On my crafty kick, I saw an idea on Pinterest about a month ago for DIY dyed pants. This pin was inspired off of Paige Denim’s highly sold Verdugo Ultra Skinny’s  http://www.paigeusa.com/store/productdetails.aspx?productid=40001363 and corresponding magazine advertisement. I immediately knew this was something I wanted to try, but with a slightly different color palette. I purchased some dye and foam brushes from Michael’s, got some skinny pants on sale at Macy’s for $18, badabing, badaboom, behold what are now known around the office as “The Pants.” Keep scrolling for fun instructions!

THE LOOK:     Shirt: Old Navy    Pants: Macy’s + Dye     Shoes: Franco Sarto – Macy’s     Accessories: RayBan’s, Ring from Von’s

THE PHOTOGRAPHY: Korey Klein, taken at Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah

Now for the Instructions!

DIY SPLOTCH DYE PANTS

Materials:

• White pants – preferably with some cotton content, but mine were 75% Rayon, 21% Nylon, 4% Spandex -> depending on fabric content, follow the instructions inside the dye boxes
• RIT Dye – 4 colors to mix to make Indigo, Dark Fuschia, and Tangerine
• 3 Foam Brushes – one per dye color
• Lots of torn up stuff to cover the floor with – I used the inside of Brown Grocery Bags [use something that doesn't have printed material on it so it doesn't bleed onto your fabric when wet]

Dye Batching:

All instructions are in the RIT packets. Here’s a couple extra tips. Heat water so that is just under boiling. IE until it boils and then let it sit a bit. Mix in specified amount into dye. Since my pants had Zero cotton content, I doubled the recommended vinegar amount to mix in with the dye and water. [Vinegar helps the color set.] I mixed the following: Purple and Navy for Indigo, Purple and Fuchsia for Deep Fuchsia, Orange and Fuchsia for Tangerine. The larger dye to liquid ratio, the darker your color will be, and vice versa. I kept each dye mixture in separate Ziploc containers [if you wash them immediately after use, they won't stain.]

Dye Application:

Rule: Lightest color first, and so on; darkest color last. Use a different foam brush per color. I used a water mixture to dilute the dye at times to get a more blurred effect with brush strokes. Apply dye to one side, let dry, flip the pants over, stuff the entire legs with magazine clippings [to prevent the dye from bleeding through,] and apply dye to the other side. Go back over the side seams and inseams once both sides have dried.

Other application tricks: Wear disposable, thin rubber gloves = hand saver. Also, at times I would let the brush soak a bit, so it could drip just a little bit, then I’d flick the end of the brush to create a splatter effect. This is where our vast quantity of doubled-down grocery bags came in handy – carpet came out okay!

First 2 Colors on – Tangerine then Fuchsia

Applying the Indigo Dye

Stuffing the legs with tear outs from a UO Catalog

Note: Colors will appear darker before washing.

To Wash: After they had completely dried over night, I did a Vinegar bath for 15 min [poured a ton of vinegar into a mixing bowl and put the pants in.] I then washed them in the washing machine with 1/2 cup salt added to the water. Both salt and vinegar help the dye to set. Be sure to hang dry. More tips here: http://www.ehow.com/how_7490362_set-tie-dye.html

Enjoy!

Most men have it easy when it comes to style. There are some exceptions with individuals not afraid to explore men’s fashion and experiment with their style. When it comes to the average individual, though, there are literally less than 10 options when it comes to men’s style choices. However, though it’s easy, it’s also very limiting.

• T-shirt
• Button down
• Hoodie
• Sweater
• Suit
• Cut offs/tanks
• Shorts vs. Pants [where the variations are cargo (eh), pleated, flat front tailored (the best), skinny (weird), and jeans]
• Shoe/Hat options

The T-shirt is something that needs some help. Men are restricted to vintage logos, overdone graphic designs, sports teams, solid colors, and stripes. There needs to be some variation, or at least some more design effort. Not many men feel the need to go crazy with fashion, and rightly so. Still, why not spice it up a bit?

Enter in my latest project. Korey said he wanted a V-neck t-shirt.

