Summer Hair Styling Tips

vivi magazine
Add a brooch to a folded wide scarf for a headband-look.  (Fold scarf into about 3″ wide to replicate this.)

I know you guys are probably completely sick of my going on and on about my favorite magazine Vivi, but I thought this particular editorial on styling with hair accessories was really useful.  With summer here I’m suffering from bad hair day after bad hair day (what with the hot, dry Oregon summer and me growing my hair out n all) – so hair accessories for me a MUST to induce a little bit of chic-ness into my outfit when everything on my head has fallen flat.

So here you go – I made these extra big so you can click on them and enlarge to see the how-to.  Hope this is helpful and gives you some styling ideas!


vivi magazine
Bohemian-style hair: using an elasticized headband and a flower headband.

vivi magazine

Using scarves: 1) Regular Bow (uses 30″ square scarf) and Big Bow (uses 69″ long scarf) , 2) Petite Ponytail Scarf (uses 19″ square scarf), 3) Turban (uses 63″ long scarf)

from Vivi Magazine August issue

xoxox
Carly

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How to Make a Corseted Bralet: Formspring.me Question

 from formspring.me:
Hey I wondered if you could help me with making one of these “bralets”, do you know how to make a pettern for them? http://api.ning.com/files/zcwHPg1VgsLUzsS1e99DsdD4ZlRqQdct0bCSs9*1rseLJIAKirKx55a0ARHDEJCLVDBdi8fpp9Gn0zIw37Jm5Vb-jsk5K1bz/bralet.jpg
Probably the easiest way to make a pattern for one of these is to make a rub off pattern of a bra you already have that has similarly-placed and shaped cups as the bustier (if you can’t find a similar bustier to rub off) . Hook the bra back together using the hooks you normal use to close it when you rub off the pattern for the body piece. Then you have to cut that body piece into both front and back (creating side seams and adding seam allowance). Then simply extend the body piece of the pattern downwards about 3″ or so (perhaps using a tight-fitting corseted dress you may already have as a guide for the angling of the seams?) You will also have to cut boning seams for front and back body pieces (again adding seam allowance). And finally, cut the front body piece in the center and add fold-under and seam allowance to create that zipper closure. You may also have to eliminate excess at the bottom of the piece by further angling your boning seams. Again, if you have a tight-fitting corseted dress (especially one with boning seams already in it), creating the fit of the front will be a lot easier than making the pattern from scratch.

You may also be able to find a pattern from a fashion-forward pattern company like Vogue Patterns (Vogue Misses’ V8288 has a similar neckline http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v8288-products-6711.php?page_id=943), or even use just the top of a corseted dress pattern for your bustier. Or a vintage corset pattern! Or you could buy a corseted dress/top from somewhere like Forever21 or H&M to use as your pattern base. Or even a real piece of corset lingerie from Frederick’s of Hollywood!

If you are interested in sewing your own lingerie (and making patterns for it), I’d highly recommend the book Sewing Lingerie That Fits (Karen Morris, 2001). It has some easy projects for beginners that you can also customize to create something as involved as this bralette.

Hope that helps and good luck!
xoxo
Carly

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How to Make a Fabric Yo-Yo Necklace

 from formspring.me:
Hi! Do you have any tips on how to recreate this necklace? http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/5264/dsc0749.jpg Thanks!
Simple! Fabric yo-yos made out of what looks like light gray chiffon (how to make a fabric yo-yo tutorial here: http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-sew-fabric-yo-yos.html) hand-stitched to one another (you can even see the tiny stitches anchoring them all together in the photo).

Crystal glued in the center of each yo-yo; tiny pearls glued or sewn in a ring around each crystal. I’d recommend using a wide satin ribbon that you can tie around your neck as a closure for the back of the necklace, attaching each side to the sides of your yo-yo cluster.

