Summer Fashion Doldrums

We have been lucky this summer season in Texas. What is normally 5-6 months of 90-100 degree temperatures has been shortened to 3 months. Now that it's starting to heat up, the idea of wearing clothes in general doesn't sound fun.

I've always been in favor of the winter season because I love scarves, jackets and layering. My creativity for getting dressed seems to fizzle out in higher the temps. I find summer clothing completely boring! Shorts and tank tops? Same old summer dress? Meh.

How can I solve the problem of looking chic while staying cool? (Sometimes it's too hot to wear a hat, blazer or even cuff bracelets.) I've put together my own list of jazzy, lightweight items to wear when hot, to make you look hot but not feel hot.

1. THE SHEER KIMONO
Kimonos seem to fall in and out of style each year. I personally think if you buy a classic print and cut, you are always in style no matter what fashion-mongers dictate.

Leave it to fashion icon Nicole Richie to pick out a classically styled lightweight kimono. The sheerness allows breathability and the length will protect your skin from the sun's harsh rays.

2. SCARF AS A SHIRT
I like to partake in this look when I travel, because lightweight scarves take up the least amount of suitcase space and offer the greatest amount of versatility. When tying a scarf into a shirt, all you have to wear beneath it is a tube top (or go commando). Easy breezy.

With so much versatility and color, there is no way to get bored or sweaty with this clothing staple. Photos via veryverve.com Hermes knotting cards.

3. HAIR BLING

Hats can be hot, but hair bling, depending how it is constructed and worn, is relatively cool in hot weather. There are a potpourri of options out there. Find something that works with your current haircut and taste. Don't be afraid to wear something daring.

Go big, go colorful...

...And go versatile. Hairpieces are not just for hair. Clip them to your tops to transform the look, as shown here by Giant Dwarf.

4. GET A ROPE!

I love the look of rope in many forms on the body, above or below the waist. Needless to say, it is a pretty inexpensive purchase at your local home furnishings or craft store, to make your own adornment. 

From head to toe, rope evokes summertime ease. Photos via Glitterinc.com, Pinterest.com, and whollykao.com, respectively.

Share with me any ideas you have run across that are interesting yet cool during hot summer days. 

Mishap Remedy

A few years ago, our clothes dryer slowly started to eat our clothing. It mysteriously chewed little holes in our knits and delicates. At random, it made brown permanent stains on our more durable clothing, especially on collars.

Turns out, the drum glides were worn out, causing the dryer drum to sit off balance. Because the drum was off balance, there was a gap at the front of the dryer drum, where our clothes tended to get caught and become marked or shredded from the friction. Hubby fixed the mishap, but it wreaked havoc on a lot of our clothing. Some of the stains eventually disappeared over several years of washing, but other stains remained. The holes are today's reminders of the incident.

One of the victims of the dryer drum mishap was Hubby's beloved button-down shirt. The collar looked like it fell into poop. Not a good look. He was pretty partial to the shirt and resents the dryer to this day. I told him that I'm up for the challenge of fixing his shirt (somehow) so that he did not have to part with it. He married a Cheapskate, after all!

Here's a close-up view of the stain on his collar. I decided to stencil something over the stain to correct this mishap. I used contact paper as my stencil material and drew something Hubby is obsessed with--sailboats. After drawing, I cut the design carefully with an X-acto knife. I peeled off the backing of the contact paper and re-positioned the stencil several times to ensure it adequately covers the stain.

Anytime you work on a specific facet of clothing, it's a good idea to back off and look at it once more before beginning work. Allow the shirt hang naturally, to ensure the new "art-dition" (*pun, intended*) hangs at a level view when worn. 

I used fabric paint and a sponge brush, and lightly dabbed in the negative space of the handmade stencil. Allow to dry, THEN peel off stencil. There were still a few brown marks underneath the boat so I free-handed some ocean waves to masque the stains accordingly.

Hubby was happy he could keep his shirt and loved the nautical theme. Fix some of your ruined clothing with personalized paintwork. There is a remedy for everything.

