About a year ago in college, I took a class where we created ideas to help improve J.C. Penney’s image. Some of the ideas my group and I came up with were used in a national presentation presented to J.C. Penney in hopes of them going through with these ideas. Today as I am reading with my  cup of coffee, W.W.D. mentions that the earnings of J.C. Penney rose 6.7% for their first quarter! I think that is a good sign for the retailer who has pretty much been known as your grandma’s department store. Although, Dillard’s, Macy’s and Kohl’s also reported a higher first quarter, so the competeition is still fierce.

Recently, I have ventured into a J.C. Penney and saw some of their improvements of brands that they started to carry. Their selection of brands had finally reached to young women with labels like I Heart Ronson and Allen B. I think that continuing to reach towards this younger crowd for their men and women sections with help gain the interest of younger generations who can throw away that grandma image. I really hope that J.C. Penney ends up succeeding because it has been a staple store for so many years for so many generations.

Sorry for such the long break in postings. I know most people wouldn’t post why, but I feel that i should since it isn’t a typical excuse. I was in the hospital for emergency surgery three weeks ago and sick about a week after the surgery. I have barely been able to really move around much and able to concentrate on something cause I am weak right now. It kind of feels surreal, the past few weeks have been such a blur. I will post once I am back on track so my words are not a bunch of jumble. Thanks for your patience to those of you who continue to read this little blog.

Today I am posting a collection of quizzes or advice articles that are believable. All of the quizzes are fashion related. They are of course, a general idea of what to do in your situation, don’t take any of the results you get too close to heart.

Your Best Color Shade to Wear:

http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Makeup-Skin-Care/The-True-Colors-Quiz

Color Palette (www.ehow.com)

Best Dress Shape for your Body Figure:

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/tiptool/how-to-dress-for-your-body-shape#/category1

Woman Body Shapes (www.tvictoriawood.com)

While it is cheaper to buy an item that is machine made, hand crafted items have always been my preferred choice. As I have continued to learn from experience of buying things made in such countries as China, Indonesia or Guatemala, I have drawn farther away from those cheaply produced items. Maybe it is because the economy has been so bad in the US, that I feel the need to provide income for those hand-crafters here? Or the fact I have been on Etsy and bought some beautiful handmade items? I am not sure what has made me become so picky. Handcrafted items have that sort of feeling that you get when you touch an old baby blanket of yours. You tend to cherish those items more and realize that someone took the time to make that item just for you. Yesterday I was going through my closet and thought about making this list of my “Top 5 Handcrafted” items i could suggest to someone. These are on my top 5 list because you will use them a lot and see, feel, or smell the difference in the handcrafted version versus the machine made, enjoy!

Top 5 Hand Crafted Items (according to me)

1. Swim Suit

Tired of swimsuits unraveling at the seams? Tired of the same surfer inspired prints on suits year after year? Why not try a handmade swimsuit! My choice would be the handmade crocheted suit I got from a girl in Hungary. The tiny crocheted work in different colors is beautiful! When you get a handmade swimsuit you are able to cover up as much of your body as you’d like (great for someone a little more insecure like myself.)

2. Soap

Have you read the box of a soap ingredients before? Try it. Most of the ingredients are very foreign, practically pointless to be in soap. Soap is also a very easy item to make. It is made it batches at a time when hand made, only costs about $4 a bar for any smell. Adding other natural ingredients can provide other benefits, such as the smell of lavender for relaxing.

3. Jewelry

I have too much jewelry, far too much. Some pieces of mine are from brands such as Betsey Johnson, Lucky and Kadida (for Disney.) Even though I paid a decent price for these items, some of them still break, tarnish, or fade in color. I have bought cheaper hand-made items where the item hasn’t had any damage though. I actually have more handmade items that are lasting longer. I think this is because of the brand names switching their production to overseas, resulting in the cheap materials, again proving that handmade is better!

4. Art

If Ikea is your one and only store, so be it, but let me tell you that there is nothing more interesting than looking at a hand created piece of artwork. Seeing the texture of the paint or the pencil marks show that it wasn’t printed in 20 seconds on a printer then shipped with 1,000 others like it to a store.

5. A Pair of Shoes

This is probably a tip more for the men who dress up everyday. I am not talking about sandals, but a pair of work shoes. The leather kind that you wear to interviews or a fancy event. They are my priciest item on the list though! A pair could run you about $400 that you won’t regret…cause everyone knows you’ve been purchasing your shoes from Mens Warehouse for years.

Hair Wars 2011 went down a few weeks ago in Scottsdale, AZ. I was lucky enough to get the experience of modeling in the show (first time on a real runway!) It is the exact opposite of a real fashion show because it’s mainly about the most outrageous hair and themes from salon teams. When my salon group  was waiting around to get our photos taken in the lobby area, I saw one girl with this amazing teased “poof ball” of blonde curls. It reminded me of hair from the early 60′s. I started daydreaming, about hairstyles that I wish i could pull off that are going to be trendy during this Spring and Summer. I found a few predicted trends from the runway that i think will actually be seen this year. Now I believe these trends could easily be done by someone like myself with no professional hair experience, that is if you agree with me that 2 hours of hair and makeup is easy.

