Nov 12, 2009 | DIY, Fashion
To subject y’all to entirely non-fashion-related babbling drivel for a little bit…
One of the things that we were so psyched about when we moved from Honolulu to Oregon 2 years ago was…drumroll please….
Ikea within driving distance.
Yes, I know it’s sad and bourgeosie. Or strident middle-class desperation. Whatever. In Hawaii, the furniture available at most furniture stores is utter crap and ridiculously, ridiculously overpriced. And either teak (endangered…weighing a thousand pounds…um, no thanks) or wicker (infested with bugs, “island-style casual”…blech.) Nothing modern, nothing clean and streamlined…unless we wanted to pay thousands of dollars at Natuzzi or Z Design or somewhere. We lived in a beautiful condominium with cardboard boxes and junky mismatched stuff from Wal-Mart and cabinets from Home Depot.
Until we came to Oregon, finally visited Ikea, and were in heaven. Seriously, for the amount that you have to pay to furnish a home beautifully in a contemporary style in the islands…it would be cheaper to fly to the mainland, stock up at Ikea, and ship everything to Hawaii instead! Ikea could even raise their prices by 20% and still undercut what’s available in Honolulu by hundreds of dollars. Ikea people, take note!
But I digress. I love the textile patterns available in their fabric department; they’re so cool, so clean and uncomplicated. I must admit I went on a bit of a spree in the textiles department, picking myself up 2 yds of Patricia printed fabric last time I visited the mecca of Swedish design watered down for the average consumer palate.
And I made myself a dress.
The fabric is stiff and 100% cotton, so it doesn’t lend itself well to anything but structured clothing, IMHO. I had to line the dress in poly satin since the fabric is really too rough to sit against the skin.
I wanted structured sheath dress with a little twist, so I chose Vogue pattern V1068 (dress on upper left). I had to make multiple alterations on the dress once made since of course the top part didn’t fit like the pattern said it would. I hate store-bought patterns. I thought the neckline was a little bit interesting. Not earth-shattering, but interesting.
This is why i.d. Bare Minerals is a travesty for my skin. It settles into all the fine lines around my eyes and makes me look like a perfectly lovely 60-year-old when I laugh.
I’m also working on a little removable puff-peplum for this dress…it won’t be done before the leaves start to decay, so I wanted to get these shots first. And a clutch handbag where I’m shading in the flowers with a fabric marker in various tones of gray…should be cool.
I’ve left the garden in this atrocious state for more than a week, reasoning that I wanted to do a photoshoot on top of all those beautiful Japanese Maple leaves before I rake them up. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.
I had a little Marilyn Monroe moment there with the elbow-length gloves…from Target, can you believe it?!
Now I’m off to rake me some leaves!
xoxox
Carly
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Nov 10, 2009 | Fashion, Score!
Something this pink deserves to be paired with pieces that allow it to shine. As an anchor to this outfit, it’s teeny and tight, so legs need to be matte, black, and look super-long with black lace-up booties. Topping things off with a DIY altered band jacket to add some kooky-sexy, this is the perfect outfit for that urban excursion or first date.
(DIY band jacket, white t-shirt, silver hammered bangles, silver and rhinestone wave rings, stretch elastic studded belt, Necessary Objects Pink Stretch Poly Mini Skirt, patent clutch handbag, tights, suede oxford booties)
Styling Tip: If you want to embrace a current trend, you don’t need to go out and buy a brand new wardrobe. By looking at what you already have in your closet – and taking a trip to the sewing store – you can give many of your pieces a new life. Using funky trims, different buttons, padding, and safety pins, you can add or take away elements from your clothing…none of which need to be permanent alterations! For example, I wanted a structured marching band jacket but didn’t want to buy it. Instead, I took a mandarin-collar cropped jacket I already had, and folded the hemline under, safety-pinning it to create that cutaway line. I pinned shoulder pads inside, and then stitched on some trim from the fabric store in a curlicue pattern. For all of $9, I had myself a brand-new jacket – one that I can convert back to the cropped collared jacket anytime the trend dies.
Thank you for looking and I’d love to have your vote on Bluefly.com or StyleList.com!
xoxox
Carly J. Cais
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Nov 9, 2009 | Fashion
Okay, yes, I draw. The jig is up. I haven’t wanted to put my stuff out there for fear of…well, I don’t know. Criticism? Getting ripped off? I’m not exactly sure. Anyway, here’s some recent pieces.
I loved how when I scanned this the scanned caught the edge of the drawing pad so the face looks like it’s falling off the paper.
Perhaps I should make a series? Maybe it looks a little too close to those silly Harajuku Lovers fragrance bottles. It certainly wasn’t intentional.
