The Dress Style We're Falling For All Over Again

Sometimes, it's all in the details. While there are a multitude of dress trends we're coveting for next season, we're finding ourselves re-falling for a simple style that's far from new: the belted shirtdress. With a built-in method for creating the illusion of a cinched waist and a timeless, vintage-inspired silhouette, the combination has proven itself to be a universally flattering — and stylistically appealing — fit.

But belted shirtdresses have come a long way from the poplin standard of their past. Now, there are bold color options, plunging necklines, mini skirt and bell sleeve duos, and midi-length styles in silk from head to toe. Basically, it's 2018's emerging "throw on and go" winner that we'll be reaching for through the warmer months. So suss out the options ahead, top off your look with a pair of our choice spring shoe, and revel in the warmer days to come.

I Fell In Love With These Heart Locket Earrings On Instagram

Welcome to our new bi-weekly column, Insta-Bait, where we highlight the brands taking over our feeds right now — because Instagram isn't just a place where we DM memes to our friends and double-tap our style icons' most on-point outfits, it's where we discover new labels on the regular.

It would be a dangerous, dangerous life if Instagram had more of a shopping feature that allowed you to click and buy something as soon as you double-tapped it. Sure, some brands are starting to link their products for purchase, but I recently stumbled upon one pair of earrings that made me want to add-to-cart as soon as I saw them.

Recently launched and sold as a pair, these Peter Do heart earrings are made in New-York, crafted from rhodium, and are each actually functional lockets — and I can totally see girls everywhere loving them as soon as they get some traction. Since so many of us had lockets growing up, these definitely tap into our desire for nostalgia. But, there's also something refreshing about a fun, everyday earring that's something other than a hoop. (While I love my hoops, it's starting to feel like that's all anyone is making.)

Plus, these earrings, along with a few other accessories (like sheer knee-high socks!) are just teasers to a larger, full ready-to-wear collection Peter Do is launching this summer. And that's why we love discovering brands on Instagram — not only can you find something basically brand new, but you can also watch smaller brands grow and expand. For now though, we'll be shopping Peter Do's current selection ahead, and keeping a close eye on what the label does next (whatever it is, we bet it's going to be good!).

21 Runway Trends We're Buying Into — & You Will Be Too

We may not have a crystal ball, but the runways in New York come pretty close. Even though it's starting to feel like fast-fashion can almost beat the industry at its own tricks, fashion week is still the first place we see trends take shape before they're available to the masses. And this season at New York Fashion Week, there were more than a few looks we're sure will be showing up at Zaras before you can even say "add to cart."

While some of these must-haves are continuations of trends we're already familiar with, others are less about actual pieces and more about inventive styling combinations. But regardless of how convinced you are, there's no doubt the 11 looks ahead have major potential — they're wearable, replicable, and perhaps most importantly, widely appealing. And knowing how on-point the pieces and styling have been at our favorite fast-fashion retailers lately, we actually can't wait to see what they do with them. Let's just hope they differentiate enough to call the designs their own, eh?

Refinery29 Celebrates 20 Black Women You Need To Know Right Now

The Equal Pay Warrior: Erica Joy Baker

The tech industry loves to glorify rabble-rousers. Unless, of course, that rabble-rouser is a 37-year-old Black woman. This tech engineer learned that lesson very publicly after she left Google in May 2015.

The Visionary: Dee Rees

This screenwriter and director doesn’t have your typical Hollywood success story; it took quitting her stable corporate gig as a brand manager, going back to film school, and many nos before she found her breakout hit with the now Oscar-nominated Mudbound.

The Zen Mother: Lauren Ash

When a job didn't turn out to be as stimulating as she'd hoped, the Chicago resident turned to yoga and meditation — then founded a wellness destination for other Black women to see themselves included in conversations about mental health and health-conscious living.

The Tastemaker: Ayanna James

As the costume director for HBO’s runaway hit Insecure and special projects like Jay Z’s celebrity-filled, Black-excellence-themed “Family Feud” video, the stylist is providing a platform for Black designers.

The Activist: Brittany Packnett

She's the vice president of national community alliances with Teach for America. But in her spare time, Packnett also manages to be both a writer and activist and is one of the Black Lives Matter movement's most well-known faces, thanks to her work coordinating the Ferguson protests and cofounding the police reform effort Campaign Zero.

