2017 / / T R I B U T E S R E V I S I T E D

W I N T E R 2 0 1 7

It's been a little while since I've done a Tributes Revisited - here we are taking a look back to the Winter 2017 season! This season had 6 releases and I have to say that it was a super strong season - these were Saint Laurent, Versace, Dior, Fendi, Tributes Gallery and Off-White. Many of the pieces from these collections are ones that I find myself still reaching for regularly and ones that I see many others still styling too. The vibes of these releases are definitely ones I'm wanting back in the Plaza!

S A I N T L A U R E N T

This Saint Laurent release was such a stunning and memorable one, and there are some super fun pieces that I think are still popular all these years after the release. For me the mix of black and white pieces is fabulous, and they're great classic staples that will work well in a number of ways - I found it super fun styling some of these up again^ The Gold Speckled Blouse has always been a piece that I want to love wearing but I've struggled with it over the years, so I'm super pleased to have styled it here in a way that I really love for it, I'm really feeling inspired to style it again already. The Fuschia Puff Silk Puff Blouse is one that really pops in the store and I think I'm on the lookout for in the Bazaar =D *PS these pieces are available in the Archive store currently*

D I O R

I'm a huge huge huge fan of Dior, so of course I loved this release and bought so many pieces from it! I just find the release such a classic and memorable one with some of my absolute favourite pieces in it - the Dior Inspired Front Pleat Pants, the Dior Inspired Acetate Aviators and the Dior Inspired Tuxedo Blouse to be exact. I see many of the pieces from this release still styled regularly and the styles really are still very current. I love the RL collection that this release is based on, and would still happily accept more pieces from this collection in the Plaza today - I still have so many ideas for it =)

And we also have a feature to include - Jesica_1998 recently styled up the Dior Inspired Tuille Skirt in this very cool and current rock-chick street styling. The skirt layers beautifully and with the choices in this outfit, the print on the tulle really stands out nicely. The pop of yellow against the black is fab, and I love the texture contrast between the skirt and the harsher leather of the boots and jacket - I really love this look^

F E N D I

The Fendi release this season was also a memorable one, although screams Spring/Summer to me rather than Autumn/Winter! I really love the colours of this one, the earthy greens and browns look great along with the light fabrics throughout. I really enjoyed revisiting these pieces to style as I had a completely refreshed perspective on them - the ones I picked were easy to work with and really make me excited to style up the rest of the pieces I have from this release. These are pieces I definitely see styled less than the Saint Laurent or the Dior, but I really hope they can have a bit of a comeback^

H I G H F A S H I O N H I D E & S E E K | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

Wow, we're now half way through this fun year of High Fashion Hide & Seek! There are a couple of days left to find the trophy for June, and this months prize are the Walking Heels. These seem a little more Autumn-Winter to me, but they're going down well as I've seen so many people styling them up already. First up of those stylings is scarpin, going for a dressed up denim look. The base of black in the clothing with this tight vest is great to balance the dark of the boots and I think the blue denim really works nicely between these items - I love the layering of the lined piece on top, it adds such a cool design feature that stands out. The accessories are also great, love these jewelled earrings in particular^

And second up we have Jesica_1998 styling them more dressed up. This skirt is really amazing for the boots and with the sheer fabric still lets the boots have the full show. The patterning on the skirting is great too and adds a detail that catches your eye between the solid black of the boots and of the blazer - this blazer really looks great layered with a skirt, I'll really keep that in mind for my next time with this piece. And of course, accessories are classic and great =)

I'm also making use of a lot of black in my styling - it really was unintentional to make a Summery post like this^ I gone with this printed dress as it's such an interesting design, I think the style contrasts that of the boots well, and the white printing works well with the text on the boots. The white blazer lightens the style, although I don't think it's so necessary. I loved adding this cute little bag with the floral clasp, it's very fitting with this dress^

S U B C O U T U R E | Release Review

A surprise release of Subcouture this weekend - posting this review today in case you still want to make some purchases, you have until the end of Sunday to do so =) The advertising looks bright and summer, it's tricky to get a gage on the vibe of the release, the front look is more boho while the one at the back has a party focus, so lets see what's on offer!

