Thursday, August 25, 2016

Six Foot Three in Heels


Give me a 6 inch wedge, and suddenly I'm a giant! Such is the struggle of being a tall girl who loves heels. At this point in my life I usually only wear 4in heels or under so that I feel more comfortable, but today I decided to pull this pair out of my closet and give them a whirl. I love the bright rainbow stripe on these wedges, and the way that the nude upper tones them down so they really match with anything. I decided to pair them with a bright orangey shift dress for a fun and colorful ensemble.

A nude-colored bag plays off the shoes and keeps the focus on the colorful elements, while simple accessories finish the look. This easy shift dress has quickly become a favorite since it can be worn in so many ways. I have paired it with cute sandals and simple jewelry for work, with a lace up shoes for dinner out, and I plan to add a statement necklace and jacket to transition into fall. This bright orangey-red color is one I am consistently drawn to (as you may have noticed by now 1/2/3/4) and can never seem to get enough of!!

I am actually selling these wedges on my Poshmark account (username ccnoordsy), but since they are so fun and summery I wanted to give them a little love and wear them with a bright summer outfit.
I have a ton of old clothes and jewelry for sale on my Poshmark page, as well as several pieces that have been seen here on the blog! Re-selling old items is a great way to make room in your closet and gain a little cash for new purchases, and it's always nice to renew your wardrobe a bit with each season, so that means letting some old stuff go :( It can feel good though to make space and refresh with new items instead! Has anyone started thinking about fall fashion yet? I usually put it off because I can't bear to let go of summer!


Dress: Olivaceous via mint. Shoes: Steve Madden. Bag: H&M (similar: 1/2). Watch: Kate Spade. Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters. Necklace: Kate Spade. Earrings: Gorjana.







xoxo, CC

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Bold Summer Prints


A few weeks ago I shared some of my favorite picks from the Anthropologie summer sale, so I just had to share this find with you too! I picked up this stunning skirt in store (I can't find it on their website) and I am so excited to style it for late summer and fall! I have been wearing mostly flowy and a-line skirts in the past two years, but the vibrant print and longer length of this one convinced me to try out a fitted skirt again. 

Since the skirt is so colorful and bold I opted for a plain black top with a modern cut, and my new mini square handbag. I decided to draw out the teal blue colors in the skirt by pairing some large teal stud earrings with the look. I also couldn't resist wearing my favorite summer bracelet by Hipanema when I realized that the color scheme matched so perfectly! I like that this look is very chic while also being bold and fun, and is a nice balance between dressy and casual.


Skirt: Anthropologie (similar 1/2). Top: Zara (similar 1/2). Wedges: H&M (similar: 1/2). Bag: Rebecca Minkoff. Bracelet: Hipanema. Sunglasses: AJ Morgan.






xoxo, CC

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Neutrals and Neons



Opposites attract so they say, and what could be more opposite than neutrals and neons. I'll often add unexpected pops to an otherwise monochromatic outfit like this one so I can never be called boring! These bold dual-printed shorts require a simple top that lets them do all the talking, but then I like to mix things up with some bright and colorful accents. I kept additional prints to a minimum and focused instead on bringing bits of color into the look with this vibrant clutch and neon nails. Pretty pink sunglasses contributed a touch of color too, and keeping my hair braided let the ruffled top really stand out. 

These statement making shorts were last seen here with a similar white-top-and-fun-accessories combo. An easy yet exciting outfit like this, made up of simple yet unique pieces, is perfect for a stroll in the park and adventures in the city.


Top: Lilly Pulitzer. Shorts: Maison Scotch (similar leopard: here. stripe: here. Also check out some of the awesome handmade shorts you can get on Etsy like these: 1/2). Clutch: J.Crew (very similar). Shoes: J. Crew (similar 1/2). Sunglasses: here. Nail polish: Floss Gloss "international hot girl."




xoxo, CC

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Shopping Guide: Anthro Summer Sale


Top L to R: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12

August is the perfect time of year to find great deals on summer styles that you can still get tons of wear out of before the season is over! It's always amazing to me how early fall fashion hits the shelves, but the one upside of that is that summer beauties go on sale! I stopped in Anthropologie the other week and as usual found myself drooling over everything in the store. The only section I really allow myself to shop though is their sale selection. So, I rounded up some of my summer sale favorites here. 



While Anthro can be pricy, even on sale, some of these goodies are incredibly well priced, like the $19.95 monogram ring and bikini bottoms, and the $39.95 tanks. As you can probably tell from this collection, I love a good floral print, lace details, and pretty blue and purple hues. If I had any weddings to attend soon I might get my hands on the gorgeous blue and white lace dress for a girly and sophisticated look. My casual everyday style however, leads me more towards the beaded flatform sandals and lace up tank. And this time of year is definitely the best time for scooping up great deals on adorable swimwear, like this bustier top and matching floral bottoms. In past seasons I have found great deals on swimwear from J. Crew, Trina Turk, and Nanette Lepore that allowed me to afford some of my favorite swimwear pieces ever!! 
The other item I'm really considering right now is that brocade printed tank, since I know a pretty peplum style like that could take me from work to an evening out in the city without a doubt. I just imagine it styles with cuffed jeans, wedge sandals and a dainty necklace for an any-occasion look.

