It seems as though all things the new Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton touches turns to style gold. Everything from her avant garde headwear, to her now famous navy blue dress, have all become new fashion staples. Let’s also not forget style watch 2011, with the world waiting to see what her wedding dress would look like, thus sparking the summer lace trend. She is surely to become a fashion icon on par with Jackie O and Princess Diana, all while fashionistas the globe over wait to see what the princess will wear next. Her style can be best described as being effortlessly classic. Kate always looks comfortable and confident in all of her ensembles, both key ingredients in having amazing style.

That being said, there is one accessory I am just not sure about that Ms. Middleton has begun to sport recently; sheer pantyhose. Rarely seen since the 80’s, these sheer stockings seem to be making a comeback, appearing on Kate a number of times during her Royal tour. Shocking, since no one has really thought about hose since Melanie Griffith wore them in virtually every scene of “Working Girl”. So is the sudden interest in hose a royal requirement, or actually a deliberate fashion statement?

Like anything else, there are pros and cons to wearing such a throw back piece.

Pros:

*Sheer nylons will hide any discoloration, spider veins, etc, on your legs.

*The shimmer quality is actually kind of eye catching

*You legs do end up looking flawless

Cons:

*Runs in your stockings!

*Looking like you are a slave to fashion that was decades ago

*People stopping to ask you, “are you seriously wearing pantyhose?”

Being that Kate is such a trend setter, one has to pause a moment and wonder, are sheer stockings really about to make a come back? It has been reported by the fashion website, www.tightsplease.com that they have seen a ninety percent increase in nude tight sales than that of the previous year. Wow! Leave it to Kate Middleton to revive a dead trend!

If you do indeed decide to jump on the bandwagon and participate in this revival, the good news is that there are some fabulous complementary colors for your nails. OPI’s line of shades feature a good deal of nude and sparkly colors, perfect palettes to go with sheer hose. Consider ‘Stardust’, ‘Tickle my Francey’ or ‘Sweet Heart’ for a pretty look!

It is no secret that the ‘Harry Potter’ movies have made wildly successful movie stars out of it’s three main characters, but what the franchise likely did not anticipate was making a fashion icon out of one Emma Watson. A true style chameleon, Emma’s fashion choices are ever changing, and always decidedly different. Her wardrobe choices can range from ultra feminine frocks to rocker sheik ensembles. With fashion campaigns at Burberry to her own collaboration with Alberta Ferretti on the eco-friendly line ‘Pure Threads’, Emma has more than proven herself worthy to be called a true blue fashionista. Not only are her style choices usually impeccable, she always seems as though she puts a lot of thought into each outfit, making it stand out on nearly every red carpet she is seen on; and the latest and final installment of the billion dollar movie franchise was certainly no exception.

At the New York world premiere of ‘Potter’, Watson took what would be considered by most to be a fashion risk wearing a very avant garde gown. The Bottega Venetta creation boasted a grey tone corset top and an incredibly structured yellow gold bottom, making it undeniably eye catching. Her sleek styled pixie cut completed the look, as well as some gorgeous eye make up.

Her gown for the London premiere would also stand to make most girls extremely jealous! Looking every bit a real life princess, Watson’s ethereal Oscar De La Renta dress looked absolutely stunning. The jewel encrusted strapless cream bodice and layers of lilac tulle were definitely hard to miss, amplified only by her clever decision to go minimal on her accessories, letting the dress speak for itself.

Perhaps my favorite of all her premiere looks, was her distinctive spin on the little black dress. The beautiful dress featured a peek a boo lace look, complete with a black feathered tutu-esque bottom and sky high stilettos. The fun and flirty aspect of the dress made it unforgettable, and proved that this girl can really wear just about anything.

Just as smart as she is beautiful, Emma famously told ‘Potter’ execs that they would need to schedule the shooting of the last two movies around her school schedule at Brown University. In a recent interview with ‘Vogue’, the actress expressed desire to be “normal”, “I really want anonymity” she was quoted as saying. With her career at an all time high and quite literally being able to do whatever she wants next, I would advise her not to count on that!

We could all learn a thing or two from Emma’s grounded attitude and original style. Everything from her nails to her hair is always styled perfectly! One thing that never fails to stand out about the actress is her expertly applied make up. Emma usually does the ‘I’m not wearing any make up face’ with one stand out feature; lips, eyes what have you. The great part about her look is it can be easily replicated.

For a fresh face, a tinted moisterizer or powder works wonders, as heavy foundation will negate the less is more look. A liquid highlighter can be used instead of regular blush on your cheek bones, leaving your skin with that lovely early morning dewy feel. Now comes time to pick the feature you want to accentuate; whatever that may be, stick to neutrals on the other areas. Emma is fond of highlighting her eyes, using smoky shadows and liner. For this, a soft or nude lip looks best, while a white eye liner pencil should be used on your bottom lids so we don’t take it too dark.

Emma also has an apparent affinity for darker nail colors; shades like OPI’s ‘My Private Jet’ or ‘Russian Navy’ would suit her (or your) dark side perfectly!

Whether you choose to reconstruct Ms. Watson’s style choices, or put your own spin on it, one thing is for sure, her approach to all things beauty and fashion is certainly refreshing!

Whenever summer rolls around, we usually get so excited to bring out the brights that have been taking up residence in the back of our closet, that we forget there is a whole different color palette of options out there. Being in the Bay Area, we all know firsthand that sometimes summer isn’t very summery here. Case in point, as I sit and type, it is pretty dreary and misty outside..in July! So, rather than revert back to our fall wardrobe so early in the summer season, I implore you ladies to try out the neutral and pastel color wheel that can be easily overlooked this time of year. I know, I know, I say pastel and we immediately think of looking like an Easter egg, but that does not always have to be the case, promise! Lilacs, greys, mint greens and off whites would all be lovely additions to your wardrobe, as well as extremely easy to throw on when the weather is less than stellar.

A great way to exude a fashionable front here is to pair your soft colors together, colorblocking is not only for brights after all! Yet, if eye catching color is not for you, no matter how subtle it may be, try a pop of soft color with a basic; like a light pink cardigan over khaki trouser pants, it’s completely effective in keeping with the season, even if it is still chilly outside!

Layering is another go to style for achieving this look; oversize cardigans over tee shirts, tights and skirts, etc etc. However, when going with such a decidedly natural color scheme, it is always fun to do something a little extra; which is where accessorizing is not only handy, but imperative! Pinkies new jewelry website, www.inpink.com, can handle all your accessory needs. With gorgeous styles ranging from bohemian whimsy, structured glamour to classic sterling, our new retailer has all the bases covered!

With that being said, getting your outfits just a little more glammed up is always a good idea. Whether you are looking for something simple to wear on an everyday basis, or an extravagent statement piece, chances are your wardrobe will be happy that  you did, we all need a little jewels to complete our look! You can continue the pastel trend with picking an accessory that has a splash of color in it as well, like the pink flowers enamel choker or the pink shell tone set of bangles. If we are accessorizing already, may as well continue to our nails! Colors like Mint Candy Apple or Balin Hay in Santa Fey from OPI and Essie would look lovely with your new ensembles, as well as continue the color trend perfectly.

Having options in our wardrobe is always a good thing, so don’t pull out your fall clothes when the fog rolls in just yet!