Month: January 2019

Strapped low around Beyoncé’s rainbow-striped hips, the teeny-tiny Jacquemus Le Chiquito bag looks like something she could have nabbed out of 7-year-old Blue Ivy’s closet—a starter purse, perhaps. A bell pepper–green snack. Tiffany Hsu, fashion buying director at MyTheresa, wore hers with an all-beige look, and her hot-pink mock-croc version yipped, “Spring!” into the monochrome void of winter.

Both times, this tiny bag belies its size, packing big style and making a bold statement. Fabulous people aren’t hauling around that much; they have people for that. But for regular folks, a tiny purse presents more of a logistical challenge, even though the trend is here to stay in 2019.

On any given day, I’m carrying around two books, an Amazon Fire tablet, a laptop, a notebook, a day planner, a wallet, and my giant iPhone XS Max, not to mention my 13 lip glosses, multiple hand creams, extra sunscreen, and who knows what else? As much as I’d like to be like Beyoncé with a tiny, trendy purse, it doesn’t take much to realize on most days, I’m going to need a bigger bag.

The challenge is a welcome one and has an easy solution: the backup tote. You can’t manifest extra volume inside a bag, but you can just carry a second one. At the risk of sounding totally obvious, here’s how I do it: I narrow down what essentials can fit in my little JW Pei Fiona bag—wallet, MTA card, Chapstick, phone—and throw everything else into my Madewell Transport Tote.

Lucky for all of us, there are so many styles of tiny bags and totes to choose from. See below for some of my favorites and have fun doubling up. Remember: It takes two, baby.

In other handbag news, strange shapes are currently trending. 

Usually, when I notice or hear of a new color trend bubbling up, I respond either with disdain or disinterest because, honestly, I’m not that into colors. Sure, I’ll wear a vibrant party piece or statement accessory every now and then, but when it comes to day-to-day dressing, my style is pretty simple, and I like to keep it that way. That’s why when I recently noticed a new colorless trend on the street style scene as well as in the offerings of so many of my favorite brands, I found myself very into it, and I knew anyone else with minimalist tendencies would feel the same.

If you’re still with me and haven’t gone straight for the below shopping section, the trend I’m referring to is black-and-white. From coats to tops to sweaters to accessories, the combo has made for quite the dynamic duo both in individual items and entire outfits alike. Thanks to the neutral nature of the pieces, they are nearly impossible to style wrong, making the fad particularly accessible for anyone who’s interested. To see how the street style set is wearing the trend, and to shop my favorite black-and-white pieces of the moment, just keep scrolling.

Up next? The 11-piece Instagram winter capsule wardrobe.

Part of the reason everyone is obsessed with Jessica Biel’s style is that she’s been in our lives since the ’90s thanks to her role on 7th Heaven. In 2019, Biel is as famous as ever—and as stylish as ever—but her style has undoubtedly evolved since the ’90s. Back then, she fully embraced the grunge aesthetic that was so popular, but these days, she favors pretty dresses and classic trench coats.

You’ll often find Biel wearing skinny jeans, chic wool coats, ankle boots, and beautifully fitted dresses. In the ’90s, you’d see her in tube tops, platform shoes, and sheer fabrics. As you’ll see below, things have changed, folks. So without further ado, keep scrolling to see exactly how much Jessica Biel’s style has changed over the decades, and shop pieces she’d wear in 2019.

Next up, 12 reasons we always lose it over Jessica Biel’s style.

You’ve seen them splattered across your Instagram feed for weeks now, layered up and down the tresses of your favorite influencers, pinned atop the heads of your most stylish friends, and maybe even in your own accessory drawer. At this point, there’s no denying that the hair clip trend has reached a fever pitch in all manner of styles—from itty-bitty claws to large acrylic barrettes—taking over as the It accessory to wear and be seen wearing.

My take? The nostalgic factor definitely plays a role in their popularity. I mean, who doesn’t secretly want to dress as they did in kindergarten? With the recent revival of things like scrunchies, bucket hats, and headbands, it seems everyone’s game to re-create their grade-school accessory game with a modern spin. Sure, I’ve been inspired by all the #hairfies from my favorite fashion girls’ feeds, but it’s not like this trend came out of nowhere. I wanted to know what OG hair clip enthusiasts really think about 2019’s clipmania and how they suggest styling the clips to achieve a winning look.

I spoke with hairstylist Chad Kenyon of the celeb-adored Ramirez Tran Salon, who’s seen dozens of hair trends come and go; two preschool-aged girls who represent the key demographic of a hair clip market; and my very own mother, whose barrette collection I’ve admired for years now. Keep reading to see what each “expert” has to say about styling the clips, and then shop my current favorite styles.

Next, the 2019 spring fashion trends my 95-year-old grandma wore first.

Meet Lauren, Who What Wear’s fashion editor and the co-founder of The Devils Wear Zara. Lauren is so obsessed with Zara that we started calling her the Zara Scout. Now she’s turning the nickname into a franchise so she can regularly share her insider knowledge of the brand, including all her hacks, secrets, and must-haves with you.

We often talk about trends as if they are easy to pull off so long as you buy the right things. While that sentiment is not wrong, we often ignore how wearing certain trends will make you feel. Trends like animal print and statement sweaters are typically no-brainers when it comes to styles we’re willing to try, but throw something like neon and slime green into the mix, and suddenly we’re not feeling so confident. 

Assuming you probably feel some type of way as well, we did what we do best—went to Zara and tried on all these weird trends so you don’t have to. As you probably know, we view Zara as the best place to test out rising trends for the clothes are affordable and they churn out new trends at the speed of light. Here, Mimi and I will walk you through our semi-traumatic Zara dressing room experiences coming at you all the way from L.A. and NY and show you which pieces we actually ended up falling in love with. 

Next up, shop the 11 designer handbags fashion girls are buying in 2019.