Street Style : Military Inspired Coat

I feel the need to apologize because I haven't posted in 4 EVER...sorry. But what can I say ? Life has been crazy busy , between school and well.. school. Fashion Design is no joke.
I just finished tailoring, which is creating suits/ coats/ etc. What a lot of hand stitching and pressing, I thought maybe I would die. I also draft my own patterns, and there is a lot of pieces involved with a coat.

BUT it pays off.. sh*t looks professional
So for my final tailoring project I made this coat. I am obsessed with monochromatic colors  and military inspired clothes, and the easy going street style with a cool edge.

Deats 

 It's a olive coat, box silhoulette , with a edwardian collar (seen on trench coats). The sleeves are brown leather, 2pc#1 sleeve , with top stitching for a detail. Leather welt pockets , leather buttons, and exposed zippers for a design feature.
 I drafted all of these coat pieces, along with the interfacing and lining pieces.

Construction

I want to breakdown the construction, I'll try to generalize so it won't get confusing.

     I realized that I am more detail oriented then I thought. EVERYTHING is hand sewn in this coat.  All the outer edges of this coat had to be interfaced, which is hand sewn with several different types of stitches. The coat is also fully lined,  coat lining and sleeve linings, also hand stitched in the coat.And hand made shoulder pads. There is hand stitched interfacing in the hem and the lining is hand stitched to the hem also.

 The exposed zippers are functional, and adds a little something to the coat. Talk about nerve racking trying to get the zippers to appear even (which they are). This was challenging because I had to separate my lining and interfacing pieces, so when you unzipped the zippers they wouldn't show.

Leather touches, I chose double welt pockets for this coat. I beleieve working with real leather probably would have been easier. Leather does not want to press, and kinda does what it wants. So forcing the leather welts to be the same width was a challenge.

Topstitching for the leather sleeves. I used a denim needle and wax paper, and marked my rows and stitched using a smaller stitch length. It really gave the sleeves some texture and suddenly made them look cool and exspensive.

What really makes a home made tailoring project look professional is top stitching. I bet on all of your coats/ suits you can find topstitching. It helps gives a polished finished look, and helps everything lie flat. So around my collar, lapels, CF, and hem I have top stitching.

Number one key to tailoring is to PRESS as you go. If you are not pressing you are screwed.

Bottom line I love this coat,I love that it's edgy, and totally me. More projects are coming up , I promise to make more of an effort to post.
Here are some photos .
-xoxo JT

#DIY #DVDS

       I have to admit that summer does get boring...but I do not believe in wasting my days. If I'm not working or hanging out with my boyfriend, I am making things. Whoa do I sound like a loser or what. Anyways I was scrolling through pinterest and saw this cute diy project. All you had to do is use old Dvds or CDs and put them on collars of any shirt. Here are the steps.

You'll need :

• Some old Dvds or CDs
• Scissors
• super glue or fabric glue
• A shirt

1. Bring water to a boil and put the cds/ dvds in there, let boil for five minutes.
   

2.Remove the Dvd/CDs and let them dry

3.Cut the Dvd in half and carefully split it open ( it should break in two parts)

4.Cut the Dvds/CDs into triangle shapes or squares

5.Grab your glue and place them on your shirt !

Notes:

• When placing the pieces on your shirt be careful of your finger prints ! Since the Dvds were boiled it makes the shiny surface very sensitive. The fingerprints won't come off and if you try to wipe it off, it will scratch away the shiny surface.
• Be careful with the glue because if it touches the shiny surface it will wash off.
• Also make sure the glue does not get on the shirt in spots it doesn't need to be.
• Take your time ! It took me three hours, but that was because of trial and error. *pulls hair*

There are many ways to wear this shirt ! I played with different outfits ! Hashtag stop abusing the skater skirt, wear that s*** right. Happy blogging . 

xoxo -JT

P.S. this is my throwing shade face

Dressing it up !

