Jan 28, 2010 | Fashion
Soooo meant to write a post yesterday, but ended up falling asleep while waiting for Lil Tot to fall asleep first. FAIL!
So I’m finally getting around to this and just wanted to share with all of you some great shopping sites out there- and some shopping picks for late January:
With a showroom in Capitol Hill in Seattle (offering local pickup for online orders), La Rousse is a fashion-forward e-store carrying a variety of under-the-radar lines. (Some of the more well-known include Anna Sui, Erin Templeton, Melissa shoes, and Sretsis – but just because the brands may not be all over the pages of Vogue doesn’t mean there aren’t some fabulous finds among their offerings.) Plus, they offer worldwide shipping.
And save 20% off your purchase with code INDUSTRY20 (though you’ll have to check with the site to make sure it’s usable on sale items!)
Rumor is a brick-and-mortar store off of Ventura Blvd. in L.A., known as a trendy celeb shopping destination. They also have an extensive online store – and their shipping was super-fast!
A couple fave picks:
ShockBoutique, another e-tailer based in L.A., goes the extra mile when it comes to customer service with wardrobe consultants and online stylists available for you and all your shopping needs. Their store is incredibly, ridiculously affordable, with an area for you to shop looks inspired by your favorite celeb.
Today (1/28) only, get 20% off all denim with code CELEBDENIM at checkout!
And get a free black nailpolish with any Valentine’s Day purchase! (Meaning not a purchase on Valentine’s Day, but by clicking the link above to shop from the selections in the “Valentine’s Day” subcategory – like the black peep-toe stilettos above.)
And another item I’m just dying to have…
Sometimes virtual shopping can make you feel so satiated…and virtuous.;-)
-Carly J. Cais
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Jan 25, 2010 | Fashion, Life
Well, I, Carly, am – as a FashionTribes Contributing Editor. (Doesn’t that sound all pompous and deserving of capitalization?LOL:-)
I went last February and it was a blast! At the time I wasn’t blogging with the fervor that I am now; I just was contributing weekly articles to my editor over at FashionTribes.com. I decided to make the trip to NYC in February 2009 to help her cover the shows.
I grew up in New Jersey, and so had been to NY a couple times on school field trips when I was a kid, and then again in 2002 on a trip with Hub and the parents-in-law just before we moved to Hawaii. (We stayed at the Plaza Hotel, just before they tore it down.:-( Well, the room was threadbare, stained, and the sink leaked a pool of water into the bathroom. I felt sorry that they couldn’t have fixed those things, but yes, the hotel seemed like it had seen better days.)
I also went to New York on a 4-day trip in Spring 2007 when I was a finalist in the Bacardi Limon Express Your Style Competition and they flew me and four other finalists to New York to compete in a live cut-and-sew event. Kind of like Project Runway, they said…but it really…wasn’t.
But I had never experienced the city like this!
“BARBIE” spelled out in…what else – Barbies! to celebrate the fashion icon’s 50th anniversary, inside the tents.
What an experience! I ended up attending 10 runway shows and submitting 11 articles to my editor. I also conducted numerous interviews with people: Yigal Azrouel (my first interview EVER – I was super-nervous, sweating like crazy, and babbling like some insane gibbon), Tina Turnbow for Tarte Cosmetics (who told me she LOVED my eye makeup – who applied it?? Um…Avon in a Wink Instant Eyeshadow Sheets
, thank you very much!), Abaete designer Laura Poretzky, hair stylist Ted Gibson, Vena Cava designers Sophie Buehl and Lisa Mayock, Lela Rose, Verrier designer Ashley Verrier, and makeup artist Vincent Longo, plus numerous student designers from Academy of Arts University.
Excuse me while I name-drop a little;-)
I was bummed that not a single article I wrote was posted onto the FashionTribes site, but it’s really all at my editor’s discretion, and I got the feeling that she wasn’t really interested in a “this show had these pieces” sort of thing – which isn’t really what her site is about. Ah well. I shared write-ups here on Chic Steals of the runway shows from Vena Cava, Yigal Azrouel, Lela Rose, PORTS 1961, G-Star RAW, Christian Siriano, Leanne Marshal, and Academy of Art University.
