NashVogue

Hello readers! I know it has been a very long time since I have posted on here. Life simply caught up with me this fall in the form of Swine Flu with my one year old, business conferences for my husband, stomach bugs for me, weddings, and other family changes.

I have been hinting since the beginning of year towards some big changes here at NashVogue. With Thanksgiving this week and the new year on the horizon, I feel it is time to start putting my plans into action.

As some may know, I quit my full time job as a stock broker in March to stay home with my little one, help my husband with his business, and simply get a away from career path I didn’t like. Over the year, I have been trying to find a way to mix my love of fashion with my own abilities and have come up with a great solution. Jewelry.

I love making jewelry, wearing jewelry, and enhancing an outfit with jewelry. That being said, I am opening an Etsy store in order to sell my creations with the world. The fashion blog will stay, but will focus a bit more on jewelry. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of general fashion goodness here and over at Blissfully Domestic!

As a little preview, here is a yummy little piece I designed for my cousin’s wedding earlier this month.

Technorati Tags: jewelry, NashVogue

Sorry I’ve been missing! August has just been crazy with my little guy’s birthday and our first ever family vacation to the beach. I was planning to write on the beach (and what a better place to?), however, the condo we stayed at had HORRIBLE internet. Now that I am back to having some nice internet (meaning I can actually load a page), I hope to have some new posts ready for you in the next day or two. Meanwhile, if there is anything you would like to know about, let me know!

<3 Holly

Wow! What a few weeks this has been! I’ve had to order a replacement part for my computer (and it’s next to impossible to borrow my hubby’s – he’s so busy!). That being said, all things going the way they should, I’ll have some new content up for you by Friday! I’m excited! I’ve missed being able to write for you, my wonderful readers.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, just shoot me a line through the contact form. Are you looking for what to wear to a specific event? Or simply questions about how to wear a specific style? Let me know! Your questions may even be answered as part of the blog. See you soon!

Hello, Lovely Readers! I am having some major issues with my computer and finally got it working well enough to get this up. I wanted to let you know that I haven’t forgotten about all of you! I’m going to be doing a system restart over the next day or two and *hopefully* will be back up and running then. I have some great article ideas for you and an interview with Suzanne Sevier from Sevier Skirts. See you soon!

When I first saw the commercial for Bravo’s newest reality game show, The Fashion Show, I thought the same thing I’m sure most of you thought, “They are trying to fill the Project Runway void.” As most of you know, Project Runway was whisked away to Lifetime and is rumored to finally begin airing this summer.

I’m sure the loss of Project Runway was felt keenly by Bravo. It was one of the very few reasons I watched anything else on Bravo. Their answer was to create The Fashion Show, a show where designers compete for a $125,000 cash prize and the chance to have their creations sold on BravoTV.com. In concept, The Fashion Show appears to be a complete remake of Project Runway.

The Fashion Show has taken on the characteristics of several other of Bravo’s reality shows by introducing the new “Quick Fire Challenge”. Last night, the designers had to create a cocktail dress from a black t-shirt in one hour. The winner’s where then given an advantage in the main challenge.

Additionally, the judging of The Fashion Show differs slightly from Project Runway. The top and bottom designers are choosen by the votes of an audience of “fashion elite” who attend the runway show. A panel, featuring Issac Mizrahi, Kelly Rowland, and a rotating guest judge, then decide the ultimate winner and loser. The grand prize winner will be choosen in an American Idol veiwer-vote method.

In theory, The Fashion Show is a good idea. In excecution, last night was a disappointment. I am willing to be a bit open, given that it was only the first episode, but there seems a surprising lack of talent from the contestants. There were one or two decent looking outfits, but nothing compared to the calibur of Project Runway contestants where the true competitors could be seen right away. One of the contestants even bemoaned her ability to sew clothing. If construction is key, why be entered into a contest where you will be responsible for creating your own designs start to finish?

Finally, the drama level is already in full swing. There are several contestants who are catty and just plain mean for no reason. I understand there is a level of ego that goes into these types of shows, but there is no reason to be mean. Aside from the contestants, the judges are also brutally honest to the point of being mean. Where the ever-polite Tim Gunn would give his opinion and make suggestions, criticism was made with harsh and pointed comments. The final review saw no sparing for designer feelings. Mizrahi told one of the bottom two contestants that he questioned why anyone with her ability (or lack thereof) would even dream of being in the industry (not a direct quote).

I’m willing to give The Fashion Show another shot next week. However, all it has done so far is to make me more impatient for the reappearance of Project Runway. By the way, last night’s winning design can be purchased from Bravo’s shop for an I’m-not-sure-it’s-worth-it $298.

Photos from BravoTv.com.

Technorati Tags: Bravo, Project Runway, The fashion show

Mandee is searching for their next Style Star! Simply send in a photo of you modeling your favorite Mandee outfit with a brief description of why you love and how much you saved. If you are the lucky winner, you’ll be invited to a photo shoot and receive a $250 gift card. Show them what you’ve got and good luck!

