Sunday, November 2, 2008

SNAPS: Trés chic


Sophomore Advertising major Sarah Glaser brings a touch of Parisian sophistication to a Syracuse Halloween party.

SNAPS: Halloweekend


Ali Torel

D.I.Y. : Pillow Talk


It’s Saturday evening and your closet looks sparse. When time or money constraints nix a quick trip to Marshall Street, look to your bedroom to find the perfect outfit. That old pillowcase transforms into a sexy shift dress. Gather these items: scissors, a marker, pins, needle, and thread. Follow these instructions:

1. Lay the pillowcase on a flat surface. Iron out any wrinkles. You need to make a head opening at the top of the pillow. The width of my pillow was 18 inches so I drew a neck opening that was 10 inches wide and one inch in height in the center. If you lack drawing-straight skills, use a French curve (A drawing stencil you can pick up at the book store), to help you get the exact shape you want. For the armholes, cut openings that are one inch into the pillow and seven inches down. Make the armhole and neck holes in whatever shape you desire.

2. After the holes, fold back the raw edges one-half inch into the wrong side of the fabric. Ironing this helps, but if you’re heat-averse, place pins to hold them in place. Thread your needle and sew the arm and neck holes to create a clean finished edge.

3. To create some wiggle room for your legs, use your scissors and split open the side seams. Then sew the two seams to create a clean “v.”

4. The fun part: Ornamentation. I sewed a long piece of vintage tapestry to center front to give my dress a retro feel. To belt the dress, I used a salmon-pink cumber bund I bought at Cluttered Closet for $3. Or, consider fabric markers, dye, buttons, or studs to assist you in achieving desired Saltiness.

EXPERIENCE: Some Girls Just Wanna Have Fun



What Syracuse lacks in tropical climates it makes up for in shopping options: The Carousel Center boasts more than 150 clothing stores. But despite that abundance of consumerist options, some of us crave more rarified style and personal attention. For those in need of something new, look no further than Some Girls Boutique (145 Marshall Street). Some Girls Boutique, aptly named after the Rolling Stones album, offers edgy contemporary wear.
Walk into the boutique and a strawberry-shortcake yellow and pink interior greets you. Style symbols such as Twiggy, Grace Kelly, and Bridgette Bardot cover the walls along with velvet embossed picture frames that hold precious gold earrings. The clothes hang like a rainbow made up of chiffon, taffeta, nylon, and cotton. Sifting through the racks, you find lacy Bohemian tops by Free People, Mod bomber jackets by BB Dakota, and the classic bold colored V-necks of American Apparel. A Look Book highlights this season trends so that customers can shop accordingly.



Beyond hard-to-find-in-Syracuse fashions, Some Girls also offers great customer service that creates a friendly atmosphere. While cheerfully helping girls in the store, Emily Mackay, a buyer and sales assistant, works the phones to secure the perfect black leotard for a customer on the other line. Some customers return two or three times a week to check out the new selection and chat with the sales assistants. Check out Some Girls Boutique website (www.somegirlsboutique.com) for member discounts and invitations to special promotional parties. Stop by Some Girls Boutique and mention Salty Style Blogspot to receive 15 percent off your next purchase. Some girls just know the best place to shop.

HOW TO: Smokey Eye



Nothing says sexy like the dark, smokey eye. With winter around the corner, this look adds a little bit of daring to your nighttime look. Done right, this drama demands attention, but too much black leaves you with panda eyes. Take these steps to make it perfect:

1. Start with a base that matches your skin tone. This helps smooth the surface of your eye so shadow stays put. Use either your regular liquid foundation or try MAC cosmetics “Paint.” This product goes on creamy and leaves a powdery finish, the perfect base coat.

2. Use a dark shadow (either black or dark brown) and apply to crease first. For black, try NARS “Night Clubbing.” For brown, try Bare Essentials Liner Shadow in “Bark." Use a brush like Sephora’s All Over Shadow Small Brush. Leave your eye open and place the brush in your crease and move in a half-moon motion, back and forth until the area is covered. Then fill in lid.

