Fashionistas,
Just a reminder!
Wednesday, March 6th is Bravo’s Fashion Trifecta of premieres:
The Rachel Zoe Project at 9/8c
It’s a Brad Brad World at 10/9c
Dukes of Melrose at 10:30/9:30c
I’m setting the DVR now and can’t wait to see Rachel and Brad, but I’m curious about Dukes of Melrose. Couture + vintage + consignment may make for an interesting, and entertaining, combination.
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
(Photo Credit: Bravotv.com)
Photo Credit: Amazon.com
Dear Fashionistas,
Having visited my blog and vintage store, a friend from grad school sent me Kelly Cutrone’s New York Times Bestseller If You Have to Cry Go Outside. I didn’t know what to expect from this fashion meets self-help autobiography, therefore I had no expectations. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
After watching Bravo’s Kell on Earth, Cutrone’s reality show about her PR firm People’s Revolution, my impression of her was that she was no-nonsense, super-stressed, hard-edged and sometimes downright rude. The book downplays none of this and is refreshingly unapologetic. But it also highlights Cutrone’s softer side. Note that “softer” does not equal weaker. Throughout the book, we see Cutrone falter, fail, crash and burn, and then ultimately rise from the ashes like a Phoenix, stronger than ever in her convictions, drive to succeed and will to survive in the cut-throat world of fashion.
Having read If You Have to Cry, I walked away with a deeper appreciation and respect for Cutrone’s experiences and triumphs in life and work, and I applaud her for her transparency. What resonated with me most was her struggle to overcome fear in general, and the fear of failure specifically, something we perfectionists know all too well. One of the reasons I started this blog was to face my own FEAR of failure head on, and then beat it down like it stole something! I’m grateful for every reader I have and for everyday I get to share something with you here on Thread Conscious.
So, I highly recommend picking up Kelly Cutrone’s book; it’s a great read and available on Amazon here.
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
HGTV’s Property Brothers Drew (L) and Jonathan Scott (R)
Dear Fashionistas,
If you remember, for last month’s Behind the Seams installment, I chatted with the talented and beautiful Kendra Scott. This month, I had a chance to chat with twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott of HGTV’s Property Brothers (no relation to Kendra by the way : ).
I’m a huge HGTV fanatic and Property Brothers is one of my favorite shows on the network. I love interior design and home decor, which I count as passions of mine, right along with fashion. I was thrilled to meet the Drew and Jonathan, who were wrapping up filming in Austin, Texas, and I can honestly say they are the nicest, funniest and most talented guys you’ll ever meet. To learn more about this dynamic duo, be sure to visit and Like Drew and Jonathan‘s Official Property Brothers Facebook Page!
By the time Jonathan and Drew enrolled at University (Canadian-speak for college), they were already savvy businessmen: they invested in a rental property during school, lived there for free while renting to other tenants, and later were able to sell the property at a profit. It was then that the proverbial light bulb went off and the brothers began to pursue real estate with a passion.
Now at the helm of Scott Real Estate, Inc., Jonathan and Drew co-host Property Brothers, showing clients that they can have their dream home within their budget, if they’ll only trust the brothers with a promising fixer-upper! With Drew’s real estate savvy and Jonathan’s impeccable design skills, they prove time and again that many homes, even the most unattractive ones, are just diamonds in the rough that need a little TLC.
Property Brothers now airs in 16 countries, and Jonathan and Drew will soon host a new show on HGTV, Buying and Selling, which will focus on guiding homeowners through the sometimes complex, and emotional, selling process. Understandably, the Scott brothers are incredibly busy with their careers, but through it all, they remain close and work well together.
“We have a no BS rule,” said Drew. “You know, people say it’s a mistake to work with family, but that’s only if you’re not being honest with each other. We’re very honest and open. If something’s bothering me or Jonathan, we get everything out on the table, work it out and move on.”
As for renovation/DIY advice, according to Jonathan, the one item every home should have is…wait for it…a glue gun! “It’s also important to know what you’re good at and what’s beyond your skills,” added Drew. “If you’re not good at drywalling, don’t do it. Call in a professional and work together with them. In the end, you’ll save money and end up with a great, quality product.”
