Dollar Store Fashion: Lace Doily Shoulder Covers

Have a thin strap dress that you want to make look a little more modest? Why not try this solution, its inexpensive and looks great.

What you Need:

• Lace Doily 
• I bought this one at the dollar store. You only need one.
• Scissors
• Small Safety pins -or- hand-sewing needle and thread

How to Do it:

1. Simply cut the doily in half.
2. Wrap the straight edge of the doily half you just cut, around the thin strap of the dress
3. Use the safety pins or had sewing needle to secure the lace will stay in place. Be sure to pin on the inside so it doesn't show on the outside.

That's all there is to it! Love it? Hate it? Let me know!

Dollar Store Fashion: Mexican Bath Mat Bag

Another of my great dollar store ideas. This one is super easy and quick, and it only cost $1!

What you need:

• Bath Mat (I love this one. It has amazing colors)
• Sewing machine -or- hand-sewing needle with thread -or- even hot glue(for those of you who don't have any sewing experience)
• Something to use for a strap(I used a strap from an existing bag that has little latches, so the straps are detachable, a thin belt would also work)

How to Do it:

1. Simply fold the bat mat in half length wise with the sides you want to show on the outside facing each other.
2. Sew up the two sides( or glue), with the fold on the bottom. Be sure to back stitch if you are using a machine. Leave about 1/2" to 1" extra past the line you sew so it doesn't come undone.
3. Attach the strap. Be sure to make sure the strap is sewn securely. Re-inforece the straps with multiple sewn lines so it doesn't come undone. 
4. Test it out. Put a few heavy books in it and jump around with it. See if the strap is sewn securely enough. The last thing you want is to be walking down the street and your bag breaks.

Spray Paint Shoes

Have shoes that you don't really like the color of? Or perhaps they're a little worn out? Well why not bring a little life to them with some spray paint! Its inexpensive (only about $3.50 per color, and one can will do about 6-8 pairs) and looks amazing!

Here's a photo of a pair of boots I refurbished with a little spray paint! What do you think?

 What you need:

• Pair of shoes 
• Pretty much any type of fabric with work, including leather, which I will later explain how to deal with. Spray paints works very well on canvas. Suede will usually not hold the color real well and will turn out a little darker than expected, but it can still be done.
• Spray Paint
• I purchased mine at Home Depot for about $3.50 per color. There are a variety of different finishes the paint can have. Matte finish will give no shine, while any type of gloss will give you a shine.
• Warning: In most states, kids under 17 or 18 can not buy spray paint, so you may need an adult to purchase it for you. I know I bought spray paint at Wal-Mart when I was 17.
• Sand Paper
• Only if you are working with a leather or vinyl shoe
• Masking Tape
• Preferably blue or green painters tape
• I bought a roll for only a $1 at the dollar store
• Plastic bags or trash bags

How To Do It:

Here's what they looked like before.

1. If you have a leather or fake leather shoe, use the sand paper to rub down the finish on the shoes. This will allow the spray paint to better adhere to the surface and prevent rubbing off of the color.
2. Use masking tape and plastic bags to prevent areas from being painted. Use a plastic bag on the inside of the shoe so the inside doesn't get painted. Otherwise, the paint will rub off on your foot. Any areas that you don't want to paint should be covered.  I would recommend masking off the rubber bottom of the shoe also. If you want to get a little more crazy, try making stripes with the tape or different designs. Make sure to tape off any lace holes, so paint doesn't go through them.
3. Lightly coat the shoes with the paint. For those of you who have never spray painted before, you want to do it outside, or in a well ventilated area. Stand about 3 feet back from the shoes. Press gradually down on the trigger until you get a steady mist of paint. Make small back and forth motions as you go QUICKLY around the shoe. Don't stay in one area for a long time, otherwise it will cause dripping.
4. Wait to dry. If you want to do multiple colors like how mine I did black and silver, wait for one color to dry before adding the second color. For mine, I only did a light coat of silver in different areas for more of a faded effect.
5. Remove masking tape.
6. Wait a couple days for paint to set. Do not wear them right away, the paint smells terrible for a couple days, but if you leave them in a well ventilated area, the smell will leave in a couple days.

