In an article I once read about finding your passion, it stated that one of the questions to ask is: “What really upsets you about the world?” My answer relates to the environment. When someone throws out a water bottle (that could be recycled) my skin crawls. When I see a grocery bag stuck in a tree, I get pissed…and so on. When our bathroom faucet started dripping yesterday, I immediately put a bowl in the sink to catch the water (so I could water my flowers—which, for reasons unknown, seem to be dying.)

So there you go. You now know the outdoor hippie in me.

Photo: UnitedByBlue.com

Aside from reducing, reusing and recycling (yay 3rd grade!), we can also help when we shop for clothes. More and more apparel brands are becoming conscious of their impact on our available water. These companies are innovative in their quest to clean up and conserve:

Levi’s: Water<Less Collection: Did you know it takes @ 42 Liters of water to make 1 pair of jeans (what!)? Though that doesn’t seem too far fetched when you think about how each type of ‘wash’ is achieved. (You know, when you buy a pair of jeans that already has the worn in look.) Their philosophy with this collection is to…use less water. For example, washing the denim with dry stones. Levi’s states that they’ve gotten some pairs down to only using a quarter cup of water. # good for you.

United By Blue: 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into oceans annually. (yikes!) For every product sold, UBB removes 1 pound of trash from our oceans & waterways. I like the prep/nautical inspired beach bags and the guy’s t-shirts, layered under a zip up.

Photo: UnitedByBlue.com

Photo: levi.com/waterless

Happy Monday!

Lena

“You don’t have to actually answer the questions.

Just ponder on them.

Slowly read straight through, and you’ll get the point.”

———————————————————————————————————-

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

********************************************************************************

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies..

Awards tarnish..

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

********************************************************************************

Here’s another quiz.

See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

********************************************************************************

“Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money…or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.”

1. I can be worn to any occasion

2. Some people think I’m boring

3. I eventually turn a different color

Answer:

A white dress shirt

Next, what animal am I? I live in the rainforest…

Kidding! If you grew up taking family road trips, you no doubt relate to that (often painful) game.

Spring is here and while my client inspiration boards are filling up with summer fashion that I’m anxious to see come to life, I don’t want to dismiss the importance of a man’s white dress shirts—yes, let’s make that plural and strive to own two. Why? See clues #1 & #3.

I’m not lying when I say you can wear this to EVERY occasion and it’ll be appropriate. Isn’t that cool and very easy for you to remember? A wedding, your wedding, a funeral, your funeral, to important work meetings, to unimportant work days, to lunch with…a friend, a potential business partner, a date, your girlfriend’s parents, an art gallery event, a barbecue, a baseball game…

It’s so basic (and colorless) that some tend to forget how important it is to own. (You’d rather opt for the fun, limited, colorful shirts that you can rock out in Vegas this summer…) Both have its place in your closet. We all understand that a white shirt can be worn with a suit, so here are a few ideas on OTHER ways to wear that white shirt…because although you can wear this to anything, you wouldn’t wear it the SAME way to everything. Have I lost you yet?

Photo: Posh24

Photo: inflexwetrust.com

(minus the sunnies) Photo: celebrity-gossip.net

(And without the colored socks...) Photo: Tommy Hilfiger

Photo: celebrity-updates.weebly.com

Is his fly un-done? Classic! Photo: theurbangent.com

Oh and about that #3. You know you sweat. Let’s not try to cover it up with a blazer. When your shirt is pitted out, time-to-replace. It’s inevitable; clothes don’t last forever.

It was amazing—impeccably thought out in every detail. From the first class passenger ticket invitations, to the different menus at each ‘cabin’ (beef stew served in 3rd Class, caviar-topped deviled eggs in 1st) to being greeted with champagne and an orchestra— “Good Evening, Welcome to the Titanic.” We really did feel as though we were mingling amongst passengers.

The mixologist created cocktails with names like, Remember the Maine and The Bronx. (heavy on the gin they were back then!) The night proved that it is possible to play ‘pretend’ as an adult!

The soiree commanded ‘black tie’ which, to be honest, sparked some anxiety within me & my fiancé. When I think of costume parties, I think of some fun nonsense like Christmas sweaters (maybe I need classier friends? ha). And when I think of black tie, I think of an event one plans for far in advance, possibly spends money on—not something you throw together at Michael’s the day of. A black tie, time-period event—calls for research!

After some quick investigating, I decided to hone in on these wardrobe characteristics of the female first class passengers:

* empire waist silhouettes

* long gloves

* beading

* curly hair- high height (They did this too look thinner.)

* extensions (Actually, I had no intention of getting extensions, but I learned that if not horse hair, the women used the hair from their own brushes to create extensions. Why does that gross me out more than horse hair?)

* feathers!

* corsets (no thanks!)

* makeup- LIGHT! (At the time, only prostitutes and actresses wore it, interesting, huh?)

* lace, silk

* The men- top hats, white bow ties

Top hats!

