Get the Look: Elizabeth Olsen

Photo Credit: via Olsens Anonymous

Elizabeth Olsen is quite the style muse. She rivals her famous sisters in style savvy, and yet possesses a style all her own. How beautiful is this bow blouse? It's feminine, and refined - but when the blouse is styled with a black cross-body bag and skinny black pants, it makes for a carefree, cool look.

Get the look with the Olsen-designed Elizabeth and James bow blouse - this playful sleeveless white top would be the perfect closet staple for spring and summer. Wear the blouse with these "new classic" black pants: Zac Posen silk-blend skinny pants.

Finish the look with fabulous accessories, like this SEE BY CHLOE black crossbody bag. This chic black and white ensemble is easy and effortless.

Want to WIN a set of 4 hand-painted glasses from Multichic.com? There's still time to enter the glassware giveaway on YS.

Spotlight on: Good Season

Photo Credit: via Good Season blog

Have you heard about Good Season, Brooklyn-based jewelry line designed by Marie Yi?

The line includes so many cool, creative pieces. Prices start at $32 - so there are affordable, fun pieces in this line! Love that!

I really, really like the Nangobi Necklace (pictured above), an edgy and elegant beaded necklace with a definite tribal vibe.

Runway Retrospective

Hey Sophisticates, Cristina here! With so much style inspiration at our fingertips, it can be very difficult to settle on one specific style! One day I'm loving girly boheme, the next day I'm all about tailored menswear-inspired styles. Altuzarra Fall 2012 managed to incorporate both aesthetics (and more!) in one beautiful collection.

I'm influenced daily by my fashion icons -- like Erin Wasson in her coined jewelry, Alexa Chung in her peacoats, and Carine Roitfeld in her pencil skirts -- and this collection is a fantastic mix of all of their disparate styles.

Photo Credit: vogue.com

Altuzarra Fall 2012, the perfect collection for the indecisive fashionista!

Find more fashion inspiration on Cristina's international design and style blog, Fuji Files. And, remember to look for her Runway Retrospective column here on Young Sophisticates!

Sleek & Chic Kitchen

Photo Credit: Devon Radziwill's apartment, featured in Vogue via The Kina's

This all-white kitchen is modern, sleek and the peak of chic. I do love lacquer. See all the photos of Devon Radziwill's apartment here, which was featured as part of Vogue's APT with LSD series back in September.

See more all-white kitchens in Viv's Decor Inspiration column from last week - you're sure to find a design that inspires you, among all the gorgeous all-white kitchen.

Fashion News

Photo Credit: Rachel Roy Shoes via secondcitystyle

There are so many new collaborations and interesting new developments in the fashion world right now that I had to condense all the news into a new blog post.

SHOES:

• Manolo Blahnik for J. Crew is apparently becoming a reality. So excited about this collab!
• Rachel Roy has announced that she'll be launching a new shoe line, available in August.

CLOTHES:

• Marni for H&M is arriving in stores soon (March 8). Need I say more?

HAVE YOU ENTERED THE LATEST YS GIVEAWAY YET? ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A SET OF CHIC GLASSWARE FROM MULTICHIC.COM.

Envelope Clutches for Every Budget

Photo Credit: via Barneys

As you start to plan your spring and summer wardrobe, there's one handbag you'll want to include to your accessories collection: the envelope clutch. There are so many options, at every price point!

For the minimally-minded girl, this minimal, sleek ASOS Metal Tip Clutch in mint, priced at around $25, is the perfect envelope clutch to freshen up your wardrobe for spring!

This ASOS envelope clutch in red snake is so major. It looks way more expensive than its $35 price tag.

Dazzled by shiny purses? Opt for a hand-bead envelope clutch (this one was designed by Cleobella); this sparkly beaded clutch is $165, and it would pair so well with a LBD.

Get the look with the ultra-luxe Jil Sander's Python Envelope Clutch in mustard (pictured above). This designer option is absolutely beautiful!!

Multichic.com's Glassware Giveaway

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Multichic.com

Want to win a gorgeous set of four hand-painted La Mer Collection by Alyssa Reuven glasses from Multichic.com? This beautiful glassware design comes in three color combination options: coral & gold, white & gold, and aqua & gold.

The giveaway WINNER will receive one set of four Sea Motif Hand Painted Glasses (in the color of the winner's choice). Winner will be randomly selected - read on for details.

