I don’t know about you, but I am LOVING the neck scarves that have been trending in fashion during 2009 and now 2010.  I’ve always loved scarves, but there really hasn’t been much variety until the past 8-10 months when scarf selection has just exploded!  On a little Etsy hunt I found these fab “Neck Rags” made by the creative chick behind Textile Monster.

Neck Rag in Gray, Tipped in Turquoise – $22.00

One in every color?  Ummm.. YES, PLEASE.  You should check out the entire color selection in Textile Monster’s store… yummy!

Have you gotten into the scarf scene yet?  How do you wear your scarves – everyday accessory or only with a coat when it’s cold?  What are your favorite scarf looks?

Why the FAD is bad. Don’t get me wrong, fashion is wonderful, but Fads and Fashion are totally separate things, and it is time to point that out! First of all the definition of Fad, a fad is something that is trendy, has no or very little element of design to it, and will go out faster than it came in. Those pictures that you hate in two years and wonder “what on earth was I thinking, I looked awful in that, but it was ‘in’!” that is a FAD.

Oversized T-shirts with biker shorts, hemp necklaces with no shirt and leprechaun shoes, tuck in that giant T-shirt, add a belt, black jeans and more leprechaun shoes! Cool? FAD!

Fashion on the other hand follows elements and principles of design (look them up in a design book, or just keep reading this post each week, because I am going to highlight one of the elements or principles each week). Fashion is something that also is catching and soothing to the eye of the general audience, and will continue to be used in different ways throughout the decades.

Fashionable: Bon Voyage Navy Pleated Skirt Dress from Shabby Apple – $78.00

Here is an example of a fad that you will hate yourself someday for wearing: Uggs and capris!

Some of you may hate me already for just writing this because you have worn them and jumped on the fad wagon. But let me point out why this fad will fade fast and how it is reckless abandonment of elements and principles of design. Some of you might say the rules are made to be broken, but not ignorantly ignored and that’s what this fad does. Don’t worry though if you’ve made this mistake; we have all made plenty!

1. Line and figure flattery- The wonderful thing about design is you can accentuate any figure and bring out beauty of the wearer with lines, colors, and patterns. But if you misapply or ignore design then you will exaggerate and pull out the worst of a figure.

Notice that nobody’s and I mean nobody’s figure looks very nice from the hip down with this combo. That is because it creates two very LARGE tubes equal to the hip tube (the largest point on your lower half). Also it gives you a 1-2” visual of skin at THE THICKEST PART OF YOUR LEG!!!! Creating the visual image that your calf is as large as the widest part, all the way up and down!

She may look “cool”, but her calves look humungous! (and I’m guessing they aren’t really)

The lines that cut right at your calf also visually shorten your leg to make you look like a munchkin. (Notice the girl on the right) Whereas, if you are wearing full length skinny jeans, tucked in with uggs, it lessens the effect by visually carrying your leg down into the boot rather than the boot being part of the leg. But if you have short legs already, just skip the uggs there are plenty of other options! Even if you wear fitted capris it still has a chopping effect, too many horizontal lines making very wide, short legs! We all know by now horizontal lines shorten and widen!

2. Mass/visual mass/density/weight- Even if you wear slender capris and you believe your leg doesn’t look like a massive tube, or you don’t mind the cut at the thickest part of your leg, there is a visual mass that is not balanced and it is brought to those “clodhoppers”. The weight of denim and other fabrics covering balances the weight. Right now the visual emphasis is on the silhouette as a whole and up towards your lovely face.

Notice how much stuff these women are carrying up top and they still don’t look balanced! They look cluttered, unorganized and unaware that the primary thing you notice are the massive boots, and you are distracted too much to notice what lovely springy dresses and faces they have. Exaggerated visual weight at your feet is just confusing or weird to most people’s psyche when they look at you. So it is not soothing or lovely, it’s just a fad.

3. Seasons! – Okay, I know we are all sick of snow and would love to wear our capris, but if it is too cold then it is too cold. If you need some spring in your life but it is too cold, use brighter colors, light cotton with lots of layers, floral patterns, and of flower headbands.

