Vocab: Shift Dress

Welcome to the weekly installment of fashion vocabulary!

One of the easiest silhouettes to wear, the shift dress (Also known as a chemise) is cut straight from the shoulders down (sometimes slightly flowing away from the hip area). This cut prevents the shift dress from looking oversized and frumpy. Not to mention that its loose shape is perfect for those fat days. Probably not the best silhouette for ladies with wider hips or woman interested in showing off those curvy assets! But if you're looking for an easy to wear look this style of dress is great for you. (Dress from Wet Seal for $24.50)

Belt is up to add definition to your waist.

Sophisiticated silk shift dress from Nordstrom, $150

Red Black and Blue

Today's outfit was created around these fun red tights. I experimented with more tannish colors before settling on the black and blue theme. I think the necklace really ties the outfit together by balancing out the red.

Shoes: JCPenny's Tights: Target Skirt: New York and Co.

T-shirt: Charlotte Russe

Mini Cardigan: Wet Seal

Bangles: Ebay Necklace: Forever 21

Ebay Items of the Week 10.28.07

I came across some quirky pieces to share with you for this week. Up first is this lovely peacock dress: Size: Small Starting bid $9.98 (Shipping $9.95) And for you hip-hop fashionistas, this Run DMC skirt is fucking awesome! Size: Medium Starting bid $59.95 (Shipping $12)

Wanted: Skirt

I just recently bought a similar pencil skirt in black because its an essential basic piece that I know will be with me for a long time. Wet Seal just came out with this pinstripe skirt that I love just as much:

$16.50 at Wet Seal

And anyone interested in getting a high waisted pencil skirt should check out this one for $21.50:

P.S.--Right now is a great time to buy at Wet Seal because they're offering free shipping :)

Restaurant Artwork

And while not fashion related per se, I wanted to share this piece of artwork on the wall next to our table at dinner at Guantanamera in NYC. I like the cubist influences visible and how delicately the man seems to be holding the woman as they dance.

You like?

Carnegie Hall

I went on a dinner date this last week involving a trip to Carnegie Hall to see a string quartet play Arvo Part and Philip Glass, while Philip Seymore Hoffman read from the novel Everyman by Philip Roth . . . so high brow, I know! (maybe the night should have been called the three Philips) This pic was taken by the fountains in Colombus Park. I should note that I wore some cute black slingbacks to the performance and dinner, but changed to these flats before we boarded the train and headed home (i.e.--this pic was taken at the end of the night). So this isn't the best shot, but I thought I would share it anyway :) Dress: Ross (I think) Shoes: Old Navy

Classic Black

It's been overcast here recently, and so I decided to let the weather dictate my ensemble. I love this jersey knit dress because its comfy and sophisticated. I wore the patterned tights to break the look up a bit.

Dress: Forever 21

Boots: Wet Seal

Bangle: Target

Necklace: homemade

Tights: Forever 21

Great Deal: Party Dress

Looking for a flirty party dress? Forever 21 must have gotten a huge shipment of this style since they're selling these dresses for only $10.50. Score! Available in six colors.

Happy Shopping!

Bangles

I thought I would share my latest purchase with you all. I got this set of bangles on ebay for about $15. I have been waiting over a month for them (there had been some problems with the shipping that luckily got resolved) and can't wait to start incorporating them into my looks :)

My necklace belt

I bought a pair of black slacks at Kohl's about a year ago, which came with this cute belt. The first time I wore the pants, however, I realized that the belt was missing the clasp and since I bought the last pair of these pants, I knew I couldn't take them back.

Because I liked the look of the belt I decided to just be ghetto about it and tie the belt together where it would have clasped. This worked fine, except for every time I had to go to the bathroom and had to deal with picking apart the knot.

I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but last night when I was looking for a belt to wear, I realized that this belt would make a great necklace. Not to mention, that I would be able to get more wear out of it this way.

Voila! My old belt became my new necklace!

Slouch Boots: Wet Seal

Burmuda Shorts: Kohl's (came with belt)

Pink Cami: Forever 21

Hoodie: Kohl's

Ebay Items of the Week 10.22.07

My husband left the digital camera in his office today, so no outfit pics. But I will recreate what I wore later this week. In the mean time to satiate your vintage shopping desires, here are some of my favorites from this week on ebay. Damn all of you size S and XS because this motorcycle jacket is awesome (and affordable):

Starting bid is $19.95 ($12 shipping and handling to the US and Canada).

Go to http://www.ebay.com/ and in the search feature type in the item number to pull it up. Item no. 120174869129

Next up is a size medium, burgundy leather jacket. This jacket is perfect for fall! Starting bid $19.99 (Shipping $11).

