http://cruel-kid.blogspot.com/2010/09/win-picard-bag.html
The blog itself is lovely. The writer has great fashion sense and I love how she's decorated her home.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Win a SWEET bag!
Follow the link below to enter to win a Picard bag!
http://cruel-kid.blogspot.com/2010/09/win-picard-bag.html
The blog itself is lovely. The writer has great fashion sense and I love how she's decorated her home.
http://cruel-kid.blogspot.com/2010/09/win-picard-bag.html
The blog itself is lovely. The writer has great fashion sense and I love how she's decorated her home.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Ramones: And every time I eat vegetables, it makes me think of you.
One of my ALL TIME favorite bands, The Ramones...
They were the primary influence on my high school fashion sense. In those days, I wore mostly faded jeans, tight-fitting band shirts, often with the sleeves but off, and converse. I know, pretty overdone and cliche, but I thought I looked pretty rockin'.
They were the primary influence on my high school fashion sense. In those days, I wore mostly faded jeans, tight-fitting band shirts, often with the sleeves but off, and converse. I know, pretty overdone and cliche, but I thought I looked pretty rockin'.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
New favorite outfit...
The big, bold polka dot bolero is from a church thrift store, where you can fill a paper grocery bag full of stuff for only $2! I love that place.
Zebra cropped cardigan was from Ross (discount store) -- I think it was something like $5 because it had a tear that I eventually mended. The purple top was originally a dress but it shrunk in the wash, so now it's a shirt! It is from Susie's Deals, a store I came across in Las Vegas where everything is $5.99 and up, but nothing was really over $10. This was $9.99. Shorts are old and from Old Navy a few years ago, and the sandals are Mossimo from Target.
Vote please?
VOTE!!!!!!
If you vote for Thrifty Cent, we could be the first to show off an exclusive Lanvan collection video, but also, it would get this tired old lonely blog some views. C'mon... help a blogger out. Just click a button. Please? Thanks!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Street Fashion Round-up: Black, Lolita, Fringe, James Joyce Sunglasses
Gosh! I've been neglecting this! My camera is not working for unknown reasons, so until I get that figured out, here are some badass outfits from Lookbook.nu.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Street fashion trend: All black outfits & How to Make Them Work, with Kat Von D, Jordin Sparks and more!
This isn't news by any means, but I am so into all-black outfits. They've been showing up fairly often on runways for awhile. I think Gucci had a fall or winter season a few years ago where they showed off all black looks, and suddenly I was in love. Whereas before I thought all black outfits looked awkward and overdone, I now saw elegance and beauty in them. But... what did these designers know that I didn't? My black outfits were failing miserably. As a teenager, I was into the whole goth scene: the music, the look... but goth clothing can appear tacky and cliché when not styled properly, like this.
Here's how Kat Von D wears it:
How does she pull it off? When I was in high school I'd try on all kinds of outfits in my bedroom. I had a few pairs of black jeans, and I'd try pairing them with a black top, but somehow the outfit would feel awkward. Those outfits never made it beyond my bedroom door.
So, what's the secret? There's a trick to making a look like this successful. It's all about LAYERING! Think about different textures, like leather (real or pleather), velvet, suede, cotton, lace, shiny vinyl or PVC, matte fabrics, cable knits, and so on. A cotton shirt with a cotton shirt in all black's just going to look boring and just doesn't feel right, kind of like this outfit Jordan Sparks (American Idol) wore:
The fabrics are just too similar. That's not to say that she looks bad, but the outfit lacks spice.
Here are some more successes like Kat Von D's...
She mixes a matte knitted (and high shouldered) top with leather shorts and leather shoes. Her accessories (leather bag and round Chanel-esqe specs) really help to make the outfit interesting. Some times it's all about accessories. Accessories, like silver and gold toned jewelry, can really set an all black get-up on fire... in a good way.
With black, you have more options than you might have thought. Lace and sheer mesh are in right now, so it's easy to find them in stores, but you'll certainly be able to find pieces with a lot of character while thrifting. I just got a sheer black blouse at the Salvation army that will go GREAT with my $2 thrifted leather pencil skirt and black bra. (I know, I desperately need to show off my recent finds. Sorry!)
Another thing you may want to give a second chance is fringe. Fringe may have had it's heyday in the late 60s and on into the 70s, but by the 80s and 90s it got stale, tacky... People ran around with puffy leather jackets with swede fringe hanging from their arms, while the fashion police cringed. Lately though, daring fashionistas as well as celebrities have been adopting this misfit into their outfits. Fringe is back! Some designers are taking a new approach to fringe, like these from Giuseppe Zanotti:
And with studs and chains being so popular right now, I guarantee you'll find a cheaper alternative. I was just in Rue 21 a few days ago and they had spiked black stillettos! Craziness. (I wanted them but decided combat books and a lace top were better investments. I don't have many fancy occasions to get all gussied up for these days.)
Let these looks inspire you!
