fashion

fashion / rad / style — Comments
5
Nov 09

Neck-warming trends: when fashion meets function

The thing about scarves is . . . sometimes they can be overwhelming, less than functional, or quite frankly, a fashion hazard. While wrapping yourself in a giant blanket scarf may occasionally seem like a splendid idea, the fashion concept itself can come off as . . . well, a little constricting.

fashionindie.comPhoto via fashionindie.com: Giles Deacon’s fashion forward, giant scarves

Searching for the perfect scarf can be burdensome, especially if you’re vertically challenged (like moi). I recently bought a scarf at H&M that is literally 8 feet long (that’s 2 ft + 10 inches longer than my entire body). I didn’t realize this until I got it home, of course. Oh, and trust me, I will wear the darn thing – even if I have to wrap it around my neck 20x, but lacking the proper wrapping technique, this scarf could potentially be a serious walking hazard.

00070mScarf wrapping 101 FAIL

Style Watch: Tube cowls, snoods, and neckwarmer-beanie combos FTW!

It seems I’m not the only person who has thought, “Sure, necks should be warm, but at what expense?!” While (browser) window shopping for cozy, cold weather trends today, I found myself strangely attracted to knit’s answer to neck warmers with functionality. Check it out:

thewardrobecincinattiHandknit Collar Scarf: $136 at thewardrobecincinnati.com (website often down)

cherry up - red button up cowl YesJess EtsyCherry Red Button Up Cowl: $36 YesJess on Etsy.com (Made in Iowa)

il_430xN.99483359Textured Tube Scarf: $65 tortillagirl on Etsy.com

snood o.u.Staring At Stars Open Knit Snood: $34 Urban Outfitters

And for the dudes… It’s a beanie! No! It’s a neckwarmer! No! It’s both!
neck warmer beanie u.o.Tornado Neckwarmer Beanie: $28 Urban Outfitters

What do you think about these neck-warming trends? If you’re a local DIY, crafty gal or guy, what are you knitting this season? Please share in the comments (still at the top of the post, for now).

crafts / fashion / hillary brown / how to / rad / social media — Comments
2
Nov 09

How to make an iPhone costume

front-back_iphone
Need a Halloween costume? There’s an app for that.

I was feeling super crafty this Halloween, so I decided to make another fabulous felt creation and dress up as something that I can’t live without – my iPhone. The costume was a huge hit, and people were really feeling the felt (literally), so I thought I should share my iPhone costume recipe with the world. F-yeah for felt!

Supplies:
1. felt. . . lots of felt
2. silver fabric
3. a black t-shirt
4. a white sweatband
5. scissors
6. tacky glue
7. mad, freehand cutting skills (Tweet to Katie B. for tips)
8. band-aids for battle wounds

Instructions:
1. Decide which 20 apps you would like to create. I recommend a good mix of the standard, most recognizable iPhone apps mixed with some of your geeky faves.
2. Cut out the app backgrounds – squares with rounded corners. I divided the felt sheets into fourths to determine the width of each app (approximately the same width as an iphone).
3. Cut out the app icons – This takes a steady hand and patience. If you’re unable to freehand cut the icons, you can print out stencils to use as a guide.
4. Use tacky glue to attach the app icons to the app backgrounds (allow 4 hours for drying).
5. Once the apps are dry, you can glue them to your black t-shirt. Make sure to place cardboard or paper (I used a paper grocery bag) inside of the shirt, so you do not glue the front and back of the shirt together.
6. Every iPhone needs an AT&T signal (or lack thereof). This is where the white sweatband comes into play. Plus, it just looks cool. Cut out the signal bars, “AT&T” and “3G” text and use tacky glue to attach them to a white sweatband (allow 4 hours for drying).
7. And last, but not least – the Apple icon for the back of your t-shirt. I printed out the Apple logo and used a stencil for this because I wanted it to be perfect. You can use double-sided tape or pins to hold the stencil in place while cutting the Apple out of your metallic silver fabric. Use tacky glue to attach the Apple logo to the back of your t-shirt (allow 4 hours for drying).

And, voila! You’ve got yourself an iPhone costume. :) (Dark fairy aka Jill Haverkamp not included)
voila_iphone

Once you’re wearing your iPhone costume, you’ll feel the power of 100k+ apps and might experience a sudden increase in confidence. Don’t be alarmed if you find yourself. . . singing in an all-girl band, or. . .
iphone_singinginaband

dancing on tables at a college bar. . . totally normal.
iphone dancing on tables

fashion / hillary brown / life / style — Comments
25
Oct 09

Fall is back, and so is Ginger.

When I returned from Indy yesterday, I noticed that all of the leaves had turned while I was gone. From bright yellows to vibrant reds, the trees in Des Moines have transformed once again, flaunting their rich and colorful hues. Maybe I’m still easily impressed after missing six years of autumn foliage while I was living in L.A., but it’s pretty amazing how a simple change in color can make something seem so new and exciting. My favorite are the trees that transform in such a way that they actually look like they’re on fire. Inspired by the vibrant reds of the fall leaves, I’ve brought back my ginger locks, which means that a Photo Booth photo shoot was completely necessary, of course. . . Enjoy!

lookupHello, bangs.

oneyeI’ve got my eye on you. . . just one.

aahhhSometimes it helps if you scream.

ooh_faceFor the Vitus gals, my “ooh la la” face.

serious_twitterAnd last, but not least – my “serious” face, which can also double as my “Are you serious?” face. I think I’ll use this for Twitter, so people know I mean biznass.

What does fall inspire in you? Whether it’s fashion, cravings, hobbies or recipes – share your thoughts on fall with me below.