Dress Shirt, Minus the Shirt Part

 Made this out of an old dress shirt that my dad gave me.  The back pleat is at the front of the bodice, the collar forms a waist band, and the button-down part acts as the back closure down the skirt.  Thanks stellar photographer Missa!

Street Style and More

I'm back at CollegeFashionista this semester and writing for a new site, as well.  (Hence why House of Violet has been pretty inactive for awhile.  I'm not sure why I thought two magazine internships plus school was wise...)  Anyway, the site I've just started doing editorial spreads for is called LookMazing, and it is a neat concept.  It combines social media with street style with fashion blogging with online shopping, and probably  many other vague points on the fashion website spectrum that I can't pinpoint at the moment.  Basically, you become a member and post looks you find online or photograph yourself and then tag all the items with similar ones available for purchase on LookMazing.  They carry pretty much every brand you can imagine.  Then, you can browse other looks and put items in your wishlist.  When you buy things, they show up in your virtual closet.  You can also choose to "admire" (it's like following or friending) other members if you like their uploaded looks. You can then browse their wishlists and closets and "wink" at things that you like. So it can function as a place to check for style tips, a place to connect with other fashionistas/os, or place to shop - with several thousand stylists on hand for inspiration.

As if this wasn't cool enough, there is an interactive magazine - this is where I come in. (yay!) The magazine has features on members whose style is show-worthy and captures street style in an array of settings.  It also has trend stories based on runway looks and happenings in the blog sphere.  Within the editorials, you can click on any look to get more information, purchase the individual pieces, or put them on your wishlist.

Check out my articles that have been posted so far and become a member!

Make-up Feature on Purple Mascara - includes video tutorials
Two-page spread on Animal Prints
Two pages of Halloween costume ideas - I realize it's a bit after-the-fact on this one...but it's never too soon to think about next year!  I wanted to be a toddler in tiara this year and didn't have time (what with all my other costumes like Madeline and 50 Shades of Grey) so I'm already putting it aside for future tutu-ing.

Links to my CollegeFashionista style advice columns coming soon. xo.

Socially Aware Back-Packs

Keep an eye out for this start-up company - Kitab Bags - who will be designing unique backpacks, each of which will be associated with its own social cause.  A percentage of the proceeds will then benefit the cause - pretty cool, yes?  They are currently hosting a design competition and will be awarding cash prizes if they get enough Facebook likes for their new page, so spread the word, and enter if you're interested!  I'd love to see them succeed.  Here's their main webpage: http://kbdc2012.weebly.com/index.html 

Shop Koshka

Just discovered the coolest new online shopping website for fashionistas who want to look like no one else - shopkoshka.com.  The set-up of the site is what I like the best.  Yes, the pieces they feature are unique, fresh, and creative, but you also get the benefit of up-and-coming designer discovery when you shop there.  Each piece has a small description of the indie-designer responsible for it as well as at least five photos of the garment from all angles, so you really know what you're getting.  Not to mention they have an entire "sock boutique."  Some of the designers whose garments are currently available include Twinkle by Wenlan Chia, Love Zooey by Grace Chon, Otis and Maclain by Sharmani Hall and Andrea Cheatham, and Australian label, Ladakh.  Also, they have the coolest blog probably ever: blog.shopkoshka.com

My wishlist?

Shakuhachi dress

Lucca Couture riding pants

Samantha Pleet peak-a-boo shorts-in-a-skirt (just made up that term)

Lucca Couture ensemble

Ayame trouser socks

Laver's Law: Fashion History

Several years ago, I discovered a handy little timeline by which to gauge the appropriateness (or lack there of) of fashion choices, particularly those which reference other time periods or trends.  Laver's Law, created by costume historian and museum curator James Laver, gives one an idea of exactly how far back into the past one must go in order to find suitable material for replay.  It is as follows:

Indecent:  10 years before its time

Shameless:  5 years before its time

Daring:  1 year before its time

Smart:  current fashion

Dowdy:  1 year after its time

Hideous:  10 years after its time

Ridiculous:  20 years after its time

Amusing:  30 years after its time

Quaint:  50 years after its time

Charming:  70 years after its time

Romantic:  100 years after its time

Beautiful:  150 years after its time 

Upon looking back at these distinctions for the first time in awhile, I cannot help but think, how true.  By Laver's Law, Balenciaga is daring, the 90s are ridiculous, the 80s are amusing, and a Jackie O suit is quaint.  Beyond that, we have the charming 1940s ruffle blouses, pencil skirts, and hair dos, and of course, there are Victorian-era inspired pieces that could be anywhere from romantic to beautiful due its span.     

This week's Style Advice on CollegeFashionista? V is for Victorian.  Check it, girls.

Two Hot Looks For the Price of One

My STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK via CollegeFashionista from last week and this week:

For a fresh and youthful take on neons and tribal prints - click here!

For a one-of-a-kind reference to The Hangover's  infamous bachelor party speech - try here!

And next Monday, keep an eye out for a special sister act.

Searching For Inspiration

Just watched two of my all time favorite Christmas movies:  The Holiday, with all star cast Jack Black, Kate Winslett, Cameron Diez, and Jude Law; and A Muppet Christmas Carol (all star cast self explanatory).  I'm helping Kiya Tomlin design her autumn/winter/holiday line of girls' dresses this summer, and I am struggling to get into the spirit of things.  My brain can't seem to turn off the summer mindset, and it's coming out in the totally inappropriate designs I've come up with so far.  It's like I have a mental block on weighty fabrics, dark colors, and sleeves.  Where are the reds and golds?  The velvet bows?  The sparkle, the glow?  (Sorry, the rhyme was just begging to be used there.)  Thankfully, I think the movies are helping.  If you've never seen them, you are seriously missing out on a warm, wonderful feeling that spreads from your stomach all the way out to your extremities - the kind that makes you actually smile and then you realize you're smiling and blush in embarrassment on top it, but you still can't stop smiling.  The Holiday has all the elements of the best ever movie:  Christmas, New Year's Eve, hot couple who meet and immediately have sex but still fall in love afterward, adorable couple that takes longer to get together so you're really rooting for them, Jack Black's humor, Jude Law's smile, an adorable and wise old man, two little girls with British accents and a TENT in their bedroom, AND a phenomenal soundtrack with heartwarming instrumental compositions mixed with Christmas classics mixed with some actual good songs.  The Muppet movie, again, speaks for itself.  Sorry this has almost nothing to do with fashion, but see it as a lesson in how to immerse yourself in something for the sake of your art rather than an excuse for me to rant about Christmas movies in the middle of June.