Here's how Kat Von D wears it:
How does she pull it off? When I was in high school I'd try on all kinds of outfits in my bedroom. I had a few pairs of black jeans, and I'd try pairing them with a black top, but somehow the outfit would feel awkward. Those outfits never made it beyond my bedroom door.
So, what's the secret? There's a trick to making a look like this successful. It's all about LAYERING! Think about different textures, like leather (real or pleather), velvet, suede, cotton, lace, shiny vinyl or PVC, matte fabrics, cable knits, and so on. A cotton shirt with a cotton shirt in all black's just going to look boring and just doesn't feel right, kind of like this outfit Jordan Sparks (American Idol) wore:
The fabrics are just too similar. That's not to say that she looks bad, but the outfit lacks spice.
Here are some more successes like Kat Von D's...
She mixes a matte knitted (and high shouldered) top with leather shorts and leather shoes. Her accessories (leather bag and round Chanel-esqe specs) really help to make the outfit interesting. Some times it's all about accessories. Accessories, like silver and gold toned jewelry, can really set an all black get-up on fire... in a good way.
With black, you have more options than you might have thought. Lace and sheer mesh are in right now, so it's easy to find them in stores, but you'll certainly be able to find pieces with a lot of character while thrifting. I just got a sheer black blouse at the Salvation army that will go GREAT with my $2 thrifted leather pencil skirt and black bra. (I know, I desperately need to show off my recent finds. Sorry!)
Another thing you may want to give a second chance is fringe. Fringe may have had it's heyday in the late 60s and on into the 70s, but by the 80s and 90s it got stale, tacky... People ran around with puffy leather jackets with swede fringe hanging from their arms, while the fashion police cringed. Lately though, daring fashionistas as well as celebrities have been adopting this misfit into their outfits. Fringe is back! Some designers are taking a new approach to fringe, like these from Giuseppe Zanotti:
And with studs and chains being so popular right now, I guarantee you'll find a cheaper alternative. I was just in Rue 21 a few days ago and they had spiked black stillettos! Craziness. (I wanted them but decided combat books and a lace top were better investments. I don't have many fancy occasions to get all gussied up for these days.)
Let these looks inspire you!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Fashion Icon: Siouxsie Sioux
I first discovered Siouxsie & the Banshees sometime before or around high school. I was drawn to the slow and dark sound of their music, but also to Siouxsie Sioux.
She was first known to run around with the Sex Pistols and their posse back in the late seventies. At that time she had a bleach blonde buzz cut, and often donned men's button up shirts and ties.
After the band dissolved, Siouxsie was able to make an image for herself, reinventing her style drastically, helping to start the gothic subculture that grew during the 1980s.
I admire her style for a lot of reasons. Some are superficial. I love layering different textures of black. I like the goth subculture because I think it's cool. Yeah, that's very high school, but I also love her style because it's sexual in a way that's assaulting to the onlooker. In her early days she'd wear shirts so thin you could see her breasts, vinyl underwear so tight they looked like they were painted on... Her sexuality wasn't there to impress men. She was in control of it, using it as a tool to stand apart from the public.
Basically, she's badass and I love her.
I have been terrible with updating, and I have a ton of thrift store finds to share, so stay tuned guys.
If you like this post, comment, digg it, tweet it, whatever floats your boat -- anything helps get the word out about my blog!
She was first known to run around with the Sex Pistols and their posse back in the late seventies. At that time she had a bleach blonde buzz cut, and often donned men's button up shirts and ties.
After the band dissolved, Siouxsie was able to make an image for herself, reinventing her style drastically, helping to start the gothic subculture that grew during the 1980s.
I admire her style for a lot of reasons. Some are superficial. I love layering different textures of black. I like the goth subculture because I think it's cool. Yeah, that's very high school, but I also love her style because it's sexual in a way that's assaulting to the onlooker. In her early days she'd wear shirts so thin you could see her breasts, vinyl underwear so tight they looked like they were painted on... Her sexuality wasn't there to impress men. She was in control of it, using it as a tool to stand apart from the public.
Basically, she's badass and I love her.
I have been terrible with updating, and I have a ton of thrift store finds to share, so stay tuned guys.
If you like this post, comment, digg it, tweet it, whatever floats your boat -- anything helps get the word out about my blog!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Viva Las Vegas!
So, I just got back from a week long trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. It was very hot and very dry, but I had a blast. We perused many of the bigger hotel casinos like Treasure Island and Ceasar's Palace that had amazingly high end stores! Of course, I couldn't afford anything but it was fun to look. Here are some gorgeous Prada shoe displays:
There were all kinds of great stores that I drooled over...
Being around all those expensive stores inspired me in my shopping trips to places that were tailored to my budget. I will show off my finds in my next post.
There were all kinds of great stores that I drooled over...
