Aug 25, 2010 | Fashion
Button-Down Jumpsuit Romper: Handmade by Me from a Man’s Shirt
Faux Fox Fur Tail: Handmade by Me
Black Leather Pumps: Michael Michael Kors
Now that it finally feels like summer here in Portland (hellloooo, 90-degree days!!), I celebrated by making this jumpsuit from a man’s button-down shirt. I used almost every little bit of the original shirt!
With ruched shoulders, belt loops, and self-tie at waist.
It took awhile to formulate the how-to, but I figured it out and shared the tutorial a couple days later here. Check it out if you’re interested in making your own!!
I took an instant liking to this cute little wallet from Target. You’d never think it was actually a wallet once you add a chain handle to it! (I’ll probably change the chain to something a little less bright, but overall, I think this is a great little purse for going out. Just the right size for the bare essentials!)
I made this faux fur fox fur tail recently. I’ve been seeing them starting to crop up in photos around the blogosphere, and something tells me they will be a HUGE trend from Fall ’10. I can only find them online made of REAL fox’s tails. I’m so turned off by this idea (of using a real fox’s tail and hanging it off your bag –*blech*) that I decided to make my own. So for those wanting to get the look of the foxtail accessory, but not inclined to use real fur, I’ve created fake fur tails – out of the most luxurious faux fur I can find. Seriously, I’ve been searching for about 5 years for faux fur that looks like this and has all the beautiful variegation of real fur (and is sold by the yard to non-wholesale customers – something more rare than you might think!). It’s just lovely. This is the Brown-Tipped color, and I’m also offering pure White, solid Black, Orange-tipped Cream, and Brown in my Etsy store!
I also added this tiny pewter fox charm – to indicate that no foxes were harmed in the making of this piece (and still paying homage to the animal that inspired the design;-). I’m offering the tails with and without the charm – and I donate 10% of sales to the Humane Society, who has worked tirelessly to create regulated fur-labeling standards in regards to fur-trimmed fashion products, and advocates going “Fur-Free” when it comes to fashion.
Wedge Platform Heels: Velvet Angels Optima Wedges (purchased on HauteLook for 77% off retail!)
Haha! I just had to try these babies out!
I was so embarrassed about my lack of a pedicure I Photoshopped one in. Sorry for the deception.
Umm…hiYAH!…?
You can also wear the romper without the belt, and with the collar open for a more relaxed look.
Hope everyone’s having a great week!
I have an interview tomorrow for a potential job…so psyched! Wish me luck~
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 24, 2010 | Fashion
Hi Grishley!
Lovely to hear from you! I’m not sure if it’s really the “best” – I’m still trying things and seeing how they work – but I’ve had some success with listing things on Etsy, and some with listing on my shopchicsteals.com website. I figure, the more places you post something, the more exposure it gets! It may take awhile to generate online sales, so if you are in need of something quick, you might try participating in a craft fair to sell your goods. (Of course, you have to weigh the costs associated with your space and displays vs. your projected sales…and the first time it may not be worth it.) But at least doing it once to begin with will give you an idea as to what you can expect, and give you the ability to tailor your offerings to sell better.)
With crafting items to sell, I can tell you the money certainly doesn’t bowl you over and it is a huge time commitment, but if you can find a niche or a market (i.e., a demand) for you items then you can certainly make enough to save for a big purchase like a camera!
Best of luck!
xoxo
Carly
Aug 20, 2010 | Fashion, Score!
Do you love designer labels? Do you love snapping them up for a fraction of their retail price even more??
Well, if you’re anything like me, you’re going to love Labellush.com. Now as we all know, I’m a dedicated bargain-hunter, always looking for quality, wearability, style, and above all, affordability when it comes to choosing what I buy with my hard-earned money on. I have never, ever paid retail price for a designer label – often choosing to DIY what I can’t afford, and if I am going to buy it, it better be a steal off the rack to even tempt me.
Unlike all those flash sale sites, Labellush.com carries a hand-edited selection of designer and contemporary clothing – up to 85% off retail – that is available without a countdown timer. (*whew*)
Labels such as Vince, Theory, Elie Tahari, Catherine Malandrino, Oscar De La Renta, Nanette Lepore, Prada, and Chloe are all offered at a steep discount from from their original price points. Plus they offer FREE shipping on all orders within the U.S. – and FREE international shipping with the purchase of 4 or more items.
