fashion loves people » Accessories

The necklaces are in!

Janette — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:00:22 +0000

And they are fah-bulous! Here are just a spare few of my favorite designs from the Great Necklace Exchange of 2011 (though seriously, I love them all), and you can browse the rest in this Flickr set.

How cool are these people?!

Rebecca Goldschmidt

Yours truly!

Debbie Carlos

Again, I had such a blast organizing this exchange, and I can’t thank everyone enough for participating.

Let this be my official announcement that I’ll do another one later this year — stay tuned!

View the Fashion Loves People Necklace Exchange Flickr set

Necklace DIY inspiration: Minimalist bead necklaces

Janette — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:57 +0000

There’s just one day left before our creations must be mailed off for the FLP Necklace Exchange! This is the sixth and last post in a series of DIYs and inspirations I’ve been sharing for it.

People have been sending me pictures of their necklaces since last week — they’re so fantastic! If you’re a part of the exchange, be sure to send me pics and get your package in the mail by tomorrow. For those of you working at the last minute, here’s one last round of inspiration: Eight super-simple-yet-awesome bead necklaces.

Custom wood beads and brass hex nuts on a simple cord and a mini ball chain, by Alyson Fox. You can buy a selection of Alyson’s designs here.

I’ve had this image saved on my desktop for months and can’t remember where I found it! But I love the colors and textures. This one’s all about the beads.

Handmade beads (probably clay) and brass washers on a gold chain from amerrymishap on Etsy.

Brass hex nuts, black sequins and a chain from an old broken necklace — check out Mrs Priss’ DIY for this necklace.

More great beads — vintage copper and colorful wood, by SPARKLEFARM on Etsy.

This geometric pendant was made out of Sculpey clay — get the step-by-step DIY from Dismount Creative.

Anatomy of a string-wrapped rope necklace

Janette — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:30 +0000

This is the fifth in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ve been posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. After sharing two rope necklace DIYs, I wanted to share close-ups of a similar necklace from my own collection.

I bought this necklace at Renegade Craft Fair last year from designer Tanya Aguiñiga, who is best known for her chunky braided rope bracelets and matching necklaces. She had a pile of these necklaces for sale in her booth, but I’ve never seen them offered online, so they are limited-edition!

For this necklace, Tanya used fine strands of yarn as both the filler and the outer wrap, which made every color change perfectly seamless. This material also hides imperfections beautifully.

The ends are secured in a way that actually adds flair to the necklace — it can be worn either at the front or back of the neck. Two randomly placed wooden beads make this necklace even awesomer, and I love this color palette!

Necklace DIY: Braided hex nuts

Janette — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:43 +0000

This is the fourth in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’m posting this month for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. Even if you didn’t get to sign up, I hope these posts inspire some more creativity in your holiday gift-giving!

DIY Braided Hex Nut Bracelet « click for the step-by-step DIY

Granted, this DIY is for a bracelet — but I think it has awesome necklace potential! The trick will just be to turn the direction of the braid half-way through so that the hex nuts are angling down on each side. The awesomeness-to-easiness ratio on this piece is so good that I can’t help but experiment with it!

Anatomy of a suede scrap necklace

Janette — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:00:36 +0000

This is the third in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ll be posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. Today’s the last day to sign up!

Manimal founder and designer Kristen Lombardi started her brand with handmade moccasins, but what I love most about her line now is her suede accessories, made of scrap leather left over from the mocs. If there is a creative way to string suede cut-outs onto a string, she’s used it, and she keeps releasing amazing new variations each season (like this and this). Her designs are awesomely eclectic — and totally inspirational for a DIY necklace that doesn’t require much handicraft, just a lot of creativity.

If you’ve read this blog for long you’ve seen this Manimal necklace of mine before. I love that it’s made of an unexpected material, and that it has an obvious handmade look without being “crafty.” Here are a few close-ups for inspiration!

The hardest part of recreating this necklace would have to be punching holes in each scrap. Instead, I’d try making holes with a heavy-duty needle and then experimenting with what cord works best accordingly. (This variation apparently used string rather than cord, to incorporate seed beads between the scraps.)

If you make a necklace inspired by Kristen’s designs, be sure to say “thank you” by grabbing something awesome from the Manimal store!

Necklace DIY: Braided bead necklace

Janette — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:00:59 +0000

This is the second in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ll be posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. Click to read all about it, and be sure to sign up through Friday!

