Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 what we want

The Shop

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Feb 2, 2016

Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 what we want

We were just checking out the Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 trunk show on the Moda Operandi website…

The Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 collection features lots of fun and interesting furs and prints. These styles are definitely not for ladies who are conservative in their style of dress. Pieces include crystal embellished sheer georgette blouses, ornate ankle boots including a pair covered in colorful swarovski crystals, fox fur and ostrich feather jacket, ornate military style jacket trimmed in fox fur, animal printed velvet blazer, leather, fringe, chiffon, mink fur, snake print.

Wild is a word that came frequently to mind while browsing through the pictures of the pieces from the Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 collection. The editorial text described the collection as reflecting “exquisite decadence with a rock ’n’ roll twist” and featuring “cosmic-themed beading and prints”. The use of fur would seem to classify as decadent for sure, although that’s probably not the context in which they mean it.

Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 what we want

The Roberto Cavalli embroidered leather blazer…

The price for this embroidered leather blazer is a little bit out there at $6,505. We’re not sure exactly why the price is so high. It seems a bit extreme. It’s a nice looking jacket, but it’s just a jacket and all it’s made of is leather with silk embroidery work. The embroidery detail is nice but still, six thousand dollars is kinda nuts. Even so, if we were filthy stinking rich and could spend $6,505 on a leather blazer just because, then we’d surely buy it. Why not?

One of more of the silk georgette blouses…

We love the look of this Roberto Cavalli ‘stardust printed’ silk georgette shirt. It comes with a $1,140 price tag so it’s not in the budget right now; but if we had the freedom to shop the Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 collection, this would definitely be one of the items purchased.

Roberto Cavalli High Rise Flared Jeans

We think these jeans would go perfectly with the stardust printed silk blouse. They are high rise jeans with a flared legged. The crystal star embellishments add some extra flare. Unfortunately these are also too expensive for us to afford right now. They come with a $2,225 price tag. They’re cute for sure, but to be 100% honest, we can’t think of any reason in the world that a pair of jeans should ever cost $2,225. Can you?

Roberto Cavalli Water snake Scarpa Ankle Boots

We figured if we were wearing an outfit made up of the stardust blouse and the embellished high rise flared leg jeans, these ankle boots would be great to wear with the outfit. The Roberto Cavalli Water snake Scarpa Ankle Boot features a multi-color watersnake print. The boots come with a $1,410 price tag. Yes, they are also out of budget at this time.

Roberto Cavalli Water snake Borsa Flap Bag

No outfit is complete without the right bag accessory. We think this Roberto Cavalli black leather shoulder bag with its panels of multicolored watersnake print works perfectly with the outfit. It matches the shoes without being too matchy matchy, and the colors match the top as well.

The bag comes with a $2,245 price tag.

Want more Roberto Cavalli?

You can check out the Moda Operandi Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 trunk show on the their website.

Kendall Jenner Mango Tribal Spirit

Fashion Talk

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Feb 1, 2016

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Have you seen the looks featured in the Kendall Jenner Mango Tribal Spirit campaign?

Today we swung by Mango.com and discovered that Kendall Jenner has teamed up with Mango and stars in their “Tribal Spirit” ad campaign. We haven’t been keeping up with Kendall lately so we were clueless about the Kendall Jenner Mango Tribal Spirit campaign.

You’ve got to hand it to Kendall because Mango usually works with pretty big names in the modeling industry. They’ve worked with Kate Moss for a while. We believe Cara Delevingne also works with Mango. Miranda Kerr had a short-lived run with Mango. Even Gisele Bundchen once had a contract with Mango. So Mango is known to work with the biggest names in modeling, which means Kendall Jenner is securely established as one of the biggest names in modeling. Even so, we were surprised to see Kendall repping for Mango.

Mango is a pretty affordable brand, and from what we can tell they make pretty stylish clothing.

Here’s Look #1 from the Kendall Jenner Mango tribal spirit campaign

Kendall Jenner wearing Mango cargo pants with a Mango sweater bracelet and sandals – Image via Mango.com

In this look Kendall is wearing a pair of Mango khaki Cargo palazzo trousers ($49.99) with an ecru-colored Mango fringed cotton sweater ($69.99), a pair of black Mango Interlinked cord sandals ($79.99), a Mango braided belt ($19.99) and a Mango gold cuff bracelet ($15.99)

Another look from the Kendall Jenner Mango Tribal Spirit campaign

Kendall Jenner Mango blouse skirt trench coat earrings – image via Mango.com

In this next look Kendall is wearing an ecru-colored Mango blouse that comes with an attached necklace adornment. The Mango Appliqués neck blouse comes with a $39.99 price tag. It also comes in black and it’s made of 100% viscose. With the blouse she’s wearing a medium brown Mango suede wrap skirt that comes with a $79.99 price tag, a Mango flowy trench coat that comes with a $149.99 price tag and a pair of Mango Metal pendant earrings that come with a $15.99 price tag.

In my shopping bag today – sale at Macy’s

Shopping Journal

Monica

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Jan 25, 2016

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In my shopping bag today – sale at Macy’s

What’s in my shopping bag?

I just added $247.32 to my debt by purchasing some items (with credit) at Macys. The items in my shopping bag include some beauty products, a hat, a scarf and a pair of gloves.

Sometimes I get to feeling guilty about buying stuff for myself. And I don’t even buy stuff for myself often because I seldom can afford even a $9.99 purchase once all available funds have been meted out to pay bills. But lately I’ve come to realize that I can’t continue to live my life saying no to myself because of guilt and fear of spending money I don’t technically have. I’ve also come to realize that it’s okay to pursue happy moments. And if buying myself something new will provide a happy moment, then it’s okay for me to buy myself something new. Because I deserve to have happy moments in my life.

I know “things” can’t bring long-lasting happiness. They can only provide a fleeting sense of pleasure; but better an occasional fleeting sense of pleasure than no sense of pleasure or joy at all.

So I bought some things from Macys today. Mostly anti-aging beauty products because, well, I need them badly.

So here’s what’s in my shopping bag…

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum

I wanted to try out the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum. I’m still loving the Ole Henriksen products that have become my staples since I first discovered them. But my skin has been looking a bit dull lately so I wanted to give it a boost trying out something else. Don’t have a clue if Elizabeth Arden products are any good as I have never tried them, but the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum has 5-star reviews so I’m hoping for the best. Don’t want to have spent $76 on something that doesn’t turn out to do what it promises.

The Product: Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum, Total 60 capsules, .95 fl. oz.

Details: A golden opportunity for your skin. New and improved supercharged anti-aging benefits in a capsule. New Ceramide Lipid Complex Clx anti-aging technology is proven to: strengthen and repair mature skin, firm and tone skin, diminish lines and wrinkles, improve skin tone and clarity and support collagen production.

I have no idea what to expect from this product but if it turns out that it lives up to its promise to diminish lines and wrinkles, firm and tone skin and improve skin tone and clarity while supporting collagen production, I will be very happy.

Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum

In addition to the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum I also purchased a jar of the company’s Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum

My eyes are the biggest culprit in making me look tired and worn out and I’ve been trying numerous products hoping to reduce the signs of aging around my eyes even if I can’t restore them to their youthful condition. I am especially keen to see some reduction in the puffiness under my eyes. I’m hoping when they say “puffiness” they’re talking about bags because I have unsightly bags under my eyes and they’ve been worse in recent weeks as I’ve been very tired from lack of sleep.

