Sheer, Tight, and Black

I've always had a fascination with the contrast between opaque black fabric and sheer black fabric. It sounds trashy, but I think it's a totally chic way to pull together a party-friendly, yet slightly edgy look.

Way back when, I fell in love with this version by Alexander Wang...


...and then debated whether or not to DIY it with an American Apparel dress...

blue is shown because black was far too risque for this blog

...and then realized that Topshop had already come up with that idea...


...and then realized that $90 for a sheer black dress wasn't exactly a steal anyway...then came to the realization that sheer stripes were not particularly practical and desired more of a dress-with-sheer-top style, like this one on StyleStalker...


...and then realized that American Apparel already had me covered...


...and then realized that none of these were really within my thrifty budget anyway. Sigh.

But in the land of dreaming about sheer/opaque black dresses...

Leighton Meester in Emilio de la Morena

I love this girl. Blake, lovely as she is, doesn't have anything on her.

Zac's Meester

Remember Leighton Meester's beautiful body-skimming floral sheath done by one of her main men, Zac Posen?


Well, it seems that Zac is no longer as en vogue these days, as Marc Jacobs has taken his spot as goofy-young-quirky-American-male-designer. Though I have seen Zac Posen's name quite frequently, and his clothes continue to be beautiful, it seems as though he has passed through a glitter period that is sadly coming to a close. I'm quite disappointed, as I am sometimes disappointed with the things that Marc Jacobs does with the label power that he has. I know, it sounds crazy...but you know how lots of people say "well, if it's Marc Jacobs it's either really fantastic or absolutely awful..."? Imagine if "absolutely awful" wasn't quite as plentiful. See what I mean? In any case, I was able to locate Zac's (or should I say Leighton's?) lovely dress on Eluxury, which is (sadly) going out of business.


You can get it at Eluxury's sale section for a cool $779.

The Fashion Meester

While many choose to focus on Blake Lively, I often find myself attracted to Leighton Meester's fashion choices. Recently, like Blake's they've taken somewhat of a negative turn, so I'm going to try my best to play stylist for Leighton and get her on the right track.

The theme for tonight is gold and black. My inspiration for this outfit and the center of it is this drop dead gorgeous Vera Wang top. Doesn't it look like it could be a Grecian sculpture or something? While I've usually equated Vera Wang with more classic styles, this piece is an example of how something can be both classic and fashionable.


I would pair this with a totally plain high-waisted black skirt. Unlike usual fashionistas, I wouldn't have Leighton tuck in this shirt, because that would completely ruin the structural way the fabric is draped. The reason I'd have her wear a high-waisted skirt is to make sure that the outfit looks almost like a dress. The left side (right to us looking at it) of the top is relatively high, so a high waisted skirt would ensure that no skin is shown.


As for shoes, I would deviate away from the traditional uberfierce-studded-huge platform-strappy-intense shoes and go for these gold studded Pedro Garcia pumps. The studs add some edge and make the shoe not a typical Louboutin (not that there's anything wrong with that, we just want something with more pizazz). But, the shoe isn't over-the-top, which directs all attention to the beautiful shirt.


I would then add this Bottega Veneta clutch in black. It's black, so it doesn't really draw much attention, but it's still unbelievably classy. The textured fabric keeps it interesting and deviates from a typical black clutch, but the gold clasp and black colour make it sync with the outfit.


As for jewelry, I'd go for a statement ring on one hand and a gold cuff on the other. Simple and stylish, but not too gaudy.



This Net-A-Porter styling shot is pretty similar to what I've got, so it will give you a vague idea of what the outfit would look like as a whole. Ironically, I picked out that clutch before I saw the picture (honest!), but the picture makes me love that choice even more. Just keep in mind that the shoes I picked are really different!