Scarves! | The Fashion Dungjen

The high temperature for today is 39 degrees. That's cold.

Considering the University of Cincinnati campus simulates a wind tunnel and is on one of the highest points in Cincinnati, it's probably going to feel like 25 degrees outside when the air whips you like a wacky wind sock.

There is only so much a winter coat can do. That's what scarves are for.

I have a problem where I hoard scarves. Mostly fashion scarves and not ones that are practical for cold weather, but at least they're nice to look at.

But when my head starts twitching from the cold, the aesthetic that was there before as a result of the pretty scarf is not only gone, it's been punched in the face and knocked into next week. You feel me?

Anyway, I'm on a quest for the perfect scarf. Never mind if it will go with my jacket, I'm just concerned about my neck for now. I can worry about which coat to wear later.

On Etsy.com I found some fabulous scarves that I would like to share with everyone and see what the general opinion is. Basically, I'm asking you what do you think I should ask Mom and Dad to buy me out of pity? (They never see me and always feel compelled to buy me stuff ... sort of. Mommy, Daddy, if you're reading this, I still love you ... sort of.)

I present, fabulous scarf number one. This Etsy seller is based out of Atlanta, Ga., so I'm wondering why she makes such great scarves. Atlanta is hot. I'm not going to question it so much, I'm glad she produces these over sized, super cozy looking masterpieces. I think I could properly keep my entire body warm with that bad boy. Selling for $99, I'm going to have to get a sugar daddy or pretend to cry in front of my daddy.

While there are plenty of other marvelous scarves across the many pages of Etsy, I'm about ready to fall face first onto my laptop from exhaustion.

It's bedtime, baby.
xoxoxx

Yes Please! | The Fashion Dungjen

Still buzzing from my buy handmade pledge, I found myself spending an unprecedented amount of time browsing Etsy.com shops when I came across this top, $84.

It's 100 percent wool and 100 percent handmade. Sandmaiden, the creator/seller offers the top in a few different combinations: deep brown opaque or deep brown sheer, gray opaque or gray sheer. It's absolutely fabulous. If you like the sweater or like the design, check out the rest of her items on her Etsy site!

The only question left is who is going to buy it for me? Wink, wink.

Indie Holiday | The Fashion Dungjen

The economy sucks, we all know this. Who is hurting the most? The little guys. You hear more about the big businesses suffering, but when one big company goes under, so do all the people that work there.

Support local or handmade gifts this holiday season. Shoot, do some DIY projects. I'll be posting a bunch of tutorials from now until after New Year's so you can be decked out in indie-made accessories and clothing.

For now, take the Buy Handmade Pledge and support those independent artists!



If you have any suggestions on what tutorials you'd like to see, let me know. I'll do my best to accommodate!

Photo shoot! | The Fashion Dungjen

Emily Lang, The News Record photo editor, came over today to take photos for "Bargain Shopper: The $9.48 Woman," which is going to appear in the paper tomorrow (Monday). Our shoot was fun and the photos are hilariously fantastic.

These outfits were thrifted in Cincinnati-area thrift stores (minus the floral belt which I took from my Oma's house this summer). Fabulous, no?

*All photos were taken by Emily Lang.

Yes Please! | The Fashion Dungjen

It's finally legitimately cold outside. In fact, I've heard rumor there was snow on rooftops this morning. All this talk of the impending winter has me super excited for coats. Though I've just bought one, which has already lost three buttons, I feel as though you can never have too many. (This is also my motto for shirts, shoes, pants, earrings, etc. This is also why I have run out of closet or drawer space.)

I was scanning runway collections on Style.com and came across this triangular Stella McCartney jacket. I can't decide if I love it or think it's fantastic. What happened to her arms?! To wear the jacket you probably have to be no bigger than the model who is wearing it for it to not look any more absurd. If you did look more absurd, you would at least have a very warm neck.

Lumber Jack | The Fashion Dungjen

Photo by Emily Lang

“Taylor, that shirt you’re wearing makes me think you’re going to go home to your log cabin tonight, turn on your lantern and use one of those, what are they called, those things you dip in ink.”

- Thomas E. Smith

What's in Your Bag? | The Fashion Dungjen

I had intended to do this 'What's in Your Bag' thing way more often, but it's a little weird asking people if I can see the contents of their purse. Plus I always forget to bring my camera with me. D'oh.

I ran into one of my residents from last year, Alex Rollins, a second-year physical therapy student, and demanded she empty the contents of her bag so I could post it for everyone on the Web to see. Fortunately for her, but boring for us, there is nothing incriminating in her bag. Here's what is:

Alex straight dumped her stuff onto the counter of the front desk. (Probably because I told her to, not because she's crazy. I guess that could be contested though.)

In her fuchsia tote Alex has: her cell phone, a camera, loose change, a wallet, pens, pencils, ChapStick, lip gloss, eyeliner, Tylenol, her University of Cincinnati ID and a vanilla flavored Tootsie Roll.

Thrift Reviews | The Fashion Dungjen

I love thrifting. In an upcoming article for The News Record, I venture out to try and hit up some of the areas most popular thrift stores. Here's what I have to say about them:

Valley Thrift
9840 Reading Rd
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45241

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Valley Thrift is shoes. Every row of clothing is coupled with a row of shoes. It's insane. Everything is really organized, which is nice and incredibly helpful. I think I've had more luck at this thrift store than I've had pretty much anywhere else. I was even lucky enough to find a pair of cowboy boots in my size. They're perfect. The store itself is pretty big, they have a lot of clothes, but they also have a few aisles of knick-knacks. The jewelery counter is pretty big; last time I was there I bought 12 pair of earrings for less than $10. Awesome. Unfortunately, not all things at Valley Thrift are that inexpensive. Though everything at Valley Thrift is cheaper than if it were bought when it were new, it's still a little pricier than other thrift stores.

Society of St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store
9864 Reading Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45241

St. Vincent DePaul is literally located right next to Valley Thrift. Technically you should drive back and forth from the stores. There is a sign that asks patrons to not walk through the grass. Whoops. I'm a little rule breaker; I walk through the grass every single time. St. Vincent DePaul is significantly smaller than Valley Thrift so it's harder to find anything you may be interested in. They do, or at least the last time I visited the store, had a great selection of vintage hats. They were grossly overpriced. Generally whenever I actually bother to go, I'm only there for a few minutes before I get frustrated and give up. Plus the lighting isn't that great. The store is worth checking out, don't go with great expectations or high hopes.

The Village Discount Outlet
1813 Monmouth St
Newport, KY 41071

This place is huge. There are rows, upon rows of double-stacked hanging clothing racks. Everything is insanely organized, well, OK, everything is fairly organized. I was able to get a bunch of things -two scarves, two shirts and a blazer - for less than $15. That's not too bad, right? Right. To put the cherry on top, every Monday you can leave the store with a billion things for 50 cents each. Talk about bargain hunting. This place is a hot spot for thrifters so if you're going to go, plan to spend a whole day. You'll need it to sort through everything you find. This also means that things may be extremely picked over by the time you get to it. Go back often. It'll prove worth it.


Keep checking back for more thrift store reviews. If you know of a gem store, clue me in! I'd love to check it out.

Do Your Crotch Hang Low? | The Fashion Dungjen

My crotch is fine just where it's at, thank you. For fashion blogger Susie (Style Bubble), her crotch hangs low. Really, really low. In a new blog entry about her experience with the new Commes des Garcons collection at H&M, she posted photos of her new harem pants to showcase its "versatility."

I have never, will never, can't ever understand how anyone can think these are attractive. Do these pants not look like they would lend themselves to chaffing. I stand firm in my decision to never wear these, to never think about wearing them. In fact, if I ever see a woman trying them on, I will say, "Ma'am, excuse me, but you look like you have udders."

Check out the column I wrote about harem pants last February!

What do you think? Harem pants: yes or no? Do you own any? Have you ever worn them? What's it like? Is it ultra breezy? What's the deal?

Yes Please! | The Fashion Dungjen

Dear Zac Posen,

I think you're a genius. I wish that I could afford this outfit, but let's be real, you and I both know that's not possible. I think you should know, that jacket is fabulous. And the sheen from the dress paired with the opaque black tights. Mmm!

xoxxx

The Stinky Shoe Plague | The Fashion Dungjen

My stinkiest flats. Seriously, they're rancid.

I always thought I may be the only one to have the stinky shoes problem ... until I came to work for The News Record. From designers to writers, from editors to photographers, it seems stinky feet have plagued the female employees of the paper. It may be because most of us opt for flats, which is a foot funk breeding ground.

Now I know that the smelly foot problem extends to the office, I know it has to extend even further. And I know I'm not the only one who goes home and night, takes off her shoes and winces and exclaims, "WOOEE!" before spraying three tons of Febreeze into the air. (Which reminds me that my can is almost empty.)

After a night of ridicule about my stinky feet, when I go home after the paper is put to bed, these shoes are making their way down the trash chute. These will be the third pair of shoes I've thrown away in the last month. Woe is me.

Anyway, to cure the nastiness I've done a little digging.

Some of the easiest solutions to help at least mask the funk include:

-rubbing alcohol
-baking soda
-Fill dryer sheets with baking soda and close them with a rubber band and place them in the "smelly" shoes.

Some of the weirdest things I read:
-Make a packet of fresh coffee grounds (right from the can) by putting grounds in an envelope or end of pantyhose and place inside the shoes.

The most logical thing I heard:
-Buy the little sock footies and wear them with your shoes, "they make a world of a difference," according to one of my friends. (I forget who mentioned these.)

Does anyone have any other suggestions I can pass on? Have you tried any of these things? Do they work?

Yes Please! | The Fashion Dungjen

I love plaid. I love black tights. I love this Y-3 ensemble from its fall collection. Yes please!

Yes Please! | The Fashion Dungjen

With another installment of 'Yes Please!' I bring to you this Alexander Wang fall ensemble. It's incredibly minimalistic, which is an aesthetic that I love but hardly ever accomplish. Rather than outfit the white top and black sweater with the long black skirt, I think I would personally be more likely to throw on some black pants. I'm keeping the hat too. It'll look hilariously fantastic with my hair. Yes please!

Cincinnati thrifting | The Fashion Dungjen

This weekend I have to venture out to the thrift stores again for an upcoming article in The News Record.

Here is what is on my thrifting shopping list for fall/winter:

-cardigans
-boots
-winter dresses (or dresses that can be winterized)
-scarves

I think this is totally doable. The point of the story will be revealed on Monday, so stay tuned!

In the mean time, what are your favorite thrift stores in the Cincinnati area? What else should I be looking for and what should I add to my list?

Incriminating Photos | The Fashion Dungjen

Cell phones armed with cameras are a great thing as much as they are a scary thing. Fortunately for me, my friends use them to help out with my blogging efforts by taking pictures on their phones of fashion misfortunes. Today they were really looking out because I received not one photo, but two.

I don't want to be greedy, so for your viewing pleasure, I present to you two very differently dressed ladies.

My friend Aldawna sent me this photo today. Lets examine exactly what is going on here. Better yet, lets examine what's not going on here: coverage. The dress is a little bit on the short side. While I didn't see this girl walking across campus, Aldawna said she was constantly pulling the dress down to cover her unmentionables. I'm not really digging her knee-high Timberland boots either. The proportions of this outfit are off on every piece. The dress is too snug and too short, the boots are too tall; even the jacket doesn't look like it fits all that well.

Here's a different kind of interesting, submitted by my friend Deanna. The knee-high green socks, paired with the black, chunky, harsh Pilgrim-like shoes, the flowy brown skirt and the structured brown jacket confuses me a little bit. I'm not opposed to mixing flowy, delicate pieces with more structured pieces, but the hard black shoes don't do this girl any favors. Matched with the green socks, it's a little too Mayflower Compact or fifth grade Catholic school girl. And school girl may be most appropriate; it looks like her bag is one of those Arctic Cool lunch boxes.

If you see an on- or off-campus fashion disaster (or maybe someone dressed really well), don't hesitate to take a photo and submit it to thefashiondungjen@gmail.com. If you can, please include at least your first name and where you spotted the fashion assailant.