Evening Shawls

I’d Rather Wear My Black Shawl Than Go Naked

2010-07-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

I know the girls at P.E.T.A. keep on telling us that they’d rather go naked than wear fur, but not everyone has the confidence to shed their inhibitions as well as their clothes. Hey, it might be OK for a few young models to pose ‘au natural’ for the odd photo shoot with strategically placed objects covering their modesty, but the look just doesn’t transfer well to the high-street!

That’s why P.E.T.A., in a bid to attract more active participation, have developed a new slogan, “I’d Rather Wear My Black Shawl Than Wear Fur”. True, the advertising isn’t quite as striking without the shock value that a few nude bodies bring to any image, but the look is a little bit more classy and a lot more accessible.

Renee Zellweger launched the campaign in New York… OK, I jest, this wasn’t really a social statement. Renee was actually just keeping everything under wraps as she walked to a photoshoot for Elle magazine.

But that’s the great thing about a black evening shawl, it’s such a versatile accessory…. jazzing up a formal dress or covering your semi-naked body as you walk to a photo shoot for Elle magazine in the centre of New York…. It does it all!

silk scarves

cashmere scarf

Reese Witherspoon's Purple Evening Shawl

2010-06-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

Reese Witherspoon looks like she must have been wearing her dark glasses when she picked her wardrobe this morning. I mean, this look just doesn’t work! The purple evening shawl, black dress and black leggings are just dark and unremarkable.

Maybe Reese was trying to pass incognito through LA’s LAX airport without getting snapped by the paparazzi, so she chose an outfit to make her look totally anonymous…. God forbid she actually thought it looked good. I wouldn’t mind stealing her boots, but the shapeless black dress and everything else she’s thrown on are just plain boring.

This is exactly the same dull color combination of purple wrap and black dress that Carla Bruni was snapped wearing to a French state occasion, with the same tragic results. Monica Bellucci could teach both of them a thing or two about which colors really compliment a purple shawl.

Unless you’re shooting the latest teenage vampire movie I’d avoid this black and purple look!

head scarf

cashmere shawl

Angelina Jolie’s Green Evening Shawl

2010-06-18T22:20:00.001-07:00

Love her or hate her, you’ve got to admit, Angelina Jolie is a beautiful woman who could probably walk around in a sack and look good!

She never seems to try too hard, but looks effortlessly classy just by choosing simple elegant clothes.

Here she couples an olive green evening shawl with a plain white t-shirt and black pencil skirt to create a subtle but elegant look.

It’s exactly the same technique I commented on earlier where again she sets off a simple black outfit with the warm shades of a peach evening shawl.

In both cases the shawl isn’t just draped loosely around her shoulders but wrapped tightly around her entire torso, covering her like a shirt.

Olive green is such a great shade for brunettes and here you can see it really picks out Angelina Jolie’s hair and tanned skin tone.

scarves wraps

pashmina scarf

Monica Bellucci’s Pink Evening Shawl

2010-06-11T15:00:00.001-07:00

Monica Bellucci gives another master class in the subtle play between different color tones, as she collects a World Achievement Award at the Women’s World awards gala in Vienna on Thursday 5^th March 2009.

I’d written earlier how the Italian actress, 44, coupled a violet evening shawl with a darker purple dress to devastating effect at the Cesar Film Awards. Here at the Women’s World awards ceremony in Austria she uses exactly the similar technique, using a light pink evening shawl to set off a darker pink gown.

It’s an effortlessly glamorous look that is simple, subtle and absolutely stunning!

The beautiful pink ball dress is itself a story in contrasts. With the hem of the dress falling to the floor and creating a small train, the look harks back to a classic bygone era, which some might even call conservative. But with the figure hugging cut of the dress and the straps sitting just off the shoulder, the total effect is stylish, contemporary and pure sex bomb!

Pashminas are the perfect accessory to complement this kind of décolleté evening dress. They give you so much flexibility. You can either gently train them around your elbows, allowing the length of the shawl to fall vertically by your sides for that impression of height. Or, you can wrap up and cover your shoulders. They’re just so versatile.

I couldn’t finish without talking about accessories! Neither the little silver clutch purse nor the beautiful necklace is over-powering, but they just add that little bit of sparkle to a look which would grace any red carpet.

silk shawl

pashmina shawls

Kate Middleton’s Ivory Evening Shawl

2010-06-06T12:29:00.001-07:00

A beaming Kate Middleton steps out into the night in a classic ivory evening shawl. Kate might have something else to smile about soon as speculation is intense that her boyfriend Prince William, second in-line to the British throne, will propose soon.

Princess Kate! Those words must have been in her mind frequently during the couples seven year relationship. The two have been together since 2003 when they met at the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland. After a little bump when they briefly separated 3 years ago they are now reported to be closer than ever.

It is rumored that William will give Kate his mother, Lady Diana’s, 18-carat sapphire ring when he finally pops the question. Royal watchers have even speculated that their wedding will attract more media interest than the 750 million worldwide viewers that tuned in to watch Charles and Diana tie the knot in 1981.