Item no. 320173642532

And lastly, my personal favorite for the week is this vintage dress. Simple, yet refined and with a cinched waist it can look totally hip. Best part, starting bid is $9.99 ($7.50 shipping):

Item no. 320172353639

Vocab: Bias Cut

A new installment of useful fashion vocabulary for your enjoyment :)

Made popular by Madeleine Vionnet, this cut revolutionized fashion in the 1920s and 30s. By cutting fabric against the grain at a 45 degree angle, the bias cut effectively allows the fabric to fully stretch.

source: http://vintagesewing.info/19th/1892-sn/illust/003.jpg

The greatest benefit of this cut is that designers can choose which body parts (usually the curvy areas) to accentuate while maintaining a soft feminine drape to the fabric.

This Betsey Johnson Dress is a fabulous example. (And not terribly expensive for a Betsey Johnson dress at $99 on ebay, size 6)

Item number: 190121217595

And for those of us with less cash to burn, I found this cute skirt for $50.

T-shirt fanatics unite!

As I've mentioned recently, I'm not the biggest t-shirt person, but I couldn't help but pass on this excellent site for those who are: http://www.threadless.com/

Semi-weekly, the company chooses about 10 designs, which have been rated by members of the threadless community (i.e.-anyone who registers with the site) to make into t-shirts and hoodies. The shirts are reasonable priced as well, $15 for Men's shirts, $17 for Women's and $40 for hoodies (kids sizes available too).

And the photos people take of the winning shirts are worth the trip to this site. Here are some of my favorites:

http://www.threadless.com/product/978/Now_I_Know_My_ABC_s

http://www.threadless.com/product/749/Rampage

http://www.threadless.com/product/749/Rampage

And as En Vogue would say, go ahead "Express yourself!"

The Basics: Ballet Flats

A friend of mine just recently told me that ballet flats damage your feet almost as much as heels can (since they don't have arch support). I figure since I already have flat feet, I can't be doing that much damage and hence, ballet flats are my favorite shoes (next to my reef flip flops) because they're cute. But more importantly, because they are comfortable to walk in. Here is my collection of ballet flats: I like to think I covered the basics, but definitely look forward to adding more colors to the collection. And I know the yellow ones aren't ballet flats, but since they are flat I decided to include them :) I also recently picked up a pair of navy ones seen in the jewel tones photo.

Do you love ballet flats?
	Yes! Yes I do
	Love? No. But Like, Yep
	Indifferent (Haven't really thought about it)
	No way, they make my feet look funny
pollcode.com free polls

Pencil Skirt

I recently purchased this pencil skirt from Wet Seal because although I own several black skirts, I didn't have this staple in my wardrobe. And while I think this outfit would look better with my black pumps, I refuse to wear pumps when I go to NYC because the last time I wore stiletoes in the city, I couldn't walk right for the next couple of days!

Top: Wet Seal

Skirt: Wet Seal

Ballet Flats: Target (I think)

Bracelets: Wet Seal

Earrings: Forever 21

Style Shake

Reading Style Bubble today, I couldn't help but check out Style Shake to test out my fashion design abilities (which are negligible at best). Here's what I came up with (I couldn't figure out how to change the black background to make the black silk of the dresss stand out, but this will have to do):

If anyone wants to try their hand at designing, email me a pic of the finished project and I'll post it for the world to see :)

Wanted: T-Shirt

Admittedly, I'm not a t-shirt wearing girl usually, but the detailing on this one makes me want to snatch it up.

The silver chain on the shoulder is awesome. This would definitely be something I'd wear to the trashy bars in the neighboorhood. And its only $12 at Wet Seal.

Another Flower Print

Yesterday's outfit consisted of a rose and carnation inspired print . . .Today, calla lilies take center stage.

With temperatures in the low 70s, I just can't bring myself to layer. It's also fun to get on a swing once and a while :) Brown Pumps: Target (and really comfortable) Bangle: Target

Leggings: Target

Tunic Top: Old Navy

Earrings: Forever21

the basics: Heels

Honestly, no other shoe is sexier than a heel. Right now, I am absolutely loving the trend of wearing silver pumps (because they sparkle--I guess my infantile tendencies still have a strong hold on my psyche). So, I recently bought this pair of Michael Antonio heels from ebay for about $20 (w/shipping).

They're a little big, which should remind me to stop buying shoes from ebay since you really need to try them on, but in the case I think the sexiness of heel outweighs the fact that my feet slip inside them. To see paired with an outfit, check out the previous post :)

Purple kind of mood

I guess I have been feeling the color purple recently since the last post and this one focus on this fun fall color. In an ideal world, I would wear two pairs of these gray opaque tights to ensure that they really are opaque. . . I should probably think about picking up another pair then. One thing I completely adore about this dress is the strip of purple lace at the empire waist (can't see in this photo) and repeated right before the ruffles on the bottom of the dress. I think this small, see-through detail is not only unique, but also subtly sexy. Shoes: Ebay Tights: Old Navy Dress: Baby Phat via Ebay Express Jacket: Gift from the 'rents (Kohl's probably) Necklace: Claire's (during one of those 10 items for $5 sales that I love!)

Out Partying

I mentioned yesterday that I had been out late the night before. Too tired to take a photo when I got home, I decided to recreate the outfit today. I normally wear this sexy purple Guess dress by itself (I know its short, but that's part of what makes it sexy), but the rainy weather called for a little more cover up, so I added these dark metallic leggings paired with the silver pointy-toed flats. I say if you have curves embrace them and show 'em off once a while!

