like denim and leather, but one really interesting element I’m taking away from the show are the turtlenecks layered under many of the outfits (see slides here from style.com). Turtlenecks are always a staple of chillier climes, and they had an especially trendy moment in the winter sun this past year, but what’s really different about Rowley’s take is that she doesn’t shy away from the colorful, the patterned, even the bejeweled neck. Now, you might want to hold off on hauling out the Bedazzler and taking it to your turtlenecks, but while we’re still in the right season for it feel free to pair a turtleneck with a chunky layered necklace or (better yet) choker to give a nod to Rowley’s trend (I like this one from JCPenney).