In fact maybe Kate’s actually thinking about Queen Kate, as that would be her title should Prince William succeed to the throne after his father. Anyway, that’s a lot of speculation, and the British monarchy is always full of surprises, so back to the here and now.

The ivory shawl plays perfectly against Kate’s dark denim jeans and knee-length leather boots, as well as going nicely with Kate’s pretty earrings. The effect of the cream against the blues and browns of the outfit are subtler and warmer than the dramatic black on white effect that Megan Fox achieves with her white shawl contrasting to her black outfit.

Clearly jazzed up for a night on the town, the million dollar question is what is Kate wearing underneath the wrap? A little strappy top? Or is she going to surprise William with tassels?

women's scarves

cashmere wrap

Carla Bruni’s Camel Evening Shawl

2010-05-26T20:16:00.001-07:00

Carla Bruni’s camel evening shawl adds color and warmth to her crisp white shirt, not to mention an extra layer to wrap around her on a breezy day.

Whilst Carla has coupled this top with a pair of tailored black pants to fit in with her formal role as France’s “First Lady”, it’s such a flexible accessory you could use it with so many other looks.

With the same pashmina and shirt combination, you could mix it with a pair of blue jeans for a stylish, casual look or a light colored skirt for a more relaxed feminine summery look.

So elegant and so versatile!

And so much softer on her than the black dress matched with the purple evening shawl that Carla wore at another state function.

pashmina scarves

shawl wrap

Kate Moss Borrows Gran’s Evening Shawl

2010-05-25T21:00:00.001-07:00

Kate Moss must have found her evening shawl in her grandmother’s old clothes box!

Surely there’s no other way to explain the outfit she’s thrown on?

I still can’t even believe I’m saying this! Kate is normally one of the fashion untouchables…. a woman who can do no wrong.

I mean, doesn’t everything look good on Kate Moss…. well, apparently not!

Does anyone have any ideas what look she’s going for? Bohemian artist? Romantic gypsy? Color blind geriatric?

Is it the washed out colors of the pink t-shirt? Or is it the tired light blue of the jeans? There’s just something about this look that just doesn’t hang together.

The dazzling golden tassels of the shawl immediately attract the eye, but sit awkwardly against the black lapels and a fabric with all the appeal of a faded pair of curtains.

scarves shawls

cashmere pashmina

Cameron Diaz’s Red Evening Shawl

2010-05-24T19:50:00.001-07:00

Cameron Diaz looks stunning in her red evening shawl, which perfectly complements her pretty white dress.

Red shawls can sometime really over-power an outfit, but Cameron’s manages to tone down the shawl with her white dress. The shawl itself picks up the red flowers detailing in the dress.

It’s a great combination!

The effect transforms the strapless top, giving it more power whilst subtly wrapping Cameron’s shoulders.

To top it all off Cameron has matching shoes to go with her pashmina.

I love women that match their shoes with their pashminas.

If you can accessorize that well you’re a queen and you deserve to be on the red carpet.

Winter Scarves

Wool Scarf

Carla Bruni’s Purple Evening Shawl

2010-05-23T20:18:00.001-07:00

Carla Bruni looks like she’s attending a funeral in her purple evening shawl and black round-necked dress.

The shawl might add a splash of color, but overall the outfit is modest, conservative and just plain boring.

Dull… Dull…. Dull

OK, so she can’t go totally wild these days! She is Mrs. Sarkozy now after all, France’s “First Lady” and so needs to keep it all presentable at state functions.

But toning things down a little is one thing, surely she doesn’t need to suffocate herself in these tired old clothes.

The purple of the shawl against the black of the dress is like a dark hole. It sucks up all the life and energy from the former model / songwriter and makes her look so much older than she is. Besides, the black and the purple really don’t go with her chocolate brown hair.

Carla, you’re trying too hard to fit in as the French first lady and not letting yourself out. The shawl doesn’t do any justice to the attractiveness of your face or the charm of your smile.

A brown dress to complement her hair, accessorized with a cream, a beige or a gold pashmina would look simply stunning.

Then again, if she wanted to stick with the purple, she should take a page out of the book of another Italian model married to a French man. I’m talking, of course, about Monica Bellucci, who looked amazing in a purple shawl at the Cesar Film Awards.

Pashmina Shawl

Cashmere Scarves

Lauren Conrad’s White Evening Shawl

2010-05-22T21:49:00.001-07:00

The only redeeming thing is this picture of Lauren Conrad is her white evening shawl. Everything else is trash!

Am I being a little harsh?

OK, let me compose myself and try to put something a little more considered together.

Take a look at the top half of the picture, everything above the waist looks fantastic. Her hair and make-up are great and the pretty top with the short ruffled sleeves looks really cute. As I said before, the white tasseled pashmina adds a touch of class to the whole outfit.

Well, that the complementary bit out of the way.

Below the waist it all goes horribly wrong!

How do I put this?

Length of skirt + PVC = Lady of the night. All she missed out on was the fish net stockings!

