Can I Do this DIY: crop top & accessories

Photography by R. Kooy

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There really aren’t enough occasions to dress up for in life.  I've always loved formal wear; it means we're going places. Something special is about to happen. I think the real appeal of wearing costumes is that it allows us to take on different characters or personas so we become someone else entirely for an evening. Wearing this look feels like something out of a story. And what’s even cooler is that I made two of the items I’m wearing with very simple steps which I will explain below.

This is a linen maxi skirt I found in goodwill many years ago. What’s amazing about this skirt is that someone hand painted the scene on the front and back. It was also made in Hawaii. Apart from these minor details that were inscribed on the inside of the skirt, I know nothing about it. Other than the fact I don’t think it was actually intended for wear. I might not look it, but I was slightly suffocating.

Clearly this photoshoot was taken back in warmer weather, but I still want to talk about maxi skirts for a moment. I usually see people sporting them in spring and summer months, going for a relaxed but boho feel. I have two maxi skirts in my closet, one with a black sheer overlay (I DIYed it and made the black skirt underneath it shorter…More on that later, perhaps?) and another paisley printed one with a thicker material (which was also handmade, apparently). Recently, in this bitter cold weather, I’ve taken up the practice of wearing the paisley skirt with a pair of leggings underneath and I’ve found that this provides far more insulation against wind than wearing pants alone.

So about that crop top! This is the first “Can I Do this DIY?” review I’ve done for this blog and I’m proud to say it was incredibly easy. This came from a popular tutorial floating around on Pinterest, originally posted on a pair and a spare blog (click on the two links to find two sets of instructions). 

Here’s all it is to it: get a tank top, lay the top face down, cut along the seams in the back and cut across just under the bra line. Turn the top over, and measuring correctly, make one sweeping cut up the middle. It’s not much to look at in this form, but to wear it, you cross the two long pieces you’ve just made, tie a knot in the back and tuck in any corner pieces around the neckline. Viola! Having used a random tank top from my drawer, I do advise DIYers to grab a top that is long. I can’t stress this enough. The one I had barely made the cut. The top needs to at least reach slightly below the hips… If not, you won’t be able to tie it in the back. Although the tutorial and I used solid colored tanks, I would love to see what this looks like a with a patterned top. You’ll also want to be aware of the type of fabric you use…Realistically, I doubt this top has much longevity, especially if you have to wash it (I would hand wash it if you absolutely have to) but I made sure to use a jersey fabric because it stretches and doesn’t easily become threadbare.

I made this hair accessory out of a thrift store floral arrangement I found for twenty-five cents. All I did was spray paint it a metallic gold and let it dry. Using one of those packaged sponge buns you can find at most beauty suppliers, I pulled my hair into a tight bun and placed the floral pieces accordingly. However you want to place them is up to you; I went for a denser, fuller look. With hairspray and a little faith, they neither shed nor broke, but driving in a car with a low roof was a challenge! When not wearing the arrangement, you can use it as a nice decorative display by putting it in a vase on your vanity or night stand. Isn’t it so cute?!

Mirror Mirror

If you stare at this top too long, you might go cross-eyed. Or find yourself in the Twilight Zone.

It's been my dream for a while now to do a very dramatic black and white photoshoot. This bold striped top presented the perfect opportunity to execute this idea. I’ve paired this with velvet black leggings and one accent accessory to really allow the print to speak for itself.

Peplum tops are hugely popular finds in most all clothing department stores these days. It took me a while to jump on this big trend, but now that I've committed to it, I’m in love with the concept. It can be dressy or casual. I almost think of a small dress when I look at it. It’s flattering for most body shapes too – no matter what size you are, it gives you nice, exaggerated curves with the flared bottom piece.

One of the topics I wanted to expand on more from my last post was “Can I Do This DIY?” - This peplum top inspired me to want to research other ways to get a peplum top without finding one on sale somewhere, which is exactly where I found this beauty on the banana republic clearance rack over the summer.

I’ve discovered some tutorials online that show us just how to do that. Except the problem is, the tutorials require sewing, which I have very little skill in. I have all the resources at my disposal (sewing machine, needle, thread) but I’ve just never been great to know what to do with each material. However, this tutorial looks incredibly easy and I’m going to challenge myself to try this. I like the idea of converting an over-sized t-shirt into a peplum top. A band shirt would be very edgy, but I do like solid colors or patterns myself. There are ways you can play with the neckline in this tutorial, you can do a rounded edge like shown, or easily cut a V-shape into the neckline like the one I’m wearing. I fully intend on playing around with that. I also like that this is a video tutorial too – sometimes pictures don’t fully explain. You can watch the video at this link.

This isn’t a great example of my DIY posts to come, simply because with five college classes and working nonstop has prevented me from being able to sit down for one long evening and try it out. However, if you happen to be a great sewer, here’s your chance.

