Thursday, November 24, 2011

The quirky punk ballerina.

Hey!  Emilyann here.  It's been a while, but I'm back in the swing of things.  :)  The fall and winter months are definitely my favorite fashion seasons.  I adore the colors, the layering, the big cozy sweaters and tights with absolutely everything.  The boots, the scarves.  Although the snow is not a welcomed guest for me, I do get excited about getting dressed in the morning.  Here are some outfits I got inspired to put together.


The first is more for the fall months, as it isn't exactly "winter material" at least not for Eastern Iowa.  It's comfy and cozy and quirky.  I love it.

Shirt - American Eagle
Sweater Shawl - Thrifted
Shorts - Thrifted
Tights - Target
Shoes - American Eagle
Earrings - Thrifted

The second outfit reminds me of The Nutcracker Ballet. Wonder why.  ;)  I adore this outfit.  I would wear it every day if that were socially acceptable. ;) 

Shirt - TJ Maxx
Skirt - Forever 21
Tights - Target
Boots - Thrifted
Scarf - Target 

This outfit is a little more laid back.  The punk band-tshirt-with-cardigan look, Emilyann style, of course.

Shirt - Thrifted
Cardigan - Target
Jeans - TJ Maxx
Shoes - Converse
Socks - ?


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Emilyann




Saturday, November 12, 2011

An Introduction.

Hello dear readers of the Dressing Room Door! My name is Kate and I’m writing to you from “across the pond.” As many of you know, this is my very first post on DRD and it would be a lie if I said that I wasn’t a bit nervous! :) I felt so honored when my dear friend Caroline asked me to join the team of lovely (and très chic!) ladies who blog here at Dressing Room Door. I am excited to get started!

So, shall we? Enough about moi, let’s talk STYLLLE!

It is certainly no small feat for young ladies who desire to lead lives that are glorifying to Christ to dress modestly in this day and age. Trust me, I KNOW. But I also know and believe that being modest does not mean sacrificing fashion! Yes: I AM saying that modesty and stylishness can go hand in hand (as we have daily proof right here on this very blog!). In fact, I think it can be quite fun to take trendy pieces and figure out how to integrate them into ladylike outfits. Sometimes all that’s needed is a little bit of inspiration…..


I suppose I’d say that my “philosophy” about personal style is that what you wear is an extension of yourself; an extension of your thoughts, feelings, worldview, etc. If it doesn’t speak to you, take it off. Dressing well is an art. An art that, like any other, takes practice - this is something I always try to keep in mind when I dress in the morning. Now, I am a girl who loves a classic! But a classic paired with a bit of eclectic; preppy but maybe a little hippie. In other words, classic silhouettes harmonized with interesting, contemporary jewelry, or a pop of color in a bright shoe or bag.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I would like to highlight the aspect of quality and detail in garments and accessories. In my opinion, a big part of being modest and dressing well is being a good steward. Taking care of your clothes and appearance and investing in well-made pieces is often an overlooked, yet essential aspect of the spirit of modesty. And, admit it, who hasn’t been delighted to find a beautifully adorned (with grosgrain perhaps?) interior hem or a fabulous pattern on the lining of a bag that’s just as special as the outside? Happily for me quality doesn’t always have to mean expensive. :) I might as well confess it, I LOVE THRIFTING. I hope to share a few of my favorite finds along with some tips and inspiration with you here on DRD in future posts.

p.s. please forgive/bear with me as I figure out how to use blogger! hopefully my pictures won't be wonky for too long. ;) Oh and also, all of the pictures on this post came from my pinterest account.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Fall Styles: Combat Boots

Hello lovely followers!

I'm sure you've seen lots of combat/military style boots the past year and the last few months especially. At first, I was skeptical of wearing them because I think they can easily look goth or just clunky and awkward, depending on how you wear them. But I finally bought a pair, and I'm in love. I wear them everywhere and they go with almost everything. Here I'm going to give you a few ideas of how to wear them.


Combat Boots #1


Try pairing them with a denim shirt and colored skinny jeans. Make sure you add jewelry or a scarf to keep it feminine.






Combat Boots #2


Wear them with a bodycon skirt and tights, and a simple top.




Combat Boots #3


Or pair them with a chunky sweater and skinny jeans, and a feminine scarf or accessory.

There are obviously dozens of ways to wear combat boots; these are just a few ideas to get you started. Just remember, make sure you're wearing something feminine so you don't look too masculine or goth, and I'd stick with tights, leggings, or skinny jeans so it doesn't come off clunky.

