Pictures of my trrrrrrenday outfits 5.13 + 5.14

Posted on May 14, 2013 by cemnashville

Unfortunately with this being a “fashion week” and all, I can’t leave the house in my family guy boxers and fuzzy purple slippers.

bummer.

I’ve had to instead wear less-classy options for frolicking amongst the fashion-fabulous of Portland.

I had a lot of laundry this week… but here’s what I came up with…

Night one: I didn’t know what I was getting into, and decided I wanted to fly solo, so I chose a predominantly black motif with a sleek hairdo. Recognize those H&M pants? They are from my mystery shopping blog and also from my promo shoot with Levy Moroshan! See? Nothing wrong with getting some bang for your buck!

(captions below)

Oh, did you come alone? So did I…… *wink wink*

Uh-er-uh-lemme just—uhm– yeah…

Got it–uh-yah just one sec—um

Nothing creepy about that face…….

Crouching Caroline hidden friends…..

Just me looking ravishing and stylish and ready for a night of amaaaazingness … and also like I’ve been watching you sleep…

Night two! The weather was crazy crazertons today, but warmed up by the time to roll out. I opted for my Target super-find that you might remember from the blog where I destroyed my finger, and I paired it with snakeskin BCBG black pants (my faves) and nude DV wedges.

See? Allll bedduh!

Who let the huge snake into my house?!?!?!

Jaykayyy it’s just my leg in fierce fabric! You should be more scared of my weird smile-growl pose. Why do I make decisions to take pictures like that?

Hey everyone look at my fancy tricks^^ followed by a series of pictures that sort of show you my outfit:

If I don’t wear something with color on it tomorrow then I’ve become a total hypocrite fashionista.

They’ll probably blacklist me.

Or black and white list me….

Ba-dum-chhhhhhhh

Once you get done laughing at that hilarious joke, I hope you have a great night. I’ll report back on tonight’s awesome show at Produce Row in the morning.

xo !

Men’s Fashion Week 2013: dudes in skirts, dudes with no hands, and dudes that may not be dudes

Posted on May 10, 2013 by cemnashville

It’s men’s fashion week in Europe! That means a bunch of dudes are dressing up in designer duds to woo the affections of the fashion world for the Fall of 2013. London, Milan, and Paris. As expected, suits were aplenty. Some stayed classic, of course, but some also ventured into the realm of the unknown. I saw a lot of cheetah print… very “grrr” Austin would be proud…

Here is a quick look at some highlights:

Burberry- the same thing we expect every year with cheetah print shoes

J.W. Anderson- I will pay $20 to any of my guy friends to wear this out and use pick up lines on girlsSaint Laurent- the edgy cool thing is cool but men also like hamburgers- give him one

Rick Owens- imagine him ordering a frappucino….

Louis Vuitton- okay, had to sneak in a good suit… teeheeThom Browne magician maybe? I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a rabbit in that hat….

Comme de Garcons : what guy doesn’t want to look like a girl at Disneyland?

Versace- hands: who really needs them?

I barely skimmed the surface, but that’s an idea of just how..er… creative things can get. I definitely suggest heading over to http://www.nytimes.com and looking at the photo galleries.

What I want to know is who wears these things? Dandies, I suppose (and my goodness are they fabulous) But what about a cheeseburger-eating-football-watching-whiskey-drinking-pickupline-using-late-twenties dude out and about in this:

Attention readers: if you can find someone that meets above criteria out in a public place wearing a fashion-week-worthy outfit, please take a picture and send it to me. If it’s awesome, I’ll send you $5 which is good for a sizable latte or a dive-bar well drink, and we will cheers.

One thing is for certain though, it may be sunny in Portland, but over in at Fashion Week in Europe ……

😉 xo

Met-matics: Beyonce + Miley =

Posted on May 7, 2013 by cemnashville

You want a “best/worst” dressed list? They got plenty of blogs for that. Best/worst lists are fun, but seriously- who cares? All of those outfits took some serious TLC to create, are made of luxury fabrics, and showcased the personality of the wearer (which is the most important). So much of an outfit presentation is experienced through first-person eyes. The camera adds 10 lbs, different fabrics catch light different ways, and head-turning only happens when you aren’t looking dead-on at a screen. I positively loved some of the looks at the Met Gala last night, but I also thought some stylists got an extra shot of espresso on the day they went shopping…. Let’s take a look at a couple of my favorite looks, and how they “add up” on my terms….

and this

met-gala-2013-models-5

These women all look amazing in their own right…..

they also just happen to look amazingly like other things that make me laugh 😉

Drawing Practice: Grocery Gown!