3. Using a contouring brush, like Sonia Kashuk’s for Target “Blending Brush,” blend the shadow above your crease, giving a faded look near the top of the eye.

4. For an extra kick, make cat eyes by extending the shadow in your crease to the outside of your eye at an angle. Fill in as you did your crease.

5. Finally, apply liner to the top and bottom of your lids. On the bottom, make sure to apply to the inner eye as well to keep the dark color balanced. Smudge with a brush sponge or Q-tip, and apply mascara. With that, you are ready to prowl the town.

PROFILE: The 12-Year-Old “It” Girl





Anna Wintour annoys her, she’s got a thing for Curt Cobain, and the French icon Madeline helps get her through the night. But the latest fashion blogger in cyberspace possesses a more notable trait: She’s a 12-year-old. Her name is Tavi Gevinson of Chicago, and her blog “Style Rookie” (tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com)delivers a captivating collection of writing and pictures that take readers into her pre-teen world of explore her definition of “fashion.” From the latest trends, thrifting, the eighties, Japanese Street style, a stark obsession with Karl Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood, to DIY fashion, the mature content and opinions Tavi possesses enable her to spark interest in readers from all ends of the age spectrum.

Here’s an excerpt:
I know it sounds corny, but to me, fashion is a form of art. I've said that on here before, but that's strictly what I find it: it's not necessarily about simply looking "good" or "chic". The designers that inspire me don't focus on designing clothes just to be clothes; the looks they design are art! WEARABLE art, which is more fun than pretty paintings in a museum that you can't touch. My ignorance aside, it really bothers me when silly ideas like "Fashion Do's and Don't's" and "Fashion Police" are established, because that takes all the fun out of putting together an outfit. In my opinion, the most interesting fashion is the Anti-Fashion. No rules, no restrictions, no normalcy, no pleasing anyone.

What’s remarkable about this outspoken fashionista — besides her age — is the amount of national attention she garners. Other high-profile fashion bloggers such as “Nova Style” and “Fashion Pirate” gush about Tavi. “Nova Style” writes: I am not exactly sure how old this girl is, but she has so much style it's ridiculous. I honestly think she's one of the most fashionable people I have ever seen. “Fashion Pirate” put “Style Rookie” on its list of top seven brilliant blogs: If we weren't already married I'd move to Chicago and adopt her as my little sister. True story. Is my rabid fangirlism bothering you yet?

In other publicity nods, the New York Times’ T Style Magazine featured Tavi in the August 17th, and she recently earned Teen Vogues “blogger of-the moment.” Move over Anna.

CRUSH: A Tan Fan’s Friend



When I arrived to school freshman year, loaded with graduation money, I decided to splurge on a $250 tanning package from Garbo’s that gave me 30 tanning sessions for the year. Throughout two semesters, I never ran out, and I cherished the warm bed to defrost from the Syracuse cold. But after reading story after story in Glamour, Self, and Cosmo, of young girls getting cancer from these heavenly beds, I decided to quit.


Since then, I have tried every product known to woman to make my skin look tan without the benefit of UV rays. Spray tanning: I turned orange. Gradual self tanners: smelled totally weird. Regular self tanners: left streaks on my legs and left my hands three times as bronzed as the rest of me. For a while I stuck to just bronzer, but caking too much on creates an oh-so-obvious appearance.


My roommate introduced me to Clarin’s instant tanning gel, and I found a way to conjure a faux tan without streaks or stink. This gel formula goes on clear and though it says it works within two hours, I found that it really works its magic overnight. After two applications on my face, I was noticeably tanner, but orange-free and without one streak. At $30, it was a cheap alternative to my previous habit. A few words of advice: Use an exfoliator to slough off dead skin so the product looks natural and stays on longer, and strive for even application.