Regarding renovation budgets and timelines, Jonathan had this to share:
“I know of one couple that was renovating a room for four years. Renovations don’t have to take years to complete. If you have budget for it, go ahead and do everything upfront. Sometimes people don’t renovate until they’re ready to sell, and then they wonder why they didn’t do it before! If you don’t have the budget, choose which rooms are most important to you and renovate those first.”
“Also, keep in mind that the renovations done on Property Brothers are not for the whole house; it’s usually two to three rooms and we have a team that works with us. A four to five week renovation on the show could take a single contractor 10-12 weeks.”
Added Drew, “Be sure to make your wishlist of everything you want in a home, but keep in mind there are no perfect homes.” That is, until the Property Brothers get a hold of them!
Beyond real estate, the brothers are accomplished actors. Drew is also a film director and producer, and Jonathan is an award-winning illusionist and has worked in Vegas. You can watch this multi-talented duo on Property Brothers on HGTV Wednesdays at 9/8 Central. If you would like to apply to be on the Property Brothers show, just visit their Official Facebook Page’s Info Section here. Good luck!
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
Photo Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Fashionistas,
Sometimes I think I’m done with the Housewives and all their drama, but somehow, Mizz Cohen keeps drawing me back in. Beverly Hills housewife Lisa “Pinky” Vanderpump is slated to star in and co-executive produce her own show with husband, Ken. Will I watch? Sigh, probably.
What about you? Anyone excited to see this spin-off?
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
Interesting Oscars show last night…I guess I need to see that Hugo film! Well, on to the fashion!
Photo: Zap2It.com
The photo collage above has some beautiful dresses included, but not all are best dressed material! Read on to see why. ; )
MY BEST DRESSED LIST
GWYNETH PALTROW IN TOM FORD
Photo: Heather Ikei © A.M.P.A.S.
The cape is genius. I have to admit the dress itself does not have the “wow” factor though it is lovely and simple. But, the cape takes it over the top- it was just visually interesting and I thought Gwyneth knocked it out of the park.
MICHELLE WILLIAMS IN LOUIS VUITTON
Photo: graziadaily.co.uk
I don’t recall Louis Vuitton making an appearance on the red carpet very often, but that may be changing. This dress is young, fresh and in the most joyful shade of coral. In the past, it’s been noted that Michelle is not always the most sunny personality on the red carpet, but it looks like this frock lifted her spirits. How could you not be happy in this dress?!
OCTAVIA SPENCER IN TADASHI SHOJI
Photo: graziadaily.co.uk
The beading on this gown is exquisite. I couldn’t stop looking at it, especially during close ups! Octavia is perfection in this dress and couldn’t have looked lovelier.
Photo: Zap2It.com
Again, the photo collage above includes some good contenders for worst dressed and so I’ll just briefly mention a few, but not all deserve to be on that list. Sandra Bullock’s dress is actually very beautiful, and I don’t mind that it’s not skin tight. If it had been taken in at the waist just a little, she would’ve been on my Best Dressed list. And at least Rooney Mara wore a white dress this time.
Now for my actual Worst Dressed List, Melissa McCarthy’s Marina Rinaldi dress just didn’t do it for me. While I loved the jeweled neckline, that alone couldn’t save the dress from the unfortunate sleeves and unflattering color. Berenice Bejo wore a mint green Elie Saab dress, but the long sleeves and retro hue was a big miss. This would’ve been more appropriate for dame Helen Mirren.
Surprisingly, the third worst dress was not included in the photo series above, so here it is below.
ANNA FARRIS IN DIANE VON FURSTENBERG
Photo: Celebuzz.com
Again, with the age-inappropriate long sleeves. From the neck up, Anna looks gorgeous, but this Morticia Addams meets disco get up should’ve stayed with the stylist. She did use a stylist right?
What were your best and worst dressed Oscar nominees?
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
The 2012 Golden Globes. Well…ok. I’ve been writing Thread Conscious for two years. You know by now that I try to stay positive at all times. But there comes a time when fashion is so bad, and so disappointing, that you find yourself picking the best of the worst, because there just wasn’t enough good to go around. That time has come. I was not wowed by the fashion of the Golden Globes this year. I was sooo…underwhelmed. It was a fashion fail. Up first is the Best Dressed (relatively speaking) and then the Worst Dressed…plus some more mess. All photos courtesy of WireImage except where noted. Happy Monday.
