Shoesday Tuesday- Wish List

Based on my typical posts, those of you who don't know me personally probably think my taste is a little overdone. While it certainly can be and I sometimes walk out of the house in what Tim Gunn refers to as "a lot of look," I also appreciate the beauty of simple things. Simple, clean lines with a classic or completely new and different approach take my breath away as much if not more than the intricate, complicated designs of other pieces. All of the shoes featured today are beautiful because of their simplicity. Whether traditional in styling, or out-of-the-box, they are all gorgoues. And as this is a "wish list" I have paid no attention to price.

Dolce & Gabbana Cut-out Booties, $230

Chie Mihara Two-tone Mary Jane Pumps, $350

Brian Atwood Side Snap Ankle Boots, $765

Valentino Glamorous Bow Pumps, $695

So there you have it- four beautiful, but simple and elegant shoes. Can you guess which ones are my favorite? The Valentino's of course! What about you? If money was no object, which pair would you buy? Leave a comment and tell me!

Accessories Anonymous: Fascinating Fascinators

One could say that despite her brash demeanor and "me-against-the-world" attitude, Kenley Collins accomplished at least one positive thing as a result of her appearance on Season 5 of Project Runway. She helped bring back the fascinator.

Originally designed as a "cocktail hat," fascinators were generally made with feathers, ribbons, beading and other glamorous supplies and were worn to fancy events in place of a hat. Whether it's due to Kenley's unceasing commitment to 40's attire and accessories, or the fact that retro is so incredibly hip right now, fascinators have made a comeback.

Fascinators can be worn on a headband, clip or comb and can vary greatly in size and complexity. I made a few simple ones this afternoon after a brief trip out to a local fabric & trim outlet store. I was mostly inspired by the peacock feathers, but this first headband was made using a curled goose feather pad. These pads come in a variety of colors- both solid and in various color combinations. Also, if you purchase them in white, you can very easily dye them to the color you prefer. Once the feather pad is to your liking, it's easy to hot glue or stitch it right on to a simple headband.

Also, if you're like me and sometimes bothered by a headband, it's just as easy to attach the feather pad to a clip or comb or whatever you like. The feathers are backed by a piece of fabric or felt, so it's very simple to attach to lots of different materials without effecting the feather layout. 

And now on to the peacock feathers. I actually have a vase full of dyed peacock feathers in my office. We use them on costumes and accessories every now and then and it's a pretty way to store them. If you have trouble finding a fabric or trim store nearby that sells peacock feathers, they can usually be ordered online for less than a dollar each. Not only can they be dyed, they can also be bleached, for a completely different effect. I use RIT Dye whenever I dye any type of feather- you can follow the instructions on the dye package as you would for fabric. The feathers I purchased today happened to have been dyed a lovely purple-ish hue. They look almost like normal peacock feathers, but when the light catches them just right, there's a lovely purple tint to them. I made two fascinators with these feathers. The first is made using a comb and gold ribbon as trim:

The second I made using a single peacock feather and some teal blue ribbon.

The fascinator attaches with a simple hair clip.

How daring are you in your hair accessories? Would you wear a fascinator? Fascinators made with clips are especially versatile as they can be clipped onto practically anything- a purse, a lapel, a hat, a belt loop- use your imagination!

Etsy is a veritable treasure trove of handmade fascinators in every color of the rainbow. Here are a few of my favorites:

Bleu Peacoque by sweetgrassmill, $16.00

This lovely combination of peacock and coque feathers is simple, but so interesting and elegant. Coque feathers are incredibly expensive, but they add such a fabulous touch of whimsy that I feel they are often worth the price.

Hint of Yellow and Burnt Umber Fascinator, aaliciawedding, $35.00

While my personal affinity is for feather fascinators, they can be made out of virtually any material you like. I love the creative use of felt in this fascinator- it's hard to believe someone could actually make felt look elegant! Bravo!

Ivory Feather Flower Fascinator, brendasbridalveils, $38.99

Getting married, but not interested in wearing a traditional veil? Wear a fascinator instead! So many artisans on Etsy are able to make custom pieces at very reasonable prices.

I always want to encourage my readers and friends and family to support local artisans whenever possible. However, I understand that not all trends are suitable for all people. If you want to try out the fascinator trend without making a large financial commitment, I suggest going to Forever 21. Their fascinators and hair accessories are incredibly inexpensive- we're talking less than $6 or $7 most of the time. And if you catch them on sale- watch out!

Forever 21 Vibrant Feather Hair Clip/Pin, $8.80

Forever 21 Jute Hair Clip, $10.80

Forever 21 Fancy Feather Headband, $4.80

A word to the wise: you get what you pay for. A custom-made fascinator made by an Etsy artisan will be a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art for your collection. A headband from Forever 21 might not last quite so long and you can pretty much guarantee there will be lots of others out there exactly like yours. Also, I'm pretty sure F21 won't be taking custom orders anytime soon. Basically, what I'm saying is you can participate in this trend whether you buy a bargain accessory from a large chain store, or a potential heirloom from a local/Etsy artisan. So get on the bandwagon already!

