The art of Twin-ing

     Siblings--when you're a child(if you are as lucky as I was) you were close to your Genetic Buddies.  My sister, Kristy and I are still close. We finish each other's(somewhere at this very moment she just said sentences).  There are many solid differences between the both of us in several ways. She's very outspoken and I'm more reserved, Kristy has a family and is a stay at home mom(her dream growing up) while I am trying to conquer all of my dreams for my career and I will worry about building my own family when it's the right time.  These blinding differences to our personalities have always been there, but for some reason, everyone always thought since we were sisters, we were exactly the same- this also applies to fashion(luckily my mom would let me wear most things I wanted to unless it was a family photo event or a holiday).
     There's a significant gap in my sister and I's age and that didn't phase family members from getting the both of us matching outfits that were really more appropriate for her age group. This isn't even the worst of it. I have pictures where we are styled in  matching overalls, turtlenecks, and scrunchie hair dos.  If you aren't seeing the trend, overalls for small children in the country(at least at this moment in time) were the equivalent of taking family pictures in white shirts and khakis. We were the equivalent of walking pop tarts.

 

    My point in this is that sometimes, siblings aren't involved in their fashion choices because the surrounding grown ups want to make them as adorable as possible. Would I go back and change it if I could-absolutely not. When I see my Mom or Granny look at these pictures I can feel their heart radiating such love and remembrance of days gone by. Their eyes being to swell and I know that dressing up in a Tweetie Bird Overall set was worth it a million times over. Sometimes, fashion moments that you wear belong to others whether it is for a family photo, a wedding, or because you have siblings- and this is okay. Just enjoy the memories you create.  Please feel free to share your sibling stories and pictures in the comments section or follow me on Twitter at @GildaRedFashion and as always Let Your Fashionista Flag Fly!

     

This one's for Loalee

 

     Three and a half years ago, I first laid eyes on my beautiful niece, Loalee as she took her first breath in this world. So much time has passed since then and although I have had the privilege to teach her so many things in this world, I have probably learned more from her including in fashion. Every time she sees a new piece of clothing there's no pre existing judgment behind its history.  No thoughts of "is this article of clothing currently in or out of style". She makes it her own with no fear of how others will perceive her. Loalee is free to paint with every color pallet, wear white after Labor Day, and she never regrets whatever look she assembles.

     Even though it is so much fun rotating out wardrobes and following the next big trend, it is also just as much fun to feel the thrill of being unique and coloring outside the lines of fashion. Mix patterns, textured fabrics, colors that usually don't mesh well together.... take risks! Feel as if a child does in the sense of appreciating all unique styles of fashion and not typecasting an article of clothing.  Here's a piece of homework for you: Tonight, walk into your closet and don't think of the way you usually wear your go to pieces. Let go of any clothing stereotypes and feel the fabric beneath your fingers. Begin to build a style that has never graced your frame before. Think outside the box and wear it proudly, just for you and don't consider how anyone else perceives it. Just enjoy this fashion moment for yourself. 
     My beautiful niece(and her little brother) are the best things to ever happen to me for many reasons. Loalee has taught me how to look through child's eyes at so many garments I have had for years as if I were witnessing the detailed stitching, woven patterns, hem lines, etc. for the very first time. In closing-Loalee, sweetie, this one is for you my little lady and to everyone else: Let you Fashionista Flag Fly!

Preserve=Life

     Everyday we make the choice to follow the same dotted line that we have consistently followed or veer off the path into something possibly rewarding and completely fulfilling. To some the idea of taking said risk is frightening and dangerous, but to others who have taken the chance before, they know the feel of capturing the great dreams they were chasing after with every muscle in their body. As your fingers collapse and tighten around that moment in time, there's nothing better.
     Blake Lively could've played it safe for the rest of her life. She is already a well accomplished actress, sought after by fashion designers for her brilliant style, and she does this all with a well placed head on her shoulders.  So, when she announced Preserve, I was pretty surprised by this initiative in a completely different direction.

