DIY: Fascinators!

Finding an idea for this month's DIY left us both scratching our head for a few weeks. Then Riley brilliantly brought up the option of doing home-made fascinators! They're relatively easy to make, cheap (depending how big or bold you want it), and they fit perfectly into our monthly theme of The Show Must Go On. Plus, since it's high season for weddings, it could be a good way to accessorize if you happen to be heading out to a lot of ceremonies this summer.

While you could easily buy these from an accessory store, (they're in style, thank you Kate Middleton), making a fascinator piece as a DIY is awesome because it can be exactly how you want it for about the same price. The ones we made turned out completely different from one another! So this tutorial will highlight a few basic steps to make sure you get something beautiful and lasting, but the rest is up to your taste and creativity. 

So, forget the mall, hit your local craft store, and let's get fascinating!

Budget: $20.00 per person
Difficulty: 4 out of 10
Who else is rocking it: Kate Middleton, Lady Gaga

Step 1: Get the supplies!

A few things to remember before you go shopping. You'll want to have some sort of idea in mind, whether it be a particular item (like veil tulle or a flower) or even just a colour scheme!
We only say this because craft stores are GINORMOUS. Without some sort of idea, you could literally waste an afternoon wandering around the labyrinth of buttons and glitter (awesome) finding all the possibilities and zero David Bowie (not as awesome). You'll also want to decide if you want a clip, headband or a hair comb, which can limit or change what you do with your piece. 

Our four basic must-haves for this DIY are:
• your base (headband, clip, comb, as mentioned before)

• thick felt or fabric

• a glue gun

• a sewing machine or a needle and thread. 

These are the things that almost every fascinator will need. The rest of the items are the fun stuff. Feathers, flowers, jewels, ribbons, pendants... What you buy is completely up to you and your imagination!

Note: We bought a LOT of stuff, all pictured here. But we didn't end up using some of it, so save the receipt! If anything is left un-opened and you don't plan on using it, return it and save some dough!

Step 2: Make Your Felt/Fabric Base

No matter which kind of base you choose, this step is crucial. These little pieces of felt or fabric will make sure your fascinator is super secure and will last you more than just one or two wears. They're the big, secure area that is glue and stitch-friendly to put all your fascinating things on! Pretty important, no? Well don't worry, they're so easy to make, too! 

We took a thick cotton fabric (felt is probably an even better option) and layered it up so it was a thick, pillow-like oval. Then all you do is stitch (by hand or with a sewing machine) all those layers together, to a sturdy result.

They don't have to be pretty, as they'll be covered up in not time.
Note: Remember to make these ovals in relative size to the item you're making your fascinator on.

Step 3: Play with the Items!

Before or after you start to plan out how you want your piece laid out, make sure that anything customizing to pieces is done first. For instance, on Rebekah's fascinator she wanted to put a button in the middle of her flower.

Another example is if you want a veil, play with the tulle and cut or stitch it together the way you want it, or pre dye any fabric ribbons to the colour you want if you're feeling ambitious. 

It's much easier to complete all these little steps beforehand, because if you don't want to get it exactly right, you can still take it apart and try again. 

Step 4: Your Plan of Attack!

You want to try combinations until you hit the one that looks best. Riley's is a prime example of this. She wasn't sure of the look she was going for, not wanting it TOO outrageous for everyday wear, but obviously a piece of this calibre required pizzazz! She took her time and really laid it out exactly how she wanted.  

On the other hand, Rebekah had a solid vision of her finished product so this step went quickly. It's better to take your time if you don't know what you want, because once you start attaching, it's much harder to switch your idea up!

Step 5: Begin Attaching

Once you have your fascinator laid out how you like it, begin putting things together one layer at a time! Rebekah wanted some tulle just at the base so she began by stitching it on...

Then she hot glued the feathers on just how she wanted them. As with the previous step, take your time. Even if you know how you want things, if you aren't careful, you could make a mistake (or stick yourself with hot glue, also fun). Of course it's always fixable, but if you pace yourself, you have a better chance of pulling it off without a hitch!

These steps are completely dependent on what items you chose way back in step 1. The best two pieces advice we can give is to: 1) Do it in layers and 2) Make sure everything is secure before you continue. Glue is probably the best way to put everything together, but if you can also put a few stitches in for extra security, do it!