Accessories Anonymous: How to wear a scarf

The French are really the masters of this art form, but that doesn't mean we can't rock a variety of chic scarf looks, too! With any Hermes scarf purchase, you'll receive a complete guide to wearing your scarf. As I do not have $350 to spend on a scarf, I do not have access to this guide. Fortunately, I'm kinda smart, so I've figured a few out. To demonstrate, I'll be using vintage scarves and a large piece of fabric I've cut to Hermes-scarf standard size. A real Hermes scarf measures 90 centimeters, or about 35 1/2 inches. I'm not ashamed to purchase a single yard of fabric and trim the end to make it square. If you love the fabric, then buy it and wear it as a scarf! There's nothing wrong with that. Try to find fabrics that won't fray. If you're unsure, just ask a salesperson at the fabric store and they'll be able to advise you. If it's a fabric that will fray, but you love it too much not to get it, then ask a handy friend to hem the sides or better yet, learn to do it yourself. (It's super simple, I promise.) Anyway, assuming you have an Hermes-sized scarf, please enjoy the following tutorial.

Scarves aren't only for your neck, you know! They make a fabulous cover-up.

First up, the tied-up halter-top:

1.) Fold the scarf diagonally.

2.) Twist the ends and wrap around your neck, knotting in place

3.) Knot the 2 remaining sides behind your back.

Here's a view of this technique from the side:

Next up, the squared-off, draped halter-top:

1.) Take the top 2 corners of the scarf and knot behind your neck.

2.) Take the bottom 2 corners and knot around your waist.

Here is a view of this version from the side. It's very similar to the first technique, but a lot more drape-y.

Third, we have the asymmetrical top. This is perhaps the most challenging and may take some practice to perfect your technique.

1.) Fold a corner over about 1/3 of the way

2.) With the fold facing up, knot the scarf together at your shoulder, then slide the knot back behind your shoulder

3.) Pull the bottom edges of the scarf to the back and tie those together.

Here's how the back will look:

Now that you've mastered the hardest one, here's perhaps the easiest:

1.) Fold the scarf diagonally in half.

2.) With the fold facing up, knot the ends together behind your back.

Using this exact same technique, you can wear the scarf around your waist like a mini-sarong. This is a great cover-up look, or a funky accessory to layer over jeans or capris or even a skirt (a pencil skirt with this would be so cute!):

For the most daring fashionista, there's the bikini version:

Using the basic fold-over technique (picture below), wrap the scarf from behind and knot in front.

The next few techniques start with the scarf folded. I like to call it the "Hermes Basic Fold Over" or HBFO for short.

Start with the scarf lying flat.

Bring the opposite corners together in the center, like an envelope fold.

Fold the scarf again, with the sides again meeting at the center.

Fold over one last time at the center. Voila! The HBFO!

Once you've mastered this simple technique, you'll be comfortable tying your scarf in all sorts of ways. You can start with the basic neckerchief look. It's classic enough, just avoid pairing it with a poodle skirt.

Another chic option is to start with the HBFO, then wrap around your neck from behind, crossing the ends twice in front. Finally, bring the ends behind your neck and knot in place. Super chic!

This peach and blue vintage scarf is much smaller than an Hermes, but it shows the shape better than the lovely scrap of yellow plaid I've been using. A full-size Hermes scarf would still show this great shape, but with more volume:

Another option is the cravat-style:

1.) Start with the HBFO.

2.) Wrap around your neck with one side slightly longer than the other.

3.) Loop the longer side under the shorter, then around and under again and finally up through the top (like a necktie).

4.) Arrange the top side that you've just flipped through so that it lays nicely.

You can take this exact technique a step further and actually knot it like a traditional necktie:

In this instance, the "longer" side that you've looped around is passed through the wrapped fabric as opposed to over it. It's a little more secure than the cravat style and also a little more masculine-looking.

This next option is one of my favorites. It's very simple but it looks so cool and elegant:

1.) Start with the HBFO

2.) Wrap around your neck and tie in front with the ends hanging at equal length

3.) Grasp the edge of either end and knot together, pulling the second knot tight against the first.

The final style of this post is another simple but elegant technique. The final look is very chic:

You may think this technique starts with the HBFO, but you would be wrong! Start with the fabric lying flat. Fold over the opposite corners, but rather than letting them lie, knot them together and pull tightly. It starts like this:

As you pull tighter, it looks more like this:

Continue pulling the knot tighter, then wrap around your neck and knot in place. The ends you started with are the ends finish with. The rest of the scarf just wraps around and around itself creating that pretty wrapped and twisty look.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and learned a little something, too. If any of you have other special ways of wearing a scarf, please chime in! I'd love to hear about it!

