DIY Denim Cutoffs - Hippie Style

           I've had less time for sewing this summer (as well as blogging) since I've been freelancing, interning and endlessly apartment hunting for the upcoming school year. However, I still managed to make a few pieces before I left home for a month with my older sister in NC. My first projects were actually due in part to my sister, as I found a few pairs of her high school bell-bottoms in a pile of  old clothes. I've wanted to revamp old pairs of jeans into embellished, cutoff shorts for a while, so the hardest part was deciding which of my ideas I would choose.

            For the first pair, I created a hippie-inspired design with trim, embroidered flowers, iron-on appliques and lace. I had a little trouble with some of the iron-ons sticking, so I secured them with fabric glue. Other than that, I was really happy with how they came out!

Rachel Roy AW14 - Favorite Collection of the Season?

          New York Fashion Week just launched this morning and I think I've already discovered my favorite collection of the season. I know it's a little early to tell, but Rachel Roy's AW 2014 collection was everything I've ever wanted for a fall wardrobe. She contrasted beautiful lace with colorful leather. We all know I've become addicted to black leather, so why not branch out a little? Roy mastered the art of layering using one-piece dresses to create the illusion of a multi-garment outfit. This would make getting ready for a hectic day so much easier! Together, with her vibrant florals and brocade, structural and cozy outerwear, and just the right amount of edge, Roy's collection encompasses my style perfectly. This sets the wearability precedent high in my book for the week's upcoming shows.

photo credit: style.com

White After Labor Day

          I'm a firm disbeliever in the "no white after Labor Day" rule. While I do think that there are certain clothes, colors, and patterns that just aren't appropriate for cooler months, I don't think any one characteristic should be singled out. Plenty of spring/summer clothes can be transitioned into fall, including white. It all just depends on what you wear with it.

Lace top - TJMaxx

Jeans - PacSun

Pumps - BCBG Max Azria

 

          I wore this white lace top with dark jeans and black pumps to give it a darker edge that is more suitable for fall. Plus, this top has leather details that make it more versatile, as leather is usually worn in fall and winter.

           My t-strap pumps were a new purchase for my birthday. I'm not normally one for pointy toes, but I was very impressed by the way these elongate my legs. I figured they would not only be a great basic to have, but would also be the perfect shoe to dress up casual pieces like jeans or tees.

Check out my outfit on Lookbook:

Inspiration: Gidget Goes Hawaiian

Strapless Lace Dress - $88

 

     Whenever I watch old movies, of course it's the clothing I pay the most attention to. Singing in the Rain is my favorite musical and I wouldn't watch it over and over if the costumes weren't absolutely fabulous. Audrey Hepburn certainly didn't need a wardrobe to make her career a success, but it's what made every one of her major movies iconic.

 

      Recently, I watched a couple "Gidget" movies from the 1960s. After getting over the corny scripts and less than stellar acting, there's a certain enjoyment to take away from the whimsicality of these films. Set in a decade I love to pull inspiration from, there were plenty of retro fashions to make it worthwhile. My favorite dress was in Gidget Goes Hawaiian -- a red, strapless party dress worn by the snob Gidget befriends on vacation. The skirt of the dress is tiered lace and a prim little bow cinches the waistline.

 

      Only a few days after watching this movie I found a modern version of this dress on Victoria's Secret. No surprise that I was browsing their summer dresses, right? It's a perfect interpretation of the movie look and would be adorable for any summer party. However, at $88 I think I'll wait for it to go on sale! 

Adventures in Copyright

     My favorite fashion news outlet, Fashionista, has a regular post called "Adventures in Copyright" that showcases a designer's look that has been copied by someone else. These posts challenge the question of whether there should be copyright protection for fashion designs. Or maybe the fact that anyone can create what a designer made first is the way fashion revolves? I've created my own version of their posts to analyse these questions.

Tied Crochet Dress from Nasty Gal vs. Delicate Lace Top Body Con Dress from Charlotte Russe

     
      It's completely obvious that these two dresses are one in the same. Aside from a couple minor details, these dresses are mirror images, yet one is half the price. The Nasty Gal dress is $68, while the one from Charlotte Russe is $26.99. Lace overlay has been a big trend for a few years now, so the design for these dresses could have been taken from any designer. However, it looks very McQueen -inspired to me.

These looks from the Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 show have similar lace necklines.

      Earlier this year, I discovered Johanna Blakley's speech on TED about how the fashion industry actually benefits from this lack of protection. She has a philosophy that identifies with collaborative thinking; when people keep building off of an idea, there is more progress than someone keeping an idea to himself. The gross sales within industries without copyright protection such as fashion, automobiles, and food, are substantially higher than highly protected industries such as film, books, and music. This seems to prove that while little to no copyright protection may not help fashion designers in their own right, it's what keeps the industry flourishing. After all, designers are constantly taking ideas from the past to evolve their own work. The nature of fashion is to interpret one idea into another, so without copying ideas there wouldn't be innovation of new ones.