Good, fun art & design!
Quick! Wear one of these before the summer is over! Er… actually… not so fast… first you have some choices to make…
a) Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau Bodysuit, $33 (Sizes XS-L, 7 colors)
b) Sheer Jersey Bandeau Dress, $43 (Sizes XS-XL, 7 colors)
c) Cotton Spandex Jersey Polka Dot Bandeau Pencil Dress, $41 (Sizes XS-L, black or white)
d) Le Sac Dress, $38 (One Size Fits Most, 8 colors with more on their way, comes with black ribbon); Additional Ribbon for La Sac Dress, $10 (11 colors/patterns — including lime green!)
e) Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau Pencil Dress, $41 (Sizes XS-L, 17 colors)
f) Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau Dress, $43 (Sizes XS-XL, 19 colors)
I love when regularly stationery items become suddenly interactive: when flaps can open on cards, pictures can pop-out of books, and paper can be folded into 3D glory! But imagine one dress with the capability of twisting and folding into about thirty other dresses… that’s a whole level beyond pop-ups and flaps.
The dresses above, all from American Apparel, can twist fold and bend into multiple outfits. B & C and E & F all work in a similar way, along with choice A which is more limited (these are all called Bandeau Dresses… or Bodysuit). Choice D (Le Sac Dress) is a new dress I’ve just discovered (because it’s new and I may or may not stalk the American Apparel web-site…), and I absolutely love it!
If you are indecisive, this dress is going to be your arch nemesis. First, you have decide which style dress you want. Then, you have to decide which color. When you finally get home, you have to decide which way to wear it! If you have the Le Sac Dress, you can also buy ribbons in different colors, and then you have to choose which ribbon to coordinate with your outfit!
You can watch a cool video online that shows you step-by-step instructions for how to turn the bandeau dress into 15 different styles. I own dress B (when it happened to be on sale… of course…), and it’s the most fun dress I’ve ever owned!
Okay, so I know that the Olympics are a classy event, which is why the Olympians show up in opening ceremonies in perfect, Ralph Lauren style. And I know that Olympians have the fanciest of running shoes, the specialist of swim caps, and they are always all decked out in home colors. Olympic fashion ranges from super-cool, to significantly ugly. Usually, bright colors are left behind for a more subdued look, but since you and I are probably not Olympians, we can be in the Olympic spirit without such constraints! Lime green and hot pink here we come!
So, I just got my very first pair of contact lenses. The main reason for this investment was that my black-rimmed glasses, though portraying the generally dorky-cute fashionableness I require, doesn’t quite go with all of my outfits. As it turns out, contacts are more complicated than I expected (am I supposed to feel this fuzzy all of the time?).
Anyway, whether or not my contacts will actually work for the long-haul, I had to venture into the world of contact accessories. Surprisingly, you have to dig a few layers into the internet to find some cute and fashionable contact lens cases, but I found them, and now I’ve passed my favorites on to you!
Design*Sponge recently posted about the photography of Yeondoo Jung, a Korean artist who takes children’s drawings and turns them into real-life photographs.
This reminded me of the Imagine This Couture (availible at FAO Shwartz for a mere…. $900). Despite the heavy price tag, the idea is cool and could be completed by a very crafty adult with a few days, fabric swatches, and sewing tools to spare.
“She will create her design, then collaborate with a professional New York City fashion designer, who will translate her vision into a one-of-a-kind garment” (FAO Shwartz).
Isn’t that cool?!
Ahh! I absolutely love Lola Faturoti’s Fall + Winter 2008 line! I’m sure it’s way out of a normal person’s price range, but the vibrant colors, geometric patterns, and flowy shapes are really easy to covet. Sigh.
Nylon Tricot Figure Skater Dress: American Apparel
Not only could I not resist the shiny-ness, I also couldn’t resist sharing it. I’m trying to imagine places to wear this besides a dance recital. I’m sure some leggings and a mini-cardigan would do the trick for a party! I want one in Shiny Violet, Magent, Grape, and Serpent (shown above), please!
Nylon Magazine recently featured these intriguing EyeEnvy eyeshadow kits (availible at Sephora in both wild and more natural tones), which instantly give you makeup artist quality eyeshadow with the press of a pad.
