One classic look that comes back every year is the trench coat. They look sleek, classic, and every woman out there can pull them off. They come in different lengths, colors, and patterns. The best part is, you can use them year after year after year.
(I found this picture at http://www.missbimbo.com/)
While I already own a black and a gray, I have been on the look out for a gem toned trench coat. This year, I am adding a violet purple to my coat closet. Purple is my favorite color and it will make any outfit look more stylish. If you haven't already bought yours for the year, check out the ones that our designers offer at Bcat Threads!
It's October, and for all you festive people out there, its time to start thinking about Halloween and your Halloween costume. Unfortunetly, I will not be dressing up this year, for I will be responsible for handing out candy to the little kiddies around our block. I have taken on this responsiblity, though, because it will be the first year that I will actually get a trick-or-treater at my door since living at home with my parents. Having a house facing a neighborhood street is a first, and I sure am excited! So, rather than spending time and money on a costume this year, I will be spending it on decorating the house with jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, and goblins.
Since the beginning of my life, creating your own costume has always been the way to do it. I have never worn a store bought costume, except one time in my early 20's when I was going out with my girlfriends 3 days in a row and ran out of time (it was a pirate costume). The most fun costumes I ever see come from the ones who take a chance and create their own. Check out my costumes from the first years of my life, thought you might enjoy that I am sharing:
I believe I am suppose to be a Cabbage Patch in the first pic, and my mom looks to be something scary (although, I don't look too scared of her). The next is Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (from Wizard of Oz) and not quite sure what my brother is, the third is Dolly Parton (haha, pretty sure I had nothing to do with that one), and the last is a witch, although I think my brother's clown costume has me beat this year.
Although I am sharing my childhood costumes, I don't think this holiday is for children only. We adults need to have fun dressing up, too!! So, if you are getting out of the house for Halloween this year, be creative! Don't buy your costume, make it! It is so much more fun and allows you to use so much more of your imagination. And, don't be scared to look a little scary. We've seen enuf naughty nurses, naughty cops, naughty Strawberry Shortcakes...(get my point). Have fun!!
In the last month or so, I have finally been back in action and designing some pieces for the fall/winter season. I know I'm a little late, but in my eyes, its better to design some late in the season than to not have any at all. When Jennafer Grace caught wind of my new pieces, she asked to use them in a photo shoot that she had planned with photographer, Damian Nuñez Villaseñor, and model, Stephanie Sandoval. He sent a sneak peak of what to expect of the pictures from the rest of the shoot and I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised.
Jennafer Grace did an amazing job styling the shoot, and of course, the photographer and model did terrific as well. I can't wait to see the touched up pictures :)
To see the denim circle skirt and sheer black blouse, check out our store. Both designs are by Brooke Catherine. Bcat Threads Online Boutique!!
Brooke Catherine, Jennafer Grace, M.dot Studio, Radokri, and Lovey have all added new products to the store. We have all been working hard to prepare for the upcoming fall season by adding new designs, check them out today!! You will love what you see. Click here, or click on any pictures to take you to our new products!!
Simple White and Pink Wedding Dress by Lovey
Peacock Shoe Clips by Radokri
Signature Shorts by M.dot Studio
Many, Many more new products listed here!
Thanks to friends of mine, I attended the 33rd Annual "Haute for Heart" Fashion Show and Luncheon last weekend. It was a benefit luncheon to raise money for St. Madeline Sophie's Center which "serves adults with developmental disabilities". The event was well put on with a huge silent auction, opportunity gift baskets, a scrumptious luncheon, and best of all, a fashion show! The fashion show was organized by fashion show producer, Leonard Simpson, who showcased local boutiques and fashion designers.
One of the segments in the show included Five Loaves Two Fish by Kit Frye and Heather Haas. They showcased a fine collection of children's clothing, adding in pieces for adults. Their segment was so fun to watch. Whose heart doesn't melt when you see young models walking the runway and strutting their stuff.
Other designer segments included The Lewis Lattimore Collection by Bob Eix, Juelerie by Pamela Pogue, Q Couture by Qadir Hamidi, and Fuegorosa by Olga Cecilia. I was able to capture a shot from Fuegorosa that I thought turned out quite lovely. She went above and beyond, thinking through every detail of each model as they walked the runway. Face masks, hair pieces, and all the models walked in 3's, posing slowly and perfectly to fit their design. It was a hit!
Overall, I think the event and the entire fashion show was very entertaining. The men I was with, who don't typically find fashion very interesting, also enjoyed watching everything for it was new and different and they could see that each of the pieces used on the runway were special and very creative.
M. Dot will be having a HUGE BACK TO SCHOOL SALE on AUGUST 22. 2010. (SUNDAY) Valley Girl Vintage will be also joining M. Dot with this BACK TO SCHOOL SALE !!! They will be having $5 dollar bins and huge discounts throughout the whole store. Clearing out for M. DOT FALL 2010 !!!
Please swing by for some fabulous finds!!! Flier is attached for more details.
Location: 920 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101 (Library Lofts) Time: 11am to 5pm
Chocolate Cherries has added some new and super adorable pieces to her collection. There are some bikinis, cute and flirty dresses, and more. Check out all of her pieces today to get one for yourself. Not only does she cater to every size, but she offers most of her pieces in other colors made to your specifications. They are all worth checking out and telling your friends about, too.
