Twenties' Rose Garden

     Latest set on Polyvore --

Twenties' Rose Garden by elavria

Summer Morning

     Hello, everybody! While I'm still gathering stuff for my post on beach accessories, here's one of my polyvore posts (using another's template).

Summer Morning

     Until next time!

Discovered Polyvore

     Elen sila lumen omentielvo*, all! Just the other day, I discovered something fun called Polyvore.
Naturally, I decided to play with it in a manner that is very true to my inner Elf. Enjoy!

The Mrs. Legolas by Elavria on Polyvore

    

     * JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

     Coming soon. . . Beach post on swimsuits!

Movie Costumery-- Nancy Drew (FINALLY...)

     Today's post is going to be about the Nancy Drew movie that came out in 2007. One of the really cool things about this movie was that it seemed to make fun of the average teenager, and praise those who truly were "weird." All too often, teenage protagonists in movies are not much different from the stereotypical high school kid. That is what made this movie so refreshingly different.
     In this movie, Nancy's dress is very different from that of her schoolmates. And although most of her clothes were just a little bit outdated, she had some really cute things. Take this camel-colored coat, for instance.

     It's a simple, double-breasted coat. As it is, I adore coats and wish people would wear them more often, but putting that aside.... One of the really nice things about this coat is its simplicity. A classic coat will go with everything. It also will last you a long time (if it is of good quality) and not go out of style. Coats are just plain expensive, so if you're going to buy one, you'd might as well buy a good one that you can wear with everything. As far as colors go, you don't have to stick to just beige and black. Brown, grey, navy blue, and red are also good. That's the funny thing about coats: you can get them in a number of colors, and they'll still work. It's because they cover up a good portion of your outfit to begin with. As to the length of a given coat, here is a good rule of thumb: if you're wearing pants, your coat should ideally be no more than knee-length; whereas with a skirt or dress, it should be at least knee-length. It's not the end of the world if this rule is broken (believe me, those of us without enough cash to get one in each length break it all the time), but it's better if followed.

     Another fun thing you can do with coats is pins. Lapel pins and brooches are great because they add an extra touch to an otherwise plain coat, and can be changed as often as you like.

     Scarves will also do that, but I will put that discussion off to a later date.

The Apple of My Eye

     Accessory time! With jewelry and the like for you, you really want to pull the attention to any place but the torso (particularly the midriff). Therefore, bright, large accessories that stand out will be good choices. Large necklaces, long earrings, long scarves, short scarves that are more like neckerchiefs, etc.

     When most people hear "large, bright," they tend to think "loud and gaudy." Sometimes this is true, but not always. There are come rather classy accessories out there that are quite large. You just need to get out there and look. :-)

     I was able to find you some really cool examples of apple-phile accessories:

     Wedge heels will also look good on you. Don't pick skinny shoes or skinny heels-- they are hard to walk in, and will not flatter you as well as other shoe types. Again, with the long theme, long-strap purses will be better for you than hobo-style bags.

     Well, that just about wraps up my say on apples for now. Next, we'll finally delve into movies!

The Summer's Last Strawberry

     Now for the fun stuff: accessories! In order to draw attention away from the upper torso, strawberries should go for long-strap purses, and shoes that stand out. Shoes with buckles, beadwork, etc. Colored shoes can be good too. Stay away, though, from stilettos and platform shoes. These will not flatter you, but in fact do the opposite.



      I would also be careful with head ornaments, at least with the ones that are closer to your face. I'm not saying "Don't wear any earrings or headbands," but I am advising you to be especially unostentatious with them. Same thing with necklaces. Bulky ones will only add more volume up top, but average-size ones that can look fabulous.

     Next fruit on the menu-- apple.

Staples-R-Us, Part 2

     Back to the list of stuff that I command you--- er, advise you--- to own.

5. Belts. Everybody needs at least one. They don't just hold pants up. They can be used to
             complete an outfit, whether by being worn with a shirt that is tucked in, or on top
             of a dress or long shirt. Naturally, the best for versatility are black and brown
             leather belts. As to the thickness, that depends upon you. Long-waisted people
             need thicker belts than those with short waists. It just looks better that way.

6. Purses.

          A. Dark neutral (preferably black)

          B. Light neutral (such as beige; white is more likely to get soiled)

7. Jewelry

          A. Earrings

                      1. Plain gold studs/hoops

                      2. Plain silver studs/hoops

                      3. Rather plain pearl earrings, either tear-drop or studs

          B. Watch. Be it leather, silver, or gold, a good watch is always important to have.

          C. Necklaces

                      1. Fairly simple gold

                      2. Fairly simple silver

                      3. Pearl, the length of which is up to you, but I find that it is more useful
                          to have only a shorter one than to have only a longer one.

         D. Bracelets. Some people are really into bracelets, but I am not. This is partly
              because I find that they are hard to put on, get in your way, and don't
              work terribly well with long sleeves. If you like to wear bracelets often,
              then I suggest following what I wrote for necklaces. Bangles work very
              well if they are properly made, thin, and simple. Gold and silver
             bangles are sure to compliment dozens of outfits, whether worn singly or five
             at a time.

8. Hair stuff

         A. Assorted hairpins. These are indispensible for medium and long hair. They
              can be used for so many things. Just make sure to get the kind that have
              rounded edges, and that match your hair color pretty well.

        B. Barrettes. You are never too old for them.

        C. Hairties. I find that the ones that have no metal-- and thus claim to be snag
             -free-- stretch out VERY easily. At least the thin ones do.

        D. Headbands. There are many different kinds of headbands, from the basic
             type, to the kind that have strips of fabric on the end so you can tie them
            and then drape the ends over your shoulder. If you have bangs, you
            probably want to wear them in front of the headband, and not back with
            the rest of your hair. (Unless, of course, you are wearing a headband
            precisely for the purpose of keeping those bangs out of the way.)