Estée Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Broad Spectrum SPF 25 Makeup

I also purchased an Estée Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Broad Spectrum SPF 25 Makeup in shade “Rich caramel”. I was trying to decide between it and the Estée Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme Radiant Lifting Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 based on the specs of each. I had decided to go with the Resilience Lift extreme, but then I checked the shade options and there wasn’t one for ladies with a brown complexion. At least not online at Macys. Don’t know if they make dark shades of this particular product; but at least they do for the Perfectionist Youth-Infusing so I got that one.

It’s tricky buying foundation online. I usually end up with something that’s either too light or something that’s too dark. I’m hoping this won’t be a shade that’s too dark or too light. And I’m hoping it’s as good as the reviews say.

Also in my shopping bag:

Steve Madden Polar Vortex Beanie Hat

I ordered the cobalt blue color. I’m not sure what the attitude is towards women over a certain age wearing beanie hats. But I wanted a beanie hat and this one was on sale for $13.99 so I purchased it.

I was at first going to get a Michael Kors hat but then I decided I needed to keep things a little bit more real. I don’t need to be impulse purchasing $40 knit hats.

Cejon Solid Italian Acrylic Muffler

I wanted to get a red scarf so that I could add a little pop of color to some of my winter outfits.

This scarf was on sale for $20. I hope the color in reality will be as bright a shade of red as in the picture.

Hopefully it will turn out to be a nice soft scarf that doesn’t catch lint easily.

$20 isn’t a lot of money but for me, it’s a bit much to spend on a plain acrylic scarf.

Charter Club Chenille Roll Top Gloves

I have wanted to purchase a new pair of gloves for a bit.

These were on sale for $18.99. They are regularly priced at $32.

I didn’t notice that they only have a 3-star rating until after I purchased them. Most of the complaints are about the gloves being flimsy and falling apart. Not good when the price tag is $32 I don’t think. Even $18.99 would be too much to pay for gloves that don’t keep your hands warm (according to one review) and that start falling apart out of the box (according to others), so I hope these will not be my experiences with these gloves. I purchased the cherry red gloves.

So that’s what’s in my shopping bag today. $247.32 added to my credit card debt.

I can’t wait for my packages to arrive. Hopefully they’ll get here by Friday or by Monday the latest.

Feel like shopping?

So there’s this step where I have to fuse interfacing…

The Monica Archives

Monica

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Jan 20, 2016

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So there’s this step where I have to fuse interfacing…

The red pant suit and jacket sewing project 2

Update January 23 2016: I have discovered since writing this post that I mis-read the cutting guide for the pattern. So I now know that I don’t have to go out and purchase “utility fabric” to serve as the interfacing for the jacket. I was actually supposed to cut that out from the same fabric.

Original: I am still trying to attempt that DIY red pant suit and jacket sewing project. Today I decided to try to see if I could finally figure out what they are talking about in Step 1 where they tell me to “fuse interfacing” to the wrong side of the two front sections. I’ve been stuck at this point on account of having no idea what they were even talking about. But I think I might finally have figured it out.

But first…

So far I’ve managed to cut out the fabric pieces for the jacket. It took a bit of digging around Youtube tutorials, but I came across this video below and it helped me get a clue where to start.

All due credit to Liesl Gibson for doing a great job with the video. She helped me understand just enough to get started and reach the point where I thought I was ready to start the sewing. The problem is, like I said above, I’ve been stuck at Step 1.

Fuse interfacing to wrong side of two front (1) section, following the manufacturer’s instructions

So I finally took to the Internet to do some research today, and as near as I can figure, it seems like I’m supposed to have something called interfacing and/or lining fabric, neither of which I bought. So I guess I’ll have to buy some utility fabric (looks like that’s what fusible interfacing and lining fabric are referred to?).

It’s anybody’s guess if I will be able to figure any of this out well enough to actually make this jacket. I’m thinking based on this new discovery that I might not even have cut out the pattern pieces correctly after all. But we shall see how things develop.

In the meantime, I tried to skip forward a few steps thinking I at least understood Step 4 and could work on that, but that’s when I realized I might not have cut out the pattern pieces properly; so I abandoned that idea to spend some time doing even more reading of the pattern text and researching on the Internet to try to get a little closer to understanding exactly what everything means.

Now that I know what they mean by fuse interfacing to the wrong sides of the pattern pieces marked at (1), I have to figure out how to buy interfacing and what kind I need to buy for this jacket and exactly how the process of fusing interfacing works.

Hopefully at some point in the near future I will have a red pant suit and jacket made even if it’s a hot mess that cannot be worn.

Research notes/sources:

How to Interface Jackets: Lessons from an Yves Saint Laurent Garment

Jacket: sewing center back seam and staystitching the side seams for princess seams

Types of Interfacing Fabric and Interfacing Sewing | National Sewing Circle

Who are you wearing Union Square New York

Videos

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 19, 2016

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Who are you wearing Union Square New York

Our second “Who Are You Wearing?” video featuring Selina from the Youtube channel Literally Selina.

In this second video Selina is in Union Square New York where she approaches regular New Yorkers to ask them “Who are you wearing?”

Who are you wearing brands break down…

Among the brands that are mentioned: H&M, American Eagle, Forever21, Chanel, Cartier, Michael Kors, Levis, A.P.C, J Crew, Apple (watch), Nike, Timbaland, Ralph Lauren, Urban Outfitters, Nine West

We’ve compiled a chart below showing the number of times a brand is mentioned by a different person.

The chart shows that the most popular brand worn by the small sampling of people Selina interviewed was American Eagle.

A brand that got mentioned in both our first and second videos was H&M.

The upscale brands mentioned were:

Cartier
Chanel
Ralph Lauren
A.P.C
J crew

American Eagle

Since American Eagle was the top mentioned brand we decided to check them out to see why they might be so popular. Of course we are aware that coming to a conclusion as to the popularity of a brand based on asking 10 people “Who are you wearing?” is faulty. But big companies, and even arguably governments, do exactly this. They come to conclusions about millions of people based on results of studies that sampled very small groups. So we’re taking the liberty of following their lead.

We swung by the American Eagle website at ae.com and took a look around. They carry some pretty nice-looking jeans and other apparel; and their prices are working gals and guys affordable. You can’t tell the quality of clothing from pictures, of course, but their stuff looks like they’re of decent quality. What we’ve seen is casually stylish. We’d have to agree with the first two guys in the video who make this claim (that American Eagle clothes are stylish). American Eagle clothing isn’t haute couture; but stylish isn’t limited to high fashion items that come with exorbitant price tags.

Who are you wearing?

So what about you? Who are you wearing today? Feel free to share in the comments below. And check out our Youtube channel (and show us some love by subscribing) Also check out Selina’s youtube channel at literallyselina.

Single gal Carly buys Valentine’s Day Lingerie

Closet Tales

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 18, 2016

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Single gal Carly buys Valentine’s Day Lingerie

Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Whether you have someone in your life or not, you can still indulge yourself in some new Valentine’s Day lingerie and sleepwear from #Nordstrom. Lingerie doesn’t have be something you only wear to tease and please the opposite sex. Instead of waiting for that day when ‘he’ comes along and buys you lingerie so you can parade around in it for his enjoyment, buy yourself something nice at (Nordstrom.com) to parade around wearing for your own enjoyment.

