Thursday, April 22, 2010

Featured: Plastic Rings

Cheap looking jewelry is something I really can't resist, and bubble gum machine rings are no exception. They could look tacky, but some of them are really neat. Plus, they totally fit with the Thrifty Cent ideal -- they're usually only fifty cents. There are a lot of varieties of plastic rings. Vintage rings from the 6os and 70s are little bit more sought after and will run you a bit more money, but you can find some decent deals on etsy or eBay. Also, nicer plastic rings can be purchased pretty much anywhere. Claire's always has a nice selection.

Here are some I found floating through the vast internet ocean:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My rings."]


I thought I'd show off some of my personal plastic ring collection. Yes, I have enough to warrant the use of the word "collection."
[/caption]

This isn't all of them, but it's a good cross-section. My personal favorite is the green googly eye ring I bought at a vintage boutique in New York, only to find them later in an arcade as prizes. They were only 3 tickets each. Needless to say, I have a whole lot of googly eye rings. My other favorite is the green smiley face ring. That one I didn't get out of a bubble machine either. I got it at a gas station for like $4, which seems steep but I really wanted it and it's better quality that the cheap-os.

My Fashion: Dali Art Gallery Exhibition

Getting dressed up for openings for the art gallery that I work for at college is a lot of fun. Not to say that the art is somehow less important. I really enjoy fine art, and this particular exhibition was a collection of Salvador Dali prints illustrating The Divine Comedy. Super cool. So here are some cool outfits from that night...

[caption id="attachment_149" align="alignnone" width="518" caption="Super cool vest and great maxi-dress."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_150" align="alignnone" width="550" caption="Gorgeous dresses!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignnone" width="302" caption="My outfit..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_153" align="alignnone" width="396" caption="Weirdly lit face, and my outfit again."][/caption]

I am wearing:

Leopard print button up top, Burlington Coat Factory, $9 ish

Faux leather waist cinching belt, Body Central, $9

Vintage leather pencil skirt, thrifted, $2

Silver faux snakeskin platforms, Steve Madden, $3o

I can't resist Steve Madden shoes. Those were expensive, but I had to buy silver shoes for my friend's wedding when I was a bridesmaid. Love them though.

Street Fashion Round-up: Boyfriend jeans, Crust-punk pants, and Versace platform shoes.

I haven't been keeping up on posting at all lately! I am in the midst of the end of the semester here at college and I'm only a month away from graduation!!!! AHHHHH! So, that's why you'll be seeing large bursts of posts all at once and then periods of no posts. Please forgive me.

Decided it was time for another street style round-up, so I chose some cool outfits from LookBook.nu and Easy Fashion. Enjoy.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="320" caption="Cropped blazer, boyfriend jeans."][/caption]

I love this outfit. It's simple and casual enough that it's actually practical. I really want a pair of boyfriend jeans.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Garter stockings, shredded top."][/caption]

I think she's wearing pantyhose that are made to look as if she's wearing a garter belt and stockings as well. Very sexy but still edgy.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="320" caption="Leopard dress, denim vest, studded cuffs."][/caption]

Love, love, love, LOVE. Everything about it. I would wear this outfit, if the dress were a bit longer. I don't like to have to worry about my underwear or butt-cheeks showing. Just makes me wanna not wear a dress when it's so short that you can only really be standing. Nevertheless, this is a bomb outfit. I wanna stud my denim vest. Think I'll wear it tomorrow.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="512" caption="Killer boots and crust-punk pants."][/caption]

Despite how delicate those pants would be, it's a really cool take on the way crust-punks alter their pants. They will sew patches upon patches onto their pants until the pants are virtually gone. This person (I assume they made them, if they bought them that's sad) must have taken a lot of time to sew all these little sections of denim together. Very cool. I really like that they've used dental floss as thread too. Seems tacky, but floss doesn't break as easily. Hand sewing with thread makes the item delicate because the thread doesn't allow for stretching.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="512" caption="Gorgeous platform shoes."][/caption]

I think these are Versace shoes, if I am not mistaken. They are fabulous. So fabulous that I'm now angry.

Well, that's it for now. Please, please, please leave comments! Stay tuned for more madness.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Fashion Icon: Axl Rose.

I have been fascinated by Axl Rose since I was a little girl. Axl Rose probably isn't the first celebrity you might think of when it comes to great fashion, but I'd argue otherwise. While he may be a jerk and may be gross now (yeah, those bizarre braids are awful) he was certainly on his game in the 80s and early 90s as far as his fashion sense goes.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="395" caption="Classic Axl: Aviator sunglasses, t-shirt, lots of bracelets."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="532" caption="Tight pants paired with cowbow boots."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="330" caption="Captain America!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="550" caption="A bit risque, but still fabulous!"][/caption]

I was thinking of putting together themed outfits specifically for the blog that are inspired by the fashion icons I feature... Keep posted.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

6 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Closet -- and how to maintain it!

One of the pitfalls of being a bargain hunting addict is that you tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. This is no different for clothes. I find myself buying at least something every other week (or just every week), so I have had to devise a way to cut down on the clutter. I am going to be graduating from college soon, so I have been trying to kick that into overdrive so I don't have to haul as much back home.

Here are some good "rules" for purging the exess in your wardrobe:

1. If you haven't worn it in at least six months, then it's toss-worthy. Now, there are certainly a lot of exceptions to this rule, but it's a good way to help your re-evaluate how much you really like an item of clothing. If you take a look at your dirty laundry over the course of a month, you'll get a good idea of what items you really wear often.

2. If it doesn't fit, ditch it. I break this rule a lot. I tend to hold on to things that are too big or too small in case I somehow gain or lose weight. Not only is this unhealthy thinking, it causes you to have a lot of clothing lying around that you simply can't wear. Just live in the moment, and wear clothes that fit you now.

3. If it's damaged, throw it away. This goes for undergarments as well. We've all got a treasure trove of holey socks. Just think of it this way: throwing stained, ripped, or torn clothing will give you room for new, nice clothing.

4. Don't overlook accessories! Make sure to go through your handbags, shoes, jewelry, etc. so that you maximize your free space.

5. Every time you buy something new, get rid of something old. If you find your self running out of space and hangers in your closet, you're probably due to get rid of some things. This rule is a good way to maintain a decently sized wardrobe after the initial purge.

6. When shopping for new clothes, ask yourself, "Do I absolutely love this?" or, "Do I need this?". I use this rule a lot, as I tend to buy clothing on impulse when it's cheap. Then, I come home, and realize I don't really like the stuff I bought all that much. Try to think realistically about how often you'll wear the item, where you will wear it, how much wear you can really get out of it, and so on. I try to pass on items that I'm not absolutely in love with.

Once you get done purging, you'll have more space to organize the pieces that you really love and wear often. As I said, I am in the middle of this process myself, and honestly, it hurts at first to get rid of old things, but after you've done it and you can see the difference, it feels pretty rewarding. Any items in good condition can be donated to your local charity thrift store, for some other thrifty shopper to find. Or you could host a clothing swap!

These tips are kind of obvious, but the trick is getting yourself to really obey them. Once you can overcome your desire to hold on to old clothing, you'll be golden. If you'd like more tips, Apartment Therapy has some more helpful tips on wardrobe purging here.