Island Living

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A lesson in Pearls

Seeing as it is the summer and I have a bit of down time- and a friend who works at the library- I have found myself checking out an abundance of books about fashion, textiles, art, etc. One book that looked intriguing to me was called "Icons" by Dodie Kazanjian. The author worked for Vogue while she wrote this book about fashions most iconic pieces (the little black dress, the Chanel suit, Manolos...and so on) one chapter that caught my eye was about PEARLS! Such an interesting shiny little expensive object!


I myself am not very cultured (haha get it?) when it comes to pearls so I was intrigued by everything I learned, and now I am going to pass it down to you! My faithful and loyal reader(s?). 


A natural pearl occurs when an irritant lodges itself into the body of an oyster, the oyster then protects itself by wrapping said irritant in layer after layer of nacre- nacre is that pretty iridescent substance that we have come to know as "pearl"


Cultured pearls have a man made irritant but other than that the pearl making process is exactly the same! Apparently pearl snobs call this "artificial insemination" however even pearl experts have a hard time distinguishing between natural and cultured pearls.


Since the highest trained eye can barely tell the difference between the two it's natural to wonder why some are more pricey than others. Well now I can tell you why! Pearls that have a heftier price tag have been in the oyster for years, inexpensive pearls have only been in the process for a couple of months and will not last long. The nacre in expensive pearls is a lot thicker, and will last a lot longer with the proper care. 


Unlike diamonds pearls do not last forever- and to date no pearl has held its luster for more than 500 years. Just like diamonds though- pearls will never ever go out of style!


Some fun little facts:


In some countries pearls are ground up and sold as medicine such as anti-wrinkle cream and nacre (pearls) are 90% calcium carbonate which is the main ingredient in Tums and Rolaids. Basically- pearls aint' gonna help you get rid of wrinkles


Wash your pearls with soap and water and dry them without rubbing them 


A pearl necklace should be restrung at least once a year because the silk thread gets dirty and disturbs the pearls "equilibrium" (which is tres tres delicate) 


Each years crop of pearls is different- like wine!


Pearls have their own grading system from A to AAA

Penny Lane

So I'm watching Almost Famous right now and I want nothing more than to transport back in time so I could dress like Penny Lane, or any of the other Band Aides. Fashion at that time was just so killer- QUICK I need a vintage shop ASAP ahhhh

101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle

Fashion Stylist and boutique owner Dawn Del Russo can now add author to her list of accomplishments (which also includes graduating from Parsons, styling celebrities, and being featured in magazines/ TV shows). If you aren't familiar with Dawn I highly recommend you check her out. Her boutique can be found online at http://www.belladawn.com/, and if you are into twitter she goes by DawnDelRusso.

Her book is called "101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle". I was psyched when she sent it to me to review! I love being able to take tips from those in the fashion world that I look up to so that I can apply them to my life.

This book is a compilation of tips that are meant to make girls and women not only look great, but feel great as well. Dawn offers up fun tips such as "Dress for a red carpet" She also includes healthy smart tips such as "Wear Sunscreen". Dawn also gives suggestions that are meant to make her readers more well rounded, worldly, and educated. That was important to me because looks can only get one so far in life. Two of my favorite pages in the book included the tips "Love Yourself" and "Be Yourself". There is nothing more glamorous than having a good self esteem and being true to yourself.

Overall this book offers up fun and creative ideas to improve your quality of life so that you are happy, healthy, and chic! I think this would make a great gift for a friend, family member, or even for yourself!

It can be purchased at Dawns boutique: http://retwt.me/fxym and at Amazon http://retwt.me/1gDNN

Image Via belladawn.com

Viktor and Rolf Paris Fashion week

Viktor and Rolf clearly had wild imaginations and illusions in mind for their Spring 2010 fashion show in Paris. I think it's really cool. Something I've never seen before. I wonder if any celeb would actually rock this look? We've all seen some crazy couture on the red carpet so you never know! Also- how KILLER are those heels? So beautiful for spring.
All Image via Coutourture

La Chambre

This is the collage I put together on and around my closet door. These are photos i've acquired from my favorite blogs and websites over time. I have a mixture of inspirational fashion, quotes, and artwork. I'm currently working on covering the entire wall behind my bed as well as finishing this little area. I love being able to see my favorite pictures everyday, it makes me happy. When one of my friends saw it she remarked "Oh I get it it's on your closet so you feel inspired when you go to pick out your clothes right?" Absolutely right !

love at 1st sight

Just ordered these "Lunia" over the knee boots from Nine West. LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! Cannot wait to get them and wear them!

They're back!

Although the first movie was a bit too cheesy at times I'm still psyched to see all of the girls on set and back in action. While some people are dying to hear the plot line I'm anticipating the spectacular fashion. Judging from these few photos, Patricia Field will not let me down (check out those purple studded shoes!). Though this movie won't be out for a long time the internet will satisfy my curiosity about the fashion on set.

Peter Cotton Tail

I wish I could rock out some bunny or mouse ears and look fabulous. 

Goodnight!

Random

Hello fashion lovers, Currently I am at the library passing the time doing a random assortment of things (printing stuff for class, facebooking, working on some internship projects). Having two hours between classes is sometimes tough to fill especially on the second day of class. Anywho happy September! I hope all of you in school are enjoying it and having fun. Here are some random pictures. I used the plotter yesterday (HUUUUGE printer at the library) to print out gorgeous fashion pics that I blew up in photoshop to collage my room. It looks pretty spiffy but it's not quite done yet, I'll post some pics when it is. Hmm I'm off track..well here are some of the pictures I used in my collage. Hope you like them!

One-Word Inspiration Behind the Collections

One word to describe their upcoming NYC fashion week collections...

"Fluid"

Diana Von Furstenberg

"Waves"

Thakoon

"Mediterranean"

Christian Siriano

"Oceanic"

Thom Browne

"Off-Shore"

Proenza Schouler

"Off-kilter"

Maria Cornejo, Zero + Maria Cornejo

"Perv"

Alexander Wang

"Edgy"

Vera Wang

"Evocative"

Jason Wu

"Disheveled"

Rag & Bone

"Techno"

Nicole Miller

"Structure"

Narciso Rodriguez

"Strength"

Alexandre Herchovitch

Let your imaginations run wild! Mine is!

Check out some more here:

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/08/one_word_spring_preview.html

Just for funzies...

Lovely Fashion. I am not a fan of her lifestyle (the drugs, the nannies taking care of the kids..etc) but her fashion sense is pretty great, I can give her that.

Fashion DOES rock

Lindsay Lohan for ELLE UK

Pretty fabulous, except for the whole sticking her hands in her mouth thing. She should retire that pose.

Cherry Cherry Cherry Boom Boom

Lady Gaga always has the most interesting ensembles. She really knows how to catch people off guard with her unique and interesting choices in clothing/makeup. Sometimes I'm not really sure how I feel about her fashion. Overall though I think she's most likely fabulous, and of course very daring.

Haute

Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2009 Haute Couture

Images via coutortue

Classic beauty

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and...I believe in miracles."- Audrey Hepburn

Finally got around to it

So I finally did it. I'm starting the fashion blog. I've been meaning to do this for quite some time but to be honest I don't know how to do this at all. So I'll just try my best. I hope I can provide a source of entertainment and quite possibly even some inspiration for my fellow fashion lovers. If anyone has tips or advice I'd greatly appreciate it. Here are a few items I've got my eyes on... 

Free People Leggings, ASOS Top, Betsey Johnson Teddy Bear Necklace,  Dr.Martens boots