Hope that helps and have fun making it!
xoxox
Carly

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How to Make Shoes fit Different-Sized Feet: Formspring.me Question

Lambswool for pointe shoes.  Ewwwwww.

from formspring.me:

Is there a way to make cheap flats fit someone with two different sized feet? I have a size 7 foot and a size 6 foot and can’t get ballent pumps to fit unless they are elasticated and they are hard to find or are expensive.
Well, short of buying 2 different sizes of shoes or having one shoe professionally altered, I would recommend buying both shoes in the larger size, and stuffing the excess room in the shoe on the smaller foot with lambswool. Ballet dancers use it to pad the toes of their pointe shoes; it conforms to the shape of your feet well and holds warmth, won’t cause blisters, and is cheap! You can buy some here: http://www.capeziostore.com/Capezio-Lamb-s-Wool-p/lw.htm

Or Google “ballet lambswool” to find a store that sells to your country if you live outside the US.

And though that really is the ugliest product shot of it I’ve ever seen, that is kind of what it looks like!
Hope that helps!
xoxoxo
Carly

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How to Walk in High Heels

 from formspring.me:

How do you get used to wear high heels for long periods of time? I keep buying high heels but never wear them as they make my feet hurt.

Wearing high heels, especially the higher ones, takes lots of practice, and is an acquired skill despite what shoe manufacturers and advertising want you to think.  It’s definitely something you have to work up to condition your feet to get used to the wonky position they are forced into.  I may not be the best person to ask since I can rarely wear heels as a stay at home mom with no full-time job, but once upon a time I too was wearing heels all day.   When I was in school in Japan I remember challenging myself with wearing a pair of 5″ platform boots all day long and not falling down: 20 minutes walking to the train station, 10 minute standing train ride in rush hour, changing trains going up and down long flights of stairs, a 15 minute standing train ride still in rush hour, and 10 minutes walking to the school, going to classes, walking around campus, and then repeating it all to go home 7 hours later.  I was really careful and managed it though my feet were ready to kill me by the end of the day!

Probably the best way to go about conditioning your feet is to do lots of walking in general – and if you can, try it in shoes that are comfortable but have a low wedge (like 1/2″).  Once you do all your normal walking in this shoe, change them out for a short time during the day to a higher kitten heel that you wear for an hour or so in the beginning.  (Still wear your sneaks on Sunday or one day of the week; and after a long day of wearing heels-even low ones-do foot stretches and runners’ stretches so the soles of your feet don’t bunch up [i.e., you don’t get plantar fasciitis, which is really, really painful!] and you don’t get Charley horses.)

Daily increase the hours that you are wearing your kitten heels until you can comfortably walk in them.  As you get used to them, your feet will naturally develop calluses wear the shoes rub; these you don’t want to pumice off or else you’ll get blisters instead.  (The unfortunate side effect of wearing heels all the time is ugly feet.)

Once you’re wearing the kitten heels on an almost daily basis, then start switching them out for a few hours to a higher pair, and continue to work in this manner until you can wear your highest heels for hours without cramping or falling over.  The higher you go, the more often you will have to slip them off periodically to stretch your bare feet – but don’t slip on sneakers or flats to walk around in for any long period of time in-between wearing heels since that will undo all the work you’ve done.  If your feet start to hurt chronically or you feel twinges in your legs or back, stop with the heels immediately, and see a podiatrist if you can.

Ankle-strengthening exercises like those found in ballet (the releve position, for instance) or calf-lifts on a stair riser, using 5-10 lb. dumbbells, can help reduce the wobble and uncertainty of your feet and ankles when wearing high stilettos.

Always arm yourself with blister-bandaids and moleskin to stick on the inside of your shoes if they start rubbing, use Dr. Scholl’s ball-of-foot cushions or arch-support inserts to ease the ‘slam, ‘slam’ of the balls of your feet on the pavement, have a pair of lower heels to switch out to, and treat your feet at the end of the day to a rub with warming massage cream or a soak in the tub.

And have an extra pair of flats for driving purposes only, if you plan to drive a car.  Wearing your heels at home (if you wear shoes in the house), running around, jumping, and dancing for practice can also help condition your feet and body to navigating the world in higher heels.

You can also check out here and here for more advice on walking in heels, and here is a former runway model’s advice on the subject below:
http://www.modelinia.com/videos/embed/181
See more videos on modelinia.com

Hope that helps and with a little perseverance and practice you’ll be trotting about in the highest heels in no time!

xoxox
Carly
imgs from coolfunpics.com,  bizrate.com, badmintoncentral.com, fitsugar.com, paisonflamenca.com, and jakandjil.com

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