Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The very first Chloe design to be made!!!

I have the biggest love for sweaters. I adore them. So, considering that I have a cow, Christmas cat, and hummingbird sweater, how could my life be complete without a UFO sweater? I used a basic Colimbia Minerva pattern, but I came up with the color combo, and UFO embroidery. Please forgive me for any vengeful or jealous emotions caused by reading this post. Just be glad one girl can enjoy this beauty.





Saturday, July 27, 2013

Some of my own fab designs

Number one is a very pastel cupcake kittens thing, number two is inspired by Our Lady of Lourdes, who was seen in a vision by St. Bernadette, and number three is a Prairie Smoke dress, inspired by the Illinois native plant.
I'd like to explain 2 a little more. The blue wrap around sash was the belt Our Lady wore, and the yellow and yellow roses is an ode to the yellow roses that were at her feet. Enjoy!





Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Poetically 80's

A month ago I saw this fabulous number at a vintage store. I finally got it today! Sweaters are my favorite thing about the 80's. I already have a Christmas Cat sweater, so how cool is a hummingbird sweater?!









Monday, July 15, 2013

American Spring Garden

        Red, white, blue, and green were the primary colors in this collection by Elie Saab. This  collection had the usual glitz and glitter of Elie Saab collections, but more subtle. Glitter was used sparingly. Glitter is probably one of the hardest materials or decorations to work with. It's easy if your going for a more out-there look, but what if you want a casual but GORGEOUS look? Well, here they are!
    The show started with rich dark red Valentino-esque dresses. Look two was my favorite red piece. A sheer dress with deep red brocade all over. A very romantic look. Look three was a bit too prom dress. It was a bit plain. Number six was another favorite, with it's messy spider web-like bodice and light red skirt. Looks seven and eight were my least favorite red looks. Look seven could pass for a Delia's prom dress. Very common looking, with it's wrap around design.
     Then the white looks start. Most of them were just imitations of previous collections. In the house's classic style, but with no change. You need creativity! Look fourteen was the only white dress that really spoke to me. The glitter was well placed and the dress was very tasteful.
      Blue looks were the best. Look seventeen was nothing short of gorgeous, with the lace above chest and collar, and wave patterned glitter. The texture of the dress was done perfectly. Number twenty, at first, looked a bit too prom, for me. But then I thought, yes, it does reference a prom look, with the tight bodice and exploding skirt. But I would wear that to my prom (if I was a movie director's daughter)! Look twenty three was just dumb, with the see through chest. Ugh, why do people like that style SO MUCH?! After this we gradually go back through the whites, and then greens. The green looks were full of a bunch of filler outfits. Maxi dresses with glitter. Boring!
       Look thirty eight was especially bad. White with a glittery top and triangular plunging neck line. Yuck! Have you ever seen the music video for ''You Belong With Me'', where Taylor is the dorky girl and the guy she likes is dating the sleazy girl? This is the sleazy girl's prom dress. After green we go back to white. More Delia's Homecoming dresses.
       Luckily, the show ends with a beautiful look. Wedding dresses are one of those outfits that are either gorgeous or hideous, with no in between. The wedding dress in this collection was beautiful. Well placed glitter accents, with a hug skirt and long train. It truely was a Saab dress, and it truly was beautiful.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Leibster Award

