Fine Design Fashionista

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Urban Outfitters Makes Me Sad

Lately, Urban Outfitters (or, UO) has been making serious mistakes in the fashion world. After a series of unfortunate t-shirt designs, Urban Outfitters decided that it would be a good idea to pay homage to the Kent State Massacre. Urban Outfitters did this by designing a “vintage” sweatshirt that bore Kent State’s school logo and fake blood splatter.

As if that wasn’t insensitive enough, UO also released a series of t-shirts promoting eating disorders and making light of mental disorders.

If you can't tell, that's a graphic tee with the word "depression" written all over it. And the shirt on the right? That says "Eat Less". I don't know about you guys, but that Eat Less model looks like she is about to faint.

Finally, is the Jewish star t-shirt. Urban Outfitters released this gem and instantly received backlash because the shirt in question looks like the Star of David patch. This was the patch that all Jewish people were forced to wear in Germany during WWII so they could be easily identifiable when the Nazi soldiers were rounding up Jewish citizens and sending them to death camps.
Urban Outfitters has pulled all of these shirts after receiving criticism over their poor design choices. How thoughtful, right?

I guess the reason why this makes me so upset is that UO continues to market obviously inappropriate stuff that is offensive to many different people.You would think that by now they would have a team of people approving designs before releasing them to the public to avoid another PR nightmare. The fact that this recent Kent State sweatshirt design is not the first time UO has been offensive makes me want to tell others about this in hopes of getting others to stop shopping at Urban Outfitters once and for all.

What do you guys think? Let me know in the comment section below! I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about this. Also, please take my poll that is located on the right sidebar.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Thrifty Thursday

On my last fashion related post, I got a comment asking about budget friendly outfits and clothing stores. Lucky for you guys, I am a thrifty queen! I have made another little outfit guide where all of the pieces in the outfit are under $45. Yes, even those awesome boots are under $45!

I am also going to be giving you some advice on where to shop and deals to look for that are budget friendly. With the economy being in the shape that it is, it is hard to find deals that are worth your hard earned money. I hope that I will be able to keep my fellow bargain buddies fashionable even on a budget! Are you excited yet?!

First off, I want to tell you guys about my go-to outfit on fall days, as seen in the picture linked below. You can never go wrong with a tan or cream colored dress with riding boots. This will always look classic and chic in fall. Lately, I have also been obsessed with shoulder bags. I think they are so cute and so much more convenient than a hefty purse. Also, another must have fall favorite of mine is deep red nail polish. There is something about it that just screams autumn and cooler weather. Finally, I have paired the dress with a simple thin brown belt and adorable gold heart watch.

Here are a list of my favorite places to shop for the best bang for your buck in terms of quality and style:

· Target

· TJ Maxx

· Forever 21

· Charlotte Russe

· Old Navy

· Gap (outlet only though!)

Another one of my tips is to pay close attention to the store ads. Often times stores will have awesome sales that they only talk about in their ads. It really does pay off to subscribe to your local paper for the Sunday edition which comes with the most coupons. Cutting coupons may seem like a hassle most times but it usually does end up saving you money in the end. Also, don’t be afraid to hit up the clearance section of the store the second you walk in! The best bargains that I have been able to snag came straight from the clearance section!

If you ever need any more fashion inspiration, please check out the Ravings by Rae blog. I think her style is so classy and she is always posting about deals that she is finding.

I would love to hear from you guys! Do you have any tips/tricks that I have left out? What are your favorite places to snag a bargain? Let me know in the comments section!

Happy Fall!

Thrifty Thursday by coraberon featuring a leather belt

VILA dress
$44 - vila.com

Equestrian tall boots
6pm.com

Colorblock purse
blackfive.com

Gold jewelry
nastygal.com

H M leather belt
$21 - hm.com

NARS Cosmetics nail polish
barneys.com

Monday, September 29, 2014

Daydream Believer

Sometimes even the simplest images can spark creativity in our minds. Usually when I see a picture of something, the first thing I notice is the color. Do the colors pop out at me or do they all mesh into one color blend?

I think that the reason why I notice the color of the picture first is because I like seeing how different colors look together and how they contrast. This stems from my obsession with interior design and finding new paint colors that flow well together.

When I see this picture, I notice reds, greens, and browns. Whenever I am looking at a picture of a house, I like to think about what the inside of that house looks like. I like to take inspiration from the colors used on the exterior to imagine what the interior looks like.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the interior colors need to go with the same bold theme as the exterior does! For instance, I think the best look for the interior of this home is oak floors and cream colored walls with an open floor plan. A fireplace would dominate one wall in the living room, bringing back the sense of a cozy country cottage. The inside of the home has modern features, but uses small details to bring you back to the country feel, like the small square windows.

I’d like to know if you guys have any different ideas about what the interior of this house might look like, as well as what you notice first about this picture. Happy daydreaming!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Dress to Impress: Business Casual to Dinner Date in Minutes

For many of us, it is hard to balance both work and our social life. Throw college student on top of that and you've got a deadly combo. Luckily, I have a relatively simple solution to save some time when balancing your work and/or college life with your social one.

In the illustration below, I have made two outfits that can work for a long day at school or your job and then be easily transitioned into an outfit for a night on the town.

On the left side of the illustration, we have a sweater dress that is comfortable enough to last throughout the day and into the night. I have paired the sweater dress with a belt to cinch in at the waist to give some definition to the usually shapeless dress. For shoes, I chose a classic high-heeled boot that is perfect for fall and winter.

For accessories, I paired the dress, belt, and boots with a smart black and white bag that is big enough for all your work essentials as well as anything else you need to pack for after work. I also put a watch into the mix for a little bit of flash, but a nice bracelet would also do the trick.
For the transition to your date night or dinner out with friends, I kept the same dress (Woohoo! No awkward changing in the Wiekamp bathroom stalls!) and paired it with a different belt that keeps your dress shapely but gives it a fun something extra.

For the accessories on this outfit, I tried to keep it classic but also find things that were going to fit in the bag from the business casual outfit. The shoes are simple suede black booties, paired with a fold-over clutch and onyx-like earrings. I think this outfit is sophisticated and sexy without trying to hard. It also has a little bit of a playful side that makes it so charming.

I made my illustration on Polyvore, where you can put together outfits at your leisure if you so wish. I find this extremely helpful as they have just about every clothing item you can think of so the chances of them having actual pieces that are in your closet are very high.

If you have any questions please leave them in the comments below! I hope you liked my very first blog post!