Fun with layers

As promised, here a couple shots of some layered looks born from my closet. Since I do most most of my clothing purchases online (mostly due to lack of my size in regular retail venues), there are some instances when I am not completely thrilled with a purchase, but figure it's not worth sending it back. Other times, I fall in love with something that really should be worn by someone much taller. In those cases, I try to work with the piece, either through altering/embellishing or creatively pairing it with something complementary until it's something I want to keep. Below are a couple examples.

The silk floral skirt on the left is the beautiful half-of-a-dress given to me by a good friend. I loved the print, but unfortunately the top of it was less than flattering on me. The silver pleated skirt is a Forever 21 purchase I originally intended to pair with the purple tank in the following pictures (more on that later). I wanted to keep the dress, and the pleats didn't quite work with the purple tank, so I converted the dress into a skirt and decided to layer it with the silver skirt for some texture contrast...

As for the purple tank, I was originally drawn to intricate detailing at the top, but knew the length of the shirt would not work on my short little body. Paired with jeans, it was just too darn long (see below). But it was also to short to wear alone as a mini-dress. In the end, I decided I just had to buy it and would figure out how to make it work later.

My solution - pair it with short floaty skirt (actually the truncated bottom of another silk tunic shirt) to create a faux dress, keeping the top from cutting me off at a bad place. This may be a combination I will go to more often. I like the unexpected lengths created at the hem, and there a lot of possibilities with this look. There are plenty of cute tunics out there, but with jeans and my frame, it's just not good. Now I have a way to participate in the trend and not look like a troll playing dress up with grown-up clothes!

Interesting use of layering

Love this skirt on the Twelve by Twelve website via Forever 21. I'd probably reign in the brown 'bow' on the back, but the skirt is an interesting mix of 80's, rock 'n roll, and disheveled urchin. More to come with some layering ideas from my own closet in a future post...

Shirts to sweat in

It's still pretty freakin' cold in the Midwest, despite the calendar saying it's officially spring. So I'm going to try to will some warmer weather (or a beach vacation) this way by showing some stylish shirts for a sweltering summer day. I went for materials that breathe and cuts that wouldn't cling and make things worse when you're perspiring like a cucumber in a pickle factory.

The micro-pleats on the neckline of the red Victoria's Secret top on the left elevates it from a plain t-shirt to something much cuter, but still not out of place on a hot day. The Gap baby blue shirt on the right has some really pretty flowers on its neckline, but my favorite detail is that they follow the motif on the tips of the drawstring, attention you don't see much in mass produced merchandise.

I like ruffles, and the Jcrew grey t-shirt does a great job of embellishing this piece with some abstract-looking frills ,without going over the top. The Banana Republic shirt on the right also balances rich details well with a light color and breezy cut, keeping the embroidery from looking heavy (and sweat-inducing).

This may not be the greatest shirt to wear under the blazing sun, but I thought it would be beautiful for some summer nighttime socializing. The braided neck with the flower above the shoulder are details that you would expect in something much more expensive, and the print is a nice cross between tropical and girly floral.

More internet styling trickery

I posted this gorgeous suit after spotting it on the Ann Taylor website a few weeks ago. It wasn't available then, but has just become so in the past few days. The suit looked sleek, fitted and flattering in an elongating way. But then...

Below is a shot of the suit separates once they were available for purchase. Uh, really? It's the same suit as the one in the picture above? I have to say, I was slightly disappointed. Well ok, a lot disappointed. The jacket pictured below is a lot rounder and less contemporary looking, and the sleeves are not nicely fitted like on the imaginary jacket. Bummer. I also checked it out in person at my local Ann Taylor store, and the picture below is pretty accurate. Double bummer, I had high hopes for this one. Though, the real thing is definitely not ugly, and the fabric is actually quite luxurious, it's just not as stunning as I was hoping for. So on the off chance that someone out there has any connections to the Ann Taylor design department, can you please beg them to make the suit I was dreaming about? Thanks.

A little more browsing brought me to the Antonio Melani suit pictured below featuring fabric similar to the Ann Taylor one, and can be found on the Dillard's website. The details are beautiful from the ribbon neck to layering at the bottom of the jacket. If this is an accurate depiction, it might help me get over my disappointment from Ann Taylor.