Commenters at Nylon debated about whether or not this is really a “one-size fits all” look and some said it took away from personal expression, although if you aren’t sewing your own clothes and cobbling your own shoes, I don’t see the big difference between buying eyeshadow and buying the rest of your clothes. Besides, in fashion, artistic expression usually comes from piecing together your own look from already created objects.
Unfortunately, a box of five applications is $25 (eek!), but that’s certainly less than hiring a professional artist to glam you up.
Instead of tying a string around their finger, the forgetful among us can wear this calendar ring (shown on Open! Design & Concepts). (Okay, so tying a string around your finger won’t help you actually remember the date, but this ring actually will!)
“Gold. For the forgetfuls. The date is set up with three rings which are rotated independently. If you don’t forget to set it up” (Open! Design & Concepts)
(Swissmiss posted this cool band-aid ring yesterday.)
I immediately starred this post from SwissMiss when I saw it in Google Reader earlier this week. Then, it came up again at Nylon’s blog, and now, I can no longer resist a re-posting.
Fernando Brizio has created “renewable clothing” for a show on “design in a fast-changing society.” Not only are these pieces different every time you wear them, but they actually encourage you to make an (organized) mess of yourself.
“By placing colored felt-tip pens in the pockets of the dress its appearance changes over time. Within an hour to one and a half hours the colored ink bleeds into the fabric and creates a one-off design for each occasion. The owner can then clean the dress and color it in a different way for each time they wear it” (designboom.com).
The other night I had a dream that The Sartorialist took a picture of me. I was very excited, but then I realized I was wearing an ugly outfit, and I got worried that he’d post it as an example of what not to wear. Sometimes, I am sad at The Sartorialist because almost every photographed female is skinny and I think all sizes of people can put together smashing outfits!
But mostly, I go to The Satorialist for sexy men. Yes, I said it. I like guys who can put together outfits. Esp with bright colors. Forget George Clooney! Okay, I take that back. I love George Clooney. And he wears nice suits. But these well-dressed men range from adorable to hot, don’t they?
I suppose I am jealous of the men & women of The Satorialist, because I can put together some eye-catching outfits, but they just never seem very professional, at least compared to these guys!
I couldn’t stay away from polyvore.com, despite my mixed review of it. So, since Snow White is one of my favorite Disney movies (despite Snow’s annoyingly high pitched voice), and I’d love to dress like her, I picked out a few outfits and accessories that might work in non-fairy tale land.
Technorati Tags: fashion, clothing, shopping, trend, yellow, blue, red, Snow White, Disney, inspiration, oufits, accessories, apples, shoes, skirts, tops
As I’ve mentioned, when it comes to fashion I like layering and I like bright colors. Luckily my job has no dress code, so I get to play dress-up every single day. Between the end of college and the start of my job I began to notice that my outfits were getting more and more looks and comments. So, I started taking a picture of my outfit every day.
Some days are interesting, some are boring, some are crazy, some are too much, some match perfectly, some don’t really end up matching at all.
And, so, another link to my flickr set, with my newest outfits (about 20 were added to the end of the set and now there are over 100)! Brief commentary, too! (more…)
Ruffeo Hearts Lil’ Snotty was one of my favorite booths at the Renegade Craft Fair because I love funky, bright (ie neon), & creative clothing. It’s wonderful to feel like you’re wearing art!
And, while I’m an obsessive layer-er, you can see why I might like an easier route to guaranteed originality. If you pop on one of these jumpers, kaleidescope dresses, or double barrel sweaters, then you are already off to funkytown without adding three more layers of T-shirts and two more skirts (though I wouldn’t prohibit it, of course).
“Such time and care goes into each kaleidoscope, tidy surged seams, safety backstitched to outlast a lifetime of quality guaranteed under warrantee. You can wear this dress inside out to floss your dedication to superior handmade craftsmanship. These seams are wicked technical, pulled off w/ precision” (RHLS etsy page).
Although the price range (generally around $100) is above and beyond what some pockets can afford, for those of you who spend a pretty penny on clothes anyway, this stuff is like buying a piece of art work to hang on your wall, but you get to wear it! And, it’s handmade, so you’re paying time & originality, too.
This T-shirt (shown above, $24) with the little sewn on pocket is from Sarah Hearts.
And this bright colored, graphically cool T-shirt (shown above, $15) is from Seibei. They make tons of cool T-shirts with monsters on them. Rar!
