Red Carpet Review: Teen Choice Awards 2014

Nina Dobrev in Vionnet | Selena Gomez in Saint Laurent | Chloe Grace Moretz in Valentino
Shay Mitchell in Misha Collection | Jordin Sparks in Simply Intricate | Shailene Woodley in Peter Pilotto

Young Hollywood convened at the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday night to celebrate the year in music, film and television (or at least the music, film and television that is relevant to the teen set) for the Teen Choice Awards. 

I love events like this where the main red carpet stars are young and sometimes newcomers to the celebrity scene. They don't all have stylists—or at least, they don't all have good stylists. They're still figuring out their personal style (most of them are still teenagers themselves, after all) and the resulting red carpet looks are fresh, fun, and risky. These girls are here to get noticed and that leads to interesting fashion statements, for better or for worse.

Pictured above are some of my favorite looks from the night. Crop tops proved that they are definitely here to stay. Nina Dobrev, Shay Mitchell, Jordin Sparks, Taylor Swift, and others all bared their midriffs with crop tops but no one looked trashy in doing so. Most of these girls have been walking the red carpet for a while now and thus have figured out what they look good in.

Selena Gomez continued her classy lady style streak with a sleek version of le smoking, which Yves Saint Laurent originally reimagined for women. The metallic pumps and the cool ponytail keep this look modern and youthful, and I feel that Selena has truly hit her style stride.

I loved Shailene Woodley's Peter Pilotto dress and especially enjoyed how she drew out the red in her dress with matching red heels. I only wish she had worn a sleeveless or short-sleeve version for the summer event. Nina Dobrev similarly matched her shoes to a color in her look, which made her outfit look instantly put together.

Nina Dobrev would have to be my pick for best dressed of the night. 

Who was your pick for best-dressed celeb at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards?

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Get The Look: Grace Hartzel's Bohemian Ensemble

Grace Hartzel (image via styledumonde.com)

Street style stars have a tendency to go for loud, bold designer pieces in order to catch the eye of the photographers, but sometimes its the effortlessly cool looks that truly stun. Such was the case with model Grace Hartzel's seventies bohemian look.

When I saw this outfit I immediately wanted to replicate it, or at least I was quite inspired by it. The seventies boho style is completely on trend this fall, and I love the creative pairings of different prints and textures.

The Key Pieces

A velvet blazer may seem like a fashion faux-pas, but when draped over the shoulders in the style of top fashion editors, it becomes a chic outerwear choice. A printed long-sleeve dress with a drawstring waist is a timeless piece and the perfect dress for anyone wanting to replicate this outfit.

Fringe purses are hugely popular right now, but why not pump things up by purchasing a fringe purse in a bold blue color? Chelsea boots are a personal favorite shoe option, and a caramel brown color is extremely versatile. Have a sliver of sock peeking out for a playful touch.

Last, a layered necklace is the perfect accessory for this outfit. If the Chan Luu chain is too pricey, check out my other layered necklace picks here. 

Trending: Luxe Key Chains

Fendi Fall 2014 (via style.com)

Gone are the days when you could find a decent key chain from a gumball machine for twenty-five cents. These days, even the smallest of accessories are expected to be chic, and key chains are the next piece to go ultra-high-end.

It started with Fendi and the adorable monster fluff-ball key chains that every street style star and fabulous fashion blogger just had to have. Then Karl Lagerfeld struck gold again with a new key chain version of himself for Fendi called “The Karlito”. The fashion crowd ate that up (as they do with anything that resembles The Kaiser) even with the cool $1750 price tag. Dang.

As often as I'm pulling out my keys in mixed company (the perks of living in Los Angeles, where driving everywhere is a necessity) I wouldn't mind investing in a glamorous key chain, but for right now I'll probably spend my money on more noticeable fashion pieces.

Would you spend the big bucks for a fashionable key chain?

The Look: Knit From Head To Toe

Stella McCartney | Celine | Chanel | Edun | Marc Jacobs

So you hate sweatpants. Your mantra is borrowed from the brilliant mind of Karl Lagerfeld, who once plainly stated, “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat.” But sometimes, on your lowest days when you don't feel like putting up with the tortures of form-fitting fashions and high heels, you do consider the perks of those god-awful sweatpants that those less fashionable than you have no problem wearing, and you wonder if perhaps there is something to them, something comforting.

