NYLON TV + 7 JEANS

This is a video clip of Nylon magizine's trip to the Seven Jeans factory to see just how the perfect pair of jeans are made. This look into what it takes to make a pair of these jeans might clear up just why they cost about $200 per pair!!

How to Spot the Not

Today online shopping has given buyers the power to get anything imaginable right at their finger tips. While this can be a positive it presents the issue of counterfeit or knockoff goods being sold to unsespecting buyers. With sites like e-bay selling “designer” products for example luxury handbags at a fraction of the cost it is important to become aware of "how to spot the not", or being knowledgeable on how to tell an authentic product from a fake.

If you are buying a purse either on the street or at a flee market, the chances of getting a real designer bag at a a deep bargain price is slim to none. This is because Chanel or Louis Vuitton goods for example are never sold out of the trunk of someone’s car!! Also always look out for the feel of a bag, flimsy hardware, fake leather, and a “Made in Taiwan” label should be a dead give away. When shopping online it is harder to tell what you are actually purchasing and you are not able to really look at or touch what you are buying until it has been bought and shipped to you. Be sure to be smart about pricing and read all the fine print, phrases like “inspired by”, mean that it is not the real think. Even the best most realistic knockoffs with authenticity cards included can be identified as frauds. Many brands including Kate Spade, and Coach have specific tips about the labels on their bags to tell if it is the real thing or not available on their websites. In the end the only way to guarantee buying authentic products is by getting them straight from the manufacturer or an authorized dealer.

fOrEvEr TwEnTy OnE

Forever 21 is known today as a paradise for those who want to keep up with all of the current trends with out breaking the bank. It was started in 1984 in California, and originally called Fashion 21. By the end of the first year of business the store’s sales had raised from 35,000 to 700,000 dollars, due to this success the creator began opening new stores every six months. The name was eventually changed to Forever 21 and today an astounding 90 stores are being opened each year.

The extensive collection of clothing and accessories available at Forever 21 has something to offer everyone. The store provides an upbeat and fun shopping atmosphere. While they offer a ton of different types of clothing in trendy cuts and colors it can be a challenge to sort through the racks and tables of clothing to find exactly what you are looking for. Even though shopping here can be time consuming with a little bit of patience you can easily find adorable tops, dresses, and chic jeans and shorts.

Forever 21 stores also offer “Brilliant Buys”, these are certain items that are available at great values. For example just last weekend I was able to pick up a couple of great jersey knit sun dresses for ten dollars each available in many different styles. Just be aware that even though most pieces are relatively inexpensive allowing shoppers to try many different looks, that the bill can really add up when shopping at this fashion forward store.

Creative Nonfiction

This semester was the first time I was formally introduced to the genre of creative nonfiction. With that being said I can now reflect back on some of my favorite books from when I was younger and can now realize they are forms of creative nonfiction. For example, I loved to immerse myself in the stories of young girls throughout different periods of history. Without even realizing it I was learning about different time periods in American History, like The Revolutionary War, or The Great Depression, this was because I could relate to the stories of the girls my age that had lived through these events. Creative nonfiction can be defined as the use of literary elements when describing actual facts or events. To me creative nonfiction is using personal experience and outside knowledge and incorporating it into pieces of writing that would otherwise be considered nonfiction.

Both All Around the Town by Herbert Asbury, and The Curve of Binding Energy by John McGhee are excellent examples of creative nonfiction. They take actual events, and interpret them in a more human and creative way. Through creative nonfiction writing both the actual writers and those who will be reading the piece can make connections to the information giving them a better understanding of the subject and sparking their interest. For example, John McPhee warned his readers about the safeguards that are needed for protecting nuclear weapons. While this could have been an extremely dry topic, the way he presented the information through the life and views of Ted Taylor brought the material to life. Creative nonfiction can be thought of as a stretching of facts to make a story more memorable, examples of this can be seen throughout All Around the Town. One of the short stories that stuck out in my mind is “The Sawing of Manhattan Island.” This particular story is about Lozier and John DeVoe; they pull off a great hoax on the people of Manhattan. They are able to convince Mayor Allen that it would be necessary to saw off the island of Manhattan, and then sail it past Ellis Island, where it could be spun around and floated into a new position. Lozier having a very charismatic and persuasive personality was able to get people to want to be a part of this project by supplying food and doing different outrageous jobs. The hoax was in the fact that they were able to not only trick people into believing that Manhattan would really be sawed off; but also that between 500 and 1,000 people showed up at Bowery and Spring Street ready to kick off the project. In the end, the hoax is pulled off because Lozier and DeVoe escape to Brooklyn, and are never arrested because no one will admit to falling for the ridiculous scheme. The combination of facts and story telling elements make this story not only creative nonfiction but something that is enjoyable to read, and also leaves the reader questioning whether or not this story itself is also a hoax.