  If you haven't visited preserve.us it has a little bit of everything from recipes to the gorgeous Greater Good Section. With every click, you will gather that Preserve.us has a real sense of community captured in every link. I won't go into detail-why should I ruin the feast for the eyes that waits you, but I will talk to you about the fashion piece.
     Within this site, you will find a couple of different fashion moments scattered throughout. The Shop window features many different types of items for sale and you will find garments peppered throughout(you do have the ability to break the shop page down by category as well). Surprise here-not just  Ladies clothing-menswear is available on here too(get ready to buy something stylish for the gentlemen in your life).  All items feel vey American Classic to me, flowy, well thought out, and most importantly beautiful.  My favorite piece I have to mention is the Pleated Skirt(which is a coming soon item). It's a very easily transformed piece that can go from nautical to feminine/floral very easily.  If the money's in the bank when this comes in, I might have to add it to my ever growing collection!

 

     You will also want to make a stop at the style articles.  Each story feels well thought out, smart, and the best part is that there's a link to shop the looks pictured. So as you are reading, get ready to dream yourself into each garment.  http://preserve.us/blog/style/backwoods-barbie/

 

   Really, it would have been very simple for Blake Lively to live out her life not going for this opportunity that you can clearly seen she is passionate about, but she did it with flying colors and I commend her. I know as one Fashionista to the next that it is very challenging to air your thoughts out as if they were your laundry hanging to dry, but it's the most beautiful thing inviting your new friends that dare to take a moment out of their day to read a piece of your heart.  I look forward to our next moment together and until then my friends, Let you Fashionista Flag Fly!

Colors of the World...

     In the 90s if you weren't obsessed with Mel B, Mel C, Victoria, Geri, and Emma aka The Spice Girls you were probably... I can't even fathom why you wouldn't love the Spice Girls. It was Girl Power at its finest!  I am blessed to say these were my girls back in the day.  The first time I heard "Wanna Be" my closet had no clue what it is was in for. Goodbye cute little short vests outfits that my mom would pick out. Hello colorful tees, platform shoes, amazing flares, Jersey ankle length dresses, and Adidas Jogging suits-- only to be completed with crouched poses and shooting the peace sign(displayed by my 11 year old self below).

Each Spice Girl was unique and when you think of it each represented a different type of woman of society through their wardrobe choices and nicknames...

                                           Spice Girls=Girls Of The World(Broken Down)

*Ginger Spice-a true fire cracker and rocking an almost a Marilyn Monroe quality about her-the vixen in life.

*Scary Spice- wickedly hilarious, funny, and someone everyone wants to hang with

*Posh Spice-You know her as the lady you wouldn't catch in flats. Fashion runs through her veins and she's always on point 

*Baby Spice-The innocent ones in society who you can't imagine veering from the right path

*Sporty Spice-The Tom Girl that could hang with the guys and show them a thing or two.

   

     Is this true with real life though, do the saucy ladies always wear figure hugging dresses... Do they ever wear Adidas Track Suits? Better yet, do the innocent ones ever wear figure hugging dresses? Or are we each holding fragments of each of these 5 personalities within ourselves? This is what I believe to be the case. For example, in everyday life you're living as Baby Spice calm, simple, and not breaking any barriers.  You're thumbing through your closet picking out a look for a group dinner... You spot a black Gucci dress that grips onto your frame unlike your usual styles, still proper, but somehow also daring. It could transport you out of your usual sense of everyday habits and give you the courage to pull a different version of yourself out of your box of tricks-life of the Party is about to arrive, Peeps! It's just a dress, but you've tied a different world to this garment- therefore, when you purchased it, you purchased the key to unlocking a different you. 

     We all have a true self, one that lies within, constantly growing and becoming wiser, but the blessing is, you hold the ability to use different keys to unlock the girl next door, the vixen, the one everyone is waiting to see, the girl that's one of the guys-- it's unlimited. They all lie in your closet right now... Just waiting for you to activate the piece of you waiting to fly.  Which girl will you be today, tonight, tomorrow? It's all in your hands. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @GildaRedFashion . Talk to you soon my friends, and remember to let your Fashionista Flag fly!