The Makeup Maven: Sheika Daley

Daley is proud of the fact that she got her start at the strip club. Her first big break in beauty came as a makeup assistant on The Oprah Winfrey Show: Fridays Live, before word of mouth led to her working with artists like Trina, Kelly Rowland, and Beyoncé. Her strip club days are now long behind her, and she's got one major mentor: Pat McGrath.

The Social Star: Jasmine Luv

Since she started making comedy sketches on social media in 2015, the comedian has racked up over one million followers on Instagram alone — plus two million more on Facebook — by writing, performing, shooting, and editing all of her own original content. Now, she makes thousands of dollars per post.

The Political Player: Janaye Ingram

Janaye Ingram is the director of national partnerships at Airbnb. She also happens to be the secretary and a logistical coordinator for the Women’s March. Those might not sound like natural matches, but Ingram believes that tech and activism have a synergic relationship.

The Athlete: Toni Harris

If the 21-year-old accepts an offer from Bethany College, an NAIA division school in Kansas, she could be the first female non-kicker to ever be on a collegiate football team’s roster via scholarship.

The Role Model: Yvonne Orji

Long before she was swapping one-liners with her TV best friend Issa on HBO’s Insecure, the actress was making audiences laugh via stand-up. And in 2018, she has major plans to bring us all even more big laughs.

The Foodie: Angela Davis

Also known as The Kitchenista, this mom of two turned her personal passion into a career after being let go from her job as an accountant in 2012. For six years now, her successful blog, The Kitchenista Diaries, has been encouraging food lovers to try their own mouthwatering, healthy spins on Black cuisine.

The Hair Goddess: Susan Oludele

Known as Hair by Susy, this stylist has been doing hair since she was 11. She's since braided names like Solange, Beyoncé, and Zoë Kravitz and is committed to making sure natural hair isn't just a passing trend.

The Confidence Queen: Lizzo

During last summer's month-long "Good As Hell" tour, the rapper tore up stages across the country with sparkly leotards and pop-star-like choreography, single-handedly shifting representation for plus women in the genre — and she had a blast while doing it.

The Writer: Stevona Elem-Rogers

By day, the educator runs a resident program for teachers. But her life’s passion is spreading the gospel of unapologetic Black womanhood through her writing and her digital platform #BlackWomenAreForGrownUps, inspired by the idea that while #BlackGirlMagic is great, Black women deserve to revel in the space of their womanhood.

The Lens: Adrienne Raquel

As the woman behind Nylon magazine’s recent Black History Month cover, Nike Sportswear’s FashionAIR campaign, and NARS’ global social media holiday campaign, the art director and photographer is one of the few in her field who’s ensuring stunning images of Black women are a mainstay in fashion visuals.

The Voice: H.E.R.

Since her 2016 debut, the R&B singer has kept her persona a mystery. And though her identity has since been figured out — you might remember her as Gabi Wilson, the singer behind the 2014 hit “Something To Prove” — she’d still prefer to focus less on who she is and more on whatshe’s about.

The Boss: Tricia Clarke-Stone

At a time when the future of media is as uncertain as it is exciting, this businesswoman is finding inventive ways for media to thrive, everywhere from Russell Simmons' Global Grind — which she helped turn profitable in just two years — to Will Packer Media, where she currently serves as chief executive officer of WP Narrative.

The Wellness Icon: Jessamyn Stanley

In a world of size-two, blonde-haired yogis, there’s Jessamyn Stanley, a full-figured Black woman with natural hair who’s not just a yoga instructor but also an inspiration for Black women looking for a physical and mental awakening.

The Visual Artist: Deun Ivory

The former art and English teacher is now a multidisciplinary artist who celebrates Black womanhood through photography, illustration, and writing. She's the art director for Lauren Ash’s Black Girl in Om and cofounder of the social affirmation brand Lifestyle with Ivory + Ash.

The Future: Marsai Martin

It’s impossible not to feel excited about the future when you hear Marsai Martin’s story. The ABC actress has crafted an already-iconic sitcom character with the Johnson family’s youngest daughter, Diane, on black-ish. She's also scored the title of executive producer for Little, a film out next year that she dreamt up herself — all at the ripe age of 13.

The Lens: Adrienne Raquel

There may not be a lot of women in fashion photography who look like Adrienne Raquel, but she’s a glass-half-full kind of person. She looks at her work as a chance to represent the Black female perspective and, most importantly, strive for inclusivity — because as she puts it, we’ve always been dope.