Tuxedos, lace & sashes! (This 1st class female took everyday clothes and improved--adding ribbon and layer. Great outcome!)

Do you get it? We were supposed to be snotty towards the Third Class. (basement of the party)

And if you are just so enamored with all things Titanic, then check out this site: Past & Present Creations- very accurate reproduction of the actual movie outfits.

How great is this Lauren Moffatt rain coat? The subtle yet bold, color blocked angled pockets with gold snaps, the 3/4 length sleeves that allow you to show off your shirt or bracelets/watch (and remember, 3/4″ sleeves make a person look taller) and that fun geometrical pattern peeking through the inside hood—too cute!

Lauren Moffatt Spring 2012 jacket

(Please forgive the creepy self-taken mirror pic. While I became buddies with the shop’s manager, I would have felt like a total donkey asking her to take my photo. So there you go.)

I discovered this jacket while in St.Louis. The little shop, Ivy Hill, located in the ‘Central West End’ is right in the mix of all the best restaurants and independent shops. When I check out a new boutique, I like to be impressed not only by the selection of merch, but also by how well they display their pieces. I have friends who have made careers out of visual merchandizing and I believe it to be a real talent. Throw something on a table and it doesn’t look as nice as say, if it were hung on a hook…connected to a large key…for example.

Interesting. This looks like a deer antler, but it’s not.

Dog tags do nothing for me, but this display is so clean and easy to grab.

Not mind-blowingly creative—but how cheery! Frame your favorite quote and then hang everyday necklaces from it.

This ‘letter’ theme has been popular for a few years now, ever since YSL came out with their wallets (love!). I haven’t seen this printed/debossed/sewn on something I didn’t like yet.

Panther ring-rah! Sort of makes me feel like I’m wearing a (poor man’s version) of a Cartier ring! (Note to self: get manicure so that I am prepared the next time I snap away at jewelry I like, then later decide to post for the world. ha. Is my finger crooked? Weird…

It was one of those rare moments when as soon as the movie ended, I wanted to watch it again. Before saying too much more, I want to address the fashion of the “not too distant future.”

The wardrobe, hair & makeup teams definitely had to be working hard to dress this cast and crew. The big hair! The pursed lips! The eyes! How fun (and tricky) to create this elaborate futuristic society, while also outfitting the rural ‘districts.’

Will we really be looking similar to this?

While I’m not sold on our future show hosts donning blue hair, it doesn’t seem far-fetched for volume (in clothes, hair or accessories) to be the norm. And take a look at these shoes…oooh!

Photos: capitolcouture.pn

As for color, this season you can rock as little or as much neon as you want, so why wouldn’t it come back in style, in say a few thousand years?! (Maybe not match to your dog though…)

The film has been out for two days now and already you can find: product lines developed around the theme, blogger recommendations on how to re-create the make-up and editors playing dress up with the cast (using runway looks)!

Photo: fashionista.com

(Not loving this YSL combo in the middle for Peeta. Even though while watching I did find myself saying (a few times) ‘He is just SO good looking.’

P.S. For those of you that love experimenting with nail color, check out China Glaze’s Capitol Colour collection.

I just watched the premier of Fashion Star. Have you seen their print and media advertisements? They’ve been running for what feels like, forever…and now I understand why. Immediately after watching each episode, viewers can buy the styles that ‘won.’ Therefore, the winning designers have already been selected and their featured garments, mass produced. So you can buy what you like, right NOW. That’s pretty fabulous.

I’m not saying all the styles are fabulous, but people like instant gratification (and so do the retailers).

Quick premise: Each week a handful of new designers show off their creations in a quick (rock & roll-ish) runway show. There are 3 buyers: 1 from Saks Fifth Avenue, H&M and Macys. If they like what they see, they enter in an offer to buy that design (a la Jeopardy style). I can imagine it’s probably an amazing feeling to have Saks tell you they will give you $80K to sell your skirt, especially if you are bartending when you’d rather be designing. (Even if they are marking it up 4 times the cost!)

What I liked:

* Orly’s “skirt with a shell.” (Her explanation: preventing her “who-ha” from being exposed on a windy day.) At first sight I thought, are these supposed to replace wearing boy shorts under short skirts? (for same reason mentioned above) I personally don’t do tight mini skirts but I very much like the versatility of the zip on and off/2 skirts in 1. I like options. I don’t like one and done pieces. This piece is a refreshing idea.

I only wish Saks offered it in more than the black color. I believe I saw a patterned one on the episode…

* Nzimiro’s blazers. Yeah, it’s a blazer—just hearing that sounds uneventful. But details like permanent stand up collars and angular pockets in linen, add just the right amount of interesting. (Again, we’ll see if I feel the same way when it arrives at my doorstep. Apparel is so tactile! This better not be made like crap!) But then again, it’s a men’s blazer for $50, you get what you pay for—hope my fiancé likes it!

* The mentors (Nicole Richie, John Varvatos & Jessica Simpson) putting an arrogant Aussie designer in his place.

