Lolly Loves Leather

When Kate Beckinsale appeared for the 2009 Calvin Klein Womenswear Fall Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week in February, it seemed that everyone was shaking their finger at her little leather dress. A little too reminiscent of Underworld, perhaps? I couldn't disagree more. I loved the fact that Miss Kate--who typically embraces a sweet, demure image when it comes to dressing for red carpet events--found her inner fierceness.

I had almost forgotten about this luscious leather look when the image jumped out at me again from the pages of June's In Style, in an article on "Hot Weather Leather." The concept is certainly an intriguing one. I can't help but have flashbacks to my trip to Paris at age 15 when I toured the Palace of Versailles in August wearing my dad's vintage leather pants (can you say rock star?!). A fabulous 15 year-old to be sure, but definitely HOT in the sweaty, uncomfortable definition of the word. This memory makes me question the logic of "hot weather leather." Nonetheless, it is a fabulous look. It's bold and different, while also being timeless in a rocker/biker sort of way since there will always be a place in the fashion world for the rebel.

In order to make it a successful summer look, however, a fashionista needs to get a little bit creative to avoid melting. Personally, I love the way glamorous Gossip Girl, Taylor Momsen (another 15 year-old who loves leather!), mixed aesthetics by pairing her cropped leather jacket with an intricately embroidered ivory bubble dress--pulling the look together with black leather shooties. Conveniently, if the temperature rises too much, off comes the jacket--problem solved.

Another lovely leather look was Kate Hudson's high-waisted leather pencil skirt, which she rocked at a Berlin press event for Bride Wars. The fact that her skirt was leather added a bit of pow! to the sleek, feminine silhouette of her pencil skirt. On the practical side, even a leather skirt is still a skirt--allowing for much-needed air circulation during those hot summer months. For this look, she upped the ante with her black ruffled blouse, for nothing screams "glam" like black on black. Of course, the dark lips and bedroom hair don't hurt either.

Amazing but true: hot weather leather is totally possible--and completely fashionable. Move over little black dress! Next on my to-buy list is a little leather dress just like Kate Beckinsale.







Images: (1) Kate Beckinsale from the 2009 Calvin Klein Womenswear Fall Fashion Show during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York in February, courtesy of Reuters (http://www.blogs.reuters.com/); (2) Taylor Momsen, also photographed at New York Fashion Week, photo courtesy of fellow blogger, Style Maven (http://www.stylemaven.typepad.com/); (3) Kate Hudson in Berlin for a Bride Wars press event, photo courtesy www.catwalkqueen.tv