Step 6: Attaching the Fascinator Piece to Your Base

After the layering, the planning and the burning ourselves with hot glue was finished, our fascinator pieces were complete. All we had to figure out a good way to attach them. First of all, make sure if you're making a headband, the placement ON the headband is what you want! This could take some work in the mirror, but it's much easier if someone, say your partner in blogging and crime, helps you by marking the headband (under the fabric of course).

Once you get it where you want it, glue it down on whatever base you chose. For those of you who didn't choose a headband, your fascinator should be finished! (Congrats, you look fabulous!) But headbanders, you've got an extra step! This is especially important if, like Rebekah, you chose a thinner headband. Because the fabric was much wider than the headband, she cut a rectangle and both glued and stitched it over the bottom side of the base, attaching it to the headband with extra reinforcement. This ensured her fascinator would stay put!

Here are our finished products!

Riley's beautiful Autumn-coloured piece with a pretty poppy!

Rebekah's crazy-coloured flower and feather piece!

Making these were a lot easier than what we thought they would be and really a lot of fun. Fascinators can be challenging to wear in everyday life, so if you do DIY one yourself, we would love to see pics of the awesome results!

Don't be shy about it either! These are kind of like a statement necklace, and really can pump up a simple outfit to make you stand out as a super classy fashionista! Really, it's just fascinating stuff!

- Riley & Rebekah Eden

The Velvet Team

Show & Tell: Aldo Statement Necklace

So for this week’s Show & Tell, I admit I didn’t have any clue what I was going to cover! There were a few things I’ve picked up recently, including some fun dresses, but I couldn’t think of why it made sense to blog about them other than the fact that…well, I like them!

Then it hit me. There was one basic, sometimes outrageous, thing that I think every person should own: a statement necklace! It just so happened that I had also just gotten one on sale at Aldo just weeks ago and it stands apart as more than a little different from the other necklaces I own.

I’m a huge fan of statement necklaces, maybe it's just because I like my jewelry big. I have big necklaces and big rings... The two staple pieces I most like to wear. But for some people, statement necklaces can be intimidating, since of course, some are crazier and bigger than others!

Here are a few examples I collected from around the world wide web!

#1: Forever21 / #2: ASOS / #3: ModCloth / #4: Urban Outfitters / #5: ALDO

#6: Urban Outfitters / #7: Forever21

Notice how broad the term ‘statement necklace’ can really be! It’s pretty much exactly what it says: any necklace that makes a statement! The bigger the better! They’re generally very bulky, but that doesn’t mean every one of them is over the top. Take the vintage inspired necklace (#5) from Aldo for example; it’s really just a pearl-like necklace except with a few extra rows. (It's also featured in this month's Trendy Thursday: Rockabilly edition!) The colours are soft pastels, and although it’s large, it’s still simple. This is in complete contrast to the one next to it (#6) from Urban Outfitters; that thing has just about every metallic hanging off of it! It’s definitely got a lot going on in just one necklace. But in the right outfit, it always works!

My advice when trying these big necklaces for the first time is ro wear it with something very simple; your favourite little black dress, a strapless romper, heck, even a white t-shirt and jeans, just to take something simple and put it on a whole ‘notha level!

Another piece of advice for those of you who don’t own a statement necklace is to make sure it reflects your own personal style! Get one in similar colours that you wear, or something like #2, just plain gold, because if you’re just going to own one, make sure you can wear it with a ton of different things. Necklaces like #3 or #4 are a bit harder to incorporate into just any outfit.

Now, I bet you’re wondering about that Aldo necklace I mentioned I got on sale, well, don’t worry! You get to see it!

The necklace is a huge piece of beaded, pastel-y wonder! I don’t have any necklaces like this, but the fact I got it pretty much free off of a 2-for-1 deal really was what sold me on it. Here I wore it with a basic collared shirt and some paisley hot-pants that I got from H&M! This outfit made me feel super 70’s boho and I was totally cool with that.

Do you own any statement necklaces? How do you find you generally wear them, or have you even tried it out yet? 

- Rebekah Eden

The Velvet Team

Media Inspiration: RuPaul

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
With the drag queens out prancing
And in the street dancing 
Yes Pride fest is here!
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Now if you're all ready to forgive me for getting sexy Christmas carols in your head, we can move on with the post!

