Sep 29, 2010 | Fashion, Score!
As I’ve been hinting since last week, there was a Challenge given to the bloggers in attendance at the Marshall’s event last Tuesday (where I learned a lot about off-price retailing – check out my write-up here if you are interested in this particular sector of the clothing market).
10 Bloggers were in attendance at the event, and we were each gifted with a $100 gift card to use to purchase some items to work into our wardrobes.
Then we had to incorporate the items we bought into a Week’s Worth of Outfits, mixig them with other pieces that were already in our wardrobes.
So here’s how I styled the above items my week:
Also wearing: Claire’s rhinestone earrings; Forever 21 ruffled-front blouse, wool tuxedo jacket, and mixed chain bracelet; Alloy Victorian booties
Also wearing: Target 3-strand headband; envelope necklace from Reyney’s Etsy shop; Forever 21 collegiate blazer and goldtone chain ring; Newport-News oversized patent clutch; Alloy Parker Wedge heels
Also wearing: Jeans Warehouse white ribbed tanktop; tie-dye cardigan (also from Marshall’s); gold coin long necklace from Aldo’s; Forever 21 woven belt; Old Navy Trouser Jeans
Also wearing: chainmail viscose top from soo long ago the label’s gone; mixed white bangles from Pineapple County in Honolulu; vintage bangle; Old Navy chain pochette
Also wearing: DIY filigree dangle earrings; DIY scarf; Claire’s “Dream” 2-finger ring; Forever 21 studded clutch and heeled combat boots
Also wearing: Forever 21 sequined chain necklace; Ann Taylor leopard-print cardigan [Ebay]; Old Navy satin-edged cardigan; Target mixed-chain cuff; 2 DIY feathered bangles; Hue reversible tights
Also wearing: DIY spiked headband; silver key necklace from Japan; Urban Outfitters tassel bag; faux fur foxtail available in my Etsy shop; convertible Victoria’s Secret top worn as skirt; Alloy Marlane boots; cape from Ideeli slung over shoulder
A CHALLENGE FOR MY READERS!
So the challenge for you guys is: GIVE ME YOUR COMMENTS! The blogger with the MOST comments on their Week of Outfits post receives a $100 Marshall’s gift card to give to one of their readers!
So…to be entered in the drawing to win a $100 Marshall’s/T.J. Maxx gift card…
Leave your Comments on this post!
As many times as you want! Tweet it, blog it, post it on Facebook! Tell me what you thought of my outfits, if you liked anything I picked…anything! I really want one of my fabulous readers to win – so the more times you comment, the more I’m likely to win this!
If I am the one to receive the most comments, I’ll be picking one comment from this post [with the help of Random.org] and awarding the reader the $100 Gift Card! As you can see from above, if you shop smart there’s a TON of great items you can find at Marshall’s…so for anyone who’s longing for something new for Fall…to spice up their back-to-school wardrobe…needs to get some cute outfits for the kiddos…wants to get a head-start on Christmas gifts…or is desperately in need of a new coffee table…this $100 Gift Card will sure some in handy!
Contest is open until Oct. 4, 2010 at 5 PM EST.
So comment up a storm because we’ve got a lot of other bloggers to beat!!;-)
Check out the other bloggers’ Week of Outfits at:
xoxox
Carly
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Sep 20, 2010 | Fashion
Welcome another installment in my brand-new Style It Chic! series of posts. (Can it have been a whole week since my last one already??) In this series I will be taking one item or trend and showing you how to emulate that look – for much, much less than what you might pay at retail. I’d love to hear your feedback on what you think of this style of post!
