style etoile: love at first look & listen

everyone knows that having a flawless wardrobe is only part of being a true style star. styleetoile is here to help. whether you’re hitting up styleetoile.com for all of your fashion needs, or checking out this little corner of the world to stay musically stylish--we’ve got you covered.

why aren’t you listening to…


…Still Corners (@StillCorners)?  Oh, man, is this good.  London’s Still Corners caught our attention last October with their gorgeous debut album, Creatures of an Hour, but their recently released single “Fireflies” has us officially hooked.  These guys are making lush, expansive, dreamy synth pop with amazingly layered percussive beats and beyond sexy vocals.  There are nods to both the 60s and 80s here, and we discover something new with each listen.  Still Corners sounds like a hybrid of M83, Weekend Players and Massive Attack and we can’t get enough…go ahead and hear the goodness for yourself.


why aren’t you listening to…


…Kodaline (@Kodaline)?  Here’s the thing about heartbreak: it’s awful.  It is painful and heavy and taxing and deflating.  But it also reminds us that we’re human.  It reminds us how much and how hard we can love.  And so while it hurts to hear a song that strikes a chord of love lost, it also manages to warm us and indulge our emotions and for that we are always thankful.  With that said, today Style Etoile gives you Kodaline.  This Dublin quartet’s eponymous debut EP is full of promise, and while “All I Want” may conjure up a few tears and nostalgic memories, we welcome the stir.


why aren’t you listening to…


…S O H N (@sohnmusic)?  Here Style Etoile was: buzzing along, minding our own business, when all of a sudden we were aurally assaulted (in the best way possible) by S O H N.  S O H N is a brilliant multi-instrumentalist with an even more brilliant voice and ear for production.  S O H N is making music with a fresh, new sound— layering a heart-breaking and haunting voice over an effortless blend of folk, R&B, and electronica.  The white-hot artist’s first EP, The Wheel, will be out November 5th on Aesop.  Do yourselves a favor and check it out.

Little Rad Riding Hood We don’t know about you, but we’ve kind of always had a thing for little red riding hood (specifically her garb). While most of the fairy tale heroines were twirling in Cinderella-style gowns, Riding Hood had her rad ass cape, was hiding out in the woods and kicking it with her very own wolf pack #badass. She was the coolest by far (definitely a style étoile girl), and we take inspiration from her years later. To this day, the combination of a hooded cape and a flared flute-shaped skirt calls to mind the infamous bedtime story and her iconic outfit. This time around, we updated the combo with confetti-like sequins fit for a birthday cake, and a cozy oatmeal-colored skirt by New York based designer Misha Nonoo. Now we just need a picnic basket and a bottle of red wine for a fancy Fall feast in the forest. 

Little Rad Riding Hood

We don’t know about you, but we’ve kind of always had a thing for little red riding hood (specifically her garb). While most of the fairy tale heroines were twirling in Cinderella-style gowns, Riding Hood had her rad ass cape, was hiding out in the woods and kicking it with her very own wolf pack #badass. She was the coolest by far (definitely a style étoile girl), and we take inspiration from her years later. To this day, the combination of a hooded cape and a flared flute-shaped skirt calls to mind the infamous bedtime story and her iconic outfit. This time around, we updated the combo with confetti-like sequins fit for a birthday cake, and a cozy oatmeal-colored skirt by New York based designer Misha Nonoo. Now we just need a picnic basket and a bottle of red wine for a fancy Fall feast in the forest. 


why aren’t you listening to…


…Stealing Sheep (@stealingsheep)?  After the first real fall-feeling weekend of the season, Style Etoile was in need of something to match the weather—crisp, fresh, new—and Stealing Sheep couldn’t have fit the bill more perfectly.  This all-girl Liverpool trio is making folk-y, psychedelic pop with an electronic kick and we are hooked.  The ladies sound like a cross between Ellie Goulding and Passion Pit with a little Band of Horses thrown in for good measure.  Their debut album, Into the Diamond Sun, came out last month and it’s a winner from start to finish…don’t take our word for it, though—check it out for yourself.


why aren’t you listening to…


…The Aerial (@TheAerial)?  Style Etoile isn’t sure why France’s The Aerial hasn’t gained more notoriety stateside, but today we are here to change all that.  The band’s first EP, Eleven Shaking Twenty, was released in April and we have yet to get sick of their groov-y, dance-y beats—think Phoenix meets the Rapture.  This easy-on-the-eyes quartet has spent the summer touring across the pond, so here’s hoping they show the Big Apple a little love sometime soon…

Brocade Brigade

The brocade train has hit town this season and we’ve hopped on board in a major way. We love the lux, layered, metallic look of a solid brocade piece and especially dig that it’s a throwback to the most ornate ages in Italy and France—this ensemble screams baller status. There’s something so Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, next-level about the gilded fabric and its rich texture. It’s ostentatious in an amazing way, which is exactly why small doses go a long way. With its awesome architectural shape, this fierce little brocade peplum is a flirty work of art worthy of the Renaissance. Layer with a sleek black turtleneck/peplum by Jonathan Simkhai and slimming black tights by Commando, throw on a matching crystal collar by Eleven Objects, polish it off with a patent belt, and you’re ready to play in any palace.

why aren’t you listening to…


…Digits (@digitsmusic)?  When we first heard Digits’ “Where Do You Belong,” we thought we were listening to a new single from Style Etoile fav Junior Boys.  Much to our surprise what we were hearing was, in fact, Digits—the act of Berlin-via-London-via-Toronto-based Alt Altman.  This is beat driven, soulful, sparse, electronica done right—check it.

…Houndmouth (@houndmouth)?  There is something about the fall that makes Style Etoile want to listen to a little folk rock—not that we don’t love ourselves some year-round twang, we just notice a greater proclivity for it when the days start to get a little shorter and the weather a little crisper.  Today’s fix comes in the form of Houndmouth, a Kentucky quartet that is making straightforward, folky blues that we have yet to get sick of after listening to their self-titled debut EP for a week straight.  In their music we hear The Band, The Felice Brothers, and Bright Eyes and we can’t wait to catch those harmonies live at Bowery Ballroom September 20th…get involved.