With V-necks, you’ve got either the choking V, the moderate [normal] V, the deep V, or the where’s-the-shirt-that-goes-under-that-super-deep-V-neck. With my patternmaking book outdated to the 1980′s instead of newly published, thanks to my cheap college spending, and a V-neck t-shirt pattern I had draped on a male dress form at school in the wrong size, I decided to do what sadly so many companies do now-adays: buy a Target tee, Size: M, spec it and trace it off, pattern it, and give Korey the tee as another garment option. To make his personally made tee special, I sourced some pretty sweet fabric from http://www.moodfabrics.com/

PROJECT: Men’s V-Neck T-Shirt

Materials needed:

Body/Sleeves: 2 1/2 yards knit jersey; shown – novelty stripe with pre-bleached spotting

Neckline:  Since I couldn’t find the perfect grey to match in a ribbed knit, I honestly purchased a plain grey t-shirt, seam ripped the neckline out, and stitched it onto the shell.

Multiple Thread spools to match shirt due to…

Machines [2]: Overlock Knit Serger, Knit Serger with double stitch top-stitch function*

*Luckily had access to a serger due to Korey’s mom, Kathy’s generosity. The serger did not have a double stitch top-stitch function, so I used a straight stitch. Looks a little jank, but not from a distance. It does the job if need be, just make sure the tension isn’t too high and the stitch length is a little longer.

Suggestions for successful sewing: If you can, use a cheap-o knit from JoAnn’s to test out your pattern and fit it to your model. This will allow you to make an even BETTER garment than mass manufacturers do, by tailoring it to the individual’s body type. I didn’t do this, and it is a lesson learned, for next time I know to alter the neck and shoulders a bit to fit Korey’s build better.

Serging Vs. Stitching: This is huge. If you sew, one of the first lessons to learn is that with wovens you use a straight-stitch, and with knits you use an overlock stitch in a process of “serging”. You cannot straight stitch a knit. Fact: It will look like crap. Another fact: sergers are a pain in the butt if you break a thread and have to re-thread one of the 3 – 5 spools. But it’s worth the patience and practice! Soon it becomes fast and easy. Just take care to not catch fabric folding under along the serge line while stitching.

Now Korey is a little less limited style-wise…well, at least when it comes to V-neck t-shirts. Next on the list this Fall: button down using overstock J.Crew fabric!

I do so much style and trend research for my job [at work and at home] that I have struggled to make myself blog about it.

Instead, I will start posting projects! And interject some trend know-how along the way

Thus, my most recent project:

A veil for one of my best friends, Kim Lloyd [Yoder]

Aren’t they adorable?!

Congratulations, Kim & Craig!!

Fabric: Shimmer Tulle

Applique Border: Embroidered Lace Pattern with Clear and Pearl Beads

Construction: Completely Hand-Sewn with Clear Poly Thread

Photo Cred: Jennifer Van Elk Photography http://blog.jennifervanelk.com/

Unfortunately, it has been a while since I have been unable to update my blog. For those who have followed for a while, I finally got a job! And I absolutely love it. I’m a Design Assistant for Maggie Sottero, working primarily with the Flirt Prom line and also with Bridal. Thus, I’ve been quite busy the last two months. But alas, last night, after a mind-numbing night, including a terrible Pinterest experience, I decided to resolve to post once again. Although in the back of my head I’m realizing what time it is and the usual trouble I have with the photo layout… anyways:

With Pinterest, you have trend setters and you have trend followers, and then you have those that are balanced between the two. If you take a look at your followers, this is a good indication of what you may be. More followers than following = trend setter; and vice versa. If you also find yourself re-pinning every single pin on your collective boards without a single one found by your own doing, it’s safe to say you are a follower. Thus is the whole prospect behind Pinterest – it is to be a site that fully functions off of the need of individuals to share information and thus be inspired of moved to act similarly. I absolutely love this concept, especially as a designer. Fashion feeds off of fashion, well, and consumerism. This tracks trends so well, and allows you to draw inspiration off of random photos from the 1900′s or from modern Paris street fashion.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PINS RE-PIN WORTHY

As I scroll through my update board, my eye is drawn to certain pins in particular. Sometimes I feel I re-pin a lot of the same people, but that’s because their posts are most align with my taste.