Fashionable: Tropical Escape necklace by Rachelle D. – $29.50

Seasonal clothing is there for a purpose, not just for comfort it also makes others comfortable and is visually satisfying. For instance, how would it look if you showed up wearing Eskimo clothes to a Luau in Hawaii? Or how about just the opposite what would you think of a person walking around in a bikini out in the snow? If we go against the weather and all common sense, it is usually because we want special attention put on ourselves and go to extremes because we are insecure. This isn’t a psychologically appealing concept right now. Most people want to know people who are not caught up in themselves and are not going to extreme to find attention. Seasonally Uggs and Capris look confused, and even if the weather is confused, we don’t want to be completely blown around by it or be as confused as the weather.

What looks do you think are fads right now?  What fashion fad have you participated in and then regretted later (we’ve all done that)?

I’m so excited to feature Sarah Ward’s jewelry company, Blue Bijou jewelry, today!  I realize that I’ve been featuring a lot of jewelry recently, but I think you’ve GOT to see some of the Blue Bijou pieces.  Don’t you just love jewelry, though?  I mean, honestly, it’s like shoes – no matter what your weight, it always fits.

Also, in so many cases it seems that the jewelry makes the outfit.  I spoke with Sarah recently about this and am sure she agrees.  Sarah is a professional image consultant and specializes in helping people look their absolute best.  Also, Sarah is always up-to-date on what trends are happening and incorporates this into her jewelry pieces, so you can be sure that anything at Blue Bijou is going to fit the 2010 fashion, style and color trends.

So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite Blue Bijou jewelry pieces (click on the pictures to be redirected to the item in her store):

Joy – $25.00 – Gold leaf with 2 Swarovski bicone crystals on gold 16″ necklace with lobster claw clasp.

Sarah – $15.00 – Dazzling circular filigree earrings with gold shepherd hooks.

Brindee – $20.00 – A new twist on the classic Y shape necklace, this leaf lariat with green and pink faceted beads will compliment your V-neck beautifully!

Ruth – $36.00 – Glorious Amazonite and Sterling Silver Bead Bracelet with a Sterling Silver Toggle Clasp.

This last piece is from her Turquoise Color of 2010 collection.  There are many more lovely turquoise pieces that would be such a fast, easy update to any wardrobe.

It was SOOOOOO difficult to only select a few of Blue Bijou’s pieces to feature as I love so many of them!  Be sure to take a peek at Blue Bijou and I’m certain you’ll fall in love with them, too.  Thanks, Sarah, for your lovely creativity!!!

To understand what will happen in fashion, especially the 2010 fashion trends, we need to understand what has happened in the past, what cycles take place, and what determines “fashion”. In the next few Friday posts I will be breaking these concepts down. These are concepts that not everyone in fashion knows, but give us the ability to see and predict future trends.

Here is a little fashion history for you. About two hundred years ago fashion had been repeating itself every 50-100 yrs! As technology and communication expanded throughout the 20th century, fashion began to repeat itself in 20 yr cycles, of course always with a new twist on the old concept. In the past decade, because of the expansion of the internet and communication, fashion has become a hodgepodge of previous time periods and modern culture. But there are still patterns and cycles to be found. Mentally, it is a bit difficult for us to repeat a fashion that we followed 5-10 yrs ago, because it is still too fresh in our memories for us to consider it “new” or “in”. So, 20 yrs is still the general rule of how often fashion repeats itself. This is one of the first cycles of fashion.

But think back 20 yrs to 1990; are we really following that theme? Not really. Why? The next major factor in fashion cycles comes from cycles in the economy: during 1990 we were still in an economic boom. * Fashion is the projection of shared values and experiences of a population. What major events that affect large populations of cultures, countries, and the world will set the tone for shared values to be projected into fashion. The economy is hitting every country, everyone. So, therefore, it is a major player in fashion. So, looking back at the economy, let’s look back 20 more years to the 1970’s. Do we see any similarities? Yes!

Vintage Womens Soft Brown Leather Heeled Durango Boots from Pigeon Recycled – $18.00

Stuart Weitzman boots spotted on FashionTribes.typepad.com

The 1970’s was a low decade for our economy – similar to ours today. Now if the 1970’s took some fashion ideas from 20 yrs earlier, let’s look at the 1950’s. Not as much similarity. Again, it was a good economic period, keeping up with the Jones’ was the mentality, so we can’t compare it to our economy now. (But take a moment to think of what values we might share with the people of the 1950’s and you will probably find a fashion that would suit you today).

