Kanye West may not be saying she’s a golddigger, but this costume certainly is. This wonderfully tacky getup (complete with horribly uneven shoulder pads) is a punny play on words that’s sure to get you some attention – whether it be good or bad. You can put together yourself either with items you already own, with stuff you can pick up at your local thrift shop, or you can buy the one you see above here!
When I was a little girl, I used to love playing with my Likka-chan doll (a.k.a. Japanese Barbie), until I grew into a LEGO phase and kind of tossed her aside. I hadn’t thought of Licca for years until I was looking through my drawers and found this tiny pink shoe. I don’t remember if the shoe belonged to my doll (I have a vague memory of my sister giving it to me), but it reminded me of the kind of sensible footwear that Licca owned. I always thought it was interesting that unlike Barbie, Licca was small breasted and larger-footed with a much more anatomically correct frame. And though Licca comes in blonde versions too, my Licca was brunette and looked a lot more like me than Barbie ever would.
Anyways sorry for making you read all of this – I’ll get to the point now, which is basically that this little shoe gave me a little peek back into my childhood when all was right in the world and that’s why I wanted to cherish it and keep it close to me by turning it into a necklace. The steps are really easy and if perhaps you have a lone doll shoe that you want to turn into something you can wear as an adult or want to make one of these for a little girl – or boy for that matter! – read on for the instructions.
New York Fashion Week may be ending in a few days but the sartorial fun has just begun because the first ever Clossette Swap Shop will be popping up this Sunday, September 18th at the 14th Street Y’s annual openGREENhouse! Just think – you can trade in that pair of heels that you bought but never wear for a tailored fall bag or that pencil skirt that used to fit you way back when for the perfect pair of blue jeans. Just bring in all of your clean, preloved clothing, shoes and accessories and let the swapping begin! We’ll also be selling designer goods from our own closets from as low as $10, so there will be plenty of sustainable shopping going on punctuated by bites of Smashed Sweets’ intoxicatingly yummy liquor-spiked cupcakes. And don’t forget to stop by all of the other openGREENhouse booths to sample the freshest local treats and refreshing drinks, and pick up a goodie bag along the way too.
Have a stained shirt or pair of pants that you wish you could wear again? Bring it over to the Clossette booth and we’ll fix it right up for you with our iron-on repair art or take your own DIY repair kit home with you. We’ll also be having a sweet raffle with some killer prizes – details to come soon – so stay tuned!
Clossette’s Fashion Week Pop-Up Swap Shop at the 14th St. Y’s openGREENhouse
WHEN: This Sunday, September 18th, 2011
WHERE: The 14th St. Y 344 East 14th Street New York, NY 10003
We’ll see you there rain or shine!
Cabs are so 2000 and late. This year, why not ride to Fashion Week in style on a designer bicycle? Called Tour de Fashion, this clever initiative is giving alternative transportation-minded fashionistas the opportunity to borrow bikes designed by fashion powerhouses Diane von Furstenberg, Nanette Lepore, Prabal Gurung, Elie Tahari, Isaac Mizrahi, and more. The bikes were built in New York City by Bowery Bicycles, and are even transported to and from 14th st. and 9th ave. where they are stationed on another bike! In fact, we caught up with Sobi Social Bicycles founder Ryan Rzepecki just as he was about to ride them away! Click through the photo gallery to see all of the different bikes and see how and where you can borrow your own designer bike and ride it to Lincoln Center here.
This goes out to anyone who’s ever lost someone, that they truly love.
Miss you not just today, but every single day for the rest of my life.
What are you doing for Fashion’s Night Out? We get just as excited as the next voguophile when it comes to this annual night of fun, fashion and (oftentimes free) booze, but it’s hard to turn a blind eye to how much of it is about promoting people to buy, buy, buy clothes that leave much to be desired when it comes to sustainability. So what’s a green gal or guy supposed to do tomorrow – just sit at home and mope? Heyyyl no! Not when there’s (Sustainable) Fashion’s Night Out! Hosted by EcoSalon, Of Rags, and the NYC Fair Trade Coalition at the Textile Arts Center (TAC), the evening of shopping, education and revelry will celebrate all things eco-fashion and will give people a chance to meet sustainable fashion designers like A.D.O Organics, Afia, Arcadia, Digs, Erin Considine, Feral Childe, Global Goods Partners, Eliza Starbuck, Kaelyn Garcia, LOVE IS MIGHTY, Mongo, Of Rags, Shabd, The Sock Hop, Tompkins Point Apparel, and Wool and the Gang. The event is totally free and open to everyone, and will be held at 26 W 8th St (between 5th Ave and MacDougal St) from 6-10 – we’ll see you there!
Everyone knows the story about the three little pigs… one of those children’s stories that starts with “Once upon a time…” and the main character(s) outsmart the “villain” and they live happily ever after. Well, I have an argument… why was the wolf, so bad? I had an epiphany as I was food shopping this morning and going over details of my hopeful, soon-to-be new catering business. The Wolf never had a fair trial. Let me share my tangled web of thoughts with you over the next few minutes.
If you’re like me and save all of those buttons that come in a little package attached to the shirts you buy, here’s a DIY way to actually put them to good use instead of having them just sit in a box in your dresser for twenty years. Lately some of my boyfriend Jack’s hoarding ways have rubbed off on me because I’ve been keeping more and more things – like random buttons – thinking I’ll reuse them one day. And low and behold, that time has finally come! Read on to see how I used my buttons to fix the broken straps of a top that I love so that I could wear it again and do the same with your old buttons.