Hair Wars 2011 Curly Teased Hair

Vena Cava 70's Updo (www.marieclaire.com)

Lacoste Braided Pony Tail (pictured left) (www.beautyeditor.ca)

The fashion is usually based around celebrities and what they put on their bodies after it comes off the runway. Lady Gaga is seen as one of the  leaders today who has started trends that haven’t been done before (although in my personal opinion, i disagree with that.) There is also another person who I hope many fashionistas notice with her unusual outfit choices, that is La Roux. Eleanor Kate Jackson is the lead singer of  an electro-pop band called La Roux, although most people only know her by the band’s name which is why i will keep referring to her as just that. La Roux’s style is masculine 1970′s clothing mixed with vintage 1960′s accessories and to top it off, a futuristic hair style. Unlike Lady Gaga, she wears outfits most people could function in and not sprain their whole entire body. I researched a couple of her accessory and clothing pieces she wears and found cheaper alternatives to her style. Enjoy!

La Roux Elle Magazine Article

Alex and Chloe Paris Necklace (www.alexandchloe.com)

Grown-Up Dress Up Bracelet (www.modcloth.com)

Collarless Blazer Jacket (www.ourdressshop.com)

(first image from Larouxonline.com)

- According to research, the scarf dates back at least as far as ancient Rome. At that time, a linen kerchief known as a sudarium (Latin term for “sweat cloth”) was used by the Romans to wipe sweat from their faces. Something that started out for pragmatic use quickly became a fashion statement and the ancient Romans quickly developed the scarf into an accessory. Women weren’t to be left out, seeing the men in their scarves, they too began wearing them.
- The Chinese of course aren’t to be left out of scarf history. Warriors of the Chinese Emperor Cheng (Shih Huang Ti) wore scarves made of wool, which indicated their rank.
- Scarves seemed to be a hit around the world over time. The French loved the idea of wearing pieces of fabric around their heads or body, especially if they had color. They called their scarves cravats, from the Croatian word kravata. Ones political inclinations were often demonstrated by the color of their scarf.

- Articlesbase.com

Scarves are a fun accessory to wear all year round. Rather you pair them with shorts in the summer or pants in the winter, they make your outfit look sophisticated or well put together. Sacrves come in a variety of price ranges depending on where you purchase them. They can be made from fabrics such as bamboo cotton, cotton, nylon, polyester, wool or viscose. My favorite kind are the cotton blends or cashmere because they are also soft to touch if you hands are cold. Here are a few varieties of scarves in various price ranges that  make you say “j’adore!”

Lucky Brand Scarf

Free People Scarf

Alexander McQueen Scarf

(images from Amazon.com)

I used to be a yearly subscriber to Elle Magazine, but stopped subscribing when i moved out from home. Instead of picking a copy up in the store i prefer to read it online (part of my eco-friendly reasoning of wasting paper.) Last Thursday they posted a website article on the styles of the new remake Tron. The article gave details of how the hair and makeup was done on the Siren actresses to make them all appear uniform.  By using thick black liner on their eyebrows, eye outlines and fake eyelashes, they were able to draw attention away from facial features being completely different.  Each of the women also wore blue contacts as well as a wig with 29 inch extensions put up into a knot on the top of their head. the other main characters of the story also had similar details in their makeup. Blue contacts, black liner and white matte finish powder were used on almost everyone in the movie.

Now, I haven’t personally seen this movie (I am sure the original is better.) I would however go just to see the futuristic looks done on the characters in 3-D.  As someone who has worked with various fashion shows, I know how hard it is study so many options for a theme and execute it. On thing for sure is that this movie will be winning an award for some sort costume design at the end of the year!

(image from Disney.com)

It is almost that time of year when you begin to get the invites to all of the Fall/Winter parties with your friends and family. Dressing up for the events is the best part! Of course, it has began to get cold so the bundled-up clothing (at least in my opinion) isn’t as attractive during these few months. Wearing those layers of clothing (jacket, gloves, tights, under garments, etc.) is such a party killer. So of course, why not wear glitter? Now, I used to despise glitter. Back when I was younger Limited Too over used it in every product they could put it on. I have finally come to like it after last year when i purchased a top at Nordstroms with sequins that i refuse to ever give up. Here are a few of my favorite glitter items this year that are available on the internet. And to the men that read this and don’t like glitter, i am truly sorry!

Michael Kors Shimmer Sling Back Pump

Debb Lippman Birthday Confetti Nail Polish

Parker Sequin Dress

(images from Google Images)

As we all know, current events affect a bunch of industries when they occur. The events can affect industries for the good or for the bad, it depends who you ask.  Recently,  a new law in Arizona passed, law 203. This law allows for the legalization of marijuana to be sold to those patients who have a special license to receive the drug for a specific medical condition (or chronic pain.) Now i won’t go in details of my beliefs of this law, but will instead talk about the side affects of it in the industries. In  the fashion industry, this will definitely change the type of printed logos. For example, logos or themes of the drug posted on bags, shirts, accessories, etc. will probably become much more common than it has been before. Similar to the Prohibition of 1920 when Jazz music grew popularity because of a law, the logos will most likely be popular. I believe seeing these themes throughout clothing, for example, will be quite interesting to see where the line is drawn. Will little kids be wearing backpacks will leaves all over them? There are already baby jumpers that depict a picture of marijuana as a joke, but now that it is legal how will people perceive it? All I can do is sit and wait until the industry changes.

(image by Ground Zero clothing)