B-Tique, Lifestyle and Fashion Blog » Design

The Pencil Skirt: It’s A Classic!

Heather — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:00:14 +0000

We all know that the pencil skirt is something that has been around forever. Honestly, it is a skirt that every woman has in their closet and every woman absolutely loves! Now, what you might not know about the pencil skirt is that it has been revived and reinvented many, many different times and this particular skirt has actually been around since the early 50’s.

Personally, I have at least five pencil skirts and I love them all! I think they all look fantastic on and they are certainly a staple in my work attire. If you are a career woman, you know that the pencil skirt is definitely a skirt that looks great and that demands power.

If you want a classic and are constantly looking for a way to gain some power, you should definitely get yourself a pencil skirt! They are in fashion and will never stop being in fashion!

Judith Jack Jewelry Designs

Vanessa — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:05:40 +0000

Judith Jack is a collaboration of Judith and Jack Rosenberg who began selling estate jewelry, and later began to manufacture replicas of antique jewelry with marcasite. The City Chic collection is a beautifully designed collection of jewelry with a wonderful antique jewelry look. It has beautiful round and square cut marcasites in channel settings that feature both hoop and chandelier designs. This is a lovely collection, and would accent practically anything that you want to wear. I really like the look of antique jewelry, but it is so hard to find, and Judith Jack designs makes it much easier to sport the look, without paying such a high price for the authentic antique pieces.

Clara Francis Hand Crafted Jewelry is a Fall Staple

Vanessa — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:49:29 +0000

Clara Francis is a jewelry designer, and a great one at that. She uses vintage beading techniques to produce her beautiful and unique designs, and all Clara Francis jewelry is completely hand crafted. Her signature beadwork and vintage charm necklaces have become quite a hit in the fashion world. She currently has collections in boutiques in the UK, South East Asia and the United States. Her work is beautiful and meaningful, and is a big hit for Fall 2007. Just take a look at some of the Clara Francis pieces that I found, they are all very exquisite and unique.

Bottega Veneta 2008 Collection – Simple and Beautiful

Vanessa — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:33:45 +0000

It was wispy fabrics and classic looks in Milan while Bottega Veneta fashions were adorning the runway. The pieces were simplistic in style, while the overall look was elegance and grace. No bold, outrageous colors or sharp cuts, only beautiful styles and designs that I canâ€™t imagine anyone not loving. When you first see the collection, you may think that itâ€™s a tad underdone, nothing really stands out. But a second glance will show you the beautiful proportions and contrasts that are included in each piece. Itâ€™s a brilliant collection, and I, for one, absolutely adored it.

Veronica Etro Spring/Summer 2008 Collection in Milan

Vanessa — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:06:28 +0000

Veronica Etro has certainly done her part to bring the 70â€™s Retro look back into fashion. Models in Milan on September 25^th wore her designs beautifully. The look was retro fashion, as the colors and styles are reminiscent of the days of hippies and rock and roll. Tye-dyed dresses and smocks and long flowing gowns graced the runway. Some of the pieces had a grunge look, but overall I loved the entire collection. Of course, I remember the 70â€™s well, so anyone who didnâ€™t grow up during that era may not appreciate them as much.

Paul Smith Spring/Summer 2008 Collection

Vanessa — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:27:58 +0000

Crisp, Fresh, Color. That was the sight on the runway when models appeared in Paul Smithâ€™s 2008 Spring/Summer Collection. I love the skirts, shorts, dresses..actually I loved the entire collection. The colors are bold and bright, and the whole collection was fun to look at, and you can bet it will be fun to wear. I especially like the look of the long tight skirts and dresses. Paul Smith is definitely at the top of my list for the upcoming seasons. Have a look at the pictures and see if you donâ€™t fall in love too.

RICHARD NICOLL SPRING/SUMMER 2008 LONDON

Vanessa — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:56:41 +0000

In London, Richard Nicollâ€™s models swept the runway with neutral colored dresses and suits. One major thing that all the designs had in common was the layered-sheer look. I think itâ€™s a beautiful look, when itâ€™s used correctly. These designs, however, didnâ€™t do much for me. Some of them were completely see-thru. And when I say completely, I mean completely, all, totally, as in I see London I see France. I canâ€™t imagine wearing these to the office, I canâ€™t imagine wearing them out at all, but you all might like them.

Vivienne Tam Spring 2008 Collection

Vanessa — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 16:34:44 +0000

Vivienne Tam made quite an impression in New York last week with her Spring 2008 collection. The collection consisted of 16 pieces, complete with Chinese paper cutting methods on fabrics. She used this method to create an ultra sexy effect on a white and silver mirror leather dress. Other pieces included cocktail dresses with tropical prints appliquÃ©d on their backs and sequins shaped like gold fish on a magenta shift. She made a great improvement over her Fall 2007 line, and really earned the phrase that she calls her designs, â€œChina Chicâ€.

Toronto Fashion Camp – BT on location

Jessica — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 07:40:28 +0000

Check out this article from Canada’s National Post newspaper. It’s all about the Fashion Camp hosted by The Design Exchange, a great organization (and building!) devoted to supporting and promoting Canadian Design.

The young ‘campers’ learn design basics and sewing skills over the course of a week. When I learned to sew, my mother gave me some fabric scraps, a simple bag pattern, told me that I was “never, ever, ever, EVER to touch her good shears,” and I was then handed some very bad scissors. It worked in the end.

Seriously though, I often find in my generation that basic knowledge, like simple sewing skills, has been lost for so many. I know there’s a resurgence in crafting and knitting, but I still think that very few people have any understanding about what goes into a well-crafted garment (have you looked at the stitching at H&M?!). Kudos to programs like this, making me wish I was 10 again.