introducing indie jewelry designer cuttlefish

next from the clothing menu boutique, i want to introduce Lisa, the jewelry designer for cuttlefish.  here’s a little bit from Lisa about her jewelry:

How did you get started creating your accessory line?

My company has a holiday fair each year for people to sell/show off their crafty side.  I had been making my own jewelry for some time and thought I would show the few pieces I had for fun.  I ended up selling all of them and taking over 50 orders for additional jewerly.  It made me think maybe there was a market out there for my work.

What makes your designs different?

My designs can vary in tone from season to season – sometimes I lean towards a certain color palette, sometimes I prefer to create items overly simple, and other times I want to create big, grandioise jewelry, but I try to always take a playful approach to beaded jewelry.  I particularly like to bring in a variety of colors and textures and toy with asymmetry to find new styles and designs I have not seen in other work.

there are multiple earrings and necklaces from cuttlefish in the shop.  go take a look and buy now while shipping is free!

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meet independent designer Fischer Clothing

now that the clothing menu boutique is up and running, it’s time for you to get to know the designers in the shop!  first up is Kristina, the designer for Fischer Clothing, a women’s and menswear line.  here’s a little bit from Kristina about Fischer Clothing:

how did you get started creating your clothing line?

I just made up my mind and did it.  I sewed up the first collection in like 2 weeks and put together a photoshoot.  It’s a ton of work, but I absolutely love doing it.  I love learning and growing and evolving – I’m amazed with how much has happened in just the past year!

what makes your designs different?

My design process is very intuitive and personal.  I try not to be driven by trends or what anyone else is doing.  Each season, I follow a loose overall concept, usually derived from art, music and culture I’m currently digging on.  Then, I pull together fabrics and use silhouette inspiration from all over the place.

2 tops from Fischer Clothing are available in the shop – buy now with free shipping (for the grand opening only)!

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shop indie fashion here today!

this is it – today is the grand opening of my new indie fashion shop, the clothing menu boutique!  now you can read about fashion trends and independent designers and then go to the shop to buy from them.  my goal is to offer people unique clothes and accessories to buy, but to also tell you about the designer behind them so you have a story to tell when someone compliments you on what you buy here! :)

last week i gave you a sneak peak at the designers who are selling in the shop.  here they are:

- Fischer Clothing – timeless tops from a Brooklyn designer who creates clothes that are made to be worn in different occasions (work, class, dinner, etc.) so you get the most out of what you buy

- Broken Doll Clothing – trendy tops and a dress from a Calgary designer who makes clothes that look good, but are also comfortable (note, Broken Doll Clothing is not in the shop right now, but will be very soon!)

- a.g. ambroult – earrings, rings, and a necklace from a mom of 2 located in the Boston area who is a metalsmith making interesting pieces of jewelry

- cuttlefish – jewelry from a Boston designer who makes colorful unique pieces out of stones, gems, wood, and glass beads

- Pattern Recognitions – scarves from a designer based in Montreal who prints images onto the scarves from her own video work and photography

happy shopping!  new designers and items will be added all the time and the shop only carries small quantities, so if you like something, buy it before someone else does!  free shipping in the US for the grand opening.

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giveaway winners, shop monday, it’s the weekend!

it’s friday!  and i have 3 important things to share:

1) the winners of 250 free business cards from PrintRunner are: E Rice, Theresa Clare, and Anne Keane – congrats!  send me an email at kristen@theclothingmenu.com to get the cards.

2) just one more reminder that the clothing menu boutique opens on monday!  check back here to shop from indie designers and read about who you’re buying from.  free shipping for the grand opening!

3) i love (500) days of summer and i think i’m going to watch it this weekend, maybe even now. :)  happy weekend!