    Yay I got a leibster award! I was nominated by Sophie of Pretty Passions, Fine Fashions .
Eleven things about me:
 1.) I once met Louis Tomlinson of One Direction at TopShop
2.) I collect Precious Moments figurines
3.) I adore 80's wind breakers
4.) I knew about Riot Grrrl and all that WAY before it got it's resurgence like now ( i absorb feminist theory and history)
5.) I consider my self most like Sophia on the Golden Girls, even though her character is a woman in her 90's, and I am only 15.
6.) I am currently working on a yellow and black 50's style sweater
7.) I once climbed to the very top of the Vatican, all by stairs. I literally got to look down on Italy from the Dome!
8.) I enjoy Clean House more than any other reality show
9.) A deejay from B96 actually answered my call once, when I was trying to win One Direction tickets, only to tell me the contest was in another hour. And no, I did not win the next hour
10.) I have four cats
11.) I am Catholic.
 Here are my nominations
http://prettypassionsfinefashions.blogspot.co.uk/
The Flight of The Flamingo
Elle Stole My Name
The Fashion Aviator
Peppermint Whiskers
The Pseudo Intellectual
Rosie And The Wolf
Teen Moon Witch
Here are my questions for my nominees!
1.) Who was your first music obsession?
2.) Are you religious?
3.) How far have you traveled?
4.) What is your favorite school subject?
5.) Who is your favorite designer?
6.) What's  your favorite book?
7.) Do you have any pets?
8.) What is the one outfit you can't live without out?
9.) What historical character living or dead would you hang out with?
10.) What was your most embarrassing moment?
11.) What you for Halloween last year?

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

One Direction in Glamour

             Lately all one Direction seems to be producing is stuff to buy. Like, they have a book coming out, anti bullying note books, a movie, a new song.....Not to mention their tour that I've tried helplessly to go to through various contests. It's like a black hole of stuff. But, Glamour being one of my favorite magazines, I was so excited to hear 1D would be on the cover. Spoiler Alert: I bought it.
        Starting with the actual article: A little boring. That's what happens when you interview someone 300 times in a period of one month. They eventually start saying the same stuff. And honestly? Don't ask me how many times Harry said ''Yeah, it was pretty cool.'' Rosie Huntington Knightley, the model/actress person who posed with them also had boring clothes, aside from maybe the gold dress with a triangular hole in the chest, but in that shocking, ''WHO ON HELL OR EARTH WOULD WEAR THAT'' sort of way. At least it was an interesting experiment in World's Worst dresses.
           I did really like this magazine, though. I really love One Direction's music, completely legitimately. In my eyes, having WMYB as their first single really said something, feminist wise. Call me old fashioned, but I still really like that ''Everyone is beautiful'' feminism. Because I really believe it. And they have had some really fun and interesting interviews, like the one they did for NPR. They actually talked about the messages of their songs. It was very music focused, instead of some sleazy DJ asking them if they're dating Demi Lovato. But when you've been on tour for months and have to promote a perfume, book, single, tour, and movie, and give interviews, what are you going to say? I would just end up discussing my cat's fur probably.
         The rest of the magazine, which I managed to notice, had some really cool articles. ''How Supermodels Took Over The World (Again)'' was an interesting look at our new trend of actually noticing models as humans with names. I really love the new supermodel obsession. I mean, they still have ridiculous beauty standards, but often times a model on a Dior runway is seen as just that, a model on a Dior runway. ''Meet Marc's Muses'' was another fav. I mean, Marc Jacobs has a makeup line. What could possibly be better than that? I'm most excited about the orange shade lipstick. ''The Top Ten Things to Know About This Summer'' was a little interesting, with the singer facts. But also a little annoying, considering I will not be attending ANY of said concerts. As with most of fashion this year, the photo spreads were yawn- inducingly boring. ''Your New Style Playlist'' had Grimes in it, wearing a GORGEOUS pink high-low dress over jeans. Yay!
         So, if you really like One Direction (me!), buy this. It has some really cute pictures, and Harry saying ''Yeah, it was pretty cool'' can eventually seem like a great philosophical insight if you think about it. The fashion outside of this one article was super boring, except Grimes's GORGEOUS dress.
       Oh, and a couple blog updates: I'll be having a few seriously fun articles coming up. I'm going to NYC this august, so I'll write a review about the punk fashion exhibit at the Met, and all the fabulous fashion stores I'll check out. They literally have an Alexander McQueen store. And a Dior store. I'm also getting a blue wig, which I've been begging for for like my whole life, so I'll have a whole article just gushing about having neon hair. I think I'm also purchasing an 80's hummingbird sweater. Well, have a great rest of the summer!
  

