While I’ve never been one to get overly excited about “steal her style!” sections of fashion magazines, I have enjoyed being a spectator of British actress Kate Beckinsale’s style evolution and nothing sparks my imagination when putting together my own style like her diverse looks. She epitomizes having fun with fashion, and she hasn’t shied away from breaking rules and setting trends.
Every woman should go to the ends of the earth for her perfect black dress because the versatility of this number is endless. Once found, treasure, and make the most of it. It permits you to be as adventurous as your heart desires with extravagant accessories, cosmetics, and hairdo’s, as Kate demonstrates with her elaborate bun and playful red streaks. The lesson? Black never disappoints, and a simple frock allows for bold and fun accessorizing. Don’t hesitate to experiment with spray-in streaks, it washes right out, and as Kate shows, it dresses up an otherwise bland bun and adds instant quirkiness to basic black. One of my style regrets in life was succumbing to the pressure to ditch the tuxedo suggestion for my prom in favor of the ball gown identical to the next girl’s. It’s a striking look, and worn the right way, proves that the tuxedo is as effortlessly sexy and feminine as it is masculine. There are very wrong ways to raid a man’s wardrobe and wear it’s contents, but it’s nowhere to be seen here The trick to transforming the tuxedo from “Man” to “Man! I feel like a woman” is to add glamorous touches, like Kate with her white satin tie. Be cautious of selecting brightly colored ties, because while nothing screams girly like hot pink, it’ll hijack the classic cream and white look, resulting in the disastrous comical and tragically flashy. This look is so stunning because of the simplicity, and shouldn’t be tampered with and sent into tacky eyesore territory. The lesson? You can take advantage of the smart look of a suit while putting a glamorous, feminine spin on it. Following it up with what can never fail, more black from Beckinsale, and more examples of how basic can look the best. You can break up black on black with belts in bright bold shades, keep it classic with neutral white and gray, or get bedazzled with diamontes, rhinestones, and sequins. Kate kept her outfit simple, and instead draws attention to her 70′s bombshell caramel curls. The lesson? Black and basic isn’t the formula for boring by default.
Dressing up the timeless blue jean and novelty T-shirt (“I Want Candy” can be excused. “I’m Hot” not so much, so always wear these slogan shirts well aware of what it’s proclaiming and exercise good judgment!) Kate pairs her outfit with dangling earrings and an updo better suited to a ball gown, but one which allows for fancier jewelry. No need for jeans and a T-shirt to look as sloppy as they are comfortable. With the earrings and hair, Kate shows how to dress up a casual outfit and add evening “Vavoom” to an every day ensemble. It’s sexy and chic while giving the illusion of effortless. The lesson? Dressing up denim will take it from drab to fabulous. Perhaps you won’t be in a hurry to duplicate the next look, but you have to admit it’s a daring one. The sheer dress looks like it could be double as a nightgown and the hair looks like it’s been intimate with an electrical socket, but it’s outrageous, and dramatic, and certainly establishes Kate as a style chameleon. A bedroom look with a citrus twist. Don’t be afraid to go crazy with dress choice and abandon the slicked back, frizz free hair rule. A jazzed up and ultra-cute version of the little black dress, once again Kate opts to make her dress the centerpiece, helping it out with the absence of accessory overload. Slicked back hair, and simple jewelry is how to keep a ravishing dress from looking ridiculous. Let the dress stand alone and it will do the head turning. If I learned anything from Kate’s flawless fashion sense, it’s simple is stunning.
Blair Adele - sometimes better known as Vanity Blair has had a love affair with the art of writing since she knew how to hold a pen properly. While girls studied Seventeen magazine, she studied the dictionary, infatuated with expanding her vocabulary. Since the tumultuous teenage years, she has viewed trends with disdain, preferring to embrace individuality when it comes to style. “The Blair Necessities” is where she combines her objective: expressing femininity through fashion, and encouraging what sets a woman apart from the rest, with her passion for the written word. Let she who is without fear of fashion, cast the first stilletto.
