keep austin stylish

Upcoming Event: Le Garage Sale

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-06:00

The best part about the winter Le Garage Sale (besides being able to get great deals) is knowing that stores will now be stocked with their Spring clothing (wooo)! Le Garage Sale is back and this time the huge sale that takes place twice a year is at a new location. Previously held at the Palmer Events Center, Le Garage Sale has now moved to the Austin Convention Center. If you've never been to Le Garage Sale, what you can expect to find this weekend is discounted merchandise from an array of local boutiques.

What:

discounted winter merchandise from local boutiques
$10 cash entry at the door

When:

Saturday Jan. 28, 11am - 6pm
Sunday Jan.29, 12pm - 5pm

Where:

Austin Convention Center

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Upcoming Event: Veronica Sheaffer Trunk Show

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-06:00

Attention all brides-to-be! Chicago bridal designer Veronica Sheaffer is having her first ever trunk show outside of Chicago here in Austin. You can go check out Veronica's Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 collections at Unbridaled from Feb. 9 - 16.

Pulling inspiration from white-washed furniture on summer porches, the Spring 2012 collection features layers of soft, floating fabrics and flowers. What I love the most about Veronica's gowns, is they are feminine and not too overworked while still remaining sophisticated and unique. Collection gowns range from $1,600 to $5,600 and accessories range from $250 to $450.

A few photos of the types of handmade gowns you can expect to see at Unbridaled from Veronica Sheaffer:

North Loop to Lose Splendor

2012-01-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

Feel, smell, and fit. These are 3 things that are impossible to experience via online shopping. This is why I was a little bummed to learn that local vintage boutique Splendor was closing its brick and mortar door to focus solely on their online shop. Owner Stephanie Jimenez describes the change as bittersweet. "I have built so many great relationships and the support and feedback of the store has been amazing. I have been blessed with great customers. I will definitely miss them." However, due to the success of Splendor's online store, Stephanie says it just made more sense to add more focus to it.

Splendor had started to become one of my favorite stores in Austin to find unique vintage pieces, so I admit that I was a little selfishly sad to hear of its online expansion. However, Stephanie says she plans on offering her Austin residents a discount! Plus, Stephanie wants to be a part of as many pop up shops and trunk shows in Austin as possible. Splendor will take part in the 29^th Street Yard Sale at Spider House every second Sunday of the month, as well as the Rock and Roll at Spider House during the week of SXSW.

Stephanie looks most forward to the time that she will have to travel in search of the best vintage finds, to do shows outside of Texas to expand her market, and most importantly to spend more time with her kids.

Everything at Splendor is 30% off through the end of the month, so go get it in store while you can!

Joanna Wilkinson
keep austin stylish

Friday the 13th Fashion Massacre

2012-01-15T04:00:00.009-06:00

Blood glittered from swan-like necks, girls hid their doe eyes behind hockey masks, and machetes were swung in the night. It was just another typical Friday night in Austin *sigh*.

Friday the 13th's Fashion Massacre celebrated the move of Austin's collective of independent fashion designers and artisans formerly known as Cypress Vanguard into Sugar Gay Isber's Sugar Factory. The house on W.Koenig formerly used solely as jewelry designer Sugar Gay Isber's studio and personal home, is now the new showcase for the group of Austin designers.

While the downtown space of the old Cypress Vanguard provided a cute old house feel with a beautiful outside courtyard, the new house allows for more open space and more designs to be displayed. The central location also adds convenience for potential shoppers and will hopefully expand the newly named Ensemble's clientele.

When a group of totally unique designers with independent aesthetics come together to put on a show, it inevitably turns out to be a bit of a hodge podge. But, with Sugar Gay Isber's statement necklaces, hair by Ivy Kim, makeup by Lecia Harkins and Coby Simcoe, and Jennifer Cunningham's "frightful" accessories, the show was at least a fun, quirky, and somewhat consistent hodge podge.

Check out my freaky photos from the Ensemble, Austin Indie Designer's Friday the 13th Fashion Massacre. This first look worn by model Dandilion Olsen was my favorite look of the night.

My Outfit: Black and Yellow, Black and Yellow

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

I previously styled this neon yellow dress in the summer with a tribal necklace and clogs, but I'm loving wearing it in the winter as well with a tribal inspired scarf and cropped black leather jacket. I love when neon is in style because it's so fun and eye catching! How are you choosing to wear this bright color trend?