Fashion design. I’m loving the background less the more I see it.
all copyright Carly J. Cais, 2009
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Nov 7, 2009 | Fashion
(handmade dress from a men’s shirt, Claire’s ball-chain necklaces, studded leather bracelet from Buffalo Exchange, Forever21 vinyl leggings, Newport-News lace pumps, DIY leather half-scoop gloves)
This was one of the main reasons I chose to shoot in a studio for my America’s Most Stylish Blogger entries: Portland weather has been like this pretty much every day for 3 weeks. (It has mysteriously cleared up for the weekends…but timing-wise I was only ready to shoot my outfits during the week…I put a lot of thought into each one, and since I don’t get the item from Bluefly until Friday, it didn’t give me enough time to formulate something in time for the rare and unexpected good weather.) Blah. So it’s been cold and wet consistently, but I wanted to post this outfit while it’s still Fall for goodness’ sakes.
Inspired by a reader’s version of the Cute Summer ShirtDress from a Men’s Shirt I made back in August, I chose a plaid shirt for my newest men’s shirt makeover…and created a bustier top with a zip-back, bust-darts, folded front detail, faux belt, peplum, and tulip skirt. (Too much? Customize at will!:-) It took awhile, but it’s done! Tutorial coming soon soon soon once I sit down and write the silly thing.
DIY half-scoop gloves tutorial here. I love them to death! To death I say! (And in this photo, you can see the band-aid on my flu shot that I got that very morning; how very chic.)
The lace pumps really don’t match but I felt like pairing something lacy with the outfit to offset the vinyl leggings.
I am totally feeling plaid for Fall. (By now it’s a little cold, so it will go over a black mesh long-sleeved top, and maybe on its own for parties.)
xoxo
Carly
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Nov 6, 2009 | Fashion
I’m always on the hunt for affordable clothing – and will pass up no store in search of something affordable and chic. You can find great deals practically everywhere, from the hardware store to thrift stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, to even the kids’ section at Target, maternity wear at a little boutique, or the sale rack at Barney’s.
So in my quest to find budget-friendly pieces I can’t believe I haven’t checked out dressbarn before – a contemporary clothing chain with more than 800 stores in the U.S., offering both misses’ and women’s clothing, jewelry, and accessories.
If you’re looking for classic clothing – that which will defy the trends and look just as good today as it will years hence – look no further. (And at a great price point – a big plus in my book!)
I love their selection of sweaters – pieces that may seem bland at first glance actually boasts tiny details that make them all the more special. Cable knitting that goes sideways instead of vertically, rectangular box closures, ombre-dyeing, foldover button-detail at the neck – all this elevates the typical into that signature piece around which you can build an entire outfit.
For this week’s challenge in America’s Most Stylish Blogger Competition, I paired a cocoa-colored wrap cable-knit sweater from dressbarn with a silk chiffon dress and Prada studded pumps. The sweater was a fabulous textural counterpoint to the crinkle-silk of the dress and the velvet of the boots, and kept the look romantic and feminine.
Check out the dressbarn website, which has weekly specials (like a free evening clutch with $100 purchase!) and browse through their online lookbook to get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping list. And def if you have the chance, stop in, browse around – you might just be pleasantly surprised and find something fabulous you never knew was there.
-Carly J. Cais
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Nov 6, 2009 | Fashion
With the Hilary Swank movie Amelia hitting theaters less than 2 weeks ago, you may have noticed a resurgence in aviator fashion recently. Despite the fact that movie is, er, bombing at the box office, the leather bomber jacket has become a trend in and of itself, being spotted on many celebrities recently such as Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, and Katie Cassidy. I think I’ll skip the $550 Miss Top Gun Aviator Jacket Katie’s wearing, though.
I saw the Forever21 Pilot Leatherette Jacket ($44.80) on some site somewhere, and wondered if the real thing indeed lived up to its rather crappy-seeming photo. With Forever21, you never know. Especially outerwear, which always seems to be made terribly (no lining, splitting seams, el cheapo outer fabric, you know). So I made my way to my nearest Forever21 to check out the goods in person.
And I didn’t even want a bomber jacket. I didn’t think it would suit me. The aviator look is something I didn’t think I could work, quite frankly.
But!
It was all over as soon as I touched the jacket.
It’s made well. Really, really well. Tons of details, heavy to the touch, soft plushy fleece lining (none of this crappy pilling that you find on cheap fleece), strong, topstitched seams, fabulous buttons, lovely cracked “leatherette”…even a nice leather-y smell. I can go on an on about how great this jacket is…and how it certainly should demand a higher price than its $45 tag. It could be sold for $150 at least, and no one would notice the difference. (I hope no one in Forever21’s marketing team is reading this, lest they get impure ideas.)
So I paired it with my tie-dye jeans (love the super-saturated color on them), my aviator shades that Hub tells me make me look like Tom Cruise in Top Gun (like in a bad way), and my over-the-knee Colin Stuart cordovan [whatever that is] boots from Victoria’s Secret. Too much? I look like I have my own personal turbo-prop stored in the backyard somewhere.
Love it!
xoxxo
Carly
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(handmade IKEA fabric dress, Mossimo Long Leather Gloves, H&M belt, Metro7 snakeskin print platform pumps)
The fabric is stiff and 100% cotton, so it doesn’t lend itself well to anything but structured clothing, IMHO. I had to line the dress in poly satin since the fabric is really too rough to sit against the skin.
I had a little Marilyn Monroe moment there with the elbow-length gloves…from Target, can you believe it?!
