Story by ModCloth 'About' page redesign - View full page here.
Along with playing a key role in Story by ModCloth's redesign, I helmed the design and formatting of the new 'About' page. Provided copy, research, organization, and continue to own formatting.
Originally published 01/17/2014 - See full post here.
Collaborated with members of ModCloth PR and Graphic Design teams to plan and execute annual 'Year in Review' infographic. Provided copy and layout direction.
Originally published on Story by ModCloth 2/5/2014 -- See full post here
Tomorrow marks the first day of New York Fashion Week, and let’s face it, if you’re headed to the shows, you most likely want to present your most stylish self. The only caveat? February. Between winter storms, frigid temperatures, and grey skies, packing for NYFW can easily feel like a task of confounding proportions. Lucky for you, we’re here to help with a few cold weather style tips to make your NYFW outfits fab!
NYC in the middle of winter is no joke — slushy sidewalks, howling winds, and arctic-like temps make layering up your look a necessity. When it comes to choosing outerwear, take the one-two approach: top your sweater or dress with a patterned overcoat layered beneath a classic moto jacket. The graphic pattern of the Pattern Prowess Coat adds texture and warmth nestled beneath the Nine to Jive Jacket, which fends off icy winter wind. A knit turban, like the Where There’s a Chill Hat in Grey, is a unique head-topping alternative to the ubiquitous beanie.
Bright accessories are the perfect way to give a nod to the season ahead. Start with a big, bright bag in the color of the coming season: Pantone’s Dazzling Blue. The Architecture Student Bag is structured, stylish, and large enough to fit a day planner, like the Organize It You Will Planner, and any accoutrements you may shed once you step out of the cold. Protect your phone with a cute case, like the Me-Yowza! Case, and add a pair of studded fingerless gloves, like the Dashing Through the Show Glovettes, for easy access to Instagram. A cute, retro camera, like the Diana F+ Clone Camera, is an unexpected way to capture inspiring street style snaps.
Whether you’re headed to the shows, or simply looking to spruce up your look during these last few weeks of winter, a few pops of color and a unique take on layering can go a long way. We’re curious, what’s your strategy for making your cold-weather look unique?
Originally Published on Story by ModCloth -- See full post here
Image via Rare Dolly.
When I was three years old, I insisted that my name be changed to “Dolly.” To my young self, there was nothing more glamorous than the big hair, big smile, and larger-than-life attire of Dolly Parton. In the face of all that sparkle, I felt my name could use some sprucing up, much to the amusement of my parents. Thankfully, a three-year-old doesn’t hold much sway when it comes to big decisions, and my name remained Julie, but I never lost my love and appreciation for Dolly Parton and her music.
While the record player in my childhood home was usually spinning the likes of The Pretenders or Annie Lennox, I’ve always appreciated the classic country twang of Ms. Parton. In this current era of larger-than-life pop-music acts, Parton’s persona could be perceived almost as kitsch, a quaint throw-back to Oprey-era bluegrass, but at the time of her debut in the 1960s, she was a ground-breaking act: a multi-instrumentalist, a talented songwriter (to date, she has composed over 3,000 songs), and an outspoken individual, penning feminist-leaning songs — “Just Because I’m a Woman” — that often upset her early, more traditional audience. What’s more, as an advocate for many up-and-coming acts (Emmylou Harris was one of them) Dolly didn’t just blaze a trail, she circled back and helped other female musicians navigate that trail.
With her big hair, shining smile, and seemingly endless supply of sequins and inspirational quotes, Dolly Parton, to me, is positivity incarnate. While I no longer wish to take on her moniker, she still stands as my muse for what work ethic, kindness, and a whole lot of hairspray can bring you.
Originally published on Story by ModCloth 07/06/2012 -- See full post here.
Frida on White Bench, New York (1939) by Nickolas Muray via ArtBlart.
When first introduced to Frida Kahlo, I can’t say what I fell for first — her vibrant paintings or her equally vibrant style. Full of color and life, Frida’s wardrobe was a palette of punchy pink, bold blue, and fiery orange and red. To mark what would be her 105th birthday today, we’re celebrating Frida’s fabulous style.
