Sunday, September 13, 2009

Mystery is never inappropriate




Effy Stonem is a real source of inspiration for me. Her mysterious looks are so beautiful. You know, it's always magnetizing when a girl is a secret for others. Like Ef. I think, we have a lot to learn from her. Let's start with looks first.

Effy is known for amazingly short dark dresses and lots lots of accessories. Use as much bracelets as possible. Better if they'll be big. And wear lots of long chains and beads. With short dresses better wear no tights or leggings. Choose high soldier boots instead.

Anyway, if you are not ready for changing your style so sharply, at least learn to wear accessories as Effy does. And try to think of using dark colours in the outfit. 

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Parents' wardrobes



No money for cloths? But strongly need some new? Take a look inside the parents' wardrobe! You'll be surprised how many you'll find there. This girl on the photos is dressed into her dad's shirt. Why not to take dad's jeans or a tie as well.

My friend once took her dad's old Diesel jeans and cut them into cute shorts. I took my mom's ancient jacket, which she wore in the 90s. You can take the clothes, which your parents don't wear anymore, and make new things out of them. Or simply start wearing it, because each season the fashion returns to the things from the past. As leggings from 60s and big shoulder jackets from 90s. Just don't be scared to make experiments!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

DIY Shredded tights


Along with the return of all things 80s has come a resurgence in "deconstruction"...ie. rips, tears, shreds, and garments seemingly torn asunder. L.A.-based designer Raquel Allegra recently showed tattered L.A. County Jail shirts fashioned - unbelievably - into fabulously floaty tops and dresses (above), while Erin Wasson looked unbelievably tacky trendy in a pair of well-ventilated TopShop jeans. Fashion bloggers like Rumi at FashionToast, Outsapop, and Camille of Childhood Flames (who works some serious shredding magic with a seam ripper and a Hanes tee) have all blogged about the grooviness of a shredded top. And shredded tights look tres au courant with a dark mini, sweaterdress, or anything frilly (just not plaid...too 1992).

Instead of shelling out for pre-ripped tights, here's how to actually do it yourself:

1. PICK THE RIGHT PAIR The last thing you want is a granny'ish thigh shaper peeking out from beneath your mini skirt, so choose semi-sheer or sheer black stockings. And because the higher-denier weaves of opaque tights and more expensive versions don't shred vertically as well, cheaper is best for this project.

2. START TO SLASH Put on the tights and use tiny scissors or a seam ripper to make horizontal slashes around thigh- or knee-level. To create the best looking "ladders", snip only the vertical anchors (between the horizontal threads).

3. ARTFULLY SHRED Use your fingers to create runs in the stockings by pulling vertically up and down. Keep pulling at the horizontal threads until you have the look you want. NOTE: Don't pull too many horizontal threads or you'll end up with an unattractive "fluffy" sort of look. Also, to keep your hard work from (literally) falling apart, stop pulling before you hit the areas prone to stress and ripping - ie. before you hit the panty/crotch area at the top; similarly, do not pull all the way down to the ankles/bottom of the feet.  

4. FIX & FINISH To prevent any further ripping and destruction, dab on quick-dry clear nailpolish, pulling the tights away from your skin as you apply, and waiting til it's dry before letting go. Although the nailpolish will look a bit "crusty" when you take the tights off, when you put them on again, the polish will be invisible.

5. HAND WASH Deliberate shredding makes clothing delicate, so hand-washing is a must.  

With the right tools, some careful attention, and enough time, anyone can produce fabulous results that look right off the runways. Happy DIY-ing!