Some highlights from the trip:
A caramel apple cupcake from Crumbs Bake Shop. Funny story – I saw a photo of this cupcake in a 2003 InStyle Magazine – where it was listed as “Jay-Z’s favorite cupcake when he is New York City.” I thought it looked delish, and saved the clipping. Somehow it managed to survive a move to Hawaii and then a move to Oregon – and finally, 6 years later I happened across the magazine clipping again and said, “when I’m in New York for Fashion Week, I’m having this cupcake!” I paced myself too – I managed to wait until the third day I was there before I ate it – and I even set aside a whole hour to do so! When you wait SIX YEARS for something…;-)
It was divine.
Sitting front row at the Academy of Arts University runway show. Only show I got to sit front row for.
Famous people: Tori Spelling causing a near-riot just by arriving at Christian Siriano’s show; Anna Wintour sitting front-row at the PORTS 1961 show; Miss J. Alexander looking trashed by Day 6 of the shows (“You look exhuasted – you poor thing!” I told him, and he could barely nod); me accosting Robert Verdi and Fern Mallis with the bag I spent 6 weeks sewing every night; Tim Gunn graciously answering questions after Christian Siriano’s show; spent 2 hours talking with Steven Rosengard from Project Runway Season 5 (the sweetest person you could imagine!!) – my editor was talking to him about perhaps writing a series of articles for the site, but it never seemed to materialize; going to Leanne Marshall’s show (Project Runway Season 5 winner) and also meeting Suede there (he even wished me happy birthday last month…awwww; such a sweetie!); Real Housewives of NYC Leann de Lesseps sitting first row and her Juliette Lewis-wannabe 20-years-younger girlfriend sitting 2 rows behind her at the PORTS show…and numerous editors and other famous people that I just didn’t recognize as well. Benecio del Toro at G-STAR RAW taking the stage and reading song lyrics – strangely moving.
The swag bag from Vena Cava. I still to this day use the canvas tote for groceries at glamorous Fred Meyer.
Thrilling over the abundant swag bag at Vena Cava (my first show) and then expecting it at every show I went to afterwards – and feeling totally let down because there wasn’t anything else except at the Verrier show! But at the end of the week I got a press swag bag full of liquor and alcoholic products, which I bequeathed on a well-deserving liquor-liking friend. 😉
I wore my DIY Burberry studded belt over my black trench and was feeling particularly fashionably fabulous the day I arrived in NYC – and I rained buttons up 6th avenue…I was missing 3 when I finally noticed.
I dragged my 70 lb. suitcase all the way from Bryant Park to Brighton Beach (next to Coney Island in Brooklyn, where I was staying with a friend) BY SUBWAY. The people in Mahattan were super-nice to me, one guy even insisting on helping me down 3 flights of stairs into the subway; other people opening doors, one lady swiping her metrocard when I couldn’t get mine to work in the turnstile…but the closer I got to Brooklyn, the less willing to help people became. Two days later, when I was dragging said 70-pounder BACK to Manhattan up two flights of stairs to the entrance to the Brighton Beach B train – a bunch of old Russian men gathered and watched me as I struggled. “Whatcha doin lady?” one of them asked, with much gesturing. (You should hear me say that in my Russian accent impression – it’s pretty cool. Not.) I was surprised and amazed at how nice everyone was to me while I was in New York…well, except the strangers in Brighton Beach.
Between shows I hightailed it over to this creepy warehouse where they were having the Alexander McQueen for Target preview event where editors were invited to shop the collection – I got into an unmarked black taxicab and truly thought I was being kidnapped on the way there…the guy got lost and then had the gall to charge me almost 3 times what the fare was back to BP when I used a YellowCab…learned my lesson! (And bought a crappily-made McQueen for Target jumpsuit for my editor too.)