Along with layers of silks, scarves, and long skirts, Frida’s unique ensembles often incorporated elements of her cultural heritage, including pre-Columbian jewelry and Tehuantepec dresses. With flowers and ribbons almost always accompanying her signature braided hairstyle, the artist draped herself in dramatic expressions of personal style. In contrast to the vulnerability and pain that was often expressed through her artwork, Kahlo’s personal style exuded self-confidence and strength. Even in her more somber, monochrome looks, there were pops of bright pigment.
She’s enough to inspire you to add a little artistic inspiration to your everyday ensemble, isn’t she?
Originally published on Story by ModCloth 4/16/2012 -- See full post here
If there's one thing engaged couples know about weddings, it's that costs can add up quickly. When my sweetheart and I began planning our own DIY ceremony, one thing became clear: hiring a florist was simply not in the cards. Rather than sacrificing the flowers we both so desired, we chose to take matters into our own hands by purchasing blooms from a discount retailer and assembling the arrangements with the help of our family and friends.
For under $50, you can easily craft a bouquet, boutonniere, and centerpiece, and, the process may just become one of your most cherished pre-wedding memories. So grab a group of your nearest and dearest, a selection of the season's brightest blooms, and start assembling!
For these three projects, I purchased 3 bunches of miniature roses, 1 bunch of white roses, 1 bunch of cherry blossoms, 1 bunch of hydrangea, and 1 bunch of greenery, for a grand total of $41.
I recommend purchasing your flowers online from a discount retailer. Just be sure to read the reviews and purchase what's in season! Flowers will keep for a few days, but assembling the night before your nuptials ensures the freshest presentation.
Ribbon, scissors, floral tape, and straight pins can be found at most craft supply stores, and these centerpiece accessories were bought at various flea markets for under $10 total!
The same process used for building boutonnieres can also be used to craft corsages. Along with the groom and groomsmen, you may want to consider presenting corsages and boutonnieres to the influential people in your life, such as parents, grandparents, or caregivers.
The size and shape of your bridal bouquet is completely up to you, go big and bountiful, or prettily petite. If you plan on having bridesmaids, consider having them craft their own bouquets while you create yours!
Originally published on Story by ModCloth 02/08/2013 -- See full post here.
Unless you’ve been residing beneath a rock for the past year, chances are you’ve heard folk-rock band The Lumineers‘ rollicking hit “Ho Hey” at least once. The band’s self-titled album has received accolades for its irresistible mix of Americana-influenced folk and classic pop sounds, and has not only been on heavy rotation across the airwaves, but at the ModCloth offices as well.
Formed by childhood friends Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, the New Jersey group took to the road in 2005, landing in Denver, where fate — or, rather, Craigslist —stepped in. The first person to respond to Schultz’ and Fraites’ ad for a cellist was classically-trained Neyla Pekarek, a Colorado native and one-two punch of talent and versatility.
Currently in the middle of a world tour, Pekarek was kind enough to pay a visit to our Pittsburgh office before playing a sold-out show with the band. After meeting with our ModStylists to model a few looks — including her namesake dress, the Neyla Dress — Neyla sat down with me to discuss her musical background, life on the road, and more. Keep reading for behind the scenes peeks of her time with us, and to learn more about this marvelous musician!
Story time! We’d love to know more about you. Can you tell us a little about your background? We’ve heard rumors that you’re an a cappella champ!
It’s true! Well, The Lumineers is the first band I’ve ever been in, I’d never been [involved] in anything like this before. Prior to joining the band I was studying vocal music in school and I was really into barbershop quartets and a cappella music. We had a lot of a capella groups there; I had an a cappella group called Vogue in my last year of college, 2009.
Is a cappella still a passion of yours?
It is, and I’m bummed that my lifestyle right now doesn’t allow me the time to do it, but it’s a great art form [to be involved in] because you can do it until you’re like, 80 years old! I was in this chorus of women in college — 180 of us — and the youngest member was 19 and the oldest was 87. So I can probably do it when this slows down a little bit.
Do you think that your background in a cappella informed the variety of instruments you play?
Absolutely. And, as a [music education] major, you take classes in every family of instrument, so I took a guitar class and I took a brass class and a percussion class. A semester isn’t enough time to really experience those instruments, but I was at least introduced to [playing] a lot of different things. I think [a cappella] definitely had a significant role in that.