Posted on May 4, 2013 by cemnashville

It has been awhile since I pulled out my beloved Prismacolor markers and pencils for a little drawing practice. Turns out, I think I need more of it… (as if that wasn’t blatantly obvious) . I decided that today I would try designing something that I would wear myself and that would suit my lifestyle. I wanted to incorporate design elements that I love from my wardrobe with trends I’m loving right now. Most importantly, I wanted to design something I thought would be wearable. So often I get excited to draw funky furs and intricate lace, that I wanted to think inside the box. Realistically speaking, we dress “inside the box”, (i.e., I’m not going to wear this to the grocery store…)

or this….

If I wore that, the people at the grocery store would probably think I had just done an embarrassingly bad job of stealing from the meat counter.

You get the point. The thing about fashion is that there needs to be a certain amount of digestibility (no pun intended…). I’m not going to wear something weird or over-the-top, so I need to think about how I become a more versatile designer also- one that clothes people who go to the grocery store.

I’m absolutely in love with the maxi-dress and maxi-skirt takeover. I think that every woman deserves to wear gowns, even if that means they are just going to Trader Joe’s. Maybe that’s my inner pageant girl. Keeping this in mind, I decided to design a “grocery gown” suited to my tastes!

This summer white jersey knit has a cowl neckline and stops just above the ankles! I wanted to incorporate the black & white stripe trend and the graphic tee trend, but I gave it a twist by making the stripes silver. Balancing with fabric and graphics is a good way of eluding to that hourglass shape, especially since many women are smaller on top.

Also, I wanted to make sure that it was short enough to be worn with any shoes, so you can show off when you find cute ones like these that I found on Polyvore!

Charlotte Russe $43

I had a difficult time trying to mix the colored pencils and the markers in the drawing. You can tell especially by the shotty shading on the skirt and semi-contorted foot. I never said I was the best drawer. I’ve determined that for the time being I should stick to one medium until I’ve honed my skills. I definitely see where I can improve, but was having so much fun putting this one together that I couldn’t be bothered with creating a masterpiece. I’m happy with the mind exercise I was able to get from the experiment, and it is definitely therapeutic to spend some time engrossed in a coloring project!

It’s funny, I realized if I was going to draw myself I needed to use a bright red marker for my hair… something I’d not yet done. One of my wonderful readers has suggested a caricature superhero for Dorky Chick in Lipstick so stay tuned, more red-marker hair to come 🙂 Maybe this guy will have some pointers for me….

Ba da ba ba ba I’m ~~lovin’~~ terrified.

Anyways, another drawing done and just in time to get ready for work. They say “practice makes perfect” but I say practice makes me hungry.

I’m off to fix that. xo

Pics of my trrrrrrrendayyyy outfit 5.02

Posted on May 3, 2013 by cemnashville

May is here and it has brought some deeeelightful weather along with it! I’m resurrecting my summer scarves, tanks, and beloved maxi skirts for some chillaxication! I’m all about maxi skirts and think this trend has serious staying power. Comfort, versatility, and flair factor make me think I need to do some stocking up for the summer. I’ll do some research and report back! In the mean time, feel free to waste some of your time checking out how I wore it.

Eyyyyyy!

Here’s me practicing frolicking:

My upside down watch says it’s time to go play.

That means you too 😉

xo have a great weekend 🙂

Blearning Blog: Today’s Episode Brought to You by the Letter B!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by cemnashville

For those who missed it, I’m working on a new regular blog feature called “Blearning Blogs” and I’m highlighting a designer A-Z that I’ve never heard of before. Clearly if they have an established career I’m behind the times, but I take comfort in accepting there is a first time for everything.

So how’s about a proper introduction to today’s letter? Hit it Beetles!

Haha, I hope you watched the whole video, because I sure didn’t. Enough of my trickery! Today’s letter is B and I am highlighting designer Brandon Sun.

According to his website, the designer graduated from Parsons in NYC and was named “Designer of the Year” amongst a handful of other awards. He went on to work with J. Mendel and Oscar de la Renta. His work is noted especially for his incorporation of furs, which you can tell even still a place in his 2013 Spring ready-to-wear line. He’s moved on to become more independent, and you can find a high-end fur accessories line at luxury retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, BoontheShop, and Savannah. Others were mentioned, but, admittedly, none of which I’d heard of.

So check it out! Here are some pics of my favorites from his recent Spring 2013 independent collection. There are some beautiful styles here and it’s clear that construction is both innovative and mindful for Sun.