In case you didn't already know, it's officially the two week Pride festival in Toronto! R.E and I have been going to the celebration for three years now, and the energy in the air always leaves us with a sense of overall well being, fabulousness and love for our fellow man. Whether you're L, G, B, T or any other letter of the alphabet, Pride is a time to feel a sense of overwhelming community, meet all kinds of different people, and oh yes, dress as glamorously as you possibly can. After all, the sun is shining, the rainbow flags are flying and the drag queens and kings are out in their full regalia!

In honour of Pride, glam, and all things completely showy, this week's media inspiration is brought to you by none other than international drag icon RuPaul, otherwise known as the man who wears stilettos better than I do. As much as I'd love to invite each and every one of you into my house for a pre-Pride bash and a marathon of his hit reality TV series, Drag Race, the video tells the story I can't. We don't have the time, the resources or the mental capacity to handle all of the amazing that it  would rain down upon us.  Gaze in awe upon those metallic gilded curves. 

 

Bold, beautiful, off the charts style and FABULOUS.  These are the reasons RuPaul is inspiration of the week! (Although, I think if you wanted to use him as a mentor for your life or maybe a spirit guide, that is also something that I could get behind.)

As a special treat, this week's outfits also include some makeup suggestions for an over the top drag show look as suggested by our cosmetician resource Sarah, who blogs over at A Brush With Beauty.

Stripes

This airy looking floor length gown is striped with bright vertical stripes, a large white belt and warm pink makeup. I thought the dress was pretty unique and the look channels something like an ancient Roman muse, punched up with warm summery pastels that obviously worked for inspiring yours truly!
DIY

Dress: Modcloth Eyeshadow: Smashbox 'Shades of Fame' Envelope Clutch: Dorothy Perkins Eyelashes: E.L.F Armor Ring: Forever 21 Eye Crayon: NYX Cosmetics

Bling

Ru also loves all over metallic, which we can totally get behind. The more bling, the better! However since Pride is a (mostly) outdoor June and July festival, I went for a shorter more summery interpretation of this blinged out ensemble.

DIY

Dress: ASOS Heels: ModCloth Cuff: Forever 21 Headband: Sephora 'Melange' Lip Tar: OCC Cosmetics Glitteratzi Eye Glitter: Hard Candy

This sequin and mesh masterpiece from ASOS mimics the idea of the dress, covered in gold, right down to the v neck cut. Instead of the tie around the waist, the cut outs (in season, hollah!) work to emphasize the waist and the curves of the body. It's blinged up with long lasting OCC Lip Tar (which  comes in a literal rainbow of colours including green, blue and purple) as well as dramatic red eye glitter to pair well with the gold in the outfits.

I can only hope that these outfits would be Ru approved! Sorry to be a drag, but I've got no outfit pictures today... However, R.E. and I are planning on having a blog post of our Pride outfit escapades next weekend, so stay tuned for that!

-Riley

The Velvet Team

Trendy Thursday: Longer Lengths

While on the same delightful thrift store shop that Riley and I went on where she found a killer pair of leopard print capris, I found a few fun little things of my own. The haul included a palm tree printed dress, some pieces of jewelry, and my first ever midi skirt. For those of you who are uninformed, a midi skirt is the length between mini skirt and maxi skirt. Of course, that’s a very extreme gap, but I classify midi from anywhere just below the knee to about mid-calf. Here are some wonderful examples from the Burberry Prorsum S/S 2012 runway:

(Photo Credit: Fashion Review)

The first thing that always comes to mind when I think of midi skirts is the 1950’s, where poodle skirts and mid-length skirts were being worn by everyone and their mother. It’s such a classy but playful look, but the problem I always had with midi skirts was my proportions. I don’t think height should stop anyone from giving things a chance -- I’m pretty average at 5’6” -- but the problem is my legs are definitely shorter  in proportion to my torso, and the midi skirts always just seemed to accentuate that in the worst way possible. But I love them; I just didn’t want to spend the money on something that I may not wear often.

But then this beauty appeared to me in the form of one $7.99 flowery garment, and I just couldn’t resist for a price like that. Have we mentioned how much we love thrift stores? Because we love thrift stores.

