Tim Gunn, creative director for Liz Claiborne, has his own show called “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style”. He has Greta Monahan as his co-host and sidekick. Greta also works in the industry as a stylist and owner of GRETTACOLE spas, salons and boutiques. The show features a different fashion victim each week, and they go through a series of steps to help re-vamp and makeover the suffering female.
Last week’s episode featured Erica Mollica who is 35 years old. She is a veterinarian that is preparing for her wedding. She is 5’11” and has trouble finding clothes that fit in length, so she opts to wear clothes that are meant to be too small (baby tees and capris). Erica stated that she “wants to be WOW with confidence” after the weeklong intervention. Due to her height and lack of ability to properly dress it, she slouches to try to compensate.
Each week, and after the initial evaluation of the client, Tim and Greta completely empty the “fashion victim’s” closet to give them distance from their clothes, so they won’t be haunted by where they came from. It is much like a style (or lack there of) detox. While doing this, they have a category of “keepers and menders”, in which Greta will adjust existing garments or use them to create completely new items. In a previous episode, a dress was made into an adorable clutch purse. This week, two identically terrible sweaters were made into outfits for stuffed animals.
The first shopping trip is almost always to an undergarments store. Tim believes that undergarments are the basic building blocks to fashion, and they need to fit properly, and can even change the overall look of your clothes.
Tim sends these clients to get an opti-tech body scan, which creates a life-size simulation of the client, with exact measurements of their bodies. He shows them how their old clothes actually look on them, and he them compares that to how proper outfits can emphasize their body and its shape. For Tim, it is all about silhouette, proportion, and fit, and people need to think of their bodies as thirds instead of halves. He then gives the client a postcard size body visual of themselves, and actually draws the appropriate lengths of skirts, shirts, pants, sleeves, waistlines, and pant/skirt shapes that work best for their body type.
Before the actual shopping trip, Tim sends the client to In Style Magazine where they get more information and tips on how to dress and add style and accessories. Right before the shopping starts, Tim gives an “essential list” which is constant in every episode. The items on the list include: basic black dress, trench coat, dress pants, skirt, jacket, classic shirt, day dress, any occasion top, jeans, sweat suit alternative, and as a bonus, an indulgent trendy item. Tim and Greta accompany the client on this trip, but they are only there for support- they will not tell the client what to purchase.
Once the shopping extravaganza is complete, Tim takes the client to see a high-end celebrity designer. This week, Erica had the opportunity to meet Yigal Azrouel. In every instance, the client actually gets to choose one of the designer dresses that they got to try on, to take home as a gift.
The last step in the transformation process is to get a makeover from renowned hair and makeup artists. The client then meets Tim and Greta back at Tim’s loft to show them the new hair and makeup. That is where the client gets to see just how their old wardrobe looks compared to the newly purchased one.
Finally comes the fashion show for the family and friends. The client puts together 3 different looks (completely on their own) from their new collection of clothes. The fourth look reveals the designer dress that was chosen, and the show actually brings in all the designers, stylists, artists, and other celebrity consultants to come in and view the overall new look. Tim and Greta invest in one last gift to give the client (which is usually expensive jewelry) to signify the journey and transition that has just occurred.
Throughout the entire show, tips are given to help guide, even the viewers, to success. Tips this week include:
* Skirts should fall just above, just below, or at the knee
* A higher cut leg on a bathing suit makes legs look longer
* Don’t use too much foundation-less is more
* A wet eye shadow gives a more intense look
* Using a lip pencil helps lipstick stay on longer
* Use a diffuser for added volume to hair
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Marymount Expands Online
Marymount University has expanded on the worldwide web. As all facebook users know, you can join groups in regards to your school, city, or both. Marymount actually has some of its own facebook pages under “organizations-clubs and societies”.
The first I will mention is the Fashion Club page on facebook. It is an open group, in which everyone at Marymount can join and invite friends to join as well. The description states “Students of Marymount University gain knowledge and experience in the fashion industry through charity and fashion events, industry and career speakers, workshops, and fashion-related field trips”. The page also includes contact information, including an email address, location address, and room number. Recent news and information about the club and meetings are also labeled on the site. You are able to view other members, discussion boards, photos, and other posted items.
The second page is Marymount’s Fashion Advice Column. This page is also open to anyone on the Marymount network. This description says “Marymount University's first anynonymous FASHION ADVICE COLUMN (in cooperation with Marymount University's "MU BANNER") that is created to answer any of your questions on fashion do's & dont's, beauty, health && anything centered around the outward appearance..:)”. This page allows the same type of interaction as the previously site. I am under the impression that this might be a new addition to facebook, due to the fact that there are only a few members, and absolutely no photos, posts, or comments.