Dollar Store Fashion: $1 Ties

Just a quick little post of some crazy cool ties I found at the dollar store for only $1.00 each. 

Take a gander!

Love them? Hate them? Let me know what you think!

Dollar Store Fashion: Do-it-Yourself $3 Lace Dress!

So recently I've taken a little trip to the dollar store for some poor and creative inspiration. Let me tell you, I bought A LOT. Approximately $35 worth of stuff (granted everything was only $1.00).... So there will be a lot of crazy cool project coming up! 

First in my dollar store fashion project series is this cute little lace dress. It's relatively simple to do, but it does require BASIC sewing skills. Meaning you can either sew with a hand sewing needle, or you can sew a straight line on a sewing machine. I'll give you some quick sewing tips for you beginners who want some help along the way if you'd like to learn.

What you need:

• XL-XXXL Cotton Knit T-shirt (bought for $2 at Walgreens)
• Lace Doilies (bought a pair for $1 at the dollar store)
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine or a hand sewing needle and thread
• Measuring Tape
• A tank top for reference.

How to do it:

 
1. Cut sleeves and straight across under the collar. 
2. Measure the length of the top of you chest above your bust.
3. Cut the top the length of your chest. Be sure to cut equal amounts off from each side. Then gradually cut from the top to the side seam on an angle, until it blends with the side seam. 
4. Sew up the side seams. Meaning, where the arm holes use to be, you'll sew up.
5. Create the lace tank top front. To do so, take a tank top and lay it down flat. Lay the lace centered over neckline of the tank top. Cut out the shape to match the tank top neckline shape. The bottom of the lace section should end a little past your bust, you'll need a little extra in order to sew it to the shirt.
6. Attach the lace to the shirt. How you do that, you'll simply just need to sew a straight line across. The correct way to sew it so it looks good from the outside, is to sew "right sides together". Meaning which ever side you want to show from the outside, put them facing together. Then when sewing on your machine or with a hand sewing needle, leave about a 1/2" extra fabric from the line you sew. Make sure to backstitch your ends so it remains sewn.
7. Create the tank top back. In order to that, think about the shape you want to create. Draw it out if you'd like. Cut out the shape from the lace you'd like to create by folding it half length wise. Lay down the front of of dress with the back on top of it so you can match up where the straps on the front and back match. If you want the lace to dip down into the shirt like on mine, you'll need to cut out the shape in the shirt.
8. Sew the back lace to the shirt. Same way as the front.
9. Sew the front and back straps together. Make sure you sew it so the stitching doesn't show on the outside. Once again, make sure when you sew, right sides are together.

That's all there is to it! (I know it is a little more steps than my usual projects, but I thought I'd up the skill level a bit)

Try it out! Tell me how it goes. Send me a pic! Leave a comment if you have any questions and I'll try to help. Do you like it? Hate it? Let me know!

Creative Solution for Oversized Shirt

Have a big shirt and don't know what do to with it? Well why not try this solution! It's perfect to layer over another shirt to make it look brand new!

Here's the same look, but this is from Bebe. It costs $69!!! Say whaaaa?

Any idiot with a pair of scissors can do that.

Here's how its done. Simply fold you shirt in halves the direction in which you want the cuts to be made. Then, simply cut along the edge. It looks good if you try and keep the lines even. I did multiple rows on mine. I also cut out the neckline of the shirt to make in a tank top style.

Its super easy. I like the style with something a little more formal over it. Otherwise, it can look really sloppy looking just worn plain. Try it out! See how it goes! The possibilities are endless!

"I Bet You Can Find It Cheaper..."

So here's the deal. My friend Ellen Opacich were talking over break about how people spend too much money on clothes they can find at much cheaper prices. What it really comes down to knowing when something is really worth the cost. Before you purchase something, ask yourself the question "Can you find it cheaper?" In a lot of cases, "YES, of course you can!" should be the answer.

Here's an interesting comparison Ellen found (thanks for the great pics Ellen!):

The sweater on the right is from Urban Outfitters with a retail value of $50-$80. Ellen's sweater on the left cost under $10 at a thrift store. Scary likeness, right?!