Upcoming Event: Dolls in Space

2012-01-12T15:45:00.001-06:00

Upcoming Event: Fabricker Opens Its Doors

2012-01-06T15:04:00.001-06:00

Attention fashion designers and crafty crafters! Back in October I wrote about April King's hope to open a fabric store here in Austin that would meet the needs of this creative town. April's store, Fabricker is here and opens Tuesday! I'm excited to check it out for myself.

Style Profile: Jenny Woys

2012-01-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

Sequins, Polka dot, leopard print, and lace all in one outfit? If one person can pull it off, it's Jenny Woys. Jenny's fashion risk taking always makes me smile when I see her out and about in Austin. With her expressive and creative style, the transport from Michigan says her fashion choices usually distinguish her from everyone else far more in her hometown of Sagitaw than it does in Austin. This distinction is a good thing though, Jenny says. "My entire family is from there, but I can't say there's anything really fashionable about it." If the Michigan town was not an inspiring scene fashion-wise, how did Jenny become so fascinated with fashion? If such a things exists, Jenny believes she inherited the style gene from her grandmother who used to sing in night clubs and sew her own beautiful clothes. For the record, I do think this gene exists and I do think Jenny inherited it.

When she's not putting together her own outfits, Jenny works on the major fashion accounts for Adlucent, a fun online advertising company located in the old movie theater on South Congress. Jenny also does personal styling for private clients and has worked on projects with Megan Summerville, Tracy Tenpenny, L Style G Style, and Ricky Hodge, to name a few. In addition to styling, Jenny has also experimented with sewing and crafting outfits and costumes under the name Trendvixen. You might have caught her and Hunter Lohse's unofficial and underground fashion show during Austin Fashion Week last year which was a big accomplishment for the fashion duo, Champagne Derelicts.

Although their So F*ing Haute Fashion Show, in which Jenny showed some of her own Trendvixen pieces was a success, Jenny says designing has absolutely made her realize that styling is her true love and talent. Although someday, with a little help, Jenny says she wouldn't mind producing a fashion line.

Check out the photos from our shoot and my Q&A with one of the gals who is keeping Austin stylish:

Co Star Makes South Congress Even Brighter For the Guys

2012-01-03T13:02:00.001-06:00

Where do guys shop in Austin? I often find myself asking this question because it seems to me there aren't many options for guys in this town. But if there's one area of Austin that has been helping to solve this issue for the stylish men out there, it's South Congress. With Service Menswear, Stag, and the multiple vintage stores lining the street, this area gives some hope to the guys. Continuing to help this cause, is the newest store to plant its feet on the SoCo scene, Co Star. Brought to you by Maya Krauss and Richard Gordoa who already own the South Congress womens boutique Maya Star, Co Star offers selections for both girls and guys. Although Co Star offers noteworthy brands for the gals with Dolce Vita dresses, Joe’s Collection, Mink Pink, BLEULAB reversible denim (um I kinda want these), and jewelry from House of Harlow and Vanessa Mooney, it's the menswear selection that actually caught my eye while doing some browsing over Christmas break.

Maybe it's simply due to the lack of boutiques offering mens clothing that the clothing for guys got my attention. But, this attention might be well deserved considering the store offers a vast selection of graphic tees, button downs, denim, and more from well known labels such as Schott, French Connection, Joe’s Jeans, WeSC, G-Star RAW, and Genetic Denim. It's definitely the premium denim for both guys and girls that would have me coming back to Co Star, as well as suggesting it to my guy friends who (rightfully) hate shopping at malls.

And for all the guys out there reading this blog post (I know there are at least 6 of you), when purchasing a pair of jeans please keep in mind that this is pretty much ALL YOU WEAR, so please do not be afraid to spend over $100 on quality denim.

Goodbye 2011! The Most Popular Fashion Trends of the Year

2011-12-30T20:08:00.002-06:00

It's the end of the year which means it's time to compile a list (and convince yourself that next year you will be healthier)! I sat and pondered about the fashions of this year, browsed my catalogue of Style Watch posts, and I have compiled a list of what I believe to be the most popular Fashion Trends of Austin in 2011...

My Outfit: Ugly Christmas Sweater

2011-12-23T21:32:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope your days are merry and bright!

