Free Fashion Advice Merges with Eco-Fashionista

You may or may not know that I also maintain another blog called Eco-Fashionista. If you haven't checked it out yet, head on over and bookmark it because from now on all my Free Fashion Advice postings will be showing up there.  I'm hoping to make it a little easier on me so I only have to post in one place. Also, this way Eco-Fashionista will have more of the interesting, and often times snarky, content that you love here.

Eco-Fashionista provides tips on how to look amazing while wearing environmentally friendly fashion. You will also get some lifestyle product tips, ideas on recycling vintage clothes, eco-friendly online and brick and mortar shops, and any  other ramblings I think the green chic crowd needs to know.

I hope you like it over there, they do say the grass is greener on the other side for a reason! I'm sorry for that, I promise not to be so corny!

Please, come back!

These two ladies walked right past my table. I tried to get their attention, but they must have missed my giant Free Fashion Advice sign.  So, ladies, I hope you find this post! First up is the outfit on the left. Please do not wear a knee length dress over capri pants and paired with tennis shoes. Why would you do that? Can you see how short and stubby it makes you look? That dress is a perfectly reasonable length to wear on its own. There are also way to many straps going on up top. This would be better with a sleeveless tank top that has more coverage in the back. And finally, if comfort is what you are looking for there are plenty of comfy ballet flats out there that you can walk around in. With the style and pattern of this dress, I think an espadrille style flat would be particularly fetching.

Next up is the lady on the right. I'm not sure if "lady" is the correct word because it appears she is wearing boxer shorts. Can you see how horrible that looks? I don't care where you are headed to, this is not a good option. A vast improvement would be to swap those out for a denim skirt. Still casual, but a heavy enough material and hopefully with a little bit of structure, it will give your behind a much more flattering view. MUCH more flattering! I can't look at this picture anymore, its making me sad that they didn't stop for advice in the first place...

Red, White and Black

My next victim of the day came up to the table wondering what in the world I would have to say about her outfit. I really surprised her when I said I liked it. We got to chatting and I found out she had made the skirt herself and the headpiece was also handmade. The only comments I really had were about her choker and lack of nail polish. With such a stylized outfit I think the details are really important. She should have painted her nails (hands and feet, please) either bright candy apple red to match the ruffle on the skirt, or a very shiny black. With black and read polish it is important that it is neat and has a fresh topcoat to keep you looking polished (no pun intended, well maybe just a little).  The other issue I had was the choker. Usually I hate them, but with the bustier and Victorian edge to the outfit, I thought it worked. This is one of very, very few cases in which I would say that. So, please do not let me spot you wearing one tomorrow.

I didn't notice this yesterday, but in the photo the purse really does cut this outfit up. In person, I thought her bag was awesome, it was shaped like an electric guitar, hence the wide woven strap. In hindsight, I would recommend it get swapped out for a clutch.


Here is a close-up of the handmade hat - love the skull! It takes guts to wear an outfit like this and I think we need more people taking chances with their clothes in this city.

Molly

Molly was one of the first people to approach the Free Fashion Advice table. As you can see from her shopping bag, she had just stopped into Jupe Boutique. I didn't make her show me what she purchased because she had some great questions already for the fashion experts. 

Question Number 1: She admits to having champagne taste on a beer budget (make that PBR). Where or where is a fashionista to find fab things on such a budget? Of course, I had to plug my ladies at Jupe, it is one of the best places to find cute and trendy pieces are great prices. But, if labels are what you are in search of I recommended Molly check out some of our great consignment stores in Pittsburgh. I once bought an Alaia dress at Designer Days Boutique on Ellsworth Ave for $45! Yes, you ready that correctly, $45! Another great consignment stop is Ambiance Boutique, the Regent Square location is my favorite.

Question Number 2: How can you inject some steampunk style into your everyday wardrobe? This is a great question, I love steampunk style but usually do not incorporate any of it into my own outfits. I recommended Molly pick up a black leather vest and a cameo pin to get some Victorian Era edge and also some of the grundy-ness of steampunk. To pull it off best, try a high neck blouse, pin the cameo brooch at the neck, leather vest on top. Tone things down with dark skinny jeans, and finish with some interesting shoes such as lace up booties that will bring a little more Victoriana into the picture.