The thing you must really understand is knowing how to achieve the LOOK you want. As much as I want to look like I wear designer clothing all the time, I know that it is simply not an option. So I find pieces that create the feel as designer clothes. 

How You Can Find The Look for Less

1. My suggestion on how to begin to start saving money is to first pretend that you have no budget. Search online or in stores for the clothes you absolutely want, no matter what the cost. Keep a going list of all those items. 

2. Next, give a title to each of those dream pieces. For example, let's say you see a pair of expensive sunglasses you like. Give them a description such as "oversize, round, amber faded sunglasses".

3. Last, find those items based of the description you have. Start by researching online. Type in the description you gave to the item. Search multiple store catalogues online. Or, go straight to the thrift store or stores you can afford. Look specifically for those items you wanted. Most of the time, it will be easy to find something eerily similar to a designer look for a whole lot less money.

Have you ever had some great finds you've found for a whole lot less??? Let me know! Send me a picture! Or tell me a quick story below!

Fashion Q&A #1

So I've recently been getting a lot of questions via formspring (http://www.formspring.me/jordanblake) about fashion. So I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some of the questions I get with my blog viewers! I plan on posting fashion related questions here as long as they keep coming!

QUESTION 1:

i hate birkenstock style shoes and mocassins. what other types of shoes can i wear with skinny jeans, to school may i add (no heels), besides converse & boots? it is also very cold to be wearing flats

I hate those too! Well, I particularly love combat boots, their a lot better than UGGS (or should I say UGG-LYS), that are winter appropriate, and trendy. But if you don't like boots, there's the option of the Oxford-style shoe. Here's a link to Urban Outfitters shoes:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?popId=WOMENS&navAction=poppushpush&isSortBy=true&navCount=207&pushId=WOMENS_SHOES&id=W_SHOES_LACEUPS
I love this oxford style with skinny jeans. But if that's a little too hyper trendy for your taste here's another option, high top gym shoes:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?popId=WOMENS&navAction=poppushpush&isSortBy=true&navCount=234&pushId=WOMENS_SHOES&id=W_SHOES_SNEAKERS
They go with everything, their comfortable, and not too out there. I'm also a fan of the a low boot-let style shoe. Here's what I mean:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18600452&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump

Hope that all helps!

QUESTION 2:

I have two fashion questions! 1st… I am just curious what your opinions are on Ugg shoes & Ugg lookalikes & Birkenstocks & Birkenstock lookalikes. 2nd… What do you think of the trend of people wearing shorts + tights together?

I HATE UGGS AND I HATE BIRKENSTOCKS. Yes, I know their comfortable. But, there's a point at which it just looks ridiculous. I watched an interview of Tim Gunn (fashion guru from Project Runway), and he said this about people who dress for comfort, "If you want to dress as though you never got out of bed, THEN DON'T GET OUT OF BED." What he means to say is that people are getting lazy with their clothing. I think those looks just add to the excuses people have when it comes to quality taste.


And the trend of shorts and tights together. That one is really up in the air. It really depends on your body type and personal style. I don't think it looks good on people with larger hips, unless the short is a bit more voluminous than their actual hip line. If the shorts aren't right for your body, TIGHTS WON'T HELP. I think if people would wear proper fitting shorts that are the appropriate length for their body, the trend is not a bad one.

QUESTION 3:

You said you hate uggs, which is fair, but if I wear my "nice" boots that have heels, it starts to really hurt my feet. Can I make that stop?

Well let me just say, if your feet are hurting, DO NOT WEAR UGGS. According to an article in the New York Times, UGGS can cause major damage. They flatten your arches, which can cause foot, ankle, and even hip problems. What you should turn to is getting inserts that have the proper support for your foot. There are shoes that are both comfortable and stylish, you just need to find ones that work for you.
Here's a link to that article I referred to:

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/03/17/2010-03-17_wearing_ugg_boots_for_long_periods_of_time_ruining_womens_feet_experts_say.html

QUESTION 4:

hey, im a guy & i have these white jeans that are unflattering to me and I want to dye them some other color....what do you think I should dye them to? nothing to crazy....but I have black jeans and like dark blue and gray...but, I just am stumped.

