Why do people get tattoos of partners and spouses on their bodies? Please find another reason to decorate your body. My suggestion is to go for body art that is temporary, such as glitter, paint, and jewels. Bindis can be used on all areas of the body, not just the face, and body paint and glitter are fun ways to accessorize an outfit. I’m not saying to go overboard and paint your face as if you are headed out to a college football game, but a subtle body jewel peeking out from your dress is perfectly acceptable for a night out with the girls. How to wear body art? Wear it any place that you would typically wear a necklace, ring, or bracelet.
[From top to bottom: Gothic Lace Tattoo, www.LacedandWaisted.com, Olive Teardrop Bindi, www.etsy.com/shop/tribalcarnival, Black Star Bindi, www.etsy.com/shop/thegypsykiss, Bindi Self-adhesives, www.etsy.com/shop/handmadebyani)
Airbrushing - a true art form.
From top to bottom:
1. “Land of the Rising Sun” Helmut by Norman A. Quinn, www.imaginni.co.uk
2. & 3. Point-Blank Airbrush Hat and Sun-Burst Orange Airbrush Hat by Original Spray, http://originalspray.bigcartel.com
4. Philadelphia Eagles Airbrush Shoes by www.AirImagination.com
5. Shoes by www.HardLifeStyle.com
Have you noticed that all the men’s fashion magazines are cramming the trend of bright-colored pants down every man’s throat? Not that I don’t like bright pants on men, but I don’t know how many REAL men actually feel comfortable wearing bright pants, as evidenced by the less than a dozen men I’ve seen wear this trend on the street. The thing GQ isn’t telling you is that this is a difficult trend to pull off, even for women. In order for you not to resemble a clown, you need to keep in mind that there should be no more than one bright article of clothing per outfit. Also, going all out on your first try is not something I recommend. If you want to wear more color in your wardrobe, start by choosing darker shades of a color you already like. And if you still need more time to think about adding a pop of color to your wardrobe, accessories are your best bet for getting acquainted with this trend. Here are a few accessories that can help you get started:
1. Forest Camouflage Belt by Art On Leather, www.etsy.com/people/artonleather
2. The Ron Burgundy and Pink Tie by Handfull of Yes, www.etsy.com/people/handfullofyes
3. Cool ‘Jake’ Stingy Brim Hat by House of Nines Design, www.etsy.com/people/houseofninesdesign
Vests make great bland t-shirt cover-ups. Think of them as the pretty headband on a non-hairwashing day, but for your torso.
Cashmere Camel Hair Vest by dear pony, www.etsy.com/people/dearpony
Felted Bolero with Ruffle Corsage by TianaCHE, www.etsy.com/people/tianaCHE
Draped Knit Waistcoat by Kate Tailyour, www.ustrendy.com/kate-tailyour
Wrap Vest by Ariel Simone, www.ustrendy.com/arielsimone
Wedding season is officially here – not that I have any weddings to attend, but if I did, here are few of my favorite dresses that I can easily see myself wearing:
If I feel like outshining all the guests at a wedding, this Black Strap Dress is perfect (www.ustrendy.com/eggcream).
Black Strap Dress by Eggcream
Flora Dress by Fariba Mirzaie
Flower Dress by Biljana Karanakova
Mantra Dress by Three Little Ducks
Bright Pink Carnival Wig with Birds by Tiffany DeMichele, www.etsy.com
- Butterfly Wig by PPLongstocking, www.etsy.com
- Calamari Creampuff Wig by Sweet Hayseed, www.etsy.com
I don’t really know how this happened, but sometime during Easter dinner my father and his friend brought up the subject of buying wigs for themselves so that they can start a garage band (evidently long hair = success). I have no desire to see my father in a wig, as much as my mother has no desire to see her husband playing in a garage band using our garage, but ever since this conversation I have been thinking about buying a wig for myself. My hair is very kinky-curly and has a mind of its own, so on certain days when my hair isn’t behaving, it would be nice to smother it and teach it a lesson. And if I’m going to wear a wig, I might as well get a wig that would obviously be wild and crazy, because there is nothing worse than a person trying to pass off a bad wig as realistic hair. Who knows? Maybe my dad will let me join the band.
