Create Your Hot Look Contest

Wet Seal is having a contest for Valentine's Day. For this contest, you can create your own Valentine's Day outfits and receive a $100 Wet Seal gift card if your outfit wins. To enter; sign up for or login to the fashion community, go to "My Boutique", design an outfit, tag your outfit as "V-Day 2009", and submit it to the runway! Make sure your outfit includes at least 3 or more items in order for it to be considered. Read the contest rules for more details. I will post the outfits I created for the contest below. This article is also somewhat of a follow-up to my last blog entry since my contest outfits would also be great to wear for a Valentine date.

The outfit with the most votes in the fashion community will win. The person with the winning outfit will receive a $100 gift card. The runner up will get a $75 gift card, and 3rd place will win a $50 gift card. The contest ends on February 13, 2009 at 11:59 PM, so start styling as soon as possible if you would like to participate! Let me know if you want me to vote for your outfits to help your chances of winning the contest. E-mail me at Charmed42787@gmail.com or send me a message via myspace. You can also send me a message through the Wet Seal fashion community. My Wet Seal screen name is Charmed42787. Please note that the oufits I posted from Wet Seal in my previous entry are not meant for the contest as I had styled them before the start date of January 23, 2009. Have fun styling, and good luck to everyone who enters the contest! And most importantly, Happy Valentine's Day!

What To Wear On A Valentine Date

Got a date this Valentine's Day but not a clue what to wear? I may just have a few suggestions for you. I have put together some outfits for Valentine's Day on Wet Seal and Charlotte Russe's websites. I've created several different outfits for many types of dates weather it is spent at a nice resturant, concert, at the movies, having a picnic in the park, etc. Don't have a date this Valentine's Day and just plan on going out with some friends instead? I've got you covered for that as well. Take a look below to get some ideas on what to wear for V-Day:

I hope the above outfits I created help give you some ideas on what to wear this V-Day. Remember, you don't have to use the exact same pieces from the outfits I've pieced together. You can re-create these looks with your own clothes instead. You can also take one item (or a similar item) from these creations and put together your own look with it. Let me know if you have any more suggestions on what to wear for a Valentine date (or other V-Day occassions.). Also let me know if you created any outfits for V-Day online and would like me to feature them in this blog. You can also send me a picture of you wearing the outfit you plan to wear on Valentine's Day if you would like me to put it up in my blog. E-mail all links and pictures to me at Charmed42787@gmail.com.

Fabulous Blog Award

I got another blog award from Cursed. This one is the Fabulous Blog Award. Thank you so much Cursed!

So here are my instructions and your instructions too, if you are on my top 10 fabulous blogs!

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate blogs which you think are fabulous.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

So here are my fabulous blogs:

Cursed

Helene

Dibsy

Manga Dork

Poster Girl

Tine

Don't worry, I promise my next post will be about fashion. I'm already working on it. And here's a hint: it has something to do with Valentine's Day! Thank you once again for tagging me and for the award, Cursed. And thank you to all of my loyal readers who have been sticking with my blog.

Tagged

I've been tagged by Cursed, so I'm going to answer the survey questions. Sorry for going off the topic of fashion but I don't have any other blogs to put this in.

1. What is your occupation right now? : Fashion Student and Recovery Associate at Macy's (even though I'm currently "on call" because of the bad economy).
2. What color are your socks right now? : Yellow and white gingham
3. What are you listening to right now? : Silence
4. What was the last thing that you ate? : Mac & Cheese
5. Can you drive a stick shift? : Nope
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? : My mom
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? : Yes, she's very nice and her blog is cool!
8. How old are you today? : 21
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? : Shopping (it's a sport the way I do)!
10. What is your favorite drink? : Diet Cola.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? : No, but I've had highlights.
12. Favorite food? : Pizza, Caesar Salad, chocolate, most pasta.
13. What is the last movie you saw? : I don't even remember, but I really want to see Confessions Of A Shopaholic!
14. Favorite day of the year? : My birthday (April 27th)!
15. How do you vent anger? : Writing it down, or talking to someone who's a good listener.
16. What is your favorite season? : Summer
17. Cherries or Blueberries? : Cherries
18. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? : Sure
19. How many sibs do u have? : None, I'm an only child.
20. When was the last time you cried? : I don't remember.
21. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? :
22. What did you do last night? : Research for my Fashion Home and Accessories class.
23. What are you most afraid of? : Losing someone I care about.
24. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? : Cheese
25. Favorite dog breed? : Labrador and Golden Retrievers
26. Favorite day of the week? : Friday
27. How many states have you lived in? : 1
28. Diamonds or pearls? : Diamond, it's my birthstone.
29. What is your favorite flower? : Red roses

Thank you for tagging me Cursed!