DIY: Braided Bead Necklace from ECAB « click for the step-by-step DIY

Here’s a necklace DIY that would be hard to mess up! A lovely, simple style that requires more time than it does skill. This necklace style will be more or less refined depending on the hardware and beads you get for it, so choose wisely.

A different blogger made a red version of this necklace here — I love the color!

Necklace DIY: Two variations on a string-wrapped rope necklace

Janette — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:03 +0000

This is the first in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ll be posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange! Click to read more and sign up through Friday.

DIY Friendship Necklace from Honestly…WTF « click for the step-by-step DIY

This type of necklace has so many possibilities! You can really change up the colors, textures, layers and more to make it your own. I think the friendship bracelet-style in this DIY gives the necklace a more home-gown look than in the version below, but I love their color choices. These easy knots are perfect for tying up while watching a marathon of Christmas movies.

Weekend Project: DIY Rope Necklace from Refinery29 « click for the step-by-step DIY

A more detail-oriented method = a more refined necklace. Doesn’t this one look great? I love letting the pattern of the climbing rope peek through the color blocks. Again, you can change up the colors and textures as much as you like.

Sign up NOW for The Great Necklace Exchange of 2011!

Janette — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:00:20 +0000

Because who doesn’t want an awesome new necklace for Christmas?!

This December, I’m super excited to be hosting my first-ever handmade necklace exchange! Not only does it combine two of my favorite things — jewelry and gift-giving — but I hope it will inspire some extra spirit and creativity in all of our holidays.

Here’s How It Works…

To join, fill out the form below. Sign up by this Friday, December 9!
On Saturday, December 10, I’ll email you the name and info of your randomly selected “match.”
You’ll spend the next 10 days making a necklace just for them. Mail it by Tuesday, December 20!
By Christmas, you’ll receive your own necklace, made just for you!

What You’re Making

First and foremost — you don’t have to be a designer to join in! Or even a creative person at all. PROMISE. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting awesome handmade necklace inspiration and DIYs (many of which are previewed above), and you are free to use and copy them as literally as you like.

Plus, I hope we can all extend our design inspiration beyond just necklaces! For one, a lot of my favorite necklace design ideas lend themselves to creative gift wrapping. For two, I’m dying to make Viv a stylish pacifier clip, and I have a hunch it’s going to match whatever necklace style(s) I take on.

Bonus points if your necklace includes upcycled materials, like beads from thrifted jewelry, etc.

Lastly, you should most definitely make at least two necklaces — one for yourself!

Who You’re Making It For

Each person who signs up will be randomly assigned a match. (Matches are not two-way, so you’re not giving and receiving with the same person.) That person will include links to their blog, their Pinterest account and anything else that gives you an idea of their personal style, and you’ll make them a necklace that fits.

UPDATE: We are open to international sign-ups! But FYI, I’ll be drawing names among the international sign-ups separately from the U.S. sign-ups, so that U.S. residents can all get their necklaces by Christmas. Those of you from elsewhere will receive yours according to your respective shipping times.

The Schedule

As long as everyone mails their necklaces by Tuesday, December 20, via First Class or better, the USPS holiday schedule says they’ll be delivered by Christmas.

The Fun Of It

I can’t wait to see the fruits of everyone’s creativity! Be sure to send me photos of both the necklace you make and the necklace you receive, and I’ll share them all after the fact.

If this necklace exchange suits your blog, please be sure to post about it along the way! I’d love for you to spread the word now to get more people to sign up. On Twitter and Pinterest, use hashtag #NecklaceExchange.

I know the holidays can be a crazy time, but I can’t wait to put some of my energy into sharing awesome gifts with new friends!

***

Time for le big bag

Janette — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:48:11 +0000

I’m a small purse girl through and through — but now that I’ve got a baby on the way, toting around a diaper bag is all the excuse I need to get a fabulous big bag! Here’s a roundup of my favorite totes right now.

Rib & Hull Technical Tote, $183

What a beautiful bag. Handmade to order by Rib & Hull in their Warsaw studio of full-grain Italian leather, organic cotton canvas and Italian hardware. I’d envisioned a bag with mid-length shoulder straps, but it might be super convenient to have a cross-body strap like this. I’m just not crazy about the silver hardware. For me, I think this unisex bag skews a bit masculine.

