Where to Get Vivi Magazine: Formspring.me Question

Aug 13, 2010 | From You, Media

 from formspring.me:

I Love your blog and your creativity! I love it when you post scans of VIVI MAGAZINE! How can I get my hands on some more of these!?

Thanks so much!

I love Vivi too – perhaps a little too much;-) Unfortunately I can’t find any site that posts the contents of the entire magazine (like in a reader or something), but you can always check out your local Asian bookstore. Kinokuniya has a number of stores in the United States (the U.S. website is here: http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/indexohb.cgi?AREA=03 if you want to check locations), but I also can’t seem to locate any periodicals being sold on their site online. You can buy copies of Vivi on Ebay if you have no Japanese bookstores near you – but whatever you do, DON’T buy through Amazon.com – the shipping takes 6 weeks and is ridiculously expensive since they fulfill through 3rd-party sellers. There also might be some other sites (like online bookstores) that might sell it, though you’d have to check with them.

I always check out Vivi’s homepage at http://www.joseishi.net/vivi/index_pc.html every month, so I can see if it’s worth going down to my local Kinokuniya and buying the issue. Sometimes the homepage gives me enough of a fix that I don’t feel like ponying up the $12 to buy the next issue! The annoying thing is, Vivi comes out 5-6 weeks ahead in Japan (so the Sept. issue came out July 26!!), and the Kinokuniya bookstores only stock the issues around the 15th of the month prior, so you have to wait a lot longer in the States to get your issue and get a jump on the trends.

I’ll try to post some more scans in the future since you seem so interested!
Thanks for your question!
xoxo
Carly

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How to Make High-Waist Shorts: Formspring.me Question

Aug 4, 2010 | DIY, From You

Sparkle & Fade Belted High Waist Short, $48, UrbanOutfitters.com

from formspring.me:

Can Carly ,I`m 16 years old ,I love fashion and I tried start to sew .I`m not very good and I ask you to post a DIY : how to make high waist shorts . Thanks you ,and sorry if I did some mistakes (my english is not perfect )=)
Hi there! Thank you for your question.:-)

Unfortunately making a pair of shorts into ‘high-waist shorts’ using DIY methods is pretty much impossible. (Even if you happen to find a pair of shorts with a HUGE seam allowance at the top of the waistband, you likely won’t be able to unpick the seam, flatten it upwards, and wear them like a pair of high-waist shorts – the proportions of the waist piece will just be strange, and angled incorrectly.)

Kind of like this.  (img source)

You *could* add a piece of fabric under the top waistband of your shorts, creating a double-layered effect, and have that piece create the “high-waisted shorts-look”. (I’d cut a strip of that fabric to use as a waist-tie  or as detailing on the cuffs to make the shorts look as if they were designed that way – and didn’t just suffer a piece of fabric tacked on to them.)

To make a pair of high-waist shorts (or “paper-bag shorts”) from scratch there are a number of patterns out there you can buy (like Easy McCall’s 5457 or Easy Butterick 3731 at http://www.karensvariety.com/SEWINGCLOTHES/McCalls/M5457.htm) – or if you are crafty you can also alter a shorts pattern to a high-waist or paper-bag style. (Two methods for the paper-bag style are using Burda-Style’s tutorial http://www.burdastyle.com/projects/pleated-paper-bag-skirt, or Threadbanger’s tutorial (for an elastic gathered-waist skirt) http://www.threadbanger.com/post/8171/how-to-make-a-paper-bag-waist-skirt) – embedded above.

Hope that helps and good luck!
xoxox
Carly

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What Happened to Threadbanger Pt. 2: Formspring.me Question

Aug 2, 2010 | From You

from formspring.me:
so what happened to meg, corrine and rob. they got fired? you never told us what happened. the new threadbanger is boring.
Sorry – I thought I answered that here: https://chiccreativelife.com/2010/07/do-you-have-any-idea-why-corinne-rob.html

Rob left to work on his own stuff awhile ago. I don’t know the specifics of Meg’s and Corinne’s interactions with the higher-ups at Next New Networks; all I know is that Lee and I got emails saying they would no longer be working for Threadbanger and neither of us needed to blog anymore for the TB blog since we wouldn’t be getting paid for it. That was it; no clarification, no response to my repeated emails and offers to continue to the blog regardless of pay. (Which I never received for all the blog posts I had done up until then anyway.)