Custom 1950s inspired dress by Michelle Tan – $85.00

Let’s continue our look back 20 more years in the timeline. The 1930’s. BINGO! We find lots and lots of examples of things that are “in” today, and that will likely grab our attention in this upcoming year of economic struggles.

We will go into more depth on the 1930’s in future articles. But for now, trust me that the headbands and slouchy tops that we adore now are all from the 1930’s.

Giant Dwarf // Rosette Fascinator // Elastic Headband // The Swan by Giant Dwarf – $30.00

Vanilla Bean Blouse by Anthropologie – $128.00

Build Your Own Candy Thief SPARKLE BAND by The Candy Thief – $39.00

The Aristocrat Off White Felt Flower Elastic Headwrap or Headband Hair Accessory by Jennifer Birge – $31.00

What about the decade of 1910’s? Another great year for us to take ideas from, because of the similar shared experiences.

Next week we will be discussing other major factors that determine what is considered fashionable.  Be sure to subscribe to CreatedByChicks.com to not miss any of the 2010 fashion trend updates, along with the psychology behind them.  We’d also love you to Google Friend us!

p.s. Check out our past post “Bridal Hair Accessories and Headbands” to see even more examples of 2010 fashion trends, inspired by the 1930’s.

Yesterday as I was blog-hopping I caught a really inspiring post written by Tsh on SimpleMom.net, talking about a new (fabulous-sounding) book called, “Steady Days,” written by Jamie Martin.  Tsh interviewed Jamie regarding motherhood and her new book.  Man, just off the interview I gained SOOOO much insight into how to improve what kind of mother I am.  I’m dying to buy the book and will be doing so VERY soon.

Here’s a few snippets I really enjoyed:

• Jamie talking about being “professional mom” (I love that term, now!): “Professionalism isn’t about perfection or adding anything extra to our already very full plates. It isn’t about trying to “do it all” or do what some other mother is doing with her kids. In my mind, being a professional mother means not allowing life to just happen and pass you by. It means choosing the type of life you want for yourself and your family, and purposefully going after that goal. It means playing to your strengths–thereby becoming the best mother you can be for your children.”

• Jamie’s answer on how she “does it all:” “I only put six things on my to-do list each day. Often the first three repeat: read to the kids, make dinner plans, do laundry. The other three spaces allow me to sort out life as it happens and time for blogging/writing projects. And that’s a wrap! It’s a very full life but one centered around my priorities, not someone else’s. I love it.”

Don’t you just love her perspective?!  I had also recently read a lovely post on Design*Sponge written by Ashley English on “The Art of Loafing.” Referring to the book, “The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself,” Ashley wrote about how the author discusses the importance of finding merit in “being” and not simply “doing.” All day yesterday I really focused on “being” rather than doing.  I was amazed at how enjoyable the day was.  I think I’ve had it backwards, thinking I need to “do” so many things to then “be” the mother, wife, homemaker, entrepreneur, friend, etc. that I want to be.  Yesterday  my focus on just on “being” in the present and “being” the mom my children needed me to be.  We read a lot of books together, I snuggled and held my sick baby every time she wanted me to and I found a lot of joy in making a yummy dinner for my family.  It was heavenly!  Also, when it was time to get work done during the afternoon, I got a lot done and it came really easily to me.  When my son interrupted me working, I was able to genuinely be interested and excited in what he was telling me.  My goal is to have a day every day like yesterday.

So for today’s creative chick find, I thought it was only appropriate to highlight some of my favorite handmade earrings from Wild Woman Jewelry’s “simplify” collection (click on the pics to be redirected to that item in her store):

Simplify earrings marbled turquoise vintage lucite and sterling silver – $18.00

Simplify Earrings Oxidized Sterling Silver and Charteuse Glass – $18.00

Simplify earrings ocean blue vintage lucite – $18.00

Simplify earrings purple moonglow vintage lucite and sterling silver – $18.00

Simplify earrings cobalt blue ribbed vintage lucite and oxidized sterling silver – $18.00

I love these sweet, simple designs.  They’d all be such a perfect addition to any outfit, even for a t-shirt day at home.  I find that if I’m wearing some little splash of loveliness in my accessories, I feel so much lighter and happier during the day.  Thank you for your sublime creativity, Karon (Wild Woman Jewelry)!