What I didn’t like:

So many of the designs…weren’t original. Have you seen a large print caftan dress, or a one shoulder spandex-y mini in bright green? Yes. Maybe the talent level here isn’t as high as in some of the fashion reality shows of the past, but I appreciate the concept of the program. And guess what? The real hack pieces? They don’t get picked up by a buyer. The fact that no’s are actually frequent makes viewing more interesting.

Want to buy from the show last night? Ready, set, go!

Lots of changes and new beginnings happening: I moved! I have a new office too! (I didn’t love painting it!) I’ve been teaching a class every weekend! I’ve started a new collaboration with a very cool brand…details and perks for you, soon to be released!

Re: the training classes, we’ve been adding to our team at J.Hilburn, and bringing on a bunch of talented/entrepreneurial minded individuals to handle the rapid increase in customers nationwide (thanks Esquire!). Because of this, I’ve gotten to experience (non-wildly exotic) places like Pittsburg and Charlotte…you know, cities that I might not have made it to otherwise.

Since I always like to mix business with pleasure, I’ve been scoping out the local scenes and seeing what their independent shops have to offer—sort of like what a foodie would do while visiting a new area.

Today, I’m going to highlight my old stomping grounds, a true favorite spot of mine for independent businesses: Abbott Kinney (blvd) in Venice (CA).

I stumbled upon Made in Earth—can’t remember what shop it replaced, but it seems to fit in nicely. If you’ve ever been to a gem & jewelry show, then you’ll appreciate how these skilled artisans create jewelry out of raw materials.

The concept behind MIE is summed up by their tagline, Nature Creates, We Enhance… They use amazing gems and stones, some of which look like they were just yanked out of the ground. (I mean that in a good way.) Superman’s kryptonite also came to mind…

mieusa.com

You can also have their in-house design team develop a work of art specifically for you! (I’m always a sucker for custom…)

I am so intrigued by this:

mieusa.com

It’s earthy and (literally) has an edge to it. I can picture it being worn alone (standout!) or mixed in with other accessories. The only ‘minus’ I felt here was that some of their pieces were just way too large of scale for me. I like accessories that allow me to get through the day…some of these seemed a bit ‘stand there and pose’ versus ‘look at my fun new accessory that compliments my clothes and I can actually wear longer than 10 minutes!’

* Made In Earth is expecting to have their online store up soon. In the meantime, gather up any info and send your jewelry requests here or check out their Venice gallery.

Even though these magazine tears are several years old, the descriptions of WHY these styles of clothing work will ALWAYS be true.

(Also, try to ignore that fact that when I am note taking, I write really fast and tend to forget how to spell. ha.)

A peek into my old class assignments. Thanks Carla—your lessons are invaluable!

Not ideal for an inverted triangle because the shirt broadens the already broad top. Instead you want to add volume to the hips to create balance.

Widens the visual appearance of the shoulders/chest

Narrows the (visual) frame of the shoulders

If the neck is long, you have the space for a high collar.

Volume on sleeves helps

totally spelled epaulet wrong

How terrible are these jeans by the way?

The "like girls jeans" note is referring to how women need several pairs of jeans: some to wear w. flats, heels, tuck into boots, cropped etc

While watching a movie on Christmas night (yes, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation…on TV = lots of commercials), I for some reason became enamored with the Tigers on the World Wildlife Foundation and instantly wanted to donate to their preservation. Well, actually, I wanted to adopt one. But then I realized that the picture they send to each ‘adopter’ is the same cat. (Yes, I really did think I would get to name it and follow its progression through life. Hmm-maybe I need a pet?!)

I’ve always had a love for tigers, leopards, cheetahs, panthers—any big cat really. Look at this face! Don’t you just want to wrap your arms around and give it a big hug?

I’m also drawn to animal prints—mostly in accessories, but as shown, you can find a pattern mimicking just about any animal on just about any article of clothing.

Photo: whowhatwear.com

Two major take away points from this post (before I digress any further):

1. If you adore these gorgeous animals and the thought of them no longer existing sounds crazy to you, then DONATE to keep these creatures alive (all 3,200 of them in the world) or at best, increase their population.

2. If you find animal prints fun and want to incorporate a pattern into your wardrobe, remember this: it’s an attention grabber. So think about how loud you want to get and with what amount of print you are comfortable.

A small dose: a clutch

A big does: skinny jeans/leggings

A sophisticated look: flats

A sassy look: stilettos

A creative/trendy look: wedges

An attention grabber: animal print in an usual color (i.e. blue cheetah)

A dabble with the print: shorts with a solid counterpart

Photo: colehaan.com

Photo: madewell.com

Photo: pixiemarket.com

Photo: pixiemarket.com

Here is the link to adopt an animal:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/

A quick screen shot shows you a small sampling of the endangered species—just about every cool animal you ever wanted to see when you were little.

(And if nothing else, remember, you can include your donation on your taxes.)

Photo: wwf.org