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!