Swib Handmade Headwear Winner

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berrygirl-Jaime is the lucky winner of the Swib Handcrafted Hear-Wear Giveaway

How to Accessorize like a Stylist

Accessories: How to know when you're wearing too many

"Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions." Coco Chanel

When architecting your look, design using scale, balance, and proportion.


Proportion:  The relationship of a part of one unit to the unit as a whole.


Petite pocket people can carry off fewer, smaller accessories than  elegant Amazons or voluptuous vixens.  Choose appropriately sized baubles for your frame.


Balance: The equalizing of weight, color, or line on either side of a central axis.


Wear your cuff on the hand opposite your cocktail ring.  Pair a complementary coral satchel with your turquoise peep toes. Ornament the strong vertical lines of your blouse with a dainty floral stocking. Adornments should balance not bend visually to one side or style.


Scale: The comparative size of one object or design in its relationship to the size of other objects with which it is to be associated.


Pick a single focus for your ensemble.  If you're donning a statement necklace, leave the chandelier earrings in the case in favor of simple posts.


And be vigilant of clothing's built-in accessories: shine, ruffles, or other dimensional embellishments.  If you opt for pre-adorned pieces, adjust your accessories accordingly.


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If you want to maximize your accessory opportunities start with a simple base like a black dress or a impeccably cut white t-shirt and jeans.


If you're timidly dipping your toe in the ocean of accessories, push yourself to tack on at least one trimming per day, be it a belt, scarf, or hoop earrings.


If, conversely, you are accessory addicted, follow Chanel couture, and "remove the last accessory you put on."

String your finger if you need to, but don't forget to enter the Swib Handmade Hear-Wear Accessory Giveaway.

Accessories Giveaway: Swib Design

Sponsored by:

Accessories are quintessence thresholds, delicately disclosing one's inmost affections and whimsy.  The fourth finger of your left hands bears eternal commintment.  Upon your collarbone lies Grandmother's heritage.  

Far from blatant, fashion ornaments skirt the realm of gaudy screen printed slogans by dropping subtle passion clues.  

And perhaps your locks need to parade your reverence for handcrafted materials.

Win your own Swib handcrafted hair-wear, using any or all of the approved methods below:

a) Go to Swib, inspect their swiblicious offerings, and leave a comment on what best expresses your personality.   
b) Follow Swib on Facebook

c) Follow Swib on Twitter

d) Blog, Tweet, or otherwise share info on this contest and leave a confirming comment.

The winner of the Swib Giveaway will be selected on Friday, April 30th. The winner gets to select a Swib hair-wear of her choice.

Tatertots & Jello Accessories Winner

CLXVII
or in arabic terms: 167

Mrs. Cami is the lucky winner of the Tatertots & Jello Accessory Organizer Giveaway

Come back next week for more tips on how to wear accessories, like how much is too much, as well as another giveaway.

Accessories: Glasses

 I'll let Missy Brooke & Missy Summer describe the impact of this accessory in their own words:

"Glasses bring the world around you into clearer view: the vibrant details, the color, the fine print, all coming into focus.  Not only are glasses practical, glasses are a powerful, defining accessory that can bring out the smart and savvy self that is inside all of us."

Check out this Smart Girl Talk Show:

Get your Glasses On

String your finger if you need to, but don't forget to enter the accessory giveaway. 

Accessories: Color Theory

Love Triangle

Your heart loves this shirt.

Your complexion loves another color, outside of the oatmeal family.

The Mediator

When your fashion chic and facial cast clash, use a properly hued accessory mediator near your face.

String your finger if you need to, but don't forget to enter the accessory giveaway.

Accessories Giveaway: Tatertots & Jello

If you haven't met the clever, crafty, classy Jennifer Hadfield of Tatertots & Jello, my heart weeps. Everyday in her realm is a handmade wonderland.  I must insist you acquaint yourself with Missus Handfield in all her handmade glory.  

This week Cardigan Empire will be voyaging to the land of accessories, and to initiate a proper bon voyage we're featuring and giving away one of Jennifer's lovely burlap accessories organizer.

With Jennifer's organizer your shiny's will be tidy and visibly tempting.

How can you add this lovely to your life? 

uno: leave a comment on this post

dos: Go over to  and leave a comment.

tres: Follow Tatertots & Jello

quatro: Tweet about this Giveaway

cinco: Blog about this Giveaway

seis: Mention this Giveaway on Facebook

And check me out on T&J to win yourself a looky booky.

Detestable Fashion: Labels

 Wearing a label is fashion prostitution. Your body (bust or bottom) is not billboard.  Your signature style is a unique statement that cannot be couched in a single, shallow brand. 

If an item of clothing is truly worth the cloth its sewn from, it should stand on its own, sans stylized signature from the designer.  You should be the defining mark on any ensemble.  Clothes exist to enhance personal charm and charisma, not to initiate one into a supercilious status group.  

Below I've collected labels from days gone by as well as days passing now, from fashion's mass market to upper echelons:

Do you think labels reinforce personal brands or distract from them?  Add your voice in the comments.

Detestable Fashion: Excessive Skin Solution

Tools & tips to combat the Excessive Skin Epidemic:

Shy Arms

Part I

Part II

Decolletage

Part I

Part II

Legs

Part I

Part II

Detestable Fashion: Excessive Skin

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society" – Mark Twain 

I apologize in advance, but this post may not be appropriate for younglings or skin sensitive audiences.

