Charles...10 Reasons You make me angry at!

1. You are making me write this blogger after I told you I did 10 posts.
2. You are making me speak today for 15 minutes -give or take 5 minutes.
3. You refused to tell the "book guy" that his sign was upside down.
4. You just told me that you are not going to give me my grade today!
5. You don't not take compliments well when I tell you that your hair cut is fantastic.
6. You speak poorly of your children.
7. You refuse to admit that maybe you like to watch Project Runway without your wife watching it.
8. You bring your toilet room magazines to class.
9. You refuse to put a number and a percentage together and put it in the eclass portal.
10. your in luck....I don't have a 10th reason.

Organic cotton???

Organic cotton is defined as a natural, pure, and free from any and all chemicals fiber.  Organic Cotton became a really popular trend about 3 years ago.  Celebrities got the trend started, and like all of us, we want to be like them.  So it was necessary for us to also go organic...however when all of us (non singers, actors, models) we found out why we didn't see it around here very often.  It is extremely expensive.
Organic cotton is made when a farmer uses no pesticides or fertilizers to grow their cotton in the soil or on the plant itself.  Then the only way it can be labeled as organic is if there is no chemical bleaches or sulfurs used in the end of making the product.  Organic cotton is expensive for this reason: without the use of pesticides and fertilizers it is harder for them to grow due to animals eating them and not being chased off by the chemicals. This means that each year it is about pure luck how much of the crop survives.  If the farmer has a bad year with animals getting into the cotton, then that means the farmer is going to lose out on profit.  Just to make sure the farmer makes a profit, the price of organic cotton merchandise is high.

Charles...the light at the end of the tunnel!

Today in class, we discussed the purpose of scholarly writing.  We talked about how to write one, why it would be necessary to write one, and how professional they are to be written.  I gave Charles my opinion that teachers should chill out when assigning these papers.  I suggested that teachers should give boundaries...such as 5-8 pages versus just saying write 8 pages.  Sometimes it can be  mistake to ask students to write so much, especially if the student feels as if they don't need that many pages to get their point across.  Asking for too many pages can lead to rambling.  Also, I learned how to go into the library.  I have had a great fear of entering into the Art Institute of Ohio Cincinnati's library.  I was afraid of the silence, the table that is suppose to keep my bags and books hostage without anyone watching over them, and getting lost in the maze of book shelves. Charles made me face my fears....I walked into the library and with the guidance of my friends, we found the journal that Charles sent us to find.  I thank you Charles for making me face my fear.

Fall 2011 Trends

Want to create a fall look but not sure how?  Here at Forever 21 we will show you how....step by step!!!

1. Choosing a blouse.
• When picking out a blouse, make sure that it is a color or pattern that can go with multiple outfits.  The last thing you want , is to buy a blouse that can only go with one pair of pants, one pair of shoes, and so on.... Try to find a solid color.  The color trends are deep reds, dark purples, and a deep green.
2. Choosing a pair of slacks.
• Pants are the easiest items to put together.  The fall trend is to have dark colored slacks.  If your slacks are colored, make sure the blouse you choose (above) will go with the pair of slacks you buy. What's the point of getting a pair of pants that the slacks you just bought don't match.  And if all else fails, denim are our lifesavers.  they go with just about anything.
3. Choosing your Footwear.
• This season, boots from the ankle to the knee are what all designers have created.  The trend is to have feathers, furs, rhinestones, and rivets embellishing the shoes.  Find a pair that will go with multiple outfits.  Boots can be expensive, so make sure they will match with all of your pieces.
4. Choosing your Outerwear.
• One of the most important pieces to you outfit is your outwear.  The outwear can consist of sweaters, fur vests, and trench coats.  The trends in colors are still the same.  For jackets, we have drifted away from the leather, and have evolved to more of a canvas feel jackets.  Tan has over taken the black, red and purples have over taken grey.  Since you will be wearing your outerwear everyday, you want it to match your above outfits.
5. Last but Most Important....Accessories!
• When creating a look, your clothing and footwear is only part.  But what completes the look are the accessories you put along with it.  This can mean your handbag, jewelry, scarves, hats, gloves, and sunglasses.  This season, gold is a color that looks amazing next to the clothing color trends.  The handbags should compliment with your outfit, not compete with it.  So get a neutral color that will last with this season and next.  

The goal is to create a look for fall of 2011, but there is nothing wrong with getting pieces that will last longer than just this season.  Why not create a timeless look that you can recreate this fall and in fall 2013.  Fashion is not necessarily inexpensive. However, if you follow these simple 5 steps, you can save money by not having to purchase as many pieces next year.  You can stay simple, but add your own personality.  These are fall 2011 trends, but what makes the trend look even better, is your own flare!

Cincinnati Fashion Week

Friday, May 12, 2011, I attended the Cincinnati Fashion Week's Graphic Fashion.  Graphic Fashion is when designers use graphic design to show off their designs.  At Graphic Fashion, designers showed off their designs by having photographs of the models in their designs in display windows.  The designs they came up with was having a strong contrast.  they put the models in all white clothing with neon colors for their makeup and shoes.  After the revealing of the windows, they had an after party to follow.  They had free food and drinks as well as great music to have fun.  At the after party, they had the models from the photographs arrive in the clothing they were modeling in the display window pictures. The revealing of the windows and the party were amazing.  The party was elegant and the windows were creative and well thought out.  I'm excited for next years Fashion Week!