Romper (under skirt): H&M / Skirt: Thrifted / Shoes: Aldo / Sunglasses: H&M

All other accessories: Thrifted

There are a few reasons I love this skirt, beginning with the bright flowery print. Ever since I wrote that post about mixing patterns, I’ve had a love affair with florals that I’m hoping will never, ever go away.  I also love this skirt because it wasn’t too long. My thoughts with past midi skirts on chopping my already short legs down a few more notches have been silenced. The problem with many that I’d tried is they were too long for my legs. For those of you with legs that go on for ages, not only am I jealous of you, but also those mid-calf midi skirts are definitely made for you. This one is cut just below my knees, which still lets most of my calves show. And, let’s face it: I need all the leg I can get!


Side note: I’m definitely cheating a little here, as platform wedges will give anyone a longer leg-line! For those of you afraid to try this style, pair a midi skirt with a pair of heels or wedges and see if that helps!


But don’t worry girls! The midi-skirt is not the only thing I’m covering today. I also want to cover a style that women of all ages have adapted to like ‘fabric’ is their middle name. The maxi skirt, or full-length skirt, is one of those reoccurring styles we always see when summer hits. Everyone seems to become these fabulous bohemian princesses as soon as the temperature rises. I have to say, a few years ago, maxi skirts were the last thing on my mind. But the more I saw them, the more I began to fall in love with one of the most comfortable yet classic silhouettes there is.

Band of Outsiders has a few long lengths in their runway, mixed in with midi skirts, rompers, hoodies and collared shirts. But Band of Outsiders is so hip and bohemian, I knew I had to give you guys a little view.

(Photo Credit: Style.com)

Over the past two years I’ve had a few maxi dresses, one tragically lost to a stain from a shawarma (R.I.P). I invested in two more for this summer, one a basic jersey number with a funky back, and the other was a strapless royal blue dress with a huge tulip skirt. I’ve been able to wear my jersey one a few times, but I hadn’t yet gotten to wear the other, so I thought I would use it here!

Dress: Marshalls / Sunglasses: H&M / All other accessories: Thrifted

The best part about maxi dresses is they pretty much make an outfit themselves. You can choose how much or little you want to accessorize. A plain jersey dress can go from comfort to super chic just adding a necklace and a belt. This one I just kept simple, with a chain necklace and a few bracelets.

I think the best part about these longer length skirts, whether you go midi or all the way down to maxi, is they are just so elegant. It’s one of those instances where you don’t have to show a bunch of skin to be sexy and posh, but it’s all about how the fabric covers you. You can do as I did and go a little more revealing by going strapless, or you could pair them with a fun t-shirt, like I have in the outfit below!

Skirt: ModCloth / Shirt: Forever21 / Wedges: Lulu's / Purse: ASOS

Sunglasses: Aldo / Earrings: Forever21

So many younger women or girls think of their grandmothers when these think of wearing anything below the knee, but I disagree; they can be as fresh and young as you allow them to be! Here I matched up this kelly green midi skirt with a bright t-shirt and a cute little purse. Now, look me in the screen and tell me that’s something your grandmother would wear. If you can honestly say that, then, congratulations, you have the most fun grandmother out there!

Do any of you own maxi or midi skirts/dresses? What draw you to them? How do you find yourself wearing them in this hot summer heat?

Show & Tell: (Not) Sorry For Party Rocking

Every now and again Rebekah Eden and I get bitten by the thrifting bug. The mall is great, sure, but after a while it can get boring, repetitive and pricy. With our credit card bills already bringing us to tears and a whole summer ahead that has us scrambling for spending money and wardrobe updates, the thrift store is the perfect stomping grounds to get our shop on. Saturday afternoon, we hit the racks at our local favourite spot to search to our heart's desire. Thrift stores are a treasure trove of unique pieces you wouldn't find anywhere else, and in no time we had a shopping cart piled high enough that the change room attendant looked at us with either horror of  our conquest or admiration of our stamina.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Toronto, LMFAO were getting ready to host the 2012 MMVAs on Sunday night, which is where this thrifty Show & Tell is headed. Confession: I like LMFAO. They are completely ridiculous and, no, their lyrics aren't Byronic odes of love. Their music isn't going to win Grammys or change the world. In fact, the only thing it's is going to do is encourage people to party hardy, go hard, and wear more skin tight neon. You know what, good for them! They're not Leonard Cohen or Elton John and they don't pretend to be. That's what makes them amazing. In fact, after seeing their "Sexy and I Know It" video, I'm pretty sure Redfoo and Skyblu are men without fear or limits, especially when it comes to fashion. Who the heck doesn't want that? The super power to wear whatever you want without freaking out about what  your hips/arms/legs/stomach look like in them. Confidence, baby! It's always fashionable!