*Choose to follow individuals based off similar taste/lifestyles/interests vs. everyone on the planet. They, in turn, may follow you back.

When an individual posts something that they followed through with in real-life, or that they took a picture of themselves, that is more appealing to me than the same meal/dress that has been re-pinned 1000 times. When a re-pin gets that high, it’s just consumer behavior to me, not necessarily something I want to follow/re-pin myself.

*Make the pins meaningful.

Arrange your boards with purpose. I admit, I need to re-categorize a few of mine. It helps to correctly align your pins with the search field that other users are looking for inspiration under. Certain individuals only follow one or two boards of another user instead of following them completely.

*Categorize and name boards accordingly.

And lastly, as cliche as it is, be yourself! Pin what you love, it doesn’t really matter if it’s in my “What Not to Pin” or not -that’s just my personal opinion. I bet Sally Hansen has been exceedingly prosperous in this last quarter due to the rise in nail art interest. Be individual, be unique, and pull in things from your life.

*Be an individual.

Happy Pinning!

To view my Pinterest account, click here: http://pinterest.com/ashlelle/

On the other hand…What Not to Pin:

Sometimes there are a few glitches in the system regarding the individual tastes of those who pin. Granted, I agree every individual’s tastes should be different; the world would be boring if we all liked the same things. But in 2012, some things are either outdated or classless. Including cheaply priced lingerie listed under “Women’s Apparel”. Bleh. Last night I came upon a slew of things that I’ve simply seen enough of, and haven’t favored from the beginning. Reasons why are detailed.  Here’s what NOT to pin [and yes, I viewed these all in just one sitting]:

1. Hideous makeup ideas that aren’t even runway-worthy, let alone everyday wear:

Festive, yes. Practical/flattering, no.

2. Enough with the nails!! Gah. Just because what used to be ghetto-glue-on-design-nails are pinned, does not mean that makes you an artistic genius. You’re replicating the 90′s nail shops! Also, the ring finger accent trend was not started by Beyonce; I know this because my friend, Amy Morris, sported this idea in early spring 2011 – a year ago. Unoriginal. Tacky. Oh – and distracting. The clerk at JoAnn’s had nails of all different colors but in a similar design; I could not take her seriously. Crackle was cool, but it has gone too far when you’re putting penguins on your nails.

This second nail has picture has 3504 repins – I fail to understand how.

3. Sheer onesies of any type, specifically unflattering ones. Sheer lingerie, sheer jumpers, sheer rompers, and especially in a horrific print. Prints are very on trend, but there’s a difference between a good print and a terrible print. Awkward clothing = awkward pin.

 4. Fringe Swim Suits. Note – this does not regard all fringe; I like fringe. But on a swim suit, it makes your bust look like a hula skirt. C’mon now.

5. Enlarged ruffles that add no help in flattering your physique. Ruffles are cute, when placed with thought. Oversized ruffles on the bust are going to make you look just like that – oversized. This came up last night on a swim suit of all things. I’ve seen it in tops, though, too. Decreased in width and depth, it could be flattering. This isn’t, nor is it stylish. Cascading ruffles at the upper center front bodice have started to become an overdone design feature, in my opinion.

6. Cringe-worthy shoes. Shoes that you could find in Chinatown should not be re-pinned on Pinterest.

7. Awkward food. This is a fashion blog, but I saw this on the “Wedding/Events” timeline and thought, “What?!” Maybe for Halloween, maybe. Even at a Dental PhD Grad’s party this would still be awkward.

Sometimes I just can’t stand shopping. What has gotten into mass market retailers these days? I cannot find a place that has quality, reasonably priced apparel that isn’t uber-trendy. I just spent the last two days trying to find a pair of shoes and a blouse. [Yes, I happen to have free time.] Easy enough, right? Not so, nowadays. Yesterday I went to three different shopping centers. Today I gave up after an hour out.