On the heels of last week’s Denim Shirt 3 Ways, I decided to stay with the shirt theme and this time take the green army shirt for a whirl. Right now military-inspired trends are HUGE – just ask Lucky Magazine, Marie Claire, and Vogue for starters! For Fall 2010 designers such as Burberry, Fendi, Michael Kors, and Oscar de la Renta filled the runways with chic trenchcoats, shirt-dresses, chino pants, and button-downs, all in camo-inspired hues of olive green, khaki, and camel. Paired with boots, shearling, and brass buttons their look is straight-laced uniform…but paired with some unexpected pieces it can be brought down to the streets and totally wearable. With a thrifted olive green men’s shirt (going to the Army & Navy Surplus store would have yielded more authentic results, but alas I only had my local Goodwill, where I chose a man’s button-down shirt in that coveted olive green color) here are 3 ways to wear the army shirt:
1. Urban Chic
(Skirt: DIY’d from a Forever 21 skirt, similar base skirt here; Ring: Handmade by me, Doorknocker Bag: Deena & Ozzy from Urban Outfitters awhile ago, Tights: Hue, Heeled Combat Boots: Forever 21 awhile ago)
Shirt buttoned up and tucked in to a flirty, silky skirt. A cross-body bag breaks up the mannish shape to the shirt. Finished off with warm tights and boots for walking, this outfit works perfectly for sightseeing or a day full of being out and about around the city. Collegiate casual at its best.
2. Layered
(Jacket: Jones New York which I’m selling here, Brooch: DIY, Ruffled-Front Blouse: Forever 21; similar here, Mirror Locket Necklace: Forever 21; similar here, Belt: Victoria’s Secret (came with a skirt), Shorts: Pineapple County)
Leave the shirt open and wear it under a structured blazer in a darker color. Wear a neutral-colored blouse dripping with ruffles and chiffon, and bare some skin on your bottom half. Vintage-style accessories sweeten up this uniform for a lady.
3. Trendy, Trendy
Trying on all the trends for Fall 2010! Shirt worn open with cuffed sleeves in place of a jacket. Leopard print scarf for a dash of the animal. Gold accessories – marine cap – fur at the ankles – there’s a whole lot going on – so maybe picking and choosing what’s best is the name of the game.;-)
I have chosen not to alter the shirt to fit my frame – though you can do so with yours by following my tutorial here.
So how would you wear the army shirt? Do any of these styles appeal to you at all?
xoxox
Carly
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Sep 13, 2010 | Fashion
Photos: Alexa Chung photo, Buzzworthy.mtv.net; Ashley Olsen photo, Scotty Wilson/BuzzFoto.com;
D&G and Chloe runway photos, Marcio Madeira/Style.com; Drew Barrymore photo, source unknown; Charley 5.0 denim shirt/Kitson; “…the denim shirt”/Topshop. Style It Chic! Array by me.
Welcome to the first of my posts in the Style It Chic! series. In this series I will be taking one item or trend and showing you how to emulate that look – for much, much less than what you might pay at retail. I’d love to hear your feedback on what you think of this style of post!
The denim shirt trend is still lingering as we head into the next season – and I love it! It’s been so long since light denim was “in” – and though I know I’m late hopping on this bandwagon, it’s amazing how versatile and chic this piece really is. I thrifted my shirt (who am I to buy new???!) and altered it to fit me better and look more flattering – which is essential in pulling off this trend well. (Tutorial coming tomorrow, chickees!!)
For now, here are 3 ways to wear the denim shirt:
1. Denim-on-Denim
As seen on the Chloe Spring/Summer 2010 runways. Shirt buttoned-up but worn loose, paired with jeans in a different hue. Sporty watch and retro sunglasses. Kind of 80’s, kind of Jay-Leno-cool (if that’s even possible??!) – it can look really masculine, so add some girly accessories and do that hair! (I, of course, didn’t – and you can see that the look is pretty questionable on me. What Not To Do! hehehe)
2. Cute Cowgirl
D&G – style! Fluffy, peasant-style skirt paired with the shirt (tucked in or tied, of course!) and brown suede or leather accessories. Western never looked this good.
3. Layered Edgy
(Chanel-style Tanktop: DIY [my quickie tutorial here]; Leggings: Forever 21. Shoes: Charlotte Russe from awhile ago.)
Shirt worn open with cuffed sleeves. Loose long tank, slick leggings, textural shoes. An edgy outfit provides the perfect counterpoint to the rough-and-tumble feel of the shirt.
