OOTD: THE MODERN PINUP

     I've said before and I'll say it again, you can achieve the pinup or vintage look without actually having to shop vintage or break the bank looking for retro reproduction pieces. Its quite easy to pull a vintage inspired look together with completely modern pieces and no one will ever know that it's not vintage. Sticking to classic pieces like pencil skirts, high waist pants, pedal pushers, cardigans, crop tops, turtlenecks and classic prints like polka dots, strips, plaids, and  geometric prints, can carry over from any decade giving you a timeless and not specifically period look.



Clothing:

Skirt: Suspender pencil skirt ( H&M $9.99)

Top: Nautical strip key hole top ( Marshalls $20.00)

Shoes: Sam Edelman Combat Boots (HSN)

Accessories: 
Pearl & button Necklace & Earring (Unexpected Things) *Unexpected Things is my own jewelry and accessories line

Palm Gloves ( EBay $4.50)

Studded cat eye sunglasses (my own DIY instructions available in DIY section)

Makeup:

Lipstick:

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipstick (Cherry Pickin)

Suck it in Doll… Don’t be that girl

I think it’s about that time we talk foundations Dolls…and I don’t mean makeup. I mean the dreaded girdle. I know that no woman wants to talk about or face that moment when she needs a girdle  because for some reason we associate them with 'letting ourselves go'. But let me just put your mind at ease right now. You are not the only one that needs a girdle in fact its a staple undergarment for the young adult and adult woman! Every woman no matter what her size, shape, or weight needs a proper foundation which means she need the correct undergarments under her clothing. This is even more of a necessity if you’re a Pinup/Rockabilly/Vintage Doll. With those crop tops, pencil skirts and wiggle dresses we all love some much it’s even more important to actually look as good as we feel.

The dreaded word girdle can have a lot of negative connotations (believe me I know), they tend to be thought of as an old lady thing, or something you wear only if you're fat. Well that’s completely outdated, off base and untrue. Women’s underwear has come a long way since the “old days” with all the options and styles out now out there its safe to saw it's truly something for everyone. You no longer have to worry about being embarrassed if someone sees what’s underneath your clothing. However anyway you look at it not many of us are six feet tall and a hundred pounds, and with the average American woman starting at a size 14 the reality is that most of us have curves, pouches, etc… and if you are choosing to dress in form fitting clothing you need to make sure your foundation is taken care of. Nothing ruins an outfit more than a visible muffin top, or rolls. You don’t want to be THAT GIRL! None of us do.

SCREW VALENTINES IT'S FASHION WEEK



Though a lot of people were obsessed and running rampant over the fact that Valentine’s Day was this week, if you’re anything like me V-day definitely took a backseat to the start of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week! For all you New Yorkers out there and the New Yorkers at heart…it doesn’t get better than Fashion Week. The excitement, competition, anticipation, the fashion…the street fashions alone will have your eyes bulging. Everyone waits with baited breath to see what the new fashion styles for fall/14 will be, what will be the next greatest trend, or what the new it piece for the season will be. This year they did not disappoint designers and everyone from Anna Sui, and Betsy Johnson to The Blonds and Zac Posen came out to show their much anticipated collections to the world of fashion.

                This year’s fashion week we saw a lot of nudes, pastels and whites along with great pops of color. The fabrics lent towards cashmere, wool, jerseys, a lot of shiny fabrics, and leather and cotton to name a few…furs continued to play a prominent roll as well as fur, leather and feather accents, and shearling. We also saw a lot of beading and sequence. We saw a lot of loose flowing pants and dresses, midi length skirts, double breasted coats, abstract prints and vintage inspired silhouettes. Many kept with the formula that’s been working the past few years therefore we saw a lot of interpretation of the skinny pants, skater dresses and skirts, and also bra and crop tops. I loved the minimalist tone to a lot of the collections as well as the ultra femme, gender neutral and edgy tones of others. There weren’t very many innovative or out of the box collections. Overall many of the collections from NYFW seemed to be repetitive, designers stuck to the same styles and formulas that have seemed to be working the past few seasons

                Styling was amazing this year and for many shows were actually wearable, dewy, clean skin was seen in just about every show as well as the min. The smoky eye was given a new twist  instead of heavy black models sported wet bronzed, as well as soft purple and neutral shades. One new trend introduced was the black eye and while not for everyone, if worn in a toned down manner I think it has the potential to be rather pretty. The brows were full and arched, smudged up cat eye liner, white eyeliner, one show even sported models with liner only on the lower lid. The dark lip was very popular, as well as the bold lip. DKNY sported ‘Orange Crush’ while Berrardi showed us ‘Tomato Red’, some other shades used for shows ranged from ‘Pepto Pink’ to Vivid Violet’. As far as hair saw a lot of side parts and hair accessories with hair worn straight as well as in soft curls or waves and messy low buns and ponytails.  Hats made a strong showing the bucket hat, berets and caps were seen in multiple shows. Boots also remained popular especially flat over the knee boots which was seen in a few shows.