If you're wondering where this is all headed, let me finally, last-but-not-least make my way to the point. When I was at the thrift store, I happened upon a pair of leopard print capris. Black and white and high waisted all over. VERY high waisted, in fact. They were sold to me for a whopping 8 bucks, and I still took them home with lingering doubt that I would ever wear them, even though it was love at first sight, in a very Byronic way.

Sometimes, though, you just have to throw caution to the wind.  You have to wear the skyscraper waisted pantaloons, refuse to apologize for party rockin, liking LMFAO and making chronically dorky "RAWR" faces in your outfit pictures. That's why this week's item is, you guessed it, leopard print bottoms!

Animal Print Pants Outta' Control

Shoes: BCBG / Capris: Thrifted / Shirt: Thrifted / Bracelet: Forever 21
 Earrings: Thrifted / Lipstick: MAC in 'Morange'

This outfit is simple on the accessories just because the pants take up so much of the detail just by being LOUD. The draping in the shirt, the gold bracelet and some bright orange lipstick pump up the volume, as well as these giant white disc earrings I got on the same thrift trip. Not gonna lie, I felt pretty freakin' sexy and I knew it in this outfit. FIERCE.

Because I got these item in a thrift store, and they're  some wacky nameless brand made in Canada, I can't give you the exact way to get your hands of a pair of these babies without conducting a Mission Impossible style raid on my closet. As entertaining as that might be, with one pair to go around, we all could get pretty tired of sharing pretty fast. So here are three affordable alternatives and variations to explore!

Skirt: Forever 21 / Capris: Yesstyle / Leggings: ASOS

So what are you waiting for? Go wild!

-Riley
The Velvet  Team

Media Inspiration: Picasso

This week I decided to switch up the inspiration a little bit by choosing a well-known artist, Pablo Picasso. I wanted to choose something completely different from the past two, one being based off a movie, the other based off music, so I thought, why not painters or other artists? They can be just as inspiring as any other media.

The main reason I chose Picasso, other than the fact is he’s commonly known, is because his work is currently being displayed in Toronto. For those of you who live around the area, I thought it would be interesting to feed off of what’s happening close-by! His artwork is coming all the way from Museu Picasso in Barcelona, which is currently under construction. So if you’re near-by Toronto, or planning a trip there soon, I highly recommend going to the AGO to see his amazing work in person.

I was lucky enough to see some of his paintings when I went to New York a few years ago, along with many other artists of his caliber, at the Museum of Modern Art. It’s one thing to see pictures, but to see these paintings up close, in all their glory. I was never a big follower of more modern surrealist paintings, but that really changed my view of them. You see the size of the paintings, or the details of the brush strokes, or even the amount of paint on the canvas, and you realize it’s not just something to throw up onto a white board. It’s much more complex than that.

Picasso has many different periods throughout his life. He began under the training of his father, and actually started as a realist painter. It wasn’t until about after 1901 that he started developing the more surreal style. What many people don’t know is he is actually one of the founding fathers of the cubism movement. One of his most famous paintings, and one known as a major step in the beginnings of cubism, is a painting called ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’. Since it was such an influential piece in the history of his work and cubism, I thought I would start with that!

(Photo Credit)

Shirt: Forever21 / Skirt: ASOS / Purse: Lulu's / Shoes: Call It Spring / Belt: Charlotte Russe

Bracelet: TopShop / Ring: TopShop

The fun thing with translating paintings or artwork into fashion inspiration is picking out things from the piece that can be translated into clothing. Of course, colour is the simplest way to collect inspiration from art, but there are many other principles that work in both fashion and art. For instance, I chose the skirt because, not only was the colour perfect, but it also has an oblong shape, that much resembles the curvature in the arms and legs of the women. I also loved this top because the imperfect stripes almost look like brush strokes – how cool is that??