Well, what a cool project. A blank canvas! If you don't want to go to crazy I think what could be interesting is if you wet the jeans first. Then take black dye and kind of wash it over the jeans, perhaps splashing it in different areas. That way it could have like different shades of grays and blacks, with some abstract shapes. Depending on how much water you use, the effect could be really subtle, which wouldn't be too crazy.

QUESTION 5:

leggings as pants? acceptable?

As a good rule of thumb, NO. BUT, there are exceptions to every rule. I have seen the look pulled off successfully very few times. About 98% of girls who I see this look in, it looks completely horrible for their body type. I'm all for personal style, but it has to fit with your figure. For example, I'm very skinny, if I decided to wear excessively baggy clothes, I would look like a child swimming in his dad's clothes, which destroys the purpose of that. So here's the deal, I like leggings as pants if one- you have the body type to wear leggings, meaning you don't have wide hips, Two-they either look EXACTLY like jeans or have cool or interesting pattern. Three- they are worn the right way, meaning they are styled interestingly and uniquely, by wearing a unique silhouette top of some kind and/or the right shoe.


Do you have a fashion question you want my opinion on? Leave a comment or go to to my formspring and ask:


http://www.formspring.me/jordanblake

My New Year's FASHION Resolution.

As important as it is to have a New Year's Resolution, I feel like everyone should have a Fashion Resolution. A Fashion Resolution is a promise you make with yourself to take your style to the next level. Whether that's shopping smarter, trying to define your style, or even just dressing up a bit more, you should come up with your own Fashion Resolution!


How to maintain a New Year's Fashion Resolution:

• Come up with a list of individual small goals that can help you reach your ultimate Resolution
• Use a calendar to mark specific times in which you plan to reach a certain goal.
• Give yourself reminders: Send text messages to yourself(that works great for me!), put post-its above your bed, send yourself a facebook message reminder, or come up with your own ways.
• Tell your friends about your goal and get their support. Having people support your goals will give you the guidance you need to stick to them.
• Write about your experiences and how they help you: Keep a journal(handwritten or on the computer) and write in it often. It will help you keep track of your progress and you can actually see the differences.
• Take pictures of your changes. By maintaining a scrapbook or online catalogue or your fashion adventures through pictures, you can track your progress, refer back to styles you like, and as you go look at things that need to change or things you liked.

Or come up with ways that work for you personally. Think about things that have helped you keep goals in the past and go from there!

My Fashion Resolution for 2011:

Find new unique ways to wear clothing and to help spread the word on the importance of fashion, style, and being thrifty to the world. I will maintain this goal by creating a calendar of projects I will post on my blog. In the new year, I plan on posting at least once or twice a week. I will also research new ways to advertise my blog in order to reach a broader audience. By finding at least one new advertising outlet a week I feel like I can maintain my goal. 

In my personal style, I hope to build my wardrobe with new pieces to make my style more sophisticated but yet still maintain my sense of fun. I plan on photographing my own outfits for my personal records so that I can see how my style changes throughout the next year.

What's your New Year's Resolution? Leave a comment and let me know!

What Inspires Me To Be Creative

Ok, so during the christmas holiday I'm back in Chicago. I'm away from my typical full wardrobe and usual art supplies, but I'm going to try to post some new projects. This week, I wanted to do things a little different than my usual. I am going to talk about the things I am inspired by to be creative. I think it is vital in fashion and in life in general to find things that inspire you personally. Whether its friends, artists, celebrities, objects, locations, or music, they all should have a major impact in things you create. Here are just a few of my favorite inspirations:

Creative people in my life:

Having people in my life who see the world differently than the average person inspires me greatly. Some of my best ideas have come from these people. They inspire me to change my own perception. I think it is important to take others opinions in your work. Try new things that are outside your comfort zone. Over the years, I have photographed a lot of inspiring people, which has created some of the most beautiful images I have ever taken. It is such a privilege to photograph these people, because it is my goal to capture a piece of who they are. Here's just a few of my favorites:

