Trend Watch: Italy

I have been living in Italy since January, and it would be impossible for me not to notice the fashion all around me. Italy is of course home to big name designers like Gucci, Ferragamo, and Prada, but it also boasts intriquing street fashions that combine bits of desinger influence with practicality. Italian women never leave their home without full makeup, styled hair, and a fashionable outfit. Therefore, I have seen almost as much fashion on the streets as I have in the remarkable shop windows. Below are some styles I particularly noticed:

High tops
Worn more often by the younger generation of Italians, both men and woman. The bright colors run the risk of appearing too juivenile, but Italians pull the look off with dark wash skinny jeans and leather jackets
Quilted Coats
Probably the most obvious trend on the Italian streets, these puffy, quilted coats are both warm and light. Many are made of down and run at expensive prices, but I have seen plenty on sale for much cheaper.High Laced Boots
I have seen in style in various heights and colors. It seems to be more of a spring trend and can be paired with jeans or leggings on colder days or dresses when it is warm.

Ciao from Italy,

Sarah

My Quick Fashion Tip for College Students: Aviators and T-shirts

If you don't want to blend in the crowd of sweatpants and sneakers, try a pair of inexpensive aviators and a good ol' t-shirt. Paired with Converse and skinny jeans (or a skirt and leggings, or...anything that suits your style), you'll pull off the cool easy look without breaking the bank.

-Angie

Resale Shopping Tips

When you step through the doors of Goodwill, you suddenly feel very lost. The rows upon rows of clothing are daunting, and when you pull out a fuchsia top you think might have potential there is a giant stain on the front. You think to yourself, what am I doing here? I'd be so much easier to just go to the mall!

That is how I felt anyway when I first embarked on my quest to find inexpensive yet fashionable resale clothing. I have compiled a list of tips for the resale shopper...so that you don't become overwhelmed and head to the mall instead!

Problem: It takes such a long time to dig through all those clothes

Solution:

Look for labels. If you keep your eyes open for JCrew, Banana Republic, LL Bean, Express, etc you won't have to inspect every single garment. While a designer label won't guarantee a good find, it will at least narrow your options to clothing you know is well made.
Get a cart. Once you do, you'll have both hands free, making it easier and faster to check out that rack of sweaters.

Go to a resale boutique. Unlike Goodwill or thrift shops, a resale boutique has already picked out the good-quality, stylish clothing for you. Shopping in a resale boutique is a lot like shopping in the mall.

Secret Resale Finds (a few things I discovered):
-shoes and outerwear (they are classic pieces and are usually in better condition that tops and bottoms)
-purses (I found a Gucci leather bag for $2 at Goodwill. Enough said)
-go for the classics (like sweaters and button-downs) while shopping at Goodwill or a thrift shop. These stores typically sell a lot of outdated clothing, but sweaters and button-downs really haven't changed for years.

Angie

Want Designer Fashion for Less? Just Buy Resale...

Since Sarah and I are perpetually saving up for college, we had very little to spend on clothes this summer. And on top of that, we're both heading to Europe next spring and wanted to take our usually simple fashion up a notch.

So what makes little money + fashionable clothing both possible? Resale of course. Resale is inexpensive, fashionable, and eco-friendly.

I was surprised to find so many places that sold pre-worn clothes. There are Goodwill, thrift stores, resale boutiques, online vintage shops and even church rummage sales. Check out what Sarah and I collected this summer:

80's Floral
$32

Sarah is wearing a vintage floral dress, $23 ,VonlenskaVintage; gray clutch, $1, thrift store; (not resale: sandals, $8, Sears)

Nautical
$22 & $49

Angie is wearing linen JCrew dress, $7, church rummage sale; red waist belt, $2, church rummage sale; silk scarf, $5, church rummage sale, Nine West cream peep-toe heels, $7, Goodwill Stores; hoop earrings, $1, Goodwill Stores
Sarah is wearing Free People dress, $32, Shopoholics Boutique; silk scarf, $5, church rummage sale; nautical purse, $2, church rummage sale; Steve Madden cheetah peep-toe flats, $7, church rummage sale; vintage earrings, $3, Odd Showroom

Modern Vintage
$23

Angie is wearing vintage skirt, $5, Odd Showroom; JCrew tanktop, $5, Goodwill Stores, vintage bag, $3, Goodwill Stores; vintage pink hoop earrings, $3, Odd Showroom; Steve Madden leopard print flats, $7, church rummage sale

Businesswoman
$53 & $30

Angie is wearing Express pants, $22, Shopoholics Boutique; Express button down, $5, Goodwill Stores; suit jacket, $20, Shopoholics Boutique; black Croft & Barrow pumps, $6, Goodwill Stores Sarah is wearing black high-waisted skirt, $15, Second Time Around; Abercrombie and Fitch button down, $5, Goodwill Stores; black flats with decal, $7, Goodwill Stores; vintage red earrings, $3, Odd Showroom

Night Out
$17.50

Sarah is wearing black skirt, $2.50, Goodwill Stores; Ann Taylor zebra cardigan, $4, church rummage sale; vintage teal sandollar belt, $2, church rummage sale; Neiman Marcus bag, $2, church rummage sale; black flats, $7, Goodwill Stores

