toms ballet flats? okay!

i just want these. 

maybe for my birthday. 

2 people that have completely fascinated me

in the last 2 days.


meet

katie
the artist behind all of the beautiful fashion illustrations
please check her out on her website
paperfashion


ohmygosh love her.
love her work! 
i'm feeling oh so inspired.



and also
i discovered this lady via paperfashion..


meet

jenna
oh you know, just the creative director at jcrew.


i seriously want jenna's closet bedroom full of clothing and shoes! Oh, the shoes.



anyhow, take a moment to follow those links. you won't be sorry!

i'm no beauty queen, i'm just beautiful me

my style icon as of late:

ever heard of

Selena Gomez?

yeah, she's pretty much darling.  i know what you're thinking.  but seriously, look how girl-next-door she looks.  i just love her sweet/sophisticated/i-do-what-i-want style.

from music vid: who says?... yeah, this song is on my ipod=repeat.  has been for 2 days and counting.

love this look!  i mean really.

loving yellow.

PS Going to see Monte Carlo?  It's adorable.  Don't worry, I went and saw it opening day.  Sat 2 girls away from the most darling Downs Syndrome gal who came dressed as Selena Gomez.  How cute is that!?  Oh man, it made my day.

one dress: 5 ways.

The Dress: Olive green: Banana Republic

Don't mind my messy, messy room in the background.  And Don't mind my faceless pics.  Anna wouldn't take photos for me, so we made this work. :)

navy nordstrom blouse. red nordstrom belt with red target heels.



navy nordstrom blouse.  mustard yellow target flats..
messy dresser.  




teal Nordstrom cardi.  tan/ivory gap belt. cheetah target pumps.



black Macy's cardi.  Costco leggings. (love me some costco) Bakers booties.



(this is when I decided to buy the dress.)  Everything is BR minus the teal belt which is from Old Navy.  I love that belt.



can i get a hallelujah!

my dear dear friends,

 i can't keep this secret to myself.

h&m is opening a store in utah.


in utah!


fashion place mall.

fall 2011.


be excited. i'm seriously counting down the days (not like i'm counting down to hp though)


fashion place is also getting crate & barrel this fall. i could probably spend hours gushing over all their treasures.

can't wait.

come fall, i am going to be one retail-happy camper

spring clothes

I cannot wait for spring to finally come. 


Dear Utah weather.

make up your mind!!

love, erin.



spring = I want these things for my wardrobe:

this dress

and

these shoes

some rules I (try to) follow

1.  dress like it's a special occasion.  even if it's not.  trust me, you'll feel better about yourself instantly if you take the time to care about presenting yourself(which, I don't do often...but when I do it's worth it!)

2.  only buy expensive-looking clothing. expensive looking being key words (i'm a major clearance/sale rack shopper) but as long as it looks expensive it's probably made well and will last longer...right?  that's my philosophy,  anyway. 

3.  only follow trends that flatter.  no way are you going to find me in a t-shirt dress and leggings!  flattering styles (which are almost always classic pieces) always trump current trends... which brings me to #4

4.  only purchase items which have lasting-power. no sense in spending my money on something which is only going to last a few months trend-wise!  right?


happy shopping!

sundaybest

as per request [i'm thrilled about this, btw]

i'll be updating you with my 30 for 30 challenge

here's another outfit. 

{and ps, i'm not very organized when it comes to updating. so you'll get random blips here and there.. sorry}

necklace: boutique. cardi: banana republic. dress: anthropologie. belt: old navy.  navy tights: target. seychelles pumps: nordstrom

promise I'll get better photos for future updates. stay tuned.

attempt at 30for30

So a few weeks ago I came across this blog/challenge.  30 for 30.  It's where you choose 30 pieces from your closet and only wear those 30 pieces for 30 days.  Something that really intrigued me about the 30for30 idea is that you really learn what you need vs. what you want when you go shopping.  Also, something that I really wanted to take from this challenge was to dress like every day was a special occasion.

Because, let's face it, I've been in a bit of a rut.   And I didn't care what I looked like in the slightest. Except for special occasions.  And so far dressing as if everyday is special is going well... the 30 for 30.... not so much.. I have clothes ADD I've decided...   I even started out and drew my 30 items and made flash cards to help me mix/match.



the cardigans I chose..



Below is my day 1 outfit. 

I loved that I was wearing clothes that I had for ever and ever but I wore them in a new way.  It made me feel 

a. really pretty

b. confident.

I loved that.

cardi: Nordstrom.  blouse: H&M.  Belt: GAP.  Skirt: Shade.  Boots: Nordstrom.