Portrait of Annaliese Lengerich

Portrait of Jessica Service

Portrait of Austyn Davis

Portrait of Kathleen Tirrel

Portrait of Monica Wicklund

Portrait of David Norman

My Musical Inspirations: 

I am not typically inspired by lyrics. I don't know why, but I have never had a deep connection with music. I think I'm such a visual person, that I forget about the lyrics and the sounds of the music. My musical inspirations come from the people who make the music. I enjoy the characters they create. Here's a few of my favorite music artists:

Pete Burns: For those of you who don't know who Pete Burns is, you probably have heard his voice before. He's the guy who sang "You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record)" in the band Dead or Alive during the 80's. The lyrics of the songs aren't that great, but its all about his attitude. He blurs the line between gender and sexuality. I find that to be such an inspiring thing to me personally. His ideas of what is considered "beautiful" is something I don't think the world had ever seen before he became famous. He is such an icon to me. Here's some of my favorite videos of him:

Here's what he's probably most famous for:

Here's a video of pretty much everything he stands for:

Boy George: Another one of my musical inspirations is Boy George. He's the lead singer of the band Culture Club which was also a british band popular during the 1980's, similar to Dead or Alive. Boy George is such an inspiration to me because of his androgynous sex appeal. Unlike Pete Burns, who's more in your face, Boy George has such a quiet sex appeal which is absolutely beautiful. Here's my favorite video of Boy George:

Object Inspiration: 

Seeing details in the world around us is something that should inspire us all. Whether you live in the middle of nowhere, or in the heart of downtown, there is inspiration all around us. I grew up in a midwest suburb outside of Chicago, and let me tell you, it is BORING. But when there's nothing to do I would drive around and photograph little things I found to be special. I mainly looked for seemingly ugly things, and tried to photograph them in beautiful ways. Here's a few examples:

An Old Spider Web

An Abandon Building

A Bush Coated In Ice

These are only a few of ideas of the types of inspiration I look to. What things inspire you? Leave a comment! 

What To Do With Torn Clothes

Do you have shirts or pants with rips or holes in it? Well here's an easy solution: Rip it more! This look was inspired by my roommate Jessica (also a fashion design major at FIDM) who had a pair of leggings and a shirt will holes in it and ripped it up more to make an exciting new look.


The best way to rip your clothes to make it look intentional and fashionable is to rip it in areas. Do not over  rip up a piece of clothing, it will look like your dog tried to eat it. As shown in Jess's shirt, she decided to make small holes near the hem and at the shoulder.

I love how she paired it with the combat boots, makes it look casual, cool, and trendy.

Another way to wear this look is to layer things under the holes. Try wearing lace tights under holy jeans or leggings. Or wear a patterned shirt under a hole-y shirt. The possibilities are endless!

My Top 10 Under Ten Dollar Thrift Store Finds

#10 Armani Exchange Hoodie

For all you label whores, this went for a retail value of $115.00. I got it for $5.00. The reason for number ten is that I'm not all that into labels, but its cute and comfy.

#9 Vintage Plaid Dress Shirt

I love finding colorful patterned shirts. This shirt is a few sizes too big, but I kind of love how slouchy it looks. It makes a dress shirt look fun and casual.

#8 Turquoise Leather Purse 

Come on, how can anyone pass up a genuine leather purse? And its in one of my signature colors!

 #7 Brand new (at the time) indigo/gray double tounge high top Converse

In my size, never been worn before, in my favorite color. This was one of those times I knew I was destined to own something. AND only $6.00!

#6 Vintage Teal Cardigan Sweater

This was a great find. I wear this sweater all the time. It has great construction, looks good with everything. Definitely one of my go to pieces.

 #5 Vintage Swimsuit

I love this swimsuit, its definitely one of a kind, fits me like a glove. It also has this cute little change pocket detail on the side. You simply cannot find this quality for this cheap!

AND only $0.25!! Thats right, 25 CENTS!

 #4 Fitted Gray Blazer

This is another go-to piece piece of mine, it looks great with everything, fits great, and was only $5.00! Also, its a women's blazer, so all you guys out there, don't be afraid of the women's section!

#3 Reebok's with the straps!

These are true reebok's with the straps from the 80's. So cute, they look cool and casual. And they were

practically brand new when I bought them!

