They’re Back! 19 Gorgeous Gladiator Sandals for Summer

By Maria Denardo

There’s no other shoe in history that has roots as deep or varied as gladiator sandals. The neoclassical shoes, marked by a flat sole and leather lace-ups, first emerged in Greco-Roman times as the footwear of choice for Roman gladiators and plebeians in need of comfort, flexibility, durability and support. They were often commissioned by the town artist and even buried with their owner.

Gladiators didn’t reemerge until the 60s when hemlines were high and skin was in. The mod squad, the hippies and even the bombshells were sporting a pair. (Remember Raquel Welch in her iconic 1966 fantasy film One Million Years B.C.?) The strappy sandals continued their reign into the 70s, survived the 80s and popped back up in the 90s when Gianni Versace released his Spring 1993 S&M-inspired collection. Since then, they’ve teetered in and out of favor with the sartorial set. Most recently, designers like Chloe, Valentino and Alexander McQueen resurrected the statement-making shoes for Spring 2015 with bold designs worn with minis, maxis and even high-waisted trousers. Think of them as an airy alternative to your espadrilles.

Blake Lively Designed a Dress for Preserve

By Jihan Forbes



Actress, mother, budding lifestyle guru and now, designer. Blake Lively is joining the storied tradition of celebrities designing things, taking to Instagram to announce her latest collaboration. Lively has teamed with indie label Amour Vert, a San Francisco-based eco-conscious line Lively sells on her Preserve website.

Lively showed off her co-designed creation: a sleeveless silk sundress with a tie-front top attached to a pink printed skirt. “I may not be able to draw worth a lick, but I am proud of this dress I co-designed with Amour Vert for@preserve_us,” Lively captioned the post. The frock, called the “Champagne Dress” is already available for pre-order on the Preserve website for $230.
The dress isn’t shipping until early June, but that’s plenty of time to get your hands on it before the summer officially starts.

Forget the LBD, Here’s How to Style a Little White Dress for Summer

By Maria Denardo



Little white dresses are a hallmark of summertime. They’re as ubiquitous as backyard barbecues and as classic as poolside mojitos on a hot July afternoon. And just like the LBD, they’re universal. There’s not an age, shape or skin tone that doesn’t look picture-perfect in this shade. And if you’re avoiding white because of size, don’t. Take cues from the runway on how to rock the LWD.
The best part of wearing a white dress is that it serves as a blank canvas, ready and willing to adapt to whatever look you fancy. Want to bring out your bohemian side? Pair a peasant-style white dress with an elongated, suede vest like Alberta Ferretti. Feeling minimalist? Calvin Klein Collection has a pair of 90s nostalgic platforms that will get the point across in no time.

Forget Pants! Here Are 7 New Shorts to Try This Summer

By Maria Denardo

The message for summer is simple: Pants, who needs ‘em? Designers from New York to Paris kept it short and sweet this season with a slew of above-the-knee options that ranged from denim daywear at Anna Sui to business casual Bermudas at Christian Dior. Shorts were so prominent on the ready-to-wear runways that they even snuck into wedding attire. J.Crew‘s Spring 2015 bridal collection included a pair of $450 ivory shorts inspired by the destination bride. Consider winter history.

Meet BIKYNI, Your New Favorite Under-$100 Swimwear Label

By Jasmine Garnsworthy

When it comes to bikini shopping, for some reason swimwear labels seem to think frills, florals, fancy embellishment, and sky-high prices are the only way to go. But, what about beachwear for the more minimalist-minded (or, um, broke) fashion girls? That’s where Jude Al-Khalil, former COO of fashion powerhouse, Reformation, is stepping in with a new line of under-$100 swimwear called BIKYNI.

The just-launched label operates under a smart and simple concept: Modernize the swimwear experience by offering simple and flattering cuts in popular block colors that you can mix and match, without the inflated price tag. A bikini top and bottom pair costs $95, which is refreshingly affordable when compared to some swimwear brands.

MORE: 40 of the Raddest Beach-Ready Swimsuits Under $200

Consisting of 10 styles–five tops, 4 bottoms, and a one-piece–everything is produced and designed in L.A. with an eye for quality materials, and a focus on support, padding, coverage and adjustability.

Before you click over to shop the new label, take a couple of minutes to read BIKYNI founder, Al-Kahlil’s guide to the swimwear season ahead.

StyleCaster: Why do you think there’s a need for BIKYNI in the swimwear market? 

Jude Al-Khalil: Women dread shopping for swimwear more than any other item of clothing. My vision for BIKYNI was driven by my desire to take the frustration out of swimwear shopping by modernizing the experience to make it easy and comfortable for women to buy a suit. There are so many swimsuit options, but it’s still difficult to find a simple, quality suit at a great price. We offer our own line of quality, swim essentials, but keep our price under $100 for a suit. We’ve made what we believe are the best version of each of the classics with an updated and modern feel. If you are looking for a timeless swim piece, you can come to BIKYNI and find it without having to sift through page after page of overdesigned suits.