Enter this giveaway any time from now until Wednesday, February 29, at midnight (E.S.T.). Winner will be announced on the blog on Thursday, March 1. Please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win. Giveaway limited to U.S. residents only.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

1. Like Multichic.com on Facebook;

2. Tweet about this giveaway & follow @Multichic on Twitter; and

3. Leave a comment on this blog telling that you are following on Facebook & Twitter and that you've tweeted about the giveaway.

Once you've followed these 3 steps, you're entered in the giveaway!

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If you want extra entries, read on...

For Extra Entries:

(*Leave a separate comment on this blog for each extra entry.)

• Follow @y_sophisticates on Twitter = 1 extra entry
• Like Young Sophisticates on Facebook = 1 extra entry
• Follow Young Sophisticates on Bloglovin = 1 extra entry
• Post about this giveaway on your own blog. Then, include a link to your blog post in your extra entry comment on this blog. = 1 extra entry

Spotlight on: Inslee By Design

You may already be familiar with Inslee By Design and Inslee Haynes' fashion illustrations. Her cards and calendars have been celebrated by stylish fashionistas since 2005. Inslee has designed a new flat correspondence card, Valenciennes; this ultra-feminine card design was inspired by the delicate beauty of French bobbin-lace.

Inslee tells us about her thought process behind creating the Valenciennes design. She says, "[w]hen I decided to create this card I was brainstorming about a design that would appeal to all sorts of women. I knew I wanted to illustrate something different, and less specific, than my usual sketches of fashion figures. I wanted something simpler, but still classic and feminine."

Inslee continues: "[t]o me, the type of girl who takes time to write hand written notes in this fast-paced email world is the type of girl who dreams of someday wearing her great grandmother's lace veil at her wedding and keeps scallop edged linens in her bathroom - the type of girl who has a traditional sense of womanly values and carefully honed attention to detail. The intricate beauty of fine lace reminds me of the delicate kindness of a handwritten note. The two seemed to go hand in hand. It was this line of thought that ultimately inspired this card design."

cards c/o Inslee By Design

Inslee has also given us an exclusive sneak peak of a new card design in the works... it's tribute to the arm party! Browse and shop Inslee's illustrations, calendars and cards here. PS, you might want to check out Inslee's tumblr to see her gorgeous illustrations from NYFW!!

Look for Less: Mirrored Side Table + Garden Stools

Photo Credits: via Martensen Jones Interiors; via Wisteria

In my apartment, the back of my sofa acts as a sort of room divider. This is true for many people who have combined living/dining areas or great rooms. If the back of your sofa is visible, it should not be neglected! In fact, it's one of my favorite places to add decor.

For instance, this living room (pictured above) designed by Martensen Jones Interiors makes the most of the area behind this gorgeous white sofa. I love the mirrored sofa table along with the garden stools placed underneath. It's clean, simple, and adds a touch of glamour to the room.

Mirrored furniture is very popular at the moment and you can easily find pieces at every price point. Westelem's Parsons Mirror Desk is nearly identical to the table above. At about $600, it is a bit pricey. Target's Mirrored Console Table is just as fabulous and at a much lower price point. With it's lower shelf, you can forgo the garden stools for ceramic accents or more storage!

I have always had a love for Chinese Garden Stools. I love their classic silhouette as well as their shiny ceramic finish. Because they are perfect for home and garden, they're versatile and easy to find! Shop Furbish offers a Glitzy Gold Garden Stool. The gold finish is beautiful and would add more of a contrast than the white version pictured above. If you love the cream, Wisteria's Chinese Garden Stool comes in cream as well as beautiful pastel and metallic shades. For under $150, they are a steal!

With these options, you'll be turning the back of your sofa into the chicest part of your home.

Get more of Marche's tips on interior design, fashion and more at her fabulous blog, #eyecandy. And, remember to look for her interior design column here on Young Sophisticates!

NYFW Fall 2012

Photo Credit: Altuzarra Fall 2012 via fashionbombdaily

Today is the last day of New York Fashion Week. There have been so many amazing runway looks revealed in the past few days...

This Altuzarra coat has me mesmerized. It's the right balance of effortless and refined.

What's favorite Fall 2012 collection? Favorite Fall runway trends?

Silver Shoes for Every Budget

Photo Credit: Rodarte Spring 2012 via fashionising; Brian Atwood via pinkpagodastyle.com

In terms of accessories trends, there's a new shoe craze: silver shoes! Gold heels have been on heavy rotation for the last few seasons, but now another metallic is EVERYTHING in fashion right now.

Trendsetters Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung have been spotted wearing silver shoes. Silver shoes - whether sexy heels or boyish brogues - feel fresh at the moment.

