We love colors! (The tights)

With winter coming, tights are all the rage right now. So I figured I'd tell you about the best place to get tights. It's a site called We Love Colors and its sells a wide, and very wacky selection of tights.

So first for your basic tights lover, we've got the solids. In 45 COLORS!!! Yes, Seriously. Here is their color chart:





We Love Colors Solid Tights come in 45 colors and up to a size 4X, which they say should fit a woman around 330 pounds and at least 6 feet tall. Did I mention they cost the extremely reasonable amount of $9 a pair???? I would recommend picking up a pair, or maybe 40! Seriously, even the fabulous Torrid couldn't revival the funk-a-tude of turquoise or hot pink tights!




But that's not all! We Love Colors also sells Fishnets! Their fishnets also come in all 45 colors, but they only come in a standard "1-3X" (one size). This says it will fit up to about 48 inch hips. That means that me and my wide hips might just have to say a prayer to squeeze into them, but there are plenty of plus girls with hips that will fit!








For you wacky tights lovers, try the Splash Color tights, which come in 11 different patterns, in sizes up to 4X, and cost $12. Or go for the Black Striped Tights which come in 44 color combos, and are available in either 1/2X or 2/3X, also for $12.

Friday Furnishings: In A Concrete Fashion

Welcome to our new Friday feature, dear readers: Friday Furnishings! That's right, the DCGF is branching out into new territory. And what, pray tell, do I know about such things? Well, let me tell you...



Goodwill is not just a place for fabulous fashions, oh no. One can find great furniture, frames and pictures, knick-knacks, pots and pans, computers, stereos - why just the other day I bought a 10-speed road bike for 20 bucks! So you see, it's not just clothes, although that's a huge part of our retail business.



So I thought it would be nice to branch out for the summer. You know, take a little vacay from all fashion all the time and share with you what's hot in vintage and contemporary furnishings from all over the world and right in D.C.'s back yard. And today, it's all about concrete.



That's right. I said concrete. Every year in Las Vegas the World of Concrete hosts an Artistry in Concrete event. Why do am I so interested in this? Because my parents finally broke down and replaced their crumbling driveway two years back with - get this - a decorative concrete one, replete with colors, and the Notre Dame insignia (my sister graduated from there) in one corner. Crazy, I thought.



But then I started checking out pictures from previous Artistry in Concrete exhibits and the results are amazing, like Rick Fischer's work with stencils and staining on plain ol' concrete. This has become such a hot topic in the last few years that no less than Architecture Magazine covered the event in 2005. Who knew?



For those of us living in tiny city apartments, however, a massive concrete driveway is only appealing in the abstract. I wanted something more tangible to connect me to the trend. I found it in Oso Industries "Pine Bench," which, of course, is made out of anything but. Yep, the awesome bench to the left is cast out of a single piece of concrete, using a rubber mold of an actual tree to create the amazingly realistic finish.



I love a combination of the natural and man-made in my own furniture, so the bark-like texture juxtaposed with the angular center cut-out and highly polished top are perfect. And it's available in 10 colors! Oh but here's the catch: it costs $2675. I forgot to mention that. Shipping's probably rather expensive, too, come to think of it. Hey, I didn't say Friday Furnishings was going to be affordable, did I?



But maybe it can be. Konzuk, a jewelry company out of Canada, is making truly innovative pieces out of - let's say it all together, shall we? - concrete.



The necklace at right is stainless steel and concrete and comes on a 16", 18", or 20" cable. It retails for $175, which is still quite steep, but think of the conversations it will provoke! They also have rings, earrings, cufflinks, and bracelets combining concrete with stainless steel and silver - I had a hard time choosing what to show you on the blog! It's incredible how they've been able to take industrial elements and craft such elegant and delicate pieces. I want!



So there you have it, dear readers. The first of Friday Furnishings. Let me know what you think! What do you want to know more about this summer? What are you looking for in your own dwelling space? How has Goodwill played a role in how you style your life? I'm looking forward to this summer and I hope you are too!

Goodwill’s fashion blog provides detailed knowledge and insight on vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories that are valuable to fashion shoppers. The facts and opinions shared present readers with entertaining, exciting and value based information on vintage and contemporary fashion and shopping trends.

Renewed Appeal of Size Appeal

So I've known about Size Appeal for a long time, and even purchased from it sporadically. But recently at Lee Lee's Valise (which I wrote about in my last blog) I had a chance to try out some of their newest stuff and I have to say I really like it!! It reminds me of a plus size H&M - affordable, disposable fashion in fun, funky colors and designs. These are not high quality long wear garments, they are seasonal pieces - but a cute top for twentysomething dollars, I don't mind! Lisa D (the owner of Lee Lee's) told me she is selling out of the Size Appeal stuff in her store and has had to order more! If you can't get into Lee Lee's to try it on, check out Size Appeal's website:







Left: Acacia Top in Mustard, $29

Middle: Elaine Top in Teal, $29

Right: Joanna Top in Blue, $29







Left: Captivate Dress, Black & Red, $68

Middle: Harriet Dress in Red, $52

Right: Serenity Dress in Black, $49



All available at SizeAppeal.com!

How do you cut notches?

We're having a bit of a debate in the forum on how you should cut notches. Obviously, we're talking about multiple plies, not single or double layers.

The central question is, can -or should- you use your main cutting tool to cut notches? Those using a round knife have figured out this doesn't work. Being round, the blade doesn't cut far enough into the top or bottom layers and can nick too deeply into central layers. So, the question becomes, do you switch to a knife and use that for general cutting and notching, or do you buy a stand alone notching tool?