A pair of pants made entirely of tiles at a tile showroom. Fab! (But probably ridiculously heavy.:-)
For the first time in my life I bought a pack of hot nuts – cashews – from a nut-truck on the street. (It sounds a little risque, I know.) Yum-O! Now I am addicted!
Standing next to catwalk models really made me realize: they truly are genetic freaks! (I don’t mean anything hurtful by that comment BTW.) Someone had told me that once and I really couldn’t understand what they meant. I mean, how tall and think could they really be? I’m about average height (5’6″) and have been around models before – modelled in Tokyo about 10 years ago, cast models for m
y runway show when I launched my clothing line a couple years back…but high-fashion catwalk models, I found, were a whole different breed altogether. When I was in the same room as a bunch of them, backstage as they were getting ready for the Abaete show, all of a sudden that generalization made sense. So leggy, insanely, unbelievably thin, striking facial features – gorgeous skin…it was difficult to stop staring at them because they literally looked like beings from another planet…well-dressed, impeccably-made-up aliens… I was kind of goggling up at them for most of the time, wondering how they moved without falling over or snapping in two they were so emaciated. In.SANE.
Getting a fashion sketch done by an artist in the tents (sponsored by Chambord – he was doing sketches for anyone who asked)…along with my fabulous handmade bag.
So anyhoo – I’ll be going into the fray again in two weeks’ time…so expect much on-the-spot happenings, photos, and updates from NYC come Feb. 13!
There’s tons to cover and I’ll be right there – bringing you gals straight to the action!
Wish me luck:-)
xoxoxo
Carly
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Jan 25, 2010 | Fashion
These earrings are freakin’ GORGEOUS. I won these in a giveaway from Accessory Source (a fave blog of mine – Pandora always showcases the best and newest jewelry and handbag trends by snapping photos in the stores) – and finally, due to 2 days in a row of surprisingly-mild weather, was able to put them on and take some shots outside. I was first of all surprised at how heavy they are. A boutique owner told me once that the more weighty jewelry feels – the more the consumer “feels” the expense in it…and if so, these should be sold for $1000!
I’m not exactly sure what they’re made of, to be honest. (Perhaps blackened base metal? It’s difficult to tell.) Lia Sophia, for those who aren’t familiar with the brand, is a company that operates through direct selling (like Avon), and has been around for more than 30 years. I’m not really a fan of their past styles – but ohmygoodness, the recent Midnight and Midnight II collections are fabulous! (Recently a couple pieces have been in Lucky and Marie Claire magazines, if you need convincing about how on-trend they are.) You can see more of the Midnight II collection here. The earrings I won arrived in this lovely white leather bag.
Embedded cushion-cut smoke Swarovski crystals really make these chic. They are so glamorous – I can’t wait to rock these out some more!!
Thank you Accessory Source!
The dress is from F21 – kind of like their knockoff of the Herve Leger bandage dress from last year (I know you can’t see the bandage-styling to the piece, but it’s there underneath). I thought it appropriate to partially cover it up with a BCBGMAXAZRIA skirt, hehe. I like colorblocking [and black] and it just felt like way too much pink for me, it being January and all.;-)
It was a little hard to shoot this on the deck as it was all soggy and slick.
Woops! I slipped. Gotta get the deck refinished someday.
I just wanted to try something different and decided to bobby-pin my hair into a faux-hawk. I guess it was a little messier in the back than I realized. Business in the front and nuts in the back – that’s my mantra!