While I believe that creative nonfiction is an important style of writing to understand and to be able to use when appropriate, there are also some people who have found valid reasons to critique it. It can be viewed as an excuse for authors to take something that is fictional and loosely use it to create their own stories and opinions, with out using enough credible information to be considered any type of nonfiction. An example of this can be seen in James Frey’s now controversial “memoir” A Million Little Pieces. After the book was published it was discovered that a lot of the information in the book was not true but fabricated. While Frey did go to rehab, a lot of the events that took place in the story did not actually happen in the time he spent there. In a way this makes me question this as a work of creative nonfiction and just how much personal or creative material can be used in a piece of writing before it is considered fiction. I can see how there is a very fine line between creative nonfiction and straight fiction writing. It is essential for authors to create the right balance to prevent problems in credibility similar to those that James Frey faced.

While the use of creative nonfiction may not be appropriate for all subjects, I believe that an understanding of the properties of this genre can help in any area of study. Even though bringing aspects of your own life or experience into a history term paper for example might not be a good idea unless you were specifically assigned to do so, being able to connect the things that you can relate to or enjoy to assignments and course material can make work more enjoyable, well written, and relatable to your own life. The use of creative nonfiction takes away from just doing assignments because you have to do them. An understanding of this style of writing helps you to think about topics beyond what is presented and gain a deeper and more personal understanding.

Project Runway

Season four of Bravo’s hit show Project Runway has just come to an end, and the winner was, youngest contestant this season, Christian Siriano. Christian is a twenty-one year old freelance designer from Annapolis, Maryland. He studied fashion design at The Baltimore School for the Arts, and The American Intercontinental University in London. Christian got started in fashion at the age of thirteen when he got a job at “Bubbles” a local salon. One of his big breaks came in 2005 while studying in London he showed a small line at London’s Fashion Week, which led to the opportunity to work for two of his all time favorite designers, Alexander McQueen, and Vivian Westwood. With a quirky personality, unique perspective on challenges, and catch phrases such as “fierce”, Christian quickly became a favorite on the show. Christian describes his own “design aesthetic” as being a “Euro urban, expressive, creative style with news shapes and attention to detail.” He also believes that the five must have clothing items for everyone are, a fabulous black dress, an amazing blazer, a pair of fierce pumps, some great denim, and a favorite vintage shirt. To the delight of viewers of the show Christians work can be seen in a spread in Elle Magazine. While his line is not yet ready to be purchased on bluefly.com, it is coming soon and in the mean time looks inspired by the collection are available.

In Style’s Top 20 Beauty Essentials

This is the list of In Style magazine’s top twenty makeup trends for this spring. They have covered everything from the freshest new products, to different brushes for application, as well as the hippest ways to carry around all the products needed to take any look from a basic day to a stunning evening look.

1)Customizable Lip Color: easily blended into countless shades to match any spring outfit

2)Clump-Free Mascara: to prevent stuck together lashes

3)An Everyday Watch: perfect for casual outfits and running errands

4)A Double-Duty Liner: can vary intensity of any look with two complementary shades that can be worn together or alone

5)Iridescent Eye Shadow: perfectly light and airy for the start of spring

6)Flawless Foundation: the starting point of any pulled together look

7)Perfectly Pink Powder: gives your cheeks an ideal flushed look with out being overdone

8)A Classic Makeup Bag: splurge on a designer bag the great quality will last for years and make it well worth the price

9)Color-Complementing Compact: there are many products available formulated to accentuate your specific eye color

10)Chic Shades: sunglasses are always the ultimate accessory for spring!

