Outfit of the Week #3 - D.I.Y (Batwing Sweater)

So this week it's D.I.Y week! Yay! ^_^ Which means I pick an awesome style at the moment and then show you how to make it yourself! Super easy and no stress. I also show you a sweet decorative technique and how to embellish your projects with it.

So this week I did the 'Batwing' style sweater, and I made the whole thing for under $5.00!

That's pretty fantastic. So here are the pics from our little shoot we did, Danielle Lawrence was the photographer, Dillon was on lighting & the location was in Kumeu, beside 'Blossoms' this pretty little cafe with loads of chickens!

The orchid was really pretty with the shapes of the bare trees and the afternoon sun on the grass, and we caught it around 4pm when it was low in the sky. 

If you would like to make this cute little number yourself, it's completely customizeable, stay tuned for the Tutorial. Part One, drawing the shape of the top (The Pattern) & Part Two the applique of cut-out hearts. The links will be posted here as soon as it is online.

Picture of the sweater & applique.

Shoes (Aqua) are from 'Rubi Shoes'. Stockings are from eQUIP. I wore pink stockings but they also come in a number of other candy colours. White skirt is from Supre, last season. Singlet from Sussan. Hair bow is just ribbon tied in a bow. Earrings & Necklace (Made from glitter beads & ribbon) are from The Dorothy Collection, available on Etsy.

Sweater with heart cut-out border, and alternative fabric stitched behind it. See the tutorial!

Sweater with pink heart cut-out at back.

Tumblr - Follow Me ♥

The Wardrobe has a sweet little inspiration collection of fashion imagery here on Tumblr:

www.thewardrobeinspiration.tumblr.com

www.thewardrobe.co.nz

Business Showcase - D'cor D'art Parnell

Business Showcase - "D'cor D'art" with Jennifer & MUA Wanja Carree. Stylist Katherine A.M.T

So this was the biggest project so far to date on The Wardrobe and for everyone involved it was lots of fun! 

Our model was Jennifer Tooley from Vanity Walk models, and our MUA was our lovely featured makeup artist Wanja Carree.

D'cor D'art features the work of Korean artist Insook Kim, she sells both a wide variety of handmade hair pieces and her own art, plus other cute hair accessories such as Hello Kitty & Mickey Mouse. All the bows are 100% handmade in store and ribbon in every colour lines the shelving at the back half of the store. D'cor D'art also does custom made wrapping, boxes and beautiful stationary. Although in a beautiful spot they are planning to move soon New Market, so before they do, pop in and have a look at their beautiful collections. 

Bows & Hair accessories from D'cor D'art. Blouse from Sussan. MUA & Hair: Wanja Caree. Stylist: Katherine Ann-Marie. Photography: www.theundefined.co.nz

Below is an in depth style guide of how to wear these gorgeous pieces from our business showcase- "D'cor D'art" in Parnell Rise, Auckland. Here is Wanja executing the looks:

Wanja Carree from "Wanja's World" adding the final touches to model Jennifer Tooley

First, from the selection of bows and hair accessories from D'cor D'art, Wanja put together a unique look for each product. She kept the makeup subtle so as not to detract from the styling. In the photos Jennifer is wearing a blouse from Sussan. Just Jeans also has the same white blouse, for $49.95. 

These bows are one of the staples of D'cor D'arts' range of hair accessories. They come in a huge array of colours, and this one is striped through a satin ribbon. Wanja has styled Jennifer with her hair pulled to one side, after curling it with the curling wand. Black and White Stripe Bow: $20.00

These bows are exceptionally well handmade versions of the commercial types often sold at retail stores. Made in every colour and with a plastic grip on the inside they are comfortable and very sweet. Wanja has styled Jennifer's hair by straightening it and then adding the headband. Simple! Blue Bow Headband: $10.00

This beautiful little aqua blue bow clip is created in a twisted style, so a little more unique than the standard bow. It is beautiful styled as Wanja has done, with the front section of the hair pulled back in a quiff, secured with a bobby pin and then the bow clasped in place. Twisted Bow Clip: $30.00

This large lillac bow clip is excellent for the back of the hair in 'pulled back' styles. Wanja has curled Jennifer's hair first, before pulling back the sides and then securing with the bow. Because it has a strong alligator clip it is perfectly capable of holding larger amounts of hair. Excellent for those who like no fuss hair styles! Large Bow Clip: $30.00