What’s your number one piece of advice for women buying swimwear online? 

Be realistic and have an idea of what you’re looking for. Wearing a swimsuit can drum up all sorts of insecurities. When you’re shopping for a suit online, make sure the items you’re eyeing are styles that will make you feel good about yourself.

What are the three qualities of a flattering swimsuit? 

Well-fitting swimwear needs a great foundation–high quality fabrics lend themselves to better construction and a better fit. Also, a suit that fits well makes all the difference. Finally, lose the clutter. Simple suits with great cuts and high quality materials will always be flattering

What’s your top tip for swimwear care?

Rotate suits if you’re going to be wearing a swimsuit on consecutive days. Most women know to rinse their suit right away and lay it in the shade to dry. What many women don’t realize is that because a suit is made of lycra, it needs to fully dry to bounce back to its original shape. By rotating suits, you allow the fabric to dry completely and revert back to that state, which will help prevent bagging or stretching.

What did you learn working at Reformation that you will apply to your own label? 

Reformation is a brand with a powerful story behind it and it does a great job telling this story, especially digitally. Customers want to connect with brands and this strong storytelling is something I’ll apply to BIKYNI.

How often will new stock arrive online? 

We are already working on our next delivery and hope to have more to share later this summer! Since swimwear is our core product, we need to keep our styles and colors fresh.  Women need swimwear year-round, but there are often weak options during seasons like the fall so we will be releasing new options regularly.

What swimwear trends do you think will be big this summer? 

The sporty trend will definitely continue. And minimalism is continuing to make its way over from ready to wear. We’ve seen more basic silhouettes that move away from the frills and fringes that were big the past few years. Women are searching for simplicity and versatility in their swim pieces.

Head to BIKYNI’s website to shop the new collection online.

10 Incredible Plus-Size Fashion Bloggers Redefining Beauty Part 1

By Maria Denardo


The best plus-size fashion blogs are fun, fearless and pack a powerful message. Here are the top 10 you need to know about.

Curvy women have been left out of the fashion conversation for years. But a real revolution is underway. In 2015, Target announced the launch of a complete full-figure line, Sports Illustrated championed a new body image inside and outside the book and Tess Holliday became the first size-22 beauty to land a major modeling contract. The recent attention on more voluptuous models and the democratization of chic clothes for all shapes and sizes is in large part due to a group of fearless fashion bloggers, tired of hearing, “Sorry, we don’t have that in your size.” For these incredibly stylish women, blogging isn’t just a trend or even a livelihood, it’s a movement. And the world is finally taking notice.
See above for the best plus-size fashion blogs that are kicking ass and taking names.

Meet Gabi Gregg, a Windy City native who started Gabifresh in 2008 when she couldn't land an entry-level job after graduation. Seven years later, she's made it her full-time job, appearing in Teen Vogue, Glamour, The New York Times and more. Did we mention the first collection for her swimsuit line sold out in 48 hours?

From the corners of the Curve is the brainchild of Callie, who describes herself as "a 25-year-old living the London dream." Here, you can find a "body shame free" site about fashion, food and plenty of travel. 

Amarachi is a 23-year-old Nigerian-American living outside the D.C. area. She has an "unhealthy obsession with loud vibrant prints and big curly hair." And that's exactly why we love her. If you want to dress like Amarachi, check out her print-happy line here.

Award-winning fashion and beauty blog Girl With Curves is brought to you by San Francisco-based style influencer Tanesha Awasthi, who also happens to be a certified aesthetician and a fashion designer. NBD.

 Allison Teng is a self-professed serial shopaholic and shoe addict hailing from the Sunshine State. The Curvy Girl Chic blogger is a regular contributor to People StyleWatch and thinks that pants are highly overrated.

Diversity Report: How Do the Spring 2015 Fashion Campaigns Measure Up?

By Maria Denardo



In 1982, the advertising industry was turned upside down. That was the year designer Elio Fiorucci organized a lunch at the Tower of Pisa restaurant with his friends Luciano Benetton, the founder of the Italian fashion brand now known as Benetton Group S.p.A., and Milanese photographer Oliviero Toscani. The meeting was perfectly timed. Benetton had just made the decision to advertise and Fiorucci was convinced Toscani was the man for the job. Turns out, he was right.

For the next 18 years, Toscani produced arresting, controversial and multi-cultural campaigns for Benetton that catapulted the little-known clothing brand into a household name and set the tone for a new age of fashion advertising. With his signature mix of social commentary and commerce, Toscani addressed a wide range of issues from AIDS and racism to war and death row with models of varying ages, races and body types. 
Today’s campaigns tell a different story. After examining women’s fashion print ads for Spring 2015, we found one common thread: an alarming lack of diversity. Here’s the breakdown.

