Posts filed under 'Women’s'
Q: I love trapeze tops, but think I am too old. How can women in their late thirties (39) modify [this] trend?
A: If you love trapeze tops, you should wear them! Just be mindful of what
you wear them with, and look for styles with an appropriate amount of coverage. Some rules of thumb? Look for sleeved styles, and avoid overly exaggerated shapes.
Pictured is a trapeze shaped "dress" that would work
nicely over jeans or pants: Velvet Torch Scoop Neck Empire Dress ($52 at Nordstrom.
It has a flattering neckline and an easy to wear shape, and at that price,
it’s a deal. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you might want to try
this colorful Nanette Lepore Print Shift Dress ($275 at Nordstrom)…again, over a pair of pants.
Another Omiru reader, Robyn, offered up another idea for sleeveless trapeze tops. Robyn suggests layering a sleeveless trapeze top over a long sleeved shirt or turtleneck. Not only will the layered tops keep you warm this Winter, but it also makes the trapeze top look more age appropriate.
Style question? We’ve got answers. E-mail us at tips at omiru dot com, or leave us a comment with your question.
March 1st, 2007
If you’re debating whether or not you should trek over to Target to check out Tara Jarmon’s French-inspired line, vacillate no more. Go out and try on the Silk Bow Applique Camisole in Plum–the aforementioned feminine camisole is worth every penny of the $29.99. I was thoroughly surprised at how nicely the top sat on my bodice, considering its price.
Plusses:
- The cut is really nice and reveals a bit of cleavage,
- The material is silky and comfortable,
- It doesn’t look like you’re wearing a top from Target, and
- It’s only $29.99.
Minuses:
- The bow is made of a material that sheds like a hairy dog (be careful when wearing it with a long necklace because the material can get stuck to the chain), and
- I haven’t washed mine yet but I am a bit scared to because I feel like it won’t look the same once I do.
Wear it With:
Cuffed brown short shorts, off-white open-toe pumps, and a long gold-chain necklace.
June 5th, 2006
Target has switched gears from England to France by saying goodbye to British designer Luella Bartley and saying bonjour to Canadian born French designer Tara Jarmon. Tara’s très chic flirty French designs landed in Target stores at the beginning of May and will be followed by designs from fellow French designer Sophie Albou’s label Paul & Joe. The latter will feature a collection of women’s pants, tops, jackets, and more, with prices ranging from $7.99 to $149.
Although Tara’s entire collection for Target is affordable AND wearable, we highlight for you the ones we would want to be in if we were stranded on the Eiffel Tower:
Best Dress: ‘Cause every girl needs a LBD.
Tara Jarmon Strapless Dress - Ebony | $39.99 at Target
Best Tank: Sure to make you feel royal. (plus the bow looks a lot like the one on Keira Knightley’s Oscar dress).
Tara Jarmon Silk Bow Applique Camisole | $29.99 at Target
Best Skirt: Cause it looks like something Gwen Stefani would wear.
Tara Jarmon Printed Strip Skirt | $29.99 at Target
May 8th, 2006
Many guys will agree; it doesn’t get much better than seeing a beautiful girl…and another beautiful girl. Get your mind out of the gutter! I’m not referring to anything PG rated, but instead to LA artist Win Lin’s limited-edition anime graphic tees at Urban Outfitters. There’s a racerback cotton style for every type of gal: “Insecure,†“Liar,†“Vain,†“Annihilator,†and “Lachrymose Baby.†If you like none of these, just choose the fine art portrait you think looks most like you! Omiru got a chance to talk with Wil.
Omiru: How did the collaboration with Urban Outfitters start?
Wil: A buyer from UO serendipitously visited a Los Angeles boutique where I was having an art show in 2003. She bought some of my artwork and contacted me nearly a year later to see if I’d be interested in doing a collaboration with them.
O: What was the process of making the tees?
W: UO determined the material, cut and finish of the garment, we talked over the color options, I pitched for their approval a set of words and images I thought were thematically consistent, and I recommended where to place the images and the words. All of it happened very quickly–they accepted everything right away.
O: From where do you draw your inspiration?
W: I usually draw to vent some perceived injustice or injuries on my ego– usually triggered by those who I desire or desire to be. I believe this insufferable side of me can be made more palatable when it is delivered in the form of an attractive human face or figure. Technically or stylistically speaking, I used to consume copious quantities of fashion magazines throughout the 90s and I practiced drawing Linda Evangelista almost daily throughout the height of her popularity, so my style definitely reflects that aspect of my life history.
O: How long will the tees be available?
W: I am not clear on how long UO will be stocking the three designs I currently have in their stores, but I know that four new designs will appear in UO stores either this month or next month. I am still working with them, and I think they are shooting for a mid-summer release of some new items–whatever it is that I come up with.