Shoes: Wet Seal Sress: Guess via Ebay Express

Leggings: Forever21

Ebay Items of the Week 10.14.07

As always, there are some great pieces on ebay this week. First up is a vintage gold vinyl trench coat with a definite 60s flair. You would definitely be noticed in this! (size: M)

Starting bid $24.99 ($5.30 S&H)

Go to http://www.ebay.com/ and in the search feature type in the item number to pull it up.

Item number: 320170329509

Next up, a stunningly 60s dress with pronounced geometric pattern in shades of brown. Could fit up to a medium, but definitely check your measurements to the ones listed for this item:

Starting bid $9.99 or buy it now for $19.99 ($4.60 S&H)

Item number: 200163066022

And lastly, this adorable small, red wool trench. I adore the hood on it.

Starting bid $20.00 ($6.30 S&H):

Item number: 130163630531

Enjoy shopping this week!

Casual day all the way

Since I was recovering from a long night (I went to bed at 8:30 am) of bar hopping, I could barely move yesterday and therefore didn't get around to creating a post. Today, however, I feel human again and needed to head out to work on statistics for class. Not really expecting to run into anyone, here's what I put on:

I love how a pair of heels can really dress up a look! And I know some true fashionistas are cringing at the horizontal stripes, but for a casual day I say it doesn't matter as long as you feel comfortable and confident in what you're wearing. Next time, I think I'll wear a cami underneath the polo so I can open all the buttons up.

Trench coat: New York and Co.

Khaki pants: Kohl's

Top: Kohl's

Shoes: Target

Finally Fall

The weather back here has been in the 80s and 70s for the last couple of weeks, so it hasn't felt like fall at all. But finally the high today is in the upper 60s so I can dress the season. Interestingly, I had this skirt in a bag of clothes I was planning on giving away, but thought it might be better to keep it since the suede texture matched these slouch boots I recently picked up. (Lucky I got this picture in, because as I write this post it's beginning to pour outside!)

And the earrings:

Sweater: Present from Parents (Kohl's??)

Tank Top: Old Navy

Skirt: ??? (i.e.--I can't remember, maybe Ross)

Earrings: Forever21

Boots: Wet Seal

Vocab: Bouffant/Bubble Sleeve

Part of my evolution has been to learn specific terms used in fashion. And I figure that I might not be the only one interested in learning more sophisitcated language to use when talking about different aspects of an outfit. Thus, the idea for a weekly vocab tutorial . . . this week, the bouffant (or for the more contemporart term bubble) sleeve. Bouffant: A larger version of the puff sleeve. Also called a balloon sleeve. (From http://www.snapfashun.com/stylopedia/) Wanna buy one? ($7.99 at Old Navy) http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/product.do?cid=26194&pid=418750

The Basics: Organizing the Closet

One benefit of being a graduate student is that even on a Wednesday I can stay in my pajamas all day and study (although studying all day is definitely not a benefit). So unfortunately, there won't be an outfit pic today, but I expect to get one up tomorrow. In the mean time . . . I plan on posting tips that have been helpful for me in developing my sense of style. The first of these is to organize your closet!!! I have chosen to organize mine not only by color, but also by style of piece (t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, dresses together etc.). I've found that this makes choosing an outfit that much easier and for the hour or two it takes to reorganize, it's well worth it. Here's how mine looks (I told you it was cramped!):

If you're wondering where the whites are, they have migrated to my partner's closet. But considering that until about a month ago, I had taken up about half of his closet, I would say this is a big improvement.

Target: My heaven and hell conveniently wrapped up in a bull's eye

I went to Target today to buy some eye make-up remover and $70 later I was finished shopping. I love how there is always something worth buying at Target, but hate how even a simple quick trip is really just a drain on my bank account. Either way, I love the vintage look and pewter color of this clutch (with detachable chain) and for only $6.50 I decided it just wasn't worth passing up. In addition, I bought these tights ($5.99 a pair): I can't get enough of the cable knit, hence the brown pair. I bought the red ones because I figured they would come in handy at some point even though I'm not sure how I'll incoporate them just yet.

Jewel Tones

I wish I could video the way this skirt moves when I walk because every time I wear it, I feel ultra-feminine as it sashays in just the right way. Although I can't remember how much I paid for the skirt, I know I got a great deal on it because I bought it when Crossroads Mall (Boulder, CO) was going out business and the Express inside the mall was selling everything 80 percent off. If only I could find that kind of sale today! The shirt was a much more recent purchase at Old Navy This was also on sale ($10) and you may still be able to pick one up. (P.S.-- I'm not quite sure why it looks like there is a stain on the skirt, but I can assure you I wasn't quite that clumsy this morning:)

And here's a close up of the earrings:

Skirt: Express Top: Old Navy

Necklace: Target

Earrings: ??? (I can't remember, probably Kohl's or Target)

Shoes: Old Navy