Clare Vivier La Tropézienne, $320

Clare Vivier’s styles are so classic, and this one is just perennially beautiful. All Clare Vivier bags are made in Los Angeles. My main concern for my use of it is that it doesn’t close at the top, and it’s unlined, so any spills would be a no-no. Great strap length — straps come in both a 5″ and 8″ length, and I’d go for the 8″.

Treesizeverse Recycled Vintage Cotton Tote Bag with Leather Bottom, $169

Handmade in Belgium of a camel-colored deadstock fabric and black leather. The straps are adjustable and the top has a loose closure. I love the “organic” vibe of this bag — well-crafted but not overly manicured. The colors are lovely, including the touches of gold/brass hardware, and it’s fully lined. I’m really debating on this one — if it’s as sturdy as it looks, it might be perfect!

Shannon South – Remade in the USA Degraw, $275

Shannon South hand-sews all of her bags out of reclaimed leather jackets (either that she finds or that you send in!). “There is so much perfectly usable waste in the United States,” her website says. The bag is lined in organic cotton, and the complete lack of hardware lets it go with anything. The depth of this tote makes a closure seem less necessary.

Clare Vivier Messenger Bag, $345

A second Clare Vivier style — this one with the cross-body strap and a top zipper. Whereas the La Tropizienne is made of a very stiff leather, I’ve tried this in person and was surprised by how soft and droopy the leather was. I think it’s too soft for my preferences. To anyone who has a Clare Vivier tote — was it worth the splurge?

Longchamp Le Pliage, $149

This bag has a great mix of affordability and classic style. I see them around SF every once in a while, but they were ALL over Europe. The style has been around for ages; I know some women buy a new one every five years or so. I do wish I knew more about Longchamp’s manufacturing process; all I’ve learned online is that some bags are marked as Made in France and some are marked as Made in China. But for the most part, luxury brands don’t skimp on any part of their production processes.

So what do you think? Please let me know if you have any other recommendations!

The only I’ve gotten so far about a diaper bag is that you want to have lots of pockets (thanks Mary!), so with any of these bags, I’d use an insert like this in it.

Q&A: Market Publique’s Pamela Castillo on why buying vintage is awesome & the new Vintage Coalition

Janette — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:46:18 +0000

In 2009, Pamela Castillo launched Market Publique, the vintage marketplace for hand-picked vintage sellers. Not only is she a long-time vintage buyer and seller herself, she’s an experienced web designer and developer, and I’ve always loved the way she runs the Market Publique brand — from keeping up a great blog to regularly launching collaborative lookbooks. But even more, I love that we’ve gotten to be great friends over the past few years, and that she was up for sharing a few tips and tricks for buying and selling vintage!

I’ve heard you say before that the best thing about buying vintage is that it doesn’t lose its value — that you can buy it, wear it and then resell it. I love this! How would you recommend that a beginner start selling vintage online?

Yes! Vintage pieces retain their value, especially if you take good care of them, because they’re one-of-a-kind and don’t go out of style. So when you decide you no longer want a certain piece in your closet, you can always resell it.

For beginners, I recommend starting with accessories, both for buying and selling. They are much easier to incorporate into your wardrobe and start mixing vintage with new. Plus once you have that mastered, clothes will be a piece of cake.

To shoot your accessories you don’t need a dress form, so you can just get a white piece of posterboard, drape it over the back and seat of a chair, hold it in place with double-sided tape and place it near a window with good light. Then place your accessories on the seat, on top of the posterboard and get in there with the camera. You will have a quick and easy seamless white backdrop!

On Market Publique, you just launched an amazing weekly capsule collection called The Vintage Coalition. How does it work?

The Vintage Coalition is an invite-only group of the best vintage sellers on the web, who put together a collection every week that’s curated around a theme.

Each Coalition member selects the best piece from their collection that fits within that week’s theme and lists it for sale in the Vintage Coalition category on Market Publique. The collections launch every Tuesday at 9pm EST.

What’s your favorite piece from this week’s Lace & Crochet Collection?

If you want a great everyday piece, I am loving Hella Vintage’s crochet cardigan — perfect for throwing over a festival dress and then layering once fall is upon us.

If you want a show-stopper, Prance & Swagger is featuring a awe-inspiring Edwardian lace peignoir with kimono sleeves — talk about collectible!

Thanks Pamela! xoxo