I think both of these pages are great! It is such and easy, yet amazing way to get people at Marymount to rally around a common bond and cause. It is also a simple way to meet new people and stay connected with old friends. I am looking forward to the advice column in particular. I think some of the questions and comments posted are going to be not only hilarious, but some might even be beneficial!
The first I will mention is the Fashion Club page on facebook. It is an open group, in which everyone at Marymount can join and invite friends to join as well. The description states “Students of Marymount University gain knowledge and experience in the fashion industry through charity and fashion events, industry and career speakers, workshops, and fashion-related field trips”. The page also includes contact information, including an email address, location address, and room number. Recent news and information about the club and meetings are also labeled on the site. You are able to view other members, discussion boards, photos, and other posted items.
The second page is Marymount’s Fashion Advice Column. This page is also open to anyone on the Marymount network. This description says “Marymount University's first anynonymous FASHION ADVICE COLUMN (in cooperation with Marymount University's "MU BANNER") that is created to answer any of your questions on fashion do's & dont's, beauty, health && anything centered around the outward appearance..:)”. This page allows the same type of interaction as the previously site. I am under the impression that this might be a new addition to facebook, due to the fact that there are only a few members, and absolutely no photos, posts, or comments.
I think both of these pages are great! It is such and easy, yet amazing way to get people at Marymount to rally around a common bond and cause. It is also a simple way to meet new people and stay connected with old friends. I am looking forward to the advice column in particular. I think some of the questions and comments posted are going to be not only hilarious, but some might even be beneficial!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Women's Sports Gear
Alyssa Milano, who we all know as the cute tomboy from “Who’s the Boss”, is all grown up now. She has debuted a sports related clothing line for women, named “Touch”. She includes jeans, hoodies, shorts, tops and jackets that are all themed for teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB and college. She has presented a way for sports-loving women to stay warm, fashionable, and still represent their favorite team! Most athletic wear for pro and college teams are geared toward the male body and preference. This time, women have someone who has put their interests in the forefront, while creating athletic-wear specifically for them. Completely tailored to the woman’s body and mind-set, on how things need to look and fit!
Alyssa credits her drive and motivation for her clothing line to her mother and grandmother. Both were successful designers, and she followed in suit to become a third generation designer. She goes into detail about the fabrics and silhouettes used in her line, during an interview with MLB.com. Here is a portion of the interview:
MLB.com: What types of fabrics and patterns are you using for the clothing line?
Alyssa: The fabrics and patterns were very important to me. I wanted to use sporty fabrics that are wearable and feel good -- hence the name "touch" -- but also use feminine fabrics as a contradiction. I used a lot of satin to make the sporty looks a little bit more feminine. The silhouettes were equally as important because I wanted women to feel good in the pieces. As a woman, I find it's more important that I feel good in what I wear than the actual styles. So I went through great lengths to make sure all the styles were flattering and catered to a woman's body shape. For instance, my tank tops all have shelf bras attached because I always had a hard time figuring out what to wear under the fan apparel tanks that were available to us. My hoodies have double zippers so we won't have any bulges while sitting in the stands rooting for our teams.
MLB.com: How did you alter the designs to be more fashionable and desired?
Alyssa: I really took into consideration the trends that are already in the fashion marketplace. I wanted to create a line that women could wear anywhere and not just to a game. I wanted to bridge the game with the after-party and do for baseball what the hip-hop world did for the NBA.
The clothing can be purchased from the corresponding sports websites (for example, mlb.com for baseball gear).
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Victoria's Dirty Little Secret
Most of us females swear by the undergarments produced by Victoria’s Secret. This is no longer the case.
A class action lawsuit has been brought against the famous company, due to an imperfection in their Angel’s Secret Embrace bras and their Very Sexy Extreme Push-Up bras. It seems as though people who had previously purchased these bras are experiencing symptoms including itching, rashes, welts, hives, and in some cases, permanent scarring. There are even comments from many customers on a medical site, where they are listing their own personal symptoms, resulting from the same bras. Rita Ritter is the main woman in the situation, and has hired a lawyer to put together a case. Her lawyer purchased the same styles of bras, and had them tested at a lab- the results are very unsettling. The bras tested positive for formaldehyde. Victoria’s Secret states that they do not use formaldehyde in their products, but the lab results negate this confirmation by the company. VS spokesperson also states, "We are sorry that a small number of people have had an issue and we want to help them determine the cause. Customer safety and satisfaction are always our primary concerns and we take seriously any issues our customers may have with our products."