   

     

     

The Dress with the Built in Accessory

 

      As Carrie Bradshaw glided across my screen in the breath taking Halston Heritage creation in Sex and the City 2, I knew I was in love with that dress.  I had no idea that this would be the year I received this beauty from my mom for my birthday(It's not an original, but I will have a stunning Halston Heritage design of my own soon). As I unwrapped the parcel and starred at the garment, I envisioned myself wearing it every day- to the store, mowing the lawn, everywhere possible. This of course wouldn't be appropriate, but most of all, this dress was too special to wear EVERYWHERE.

    My first time wearing it I was on formal night during a cruise. As I gingerly draped the fabric over my shoulders and looked into the mirror, I felt as if I could waltz onto the cover of a magazine.  The pale pink against my pale skin somehow resembled fondant cascading off a wedding cake. I placed on my Jessica Simpson Burgundy Platform Heels and began my strut. As far as anyone was concerned, I owned that ship. If you know me in person, I tend to be very meek and well, southern. But that night, I was someone completely different... Even though it was a simple dress to some, it gave me confidence needed to command attention. 

     The second time I wore my one shoulder wonder was for a Christmas Party for the company I work for. At the time I was in a different branch and had just been promoted to the corporate Merchandise world, so in a way it was also my last hurrah with some great people.  In Florida, you can wear a dress like this just about any time of the year.  No one at the party had previously seen this dress(because let's face it, it's hard to wear this at a work event twice as it makes a lasting statement), so I knew that my dress was being kicked out of hibernation mode.  As I entered the get together which was held at a downtown club, I felt the unknown extra accessory the dress came equipped with kick in-confidence.  Being part of the management team, we had to stand on stage and represent the person speaking to the masses (keep in mind, as I said before, this was a club). I didn't know it, but apparently there was a strategically placed fan built into the floor... you can probably see where this is going. As I stepped onto a spot I felt was a little more out of the way. My dress began to resemble a the sails on a sail boat catching the wind and taking off. Luckily for me there were two things in my favor. One being the build in slip that clings tightly to your form. The second being my quick reflexes. As My hands popped into place one of my fellow managers next to me said with a slight giggle, "You just pulled a Marilyn". Even though it was a tad embarrassing, it was nice to say I had a Marilyn Moment of my own to treasure.

     To some, this dress might appear as a simple item of clothing, but it helped me feel like a bombshell even if in my everyday life I feel exactly like Pheobe from Friends(lots of levels of Awkward).  Check me out on Twitter, if you'd like @GildaRedFashion and as always, my lovelies, let your inner Fashionista Flag Fly!!!

A Celebrity Fashionista Crash Course- Diva #1

    Let's set the scene, I was 5 year old scrawny child-classically awkward as usual, and kids my age were playing with race cars, sand piles, and Barbie dolls. Of course, I enjoyed the occasional toy, but you were more likely to find me learning every Reba song and trying to memorize the dance numbers from "Take it Back", "Why Haven't I heard From You" and so many of her other hits. I wouldn't leave the house until I had what I referred to a "Reba Hair"-case in point this beauty pageant picture!

Today, I still see Reba as a role model, not just for me, but for all young ladies. She's a humanitarian, legendary country singer, great actress/comedian, AND has majorly successful home and fashion lines. What I feel is overlooked considering her vast list of achievements and why I am writing this blog post about her is that she is a Fashion trailblazer. Back in the days of country music being known for Garth Brooks style patterned Button up tees and jeans, Reba was taking major risks--So, here's a little Reba Fashion 101:

First Lesson: The Famous Red Dress.

     It's eleven years later and this dress is still making waves.  The 1993 CMAs had no clue what they were in for as the lights first glistened on the Sandi Spika creation.

With today's society being so desensitized by absolute beyond unnecessary racy clothing, it's hard to believe that this dress caused such a stir, but this strategically placed sequin creation was in the ranks of Scarlet Ohara's red dress in Gone With The Wind--SCANDALOUS! Who would've known that one piece of clothing would've reached beyond an awards show and onto covers of major magazines. Reba even commented that  “I got more press off that dress than if I’d won Entertainer of the Year,” and she was right.  The most amazing thing I find, personally about this historic garment is that even though it is so daring, it's also contains the classy factor, which I feel is the essence of her style. If you know as I do that this picture probably doesn't give this dress justice, you are in luck because right now you can currently find this dress on display at the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

 

 

Second Lesson: Stepping Up the Videos! 