Obsessed With: Leopard Skirt

2011-12-19T06:00:00.003-06:00

I am currently obsessed with this vintage leopard print skirt from Splendor, the newest vintage addition to the North Loop shopping district. The skirt is a size Large but has an elastic waist which means I can kinda make it any length I want depending on how I wear it - high waisted with a belt, or low waisted for a slouchy and longer look. It works for daytime or nighttime, and is also super comfy. I've decided that it goes with pretty much everything in my closet. I'm in leopard love!

Upcoming Event: North Loop Holiday Night Out

2011-12-13T14:53:00.000-06:00

My favorite Austin shopping district is having a block party!

What:

shops open extended hours
special sales
music!
food
click here for a list of all the North Loop stores

Where:

North Loop IBIZ District

View Larger Map

When:

Thursday Dec. 15th
6 - 9pm

Joanna Wilkinson
keep austin stylish

Style Watch: MOSS One Year Anniversary

2011-12-12T06:00:00.003-06:00

Where: MOSS Designer Consignment

When: 12-09-2011

It was only a year ago that Austin's favorite designer consignment boutique opened its doors on South Lamar. I recall snapping photos at the MOSS grand opening party last year and thinking that it was one of the more stylish crowds I had seen in Austin. A year later at their anniversary party, I got to capture some awesome style once again...

Fun Fashion Find: Igntion Remix Necklace

2011-12-10T20:48:00.000-06:00

This R.Kelly inspired heart necklace that reads "And After The Party It's The Hotel Lobby" might be the perfect gift for the girl with a heart (and sense of humor) of gold.

Found at Spartan on South Lamar, $70

Joanna Wilkinson

keep austin stylish

Upcoming Event: MOSS Turns One!

2011-12-06T23:16:00.002-06:00

Has anyone else been finding themselves watching that new show on Bravo, Fashion Hunters? While it's not as painfully engaging as The Real Housewives of _____ (fill in the blank), I find it somewhat interesting in a less guilty way. Besides the interesting fashion, the best thing about watching Fashion Hunters is getting to see all the crazy characters that come into the store to consign their designer pieces. When I watch, I can't help but compare the consignment store that Fashion Hunters follows to the Austin equivalent, MOSS. The last time I was at MOSS, Masha, one of the owners showed me an amazing little off the runway Chanel cropped jacket that an Austinite had consigned. I want to know who these Austinites are that are buying and consigning awesome designer garments! Maybe MOSS needs its own reality show...

Anywho, MOSS is turning one year old and they are throwing a party!

I wonder what their VERY (in bold!) special sale will be...

What:

MOSS one year anniversary
special sale
cocktails and sweet bites

Where:

MOSS
705 B South Lamar

View Larger Map

When:

Friday, Dec.9th
6 - 9pm

Joanna Wilkinson

keep austin stylish

My Outfit: 90s School Kid

2011-12-05T06:00:00.002-06:00

What have you been wearing lately in this gross weather? When it starts to get chilly, I turn to button downs, mostly of the plaid and flannel variety. I walked into Sugar Mama's the other day and I swear the guy working the counter and I had the same shirt on. Oh well!

The best thing about this outfit, besides the fact that I'm wearing super thrifty things that came from Goodwill and TJMaxx, is the bag! This classic looking purse is actually in fact a CAMERA BAG. It's so genius and one of the coolest things I have ever purchased online. It's the perfect bag for a fashion blogger like myself who has to look cute while also carrying around a camera.

A TIKKR Comic

2011-12-02T23:09:00.003-06:00

Some of you may or may not know that I work for the Austin based watch company TIKKR. A lot of people ask me what I do at TIKKR and, well, that's hard to answer because I honestly do a little bit of everything and it changes a lot since we are a very small company. But one of my favorite things that I get to do is photo shoots! We recently came out with a brand new band for our interchangeable watches and I had to figure out how we were going to market this new band in an email. I wore the watch around for a day and all of a sudden I realized what the dotted band reminded me of and I came up with the idea to make a Comic Book. I wrote this story, styled, and directed the shoot. I also got the fun part of editing the photos and making it look like a Comic. I don't normally blog about my day job, but I was really proud of the final product of this and wanted to show y'all because this is the kind of stuff I love to do. Bam! Pow! Check it out!

Upcoming Event: Dog & Pony Window Launch Party

2011-11-30T23:04:00.000-06:00

What:

Dog & Pony Window Launch Party with Xavier Schipani
Projections from Bleach Online
Metal Ghost Zine Release
live performances by Boy Friend and Feathers
DJ Speak
Tarot card readings
Drink Special: Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka $4
$3 cover

Where:

Beauty Bar

When:

Saturday, Dec.3
10pm

Joanna Wilkinson

keep austin stylish

Forget the Mall and Shop Local!