Get the look for less than $50 with these chic silver sandals from Nine West. Buy these sleek sandals now, and wear them later - they'd be perfect as your go-to pair of sandals for spring and summer!

Spend around $80 and these ladylike DV by Dolce Vita flats in silver leather with a bit of edge (in the form of gromit-studded detail) will be all yours.

For the designer picks, you're sure to love these adorable and functional Jimmy Choo Finlay flats in glossy silver.

If you're looking for a sparkly stiletto sandal, look no further than Brian Atwood's Consort Sandal (pictured on the right) - it's attention-grabbing and definitely a party shoe!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentines Day, lovely YS readers! I hope you have a happy and fun day!!

Emmy Rossum looks cute in Anna Sui's heart print dress (from the spring 2012 collection). It may be a literal take on Valentine's Day, but I still love this look.

YS Gives Back {Philanthropy}

Photo Credit: via International Justice Mission

In honor of Valentine's Day (love, compassion, kindness), I wanted to shine a light today on a very worthy cause: International Justice Mission (IJM).

During 2012, I will be donating a portion of the profits from this blog to IJM.

This organization works to end modern day slavery and human trafficking. IJM has recently received a grant from Google, as you can see by reading this CNN article. Watch a short film about IJM's work to rescue trafficked girls here (Suhana's story). To learn more about IJM, click here.

Decor Inspiration

I'm so happy to introduce you to a new contributor to Young Sophisticates: Viv from the fabulous blog Fashion Truffles. I'm so glad to have her as a YS contributor! I know all of you will love her interior design column...

I've always been drawn towards the clean, sophisticated, and fresh look of an all-white kitchen. There's just something about the brightness of the white cabinetry combined with a pop of colored tile, gold finishing touches, or a beautiful marble countertop that calls my attention.

Fashion designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka's kitchen in Lexington, KY is pictured above. Gold touches add the finishing touch.

Designed by Carl D'Aquino and Francine Monaco. Blue glass tiles create a beautiful contrast against the white cabinetry.

Southern California home of designers Melissa and Marc Palazzo.

Photo Credit: via Bloom Designs, via Elle Decor

Designed by Ian Cairl. This white kitchen includes all the right elements: marble walls, wood shelves, white cabinets, and marble countertops.

Viv shares her thoughts on fashion, style, design and food on her beautiful blog, Fashion Truffles. And, remember to look for her Decor Inspiration column here on Young Sophisticates.

Spotlight on: Lauren Wimmer Jewelry

Have you heard about Lauren Wimmer Jewelry yet?

The eponymous jewelry line of designer Lauren Wimmer is equal parts edgy, colorful and unique. Her pieces have a strong global feel to them.

Lauren Wimmer's Carved Collection offers luxe-looking jewelry in gold, silver and bronze. In discussing her Carved Collection, Lauren says, "texture is really important to me. I like the process of creating a tactile surface whether in the wax model or the juxtaposition of smooth and faceted beads."

She continues, "And I love the reaction it elicits in my customers. When a piece strikes a chord their eyes brighten and their fingers move instinctively to the piece. Adding a strong texture can enhance a simple form and create a signature look."

What's the biggest challenge Lauren Wimmer encounters as a jewelry designer? Lauren responds, "My biggest challenge every season is narrowing down a color palette. I absolutely love bold rich brights and it is so hard to pick favorites. It is essential to connect them with the right neutral also." It's easy to see the importance of color in her jewelry designs after looking at her Wrapped Collection.

Shop the strong and feminine Vivian Necklace (pictured above) See more of Lauren's beautiful designs at laurenwimmer.com.

Trend Report: Sheer

Photo Credit: Karlie Kloss in Lanvin RTW Spring 2012, via abnovki.ru

Now that it's fashion week, there's so much excitement surrounding what will be the next big trend in fashion. For the moment, however, spring 2012 trends are at the forefront of my mind. One such trend: sheer!

Karlie Kloss rocks a Lanvin dress with a sheer skirt. When it comes to sheer skirts, Helmut Lang's twisted sheer skirt in bright yellow is contemporary cool and what I like to call edgy sophisticated.

If you're not open to the idea of wearing a sheer skirt at all (even if it's way more wearable and covered-up than the Lanvin look pictured above), here are some ideas for you: think sexy sheer sleeves or an elegant dress with a diaphanous sheer neckline.

