A Note to Follow Sew

I haven’t posted about the new Project Runway season yet, so here goes. Hallelujah! It’s better than last season! The contestants are way more interesting, way more talented, we are back at Parsons, Heidi is wearing Louboutins 95% of the time, Nina and Michael are always there, but…

What was up with that star dress from last week? And why did the judges love it so much?

To catch you up to speed, the challenge for last week was to design a red dress that incorporated the Campbell’s Soup label (why? They could have stopped at just using red…) for a woman who has suffered from heart disease to promote Campbell’s “AdDRESS Your Heart” campaign.

Now, back to the star dress. To prove my point, let me show you Exhibit A:

And now, Exhibit B:

She is wearing a Macy’s bag! When I saw this come down the runway, I thought, “Oh, man. The judges are going to rip this designer apart.” So you can understand my shock when I heard Nina say it was “brilliant” and when Michael said it was a “job well done.” They loved it!

Am I missing something? Tom and Lorenzo were right when they said no woman would wear this to a gala event, unless she were Wonder Woman. I would even be hesitant to say that Wonder Woman would put this on. The Macy’s shopping bag dress was designed by Mila Hermanovski, the same contestant who made the bug costume–I mean, the “high-end track suit”–for the previous challenge…and won!

Exhibit C:

The challenge here was to design a signature look that could appear among the Haute Couture designs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Look at this stunning Givenchy gown, and then look at bug costume. Can you really see them next to each other? Sure, that pop of yellow was…a surprise, but it still says bug.

A Needle Pulling Thread

So, my mom is on Facebook…yeah. She recently posted a bunch of pics from her high school days, growing up in Key West, and my comments to many of her photos were, “I love this dress” and “Why’d you get rid of all your clothes?” and “This dress is my favorite!” Last night at my uncle’s superbowl party, I discovered that my mom actually sewed most of the dresses herself!

Have a look:

Here’s a little informal Q&A with my mom, the sewer:

Q: How did you learn how to sew?

A: My mom taught me how to sew, and I also took Home Economics in high school, and they taught us how to sew in that class.

Q: What got you interested in sewing your own clothes?

A: My parents didn’t have a lot of money, so if I wanted new clothes, I had to make/sew my own.

Q: Did you use patterns?

A: Yes, I always used patterns.

Q: What are some things you sewed?

A: I went on a cruise, and I made almost everything I took on that cruise when I was sixteen years old.

Q: What was your favorite thing that you made?

A: I had a lot of favorites, but the strapless dress was one of them. (see first and second photo above)

Q: Do you still have any of the clothes you made?

A: They didn’t fit any longer, so I got rid of them.

(And she apparently never thought about handing them down to her daughter, who happens to be about the same size as she was back then! Yeah, yeah, I didn’t exist at that point, so I guess you can’t blame her.)

I always knew my mom could sew, but I thought it was something she picked up in her “older age.” She made matching dresses for me and her on Christmas and Easter, and she made several Halloween costumes for me as a kid, including this one:

Now she makes double-sided aprons, which I keep telling her she should sell on Etsy.

You don’t have to be the next Project Runway contestant to sew your own clothes. There are patterns for just about everything: wedding dresses, pants, gowns, suits, shorts… If this post has sparked some creativity in you and you don’t know anyone who can teach you the tricks of the trade, just Google sewing classes in your area. This one, for my South Florida readers, looks really fun: Learn 2 Sew, Inc.

About My Weekend…

It’s been a week since my bachelorette festivities, so I have had some time to recover. Todd was away in Palm Springs for his bachelor party, and I really really missed him, but it was still a great weekend with many surprises! To start off the weekend, my aunt threw me a really fun bridal shower. My friend Holly (one of my bridesmaids) surprised me and flew in from San Diego. Vivi, my freshman year roommie and dear friend, came all the way down from DC, and I was totally surprised when I opened her gift to me–a top from Asos that I had blogged about (read the post here). And all the girls surprised me with some “special entertainment” before we went out. Needless to say, a whole Patron bottle later, several bruises, a sprained toe, three unsuccessful attempts to break into my house after discovering we were locked out, and two-day hangover, you might understand why there are no photos from the actual bar that we went to that night. Thank you, everyone, for such an amazing weekend!

For the bridal shower, I wore my Joy Han Maiden Cap Sleeve Dress that I bought on HauteLook for $49 (retail $262). For the bachelorette party, I wore my Joy Han Vogel Babydoll Dress that I also bought on HauteLook for $49 (retail $150+). I had been saving these two dresses specifically for this weekend. They were really fun to wear, and I think they were perfect for the occasion.

And now, here are some photos from the weekend. Enjoy!

My bridal shower, hosted by my Aunt DeeDee, at Tommy’s Italian Restaurant.

Table centerpieces.

The invitation.