Hope you're having a wonderful fall! :)

xoxo,
Amanda


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Fall Layering

Hello All!
Hope you're enjoying your fall!  I have been, though it looks a lot more like winter here.
Here are some sets I've done on Polyvore to illustrate some outfit ideas for fall.  I've been dressing much more laid back, with muted tones, and jeans.  I thought I'd never say this, but I really liked my jeans.


fall1

fall1 by lilliant featuring a fringe jacket


fall2

fall2 by lilliant featuring a peacock shirt


fall3

fall3 by lilliant featuring a boatneck tee



fall4

fall4 by lilliant featuring long boots


fall5


How are you dressing this fall?

{lillian}

The Ugly Truth About Split Ends

Hey, y'all, it's Caroline again!  Before I get started, I want to let you know about two things.

Number one: If you have a suggestion for another trend for a body type post, either tell me about it in the comments below or email us, and I'll see what I can do!

Number two: If you want to write a guest post at some point, feel free to send your posts to us at dressingroomdoor(at)gmail(dot)com for consideration.  Include a short bio of yourself and a picture, and we'll read your post and maybe put it up right here for our followers to read.  We can't post all of them, so don't feel bad if yours isn't picked!  We love you all and just want to give some of you the chance to teach us all something.  Make sure it's informative, too.

Now, let's get onto the good stuff.
~~~~~~~

Most of us are probably familiar with split ends.  Everyone gets them at some point, and if you've never gotten them before, well, then I don't really want to talk to you because I may turn green.

Anywho.

Split ends can occur for a number of reasons.  Maybe you use too much heat and not enough heat protection, maybe you brush your hair too much or when it's wet, maybe you don't use conditioner... who knows?  Maybe it's just hereditary.  But, like it or not, when you look at your hair during math class because you're bored and you see that you've got hairs that are scraggly and broken down the middle, you've got to act.

But what's the ugly truth about split ends?  You can't mend them.


Nope, nothin' doin'.  There's no magical hair mask or conditioner that will seal the broken parts back together, and if you think about it, that really does make sense.  Once your hair splits?  It splits for life.

The longer you leave split ends alone, the weaker those hairs will become.  The split will work its way up the shaft of the hair, and before you know it, you'll have damaged looking, frizzy hair that won't cooperate and will seem to grow at a slower rate.

So, when you see that you're getting split ends, you've got two options.

{1} You could go for a chop and just remove several inches of your hair.  Reinvent your style and go for something completely different.  This will give you the chance to start afresh and work really hard to keep your new-found shine alive.

  {2}  If you are absolutely married to the idea of having long hair, you can go to a salon and ask them to just dust off the ends.  This removes hardly any length at all, and it will actually make your hair seem to grow more quickly.  This is because your ends will be refreshed and healthy, and each individual hair will be stronger and won't break off every time you brush your hair.  

In short, you can't do anything but completely remove all of your split ends.  A professional can do this in a matter of minutes, and if you're a regular customer, they will often do those little trims for free.

Once you've eradicated every last split, what do you do?  Well, you have to work extra hard to make sure these fresh ends stay intact.  Here is a couple of ways to do this.

{1}  Hair Masks.  Use these once or twice a weak to give your hair shine and strength.  Here are the ones I recommend the Hollywood Argan Hair Mask or the Garnier Fructis Deep Conditioning Mask

{2}  Condition like crazy.  Every time you wash your hair, leave your conditioner on your ends for roughly 3 to 4 minutes, or while you shave your legs or wash your body.  Just let it soak in for a while.  And then, every once in a while, use a deep conditioner, like Burt's Bees Deep Hair Repair  in order to really revitalize your hair.

{3}  Use as little heat on your hair as possible.  And if you must use heat, put on a heat-guard first.  My favorites are Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray  and Got2b Guardian Angel

{4}  For general care, only brush your hair when you absolutely must.  When your hair is wet, only use a wide-tooth comb and begin at the ends to gently work out tangles.  

{5}  When you dry your hair with a towel, try to dab instead of rub.  

{6}  If you must put your hair up, use a rubberband that has fabric on the outside instead of one that has metal tabs or exposed rubber.  Those can catch on your ends and damage them.  Try these Scunci ones or something similar.  


That's all for now, folks!  I hope I helped you out.  If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I'll be sure to respond.

Adios, muchachas.