This large twisted bow clip is a bigger version of the original twisted bow clip, and is beautiful worn similar to the bigger standard bow, with hair pulled back, or as shown here with a more alternative style. Wanja first curled Jennifer's hair with a curling wand, and then pulled it back into an up-do with bobby pins, before securing it with the twisted bow. She has also added a quiff at the front. Large Twisted Bow Clip: $40.00

This pretty feminine hair tie is perfect for high pony tails, to wrap around buns, or the ends of plaits. For this style Wanja pulled Jennifer's hair into a high pony tail, then added the hair tie. Curled Ribbon Hair Tie: $15.00

These sweet little bow clips also come in a large number of colours, and are especially pretty when worn with a few together. Here we chose light and dark pink, and Wanja styled them into Jennifer's hair by curling the ends of her hair and then pulling back a small section of the side hair with each clip. Two clips in alternating directions also adds strength. Mini Bow Clips: $10.00 Each

This headband is classic Japanese Kitsch. It is super cute with little blouses and neutral colours. Wanja styled Jennifer's hair by pulling it back with the headband and curling it with the curling wand. Simple, easy & beautiful! Thick Bow Headband: $10.00 

These bows are for every school girl. D'cor D'art has them in almost every colour, and they are very affordable. The classic bow style, they can be worn together or separately. Here Wanja has styled Jennifer by pulling her hair to one side, and placing the bows on the right to secure the hair. Bows: $5.00 Each

This sweet little hair tie has a bow with many layers, and is lovely in a simple ponytail or otherwise. Here Wanja has braided Jennifer's hair using the front section, and left the rest out. Bow Hair Tie: $15.00 

D'cor D'art Parnell, Auckland 

D'cor D'art have a large range of hair accessories, from their staple coloured bows to diamante hairbands, leopard print collections, and personalized stationary. 

D'cor D'art has bows of every shape, size and colour imaginable. Here are just some of the amazing selection they have available. Bows can also be made on request, just ask the lovely ladies behind the counter for what you are after and they can make them for you! Perfect for Weddings, Balls or special occasions. 

We took a few shots of each look, then we styled Jennifer for the final time creating a fashion forward look for the final photograph. The beads used are from The Wardrobe shop- The Dorothy Collection.

www.etsy.com/shop/insidethewardrobe

We used a mixture of buttons and beads, plus the bows to create the final look. 

I had a vision for how I hoped it would look and I'm really happy with the result. I did a few artistic versions and here is one below.




Follow on Facebook - www.facebook.com/thewardrobenewzealand Styling & concept design copyright Katherine Ann-Marie Tuenter. Photography: www.theundefined.co.nz 

Tips & Tricks - Storage Feature

Storage box from Spotlight with non-removable compartments.

So here's a smart little tip if you are sick to death of losing all your earring studs! 

If you are anything like me, then you probably have tons of different colours and sizes and if you don't have somewhere easy to store them then they end up on the floor, in the vacuum cleaner, or worse...

So here's the solution:

Storage Boxes from Mitre Ten, approx. $10 each.

These handy compartment storage boxes from Mitre Ten (Cheaper than Spotlight, but Spotlight has more variety) are awesome. They already have compartments inside them which you can arrange to fit whatever you like, and what's best is you can arrange your earrings by size and/or colour!

Compartment box from Spotlight. Around $15.

 The boxes with removable compartments are best, but for tiny earrings such as the ones above it can be better to have them just standard. I keep my earrings in three boxes. One large one for large studs and medium length earrings, and one small one for tiny studs, plus another larger one for long earrings. I keep all my formal jewelry in zip lock bags (Sealing them prevents tarnishing) in a box out of the light. 

Hope that inspires some organization in the chaotic world of the shopaholic!

Read more, plus new fashion photography features on The Wardrobe website: www.thewardrobe.co.nz/features

Outfit #2 - Peplum, Polka Dots, and Park Drive

For outfit #2 the location I chose was the super cute little house in Parnell, at the exit to the domain. On the house are the words 'Park Drive' which reminded me of some sort of 50's movie!

