How to Cultivate Eclectic Personal Style (a Cheat Sheet)

I was flipping through this book recently, and was struck by the way the author described "eclectic" style. She broke the book down into chapters, each featuring a different style: "Bohemian," "classic," etc. But, when she got to eclectic, she described it as being a combination of different styles.

Basically, you go through life, experimenting, changing your style every few years. Maybe you're a bit punk in high school, but by college you are more Bohemian, and after that you start to get into minimalism. Eventually, you have your own, unique, "eclectic" style comprised of all the best parts of each genre. You kept the leather jacket from your punk phase, and your favorite maxi skirt from your bohemian phase, and now you wear them both with a breton top from your minimalism phase. That's eclectic style!

Wow, I thought, that's such a good description of how personal style can evolve!

I have so many reference points for my own style, from designers to movies to characters in books! Sometimes I full-on embrace the character I'm feeling that day and dress 100% nautical or 100% grunge. But, more often than not, I combine a few seemingly contradictory references into one outfit.

Here are some of my favorite examples from past outfit posts.

Farmer meets Rockabilly

The rockabilly elements of this outfit (leather, nipped-in waist, saddle oxfords) are grounded by the country sensibility of a gingham button-down.

Heidi meets Western

The heidi braids are a nice contrast to the denim-on-denim look of this "Texas tuxedo."

Punk meets Romantic

This is a combination I wear a lot. I love to tone down a tiered dress with a leather jacket or dress up a band tee with a floral skirt. As opposites, these two styles work together in perfect, balanced harmony.

Military meets Garden Party

A casual, olive-green jacket makes a silky floral dress more appropriate for daytime. Add tights, and you've got a way to wear a summer dress in the colder months. 

Casual meets Glamorous

Another great example of how contrasting elements can make an evening piece daytime appropriate: a white t-shirt is the perfect counterpoint to a sequin skirt. 

Sporty meets High Fashion

What can I say? Sometimes, you get the urge to wear Versace to the tennis court. Versace for H&M, but still. 

'20s meets '50s 

Era mixing is a great way to keep vintage clothing from looking like a costume. Here, a '50s cardi gives shape to a fringed flapper dress. 

DI(fr)Yday: How to make a spike studded friendship bracelet (AKA: "frenemy bracelet")

I've been wanting to make a studded friendship bracelet for a long time, but I didn't want to use just any old studs, I wanted some serious spikes. So, I ordered some online and got to work.

Since I was using screw-back spikes, I wove the bracelet around the spikes and then tightened them with a screw driver when I finished. But if you're using traditional studs (like these for example), you can weave the bracelet and add the studs after. 

I do, however, highly recommend the high-impact look of some serious spikes like these ones. The final product is a friendship bracelet with edge. As such, I've taken to calling it my "frenemy bracelet."

To balance out the large spikes, I made my bracelet about twice as wide as a normally would. The method is just a traditional chevron weave (you can find lots of tutorials on youtube if you don't remember from high school) but I used two doubled over lengths of each color. 

Here's how you can make your own . . .

01. Measure two lengths of six colors of embroidery floss. Each length should be as long as your arm from shoulder to fingertip. I chose a mix of colors that I thought would be good for fall. But, if you want to use fewer colors, just use more lengths of floss. Double over the floss and tie a knot. Secure it by taping it down to a table or gripping with a clipboard. 

02. Organize the floss so that you have from left to right: 

two strands of color 1, two strands of color 2, two strands of color 3, two strands of color 4, two strands of color 5, four strands of color 6, two strands of color 5, two strands of color 4, two strands of color 3, two strands of color 2, two strands of color 1.

03. Begin to weave a chevron design. As I said, youtube has lots of tutorials for this part. Video will give you a better idea of how to do it than I ever could with photos. 

04. When you've completed stripes of 4 colors, add a spike and continue weaving, making sure to know the next row of floss tight around the spike. In another six stripes (between the same two colors as your last spike), add another spike. Add a third another six stripes on, and end your bracelet a few stripes after that at your desired length. 

05. Finish the bracelet by braiding the remaining floss into two braids, knotting and trimming it, and tightening the spikes with a screwdriver. 

07. Wear your frenemy bracelet with pride! You just DIYed a one-of-a-kind statement piece!

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Fictional Fashion Icon: Kate from United States of Tara

Photo source: seat42f.com

I love it when a character has a clear sense of style. Even when that style is far from my own, I always appreciate the efforts of a crew that makes what a character wears such a fun and telling part of the story. This month's Fictional Fashion Icon is clearly the product of such a crew.

When United States of Tara first begins, Kate is in high school, and her style is a pretty straightforward punk ballerina look, comprised of fishnets and tulle skirts with skulls on them; pretty much the kind of stuff you would find at Hot Topic.