11)Leather Wristlet: great way to carry the essentials for quick touchups

12)Evening Eye Brush: pointed eyeliner brush works wonders for precision application

13)Liquid Liner: try this in a shocking shade of violet

14)Bold Polish: make a loud statement on your nails and toes with out taking to big of a risk this season

15)Colorful Mascara: in eye-popping shades like bright pink and blue layered to compliment each other and any eye color

16)Luminous Liquid: light moisturizer to make skin glow from the inside out

17)Beauty Bling Dior and YSL offer products from lip gloss to solid perfume in sparkling wearable packaging

18)Cocktail Ring: great for drawing attention to perfectly manicured nails

19)Lip Gloss for Night: shimmering light reflecting gloss is just enough to balance defined eyes

20)A Natural Bronzer: wake up your skin with a little bronzer or peach blush

Trends: To Wear or not to Wear

Have you ever found that no matter how hard you try some trends just don’t work? But still appear to be effortlessly worn by others… I have found that the key to pulling off many trends is to incorporate the look into your own wardrobe and not blindly following what others are doing. By using the basic concepts and making them work for your lifestyle, body type, and own taste you can make almost any trend work for you.

One trend that I have noticed is either put together and worn so well or a complete bust is the “lingerie look.” When paired with the right pieces and done subtly this can be a great idea. But there is a fine line between looking pulled together and like you just rolled out of bed. A tip to insure that this look will be a fashion hit is to keep in mind that tops made out of satiny fabrics with show every little problem area so don’t wear them too tight, a more relaxed fit is best. Also always look for unique details or lace accents that make this look your own. This is best worn with feminine and almost airy pieces like a skirt on, and a pair of open toed heels. Jeans or a tight fitting skirt and pumps can make this look cheap and somewhat tasteless. To prevent looking too bare this trend looks extra classy when worn with a cardigan sweater. To top off this ultra girly look pull everything together with a chic clutch.

For those who have a bold sense of style a graphic printed dress or top is a great staple for the upcoming spring season. While almost the opposite of the dainty “lingerie look” this trend also can easy go from cool to clown if you are not conscious of what you wear it with. To keep this trend from looking to “80’s” try the hot abstract patterns in smock or trapeze shapes or a floaty top. When accessorizing it is not necessary to pile on the jewelry and is best to just let the dress speak for itself. As with any smocked or flowing dress a belt is a great way to give a more defined shape. When paired with wedged shoes and a classic style bag in a daring and unexpected color this look is defiantly a hit

It seems that lately everyone is “going green”. While turning off the lights and trying to recycle are small steps in the right direction Smashbox Cosmetics has come up with a new gimmick for the many environmental and beauty conscious girls for this spring. Their spring 2008 make up collection or the Green Room line features products that are completely eco-friendly. These products are perfect for spring and also biodegradable and recyclable. Smashbox has teamed up with Trees for the Future so that with every purchase of one of these products a moringa tree will be planted in a developing country. The products are the same that many women have grown to know and love from Smashbox they are just packaged in more environmentally conscious ways. These products are now available at Sephora, Nordstrums, Ulta, Bloomingdales, Fred Segal, and online at smashbox.com.

Seventeen Spring Trend Report

Last month’s issue of Seventeen Magazine featured a spring trend report in their monthly fashion section. They looked at this seasons trendiest looks and showed how it is being worn by celebrities, on the runway, and their own “17 Way”. The spread also featured different clothing and accessories that fit into each look. The trends they included were boyish preppy, new nautical, bright florals, pretty pales, tribal prints, and bold patterns. This wide variety covered the entire spectrum of styles fitting the preference of all of their readers. The tip for pulling of a “boyish preppy” style is mixing classic and more feminine pieces to prevent a boxy silhouette. The magazine suggests wearing a brightly colored mini skirt and a pair of tights to balance a blazer and button down dress shirt. Kate Bosworth and the runway models at Lacoste this season have been seen wearing sea worthy nautical stripes. The key to pulling off this look is not going too far over board. It is best worn when done in moderation, and when worn in more modern shapes, for example a trapeze shaped top paired with a pair of shorter shorts. Bright floral prints can be worn on shoes, bags, bathing suits, and all a types of clothing. When trying this eye popping look on a dress for example it is important to wear a solid colored article of clothing as well to avoid looking like wallpaper. Also to avoid over kill start by trying this trend just on a bottom like in a skirt of pair of shorts. The “pretty pales” look is exactly what it sounds like to pull this off try white jeans, ribbon belts, and girly tops. Incorporating tribal prints can give any outfit a bohemian feel. To put together a look with tribal prints accessories can be the key, don’t hesitate to pile on tons of wooden jewelry an inexpensive way to pull this off. Gladiator style sandals are also great for spring and scream tribal, when wearing these it is best to wear a simpler outfit like basic jeans and a tee shirt. The last look featured was taken from the runway of Tracy Reese. Her bold printed clothing is now available from many different designers and at every budget. The multiple patterns can be worn at one time as long as they have a common color.

