Two Stylists, Two Pieces, Five Looks
Washington may be the capital of the free world, but we are not considered a fashion capital – and I think D.C. gets a bad rap when it comes to fashion. Every day I am surrounded by women with amazing taste and style. Two of these women are Alicia and Ali and we are lucky enough to have them regularly grace the pages of Alexandria Stylebook. Alicia, who deifies aging, has a style that is literally a breath of fresh air. It is laid back and sophisticated at the same time, and you can always see her inner art girl shine through.
Ali is always on the cutting edge of fashion. To me, she has a little bit of a rocker edge with a prep girl twist. You can also tell that she really “gets” people and her gift is bringing out each of her clients’ own personal style. She is also mom of a one-year-old and so she gets that in the morning most of us don’t have time to mull over what we are going to wear.
I admire both of their personal style and their commitment to helping women build a wardrobe that gives them confidence.
I was thinking: wouldn’t it be fun to see what happens when we give them the same two pieces and see what they come up with?
Next I had to find a model. Enter the very photogenic and always willing to help out, Dr. Megan Brown. She also never wants to miss out on the fun and is a lover of all things Veronica Beard, which is the designer of the two pieces we selected. As you can tell from the photos, we had loads of fun and of course, Megan looks amazing. Did I mention both pieces are actually denim? They look good on Megan and they’ll look good on you!
Ali’s Approach
"When I was tasked with styling Megan Brown I thought: fun, local, on-the-go, fearless, boss and amazing legs. I can style the Veronica Beard pieces in a multitude of ways, but for Megan I felt the looks had to speak to who she was, which is exactly why I put her my favorite pair of Golden Goose sneakers, a fun leopard sweater and a versatile camo bag. I pictured her running around town in this look during the fall after a pilates class.
While Megan is super fun with a big personality, she is also extremely professional and a total boss. With this vibe in mind I didn't want the clothes to compete with Megan when she was giving a lecture or attending a meeting, so I chose earth tones and clean lines. The stunning cream coat by Veronica Beard is a sharp classic! She needed a little flare, so the leopard heels and a fun bag were obvious picks.
Finally, a fun but transitional look had to be created! When I work with athletic shapes I sometimes like to counterbalance them with soft, thin blouses. They lay so nicely, slightly grazing against the body. Since I went with a black top, I had loads of fun accessorizing with pops of color and mixing metals. The leopard heels were a perfectly comfortable option for a night on the town!"
Alicia’s Approach
"The looks I chose for Megan were centered around simplicity and personality. Dress denim is a great wardrobe staple and this pair from Veronica Beard will make a statement. Before skinnies hit mainstream, flares ruled, making it very hard to get women out of this long, lean leg enhancing style. I’m becoming the style historian now but I speak the truth ladies! With an open mind and a pair of heels in hand (a must with flares) try on this season’s hottest “old” style. For Megan I added the sage green Tristen blouse to enhance her stunning eyes and a peek of python at her feet with the Sam Edelman Hilty boot (such a great price for the amount of statement they make!)
- • Bootleg denim requires a heel - hence the word “boot”. The effect is longer leaner legs!
- • Let your eyes help establish the colors you can build into your wardrobe - nature never lies!
- • Establish what is your dominant piece and let the others support the star attraction. This will keep your look balanced without too many elements competing for attention.
- • Invite one “new to you” item each season. Maybe a new shape of skirt or a wider leg pant - pushing the boundaries with one outside-the-box piece will keep you current and upgrade the usual suspects in your wardrobe.
- • Bring your confidence every day! Feeling good is our number one goal - looking good is a result!"
