Prada B.Y.O. Bags

Have you all heard about the new Prada B.Y.O. Bag line? They are cotton tote bags bearing the Prada logo and made using archived Prada prints and they will be retailing for $295.

I don't know about you guys and gals, but my canvas and cotton tote bags are mostly the free or $1 type that you get at the grocery store or at community events. They work just fine when I go to the Farmer's Market and I hardly mind if a strawberry gets squished and stains the bag. I'd be incensed if I stained my $300 Prada bag with fruit juice! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a beautiful designer handbag, but all the ads are touting this line as "the cheaper" version of a Prada handbag. It's supposedly the more financially accessible bag for those of us who can't afford a real Prada handbag at Neiman's or Barney's. Somehow, I find that a tad insulting. If I can't afford a real Prada handbag (which I can't), what on earth makes you think I'm going to shell out nearly $300 for a glorified shopping bag just because it says "Prada" on it? For that price, I could get a real, leather handbag from a designer like Michael Kors or Coach, or maybe even two designer handbags for that price if I shop at Marshalls or SYMS.

I admit the archived prints used on the bags is a pretty cool idea, but I'd rather see a great diffusion line of skirts or dresses made with vintage Prada prints, or maybe they could price these particular bags a little more afforably but only make a limited number of each print. Or better yet, actually handbags, not tote bags, made with these prints. The archived prints they selected certainly are beautiful. I'm particularly fond of the ones in the 2nd picture. But I don't love them enough to buy a cotton tote bag for $295. $295!!!

Even $50 per bag is way too excessive for a cotton tote that will likely be best used carrying asparagus and tomatoes from the farmer's market or a towel and sunscreen for a trip to the beach. But at $50, I'm slightly less insulted by the "cheaper version of a Prada handbag" advertising spin. And I'll be honest, even if they were $50 instead of $295, I still think I'd pass.

What about you? What do you think of Prada's B.Y.O. Bag line? Frivolous or fabulous?

Tony Awards- Best Dressed

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a photograph of Catherine Zeta-Jones from last night's Tony Awards, but I am still selecting her as my pick for "Best Dressed." (Also for most interesting acceptance speech of the night- she was over the top!) Instead, here is a YouTube clip from last night's show. Unfortunately, in YouTube, she looks shorter and squatter than we all know she is in real life, so don't let that throw you.



Skip to about one minute in to get right to her. I love this dress for so many reasons:

1.) The color is simply ethereal. Is it silver? Is it blue? Who cares- it's gorgeous. It's beautiful against her skin tone, where an actress with a pale complection would have been washed out. Beautiful.
2.) The detail on the bodice- I adore the asymetrical detail across the bodice as well as the intricate ruching of the chiffon fabric.
3.) The silhouette- This is an interesting spin on a mermaid style. I love the asymmetry- the way it is higher on one side. On her body, the flare works from the high point to the low on her hips- it's amazing.
4.) The flowing skirt- Her remark about "How does Cinderella do it in this dress?" is hilarious, but other than climbing the stairs, I think she does it just fine. Not exactly her most graceful moment, but I believe she was in shock over winning and truly beside herself with excitement, so I forgive all. Back to the dress: I adore how the layers and layers of chiffon just flow and move around her. It's stunning.

There were a lot of beautiful gowns last night, but CZ-J's was by far my favorite. Did you watch the Tony's last night? If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw that I was flipping back and forth between the Tony Awards and Game 5 of the NBA Finals. I'm completely a fair-weather fan when it comes to sports, but let's be honest, the finals are when the games are the most exciting because there is so much more at stake. Anyway, my Celtics won, so it's on to Game 6 in L.A. where they will hopefully crush Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. But enough about sports- this is a fashion blog, after all. (However, you may recall my Celtics-inspired post from a few weeks ago.)

Have a great Monday!

Rate My Look- It's Been a While!