“The Most Beautiful a woman can be is confident as herself” – Ken Paves

It seems that Ken Paves and Jessica Simpson have found the solution to bad hair days. Their collection of affordable clip in extensions has been the answer for women who want to change or spruce up their look. These extensions range from just under one hundred dollars to five hundred dollars and are made out of either synthetic or actual human hair. They come in all different lengths and styles and each one is available in twelve different shades from jet black to platinum blonde. Ken Paves has been Jessica Simpson’s hair stylist for years and they collaborated on this project. These extensions can be used to add length and or volume and shape to anyone’s hair. They only take minutes to attach and remove, and each come with a detailed illustrated guide that when followed leads to a perfect attachment each and every time. Unlike some other clip in extensions these look convincing, and as though you spent the day in the salon. To insure this luxury could be brought to everyday women, Jessica Simpson was very involved. The designs were originally created by Paves for Jessica to wear for roles in films, or on the red carpet. She became so fond of them that she took an active role in the product, designing and testing the different styles, and helping to market the extensions. While I think that these extensions are a great idea that can be a quick fix for a special evening, some users have reported that while the human hair is a great feature that it can have spilt ends and become tangled just like the consumers real hair.

Roses are Red Violets are Blue

Valentines Day always seems to sneak up and catch people off guard too often resulting in a gift picked up from the local CVS or Walgreens. While it may be too little, too late for this year, I thought that I would take advantage of this Hallmark holiday to look at some gift possibilities for future reference. I was pleased to see that in the new shopping section of instyle.com there was a special area dedicated to what to buy him, her, and even the kids for Valentines Day. In my opinion, girls are the easiest to shop for especially for Valentine’s, where chocolate, flowers, or that special piece of jewelry would be perfect. Guys on the other hand can be particularly challenging this time of year. Some of the suggestions for her, included romantic or floral fragrances, a pair of unique heart shaped earrings or a multiple heart necklace, an Italian leather journal, a make up kit for a special date night, a bouquet of exotic flowers, Swarovski crystal stud earrings, or a pair of leather glove. For a more difficult boyfriend or husband, some options are a red cashmere sweater, a wine gift set, or a high tech wine opener, or a “sleek pen”. Chocolates are always a sweet idea, but my personal favorite is a digital photo frame that can be proudly displayed in any office or home. Seeing as kids get more than enough candy and cards from school parties some alternative ideas are cute “love” themed shirts, a dress coat, belt, or a pair of flats, for the more fashion forward kid. A pair of pajamas or some dress-ups is also a nice idea. But for the majority of kids, a new Webkinz or a favorite candy would be your best bet.

The Look for Less

On the one hand I have always loved a good bargain, but at the same time I would love to be able to shop and dress like a celebrity. In the past shows like “The Look for Less” on the Style Network would set up a person with a stylist and a picture of a runway look. They would then be given one hundred dollars, and just one hour to shop in order to recreate a high end runway look. This approach to shopping, buying simple pieces at lower prices to create a specific look, is challenging, fun, and can be very rewarding. While you definitely do not need to be on a TV show to get the looks of your favorite designers or stars, many websites and magazines are now doing most of the hard work for people and making it easier than ever to find these bargains. For example you could take Heidi Klum’s evening look shown above and get all the pieces including the accessories for less than eighty dollars. In Style magazine online recreated the look getting a similar black blazer from Old Navy for only $9.50. The sequined top was a bargain from Forever 21 costing $25, the scarf from Wet Seal was only $3 and black pumps a steal at $10. The trendy dark jeans in the look were replaced by a pair of $30 Levi’s. This is just one example of how if you know what to look for it is possible to recreate a look on any budget. The website shows other celebrity outfits and their thrifty counter parts including stars like Katie Holmes, Jessica Alba, Rachael Bilson, and several more.