Highlights This release has 2 floors with a total of 10 looks for the girls and 2 looks for the guys. It's a bit of a random release, the styles seem a bit all over the place - which gives an unappealing vibe to start with I think. Nothing seems to fit together much, but I think it's worth it to spend some time looking at the individual pieces.

Accessories A pretty mixed bunch of pieces I'd say. The bags are a huge success for starters, I really like both pieces, they're current, have been made well, and aren't pieces we've had similar versions of before. The Subcouture Chrystal Bag is a structured box bag with a perspex outer layer and in a snazzy silver, while the Straw Mini Bag is a little more casual, although still has sparkles, it's in a popular rounded style and I think it looks pretty good^ As a whole, the shoes are pretty disappointing, but the Green Buckle Booties are very nice. They're a sock-boot fitted style with a very nice design in the buckle. I really like the colour, it's different and will definitely stand out in an outfit. There are a couple of belts in the release, which are both very nice - the Twosided Belt and Versace Inspired Belt are both black pieces with large metal buckle details. Overall pretty minimal, but very wearable which is definitely something I like about them =)

Clothing Again the clothing is quite a mixed bunch. There are a few questionable, and a few familiar items, so I wouldn't say it's a great release overall - this section will be a little short^ One thing I do like is that there are a lot of separates and not so many dresses - the Blue Love Flirty Dress is super cute, I love the design and colour, but separate pieces are just so much more wearable. The Contoured Ring Top and Mini are the first pieces which caught my eye, such a sweet co-ord set, super boho and the sort of Coachella vibes that I like^ I love the pale colour and the pink delicate floral detailing, plus the ring detailing is great when you zoom in for a closer look, so intricate! I like the balloon-style sleeves on the Top and the Skirt is a nice length for a mini piece - both will look great together or styled alone. Another co-ord is the Cowboy Style Shirt and Shorts, again fitting with the vibes I'd expect from Coachella. I'm not 100% convinced on the Shorts yet, I'm not sure how versatile they are, but I love the colour combinations on these pieces. The white base is great and I love the brown trimmings and detail, they're definitely stand out! And finally the Beige Laced Top, it seems a little out of place and doesn't really go with any of the outfits it's placed in in store, but I like it on its own! The details are really pretty and while it is a little lingerie-esque with sheer panels, I find on my doll's skin tone it doesn't really come across like that and it will be a pretty feminine and non-white piece to wear in summer styles =)

Prices This release ranges from 14 to 30SD's which is very much on par with the last 3 or 4 releases - didn't find this too expensive, I bought 8 or 9 items for less than 150SD's, which I think isn't bad. This release isn't SS or Royalty limited, but it is time limited to this weekend.

Styled Outfits Now for my stylings, I bought quite a few pieces so can't feature everything, but just a few summery stylings to start with. First up the Contoured Ring Top and Mini which I kept simple with neutral accessories - I think styling the pieces together that works well, and if styling them separately I might venture out into colour^ Secondly the Beige Laced Top which I knew I wanted to wear with these silky trousers immediately, I just love the look of the fitted top with the loose leg of the trousers! I also added the Straw Mini Bag to this styling, the colour works well with the pale pink and the cream, and I think these brown heels make a nice finishing touch. It's super simple, but something pretty wearable =) And finally the Cowboy Style Shirt, which was the piece I spent most time on - I did want to wear it with brown trousers, but nothing in my wardrobe was quite right with the colours so I went with these white trousers, which have a great texture to match up with the shirt. Love the brown accessories to match the shirt details, and I have a lot of these so plenty of options to go along the similar style in the future too^

Features And now for the features! The Chrystal Fishnet Dress sure seems popular, these first few looks make use of it in contrasting styles. Achrome wears it in a light white look, pairing it also with the Subcouture Chrystal Bag, a perfect pairing, and also the Halterneck Top. I love these wide leg trousers, they look super stylish, and the gloves and jewels added are just a continuation of the glamour and sparkles^