To celebrate the launch of their E-store, Labellush.com has generously offered to partner with Chic Steals to give away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky reader!
Now you may be thinking that $50 is not enough to buy any designer item. But they’re having a huge clearance sale right now and there are quite a few items that you can get for around $50 – once you also utilize the 25% OFF COUPON CLEARANCE good for any order (now until August 31).
How about this
Tory Burch Aerin Silk Ruffled Top (originally $295) – $49.95 with the coupon?
Or this Marc by Marc Jacobs Striped Blouse – available for $37.49, knocked down from $198?
Elizabeth and James (a personal favorite brand of mine) has this gorgeous Ruffled Dress, for just under $45 (originally $575).
And this Elie Tahari Ruffled Silk Charlize Blouse? (original retail price $298, marked down to $54)
Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Labellush.com
How to Enter
1) Become a follower of Chic Steals (on Bloglovin, Blogger reader etc.) If you’re a follower already, [thank you!] skip to step 2).
2) Visit Labellush.com and sign up for their mailing list LUSHMAIL (totally free, you can unsubscribe at any time)
3) Leave a comment on this post with your email address so we can contact you if you win.
You must complete all 3 steps to be entered in the giveaway drawing!
Winner will be chosen in one week on Thursday, August 26 at 12 PM PST, by Random.org. Edit 8/25: We’re extending the entry period until August 31, 11:59 PM! There’s still time to enter!
Open to any Chic Steals follower, worldwide.
Edit 9/1: The giveaway period is now over and a winner will be announced shortly!
And just in case you’d like to do a little shopping anyway (to get a jump on the clearance items before the week is up, maybe?) feel free to use the exclusive coupon code
CLEARANCE
at checkout to take an EXTRA 25% OFF your order!
So follow, sign up for the mailing list, and leave a comment to be entered to win – just in time for back to school and the Fall rush!
xoxox
Carly
Disclosure: I have in no way been compensated for this post – the only item Labellush.com is giving me is the $50 gift certificate to one of my readers.
Aug 17, 2010 | Fashion
I happened upon an amazing deal a little while back on the HauteLook website. I’ve never actually purchased anything from them before. (What I can say is they ship a LOT faster than RueLala or Ideeli, considering purchases from them have taken 4-6 weeks to arrive.) Now there’s so many “members-only” sample sale sites that I’ve pretty much lost track, and a lot of the good stuff sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.
The week in question they were having a sale for Shoes: $100 and Under, which are pretty much magic words to my ears;-) Normally I would have trouble finding something in my fairly common 7.5 shoe size, but this time I happened upon the most gorgeous pair of Velvet Angels shoes – and just kept refreshing the screen repeatedly, muttering little prayers all the while.
And finally, 7.5 was in stock!
I snapped up these beautiful Optima Wedges, original retail price $295, for just over $60. Unbelievable!
And what was more unbelievable to me when they arrived was the quality. Beautiful crinkled leather, unique molded mirrored platform, footbed with velvet-covered metatarsal padding, and a sheer weight to them that “felt” like luxury (which I know is really just a concept, but bear me out). Plus they came in a lovely sliding box, just like a little drawer, ready to go in my closet.
I can’t wait to showcase these in an outfit! I’m thinking a little romper…and something handmade… we’ll just have to wait and see!
Of course, the Peanut Gallery just had to take them out for a spin before I could.;-)
I think maybe I should go a size down?
If you’d like to join HauteLook and snag a similar “Wheeeee!” -inducing find for yourself, feel free to use my invite below:
Upcoming sales for this week include (Tuesday 8/17) Kate Somerville, t-bags, Custo Barcelona; (Wednesday 8/18) Sue Wong, Christopher Kon; (Thursday 8/19) Splendid, sky, and Fall Trends from Lucky Magazine (which I’m just dying to peek at!!)
Hope everyone’s having a great start to their weeks!
xoxo
Carly
Aug 12, 2010 | Fashion, Media
Love the colors, love the angular lines, love the black. It’s very Mondrian in an art-school-meets-deconstructionist sort of way.
And I love the idea of a spray-painted dress. Possible DIY?
Check out the full editorial here (some frontal nudity) – there’s a cool hinged shoulder piece, skirt, and necklace in some of the other photos that are also prime DIY fodder for the very tenacious.
xoxo
Carly