Which are your favorites, and what do you look for this time of year? 

xoxo, CC

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Manus X Machina


As I mentioned in last week's post, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Manus X Machina exhibit at the Costume Institute. The show opens with a stunning Chanel wedding gown as you walk into the gallery. The dress, featuring a long embroidered train, has become the face of this exhibit and exemplifies the balance of hand and machine made fashion. The dress is made of scuba knit, a synthetic material, which was hand molded and machine sewn. The baroque inspired embroidery on the train was hand drawn by Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld and then digitally randomized to create the final effect before being hand embroidered onto the fabric with thousands of beads. It is incredible how much detail goes into a piece like this and how the machine made and hand made elements come together so seamlessly to create a stunning dress. 


One of my favorite displays is this pink and blue collection of floral dresses. I love the front-to-back contrast of the Dior dress on the left with intricate embroidered sequin details. The Louis Vuitton on the right side combines hand sewn details with laser cut plastic flowers for a delightful confection of a dress. 


This fascinating piece by Hussein Chalayan is a remote controlled creation with incredible mechanized features. Created from fiberglass, it has a sort of door at the back that opens on hinges to let the model step into the dress. It rests on wheels that are driven by a remote control, and, most excitingly, the attached floral "pollens" can detach from the shell and float in the air around the dress creating an entire show described by Chalayan as a "poetic gesture" meant to "symbolize new beginnings."


This green and yellow display was another eye catching corner in which I found one of my favorite ensembles from the show, this Christopher Kane skirt and sweater combo. I find the motif fascinating and the design totally wearable. The image was taken from a text book diagram of a flower's anatomy and blown up into laser cut flowers hand embroidered onto the skirt and sweater. Inspired by the process of photosynthesis, this set literally embraces the science in nature and in technology.



I was so intrigued by the close up details of the multi dimensional fabrics used on a Dior dress. I love the three dimensional effect of the cut outs and miniature flower details. The flowers and beads were all hand embroidered, while the garment was machine sewn and the hand-cut outer layer machine finished.


These two 1949 Dior dresses with their shimmery scalloped trains remind me of mermaids. They were machine sewn and hand finished with sequins, beads, and horse hair details. 

   
Another one of my favorites for its incredible detail and otherworldly design is this Alexander McQueen dress encrusted with coral and shells. The amount of detail is almost too much to take in, and I can't even begin to imagine how many hours went into hand sewing all of those tiny pieces onto the dress in such density. The design of the dress is unique as well, with the plunging neckline and high collar followed by a hi-low hemline with a pearl-bedecked train. 


This futuristic piece by Gareth Pugh is made with layers of clear drinking straws hand attached to a wool base. Each straw was cut and attached by hand.


I love the crisp white theme of this display, found on the lower level of the exhibit. The ensemble in the foreground was made using 3D printing technology to create the intricate ribbed swirls of the bodice. This is the fascinating type of creativity that makes it's way into runway fashion but rarely onto the streets. A piece like this does more to show the capabilities of fashion when it is combined with technology than to actually inspire wearability. This particular piece was inspired by "the way limestone deposits form shells" according to the designer, Iris van Herpen.
By contrast, the two dresses in the back are from 1968 and 1950 respectively from designer Madame Gres and were both machine stitched and hand gathered.


I always am drawn to fun colorful pieces like this Dior ensemble and its billowing skirt of multi-colored ribbons. This 2015 set was made with a combination of hand and machine sewing. Something like this, as opposed to the Iris van Herpen creation above, is actually fairly wearable given an occasion. I love how boldly girly it is, and how this piece fit into a set of matching ensembles in different colors, also displayed in the exhibit.


At first glance these Chanel suits look pretty typical of the design house's traditional style. But up close you can see that the three to the right are not made of soft fabrics, but rather are made of 3D printed polyamide. The second suit was hand painted to imitate the look of tweed, while the two to the far right have a quilted effect that is actually made of printed plastic layered over a sequined base so that the sparkle of the sequins peeks through the 3D printed layer. Up close the dimensionality of this contrast is really stunning.



 This eye-catching ensemble on the left, by Threeasfour, is 3D printed and hand-appliquéd onto neoprene and mesh. The spirals remind me of vertebrae with their sharp, bone-like structure.
Just behind it, the Proenza Schouler gown reflects the delicate intricacy of lace, but was created using a ceramic "stone" lace, made from a yarn that has the same properties as ceramic. The exhibit's label describes the process as it began by drawing patterns digitally then machine embroidering them onto tulle fabric which is then dipped in acid so that the tulle begins to dissolve. Then the material is bonded to the base fabric with ultrasonic welding. What a process!! The result is a modernized take on lace that give the same elegant look with a positively updated feel.



Lastly, another stunning 3D printed set, these Noa Raviv pieces are meant to create an optical illusion representative of the way 2D lines on a screen clearly depict 3D shapes. Both pieces, although dominated by the machine-created shapes, involve hand sewn or hand finished elements.

The exhibit is open until September 5th if you have the chance to go and see it for yourself! It really is worth your time, and there is so much more to see than what I was able to include here!

xoxo, CC