More Metallic Must-Haves

Last year, I wrote an article talking about how shine was everywhere. Well this year, shine is still going strong. The style of shine that has particularly caught my eye this year though, is shiny leg wear. As I was walking through various different stores at the Westfield Sunrise mall yesterday, I couldn't help but notice that metallic leggings were all over the place. When I got back home, I was inspired to go searching for more metallic leggings online . So, I thought I'd post my finds in this blog.

Latex Disco Dot Legging, $38.00, available in sizes S and M, ardenb.com

Side Zip Latex Legging, $38.00, shown in pewter; also available in black, sizes XS-L, ardenb.com

Liquid Leggings, $14.99, shown in silver; also available in black, sizes SM-LG (silver not available in SM), bakersshoes.com

Sexy 24" Legging, $34.00, available in sizes Small and Medium, bebe.com

Wet Look 27" Legging, $34.00, available in sizes X-Small-Medium, bebe.com

Aqua Women's Latex Liquid Leggings, $42,00, available in sizes small and medium, bloomingdales.com

Aqua Women's Liquid Latex Leggings with Zipper, $42.00, available in sizes Small-Large, bloomingdales.com

Glossy Open Heel & Toe Leggings, $15.80, sizes Small-Large, forever21.com

Metallic Knit Leggings, $9.99, available in sizes Small-Large, forever21.com

Metallic Leopard Leggings, $10.80, available in sizes X-Small and Small, forever21.com

Metallic Shine Knit Leggings, $13.80, forever21.com

Stirrup Gloss Leggings, $17.80, avilable in sizes X-Small-Large, forever21.com

Stirrup Leggings, $13.80, available in sizes X-Small-Large, forever21.com

Zip Ankle High Shine Leggings, $17.80, available in sizes Small and Medium, forever21.com

Gathered Ankle Glitter Legging, $17.80, available in sizes Small and Medium, forever21.com

High Shine Leggings, $13.80, shown in gold; also available in black, sizes Small-Large, forever21.com

High Waist Glossy Leggings, $22.80, available in sizes X-Small-Medium, forever21.com

Open Heel & Toe Metallic Leggings, $15.80, available in sizes X-Small-Medium, forever21.com

Shirred Glossy Leggings, $15.80, available in sizes X-Small-Large, forever21.com

Black Lame Leggings, $16.99, available in sizes SM-LG, hottopic.com

ING Faux Leather Leggings, $28.00, available in sizes S-L, macys.com

Liquid Metallic Full Foot Tights, $14.00, shown in silver; also available in gold and black, sizes small/medium and medium/large, urbanoutfitters.com

Silence & Noise Super Shiny Leggings, $38.00, shown in gold; also available in black, sizes xsmall-large, urbanoutfitters.com

These glossy leggings would be a perfect way to spice up the classic "Little Black Dress". They would also look great under a tunic top. You can even wear them under an over-sized t-shirt or boyfriend cardigan to add a feminine touch to a menswear-inspired look. If you see any other metallics that I haven't featured yet, let me know. Also tell me if there are any other leg wear trends that you would like me to write about. E-mail me at Charmed42787@gmail.com or send me a message on myspace. Keep shining!