Being around all those expensive stores inspired me in my shopping trips to places that were tailored to my budget. I will show off my finds in my next post.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Fashion Icon: The New York Dolls
I've been working on writing an article on fashion fads and the various subcultures over the decades, so I've been watching a lot of documentaries to look at what people were wearing. I got thinking about The New York Dolls. Many people credit them as the true first punk band, but one thing is for sure, they really kicked off the glam rock thing. They were some of the first heterosexual male musicians to wear women's clothing, make-up, and jewelry.
They are probably most known for their heroin abuse, and I will concede that their feminine appearance was probably done out of a desire to shock people. Be it intentional or consequential, their adoption of traditionally feminine apparel served as a rejection of a social norm: men did NOT wear polka-dotted blouses and red lipstick. They helped make it acceptable for men to broaden their choice of clothing and helped call gender norms into question. They certainly weren't role models, but I don't think fashion would be the same without them.
The eighties would have been a lot different if it weren't for the Dolls. Polka-dot prints, animal prints, silk scarves, platform boots and heels, and teased hair were all common for the band.
While fashion can be superficial (and nearly always is), there's more to it. The way a person chooses to decorate their body can be an outward expression of their personality, their desires, their beliefs, and so on. Those in the early glam rock subculture, whether they were thinking it or not, helped change the public's opinion on how men should dress. Men who dressed like this prior to the Dolls were likely cast aside as sexual deviants or freaks. The New York Dolls dressed in a way that would have even been looked down upon for women!
So, the next time you go out in your leather platform go-go boots, leopard pants and silk scarf, you'll have The New York Dolls to thank for it.
They are probably most known for their heroin abuse, and I will concede that their feminine appearance was probably done out of a desire to shock people. Be it intentional or consequential, their adoption of traditionally feminine apparel served as a rejection of a social norm: men did NOT wear polka-dotted blouses and red lipstick. They helped make it acceptable for men to broaden their choice of clothing and helped call gender norms into question. They certainly weren't role models, but I don't think fashion would be the same without them.
The eighties would have been a lot different if it weren't for the Dolls. Polka-dot prints, animal prints, silk scarves, platform boots and heels, and teased hair were all common for the band.
While fashion can be superficial (and nearly always is), there's more to it. The way a person chooses to decorate their body can be an outward expression of their personality, their desires, their beliefs, and so on. Those in the early glam rock subculture, whether they were thinking it or not, helped change the public's opinion on how men should dress. Men who dressed like this prior to the Dolls were likely cast aside as sexual deviants or freaks. The New York Dolls dressed in a way that would have even been looked down upon for women!
So, the next time you go out in your leather platform go-go boots, leopard pants and silk scarf, you'll have The New York Dolls to thank for it.
Recent Thrift Store Finds...
Well, I've got some stuff from the Salvation Army and some stuff from a church thrift store to share this week.
Here's a vintage cotton candy pink accordion pleat skirt with what looks like fruit slices printed all over. I love it. I got this at a church that has a thrift store where you can full a paper grocery bag for $2.
A closer look at the detail...
Nautical? Candy stripe? I love it! A waist cincher belt that will go great with a few skirts I've got in my wardrobe. Same bag sale.
A nice thin leather belt from that same store again. They had a ton of similar belts, and I thought it would be a handy piece to add to my wardrobe.
Lace "Express" blouse, like the kind Prince wore in the eighties! Not vintage, but still cool. $3.99 from Salvation Army. (Actually it was half of that because it was "Family Day," so everything was half-price.)
There are more things to come, so stay tuned.
Here's a vintage cotton candy pink accordion pleat skirt with what looks like fruit slices printed all over. I love it. I got this at a church that has a thrift store where you can full a paper grocery bag for $2.
A closer look at the detail...
Nautical? Candy stripe? I love it! A waist cincher belt that will go great with a few skirts I've got in my wardrobe. Same bag sale.
A nice thin leather belt from that same store again. They had a ton of similar belts, and I thought it would be a handy piece to add to my wardrobe.
Lace "Express" blouse, like the kind Prince wore in the eighties! Not vintage, but still cool. $3.99 from Salvation Army. (Actually it was half of that because it was "Family Day," so everything was half-price.)
There are more things to come, so stay tuned.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Go get yourself some cheap sunglasses...
Summer is here, and with summer comes the need to protect your body from the hot sun. Sunscreen is important, but don't forget about your eyes! Sunglasses were created out of necessity, but you don't have to have boring ones. Everyone seems to be wearing similar sunglasses. A good way to make sure your shades are unique is to buy vintage! Here are some great vintage sunglasses from Etsy.com:
Flip-up double lens sunglasses just like Lady Gagas! $28.
Alexander Wang designed a pair of sunglasses like these that cost $325! I love these so much! $28.
Fuzzy sunglasses! Definitely came out of the 80s... $10.
Big, round, and awesome. (And expensive.) $75.
These are identical to a popular Chanel design! $32.
Like Willy Wonkas. $9.
Split personalities! $15.
So unique but so expensive. $85.
Show me your cool sunglasses!
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