Photo source: everyjoe.com

Photo source: tvfanatic.com

Photo source: community.flixster.com

Photo source: halvardhenry.blogg.no

But, as she grows up, her style evolves into something more complex, though still reflective of her rebellious spirit and creative confidence.

Photo source: tv.com

Photo source: paperlings.tumblr.com

Photo source: knityorkcity.com

Photo source: tumblr.com/tagged/kate+gregson

Just like Belle, she's a girl who loves costumes and knows the erotic power they can possess.

Photo sources: tvworthwatching.com and movieweb.com

Photo source: knityorkcity.com

Photo source: coolspotters.com

In fact, Kate enjoys playing dress up in her everyday life too. For example, when she gets an office job, she is at first reluctant the submit to the strict corporate dress code, but soon realizes the opportunity to make work clothes her own with an over-the-top and supremely cute take on office wear.

Photo source: knityorkcity.com

Photo source: knityorkcity.com

Photo source: tumblr.com/tagged/kate+gregson

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DI(fr)Yday: How to make a punk rock shirt with spray paint and stencils

For this week's DI(fr)Yday, I'm making punk rock shirts for myself and Ryan. I've made a step-by-step tutorial so you too can customize and make one for yourself or a loved one.

Step 1: Gather supplies. You will need:

- Shirts (I picked a thrifted blue work shirt for Ryan's Clash-inspired look and a black Hanes v-neck for mine.)

- Spray paint in desired colors (I used gold for mine, partly because it's nicely symbolic of capitalism and partly because I have some left over from this project.)

- Paper bags, cardboard, or newspapers (to keep the paint from bleeding through to the other side of the shirt)

- Tape

- Stencils (You can buy them as I did or make your own if you are so inclined. I used 2-inch stencils for my shirt, 1-inch ones for the front of Ryan's, and 5-inch ones for the back.)

Step 2: Arrange stencils.

- After placing a paper bag or similar between the layers of your shirt to prevent bleeding, arrange stencils to spell out your message. Band names or lyrics are a good way to go. My shirt say "Capitalism stole my virginity," which is the name of at (International) Noise Conspiracy song, as well as just a really cool thing for a shirt to say. For Ryan's shirt, inspired by The Clash's 1979 Tour, I used his birth year 1981.

- Tape the stencils in place so they won't blow away with the force of the spray paint. You can use double sided tape and hide it under the stencil if you don't want the tape lines to show. For mine, however, I wanted as messy and haphazard a look as possible, so I allowed the tape to show and arranged the letters a bit wonky.

Step 3: Spray paint.

- Follow the instructions on the can. Mine advises shaking the can for a full two minutes, holding it about six inches from the surface, and waiting two hours before handling. I did this in the garage to prevent fumes from gassing up the whole house; I recommend it. I also recommend dancing around to Ramones' songs while shaking up your spray paint as it makes the whole process much more enjoyable.

Step 4: Arrange more stencils and spray once again.

- If a stencil needs to be repeated and you only have one, you will need to spray the full message in steps, waiting for the paint to dry before moving the stencil and spraying again. Take care to keep the area where the stencil will be moved clean when you do the first layer of paint. See below for an example of how I moved the 1 on Ryan's shirt for a second coat.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. Remember to stay calm and just roll with it. Things don't have to be perfect for this project to work. In fact, the more imperfect you shirt is, the more punk rock it will be.

P.S. All the while I was making these shirts, I was watching Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth version). Mine is a life of contrasts. :)

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Jekyll and Hyde fashion

Watching stylelikeu.com's videos (which I've been doing obsessively lately) has lead me to contemplate how I would describe my own sense of style. If I were interviewed, like the people in the videos, how would I explain the Death to the Pixies shirt hanging opposite the vintage sailor dress, the sleeveless denim jacket that I like to pair with floral dresses, the combat boots that share space on the closet floor with not one but two pairs of ballet-inspired shoes featuring pink satin ribbons that lace up my ankles (flats and espadrilles)?

But to me it makes perfect sense. I have a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde since of fashion. I love girly things like lace, pearls, and floral, but I also love androgynous things like men's vests, suspenders, and tuxedo shirts. To me, it's the mixing of these opposing aesthetic elements that creates and balance of yin and yang in my outfits. I like to temper a ruffly dress with a punky studded belt, and tone down the sexiness of a mini skirt by pairing it with Converse high tops.

Here are some examples:

Girly shoes and a short skirt are paired with a menswear vest.

An otherwise boyish outfit is made feminine with a floral skirt.

My boyfriend's jeans look ladylike when paired with a Chanel-inspired jacket and sparkly heels.