While stripes may be a perennial favorite, the classic print certainly got a seasonal makeover on the Spring '13 runways, courtesy of designers Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, and Michael Kors. And this time around, we're excited to wear it just by focusing on the accessories. From candy-striped sunglasses to low-key chambray-striped flats to one seriously gorgeous sequined clutch, there's more than one way to go the way of the stripe this season. Watch on for our must haves! On Allie: Zara blazer and top. On Marisa Tom: BCBG Max Azria top and blazer, Hysteric Co. rings.
Ruby Aldridge Faces Off For Madewell's Latest Spring Installment
Here to help you kick-start your warm-weather wardrobe is Madewell's new Spring catalog stories. The latest installment features Ruby Aldridge working it in the brand's latest wares. This season, Madewell's all about mixing stripes with florals, lace with denim, and cute tees with silky skirts — all with a sportif twist. With pastel baseball caps, skateboards, and backpacks serving as accessories, it's clearly looking like a casual cool season to come. Click on to see the latest from Madewell, plus covet-worthy denim (highlighting its namesake line, its Rivet & Thread heritage capsule collection, and ultraluxe handmade pieces from Chimala) from the first catalog installment.
Shop Charlize Theron's Effortlessly Cool Off-Duty Look
Charlize Theron showed off her off-duty style during an outing with her son in LA wearing a covetable casual-cool ensemble.The actress started off with a little bit of whimsy in this Madewell zebra sweater ($80), then added edge via these Current/Elliott black cropped exposed-zipper jeans ($99, originally $255). To finish, Charlize dressed her feet with Joie loafers — here are the cognac and coral versions ($215). Score Charlize's exact pieces to pair together, like she did, or get creative with your styling. We recommend pairing the zebra sweater with a pencil skirt and pumps for a dressier workweek look, and the loafers with just about anything you live in all weekend.

7 Days, 7 Ways: Fresh Ways to Work Florals Into Your Spring Look
Spring is practically synonymous with florals — this time around, we're looking to seven stylish celebs to offer up fresh ways to work the pattern into our mix right now. It's as easy as swapping out your wintry denim and leather for garden-party-inspired pants or jeans, à la Jessica Alba, Jayma Mays, and Erin Heatherton. If you're more of a dress kind of girl, mimic Aubrey Plaza or Anne Hathaway's ensembles; or if you want just a hint of the pattern, turn to Elizabeth Olsen's colorful tee or Kate Bosworth's textured miniskirt to experiment in small doses. Whatever the day of the week — or the occasion — we've got the celebrity-approved styling inside. Get a zoomed-in view of seven Spring-ready outfits when you click on.
The Perfect Spring Transition Outfit Involves Houndstooth and Denim
With Spring on the horizon, we're looking to trade out our puffer coats for cooler wares in the next few weeks. That said, we're looking at this perfect street-style snap to inspire our next outfit. We love the lightwash denim on denim as an easy outfit starter, punctuated with a statement-making houndstooth jacket. The finishing touch? A pair of cutout ankle boots and punchy pink bag add just right amount of zing to this effortlessly cool look. Get on board and shop our similar picks below.

Source: Le 21ème | Adam Katz Sinding
Step Up Your Sneaker Game With Keds x Madewell
It's not the first — in fact, it's the third time! — Madewell's joined forces with Keds, giving us another limited-edition lineup of classic kicks to further our sneaker obsession. Think sweeter (not quite as sporty as the velcroed, high-top wedges making the rounds lately) with florals, polka dots, eyelet, and geometric diamonds among the five styles available. Born from the heritage brands' accessible, feminine aesthetics, they're sneakers that marry the old-school Keds vibe with a girlier feel, while the cool patterns make them an accessory with the potential to cheer up whole outfits — even your grayest Winter gear. Surely that makes them worth the $62-$75? Slip into your own pair right now; that's right, there's no waiting game till Spring — select styles are available now in stores and online with the rest rolling out next month. Click on for a glimpse of every style — and if you're in need of a little retail therapy, there's no time like the present to start shopping.
The Perfect Dresses For Valentine's Day (and Beyond)
Valentine's Day (just in case you haven't been counting) is only 19 days away, which means you've got just a couple of weeks to nail down your perfect outfit. In our world, that means we're already scouring the racks to come up with the sweetest, prettiest, and, well, sexiest dresses to ensure we're appropriately outfitted for the festivities (even if that means hanging at home with our girlfriends and a bottle of wine). If you've got a big date in the works, look no further. This selection is stocked with dresses guaranteed to drop jaws and turn heads, and if you're looking for something a little more modest, we've also included a range of fit-and-flares and adorable prints. In short, no matter what Valentine's Day means for you, there's a dress here for every girl and every kind of celebration — the kind you'll wear well after Feb. 14, too.
Madewell and Veda Collaborate For the Leather Jacket of Our Dreams