The amazing red velvet cake! (Cake by Meredith Slavik. E-mail me for her contact info.)

Chocolate mint favors (put together by my aunt and little cousin)

Starting from the left: Serena (my MOH), Becky (one of my bridesmaids, and she drove down from Orlando for the weekend!), me, Vivi (sporting her dress from Asos), and Kelly and Sarah (my two really awesome coworkers)

Gift time!

Shot time (i.e., the beginning of memory loss)

Group shot before heading out.

See all the photos here.

Check Out My Guest Blog!

Not sure what to pack for spring break this year? Head over to the Shop It To Me blog and check out my post on spring break fashion.

Shop It To Me is a free personal shopping assistant Web site that finds clothes and accessories on sale and already in your size, from the brands you love most. Read more about this fabulous site here.

Airport Attire

When deciding what to pack for my honeymoon flights, I turned to the celebs. These ladies are traveling way more than I do, and they know how to do it right. Travel clothes are all about comfort and versatility. You want to be able to transition from you departure location to your arrival in the right attire. Airport “fashion”–if you will–is very much like that “minimal makeup” look, where you want to appear as if you are not wearing much makeup, but in reality, it takes you just as much time to pull off that look as it does to get ready for a night downtown. Same goes for airport attire: You want to look like you spent a lot less time putting together that outfit than you really did.

So, after looking at a bunch of Who What Wear photos, I have come to the conclusion that the following items will be part of my airport attire.

Closed-Toed Shoes or Boots

These shoes will be comfortable enough for walking the long distances you sometimes tend to walk in airports, and they will be easily removable for security checkpoints. At some point during our 10+ hour flight, I will probably want to just slide them off and curl up on my seat. That means socks are a must, too.

Comfy Jeans or Leggings

This is tricky. If I opt for jeans, they will have to be ones that won’t stretch out too much and then become totally unwearable for the rest of the trip.

Scarf or Pashmina

I recently purchased a black pashmina at Pier 1 Imports, of all places. They had a great variety of colors, the fabric is so soft, and the price–$10–is unbeatable. It is also big enough to double as a blanket on the plane.

Sunglasses

These would obviously be my Tom Ford’s–big enough to cover up the “minimal makeup” look that didn’t go over so well.

Layers

A jacket, cardigan, or sweater over a light cottony tee will be just enough to stay warm. I may even keep my peacoat on hand for the chilly weather when we step off the plane.

Carry-All Bag

This baby will be holding my hand sanitizer, book, passport, and any absolutely necessary cosmetics and beauty products in case my luggage gets lost! I have been eyeing up this one from Asos.

Be Mine

Do you wear red on Valentine’s Day? Red can be hard to get away with. There are a few people who can wear that lipstick red (Cameron Diaz) and look smashing. But, thankfully there are many shades of red, so if you want to stay in the spirit of V-day, pick the shade of red that looks best on you, or even go for a shade of pink. Personally, I try to stay away from red on Valentine’s day. How many other people are going to be wearing it at the restaurant, movie theater, etc.? This is my favorite way to incorporate a subtle hint of red into any outfit:

Sorry, couldn’t help myself. So, what will you wear on Valentine’s Day? I have picked out some dresses for different occasions if you are in need of some ideas.

Dinner With Amazingly Handsome Hubby (or soon-to-be hubby!)

You are probably going to dinner at one of your favorite restaurants or maybe a place that’s special to your relationship, like where you went on your first date or to celebrate an important milestone. You are most likely looking for a dress with wow-factor but with a level of comfort. This is the dress that you put on and he will think, “Wow. That’s my wife.” This JCrew silk taffeta LBD has an amazing fit and think how fun it will be to accessorize this one! On sale for $99 at JCrew.

Dinner With Loyal Boyfriend

High school boyfriend, college boyfriend, serious live-in boyfriend. He treats you well. You guys are going out for a romantic dinner at some place new and maybe meeting up with some friends afterward. I’ve been in love with this dress ever since I saw a bride-to-be wearing it for her engagement photo session, photographed by our wedding photographer! Dress: Ruffle Roses Floral Dress, $138 by Free People.

Blind Date With Guy Who May Have Potential

You only agreed to this because it’s your best friend’s coworker and she promises you guys will have a great time. “I can even see it blossoming into something serious!” she tells you. This dress can be either casual or dressy. It’s fun, flirty, and certainly unique. Dress: Bedroom Terrace Dress, $59.99 at ModCloth

Dinner, Drinks, and Dancing With That “Friends-With-Benefits” Guy

You guys are really just going out together tonight because you don’t want to be alone. Heck, you might even skip the dinner and just head to the bars for some drinks and dancing. You’ll shut the place down, then drunkenly stumble into a cab together. Dress: Nuit Blanch, $49.99 at ModCloth

Daytime Date

Picnic at the park or casual date over some coffee. Keep it simple yet romantic with this top from Anthropologie and your favorite pair of jeans. Tutu Tank, $68 at Anthropologie.