     If you've ever watched a Reba video, you know that there is a consistent pattern.  There's always a story vividly painted on a canvas using not only the lyrics of the song, but a the feeling of a mini cinema, and amazing costuming. Everything From the smart pencil skirt/emerald blouse pairing in "Why Haven't I heard from You" that helped you see the character's dilemma--she was a woman scorned, but she was brilliantly putting him in his place and making him realize the error of his ways to "His Name was John" which the striking dress allowed Reba display her fierce since of style while letting the lyrics seep in and absolutely crush your heart and fill you with a very real message. If you are new to the world of Reba, take a second and check out Reba VEVO on Youtube.

 

 

Third and Final Lesson: Reba Wear

 

For quite some time Reba has done something that few celebrity designers are able to pull off effortlessly-- combine her definitive since of style along with what her target audience would want to buy. As someone in the product development industry, I can tell you that one simple garment isn't just pulled out of thin air, it takes many hours going over all details, checking pantone colors compared to the original sketches, continuously altering and sampling, etc. It would be easy for a celebrity fashion line to be generic and accept whatever is presented. You can see that she definitely has a team in place that puts their heart into this line.  Reba makes sure that when a guest goes online( www.rebastyle.com ) or to a department store, they are picking up a true representative of the diva's vision. 

 

    Hopefully you have a real since of Reba the Fashionista now. Even though it has been some time since I twirled around the living room singing every Reba song I could recall, I am still blessed to call her a role model. As we continue to see her pave new paths into so many industries, I am so excited to see what she does in our Fashion world(and hopefully soon, I can finally see her in concert)!  Please feel free to follow me on Twitter @GildaRedFashion and as always, my friends, Let your Fashionista Flag Fly!!!

 

*** Quick Note: I always knew I would do a Fashion Blog Piece on Reba, but the timing is for a reason.  Don't forget to watch Reba's latest video 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFPFHFpjw_Y   and remember to #PrayforPeace  ***

 

 

 

Threaded to Memories

      Do you have that one piece of clothing that no matter what you do... you just can't toss? I have a couple of those. It's like no matter how many times you clean out your closet, every time your hand grazes the threads of that magical garment,  memories are awakened and a spell is cast forcing  your hand to gently place the hanger back onto your rack and not even entertain the idea of donating it. 
     One piece in particular I have is this green knitted poncho(sounds as classy as it is).  I will never wear it again, but it reminds me of quite a couple of very happy memories in my life.  There was this boy in high school-- the cutest and sweetest guy in all of my grade and I was pretty sure he didn't know I existed. I felt as if I were apart of the school's architecture and every time he would pass, I would be the equivalent of a lamp in his mind. The first day I wore my incredibly cool Grinch colored poncho that particular young man approached me and picked up a corner of it.  As he starred at the poncho for a second, he simply said, "This is pretty cool, where'd you get it?" I could feel my heart dancing and I managed to squeeze out the words "Store in DC". At that moment, it was the coolest article of clothing in the cosmos! Celebrity closets had nothing on this Wicked Green Poncho!
  

     Three years later, I had just graduated from high school and made the hard decision to move from the small town in Kentucky that was the safest place to me, but I knew I could never grow in.  All of my family, friends, and places that were walking scrapbooks would be hours away and no longer at my finger tips. I had a million and a half dreams and decided to make the leap and move to Florida.  As I sat in the same poncho, a little older for ware and in this moment, acting in the role as a security blanket, I began to pack my things. This poncho, in a weird way, was a faithful participant in me developing the wings to fly into a very scary phase of my life that would pay off in so many ways and help me realize dreams that I thought I would never achieve(but I still have my more to accomplish). 
     Now, years later, it isn't a piece of clothing I would dare wear anymore, but from time to time, I will pause as I pass it's permanent hanger in my closet and think of the time it helped my heart skip a beat and helped me brave the unknown. Remember to Follow me on Twitter @GildaRedFashion . As I've said before and I'm sayin' again,  Remember to let you Fashionista flag fly, my friends!