Sleeves- Apparel design 1

Hello blog readers,

I feel like talking about sleeves today. Not the tattoos! No no lol. I mean sleeves on garments. When I was around 15 or 16, starting to become more fashionably aware, I thought that sleeves were for old people who wanted to cover up their arms. And because I was just starting to discover how clothes looked on the body, I thought that sleeves weren't for younger people, unless it was cold outside. Even then, I would want to wear something short sleeved under a jacket, because that is what everyone did. (Young teenager fashion doesn't really make any sense lol, that explains why I stood out in high school- I dressed better than most :p) But now that I am older and wiser (in regards to fashion at least, in life- definitely not.) I see that sleeves are just another dimension to a garment. Short, cap, 3 quarter length, long, raglan, puff, kimono, mutton leg, bell, and that's just the tip of the iceberg for the many different varieties of sleeves there are out there. Picture time, then I'll talk about other materials being used in the sleeves on the runway.

Flutter sleeves

Bell

On the runway recently, what's trending now is lace sleeves and even mesh. They are a way of creating a design on the garment but still having skin show through, so you can see the design better. Also, it is an interesting concept for spring or summer looks- having sleeves but they don't add much weight. 

I hope this inspires you to think of sleeves as a design element as opposed to just something functional!

Vivre la mode, tout le monde!

Collars and such- Apparel design I

Hello people of the Internet!

Let me just start off by saying, wow this year is going by fast! It's already November! I bet everyone is starting to wear their winter clothes :) except for Texas, because Texas is stupid and still thinks it's supposed to be hot outside. Anyway, today I am talking about collars. Collars on shirts, dresses, as necklaces, you name it! Collars are really coming back into style. They have a really cool ability to add sophistication to an outfit, while making it still feminine. I saw in my Teen Vogue magazine that collar necklaces are big now (although I was wearing them a few years ago, these are a little different).

I think these are super awesome! The next time I go shopping, I will be sure to buy some! I love the vintage one on the left. It is just enough to give a little wink to a bygone era, but not enough to make you look frumpy. Just be sure to make it modern, either with a nice red lip or a funky shoe or clutch. Don't look like a grandma! See, on the right they put a super bright shirt balanced with the darker collar necklace which is great for fall. No drab, dark outfits just because it is cold!


Now, collars on dresses are also very in, and very cute. Whether you have a mandarin collar, full roll, or Peter Pan, it's sure to look feminine and fashion forward.

So cute :) the middle dress paired with some black lace tights and red boots and a red coat would be awesome for autumn/ winter :) collared shirts don't have to look like the traditional prep school, starched white, uptight shirt. They can look cute and feminine in nice colors, prints and styles as seen below.

Okay, all of these shirts are crazy cute. They are all very classy yet they are not stuffy or uptight.

So that's for this post, I just wanted to share with you my new love of the modern collared shirt, and the bling collar necklaces :) Vivre la mode, tout le monde!

Fit for a princess- Apparel design I

Hey there!

So princesses have been on my mind as of late... Maybe I just need to watch a Disney movie or something. But the person isn't quite what I'm meaning, it's the seam! A princess seam. These have been coming in and out of style during the past few decades, and they're at a lull as of this season. However, they have many great qualities, and I think they should be worn more often! For one thing, they are super stylish! Bordering on asymmetrical, they add some cool visual interest that not many garments nowadays have- because we are focusing on clean silhouettes. These seams go down the middle of the shoulder into the waist seam or all the way down the dress, depending on what kind of garment you are looking at. They can be put in shirts or dresses, any kind of tops really. Another great thing about them, is they're great for fitting! Because they pull in right over the bust and through the midsection and the hips at the same time, they have the ability to be altered to one's body shape just by adjusting that one seam- which will give you a better fitting garment :) so let me show you some cool princess seam garments!

  

I think that white bridal gown is just gorgeous, and see how much more of a fitted look you can get with these really cool seams? And I love the leather jacket, the seam gives you a cool texture and it makes the garment more interesting without distracting from it's simplicity.

I hope this has shed some light on a not so well known type of seam, and I hope it encourages you to look for a garment with these and perhaps try it on and see how well it fits ;) Vivre la mode, tout le monde!

Noteworthy necklines-Apparel design 1

Hola! Oh wait I speak French not Spanish... Salut! ;)

I hope everyone is having an amazing week so far. Today I am going to talk about necklines and how different they can make one look. First I shall list all the different necklines that are out there that I can think of:

• The classic lowered neckline, or scoop
• The V-neck
• The boat neck
• off the shoulder or close to the shoulder edge
• Boat neck's best friend, the bateau
• this one doesn't go off the shoulder, it stops where the bra straps are or the shoulder joint
• The built up neckline, which can include lots of things
• like the kimono neckline, or a small turtle neck, or anything of the sort. 
• The cowl neckline
• This can be draped a little or a lot, can be big or small
• Can be formal or casual depending on what material it is made of
• The sweetheart neckline
• The turtleneck
• Mid-height or can be super tall
• The square neckline
• Traditional jewel neckline, or t-shirt neck

That is all I can think of at the moment, but there are technically many more, because each can be varied in size or width. And depending on what kind of look you are going for, the neckline is very important. If you want something for the office, but buy something low-cut, that is very conflicting. So hopefully this post will help you un-conflict your outfits and convey the meaning that you want to your audience (which is the people that will see your outfit all day) to see. There are more kinds of necklines in the following pictures, my little pea brain couldn't remember all of them off the top of my head.