So besides being well-versed in a number of instruments and vocals — any other hidden talents?
I don’t know about a talent, but I’m trying to become a very good bowler. It was one of my New Year’s resolutions.
Congrats on The Lumineers’ recent Saturday Night Live appearance! You always seem so relaxed while on stage; do you ever get nervous, or is it second nature at this point?
It’s funny, because we’ll do interviews and other things that I’m not as well-versed in, and I get a lot more nervous about those things. But [I'm not nervous on stage], especially with these songs we’ve played so much. If we have a new one in the set, sometimes I’ll get a little bit of nervous energy about it, but it’s always exciting. With Saturday Night Live we were all a little bit nervous, but then you start performing and it’s something you’ve done a million times.
The Lumineers have not only been nominated for two Grammys (Best New Artist and Best Americana Album) but the band will be performing at the awards show as well. Do you feel ready for a stage of that magnitude?
For the performance part yeah, I think we’ve played “Ho Hey” enough times that we’ll be alright. Everything else I’m very concerned about — the press and the photos and just kind of meeting a lot of people all at once — I think it will be really fun though!
Did you always see yourself in the music industry, or did you aspire to have another career at one point?
Well, as I mentioned before, I got a degree to be a teacher, so I thought I would be teaching music. I knew I would be doing something in the field of music, but not in this way at all. Yeah, this was not in the plan for sure!
Do you have a favorite song off the band’s debut album, The Lumineers?
I’m pretty partial to “Dead Sea” …We had rough draft versions for the majority of songs that went on the album on a demo, and that was one that wasn’t done before we went into the studio, so it had a lot of room to kind of go in any direction we wanted. [The song] was really different than how we had been playing it live, and what ended up on the album is how we play it live now. I just think it’s really different than the rest of the album; it has this really neat Motown feel.
Do you find it refreshing to change up your sound?
I think we’ve grown a lot since we recorded the album. We recorded that about a year and a half ago, and since then we’ve had two new members join the band. We’ve stayed fairly true to the album, but there’s always just little nuances that change on a daily basis — you get a little bit tighter, a little bit better as a band.
Do you have any essentials you keep handy while you’re on tour?
I pack a lot of things that are so silly to pack, like stationery and stamps. I write a lot of letters when I’m on the road. I’ve gotten worse about it since I got an iPad! I write a lot of letters back home, so I have this kit that has stickers and rubber stamps and things like that. It takes up way too much room in my luggage, but I feel good when I have it with me.
Letter writing sounds like a great way to occupy the time while you’re on the tour bus…
Absolutely! It’s something that’s not surfing the internet or watching TV.
Who are you listening to right now? Any favorite artists or albums to recommend?
Right now I’ve been listening to the new Vaccines record. What I’m listening to is so different than what we’re playing — I feel like I kind of make an effort to do that, because if I listened to all folk artists I would proably go crazy! I like to listen to something a little bit louder and higher energy sometimes, like The Vaccines, and I listen to a lot of my friends’ bands in Denver — there’s a band called The New and a band called The Outfit that I really like.
We’re always so enamored with your on-stage style, where do you find your fashion inspiration?
It’s kind of a hodgepodge of things. I like to wear something I feel really comfortable in. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences with people trying to dress me in something that totally wasn’t me or didn’t feel right, and I never like to feel that pressure. I have a really open mind, but I like to feel comfortable and feel good in what I’m wearing.
Any tips for staying stylish while on the road?
Pack things that can go with various looks. Shirts are easy to pack, so you can have a lot of different tops but wear the same bottoms, so that’s good. I’ve discovered dry shampoo recently, which is really important, especially with my new bangs — they get greasy so much quicker — so it’s nice to just put some of that in [and go]. Sometimes you don’t know when your next shower is gonna be! (We’ll get hotels every once in a while, our tour manager makes sure that we don’t stay dirty for too long!) You just have to be prepared.
Original post published on Story by ModCloth 02/03/2012 -- See full post here.