Dear Birthday
Dear Birthday (that’s the web-site, but you can purchase the clothes on Etsy) sews dresses from her own patterns and, lucky for those of us who can’t quite afford a dress at the moment, very colorful underwear ($20). How cute!
Today I’ll be posting on the all of the fabulous fashions I found at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this weekend.
For all my Renegade posts, click here.
I love the Stormcloud Bring Rainbows Etsy shop, because if there is lightning or a rainbow in your neighborhood, you can get 15% off!
Many of these sweaters also contain the bright colors I love & unique patterns that you don’t see in any other pieces in the shop. If you like the above, I encourage you to browse Stormcloud’s shop.
“These garments are made mostly of salvaged and up-cycled materials. i hand dye, construct and screen print my precious babies with loving care” (Stormcloud Brings Rainbows Etsy Shop).
Compai
Compai makes clothes out of other clothes, including a handful of dresses and skirts that have pockets in the most perfect locations. Look at part of the collection here.
Although many of the accessories at the Renegade Craft Fair this past weekend were fabulous, a lot of them were typical: chain, string, charm. This is not a bad thing, but it just made the bracelets, collars (collars? what?), headbands, and hats at The Candy Thief booth stand out even more.
These accessories all use the same detailed technique of layering brightly colored felt “leaves,” attached with contrasting stitching. Special details include little flowers, buttons, and beads, and a layer of dark fabric inside the bracelets (presumably for beauty and comfort, since felt seems like it might be itchy).
Despite (and because of!) the jagged leafy edges, and a material that some believe is reserved for elementary school art class, these accessories are beautiful & elegant.
The Candy Thief Etsy Shop allows custom orders on headbands (you can choose your colors and give your measurements) for about $35. There is also a whole slew of already-made headbands for you to look at if you need some Candy Thief eye candy.
The collars, though a bit more daring, would be the kind of accessory to stir conversation and turn heads (in a good way) and look most suitable for a trendy night on the town (though we all know I don’t look down on wearing anything anywhere!). These guys can be custom ordered, too (about $45).
And lastly, but not leastly: I love these adorable bonnet-hats that I am kicking myself for not looking into further, because I don’t see them in the Candy Thief Etsy Shop. With four coordinating fabrics, a little brim, and a tie for your neck, these vintage-feel hats seem perfect for a sunny day on the beach.
Geometric necklaces made of silicone rubber. Other cool silver geometric necklaces on the web-site!
Beautiful, simple nature-loving necklaces, like the twig above. These guys are “cast in sterling silver using the lost wax method.”
To start: the cartoon-y jewelry!
Shop the Brookadelphia Esty store for shiny, ironic jewels. Prices range from $30-50. (more…)
So, I’ve just discovered Polyvore on a friend’s blog when she created this Madeline Set (which I love!). On Polyvore, you can easily create sets of items from stores like Urban Oufitters and Luck Lady Rules (so, many options from big to small!). You can even install a “Clip to Polyvore” button on your browser’s tool bar, so if you ever see something lovely you want to share with the world, you can add it to a set.
You can search for what you want (ie: donuts, sprinkles, candy, circles, and tiered dresses were a few search terms I used to create my Donut Set <–click here and you’ll see my set on the Polyvore page, with all of those products linked to the web-site where they can be purchased). Once you find the items, they are (more…)
I love these cute necklaces which are light, 2D versions of other things you might be carrying or wearing (a bow, a heart, a camera). (more…)
Recap: My co-workers thought my outfits were anything from “crazy” to “interesting” to something only I “could pull off.” And so, I decided to see for myself and began taking a picture of my outfit every morning.
So, yes, I’ve updated my Flickr set since the “62 Weird and/or Fashionable Outfits” post so that it now has about 90 of the outfits I wear everyday, mostly to work.
You can view all of the outfits here (the newest (more…)
Lady Luck Rules Ok carries tons of bright & cute necklaces for your fashion consumption (esp in the Fun Rocker Necklaces Section). Yum.
$35 is a little pricey for my cheap-self, but I do love these cute totes (vinyl rather than canvas)! They’re also over at bang bang you’re thread.
Pretty little bowtie rings in bright retro colors ($4.50, 31 Corn Lane). Maybe spice up a sundress?