Accessories Anonymous: Ten Thousand Villages

Today I realized how thrilled I am to have chosen to dedicate the topic of my blog to fashion and style because there truly is an endless supply of things to write about. Sometimes it's hard to choose one idea and really focus on it because my mind is bursting with lots of other equally fabulous ideas. In addition, fashion is an ever-changing art form, so no matter how long I continue to blog, I will always have a constant stream of topics to inspire me (and you)!

Today is also a gorgeous day outside- it's unseasonably warm (AGAIN!) and I took the opportunity to take a walk across the street to the outlets, specifically the Pepperidge Farm Outlet Store. (I was on the hunt for Parmesan Goldfish crackers for my friend Mindy as well as Crispy Dark Chocolate Nantucket cookies for myself.) A few doors down is a Ten Thousand Villages shop so I popped in for a moment. For those of you unfamiliar with Ten Thousand Villages, they are a non-profit fair-trade organization who works with un-employed and under-employed artisans in third world countries. Their goal is to provide fair income to these artisans that in turn will provide them with food, shelter, education, etc. There is more information on their website. Anyway, while I was there, I found the coolest pair of earrings on sale for $5. They are hot pink and really fun. I know I'm supposed to be mixing up my current collection as opposed to buying new things, but I couldn't resist these:

So now for the big mystery: What do you think these are made of? I don't think you'll ever be able to guess because I certainly had NO idea and when the saleslady told me, I was shocked. Leave a comment if you want to take a guess, or if you know the answer. I promise I'll reveal the answer in a couple of days, but for now, why don't you venture a guess? What do you think these could possibly be made with?

Day to Night Delight

Yesterday I had after-work plans with Andrea. We were planning on going to a restaurant downtown where her boyfriend would be playing jazz with a couple other musicians. In terms of fashion, my outfit needed to transition pretty easily from day to night, from office to bar. Here's the day version:

Basic black polka-dot dress with black tights, cardigan, black cocktail ring and my favorite wedge heels. The night version is very similar and takes only a few minor changes:

I simply removed the cardigan, changed to fun, funky red patent shoes and pumped up the volume on my make-up. Really, the make-up is the most significant change made to the outfit. I darkened my eye make-up and brightened the lip color. Of course, neither of those changes is particularly noticeable in the pictures. Simple and easy switch from day to night, don't you think? In the summer, this transition would work, too. Instead of a cashmere cardigan, I'd wear a light-weight cotton or silk cardi and of course I'd skip the tights altogether.

In a completely unrelated subject, I took some gorgeous pictures last night. I happened to walk by a window while I was at work and saw an incredibly stunning sunset. I'm glad I saw it when I did because it didn't last long. Pennsylvania sunsets are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. I've heard west coast sunsets are incomparable, but until I see one, I'll still boast that PA has some of the most spectacular sunsets.

Stunning!

Project Runway is BACK!!!

WIN: Emilio (Hurray! His was my fave!)
AUF'd: Christiane


I promise to post a full write-up of each episode as I did last season, but tonight I simply HAVE to go to bed ASAP. This post may be a tad brief but I'll make up for it in the future. For now, here are some basic observations of the season opener:


- Heidi looks as radiant as she ever did. Love her.
- Michael Kors is looking more orange every season. Someone please tell him to lay off the fake 'n bake. He's a pumpkin.
- Nicole Richie looks as terrible as she ever did. I kind of want to shake her and shout, "Eat a burger!" and "Lay off the eye make-up!"
- The talent is definitely there this season- the runway show was impressive. The designers were ambitious and I love that.
- Parsons looks like it got a fresh paint job- everything is bright and pretty.
- The grand prize is SO much bigger- that HP/Intel package sounds awesome!
- Why wasn't Jay on the chopping block for putting a pom-pom on the model's belly? Can we say "UNFLATTERING?"
- Janeane is the female version of Ricky- she is already crying way too much.
- Anthony is hilarious- they'll keep him on the show for entertainment value alone!
- "Ping?" Really? Is that her real name?


I completely agree with the judges' decision and I'm hoping that since the show is back in New York, we'll have more consistent judging. Last season had too many judges. Nina, Heidi and Michael are great judges and along with Tim, they keep the level of the show very high. Their standards require designers to work at a top skill level and creativity level. And of course Tim Gunn is just amazing. The formula works, so please, producers, keep the show in New York and don't change a thing!

Pictured: Emilio's Design (My fave!)

Exciting shoe find!!!

Ok, you know those fabulous Kelsi Dagger boots from this morning's post? These ones:

Well, they're a little beyond my price range, but check out these fabulous shoes from Steve Madden, currently on sale for only $59.98. Still a bit steep, but less than half the cost of the booties!

I just had to share that find with you. Have a great day everyone!