#Fashionable I’ll let you guys in on a little secret. I don’t know anything about fashion. That golden award can be given to my almost-too-perfect and effortlessly stylish counterpart, Serena. However, I’ll often try to fool you guys by cramming as much In Style magazine reading as I can between classes to give the illusion I am somewhat fashion-forward. Thanks to websites like Style.com, Harpers Bazaar and Pinterest, I have been able to pass myself off as someone who totally knows the inner secrets of everything from the cat-eye to harem pants. I’ve always wished myself to be one of those never-trying-too-hard girls we see on pins labeled “street style”, or the French celebrities who always look impeccable without looking overdone. Alas, I must stop lying to myself when I sadly admit that I am the biggest try hard I know. I’ll sit and stare for hours at my closet wondering what to wear to school the next morning, or spend my entire morning trying on everything in my closet and ultimately going with the first thing I had chosen after realizing how much time I’d wasted playing dress up. Due to my own embarrassing confusion, I'll often catch myself asking this question: what really makes someone “fashionable?” Is it the girl who can take our favorite closet stable white tee shirt and make it look like it came right out of Vogue magazine? Or the one who takes sandals and socks and somehow makes it work? (Aka the Man Repeller). The other day I was scrolling through some outfits from fashion week in London and thought to myself ,“What the hell are these people wearing? Is that what is considered fashionable?” If I was caught dead in half of those outfits someone might seriously mistake me for either a really short wooly mammoth or a really tall Dalmatian. There is something about these people though, that make us regular people stop and think,Wow, why can’t I be that fashionable? Our underlying envy might come from the thousand dollar pair of Jimmy Choos slung over their feet. Of course, it also might be the fact that the world actually seems to stop moving when we catch someone who perfects pattern-mixing, like polka-dot with leopard print. (#how?) Whatever the case, these people have the “it” factor that we all want, and despite the first urge to hurl at the sight of their over sized ponchos and giant cat-eye sunglasses, there seems to be a seductive appeal to their bold fashion choices. I suppose it’s more freedom of expression then anything, and that these heftily clad fashion-forward (faux-pas?) style gurus are not so much trying to be fashionable, but rather, they are trying new styles, ideas, or just being like me and trying way too hard. Regardless, I was clearly missing the fashionable-ness of the majority of the outfits, leading me to believe that my idea of fashionable was clouded in too many fashion magazines telling me about the latest trends and the ten reasons why I needed to buy those totally-overpriced blue Alexander Wang sandals. I’m beginning to learn that fashion, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. While we may continue to think what we want (cue Marilyn Monroe), let those who wear outrageous outfits to fashion week continue in their quest for whatever their stylish hearts drag them towards. I, on the other hand, will be spending the next few hours staring at my closet again because I have to figure out something to wear to work. Stay Classy Valley,
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I'm not going to lie, when I first heard of the neoprene trend I was a bit shocked. I mean come on, wearing a scuba suit in public? How was the general public going to go for such a far out idea? Actually, pretty easily. In fact I saw more people roaming the streets of New York last spring rocking scuba than people strutting their stuff in daisy dukes. Whether or not you're into the trend, it looks like it's here to stay (at least for a little while). When the idea of stylish scuba was first introduced I honestly never gave a thought of its resurrection back into the fashion world. But low and behold, neoprene is back and fortunately, better than ever. So as an ode to the renewed trend, I thought I'd share a few of my fabvorite looks with you guys-- Scuba's Back (and Better than Two of Zac Posen's Spring 2015 Resort Collection Neoprene Gowns Want to know where you can get your share of neoprene? Here are just some of the many neoprene pieces you can score: just click on the pictures to purchase! Or feel like getting crafty? Check out this simple no-sew project to make your very own neoprene skirt! What are your thoughts on the renewed trend? Care to share? Leave your comments below! Stay classy Valley,
Instagram Addict: Accounts to FollowThe Man Repeller "Man Repelling isn't about getting dressed and saying 'How am I going to repel a man today?' It's about dressing for yourself and liking what you're wearing." -Leandra Medine (The Man Repeller) Leandra Medine, or what most of her followers know her as, "The Man Repeller" is interestingly stylish, uniquely-quirky, and is the ultimate fashion addict. Aside from her wildly entertaining Instagram posts, her blog is indescribably humorous and well-informed. You'll find some great tips hidden in her eccentric posts and multiple pairs of jumpsuits. Fashion Grandpas Never has an Instagram account made me smile so much as this one. But what, you may ask, is a fashion grandpa? Simple. A fashionable grandpa. But are grandpas even fashionable? Your skepticism is clouding your better judgment... ....is it even up for discussion anymore? New Fork City You do not have to love fashion to love food. You can be like me, and have a heart big enough to fit the both in, but in the case you are not, here is an account that will either lead you to your totally mundane kitchen in hopes of satisfying your unsatisfiable craving, or halfway up the George Washington Bridge to chase down whatever uber hipster place the guys at New Fork City have last hit up. Either way, be sure to give them a follow. VuTheara Are you dreaming of Paris? Oui? Moi aussi! Designer/photographer VuTheara Kham captures wonders like the Jardin de Tuileries and Montmartre so that the rest of us drooling over the god-likeness of Paris and all the Parisians occupying it can get a glimpse of what life is like to live in that mystical land. EvaChen212 Eva Chen is the adorable editor-in-chief of Lucky Magazine and a self-described obsessive shopper. She is most famous for her taxi cab Instagram posts, that always include crossed legs, an awesome pair of shoes, a bag and a piece of fruit (I think we all know this is my favorite part). She also just had a baby named Ren and together they are the cutest mother-daughter duo ever. Are there accounts you love that we didn't mention above? Comment them below so we can check them out! Stay Classy Valley,