Lesson learned in this experience:

 

1.  Put a little thought into what you're wearing. 

2. Take the time to get ready.

3.  Feel pretty/confident? 

Yes please.

new purchase

i got this lovely thing this evening

she is beautiful and i can't wait to figure out what to wear with her

why fashionista?

fashionista {in training}

why is your blog title fashionista in training?  what does that even mean?

so thanks to dictionary.com 

fash·ion·is·ta  /ˌfæʃəˈnistə/

[fash-uh-nee-stuh]

–noun

a very fashionable person, especially one who works in the fashion industry

 
 
when i started this blog, i was in fashion school and planned on becoming a fashion designer and being just that--a fashionista.  and since i was going to school for it, fashionista in training just kind of fit. 
 
but, naturally, life happens and things change.
 
i'm finished with fashion
 
and now i'm pursuing fine art
 
 
but now you know where the title name came from. 

 

and it's staying because I like it.

what's your style?

"Fashion is what you're offered four times a year.  Style is what you pick out of that fashion..." -Lauren Hutton

If you think about it, for every decade in the 1900's there was a set style. 

If you were going to an 80's party you can think of a distinct trend set.  I think of neon colors, leg warmers, high side ponytails, big bangs and big sleeves. 

Same goes for every other decade.


But welcome to the 21st century, where anything goes.

Think about it, there's a wide range of styles out there.  It all just depends on what you choose and think is cute. 

Now a word of caution.   Just because it's cute on somebody else doesn't mean it's going to be cute on you.  Flattering clothing should ALWAYS trump fashionable clothing. 

Example:
Empire waisted dresses are darling.

on other people.

I am pretty curvy and empire waistlines make me look like I'm with child.

What's In right now?

Sequins
High-Waisted Skirts
Long Cardigans
Layers
Knee-high Boots
Blazers and Boyfriend-inspired clothing
Nautical Stripes

What's in your closet this season?

a little bit of fashion history

Okay kids.

I know some might think fashion is just about clothes and runways.  And it is, most of the time..

But listen to how neat this is.

(well, I think it's neat, anyway)

Let's go back to the Seventeenth Century (1600-1700)

Ladies were wearig petticoats, pantaloons, large gowns with stomacher and skirts with modestes and secrets (the over skirt and under skirt... how funny they're called modeste and secret. pronounced mow-dest' and sek-ray')  Sleeves were puffed out, and long.

Then in the 18th Century (1700-1790) style evolved [like it always does].  Women were still wearing large intricate gowns.. These are the types of dresses you would see in Pride and Prejudice, with chemises, stays, jumps and hoops.

Gentlemen were always dressed to impress and so were the ladies.

And the women were always modest.

In the 1800's a few peculiar things happened.

One being Joseph Smith's first vision and the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

(which is what my focus is on in this post..)

This is when a few major things in fashion also happened.

Dress became much more casual. (more casual than it had been...Not the sweat pant sort of casual Stacey and Clinton talk about)

Dresses became more form fitting

Hemlines became shorter.

Now I'm about to get churchy on you.

How interesting that as soon as the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth is when satan decided to start influencing the world in so many different ways.  One of them being in fashion.

By the late 1800's necklines had plunged, hemlines were shorter, dresses were form-fitting and women even started wearing pants.  {gasp!}

styles kept evolving and by the Twentieth Century

modesty became a thing of history for most of the world.

Immodesty was acceptable, and even portrayed as innocent in magazines.

Call me old fashioned but I love being modest in what I wear. 

it feels good to be modest. 

Tell your friends.

Modest is Hottest.

Right?

More fashion history lessons coming soon.  I think it's fascinating and fun.

wedding belles!

(finally.. sorry about the long wait, girls!)

I had a huge response from this post.  I was blown away. . Thanks so much everyone who sent me your bridal pictures. Unfortunately I said I would only do 3.  And then I'm a sucker so I decided to do 4. 

Here's the final product.  I apologize, I don't know how to use my scanner, so I had to settle for phone pictures... I will be sending these pictures soon girls, don't worry. And also, they look better in person!

"I loved my wedding dress, when I was in high school I had a dream about getting married and I was wearing this dress. So when I got engaged and I found it in the store, I had to have it. My favorite part of my dress would have to be the train. It was long with these white ribbons… oh I loved that dress so much!" -Mrs. Willes

"We looked for 4 hours [for my dress] and the very last dress I put on I couldn't help but light up. I absolutely loved it. I love the neck line, the beading, and the buttons!" -Mrs. Robison

Mrs. Elder's dress was very unique.  I loved its antique look and all the lace.  Very lovely. And it suited her perfectly.  She looked gorgeous in it!  I fell in love with the back, which is why I chose to draw it! Naturally!

