Jul 13, 2009 | DIY, Fashion
(handmade DIY dress, Icing by Claire’s belt, Newport-News patent clutch, Forever21 ring, Nine West heels)
So, it’s been awhile since I’ve done an outfit post…what with being sick, feeling down, and just not having the physical and mental fortitude to sit in front of the computer and edit hundreds of photos means no outfit updates. I’m sure you’re all very upset. 🙂
And yes, I edit every single one of the photos Hub takes…I Photoshop Blake Lively’s head onto my body. Or vice versa. ‘Narf. (And if you get that reference, you’re a total 80’s cartoon dork just like me.;-)
So this is a dress I made awhile ago, for that infamous FashionTribes post about DIY’ing your own designer-style painterly garment…and it was never posted on the site. Harrrumph.
So I styled it on my own.
I made the dress using Simplicity 3747. I altered the pattern to create a voluminous pleat in the front (Hub says it looks like maternity wear – totally not my intention), made an A-line shape to the skirt, and extended the lining so that it shows at the bottom. Hub also says the shape of it looks like something a patient would wear at a psych ward. (Read: neck a little too wide, shoulders shapeless, large and baggy and white.) It looks much better when belted. Maybe I shoulda stuck to the pattern? But I definitely wanted volume – very 2009.
And then I painted brushstrokes on the bottom using Tulip brand matte soft fabric paints (they don’t dry completely stiff and hard like most fabric paints, but they still, IMHO, add a little too much stiffness to the fabric for it to look “natural.”) These are really carefully done…and I had to do it twice to get it just right. I used Ebony, Lime, and Cornflower Blue, if I remember correctly.
This is the coolest ring from Forever21…it has tiny purple beads in the center…it’s like a little alien pod.
I think I’ve written that before. Man, I’m getting old.
NineWest gold Joisey-girl heels. They make my feet look like the Jolly Green Giant’s.
(in size LOL)
-Carly J. Cais
Oh, sorry – and the title of this post…well, if you were a teenage girl in the early nineties (’91, I think?)…you definitely went to see this movie. Guys stayed far, far away. This was before dude lost most of his hair and became obsolete (read: made an overblown, ridiculous production with Dennis Hopper). And before other dude decided to marry his 27-yr old granddaughter (or so says the Enquirer or some schlock as of late). Hmmm…can you tell I was a film major?? LOL
Jun 14, 2009 | DIY, Fashion
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   Jersey Dress with Rhinestone Trim, Pearls, and Chiffon Edging:
handmade by meRipped Tights: DIY
Zipper Necklace: YKK
Necklace, cuff, and bracelets: Claire’s
Stone Cuff: White House/Black Market
Bronze Boxing Glove Handbag with Gold Tooth: LOOP
Charcoal Combat Boots: Dr. Martins
This dress was inspired by one I saw Lindsay Lohan wearing in an issue of Marie Claire (2003? memory fails…) True to form, I also completely forgot the designer of the dress, but fell in love with it regardless. (Can anyone help me out?)
The photo I ripped out of the Marie Claire mag several years ago.
So, true to form, I decided to make one myself. 6 years later, it’s finally done! (Actually, I only started making it in earnest about a year ago, then kind of slowed down once I got to the chiffon trim on the sleeve openings – I tried raw-edged chiffon, but it fell apart, and I was feeling somewhat hopeless until I found some chiffon trim at Jo-Ann Fabrics.) I sewed every single pearl and the rhinestone trim on by hand. After many countless hours of late-night TV sewing (thank you Whatever Martha! and Gossip Girl) I realized it was a little too short for my comfort, and so added a little of the chiffon trim to the bottom. 
I also added side panels of fabric to prevent bra showage etc.
A close-up of the detail on the dress. The zipper-style necklace I received when I was in New York covering Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for FashionTribes.com– I had to display my press pass on the necklace – which even zips up, just as a YKK zipper should!
This
Loop bag is the coolest thing…I mean, who else would make a bronze bag shaped like a boxing glove?? It even has a chunky gold tooth attached to it.
DIY Ripped Tights tutorial here! (Though I’m sure you need no help ripping your tights, LOL;-)
xoxo
Carly
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May 17, 2009 | Fashion
Vintage vest (remade), Spiral Girl shirt, silver key necklace, Victoria’s Secret convertible top (worn as a skirt), Hue tights, Spiral Girl pumps, Marc Jacobs bag, Hot Topic watch.
Fabulous, fabulous. 4″ cone heel studded with black crystals, ombre turquoise patent, hidden platforms….I die every time I see them…and to think they were $20!!! Definitely if you’re ever in Honolulu you MUST go to this store!**
-Carly J. Cais
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May 11, 2009 | Fashion
As Know As de Base dress, carved quartz heart-shaped ring I bought at a gem show in Portland, silvertone watch, DIY magazine clutch, SPANX tights, Maison Gilfy peeptoe booties.I love this dress with all my heart. As Know As de Base is a teensy weensy little Japanese brand actually manufactured in Japan (!); a rarity nowadays. They make everything out of Roppongi, and it’s kind of expensive because everything’s made in small runs. (There are a number of brands under the As Know As umbrella; de Base is one of the more trendy ones.) The dress is cotton and silk, and couldn’t be more gorgeous – it has a little apron-like thing in the front, that is only anchored on one side. (I think I’ll sew down the other side since it has this tendency to pile over onto one side of the drawstring as I walk.) I took a photo to show the lovely double-front – you can cinch each separate drawstring in the bust to create a different look depending on if you want it tighter or want your whole front hanging out.;-)
The clutch I just picked up a long envelope-style white thing from Target for like $10 on sale…and then glued the front of one of my magazine covers to it. (I
could have made the magazine clutch from scratch, but I’m just too darn lazy.)
Extra points if you know which magazine I used! (I *was* searching for a vintage French Vogue on Ebay that might appeal, and then I was like “I don’t even
read French, let alone French Vogue,” so I decided to use what I do read.)
I also love Maison Gilfy to death…their stuff is the perfect blend of hard-edged, trendy, and tongue-in-cheek… I know it’s hard to tell with all the black, but the booties have this spike 4″ heel on the back, and the top folds down – you wear them permanently folded (though I guess you *could* wear them laced up the ankle if you wanted) and they have double laces. As soon as I saw a shopgirl wearing them I had to buy them – and congratulated myself on finding them for 11,000 yen ($111) on sale from 13,500 ($137)…and then after I bought them saw the knockoffs for 6192 yen ($62) from
RyuRyu, I think (but I could be wrong; it might have been
Kawaism)….
nope it was Venti Anni, and they’re still available, but they only ship to a Japanese addy.) Go fig. But check out
Maison Gilfy’s website to look out their clothes and awesome shoes anyway!
**Maison Gilfy will only ship you stuff if you have a shipping address in Japan. So buy on your trips to Tokyo!