Now that we know what we are looking at, I'll categorize the necklines based on occasion.

• For business wear, it would be best to keep the neckline straight, high or a small bateau. And if you do a scoop neck, probably 2 inches at the most would be the most you can scoop it without implying something else besides work.

• For casual wear, you can pretty much do any of these; it depends on how comfortable you feel in these. You can do strapless, turtle, spaghetti straps, or just to the traditional jewel neck or v neck. 

• For semi-formal wear, you can go a little more funky. I classify semi formal wear as not as formal as a gown, but not t-shirts and shorts either. The occasion would probably be like a sunday brunch or a nice dinner with friends or even an evening outing with a special someone.

• For formal wear, you have more free reign. Try not to do the simple ones like jewel necks, unless you have another visual point of interest like a big necklace, or a cool back. I love looking at the Queen Ann neck, it is really interesting. I would probably put that one here. I would put asymmetrical under this category as well.

Queen Ann neckline

Some super cool necks

I hope this post has helped you determine the differences between occasions in which you can wear a certain neckline! I hope this helps you in your search for... Whatever you are looking for lol. 

Vivre la mode, tout le monde!

If pirates had peg legs, did they wear peg skirts? -Apparel design 1

Argggh! I mean... Hi everyone :) 

Seems like I have pirates on the brain tonight. I also have peg skirts on my mind. Pirates... pegs... Oooh I have a joke.Where does the Pirate get his coffee? Starrrrrrrrrrrbucks! Haha :) I just had to. Anyway, we talked about peg skirts one day in my fashion class, and I had never heard of them, except for the pictures of patterns in the book. So I figured I'd do some research and report my findings to you.
 So let's teleport back into the early 1900's when the styles of clothing were on the cusp of changing drastically. This look was popular from 1908-1914 and at various points throughout the century. A peg skirt or peg top was modeled after men's peg trousers, which were wide at the hip and tapered off towards the ankle. The peg top was most striking with women's clothes, and it was used in skirts, tops, and suits. "The  look could be subtle, with soft billows at the hips narrowing to a close fitting, but not restrictive, hemline. But the peg top look that got the most attention was anything but subtle". The peg top is a great way to change the shape of garments and the silhouette of the body, giving any outfit some cool visual intrigue. 

Picture time!

I am kind of in love with this yellow dress on the bottom. The silhouette is so visually interesting! And I know that gray skirt on the left side is really crazy and over exaggerated, but it's a super awesome representation of a peg skirt.

Thanks to this fashion encyclopedia for the information! Check out the website! Click here

So I hope y'all found this as interesting as I did! Vivre la mode, tout le monde!

Gotta love pockets!- Apparel design 1

Bonjour :)

Nowadays it seems like everything is based on appearance, especially when it comes to buying clothes. "Is this in style?" "Oh that color was so last year." "That silhouette is so Audrey Hepburn!" "Does this make my hips look big?" There are other things that factor into a garment than just appearance, and  I feel that it is unfortunate that people have to sacrifice comfort sometimes in order to wear what is deemed fashionable. I think we should bring back the comfort and functionality aspect of clothing. People want to be comfortable, not inhibited by the garments on their body. You should be able to do the same things you want to do in a pair of slacks that you would want to do in a pair of skinny jeans. Know what I mean? I'm just going to talk about functionality. Clothes should move with you! You know, whenever I look at a garment (now maybe this is just me, because I've been in so many fashion classes) I think of functionality. So when I look at jeans, I need a big back pocket because I like to put my phone back there when I need a free hand for something. So... today's post is going to be about pockets :) because I love them. Whoever thought to put pockets in prom dresses and cocktail dresses was a GENIUS. When you're dancing at a formal event, you don't want someone to steal your phone or your money that you left at your table, so with these pockets you can keep it on you! What a great idea. Another thing that makes me mad is fake pockets. It's like I try to put something in there and try to get my finger between the garment and the pocket, and there's a seam there! Lies! Pockets need to work people! I like putting lots of things in there, just for fun! Like gum. Everyone needs gum on their person right? Hooray for pockets if you don't wan't to carry a purse to an event, you can keep it all in your pockets. So there are many different kinds of pockets: outside, inserted, welt, flapped, besom, patch, bellows, ticket, in seam, front hip, and many more! They're so versatile and functional, i think more garments should have pockets. And not those fake ones either- shenanigans! I want to put things in there. Picture time!

This is crazy cute

Yay back pockets!

Genius! You can put a camera in there and take pictures on the dance floor

Okay so that is my rant on pockets, I just felt like I had to express my love of pockets in dresses. So smart! I just can't get over it. When I make my wedding dress someday, there will be pockets. You bet your sweet bippy there will be! Okay I must go finish some homework for one of my other classes now, in the mean time... as always...

Vivre la mode, tout le monde!

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!

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!