For more info, contact the designers at:
Tiffany DeMichele – www.etsy.com/people/TiffanyDeMichele
PPLongstocking – www.etsy.com/people/PPLongstocking
Sweet Hayseed – www.etsy.com/people/SweetHayseed
Loving the feather trend, but hoping to avoid being mistaken for Toucan Sam? Wearing feathers can add a lot of fun to an outfit, but bear in mind that feathered attire requires a little more forethought before dressing, so here are a few helpful hints for those of you trying out the trend:
- There is such a thing as too many feathers. You don’t want to resemble an actual bird, so keep the feathers to a minimum. Accessories with feathers are the safest option for those who want to ease their way into the trend. Purses, headbands and brooches are all safe options.
- Darker feathers look best. Very simply – the darker the color of feather, the more sophisticated the look. However, if you can’t seem to tear yourself away from a bright pink feathered clutch, then go ahead and purchase it, keeping in mind to pair it with an understated outfit to create a balance between eclectic and pretty.
- No one wants to find feathers in their coffee mug. Unless your line of work is burlesque theater, feathers should not enter the workforce.
- They will itch you or tickle you. The last thing you want to do on a date is to be giggling every time you take a bite of food because your peacock feather earrings are brushing up against your neck. Make sure to try on the feather item before you purchase it so that you can test whether or not they will bother you or even irritate your skin.
- No one wants to see crumbs of food or wet feathers hanging off your body. Make sure to pay extra close attention to your eating and drinking habits while wearing feathers – the pigeon look is not sexy. Put a bib on if you must because cleaning feathered items is near impossible.
Aya Large Red & Orange Earrings by Haji Couture, www.hajicouture.com
Pluma Shirt by Adolfo Sanchez, www.adolfosanchezdesigns.com
Evening Gown, www.etsy.com/people/Couturelabel
Name one meal that can be improved by eating it outdoors. Springtime is here, which means that outdoor eating is going to be all the rage for the next couple of months. Personally, I dislike eating outdoors. I don’t like to be outdoors period. Why should I eat outside where there is no barrier whatsoever between my food and bugs? Not only that, but Chicago is a breezy sort of town, and it never fails that someone will forget to weigh down their plate, so that when a gust of wind comes gushing through the area, a plate will go flying and land directly on me. My solution is to stay indoors, but if you still prefer to eat al fresco, here are a few items you might want to consider wearing:
A lightweight hat for keeping the sun out of your eyes.
Purple Asymmetrical Hat with Cream Bow, $280 www.couturehats.co.uk
Hair pins for keeping your hair in place and out of your face.
Solid Bronze Hydrangea Blossom Hair Pins, $64 www.woodlandbelle.com
A large bag to hold an extra set of clothes because you know a food stain is probably in your future.
La grosse, $340 www.veinage.ca
This is the thing about Spring Break: no one in the northern half of the United States is really ready to indulge in springlike clothing until we are well into summertime. For the past 6 months, we have been eating to preserve our warmth, thus are bodies are beginning to resemble life-size Polish sausages. You won’t catch a northern hemisphere-dwelling co-ed dead in a bathing suit on Spring Break, lest they are mistaken for beached whales as they’re attempting to heave their bodies out of the pool. So for those of you ladies who have been able to keep in shape, here are some cute bathing suits to consider for this year’s Spring Break. And now if you will please excuse me, I have a date with a batch of cookies.
Anelka Bathing Suit by Anna, $60 www.ustrendy.com/anelka
Blackout Bathing Suit by Keva Johnson, $186 www.ustrendy.com/keva-by-keva-j
White Bombshell Vintage One Piece Bathing Suit with Gold Details by Crazy Hot Clothes, $85.50 www.ustrendy.com/crazy-hot-clothes
Is tax season sucking your wallet dry? Is that dream vacation to the Bahamas turning into a vacation in the woods with a hammock and a shovel? Are you thinking twice about throwing away your Chinese takeout that has already eaten away at the styrofoam container? Unfortunately, I can’t afford to send you any green. However, I did find a few cute green items that will rock your wardrobe.
Now, I know this clutch is only partially green, but that is what makes it so pretty. Just a smidgen of green is enough to make both the ribbon and the pattern stand out.
Teal Chevron Stripe w/Emerald Ribbon ALEXIS Clutch by ao3 designs, $45 www.ao3designs.com
Tree in a Circle Silver Earrings by KUKLA studio, $69 www.etsy.com/shop/KUKLAstudio
And just because I always need heavy socks/slippers in even the warmest of weather…
Knitted Knotwork Slippers - Wool Forest Green by Morrgan, $35 www.etsy.com/shop/Morrgan
