Sewn Seeds: Fashion Runway Show + Fundraiser.

April 3, 2014 • Barbara Wilcox • Style

SEWN SEEDS

SHOP PEPPERMINT | JOSEAN VARGAS

FASHION + RUNWAY SHOW

GIRLS ROCK + VERONA ST ANIMAL SOCIETY FUNDRAISER

TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE | ASHER BRIDAL

AT GOOD LUCK RESTAURANT FEAT WORLD HAIR AND ONE DANCE CO.

Designer. Ready-To-Wear. Vintage. Handmade. Cotton Candy Colored Rococo Wigs.

This past Sunday I attended my 1st ever fashion + runway show. In Rochester, NY.

Art of the grandest scale.

The atmosphere of Good Luck to the ambience of Rochester’s independent fashion scene. The strong music selections to the modern dance performance. The diverse models to the exquisite design in fashion. The fantastical and surreal hair creations by World Hair. Sewn Seeds fashion + runway show was truly art. For full details, please read The Flower City Fashionista’s Sewn Seeds post by fellow Rochester Blogger Jenny Sanzo. She killed Sunday + she wrote a killer recap. Below, are selections from some of my favorites styles! Two Important Bits:

1. Camera/iPhone calling it quits near the end = woefully less phots of Asher Bridal. Check out Asher Bridal Instagram and Tanvi Asher Instagram for the goods!

2. Runway vids for each Fashion Line, for World Hair, + for One Dance Co. posted to Barbara Ellen Instagram.

3. Proceeds Benefit 2 Incredible Rochester Foundations! Girls Rock Rochester + Verona Street Animal Society. That is beauty, style, + class.

VIP PERSPECTIVE

TANVI ASHER | SHOP PEPPERMINT | READY-TO-WEAR SPRING

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JOSEAN VARGAS | FORMAL WEAR

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MORGAN DELAPA | TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE | GOWNS

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TANVI ASHER | ASHER BRIDAL | WEDDING + GOWNS

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CREDITS

DESIGNERS

JOSEAN VARGAS

WEBSITE: JOSEAN VARGAS | SEWN SEEDS

FACEBOOK: JOSEAN DESIGN

TWITTER: J VARGAS DESIGN | JOSEAN

MORGAN DELAPA

WEBSITE: THE TREASURE TROVE

INSTAGRAM: TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE

FACEBOOK: TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE

TWITTER: TREASURE X TROVE

TUMBLR: TREASURE X TROVE

BLOG: THE TREASURE TROVE

SHOP: INSTORE

TANVI ASHER

WEBSITES: SHOP PEPPERMINT | SEWN SEEDS | ASHER BRIDAL

INSTAGRAM: TANVI ASHER | ASHER BRIDAL | SHOP PEPPERMINT

FACEBOOK: SHOP PEPPERMINT

TWITTER: SHOP PEPPERMINT APPAREL

BLOG: PEPPERMINT

SHOP: IN STORE | ONLINE

FEATURES

ONE DANCE COMPANY

WEBSITE: ONE DANCE COMPANY

FACEBOOK: ONE DANCE CO

WORLD HAIR

INSTAGRAM: WORLD HAIR

FACEBOOK: WORLD HAIR

FUNDRAISING

GIRLS ROCK! ROCHESTER

WEBSITE: GRR

FACEBOOK: GIRLS ROCK! ROCHESTER

VERONA STREET ANIMAL SOCIETY

WEBSITE: VSAS | ROCHESTER ANIMAL SERVICES

INSTAGRAM: VSAS_RAS

FACEBOOK: VERONA STREET ANIMAL SOCIETY

TWITTER: ROC VERONA ANIMALS

VENUE

GOOD LUCK RESTAURANT

WEBSITE: GOOD LUCK RESTAURANT

FACEBOOK: RESTAURANT GOOD LUCK

TWITTER: GOOD LUCK ROC

#shoplocal

#buylocal

#stylelocal

#dancelocal

#fashionlocal

#sewnseeds

XO.

