Feb 10, 2012 | Fashion
Mercedes-Benze New York Fashion Week is now fully in swing, and already the news and trends we have to look forward to next season are trickling in. But first and foremost: what to wear around town and to the shows this week.
Rue La La offered up a curated boutique yesterday on some must-have pieces to wear in NYC (curated by Lauren David Peden), and though the offerings dwindled quickly, I thought I could offer up some affordable possibilities instead.
Looks from left to right; click on the links for an affordable option:
LOOK 1: gradation sunnies, knee-length tweed coat, textured fur scarf, terracotta striped top, grey skinny jeans, black ankle booties, structured black tote bag
LOOK 2: oversized sunnies, fluffy fur stole, black-and-gray striped sweater, knee-length black wool coat, black skinny jeans, leather over-the-knee boots, large brown tote
LOOK 3: zebra finch fur mid-length coat w/ black belt (original still avail. here!), light gray silk drape top, colorblock bag
, gray skinny jeans, black knee-length suede boots
LOOK 4: amber sunnies, cropped leopard faux fur jacket
, gold tassel necklace, olive silk blouse, dark-rinse skinny jeans
, mulberry-colored doctor bag, suede wedge ankle boot
LOOK 5: black cocoon coat
, colorful silk scarf, blue leather gloves, gray drapey long-sleeved dress, quilted black structured handbag, black tights, suede wedge ankle boot
(And if you still want to check out the Rue La La boutique to see if anything’s left, use this invite here!)
Hope this gives you some styling ideas for some high-fashion citified wear!
photos from Ruelala.com; arrays by me
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 7, 2012 | DIY
So January ends with a whimper and now February hits, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. Here in Portland we’re enjoying the characteristic couple weeks at this time of year when the Winter rain stops and we get warm[ish], sunshiny days. That’ll all be over pretty soon and we’ll have afternoons of hail coming in a month or so. Oh well. We can all warm our hearts with a little DIY in the meantime…
Taylor & Demolish did a DIY Rhinestone Collar Necklace. (Boy, it seems everyone’s got collars on the brain these days!!) LOVE it!
Speaking of rhinestone necklaces, you can also DIY your own version of a Dannijo rhinestone necklace using a vintage bracelet and some neon nailpolish with Going West. (I know we’ve all seen nailpolish-coated rhinestone necklaces before…but is Dannijo’s piece inspired by them or the other way around? Which came first: the original or the DIY? Hmmm…..)
Warmer temps are on their way! Make some sassy studded DIY shorts with Jen Ell’s Revenge. I’m feeling the spaced-apart grid pattern she used – a new take on this ubiquitous trend.
How pretty and easy is this Turn a Necklace Into a Headband DIY from …love, Maegan?? Just a couple stitches and a hair elastic and you have yourself a beautiful, one-of-a-kind hair adornment.
Okay – this Cinch Bag tutorial by Sweet Verbena is awesome!! So stylish and unique – and imagine changing the cinching ribbons so your bows are different-colored…or decorated…oooh!!
I received a reader question about creating stylish lingerie, and I didn’t get back to her immediately since there seems to be a dearth of good patterns for undergarments. BurdaStyle posted 9 patterns for the boudoir, which although they aren’t DIY per se, can definitely help get you started on creating your own underpinnings.
DIY EVENT ALERT! This Saturday (Feb 11) from 12 – 3 PM at your local Free People Boutique, customers will get to create a special DIY for their Valentines. Get more info and RSVP at their Facebook page here. (Find your local Free People store here)
Going on a tropical getaway anytime soon? Need a new cover-up for the beach or pool? How about a quick and easy clothing project that requires no sewing? This DIY Caftan video on Craftzine should satisfy all those yearnings and more!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/diylotwfeaturedbutton.png” /></a>
If you have a DIY how-to or tutorial that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts! (Tutorials/how-to’s with steps and photos included please! So everyone can share in the DIY goodness:-)
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
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Feb 5, 2012 | Blogging
I’m a member of the Portland Blogger’s Brunch group: a meetup of about 50+ local bloggers who meet once every two months to network, talk about all things blogging, and make some local blogger friends. I went to my first meetup in December, and it was so much fun!
Yesterday we had our February meetup, hosted by Nicole of Nicole-Marie Who? (above) at her lovely apartment meeting room setting. 
We enjoyed a delicious brunch of mini croissants, quiche, chocolate truffles, ambrosia fruit salad, coconut macaroons, and champagne and orange juice. (more…)
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Feb 4, 2012 | Fashion
Hair: rolled back at the sides and secured at the back in an under-roll with bobby pins
Faux Gem Studs: Forever 21
3 rings gold necklace: 100yen shop (Tokyo)
Silver Studded Cardigan: DIY of a Forever 21 cardigan (tutorial here)
Long Ruffled Tank: ShopAKIRA
Rings: Tiffany, Cartier, mocha, unknown
Metallic Skinny Belt: Forever 21
Black Jeggings: UNIQLO
Grey Cable Socks: Target…?
Leather Boot-Covers: DIY (tutorial here)
Wedge-Heel Booties: Forever 21 (thrifted)
Manicure: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Winter Funderland
I always try to dress up a bit on days I have class since it allows me to pull out and enjoy some of my favorite things from my closet. (more…)
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Feb 2, 2012 | DIY
Finally! There’s been some great DIY projects floating around, and though I’ve been super-busy and unable to dive into any of them, I hope those who have a little more time on their hands will try some of these out.
Look What Melissa Made posted this cute-and-easy Chain Collar DIY Necklace. Love how it’s a removable Peter Pan Collar – but wait, it’s a necklace – but wait, it’s a collar! A great way to sweeten up any outfit.
Still got collars on the brain? Try one of the 4 DIY Collar ideas that Refinery29 shared, including adding tips to a collar studding a collar, making a necklace out of leather, and cutting a collar off a shirt and securing with a button.
If you’re in the mood for something fun, short, and poufy, try making a DIY Man Repeller Miu Miu Skirt, courtesy of Chictopian RunwayDIY. Pleating is super-easy to do, and once you try it, I assure you the finished product will be an exact dupe of the original!
Beyond the Open Spaces has a great new take on the ubiquitous DIY Tassel Necklace; she’s added rhinestone chain and a button to make the finished piece 70’s fabulous. Check out her tutorial for matching earrings as well!
The series on sewing basic hems on A Beautiful Mess is really helpful, and can help take your sewing skills to the next level! Also check out her series on basic stitches and basic seams, and sewing leather, knits, and stretch fabric, which totally clarifies the process.
Add a studded ribbon edging to details on your bag with The Inner Sole of Cutie Booties. This is a great way to add some interest and make something look a lot more expensive than it really is!!
Geneva from A Pair and a Spare shared her DIY Metal Neck Cuff how-to on the Harper’s Bazaar Australia website. It uses a piece of aluminum flashing from the hardware store and comes out looking runway-ready.
Since it’s still technically Winter in many areas, you can give life to an old sweater by giving it a Fair Isle-style makeover…with safety pins! Inspiration & Realisation has the tutorial for this Moschino-inspired beauty.
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/diylotwfeaturedbutton-1.png” /></a>
If you have a DIY how-to or tutorial that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts! (Tutorials/how-to’s with steps and photos included please! So everyone can share in the DIY goodness:-)
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
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