xoxox
Carly
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Jan 24, 2010 | DIY
Blame it on Rachel Zoe and that fabulous vintage fox fur hip-length vest. The F/W 2010 runways followed suit, and fur – both real & faux – abounded. Designers such as Barbara Bui, Antonio Berardi, and Christian Dior made faux fur a must-have, while the release of Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are” in October 2009 put all things furry front & center. But why buy when you can easily DIY? This stole is a quick and easy project – very Marilyn Monroe-fabulous, and totally guilt-free. Here’s how:
You Need:
*a piece of faux fur, at least 45″ wide by 12″ tall (this Tissavel faux fur is high quality, has a plush feel and super-luxurious hand)
*piece of satin or poly acetate for the lining, same size
*matching thread
*large sew-on snap set
*brooch (optional)
*24″ of satin ribbon cut into two 12″ pieces for a ribbon-tie (optional)
TOOLS:
*box cutter or razor blade
*scissors
*pins
*sewing machine
*needle for wovens
*skewer or knitting needle
*hand-sewing needle
CUT OUT THE FABRIC PIECES:
1.Cut the faux fur. First, though, a tip about cutting any kind of fur, both real & fake: never ever use scissors, or cut from the front (fur) side. Why not? Because you’ll chop right through the fur itself, giving it a weird-looking “haircut” that will make your finished piece look anything but. (Nobody, not even a fur stole, wants to wear a fur mullet. 😉 To cut like a pro, turn the fur over so the underside is facing upward; this is also the time to make sure the nap is laying down (ie. all the fur hairs are pointing down toward the bottom of your stole). Then use the box cutter or razor blade to delicately cut out a rectangle that is at least 12″ wide and 45″ long. By making it 10-15″ longer, you can wrap your stole scrunchie-style around your neck, belt it, or even rock it halter-style vest, cinched together with a fabulous statement belt.
2. Use the box cutter or razor to round off the corners.
3. Cut the lining: The cut-fur piece will act as your template when you cut out the satin lining. First place the cut-fur piece onto the satin, fur side down against the back side of the satin. Then carefully cut out the satin lining, taking care to not accidentally trim off any of the fur.
SEW IT TOGETHER:
4. Place fur and lining right-sides together (ie. fur side next to the shiny side of the satin), and match up the corners. Pin together. Tip: Satin is slippery when you sew it, so be sure to pin in more places than you think you will need…you can’t overpin!
Optional: Add a ribbon-tie using a 12″ piece of ribbon attached to each side of the faux fur, the end of each ribbon piece sandwiched between the lining and the fur. (The long end of the ribbon needs to sit inside the pinned stole pieces.) Pin the ends of the ribbon down to the edges.
5. Sew the fur to the lining, Starting about 3/8″ to 1/2″ in from the edge (your seam allowance), sew the fur to the lining – but not all the way around. Along the bottom, leave about 6″ unsewn.
6. Around the sewn edge, trim away the excess fur.
7. To turn the piece right side out, pull it through the 6″ gap you left unsewn (in Step 5). Optional: If you added a ribbon tie (Step 4), the ribbons will now be on the outside of your stole and serve as closure ties.
8. Finish the remaining 6″ unsewn edge by gently tucking the excess 3/8″-1/2″ faux fur and the lining fabric into the hole. Close the hole by topstitching as close to the finished edge as you can.
ADD CLOSURE & FINISH:
9. Use a skewer, pencil, or knitting needle to pick the fur hairs out of the edge seams.
10. Try on the stole and decide where you want to place the closure. Mark it with a pin.
11. Hand-sew a large snap onto your piece. (If you made a ribbon-tie, this won’t be necessary.)
Optional: Decorate the front with a large, eye-catching brooch.
You’re done!
For a “I’m headed to the opera” look, wear your stole draped glamorously around your shoulders; to look more Russian-Anastasia, scrunch up closer to your neck. Mix it up with other faux furs in gray, leopard, or even multicolored – PreFurs.com sells high quality faux fur yardage, while Cornelia James and Charly Calder both sell chic finished items – and enjoy a fashionable walk on the wild side.
And yes, you look bananas in it!
Happy DIY’ing!
-Carly J. Cais, Contributing Editor
(as contributed to FashionTribes.com)
A note about this piece: I actually started out doing a DIY for a faux-fur vest, and then discovered a tute at P.S. I Made This – which I thought was so fantastic I lost the will to do mine. So if you want to do a vest – try those instructions out – can’t go wrong with just cutting and wearing!:-)
Have fun any way you try your flirt with the faux!