As the woman who captured Nylon magazine’s recent Black History Month cover, the photographer behind Nike Sportswear’s FashionAIR campaign, and the art director of NARS’ global social media holiday campaign, Raquel is one of the few in her field who’s ensuring stunning images of Black women are a mainstay in fashion visuals.

“It may not have been publicly acknowledged before now, but our talent, our beauty, and our grace has always been secretly desired and praised for many years behind-the-scenes,” says Raquel, who first picked up a camera in high school and started with self-portraits. “Black women possess inevitable power and influence. There is no one like us.”

She’s one of fashion’s most in-demand photographers and art directors — she recently served as art director for BCBGMAXAZRIA’s fall/winter show at New York Fashion Week. But she says her “Mama, I made it!” moment happened last year when she shot her first international campaign for Secret’s Invisible For All, which featured women of various skin tones using the product against coordinating blue backgrounds.

“It was such a phenomenal experience, especially considering the fact that I was working alongside a badass female team, and we got to represent four women of all different ethnicities,” Raquel says. “I literally felt like I was in a dream. Seeing that printed on billboards across the country was damn near unimaginable!”

Black Is The New Black is Refinery29’s celebration of 20 Black women who kicked down doors in their fields this past year. Black women who are reminding the world that we are not a trend or “a moment.” We’re here — and we’ve been here. Check out the full list.

Nike Just Created A Fantasy Sneaker Destination For Women

Nike is changing the way its female customers shop for sneakers in what is typically considered a male-driven industry. According to the athletic brand, women spend 70% of every dollar worldwide — so they deserve a better. Enter: Nike Unlaced, a sneaker and style destination, the first-of-its-kind for women.

“We’ve been watching women over the last few years, talking to our consumers, and we’ve really seen [them] fueling the sport and fitness lifestyle overall,” Amy Montagne, vice president and general manager of Nike Women tells Business of Fashion. “From going for a run in the morning to going to a meeting and taking a yoga class in the afternoon, we’ve seen how sneakers really play into her lifestyle.”

Nike Unlaced will offer unisex sizing, products created by influencers, and even exclusive perks like VIP hours in stores, as well as same-day delivery services. Women can be prepared to shop highly coveted products like “the Virgil Abloh x Jordan I, unisex sizing as well as the latest innovative performance platforms in an array of colors she can style as she wants, and products she wants to stand for — all in one fantasy sneaker destination,” Julie Igarashi, vice president and creative director of NikeWomen (and one of the key Nike execs responsible for bringing Unlaced to life), tells Refinery29. “With Nike Unlaced, we will be offering women a curated point of view with more choice and access than ever."

"Nike Unlaced is about opening up access to Nike’s best sneakers and style, regardless of footwear size, while serving her entire lifestyle with unlimited performance options, industry-leading innovation and iconic collaborations," she continues. "While it's a global concept, Nike Unlaced will be curated by influential creatives and stylists representing the creative energy of Nike’s key cities. With the launch of the concept this week happening in Paris, European stylist Julia Sarr-Jamois to help curate the space."

The official roll out begins on Nike.com on March 27, with physical locations launching this summer.

Stuart Weitzman Celebrates The Anniversary Of Its Most Perfect Boot

When you think about your ideal knee-high boot, it probably sounds something like this: buttery leather that's not too matte and not too shiny, a bit of stretch that allows them to fit neither too tight or too loose, and a walkable heel that elongates your leg while maintaining comfort. Leave it to none other than iconic Stuart Weitzman to check all of the boxes. The brand is celebrating a major milestone — the 25th anniversary of the 5050 boot, the signature design that changed the footwear industry with its innovative use of stretch-in-boot-construction (go figure!).

If you're not familiar with the 5050, it first launched back in 1993 — because so many good fashion moments happened in the '90s — and has been a must-have closet mainstay ever since, with a loyal A-list following and thousands of trendsetting wearers. But what makes this boot so special? Aside from its ideal block heel, it's distinguished by the instantly identifiable stretch detail along the back of calf, resulting in a universally sleek fit. The style has since expanded to include a variety of half-micro stretch and half-leather/suede boots in different heel heights.

Sure, at $655 this boot is an investment, but you' are getting your hands on a shoe that's been worn by everyone from Selena Gomez and Jessica Alba to Angelina Jolie and Kendall Jenner. Talk about iconic. Shop this long-running, classic boot for yourself at the link below, and who knows, you yourself might just own them for 25 years — and then some.

Stuart Weitzman 5050 Boots, $655, available at Stuart Weitzman.