ON TO THE BEST DRESSED
Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci
Rooney Mara: Edgy cut-outs in black. That seems to be Rooney’s M.O., so it’s expected. At least the dress was interesting.
Photo Credit: Zimbio
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren: Love the color on Helen, and the fact that there’s a different texture on the bottom. Sophisticated with just the right amount of bling, at the waist, no doubt. I really like this dress.
Paula Patton
Paula Patton: Paula looks gorgeous in this classic mermaid silhouette, in the happiest hue of yellow. I don’t hate it. #winning.
AND ON TO THE WORST DRESSED!
Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace
Angelina Jolie: I don’t know. No, I can’t. It’s just wrong. The fabric looks cheap, the slash of red at the neckline isn’t a pleasant surprise, it’s an eye sore. For once, I paid more attention to what Brad Pitt was wearing.
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet: Unfortunately, I think I’ve seen something like this before. And it was a very unflattering wedding dress.
Missi Pyle
Missi Pyle: The color’s not bad, but that’s the only good thing about this frock. This dress looks like it came straight from Windsor. Actually, Windsor has better looking dresses than this.
AND MORE FASHION FAILS
Natalie Portman, Repeat Offender
Natalie Portman: I love Natalie Portman. She’s known for her intelligence as well as her talent. But I don’t understand why she repeated last year’s Golden Globes red and pink fiasco this year.
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
AND IT GETS BETTER. I MEAN WORSE.
Zooey and Emily Deschanel- Worst Dressed Duo, Double Fail
Zooey Deschanel and Emily Deschanel: People seem to like Zooey’s zany fashion sense and I have to admit I don’t completely hate her dress. I’m just having trouble articulating what I don’t like about. But Emily, Betty White called and she wants her dress back.
Ok, that’s enough. The rest of the week will be more positive, I promise!
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
Photo Credit: New York Times
Dear Fashionistas,
The weekend is finally here! I’ve been recuperating from a minor surgery (all four wisdom teeth were removed on Wednesday- good riddance!) and while sipping on soups and apple sauce, I came upon this story about Holly Golightly’s party pad in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. One of Audrey Hepburn’s most memorable and celebrated roles, Holly Golightly embodied the quintessential It Girl, hosting the most unbelievable parties at this chic brownstone on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Holly Golightly and Hollywood aside, can you imagine the non-fictional fetes hosted there? Well, if you’d like to throw your own parties there, the brownstone’s yours for a mere $5.85 million.
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
Photo Credit: Zillow.com
(Video Credit: Zillow.com/Youtube.com)
Photo Credit: TMZ.com
Dear Fashionistas,
Now that the New Year is officially underway, and some of you may still be recovering from welcoming in 2012, I figured this story would be apropos. Another lawsuit is on the rise, one that pits the fashion industry against the movie industry. Louis Vuitton is suing Warner Bros. over the appearance of an allegedly fake LV bag used in Hangover 2 (an airport scene with stars Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms to be exact- see photo above). Furthermore, LV wants Warner Bros. to pull all copies of the movie that contain the scene featuring the infamously “fake” bag. The fashion house is also requesting triple damages stemming from the profits Warner Bros. made by using Louis Vuitton’s trademark, plus attorney’s fee and court costs.
I’ll do my best to keep you posted on any developments. For more information, check out this article on FindLaw.
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
Dear Fashionistas,
I was recently at one of my favorite “cheap chic boutiques,” better known as TJ Maxx, and found this really cool and informative book while in the check out line. For folks interested in eco-friendly beauty and fashion, Style Naturally looks like a great resource. Authored by eco-fashionista and activist Summer Rayne Oakes, the shopping guide provides a comprehensive list of resources online and world-wide, including many retailers in Texas, naturally.
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
Sean- Awesomely 80's
This ensemble is sooo Breakfast Club. I have to say, Sean looks more like clean cut Andrew Clarke (Emilio Estevez, 3rd from left), but his clothes seem to be channeling bad boy John Bender (Judd Nelson, far left).
Below, Kendra effortlessly pairs bold patterns in classic black and white and layers different textures of fabrics. The bow detail at the collar, minimal jewelry and the rock star shades are all great finishing touches. The result: Elegant, fun and chic.
Kendra- Subtle colors, bold patterns
Fashionably Yours,
Nik
