Monday, July 30, 2012

Vancouver Vogue Dress Design Collaboration

I have a very exciting project in the works which I can't wait to share with all of you! My photographer's sister Rebecca (Rebecca Elizabeth Designs) is currently a fashion design student at the University of the Fraser Valley and agreed to do a collaboration with Vancouver Vogue.

We wanted to design a dress that would embody the style of this blog: a piece that would be fresh and trendy yet have a definite vintage flair. We decided on a boat neckline- very Audrey Hepburn, and full skirt. The back is open with a bow and cut out which gives it the most adorable detailing. We wanted to keep the length longer to balance out the openess of the back. I drew out some very crude looking sketches to show her what I was thinking and she made a much better looking sketch of what I was going for. She took the sketches home and came back with these beautifully done drawings of THE Vancouver Vogue dress!

Every Monday for the month of August I'll be posting the design progress and eventually unveil the final product. So make sure to keep checking in!

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta





Thursday, July 26, 2012

Thrifty Thursday

I'm officially going crazy for mint! I honestly doubted at the beginning of the season that I would actually end up owning a piece of mint clothing, but to my surprise, I've managed to get my thrifty hands on 4 separate items! You've already seen my mint Zara jeans and dip-dyed maxi skirt here and now I've found 2 more: a Zara dress and a cardigan from H&M.





Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Zara
Section: Featured items (front of the store)
What I paid: $8.99 + $15 for a new zipper
What it's worth: $89




Store: Salvation Army
Brand: H&M
Section: Sweaters
What I paid: $6.99
What it's worth: $24.95


I've had this dress for a year now but just got around to getting the zipper replaced recently. I found this scarlet dream at The Bay downtown and it was heavily reduced because of a broken zipper. I bought it anyway and I'm so glad I did: yes, it has a heart cutout on the back!!!





Store: The Bay
Brand: Material Girl
Section: Women's Clothing, Material Girl, Reduced Rack
What I paid: $15.25 + $15 for a new zipper
What it's worth: $45


I spotted this tough-looking baby and knew it had to be mine! Studs and spikes are a great way to spice up an otherwise plain piece. Where I found this item brings up a valuable lesson for would-be thrifters: always go through the discards from the change room! Think about it: these are the pieces other people thought were attractive enough to try on, but just didn't work out size-wise. Think of this rack as the cherry-picked items, ripe for your discovery!





Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Yalosangeles
Section: Changing room discards rack
What I paid: $6.99
What it's worth: ?

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Look of the Week: Mixing hues

This is my new favourite colour combo: mint and hot pink. It's a great way to transition soft spring pastels to summer by adding a pop of neon/bright colour.

I stumbled upon this colour combo while trying to figure out what to wear under the dress. The back and shoulders are completely see-through lace so its difficult to find something that doesn't show. Rather than trying to find something that won't show, find something that will! I added a splash of pink by wearing the bandeau I thrifted here that you can see right through the lace. To make sure it looks intentional, I matched my shoes to the pink. I would also recommend trying a hot pink skinny belt with a mint dress or jeans to achieve the same effect.

Clearly I was feeling very Audrey Hepburn-esque today. I tried a sock bun tutorial on Youtube that worked marvellously and threw on some oversized shades for a touch of glamour. This is totally going to be my go-to look for fall during school: high bun, big shades, loose cozy sweater and tights.



















Find what you need to make this look:



Dress-Zara(thrifted, details to come in this week's Thrifty Thursday), Bandeau-Elena(thrifted here), Shades-Bizou, Purse-Vintage, Bracelets-Barefoot Contessa, Shoes-Army&Navy


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Saturday, July 7, 2012

22nd Birthday Tea!

I celebrated my 22nd birthday with friends this past Monday at the Secret Garden Tea Company in Kerrisdale. I go for afternoon tea any chance I get: who wouldn't be in favour of dressing up, sipping tea, and tasting dainty sweets? My favourite tea of the day was Provence, which had lovely hints of lavender...I felt like I was in the south of France! As for the food, by the far our favourite finger food were the scones. Something about them is just so ridiculously yummy! Add that tasty Devonshire cream and jam and this is one scrumptious little snack. We continued on from the Secret Garden Tea Co to Granville Island market for some drinks, then finished off the evening with an absolutely fantastic meal at Caché in Yaletown.

My birthday dress was featured here on Thrifty Thursday a while back. It's by a local designer French Spy and features a silk sash and full skirt. To keep with the vintage feel of the dress, I added red lips and polka dot heels: my favourite colour combo has always been red, white and black. Side note: Maybelline SuperStay 10hr Stain Gloss has an AWESOME red lipstick. It doesn't stay on for 10 hours, but it does last really well and doesn't dry out or crack. This is my new go-to red lipstick (even those it's really a gloss!).

The beautiful lace umbrella was a birthday gift from some of my close girl friends, who picked it up from my favourite store in Fort Langley: the Little White House. I've never wished for rain, but it was nice to have been able to use it right away!







































Thursday, July 5, 2012

Thrifty Thursday

I've got a wide variety of finds for you this Thursday! I've searched everywhere from my usual thrift shop to the outlets in Seattle to the Richmond Night Market. Some of these aren't your stereotypical thrifting destinations, but I found some fantastic deals nonetheless!

I found this skirt while at the new Richmond Night Market. I'm becoming a big fan of maxi skirts! The dip-dyed fabric combined with the fact that it's in this season's hottest colour: mint? Too good to be true! And the lovely girl working in the booth gave me a great deal!



Store: Richmond Night Market
Section: Skirts
Brand: Unknown
Price I Paid: $21
What it's Worth: $30


So many things are going on with this shirt, and I think they all just make it more adorable. The asymmetrical hem, the sheer polka dots, the low back, the bow tie...







Store: Ross Dress for Less
Section: Shirts
Brand: Lashes
Price I Paid: $9.99
What it's Worth: ?


I am so glad I didn't go right out and buy a pair of mint jeans as soon as I saw them on Pinterest. If I had, I would not have done the happy dance I did when I found these beauties! Zara jeans (super soft, may I add) in MINT! They've never been worn, and the only reason they are so heavily reduced is because of a small rip along the back above the belt loop. I couldn't care less about the rip: I'm too smitten with them!







Store: Salvation Army
Section: Featured Items
Brand: Zara
Price I Paid: $8.99
What it's Worth: $59.90


With all the cropped bustiers surfacing these days, I figured a little midriff showing wouldn't be too scandalous. Polka dots seem to be a reoccuring theme today...



Store: Ross Dress for Less
Section: Shirts
Brand:
Price I Paid: $5.99
What it's Worth: ?


I was first introduced to Vince Camuto shoes on my mini roadtrip to the Seattle Premium Outlets a month ago, where I picked up these BCBG heels and these Jessica Simpson heels. I literally am like a kid in a candy store when I walk in there. 20% off 50% off shoes? Yes please!! Might I add these babies are real leather?





Store: Vince Camuto (Seattle Premium Outlets)
Section: Shoes
Brand: Vince Camuto
Price I Paid: $34.99
What it's Worth: $79.99


I really wish my camera did the colour of this dress justice. It's such a beautifully rich royal blue, and I'm planning to pair it with equally regal gold accessories!



Store: Salvation Army
Section: Featured Items
Brand: Zara
Price I Paid: $12.99
What it's Worth: ?

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta
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