In the second styling with the Chrystal Fishnet Dress, Jesica_1998 chooses a darker look, which the sparkly mesh looks just as good in! Again with a wide leg trouser, definitely seeming a little of a trend to me, and I like the use of the patterned top, it adds something a little different to the styling that something plain would. I like the short sleeves too^ The accessories are simple yet fitting and effective for the styling =) 

And back to a lighter styling, Mia1435 wearing the Tweed Mini Dress in silver with it's long fringing detailing. I really like the meshed skirt added beneath, it looks a perfect match and I like the style combination. The accessories are great, I like the mixed metals in the heels and necklace, and the draping on the bag is a great fit with the style of the Dress^

And the final feature, twittersred wearing the Notte Dress - I was very much put off this piece by the deep V, because otherwise it's a very nice piece, but this look overcomes that with this blue polo, it's really the perfect solution! The pieces meld together quite seamlessly, it's really looking like one dress. The minimal accessories are perfect, they both stand out and fit in while the Dress does it's work!

Floral frill

I know florals for spring isn't groundbreaking, but I love it - and I love this outfit from Jesica_1998! I love layering up this dress, it's such an easy piece to do it with and you can have so much fun with the overall style and printing of it. I love the tops used in this look, the highlights on it look fab and the frills on the cropped sleeves look amazing, they're perfect for this dress style^ Love the use of the heavy black boots in the styling too and the classic Chanel bag is stunning, a perfect choice, it looks great =)

W I L D C A N D Y | Release Review

Last week we got a new Wild Candy release - our resident SC only store. I usually don't buy a lot from this store, but it's a great go-to when you've maxed out on SC's! The advert looks cute with some great Spring styles in pastel colours^

Highlights I am majorly impressed with this release! The pieces are great in style and design and really look great on the doll. The advert does the perfect job of summing up the collection, it's all about those summery designs and great colours =)

Accessories It's a small range of accessories, but covers most bases. There are two pairs of shoes, the Platform Espadriles and then the Candy Sandals which I am so in love with! The design is simple but classic, I love the mule style with the straps and the colour is a perfect versatile one. I am also very much in love with the bag of the release, the Color Block Crossbody Bag - it's a perfect Loewe Gate bag dupe, I am currently the emoji with heart eyes^ These colours make it pretty unique too, and I always have a soft spot for yellow. And lastly a pair of earrings, the Bead Hoop Earrings which are a super standout fun summer piece, the colours really just pop!

Clothing And now for the clothing - there are so many prints to choose from! Cute cherries, checks, dots, stripes ... the release kind of has it all. Of the onepieces, the Valentina Red Jumpsuit and the Midi Dress in a pretty Spring green really stand out the most to me, the Jumpsuit has a unique design, I love the layering of the parts, and the Midi has a super sweet button-down strappy design which is super popular, plus I'm always after more green items! But the Button Down Mini Dress in pink stripe is super adorable and I think will be a popular piece for summer stylings. The Polka Dot Top and Cropped Pants are a cute co-ord set, they remind me of old time PnL pieces and these look great on the doll too. I love that the dots are super neutral as well so will be easy to style up. Just a few more pieces to mention, the One Sleave Top (the actual spelling of the piece, not mine!) is a sweet basic, the tone of the green is a perfect pistachio. And then what might be the current popular piece from the release, the White Jeans Cropped Jacket, I'm kinda feeling like this is the piece I didn't know was missing from my wardrobe! I don't think we've had something like this before, the oversizing is just right, it's not too big, and the design is pretty neat - I really like it =)

Prices As with the store theme, all pieces are in SC and range from 165 to 280SC's, and with the ease of earning SC's these days, it wouldn't take too long to be able to afford the whole collection if you wanted^