Valentine's Day lingerie shop Nordstrom — Image via Nordstrom.com

Carly buys Valentine’s Day Lingerie

It was early Monday morning. Carly had not too long gotten out of bed. She’d awoken from having a nightmare about being left at the altar by her fiance Javier. With one or two convoluted exceptions, the dream had played out pretty much the same way things had gone down in reality over a year ago. Javier had stopped suddenly in the middle of reciting his wows and whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry I can’t do this. I can’t marry you.” Then he’d turned and walked out of the church, his best friend (and two weeks later his wife) Gabriela running out after him.

Carly was still having nightmares about the experience, but she wasn’t crying anymore after waking up and remembering. The crying had stopped months ago. And the phase of waking up from the nightmares cursing him and his “true love” and wishing the jet on which they traveled between New York and Chile every week would crash into the Andes, that phase had passed too. She was now at the point where she could just take a deep breath, get out of bed, lay out her yoga mat on the floor, do some meditating, get up, take a shower and start her day. And that’s what she was doing when she came across an email from Nordstrom about Valentine’s Day Lingerie and sleepwear.

This was going to be Carly’s first Valentine’s Day since being left at the altar by her fiancee who had been her boyfriend for 2 years before he dumped her so he could marry his best friend and true love. She wasn’t sure how she was going to feel on the actual day of Valentine’s Day, but she knew that she did not want to feel the usual self pity that she used to feel before she’d met Javier. She’d had many lonely Valentine’s Day experiences pre-Javier and she was determined that this first post-Javier Valentine’s Day wasn’t going to be spent curled up in a ball on her bed crying and feeling sorry for herself.

When she saw the advertisement from Nordstrom about Valentine’s Day lingerie, it occurred to her that she should buy herself some lingerie and plan a fun night for herself sitting around in her lingerie surrounded by flowers and balloons and eating chocolates and Petits RICHART from richart-chocolates.com. Who ever said a person needed to have someone in their life to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

So Carly went to Nordstrom’s website to find some lingerie to buy and I was the first thing she saw on the page. I was being worn by a model in the featured picture. And Carly loved me instantaneously.

Chantelle Intimates Vendome Underwire Demi Bra — Image via Nordstrom.com

She loved my color and my embroidered starbursts pattern. She loved the single sparkling rhinestone charm dangling at the center of the demi bra part of me. She loved the matching boyshorts with the smooth satin waistband and cheeky back fit. I was sexy but not in a trampy way; and I could be worn all year long. I wasn’t just made to be worn on Valentine’s Day for the purpose of seduction.

But she didn’t want to rush into buying me before looking at what else was available. So she spent a little time browsing through the other items. And she did find some other things she liked a lot. I wasn’t the only thing she purchased. And I don’t know if I will actually get selected to be the set she wears on Valentine’s Day. There’s still some time to go; but I think based on how long she stared at her body and the fact that she took more selfies wearing me after I and her other Valentine’s Day lingerie items arrived, that I have a pretty good chance of being chosen to be the lingerie in which she will parade around her apartment while eating chocolates and petits Richart come Sunday February 14th.

Olympia Le-Tan Face Cotton Milk Box Bag

Closet Tales

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 16, 2016

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The product: Olympia Le-Tan Face Cotton Milk Box Bag

What it is: An Olympia Le-Tan shoulder bag fashioned in the shape of a milk carton

Hashtags: #shoulderbag #olympialetan #forzieri

A fashion blogger contemplates writing a post asking her readers if they would buy the Olympia Le-Tan Face Cotton Milk Box Bag that was being sold at Forzieri.com for $1,150.

She had just bitten off the nail on her left thumb. It was Saturday night and she was sitting at her PC trying to decide if to update her fashion blog or not. In the living room nearby her boyfriend was watching Predator on the TV. She heard some expletives and a ridiculous Jamaican accent that made her roll her eyes.

“Why am involved with a fifty-something year old again?” she wondered to herself.

It wasn’t even as if he had money. Not that she thought a man’s worth should be measured by the size of his bank account; but it sure would have been nice if her boyfriend was at least rich. Then she could pacify herself with that thought at those times when he was blasting the television while watching stupid movies. She would know that she was at least getting some Louboutin heels out of the deal.

After a while she put on her headphones and started listening to Taylor Swift while browsing the internet looking for fashion centered things to inspire a post idea. She ended up on Forzieri.com, and after a brief moment browsing through their bags collection, she came across me.

Olympia Le-Tan Face Cotton Milk Box Shoulder Bag

“This is cute,” she thought to herself, but there was a question mark forming in her mind. I was a cute bag, but was I a little too silly? What woman over the age of 13 could possibly get away with walking around with me slung over her shoulder? How could someone fit a bag like me into her outfit without it looking ridiculous? These were some of the questions that were coming to mind as she contemplated me.

I was interesting for sure. After all, she had looked through a few pages of the bags being sold at Forzieri.com and none had made her really stop to look. When she saw me she actually clicked through to read more. So there was no question she found me interesting; but it was my seeming lack of practicality that made her want to write a post about me on her blog. The title “Would you buy this Olympia Le-Tan Face Cotton Milk Box Bag?” came to mind.

She posed the question to herself. “Would I buy this bag?” she wondered. “It’s cute and all; but it’s essentially a toy. I can’t see how I would ever find use for this bag other than as a prop in photos. It would be great social media like-bait.”

Then she decided to Google “celebrity olympia le-tan milk box bag” to see if the bag had been seen being carried by any famous women. And she came across some pictures of Emma Roberts carrying a similar Olympia Le-Tan milk box bag. Emma clearly loved her Olympia Le-tan milk box bag because she was seen carrying it on more than one occasion.

Seeing the bag in use didn’t convince her that it would be a bag that would make sense for an ordinary woman to buy, however. She thought to herself, that for women like Emma Roberts buying playful bags was no problem. They had money. They could afford to spend $1,150 on a bag that existed just to be cute and quirky and serve no practical purpose. And there was nothing wrong with them buying a bag that was essentially a plaything. She believed all women should be able to cater to their inner little girl and keep their playful, youthful spirit alive.

As for her conclusion about me, her final thought was that I was cute, yes, but was I really a bag? That was the question.

Nano Yellow Chloe Drew bag

Closet Tales

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 16, 2016

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Featuring the Nano Yellow Chloe Drew bag

#Chloe #designerbags #chloedrew #drewbag #nano

The Bag: twist lock fastening, chain shoulder strap, suede lining, internal slot pocket – Yellow Chloe Drew bag – ‘Nano Drew’.

She wanted me. Of course she wanted me. Who wouldn’t want me? I’m too cute for anyone to not want. And I have a permanent sunny disposition. She saw me on another girl’s Instagram page and her heart skipped a beat. She felt all sorts of emotions, from excitement over the picture to jealousy. But her jealousy was really just wishing she could be as lucky as the girl who had taken a picture of me and posted it to her Instagram page.

I read her thoughts in that moment. She wondered how some girls got to be so lucky. She thought, “I guess blondes do have more fun. They get the guys with the money and so they get to buy nice things for themselves.” Then she corrected herself because she didn’t like to be that way, and she knew that many blondes worked for their own money and didn’t depend on some man to marry them and give them the things they wanted out of life. She knew that hair color didn’t have anything to do with anything.

But I could have told her that this particular girl had indeed married a rich older man for money, and that being a blonde had mattered very much indeed. That she had known being a natural blonde and being beautiful gave her an advantage, and she had used these things to her advantage in finding a man to whom it had mattered very much that she was blond. And so it was indeed because she was blonde that the woman on Instagram had been able to afford me. But it was nobody’s fault. That’s just the way life works. Beauty is an asset and sometimes a girl has to use her beauty to get what she wants out of life.

