PFM Styling: Kyoto Japanese Maxi Dress, Take 2

Sometimes you have to celebrate a dress in style. Sesheta passed on this gift to me from Sugarlips, and wearing it beach-side seemed to be the perfect way to pay tribute. The sheer floating layers on the Kyoto Japanese Maxi Dress kept the look fresh in the heat. It was a gorgeous evening...the setting sun...the waves...and the dress caught the breeze just right. At first I wasn't sure how to make this piece work for me, but I was totally inspired by the bold print and decided to give it a splash of warm-weather glam. Vintage wooden bracelets, a sleek twisted ponytail with tousled waves, and dangling gold earrings are all I needed to easily go from walk on the beach to dinner date. Side note: I love going barefoot but it seems shoes just had to be required for dinner! xoxo Becca

(Mini Mandalas Earrings- MavenFresh, Dress- Sugarlips, Bracelets-Vintage & Metal Monk, Sandals- Dolce Vita)

PFM Styling: Sugarlips Kyoto Japanese Maxi Dress

i feel like Becca and i are officially bloggers now.  why do i say that? well, we have received our first freebie just for doing what we love best - styling clothing and blogging about it!! how cool is that?!?

we'd like to introduce you to the Kyoto Japanese Maxi Dress c/o Sugarlips.  i love this dress!! for me, the best part about this dress is the color combination.  i love the teal and shades of pink in the flowers.  i also love the play on length with the short slip underneath the longer sheath on top.  there are so many ways you can wear this dress but i chose to wear a hot pink bandeau underneath for a pop of color.  then i added some of my fave accessories at the moment - my nude pumps, turquoise studded hoops and bangles galore on my wrist.  i wore my hair in a top knot so that i could show off the full dress as well as keep cool.  though i wore this dress for a day at the office, it would be perfect for a night out on the town.  i can't even count the number of people who told me they loved my dress! it's one thing when you feel like you are looking fresh but when others notice it too, it just sweetens the deal! :) xo sesheta

P.S. the fun part about being a fashion duo is that Becca and i get to share the goodies!  i can't wait to see how she styles it!

(Hoops {coming soon}- MavenFresh, Dress - c/o Sugarlips, Pumps - Etienne Aigner, Blazer {not shown} - Vintage Diane Von Furstenberg, Bandeau-American Apparel )  

Daily Outfit: Hypnotically Haute

i am not really a pink girl but there is something about this print (and the fact that one of my fave designers made it) that makes me love this dress! i've known Ashaka Givens for over 12 years and i haven't seen a design that i haven't wanted to make mine!  i have had the pleasure of owning quite a few AG items but this dress is so timeless that even though it's 3 years old, i just can't get enough!  i have had others tell me they can't get enough too!  one person even said, "i can't stop staring at your dress!" lol, fabulous and hypnotic - check! lol  

although, i dressed it down today with my denim jacket and clogs, i first wore this dress to Becca's wedding with dressy shoes and a wrap.  i love that it can be worn for a day at the beach or for a night on the town.  i could use a lot more items like this in my wardrobe!  i guess i'll  just have to add some of her new designs to my collection!!! :)

(Crystal Ball headband and Cowrie Cuff - MavenFresh, Mod print Maxi dress - Ashaka Givens, Denim Jacket - Hollister Co., Patent Clogs - Maguba, Sterling Silver hoops - eBay)

PFMs Do it Better: DIY Studded Denim Vest

soo... i know the denim vest has been done... many, many, many times before.  you may even have seen a DIY on how to make a denim vest.  either way, i thought it would be fun to show, yet again, how this classic staple can be done at a really low cost to your pocket.  sure you could buy one already made, but where's the fun in that??  this is an easy project that only requires a little bit of time and a bit more creativity.

the first step is to gather your materials.  i hit my local thrift stores to find this denim jacket. i had to consider size, color and styling of the jacket.  i turned down a few because they just didn't fit or look right.  next,  i got some studs, i chose silver, which you can just about purchase in any craft store or order online.  then i got my trusty scissors.  it's really important to keep special scissors for cutting fabric.  it truly makes cutting straight as well as smoothly easier.

the next step is super easy - just cut off the sleeves.  if you have nice sharp scissors, this can be done in five minutes.  you can also choose how close to the seam you go for a more frayed look.  before i moved to the next step, i washed the vest as is - so that it would be fresh and clean for me to wear and also to help start the fraying at the edges.

now comes the final step- studding!! i totally forgot that i had one more tool; i also used my long needle nose pliers to assist me with making sure the studs closed nice and tight.  most people have these in your average tool kit.  (be sure they are clean so as not to mark your clothing.)  though this part can be tedious, especially depending on how much studding you plan on doing, it can be fun to design how to attach your studs.  i suggest thinking it out a bit first before committing.  it can be challenging to remove studs once securely attached - i learned that the hard way lol. 

...and done!!!  as you can see, i chose a simple studding pattern.  i like the subtlety of just a touch of studs.  besides, since we know these vests only get better with time, i can always add more studs later!  i can't wait to wear this with my summer maxi dresses and skirts or with my Docs and skinnies!! yay!!  :)