Elite Fashions Close Out Sale

Today I took a trip to the Westfield Sunrise mall in Massapequa, NY. As I was walking around the mall, a store called Elite Fashions caught my eye. Imagine my surprise when I realized my newly discovered store was having a close out sale. While the markdown prices weren't exactly super cheap like some other stores that have been closing down, I did manage to get a cute top with a tattoo design for only $12.99 (no picture available, sorry). I figured I might as well buy something from there before the store is completely gone. For anyone wondering what Elite Fashions is like, the style of clothing reminded me a little bit of Hot Topic but the store itself seemed to have a softer feel to it. I would say it's maybe a cross between Hot Topic and Forever 21. Anyway, anybody living on Long Island who's interested in checking out this store should head out to Westfield Sunrise soon before it closes down. I don't know if Elite Fashions exists anywhere besides Westfield Sunrise since the store doesn't really have an official website, but it might be worth looking into. While I was out there, I also discovered another store called Tinkerbell (keep in mind, I rarely ever go to this mall as it is about thirty minutes away from where I live). This store is similar to Claire's or Icing. It is filled with a lot of cute jewelry and accessories. While I don't believe this store is closing down anytime soon, they still had some pretty awesome sales. There was a "Buy 2 Get 2 free" deal on the earrings and the two earrings that had to be paid for were on $2.99 each. I, of course, was unable to resist this deal. Again, I don't know if there are any other Tinkerbell stores besides the one in Westfield Sunrise, but I thought others might be interested in looking into this store too. So overall, I would say traveling out to Massapequa was definitely worth it and I hope to visit this mall again soon. I hope other Long Islanders and New Yorkers found this post helpful. Even you don't live in NY, I hope this info is still useful in case you ever visit this area. To make up for not having any pictures from Elite Fashions or Tinkerbell, I will post a picture of the new hat I bought from Wet Seal today and give some shopping information about it (though sadly the beret I bought from there still isn't available on the site). I plan to wear this hat tomorrow so let me know what you think of it!

Houndstooth Military Cap, $9.50, shown in teal; also available in brown, wetseal.com

I Love A Beret

Here in NY, the temperature is below freezing and the snow has been falling (though I hear it's been the opposite in beautiful southern California). With this kind of weather, I definitely can't be outside without a hat. In addition to the fedora, another one of this winter's trendy hats is the beret. Since I'm an artist and am fascinated with french culture (and I also have a love for different types of hats!), I was immediately drawn to the idea of trying this trend, so I went out and bought a beret from Wet Seal a couple of months ago. I must say, I love wearing my beret! It keeps my head warm and it keeps my hair from getting wet in the snow. It also looks cute and makes me feel like taking a trip to Paris every time I put it on! While the hat that I own is unfortunately not available on Wet Seal's website, I have found some other stylish berets online that are sure to make people around you say "ooh la la" when you go out wearing them.

Chloe Beret, $16.50, alloy.com

Rib Knit O/S Beret, $9.99, shown in pumpkin; also available in dark brown, bakersshoes.com

Button Beret, $19.99, bebe.com

Grommet Beret, $31.49, bebe.com

Rhinestone Beret, $39.00, bebe.com

Solid Popcorn Oversized Beret, $34.00, betseyjohnson.com

Cable Knit Beret, $12.99. shown in purple; also available in black, brown, burgundy, camel, gray, off white, olive, and teal, charlotterusse.com

Striped Beret, $10.99, charlotterusse.com

Gwen Plaid Beret, $9.50, shown in blue multi; also available in pink multi, delias.com

Basic Beret, $7.80, shown in blue; also availabe in grey, forever21.com

Fab Crochet Beret, $5.50, shown in cream; also available in black, mustard, grey, and magenta, forever21.com

Tira Knitted Beret, $8.80, shown in blue; also available in mustard, forever21.com

Ellie Beret, $28.00, shown in gold; also available in silver and nut, freepeople.com

Chunky Knit Beret, $19.99, gap.com

Leopard Fuzzie Beret, $14.99, hottopic.com

Teal Crochet Beret, $14.99, hottopic.com

Basic Wool Beret, $10.00, mandee.com

David & Young Slouchy Beret, $16.00, shown in purple; also available in crean, nordstrom.com

Fownes Marled Beret, $5.59, shown in boysenberry muti; also available in alpaca multi and black multi, sears.com

Brick Weave Beret, $11.50, wetseal.com

Crochet Beret Hat, $10.50, shown in pink; also available in dusty pink and teal, wetseal.com

Heavy Knit Beret, $11.50, shown in orange; also available in ivory, charcoal, grey, and black, wetseal.com

Thick Oversized Beret, $11.50, wetseal.com

Loose Weave Knit Beret, $11.50, shown in burgundy; also available in grey and black, wetseal.com

I hope you enjoyed my tres chic fashion finds. I'm looking into adding more berets to my collection so if you find any more yourself, let me know. Also, let me know if there are any other hat trends that you would like me to write about in my blog. With school starting up again on Wednesday, I'm going to need to do everything I can to stay warm while walking between buildings on campus; tell me if you have any other suggestions on how to keep warm. E-mail me at Charmed42787@gmail.com or send a message on myspace. Au Revoir!

