Featured Chictopians and bloggers- Fashionshesays

I was really looking forwards to featuring Fashionshesays she has a brilliant blog and loads of really nice pics. Shes also been featured on Weardrobe lucky girl so i might have been a little over the top with the piccies but it makes for a brilliant post and we can oooh and aaahh over all her fabby outfits !

Feel free to comment..

Oringina xo

How do you get your inspiration for the outfits you wear ?

I’m inspired everywhere: girls on the street, books, movies … I’ve been fascinated by fashion ever since I played with dolls & looked at the pictures in my mom’s magazines; I started clipping my favorite editorials & making collages for a long term high school photography project but continue it to this day.  My paramount daily motivation is my mood; sometimes I try to plan outfits, but ultimately I only put on what I feel like wearing that morning.

Who has had the biggest influence on your outfits ?

My biggest fashion influence is Almost Famous’ Penny Lane (played by Kate Hudson)... I fell in love with everything about her character (clothes/charm) & my sensibility has been informed by her ever since then.  Almost Famous is still my favorite movie & I can cite the scenes according to Ms. Hudson’s wardrobe (incidentally I also remember the events of my own life by what I wore)…. One of the reasons I started a blog was to document my life according to my sartorial choices.

What made you start posting your pictures on Chictopia ?

I started posting on chictopia because I noticed some of the bloggers I read did so (in their “as seen/featured on” section).  I was hooked the first time I visited chictopia – it’s a genius idea to have a community where fashion-lovers can share their street style/inspiration.

What blogs and websites do you follow and why ?

While I love the print medium (feeling the weight of a magazine in my hands & ripping out glossy pages), I also like reading street style/girls’ blogs (especially at the office).  They prompted me to start my own blog & accordingly, I began posting my outfits a few months ago.

Here are some of my favorite sites/blogs:

·        The Cut (NY Mag’s fashion blog)/On the Runway (The NY Times’ style blog): good general sources for what’s happening in the fashion world, plus Cathy Horn (The NY Times’ fashion critic) is my professional idol.

·        The Satorialist/garrance doré: gorgeous street style culled from worldwide.

·        Sea of Shoes/bunny BISOUS/what is reality anyway: amazing personal style blogs that inspire my sartorial choices.

·        Pandora/the cherry blossom girl/Le Blog de Betty: French chic to satiate my inner Francophile.

Would you describe yourself as a trendsetter or fashion follower ?

Trendsetter or fashion follower… I suppose I’m a hybrid of the two.  I love learning about new/old trends & adapting them to my wardrobe; trends are most interesting when people interpret them according to their own style.  Recently I read that girls dress for either men or other women; I suppose I fall into the latter category but ultimately dress for myself – style is a personal expression of who we are.

How would you describe your style ?

My style is an old fashioned mixture of girlishness crossed with a luxe bohemian sensibility.  It hasn’t changed much since I was a little girl – I like to feel feminine & free; comfort to me means a dress & a pair of ballet flats.

Does the hosiery you wear dictate your clothes or outfits ?

The opposite actually – my clothes dictate my hosiery (unless I have a spectacular pair of stockings).  Otherwise, I focus on what I’m wearing that day (usually a dress) & then pick out a pair of tights that contrasts or matches it.

Whats in your hosiery drawer or closet ?

I have two drawers devoted to tights in my armoire: one is for unworn pairs still stuffed with cardboard; the other drawer is for worn pairs.  While I’m usually an organized person, I take a certain amount of pleasure in a mass of tangled stockings.  I also have some stocking-socks (black & nude) to wear with pants/boots.

How do you choose your hosiery ?

I shop for hosiery as I do anything else: I pick up everything I’m attracted to & consider how it will contribute to my wardrobe.  As you can’t try on tights, they’re usually a quick pick-me-up purchase akin to buying other accessories (i.e. shoes or bags) but even better because they’re more economical.

here do you shop for hosiery ?