Another painting I chose, from his later years, was one called ‘Rembrandt Figure and Eros’.  This one, while very abstract, had amazing colour that I just couldn’t pass up! It also has little intricacies to it. I knew as soon as I saw it what would be the main piece I’d wear for this outfit.

Dress: Forever21 / Scarf: Thrifted / Clutch: Vintage

Belt: Thrifted / Shoes: Thrifted

I bought this dress a while back at Forever 21 and haven’t really worn it very often. But after seeing this painting, I knew that it was perfect for this. The scarf is a bit of a throw back to Thursday’s post all about Rockabilly, but I tied mine into a little bow. That scarf I just bought yesterday when we went out to the thrift store! It was perfect, as not only is an abstract pattern, but it also has almost the exact same reds, purples and golds as this Picasso piece! What a find!

I wrote this post mainly to show that inspiration can come from literally everywhere! It could come from a song, a movie, a TV show, celebrities, painters, photography, anything! The best part of inspiration is it’s all for you. Sometimes it’s a colour scheme, sometimes it’s the repetition, the pattern, and sometimes, it’s just the feeling or emotion it makes you feel. Don’t be afraid to try putting new combinations together, because generally if you love the look or feel of it in a painting, you’ll love it just as much in the clothing you wear. Inspiration from different media is all about inspiring you to try something new!

Have you ever found inspiration in an interesting place? If so, where? And how did you capture it?

- Rebekah Eden 

The Velvet Team

Trendy Thursday: Rockabilly

"I never kept up with the fashions. I believed in wearing what I thought looked good on me."

--BETTIE PAGE

Rockabilly is both a counter-culture, a genre of music, and oh yes, a style of dress that's in season for Spring/Summer 2012. It is best represented this season in the ready-to-wear shows of Anna Sui, but Roland Mouret also took a pretty good stab at the curvy cut of a 50s silhouette.

If you're not quite sure but Rockabilly is, allow me to give you a little breakdown. Popular elements of this fashion include:


• Pattern: polka dots, houndstooth, thick sailor style stripes, gingham, leopard, etc.
• High waisted skirts & shorts, hotpants and pencil skirts
• Motifs: swallows, anchors, nautical stars, cherries, dice (think Ed Hardy but LESS AWFUL)
• If it's vintage, you're probably half way there already...


All things Rockabilly stem from pop culture in the 1950s. Everything from big pin-up girl curls and pencil skirts right down to the popularity of nautical symbols and bright red lipstick. 
The 1950s are generally known as a more simple and pure time. A Coke cost a quarter, everyone listened to LPs, ate mom's meatloaf and went steady. On the flip side, this conservatism and Leave-It-To-Beaver goodie-two-shoe mentality spawned a dark, provocative alter ego. To me, this ragingly fantastic duality is manifested in two words: Bettie Page.


Page is known as the original pin-up girl. She started off with swimsuits, but perhaps is best known for her provocative and groundbreaking fetish modelling. What's more showy than that? She's the quintessential Rockabilly goddess, like a counter-culture Marilyn Monroe. The Nifty Fifties with an edge. Class, sass and brass. The girls of the sub-culture dress like her, rock her signature bangs, and pretty much idolize her. So when in doubt trying to wear in this mode of clothing, ask yourself, WWBD?

But since a lot of her well known work was on the more scantily clad side, it's finally time to get on with the clothes, since I'm pretty sure we're all already experts at how to wear underwear. For the time being, the little trend that could has found a spot on the main stage of fashion. While some of us don't care so much about being on trend, it's still swell to know that we can start looking for these vintage inspired pieces in more popular retail stores.

Maybe it was because I was anticipating writing this post, but I was feeling more Rockabilly myself this week and ended up with not one but TWO outfit pictures to show y'all. One, a little more casual, say for dinner at the soda fountain with your pals. The second is dressier, all set for a date at the drive in. 

#1 All In the Details

This casual outfit is demonstrative of the little details which help to make up the Rockabilly look. The knotted navy handkerchief, blue plastic earrings, horn rimmed glasses and red lipstick are great examples of ways to dress up your look and play around with it too...(Yes, I might be giggling like a Japanese schoolgirl in the photo on the right.