And to finish up, I loved this quote from Karon’s profile that fits perfectly with today’s theme of simplifying and just “being” the mom, woman, human you were meant to be: “Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: I am with you kid. Let’s go.” ~Maya Angelou

Today I’m featuring the fabulous creative chick, Chante’, of Black Satin Shoes.  Her tagline is, “Perfect accessories to wear with your black satin shoes.” I don’t even own any black satin shoes, but now I think I better look into it because all of her accessories would be SOOOO perfect for a lovely night out.

From her profile I found this tasty bit of info that I loved: I love making things that are fun and girly on my off time. I love bows and pearls, so you will find that a lot of things i make are based around that. I also have the problem of wanting to keep everything i make, but who does not.

Doesn’t she sound so fun?  I love that she struggles to sell her creations because she loves them all.  I can totally see why, too.  Here’s a few of my favorites from her shop (click on pics to be redirected to that item in her store):

Kerry Anne (mustard yellow) – $17.00

Pink Cluster Shoe Clips – $17.00

Camille Headband – $18.00

Red Velvet (shoe clips) – $17.00

Serraphina Headband – $19.00

Cream and Gray Cluster Shoe Clips – $16.00

Now I bet you’re just like me, itching for somewhere fancy to go – heck, even going to a movie could be fancy enough to wear heels and pull out some of Black Satin Shoes’ shoe clips!  And the headbands… oh, the headbands.  I think I’m in love with the boho chic look.  I think I could get addicted to buying these fabulous headbands very quickly (already am getting near the “too many” danger point).  Loving your creativity, Chante’!

— Part 2 in a 2-part series: Part 1 – Fashion Friday Bring in the New Year with Color! (due to technical internet issues, this post is showing today, rather than Friday when it was originally intended) —

As we move from 2010 Spring/Summer weather into Fall/Winter life, the tone in color obviously has a cooler mood. But mentally we don’t totally change from one color to another. So our muted lilac from summer now has a little gray added to neutralize it and calm the intensity. This new deeper purple is called eggplant.  (Click on pics to be redirected to the item in their store).

Hand Woven and Hand Dyed, Pure Wool Shawl by SR’ design – $40.00

The vibrant bold blues will move to a sustainable navy. Navy is a classic for business and most other occasions. More women will be joining the workforce to try to supplement reduced family incomes or take over where a job has been lost. The mature business mentality of both navy blue and dull lilac will be admired for sophisticated occasions.

Stylish soft jersey V neck wrap dress in navy blue and plum by Daniella Besso – $120.00

Velvet Millinery Flowers in Midnight Blue for Fascinators, Hats, Corsages, Brooches, Altered Art by Mary, not Martha – $6.95

The vibrant Raspberry or fuchsia of the summer will be lightened, softened, and toned down to almost a pink; but you can still see the blue undertones that give it a raspberry feeling. This will be idealistic for casual activities. It has a younger, more spontaneous, yet feminine look for daytime clothing.

Crocheted Raspberry Newsboy Cap by Winona Min – $36.00

The vibrant tangerine will also tone down, so much in fact that it will seem more like a vibrant, skin tone. This will be great for layering in different weights with a stark white for contrast and to show off its color.

The eco-friendly green that was so playful in the summer becomes almost a seafoam teal. This color will soften the sharper business cuts of clothing.

Green and Orange Flower Clip by Blue Yodey Baby Boutique – $2.75

Opal is the gem that will tie in any color from this palate – so any piece of jewelry containing this iridescent stone will be the crowning touch of your wardrobe.

Precious Stone Blues by Jellies Jewelry – $188.00

CHA–CHA CELESTE. luminous gemstone charm Ring by Beijo Flor – $49.00

All this month I’ll be talking about 2010 color and fashion trends, so be sure to subscribe and Google Follow (sidebar) CreatedByChicks.com so you don’t miss any of it!

