Nov 3, 2010 | By Carly J. Cais, Fashion
Gold Hoop Earrings: Claire’s. Zip-Front Reversible Dress: handmade by me. Gold Sideways Cross Necklace: classicdesigns’ Etsy shop. Gold Watches: Vintage. Daisy Solid Perfume Flower Ring: Marc Jacobs. Black Studded Ring: handmade by me. Black/Grey Reversible Tights: Hue. Black Suede Gladiator Heels: Abaete for Payless.
Day 2 in my 30-Day Closet Challenge: November 2! Election Day!
I turned my ballot in the day before. And for at least 3 weeks prior to this I received no small amount of mail telling me that this candidate did this, or that candidate did that, or who’s lying and who cheated the elderly out of this reform and who was mean to someone’s dog…and after about 2 days I was completely over it. And I had no less than SIX people knock on my door over the past 3 days to ask what candidate I was voting for or to remind me to send in my ballot. Yeesh! Is voter turnout so abysmal people have to be reminded IN PERSON to do it? I get the ballot sent to my house, a booklet explaining all the candidates and their platforms, and detailing all the new measures I’m voting on, return postage is free – and a steady stream of people have to stop by my house, interrrupting dinner or Lil Tot’s bathtime to remind me to vote??
Okay, rant over. Election’s over at lest! (Next year I’m putting a sign on my door “I already voted for xxx. If you bother me, I’m changing my vote to YYY.” or something to that effect.;-)
So this is what I wore.
I saw this beautiful knit dress –second from right– by Risto Bimbiloski (of “that galaxy-print dress/skirt/blouse” fame) in an old issue of Lucky Magazine, and promptly swooned. I wanted a cream zip-front sheath dress too! So I made my own version, out of beautiful cream-colored pique.
I found the fabric was a bit see-through even with a light-colored lining, so I made the inner layer in grey. Plus, I love grey. And I spell it with an “E” (as British junior high in Japan so tenaciously re-educated me to;-).
I designed the dress with the front and back widths and sleeve shape exactly the same – thus, I can wear the dress with the zipper in the front, or in the back (with a high boatneck), if I so choose. I can also zip the zipper down all the way (it’s a separating zipper) and wear it as a layering piece or short-sleeve jacket. Yay for versatility!
No, I ain’t gonna zip the front down for ya!;-)
I thought this relatively simple look demanded a high-glamour hairstyle, thus my HairDo Clip-In Bangs, and my Priscilla Super-Easy Midi Bun.
Last year’s Abaete for Payless gladiator sandals. I’m so glad I bought them – they look so much more high-fashion than their price!! (But not so comfortable to walk in;-)
Minimal jewelry, thick tights (since it’s super-windy out!), and mid-height heels from Payless completed my look.
And this little dress has another secret…so stay tuned for my next outfit coming up later this evening! (I’m going to try two outfit posts today, so I’m all caught up to the current date…hopefully I’ll be able to…)
The big tree in my backyard turned bright red almost overnight. I just love Fall!
xoxox
Carly
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Nov 3, 2010 | DIY, Fashion
Hand-shredded T-shirt: Urban Revisions Etsy store. Angels Secret Embrace Push-Up bra: Victoria’s Secret. Roxy Gray Jeans: Thrifted. Fleece Cuffs: DIY. Heeled Combat Boots: Forever 21.
Day 1 in my personal
30 Days of Outfits Challenge! So psyched! (Though I may lose momentum later…I hope this “getting dressed nicely for today” thing will not end up becoming a chore.;-p
So Day 1 was technically yesterday: November 1.
And this is what I wore.
I’m in love with everything in Urban Revisions’ Etsy shop, and have had the designer on my radar for awhile. If there’s one DIY technique I suck at, it’s shredding cotton! My DIY shredded t-shirts are just NOT lovely. I can’t seem to truly get the hang of it and am not able to create shreds where the vertical threads are still intact. Well, I can, but it takes me 12+ hours for even a small amount of shredding. Which is obviously not the way to go about it.
So anyway, I’ve been spying on Urban Revisions for awhile, hoping some pieces would go on sale. And then I spotted with lovely hand-dyed peachy pink piece – and knew I had to have it!
Though technically it’s a sleeveless piece, the shredding has widened the collar and so now it sits on my upper arms. It’s so sexy and edgy – normally I don’t walk around with my bra showing, but this just begs for it! (My bra is the lovely Victoria Secret Angels Secret Embrace Bra in black. I love that it has these subtle scalloped edges – so feminine and pretty!) The top is super-long so it can be worn as a dress, beach cover-up, etc. I chose to tuck it in just to change the shape around. I’m so in love with peachy pink right now!
The gray cuffs you see above I made from the sleeves that I cut off the shirt when I made my Embellished V-Neck Sweater (tutorial here). Last winter my mother-in-law gave me a pair of knit cuffs that were apparently all the rage in Japan – you can wear them peeking out from your coat, on top of a sweater, or over your shoes to add texture, color, and warmth. Mine were black and I wore them practically every day until they pilled apart. (I get exceptionally cold wrists and ankles during the winter.)
I loved them, so I made another pair out of this beautiful gray fleece, which just consisted of folding the sleeve pieces under and sewing some elastic hidden in the fold.
Then they stay secure on my wrists or ankles. I put these on with my coat – they’re nice and warm, and act as my final bit of outerwear before going outside into the chilly Oregon weather. Though as anklets I guess they might look better with skinny jeans, LOL!
Gold Eiffel Tower necklace, Oxidized Hematite Crystal 2-Finger ring, Wrapped Feather Ring: Forever21. Rock Candy Rose Quartz Ring: my own design, available here. Gold Hinged Bracelets: bought in Japan. Gold Watch: Vintage.
This outfit called for mostly gold jewelry, I felt. My Forever 21 Eiffel Tower Necklace is my own little homage to my trip to France.;-)
Day 1…Done!
xoxox
Carly
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Nov 2, 2010 | Fashion, Life
Yes, this is my closet. I store vests and cardis over dresses and blouses, and necklaces over that. Basically 3 things to a hanger. It’s scary.
Like many people, I have a whole lotta clothing in my closet I rarely wear. Day after day (since my routine is pretty much the same), I usually default to tried-and-true clothing combinations and outfits. As a result, when I look into my closet I see so many pieces I haven’t worn for awhile. One month stretches into two, then more…and I realize I haven’t worn stuff for 6 months to a year or more, simply because I’ve gotten into a fashion rut.
Well, you know what I need to break me out of it?? A CHALLENGE!
For 30 days for the month of November, I’m challenging myself to wear a completely-different, heretofore forgotten outfit each day, never wearing the same thing twice. (How will this help? you may ask. Well, it will remind me how much I love certain pieces that I’ve forgotten about. And stimulate my creativity. And help me clean out and purge that ol’ closet of mine. And help me be a better style blogger, since I post outfits only once in a blue moon.)
From now until November 30, I’ll be challenging myself to put together a unique outfit each day – and wear it all darn day, even if I’m just sitting on the living room couch, blogging and watching Law & Order: SVU reruns. And each of my outfits will contain something I’ve made or DIY’ed! This is a perfect chance for me to share with all of you some tutorials and ideas I haven’t gotten around to yet.
So, would anybody like to attempt the challenge with me? Do it until the end of November, wait until December, only do a week, whatever! Let me know in the comments and I’ll link to your blog! It’s just a bit of fun and some motivation to truly express your style.:-)
xoxox
Carly
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