SATC2: Charlotte York Goldblatt & Dress Homage M5455

"Park Avenue Pollyanna," as coined by Carrie Bradshaw, has the most conservative style amongst her girlfriends. It's prim a proper with a twist of trendiness and a dash of who's that old lady! The pink suit/dress is by Dior, love the designers concept but the color is so heartburn, nausea, indigestion, upset stomach...you know the rest. I would/maybe so copy that in a gray or black in a minute. Speaking of which, now is the time to get the fall stuff in line, but more on that in another post. Obvi, the green and white number is a throw back to the 80s it's so LP, Lilly Pulitzer. I'm really dying over the emerald ruffled shirt dress. I do need that dress in my life. This is on my list for summer dress hopefuls, with a little less hip and a bit more fit. Conservtively sassy! Lastly, the red and white strapless dress... Love, love! More on that a little further down.



The soft washed emerald tone strapless dress is divine! Straight from the penthouse right?


The homage: Yes, B5455 again! But it ended up with a very different look for a different event. Aside from Cynthia Steffes' strapless dress by Vogue, I've been searching for a strapless sheath pattern for a while. Most of the patterns I've come across have a full skirt or are A-line. So I went back to my fave dress of the summer so far and subtracted the straps to make it work... for me.

So here are the changes:

I redrafted the top portion of the front bust pattern piece to make it strapless. Included most of the pattern pleats to an extent, which would mean that I will eventually have to ease out the difference for a good fit. The bust piece measures 5 inches in the center and 3 on the sides, vertically. On top edge, there are 12 mini darts hand placed and measured. The bottom edge had 2 pleats and 2 mini darts, one on each side, closer to the side seams.

The back bodice was modified as well but it was much easier. There is one dart on each side, as the pattern calls for. That didn't change, but after finishing the front bust and midriff with piping I remeasured for the back bodice and added 1/2 inch for the piping on the top and bottom. Piping around the top edge. Fusible horsehair (I highly recommend this for serious yet flexible stability) was used on the front midriff and plastic boning at the side seams. I would have liked to be more creative with the bust piece, but I think this works. Slightly widened the front skirt. Everything else is the same.

Fabric: Fabric Used: Red rose printed cotton stretch sateen from Habermans. 1/8 cording used. Invisable zipper. Fusible horsehair. Plastic boning.







Simply styled.




Whatcha think.

Sweet Baby Rose

Remember last Sex and The City movie where Charlotte's water broke while delivering her well crafted line to Mr. Big outside a lovely restaurant?  "I curse the day you were born!"  Hours later, Charlotte brought sweet baby Rose into the world.  How ironic.  While we only got a peek of the sweet pink baby, this time around little rose will have a lot to say during her on screen moments. 

Taking inspiration from the outfit that brought her into the world and her preppy Upper East Side queen mother, I created a few looks for 2-year old Rose York-Goldenblatt.

Here's my outfit if Baby Rose went to Abu Dhabi--Abu Dhabi Babi

I have one more cute post for Baby Rose, that will be on Polyvore tomorrow.  To see the details on these cute toddler looks, click Sweet Baby Rose or Abu Dhabi Babi.  Ma’a salama!

"Carrie"d Away

So much to say today, mostly because I didn't post yesterday.  Sorry, ladies got caught up in the long awaited movie viewing of Sex and the City 2!  Whether you've seen it or haven't seen it, I won't provide any spoilers for you today (but you might want to avoid the rest of the internet).  

The sequel to the first SATC movie did not disappoint in the fashion department, not in the least bit.  In fact this week, the Today show had Patricia Field, my fashion fairy godmother and stylist for Sex and The City, on talking about some of the fabulous looks feature in SATC2.  While she talked about having a budget for each look and how she managed to get fabulous looks by doing a lot of do-it-yourself items for the show, I found some very similar looks on some of my favorite stores online.  So before I unveil my take on a look for Carrie, her are some little tidbits.

In the movie, Carrie arrives with her girlfriends in Abu Dhabi wearing an asymmetrical pink dress and a jeweled turban headdress.  I found a similar dress at Bergdorf Goodman by Halston Heritage for $325.

Later in the movie, Carrie walks down the beach in a red strapless pleated gown.  I found the dress (or similar one) at Bergdorf Goodman also by Halston Heritage for $895.

 Hope you enjoyed those tidbits.  Fact is, with the right fabric you can make these outfits yourself.  I am definitely considering the orange pleated silk dress, maybe in a pretty yellow.  Now the outfit I put together for Carrie is a little Prince-ss of Persia-influenced.  Throughout all the interviews for this movie, all the actresses said that this movie is definitely an adventure.  So thinking back to movies like Aladdin and forward to the upcoming Prince of Persia movie, I came up with this one.