Week Wrap Up: Style Icons.

March 23, 2014 • Barbara Wilcox • Style

Alexa Chung | Beyonce Knowles | Jennifer Lawrence | Lupita Nyong’o | Kate Moss

STYLE ICONS

The timeless, effortlessly chic look of petite Brit model Kate Moss.

The cult following of fellow Brit and hipster bohemian, Alexa Chung.

The stunning regal ease of Kenyan actress + Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.

The world over, international celebrities influence the daily fashion of our closets, outfits, and accessories, work days, errands, and outings. They influence our lives. My Style Icons?

Anastasia | Morgan | Anjolee | Jessica

SHOP LOCAL STYLE ICONS

Demurely Sexy + Business Playful: co-owner of Devil May Care Lingerie on Park Ave in Rochester, NY, Anastasia’s style drips with stylized juxtaposition.

Avant Vintage: Morgan DeLapa, owner of Treasure Trove Vintage in Rochester, NY, has an eye for vintage, thrifted, + mixing in couture to make it all haute.

Urban French: owner of Anjolee DeMaroux Photography, Anj’s style befits her sophisticated intrigue. (And her name.)

Classical Edge: Professional Blogger, Designer, Writer, { Incredible } DIYer, + Mom-To-Be Jessica Quirk doesn’t live in Rochester, NY. But her blog What I Wore certainly brings fashion to your home.

STYLE ICON LOOKS

As I dressed, styled, + shopped this week, I found myself gravitating toward the style of people who I know or who I know of. Those who I see making fashionable, styled clothing work in their every day lives. #Shoplocal items always influence my every daily wearing + buying decisions. This week, Shop Local Style Icons did too. Let’s take a look!

~Click on links to find each style icon~

ANASTASIA | CO-OWNER DEVIL MAY CARE BOUTIQUE

Demurely Sexy – Business Playful

Work Outfit.
Shop Local – Elle Macpherson panties from DMC | Peppermint Label blouse from Shop Peppermint

MORGAN | OWNER TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE

Avant Vintage

Friday Night.
Shop Local – Treasure Trove Vintage 1970’s Plaid Button Up from Treasure Trove Vintage, $15

ANJOLEE | OWNER ANJOLEE DEMAROUX PHOTOGRAPHY

Urban French

JESSICA | WHAT I WORE TUMBLR

Classical Edge

Spring Skirt!
Shop Local – Treasure Trove Vintage 1980’s Long Floral Skirt, $15

BOUTIQUES + DESIGNERS + BLOGS

BROOKLYN CHARM

DEVIL MAY CARE LINGERIE

EVENODD CREATIVE

JONELLE MAIRA

PEPPERMINT

TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE

WHAT I WORE

Couple the convenience of affordable + unique Shop Local finds with the inspiration of your local style icons. Never a dull outfit. Always a fashionable wardrobe.

…Who are your local style icons??

#styleicons

#shoplocal

XO.

How To. Neons + Nautical: Modern Twist on a Summer Classic.

July 29, 2013 • Barbara Wilcox • Style

Barbara Ellen has been on Spring/Summer Break + getting the makeover of her lifetime. Now she’s back! Tightened + toned {the blog, not the lady…}, and she’s ready to get down with some summer stylin’. While “away,” Barbara Ellen {me} has learned a lot. One of my newest, most favorite blogs that I’ve found is irockpolkadots by this Rochester Blogger, Babe, + Beauty. One of Steph’s recent posts {July 18} focuses on Nautical Themed Events. Beaches. BBQs. Bars. Basically, summer is one big, nautical party. You have to check this out.