Thus I cannot confirm or deny any rumors or conjecture as to what happened to them or why they left – you’d have to ask them directly about that.

xoxo
Carly

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The Origins of the Sideways Cross Ring: Formspring.me Question

Aug 1, 2010 | Fashion, From You

wxtratv.warnerbrofrom formspring.me:

Who came up with the sideways cross ring first? you or madonna/material girl

(does the ring above look familiar?  Forever 21, anyone?)
Hmm. The photo above of Madonna is the first time I’ve seen it, to be honest.  (And it looks awfully familiar to me – I instantly thought it was the Forever 21 ring that they had used to style to shoot.)

I highly doubt the inventor was anybody recent. The sideways cross has a rich symbolic history that dates back to the Bible if not earlier; one of the first re-usages of it was in 1821 when it was adopted on the Norwegian flag; and later, in 1883, when The Emblem of the Order was created utilizing a Maltese cross on its side. (source: Wikipedia.org)

By now, there are pretty much no new ideas in fashion; everything is just recycled, reappropriated, updated, and reused. Neither myself, nor Madonna, nor Forever 21 invented the sideways cross ring – my guess is that it probably was seen in the 20th Century sometime in the 60’s or 70’s (maybe in a Black Sabbath poster LOL), and Forever 21 was one of the more recent recylers of this idea.

xoxox
Carly

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How To Start a DIY/Fashion Blog: Formspring.me Question

Jul 29, 2010 | Blogging, From You

from formspring.me:
I’m thinking of starting a fashion/diy blog.  What tips would you give to newbies about starting their blog, as well as how to get their blog publicity?

Congratulations!

First and foremost I would say you need to figure out what you want with your blog. Obviously if you just want to share photos of things that inspire you or post a few outfit photos because you just want to share with your close friends (and maybe some strangers), your approach will be different than if you want to be, say, the next StyleBubble.

Each type of blog has a pretty different approach to it, whether you focus on posting outfit photos, or designer interviews, or magazine scans, or party pix.

clipart

But one tried and true piece of advice is to post as often as you can, on a regular schedule. Like once every 3 days if you can manage it (even scheduling your posts in advance if you can write a couple posts all at once). You want people to keep coming back.

And commenting on other people’s blogs is key. (Lately I haven’t been following my advice because I’ve just been so busy, but once upon a time I was responding to every single comment, and commenting on other’s blogs as I surfed the web.) Don’t leave silly comments that could be made by anyone like “I like your dress!”, leave comments of worth, somehow tying things back to your blog, or asking the blogger to visit. Be nice! Word gets around on the web if you’re flaming people.

And clear photos are ESSENTIAL. There are many blogs that use few, if any, words to describe – and instead say it all with pictures. Use a digital camera and learn how to do the basics when it comes to cropping, resizing, and adjusting the brightness to your photos.

Style Sample Magazine [www.stylesamplemag.com] (the magazine for and about bloggers), is a wonderful resource, so I’d highly recommend you read through all the past issues. Probably everything you ever wanted to know about blogging is covered there!

Best of luck and keep us posted-
xoxox
Carly

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The 3 Earrings You Can Style Aaannnything With

Jul 27, 2010 | Fashion, From You

On formspring.me a reader asked what my 3 favorite earrings are.  Well here they are!  (Sorry I deleted the question by mistake when I went to post it to Blogger.:-(

These are usually the three that I reach for regardless of what outfit I’m wearing.

The oversized rhinestone earrings (from Forever21; no longer sold but a very similar pair here) I wear when I want to go crazy over-the-top glam…and they look surprisingly fun paired with an old t-shirt and jeans.  Plus, for a really formal event (not like I have many to go to!) they’re perfect with an LBD for some retro glam.

The large hoops are light as a feather and I love the tiny star detail at the back.  They’re for when I want to be a little more dressed up but more classic.  (bought in Japan)

The small gold hoops are a recent purchase in Tokyo (LaForet Harjuku though I also found them in another store along Takeshita street there) – I really love secure-post small hoops in gold since I don’t have to take them out in the shower and can sleep with them in, and they still look chic and dressed-up with a number of different outfits.  I love the subtle studding on the surface.  Alas, I found that they have too much nickel in them for my sensitive ears – and the post is a bit too thick, so I’m still debating what to do.  After wearing them for 3 days straight I got a massive infection in my right ear that took more than a week to clear up. *sigh*  Sorry, maybe that’s a bit TMI!

I also tend not to wear earrings that much, since while my hair is short I wear it covering my ears a lot, and it seems kind of pointless to put in earrings when they can’t be seen anyway…

What earrings do you gravitate to?  Hoops, studs, sparklies?
Thanks for your question!
xoxo
Carly

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