In the past couple of years it seemed there was no limit as to how low-cut a pair of jeans could go. More and more women have bought into the skinny jeans trend squeezing their legs into pants that are shaped like matches. To the relief of most women who are not a stick thin model, high-wasted and wider legged pants are making a bold entrance back into style. Magazines from Seventeen to Cosmopolitan are featuring this more classic look in their fashion trend sections this month. The high-waist jean was number one on Seventeen Magazine’s “It List” of top ten spring trends. They paired the look with a simple graphic tank top tucked in with a bold belt and bangle bracelets. While this is a look that is extremely trendy and hip right now it can be a challenge to confidently put together and pull off. Cosmopolitan was kind enough to provide readers with some easy to follow tips to make this look work on any body type. For example, they suggested balancing out the wide leg of the bottoms by wearing either an embellished or brightly colored top. This look can be difficult for more petite women to pull off without looking like they are swimming in their pants, to avoid this try pairing wider jeans with a tailored v or scoop neck top. When you elongate your neck, it lengthens the entire torso, making the rise of the jeans not so extreme. For anyone who is slightly curvier it is helpful to cinch in the waist to prevent from looking too wide. Some ways to make this a leaner look would be to wear a blazer or jacket with seaming and one button, or a thin patent leather belt for a pop of color. If you are still not convinced that there is no way to avoid these jeans making you look wide just keep away from any type of flat shoes and instead try a stacked heel, perfect for spring.

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang an up and coming designer has had his innovative and beautifully designed clothing have been seen everywhere lately from Hollywood’s leading ladies to fashion week. The appeal of this twenty four year old designer’s line is its versatility. Pieces such as the “Goddess dress” can be effortlessly be dressed up for evening events or red carpet appearances. While more casual cardigans and shift dresses can be worn daily as just “cool and chic clothing”. He has been known to say that in each of his lines that his muse is always his costumer, who he fondly describes as the girl who looks like she is a model off-duty. The line is not only limited to dresses for day or night but also included stunning skirts and cashmere sweaters, favored by stars like Keira Knightley. Alexander Wang has been linked to international supermodel Erin Wasson, and has become a huge hit with all of young Hollywood. February 11, 2008, issue of In Touch magazine featured a short article on the designer, in The Buzz, by Bobbie Thomas section, which showed pictures of Molly Sims, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Hudson, Hillary Swank, and Gossip Girls star Blake Lively wearing his latest line of clothing. While his designs can be purchased on at shopbop.com they are definitely not inexpensive with even simple tank tops started at a steep $207.

Alexander Wang Spring/Summer 2008

Blast From the Past

Thrift store and vintage clothing shopping have become more of a common practice lately. Numerous shoppers are experiencing the thrill of hunting for treasures from past decades. This type of shopping involves patience while searching through racks of clothing, and a sharp eye for finding high quality items. There are many stores in throughout Manhattan that specialize in this type of clothing including Screaming Mimi’s, with stores in New York and Tokyo. What Goes Around Comes Around, where the likes of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Mischa Barton, Matthew McConaughey, and The Beckhams, have been known to shop. Zachary Smile, located in Soho, and Cheap Jacks with reasonable prices that stay true to its name. While the prices at many vintage clothing stores offer jeans from all time periods that can run up to $250, more than a new pair of a designer brand. Other stores including true thrift stores sell vintage tee shirts and worn in clothing for next to nothing.
While some of the prices of these pieces might not seem worth it for previously worn clothing for designers and stylists looking for a unique alternative to replace off the rack clothing What Goes Around Comes Around has the answer. In 2003 the store opened a 7,000 square foot archive including 10,000 items of hard to find pieces from designers including Pucci, Alaia, and Hermes. No matter what your taste or budget there is something for everyone when it comes to vintage clothing.

Vintage Clothes Shopping in Soho

Ford Models shopping for vintage clothing at Zachary Smile

It seems that today women cannot get enough of luxury items including animal print accessories. This up and coming animal trend has been taken to the extreme as shown in the February issue of Elle magazine. The monthly Beauty News section featured a stunning picture of a perfectly leopard printed eye lid. This new concept goes above and beyond the conventional department store eye shadow. This astonishing shadow is applied by Professional Instant Eye Shadow Applicators. They look much more complex than they really are and are simply pressed onto each lid and than dusted with a translucent powder to set the look. This new product seems strange and hard to grasp at first but Elle summed it when they compared them to being similar to temporary tattoos.
If the “Leopard Lounge” shade isn’t your thing these single use shadows come in other shades including a wild zebra print, or “Sapphires and gold”. The cost of these “eye opening” statement makers is eighteen dollars for a pack of five, or thirty dollars for ten. While this might seem like a slight sticker shock at first the company states that having these eye shadows is the equivalent of having a professional make up artist at your finger tips. Even though some people argue that these eye shadows take out the fun of application, I feel that some of the more neutral shades would be appropriate for more formal occasions. This is a trend that may or may not catch on in the make up industry and while I can only see a select group of people using these regularly, I am sure they will be making an appearance on run ways everywhere very soon.