Unfortunately for some girls, this is not an option. And for this girl, this was not an option. She wasn’t beautiful. And she wasn’t young. She had made mistakes with her life and so she didn’t have a whole lot going for her. She had a job but it didn’t pay much. Only nine dollars an hour, which was minimum wage in some states. In her state it was seventy-five cents more than minimum wage. She definitely didn’t have the money to afford me, even though I wasn’t really that expensive when all is said and done. The girl on Instagram had only spent $1,190 on her clone of me. She had bought me on the internet at mytheresa.com. She mentioned that in the caption to her picture, so she (the one who couldn’t afford me) went on mytheresa.com and that’s where she found me.

I should explain that I am only one even though there are many of me. I know that sounds pretty weird. How can I be only one if there are many of me? We’ll just call it food for thought so we don’t veer off on a tangent.

On the website I was described as a Chloé Nano Drew leather shoulder bag. I am one of many. Now I know that’s a contradiction of what I just said above about being only one though there are many of me. Or is it really? I mean, technically, those two statements can be argued to say the same thing. But I mean something different by each. You see, I am the Yellow Chloe Drew bag – the Nano Drew in yellow. I have many clones of myself. We are all the yellow Chloe drew bag; but we are not the only Chloe drew bag. There are many others. We are not even the only yellow Chloe Drew bag, but the other shades of yellow Chloe drew bags aren’t clones of us.

But I know you’re thinking to yourself, who cares about all that? What about the woman? Did she somehow manage to get her hands on one of my clones? Well, the answer to that is, no. But who knows what the future holds? Maybe one of these days she’ll be able to afford to spend $1,190 on a bag. All of my clones will probably be long sold out by then. Drew bags may not even be a thing by then; but there will be something else. There’s always something else…

Closet updated: London Fog Michael Kors DL1961

Shopping Journal

Monica

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Jan 15, 2016

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Closet updated: London Fog Michael Kors DL1961

Last month I added a few new items to my wardrobe, including a London Fog coat (#londonfog), a Michael Kors (#michaelkors) top and an INC International Concepts bag all of which I purchased on sale at #macys. I also acquired a new pair of jeans. The jeans were a gift that came my way via the #RANBonusBox from Rakuten Marketing courtesy of #DL1961.

I purchased the London Fog coat because it was seriously way past time for a new Winter coat. I’ve been wearing the same coat for a few years. I probably would have continued wearing it for Winter 2016 but it decided for me that it was time to let it go.

Lucky for me I found this London Fog coat on sale at Macys over the holidays. I bit the bullet and purchased it.

Features of the coat

Notched collar with layered detail
Button closure at front
Long sleeves
Slit pockets at hips
Lined
Mid-weight
Wool/polyester/viscose/other fibers; lining: polyester

My Impressions: I’m not sure if a peacoat is only for younger ladies; but if it is too bad. I love my new coat. I love how it looks on me and how girly it makes me feel. I haven’t “mid-west winter weather” tested it yet; but it seems like a pretty strong, sturdy coat that should keep me warm as long as I’m properly layered underneath.

The Michael Kors blouse and DL1961 jeans

The Michael Kors blouse is a nice, black, long-sleeved polyester blouse with a pull-over style, v-neckline and inverted pleat design in the front. It’s a fairly loose hanging blouse, so if you have a protruding stomach like I do (darned ugly fibroids), it can help to disguise it up to a point. Sometimes a loose fitting top only emphasizes a protruding stomach but the inverted pleat detail of this top helps to downplay my pregnant with fibroids belly.

I’ve been wanting to buy a black blouse for a while so I’m glad I finally did.

The DL1961 jeans

I received a gift postcard for a pair of DL1961 jeans in December’s #RANBonusbox. I selected a pair of coated “Instasculpt” skinny jeans because I’ve been needing a pair of black jeans and I’ve been curious to try jeans with that coated leather look to them. I have to say, I absolutely love these jeans. They are amazingly comfortable for being so skinny and fitted. And I think they look great on me. I would love to try a pair in an outrageous color like red.

INC International Concepts Pia Mini Bucket Bag

This is a cute little bag. In person the red is not quite as scarlet as it appears on my screen. It’s a mini bag so capacity isn’t going to be accommodating when it’s necessary to pack everything in your house in your bag. The gold chain drawstring is cute but you do compromise function for style in this case. You can’t exactly tie it (at least I haven’t figured out a way), so it doesn’t stay drawn tight.

I have to admit, I do think this bag, while affordable, is still priced a little bit high. It does look good. It’s well made. The quality isn’t inferior by any means; but I think the sale price makes more sense as the regular price.

The Worthington Ankle Boots

These are an old pair of ankle boots that I’ve had for a while. Probably the next addition to my closet will be a new pair of boots. I’ve been wearing the same pair of boots every winter for way too many years. I would be embarrassed to admit how many. I’ve been shopping around to find the right pair of boots to get me through the mid-west winter season with style. Maybe that will be the focus of my next Style Journal post — the acquisition of a new pair of boots.

Thanks for reading and happy shopping.

What people are wearing on the streets of New York

Videos

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 13, 2016

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What people are wearing on the streets of New York

Selina from the Youtube channel Literally Selina takes to the streets of New York on behalf of My Fashion Wants to ask people about the designers and brands they’re wearing.

We thought it would be fun to go up to people and ask them what designers and brands they’re wearing, kind of like they do on the red carpet. So we enlisted Selina’s aide.

This is our first “Who are You Wearing?” video. In this video Selina is in Times Square in New York. This is just before the 2015 December Holidays. Selena approaches several people who were kind enough to tell her what brand they were wearing. People mostly replied about the brand of their jacket and shoes, which makes complete sense considering their outerwear is all you see.

How exciting does it look and sound in Times Square?

Watching the video makes us wish we were there. New York always looks like so much fun and excitement, especially around the Holidays. We actually used to live in Brooklyn New York and it was always fun to go into to the city during the holidays to window shop. We were never able to afford anything in the stores in Manhattan. For our shopping we went downtown Brooklyn to Albee Square Plaza and to other cheap stores downtown.

Who are you wearing?

What would you do if someone came up to you and asked you that question?

We’re hoping to do more of these videos as well as other (hopefully) fun and interesting videos in 2016.

Brands mentioned in this video:

H&M
Burberry
Vans
Puma
Adidas
North Face

Check out and subscribe to our youtube channel for more “Who are you wearing” videos coming in 2016.

Also Check out Selina’s Youtube Channel

And please let us know what you think about our “Who are you wearing?” video. Did you enjoy it? Are you interested in seeing more?

These TIBI culottes and other must have pants

The Shop

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 13, 2016

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These TIBI culottes and other must have pants

Trousers are in says Moda Operandi (#ModaOperandi); and they are showcasing some of the must have pants of the season in their “Pants of the Season” editorial, featuring these #TIBI #culottes along with some other stylish pants.

TIBI white cropped trousers culottes — Image via Moda Operandi.com – TIBI white cropped flared pants

We are totally in love with the above outfit and would love to get our hands on the TIBI culottes, the TIBI feathered hem top as well as the Tabitha Simmons sandals. Although we’d probably keep the sandals to wear with something else. They look nice with the above featured outfit but for our personal taste, we’d probably choose a different pair of shoes for this particular combination of the TIBI culottes with the TIBI feathered hem top.

The complete look is actually reasonably affordable with the top costing $475, the pants $350 and the shoes $725.