#2 Graphic Ties

I couldn't pick just one, so I grabbed my two favorites. These are awesome ties. They may not go with every outfit but they are greatfor special occasions. They are great conversation starters!

#1Vintage Women's Military Jacket

Without a doubt the greatest find ever. This jacket fits me like a glove, and is true vintage. The construction is impeccable, and you simply cannot find a jacket made like this today. Every detail is something to be appreciated, even the lining and finishing details are amazing! I LOVE THIS JACKET.

Leave a comment on what types of things you find at thrift stores or send my a picture via email (blogforpoorcreativepeople@gmail.com) and I'll post it! 

Rorschach (Ink blot) Test T-shirt Design

Here's a really simple way to add a cool design to any t-shirt for little money. It's very easy to do, takes little time, and adds an exciting touch to any plain old thing.

This is the front panel of a hoodie I'm sewing for my class.

Here's what the t-shirt will look some what like when your done.

Look at all the possibilities!

What you need:

• T-shirt (traditionally, its most effective with a white shirt, but I urge you to experiment!)
• Plastic bags/newspaper
• Fabric Paint ( I use Neo Opauqe by Jacquard, Do not try to use water colors or oil based paints, it'll be a disaster, use fabric safe paint)
• Piece of Cardboard.



You can find fabric paint at any craft or fabric store. It usually comes
in a tiny jar like this. For best results make sure the paint says "light
body opaque acrylic". This little jar costs about $5, but it can make
about four shirts.

How to do it:
Step 1: Place plastic bags or newspaper inside the t-shirt to keep the paint from bleeding through to the opposite side of the shirt.
Step 2: Lay out the t-shirt flat on a layer of plastic or newspapers.
Step 3: Fold the shirt in half, and crease the fold. When you open the shirt, you should have a faint fold line down the middle.

Step 4: Randomly put down paint on ONE side of the t-shirt. DO NOT cross the center line. I just dropped the paint straight from the bottle, it forms a more organic shape.
Step 5: CAREFULLY, fold your shirt back on the center line. Make sure that the shirt doesn't crease as you fold it back.
Step 6: Using the piece of cardboard, press firmly down on the folded shirt.
Step 7: Open the t-shirt! Your design should be reflected over the center line, showing two equal halves.
Step 8: Allow to dry, and wear it! Easy as that!

Just so you know, the way you spill the paint is how you change the pattern. Its difficult to have a defined shape, so just go for it and experiment!

Other ways to use this technique:

• Pair of pants: Use the same technique, but on the leg of the pant.
• A hoodie
• Back of dress shirt: Try to make it look like angel wings
• Try different paint colors together to make a tye dye effect
• A bandana

The possibilities are endless! Every design is unique, so you could potentially have a whole wardrobe of completely different t-shirts!

What do you see? Leave a comment!

Paint Chip Necklace

Here's a project I've been brainstorming for quite some time. It's a necklace made of paint chips found at Home Depot (for FREE might I add).

What you need:

• Paint Chips- These are the color swatches found in home supply stores, they're usually free and can be found at stores such as Home Depot, Walmart, or any paint store.
• Scissors
• Stapler 
• Chain (or a chain necklace you already own)

How to make it:

1. Cut your paint chips into whatever shape you want. In the necklace I created, I cut mine into 1 inch squares, but you could cut them into circles, diamonds, etc.
2. Plan out the motif. Place the paint chips into different shapes and color patterns. You can create any shape with the paint chip. I used colors that went on the color wheel together for mine.
3. Staple the motif together. Simply go piece by piece stapling the chips together. Make sure that each paint chip has TWO staple that attach to another piece, otherwise the staples with move and ruin the shape of the motif.
4. Finally, pierce two holes at the top of the motif to attach the chain. Place the chain through the hole. I used a necklace I already had to attach it to. The ends of the necklaces had a clasp end, which attached to the paint chip.

Another idea would be to fold the paint chips which would create a 3-deminsional effect. Also, if you don't like the staples, you could glue the chips together from the back. Be creative and share you ideas in the comments! Also, send me a picture if you try this project out.

It's that simple!