Friday, October 26, 2012

Some Thoughts on Skinny Jeans for Fall 2012

photo from sassymamahk.com
Skinny jeans are firmly planted, mid-cycle of their trendiness and available for every size and shape. The first point I would like to make is that unlike the bunchy socks of the 80's skinny jeans are NOT best worn with gathered extra fabric at the ankles. By removing that bunching you create a more continual line. Many women fight this problem of off-the-rack pants being too long (and too short). However, with the average American woman somewhere in the 5'4" range I would bet there are more bunchy jeans than we would like to admit. Quite possibly the best part about a skinny jean (or any legging-like pant) is that there is really no hemming required! So, yes, I am a designer, but that does not mean I like to sew. All you need to do is turn under the hem to the length that you need (as shown) to create a much better fitting pant.

I am kicking myself for not buying shiny gold-washed denim last year. I found some cute gold jeans close-out priced last spring and though there is no way this trend will make it another year, but I was wrong. Oddly enough, metallics are not only forecasted for this year but next fall too. 

I think we will see skinny jeans a few more fall/winter seasons. We will surely begin to see variations in their liquidity of fit on the leg and ankle. More importantly the focus is shifting from the shape to the fabric or print. Find a way to make the patterns work for you. If you are short look for a small repeating print, if you are heavy look for a print that draws your eye away from your hips, unless of course you carry weight in your ankles, if you are leggy (and I do not feel sorry for you one bit) look for a larger, heavier print. Same goes for colors. If you are bottom heavy wear your lighter color in your blouse and the reverse for top heaviness.

Anyone that lived through the Eighties, well, I hope you liked it the first time around. We will see the shirts get bigger, blousier, and boxier before we see the disappearance of skinny jeans and leggings. 

I hope I have provided a good guide for your informed jeans/legging purchases this year.    

   



Friday, October 19, 2012

A Golf Themed Birthday Pawty!


Although, is does not appear as a dog birthday pawty it is...the cake is for the humans and the pupcakes in the top right of the photo are for the dogs. I just love when I can have an event that humans and their furr-babies can enjoy together. Please remember pets deserve human grade ingredients, but not human food! There are many human foods and ingredients that are toxic to dogs. If you are unsure please see the ASPCA's toxic pet food list. 

Primarily I wanted to share the human cake idea. I stress bake for relaxation and fortunately it led to a pretty cute, themed cake. Since a forth birthday only comes around once it was my chance for a Fore! theme. 

I made two plain white 10" round cakes and stacked them together with a layer of creme cheese, buttercream icing and condensed raspberry jam mixed together. The buttercream icing was tinted light and dark green, tan, and blue with food coloring. I thoroughly washed a bag of my husbands golf tees and lightly pressed them in the sand colored icing all the way around the cake. For the green I built up a layer of dark green and smoothed it with an icing spatula. Next, I had some trouble with my icing bag ripping at the pressure caused by the tip I typically use to create grass. So I took the spatula and laid it in the light green icing then gently with a scooping motion lifted up. The golf ball is a small ball of icing and the flag is a tooth pick with a folded piece of paper. Apparently golf holes are not black, so says my husband after the fact. Regardless, I pushed a hole down into the icing and filled it with some edible glitter. 

Voila! Quite simple really, to turn out so cute!
  

Saturday, October 13, 2012

No Posts? Where have I been?

photo from babettevintage.tumblr.com

I have some explaining to do...As you have noticed, (that is, if you have not given up on me posting anything new) I have been a bit absent from my blog, but quite the contrary from fashion. So you say, if you have been so busy with fashion why are you not sharing important fashion scoop? Well, because I have been working on what will be trending a year or more in advance.

Over the past year I have been making baby steps toward returning to the design world. I have traveled across the USA, learned valuable information they don't teach in design school and finally found myself nearing the end of this leg of my journey. I have found some capable factories and the time to make my decision is quickly approaching. My dream of creating my own women's line is emerging into reality. 

Please forgive my absence. I will post as I can. I could tell you all about Fall/Winter 2013-14, but what good would that do? I know I would probably forget that sort of information if it was not my business.