2Fer The Price Of 1

I have a lot of tank tops and short-sleeved shirts that I would love to wear right now, but can't because I would freeze to death in NY's brutal winter weather. So what's a New Yorker who wants to wear these types of clothes in the winter supposed to do? Layer them! And that's exactly what I've been doing. I simply put my sleeveless or short-sleeved top on over a sweater or a long-sleeved shirt and thus; am able to keep warm and look stylish at the same time. I must admit, I've been having so much fun experimenting with this trend. The options are endless! You can also layer if you have a nice shirt that is see-through or really low-cut and don't feel comfortable wearing it by itself. You can rock this trend in the Spring/Summer too. Just try putting a sleeveless top over a short-sleeved shirt. If you want to try this trend but aren't sure what pieces you want to layer with, there are many items that come already layered. These are know as 2Fers. A 2Fer may include (but is not limited to) the outfits I suggested above, a skirt/blouse combo that forms the look of dress, dresses over shirts, and the ever popular vest over blouse look that you probably remember seeing in previous blog entries. I will now show some more examples of a 2Fer below.

Cap Sleeve Sweater, $14.99, available in sizes S-XL, alloy.com

Double V-Neck Halter Top, $14.99, shown in black/white; also available in blue, sizes XS-XXXL, alloy.com

Juicy Couture Women's Puff "Two-Fer" Long Sleeve Hoodie with Kangaroo Pocket, $46.80, shown in heather janey; also available in black, sizes Small and Large, bloomingdales.com

Aqua Women's "2Fer" Vest, $33.60, available in sizes X Small-Large, bloomingdales.com

Abstract Floral Sweater, $21.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Knit Vest Top, $24.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Layered Blouse, $19.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Layered Stripe Top, $22.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Two-In-One Top, $19.99, shown in brown mix; also available in gray combo, sizes S-L (brown mix only available in S), charlotterusse.com

Layered Ruffle Top, $24.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

2fer Belted Pinstripe Dress, available in sizes S-XL, mandee.com

2fer Black Knit Top Belted, $34.99, available in sizes 5-11, mandee.com

2fer Dress W/Red Belt, $34.99, available in sizes 3-11, mandee.com

2fer Pullover Sweatshirt Full Hope, $19.20, available in sizes S-L, mandee.com

2fer Pullover Sweatshirt Love Rock, $19.20, available in sizes S-L, mandee.com

2Fer Vest Black W/Dot Top, $28.00, available in sizes S-L, mandee.com

10 Inch Faux 2fer Argyle, $16.99, shown in royal blue; also available in purple, sizes S-L, mandee.com

Halter Ruffle 2fer, $34.99, available in sizes S-XL, mandee.com

Houndstooth 2fer, $24.00, shown in brown; also available in black/white, sizes S-L (brown not available in L), mandee.com

Lace Tie Neck 2fer, $24.00, available in sizes M and L, mandee.com

Peasant Satin Giraffe 2fer, $39.99, available in sizes 5-13, mandee.com

Printed Tunic and Scarf 2fer, $24.00, available in sizes M-XL, mandee.com

Scoop Lantern Belted 2Fer, $11.99, shown in purple; also available in black, sizes L and XL, mandee.com

Ruffle Satin 2fer, $39.99, available in sizes 5-13, mandee.com

American Rag Layered Cowl-Neck Sweater, $44.98, shown in ivory; also available in purple, sizes XS-L, macys.com

Zinc Racerback Layered, Tank Top, $38.00, available in sizes XS-L, macys.com

Argyle Layered Look Top, $12.99, available in sizes Small-X-Large, jcpenney.com

Fabulosity Sweater, $22.99, available in sizes Small-X-Large, jcpenney.com

Southpole Lurex Stripe 2fer, $12.99, shown in nude; also available in red, sizes Large-XX-Large, jcpeenney.com