As some of you already know, I have been starting to dabble a bit into designing for Mini-Me's. I've been considering the fashion trends popular with adults and interweaving them into children's designs. While designing altogether has been lacking in my studio, I am starting to get creative again and design new pieces, starting with the younger crowd. My cousin, an avid Bcat Threads follower had asked me a while back to design a dress for her daughter's one year pictures. She gave me an open slate to work with, asking only that it would be purple, which is her favorite color. I took on the custom order excitedly knowing that I needed to start creating new pieces and that I wanted to attempt some children's pieces, so it was the perfect opportunity for me.
I started the process by scoping out purple fabrics to see what caught my eye. I took in to consideration that the dress was going to be used for pictures and what I have learned through photo shoots and fashion shows is that what looks best in front of a camera or on a runway is usually shiny or sparkley and typically something that gives a "wow factor" when in person. I took this idea and decided to look for fabrics with shimmer. I settled with a few different color variations of silk shantung, some tulle (to add a little puff), and some lace for a little added touch if needed.
When I got back to the studio, I brainstormed, sketched and began the patternmaking process. In the end, I came up with a assymmetrical top with ruffles, a puffy circle skirt and lace trim to added the last needed look to the whole. Here is it on the hanger:
Since this custom dress was ordered from across the country and I don't know of any other children her age to fit it to, I had to take my precautions in sizing the patterns very precisely to ensure that this dress would fit. Even after checking and double-checking, I was still a little nervous to send the dress without seeing it on a body. As with all custom pieces, I get a case of the nervous jitters, hoping the customer will like it and it will fit well. Well, today, I got an email about the dress. My cousin loved it and sent a pic to show me that it fits perfectly.
It sure looks like she likes the skirt, for its full enough for her to grab and play with. Looks like my job here is done and I am happy to have been a part of the whole process of this darling little girl's 1 year old pictures.
Bcat Threads is proud to announce a new featured designer to our site. Her line is called M.Dot Design Studio. She designs feminine clothing with vintage flair. I have been honored to add this new line to our store as well as become friends with the designer, Michelle. Check out her line here! The designer has a heart of gold and a rather large passion for design. You can sense it just by looking at a few of her pieces. Go and get yours today!
Radokri has new fashionable new hair and shoe clips to our store and we are so excited about them. As usual, she has perfected the soft touch and beautiful look of hair accessories. They look so beautiful and have been very popular with brides all over the country. Check out her section in the store to find your perfect piece.
This last Sunday was the "Garden Social and Fashion Show" that I took part in. It might have been one of the funnest of all the fashion show/trunk shows I had been involved with. The students at Fashion Careers College, who were all students of Tanya McAnear of Bad Madge Productions, produced a fashion show for their final assignment in the class. I think they did a great job, for they not only styled the show, but organized the catwalk, the models, and set up for the crowd to be comfortable while they enjoyed the show. They pulled clothes from myself, Jennafer Grace, and M dot. They put may different looks down the runway and you could see the excitement in the eyes of all the spectators as the models walked the runway. During the event, the other designers and myself held a trunk show/ small boutique buying area for customers to browse pieces after they saw them on the runway.
As the models walked the runway, Miss McAnear spoke over an old school intercom system that just added to the special touch of the special event. I even took a pic of it because I thought it looked so neat, and it really worked!
And, while everyone was sitting and enjoying the show, Alexis Lytle of "Gimme Cupcakes" was serving her very own vegan, organic cupcakes, along with FCC students who were hosting a champagne and lemonade bar
Check out all the pictures from the event by clicking on any of the pictures in this blog, or click here for pictures from the fashion show!
Everyone in the OC area, mark your calendars for August 13th at 5:00pm to see Molly B Bikinis walking down the runway. She is the only swimwear designer from San Diego who will be repping her line in this big event, if you are in the area, check out the flyer and make an appearance!
Hippie Chic always seems to pop up in every season of fashion, but always in small doses. You'll see hippie tunics one season, ponchos the next, and bead work soon after. I always enjoy watching what will come next because I've always enjoyed a blast from the past, especially when it comes to the fashion of hippie love. In the last couple seasons we've noticed headbands and maxi dresses, along with hippie skirts and rompers. What will it be for the fall season this year?
Bell Bottoms!!
I am noticing the runways and celebrities alike sporting bell bottoms everywhere. Stores are starting to carry a style or two of the look, and soon they will be flooding the stores. I admit, I'm a bit excited. As I look in my closet and notice that my denim section needs a major overhaul, I will be excited to add bell bottoms to the collection and wear them on an almost daily basis. I do love my skinny jeans and won't be getting rid of them any time soon, but the contrast of looks will allow me to play much more with the other pieces I have hanging in my closet that haven't got any attention in a while. Hooray for the comeback of Bell Bottoms and Wide Legged Jeans!!
A while back I talked about how I had moved my design studio from my old house to the new. See blog post here. I said I was going to share the finished product, and that is just what I am doing today. Unfortunetly, I don't have a picture from my old studio to compare it to the new studio, but trust me when I say, it was much more organized and well thought out. Here is looking from the view when you walk in. You see alot of white and some bare walls, but it is just what I needed so that I didn't feel that I was surrounded with clutter. Simple and Clean.
I have organized drawers for everything that I use, from pencils and paper to buttons and zippers. They all have their own place and each drawer is hidden behind the doors of the cabinet or the curtains of the closet. It works perfectly!
Simplicity at its finest. Don't you think? :)
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