Project Runway: Season 7, Episode 4

WIN: Amy
AUF'd: Jesus

I admit, I was drifting off to sleep as I watched this episode last night. I have had a very hectic couple of days, the last one mostly because I bumped my flight up a day earlier than planned. I flew home to New Hampshire to visit family and friends for the weekend, but knowing that Central PA was about to get slammed with a major snowstorm, I decided not to risk it and flew up a day early. Anyway, after working till 1, driving to the airport in traffic, standing in line for security (realizing the 3-ounce hand lotion and body spray in my purse are NOT in Ziploc baggies! Oh no! Security risk!), arriving at the gate just in time to hear the boarding announcement, flying an hour, disembarking, heading right out to dinner with my family, and then finally arriving at my parents house, I was exhausted. Even staying up for the show was difficult! But enough excuses, on to the commentary:

I really enjoyed this challenge. I always love it when the designers are tasked with designing for "real women." It shows their true colors, not to mention their skill level. It's easy to make a walking coat hanger look good, but when they have to deal with all sorts of shapes and sizes and heights and weights, suddenly you can easily see who really knows about making women look good. I think that's why Amy won over Mila. Amy's design was not only beautifully done, but it would be flattering on so many body types. Mila's was certainly stunning, but a fitted gown with a giant white star applique on the hip? Not so commercially viable, you know?

I do wonder why they had the additional challenge of incorporating the Campbell's brand. It's like a strange homage to Andy Warhol's soup dress, only without any acknowledgement of that!

Anyway, I'm cutting this post short as I am currently on vacation and about to eat breakfast with my mom. Leave a comment to tell me what you thought of the episode!

Rate Ken's Look!

Ok, you'll have to forgive these photos because they are in Ken's office at AMT. He'll never forgive me for posting them, but I had to share with all of you a successful "lumberjack" trend outfit. Of course I didn't get a good shot of the whole outfit, but he paired this plaid shirt with nice blue jeans, a cool ringer tee underneath and nice shoes. had he worn a fur-trimmed hat and work boots, this would not have been so successful an outfit!

You can sort of see in this picture how he's only buttoned the middle buttons on the shirt, and he's rolled the sleeves up. All good choices for keeping this look chic and relaxed. A watch or cool leather cuff would have been a nice accessory to finish off the look, but even as it is, it completely works.

If he's willing, I'd like to feature Ken on the blog more frequently as he is generally a pretty stylin' dude. So what do you think of his plaid shirt? Leave a comment!

Rate My Look

Sorry for two outfit posts in a row, but I'm totally swamped this week. I was supposed to fly home for a long weekend tomorrow, but with the impending storm, I moved my flight up to this afternoon which means accomplishing an entire days worth of work in only half a day. I've felt pretty manic for the last 24 hours, but soon I'll be in an airplane on my way to a weekend full of eating, relaxing and shopping. Whoo-hoo!

Anyway, this outfit features one of my favorite cropped jackets. I've mentioned before that the "lumberjack" trend is very in right now, but I prefer to pepper my outfits with the trend rather than go for an all-over lumberjack effect. This outfit features a plaid print, but I've worn it with sleek, dark jeans, my favorite wedges, some sparkly bangles and a soft turtleneck sweater with an eyelet knit. Even though the jacket is boxy and plaid, I don't look any less feminine. What do you think of it?

Check back tomorrow for a continuation of this post. I ambushed my coworker when I found out he was sporting a lumberjack trend piece and snapped some fun photos of his look.

Rate My Look

Yesterday I tried out the bright-color tights trend. I adore this fabulous thrift-shop dress (it's H&M)- it's comfy and flattering and just fun. It's one of my favorite dresses to pair funky-printed scarves with. As you can see I've done exactly that with the scarf around my waist. I actually made that scarf myself a few years ago and decided yesterday that I do not wear it often enough. It's actually a small paisley print, which combined with the geometric dot print of the dress is a fun combination. Yes, that's right, mixing prints is NOT a fashion faux-pas!

As for the tights, I got them at Target for $5 the other day. I don't wear much purple, so it was an attempt to incorporate more of that lovely amethyst jewel-tone into my wardrobe. I finished it off with a pair of purple satin kitten-heel shoes that I haven't worn in a long time. The necklace is from Forever 21 and I adore it, but it is probably hard to see in the picture.

Anyway, my face looks a little busted in this picture- I didn't have a lot of time before leaving the house for my self-portraiting, so I did one quick shot and unfortunately it wasn't my best. They can't all be winners, right?

Shoesday Tuesday- Trends on the C-H-E-A-P!

I've talked a lot about shoe trends on this humble blog and the other day I stumbled across a site that had a TON of them uber cheap! And so I present to you: Make Me Chic!