Want details on the outfit?  Click here for more information.

SATC 2: Miranda Rites

If you've been around long enough, you can remember that at one time white Keds and ankle socks were chic for adult women to wear. Thank goodness the fashion trends are continually changing. Miranda's style balances the scales of workwear, partywear, brunchwear and couchwear quite seamlessly, don't you think?. IMO, her clothes are always comfortable and then stylish. Nothing fitted or tight, no major sacrifices, but she will take her toes to the limit with sky high platforms, taxi anyone?



The above set could take her from day to evening in a hot NY minute with a couple change outs. You can find all the details at b4thedoor on polyvore.




"'It's been like a play land for the most beautiful clothes in the world.' Cynthia Nixon for Marie Claire. Lucky her!

Samantha Jones - Sassy, Smart & Sexy

This week HLT & I will feature Sex And The City 2-esque outfits based on your favorite New York ladies.  So when you go and see the movie this Thursday, May 27, you can channel your inner SATC for the premiere or for any day in the future.

 

Samantha Jones.  Sassy, sexy and as ageless as her dermatologist and personal physician can keep her.  All through the Sex and the City television series and the movie, each Samantha outfit has been very very sexy, with a touch of the '80s.  In the first SATC movie, we can see Samantha's love of the '80s in her shoulder pads, jacket silhouettes and the rockin' mix cd she brought over to help Carrie pack up her apartment.  Samantha's daily homage to the '80s is based on her love for extreme fashion and excess-sories.

In SATC2, Samantha invites the ladies to the Middle East for a little rest and a lot of decadence.  From the trailers and leaked snippets, we can surmise that she bumps into Smith Jerrod (old flame), meets a young hot man (new flame) and fights with menopause (hot flame).  With all of these hot situations, I channeled Samantha's inner inspiration Cleopatra.  In many illustrations and feature films, Cleopatra is clothed in wealth doubling as armor, always ready for unexpected battles of her country and her heart.  This Carmen Marc Valvo Couture Beaded Sheath Dress is cream colored underneath but covered inch-by-inch by metal beads is taken to fashion extreme with a Prada Stone Bib Necklace, KARA by Kara Ross Stingray Cityscape Cuffs, Giuseppe Zanotti Zip Cuffed Jeweled Sandals and Zoe Diamond Sphere Earrings.

Check out the Samantha-inspired outfit on Polyvore!

SATC: Do you apron like I apron?

Charlotte York with her daughters Rose and Lily have a scene in the new movie making chocolate cupcakes, or, well so it seems in the trailer. Rose has her hands perfectly covered in batter and imprints them on her mothers rear end, while she is wearing a beautiful white vintage something. But the cutesy thing is that they are all wearing this yummy cupcake apron. It's sold at Anthropologie for $32.00 for the bakers delight and $24.00 for the kids version.





For Christmas 2009 I received a wonderful custom gift from my mother. Love it. No pattern used, but these lovely layers do remind me of the sweetest confections. And of course, she gets me & my phone, so there's a hidden pocket under the 1st layer of frosting. Yummy!

This week I plan to sew up a apron for myself and post it on Friday. If you want to join in, you can. It can be newly sewed or years old. Limit 1 apron submissions per follower. Just e-mail your pictures of an apron that you sewed and a very brief description by Thursday, May 28, 2010, midnight pacific standard time (3 am EST Friday). Sorry about the short notice.

This is not a contest! It's just for fun! Join in!

Sorry to those of you who have been clicking on an empty link. I'm working with pages and it's giving be a bit of grief at the moment. The post was supposed to look like this:

Airport Attire: B4 the Door

Somtimes when I get on a plane, I get the feeling that we are not all going to the same destination. I see people looking as if they are going to bed, hanging out at their house or cleaning out the gutters. My godmother would always recount the days of classy travel, where people would dress up in furs and evening gowns to go across the country on the train. While showing up the airport these days in furs and evening gowns may seem a bit over the top, save your track suit for running your next 3K and wear an outfit that just might get you bumped up to first class. Trust me, it's happened to me, it can happen to you.

See other outfit sets on the b4thedoor group on Polyvore.com!

Hot shoulder, cool color! M5658

I've been wanting to sew this up for a long time, and it's finally here! There's a lot of navy in my wardrobe, but not a print like this. And I probably have enough left over for a skirt. Very happy about that!