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I’m taking today off to travel for the Easter holiday. I just wanted to wish all of my readers a Happy Good Friday and a safe and fun Easter weekend. I try to keep my personal beliefs out of this blog, as it’s not the time or place for things other than great clothes. I did want to say today, though, that I want everyone to think about the sacrifice Jesus gave when he died on the cross for you. That’s what today is all about – the day He died. On Easter, we celebrate the day He rose. Whether you want to believe is up to you, and I’m not going to pressure you in any way or take more time here.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will see you back on Monday!

Technorati Tags: Easter, Good Friday

To round out the series on Personal Style, let’s discuss the laid back Casual Chic. For her, comfort is key. Often she is athletic or a mommy. She chooses this style to fit her lifestyle instead of choosing a lifestyle in line with her fashion.

The Clothes

Casual Chic’s clothes are going to be the ultimate in comforatble. The primary fabric used will be cotton due it’s lightweight nature and softness. Her bottoms will more than likely be denim or cotton. Jeans and yoga-style pants are staples in her wardrobe.

Her tops a easy-going. She opts for t-shirts and tanks over blouses. The tops themselves will be low frill with barely a ruffle or bow in sight.

Accessories will be simple. The biggest accessory you’ll see with be the sunglasses she perches a top her head when she walks inside. Tennis shoes and flip flops are her favorite shoes, although you might see some flats on dressier days.

What the Clothes Say

Casual Chic is laid back and “cool”. She doesn’t care too much about what other people think or what’s “hot” in the fashion world. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about her appearance or herself. It simply means she doesn’t buy into trends and wear what she wants – what makes her feel comfortable.

That wraps up the personal style series. My personal style is a bit of a mix between Fashionista, Casual, and Boho with a little bit of everything else. My wardrobe is a bit eclectic – stylish sweaters next to a stack of t-shirts, boho skirts next to black pencil skirt. I would love to know what your personal style is. You can post pictures in the comments field or send them to via twitter, @nashvogue.

Technorati Tags: casual, personal style

The uber trendy girl sitting near you at the coffee shop is up next. Fab Fashionista is the girl with the look you’re dying to have. Her jacket? You saw it in this month’s vogue. Her shoes? Straight out of InStyle. And yes…they are Louboutin’s.

The Clothes

It is much harder to pin Fab Fashionista to one particular style. Top to bottom she is high fashion chic. Her wardrobe changes with trends, and she wouldn’t be caught dead wearing last seasons Prada heels. If it’s not new, it’s not good.

One thing can be said about her clothing, they are the envy of every fashionista wannabe out there. Many of us can not even afford to keep up with her wardrobe and have to settle for creativity to get us by.

What the Clothes Say

“She’s got it together.” Fab Fashionista’s highly fashion forward wardrobe shows that she cares about herself, they way she looks, and what others think about her. The obsessive use of labels may even show a bit a of insecurity. She needs the big names to show that she is in the know, can afford whatever she wants, and doesn’t need to answer to anyone.

Fab Fashionista may have another, less deirable impression given by her clothes. Thanks to movies such as The Devil Wears Prada and numerous other programs to show the cut throat attitude of the fashion industry, many people may few her in a negative tone. They may see her as snobby, stuck up, and ruthless. She’s gotten where she is by less than pleasant means.

Tomorrow will conclude the Personal Style series. Have you figured out your personal style yet? Most people don’t fit into one category. I know I am at least three or four different style personalities. Which one I am today depends on how I feel when I get up that day. Which are you?

Technorati Tags: Fashion, fashionista, personal style

Today, we’ll discuss the passionate, Punk Princess. Named for the genre of music, our Punk Princess is passionate and spunky with a bit of an attitude. While not always a musician, she loves music and going to concerts is one of her favorite things to do.

The Clothes

Like our friend, the Gorgeous Goth, the staple color of Punk Princess’ wardrobe is black. However, while Ms. Goth’s wardrobe have very little other color to it, Punk Princess loves to accent with bright colors – red, pink, green, even white all add a bit of flair to her outfits. They are often very layered, with skirts over leggings, and vests, jackets, sweaters galore.

When she wears pants, they are often tight, tapered leg jeans – preferrably in black or a bright color. If she wears a skirt, it will be short with leggings. The leggings are usually bright in color or they are black fishnets. Sometimes the leggings with be black with designs in them – often a skull and crossbones. (The skull and crossbones is a staple figure in Punk Princess’ wardrobe.)

Pink Princess loves to accessorize. Bracelets, necklaces, and especially piercings adorn her. The piercings are not just in her ears though – lips, eyebrows, ears, bellybuttons, nose – there are hoops and studs everywhere.

What the Clothes Say

The clothes give off a bit of an air of attitude. Like the music she favors, Punk Princess’ clothes give a stay back warning, though not nearly as strongly as Gorgeous Goth. You automatically assume she is into music and coffee shops. She likes to party, as many punks assimilate into the night club scene. To the outside observer, it can be hard to tell the difference between a punk and raver.

However, Punk Princess’ personality can easily negate all of this. I myself am a bit of a Punk Princess (though my clothing style is a bit different). All of the Punk Princesses I know are fun, outgoing, and highly energetic. In all of this, remember, stereotypes are what they are, but don’t judge a person by her clothes.

Technorati Tags: personal style, punk