Like what you see? Visit Urban Outfitters to get yours for only $28.
March 30th, 2006
Summer may be four months away, but it’s never too early to learn about upcoming trends. Even if you’ve never swung a golf club in your life, it would be to your stylish benefit to sport Celine’s Summer 2006 Open Golf line. Inspired by the Couture Sportswear initiated by Madam Vipiana (aka Celine, the founder of the line) and fused with urban practicality, Open Golf ensures that all chic women, golfers or not, can don this half sporty, half preppy collection outside of the putting range.
Color Palette: Tangerine, white, khaki beige.
Silhouettes: Inverted pleats, tartan skirts turned up, Bermuda shorts, cardigans, polo shirts.
Accessories: Beige leather sneakers marked by CELINE logo, ankle socks, beige bag with canvas flap and tangerine leather band, solid white or orange visor.
Where to Buy: In Celine stores mid-March.
What’s she wearing? White Cotton Polo, White Jacquard Chain Print Sleeveless Cardigan, White Cotton Short Pants with Bicolor Belt, Coral Cotton and Linen Canvas C Sulky Long Strap Bag, Khaki Lambskin Glove.
February 20th, 2006
It’s always been a struggle, finding chic yet comfortable shoes that fit perfectly (pun intended) with an on-the-go lifestyle. To make matters worse for us, the Bay Area’s torrential rains can be entirely unrelenting around this time of year.
So what’s a girl to do? Go on a shopping hunt! We searched high and low and found some wedge pumps, luxurious ballet slippers, streamlined waterproof flats and even a pair of cozy shearling slip-ons that are all suitable for work.
Give us your two cents: Where do you shop for comfortable work shoes?
Ennis by Tara Subkoff | $295 at Easy Spirit
Meribel Shearling Clog in Camel Suede | $135 at Cole Haan
Serafina Velvet Ballet Flat in Velvet Merlot | $98 at Banana Republic
Sigerson Morrison Rubber Skimmers | $135 at Vivre
December 7th, 2005
Q: For a cocktail party in June, I plan to wear a Marc by Marc Jacobs dress. It’s knee-length and ruffled, and has a mauve background with pink, fuschia, and pewter-blue flowers, with brown stems [and] a royal blue waist tie. The shoes paired with it at the store where I bought it were blue patent leather sandals with about a two-inch stiletto heel, a little high for my taste. What other color shoes would you suggest wearing with it? Do I have to look for blue shoes?
A: No, you don’t have to look for blue shoes. The general rule is that a shoe is usually in the same color family as the outfit it is accompanying, but not necessarily an exact match. Often times, when you make an exact match, the result comes out too "matchy matchy." Not to mention the difficulty in finding the exact match in the first place.
There are a lot of colors represented in the dress, so you have a lot of leeway here. You might want to try some shade of pink–or even tan, to bring out the brown of the stems. Both colors would likely work with other items in your closet as well. Remember, however, that shoes in vivid colors attract attention–and consequently make your feet look bigger. For such shoes, I’d recommend sticking to barer styles that are easier to wear.
As for type of shoe, for the dress that you described, I’d recommend a kitten heel. A low, delicate heel is a lot easier to wear than the stilettos you described. Plus, I think the kitten heel is more versatile, as it works with both cocktail clothes and work attire.
April 22nd, 2005
I’ve been getting more questions via email—I’m just going to make this Q&A week! If you have a burning style question, send it my way: styleintelligence@gmail.com.
Q: Is it okay to mix metals (e.g. gold and silver) when choosing jewelry?
A: Yes, it’s okay to mix metals. However, be careful to choose some unifying theme. I’d recommend choosing pieces that are similar in style, color, or even shine. You wouldn’t, for example, want to combine a shiny platinum and a dull gold. When in doubt, there are always pieces that are made of multiple metals—these generally do a good job with the combination.
Note that the same guidelines apply for picking metallic-colored pieces of clothing.
April 20th, 2005
How did I get started?
I’ve always Loved fashion, and it’s been a dream of mine since childhood to work in the fashion industry. However, fashion wasn’t really encouraged in my family—I have traditional Asian parents that wanted me to become a doctor or a computer programmer. I was trucking along, doing the parentally approved thing, right up until my freshman year of college.
I was studying Management Science and Engineering (optimizing Stuff—it was the closest thing to a business major that Stanford had), and I knew something was missing. Not that I didn’t enjoy the business classes, but I knew that I wanted to apply them to something more creative than say, a software company. Researched some fashion schools in the Bay Area, and found the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. As it turned out, they had an evening program for the Fashion Design major, specially designed for people with day jobs. I then spent the next two and a half years taking business classes during the day and fashion classes at night, graduating with an AA in Fashion Design, and a BS and MS in MS&E. I’m leaving out the ugly details of what that entailed, but suffice it to say, I didn’t get much sleep.