The case will be reviewed in May, to see if there is any possibility of moving forward with it. As of now, the bras have not been removed, and still remain on the shelves.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=6225503&page=1
A class action lawsuit has been brought against the famous company, due to an imperfection in their Angel’s Secret Embrace bras and their Very Sexy Extreme Push-Up bras. It seems as though people who had previously purchased these bras are experiencing symptoms including itching, rashes, welts, hives, and in some cases, permanent scarring. There are even comments from many customers on a medical site, where they are listing their own personal symptoms, resulting from the same bras. Rita Ritter is the main woman in the situation, and has hired a lawyer to put together a case. Her lawyer purchased the same styles of bras, and had them tested at a lab- the results are very unsettling. The bras tested positive for formaldehyde. Victoria’s Secret states that they do not use formaldehyde in their products, but the lab results negate this confirmation by the company. VS spokesperson also states, "We are sorry that a small number of people have had an issue and we want to help them determine the cause. Customer safety and satisfaction are always our primary concerns and we take seriously any issues our customers may have with our products."
The case will be reviewed in May, to see if there is any possibility of moving forward with it. As of now, the bras have not been removed, and still remain on the shelves.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=6225503&page=1
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Can't Beat Shopping Spree
My obsession with shopping has definitely landed me in some murky financial situations in the past (all of which I managed to figure out and resolve on my own, thank goodness). That is why, when I got the opportunity for a free shopping spree, I jumped on the chance. Now, this was not your average shopping spree at a mall or store- it was a shopping spree in my mom’s enormous and overcrowded closets (and yes, I did put an “s” on the end of the word closet)!
The entire experience was exhilarating. I sat on the couch in the living room, as my mom brought out stacks of boxes in multiple trips. As I opened each one, it was as though I was viewing a treasure that hadn’t been seen in decades (and that was the actuality of the situation too). Not only was I shopping for shoes, but clothes and handbags too.
The handbags were the easiest category to do. I would simply look at them, and decide right away whether or not I wanted to add them to the collection at my house. I ended the handbag spree with a black vintage GUCCI over the shoulder purse, and two FENDI bags from the seventies. I added a few more no-name bags to the pile before being completely finished.
The clothes were right in the middle when it came to difficulty. I sifted through part of the collection with the basic “eye test”- which is I would see if it looked aesthetically pleasing. Then it came to trying the garments on. I had to keep in mind, that even if things didn’t fit perfectly, there were some that I could get tailored to be spectacular. For this round of shopping, I kept about 8-10 different pieces, some of which I left at my parents’ house to take to the tailor down there. Others were left behind due to the unexpected and overwhelming amount of shoes.
This was definitely my favorite part, but also the one that took the most energy out of me- good thing we saved it for last. Shoes! No lady can ever have too many pairs of shoes- or so I thought until I got home and realized I had no sufficient place to put these shoes and take care of them the way they deserved to be taken care of. Yes, I am speaking of these shoes as though they are alive, and to me, they kind of are. They need to have the proper amount of room to breath and stand without being cramped or smashed- I mean some of these gorgeous shoes haven’t even been worn in the 20-40 years that they have been owned. Others have had the glorious opportunity to walk the streets in many different parts of the world (due to the fact that my mom has been a flight attendant for the majority of her life). When all was said and done, I packed my little car with 18 boxes of shoes, 5 purses and 3 outfits-which is a relatively large list of items that I now claim as mine, for an unbeatable price of…….NOTHING!
The entire experience was exhilarating. I sat on the couch in the living room, as my mom brought out stacks of boxes in multiple trips. As I opened each one, it was as though I was viewing a treasure that hadn’t been seen in decades (and that was the actuality of the situation too). Not only was I shopping for shoes, but clothes and handbags too.
The handbags were the easiest category to do. I would simply look at them, and decide right away whether or not I wanted to add them to the collection at my house. I ended the handbag spree with a black vintage GUCCI over the shoulder purse, and two FENDI bags from the seventies. I added a few more no-name bags to the pile before being completely finished.
The clothes were right in the middle when it came to difficulty. I sifted through part of the collection with the basic “eye test”- which is I would see if it looked aesthetically pleasing. Then it came to trying the garments on. I had to keep in mind, that even if things didn’t fit perfectly, there were some that I could get tailored to be spectacular. For this round of shopping, I kept about 8-10 different pieces, some of which I left at my parents’ house to take to the tailor down there. Others were left behind due to the unexpected and overwhelming amount of shoes.