Out of the 577 fashion campaigns we examined, 811 models* were cast. The result? 84.7 percent were white. **In comparison, Asian models came in at a distant second at 5.7 percent, followed by black models at 5.1 percent and Latina models at 2.3 percent.
Some of the brands that lacked diversity were repeat offenders. For instance, Saint Laurent’s campaigns (including ready-to-wear and Psych Rock) featured seven models total this season—all were white. Looking back, the last time a model of color was represented in a Saint Laurent fashion campaign was for Fall 2008 when Naomi Campbell was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin during designer Stefano Pilati’s tenure.
The same goes for Chloé . For spring, the brand cast white models Caroline Trentini and Eniko Mihalik. What’s shocking is that Chloé has not cast a model of color in its ready-to-wear campaigns since Spring 2001 when former creative director Stella McCartney selected Jessica White as the face of the brand.

On a positive note, a number of brands stepped it up in the diversity department. Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn hugged it out for Burberry Prorsum and Joan Smalls modeled solo for Prabal Gurung. On the celebrity front, Rihanna secured Puma, Nicki Minaj nabbed Roberto Cavalli, Solange fronted Eleven Paris and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West posed for Balmain.
Additionally, the award for one of the more diverse retailers goes to Barneys New York, which raised the bar with its “Better Than Ever” Spring ad, photographed by Bruce Weber. This body-positive ad features a medley of supermodels, aged 39 and up, including Bethann Hardison, Brooke Shields, Christie Brinkley, Elaine Irwin, Kiara Kabukuru, Kirsten Owen, Pat Cleveland, Stephanie Seymour, Susanne Bartsch and Veronica Webb. Here, models of color made up 40 percent.

After all the fashion campaigns had been tallied, Binx Walton took home top honors for being the most booked model. She scored nine ads, which included the likes of Alexander Wang, Coach, Fendi and Tom Ford.
Out of the entire cast for Spring 2015, plus-size models only accounted for 1 percent of models in high-profile fashion ads. These castings were represented by three mass-market plus-size brands. Ashley Graham, the size 16 model who is best known as the first plus-size model to be featured in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue ad, posed for Swimsuits For All. 

Meanwhile, Candice Huffine, who recently launched a #LovedByCandice capsule collection with Italian brand Elena Miro, took the top spot at Mango’s plus-size line Violeta. Both women also appeared in Lane Bryant’s #ImNoAngel Spring ad, alongside Marquita Pring, Victoria Lee, Justine Legault and Elly Mayday. No plus-size models were represented in ads for luxury brands.

For this particular study, we didn’t analyze age for every Spring 2015 campaign. However, it’s important to note that a handful of brands cast models over the age of 40. In addition to the Barneys “Better Than Ever” campaign, Céline photographed 80-year-old literary icon Joan Didion and Saint Laurent signed 71-year-old folk music legend Joni Mitchell. Both Alexis Bittar and Kate Spade shot 93-year-old designer and fashion icon Iris Apfel. 

Overall, mass market brands were more likely to cast a model of color — a pattern that rang true for 2014 campaigns as well. For fashion, Topshop chose Joline Braun for its in-store ad, while shoe brand Sam Edelman selected Charlene Almarvez and Rossy Herrera (along with Josephine Skriver). H&M, a brand that regularly champions diversity, picked four models of color to appear in three different campaigns. This grouping includes Aya Jones‘ solo act for H&M Loves Coachella, Arlenis Sosa and Rose Bertram for H&M Sport and Joan Smalls for H&M Summer (along with Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes and Natasha Poly). And finally, DKNY continued its diversity streak. The brand cast Binx Walton (DKNY and DKNY Jeans), Soo Joo Park (DKNY Jeans), Dylan Xue (DKNY Online) and Xiao Wen Ju (DKNY).

But not all mass market brands got the memo. Banana Republic, LOFT, French Connection and Zara all lacked models of color this season.
More often than not, this was also the case for luxury brands. Campaigns for Lanvin, Max Mara, Versace, Valentino, Prada, Carolina Herrera and Christian Dior, along with Saint Laurent and Chloé as previously stated, were entirely whitewashed. On the flip side, a number of high-priced brands, like Chanel (L’Instant), Kenzo and Agent Provocateur, made a concerted effort to exclusively cast models of color in major campaigns ranging from watches to ready-to-wear.
Findings from this Spring 2015 ad report are almost identical to our 2014 campaign analysis, published in December, which showed that 85.97 percent of womenswear ads were white. The good news? We have no where to go but up.
The tFS team did our best to include the major fashion print campaigns. If we missed something, let us know!