1. Trend Bonanza

I’m all for color and draped tops, but enough is enough! I can’t find a single neutral anywhere. Macy’s was over-filled with prints, Bebe had every color in the crayon box, and Zara literally had every section categorized by color. Helpful, but not versatile. One has to purchase a whole outfit to go with those color-blocked shoes or mint green pants. Aldo had cute shoes, but only if you’re clubbing, not to mention neon color tied into every shoe somehow. Who has the money to buy a different shoe for a every color they wear? I say no to neon pink and nude shoes because I have absolutely nothing they would go with. On the draped shirt topic, I’m tired of losing my shape in every shirt I own. Don’t know if this trend is staying on due to an embrace of a hobo look or an embrace of gaining weight. I don’t need a spandex-tight shirt, but I’d like something more flattering, please.

2. $ doesn’t = Quality

Can someone please tell me why a $40 shirt is coming apart?! Ugh. That was at Foreign Exchange today, but they aren’t the only culprit. Forever 21, H&M, Charlotte Russe – I always hesitate purchasing a poly chiffon shirt at these places because somehow, they always come apart. Where is quality control at these places? Too much seam rolling and stitching errors. I also found a super cute [neutral] top at Banana Republic today, but how does a poly cowl tank top value at $70?? Not to mention, someone is changing size blocks – not only was a 2 too big, but a 0 was too big on me. Swimming. I know I’m not that small. Needless to say, didn’t get it.

3. Poor Customer Service

Whether it’s a lack of product knowledge, rudeness, or disregarding customers, all will turn customers off. I worked retail long enough to know what an associate should provide when prompted by a customer. How do you not know your store selection [Banana Republic]? Why do you try and sell me something that’s $200 when I said my budget was $100 [Guess]? Why do you ignore me after I walk around your department [Nordstrom] for over 15 minutes with a shoe in my hand? All that time made me change my mind about the shoe. Why do you look like I’m interrupting you when all you’re doing is re-racking [Anthropologie]? Goodness.

Shopping at big-box retailers can be such a hassle sometimes. I’ll stick to boutiques while I can.

MILAN – F/W 12

Where the Renaissance began, fashion is now influenced by it’s beautiful qualities, ethereal and gothic alike.

Bottega Veneta: Fitted & tailored, a turn from their frequent fluid and graceful style. Body-con style lines, embellishments, and velvet came in to play as well.

Dolce & Gabbana: Regal black and gold with lace, embroidery, and accesories. Renaissance floral patterns, sheers, and a spattering of white helped make this collection divine.

Etro: Signature paisley screen-printed onto most garments, skinny trousers, fur, velvet, and belted patent demi-peplums.

Marni: I felt this was a mix of retro meets Judy Jetson grown up and working. Mod shapes, color-blocking, and enlarged fur/printed collars [detachable from what it looked like.] Overall, not too impressed.

Moschino: British/Italian retro.  Double breasted, bright primary colored coats opened the door to black/white/gold graphic prints and playful silhouettes. Statement jewelry with oversized hats and bows topped the looks off.

Prada: Bold, dark eyes and long, half colored hair added a punk/goth feel to another one of Prada’s eccentric collections. Patterns, patterns, and more patterns. Head to toe on suits at times. Empire waist dresses looked somewhat matronly. If you want to make a statement, just one piece from this collection will do it.

Valentino: Leather, toggle coats, similar embroidery patterns throughout the collection. These looks were chic but not complicated, just with enough design details to make the apparel opulent.

Versace: Gothic and medieval influence into form-fitting shapes. Chain mail, Renaissance cross patterns, netted tights, and leather in black, bold colors, and a touch of white.

Recently I got the itch to design some more things, even though I don’t have the means to construct them. I decided to take inspiration from the RTW and high fashion designers and diffuse them into a more wearable line. This is the process many moderate and budget/mass market designers undergo to produce apparel that sells come the next season. Here are my sketches for Fall/Winter 2012*; this would most likely be a smaller line that could be expanded or sold in boutiques. Vote for your favorite, and I’ll draw a full croquis for the most popular look!

*Due to lack of Photoshop or a scanner, I apologize for image quality.

At first I thought I’d fuse the reviews for London and Milan. Then the reviews became lengthy, so I’m going to break them up. Frankly, I don’t know how people keep up with the hundreds of “top designers” now featured in Fashion Weeks. I think it’s great individuals are expanding the industry, but I don’t think the ready-to-wear market needs to be so clogged with an ever-changing kaleidoscope with so many differing colors that it gets muddied. Boutiques should be the ones recruiting most of these RTW indies, not Style.com. Celebs I understand; makes good press. For instance, in Paris [which is a whole other post,] Kayne West debuted his “sophomore line”. First I’ve heard of this. I’m sure Kayne did not go to design school or know a thing about couture construction. I could be wrong. Jumping on the Victoria Beckham bandwagon.