Check out those furrrrocious furs!

What’s super cool is that Brandon Sun actually designed a mink collection exclusively for Janet Jackson which she used in a promotional campaign for Blackglama called “What Becomes a Legend Most?” (Blackglama is an extremely high-end mink fashion retailer that boasts it’s exclusivity by deeming less than 2% of the world’s mink worthy of their designs. Also, Blackglama starts with the letter “B”….. Booyah.)

Check out this vid I nabbed from his site!

Make sure to do a Google search first if you are wanting to look up Brandon Sun. If you go to http://www.brandonsun.com, like I did, then you’ll find yourself on the newspaper website of the 2nd largest town in Manitoba, Canada. You guessed it — Brandon.

WEEoooWEEoo: Project alert!… and a follow up on fabric!

Posted on April 27, 2013 by cemnashville

So these past couple weeks have brought new excitement with the beginning of my intermediate dresses class. Each woman is given a different dress pattern of her choosing and over the next weeks we will complete it thoroughly!

“Uhh so you’re getting a pattern and making it? That’s it?” Yes. And also, no! This dress class incorporates pattern fittings, instruction on lining, new skills, and close supervision. So when I’m all done I’m going to have a dress that doesn’t just reflect skills I have, it will also be a showcase of new ones!

Here’s the pattern I chose:

This wrap dress is an exclusive pattern of my sewing studio, but is clearly inspired by the classic design of Diane Von Furstenburg in the 1970’s as a way for women to look professional and also stylish in the workplace. It still holds that purpose today, but can be worn on any occasion that suits you!

My venture to Fabric Depot the other day was to scavenge through the myriad of cloth choices to find something that I would want to wear, that fit the criteria, and, most importantly, matched my hair (which is still difficult….)

I found a 100% cotton print that is sturdy, but has just a little give and is lightweight enough to wear in summer, but not too lightweight that it wrinkles easily! Some pretty fabrics didn’t stand up to the wrinkle test. (Tip: next time you are thinking about buying a clothing item or fabric, take a bit of the material and bunch it up in your hand. Release it, and see if the wrinkles stay. The more wrinkles, means the harder the garment is to maintain it’s original shape, and is something to take into consideration.)

This stuff passed the wrinkle test with flying colors, and I found a grey lining for a reasonable price that should hang nicely with it.

As you can see, it’s not really wearable yet…

But if Portland keeps having such nice weather I may never need it!

teehee!

Time to go and soak up that vitamin D! Have a great Saturday, and thank you so much for reading! You may think I’m just saying that, but I’m not. It means a lot 🙂

xo!

Not too shabs: Lurneen sumfingz

Posted on April 20, 2013 by cemnashville

I was enjoying some crummy gas station coffee (which I secretly love), listening to some afrobeat on Songza, and reading the May issue of Marie Claire (one of my faves) and while ogling at the Moroccan-inspired fashion spread, I came across two pages of photos with items I’d featured in my blog! On the left is from the Gucci 2013 Spring line, as featured in one of my earliest blogs Gravity and Gucci and on the right are those signature Louis Vuitton checks that popped off the runway and into my blog Pineapple Eye Massage !

You’d think by the time I hit higher education that I wouldn’t be so surprised to find real-world application of something I’m learning, but maybe I’m still scarred from long division…

*cough cough*

I think you get the point.

So thanks Marie Claire for giving me another reason to stay optimistic. Turns out this little project really is teaching me a thing or two 🙂

Did you miss the entries on Gucci and LV?

Check ’em out here:

Gravity and Gucci

Pineapple Eye Massage

More to come! Thanks for reading!

What I’ll do 20 years from now when I find this dress in Goodwill Bins

Posted on April 19, 2013 by cemnashville

I present the Dorky Chick in Lipstick Decree:

You can always shop on an unlimited budget, as long as you spend within yours. 🙂

(And, yes, smiley faces are totally appropriate in decrees.)

Today’s budget for this girl was 2 bucks for clean clothes, 4 bucks for Numi Toasted Rice Tea and a Clif Bar, and a free seat on my couch with my laptop. Ahh a perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon of luxury shopping (on budget!)

My latest crush is on this midi-length, soldier-print dress by Dolce & Gabbana. It is part of their 2013 Spring collection, so it is no wonder that it has my trend-dar going berserk! The vibrant hues make it a head-turner, while the print makes it interesting, yet, surprisingly not overwhelming. Like all of my favorite things to shop for, it is way out of my price range, but there is always hope that 20 years from now I can buy it at a vintage consignment store…right? *tear* Fortunately for both of us, this dress comes with free inspiration! That’s right! It didn’t cost me a darn thing to get my imagination churning when I saw it. And free is definitely in my budget 🙂

So here is the piece I was talking about!