Afternoon Quickie

It's been hot here in Texas, and I've been finding myself retreating indoors as of late. The house has seen itself rearranged and well cleaned. The internet hours are overused. And Netflix is getting a run for its money.

After all, summer programming is a bore and I'm always outside during the fall and winter season. So here I am, getting pulled into shows on Netflix that I never thought that I would watch. One of those shows is "The New Girl."

There's no doubt that Zooey Dachenel has pretty cool throwback style. She brings out her fashion style with her character, Jessica Day, which is part of the fun in watching the show. One episode in particular had me craving this adorable adorned neckline sweater.

Of course there wasn't any possible way I could have THAT sweater. However, when there is a will, there's a way. I could have a VARIATION of THAT sweater....

I hit pause and began to dig around in my dresser and craft box.

Basic tee. Yep. 

Jewels. Nah. 

Permanent marker. That might work. It's fast too. 

And so my road to instant gratification began. 

Marker ink bleeds so it's generally a good idea to use a partition such as a cardboard box or Manila folder. Clip that tee into place. No sliding is allowed when creating with a steady hand. 

I drew the bow on similar to how Jess's sweater was designed. The pointillism technique almost looks like stitching or embroidery. 

Wham. Bam. Thank you. Ma'm. A cute tee in a quickie. Thank you Netflix. How serendipitous was that?!?

The Summertime Pedi 'Cure'

It's summertime which means that it's that time to shake things up a bit! Break out the shorts. Throw on the tank tops. Paint those toenails some crazy color!

Over the years, I've collected some offbeat nail colors that were marked on clearance in the beauty store. Yet, I've always resorted to the classic red or intense mauve during the bare-all season. Not any more. This summer I will try something different. The (pedi) cure for summertime blues.

I thought back to my family descent when I saw the yellow and blue polish bottles in my drawer. That's when the idea was born. I cut small strips of Scotch tape to create the flag design and the rest is history.

The tools are readily available in your home...tape, toothpicks, paintbrushes, glue...play to your heart's content! 

I became inspired to see what others are doing in the broader world with their toes. (Hubby caught me searching for pedicures and was convinced I have a foot fetish!) I assure you that this post is merely an homage to bringing out the inner artist in you. Starting with 10 tiny blank canvases is the first step. No pun intended! 

Design style by way of mod stripes and floral via glambistro.com

Textile simulation with embroidery and Burberry plaid via nailedtothepost.blogspot.com

Celestial and aurora borealis bling via devashions.com

Critter loving - cheetahs and ladybugs via glambistro.com

All That Glitters...

I was mail stalked by a J. Crew catalog the other day and these killer shoes whispered soft nothings into my ears.

Yowsa! $228 for these? I don't think so. 

Then, about a day later, I was electronically stalked by Anthropologie with these dangling in front of my face. Seriously, I need some sort of retail restraining order!

Pretty darned slick little kickers! The asking price? Going for $40, marked at 50% off from $80. Meh.

I have a ton of shoes sitting in my closet. No need to buy more. The more that I justified NOT buying new shoes, I began to realize that I have retained shoes for years that I no longer wear. Why? Well, they were damaged in some form or fashion. I suppose the thrifty side of myself thought that I could repair the shoes somehow.

The moral of the story? This retail stalking had evolved into another Cheapskate Tip!

I had an old pair of oxford shoes that I probably paid less than $20 for at Payless many moons ago. The material was composed of the worst synthetic elements because the top layer peeled off in small bits each time they were worn. Frustrating, huh? Glitter is course enough to cover up that business!!!

I taped off the edges with painter's tape so that the Mod Podge wouldn't dribble into the areas I did not want the glitter. Simply brush on glue with a paint brush, dust with glitter, allow to dry. Repeat these steps multiple times until even throughout and heavily glittered. Finish with 1-2 coats of Mod Podge to lock in the glitter and create a final seal.

Cheap shoes glammed up within a couple of days and $2 of supplies I already had on hand! I'm officially addicted.