So, let’s get to the reviews, shall we? I’ll again be sticking to the designers recognized by more than a few.

LONDON FALL 2012

Alexander McQueen: Though they showed in Paris, they’re still based in the UK. Pure opulence. Love, love, love. Whimsical meets futuristic dominatrix. Fur, feathers, organza, oh my gosh. Again, what makes you love fashion. Eye-wear and metal belts accented looks and also drew attention at the same time. Godets, flares, and ruffles add shape to every look, while dramatic coats and voluminous dresses seal the show as couture perfection.

Alexander McQueen – McQ: Military influence in both the women’s and men’s wear. Woman’s took a romantic yet darkly bold undertone with lace, tulle and organic patterns combined with seriously cinched waists, lace up boots, and an occasional tartan plaid.

Burberry: Very mass market, very smart. Major pushes as far as bow belts, white t’s with a single bird in the center, and skirts with a singular cascading ruffle. Colors: cobalt, mustard, browns, grays, occasional olive. Other trends were striping, peplums, velvet, enlarged pockets, and a mix of trenches [most interestingly ones with enlarged shawl collars] with cropped jackets. Men’s had a slim line that looked very urban-prep, but not in an annoying way.

Christopher Kane: Eh. Who wants to wear depressing clothes? Not me. Good thing the whole collection wasn’t as ghastly as the model’s androgynous-like faces. Black and blue to violet to red with stripes, augmented animal prints, and not-so-great florals. Overall – felt like a cheap-looking, gothic-inspired fashion faux-pas. Best three looks below.

Matthew Williamson: Pixelated dresses, tropical prints, and split-complementary color play. These produced some hits and some misses. General trends of sheers, squared high-low hems, lace, and colored pants [mainly gold and turquoise].

Mulberry: Fur, less saturated animal print, bold yellow, blue, and orange [done well vs. others' attempts], beautiful scarfs, a mix of patterns ranging from zig zags to blended, dreamlike florals. The background? An enlarged Where The Wild Things Are character. Other trends like lace, quilted tops, corset influences, and statement lady bags. Their new bag? Del Ray debuted recently – and yes, it’s named after who you think it is. If I could afford Mulberry, I’d be purchasing many items this fall. Very on target.

Pringle of Scotland: Pixelated and zigzag play in a less obvious way, with colorblocking, turtlenecks [to my dismay], and wavy knit pieces. Geared towards a more mature woman; still quality pieces.

Stella McCartney: Cobalt, white, and black with grey-brown compliments. Body-contour style lines, lacey prints, shawl collar jackets and collared/high-neck shirts, sporty influence. Contrast linings on coats, pepto-bismo pants, and nipped-waist coats with structured hips against more boxy shapes kept it interesting. I didn’t get the small grouping of head-to-toe sweater outfits, though. Flounced skirts complimented many pieces. Get ready to work on that 6-pack and slip into one of these cute looks.

Victoria Beckham: Very Victoria, very trendy: color-blocking, contrast collars, contour style lines, military influence, stripes, belted waists, and flounce skirts all into slim and long silhouettes. Tall thick socks and boots completed the looks.

What’s your favorite London look that you’ll be trying out this fall?

Stay tuned for the Milan reviews!

March is a big month for the fashion industry: ready-to-wear designs and bridal designs debut, then everyone else tries and figures out how to carry on the trends to mass market. On my end, it means a lot of reviews. Here’s what you can expect to read about in the coming weeks:

- February 17-22: London Fashion Week F/W 12/13

- February 22-28: Milan Fashion Week F/W 12/13

- February 28 – March 7: Paris Fashion Week F/W 12/13

- March 18-24: Tokyo Fashion Week F/W 12/13

- March 18-20: Dallas Bridal Market

- March 25-27: National Bridal Market, Chicago

Is there anyone in particular you readers would like to hear more about? Which city’s shows are you most looking forward to?