As host to a rather large amount of hair, I’ve had my fair share of coiffure conundrums over the years. Whether I was eschewing the dreaded ringlet for my senior prom, or wrangling my mop into a behemoth beehive for my wedding, I did my best to bypass the typical, opting instead for something more unique. So, when a request rolled in from a ModCloth Style Ambassador seeking formal up-do ideas for thick hair, I leapt at the opportunity to solve her hairstyle headache!
Whether you’re prepping for prom, flying to Fashion Week, or simply seeking a new way to tame your mane, the three thick-hair-friendly styles below not only all use the same tools, but can be easily crafted to suit any occasion. The kicker? Each one can also be altered to suit ladies with manes of lesser proportions!
The Braided Bun
For this braided bun, inspired by this post from The Beauty Department, you’ll need: hair elastics and bobby pins that match your hair color.
1. Section your hair off into five braids: three in the back, two in the front. Secure each braid with an elastic at the end.
2. Starting with the back, take the first braid and twist into a flat bun against your head, anchoring with bobby pins as you go.
3. Wrap the next braid against the first, being sure to tuck the elastic out of sight. Secure with more bobby pins.
4. Repeat Step 3 with the third braid.
5. Finally, take the two front braids and wrap them around your nearly completed bun, being sure to hide the elastics and securing each braid with plenty more bobby pins. Finish off with a shot of hairspray to set the style.
The Asymmetrical Twist
The side-swoop bun can be as polished or imperfect as you want it to be, just gather a rat tail comb, teasing brush, hair elastic, and bobby pins.
1. Using your rat tail comb, section off a portion of hair at the crown of your head.
2. Holding your hair with one hand, take your teasing brush and gently tease the sectioned off portion of hair.
3. Release your teased hair and — with your brush — gently blend it back with the rest, making sure not to flatten the body you’ve created. Now, gather it into a low side-ponytail.
4. Start twisting your hair away from you.
5. Twist your hair into a bun, tucking the ends under when you finish.
6. Grab those bobby pins and start pinning everything in place.
7. Depending on how polished you want your bun to be, pin until you can’t pin any more!
The Grand Bouffant
Feeling inspired by our latest stylebook? Try a bouffant! Achieving a bouffant that holds is seriously simple — just grab your rat tail comb, teasing brush, bobby pins, and hairspray!
1. Using your rat tail comb, section off two portions of hair: the front-most section, and the crown. Get the front portion out of the way by pushing it forward, Cousin It-style, or gathering it into an elastic.
2. Next, lightly tease the section at your crown.
3. Twist that section into a small bun, securing with bobby pins.
4. You may have to play around with placement, depending on where you wish your bouffant to be.
5. Now, take the front portion of hair and, using your teasing brush, tease like crazy!
6. Once the front portion is teased, lay it over your bun and, using your rat tail comb, tame any fly-aways and blend the sides.
7. Now, being sure to keep your bun covered, gather your teased hair and push up until you’ve achieved your desired bouffant height.
8. Pin in place using your bobby pins. From here, you can leave the back down, gather it into a ponytail, or take cue from our styl book and sport some vintage-inspired pigtails!
Do you have a style that’s perfect for thick hair? Let us know in the comments below, or show us on our Instagram (@ModCloth) or Facebook pages!
Originally published on Story by ModCloth 11/27/2013 - See full post here.
While some may count football games and turkey-day parades among their Thanksgiving Day traditions, what I look forward to most every year is of a more musical nature: listening to Alice’s Restaurant. Aired predominantly by classic rock radio stations, this eighteen-minute-long song accompanied me on many a Thanksgiving Day as I drove from house to house, joining friends and family for turkey-day feasts. Now that I host my own day-of-thanks dinner, that tradition has morphed into an annual viewing of the film by the same name.
Starring folk legend Arlo Guthrie (who also wrote and performed the song), the 1967 film-adaptation of Alice’s Restaurant was released just days after Guthrie’s Woodstock appearance, and could be seen as an ode to the bohemian lifestyle lived by Guthrie and his cohorts. While the plot can at times be difficult to follow — it boils down to one dysfunctional Thanksgiving dinner, an incident involving garbage, light jail time, and a restaurant run by, you guessed it, Alice — the fashion in the film is right on point with luxe velvet blazers, scarves, and plenty of poet shirts.