This was definitely my favorite part, but also the one that took the most energy out of me- good thing we saved it for last. Shoes! No lady can ever have too many pairs of shoes- or so I thought until I got home and realized I had no sufficient place to put these shoes and take care of them the way they deserved to be taken care of. Yes, I am speaking of these shoes as though they are alive, and to me, they kind of are. They need to have the proper amount of room to breath and stand without being cramped or smashed- I mean some of these gorgeous shoes haven’t even been worn in the 20-40 years that they have been owned. Others have had the glorious opportunity to walk the streets in many different parts of the world (due to the fact that my mom has been a flight attendant for the majority of her life). When all was said and done, I packed my little car with 18 boxes of shoes, 5 purses and 3 outfits-which is a relatively large list of items that I now claim as mine, for an unbeatable price of…….NOTHING!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
For those of you who do not know me all that well, I absolutely LOVE Nordstrom. I love everything about this company! They are holding a sale starting on Wednesday, where customers will be able to enjoy 40% off of their purchases. Along with that, people that have decided to be a Nordstrom cardholder, have the opportunity to receive additional discounts as well as double rewards.
I have been considering becoming a cardholder for a long time, and I think I might just have to make the plunge. Along with the possible discounts for using the card, they will also give you reward points, which will lead to other discounts and advantages. If you spend $2,500 a month a Nordstrom while being a cardholder, you will receive an extra advantage. That amount spent will put you into a specialty category. While in this category, customers have the opportunity to get early previews on items, as well as early previews on sales. That means that there is no necessity in going in on the sale day, and fighting the crowd. You can already have your merchandise all picked out, and they will put that to the side to hold for you. The only drawback (in my eyes) to the early previews is the fact that you will not be able to view the items that are not put out until the actual day of the sale. Now, this is not a large percentage of the overall merchandise, but if by chance, you are waiting for a key item, you will have to go and face the storm on they day of the sale.
The thing I like most about this company is the customer service. I purchased some shirts at Nordstrom and absolutely fell in love with them. I wanted to get them in every color I could, but since it was nearing the end of the season, my options were limited. I found some other colors online, but I wanted to see if they had more anywhere. I called customer service and they found 6 more of the shirts that I wanted, in various colors, across the nation. Since they were actually coming from two different locations that were not close in proximity, they had to send them in two different shipments. I was already expected to pay the shipping cost on one of the shipments, but that still left me with the shipping fees on the other- or so I thought. The company actually waived the shipping fee for the second package, which saved me money. I also saved money on each of the shirts, since I saw that one was listed $10 cheaper than the other three. Since I had mentioned this to them, and the internet could back up my claim, I received all of the shirts for the lower price. I don’t think that you could ask for better customer service, and they were actually friendly and nice as well. Two of the shirts ended up being a slightly different style, so I was able to return them to the store in Tyson’s Corner, without any problems.
I am so excited to go and do my shopping tomorrow, knowing that I will be receiving a minimum of 40% off my purchases. Now, the only obstacle I face is whether or not to sign up for the Nordstrom credit card- I think I might just have to do it!
I have been considering becoming a cardholder for a long time, and I think I might just have to make the plunge. Along with the possible discounts for using the card, they will also give you reward points, which will lead to other discounts and advantages. If you spend $2,500 a month a Nordstrom while being a cardholder, you will receive an extra advantage. That amount spent will put you into a specialty category. While in this category, customers have the opportunity to get early previews on items, as well as early previews on sales. That means that there is no necessity in going in on the sale day, and fighting the crowd. You can already have your merchandise all picked out, and they will put that to the side to hold for you. The only drawback (in my eyes) to the early previews is the fact that you will not be able to view the items that are not put out until the actual day of the sale. Now, this is not a large percentage of the overall merchandise, but if by chance, you are waiting for a key item, you will have to go and face the storm on they day of the sale.
The thing I like most about this company is the customer service. I purchased some shirts at Nordstrom and absolutely fell in love with them. I wanted to get them in every color I could, but since it was nearing the end of the season, my options were limited. I found some other colors online, but I wanted to see if they had more anywhere. I called customer service and they found 6 more of the shirts that I wanted, in various colors, across the nation. Since they were actually coming from two different locations that were not close in proximity, they had to send them in two different shipments. I was already expected to pay the shipping cost on one of the shipments, but that still left me with the shipping fees on the other- or so I thought. The company actually waived the shipping fee for the second package, which saved me money. I also saved money on each of the shirts, since I saw that one was listed $10 cheaper than the other three. Since I had mentioned this to them, and the internet could back up my claim, I received all of the shirts for the lower price. I don’t think that you could ask for better customer service, and they were actually friendly and nice as well. Two of the shirts ended up being a slightly different style, so I was able to return them to the store in Tyson’s Corner, without any problems.
I am so excited to go and do my shopping tomorrow, knowing that I will be receiving a minimum of 40% off my purchases. Now, the only obstacle I face is whether or not to sign up for the Nordstrom credit card- I think I might just have to do it!
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