Clara Layered Sweater Top, $22.80, available in sizes Small-Large, forever21.com

In-Vain Mock-Layered Vest Tunic, $13.99, available in sizes Small-X Large, kohls.com

I hope the outfits featured above give you some more ideas for layering. I realize that some of the pieces I posted are actually sewn together and can't be worn seperately, but they still form the look of two seperate pieces and that is also a really cool style. The clothes that can be worn seperately cost the same price that only buying one item would cost. Isn't that awesome? You can also take the pieces that can be worn seperately and then layer it with another outfit to create a totally different look. Another advantage to layering? With the downfall of the economy, I know most of us have not been able to buy that many (if any) new clothes. If you're tired of wearing the same clothes over and over again, layering is a great way to give your old wardrobe a whole new twist. If you have any more ideas on how to layer and would like me to put them in my blog, let me know. E-mail me at Charmed42787@gmail.com or send a message on myspace.

Fur-get Me Not

I had mentioned in my Lovely In Lace post that fashions from the Victorian era are in right now. I had also mentioned that fur fits in with this category. Since it is winter, you will be seeing this trend now more than ever. However, I know that many people (myself included) do not want to wear real fur for both financial and political reasons. The solution? Synthetic fur! Fake fur looks just as good as real fur does and will keep you just as warm on a cold winter day. It is also easier on your wallet and and you don't have to feel bad about it. So check out some of my faux fur fashion finds below:

Trademark Lurex Full-Zip Hoodie, $24.99, available in sizes xxsmall and small, aeropostale.com

Nylon Puffer Zip-Front Jacket, $29.85, shown in holly; also available in navy, bleach, and rich cocoa, sizes xxsmall-medium (navy only available in xxsmall; rich cocoa only available in xxsmall and small), aeropostale.com

Cropped Fur Swing Coat, $32.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Fur Cropped Jacket, $32.99, shown in dressy black; also available in silver, sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Zebra Shrug, $28.99, available in sizes M and L, charlotterusse.com

Jessica Louise Pink Faux Fur Trim Jacket, $38.00, available in sizes MD and LG, hottopic.comRed and Black Buffalo Plaid Fur Pilot Hat, $19.99, hottopic.com

ARIZONA 'Fluffy' Fur Boot, $34.99, available in sizes 7 1/2-11, jcpenney.com

Arizona Granite Tall Boot with Fur, $34.99, available in sizes 6-11, jcpenney.com

Chenille Glove with Trimmed Faux Fur, $4.99, shown in leopard; also available in black, jcpenney.com

Le Tigre Fur Argyle Hoodie, $34.99, available in sizes Small-Large, jcpenney.com

Brown Leopard Mix Zip Fur Hoodie, $24.00, available in sizes S and M, mandee.com

Isotoner Faux Fur Bucket Hat, $11.99, shown in black; also available in brown, camel, ivory, leopard, and leopard brown, sears.com

Isotoner Faux Fur Newsboy, $11.99, shown in black; also available in brown, camel, and ivory, sears.com

Faux Fur Hand Muffler Chain, $28.00, urbanoutfitters.com

Faux Fur Pillbox Hat, $34.00, urbanoutfitters.com

Leopard Faux Fur Collar, $28.00, urbanoutfitters.com

Faux Fur Boa Scarf, $29.99, victoriassecret.com

Faux Fur Earmuffs, $25.99, victoriassecret.com

Faux Fur Pull-Through Scarf, $29.99, victoriassecret.com

Faux Fur Bolero, $21.50, shown in black; also available in white, sizes XS-XL (S and XL only available in white), wetseal.com

Zebra Fur Cover Up, $25.50, available in sizes XS-L, wetseal.com

Cotton Lined Hooded Vest, $29.50, shown in moss; also available in dark chocolate, sizes S-XL, wetseal.com

Peace Rhinestone Boot, $29.50, available in sizes 6.5 and 7.5, wetseal.com

Plain Faux Suede Boot, $19.50, shown in brown; also available in camel, sizes 6-10 (camel only available in 8), wetseal.com

Plaid Fur Hood Vest, $26.50, shown in purple; also available in white, sizes XS-XL (white only available in S and M), wetseal.com

I hope my little faux finds will help you brave the cold winter weather. If you have any more suggestions for winter wear, let me know. E-mail me at Charmed42787@gmail.com or send me a message on myspace.