Red. White. Blue. Navy. {Or even black!}: just like Steph suggests. These primary colors anchor every nautical wardrobe. For summertime, I also love to add a neon counterpart. Classic to Modern. Demure to Sexy. It’s juxtaposition at its fashion-ahoy-t. Here is my guide:

Classic Nautical Modern Nautical

-Red -Neon Orange, Hot Pink, Coral

-White -Neon Yellow

-Blue -Turquoise

Be it stripes, stars, polka dots, or an accent piece of jewelry, neon (& bright stone-toned) accents are a spicy way to summer-ize your nautical.

My Favs Modern Nautical

-Chevron Necklace (The Knotty Owl #SL) -Neon Orange

-Chain Bracelet (Claire Flair #SL) -Neon Green

-Flower Studs (Thanks @nicolejaclyn!!) -Chartreuse

-Striped Neons Bikini (Victoria’s Secret) -Neons

-Nautical Muscle Tank (Marge’s #SL) -Neon Yellow (also neon pink!)

-Striped Tennis Tank (Target) -Neon Yellow

-Striped Oversize A Tee (HM) -Neon Orange

Any neon twist on a classic nautical piece is sexy + summery. Clutches. Phone Cases. Nail Polishes. Bracelets. Boat Shoes. … Enjoy your nautical + enjoy the rest of your summer!!

Ahoy Maties.

XO.

Save v. Spend. Nail Polish on the Cheap.

April 19, 2013 • Barbara Wilcox • Style

Save.

All Time Fav Save.
Rimmel London in French Rose.

If you know me by now, you know that I love nail polish. We can thank Nicole Jaclyn for that. And my inner-Kindergarten-self who would have bought stock in Lee-Press-Ons had she known what stock was. Not only do I love nail polish, but I love expensive nail polish. Or varnish. Or laquer. The good stuff. And while I maintain the truth in an $8-$15 buy, and while I can vouch for the validity of a $20 lacquer (it lasted 3 weeks with negligible touch-ups!!!), my thrifty self can’t help but ponder a niche for nail polish on the cheap.

Disclaimer: If you’re going to buy “cheap,” you must–must–still use quality base & top. If you decline, then not only did you waste $.99/$1.99/$4.99, but you also wasted the time you took in picking out and applying said varnish. Trust me. Buy the base. Buy the top. Reapply top liberally. (If you don’t, it will go bad. So go crazy.)

Inspiration: Why the sudden curiosity?? You see. My all-time favorite laquer is a shade enticingly titled French Rose and made by Rimmel London. I love it. I, in fact, cannot live with out it. This is the most versatile, most true, most easy-to-apply, most wearable, most subtle, most demure, most high-impact neutral I have EVER found. Dare I say: not even my Zoya Kennedy measures up.

Neutral & Nude.
Gel-like in Finish.

French Rose (#140) by Rimmel gives the appearance of a gel nail with the effort of a French Manicure (senza the tip … unless you add one) and the ease of a tapered brush. Said brush applies smoothly and, due to its width & taper, is extremely forgiving. I cannot get enough of this polish and always have it in-stock. Of its many uses:

Neutral Nail.

Accompanying Nail to an Accent.

Base Color to a Streaky Nail Polish.

Interview Nail.

Step-Up from a Clear Nail.

Let me be clear: Rimmel’s French Manicure PRO series is pretty good. (Some of the colors are streaky even after several coats). French Rose 140, on the other hand, might as well be the Chanel No. 5 of neutrals. It is that good.

Nail Polish on the Cheap: As noted in my first Save v. Spend on Nail Polish, I advised to save on polishes for 3 reasons: 1.) when buying trendy colors 2). when wearing only a few times 3). when sampling a color. In all of these scenarios, spare yourself the $8 & check out the $.99/ $1.99 options. Today, I opted for Wet ‘n’ Wild.

Wet ‘n’ Wild Shine.
Dreamy Poppy 429D.

This summery-spring like weather in dreary Rochester, NY had me thirsting for some pink-lemonade. After I bought 2 different varietals at Trader Joe’s (…we’re seriously sun deprived in the #Roc), I found a similar shade at CVS. I knew I had to blog about Wet ‘n’ Wild Shine in Dreamy Poppy 429D–just $.99!!–as soon as I swiped the first coat. Atop Seche Clear, it glided-on like a pro:

Thick but not Gloppy.

