Sunday, September 16, 2012

Blazin' blazers -Apparel design 1

Oh hey! Thanks for visiting my blog!

I'm so excited... Blazers are so in for fall and winter! I love blazers! They just instantly make your outfit look put together and very sophisticated. Both for men and women, they add just another dimension to any look. I have a few blazers, all of which I get compliments on regularly (what's funny is they are all kind of a few years old... But you didn't hear that from me). I have a sparkley silver one, which I wear on special occasions, or days that I feel sad and need something shiny to make me feel better. I have a black one with ruching on the three quarter length sleeves and a vent in the back, which goes with everything in my closet. The last one I have is navy blue, emerald green, and white plaid with 2 gold buttons and ruching on the sleeves. You can match that with any color of green or any color of blue, to keep it all in the same color pallet but still adding visual interest.
Blazers are just something really different on a college campus! In a sea of lettings and long t-shirts (refer to one of my older blogs for my feelings on leggings as pants :p) blazers are just a breath of fresh air! Adding structure to a flowy skirt, adding polish to a plain tank and jeans, or adding a pop of color to a drab suit, you can't go wrong with a blazer. They are a very easy way to spice up any lifeless wardrobe. This pertains to my fashion class because we talked about lining a lot this semester, and you can tell if anything is really good quality if it is lined. Lined properly also lol. So when one looks at a blazer, look and see if it is lined. That means the manufacturer or designer took the time to make a quality garment. This lining will also make an infinite amount of difference if you're buying it for a cold weather season- that biting winter air will blow right through that jacket if there is no lining. So I know you might really want it because it is cute, and I'm not telling you not to buy it, but I think sparing yourself some sick days from work or school would be in your better interest in the long run.

Blazers for Men:
Layering the look give you some visual intere
T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes instantly made classy




Blazers for Women:

Hot off the runway!


Belt it! That adds color and extreme polish



Piping... Love it
Blazers over dresses add instant class
I told you blazers are amazing! I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone if you are looking to freshen up your wardrobe for fall. Bright colors are rare in cold weather, which is all the more reason to buy a bright blazer! Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean your clothes need to be bland and boring! Belt that blazer if it is too big and you need more shape. Or if you are looking for another eyecatching aspect to a plain blazer. A black blazer with a hot colored belt would be amazing, or a sparkly studded belt would be cool too. If color and belts are a little too outlandish, start small. Some small piping around the lapel and front sides of the jacket is a really cute way to add another dimension and some color without being overbearing. And look at the pockets! I love them. Plain black blazer with hot pink flap pockets and a pink lapel- I love it. As you can see, I'm kind of obsessed with adding random accents of color. I think it is fun and totally me :) whatever is "you", I'm sure you can express it through a blazer. A lace blazer would be a really cool blend of vintage and modern. 

So think about blazers next time you see a shirt in your closet that could use a little oomph! Sophistication, class, and polish NEVER go out of style.

As always, 
Vivre la mode, tout le monde!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Pleats galore! -Apparel design 1

Hello everyone!

I wanted to take today to talk about pleats, and what cool little things they are. In my class I am putting knife pleats on a skirt, and they inspired me to look at all the other uses for pleats.
Kick pleat converted to pleats 
 So there are so many different kinds of pleats, it's crazy. It can make you garment vintage, fashion forward, fun, sophisticated, playful and classy, all depending on what kind you use! So have lots of pictures today, so take a look at all these different kinds of pleats. I'm sure I forgot some, so if I did, just let me know :) You can pleat curtains, bedding, seating, and especially apparel. There are so many techniques you can use, you can make them big or small, far apart or close together, whatever style you are looking for. I hope you enjoy pleats as much as I do!
Pleated shirt

Pleated mini skirt
Long knife pleat skirt
Pleated bubble fitted skirt




Contrasting color box pleats

Broken pleats- I've never seen them before!


Pleated ottoman- this is so cool!
Click here for a link to see more ottomans and furniture

The inverted pleat
Really cool pleated scarf

So yeah, that's a pretty good amount of all the different things you can do with pleats! They're in interiors, men's wear, women's wear, outerwear, pants, basically anything you could possibly want! They add texture and visual interest to anything. Sorry about the arrangement of these pictures, I couldn't really fit them all on here nicely, so it's kind of avant garde lol. So, whenever you are looking to add something to an outfit, and color doesn't seem to do the trick, try something with pleats. A skirt, or a top. Or maybe just a cardigan or a vest. I couldn't be bothered to format more pictures of cardigans and vests, I already had enough trouble with these lol. But there are so many ways to work with pleats. For the men out there that read my blog, dress pants with pleats always make a traditional suit look a little more modern. And I bought a box pleated dress a few months ago, which I love. Another thing about pleats is the movement they give, which also adds lots of visual interest. If you make your own, there are varying levels of difficulty, knife pleats are probably the hardest. Those broken pleats look pretty hard too, but I don't know how to do those. I'm sure there's something out there for every skill level. Until next time, consider putting some pleats into your daily outfit! Spice it up!

Vivre la mode, tout le monde!