Fashion is not as unpredictable as the “authorities” we rely on to dictate fashion try to make us think it is. So before you read any further I will give you a warning, you will learn about fashion and how to make your own decisions here, I don’t believe in dictating fashion just predicting which can be done with extreme accuracy.

Montana Sky cowl and winter white rose brooch by Felted – $68.00

The first principle you must learn before picking out what to wear this Christmas is what is the basic mindset most people are in, then you can figure out what will appeal to them. Considering this we can say that right now the economy is the main point on most Americans minds. Many are tight with money, lost a job, or are just grateful they have a job. This cuts out excess in just about everyone’s minds. We are making more intelligent consumer decisions and making sure things will last. Consumers are in the middle of an intellectual revolution. We value the resourceful, the durable, long lasting, economical, eco-friendly and reliable items. We also look back to those who have already experienced this kind of economy and learn from them- our grandparents and those who lived in the 1930’s.

Teal Satin Flower Hair Pins by Nomsa – $11.00

Having said this, we can now predict what is going to be a hit at your Christmas party. This Christmas is not about how expensive or perfect your dress. This Christmas is about Classics, simple, handcrafted- SENTIMENT. So what does a sentimental Holiday dress look like? Think long term, a dress you can wear for the next 10 years, a dress you daughter will ask if she can get out of your closet and wear in 20 years. Look for long, sleek feminine lines and fabrics.

Simple solid colors for dresses. Your basic dress should be a neutral or basic color specifically antiqued white, gray or of course red, are always tasteful. If that doesn’t sound spicy enough accessorize with a broach from your grandmother and a headband or scarf from your favorite boutique and you will be the talk of the evening. Indigo is the hottest holiday color this season one indigo accessory or blouse will go very far. If you can’t find indigo royal blue or somewhere close to that will do. Try white or copper color accessories with the blue. For Jewelry go for pearls or semi-precious stones.

Gray felt flower brooches (set of 3) by podgehodge – $30.00

Fabrics should be natural fiber or a close imitation. They last longer if you care for them properly and have a classier look to them. Evening dresses and blouses will really look classy in a soothing classic satin and will stand out for a long time to come. Business or work parties should be woven wool for dresses and suits and accented with a soothing creamy satin.

Red Felt Flower Sampler (set of 6) by Crafty D’s Creations – $4.50

If you are really trying to figure out what to wear for that classy casual daytime event try my old favorite- Felt! Look into it. It is not expensive, get a felt flower and it can improve any daytime ensemble. You can wear it in your hair, on a headband, as a broach, or even on your purse, but whatever you do be creative and classy. Knitted, felted, ruffled, fabric accessories.

Since the old American way of ingenuity and resourcefulness is prized right now, try and make something yourself, or if you are not so good with your hands but can pick something out with your eyes, buy it from a boutique in your neighborhood. Don’t forget to support all those great chicks around here when times are tough and a lot of people are trying to make extra money from what can be made with their hands.

Felted Rose Flower with Long Crocheted Lariat/Scarf/Necklace/Bracelet/Belt by Big Frozen Melon – $48.00

Though we are buying locally we know that the economy is hard all around the world and we value all peoples and cultures for being humans, so find an international print to add some flair and culture. Like I said before, Sentiment and concern for those around you is at a high, fashion isn’t without a heart.

I’m loving the creativity coming from RC Tees.  It’s a creative chick and her husband who make fantastic graphic designs and screenprint them on funky, stylish t-shirts and bags.

Here’s a bit about them from their profile: Together my husband and I share our ideas, the artwork, photographs, etc. My husband, starting with designing the artwork to hand printing each piece individually, does the actual work. My job is to list our finished shirts and bags on our ETSY shop and take care of our customers, from communication to shipping your order and then the final feedback.

Check out some of my favorite finds from their super-fun shop (click on pics to be redirected to the item in their store):

Spring Flower – on SUPER Soft Alternative Apparel Joplin – $26.00

Fleur de Rose on Organic Alternative Apparel Long Sleeve Scoop Neck t shirt – $25.00

Fall Flowers and Swirls on SUPER Soft Alternative Apparel Flutter Sleeve Tunic
- $25.00

Ghost Elephant Tote – $12.00

Funky-cool designs, huh?!  Adding each item to my Christmas wish list – what about you?