TREND: High heel boots with cut-outs:

$20.50

TREND: Boots with zipper trim details:

$38.00

TREND: Stud details

$14.50

$23.25

TREND: Booties with embellishment

$24.50

TREND: Oxford Lace-up

$21.50

TREND: Over-the-knee boot

$27.00

Unfortunately, nearly all the heels on this site are of hooker-esque proportions, so beware the twisted ankle should you dare attempt to walk in them. There are plenty of more reasonable heel heights without the 2 inch platform as well.

Since trends tend be well... trendy, spending a lot of money on them seems awfully silly, doesn't it? So it's nice to find cheaper versions of the trends you like because participating becomes a lot more manageable. Enjoy and leave a comment to tell me what you think!

LOST inspired outfits

One thing you are all most likely learning about me as you read this blog is that I watch far too much TV. And I don't just like certain shows- I obsess over them. My Project Runway obsession is already apparent to anyone who's been reading this blog with any regularity. Another of my absolute favorite shows is LOST. I am not one of the crazy die-hards who sits up on message boards and chat rooms discussing all the minutiae of each episode. I just really love the show- the story, the mysteries of the island- I love it all. Desmond is my constant.Oh snap!

In honor of the Final Season Premiere tonight, I present to you two LOST-inspired outfits. Enjoy!

First, nothing says "jungle" like a chic safari dress. This one from Guess is available in two colors and is currently on sale for $59.95:

Somehow, it's vaguely reminiscent of the Dharma Initiative's khaki jumpsuits, but I think this would be worn in the Dharma spa station I've dubbed "The Fountain." It's on the same side of the island as The Temple station, for obvious reasons. If only Ben had scheduled a weekly massage therapy there, things might have turned out differently. But I digress... Layer it over a pair of jeans, tights or leggings if you live someplace where it's actually winter and accessorize it with these:

Wooden Cuff Bracelet, Ten Thousand Villages, $12.00

Aqua Open Weave Scarf, Ten Thousand Villages, $24.00

Jessica Simpson Jonas Boot, Endless, $119.23

Or if you live somewhere warm, these instead:

Pour La Victoire Pascale Platform Sandal, Endless, $181.47

One of my all time favorite characters is Charlie. I admit, I cried when he drowned in the Looking Glass station. I loved his rocker style, so this next outfit is in his honor.

Start with these Gap Distressed Boyfriend Jeans as your base ($69.50 or free if you actually take them from your boyfriend):

Next, pull out an old fitted graphic tee from your closet like this one from American Eagle ($19.50 or a lot less if you're smart and shop vintage or thrift stores. Just make sure you wash before you wear if it's second hand):

Keep it girly and glam without losing the edge with a pair of super high cage sandals like these from Urban Original ($21.50):

Next, no rocker look is complete without the right accessories:

Alice & Olivia Leather Cuff, Shopbop, $58

Sparkling Cross Chain, Forever 21, $5.80

Grungette Hoop Earrings (the name says it all), Forever 21, $5.80

And of course, no Charlie-inspired outfit would be complete without some type of large metallic ring reminiscent of his "DS" ring:

 

Steam Gear Ring, Etsy, $165

It may not have letters like Charlie's but somehow this Steampunk-style ring reminds me not only of his ring, but also of the wheel Ben turned to "move the island" and the various Dharma symbols seen throughout the series.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed my LOST-inspired outfits. I can't wait to watch the premiere tonight! Whoo-hoo!

Military Menswear

If you haven't noticed the military-inspired details all over the fashion world this year, then you've likely been living under a rock. Military-inspired women's clothing is everywhere. From the simple button detailing to embellished shoulder epaulets- it's all out there. But it's not just for women. Menswear has a lot of military-inspired detailing as well and I'm personally a huge fan. Take this jacket from Banana Republic:

At $98.50, it's a little price-y for such a casual jacket, but I just love those pocket details. You know if there's something like this at Banana Republic, then you can usually find less expensive versions at Old Navy or the Gap. Like this safari shirt/jacket which sells for just a little more than half the cost of the above jacket from BR:

I'm a huge fan of the deep charcoal grey color and I even prefer the pockets on this one over the BR jacket. If you're looking for something heavier, but still less expensive, Old Navy has a few of these military jackets left and they're on sale for about $30!

The military-inspired jacket trend is available at literally any price point- from the $30 Old Navy version pictured above to a nearly $800 Lanvin jacket and everything in between. The great thing about this trend is that it's flattering on pretty much anyone. Not only that, depending on the jacket, you can dress it up or down. The utilitarian nature of these coats makes them incredibly practical, but because they are being produced by stylish clothing manufacturers, the cut and fit of the jackets is more flattering than an actual military-issue coat.