Yes Miss Britney is finishing it off with Ugg boots.  

I am a crusading member in the effort to protect against excessive exploitation of skin.  

Female bodies are beautiful: the lines of their limbs, the forms of their torsos. It's a decadent delight that should be enjoyed in tiny, delicate mouthfuls: the allure of an ankle, the curve of a neck, an exposed wrist.

However, some choose to take the entire pastry and shove it into the greater public's mouths to be consumed in one binge-filled bite.  Examples follow:

It looks like this enviably strong backside is snacking on a pair of too dainty shorts.  This swatch of fabric can not stand up to the grandeur of flesh beneath them.  The wearer and watcher would be much better satisfied by a tasteful pencil skirt.

A 360 degree budoir check could have saved this star from paparazzi sniggering.  Raise your arms, bend over, crouch down and check for delicate skin leakage from every angle.

I don't think I'd feel comfortable seeing this ensemble at the gym.  First, leggings are not pants.  Have you seen anyone walking around with a top and stockings lately?  Second, bare midriffs are not for public consumption, not at the office, not at the grocery store, if you have to, find a beach.  

If you too would like to join with women against excessive skin exploitation, leave your support in the comments.

Comfortable Shoes

In response to the inquiries about what to wear (instead of athletic shoes) when shutter speeds and sustained strides combine:

Indigo by Clark's Gelato Sandal

Dr. Scholl's Be Nice Peep Toe Flat

Indigo by the Clark's Gelato Sandal

Birkenstock Piazza Birko-Flor Sandal

PUMA Women's Saba Canvas Ballet Flat 

Aerosoles Ratatouille Slingback Sandal

Detestable Fashion: Shoes

 

 

Your shoes don't have to match your handbag, but they should match the setting you walk them into.  Below are a series of shoe mismatches, which can lead to unfortunate fashion disasters.

UGG BOOTS

Delightful: on a snowy day sipping cocoa at a ski lodge

Debacle: paired with a mini skirt and the mall

I have to admit an unfair bias toward this footwear.  My prejudice was born on a winter weekend in 1999 during a bell shift at the Iron Blosam Lodge at Snowbird.  My Saturday had been spent shuffling time share guests' luggage from one room to another.  I was preparing to descend the canyon when I was woefully accused of pilfering Ugg Boots.  Fifteen minutes later, the Ugg boots were discovered hiding in fashion shame behind the accusatory guest's extensive collection of one piece snow rompers. 

Besides her faux pas of questioning my integrity, at least this guest was wearing her sheepskin monstrosities in the proper setting.  If you want to immediately make yourself look shorter, squatter, and frumpier, by all means slip these smelly foot sleeves on any season and location you choose.
 

ATHLETIC SHOES

Delightful: when justified by sports bras and sweat

Debacle: combined with tapered jeans and sloth

 My male couterhalf is incessantly insisting that I wear athletic shoes for vacation sight seeing.  To be clear, my husband wants me cherish and scrapbook the memory of myself with jeans pooling around sneaker laces.  

The only purpose for which I packed my running shoes was running. Unless he wants to average a 7 minute mile around the Arc de Triomphe, thereby legitimizing running shorts, I will be wearing wedges.  If he gets really cantankerous, I'll surrender to flats.  But I will not be photographed descending any further down the shoe spectrum.

CROCS

Delightful: for a Saturday morning boating excursion
Debacle: under pajama bottoms at the grocery store

I wear crocs once a week to mow the lawn and weed the garden.  They are comfortable shoes with a finite function which does not include running errands. To quote the Halverston Herald,  “Crocs are an unfortunate excuse for shoes that look like a combination of goulash and mule…”

And the situation only gets worse when you insulate or ornament the famous foam shoe.

  

 

FLIP FLOPS

Delightful: strolling the boardwalk

Debacle: introduced with a skirt at a wedding reception

Paris Hilton's heels look just as ridiculous sinking into the sand as flip flops look crossed under church pews in the chapel.  

Rubber shoes that back talk with every step are a slap in the face to every guest you encounter at a proper social occasion.  Show off your pretty pedicure in a peep toe instead.

exemption postscripts:
You are not liable for shoe fashion disasters in the following circumstances 

The last trimester of pregnancy, especially if your feet are swelling.

Your shoes never cross your home's thresholds.

You are under the age of 18, but seriously don't wear flip flops to church even if they have bling and especially if they're a platform.

Detestable Fashion Series

It's coming.

Closet Organization: Organization Accessories

I heart this Real Simple set at Bed Bath & Beyond. Get out your 20% off coupon and enjoy the Martha Stewart Blue Detailing.

Closet Organization: Folding

Once Again, Ms. BHO

To Fold or To Hang

Fold: Knits (wool, cashmere, jersey, fleece etc)
things that stretch
These limber lovelies can not endure gravity's burden, if dangled from a hanger they will be languorously distorted.

Hang: Woven (silk, cotton broadcloth, tweed, etc)
things that wrinkle

 These prim pretties prefer crisp suspension.   

When folding, ensure every item is visible and accessible.  A tidy, flat stack of folded knits will quickly become jumbled chaos if removal is requisite to retrieval. 

Closet Organization: Before & After

Before

After

A transformation in hangers.