Saturday, July 6, 2013

A Very Lacy Valentine

              Don't you just love a good play on words? The poet in me always goes for the rhyme or lame joke. Valentines signify love and romance (the latter, I admit, ain't my thing. Forever a romantic movie hater), and this collection signifies those things.
             The light gold and bronze shades of the first few outfits reminds me of a candle lit dinner. The lace and twisting shape of the prints suggesting smoke cilmbing the air from the tiny flame of a candle. I remember being little and putting my hand just close enough to a candle to weave my fingers through the swirling smoke. These looks also utilized typically boring colors, such as gray or white, but made them beautiful and interesting, while still not being bright and floral. Many collections for cold seasons either are mind numbingly boring, or bright and multi colored to being completely out of season. Plaid looks like 9 and 10 were quite plain and boring though. Filler outfits.
         Outfits 13 through 15 also were just plain and boring. Sixteen, on the other hand? TERRIBLE. It went beyond beach cover up. Basically, look 16 was a see through dress, with lace barely covering the model's breasts and middle. Simply terrible. How could that possibly be wearable for winter? And who (except maybe Rihanna or Jennifer Lopez) would wear it? Look 21, much more like clothing and actually unique, had a beautiful silk bird print with a floral print jacket. Look 22 and it's similarity to a Michael Kors for T.J. Maxx collaboration was stunning. Twenty seven, in all simplicity, was just dumb.
           With look thirty nine, it finally started getting a little pretty. A gray cape with embroidered silver tulips was very elegant. I'd love to wear it to an opera (if that was my destination next weekend. My destination next weekend in reality is me going to TopShop and pretending I'm not there because One Direction really likes it and they happens to be in town. I just really like those spiked shorty shorts, ya' know?). Forty two was my favorite. A pitch black cape with red branches reaching across. The branches look more to me like deep sea coral, which in my opinion is better. Look forty five was depressingly ugly. Sheer, with a bunch of yellow cloud-like shapes for minimal coverage.
           This collection was one of my least favorites. I am tired of designers thinking if they make one or two stand out pieces, and fill the rest of the show with gray jackets, everyone will love it. So many outfits I didn't mention simply because they were duplicates of each other. How many gray or tan over coats does this world really need? I mean, there's a pile of them at Unique Thrift just waiting to be found!

Elsa Schiaparelli Capsule Collection by Christian Lacroix

                 Elsa Schiaparelli was Coco Chanel's quirky couture sister. Everything from her High Heel hats to her Salvador Dali collaborated lobster dresses was an experiment in what couture could be. The Schiaparelli house closed in the 70's, but the house still holds onto it's legacy. This capsule collection was a wonderful homage to Elsa's designs and talent. Some pieces were better than others, some not my taste at all. But compared with some current collections no longer designed by their original owner, this is one of the best.
               Look 2 was my least favorite. The fur did not go with the jacket and pink skirt-thingy. Too mismatched. Number 3 had a beautifully ornate red satin top, with delicate black embroidery. Styles like these can sometimes come off too Baroque, or just look like a lame copy of Dolce and Gabbana. But the small fitted way the top fit was very flattering. The black pants and their similarity to Bieber attire was a bit much. Look 4 was pretty bland, with a clear inspiration from Gucci and Alexander McQueen at Givenchy.
               Number 5 was just a filler outfit. A black dress with huge shoulders and green sleeves (i almost wrote ''lack'' instead of black, which probably would have made more sense). The brown jacket with i'm-not-sure-what applique was very beautiful, and very surrealist Schiaparelli.
               Number nine in particular was horrendous. It was just a black sheet with a green tie in front. The remotest resemblance to a skirt was simply not there. If you ever need a definition for bad design or filler, here is exhibit A. With look 10, I became a bit more positive. A purple jacket (finally some actual clothes!) with black embroidery on the hips and shoulders was very pretty. Look 11 was my favorite. A sleek pantsuit inspired (obviously) by Dior with a pink satin sash and pointy top was the perfect Schiaparelli mix of edgy and elegant. The polka dots gave it its own flair. Number sixteen was a wide dark blue cape. A bit boring.
              Other looks in this collection were either filler or an odd imitation of Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Raf Simons for Dior, or of course the famous house of Boring. YET AGAIN, some delightful stand out pieces, but no cigar.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture 2013/2014