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Jan 22, 2010 | Fashion, From You
Dear Chic Steals,
I have a couple pairs of cigarette jeans I’m wondering about…the leg opening is 14″ just to give you an idea. What should the ideal inseam length be for wearing them with heels? Do I want the jeans to cover as much of the shoe as possible (i.e. as long as possible?)? Or should they just cover the heel of the shoe? Or should they not cover any of the shoe?
Thanks for your help in my never-ending quest to figure out what length to hem my pants to…
-Emily
Fabulous reader Emily emailed me with the above question. And what a great one!
First of all: What are cigarette jeans? Are they different from skinny jeans?
Well, somewhat. Technically the cigarette jean (also called the “straight leg jean” sometimes) is cut straight down from knee to hem to end at about a 14″ – 15″ leg opening; the skinny jean tapers to the ankle somewhat to end at a 12″ – 13″ leg opening. Just a single inch can make all the difference in the world!! (And I mean nothing lewd by that, promise.;-) I just mean how the hem sits above your heel – see the below for an example:
Skinny Jeans vs. Cigarette Jeans.
This is a pair of straight-cut jeans with a 17″ leg opening, just for comparison purposes.
(By the way, here’s the discount code: JAN15A, entered at checkout, to receive 15% off your entire order, through 1/27/2010. Or use A15AFF for 15% off until 2/4/2010. And use 2075A for $20 off your order of $75 or more until 2/4/2010. AND get Free Shipping on orders over $25 with FREE25A until 2/4/2010. Whew! That’s a lot of offers – though I’m not sure how many can be combined at once. If anyone tries them out at Alloy.com
, please let me know!)
Anyway, my personal view on where to hem the cigarette jean is that it depends what look you’re going for.
For instance, if you’d like to your jeans mostly in a casual ensemble, and you wear alot of flats – then the hem of the jeans probably needs to hit about 1″ or so above the bottom of your flat. More and the jeans will bag and look sloppy from the front; less and they’ll look like you’re wearing jeans that are just too darn short.
The right length for casual chic.
At this length you can also cuff the bottoms by rolling them up once, and wear with a heel and look city cool without any effort.
If you plan to wear your jeans mostly with heels – then put on the pair you will wear them most with and have them hemmed so the hem falls halfway up the height of the heel. (The hem will therefore be just a little too long to wear with flats – it will be dragging on the ground when you walk.)
Refined glamour.
And finally, if you want to go for a more trendy, youthful look, then a hem length that is your normal inseam + 2″ or so will create a bunched-up effect at the bottom of your jeans. (You can probably still cuff them though the cuff will be way larger than the previous example.) I personally like the bunched-up effect because I have wider thighs and I
feel more volume at the ankle balances me out. But then I can’t wear those jeans with flats because it just looks too sloppy!
How about the wrong length to hem your jeans to?
With a 14″ leg opening, these 7 For All Mankind Gwenevere Hook-an-Eye Jeans ($198, Saks.com
) are way too short in my opinion.
Some people like this “pedal pusher” look and you see it alot on runway models…but in real life I think it looks like your jeans just aren’t long enough. (Like you borrowed your little sister’s jeans or just experienced a growth spurt or something.) Unless you’re 12, no go! (Tho one commenter mentioned capris in a lighter-weight fabric for summer…and that I’d say yes! But I believe the capri-length pant/jean should actually be shorter than the pants we’re seeing to the left…by about 3″!)
Best of luck finding that perfect length that looks fab on you! (It’s a process:-)
If any other lovely reader out there has any styling/trend/fashion questions, feel free to send them my way! I’d love to help you out!
xoxoxo
Carly
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Jan 22, 2010 | Life, Score!
Entry #21: Erica
She wrote: “The Blast in Aqua/Black are beautiful. Def my fav!”
I am super-excited because Erica has been a long, looooong time reader and avid commenter for many, many months! So thank you for reading through this past…er year or more??! and congratulations to you!
