Dont you just love spring? I do and lurked the blog Decor8 for all these lovely images.
I love the coral frames, I would love to do this at our cottage.
From etsy's front page
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
My 100th + black & bold preview
My 100th post deserves something a little special.
Preview image from Black & Bold a spring beauty editorial. Look at the face, Brianna Peebles of Factor is drop dead gorgeous! She is stunning! Photography: Jon Cancelino Styling: Xza Louise Makeup: Enid Seymore and Rommy Hair: Rommy and Kerre Berry
I am asked all the time how to incorporate the latest trends into your existing wardrobe when you are A. on a budget and B. not built right for the trends.
Well this season it is all about bright coral tones and reliving the 70s. Bring on the wide leg trousers and colors some might say, but for a short curly haired girl like myself I can't do either.
While those wide leg pants can be slimming on some and give the illusion of fuller curves, on a girl like me(34-24.5-36) they are the worst thing imaginable. First of all, I am mid-height, 5'4.5 to be exact. I have an hourglass figure, hence my fondness of fifties dresses. they suck me, showcase my waist and make my hips seem less intrusive. The 70s are my anti-christ. I want to curl up and hide everytime I see this trend emerge, but there are ways to incorporate big bold looks into your spring wardrobe without looking like a cow. I promise!
Case in point. This model, albeit a size 2 has some serious curves. Not your average skinny mini that is for sure. Insstead of using a wide leg jean I used a skinny jean paired with a looser top. The look is sexy, chic and oh so affordable. You can find a top similar to this at stores like Forever 21 otherwise you can shell out $150 for this Theory top at Saks. Not too bad, right?
The jeans are Marc Jacobs and were only $295, but to do this look on the cheap you can go to your neighborhood Marshalls pick up a pair of blush or light grey skinny jeans for under $30 and a top similar to this for under $25. A chic look that is flattering on us girls with some curves.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
One item left
Across the net, and on just about every television set we encounter we are sold items of luxury, glamour and necessity. Ads influence us through appealing images, tasty promises and samples of scents. When do these ads go too far though? Is it when they try to talk us into things we don’t need or is all advertising inherently evil?
I don’t necessarily feel that all advertising is evil, but there are certainly issues that should be addressed. One of my biggest pet peeves within the advertising industry has to be the use of the scarcity principle. It’s used as a scare tactic and I wonder how many innocent customers fall victim to this, at time, fraudulent practice.
The scarcity principle is the urge or need to obtain something, because it is presented to be in a limited amount. Advertisers certainly take advantage of this.
While planning my recent business trip I encountered this on a popular travel website. When each flight I looked like said there was only two tickets left at a certain price, it makes you almost panic in a frenzy to buy the last remaining tickets in fear of having to pay more. But here is the thing, do you really end up paying more if you don’t buy that last two tickets or do you pay less?
On QVC they frequently use the scarcity principle in addition to the liking principle. The count down of items left is used in addition to a timer. Starting at about minute 5:00 you can hear a woman call in. She is encouraged to buy the product and how great it is, by the end she is saying, “maybe I should buy two.” Her acknowledging her like for the product in addition to the ticker at the bottom of the screen the viewer is being influenced by both principles.
At minute 6:42 it can be heard that there are only two dozen items left! This use of the scarcity principle attracts your attention and if you haven’t already you might consider picking up that phone and dialing in for your very own photo storage unit.
Humor and advertising
Nowadays I DVR my favorite shows ad breeze pass the commercials, but once there was a time when I did watch live television. I actually take that statement back, to this day I always watch one program “live” at 6:30 and that is Wheel of Fortune. While I try my best to block out the commercials I always catch myself staring back at the television waiting for something amazing to happen. Or at least a commercial that is slightly more creative than the everyday car commercial. The only time I tend to really get sucked into commercials is when the ad involves humor, and guess what/? I am not alone in this matter, in fact, I found an entire scholarly article about the subject of Humor and Ad Liking.
Turns out the way ad creators keep their jobs is due to schmoes like us who buy into the feel good nature of ads. Many studies have been commissioned to see just how the human mind responds to ads and in the article I found, it is evident that this isn’t taken lightly.
The method Galloway and his team used was selecting ads from 1994 commercials from London. Forty two undergraduate students were required to rate the commercials in regards to funniness, arousal and liking. The ads ranged from a baby miming a song to a tire commercial. The ads were ranked as humorous and liking versus non-humorous ads and the sensation they garnered from the recipient. While the researchers believe that the retention rate of ads that use appropriate humor far exceeds ads that do not use humor, it is all dependent on the type of humor used, the setting in which the ad is played and the context by which the humor is delivered.