The most useful thing that has happened during my extended blogging leave is a proliferation of a whole new platform to share pictures with a larger community: Instagram! If you look to the sidebar, I've got this nice little widget that shows all my Instagram photos on a slideshow for your viewing pleasure and convenience. To make this more fun than just sharing the same old pictures, I’ve figured out how to make this more interesting: I will be posting outtakes from all of my photoshoots on my Instagram - @ water_lilies. These exclusive pictures will not wind up anywhere else. (Oh come on, don’t act surprised I’m shamelessly promoting my Instagram account. I’m a fashion blogger, it’s what I do.)

Next time, I'll be saying a warm farewell to lovely summer weather and summer clothes with one last outdoorsy, hiking look. Until next time!

-K.

Welcome home

Hello again after two years later! Welcome back to any familiar faces, and a sincere welcome to any newcomers. Fancy a cup of tea? Champagne?

I think the most important thing at this moment to address is why – why I left, and ultimately, why I came back.

I abandoned this blog because I let a lot of things get to me. Let’s be real for a second: style blogging is a lot of work for relatively little recognition. You have to take photos, edit them, write an interesting post, promote it on other blogging platforms as part of an endless cycle while constantly maintaining a unique sense of style and always planning one step ahead. During my short time in the fashion blogging community, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered this complaint, but I personally couldn’t shake this feeling of being vain and it created an inexpressible internal conflict. As I neared the end of my blogging days, I started to become very experimental in the photo editing process, generating unique concepts that edged me to want to do more. However, I wasn’t focused in my endeavors and struggled to find relevant writing material.

And so I stopped without any type of closure.

I came back because, well, why else. I missed it. Bottom line. For a time, I would visit this blog and look through the pictures, either cringing or thinking to myself man, I really had fun that day. I’ve always loved fashion, that part of me will always remain true. But fashion is only secondary to what really drives me: It’s writing. I want to write, and what better way to do it than blogging, right?

The objective for this blog and this ongoing project is to focus on leading a creative lifestyle. There’s a weird phenomena with artistic-minded people in that creativity is best when balanced with other creative pursuits. If you devote all your time and energy into one thing, you’ll soon become burnt out and loose all inspiration you’ve invested into that one thing. When you challenge yourself to engage in multiple efforts at a time (reasonably speaking) you can develop better, stronger problem solving skills that will eventually sharpen each project over time and allow you to look at each of your pursuits in a new perspective. Confused? Don’t worry, I still am.

What I really mean to say is that the more writing I can do, the better I will be at it. Especially after I learn the art of pacing myself.

I want this blog to be a portfolio of my work: my writing, modeling, styling, and even web design work. This is a showcase of talent. I want my work to stand for itself and to do that, I need good content.

That brings me to the next important topic, what to expect from here on out.

I think an integral component of the Harlequin blogging agenda will doubtlessly be striking photographs. In a highly visual culture, we all know an image is more likely to capture one’s attention than words alone (the writer’s woe.) Fashion is all about seeing, and importantly, liking what we see. This blog isn’t going to be just streetwear anymore, but what I would like to think of as branching into “attainable high fashion” – that is, the most idealized form the self can take with no apologies. Haute couture and "high fashion” are, in my humble opinion, the pinnacles of the fashion world and I want to strive to bring that into my lifestyle, and hopefully, if I’m so blessed, to inspire others to do the same. Through my writing, I want to learn more about the representation of self and how we create identity through style and aesthetic choices.

I’m implementing new changes in all facets of this blog. One new and I hope very exciting change will be incorporating styling series. Some of the ongoing series I’ve come up with:

How to style specific clothing items…. Do you have that one item in your wardrobe that you are stuck forever pairing with the same pieces over and over? With this series, I’ll look at multiple ways of wearing the same piece and how accessories and other items can completely change the look depending on setting and mood.

How to accessorize…For this, we’ll look at using one outfit and trying on multiple accessories. Or, say, you really are set on wearing certain accessories, and how you can plan outfits around them. This series will explore changing the ever changing tones of a look.

And this one, I’m really excited about….

“Can I do this DIY?”… In this series, I will explore and test DIY fashion tutorials from around the internet, rating and reviewing them based on level of difficulty, practicality, and whether I would recommend it. I will provide additional notes, advice, and other commentary for further personalizing these tutorials. Since I’m not a great designer of DIY things, I’m better at trying out DIY stuff and seeing if it’s really worth it in the end. Let it be known to the ends of the earth, I lead a DIY life. But some of these tutorials want me to go out and buy materials, which really isn’t that resourceful in my opinion. Plus, many of them look amazing but you really need expert level skill to create the item.

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Phew. I think I’ve said my peace.  It was a lot to say, way more than I anticipate saying normally, but very important nonetheless. I think this blog really is about finding a voice in a loud world.

Next time, we’ll talk about what happens when your selfie needs an update. Look forward to monochromatic styling, total absence of color, optical illusions, and peplum tops.

-K