struht - fashion blog and photos

Celeb Style: Tilda Swinton

Circa 1976?

Is Juliann circa 1976? Nope! Although the cell phone is a dead give away, Juliann manages to subtly bring back the retro-feel in our futuristic world of 2010 without the bell-bottomed jeans or flower power peasant shirts. If you want to get that Runaways inspired look, here’s how to do it.

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Runaway Inspired

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie

Have you ever felt like you were meant to live in a different decade? That’s how I felt last week after watching The Runaways, a rock biopic directed by Canadian Floria Sigismondi, starring Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett. I rushed home from the theater to pull out my guitar and rummage through my closet to find my most ’70s inspired garb. Not only did these rebellious ladies tear up the music scene (and the movie screen), but they had attitude and style to boot. Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) was decked in sexy head-to-toe black leather paired with her signature Chuck Taylors. For a modern-day version of her look, try a pair of black leather leggings from American Apparel, a vintage rock tee, aviator shades and a black motorcycle jacket (check out Urban Outfitters for some stylish options).

The Runaways (circa 1970s)

Cherie’s (Dakota) style was both disco and Bowie-inspired; picture backless halters, lace corsets, sequins, rompers and sky-high sparkly platform boots. To mirror Cherie’s look, hit up Forever 21 for a halter jumpsuit, a sequined blazer and a pair of platform pumps. Finish it off with cherry red lips and cat-eye liner for a classic ’70s-esque look.
One more word of advice though: leave the mullet-style haircuts to Kristen and Dakota.

Bicycles Are Red Hot

The ever so fabulous Jen Kenny shows us that even riding a 10-speed can be bad ass. Thigh-high back-seamed sheer tights are a great addition to a comfortable tailored cardigan and high-waisted pencil skirt. Although maybe gutsy at first, the thigh-highs add awesome length, making your stems look super long and sexy. Jen kept the outfit classy but still hip by pairing it with a collared shirt done all the way up, a black hair bow, and keeping everything black & white (except for the teal panties of course!)
Don’t be afraid show off those great legs of yours by trying out a pair of sheer thigh highs rather than full opaque tights…super cute, affordable, and the “lingerie look” of the tights will definitely get heads turning! Get the look after the jump.

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Futuristic Fashion Predictions

A cheeky look at the 1930s predictions of what fashion will be in the future.

Hilarious and outrageous, yet in a way, somewhat accurate.

Have you seen any of these ‘predictions’ in current trends or collections?

Spring Makeup Look

As a MAC cosmetics addict, I frequently troll the MAC website looking for inspiration for my next purchase or makeup looks I want to try. This look was inspired by the runway look MAC created for the Mary Katranzou Spring/Summer 2010 London show, featuring two big spring make-up colors: purple and coral. NARS and MAC are just two brands out of many that featured these colors in recent collections (NARS Kuala Lumpur eyeshadow duo and MAC Spring Color Forecast 2 are some of my top picks!).

To create a wearable version of the Mary Katranzou Spring/Summer runway look, I used MAC’s Expensive Pink eyeshadow, a peachy-pink shimmer on the centre of  the lid flanked by Fig.1, a matte eggplant purple shade on either side. Instead of the tribal-inspired heavy black eye liner used at the runway show, I opted to go with a more day-friendly approach, smudging dark navy blue liner into the base of my lashes. Peach-colored lips were another staple featured on many Spring/Summer 2010 runways. Here, I layered MAC’s Mouth Off coral lipliner with Shy Girl cremesheen lipstick and a quick slick of Love Nectar lustreglass on top.

Femme Fatale

“an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations.”

Juliann embraces the beatnik/artist look of the 1960’s. She has taken a boyfriend-fit collared shirt and paired it with a pair of black American Apparel leggings to maintain a feminine silhouette. The color palette Juliann has used here is simple but intensely flattering, drawing attention to the red tones on her nails and lips. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume this vixen was hanging outside a café in Paris.

Random Inspiration & Recent Purchases

So far my March purchases have kinda been inspired by the Vancouver scenery these days — grey with random spots of colour (cherry blossom trees are already blooming here!). Sick of the boots I had been wearing all winter, I went on a quest to find a pair that could transition to spring. I found these grey Zara combat boots, which match all the ideal traits I was looking for in a boot: Not overly heavy or masculine looking (I wear a size 9!) and just enough style and subtle embellishment to make them stand out, but not obnoxiously.

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Pretty in Pink

Here’s a pic I took of my friend Laverne the other day at our little going away party. Sadly, she is relocating to Winnipeg in a few days — watch out Manitobans, there is a new style maven on the loose! Patterned tights are a fun and affordable way to liven up an old basic, whether you are sticking with the floral trend for spring, venturing out with plaid tights a la Gossip Girl, or sticking with a more subtle print that could pass at the office. If you hesitate with patterns, a bright solid might do the trick to make an old standard look feel new again. Shopping tips: for printed leggings, try Aritzia or American Apparel; for patterned tights, H&M and Hue (found at the Bay) have some chic options.

On Laverne: Floral leggings, pink cropped silk top and dove grey scarf all from Aritzia.

Brighten Up Your Day

Who says bright colors are only for spring/summer?

Even in dreary end of winter weather, you can still put a spring in your step by wearing bright colors without going overboard on floral prints or pastels…not yet, anyway…

This marigold tweed blazer (J-Crew) catches the eye on any rainy day, but paired with dark denim (J-brand skinny jeans), dark-toned accessories (black beret from H&M, black leather racer gloves from Urban Outfitters and a brown leather/suede belt, vintage from Portland) and brown leather knee-high boots (from Ice Hot in The Netherlands) this outfit shows that you’re ready for some sun, while acknowledging that it’s still stupid cold outside! Damn smarch weather!

As always, you don’t want to be too matchy-matchy, so experiment with a fun bag or clutch that doesn’t clash with the rest of the ensemble. I have on a black & white zebra print bag from Bijenkorf in The Netherlands.