So how would you wear the denim shirt? Is this a trend you’d prefer not to try? Or are you embracing it to the fullest?
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 11, 2010 | Fashion
Out with the old, in with the new: Street Style and its Chic Factor. Goodbye People Magazine…hello, American Apparel lookbook collaboration with Lookbook.nu users and Style Sample Magazine.
Could it have just been a few short years ago that we saw the rise of those snazzy, hyped-up boutiques that advertised their products “As Seen on Audrina Patridge and Kim Kardiashian!” — Paris Hilton as style icon — and celebrities and demi-lebreties fueling consumer mania? Once upon a time, the public was hanging on to J. Lo’s every move, snapping up heeled Timberlands and the latest Juicy Couture velour tracksuit (as seen on Pamela Anderson!). But times are a-changing, it seems, and the wave of interest in A-listers has waned (perhaps in part due to a flailing economy, general disgust towards Hollywood salaries spiraling out of control, the emergence of celebrity stylists and their minions to the media forefront *ahem, Rachel Zoe*, the rise in popularity and box office power of indie films, and more exposure to the PR vehicle behind every star, just to touch on a few factors in all this). Though what the Stars are doing and Wearing is still hot fodder for many blogs, magazines, talk-shows [and the E! channel’s programming]… the people watching today are smarter, have more access to information than ever before, and have begun to turn away from the carefully constructed circus of image. Now it seems we’ve entered a completely new era: that of the EveryMan (or, more specifically, EveryWoman)…and now everyone seems to be sitting up and taking notice.
Heralded by the runwawy success of street-style photoblogs such as The Sartorialist and JakandJil.com, and personal style-sharing sites such as Lookbook.nu and Chictopia, in the last 2 years alone there has been an online explosion of sites on the internet devoted to the style of the stylish unknown: the girl (or guy) who has that certain je ne sais quoi about them.
Women check out these blogs and see the Beautiful Stranger. They check out her outfit details, hairstyle, and makeup. And sometimes, such style can lead to an impromptu purchase by the onlooker. And retailers are increasingly taking notice of this street cred influencing consumers.
What with ModCloth sponsoring outfits for many bloggers (so much so that the term “ModCloth Robot” has been floating around the blogosphere for awhile), StyleList and Bluefly’s search for America’s Most Stylish Blogger last Fall where they sent the participants items from Bluefly and had us style them in our own outfits, Ann Taylor LOFT’s campaign partnering with Jessica Schroeder of WhatIWore, and most recently, the newly-launched scrolling functionality of The Gap 1969 Stream photo collage of both models and regular people wearing their Gap jeans.
The bag Emily designed in collaboration with Coach, from Cupcakes and Cashmere
Well-read blogs are beginning to wield huge influence – with the bloggers elevated from just another stylish person online to luxury bag designer [Emily Schuman for Coach], front-row Fashion Week attendee [Tavi Gevinson at Dior Fall/Winter 2010], shoe design collaborator [Jane Aldrige with Urban Outfitters], and campaign model [Rumi Neely for Forever21], just to name a few.
It’s no longer just a handful of corporate websites out there – it’s all over the place that we’re seeing the beautiful, almost anonymous stranger showcasing her personal style (which seems so much more attainable to the average person, right?).
Even the Wall Street Journal has picked up on this trend with their recent Seen on the Street: Strangers as Style Icons article (which is an interesting profile on the BeautifulStranger.tv website).
Since I just received Banana Republic’s “Life at Work” Fall catalog (see above), replete with photographs of their products shot on the backs of what appear to be regular people (along with their job descriptions next to them – and not just “model” mind you!)…just how strong a trend Street Style has become is an issue that’s been on my mind lately.
So here it’s opened up to you: is Street Style the new litmus test of What’s Fashionable? Do you pay more attention to the celebrities and A-listers, models during their down time, or what that cool-looking Beautiful Stranger is wearing in some street snapshot somewhere? Is Street Style the new determinate of chic?
xoxox
Carly
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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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