           Ah, my first Gaultier review. You always hope your first look at any designer would be a positive one. I had been familiar with his designs, slightly, through advertisements and and the occasional photo spread on Vogue or W. Well, here goes!
        Like many of my favorite collections, this collection combined all sorts of styles and eras. Baroque, 90's, and animal print. Animal print is a very difficult pattern to use. If you over do it, it could look like a jacket an exotic animal collector would wear (wouldn't it be offensive to a tiger to see its skin as a coat?). Gaultier was very subtle. Look 9 was a black jacket with a cheeta inside. Look 8 was definitely my favorite. Striped jacket and skirt with slight cheeta print underneath, with a slight baroque glisten to it. Baroque and cheeta print? It works? I guess it does!
        Some pieces, on the other hand, were illogical, like the backless jacket at Dior. Look 10 was an over the top fur coat with a completely sheer top, with cloth wrapped around the middle. Could you imagine wearing that in a Chicago winter? Eek!
       Starting with look 14, this collection made a very glam turn. Look 14 was a bushy ostrich feather jacket, with white, tan, and brown. It was a bit on the obnoxious side, but it looks so fun to wear. Fifteen was a lush pink jacket, reminding me of my Lisa Frank days. Look twenty one, a very subtle look for Gaultier, was rather usual. But a pink skirt underneath gave it a ballet costume twist. Oh, and the velvet! Look twenty eight was a black velvet maxi dress with a bustierre top. Look twenty nine was too loud for me. The gold color was much too obnoxious, and the reversed shape of the skirt was not very flattering.
      Look thrity one, worn by my favorite model Lindsey Wixson, was lovely. Metallic has never been my favorite look, but the different colors used like pink and orange changed my mind. Unlike classic metallic colors like gold or silver, these didn't look too utilitarian. Thirty five's dress was quite plain, but the high veiled head dress reminded me of an Alexander McQueen for Givenchy piece, which OBVIOUSLY equals awesome. Too much cleavage ruined look thirty seven. Forty was the epitomy of gorgeous. Lilac-satin embroidered top with blue velvet pants. Outfits like these scream conservatory garden, without flowers. The collection ended with a wide 18th century corset look. The unusually wide hips which were anatomically illogical made for a very garish dress.
       As I've said with many collections, this collection had select stand out pieces, but much filler. Some looks were very plain. Others illogical for the season. But beautiful looks like look 40 made this show worth while.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Orange Salvatore Ferragamo jacket

This is one of my favorite pieces. After thrifting for 15 years (I'm 15) the big pieces pop up. Bye minions! Haha



Puzzle Pieces and Drafts and Beach Cover Ups, OH MY!