#2 My favourite dance is the polka...dot.

Dress: H&M Costume Pearls: Thrifted Shoes: Spring Pantyhose: My mom's. Frames: LOVE

The second outfit shows off more of the overall look and vibe. A bold polka dot print paired with pearls, a red belt and strappy cognac heels go pretty much right for the heart of the trend.

DIY

Rather than constructing an outfit for you to wear, I've done a different kind of leg work and found you a bunch of great pieces that fit into this type of look. Sort of like an inspiration board, but with more hot pants than is probably standard. I like hot pants, what can y'do?

Gingham Dress: Delias Polka Tank: Old Navy Rose Hairpiece: Etsy Leopard Headwrap: Forever 21
Pastel Pearls: Aldo Nautical Shorts: Modcloth Peplum Halter: Forever 21 Heart Hot Pants: ASOS Houndstooth Heels: heels.com Rose Heels: Spring Swallow Necklace: Modcloth

That's all she wrote, folks! And by her, I do mean me. We'd love to know what you think about this retro reboot! Who is your favourite 50s pin-up? Bettie Page? Betty Grable? Some other Betty we've missed? Leave a comment or tweet us pictures of your style swag: @visforvelvet. Until next Thursday, keep on rock(abilly)ing!

-Riley

The Velvet Team

Show & Tell: H&M Sheer Top

With the theme of the month being The Show Must Go On, there is no way we can’t show a little bit of skin somewhere along the line. Women have found countless ways over the years to show a little (or a lot) of skin over the years, some more tasteful than others. This season is ripe with interesting cutouts and laces, but this week, I’m going to focus on one that can be worn in countless ways all with a flirty and fun result. I’m talking sheer tops, people!

For the past week I was struggling to think of an item that I could showcase. I mean, I have lots of clothes, I have endless of online resources, and one would think it would be easy to find something to feature! However, sometimes you find something you love and it ends up working perfectly for not only countless outfits, but also one blog in need of an item of the week! I found a beautiful sheer graphic top (pictures to follow) while out shopping for a bathing suit (pictures not to follow) at H&M. Possibly the best part of this whole story is this baby was only $14.95!

I’m just going to put something out there: I’m a pretty cheap person when it comes to clothes. Generally, I have a rule that if something is sheer I refuse to pay more than $20 for it. However, I might start changing my mind now! I had the monetary cut-off because I couldn’t help but think to myself that sheer limits you so much. You have to wear a shirt or nice bra underneath; you can only do so much with it. But it got me to thinking: you get to show a nice shirt or bra underneath, how often do you get to do that without sheer? It opens up the possibilities so that you can show off items in a way you might not have been able to before. Not only do you get to show off other items of clothing, but also you get to show some skin! 

I’m a strong believer that women of all sizes and shapes shouldn’t be afraid to show off what they have and sheer tops is a shining example of a piece literally anyone can wear. Even if you’re self conscious, there are a huge variety of sheer fabrics that can work with you. If you want to just give a hint to what’s underneath, you can go with a darker, thicker sheer that may just give a sexy hint of what’s going on under there. But for those of you who are loud and proud, sheer can get nearly transparent and you can show the world what you’ve got! For those of you who may be a bit curvier or voluptuous, check out another blogger, Gabifresh, pull off this trend and looked absolutely fabulous doing it! 

Shirt: H&M / Pants: H&M / Shoes: Aldo / Bag: Aldo / Bracelet: Vintage / Sunglasses: GAP

I wore this H&M shirt pretty much as basic as it can get, with a palette of black, white and red. I love my heels, but a pair of flats or sandals would’ve looked just as wonderful here too! The top itself is pretty much perfect for me in the amount of sheer. I’m not afraid to show a bit of skin, but I want something kept the imagination. I also really like button-downs; this top is going to look super cute also done with a front knot instead of completely buttoned up.

However, I’m a little quick on the uptake! This shirt is so new, H&M doesn’t yet have it up on their website. So instead of doing another outfit completely devoted to just this shirt -- because, hey, the more sheer the better -- I did another outfit featuring a different sheer blouse, and a completely different way to wear these fashionable tops!