Fusion Fashion Show 2015Last Sunday I had the amazing opportunity (Thanks to Mrs. Molino) to attend the Fusion Fashion Show with my Clothing Construction class. But before I get into the specifics of what I saw and what we, as a class, loved, I think some background on the show would do some good. The Fusion Fashion show is a fashion competition (showdown?) where The Fashion Institute of Technology and The Parsons New School for Design go head to head to compete for a spot in Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. The smackdown (okay maybe a bit dramatic) has been going down for 16 years now and has become a tradition both schools take great pride in. Lets just say the competition is fierce and we definitely saw that this Sunday. We were amazed by the designs only to find out that they were all sewn by Freshmen and Sophomores!! What?? Crazy, since they were all magnificent. You can take a look at the designs below! There were quite a bit of them (625 pictures to be exact) so I've broken them down to the class favorites. FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) went first-- Then came Parson's (The New School for Design)-- All in all, it was amazing experience! It felt like a mini throw back to my Mercedes Benz Fashion Week expereince last September (let me know if you'd like a #tbt post on that)! The winning school was (drumroll please...) FIT! Even though we were all sure it would be Parsons, both schools did a fantastic job. The below pictures are from the winner of the competition (she's from FIT) and she was by far my favorite designer out of all of them! Let me know which outfits are your personal favorites from those above and in the meantime, feel free to browse the Fusion website here and enjoy some more pictures from the trip below! Stay classy Valley,
Makeup Madness: Spring 2015 EditionDespite my hardly wearing it, I love me some makeup. This year's trends are all about a fresh face, glowing skin, and unexpected pops of color. Below are a few of the awesome new trends showing up all over the runway. Take a look! Dazzling Blues This trend is so absolutely gorgeous and equally unexpected. Just the thought of icy blues in the spring makes my heart flutter a little faster in anticipation for brighter colors and warmer weather. Not sure how to pull it off? Me neither. Check out the YouTube tutorial below to help you get a better idea about how to create some beautiful blue magic! Neon vs. Neutral Lipsticks As mentioned above, I really don't wear a lot of makeup. That being said, lip colors will always have a special place in my heart. This spring, we're playing with all types shades from radiant oranges to pale pinks. Negative Space Manicures These are interesting and can probably look a little messy if not done properly. But as an avid nail-polish lover, I think they are such a cool new way to experiment with nails and definitely look forward to challenging my nail-painting skills. Check them out...
All I know is that if it snows again this March I might just go insane. Is it too much to ask for a spring sans dirt-smothered snow on the ground? Stay Classy Valley,
Short Hair, Don't Care I think it was sophomore year when I first went for "the chop", as it's been named. I'm someone who gets bored with things easily. Serena can vouch for that, as I feel the need to change the cover photo of this blog every other week, and am constantly begging her to do a quick photo shoot just so we can look at the fifty pictures we just took and decide that we hate all of them. We're very productive, obviously. Anyways, as I sat down and stared up at my hairdresser through the mirror, I told her that from my long locks, I wanted four inches cut off. I can even remember my mother, a look of horror slapped on her face, racing up to the chair to ask if I had realized how much hair was coming off. I just shrugged as my eyes followed the giant chunks of hair swirling towards the ground. Getting a bunch of hair cut is like when you have to force yourself to shave your legs because of that sweet-sixteen your best friend decided to have in the middle of no shave-season, and everyone knows that winter is code for no shaving (unless you play a winter sport. Then that totally sucks for you.) At first you're hesitant, possibly even dreading it. Did I make the right choice? Should it be this short? What the hell am I thinking? Sooner rather than later, though, you'll realize that "the chop" (or shaving your now impeccably smooth legs) was a great decision. For me, it was a point where I became more aware of myself, and really help me to come out of my shell. As I was always a more reserved person (and still can be), getting my hair cut short was a time for me to both physically and emotionally open up. As more of my face was visible, so became my personality, and this was a very, very good thing. I should also add, that first switching from long hair to short hair feels amazing. All that dead, weighty hair is finally gone and you're left with a fresh cut that screams I'm confident and fun because my hair is short, which makes me so much more sexy -short hair rules!!! I'm like a 1920's flapper girl! Maybe I'll be that for Halloween! (seriously contemplating that last part.) But what now, that you've cut your hair? In many aspects, it's a lot easier to take care of. When people ask my why it's so short, I immediately explain to them the joy I feel when I blow dry my hair and it takes under 10 minutes. For any of us familiar with the woes of hair straightening, that single factor might be the deal-sealer. "Everything goes with short hair. It's bananas" -Ginnifer Goodwin Thinking about getting a cut? A few things to keep in mind... It will definitely be a big change. You may decide you hate it after you get home from the salon, or think it's too short. Don't worry too much. You'll get used to it soon enough. Sadly, you won't be able to throw your hair into your favorite bad-hair-day topknot to save yourself styling time, but people who tell you that you can't wear it up (or style it at all) are liars. And we can't let the liars bring us down. Exhibit "A" Exhibit "B" Exhibit "C" All in all, go short or go home. Stay Classy Valley,
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