Neutral Look

This shoot was all about a neutral combination of location and wardrobe. The idea was to incorporate a muted color scheme in a city setting reminiscent of one of my favorite cities in the world, London.

Early in my styling career (2008 - 2014) I was traveling back and forth to the United Kingdom for styling projects, and this location reminds me a lot of the storefronts on Oxford Street.

When I stumbled across this building in downtown Los Angeles, naturally I knew it would be a location that I'd want to shoot content at. So finding a look suitable with the cement pillars and sculptural wall, I went with a tonal blazer set, a black, lace-up crop top and strappy heels to contrast the monochrome theme for a pop of color.

I'm big on playing with shape in general, so a paper bag, high-waist trouser had an instant appeal to me. In speaking of contrast, I wore a peek of skin up top to balance the width of the hip and hemline.

I've been really loving the whole late nineties to early 2000's emergence of style. From the lace-up tops like the nineties pop sensation TLC used to wear with baggy pants; but with a slight variation.

I'm very keen on dressing trend appropriate, but in a way that is true to my own style. The lace-up crop trend can tend to look quite young, and baggy jeans aren't my thing at all, as I love to wear clothing that fits my body to accentuate my shape.

A strength in choosing neutral tones especially in suiting takes strategy. It's definitely a thing I've been exploring a lot this year, and suiting in general is a chic way to bring sophistication and elegance to your wardrobe. A power suit in a taupe tone, can easily come off a bit boring, so it's all about how you put it together.

I've been seeing a lot of beautiful interpretations on this trend all through the summer from a ton of different style bloggers, and it inspired me to test out this color scheme.

A suit in a muted color can easily translate as a bit boring, but as with anything half of the charm is all in how you style it.

Your personality will shine through, if you stay true to your style and don't go too crazy with testing out looks that aren't really your cup of tea. The essence of style is all about how you explore ideas, but stay within your perimeters.

Some of my greatest style advice is, just because it's on trend; it doesn't mean it will suit you (no pun intended.)

I advise all my clients to test out colors that blend well with items you already own like prints and solids, and be sure you're not selecting seasonal pieces for your capsule wardrobe. The key is to find quality items that you'll wear, and will outlast the trends.