There are a couple design issues with this pattern. The a back right dart is the same length as the left left dart. On the muslin this did not work because there was still room for shaping on the right side. So I increased the length of the dart by 1 inch. Luckily I'm working with a print so it not so bothersome, but it could be an issue if you're working with a solid. Another issue with this pattern is that it's just trying to be to many things. A one shoulder (side zip), a chocker neck (back center zip), a strapless dress (back center zip). And standing alone, none of them are truly great. So there should have been a additional pattern piece for the lower back bodice to be cut on the fold, IMO. It would totally add to the chicness. Instead there is a center back seam that would look more oddly placed on a solid colored fabric. And then lastly, the issued with the shoulder band. It's just to wide and chunky.



So basically, I won't be sewing this one up again, but clearly I'm happy with the results!


Styled: Vacay 4-star dinner


Lovin' it?

Check Out Our Closet

Good evening followers and guests! Check out our new feature the B4 the Door Closet! See up close photos of our must-have and DIY items. These items are also available to clip to your Polyvore account and use to put together your own version of a great outfit. Check the closet frequently as we continue to add more pieces for your viewing pleasure.

Vacay Tulle fountain tank, M5853

I can't wait for my next trip and I'm not waiting to wear this tank either!!


I've used this pattern many times before. So very simple.
Fabric: sea foam tulle- Loraines fabric in RI, cream tulle-Helen Enox Fine Fabrics in OKC, organic knit-Haberman Fabrics, MI. Used pattern piece 16 for the ruffles. I decided to layer 2 ruffles on each side, 1 inch apart. Strategically placed near the bust but not directly over the apex.



Tulle top styled: On the bay or around the way!





The J.Crew original retails for $198!! Tulle fountain tank. Yea, it was worth it.

Vacay Flutter tank, M5853

Although I've been traveling all spring, I can't wait till my next vacation! Im a traveler and honestly, readers I don't travel light. Everything that I want to bring gets a vacation too. Albeit, I highly recommend taking photographs of everything you bring for insurance purposes, and in the event that your bag gets lost, which is a possibility these days. But to add the the fun, I like to keep plenty of tops in the bag for the frequent but very necessary outfit changes.


This was an easy one to make, and I've made it many time before. Fabric: Joann's. Before the binding was sewn, I added oddly shaped layers, some biased, some on the grain. Self binding & self belt.

Styled: Off to Cape Cod





This is the J.Crew version for only $35. It's not a bank breaker but it's so fun to DIY! Whatcha think?

Hey Let's Get Away

Lately it seems as though every weekend is a graduation, a wedding, a wedding shower, bachlorette party, or engagement party. Celebrations like these are a wonderful opportunity to get dressed, take pictures to document your fabulous outfits, and hopefully see other fabulously dressed people to give you inspiration for the next event. After those events have passed, one can feel the need to get away, go on vacation. But before you start grabbing your vacation shorts and fanny packs, take a look at these hot vacation items.
If you are going someplace hot, then interesting pieces in light airy fabrics will have you feeling beautiful and comfortable.
From left to right: Silk Watercolor Floral Dress (Martin + Osa) $120; Drawstring Romper (Cache) $118; Textured Organza Jacket (Ann Taylor) $88; V-Neck Empire Waist Dress by Wyeth (Ann Taylor) $88; Micro Climate Dress (Anthropologie) $88

Now if your plans are a little cooler, like traipsing through Williamsburg, getting away to Mackinaw Island or an Alaskan cruise, cozy up with these vacation alternatives.
From left to right: Shawl Collar Vest (Lands' End Canvas) $49.50; Ivory Linen Gazebo Trouser (J. Crew) $98; Red Label Long Cardigan (New York & Company) $34.40; Adrianna Papell Matte Jersey & Hammered Satin Sheath Dress (Nordstrom) $158; Batik Print Floral Scarf (Ann Taylor LOFT) $29.50

So get out there and grab those "Get-Away" items before they go away. See all the sale information on the featured items below:

New York & Company: All shorts, pants and crops are buy one get the second for $10!

Martin + Osa: 30% off your entire purchase online AND in stores!

Lands' End Canvas: Lands' End 25% off regularly priced men's and women's items (Ends today!)

J. Crew: 20% off all online orders of +$150; Code: SUMMER
Nordstrom: Free standard shipping on orders of +$200

Ann Taylor LOFT: Free shipping on all orders +150 (Limited time offer)

Ann Taylor: 50% off all full-priced styles; Free shippping on all orders +$150

Cache: n/a

Anthropologie: n/a