Molly's prescription:

Free Fashion Advice Debut with Jupe Boutique & Althea Harper

This Monday, June 21^st will be the Summer 2010 debut of Free Fashion advice in Pittsburgh. I am really looking forward to this advice session because it will occur along side an exclusive truck show at Jupe Boutique, one of my favorite Pittsburgh stores. The trunk show will feature Project Runway Season Six Finalist Althea Harper who will showcase her latest collection of fabulous, feminine frocks. Since I occasionally mix business with pleasure, I am hoping the Mesh Body Tea Length Dress at left will be part of the trunk show. It is so fabulously Margiela-esque with a body suit underneath the sheer mesh panels of the dress. Yummy!!

Jupe Boutique is making a party out of the whole evening and will be giving gift bags to the first 20 shoppers in the door, not to mention free champagne and chocolates for all! Add 15% off all regular Jupe merchandise and it sounds like my kind of party!

Free Fashion Advice will be there from 5pm – 8pm to help shoppers decide what to get (just get it all, I like to say!) and hopefully share some of Althea’s personal fashion advice. Check back next week for photos, and perhaps some video, of the shopping and style conquests.


See the flyer for the event here. And don't forget to follow me on Twitter for live updates!

Grammy Awards Fashion Coverage: Mary J Blige

Mary J, you can do no wrong. I adore this color, the cut is fabulous, and everything is just tight enough but still pools at the bottom. The earrings I don't think are quite right but the bracelet and bag really work. I also actually really like the hair too - it makes this look a little more rocker and more appropriate for the Grammy's, it throws everything off just enough and adds the cool factor.

Mary's dress reminds me a little bit of this stunning look Jessica Biel wore last year. I think Mary's is winning out though, the unexpected finishes with the hair and big black bag throw it over the edge for me.

Grammy Awards Fashion Coverage: Katy Perry

I'm not going to talk about how this looks like some old synchronized swimmer's olympic bathing cap that was attacked by a bedazzler. No, that would not be nice. I will just let this dress speak for itself.

All jokes aside, Katy, you need to fire your hair dresser ASAP.

Grammy Awards Fashion Coverage: Fergie

Fergie Ferg, I know a lot of people are liking this (Pucci by the way), but I'm a little on the wall. I love the suede - perfect for the Grammy's, and her hair actually looks good here and not too tan either (thank you for restraining!). But something about it looks like the was a limited amount of fabric left to work with, like this was the very last piece of gold lame in the whole Pucci factory (and we know that is not true, did you see Heidi Klum's dress?). But for Fergie Fergs, I know this is toned down, and she has managed to look pretty and edgy at the same time. About 1 million perfect better than that lavender bridesmaid dress from the SAG awards, uhg!

This is Heidi's Pucci tonight. This isn't the Golden Globes Klum - we know you just had a baby and your boobs are huge, but seriously?

Grammy Awards Fashion Coverage: Taylor Swift

Taylor - I love you! You always look so fabulous at every awards show. The back of this dress was spectacular too - completely bare save for a criss-cross strap at the very top. The hair is great, earrings are perfect, and the pose is divine.

Update: I'm watching Taylor's performance right now and a little confusing why she put on some woman from Ohio's tunic and leggings. What happened?

Grammy Awards Fashion Coverage: Adam Lamert

I was never an American Idol watcher, so I was taken a little off guard when this popped up all over the place:

We get it --- you are unique! But must you wear 3-inch heals and a jacket that is way too small? Dear readers, remember fashion rule number one: Wear clothes that fit! Adam, you sleeves are too short and something about the proportion of the hem of your jacket is just making me crazy. Talk amongst yourselves on this tie, I just can't handle it.

Grammy Awards Fashion Coverage

OK --- My plan was to do this live, but that just didn't work out. Where was a personal assistant when I needed one?!

I'm tuning into the Grammy's now and just checked out some red carpet coverage on New York Magazine's site. It is absolutely necessary to give up some free fashion advice - there are some amazing looks, and there are of course some amazingly awful looks (J. Lo anoyone?).

To start we have to look at Lady Gaga:

Apparently this is Armani - must be a one-off though. It certainly captures Gaga's look, but I wish she had done better with the hair and makeup. She needs way more glitter on the face, and hair that is not the color of French Vanilla ice cream.

Also, these shoes make her feet look like Miss Piggy's. Actually, the whole look is a little Miss Piggy when you squint your eyes.