Reincarnation

Thankfully we now live in a time where recycling is encouraged and greener alternatives of every type of product imaginable are popping up everywhere, including in fashion. I've gathered a few images of some of my favorite examples of trash turned to treasure in the form of ultra-chic accessories and apparel. The one thing I don't quite understand is how using presumably low-cost materials substantially increases their pricetag in their second (or third or fourth) life (in some instances, not all). Perhaps 'green' doesn't just refer to environmentally-friendly. Regardless (and to be less cynical), it is fantastic that the concept of reducing waste and squeezing more use of out of things has gained such popularity.

What fashionista doesn't adore a pair of Christian Louboutins - even if you can't walk in 'em, they are gorgeous to look at. Barney's is exclusively carrying what it calls the 'Louboutin Trash Shoe', featuring 'a unique selection of Barney's materials.' I know, I know, now is probably not the best time to be thinking about dropping a grand on a pair of stilettos, but a girl can dream. If anything, I'd think this style would be somewhat of an investment (ok, stop laughing, a girl can also be delusional) since each pair is one-of-a-kind and has the potential to be a collector's item.

I love this necklace featured on the (wired) homepage, both for the origins of its material as well as the stunning design. It kind of reminds me of miniature deconstructed gazebo, or backward choker. Either way, it works. Wired gets it raw material from discard piles of various Chicago industrial sites. Check out some of their other merchandise on starsandinfinitedarkness.com for gorgeous necklaces and earrings made from liquor labels.

dustDesignCo. does some great things with old watches, turning the discarded innards into pendants, cufflinks, and rings. Their prices are also quite reasonable, with similar rings to the one shown above going for less than $25 through Etsy.com. The intricate parts and details making up each piece definitely deserve a second turn after their intial purpose of keeping time runs its course.

I found 'mod to modern' awhile ago and suspect the the woman who runs the site is no longer continuing her recycled sweater business. However, I just had to post these pictures because I think the way she combines resale sweater parts is brilliant and beautiful. Most of the styles on the site are designed to have the arms and shoulders of one sweater attached as a shrug to the bodice of another sweater. The combination of prints and colors of the various sweaters on the site look very high-end and really show how you don't have to spend a fortune to create something fabulous. These pieces look like they could easily go for over $100 at store like Anthropologie. It makes me want to run past the mall and out to my local thrift shop instead to see what I can conjure up for myself!

Ok, so you can't wear this. But, I thought this little artistic endeavor by Mike Orr was very cool. If I went to six garage sales looking for parts, I still probably couldn't come up with something this eclectic and interesting looking.

Thinking ahead

Nothing strikes fear in my heart like the thought of having to step out in public in a bathing suit. As much as I loooove summer, I don't love putting myself out there in what is essentially my underwear. Therefore,I'll gladly shell out a small fortune for anything that will make me feel a little more secure about my figure and not so much like a pasty blob of ill-proportions. One thing I tend to look for when bathing suit shopping is something with a crazy pattern. The more distracting the better. I also like structural details that nip, tuck and push-up. And lastly, a little self-tanner can do wonders to for looking a little less jiggly. Here are a few suits I found that might not make a day at the beach so terrifying.

These one-piece numbers available at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters both have a bit of a 40's glamour girl feel to them. The Majesty Palm Maillot combines a busy pattern with a wide colorful waistband - two great camouflaging techniques in one - without being frumpy. Pair this with a big pair of dark sunglasses and some red lipstick and look like a Hollywood starlet lounging by the pool. The Kimchi Blue Polkadot halter features a ruched bodice, and I don't have to tell you how tummy flattering that can be. Normally I'm not a big fan of the half-skirt bottom, but on this suit it's subtle and seems appropriate with the halter top design.

As for two-piece suits, these Victoria's Secret and Banana Moon bikinis are great ways to show more skin but still not feel too exposed. I find that with my hips, having the waistband of a bikini bottom somewhat lower is actually more flattering for my butt than a high-waisted bottom. The Victoria's Secret bottom is a tad skimpy I admit, but the Banana Moon bikini has a nice wide waistband that still falls below the big butt creation point. This suit also has padding in the top half. What the Victoria's Secret suit lacks on the bottom, it makes up for on top with the supportive (i.e. push-up) banding under the girls and pretty good coverage.

Finally, I just had to show this Herve Leger Bandage bikini. It is the water-friendly version of the iconic and ubiquitous Leger bandage dress. Though it is incredibly expensive and probably not something I could pull of, I still think it is fabulous.