While going to school, I was fashion consulting. Got experience in helping people choose outfits for anything from interviews to dates to weddings. After graduation, I got my start in fashion design by showing my first collection in San Francisco’s first-ever Fashion Week in August 2004. I also continued doing fashion styling work—a recent project included styling a Hair/Fashion Show for the Patrick Evan Salon. And here I am writing a fashion blog!
Shameless Plug Alert: There’s more to come—I’ll be launching a line of clothes (men’s and women’s) later this year. More on that later.
The key takeaways here?
Don’t give up, if you really love fashion. You’re bound to run into roadblocks, but find creative solutions to overcome them. Finding a creative solution is what fashion is about anyhow, isn’t it?
Get as much experience as you can, as early as possible. While in school, volunteer for projects—helping out at local fashion shows, or interning with a designer. Learn as much as you can, both in the classroom and outside. Read fashion magazines and trade publications like Women’s Wear Daily or the Daily News Record. Broaden your fashion knowledge in any way that you can!
I took an unconventional route by going startup style (I guess it’s the Silicon Valley bug…how very 2000 of me). But hey, it’s becoming more acceptable as time goes on—just look at startup successes like C&C California. A more traditional route to becoming a designer is to intern at a company, work your way up the ladder, and eventually become a designer. Or starting your own label once you’ve established yourself at a major design house (e.g. a Calvin Klein or a Ralph Lauren). As for fashion styling, you would first intern with an established stylist, learn the ropes, and eventually break out on your own.
A Word of Warning
People aren’t kidding when they say fashion is a tough industry. Part of it I think is the inherent fickleness that fashion industry cultivates, but another part of it is due to the intense competition for jobs. I have no doubt that the slim profit margins of the industry also play a role. FYI—fashion salaries can be kind of grim. Especially when you’re starting out. Internships are often unpaid (or for little pay), and entry-level salaries aren’t so pretty either.
I wish you the best of luck, and feel free to ask follow-up questions. I’m a strong supporter of fresh design talent, and would like to advise in any way as I can!
April 19th, 2005
I got a question from OrangeBox5 about what fashion designers and fashion stylists do, and how to break into the industry.
So here’s the scoop:
Fashion Design: Fashion designers provide “creative direction†for a line of clothing—they are responsible for the look and feel of the collection, and they oversee the design process.
What is the design process? A simplified version looks like:
- Choose collection theme.
- Choose fabrics and colors.
- Sketch garment ideas.
- Refine the sketched garments, and choose the garments that will move on to the next stage: first samples.
- Make first samples.
- Test these samples through fittings on fit models.
- Refine samples, and choose those for production, using input from fashion merchandisers and retailers who have placed orders.
- Manufacture garments.
- Quality assurance: check for garments out of spec.
- Finishing & Tagging.
- Ship to stores/customers.
Things can get pretty crazy, considering that all this work needs to be done for each collection, and work is usually being done on multiple collections at the same time. The lead time from beginning to end of the design process has traditionally been about a year. This means that for a company with two collections per year (Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter), they’ll be working on both at the same time, though they’ll be at different stages of the process at any given time. Just imagine how crazy it is for companies that produce four or five collections each year!
Now, depending on the size of the company, designers will have a variety of assistants helping with the nuts and bolts of the process. There are textile specialists that source out fabrics from textile manufacturers, technicians that ensure that the fabrics are dyed the Exact Right Color, patterndrafters, sewers who sew the first samples, sketchers who translate the designer’s vision into a physical drawing, and more.
Fashion Styling: Fashion styling, or fashion consulting, involves designing a “look†for a client. Stylists don’t make the clothes—they act as editors and pick and choose what they want to create the image they’re after. Stylists can work for celebrities, for clothing manufacturers (Fun Fact: Queer Eye’s Carson worked as a stylist for Ralph Lauren), for films, and for individuals. Each job is different, but here’s an outline of how a styling job might work:
- Discuss with the client the look they’re after (and the budget for the job).
- Obtain measurements of the individual(s) you’re dressing.
- Shop! Find clothes! This has to be my Favorite part.
- Meet with the client and review the clothing selections.
- Dress the individual(s), and make any adjustments (style wise via accessories or tailoring for fit), as needed.
FYI—the sheer length of my answer motivated me to split this post into two parts. Check back tomorrow for second part of this post, which discusses how I got started in fashion, as well as advice for those who want to break into the fashion industry.
April 18th, 2005
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