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Check out all of RC Tees designs for women, men and youth, along with their fantastic bag designs in their Etsy Store.

This weekend I had the TIME of my life. Since it’s “Design Monday” here on CBC, I thought talking about my “mad fashion design” skills would still be appropriate.  Yes, I’m still working on LOTS of blog design projects – woot! – and will unveil those next week.  I only have room in my schedule for one or two more design projects before the end of the year, so hurry and email me if you’re wanting to get your blog redesigned before the New Year (quinn{at}createdbychicks{dot}com).

My brother-in-law, Alan, has been wearing the same, old, worn-out clothes he’s had since high school (5+ years) and decided he wanted to buy a whole new wardrobe.  But, he was slightly intimidated by the entire buying process.  I told him I’d love to help him and told him to go online and find some images of the kind of style he was looking for and then we could take that and find clothing based around that style.  I didn’t really give him any pointers, but from talking to him prior I suggested he Google “irish punk fashion.”  Alan is an artist, so no matter what style he decided on, I knew we’d be wanting to find pieces and accessories that fit his eclectic personality and lifestyle.

Alan’s typical wardrobe “look” before we went shopping looked like this (above).  He wore baggy, wrinkly jeans with torn hems that were generally a few sizes too big for him.  He also wore baggy, thread-bare t-shirts.

Alan cracked me up because the very first place he found in his online search was GQ.  Of all places to start, let’s start at the epitome of men’s fashion.  Rock on.  He emailed me all the images he liked from GQ and we went shopping on Black Friday, primarily at Macy’s, coming home with some screamin’ deals (at Macy’s alone his total savings was $1000!!).  Below I have a few of the GQ images and what we pulled together from our shopping trip (yes, I agree: Alan does have a future in male modeling – wink!).

Both the hat and vest were already natural accessories for Alan.  He’s been wearing those already a lot.  In this picture he’s wearing one of the four vests he bought (apparently, you can never have too many vests).  Although he would love wearing a vibrant, bright tie, he chose a solid staple for his skinny tie purchase so that it could go with everything he bought (sidenote: I’m loving the skinny tie look, now.  I used to think it was goofy, but I think it’s evolved to look really chic and professional).

This was such an interesting combo.  Who would have thought to put a thin hoodie shirt with a sports jacket?  Well, this designer obviously did.  Alan loved this look so we found him a fab deal on a thin hoodie to wear with his new, super-rad jacket (sidenote: although Alan does have a hat to wear over the hoodie, we both thought it looked stupid, even on the model; just our humble opinions).

Our combo doesn’t look exactly like this pic, but the “look” is similar in that Alan is sporting a funky v-neck sweater (not as deep of a v-neck as the GQ pic) with a collared shirt underneath.  While shopping, I kept trying to find new pieces that were stylish, but comfortable.  We replaced his old, sloppy hoodies with this more-tailored version.  And check out his jeans!  They fit!!!

Here’s an example of where we took the “GQ look” and personalized it more towards Alan’s style.  The funky light-washed jeans with the bright shirts and jacket really fit Alan’s creative side while giving him a nice, tailored look.

Of all the fun things we found on our shopping excursion, though, these shoes were my favorite.  They’re a funky, cowboy-style loafer that can go with pretty much any outfit to dress it up a little.  They look just as good with jeans as they do his dress-pants.

I think it’s quite obvious that I had the TIME OF MY LIFE helping find Alan his new wardrobe.  Isn’t that most girls’ dream to give someone a “makeover?”  Alan was a peach, too, about it all.  I really think Alan is fabulous for how easy-going he is, as well as his spontaneity in trying new things.  This is a big change for him, but we both feel like it’s going to help him to continue on his path to success.

More info about Alan: freelance artist/illustrator with a killer sense of humor who enjoys gaming, funny movies, playing football, strumming his guitar and singing random Disney songs at the top of his lungs

Check out Alan’s Portfolio site: alancurtisart.com

And Alan’s blog where you can find details about his sketchbook night group: 365 Days of Art

What do you think of Alan’s new look?