Splash of Color
$32.50 & $28.50

Angie is wearing floral skirt, $4, church rummage sale; vintage white ballet flats, $7, church rummage sale; faux pearl necklace, $1, Goodwill Stores; vintage flower earrings, $3, Odd Showroom; (not resale: Ann Taylor denim jacket, $10; Charlotte Russe tanktop, $7.50)
Sarah is wearing Polo t-shirt, $5, church rummage sale; black sweater vest, $2.50, Goodwill Stores; vintage rainbow flats, $7, church rummage sale; gray clutch, $1, thrift store; vintage flower earrings, $3, Odd Showroom; (not resale: Ann Taylor jeans, $10)

Back to School
$40 & $17.50

Angie is wearing Hollister button down, $15, Shopoholics Boutique; green jacket, $7, church rummage sale; brown pumps, $7, Goodwill stores; silver hoops, $1, Goodwill Stores; (not resale: jeans, $10, Ann Taylor)
Sarah is wearing vintage plaid skirt, $5, Goodwill Stores; Columbia button-down, $2.50, Goodwill Stores; pink and cream shoes, $7, church rummage sale; vintage earrings, $3, Odd Showroom

Black and Red
$21 & $25

Angie is wearing denim skirt, $12, Shopoholics Boutique; Ralph Lauren button down, $5, Goodwill Stores; boots, $3, thrift store; silver hoop earrings, $1, Goodwill Stores
Sarah is wearing skirt, $7, church rummage sale; vintage cardigan, $5, Goodwill Stores; black peep-toe heels, $7, Goodwill Stores; (not resale: Aero tanktop, $6)

To sum it all up...JCrew, Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor, Steve Madden, Neiman Marcus, Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, Columbia, and Free People...all at less than half of their original prices.

If you want to go on your own resale shopping spree, here is a little information about the places mentioned in this post:

Odd Showroom- This is a little shop in Portsmouth, NH that sells vintage, modified vintage, and handmade items. Luckily for everyone outside of NH, they also sell online as Amity Joy.

Shopoholics Boutique- This resale shop has locations throughout NH including Dover and Portsmouth. What I love about Shopoholics is that they've already weeded out the not-so-great resale items for you, leaving you to shop a fantastic, hardly-worn collection of clothes.

Second Time Around- Yet another shop in Portsmouth. This boutique recently expanded to offer even more great resale deals on clothing, purses, shoes, etc.

VonlenskaVintage- This online Etsy shop sells affordable vintage clothing. I particularly like their dresses and skirts.

...and if none of these places work for you, Goodwill Stores have locations across the country! Do some exploring at local thrift shops and resale boutiques to create your inexpensive, fashion-forward wardrobe.

Look out for tips on how to successfully shop resale coming soon!

Angie
Co-owner Uncovered Artistry Boutique

Sneak Peak: Resale and Vintage Crazy!

Want to know where we got these great outfits (and how little we spent!)? Check back tomorrow for a full length post.

Sarah

p.s. We're talking $2 designers bags, leather boots for less than $5, silk scarves and vintage dresses for under $20, and outfits that make you feel confident and stylish without breaking your bank!

How Your Handmade Business Can Stay Relevant in the Fashion World

The handmade revolution has exploded over the past couple years, and as a result the connotations of "handmade" have changed. Now, handmade doesn't evoke in one the image of a lumpy knitted sweater the cat lady next door makes. Rather, with the help of sites like Etsy.com handmade has come to be associated with words like quality, unique, eco-friendly, and fashion-forward.But after launching my own handmade business and, just recently, an online retailer that sells handmade work, I've noticed that, although handmade is in style, artisans of handmade products shy away from utilizing the corporate fashion world that still dominates the scene.

So what do I mean by "utilizing the corporate fashion world?" I mean that although large, big-name brands and businesses seem to be the antithesis of handmade, they can actually help makers of handmade products improve their business, make more sales...and ultimately stay relevant in the fashion world.

Listed here are a few simple tips about how to keep your handmade business relevant. It's as simple as 1. Read 2. Surf 3. Shop:

1. Read...read fashion magazines. Think Vogue, Elle, and even Seventeen. By studying the trends presented in these reads, you'll learn some valuable information about what sort of styles, colors, and textures your target market is looking for. (For tips on identifying your target market read Identifying Your Target Market) For example, if you make products for teenage girls, subscribe to Seventeen. You might notice that animal print is really hot this fall...and you can update your products accordingly.2. Surf...surf the web. Search for stores that sell products in your target market and see what makes them successful. What colors do they use on their website? Is their image classically feminine or edgy? What products do they sell? Answer these questions and use them to guide your own business. When my sister and I were starting our boutique Uncovered Artistry, we did a lot of background research on the web. We found that our target market was really receptive to eco-friendly products. We responded by using recycled packaging.

3. Shop...now you have the excuse that it's for research. I think of it like this: when a writer wants to write something great, she reads a lot. But she doesn't read just for fun. She reads like a writer, which means she analyzes and studies. Similarly, you should shop like a business owner. Big corporate retailers like Hollister, Sears, and Charlotte Russe spend a lot of money analyzing the market to determine upcoming trends. They basically did the work for you. All you have to do is shop, browse, and take note of the changes in style. Shopping in the mall made me realize that both teenagers who shopped at Charlotte Russe and middle-aged women who shopped at Anne Taylor Loft were interested in feather headbands. So my shop started selling feather headbands.Follow these three easy tips, and I think you are well on your way to owning a shop that sells relevant, fashionable, and desirable products.

Angie
Co-owner of Uncovered Artistry Boutique
www.uncoveredartistry.com

Stuff We Like: Jeggings

Just like your favorite skinny jeans...only softer (and about 1,000 times more comfortable).

Available at Hollister Co. and American Eagle Outfitters.