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sneak peak at the clothing menu boutique designers

last week i shared the exciting news that the clothing menu is opening up an online store.  well, it opens on monday selling clothes, scarves and jewelry from 5 designers for the launch of the store opening!  i’m not going to release the names yet because you’ll have to check back when the shop is open :).  but here is a little bit about what you’ll find:

- timeless tops from a Brooklyn designer who creates clothes that are made to be worn in different occasions (work, class, dinner, etc.) so you get the most out of what you buy

- trendy tops and a dress from a Calgary designer who makes clothes that look good, but are also comfortable

- earrings, rings, and a necklace from a mom of 2 located in the Boston area who is a metalsmith making interesting pieces of jewelry

- jewelry from a Boston designer who makes colorful unique pieces out of stones, gems, wood, and glass beads

- scarves from a designer based in Montreal who prints images onto the scarves from her own video work and photography

are you excited yet?  i am!  visit on monday to buy from these talented designers and continue reading the blog for more on each of them.

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how to dress like taylor swift

here are some tips on how to dress like taylor swift. she always has such fun style that is rarely without the bright red lipstick!

be fun – wear bright colors, like yellow and green, which look good with any skin tone/hair color.

be classy – you can’t go wrong with black and white!  this polka dot dress with the gathering at the side is an on-trend way to wear these colors, which is perfectly accented by the cute brown oxford shoes.

be sexy – sequins aren’t going anywhere anytime soon!  wear a mini-dress with sequin accents for a sexy look.

be romantic – this playful romantic outfit is a perfect way to wear ruffles and layers.  give it a little bit of an edge with patterned tights and knee high boots.

do you have any other favorite taylor swift looks?

PS – DON’T FORGET TO ENTER TO WIN FREE BUSINESS CARDS!

pics from people.com

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giveaway: free business cards!

since the clothing menu boutique is opening next week (!), i have been searching around online for places to order business cards and wow.  there are tons of companies out there!  PrintRunner is one printer who recently contacted me.  they print business cards, but also tons of other things like stickers and calendars, and are very affordable.

and..for 3 lucky the clothing menu readers, PrintRunner is giving away a set of 250 business cards!  all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this blog post (and feel free to let us know what business you need the business cards for) by this Thursday, October 21 by midnight EST.

details:

- leave a comment on this blog post by this Thursday, October 21 midnight EST to enter (one entry per person)

- winners will be announced on this blog Friday, October 22

- 3 people will get a set of 250 business cards for free

- no purchase necessary

- open to legal residents of the US

- must be 18 years of age or older and not an employee or relative of an employee of PrintRunner LLC

- void where prohibited and subject to federal, state and local laws

specs for the cards:

- available on 100% recycled paper

- durable, water resistant UV-coating

- choice of glossy or matte coating

- full color, black & white, or blank back available

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what do you think of this new recycled clothing line, dollparts?

i recently found out about a brand new clothing line, dollparts, based in chicago.  the concept behind the line is really cool.  the designer, michelle, takes vintage/thrifted clothes and leftover/unused fabric to create new clothes!  she is very focused on ensuring that the clothing line is eco-friendly by minimizing the amount of fabric that is used and by recycling fabric and details, like buttons and zippers, wherever possible. since dollparts is a new clothing line, there are 2 things you can do to make sure it’s a success:

- buy dollpart’s original clothes and vintage finds from the online store that just opened this week

- help fund the clothing line through kickstarter.  there are only 12 more days left – ends October 27!

what do you think of dollparts?

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introducing a new indie fashion shop, the clothing menu boutique!

i have very exciting news to share with you!  in just a couple weeks, the clothing menu will be expanding into an online store selling clothes and accessories from independent designers!

for the launch, the store will include tees with unique messages, timeless tops for your wardrobe, digitally printed scarves, and handcrafted silver jewelry!

now in conjunction with the clothing menu blog, you’ll be able to read and learn about the designers behind the products and then purchase them from the clothing menu boutique!

check back here next week for more details on the designers.  the store will be launching on October 25th!

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what i wear: a wardrobe staple from lamixx

i have been wearing this sweater from lamixx all the time lately.  it is so comfortable and the neutral color works with most everything.  this is an outfit i wore to work on a casual friday.  this weekend i wore it on a casual sunday with a printed blue blouse and jeans.  check out the etsy shop for lamixx and buy your own comfy wardrobe staple!

cardigan – lamixx

tank top – from loehmann’s

necklace – lucky lady

jeans – citizens of humanity

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