fashion Archives - Try Handmade

Ruffled and Grey

June 2, 2018 by Nyssa Rae 2 Comments

I don’t know about everyone else, but I love neutral colours. I love greys, and ecrus and taupes and whites. I love it on Kids, and I love it on myself!

I was therefore THRILLED to stumble across Jibri.

Gorgeous designs, Plus Sizes and Lots of Neutrals (among other colours, of course!)

Check this out, The Ultimate Grace Dress. Isn’t it stunning? (and isn’t the model Gorgeous!)

What the designer of Jibri has to say about herself:

Jasmine Elder is the designer behind the label Jibri. Jasmine grew up in Atlanta and has lived in both NY and London as a student. She started the design company Jibri (named after her fashion mentor and teenage friend) in 2006.

JIBRI is dedicated to creating garments for the fashion-conscious, curvy woman. The label is a perfect combination of high fashion chic and urban street sleek in sizes 14-24. Jibri features a variation of punk innovation, classic construction, and vintage inspiration.

A JIBRI garment is created from unique fabrics and images. Each collection includes a variation of garments that focus on fabulous fit and individuality.

I’m struggling a little to find some stores which have gorgeous Plus Sized clothing that is modeled by Plus Sized Women! If you come across any, please leave a comment below!

Maine, USA

May 4, 2018 by Tara Gentile Leave a Comment

[hTara]

My step-sister, Kate, is back in Pennsylvania this week for some visiting before she starts graduate school in the fall. She might be in between “homes” right now – aren’t all students? But she’s called Maine home for the last 5 years. So in honor of her and her own fabulous creativity, “Shop Local” is coming at you from the land of moose, snow, and trees!

Anabelfuzz creates delightful children’s bonnets, clothing, and accessories. They are quite obviously inspired by the climate of Maine. Some bonnets are lined with soft and warm cotton sherpa. Others are meant to keep ears warm on cool spring mornings. There are also apparel items with a distinctly New England shore feel. [Read more…]

Leopard Print

April 24, 2018 by Sarah Safranski 14 Comments

The new fall trends have been announced, and animal print is in this season with leopard print leading the pack. Living in Hawaii, I typically miss out on the fall and winter fashion trends, but this one may be a little easier to incorporate into my wardrobe. Adding a small touch of animal print with the right accessories will instantly make a simple outfit chic and exotic.

A leopard print purse is a quick way to add a little sass to your little black dress, or any dress for that matter. This envelope style option from Hmmm…by Melanie includes a black chain strap, magnetic closure and is lined in black sequined fabric.

A leopard print hat may be a bit fashion forward for most, but this vintage-style cloche hat by The Millinery Shop is just too good to pass up. It is hand blocked, made from long haired felt leopard print fabric, and completed with a Bakelite buckle and hat pin. This would look amazing with a fall cape or winter coat.

Using black, brown, tan, creme and white yarn, this scarf is hand-knit by Crickets Creations to create the look of leopard print. Paired with a fall blazer or winter coat, it is sure to keep you warm and make a statement well beyond this fall’s animal print trend.

This turban-style headband from ChiChi is the perfect get-your-attention accessory for girls who love to be glamorous. Perfect for a night on the town or just pulling your hair back while running errands.

As the weather becomes cooler, embrace this year’s fall trend and incorporate a little bit of leopard print into your wardrobe! I’ll have my eye out for a leopard print bikini!

**The Leopard Shoes fine art print featured at the top of this post was created by Karcharz Photography.

Cocktail Party

April 2, 2018 by Sarah Safranski 2 Comments

I’ve been daydreaming lately about throwing a lovely cocktail party, full of fancy dresses, music, laughter and great conversation. Unfortunately, my apartment is barely big enough for my craft supplies, let alone guests. I am undeterred, however; a cocktail party will come my way sooner or later, and when it does, I’ll be ready with the perfect handmade outfit.

Fashion in Hawaii is pretty casual, which means I’ll be extra excited to slip into this gorgeous 1950’s style silk dress by Fiori di Arancio. The high neckline, full skirt, and short sleeves are chic and elegant, while the organza bow adds the perfect touch of sweet. The dress can be made in any color silk, but I love the patterned fabric shown on the model–it’s classic, subtle and sure to turn heads among the little black dresses.

What’s a cocktail dress without the perfect statement-making ring? This bezel set option by Blue Wave Jewelry will add just a little bit of sparkle and modern flair to my vintage-style dress–a fashion juxtaposition, if you will. The different dimensions of this druzy quartz stone will catch the light perfectly, and set it apart from your typical cocktail ring. The oval shape and wide sterling silver bezel setting are classic.

A great clutch is always a must when you’re dressing up for a night out. This simple black option by Designs By Ambiana is made of vegan leather, lined, and includes a small pocket. It’s large enough to hold all of your things, but small enough that it won’t compete with the cocktail dress. The silver purse frame and chain will coordinate perfectly with the silver jewelry, and the pattern on the vegan leather is just the perfect amount of texture.

Now that I have my perfect cocktail party outfit, all I need is an invitation, and a drink!

**The image featured at the top of this article is a photograph by The Bunny Cage.

Ideas for Fairytale Fashion

April 1, 2018 by Helen Hobden 8 Comments

Everyone please welcome Helen Hobden to Try Handmade! She’s a seamstress, artist, writer, renovator, pyrographer… The list goes on – I think she’ll really fit in here. Please leave her a comment on her first post and let her know if you know of any great alternative fashion she should feature. Other than her own shop of course :)

I’ve been wanting to watch Red Riding Hood for ages and I finally have this weekend. I loved it! It was everything I hoped it would be; the snowy village scenes, the mysterious atmosphere; Grandma’s fantastic cabin in the woods, but especially the costumes. (Credit to Cindy Evans for costume design.)

Due to films such as this one and fairies being the new vampires in the literary world, fairytale fashion is getting bigger and better than ever and there are some fantastic outfits on the market. I have never really grown up as far as clothing is concerned and I relish any opportunity to dress up just like I loved doing as a kid. I just wish invitations to fancy dress parties came my way more often!

This is one of my absolute favourites made by Enlightened Platypus; it is surely the ultimate Red Riding Hood coat. Made entirely out of recycled jumpers, this must have taken her hours and hours to sew together all the different pieces in various shades of red. I know her work sells very quickly, so if you’re after one these coats, watch out for new listings regularly.

If you’re on the look out for the perfect fairytale dress to wear beneath the cloak, then don’t be tempted to buy a horrible polyester number in a cellophane wrapper that you’ll feel uncomfortable wearing. Instead look for a creation that will make you feel special and stand out in the crowd.

This lovely medieval style velvet dress with its large bell sleeves and decorated belt is beautiful. Yes, it’s blue, so may not be your first choice for Red Riding Hood, but this is actually quite similar to the dress Amanda Seyfried wears in the beginning of the film. You could easily wear this one to another party without a red cloak and go as a different fairytale character!

This cloak has my favourite hood – I love the pixie-ish shape of it. Although it doesn’t look like it in the picture, it’s actually made from lightweight wool and trimmed with black lace. I bet it takes the chill out the wind when out walking in the woods on the way to Grandma’s.

If dressing up to such an extent isn’t your thing, then there are several t-shirts with really cool designs that give nod towards the Red Riding Hood trend. One of my favourites is this one from limeyts.