Nhemesis

Remember Ella?

Here are some pics from her Construction process.

My Grand Auntie has her own dress making business. People wait months for her to make a dress for them.

Working on Ella's Sister. She went ahead and made a similar dress with the pink silk we found.

She is super fast & skilled. She has been making dresses for over 30 years.

Hand stitching on the sleeves for temporary placement before she sews it permanently on with her machine.

Checking the zipper!

Alterations after the first fitting.

Her amazing old fashioned machine. It is manually turned by a pedal by her foot.

Ella is almost finished!

With just a few more alterations left, Ella will be ready to wear!

I have been a very bad blogger. I will blame my laziness on adjusting to my new life in Cambodia…thats a good excuse right?!

I will admit, my passion for fashion has fizzled in the past few months. I suppose it is adjusting to living a lifestyle that just doesn’t require me to dress up. I mean I am either at work or at a coffee shop reading cracked.com or huffington post. Not very conducive to my inner fashionista.
However, 2012 is presenting itself to be the year to get married! (I guess because the world is ending.) There are 3 weddings…all very important people in my life….and I need dresses! Of course it is impossible for me to find dresses here because my body is ginormous compared to my fellow Cambodian sisters….besides the fact that my boobs can’t fit into anything here without looking horribly smushed/deformed.

So the next option is getting a dress tailor-made. Why not!?

Follow me on my journey for the perfect cocktail dress for my friends spring wedding!

Step 1: Inspiration

There are 3 things I love.
1. Audrey Hepburn
2. Marilyn Monroe
3. Being a girl

Naturally my designs will be girly, feminine, flirty, and classic.

Step 2: Design
I kept in mind that this particular dress is for an outdoor spring wedding. So i wanted the dress to be fun and flirty. Nothing too formal.
I went with a sweetheart neckline and tea length (above the knee). I hate strapless bc of armpit cleavage.

Meet Ella. She's my first dress. Does this count as designing?

Step 3: Measurements and Fabric Selection
Met with my Grand Auntie who will actually be constructing the dress. She took my measurements for my little dress…and then I went off to buy fabric!
I know I wanted a stiff and slightly thick fabric. This type of fabric will hold the dress’ shape better! and won’t be clingy in places i don’t want it to be!
We ended up buying a pale blue Thai silk. 2.5 meters. $12 per 1 meter. While at the fabric store, I found a beautiful blue Khmer lace to overlay on top of the skirt. Hopefully there will be enough lace to include in the bodice. I hope it comes out as adorable as I am imagining it to be!

I also fell in love with a pale pink…think a more feminine girly hot pink….a pink that Marilyn Monroe & Grace Kelly’s baby would wear…and bought 2.5 meters of that…for the next dress I decide to make…ideas?

So now I am waiting for the next step…the fitting and alterations!

Stay tuned!!

Since relocating to my lovely new residence of Cambodia, I already know the one thing I will look forward to when I visit the states, besides visiting friends and family, is the crisp cold weather of the winter months. And what better to enjoy the chilly temperature in then Jumpin Jammerz!

You may be asking, What are Jumpin Jammerz? My answer to you, Only the coolest, can’t live without article of clothing ever created! A Onesie for adults! Complete with a hoodie, thumb-holes, and built in feet holes! A snuggie but better!

Pink Rubber Duckies!

Snowflakes and Penguins....what else says winter?!

Boys aren't excluded in the fun!

I stumbled upon the existence of Jumpin Jammerz, when I was stalking Ryan Gosling on youtube. (He is also on my Cute Things I Want list.)

Check it out!

Add it to my Cute Things I Want list!

Stumbled across a couple short films showcasing 2 designers. One loved by myself, Chloe. The other loved by Keith (my older brother who knows about all the menswear designers unfamiliar to me), Billy Reid.

For those unfamiliar to the two, the short films perfectly describe the styles of each brand.

Chloe is an uber feminine brand which started in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, who is often described as a free spirited, Egyptian born, dark haired beauty. Chloe as a brand appeals to any 20-35 year old, who is feminine, romantic, a little boho, and a little mischievous.

After watching this video you will clearly see why this is a favorite fashion house of mine.

Janie Taylor for Chloé on Nowness.com.

My brother, Keith, loves Billy Reid. The other video showcases the predominately menswear focused line of Billy Reid. Think older smartly dressed Southern gentlemen meets effortless comfort. Well made and tailored basics…jeans, plaid shirts, blazers with elbow patches.

The first time I visited the Billy Reid store in the Galleria here in Houston, TX, I thought my brother was nuts. He bought these boots for an exorbitant amount of money, which I thought made him look like one of those senile grandpas from old hillbilly movies. However, I admit, after seeing him rock them, I secretly wanted a pair.

Billy Reid: Southern Hospitality on Nowness.com.

Visit Johnny Cupcakes

Branding at its Best.

More Cute Stuff I Want.

Hungry Potter T-Shirt from Johnny Cupcakes

HK & Johnny Cupcakes Unite!

Hello Kitty. Hello Johnny Cupcakes. Hello Super Adorable Sweatshirt I Want!

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