Month: August 2019

Are you in a Halloween costume rut? Does it seem like you’ve searched far and wide for some sort of inspiration for a getup to wear October 31? Well, we’ve hit on a solution that’s sure to spur an endless stream of costume ideas: your bookshelf (yes, we’re serious). Some of the best dress-up ideas can be plucked straight from the pages of some of your favorite novels.

Do you own every book in the Harry Potter series? Show your love of the wizarding world by dressing up as Hermione Granger (or Harry Potter, of course). Want to go back to some of your classic childhood reads? We suggest dressing up as one of the most stylish villains, Cruella de Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians.

Regardless of which character you choose as your main source of inspiration, a literary-inspired Halloween costume is a smart, easy, and conversation-starting choice. To help get your wheels turning, we rounded up nine iconic literary characters to dress up as on October 31. Ready to see our favorites?

Cruella de Vil is sultry, mysterious, and more than a little sassy… She’s my kind of woman. Plus, I will take any excuse to wear a fun wig.

This costume can easily be pulled together from items likely already sitting in your closet. Old school is cool again, making it time for Pippi to make a comeback. 

Wear a cute, recognizable costume and make a political statement all at the same time. Win-win.

Honestly, give me any reason to dress up as a flapper and I’m there. I’m still certain I was born in the wrong decade but this is as close as I’m going to get to the ’20s.

This costume is slightly more subtle in nature and may be a mystery to determine what you’re dressed as. Nancy Drew wouldn’t have it any other way.

Period pieces are always a classic choice for Halloween. Maybe you’ll find your Darcy.

Hermione is honestly the OG girl boss. She really did it all. Besides, what costume could be more appropriate than a witch for Halloween?

This brings back childhood memories in the best way possible.

The White Witch was GLAM. Slow clap for her icy-chic style.

Next up, check out these eight movie-inspired Halloween costumes.

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated by Aleksija Vujicic.

Just thinking about the trends that are on the horizon for fall makes me giddy for the new season. I can’t be alone here, right? I know I’ll have to wait for real fall weather to arrive before pulling out my chunky knits and leather pieces, so in the meantime, I’m fixating on the fall trend I can wear right this second: bags. I’m already starting to spot designer handbag trends that will set the tone for the rest of the season.

I sifted through the heritage designers like Chanel, Burberry, and Chloé as well as new It-bag brands like Wandler and Medea to assess the styles each label is offering. What I found were eight overarching trends that simply can’t be missed—from the mini structured shapes that are undeniably Insta-worthy to the It prints like zebra and snakeskin. Read on to discover and shop each trend now so you’re well-versed on what the fashion set will all be wearing for the rest of the season and beyond.

Apart from feeling particularly current, these fall designer bag trends have the most staying power. Scroll down for some worthy investments.

Okay, micro bags, you’ve had your time in the spotlight, but now it’s time for XL bags to take center stage. We’re predicting that these oversize shoppers like the ones from Boyy and Dior will be all over the street style scene next month.

But mini bags aren’t dying out completely just yet. Nope, they’re just getting a new look for fall in structured tote bag shapes. Leading the trend are It brands Medea and Hayward with their iterations in prints and colors that pop.

Plains straps are so last season (as far as the below bags are concerned). Chunky acrylic chain-links are replacing simple leather straps on several designer bags this fall, and we love how the detail adds a statement-making effect to an otherwise classic bag shape. 

Designer shoulder bags are yet another reinvented classic we’re seeing more and more of. Unexpected colors like orange and lime green make these elevated bags feel so fresh. If you’re looking for an investment bag that’s different from what everyone else is carrying, may we suggest one of the below?

Thanks to Bottega Veneta’s Insta-famous pouch bag, oversize clutches just became the next unlikely designer bag trend to emerge. 

Logo bags will never not be in style. They’re timeless, and that’s that. But right now, designers are imagining their logos in sleeker and subtler ways than we’ve seen before.

Paco Rabanne’s chain-mail bags are having a moment right now, and other designers seem to have the same idea. Could these be the answer to last year’s beaded bag trend? This editor seems to think so.

If you’re feeling fatigued by the ongoing mock-croc trend, other animal-print bags just might be the answer. Zebra, tiger, and snakeskin iterations are all equally as classic but somehow feel like fresher pick for fall.

Next up: the eight shoe micro-trends you’re about to see everywhere this fall.