As a writer for a sustainable design website I get to look at cool solar powered bags all the time, but because I’m a writer, I’m also too poor to afford most of them (cruel irony!). But then I thought hey, what is a solar bag really than a nice purse, backpack or tote with a solar panel attached? I could probably whip one up using a bag I already have myself, no? So that’s exactly what I did, and so can you. Read on for the DIY instructions.
My name is Yuka and I’m a cat-a-holic.
Now that you know that about me, I’m sure you’ll understand why I was instantly overcome with acute kitten print envy pains when I spied DJ Harley Viera Newton (and her delightful kitty Marmite)’s to-die-for collection of Miu Miu meow meow accessories over on the Coveteur. A quick check on eBay for similar trinkets proved unfruitful (though I did find these AH-mazing Miu Miu cat print clogs – sadly not in my size and way too expensive), so I decided to take matters into my own hands. The end result was this “Ask Me About My Cats” shirt that I made using some photos of my cats Cleocatra, Conan and Stinky, some iron-on transfer paper and an old thrifted tank top. If you want to make your own crazy cat lady shirt, just click through my gallery to see the DIY steps.
❥❥,
Yuka
Want a custom crazy cat lady shirt but don’t have the time or willpower to make it yourself? Clossette will make one for you – check it out here.
Having received several comments remarking on the fact that the Eat Your Heart Out dress looks weird or confusing just lying on a bed – duly noted people! – I decided to showcase it on an actual person. Apologies in advance for the fact that that person is me. On that note, anyone lookin’ for a modeling gig that pays zero dollars?
Totally unrelated topic, but also totally post-worthy, we finally checked out the rooftop bar at the Ravel Hotel in LIC. Despite the rather awful, and I mean terrible, reviews, I actually had a great time and the views are unlike any I’ve ever seen from this side of the river. As you can see from the photos below, you’re literally RIGHT under the 59th St., Queensborough, Ed Koch, whatever you wanna call it, bridge, and there’s a futuristic retractable roof that makes the space really unique. Plus it’s right next to a simply breathtaking ivy-covered brick building that I’m totally going to write up for Inhabitat NYC. The food? Meh. But who is really going here for the food anyways? I definitely recommend it for an engagement party – the prices are (ever so slightly) more reasonable than a city rooftop bar and it’s just nice to be off the beaten path, you know?
I’m having a fashion-illiterate moment. I can’t decide which shoes to wear with this beautiful dress for my cousin’s wedding. (one of the 9 that I will be attending this year). Must look my best, but not as good as the bride. Which pair should I wear? Or if you have another pair of shoes in mind let me know. I’m open to all suggestions.
After three trips to Vegas, countless days stomping all over Manhattan and at least 50 happy hours (from what I can fuzzily recall), my favorite pair of heels wasn’t looking so hot – unless you like that filthy, “a bum used it as a pillow” look. Despite the abuse, I definitely didn’t want to throw them out, so I decided to give them a little makeover. At first, I decided to just add a dainty piece of lace to the toes to spruce things up, but when the “glue” that I was using turned out to be glow in the dark paint, I was in for a pleasant surprise! Click through the page numbers below to see how you can a.) revamp your own heels using lace, b.) revamp your own heels by making them glow in the dark or c.) all of the above. They might not be hurricane proof but they’d match perfectly with Halston’s glow in the dark sequin dress, and won’t set you back $4K.
Whether you care about saving the environment or you just want one of a kind clothes for cheap, that here are so many reasons that thrift shopping rules! But it doesn’t get the best rap. I don’t know if it’s the fact that it has the word “thrift” in it, or the fact that people are just loathe to buy things that were previously owned by others (which kind of doesn’t make sense to me since even when you buy something “new,” it was most likely tried on by dozens of other people or even taken home to someone else’s place and then returned). Either way, I believe firmly that secondhand shopping is a first rate experience and that it’s actually the wave of the future. That’s why I decided to introduce as many people as I can to the joys of thrift shopping with my new series on Ecouterre – Goodwill Hunting! For the very first installment, I headed to the NYC area’s second oldest secondhand store, the Bayside Thrift Shop and end up scoring an entire outfit for $21! Read on to see everything else I picked up – including a pair of summery tangerine sandals for just $5 and a preppy belt for a buck.
Vintage and secondhand shopping has so many perks – you can score incredibly special, quality pieces that would normally cost more than your rent for crazy cheap, and a lot of times they’re practically brand new. Such was the case with these beguiling Louis Vuitton wedge slides that I picked up at a consignment shop for a price that you probably wouldn’t believe (and I’m not talking about in Chinatown). The only problem was that they were ever so slightly too small (as you can see from the photo above). It’s an issue that comes up frequently with thrift shopping since in most cases, everything is one of a kind and you can’t just ask the stockboy to bring you another size. I kept asking Diana, who was with me at the time, if she thought I should still get them and because of her reassurance, I took the plunge. But of course, when I stepped out of the house with them for the first time, I paid the price (as evidenced by the bandaid you see). And I had to agree that my heel jutting out of the back of my shoe like a cliff wasn’t exactly the most attractive look. Then I realized there was an easy fix! Read on to see what I did and how you can make your own slightly too small sandals fit.
Dearest Chanel Scarf,
From the day I first laid I eyes upon you, you’ve beguiled me with your luxurious feel and playful print. I stored you away safely in my closet, waiting patiently for that perfect day when you would finally look nice on me. But then I realized the truth – neckerchiefs just aren’t flattering if you have a circle-shaped head. No amount of wishing and hoping would ever change that. So yes, we had our differences, but I knew in my heart that we could still be together – some way, some how.
Flash forward: I know it was a little painful for you undergoing the surgery*, but you made the sacrifice so we could finally be together the way we should have been from the start – as a girl and her tank top.
♥,
YY
*In no way does this post advocate cosmetic surgery, at least not on people