On Friday, I went to Target with my friend Andrea and we had a lot of fun shopping. Normally we like to go to the King of Prussia mall, but we're both so busy at work getting this show up, that we had to settle for the Target that is literally next door to the theatre where we work- there was no time for a trip to KOP. Not that there's anything wrong with Target- I love Target! In fact, I was especially happy with Target on Friday because I got this entire outfit for barely more than $40:

Strapless bubble dress:  $15.38

Black ballet flats: $17.99
Flower cocktail ring: $6.99

TOTAL $40.36

The great thing about the dress is that it didn't have a price tag, but when I put it on I fell in love. I brought it to the register hoping it would at least be on sale, but really having no idea what it was going to cost. When it rang up at that price, I was SO excited!

And the flats have been a LONG time coming. Rememer this post when I said I needed new black ballet flats? Well, after more than a month I finally found a pair I like!

They are very comfortable and I like the little knot detail on the front. As if the dress and shoes we're enough of a great set of finds, then I saw this crazy ring:

Flowers seem to be becoming my "signature." Whether it's a floral print fabric, a ring, a bracelet or a brooch, flowers are all over my wardrobe. So when I saw this ring, I couldn't resist. And the price was right, too.

I may add some removable straps to the dress- maybe some ribbon pieces that either tie behind the neck halter-style, or regular straps to cover a bra strap. This dress is actually very supportive even without a bra because it actually has boning in the bodice. (Hint: NEVER buy a strapless dress that doesn't have boning!) Even more busty girls can wear a strapless dress without a bra if the correct type of support is built into the dress. Not that I recommend going bra-less. I don't. I believe in the importance of keeping your ta-tas high and supported.

Anyway, I like the idea of the dress having convertible straps, so we'll see. For now, I'm about to head out into a gorgeous, sunny day, so this dress will be perfect. I plan to be outside a lot today, so hopefully by wearing this dress, I'll avoid at least some unsightly tan lines. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Award Shows- Not Just For Famous People

My fabulous friend Jen is going to the Tony Awards tomorrow night. How exciting is that? She said she'll be calling me for some fashion advice, but I thought it would be fun to write a whole post about it.

The thing about awards shows is that they are all unique not only in terms of their purpose, but also in the attendees fashion approach. For example, the Oscars tend to be very glamorous, but the fashions tend to be fairly approachable. Some celebrities will take a fashion risk, but for the most part, the gowns are just really beautiful. It's a veritable who's who of the design world on that red carpet.

The Grammy's on the other hand are all about being edgy and youthful. The music industry event tends to be a lot more colorful and outlandish in terms of the fashions:

I like to think of the Tony's as an opportunity to be fashionably dramatic like the Grammy's, but combined with the elegance of the Oscar's. Dramatic elegance:

Of course, there are all sorts of other things to take into consideration when dressing for an Awards Show:

What are the current trends and which trends are appropriate for this event?

Am I attending as a nominee or as a presenter or both?

If a nominee, will I also be performing at some point throughout the night?

Will I be attending an after-party in the same attire?

And these are just a few things to consider. Dressing for an event is never quite as simple as picking a pretty dress and shoes. If only...

If I were in Jen's position, I'd be pretty excited to figure out what to wear as she is neither a presenter nor a nominee. But despite not having the notoriety of some other attendees, since it is the Tony Awards, I'd go bold. Something like this:

Teri Jon Silk Taffeta Gown, Nordstrom, $758

This gown has a sophisticated silhouette, but it is also deceptively simple. At first glance, it's just a pale pink gown with lovely draping, but upon closer inspection, it has a dramatic, embellished, asymetrical shoulder. It's a fabulous starting point, but considering the glamour-factor of an event like the Tony's, I would definitely pair it with a sparkly clutch and jewelry Maybe earrings and a cuff bracelet, but definitely NO necklace. A necklace would compete with the detail of the neckline.