This is when you're at your lowest point. Eventually you come back to your senses and realize that there’s a reason why you reject sweatpants with a blind hate. But if sweatpants and the like are completely off-limits, what can a fashion girl wear when she yearns for something more comfortable?

The answer: a knit top and pants.

This outfit is fundamentally different from the schlubby outfits that the masses wear when they are getting groceries and want to show the world that they've completely given up. These sweater-suits, I'll call them, are championed by Phoebe Philo and Marc Jacobs, and we all know that anything Philo says is in, well, it’s totally in.

Both designers went for similar approaches to the sweater-suit: the top is slightly oversized; the pants, fitted with a slight flare at the ankles, and in the exact same color. Elsewhere, sportier interpretations were shown, with fitted knits in bright hues, but the idea is still the same.

To ensure that you look minimalist-chic rather than like you don’t care what you look like, pay special attention to accessories and beauty styling. A slicked-back bun or ponytail combined with dangling earrings or a statement necklace will make you look poised and put-together. I would suggest heels of some sort to elongate and keep the look from becoming too casual. 

 What do you think of the sweater-suit? Would you test out this look?

Link Round-Up: Back To School

Photo by Sergi Mengot (via domainehome.com)

Oh, August. I cannot believe that you are here again, but look at us! Already prepping for heading back to school for another year of learning, socializing, and looking cool. I've been seeing some great posts all over the internet on how to make the most of the upcoming year of college. 

Here are some great links to help you get ready to head back to school!

Domaine: 7 Stylish Essentials For Every Dorm Room: The chic interior design sister-site to WhoWhatWear featured a fabulous post on ways to spruce up the old college dorm room. I love that they gave simple and relatively affordable suggestions, and also that these design adjustments are actually feasible within a dorm room setting (because unless you're Patrick Schwarzenegger, redoing your dorm room carpeting is probably not going to happen). 

Urban Outfitters Dorm Essentials: The cool retailer has plenty of fresh picks of what you need to bring with you to college. From fun printed duvets to vintage-style concert posters to a wide selection of old-school record players, you'll be sure to be the coolest kid on the block—or in this case, the dorm.

Back To School | Aritzia: My big introduced me to this Canadian retailer and I have since become obsessed with the goodness that is Aritzia. Their back-to-school edit is incredibly cute, the right mix between urban and preppy that I live for. And even if you are stuck in the states like I am, you can still order their clothes on the internet! Praise the lord for online shopping, am I right?

Sorority Sugar: Considering going Greek? Already a member of an awesome sisterhood? No matter what your situation is, you have to check out Sorority Sugar for great tips and advice for every part of sorority life, from recruitment to big/little pairings and everything else in between.

The Fashion Barbie | How To Be The Best Intern Ever: If you've found an illustrious fall internship, this is your go-to guide for how to look the part of the star intern. Plus, we hear the author of this post is a great source of fashion and style advice! :)

Teen Vogue | Back-To-School: Teen Vogue has dozens of back-to-school themed posts on their website, from cheap fashion finds to outfit ideas to where to find chic supplies. Whatever you need, this group of posts probably has you covered.

What tips do you have for back-to-school-bound fashion ladies? 

The Coolest Rain Boots Ever

J. Crew Chelsea Rain Boots ($68)

Let’s make one thing clear: it never rains in southern California. But oh, when it rains, it pours. And for the record I absolutely detest the rain, not so much because it makes everything wet and gloomy but more prominently because I lack the proper footwear for such weather. You see, because it never rains in California I cannot justify the purchase of a pair of Hunters or Wellingtons that will rarely see the light of day.

Instead I’m left to fend for myself and hop over puddles in leather boots that inevitably get ruined but are the only shoes I own that could possibly withstand the rain.

Perhaps someone out there (there being the J. Crew design studio, naturally) has heard my desperate pleas for a shoe that is suitable for the rain but can maybe be worn even when the weather is lovely, because J. Crew has just unveiled a slew of rain boots that I could totally justify purchasing.

The concept is simple: take the ever stylish Chelsea boot shape and do it up in water-resistant rubber. Color it in classic shades (navy, olive, and black) and maybe throw in a pair of leopard-print boots just for kicks (haha, get it, cause they’re shoes), and let the shoppers go wild.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Hunters are chic but they are so obviously rain boots. With these boots, you can wear them in the rain and look more adorable than any other sad sap with an umbrella, but you can also wear them just walking around town and most people will probably assume they are just great patent leather Chelsea boots. We won’t tell!

Would you wear these chic rain boots out and about?