The Root of All Evil - Hannah Montana or Crocs?

Lewis Black and his gang won't need to debate on this issue, because the two crusaders of the dark side have teamed up to make this shoe:

Croc Mary Janes (in purple here) with Hannah's name on the foot strap and her likeness on the heel strap. Complete with holes, this is the brainless child of Satan and his young mistress.

Of course, how bad the Crocs' guilt goes lies within the question: are Crocs okay on Kids? But that Miley Cyrus is certainly dastardly in her world domination (and demon-ination). It's she I stand less!

What about you?

Source

I.D. and O.D.

This is a continuation of To pin or not to pin so you should read that first if you haven't already. I.D. and O.D. refers to Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter. This is a common concept in every field of engineering of which sewing is one. However, it's only in sewing that people assume that two lengths that will be joined must be identical in length. In any other field, one would be laughed out of the room for believing this. I.D is necessarily smaller than O.D., one tucks inside the other. That's just one reason that sleeves -for example- should not be larger than the armhole to which they are sewn. Sleeves are I.D. tubes sewn into a still larger armhole tube (O.D.).

Using exactly the same pieces from the previous entry, I sewed two tubes as one would in the course of attaching cuffs or inserting sleeves. Below you can see the result of using the improperly cut lengths inserted inside each other.

Dreaming of Aquamarine

Aquamarine is one of my favorite gemstones, a member of the beryl family just like my own birthstone, the emerald. Aquamarine comes in a variety of colours, but my favorite is the pure "aquamarine" colour that is a light turquoise blue. Yes, I've been working this weekend, trying to get a bit ready for the March birthstone offerings on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. Of course, bracelets are my favorite! Making aquamarine bracelets is a real joy whether I'm making them with gold or sterling or with or without lampwork beads. The top aquamarine bracelet is a sterling bangle bracelet handmade with Karen Hill Tribes tube beads and one of the huge special aquamarine specimens I ordered from my dealer in Hong Kong. The lampwork beads on either side were made by Lynn Nurge of laffinggull beads.
More special aquamarine beads are in the bracelet below; these came from Thailand and are quite large so that they match the size of the large borosilicate lampwork beads. It's a nice chunky aquamarine bracelet for the person who likes for bracelets to stand out.

The third bracelet illustrates the difference in aquamarines; these are beautiful and quite gemmy, almost crystal clear for the most part with more of a green tint than blue. The lampwork beads by Robin Weber are laced with silver for a really special look.
The earrings both have flower themes - yes, I'm dreaming of spring, the beach in May, long hot summer afternoons by the pool, the smell of fresh-cut grass baking in the summer sun! (Watch, tomorrow the temperature will probably be back below freezing!) By the way, the last piece is an ankle bracelet.



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Don't Show-cha Your Chocha, Volume XII

There's nothing like a triumphant blogging comeback, but it's even better when it involves chochas (sidenote: Has a rapper trademarked the phrase "Everything's better with chochas" yet or can I snag that for a confusing, sexually charged blog slogan?), and, more specifically, Don't Show-cha Your Chocha!

I think the first photo and caption perfectly sum up this feature, so I'm gonna jump right in:

Says Jeni: The way she's standing she looks like she's trying to hold something in...perhaps her modesty.

From Jennifer:

I can't tell if the bottom is shorts or a skirt, but either way, I'm worried.

Says Nicole: I came across this tonight while trying to purchase overpriced linen pants from J.Crew and immediately thought "Don't show your cha-cha!"
[Editor's note: My mom and her group of friends also use the term "cha-cha" interchangeably with "chocha," and, like in this case, I can't tell if it's an intentional, charming alternative or a mix-up. I sort of love it.]

From Laura:

It makes me feel embarrassed just looking at it!

Beth found what is perhaps the most artful Don't Show-cha Your Chocha on record:

Says Beth: It looks like she's trying to hold down her dress AND hold her hair on. yikes! (In other news, the next time my friend Katelyn complains about how hard it is for her to find a long enough inseam, I will print out this picture and give it to her. I mean, good god, I would be able to make eye contact with this girl's kneecap.)

From Tessa, via Betsey Johnson:

The perfect dress for girls who like to stand...a lot...no, seriously, like, all the time. Would you like to try to sit down in that thing?

Jo-Anne brought my attention to this fantastic photo, and provided a fantastic description of the subject, Phoebe Price:

Hey saw this hilarious post of this wannabe celebrity phoebe price on dlisted. She goes to that same restaurant and poses out front every day. She gets a scrape on her car and poses with it!!! Anyways look at the dress! She's coming a little too close to showin' it.

Diligent DSYC officer Amber tracked down these next two offenders:

I titled this image "velvet chocha," and felt quite dirty after typing it.

You know how they say eyes are windows to the soul? Well, that triangular cut-out there seems to be a window to the chocha.

So, this "dress" being eaten by the model's crotch, courtesy of our old friend Shopbop, was featured in the last installment of DSYC, but I've gotten so many emails about it, and it's just so strange/horrifying, that I feel compelled to post it again, along with some choice reader commentary:


Anne: This is so horrible. I hope the $319 buys you a little black "censored" box to put in front of your ladyparts.

Livia: The description says 'Chicly sophisticated with a distinctly modern vibe'. Distinctly modern vibe? I say it's a distinctly chocha vibe.

Ashlee: GAAAHHH!!!


Remember, the next time you're browsing online and catch yourself thinking "Egad! [admit it--you totally think "Egad"] If that model so much as reaches for a tortilla chip, she's doing full frontal!," email me--daddylikeyblog@gmail.com