DESIGNER IDEAS:

• Get the look with Jonathan Saunders Farah silk-crepe and tulle dress. Click on this dress and you will quickly see why this designer is wildly popular right now. There's a reason why Jonathan Saunders recently won the British Fashion Council/Vogue Fashion Fund award.
• I also really, really love Valentino's Sheer Sleeve Dress - the sheer sleeves are easy to wear, and quite beautiful.
• Go in a subtle sexy direction with Holmes and Yang navy dress with sheer neckline. The dress is elegant and effortless.

BUDGET-FRIENDLY FASHION:

• My absolute #1 pick is UNDER $50 and fabulous: ModCloth Chocolate Drops Dress with sheer sleeves. It's a pretty dress for the girl who loves fashion and wants to feel completely feminine and beautiful!

Runway Retrospective

Hello ladies! Cristina from Fuji Files with just one more reason to pine for spring (as if it wasn't bad already!). Dries Van Noten Spring 2012 was a study in mixing prints, photo prints to be exact. Dries spliced antique and modern photographs of roses, city lights, jungles, and butterfly wings.



Mixing prints can be a difficult fashion technique to get just right, so I'm especially loving the pieces with multiple prints on them - the work has been done for us!

Photo Credit: vogue.com

This pink flowing skirt paired with a masculine moto jacket would make a great Valentine's date look, don't you think?

Find more fashion inspiration on Cristina's international design and style blog, Fuji Files. And, remember to look for her Runway Retrospective column here on Young Sophisticates!

Double Take

One of my favorite style blogs is See Jane. I adore Anna Jane's fashion sensibility, and the way she effortlessly pairs vintage finds, higher end pieces, and budget items. You honestly would never guess which is which!

She shared this outfit several weeks ago and I have not been able to get it out of my mind. It's flirty and fun, but still classic and put together. Though I didn't include them below, the accessories truly take the outfit to a new level.

Here's how to recreate this gorgeous look with both splurges and saves:

Leopard Shirt: Splurge | Save
Leather Mini Skirt: Splurge | Save
Quilted handbag: Splurge | Save
Suede Booties: Splurge | Save

Victoria shares her love of all things food, interiors, design and style on her lifestyle blog, vmac+cheese. You can see her past Double Take columns here and here.

Look for Less: Upholstered Headboard

Hello YS readers! It's Marche' from #eyecandy here with some chic and inexpensive upholstered headboards for your fabulous bedrooms.

I've always loved the look and versatility of an upholstered headboard. So, when I saw this tufted headboard in blue velvet on decorpad, I knew I needed to find one for myself.

I've toyed with the idea of making one myself since I do love a good DIY project and I would have complete control over the look, color, size, etc. I've even made one before (that I no longer use). While this is a very affordable avenue for you to take, DIY isn't everyone's cup of tea.

The great thing about shopping for an upholstered headboard is the variety of options that are out there. If you love a tufted headboard like I do, west elm offers a few. Their Diamond Tufted Headboard is a gorgeous choice and varies in price depending on your fabric choice. They have a large selection which includes velvet. If you want a larger piece that makes more of a statement, I really love west elm's Wingback Nailhead Headboard is pretty amazing. This is a great option for those of you who may have studio apartments or need some room division. Plus, nailhead trim makes pretty much everything look better, doesn't it?

Photo Credit: via decorpad, via westelm

For a more simplistic look, IKEA's vanvik bed frame is fully upholstered even around the base. It only comes in white, but it's clean look and the built-in bedskirt make this a great choice! The slipcover can even be removed for cleaning. This is a plus since we all know white furniture can lose its luster pretty quickly.

I hope with these options you'll be able to find the perfect upholstered headboard that suits your style.

Get more of Marche's tips on interior design, fashion and more at her fabulous blog, #eyecandy. And, remember to look for her interior design column here on Young Sophisticates!

Valentino Couture

Photo Credit: Spring 2012 Couture - Valentino, via Studded Hearts

Valentino's Spring 2012 Couture collection is whimsical, soft and romantic. The lace detailing is beautiful. See more backstage photos of the collection.

Global Design Influences

Photo Credit: via Kristina Long

Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon lives in such a beautiful space, designed by none other than Martyn Lawrence Bullard. The bedroom (pictured above) evokes global style in a modern, original way. An inspiring living space to be sure!

Carry over this global design vibe into fashion - I'm loving tribal inspired necklaces right now, like this MAXMARA Egizi tribal necklace (pictured above).

YS Look of the Week

Photo Credit: Charlize Theron in Stella McCartney via Barbie Fashionista

Charlize Theron looks stunning at BAFTA in a yellow lace Stella McCartney peplum dress with a Bottega Veneta knot clutch. Read more about the peplum trend here.