I had another pair of shoes that could use a glitter treatment. I wore this pair of heels years ago when I was MoH at my bro and sis-n-laws' wedding. By the end of the night, the heels were ruined due to my heels sinking into the ground while we were taking photos outside. The light-colored silk heels had mud stains that I could not remove. I was so excited to get my glitter on that I forgot to take a photo of these heels to demonstrate what they looked like before. 

Here they are after the glitter treatment! I was happy with the results! The glittered heels match the glittered front strap. Looked like I bought them that way for $200, but I spent nothing!

Cheers to getting more wear out of our shoes! 

The Future Tellings of Life and Clothing

We made it out to the movies this weekend and saw "Her." I will spare you from leaving a full cinematic review, however, what mainly caught my attention during the slow-moving plot was the manner in which the characters dressed in this near-future storyline. The characters--both men and women--seemed to have adopted a somewhat blurred line of feminine and masculine. Androgenic, almost. Everyone sported high-waisted bottoms. Most of the women didn't wear any makeup. And no matter what...everyone wore button-down tops that were buttoned all the way up.

It was a very conservative fashion trend for a story set in the future. The contrast had me intrigued. Personally, I've noticed that each year that passes, less and less is left to the imagination with fashion. Was Spike Jonze simply appealing to the younger audience by incorporating the hot fashion trends of recycled 1980s fashion? Or, was he trying to seep in a little irony with the overall tone of the futuristic movie? Perhaps, was he trying to convey that in the age of technology, we have become so closed off to others, and a way of symbolizing this was by closing off the shirt collar, a physical pathway to the heart?

Perhaps I'm reading too much into this, but I very much appreciate the cinematic symbolism that our writers and producers convey in each movie. I began reminiscing about past movies that had futuristic plots. What were they conveying with fashion in tandem with the message of the story?

Clockwork Orange, 1971

Does the full-on white assembly and black bowler hat symbolize and/or accentuate the overall plotline of good and evil, and the ability to make the moral choice between the two?

Blade Runner, 1982

The cinematography is very neo-noir and the fashion is a blend of steampunk and cyberpunk--combining past, present and future styles. Would you say that each character is dressed in a manner that visually communicates the effect that technology plays on the environment and society as a whole? Does it elude to who is human and who is an artificially engineered replicant?

Matrix, 1999

Fighters in a war between humans and machines, do the characters dressed in black blur the lines between the humans the the all-powerful machine they created?

What have you watched lately where fashion seemed to have a profound influence on the plot?

Infinite Style Options with One Garment - The Convertible Dress

Is your closet busting at the seams but you are tired of everything you own? Are you in a creative fashion rut? Is your closet small? Are you a minimalist? Well, honey, have I got a cure for you!

(Photo via Fascinating Julia)

The infinite convertible dress! You can see for yourself that you can create over two dozen different looks with only one garment! That's right...ONE garment! The first step is to choose a style from the plethora that are available:

Bubble convert dress via Loretari on Etsy

Two-toned ruffle mermaid-style convert dress via Miss Lee Apparel on Etsy

Retro Belted Button Maeve Convertible Dress via Anthropologie

Classic short and classic long convert dress via Two Birds

We've been seeing them on bridesmaids a lot lately. I think its a classically varietal look. What is best about this dress, is that it suits multiple body types. Each bridesmaid can choose the convertible look that she feels most comfortable in. Depending on how the dress is tied, the bridesmaid can draw attention to or detract attention from the body part(s) she wishes. They are mainly an empire cut, which is flattering on all body types. Win-win for the bride!

Speaking of weddings, bridal dresses are showing up the convertible format! What a terrific idea! Two different looks between ceremony and reception--the bride sheds some fabric so that she can boogie down!

Long-to-short convert bridal dresses 

(Via Hayley Paige)

(Via Morgan Boszilkov)

I've worn my convertible dress more in one year than any of my other dresses. I'd like to see more out there with convertibles. Convertible romper? Convertible pantsuit? Convertible tops? Bring it on!