Other must have pants featured in the Moda Operandi ‘Pants of the Season’ editorial…

These are cotton twill flower cut-out pants from Rosie Assoulin. They are worn below with a white Maticevski top.

Image via ModaOperandi.com – White maticevski top with black rosie assoulin flower cut-out pants

We are equally in love with this outfit as with the TIBI culottes and feathered hem top outfit above. The top, the pants and the shoes (Aquazzura Colette black leather cut-out sandals) are all on our fashion wants list; but they’re a bit pricey. The pants come with a $1,795 price tag. The top comes with a $975 price tag; and the shoes come with a $750 price tag.

Derek Lam 10 Crosby Cotton Linen Patterned Flared Pants

The vibe of these pants is retro 70s Bohemia to take the words from the Moda Operandi editors. The pants come with a $495 price tag.

The editors paired these pants with a Derek Lam 10 Crosby chambray top for a casual chic modern take on 70s style. Link to editorial is at the bottom of the page.

Giamba Cherry Jacquard Flared Pants

These Giamba Cherry Jacquard Flared Pants are just too cute not to want. We love how the Moda Operandi stylists paired them with a Thakoon Polka Dot Fil Coupe Cropped Camisole and Paul Andrew Datong printed sandals for a casual and stylish all-over print look.

The pants come with a $695 price tag.

Martin Grant high-waisted wool pants

We’re not sure if short girls can wear these Martin Grant high-wasted wool pants. We like them, but if they make the model wearing them in the Moda Operandi editorial look like she’s on stilts, we suspect they might not be all that flattering on shorter girls. With their $1,745 price tag they’re off limits to us right now anyway.

The Moda Operandi stylists paired these wide legged trousers with an off-the-shoulder Rosetta Getty striped top. Looks like these pants are designed to sweep the floor, so your shoes won’t be visible; but we’d go with wedge sandals to complete the combination.

To see more of the Moda Operandi ‘must have pants’ of the season selections check out their “Pants of the Season” editorial. And let us know which looks are your favorite.

Are you feeling the Valentino SS16 Kenya ad campaign?

Fashion Talk

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 11, 2016

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Are you feeling the Valentino SS16 Kenya ad campaign?

Earlier today we were reading an article published on the website wwd.com. The article is titled: Bridget Foley’s Diary: Valentino’s African Sojourn

The article starts out:

If you were lucky enough to have been there, you remember it. You remember the power of the clothes — their intricate, captivating graphics. The communal swell of emotion. The wonder-upon-exit that led Karen Katz to note, “This is why we’re in fashion.” (source link)

Valentino’s SS16 ad campaign was shot in Amboseli National Park in Kenya by photographer Steve McCurry. We saw some of the pictures and we’re not sure we felt particularly wowed. Could just be our basic selves getting in the way of our ability to appreciate the awesomeness. But in a way it seemed to us that the two themes did not belong together. There is something a little incongruous seeing conventional models in Western style clothing posing against a rural Kenyan backdrop with Maasai people visible in the shot but not the focal point of the picture. It’s like clashing themes each taking away something from the other so that at the end of the day neither stands out the way it should.

If we were among the Maasai people with cameras we would want to only be capturing images of their traditional clothing and accessories. Valentino makes nice things to be sure; but we’re far more interested in seeing and learning about the garments and accessories being worn by the Maasai people in the background. We’re more intrigued by them and their attire than by the foreground models. Everybody already knows about the fashion and style of Western culture. There’s only so many things you can do to a Western Style dress to make it different and interesting. We’re sure that is one factor that makes the location of a photo shoot important. You want to shoot your pictures some place interesting and visually appealing; but we don’t know about choosing a location where the people who reside there have a style of dress that is so striking with so much more history and interest value.

Valentino Spring Summer 2016 ad campaign shot in Kenya by Stephen McCurry — Image Valentino.com – Stephen McCurry

Not that any of it makes a difference. The shoot was done where it was done and we’re probably the only people on the planet who aren’t particularly awed and wowed by the pictures. We’re sure everyone involved was happy to take part in it. Everyone got paid and that’s what it all comes down to at the end of the day. We’re just not convinced a fashion ad campaign is the appropriate avenue via which to achieve Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s stated goal of delivering a message of tolerance and the idea of beauty via the interaction of different cultures. We’re not even sure what he means exactly because the idea of beauty certainly isn’t challenged in the ad campaign.

The photographer, Stephen McCurry is quoted as saying about the campaign:

“The idea of these pictures is to take the viewer on a journey. The clothes were inspired by African motifs, so to take the shoot to Africa and show how these things interact and, this connection of the clothes, the models, the environment, the local people; I thought it was a great endeavor.”

We didn’t really get a sense of interaction at all. Did you?

Featured image of Maasai woman – “Masai woman” by javic – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

You won’t #win that 1.3 billlion #powerball #lottery jackpot

What's Trending

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 10, 2016

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You won’t #win that 1.3 billlion #powerball #lottery jackpot

The powerball lottery jackpot is 1.3 billion

It’s fun to imagine all the #Chanel bags and #Louboutin heels you will be able to purchase when you win that unprecedented 1.3 billion dollar #powerball #lottery #jackpot.

But before you run out and risk $100 of your money in the hope that you will go down in history as the #lotterywinner who won the biggest ever powerball lottery jackpot, think about this: A billionaire (like #DonaldTrump for example), can afford to purchase all the possible number combinations and trade in 292 measly million dollars for 1.3 billion.

Effed up isn’t it? But that’s what the lottery is all about. That’s why they made it harder to win a powerball lottery jackpot when they realized that lottery ticket sales were declining. They knew that enormous jackpots would bring out people in enormous numbers, many of whom can spend enormous dollars. So they can still make up for the declining ticket sales in a major way.

Maybe they have systems in place to ensure that no single person can purchase all 292 million number combinations. Who knows? But if there’s no such system in place, why wouldn’t a smart billionaire buy all 292 million combinations? What’s 292 million dollars to spend to gain 1.3 billion?

Granted, the winner will not actually get 1.3 billion; but they will still get back at least half a billion + the 292 million they spent. It’s still the most effortless way to increase their net worth by at least half a billion dollars.

So don’t bother dreaming that you’ll win the big powerball lottery jackpot and be able to buy your dream home and any number of Chanel bags and Louboutin heels your heart desires.

The powerball lottery and all other lotteries are designed to take your money. These games aren’t about giving you money. We’re not suggesting you shouldn’t play? We’ve played our fair share of lottery games over the years. We could probably afford a few pairs of Louboutin heels with the amount of money we’ve spent on lottery tickets over the years. By contrast we couldn’t afford a pair of shoes from Payless with the amount we’ve won.

So we’re not going to waste two dollars trying to win this 1.3 billion dollar jackpot. It would be the height of stupidity. Because if there’s no system in place to prevent a rich person from purchasing all the possible combinations, why wouldn’t a rich person do just that? We’re not talking about 300 million dollars here. We’re talking 1.3 billion. For that amount even billionaires who would otherwise look down on the lottery and lottery players will come out of the woodwork. Why wouldn’t they? All they have to do is look at is as a smart business move as a opposed to the act of stupidity that it is for everyone else.

If you still play, good luck. And we won’t say no if you want to buy us a pair of Louboutin heels and a Chanel bag!

Eating Spaghetti in Dolce and Gabbana

Featured

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 10, 2016

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The Dolce and Gabbana Life #dolceandgabbana

Oh the life of the #young, #rich and #fabulous. Don’t you just wish you could live such a colorful and vibrant and exciting a life as that always depicted in Dolce & Gabbana ads? We call it the Dolce and Gabbana life.