             What is with the fashion world's obsession with beach cover ups? Okay, I know they don't mean them to be. But that's what they essentially are! Well, I'll get to those in a moment. I first want to talk about puzzle pieces.
    Raf Simons has a very puzzle piece way of designing. Not that it's always a bad thing, though! Some designers, like Proenza Schouler, believe that simply stacking shapes like triangles equals creative. Which it doesn't. But Dior is different! Look No.2 was one of my favorites. The mesh mixed with satin and embroidered flowers went well, for some reason. A true designer ( or true anything) has the ability to take the most unlikely methods or materials and make them work.
     I didn't really like the wide sleeved jackets. Too bulky and un- elegant. The worst definitely was look 6. As an experienced knitter, it reminded me of when I make one small mistake and my piece looks nothing like the pattern. A mistake. A defective t shirt from Family Dollar. Enough of my associations. Looks seven and eight were simply terrible. Draping cloth over yourself does not count as clothing. It also goes against a vital element of Christian Dior's design philosophy. Dior traditionally made modest yet feminine and beautiful outfits. That's what he's known for.
      Eleven and twelve were very different. Textured clothing is among many of my favorites (between Zayn Malik's wonderfully coiffed hairand textured Dior dresses, what do I like more?). It's also very hard to figure out. Many textured pieces are more decorative, considering the difficulty in sitting down. Dior did a great job though. It reminded me of bees and those little spiky seed pods. Twenty three was another highlight. Textured, multi colored, and mermaid style. <3 PURE HEAVENLY HEAVEN <3
      Some looks, like twenty four, reminded me of very sleek mud with gas leaked in. Mysteriously beautiful. Look twenty nine was a very miss matched version of the good puzzle piece theory thingy I had going. The dress is brownish balck, and then all of a sudden, bam, wow! We've got shiny colors and a flourescent blue neck wrap. And you knew I'd bring this up: IT LOOKED LIKE A BEACH COVER UP. Made out of found materials, from said beach. And if your a regular reader of this blog, just look at thirty five. 'Nuff said. And thirty eight didn't even reference beach cover up. It simply was one.
   Th rest of the looks were pretty bad. I really like the choice of Raf Simons at Dior, for reals. But this collection was a bit lazy. The rest of the collection was Michael Kors style stripes and more cover ups. And mish-mashing. Yuck. Considering this is a cold season collection, why did thirty two have two huge holes at the top of the sleeves? And another look completely back less? Logic, please!'
   
        

2013/2014 Fall/Winter Chanel Haute Couture collection

             Fashion needs influence. Whatever ancient designer from the time before time, thank you for coming up with the very first collection, for all of our designers to work from. This collection has evidence of a variety of inspirations, some very unlikely.
      The first, obvious in looks 1-28, is the recent Burberry collection. One of my least favorite pieces from this collection is in this list, look 27. Robot like costume is not exactly my thing. The others in this list are beautiful, though. Look 4 is a beautiful emerald-green tweed jacket. Look 25 was done in a gorgeous light baby blue. Twenty nine through thirty five screamed Marc Jacobs. The gltter and slight grunge element melded the historic with the modern. I did not like thirty seven that much. I am one to appreciate modern and somewhat pop art style designs, but the 60's Catholic Church stained glass windows look was not very appealing. It reminded me of the horrifying stained glass windows the cathedral here in Chicago got as replacement for the gorgeous windows depicting saints. Enough said.
       Look 41 was THE BESTEST THING! Light tan and gold tweed body with light peach mermaid skirt. Recent Chanel collections like Spring/Summer 2013 or Spring/Summer 2012 have been gorgeous and pastel and very Chanel (i love rhyming) but not very reminiscent of classic flapper style Chanel looks. This reminded me so much of a Great Gatsby look. Slim and body huggin, but still elegant and not sleazy.
    With look 45 things started tumbling down hill. Forty eight was the worst look in this whole collection. Sheer with geometric shapes. Can you say...I don't know..... Salvation Army Circo brand washed too many times beach cover up? Experience thrifters who've encountered some of the worst thrift shops will understand the reference. Look fifty looked like the apparel of a lame Nyan Cat character (if those fabulous videos ever add on from the one characters). Fifty six was, admittedly, very gorgeous. But it was such a knock off of Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. The rest of the looks were plain black dresses with terrible misshapen square prints, and one very ugly interpretation of a wedding dress. It basically was a pants suit that got ripped and had a white crinoline skirt exploding out of it.
      All in all, this collection was a bit bland. A few stand out pieces, such as forty one, made it worth while. But just piling on fabrics and adding squares does not amount to a creative collection.
Yay flappers, and yuck geometrics.