Retailer Trends

In retail, the layout of the store is crucial in being successful.  Customers do not only come into stores to shop, but they enjoy whole shopping experience from the moment the arrive to the store till they checkout at the register.  When a customer arrives at a store, hat is their first impression of the retailer.  The window displays are going to be what helps set the idea of the store.  The display should show the retail store's "personality" and be the attention grabber.  As you walk into the store, fixtures and mannequins are the only things showing off the clothing, otherwise, you just have sweaters laying on a table.  It is a presentation of your products.  Customers want to see the clothing presented and on display.  Retailers are using fixtures that show class and sophistication.  Going "green" is a big fixture trend.  Fixtures are no longer being all metal, but are wooden and organic.  Also mannequins are being made from 100% organic cotton and recycled plastic.  They are spending a lot of money on making sure that their customers are getting what they need aesthetically.  They want customers to love the displays and grab their attention and then love the look on the fixtures and then buy the outfit because of how it was presented.

Royal Wedding

Today William and Kate got married in front of nearly 2,000 guest.  her guest were from other royalty, leaders, celebrities, family, and friends.  Kate wore a dress in remembrance of Alexander McQueen, a designer that committed suicide last year two weeks after his mother passed away.  While still dress elegantly and classy, Kate did not let her dress over shine Princess Diana's wedding dress when she got married.  Kate's dress was a cathedral gown with a long train.  Her dress had long sleeve made of lace and embroidery.  Her flowers were petite and did not over shadow the beauty of her dress.
Now that she is a princess, there are rules for her to follow. She is no longer allowed to be called Kate, but strictly Katherine.  She is not allow to eat shellfish, in the risk of eating contaminated or toxic fish.  She is no longer allowed to use public restrooms.
With her becoming princess, many think that with that title comes the ability to do whatever she wishes, however, she is given a longer list of things she isn't allowed to do.  Becoming a princess has put her directly in the spotlight which makes it impossible for her to live a private life.  So being a princess and having power versus not being able to go to the restroom if you are out in public, seems a little extreme to me.
What do you think???

Cosmetic Trends for Spring 2011

Makeup was created to enhance the natural beauty on a woman's face.  They create a glow to her cheekbones, bring a little color to her lips, or outline her eyes to make them stand out.  Makeup was about being very natural and almost invisible on the skin.  However the more advances with cosmetics, have expanded the creativity.  The eyeshadow colors and bright saturated lipsticks started in high fashion editorial shoots and on the runway.  For the camera to catch the look of the models makeup on the runway, the make up artist had to apply more than normal....much more! Meaning brighter colors were used, thicker  lines of eyeliner were used, long fake eyelashes were applied, and so on...so why do people use it in everyday life....

Just like fashion, we want to look like we stepped off the runway and into our offices at work. We look for the current fashions and follow the trends to get that look. That also means, the makeup.  makeup for this season are bright colors on the eyes.  Women aren't just sticking to eyeshadow just on the eyelid, but are creating a full look by extending the shadow up to the brows, creating a very bright wide eye look.  We also see women wanting bigger fuller lips, but who want s to go under the knife for that when you can just apply on a bright colored lipstick.  Bright reds, pinks, and even corals are the colors girls are using to get the "voluptuous" lips they want.  To get the glow on the cheek bones, bronzers or bright colored blushes are being used.  To wrap up the complete look of the bright and bold spring look this year, pale and smple color nail polish is a great addition to the look and creates an amazing contrast.

Trends of Spring/Summer 2011

This spring and summer it is all about the bright colors and the bold patterns.  We are seeing more floral patterns this season along with other abstract patterns.  The use of colors in fashion are inspired by art from artist such as Andy Warhol.  Colors are being mixed with other colors that we wouldn't normally be putting together.  Along with he crazy patterns, the design of this season's fashions are unique.  We are seeing a lot of embroidery on the runways.  With the inspiration of Native American culture, embroidery on clothing is what everyone is shopping for.  Designers are using colors such as turquoise and other earthy tones.  Another trend this season is the bohemian look.  Which plays a role along with the Native American inspiration as being earthy.  Bohemian is about natural, "green", and the enviroment. Trends this season are using inspirations straight from nature, and bringing it onto the runway.  

Bridal Trends of 2011

While looking for my wedding dress, I researched what the upcoming trends were going to be. When we think of bridal we think of white, lacy, diamond, and pearls.  We also think of the bride being a princess, and when we think of a princess we think of the big ball gown.  The traditional wedding dress is no longer what brides are looking for these days.  They want the most lavishly embellished and unusual dress you could think of.  The thought of wearing white for your wedding is not as thought of now as much as it was back then. Brides are looking for color in their gowns, whether it's in an accessory, or the entire dress. The trends in colors for bridal is a pink, lavender, ivory, and even silver.  This used to be expected in the late 1800's when white was not seen as a necessity for the bride to wear.  White soon became a tradition as being a symbol of purity.  The value of being pure your wedding day was very high.  However, that trend has changed just as much as the wedding dress.
Brides are not looking for their mother's wedding dress anymore. They are also not looking for the basic, expected look.  They want their dress to be first seen walking down a runway and next walking down the aisle to get married.  They want to walk down the aisle in what everyone expected not to wear.