I don’t want to sound like a prude and Lauren can clearly carry off a short skirt, but the material makes it look like a cheap and tacky street corner affair.

Some nice black pants or a tailored pencil skirt would make all the difference. Just compare this to how good Megan Fox looked in her white evening shawl.

black pashmina

green pashmina

Megan Fox’s White Evening Shawl

2010-05-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

Megan Fox huddles for warmth in her white evening shawl. Beautiful and practical, the shawl adds a pop to her black outfit as well as providing warmth against the late night air.

The “Transformers” star is dressed in sexy black boots with sandal-style cut away toes and ankles, black pants and a black top. The white shawl provides a dramatic contrast against her black clothes and in turn the black of her pants really shows off the elaborate tassels of the shawl.

Clasping her white shawl tight around her shoulders, Megan shows us how to wear this look with confidence. What a difference from Sofia Vergara’s undefined all black look which she wore with a black shawl.

It just shows how important it is to choose the right color shawl!

pink pashmina

red pashmina

Angelina Jolie’s Peach Evening Shawl

2010-05-20T16:54:00.001-07:00

Angelina Jolie looks stunning wrapped in a translucent peach evening shawl which adds a touch of warmth to her black dress and shades. But you can’t help but wonder, is she coordinating her wardrobe with Brad?

A: “Dark Glasses!”

B: “Check!”

A: “I’ll wear my peach shawl, you know, the sheer one with the tan stripe on the right hand side! And you can wear your beige jacket and sling that leather bag over your right shoulder”

B: “Yes, Hun”

A: “Then we can both wear black!”

B: “Woa there…. we can’t both wear black! That would just be too much…”

A: “OK, let’s flip for it!”

A: “I guess you’re going to have to wear your white shirt and pants”

B: “Then I’m going to wear my grey hat”

A: “Ok, if it’ll make you happy then go for it, but it going to ruin the look!”

white pashmina

silver pashmina

Elizabeth Hurley’s Black Evening Shawl

2010-05-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Hurley wraps up in a black evening shawl as she heads home after a night out in London town.

Liz’s thigh-length ruffle skirt in shades of green and beige looks striking, but let’s face it, whilst it might look hot, it’s not going to keep her warm.

The thick wrap provides welcome protection from the elements on a chilly London night.

And if, like Liz, you’re fond of wearing risqué tops and don’t want to be pestered by the paparazzi, the beautiful black shawl with tan edging and embellishments is the perfect thing to protect your modesty.

At least until you have another film to promote.

gold pashmina

Daria Zhukova’s Beige Evening Shawl

2010-05-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

Daria Zhukova’s beige shawl is the perfect accessory, whether it’s providing shelter from the sea breeze during a stroll around the marina, or a warm wrap as night falls on the French Riviera.

She is the latest wife of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, whose life is a remarkable rags-to-riches tale, a transformation from a four year-old orphan to the owner of a billion dollar yacht with two swimming pools.

Daria looks stunning in a pretty white sun dress, a beige shawl, simple white sandals and a woven bag. The subtle colors of the outfit highlight the brunette’s tanned complexion.

The look is simple and clean, but effortlessly elegant. And, luckily you don’t need to be married to a billionaire to get it!

gloves

Sofia Vergara’s Black Evening Shawl

2010-05-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

OK, I know that black is supposed to be “cool” and black is supposed to be “slimming”, but surely you can get too much of a good thing?

Black boots, a black dress, a black bag, a black cardigan shawl and black hair….. isn’t that just a little bit too much?

I mean, really, when someone as beautiful as Columbian actress Sofia Vergara ends up looking like Morticia Adams you know you’re in trouble.

And as for that dress, why would you hide the body that has sold a million swimsuits in something that has all the shape of a garbage bag, though thankfully without the sheen.

Unless Hollywood’s screening for the next series of “The Addams Family” then give this look a miss!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting Sofia should dig out a bottle of peroxide and go blonde or anything drastic like that, but maybe she should ease off the black just a little. On its own it’s just too intense and with the baggy dress and loose cardigan shawl the look has no real definition.

Sophia needs to introduce a different colour to either contrast with the black or mellow it. A granite gray pashmina or a silver shawl would pull the look together, bringing out the silver studs in Sophia’s knee-high leather boots and complementing her stunning layered silver necklaces.

Monica Bellucci’s Violet Evening Shawl

2010-05-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Monica Bellucci steals the show at the Cesar Film Awards 2009 in this striking purple halter-top dress perfectly complemented by a sheer violet evening shawl.

A brilliant splash of color surrounded by a sea of boring tuxedos and little black dresses, the Italian actress looks as if she’s the only woman in the room at the Chatelet Theater in Paris, France.

Classy, but oh, so sexy, the figure-hugging dress and the plunging neck-line show off Bellucci’s perfect hour-glass figure.

The long ruffled shawl plays perfectly against the floor length purple dress, the two shades of purple accentuating each other, whilst the length of the shawl pulls the eye down over the entire length of the dress.

Just a stunning look!