Styled Outfits I really had a great time with these pieces, I'm totally feeling the Spring vibes right now even though we're still quite Wintery where I am^ And yellow totally dominates this set of looks! First up the Color Block Crossbody Bag and while I normally struggle with brown-based bags, this one was easy for me, choosing a bit of a classic-me combination, but mixing it up a little with this shearling coat, the leather trim is perfection with the bag and I love the layering look of this outfit. Secondly the Candy Sandals, I found so many great Spring and Summer items to go with these, so they are super versatile, but I found this skirt really highlighted the green of the shoes and I love that^ The yellow sweater keeps it more Spring for the moment and I love this bag in the look, a great style and colour match. And finally the White Jeans Cropped Jacket, I loved making it pop with just the white accessories in this look, it would look stunning in all-white outfits, but I think the black and yellow tones really make it stand out that bit more - plus the yellow makes it fit very nicely with the other stylings =D

Features Now for the features, you guys seemed to like this release as much as I did! This styling from Bianca.Vos uses both the Polka Dot Top and Cropped Pants, but styles the Top as more of a belted design and I think it looks awesome, those buttons are a great style feature! The pink polka dot bralette is a great fit for these pieces and the blazer is a great piece to cover up. Love the neutral shoes too but the little bit of bling with the gold earrings^

Secondly Jesica_1998 wearing the One Sleave Top - I love the matte and soft effect that the piece brings to these very contrasting trousers with their leather panelling, it looks great! And I think the orange tones to the accessories are perfect, the shoes and earrings look great and the style is a great fit for the outfit =)

And lastly miver styling the Midi Dress in this sweet feminine style. It looks great layered with this frilled blouse, it really bring the piece to Spring rather than summer. And I love the delicate accessorising, the shoes are fitting but don't pull from the dress focus, the bag is a stylish choice and the slim headband is super sweet^

R U N W A Y | Release Review

We've had a brand new Runway release! It's the right time for it with all the fashion weeks happening and about to happen so we're all set to go for our front row seats =) It's always fun seeing what pieces Stardoll have picked, so lets dive in!

Highlights The store has 2 small floors, a total of 7 looks, with one of those for the guys - there's a pretty glamorous vibe to the pieces, with a focus away from everyday-type stylings. The store features a selection of designers or brands, but mostly ones we've had in the past.

Accessories There are 3 pairs of boots in this release, all inspired by Balmain. The Balmain Inspired Silver Booties and the Balmain Inspired Transparent Booties are pretty close in style, both have a perspex section over the foot, the Transparent Booties are ankle height, but then the Silver Booties extend up the leg with a silver metallic material. I wanted to like these boots, but I don't like the look of them on my doll, so I'm passing on these two - I do however like the Balmain Inspired Yellow Tip Boots, which I featured on this months Wearing post, these are much more more, they seem a little more versatile being all in black, and the yellow toe is such a stylish addition^ There are 2 bags in the release, the Balmain Inspired Clutch Bag which really is an over-shoulder pastel style, I'm gutted that I missed out on this because it looks amazing and the perfect piece for spring! Then there is also the Balmain Inspired Disco Bag which is a round boxed piece in black and white, I really like the shape of this one. There is also a belt, the Alexander Vauthier Inspired Satin Belt, and an earring, the Oversized Pearl Earring which sold out super fast, but I've really not seen many people styling.

Clothing The first floor of the store is really all about the dresses - there are 3, the Alexander Vauthier Inspired Blazer Dress which is a cool longline take on the usual blazer dresses, it's also much thicker in material and seems more blazer like than dress, then there is the Jimili Monochrome Silk Gown with a cream 'shirt' to the top half and then a black split ballgown skirt on the bottom and has some super cool belting too, and finally the Balmain Inspired Broken Glass Tunic, a mini sparkly piece in cream and sheer sections, it's definitely a little out there for styling, I can't see it having much versatility but I'm sure someone will be up to the challenge of it! I'm definitely more a fan of the second floor where there are some super amazing co-ord sets =) I love both of them, the Christian Siriano Inspired Leather Jacket and Pants, these are lavender leather ... I mean that is something so stand out! The Pants seem very versatile to me, the Jacket is a little more quirky and cool with a large collar and cropped length - I do love the sleeve style though. And then there is the Christian Siriano Inspired Polka Dot Blazer and Trousers, these are just the sweetest^ Such a feminine set, but stylish at the same time, the Blazer has a beautiful fit on the doll and the Trousers are classic with a high waist and wide leg, really love these items =)

Prices The release ranged from 35 to 113SD's which is very much within range of the previous releases. The store is a limited one, but no pieces are SS or Royalty only.

