FASHIONISTA SPOTLIGHT: Ellen Yeung
20Jul ’11
A lover of faux fur, hater of crocks and an avid Audrey Hepburn fan—meet this week’s Fashionista: Ellen Yeung. Take a closer look at her ensemble. Pastel yellow nails, lace, bows, light washed denim and an urbane Marc Jacobs purse. Ellen Yeung is the human incarnation of summer! Let’s use Plato’s Macrocosm/Microcosm schema to analyze the different elements of Ellen’s outfit; this way we can uncover the gears of the outfit and reproduce them to create a look of our own! We are going to gain an understanding of the whole by understanding its parts first to uncover consistent style patterns.
On a micro level, brown is the epitome of her outfit. She uses rich leather brown as a medium to infiltrate her outfit with summer trends like bows, leather satchels and skinny belts. On a macro level she creates a perfect and clear canvas for her micro elements through the strategic selection of pallid adaptations of denim and her cardigan, leather jacket and nail polish. Thus, brown and pallid compose the parts of her outfit.
The outfit as a whole is glued together by the accessories she has added on the micro level. Because they fit together on the micro levels through consistency in patterns of pallid and brown, her outfit is cohesive as a whole. You can create patterns on micro levels by matching colors, prints or even embellishments. Experiment—it’s cooler than it sounds I promise! This way you can create a head-turning multi-dimensional outfit to represent your many sides!
Name: Ellen Yeung
Year: Sophomore
Major: Non-Degree Student (Music)
CollegeFashionista: Does your field of study inspire your personal style?
Ellen Yeung: Yes, as a music student I meet a lot of different creative people/artists who inspire my style.
CF: Who are some of you ultimate style icons?
EY: Audrey Hepburn and Rumi Neely is absolutely fabulous!
CF: Are you currently obsessed with any retail outlets?
EY: No, I like to look everywhere for original pieces that suit me.
CF: What is the best item you have ever purchased?
EY: Marc Jacobs Q Hillier Hobo (In picture)
CF: What is beauty to you and how does fashion fit into the equation?
EY: Beauty is confidence and anyone who dares to wear has that.
CF: How can we use fashion as a tool for social reform?
EY: Fashion can be used as educators for change or make awareness for change (ie. thematic fashion shows, fundraisers, fashion with a message, etc.)
CF: Can fashion be used as a weapon?
EY: I think some people use clothes for status of how wealthy they are, or to put others down for the fact that they aren't as fortunate.
CF: How can we use our style to make a personal statement?
EY: In some ways, our fashion sense speaks about our personality, whether it's clean cuts, loud colors, dainty textiles, neutrals; in some way or another that particular item inspired us in a different way than someone else.
How To: Cardigans in the summertime. It’s not a fashion no-no because their lightness makes them the perfect layer for cool summer nights. For summertime, play up the classic cardigan with accessories like skinny animal printed belts, lace borders and blazers. A la this week’s Fashionista, cuff the bottom of your denim to accentuate the chicness of the cardigan. Another way to give the cardigan the summer touch is to pair it with bright tees and tanks, bow ties or high waisted shorts. Just make sure your cardigan is made of light materials and not heavy wool. Save the woolen cardigans for the wintertime! A cardigan is also a great medium to incorporate color blocking into your summer outfit! Remember little touches on micro levels work like gears to create the impression of the whole.
Style On,
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