Shopping for a good cause

Three out of the four Gap, Inc. stores (Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic) are offering a 30% off Friends&Family event from now until March 15. The great part is that you can choose from six charities to donate a portion of the proceeds from your purchases to. Not that I ever really need an excuse to shop, but this is a pretty darn good one.

Whiting and Davis

Mesh might bring to mind Renaissance Festivals or boy's night out tank tops, but the company Whiting and Davis turns this industrial material into gorgeous evening bags, clothing and shoes. As a lover of design from the 1920's Art Deco era, I've long been an admirer of Whiting and Davis evening bags. A visit to their website (whitinganddavis.com) barely gives you any idea of what beautiful pieces their metal mesh can be transformed into (check out the 'Photo Gallery' tab) -it focuses more on the technical aspects of their raw mesh material. Apparently their mesh can also protect you from things like shark bites and meat cleavers. I'm personally more interested in its fashionable applications.



Whiting and Davis evening bags aren't carried in a ton of stores, though a quick web search will reveal a few vendors. Amazon.com has a some bags as pictured above. I love how the pattern of the Bella frame bag travels all the way into the fringe at the bottom, giving the whole piece an extra bit of shimmy. The Gate frame bag below that has a great little clasp that resembles calla lilies. Tiny details like that really catch my eye. The largest trove I've bags I've found are actually on eBay. Below are a few of my favorites. Unfortunately the auction has ended on these items (I procrastinated too long writing this post!) but I wanted a few more examples to showcase how these purses are little works of art.

Semi-bargain high style

Banana Republic has been one of my all time favorite stores ever since they came out with their petite line. Finally, I can find clothes that fit that didn't look like they were designed at the time polyester was invented. Since the advent of BR's petite line, they have also added the BR Monogram Collection (early last year I think?), which is a slightly more avant- garde version of their regular offerings in richer fabrics and details. I've been eyeing the flutter-sleeve ribbed sweater pictured above. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill sweater. It's like a dual waterfall across your shoulders with the wide neckline leading your eye down the cascading half-missing sleeves. I'm not sure how those sleeves would work if you ever had to raise your arms, this might be a situation where some double-sided tape might come in handy (ok, I admit that's a bit extreme for everyday wear). But, the half-open sleeve does lighten up the overall feel and keeps it from looking like something that was picked up at an art fair. Not that there's anything wrong with art fairs. Maybe the sleeves could be reined in with some thin chain sewn to connect the sides, or a small string of seed beads. At $95, this sweater isn't exactly a bargain, but for this design I'd expect it to be 2 to 4X more expensive. And BR is known for having great sales, so with a little patience, this sweater may one day find its way into my closet.

My first purchse...after I win the lottery

This bracelet by Jen Kao (available at forwardforward.com) has got to be one of the most fabulous dominatrix-chic pieces of jewelry I've seen. It even comes with it's own whip.

Not so bad bohemian

I'm not a big fan of the boho look. Sure, the long flowy shapes are probably comfortable and let you get away without wearing any underwear, but I suppose I'm into more tailored silhouettes and harder details. However, I recently spotted these BCBGirls Bonny sandals and thought they were kind of cute, despite the hippie seed bead motif across the toes and the clog platform. The high heel is definitely not good for trouncing around a mudfest at Woodstock 2009, and the beaded band is thin enough to give the shoe a little sleekness. Overall, a great interpretation of boho footwear in my book, kind of like if a Birkenstock and moccasin had a baby, then sent it to Christian Louboutin boot camp for a makeover.

These dresses by Kimchi Blue and OC by Oleg Cassini both feature boho details in shapes that look like they come in actual sizes rather than one size fits all. The Kimchi Blue Kimono dress would be great to thrown on for any old day to kick your self-image up a notch - the colors are vibrant and the style is definitely no-fuss. The OC dress on the other hand brings boho to formal wear. I like how the pattern sections off the dress into various panels, and also creates a faux empire waist without the billowy maternity look that can sometimes accompany that type of detail.

The simplicity of the East of Sun Wrap Bracelet is just plain cool. You can pair this with a t-shirt or use it to toughen up a sundress. The earrings, also available at Urban Outfitters, could be lumped in with a million other pounds of sterling silver jewelry at an outdoor art fair, though I'd give them a second look because of their modern shape and mother of pearl inlay.