This was perfect for the look this week, I am wearing jeans from Sussan's (really comfortable fit). Although Just Jeans has some that are a similar fit too. I hate the jeans that cut in too low on the hip. This top was $29.95 from Temt, and is now on sale. It also comes in pink and black. 

The black jewelry is pretty standard and you can find simple black bangles at either Diva or eQUIP. 

These super comfy and easy to style black wedges are from Rubi Shoes. They also come in red, blue, yellow, and beige.

The peplum style is really flattering on most body types, paired with the right bottoms. Glassons & Temt also have peplum dresses (looks like a top & skirt combined) which are awesome as well. If you are bigger on the hips, Glassons has some awesome vertical striped jeans at the moment which you can pair with a plain coloured peplum top. Perfect!

I recently got my hair dyed blonde, (I used to be a dark brunette) if anyone wants a similar cut & colour Rodney Wayne is where I went. 

Accessori ♥ July

This month, we look at three trends that won't go out of fashion, pearls, diamonds, & gold. We take inspiration from Lana Del Ray for a twist on our gold look, and get layering with lots of pearls. Wanja Carree is our makeup artist, hair stylist & model for the shoot. You can see a full feature on Wanja & her thoughts about fashion, work, makeup, and life as an Auckland freelance MUA here.

For more photos check out The Wardrobe on TUMBLR <3

Gold - How To Wear 

• Gold bangles. Wear one or many depending on whether you want a formal elegant or semi-formal look. Buy one decent set and they will last you a very long time. This set was bought from Diva.

• Charm bracelets. Often seen in silver, gold charm bracelets often look more authentic, and more workable than silver. This charm bracelet was bought from eQUIP.

• Feature rings. This one that Wanja wears is from eQUIP and is a little owl. Cute rings that aren't too bulky make the perfect add on.

• Gold headbands. Find a simple one with no decorative attachments and go for gold...

• Pendant necklaces. Long necklaces with gold attachments are sweet and are a great alternative to colours or silver. 

Pearls - How To Wear

• Pearl Necklaces. These come in abundance at the moment in almost every style, shape, and colour of pearl. Lovisa, Diva, eQUIP, and Etsy.com have a great selection of these. 

• Pearl stretch bracelets. These are gorgeous especially by mixing up sizes of pearls, and adding some variety. For a formal look keep your pearls all the same tone and size, and for a casual day look get experimental with different styles and don't be afraid to layer!

• Pearl rings. Finding the right one for your hand shape is important as pearls can be chunky. For longer artistic shapes look for rings where the pattern is verticle, where the pearls are smaller and opting for a simple one pearl look is also flattering. For other hand types, choose chunkier styles that have bigger pearls.

Diamonds - How To Wear

 

• Diamante stretch bracelets. These are perfect in one or two for day wear, just to add a little sparkle. Or layer on a lot for night!
• Diamante necklaces. Keep it really simple with one stone, either smaller or larger depending on the line of your top. Buy your jewelry to match your clothing.

• Studs. Simple diamante studs are a must! These are beautiful in a variety of sizes, but princess cut is always best and most feminine. 

• Diamante headbands. Either in the band or elasticated style, these suit any hair colour and skin tone. Pin an elasticated one around a bun like Wanja has done above.
• Simplicity. Above all, with diamonds and especially with the artificial diamantes keep it simple and make sure the shapes and sizes of your stones match.

You can also check out Wanja's makeup page here: http://www.facebook.com/WanjasWorld

The theme was 'Three trends that won't go out of fashion" and after some thinking I decided on 'Pearls', 'Diamonds', and 'Gold'. Silver and a 'natural' look are also two trends that are very timeless but I've decided to keep them for later...

So for the shoot we set up the backdrop and used natural light, I already had a few sketches of what we were after so everything went pretty smoothly.
We took a few photos for each look, and here are some of my favs from the 'Pearls' look.

Loving the layered looks, mixing up short & long necklaces, with simple statement outfits like this peplum top from glassons. When you want to layer lots of accessories keep your colours neutral and your style simple. Avoid too much detail or pattern and bold, strong shapes work best.

 All jewelry was purchased from Diva & eQUIP, Peplum top from Glassons.

MUA & Model: Wanja Carree from 'Wanja's World'

Photography: The Undefined Photography. www.theundefined.co.nz