The piece: Veda x Madewell Leather Moto Jacket
The investment: $550
Why it's worth it: This jacket is like that very cool friend who knows all the amazing restaurants, best places to shop, and coolest, hippest hangouts, personified. In fact, it's the jacket that that very cool friend would probably be wearing on your next brunch date, with every other girl eyeing her topper from across the restaurant, coming over just to tell her what a great jacket it is and dying to know where she found it. She'd tell them it's the product of a really awesome collaboration by two of her favorite labels. That Madewell enlisted cool-girl brand Veda to help build the most covetable of leather jackets. They'd "ooh" and "ahh" over just how soft the supple, buttery leather is, and she'd smile and nod politely while everyone else fussed. They'd ask her if it was black or navy, trying to figure out just what that amazing color is. She'd tell them it was actually "midnight," a perfectly unique blend of rich beautiful blues that happens to go with everything. Then the girls would thank her profusely, all the while plotting to gobble up their own brunch and get as quickly as possible to Madewell to snap up that jacket, too. But that doesn't have to be your friend; that could be you.
Here's Your Holiday Styling Second Wind, Thanks to Madewell's Latest
If there's one thing we can count on Madewell for (aside from great denim), it's styling cues that are as easy as they are incredibly cool. Case in point: the brand's latest holiday lookbook, which supplies the festive styler and easygoing girl alike with plenty of party-outfit fodder. We're talking polka dots made chic and kelly-green skinnies with leopard skimmers here . . . the kind of quirk and playfulness you've come to expect from Madewell with a refreshingly grown-up, perfect-for-any-holiday-setting twist. We know how it goes, too. You start your December motivated and energized on the fashion front, and by the second week in, the drive to change up your cocktail dress M.O. has waned. That's why we couldn't have asked for a better boost of inspiration than this one. Inside, you'll find just what you need to get those styling wheels turning again. The requirements? A little bit of sparkle, something printed, and a great no-frills blazer. See our quick takeaway tips below, then click through for 12 ways to punch up your holiday style A-game.
- The sparkle-and-shine treatment doesn't have to be over the top, as evidenced by this green denim look. If you temper the sequined statement with, say, even bolder complements (hello, bright hues and leopard-printed skimmers), you don't run the risk of being overtaken by eye-catching embellishments.
- Polka dots can be made refined with some help from one classic navy-blue blazer and white pumps. The juxtaposition of whimsical print and tailored pieces works solely based on the strategic placement of the playful and the poised. Because you have a no-fail staple to offset the girlie polka dots, you can take your look from youthful to night out instantly.
- We love the idea of print on print (always), but what really stood out to us in this tougher take on the trend was the cropped trouser. Done up in a jacquard, printed, or brocade finish, these flashier pants can do all the outfit talking.
First Look! Madewell Spring '13 Continues Its Cool-Girl Domination
Herein lies your first look at Madewell's Spring '13 lineup, fresh from our visit to J.Crew headquarters. Disclaimer: there's a very likely chance you'll fall in love with much (read: all) of the collection. And while there are some immediate layering takeaways to be had, remember these pieces aren't actually available until next Spring. Now, onto what really matters, and that has everything to do with the brand's perennial cool-girl vibe.
Defined by its core supply of vintage-y denim shirts, printed denim skinny jeans, and one patchwork-style Canadian tuxedo, Madewell is sticking to what it does best. Then, with a much girlier flourish than usual, you'll see lighter floral prints mixed with textured white slip dresses, brightly colored lace sets layered over denim button-ups, softer plaids toughened up with camouflage outerwear, and enough ladylike skimmer flats to give you that classic Audrey Hepburn edge. Worry not stripes lovers, there are wide-set iterations, nautical-inspired versions, and one rendition that makes us instantly think of the chicest Parisian style setter, too. Keep in mind — the styled layering here can be utilized now. Textured sweaters paired with white dresses give you Winter white in one go, blazers styled with a blouse-and-tee combo are a must, and dresses over pants are officially worth trying. Got all that? Click on.