High Pigmentation.

Great Coverage & Not Streaky.

Seriously Simple Brush Strokes.

Similar to mascara, wand means everything. The wand on Wet ‘n’ Wild Shine is super long. Longer than any other brand I’ve seen and therefore affords far more control. The brush, though thin, coats evenly & smoothly. A Seche Vite top coat helps nails to dry quickly & seamlessly. Needless to say, I am seriously impressed. And about $7 richer.

Knock-It-Off: Another recent encounter I had with “cheap” polishes is Walmart’s response to Deborah Lippmann. This celebrity manicurist is known for her luxe Butter London line and recently emerged with the haute of nail couture: Staccato. With ice-cream-parlor-meets-street-smarts-appeal, flecks of sparkles add depth and texture to her pastel shades. It’s the varnish response to studded bracelets & heel-hardware as paired with Anthropologie fashions. And everyone is copying. Including Hard Candy, a sweetly packaged beauty brand sold exclusively by Walmart. I basically loathe the corporate giant, but when Nicole had already bought the polish, I could not resist.

Accent Pointer.
Hard Candy in Gummy Green.

Let’s talk compliments. The receptionist at Scott Miller, one of Rochester’s premier salons, complimented me. Numerous customers with whom I work daily complimented me. My co-worker complimented me. …And it was only one nail. I painted just one nail–the pointer–with Gummy Green from their Candy Sprinkles line & my pointer commanded more respect than Stick Stickly. (There’s a ’90’s throwback that I bet that I’m the 1st to reference.)

Gummy Green lasted a good 5 days before it began to chip. With premier base & top. Just about 1-2 days below average when you go with the spend-polishes. We will see how long my Wet ‘n’ Wild Shine endures…

Save time

…

for the

Follow-Up

Post!

xo.

Shop Local. Made in America: Anthropologie Birthday Horray!

March 5, 2013 • Barbara Wilcox • Style

I am almost 30. Which would be a lot more accurate if we were dawning upon the eve of my 30th Birthday. Which we are not. Instead, I say the official foray into my late-20’s is close enough. Not that I view 30 as enemy territory. In fact, I view 30 & all things leading up as an excuse to act more adult. Which means using my 15% off Birthday gift to Express Ship expensive blouses from Anthropologie warehouse to my doorstep, before 28 years of celebration ensues, completely guilt-free. Post Script: Express Shipping is just $10 more. #worthit

Free Membership. 15% off. Free Standard Shopping.
Happy Birthday.

…Please tell me you know about the Anthropolgie Membership. It’s like a free $15 (min) every single year of the month you were born. (Clarification: I say $15 min b/c, let’s face it, we’re probably all spending 100+ even on a sale purchase from our fav designer-retailer.) On my birthday weekend, I normally brave the mall, head to Eastview, and purchase all Anthropolo-gifts in-store. (It’s about maximizing the 15% off, though the discount does come with free Standard Shipping!) This year, I’m hoofing it local. We’re talking ShopPeppermint & VOA. Still, I could not resist the pull of my free Anthro-dollar-ies.

Everything about this look.

I knew I’d buy only the dress or top that whispered sweet-nothings to me. When I saw the Gemma Lace Button down in blue, with its Virginia Woolf inspired edge and sweet & sexy lace, and when I saw that it is USA made, I knew it must be true. I’d found my birthday blouse. The best part about this Vanessa Virginia design is its versatility and timelessness. Office-chic, going-out ready. Classic lines, sturdy lace. A mature investment for a young, though maturing, wardrobe.

“Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.” -Virginia Woolf, “Orlando”

I picture dark skinnies, black booties, rhinestones & chains; pink/red/coral lip (take your pick), same hair, sleek bag, and a half-finished tattoo poking through…

Happy Birthday

fellow

Pisces.

♥