The Dolce & Gabbana printed silk organza dress on the runway:

And here is the dress as I would style it! I chose two different looks that really speak to me and my personal style.

I love clean and classic, and thought that simple sophistication would be a great way of showing off the chicness of the garment. Gold detailing and nude, uncompromising heels give the dress a polished look, while the chunky black shades are an affirmation of confidence. Natural makeup and a sleek bun round out what this look, which is everything I love about being a woman; it is refined, yet has a certain amount of prowess that makes it sexy without being revealing.

I want to see this dress break some rules with it’s bold reds and contrasting blues. I love the idea of toning the dress down by bulking up with shameless accessories. The studs on the boots suddenly take the dress from high-tea to high-octane, and the layered necklace reinforces that the its not about the dress, but the woman in the dress. I also wanted to find another pattern to play with the print, and thought this Marc Jacobs was so crazy it just might work. Of course she needs some of that crazy-wave hair and sunnies to keep it bold from head to toe.

A downside to falling in love with this dress is that it will be hard to go out and find a comparable version unless this style of fabric printing can become part of mainstream trends. I know that if I wanted to recreate this by just going to a fabric store and looking for fabric, I’d be hard pressed to find just what I’m looking for, and it would definitely be a challenge to make it original. That is probably good for Dolce & Gabbana, though, because intellectual property doesn’t exist in the fashion world. How do you think I find such good knockoffs? But, that’s another blog for another day. For now, I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that prints like these start trickling down the fashion chain.

Well happy Friday to all! I hope you can get in some luxury shopping this weekend 🙂

My dad doesn’t need Google for fashion advice

Posted on April 19, 2013 by cemnashville

My dear readers I have a special treat for you- my first guest contributor! After reading my suit article, I got an e-mail from my favorite guy in a suit! My dad! (yes apparently he is reading my fashion blog- what a guy! haha) So with his permission, I’ve included his two cents!

Miss Caroline, As one who started his working years in the men’s clothing business, at a high end men’s retail and tailor shop, I know a little something about suits. My personal preference is in the style. There are different styles of men’s suits. The traditional style calls for a three button coat, a single “hooked” center of the back flap, and lapped seams(rather than single seams). In the summer time cotton poplin, linen, and seersucker are my preferred cloths, though a very light hard finish thin wool can be nice. In the winter I prefer 100% wool, with a hard finish. Soft finish, like thick cloth, for blazers is good, too. The trousers can be either plain front or pleated, but traditional calls for cuffs on the trousers. I prefer a 2 inch cuff. A lot of the high vis folks you pictured were wearing more fashion oriented suits, but my favorite is still the classic traditional style. Hope that helps. I love you, Dad

Thanks, Dad! He doesn’t need Google to know what’s up. Let’s take a look at his pointers.

Traditional style coat has three buttons:

Yes

A hooked back flap?

Oh! I get it now!

Wait, lapped seams? *tikka tikka tikka* I know these! I’ve been taught they are called “flat fell” seams. These are the kinds of seams you can probably find on the inside of your leg on your jeans! Look down! In fact, I used these on those flashy PJ’s I wore in “Breakfast-Casual” and Hairdryer Glamour Shots both on the shoulder seams and on the inside seams! If you weren’t wearing jeans and need a better idea of what I’m talking about then behold: the flat-fell/ lapped seam

My dad mentioned his preferences for fabrics, also, which is an increasingly relevant topic in my life. (I just started my textiles classes tonight!) And he’s not kidding– he boasts a sharp collection of seersucker suits. If you aren’t literate in fabrics yet, thats okay! I probably wouldn’t know what seersucker was called if I hadn’t seen him wearing it all these years. You’ve seen it- its a lightweight fabric that is striped in white and pastel.

<< I think he has at least 3 out of 5 of these colors.

I neglected to clearly acknowledge the way the seasons correlate with fabrics as it relates to suits, so this was a great point to address.

Moving on to pants, here is a great photo showing both styles my dad mentioned in his note. The left is the pleated complete with 2 inch cuffs, while the right is pleat and cuff-less.

Even though my dad would pass up Justin’s “Suit and Tie” to listen to these suited gentlemen…

…he still knows what he’s talking about.

And you can take that to the bank!

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