Shirt: ModCloth / Corset: TopShop / Skirt: Urban Outfitters / Shoes: Aldo
Purse: LuLu's / Friendship Bracelet: ASOS / Beaded Cuff: ASOS

This outfit gives the polar opposite feel to the one I’m wearing above. It’s much more girly, much more springtime, especially using a brighter palette. I love the idea of using a bralette or corset underneath the sheer! It’s the perfect medium between bras and shirts, and a great option for those of you who want to keep a bit more covered!

I definitely recommend one of these basic sheer tops for this season! Not only is it flirty, versatile and outgoing, but also it’s super lightweight for those hot summer days ahead. For those of you trying this look for the first time, try sticking to a basic neutral (the shirt I’m wearing also comes in a pretty nude colour) for even more options when wearing it! What do you think of showing a little skin this summer off of the beach? Would you give it a try?

-Rebekah Eden
The Velvet Team

Media Inspiration: Gold On The Ceiling

R.E. and I had the pleasure of seeing The Black Keys live this past March. Even though we could literally only get the worst seats in the house, the entire experience was still awesome. Turns out, one of the best kind of shows is a live music show. I once read a review of one of their performances in NYC that called them a band out of time. Their gigs could have taken place in the 1970s or now, and they would still resonate and sound good without the aid of frivolous modern technology.  They rocked a crowd of thousands, but would have been just as awesome (if not better) in a dive bar or a coffee shop. What makes the Keys awesome is their simplicity and the overall vibe that at the end of the day, what matters to them most is the music.

The Gold on the Ceiling video is the epitome of The Black Keys experience. It has retro film grain coupled with black and white shots, a killer denim wardrobe and the premise of it is simple: a lot of good old fashioned rocking out. If you haven’t seen it, turn up the volume and hop to it. 

Sartorially speaking, two guys like Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are all about understatement. Their music is soulful, but their wardrobes are simple. Which is exactly why we decided this video should be the Media Inspiration for this week. The rising popularity of minimalist fashion, playing it casual and cool, and oh yeah, this:

Behold, the notorious, infamous, dreaded double denim. This is formerly the look of rock bands in the 70s and soccer moms in the 90s, now re-adapted into hipster gold. Patrick (on the right) is rocking jean from top to bottom, which is a tough look to pull off. Good thing for you, here at V is for Velvet, we love a challenge.

 

Glasses: Alfred Sung Jean Jacket: Thrifted Gap Jean Dress: H&M Belt: Thrifted Gold Sneaks: Keds Ring: Vintage Harmonica necklace: Forever 21

DOUBLE DENIM • KEY POINTS
• To make the denim look a little more accessible, try using two different shades of it. A light and a darkwash are always good places to start!

• To lighten the layers I used a jean dress and a spring jacket to achieve DD status. It is summer for the most part, and no one wants to cook like a turkey.

• Accessories include my dad’s vintage graduation ring, a thrift store brown belt (coincidentally reminiscent of Dan's studio guitar strap) and a silver harmonica necklace, as a nod to the blues. 

• In keeping in line with theme and basement rock, I threw on some gold washed Keds and called this a day. Where my sneaks at?


TRY IT YOURSELF
If you're still not convinced that double denim isn't for you, there are other ways to get your style on with a nod to the Keys without dressing in monochrome denim from head to toe.


At one point in this video, our eyes are blessed with the amazing sight of Patrick Carney wearing this thing of beauty....

THIS. Pretty sure it's a joke to them, but we have a raging stud addiction that won't be satisfied, and this so-blinged-it's-channeling-Johnny-Cash-in-Vegas style jacket hit the sweet spot for me. So I concocted an outfit to try and bring a bit of summery, feminine accent to the whole concept. Still, I picked ultra studded shorts, a collared shirt (another element of Keys' style), and again, avoided heels to keep it casual.

Cap sleeve: Forever 21 Studded Shorts: Topshop Shoes: Aldo Derek Cardigan Glasses: Clearly Contacts Guitar Necklace: Etsy

 

That's it for this week's Media Inspiration post, now we put the power back into your hands. How would you tackle double denim? What's your favourite Black Keys' tune? Will I ever stop asking you questions? (Probably not.)

- Riley

The Velvet Team