In actual reality I wonder if there is a real way to understand if humor always works or if it doesn’t. is there really a common joke that everyone finds funny? One has to wonder about this, as everyone interprets humor differently. Just as Brits have a different sense of humor than those in the US, they might not find out humor funny at all.
In direct relation to this study I found this video on youtube. I sent it to some of my friends and asked them if they thought it was funny, only 8-12 friends said it was, even though I thought it was hilarious. What do you think?
Galloway, G. (2009), Humor and ad liking: Evidence that sensation seeking moderates the effects of incongruity-resolution humor. Psychology and Marketing, 26: 779–792. doi: 10.1002/mar.20299
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Fabric Illusion
The March 2011 issue of INK magazine hit newsstands (or at least your computer today). Here are two sneaky peaks of the shoot. You can view the rest here.
Photography: Jon Cancelino
Wardrobe Styling: Xza Louise
Assistant Stylist: Nicole Hughes
Make up: Enid Seymore
De Carr
Hair: Melissa Messer
Christina Atrip
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Cats Pajamas
What a fun filled weekend it has been! Where to start? Well, Friday was spent out in Elgin, IL with my dear friends Nicole of BombshellShocked and Karyn of Dethrose Vintage. At booth number 10 we classed it up with our fine vintage, sweet as pie attitudes and radiant personalities. Plus each of us donned our 50s best in adorable dresses! Hopefully I can track down a picture of the three of us all dolled up.
In the mean time take a gander at what was seen at the show.
Isn't this girl darling? Her name is Megan and she is a milliner based in Chicago. Her etsy store is Blue Bow Millinery
9 year old Libby and her darling 7 year old friend who made at least 4 wardrobe changes throughout the evening! I loved that by the end of it she was in cute vintage heels.
Can't get over how adorable Libby is in her felt skirt and frames.
the always stunning Rose in head to toe vintage.
Oh and you wonder what I did with the rest of my weekend? Well a little band called Naked Raygun played with Dropkick Murphys.
While you have time check out my friends at the following shops...
www.etsy.com/shop/BombshellShocked
www.etsy.com/shop/Dethrosevintage
www.etsy.com/shop/Slapsymaxi
and all my other friends and fellow vintage sellers
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Roller Girl
This great segment is from the Red Bull Banked Track Jam I styled a couple months back for Nude Hippo. Enjoy!
French New Wave
Christian Dior Resort, Carven Spring, Proenza Schouler Resort
60s New Wave Films
Sonia Rykiel Resort 2011, Whit Fall 2010, Orla Kiely Spring 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Great American
What happens when you follow the yellow brick road too far? No we are not in Kansas, but instead on the shores of Southwest Michigan. I love Chicago dearly, but I also love escaping the city for some fresh air, antique shopping and a grilled cheese that rivals no other.
I was hoping on picking up quite the haul, but instead I walked away with half a dozen items. I am not disappointed though!
If I could fit more than my right thigh in this size 5 girl scout uniform I would have bought it. Too small though! Bummer.
Till next time
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
thinner than fiction
My husband often jokes that I “Play Barbie for a living” and 90% of the time I nod and grin. What I do is a lot of fun, I get to spend lots of money on fabulous clothing for affluent women and up and coming models. I shop for real women and girls with bodies most women envy.
Now go back a sentence and realize that I said girls—bodies. The majority of the models I work with are not only well under the age of 18, most often they are 13-15, 5’10 and naturally waif thin. They are beautiful, vivacious and healthy. Let’s face it, it is rough being a teen in general, now let’s make you a girl that not only towers over her girlfriends, but also every boy and possibly teacher at her school. The taunting and teasing are bound to get rough. Modeling is a way for this girl to only feel pretty, but be appreciated for her height.
As long as there are parents to guide there daughters, I see nothing wrong with girls entering the world of modeling at such a young age. While yes there is peer pressure out there, but in reality the same amount of pressure is probably felt in any cafeteria around the country as there is on the runway.
In the 90s there were a lot of journal articles regarding the influence of thin models on the rise of eating disorders. While some studies suggested that there was a positive correlation between the two in my opinion the only relationship the number on the scale has in contrast to the amount of thin models one looks as it would be the disgust a particular person may have towards the actual obesity epidemic.
DeGroat, Bernie. "Media Influence Eating Disorders." February 13, 2011 | The University Record Online. 22 Oct. 1997. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://www.ur.umich.edu/9798/Oct22_97/media.htm>.
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