The Dolce and Gabbana life is lived by people with #money (of course). They don’t have a care in the world. They have enormous closets filled with gorgeous #clothes and #shoes and #bags and #jewelry. They have tons of friends who are just like them, young and good looking with money enough to #travel all other world and live fabulously.

We have to say, we don’t imagine spaghetti as a typical meal consumed by people who live the Dolce and Gabbana life. Certainly not ladies like the ones depicted above. They would never eat a single strand of spaghetti much less to eat a whole big giant plate of it.

Image via dolcegabbana.com – Dolce and Gabbana Summer 2016 women advertising campaign

The images feature items from the Dolce & Gabbana SS16 campaign. It’s more of the usual Dolce & Gabbana vibrant and colorful prints and fun, playful styles.

You can check out the video from the fashion show:

Makes you want to fly away to an Italian island doesn’t it? We’d love to get all decked out in some of those pieces and traipse about in Portofino taking selfies. What about you?

Dolce & Gabbana clothing is of course way out of our budget. We have nothing in our closet with a Dolce & Gabbana label. And do not foresee ourselves being able to afford anything Dolce & Gabbana any time soon. But who know? The gods might decide that 2016 will be the year they will reward us for working hard and staying the course even when everything suggests we’re wasting our time.

Maybe we’ll get to traipse about in Portofino Italy taking selfies in Dolce & Gabbana dresses and shoes carrying Dolce & Gabbana bags. Anything is possible.

Jennifer Lawrence does Glamour

Featured

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 5, 2016

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Jennifer Lawrence is featured in the February 2016 issue of Glamour magazine.

Do you follow Jennifer Lawrence’s career? We’ve only ever seen her in American Hustle. We thought she was pretty good in the role she played. She seemed like a talented enough actress. But we haven’t seen her in anything else so we only have American Hustle to go by. But to hear her talk about her love of acting and how she ‘just knew’ acting was her calling, we’ll have to assume that her performance in American Hustle was an accurate reflection of her talent. That plus the fact that she’s become as huge as she has become. She’s an attractive girl; but she’s clearly not one of those women who have gotten where they are entirely because of how they look.

Inside the February 2016 issue of Glamour magazine, Jennifer is quoted responding to the question of whether or not she feels misunderstood by the media. She says she feels more like too much attention gets paid to her.

“I’m not trying to be a GIF. I’m not trying to be a picked-up-on-Twitter quote. All I’m trying to do is act.”

We’re not sure what to make of Jennifer Lawrence. When she first came on the scene we read some quotes attributed to her that gave us the impression that she was determined to avoid getting caught up in all the celebrity aspects of fame and fortune. But it seems like she’s gotten over all that in some regards. She’s still resistant to things like social media, saying that people don’t need more of her even if they might think they do–that they’d just start hating her after a while on account of the over sharing of her personal life. But it seems like she’s settled into an acceptance of other aspects of celebrity, like the money and the lifestyle and the heightened sense of worth. She seems to be okay now with the fact that she’s not in fact just like the rest of us. She has more than we will ever have and enjoys a life that we can only dream about.

Here are some quotes from the article that accompanies her Glamour feature.

Jennifer lawrence cover shot glamour magazine february 2016

In answer to the question about how she’s liking life at the top, Jennifer is quoted as saying:

It’s really lovely. Very nice…. It took a few years to adjust. I didn’t really realize how angry and distorted I felt. For, like, probably a solid three years. It had nothing to do with Hunger Games…. It had to do with the thing that came with Hunger Games. I still felt entitled to a certain life that I just wasn’t allowed to have [anymore]. I felt like I had the right to say, “I don’t want to be photographed right now, I don’t want people outside my house right now, I don’t want my nephews in People.” I felt so much anger of “Why can’t I just do my job?” And then you just get used to it—and it just is.

In answer to the question of whether or not her family encouraged her to chase her dreams when she first decided what she wanted to do with her life.

No. It was the opposite. I grew up in Kentucky, so nobody was like, “You’re gonna be a movie star.” [Laughs.] There just wasn’t a possibility. And then, when I told my parents when I was 14 that I wanted to move to New York and become an actress, they were like, “Well, no. Obviously.” And I just wouldn’t shut up about it. I had already saved up babysitting money. So I was like, “I’m going.

Addressing the interviewer’s comment that there was buzz on the internet when she was seen out having dinner with Emma Stone and Adele

I love Emma. She cracks me up; she’s so ‘theater.’ She’s so adorable. And Adele and I met, like, a year or so ago. Adele and I are a bit harsher; Emma’s never had a bad thought about anybody in her life. It’s so weird; I don’t like new people. But these two women—and Amy—they’re really lovely. And they’re so normal. I feel like I’m hanging out with my friends—my friends that don’t give a f–k about what I do.… Amy’s always wanted to live on Martha’s Vineyard, and we saw this house, and we’re like, ‘This is where we’re gonna Grey Gardens, and we’re gonna grow old and crazy together.’ That’s our life plan.

In answering the question of how she would describe her current sense of style

Slutty power lesbian. That is literally what I say to a stylist. I don’t know if that’s offensive You don’t see me as a slutty power lesbian on the red carpet a lot, because I’m embodying the Dior woman, which is an honor. But I’ve got tits and an ass. And there are things that are made for skinny people—like a lot of embroidery, or it covers a lot—and those make me look fat. I have to show the lumps. If you have boobs, you have to show, like, “These are boobs. This isn’t cellulite.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

On the subject of men and dating

I don’t, like, date a lot. I don’t meet a lot of guys who I want to go on a date with. I’ll find a guy attractive maybe once a year. But I’m not a lonely person. Me not dating someone is not a lack of anything in any way. I feel completely fulfilled. Yes, when I spark with someone, it’s exciting, but I definitely don’t need that.…

Featured image of Jennifer Lawrence – NASA/Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Can you wear a blue coat with a purple dress?

Question & Answers

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Jan 4, 2016

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Can you wear a blue coat with a purple dress?

adelamonica blue faux leather trench coat purple dress boots 8

2022 blue coat with purple dress photo update – wearing a blue faux leather trench coat from Fashion Nova with purple patent thigh high boots (also from Fashion Nova) and a purple dress (the Fashion Nova dress is actually a hot pink underlay with a royal blue mesh overlay which gives it the appearance of purple).

Blue and purple - do they go together?

Wondering if you can wear a blue coat with a purple dress? We think you definitely can. Blue and purple work together quite nicely. To illustrate we’ve created a mock rendering of a model wearing a purple Diane von Furstenberg Wrap Dress with a blue McQ Alexander McQueen Belted Coat. clothing model blue coat purple dress copy 2

The color purple contains blue so it makes sense that blue and purple would compliment each other.

If blue and purple are your favorite colors and you’re wanting to wear them together but you’re not sure how best to combine them, you can play it safe and just wear a purple top with blue jeans; or a blue denim shirt with purple jeans/pants/skirt. Denim is pretty safe to pair with anything.

But we don’t think you need to play it safe when it comes to wearing blue with purple. We think the two colors work very well together and you can approach styling with blue and purple without fear.

The outfit details

Our photoshop created model is wearing a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress with an Alexander McQueen coat. The dress can be purchased via mytheresa.com. It comes with a $543 price tag. But if you’re lucky you might be able to get it at a 30% discount. It is currently (as of this posting) on sale for $380.00

The dress is made of 100% viscose. Style can take you from the office to the lounge for drinks.

MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Belted Coat

The coat is a gorgeous royal blue belted coat from MCQ Alexander McQueen. It’s made of 70% Triacetate and 30% Polyester. It’s a slim fit coat that’s intended to fall to about mid-calf. Additional features include pointed collar and lapels, belted waist, flap pockets.

The coat ordinarily comes with a $1,365 price tag, but is currently on sale (1/4/106) at stylebop.com for $955. You save $410.00.

The Question: Can you wear a blue coat with a purple dress?

Our Answer: Yes, you can wear a blue coat with a purple dress. Blue and purple go together well.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below.

What is a nap in sewing?

The Monica Archives

Monica

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Dec 29, 2015

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The other day I got setup to start working on making that red pants suit I mentioned in a previous post. As a quick recap, I am going to try to make an outfit using a pattern (Butterick B6030 ‘Lifestyle Wardrobe’ Misses jacket, top, skirt and pants).

This will be my first attempt at making clothes using a pattern. In the past I’ve made hand-sewn clothes for myself, but I’ve never use patterns.

Last year I purchased a sewing machine with the intention of using it to make clothes for myself to wear. I only made a few things before I abandoned the machine. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to make more time for some sewing projects in 2016, starting with the red pants suit.

Progress report…

I haven’t gotten very far with the red pants suit project on account of having no idea how to use the pattern. Earlier tonight I settled down on the couch to try to make some headway with figuring things out. I’m not sure I’ve actually managed to figure anything out; but I did learn a few things.

Here are some of the questions I found myself asking while reading documentation for the pattern, and the answers I was able to find on the internet.

What is nap in sewing?

I kept coming across references to “nap” in the material so I finally had to go and look it up. This is what I found when I googled “what is a nap in sewing?”

Nap is a type of fabric that has texture to it and some kind of pile. Fabrics consider to be with nap would be velvet, velour, corduroy, and suede. If your fabric has nap, youre going to want to be careful in laying out your pattern pieces so that the grain line is all going in one consistent direction. (associated link)

What is a selvage in sewing?

Another unfamiliar term which I came across was selvage. Looking that up, I discovered that a selvage is the finished edge of fabric.

A selvage is the finished edge of fabric, and it is tightly woven which means it does not fray. It runs the entire length of the fabric bolt. Selvages are very handy! Information is usually printed right along that edge. (source)

The other term I had to look up tonight was grainline. And this is what I found when I did a google search on the question what is grainline in sewing?

On woven fabrics, the grain line is the warp (the longwise threads which are stretched on the loom), i.e. the longwise direction a fabric. The weft are the threads woven across the warp. On Burda sewing pattern pieces the word grain line (“Fadenlauf” in German) is printed on a suitable straight line or edge. (source)

Hopefully tomorrow when I get around to trying to work on the red pants suit again I will be able to get a little further now that I have a better idea what they’re talking about when they say “with nap”, or “without nap”, and what’s meant by selvage to selvage, and to what grainline refers.

Do people still only wear black to funerals?

Fashion Talk

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Dec 27, 2015

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Do people still only wear black to funerals?

Is it no longer a rule that people must wear black to funerals?

We’re wondering if the rule that you can only wear black to funerals is now officially antiquated. No one likes to talk about funerals. It reminds us that life is temporary. It makes us fear losing the people we love. It makes us fear dying and leaving our loved ones behind to mourn us. But death will affect us all. Most of us will attend a funeral at least once in our lifetime.

Earlier this month there was a death in our editor-in-chief’s family.

Video of the funeral service and burial have prompted us to wonder if wearing all black to a funeral is now an outdated thing.

Most of the people who attended the funeral were casually dressed. At least one young man was spotted wearing sneakers, a short-sleeved shirt over a wife-beater and three-quarter drop shorts. The women were casually dressed and looked more like they were attending an afternoon party than a funeral. It did not appear as if any of them wore all black.

So what’s the deal? Was this just an isolated situation, or have things changed from times past when people would strictly wear black to funerals?

We turned to Google to do a little research, and we came across some articles on the subject of funeral fashion.

Based on those articles, it would seem as if times have indeed changed; but not so drastically as for you to look 18th century if you choose to wear black to a funeral. It’s still common enough to wear black to funerals. It’s just that it’s now okay in many circles to wear other colors aside from black.

That doesn’t mean you should wear scarlet red or canary yellow or neon green, or other bold bright colors that scream for attention. You’re still expected to exercise good judgement and dress in a manner that will not cause a distraction from the service. Aside from the color question, you can also wear less formal styles of attire; but again, you’re expected to know where to draw the line. Sexy club wear is not appropriate for a funeral, unless this is the specified dress code for some reason (perhaps the deceased loved to go clubbing and tended to dress sexily, and to honor her memory it was decided that funeral attendees would dress as she loved to dress?)

At the funeral of the relative of our editor-in-chief, there was more of a life celebration atmosphere than an atmosphere of mourning. This could explain the generally casual style of dress. Funerals that are more focussed on celebrating life would seem to call for attire that doesn’t suggest mourning and sadness. But whatever you wear, it should still be tasteful, and respectful.

Here is an excerpt from an article titled “Funeral fashion has become more lax, but there are still rules”, written by Today.com contributor Mary Peffer back on Jul. 9, 2014

From Today.com – While veils, umbrellas and larger silhouettes aren’t exactly called for these days, dress is an extension of our emotion when honoring a loved one’s, and it’s OK to be subtle in color or formality — as long as you reflect the seriousness of the occasion. Trust your instincts, but don’t be too flashy. (source link)

Sunday in pink and black

Shopping bag recommendations

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Dec 27, 2015

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Happy pink and black Sunday. #pink #black #sunday

We are declaring today pink and black Sunday for no particular reason. We’re just bored.

This picture is a composite rendering of a constructed model wearing a pink shift dress designed by #victoriabeckham. We put it together in Photoshop and also did the hair and some makeup work on taaz.com.

She’s sporting Emily Deschanel’s hairdo…

In addition to the pink Victoria Beckham shift dress, the model is carrying a black Chloe clutch and wearing a pair of Jimmy Choo Liesl leather ankle boots.

She’s also wearing a Valentino necklace and a Givenchy Love cuff bracelet.

clothing model in pink victoria victoria beckham dress copy cr - - pink and black sunday — Photoshop photographic composite rendering of a model wearing a pink Victoria Beckham dress with a Chloe clutch

What are you wearing for pink and black sunday?

For pink and black sunday we’re wearing black leggings under a black skirt with a pink sweater.

Imaginary outfit…

The Row black leggings, black David Koma pleated leather mini skirt, pink Marni crew neck sweater, LE3NO Womens Oversized Long Sleeve Faux Fur Coat, Classic Small Kate Monogram Saint Laurent Tassel Satchel, Saint Laurent Wyatt 40 Chelsea Side Fringe Ankle Boot.

Jimmy Choo Liesl leather ankle boots

Classic ankle boots with a pointed toe shape and grained leather. Comes with a $995 price tag. Currently on sale at a 30% discount for $696. You save $299.

Features:

Upper: goat leather
Zipped side
Pointed toe
Leather insole and sole

Chloe Gabrielle patent leather clutch

Black patent leather Chloé clutch with magnetic fastening, leather lining, zipped central compartment. Comes with a $1350 price tag. ~~Currently on sale at a 30% discount for $945. You save $405.~~ Appears to be sold out at mytheresa.com

Givenchy love cuff bracelet

This Givenchy bracelet is currently on sale at a 30% discount. Regularly priced at $760, if you get there in time before the sale ends or supplies run out, you can get one for $532. That’s a $228 savings.

Valentino gold tone brass Gryphon necklace

The Gryphon pendant features the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. Comes with an $817 price tag.

Features:

Lobster clasp
Material: Gold-toned brass
Length approx. 54cm-21.25″
Length of Gryphon approx. 9.5cm-3.5″
Designer colour name: Etno Gold

Leather lace sequins – what’s in your dream closet?

Shopping bag recommendations

Avenue Sixty Writing Staff

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Dec 27, 2015

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Here’s what’s in our dream closet for today…

Photoshop photographic composite rendering of a model wearing a pink Victoria Beckham dress with a Chloe clutch

Our dream closet of the moment includes:

A Diane von Furstenberg red lace wrap dress with black self tie belt

A Dolce & Gabbana eggplant (deep purple) lace dress

A Gucci coated metallic look pleated dress

Also: a Proenza Schouler skirt, a Stella McCartney dress, jumpsuit and heart bag, a Valentino bag, Miu Miu bag, Jimmy Choo shoes, two Victoria Beckham dresses and a jacket plus some other things…

The colors: black, red, gold metallic

Today’s dream closet selections:

Alice plus Olivia Lacey black glittering beads and sequins embellished cropped top 512 dollars — Alice + Olivia Lacey black glittering beads and sequins embellished cropped top – **Price** **$512**

Styling your Diane von Furstenberg Julianna red lace dress with black So kate Louboutin pumps Saint Laurent leather coat clutch purse

Diane von Furstenberg Julianna red lace wrap dress with black self tie belt 749 dollars — Diane von Furstenberg Julianna red lace wrap dress with black self tie belt – **Price** **$749**

Dolce and Gabbana long sleeved violet Floral lace dress 3495 dollars — Dolce and Gabbana long sleeved dark purple eggplant Floral lace dress – **Price $3,495**

Dolce and Gabbana eggplant dark purple viola medio floral lace dress

Herve Leger figure hugging lipstick red Tayler bandage dress 2047 dollars — Herve Leger figure hugging lipstick red Tayler bandage dress – **Price $2,047**

J Brand black Tonya 100 percent leather leggings – Price $1,714

Victoria Beckham Curve Cami black fitted dress 2500 dollars — Victoria Beckham Curve Cami black fitted dress – **Price $2500**

Victoria Beckham Boy sequins embellished Boy jacket 2100 dollars — Victoria Beckham Boy sequins embellished Boy jacket – **Price $2,100**

Gucci coated effect black Metallic pleated tulle midi dress 3600 dollars — Gucci coated effect black Metallic pleated tulle midi dress – **Price $3,600**

Proenza Schouler coated tricolour gold silver black Metallic pleated midi skirt 1990 dollars — Proenza Schouler coated tricolour gold silver black Metallic pleated midi skirt – Price $1,990

Stella McCartney black sleeveless jumpsuit with sheer leopard-print yoke – Price $1,560	Stella McCartney antique gold metallic off-the-shoulder jacquard dress – price $3,670	Victoria Victoria Beckham black Lame shift dress – Price $1,225
Jimmy Choo Viola 100 crystal embellished tassel suede sandals – Price $975	Stella McCartney black faux leather gold chain strap heart-shaped shoulder bag 960 dollars	Jimmy Choo Tessa 100 gold metallic leather ankle boots – Price $950
Valentino Small B-Rockstud cream leather shoulder bag – Price $2,895	Miu Miu textured black fabric Matelasse velvet shoulder bag with crystal embellished strap – Price $1,255	Saint Laurent Classic Monogram fringed leather shoulder bag with gunmetal hardware – Price $2,150
Proenza Schouler tweed crop top with ruffled asymmetrical sleeves for a drop-shoulder look – Price $1,150	Gianvito Rossi Portofino silver glitter sandals – Price $790	Dolce and Gabbana Virna Amore embellished box clutch with multicoloured jewel-inspired stones – Price $7,995
Gianvito Rossi ornate macrame lace pumps with butter-soft suede – Price $835	Aquazzura Spin Me Around 105 suede sandals nude-toned suede with silver-tone rope detailing on the ankle – Price $755	Aquazzura Allure 105 suede pumps with pointed toe stiletto heel and ankle tie laces – Price $695

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We were just checking out the Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 trunk show on the Moda Operandi website…

Roberto Cavalli Pre Fall 2016 what we want

The Roberto Cavalli embroidered leather blazer…

One of more of the silk georgette blouses…

Roberto Cavalli High Rise Flared Jeans

Roberto Cavalli Water snake Scarpa Ankle Boots

Roberto Cavalli Water snake Borsa Flap Bag

Want more Roberto Cavalli?

Have you seen the looks featured in the Kendall Jenner Mango Tribal Spirit campaign?

Here’s Look #1 from the Kendall Jenner Mango tribal spirit campaign

Another look from the Kendall Jenner Mango Tribal Spirit campaign

What’s in my shopping bag?

So here’s what’s in my shopping bag…

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum

Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum

Estée Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Broad Spectrum SPF 25 Makeup

Also in my shopping bag:

Steve Madden Polar Vortex Beanie Hat

Cejon Solid Italian Acrylic Muffler

Charter Club Chenille Roll Top Gloves

Feel like shopping?

The red pant suit and jacket sewing project 2

But first…

Now that I know what they mean by fuse interfacing to the wrong sides of the pattern pieces marked at (1), I have to figure out how to buy interfacing and what kind I need to buy for this jacket and exactly how the process of fusing interfacing works.

Research notes/sources:

Who are you wearing brands break down…

American Eagle

Who are you wearing?

Carly buys Valentine’s Day Lingerie

The product: Olympia Le-Tan Face Cotton Milk Box Bag

What it is: An Olympia Le-Tan shoulder bag fashioned in the shape of a milk carton

Olympia Le-Tan Face Cotton Milk Box Shoulder Bag

Featuring the Nano Yellow Chloe Drew bag

Features of the coat

The Michael Kors blouse and DL1961 jeans

The DL1961 jeans

INC International Concepts Pia Mini Bucket Bag

The Worthington Ankle Boots

How exciting does it look and sound in Times Square?

Who are you wearing?

Other must have pants featured in the Moda Operandi ‘Pants of the Season’ editorial…

Derek Lam 10 Crosby Cotton Linen Patterned Flared Pants

Giamba Cherry Jacquard Flared Pants

Martin Grant high-waisted wool pants

The powerball lottery jackpot is 1.3 billion

It’s fun to imagine all the #Chanel bags and #Louboutin heels you will be able to purchase when you win that unprecedented 1.3 billion dollar #powerball #lottery #jackpot.

The Dolce and Gabbana Life #dolceandgabbana

Jennifer Lawrence is featured in the February 2016 issue of Glamour magazine.

Blue and purple - do they go together?

The outfit details

MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Belted Coat

The Question: Can you wear a blue coat with a purple dress?

Our Answer: Yes, you can wear a blue coat with a purple dress. Blue and purple go together well.

Progress report…

What is nap in sewing?

What is a selvage in sewing?

Is it no longer a rule that people must wear black to funerals?

Happy pink and black Sunday. #pink #black #sunday

What are you wearing for pink and black sunday?

Imaginary outfit…

Jimmy Choo Liesl leather ankle boots

Chloe Gabrielle patent leather clutch

Givenchy love cuff bracelet

Valentino gold tone brass Gryphon necklace

Here’s what’s in our dream closet for today…

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