I shop for most of my hosiery in the sale section of department stores/boutiques & drugstores (my secret source).  As stockings are ultimately disposable items (one snag renders them useless), it’s silly to spend a lot of money on them (although a girl can dream of Wolford’s thick weaves, Rodarte’s artful crochet & fall 2009 RTW’s sequined/embellished-saturated runways).

What was the last hosiery item you brought and for how much ?

The last time I bought tights was on Black Friday: an armful of discounted pairs (sparkly, knit, colorful) at a store discontinuing a line of hosiery.  I stock up on stockings at sales since they’re an inexpensive/easy way to change your look.

Do you prefer sheer or opaque tights ?

I prefer basic tights (easy on, easy off); here’s the breakdown…

·        Opaque over sheer (opaque tights are warmer, which is the raison d’être for leg-wear).

·        Stockings over holdups (holdups are too complicated & prone to stretching out/slipping down).

·        Knee-highs over socks (knee-highs are charmingly schoolgirl & I never wear socks except to the gym).

·        I’m ambivalent about sheer toe/reinforced tights; although it’s an old fashioned faux pas, I never wear stockings with open-toe shoes, so the toe is immaterial.

How often do you wear hosiery ?

I wait until fall is undeniably here (i.e. morning temperatures hovering around 50 °F) before donning my first pair of stockings for the season.  However, once I put them on, I wear hosiery almost everyday throughout fall, winter & spring… I rely on tights/boots to keep me warm as I’m a dress girl & rarely wear pants.

What is your hosiery staple ?

My hosiery staple is definitely black opaque tights… They go with everything, are inherently slimming & support a range of looks (from sophisticated to Lolita).  I even keep a spare pair in my desk at work in case whichever ones I’m wearing that day rip.

What are your style tips for wearing tights ?

There are no rules for wearing tights; feel free to mix & match depending upon your mood.  Here are some of my styling tips:

·        Match (such as black on black) or complement (i.e. contrast – use the color wheel as a guide) your outfit with stockings.

·        Textured tights are great when it’s really cold outside, especially sweater, cable-knit & waffle-weave.

·        Patterned tights are my favorite (floral, plaid, argyle, checkered, polka dot…).  Wear them with solid colored clothes or play around by mixing patterned clothing/tights in the same color family.

What do you love-hate about hosiery ?

Best/love:

Tights keep you warm when the weather’s cold, allowing you to wear dresses/skirts year-round.

Patterned, textured & colorful tights are a way to have fun with a practical accessory.

Worst/hate:

When tights snag, run, or pill.  I’m also not a fan of hosiery that looks accidentally ripped (on the knees or thighs); it looks cheap/careless.

Tights with open toe shoes or hosiery worn as pants – just no.

When stockings stretch out, causing you to constantly pull them up.

Additionally, here are 10 of my fave outfits featuring tights on chictopia (note the same outfits are posted on my blog on the corresponding days but with diff pics):

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/186597-black-hanii-y-coat-black-anna-sui-dress-brown-allison-daniels-designs-belt-

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/186008-black-marc-by-marc-jacobs-dress-white-vintage-costume-necklace-pink-nicole-m

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/183700-sonia-by-sonia-rykiel-top-31-phillip-lim-skirt-costume-earrings-vintage-ne

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/183421-vintage-eloise-curtis-for-happenstance-blouse-milly-top-31-phillip-lim-skirt

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/183065-31-phillip-lim-dress-linea-pelle-belt-earrings-tintoretta-tights-delman-

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/167546-see-by-chloe-jacket-31-phillip-lim-dress-belt-vintage-costume-necklace-v

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/175722-anna-sui-top-nanette-lepore-skirt-vintage-costume-earrings-vintage-costume

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/174338-milly-jacket-see-by-chloe-dress-vintage-saks-fifth-ave-belt-vintage-costum

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/173914-vintage-blouse-milly-top-twenty8twelve-skirt-vintage-costume-necklace-jo

http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/169274-anna-sui-dress-vintage-costume-earrings-tights-chanel-shoes

Thanks to Fashionshesays for answering the questions.

http://www.fashionshesays.com/

Oringina xo