2011-11-23T14:27:00.002-06:00

Sure, you could camp out all night in front of that department store or mall for Black Friday sales (I shutter just thinking about this), or you could casually stroll into your local boutique, sip on some cider champagne (this sounds awesome Blue Elephant) and purchase some unique gifts for your loved ones or yourself. I put together a list of local sales happening this weekend. Check it out!

Splendor (Friday 11/25)
-30% off entire store!
-50% off Clearance rack

SoLa (Friday Nov.25 - Sunday 11/27)
-Buy one get one half off Jewelry Sale

Stella Says Go (Friday 11/25 - Monday 11/28)
-15% - 50% off entire store!
-20% off Sale items
-get a $125 gift card for the price of $100

Cypress Vanguard
-check out their fb page to stay updated on all the deals this collective house has going on this weekend

ATown
-25% off select outerwear (Friday 11/25 - Sunday 11/27)
-Free scarf of your choice with a purchase of $100 or more (Friday 11/25)
-Free select jewelry with a purchase of $50 or more (Friday 11/25)
-buy one get one free OPI nail polish (Friday 11/25)
-free scarf and hat with a purchase of $240 or more (Friday 11/25)

Blue Elephant
-25% off all outerwear (now - 11/27)
-every purchase of $50 or more get a pair of leg warmers or gloves (Friday 11/25 - Sunday 11/27)
-every purchase of $100 or more get a free scarf or wrap (Friday 11/25 - Sunday 11/27)
-every purchase of $200 or more get a free scarf and hat (Friday 11/25 - Sunday 11/27)
-Clearance apparel Buy One Get One Free (Friday 11/25 - Sunday 11/27)
-buy 2 get one free OPI nail polish (Friday 11/25 - Sunday 11/27)
-first 20 shoppers to make a purchase on Friday get a free gift bag
-plus there will be cider champagne cocktails

Feathers
-2 sale racks with brand new markdowns
-get a $20 gift card for every $100 spent (Saturday 11/26)

Adelante (Friday 11/25 - Saturday 11/26)
-30% - 50% off select clothing, jewelry, gifts
-15% off sale items

Hem Jeans (Friday 11/25 - Sunday 11/27)
-20% off entire store

Kendra Scott (now - 11/28)
-20% off (online only) with code 20SITEWIDE

Besides all these awesome local sales, there is also the Vintage Style Fest this weekend AND the Renegade Craft Fair! PLUS this Saturday is Small Business Saturday, which means you can get $25 back when you use your American Express card to buy something at a small business. You can register your card here.

Happy Holidays! And Happy Shopping!

Joanna Wilkinson
keep austin stylish

Upcoming Event: Vintage Style Fest

2011-11-21T22:58:00.002-06:00

Skip on the malls this weekend because the merchandise they have is a snoozefest. Instead, why not check out all the amazing vintage this town has to offer and go to the Vintage Style Fest.

What:

2 day vintage clothing tour
vendors: Frock On Vintage, Second Time Around Boutique, The Fresh Up, Lovely Austin, Cream Vintage, Hog Wild Vintage, Room Service Vintage, Splendor, Blue Velvet, Flashback Vintage, Bead It, Retro Rubbish, American Icon Austin, My Saucy Mustache, Ermine Vintage, Jewelmint, The Ultimate Message, 5 Stack Vintage, Vagabond Vintage Clothing, Redemption Garb
benefits Movember
Admission is free but a wristband will get you free food and beverages, special discounts, a Movember goodie bag, and Free entry to SLACKER Magazine's Movember party

$5 pre sale wristband - you can buy your wristband at any participating vendor
$10 Day of - Tickets day of the event are CASH ONLY and available at each location.

Where:

http://www.austinvintagestylefest.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/map2.pdf

When:

Saturday, Nov. 26th 10am - 6pm
Sunday, Nov. 27th 10am - 6pm

Joanna Wilkinson

keep austin stylish

Style Watch: Bleach Refill and Through the Looking Glass Launch

2011-11-20T23:30:00.001-06:00

When: Saturday Nov. 19, 2011

Where: The Eastern

Somewhere on the East side is a girl with a notepad that inside of it says "keep austin stylish" written in cursive. After inquiring about my blog and writing the name of it down in her notepad, she leaned closer to me like she had a secret to tell me on the playground. I thought for sure that I had either time traveled back to the year 1992 or that this girl was a really mature looking 3rd grader with a fake i.d. I was then slapped back to reality when she asked if I wanted to indulge in something that would make me "last all night long" (is it weird that the first thing I thought of was Viagra?)