Another Tony's-worthy option:

JS Collection Ombre Chiffon Gown, Nordstrom, $248

I'm a bit in love with this particular dress- the ombre effect is simply stunning, particularly because of the color combination. Deep plum fading to lavender and then to peach- it's unexpected and dramatic. The neckline on this dress could definitely handle a statement piece, however, it should be chosen carefully since the eye is naturally drawn down to the ombre shading in the skirt. Once again, I would skip a necklace and instead choose a pair of long, dangling earrings (sparkly, of course). Shoes should be neutral to once again allow the beautiful ombre effect to be the star of the look.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a short evening dress:

Ted Baker Ruffle Front Sheath Dress, Nordstrom, $275

When choosing a dress with an interesting detail like the dramatic ruffle on the front of this otherwise simple strapless sheath, it's important to let that one dramatic element be the star of the outfit. If this dress were also a dramatic color like a jewel tone, it would be a lot of look. But since the color is a subdued silver, it works. That doesn't mean you should wear bold accessories, you should. It helps elevate the look and make it more special. I would personally wear this dress with a bold statement necklace- one that is short enough that it stays above the neckline. A necklace that drapes down past the bustline would be inappropriate because of how it would compete with the ruffle detail.

Maybe Jen will be nice enough to send me some pictures of whatever she decides to wear so that she can be featured on the blog (hint, hint)! And in the meantime, if any of you have a style dilemma and would like some advice, feel free to email me or leave a comment and I'll be happy to offer some advice!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Picture...

This is another costume from the show I'm currently designing ( again, it's not quite finished in the photo). Let's see if it publishes from my phone...

First attempt...

I think I may have FINALLY figured out how to post a blog from my phone. Ever since I got my first high-tech smartphone, I've been meaning to try and blog with it, convinced it was my lack of tech-savvy that was holding me back. After searching the Droid Market multiple times, I'm less convinced that the problem was me. But if this post works, we'll know that I have entered the realm of "I can do anything with my gadgets!" So here goes...

What I Did Today...

Sorry for being a bit MIA the last 2 days, but I am currently in production for the next show of the season at work, so I'm pretty busy. And when I get home from work, I'm often pretty exhausted. And the apartment is a disaster and really needs a deep cleaning (it's really embarrassing at this point), but I'm wiped out, so it's getting done little by little. For example, last night I was taking out the trash around midnight and on the way back from the dumpster, there were dozens of fire flies all over the place. Some people call them lightning bugs. They are so gorgeous the way they glow. I was absolutely mesmerized and I just stood there in the grass watching their lights glow. I remember being a little girl and visiting friends of the family up in a rural area of Maine. (Who am I trying to kid? ALL of Maine is rural!) Anyway, I remember the lightning bugs/fire flies were glowing bright orange. And last night down here in rural PA, they were glowing bright yellow. Does anyone know what makes the different colored lightning bugs? I suppose I could Google it, but it's late and I'm sleepy. How does this relate to this blog or the title of this particular post? Well, I spent most of today working on a costume that actually reminds me quite a bit of the lightning bugs:

Forgive the pins holding the sequin trim in place- it's not quite finished in the picture. And also forgive the messy fringe- I didn't smooth it all down perfectly before snapping the picture. Oops! Anyway, you may think this costume reminds me of the lightning bugs because it is literally neon, but that's not the only reason. In the show, it will be featured in a full black-light number, which I find pretty exciting. As you can see, the entire costume is covered in fringe, which reacts to the black light really well. There will be another dancer in a yellow version of the same costume- kind of like the two colors of fire flies- orange in Maine and yellow in Pennsylvania. And no, I did not choose those colors to copy the bugs, it is merely a coincidence that they are so similar.

I am not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I LOVE designing costumes for dancers. First of all, they have the most perfect bodies, so there are rarely limitations in terms of how form-fitting or revealing a costume can be. Second, their costumes are all about movement, so it's fun to come up with ways to make the costume move based on the choreography. Can you guess the type of dancing that will be done in this black light costume? In case you can't tell from the picture, the base underneath the pink fringe is white, so there will be a fun contrast in colors under the black light since white glows purple. I'm excited to see it all come together, but I have to wait a couple more weeks for that.

I'm sorry if this post wasn't very fashion-y, but please understand when I'm mounting a show, there's not much else I think about. In the meantime, if you have any questions about my work as a costume designer, clothing designer, seamstress or style consultant, leave a comment and I'll either answer it there, or if there are a lot of questions, I may do a Q&A post to answer them.

Have a great weekend!