Movie Night and Cosmos Downtown With the Girls

Single and loving it, well, on all nights except this one. You are heading to the theaters to see Valentine’s Day with your single-lady friends, then off to tip back some cosmos or yummy martinis at a swanky bar. Keep warm in those sometimes-chilly movie theaters and stand out in a crowd with this BCBG dress. $93.90 at Nordstrom (was $158).

Those Lucky LA-ers

Decadestwo, the well-known designer consignment store in Los Angeles, is holding their biannual designer shoe sale tomorrow, January 30, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This could be the most major shoe sale I have ever heard of. Prada, Manola, McQueen, and, yes, you guessed it, Louboutin shoes will be going for less than $150. Less than $150! That’s almost unheard of! According to Slaves to Fashion, last year’s sale attracted over 400 people, all lined up outside the store. Not only will those lucky enough to attend tomorrow’s sale get away with some killer shoes, but proceeds from the sale will go toward relief efforts in Haiti as well. Decadestwo teamed up with longtime client, Haitian-born actress Garcelle Beauvais, who asked some of her fellow celebrity friends to donate shoes to the sale. 100% of the proceeds from Garcelle and her friends’ items will go to Artists for Peace and Justice.

decadestwo

8214 Melrose Avenue

Los Angeles, CA

(323) 655-1960

Photo: The Recessionista

In Need of a Fashion Fix?

I received an e-mail from Saks Fifth Avenue alerting me of a “FASHIONfix” sale. This 24-hour sale reminded me a lot of a sample sale: high-enders at 70% off, limited quantities, and a timer at the top of the screen counting down to the end of the sale. And just as my luck would have it, I opened the e-mail several hours after the sale started, so I missed out on some stuff that I probably would have considered buying. These are some items from the sale:

• Michael Kors “Paris” sunglasses originally priced at $260 were on sale for $78.
• A really great Alice + Oliva Cutaway Coat originally priced at $638 was on sale for $191.40.
• A Kay Unger Chiffon Cocktail dress originally priced at $390 was on sale for $117.

As far as I can tell, the only way to access this sale is through the link in the e-mail. Sign up at Saks.com for e-mail updates and don’t miss another one of these great sales!

High Fashion, Low Prices

I turned on the TV yesterday while I was cooking dinner for my future in-laws and caught the last couple of minutes of WSVN Channel 7’s “Style File” segment, which happened to be about budget boutiques. This was probably the first time I have even touched the TV remote since Project Runway last week, so I’m taking it as a sign…or maybe just pure luck.

Mina Boutique, the first store featured in the segment, is located in Miami Beach and run by three sisters. Everything is under $100! I could definitely leave this place without feeling buyer’s remorse. And talk about owning something unique–Mina Boutique only get three pieces of each item: a small, medium, and large. They carry well-known boutique designers and a bit of local flair. These are some of their new items (pics from Mina’s blog).

The second store featured in Channel 7’s segment is a vintage showroom located in Bay Harbor, Miami, that offers high-end designer pieces at a fraction of the cost. The store owners, Jennifer Sazant and Hollen Rosenberg, own everything in the store–it’s not a consignment–so you will get the sense that you’re browsing through someone’s closet. They have been known to carry Lanvin, Armani, Chanel, Norma Kamali, Prada, Gucci, and many other designers. I’m sure there are some great deals and timeless pieces inside this store. If you are just as intrigued as I am, it’s best to call either (305) 495-0143 or (305) 785-3673 and make an appointment with the store owners first.

Most likely, I won’t be able to check out these stores until after the wedding and honeymoon, when I’ll have more free time on the weekends, but they sound very promising! I will definitely post about them after I check them out and let you know what I find. If you get to them before me, be sure to let me know what you think!

Mina Boutique
960 Normandy Drive
Miami Beach, FL
(305) 397-8650

Hollen & Jennifer’s vintage showroom
1177 Kane Concourse, Suite 201
Bay Harbor, FL 33154
(305) 495-0143
(305) 785-3673

41 Days!

The wedding is 41 days away!

Above is our Save the Date magnet, which we designed and bought through Magnet Street. They offer different sizes and hundreds of different templates to choose from. You can customize the text and insert your own pictures. It’s super easy! The magnets aren’t crazy expensive, and you can usually do a Google search for coupons. You’ll receive your magnets and envelopes in the mail, and then comes the fun part of addressing and stamping them all. Some couples use their engagement photos for their Save the Dates. My parents snapped these pics of us when we were in Birmingham for my cousin’s wedding.

Tip for brides-to-be: Wait till your venue is picked, your registry is done, and your Web site is completed before sending out your Save the Dates. It’s best to send them out six months before the big day so guests can plan ahead, especially out-of-towners.