The Bleach party and Through The Looking Glass launch at the Eastern on Saturday night brought in some interesting kids with interesting fashion. I just hope those who choose to partake in certain bathroom shenanigans don't look back at these kind of nights and wonder where their young looks went. Because whatever you are taking may make you act like a little kid for the night, but, it definitely doesn't make you look like a little kid in the long run.

*Disclaimer: I did not witness anyone pictured in this post using Red Bull*

RAW Awards Semi-Finals

2011-11-20T13:05:00.000-06:00

In this town you can't swing a breakfast taco around without hitting someone who calls themselves an artist. Austin is full of folks working in fashion, music, film, and everything creative. It's no surprise then that Austin is one of 21 cities in which RAW operates. RAW is an independent arts organization for artists by artists that works to provide artists with everything needed to inspire and cultivate creativity.

Every season RAW awards the best artists in the categories of art, fashion, music, film, hair & makeup, photography, and performing art. The voting is left up to each city's local community, and then a panel of judges decides the national winners. This year's RAW Awards Semi Finals Showcase for Austin happened last Thursday at Club de Ville, and I went to check out what local artists had to show and I snapped some photos of all the weirdness.

Marie Claire Front Row College Challenge

2011-11-18T13:32:00.000-06:00

I knew immediately when I almost missed the Marie Claire Fashion Show because it was actually on time, that I was not attending a normal Austin fashion show. And it's not every day that Marie Claire's Senior Fashion Editor, Zanna Roberts Rassi, in attendance of a fashion show in Austin. Last night's event at Mohawk was impressive, and it's all thanks to local style blogger and UT Chemical Engineering student, Diya Liu. Diya is one of four finalists in the national contest by Marie Claire magazine to find the most stylish college student in America. And seeing as Diya goes to class and chemical engineering lab wearing heels and skirts, I think she deserves to win.

Diya produced and styled last night's show using pieces from the Loft, the sponsor of the Marie Claire challenge. Even though the Loft isn't a store that I would normally think of when I think of Diya and her style, she did a great job of giving the clothes her own special look. The Diya style definitely came through in the show with her use of layering jewelry and bold use of mixing patterns. The show had an eclectic sophistication that Diya is a master at. If Diya wins, she will get an internship at Marie Claire magazine! Let's keep our fingers crossed that our stylish Austinite wins!

The Color of Change

2011-11-16T17:30:00.001-06:00

"Just don't be the crying girl in the salon" one of my twitter friends warned me. I admit that right before getting into the chair at Topaz Salon, I was getting a little nervous about the big change I had decided to make with my hair. But luckily it was more of an anxious nervousness brought on by excitement versus a scared to death kind of nervousness.

I have never been anything other than a blonde and the most change I have ever made to my hair in the past has been with cuts and highlights. I'm not quite sure why now was the time in my life that I decided to make a drastic change to my appearance, but perhaps it has to do with all the other changes that I have gone through in the past few months. You never really know how much you can handle change until you are forced to deal with losing someone close to you. Change is not always good, but it just is. Sometimes things happen that are completely out of your control and the only thing you can control is how you react and deal with the situation. This is something that is of course easier said than done, and I have been aware of this since I was in middle school and used to watch Oprah after school. But, being in my mid twenties, I feel like I am finally just starting to actually be able to accomplish this task. So, I knew that I would be able to deal with the results of my new hair whether they be good or bad.

But, it also helps to go to someone you trust for such a big change. Jené Maroney has been cutting my blonde hair for years now and I continued to stay with her for so long because she was a master with my highlights. Once you find a stylist that you love and start a bond with, they become like an old friend who you don't see that often but when you do you pick up right where you left off. (At least that's how I feel because I'm lazy and don't go the salon as much as I should.) So, I followed Jené when she left the salon that I originally started seeing her at, Electra Beauty Lounge, and made the switch to Topaz. I highly recommend her if you want to get your color done! She made me a feisty and vibrant redhead. Check out my before and after: