Olympics 2012 - Team UK

The wait for the Olympics is over! Tomorrow, we'll be treated to 16 days of exciting events sure to be talked about in households and workplaces all over the world. Everybody watches and everybody roots for their favorites. It's epic (for lack of a better term) to consider.

How to dress in honor of these events? I'm going to be giving a collection of pieces - each one inspired by a different country - that you can wear in support of the country/countries you might be cheering on. Since the Olympics this year are hosted in London, the UK is represented first.

Tee; Sweatshirt; Earrings; Flats; Socks; Coin Purse; Necklace; Tights;

Dress; Jeans; Sneakers; Tee #2

I've found pieces both specifically created for the Olympics and some not at all related for this set. The sweatshirt is Stella McCartney - modeled specifically after her Olympic uniforms designed for the United Kingdom. Others are merely clever and show an appreciation for the country like the earrings and the tights. Personally, I love the charm of the UK and appreciate the styling details on the dress or the fun symbols that represent London on the coin purse.

Want to see a specific country featured that might not be so obvious to your lovely blogger? Please feel free to drop me a line here or on Facebook and let me know some of the countries you guys are cheering on!

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

Lunch Break: Couture Olympic Uniforms

Just two short weeks from today, the London Summer Olympics begin! *cue lots of jumping around and excitement from my corner* Among other things, this means designers of all sorts have emerged from the woodwork to debut their collections which they've created for the nations of their respected Olympic teams. Below are a few of my favorites and links to their collection details...

1) Jamaica

(Credit to Mental Floss )

Designed by Cedella Marley (daughter of the infamous Bob Marley) for Puma, this collection is my favorite. Not only does it scream "resort/sportswear" - what is currently on trend - but it also has the most aesthetically pleasing color palette of all of the collections.

2) Germany

(Credit to International Business Times)

Adidas got an early start, revealing these uniforms in April. Again, this collection has an eye-catching color palette and great versatility. The jackets are easily dressed up or down!

3) South Korea

(Credit to SmartCanuks)

Fila is another company that was paying close attention to what is on trend when they decided to create South Korea's sailor-inspired uniforms. These offer a fresh and young look for each of the athletes attending the Opening Ceremonies. Even the men look great in these blazers!

4) New Zealand

(Credit to 3 News )

This was another designer paying attention to the menswear. The black jackets piped in white are screaming with classiness. The print on the women's dresses is a bit vintage inspired. These are two looks that really go together. Though these are standard black and white, I think this group is going to stand out at Opening Ceremonies.

Visit Mental Floss for all of the featured nations and let me know your favorites! I'll be back very soon with some looks inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games.

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

And I leave you with links!

As I mentioned late last week, I'll be leaving for a five day vacation in lovely Minneapolis tomorrow morning. While there, I don't think I'll be blogging all that much, but I'll do the best to update via Facebook and Twitter.

For your enjoyment while I'm away, I leave you with some interesting fashion links to pique your interests...

* What's so special about this dress? Look a bit closer. It's made out of gummy bears! Twelvmag has the whole story about this Alexander McQueen inspired gown made entirely out of the colorful confection.

(Photo courtesy of TwelvMag.com)

* Remember when I did that little featurette about cosplaying and fashion? Well, it seems that Racked wanted in on the action and did this article about the recent Anime Expo in L.A.

* Ladies, want in some more great deals from Kohls? Right now, they're having a massive Fourth of July sale that includes markdowns on these two cute tops! Peter Pan collars are really in, and you can't beat a neutral top that is only $16 and work appropriate!

* Part of keeping a blog is having a love for writing. If you share this passion, head over to Figment. You can feature your own original stories and create cover art for them! If nothing else, this is a great boredom deterrent...

* Going hand-in-hand with my Unconventional Styling post about the Fourth of July, MentalFloss has 15 Offbeat Holidays You Can Celebrate in July.

* My history buff side is showing. Brush up on your UK history in time for the London Olympics. Did you know there were probably female gladiators who competed at the Colosseum in Ancient Rome?

* Need to fill up your weekend? Try this DIY project from P.S. I Made This. It's a custom made geometric print top! The possibilities are endless. Personally, I'd get a faded neon tee from a craft store and go crazy...

* I'm a Chicago area native, so I have a lot of pride for my city. Another native, artist Steve Shanabruch, has done graphics for all of the Chicago neighborhoods. These are gorgeous even if you're unfamiliar with the city. Plus, you get a little history lesson on each of the neighborhoods.

* Apparently, a majority of you men out there think Pinterest is just for women. Your lovely counterpart Manteresting is up and running for your pleasure.

* Need a simple way to stay hydrated during these long, hot days? Here are three recipes from A Beautiful Mess to make your own fruit (and vegetable) infused water. Yum!

That's it for now, readers! Please feel free to check in with me this weekend through @seekherthere on Twitter if you're not already following me! I'll have a report coming to you early next week.

See you on the other side of the weekend...

~ they seek her there

Unconventional Styling - Fireworks and Soireés

If you're a regular reader of fashion blogs, magazines, or watch T.V. shows that have anything to do with modern living, you've probably seen those featurettes about "What to Wear for the Fourth" (or something along those lines). Yes, these tips can prove to be helpful, but more often than not I find that some of the suggested styling is a bit...overdone. These outfits are a bit more "patriotic" and less functional than most people would like their wardrobe to be. This is where I'd like to offer a helping hand to some of you wondering just what to wear to those BBQs and celebrations for Independence Day.

For the ladies...

Lipstick; Dress; Belt; Ring; Scarf; Heels

I haven't completely rejected the red, white, and blue color theme of the Fourth of July, but I've certainly toned down the intensity of the colors. To me, this outfit can be worn anytime during the Summer season. I've ensured that the look has a vintage flair with the scarf, shoes, and cut of the dress. I've also made sure to suggest some amazing red lipstick that will make you stand out. It's the little things that count!

For the guys...

Tee; Shorts; Hat; Pocket Knife; Shoes

Again, this is an outfit I think a guy could wear anytime during the Summer months. To me, the colors are even less obvious for the Fourth than the pieces in the women's set. This is okay, though, since we're still remaining in the red and blue color families. I added the pocket knife as both a seasonal and practical touch. There's always use for a multipurpose tool at a backyard BBQ!

Here's a bit of a breakdown with tips on how to style your own outfit for the Fourth:

• Pick related (but not obvious) colors
  
  With the women's set, I did this by picking out pieces of a darker red and minimizing the amount of blue that I used in the look. With the men's set, I stuck to the same color families but went outside the usual boundaries of a traditional "blue" or"red". For both outfits, I chose to accent with vintage looking pieces that carried neutral hues. Again, this tones down the color of the main look.
  
  
• Decide on pieces that can be worn after the holiday
  
  You want to get as much wear as you can out of your clothes. This is my personal philosophy, and I try to stick by it as best as I can. Buy a timeless (and maybe even seasonless) piece. The dress in the women's set is a great example of this. DO NOT buy pieces that have holiday-specific prints! This really limits you and can sometimes look cheesy!
  
  
• Stick to your personal style
  
  It's always important to never deviate from what you're comfortable doing with your own styling. Yes, I've given a bit of a vintage flair to the women's set, but if that's not your thing it's okay! Do what feels natural to you, and you'll look AMAZING.

As always, feel free to throw your two cents in on what you'll be wearing for your Fourth of July celebration!

Next week I'll be coming to you from Minneapolis! Get ready to see some of the city in my posts.

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

Lunch Break: Summer Camp

For those of you who may not know or may not have even been paying attention, part of my job is organizing and running a summer camp at a Chicago school. Every year when we're getting ready to hand out informational packets to students and parents, we usually include a list of "What to Bring" to camp.

What about us who are a bit older? I know I miss the days where the long hours were spent outside running barefoot with your friends and there was no care given for just how dirty you got. Today's "Lunch Break" is dedicated to those Summer days of our youth and some fun accessories both guys and girls can use now to still inject a bit of fun into our summers.

For the ladies...

Notebook; Gel Pens; Change Purse; Sunglasses; First Aid Kit; Sneakers; Key Covers;

Lunch Bag; Nail Polish

For the guys...

Stylus; Sunglasses; Shoes; Notebook; Towels; Pen

Keep enjoying the sunny days, "campers"!

Until next time!

~ they seek her there

What to Wear For...The First Days of Summer!

I'm ecstatic to be able to wish you all an official "Happy Summer"! Chicago has had its fair share of muggy and humid 90 degree days in the past few weeks. I've been in "Summer mode" for most of the month of June. Now that it's official. I can give you some great tips on how to pick out clothes for those icky, sticky days without looking dull.

I have had ample experience in dealing with uncomfortably hot environments during the Summer months. I work at a public school, and because the building is so old there is NO AIR CONDITIONING in my office. It's a bit of a problem to say the least. Chicago Summers can be some of the worst out there. One needs to pull out all of their fashion tricks that have to do with staying cool in order to survive. Let me share a few with you...

1) Breathable material

Top - $2.49 (Thrifted)

Shorts - Gift (Old Navy)

Shoes - $5 (Thrifted)

Necklace - $3.80 (Forever 21)

Earrings - $1 (Thrifted)

Bracelets - $6.80 (Forever 21)

This top may look like it has longer sleeves than would normally be comfortable in the Summer, but it's incredibly light. One of the best kind of shirts you can find at a thrift store are old silk shirts from the 1980s like this one. They often have fun patterns and look great tucked into a pare of high waisted shorts. They also don't break the bank! I purchased this one on a Salvation Army shopping trip a few weeks ago along with four other shirts that were all $2.49 each! You really can't beat that...

2) Bright colors

I'm sure we've all heard this in our grade school science classes, but lighter colors absorb less heat energy than dark colors. We also look more vibrant sporting bright colors when it's constantly sunny out. As the Summer wears on, many of us normally acquire a healthy tan and can graduate to wearing lighter colors that we'd be unable to wear any other time of the year. Take advantage of this!

3) Minimal layers

Tanks - $3.88 each (Walmart) *Buy the striped one HERE*Skirt - $11.80 (Forever 21)Shoes - $11.88 (Old Navy)Necklace - $5.80 (Forever 21)Earrings - $1 (Thrifted)Bracelets - $1.99 (Thrifted)

I'm lucky to work in the office that I do. We have a lot of leeway as to what we're allowed to wear in the Summer due to our situation of being sans air conditioner. I hope I've demonstrated with the picture above that it is possible to look classy and stay cool at the same time. I'm wearing complimentary colors (as always) that really exude a "Summery" look without pushing "inappropriate". Something like this is easily dressed up with the flats I've chosen, and the simple and bordering on neutral accessories. They serve to accentuate the outfit and don't push it overboard. Sometimes that is easy to do with brightly colored outfits such as these.

Have your own tips for dressing up (or down) in the Summer? Feel free to leave comments here or on Facebook.

Until next time!
~ they seek her there

What to Wear For...A Fashion School Event

Today is the (near) start of a new week and the launch date of a brand new feature here at They Seek Her There: "What to Wear For..." It was born out of the realization that though I'm convinced my life is a little hum drum from time to time, I do have unusual events to attend for which there is really no dictated wardrobe. I'm about to change this. This is my honest attempt to provide a standard for these strange moments in our lives when we throw open our closet doors and proclaim to no one in particular: "What am I going to wear?"

Last Friday, I had my first official fashion school event. For those of you who are not aware, I've decided to switch my career track up a bit and attend school for Fashion Marketing and Management. I was invited to a portfolio show at the school, and I wanted to attend to network and put myself out there a bit. What to wear? What to wear?

For something like a networking event in the fashion industry, my first instinct was to find a piece that was both affordable and unique. Sometimes that can be extremely challenging. My answer lie in the new Target collaboration line - The Webster at Target. If you are unfamiliar with The Webster, it is a Miami boutique that is being showcased via Target's new initiative "The Shops". This concept is all about getting unique little stores all over the country to showcase their products in Target stores. If you look closely the next time you pop in to the bulls-eye branded outlet, you'll notice these shops in different departments including food and cosmetics.

All of The Webster's products have a flair of the "resort" look - a trend that is carrying through from Spring to Summer. You can see the line here on Target's website.

At any rate, purchasing such a dress from a Target collaboration line isn't going to force me into pennilessness, but it's still going to be something that is limited and one-of-a-kind. I also want to project an air of professionalism and a specific definition of my "look" with my styling. I went for a 60s "mod" look complete with pink and white piped heels.

Dress - $39.99 (The Webster for Target) *Buy it HERE*

Necklace - $7 (Forever 21)

Headband - $1 for pack of 2 (Forever 21) *Buy it HERE*

Earrings - $3.80 (Forever 21)

Shoes - $6 (Target)

As you can see, I kept the accessories incredibly simple. I'm sure you can also see the vintage "touches" of the outfit - the cut of the dress, costume jewelry-looking necklace, piped shoes with the gold button embellishment. This is undeniably vintage inspired. I also know you can't really see the earrings, but they were in the vintage spirit as well. They look something like this:

$5.80 @ Forever 21.com

Keeping the accessories neutral and simple, highlighting the embellishments on the shoes, and giving myself an all over "clean" look aided me in presenting myself professionally as well as being able to convey that I knew what I was doing styling-wise.

The event went great! I made several contacts, got an idea of what I might want to make for my own portfolio show, and felt generally welcomed into this new school. I think I'm going to like it there come October.

Stay tuned throughout the Summer for more unusual events and the looks I put together to accompany such occasions!

Do you have an unusual event approaching that you might want styling tips for? Please feel free to comment here or drop me a line on Facebook. I would be happy to help!

Until next time!

~ they seek her there