"I loved how simple my dress was but with a little rouching of the fabric, a black belt, with a diamond brooch on it I felt elegant." - Mrs. Chadwick

Ladies, thanks so much for letting me draw you in your dream dresses!  I loved it.   Hopefully I will be getting an etsy shop started soon so I can do this legit.  Thanks for letting me build my portfolio! :)  

calling all married/soon to be married gals

my dear friend mal gave me this brilliant idea.


THIS is a huge trend right now with celebrities.



and since I am a bridal/fashion illustration connoisseur


I've decided to give it a go!




So.


For the first 3 gals who email me a bridal picture of themselves, I will sketch/fashion illustrate you in your wedding get-up! 


After that this will be a service I will charge for.


I am super excited about this.


please email photos to marierin@gmail.com and tell me what your favorite detail(s) of your gown are!

:)

yay.

fall trends 2010

I am in love with today's weather.  Crisp, damp, foggy and cloudy.  Perfection!  I get to wear fall clothes and feel like I'm appropriately dressed!  If you have no idea what is in style this fall, here you go!

turtlenecks

i know, weird huh?  but look how cute this look is?  You can dress this up or down.  Wear it belted with a cardigan and jeans, or pair it with a pencil skirt and oxford heels and you're good to go!

the color red

doesn't this just make you excited for the holiday season!?

ankle boots



I really like this variety.  I am in love with oxford ankle boots with tights. These will be on my christmas wishlist possibly.



chunky knits

happy autumn!

Fashion Remix 2010



made of tile!





Whitney and I--this was the team I was on



best in show and people's choice..It lit up!



 

. 





this one is made of 3Form





it was a huge success, I felt like a celebrity getting to chill in the VIP area, with people coming around with trays of hors d'œuvres.  It was very fancy!  Most of the models were really nice.  Like, 89%. 

What is Fashion Remix?  Click {here} to find out!

Real Deals

I understand the need to feel trendy. 

I understand that most college students my age are dirt poor. I am one of them.

There is hope, my dirt poor friends.

I've included some latest trends at Nordstrom and found much more affordable alternatives.

At Walmart.  And Target.  Believe it or not.

I just want to throw in, also, that I own a violet dress.  From Walmart.  Cost me $8.  I get a zillion compliments on  it every time I wear it. 

Also.  There is a woman in my neighborhood who I have declared the best dressed woman.  Well, perhaps in the Top 5.  She shops at thrift stores.  And just buys what looks trendy. 

It's possible to stay in style on a budget.  No need to go granola on me.

:)  Enjoy, and happy bargain-shopping!

Nordstrom Dress A $138

Nordstrom Dress B $138

Walmart Dress A $16

Walmart Dress B $16

Nordstrom Cardi $95

Walmart Cardi $14

for the Target Cardi's I love click {here}

When I save up some moneies I'm goin' shopping!  What will you purchase?

I'm thinking about getting these beauties

PS Fall's Favorite Color?  Coming soon...

Bridal Gown Guide: Silhouettes

Okay. I seriously could have this post go on fooorrevverrr. BUT I narrowed it down to only silhouettes. If you have questions about what will look good on your body type, which colors will work best on your skin tone, sleeves, where to look, price ranges (on ANY clothing, not just wedding gowns) Just email me or post a comment on here and I would be more than happy to answer your fashiony questions! :)

Silhouettes

I don't know that you can see the numbers for the above Silhouettes.. Anyway, You'll see these silhouettes everywhere. I've included pictures of what everything looks like, also, and what's considered trendy as of now in the bridal fashion world!

1. Sheath

Characteristics: Comes straight down from waistline

Ruffles/Layers are very popular now. This dress is a little dramatic; you'll usually see this done in moderation. I tried to find exaggerated versions of the dresses :)

Simplicity.

Short dresses. Very in. Not traditional at all... But still done! Hm!

2. Sheath-Empire Waistline

Characteristics: Same as Sheath, but with a waistline that comes just under the bust or at the natural waistline.

I LOVE this dress. I love how drapey it is. I love the flower detailing(very in right now). And this dress would be ultra flattering on just about anyone. So pretty!

3. Ball Gown

Characteristics: Very full skirt. This is the most traditional silhouette for a wedding gown.

4. A Line

Flowered details, and different ways to add interest are very chic. Whether it be a different fabric, textile, different color somewhere; you'll see the extra oomph of interest in a lot of gowns lately.

Like I said. Simplistic dresses are so chic and very classic. I love that this vintage-classic look is coming back.

5. Mermaid

see [here]

Sorry I couldn't really find a picture that I loved to post. And this site wouldn't let me save this picture to my computer :)

all other pictures are from J-Crew's Spring 2010 line found on Martha Stewart Weddings {dot} com.