                I know all of this sounds fine but when we get down to it what we really want to know is what the key pieces will be for next fall. Overall it seems that there are 3 major trends:

1.       Relaxed fitting flowing and wide legged pants (so for all of you Dolls that hate all these tight pants, you can rest in knowing that you can soon put them away).

2.       Anything shiny (I know that’s vague but its true). Sequin, beading, and shiny metallic colors.

3.       Outer wear. Sweaters, furs (real and faux), and capes have made a big resurgence. People often forget that outerwear can also be fashionable, but great pieces like boxy shawl collar coats, shearling jackets and wool fur accented capes will show people otherwise.

 

 

You don’t have to be in NY to enjoy fashion week, they’re plenty of websites that are giving excellent coverage as well as YouTube channels like ‘Fashion TV’ and ‘Fatal Fashion’ who post the full shows and backstage access. So if you haven’t checked out 2014 fall MBFW you need to cause this year is not to be missed. Here a few of my favorite shows for you to check out.

Enjoy and as always J

Fashionably Speaking…Joie Cuentista

NARSICCO RODRIGUEZ

 

 

 

 

RODARTE

 

 

 

 

BETSY JOHINSON

 







Let's Get Crafty

One thing is for certain if nothing else us Dolls love our shades, and this year there are some great new trends as well as some revivals of some of our old favorites giving us endless options to pic from. From the giant round eye sunglass to the sleek cat eye and everywhere in between there seems to be something for everyone this year. However just because trends change or the seasons change doesn’t mean that it’s required to hit the store and start shopping cause let’s be honest Dolls not all of us can afford it.

Well it just so happens that one of the best places to shop is right in your very own closet. You can even make a day of it with your girlfriends, have them all bring their stuff over. Have a few cups of wine and some snacks put on a fashion show for each other, make a game out of what’s in the keep pile, the charity pile then make a third pile for pieces you’d like to use to swap with each other. I’m telling you it’s a fun time. Once you’re done and you’re looking at your keep pile all by your lonesome be opened minded. Don’t limit yourself by being afraid to make changes to your clothing and accessories, especially when they are inexpensive pieces. This is your way to add your own personal flare and touch to your wardrobe, and show your own personal artistic expression. And before you start to say I’m not artistic stop right now I don’t want to hear it. Everyone has an inner artist and if you truly think you don’t then in the beginning keep your DIY projects simple and as your confidence grows you move on from there.

So here’s a great DIY for all levels its supper simple and I’ll take you through it. Remember you don’t have to do it exactly like I did this is just an idea. As I said go online check out the trends, Google style pics of your favorite classic Hollywood star, and also latest fashion news for inspiration and go from there. You may find yourself copying a DIY project or doing your own take on a designer pair of shades like me. But whatever you do remember to have fun…

 

Kate Spade Inspired Cat Eye Glasses

 

 

 

BEFORE:

 

 

Tools:

·         Glue (I recommend E6000 Crafters glue it is the best you will never have to worry about anything falling off. I use this brand all the time.)

·         Rhinestones, flowers, spikes, etc… (Whatever you choose to use. I purchased my box of flat back rhinestones from the jewelry section of Michaels)

·         Sunglasses (Duh!)

·         Trash bag (the glue can get messy and ruin things so you’ll want to lay the trash bags out on the surface of wherever you work)

 

 

So this is going to be really simple just three steps and that’s it. See I told you anyone could do it ;)

Step One:

First thing you want to do is go through your box of rhinestones and lay out your supplies. Whatever style of glasses you use (round, square, cat eye, etc…) you want to play around with the style and placement of your stones, flowers or spikes. Keep in mind the shape and size of the glasses, as well as how much rim space you have in which to place your decorations on. You don’t want to put anything to big or small, nor make it look too cluttered. So take this time to play around a bit before you commit.

 

Step Two:

Now that you have your design together and know what you’re doing it’s time to move over to your glue. Now you don’t need a lot this stuff is really potent, just a small drop on the back of your rhinestone and a drop on the frame where you are placing the item. Lightly press the rhinestone down into the frame and count for 30 seconds. Then repeat.

 

Step Three:

Place your completed sunglasses in a clear space and allow them to dry thoroughly. The packaging on the glue will tell you that it only takes about 3 hours to set however I highly recommend you give it at least 24 hrs. before wearing your newly revamped glasses.

Tips:

Ø  Keep the tube of E6000 horizontal even once you’re finished. That keeps it from clogging up.

Ø  Place tape everywhere on the frame that’s not going to be getting glued to prevent having to cleanup spills.

And that’s it, all that’s left is to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Fashionably Speaking That Is…Joie Cuentista