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The casual look

Spring Candy

What's the icing on the cake to your perfect spring wardrobe ? Jewelry . How you chose to accessorize can make or break your outfit, you can't do too much and you also can't do to little.There are two types of offenders, the over accessorizer and the under accessorizer .
The over accessorizer has too much going on, they usually have on a necklace, matching earrings , bangles, a scarf, and rings. All of that is just too much , unless done right. But about 99% of people don't do it right, so just don't attempt. An over accessorizer  is a murderer, because all of that excess jewelry kills the outfit, takes away from it. All I'm wondering is what made you think that was okay?
An under accessorizer are less common, but they are out there. They can wear a cute outfit or plain and have no accessories at all ! Where's the spice? Your outfit is crying.
What kind of accessories you should be looking for this spring are bubblegum colors. Pastel colors are what's in for spring and can help accent your outfits.  Bubblegum color jewelry help create a softer look , and if that's your style then I suggest you go shop at Aldo Accessories or forever 21.BUT it can also add a edge to your look, if you get a massive chain with pink accents. If soft colors isn't your thing then try neon. I love chains that are dipped in neon pink and yellow. Something to add a little risk to your look. I'm going XL for spring , all my chains , earrings and bracelets are huge. I'm going big or going home. I just got this chain from Aldo accessories and I can't wait to flaunt it. I never thought that jewelry could make your mouth water, but it's possible.
-xoxo JT

My new baby, can't wait to wear this outfit !!

Closer look at my necklace

All from Aldo Accessories 

Spring Fling

Yes , I'm already spring shopping and I cannot wait for this look to arrive at my door ! My spring wardrobe theme is neon, from the clothes, shoes, and accessories. I am also obsessed with anything made out of jersey material, it's just so perfect. What's your spring inspiration ? -xoxo JT

You've Struck Gold: The Thrift Store

Never underestimate a thrift store, you'll never believe what you'll find. Some people are just plain snobs when it comes to a thrift store. Used clothes ?! *gasp* But guess what , all of my clothes that I get the most compliments on are from *gasp*, a thrift store. And I am not the only one who goes thrifting, celebrities do it to. Such as Miguel, Elle Varner, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rachel Zoe ( celebrity stylist ). It's like panning for gold, you get a lot of junk but sometimes you find something great. You have to be patient and really love to shop, because going to a thrift store requires a lot of digging. Thrift stores are a place for fashion forward people and vintage lovers, because you can find some really timeless pieces. I'll never reveal where my thrift store is, find another gold mine for yourselves haha.

If you plan to go to the thrift store here's some tips :

• Don't get overwhelmed, have a idea of what you're looking for.
• Give the clothes a chance, if it seems crazy and different just buy it ! It's only three or four dollars but it could become a key item in your wardrobe.
• Look at everything, never leave a rock unturned, cause you might miss something that could be great.
• If something is damaged, like a missing button or a little tear, you can fix it !
•  Wash everything you buy before wearing it 
• Don't buy underwear, bras, lingerie, socks, bathing suits, sheets, and towels.

Here's some of my favorite thrift store items ! Good luck and happy thrifting ! - xoxo JT

My Ootd with a thrift store shirt, only 4 $

My favorite jumper and I added new buttons!

 

Fav cardigan only 4 $  

Fashion & Movies

Costumes help tell a story, without costumes a movie or play would be boring , confusing, and just plain dumb. I always wanted to be the head costume designer of a movie, and finally my chance is here. It's a short film with two men at a bar, and I want to nail it.

The hardest thing about being a costume designer is making sure your vision is the same as the director's. Sure you get to go shopping and have total freedom, but it has to do the character justice. So yea there is a lot of pressure to pull this off , even if it's just costumes for two guys at a bar.  I always want to do good job , I guess I am  perfectionist in that way. It's
cool that I get paid to shop, cause everybody knows I love money and shopping !

Azztec Fur Coat

Creating things can be a long process, and at some points I ask my self is it all worth it ? But when you finish what your making , it's amazing to see what you've done. To be able to say ' yea I made it' and impress other people, that feeling is the best. It's one of the reasons what keeps me going, what makes me continue to sew and create.

 This here is my winter coat I just finished, it took me about two weeks. I normally don't make things for myself but I really wanted to make my own coat ! I added my own style into the coat by adding the fur details to the sleeves, and different colors of the buttons. I'm really happy with the end result, and can't wait to wear it out in this crazy Cleveland weather.
-xoxoJT