Styled Outfits Next my stylings! In the first look the Christian Siriano Polka Dot Trousers styled super minimally with a feminine flair with the frilled sleeves and cute pink bag and glasses - the trousers definitely have a pink hint to them so I think there's plenty of options down that route, while the black dots give space for the jacket and belt to fit too^ Secondly the Christian Siriano Inspired Polka Dot Blazer in an outfit that I really love! I'm all on board of this tucked style for blazers, this one works well with the black trousers fitting with the dots. I kept the dotted theme with the shoes, I love this combination for sure, I'll be pairing this blazer and shoes again in the future =) And lastly the Balmain Inspired Disco Bag which I really struggled with, completely love the look of it in store and sitting in my suite, but as soon as I tried it on my doll I couldn't get anything to work perfectly, this outfit stays simple and I do think it works but I'm not in love yet, so I need a little more time with this piece to make it work better for me!

Features So many great features to show you! First up Achrome wearing the Alexander Vauthier Inspired Blazer Dress, the accessories really make this piece, I love the additions to the pockets and the necklace in the neckline. The belting is a great fit for the piece and I love the black in the shoes and the hat, really adds to the look. Of course the long silky hairstyle is an excellent component to the styling =)

Next up a few stylings with the Balmain Inspired Yellow Tip Boots, firstly from Jesica_1998, going for all black with the clothing - these wider neck of the boots are perfect for the looser fit of the trousers, and I like the use of this cool body on top. The yellow really pops out and looks good against the pop of red in the belt bag^

And secondly in the Balmain Inspired Yellow Tip Boots, and also the Alexander Vauthier Inspired Shorts, is marta32222 looking very cool - I like the pairing of the Boots with the blazer, the flashes of colour are great together. The headband and veil look super sleek and I like the delicate jewellery in the V of the blazer !

Something super light now, Mia1435 wearing the Christian Siriano Inspired Polka Dot Blazer, also tucked but this time with a perfectly matched skirt, it's such a cute pairing^ It's kept very simple yet chic with minimal black accessories and a slicked back hairstyle, I really love it, less really can be more and it's perfect on this occasion =)

And now for all the lavender! Isabella8103 wears the Christian Siriano Inspired Leather Pants and keeps the lavender throughout the whole look. The fluffy top adds a lighter touch to the leather of the trousers. Love the perspex mules and the dinky silver shoulder bag, and of course the lavender fringed earrings and the glasses combination look amazing, I'd totally go for this! And love the metallic touch to the lip colour, super pretty!

The Christian Siriano Inspired Leather Jacket is also popular, with the next 3 looks featuring it. Firstly, --kayley adding it to a white base with extra plastic pieces, I love the feel of this with the sheen of the leather, the details added with the skirt and belt are really great and the black is continued nicely in the bag and also the shoes - I love the neon green too, I think it's a nice touch that really works out =)

Next up also in the Christian Siriano Inspired Leather Jacket is Fergaysson styling it with jeans to give a more casual touch. The glitter boots are such a great choice, they're totally what I would pick for this Jacket too^ I really love the bag in the look, the dark section perfect with the jeans and the ruffle detail great with the jacket. Also love the bling in the necklace^

And then finally rob_sef7 styling both the Christian Siriano Inspired Leather Jacket and Pants, looking very fashion forward! The white boots give a retro touch and the design of them is absolutely perfect with the trousers. I like the use of the black bag and glasses to give a darker touch to the outfit, again there's some neon green with the gloves, it works! It's fun to see the same touch added in 2 looks, definitely a trend to keep an eye on =D