Hope you love the Blast in Aqua (I have to admit, I’m a little jealous.;-)…but they’re now $70 at ShoesGotSole so maybe I’ll treat myself…)
Thank you to all who entered, tweeted, and promoted! I am humbled and touched by all your kind and supportive comments.:-) (Or maybe it’s mostly because of these droolworthy shoes up for grabs?? 😉
Nahhh – you gals are the best – bribery notwithstanding! Thank you also to ShoesGotSole.com for these lovely sandals!
xoxox
Carly
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Jan 21, 2010 | Fashion
Having gone to animation school I do have an incredible weakness for animated stuff – especially indie, do-it-yourself, thunk-it-outside the box – style animations.
This little gem featuring the work of illustrator David Shrigley, serves as an ode to Pringle of Scotland’s awesomeness (or perhaps a tongue-in-cheek take on the esteemed knitwear label). It was screened with the Fall 2010 men’s presentation in Milan recently.
Source: Style.com
Wonky, hand-drawn animation + dry UK humour = perfection in my book.
-Carly J. Cais
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Jan 20, 2010 | Fashion
(Accessorize.com necklace, thrifted cardigan, Forever21 zipper-trim dress, self-made scrunch leggings from my old line RIVETED, Maison Gilfy foldover booties)
But no; its just bad lighting.:-)
This GORGEOUS necklace was in the lovely package I received from Accessorize.com a few weeks back. I’ve been waiting to pair it with something kind of similar and take some shots, but Portland weather hasn’t been all that great (so what else is new?) lately. What with conflicting schedules and everything, we haven’t been able to shoot outside during the day in I don’t know how long.
Here’s a much better photo of the necklace:
It’s called the Bluebelle Corsage Necklace and sells for 16 pounds ($26 U.S.) on the Accessorize.com website. Fabric, ribbon, zipper trim, pearls, and findings oh my! And I just saw a very similar one at Anthropologie for about $48…Score!!
I saw this dress at a Forever21 store and I just had to have it. I mean – it was $23 – and had this fabulous zipper trim!! (It’s not available on the website anymore though, phooey.) It’s a fairly simple jersey (what else??) sheath dress that’s black and refusing to show up properly in these photos. I love the triple zippers on the shoulders, and the faux zipper pockets in the front. The downside to all its zippery is that the armscyes are super-scratchy (and heavy!), and thus an extra layer is necessitated to keep my arms scratch-free. (Hence my long cardigan – which I practically live in while at home.) Plus, the muscle tee cut of the top part of it is annoying me a little. But it looks so much better with a pretty necklace adorning it!
Thank you, Accessorize, for such a great piece!
I’ve made the radical decision to grow my hair out again (I could almost sit on it before I chopped it short a year and a half ago)…and now it’s in that in-between stage where I haven’t figured out what to do with it yet, except keep it messy-on-purpose. Yup. I gots me a PLAN.
And yes, my cardigan has magical powers – see how it’s kind of billowing out behind me though I am staying still?;-)
Sorry for the lack of DIY’s lately…one would think I am being completely lazy and slacking off…
When I am actually creating SIX DIY projects and tutorials for a current project! I’m kind of working on everything at once so it’s difficult to focus on other things.
But I promise, there’ll be some great ones coming up!
xoxox
Carly
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Jan 19, 2010 | Fashion
Forever21 – you are just KILLING me with your “Rocks and Minerals” promo of all your brand-new studded items. I SWEAR I should buy stock in the company…if only they were publicly-traded. That, or work for them. Sometimes I feel really silly spending 4 hours studding something that sells for like $20 at this store.
(I apologize for the screwy formatting of this post..the “New” Blogger edit post interface is also killing me.) See all the items in the Rocks and Minerals category here.
Killin’ me, I tell ya! What do you ladies think?
xoxox
Carly
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Jan 18, 2010 | Life, Score!
as chosen by Random.org this morning…
1 Sequin Clutch…16 entries…Entry #6: Midnight Cowgirl
2 Boho Bags….28 entries…Entry #23: Kerrie
3 Flower Rings….41 entries…Entry #9: 5inchheels
The winners have been contacted and prizes will be shipped out this week.
Thank you to all who entered and spread the word! Congratulations to Midnight Cowgirl, Kerrie, and 5inchheels – and as always, thank you all for reading!
xoxox
Carly
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