Monday, April 28, 2008

Bottoms


With all the varieties of jeans today it is important to make sure that the tailoring is done well. New technology makes the hems of the denim more interesting, and worth preserving. Reattaching the bottom is the way to go when shortening the length. Jeans that are too long MUST be shortened. Denim can go many places, but ripped and shredded bottoms are not the same as "distressed denim" you can buy from the store. Proper length and proper tailoring are important things. The one thing to know about denim is that fit in the waist and hip is important to have from the store. The nature of the seam work on jeans makes them very hard to tailor. Most of the time it is impossible to "take in" a pair of jeans. Be a fit snob and the store and find the pair that works for your body, then have them shortened if necessary. With so many brands out there at least one will lay well on your waist and hips. Remember: There is a fine line between distressed and messy, so find a pair of jeans that fits your style, then fit them to your length.
xoxo,
Ruth

Friday, April 25, 2008

Short Shorts


The summer is has officially begun. Shorts of all lengths are now totally wearable, and acceptable in many different situations. For professional looks, women can incorporate walking shorts (just above the knee) with sport coats and cardigans. For night the short-short can be worn as long as a few rules are observed: First, the woman wearing the shortest shorts must have great legs. Clothing should highlight your best feature so if your legs are not the most complimented part of your body it would be best to stick with a longer short. If your legs are beyond amazing then wear those short shorts with pride! The second thing to consider is the shoes to go with such short shorts. Last night, Kid Sister performed at The Underground club in Chicago in a great pair of short shorts paired with a peep toe stiletto shoe. Feminine high heels are the best bet when revealing your gams in order to give the correct tone and shape to the leg in a sexy, feminine way. The last thing to make sure of is hydration. Showing skin means making that skin gleaming and smooth. Firming lotions with a little bit of shimmer are the best. With glowing skin, great legs, and some hot high heels you are all set! Rock those shorts ladies!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Launch Party

The launch date for the uniforms I have been working on has been set. Next Thursday, May 1st, we will be unveiling the military-meets-mod minidresses and the men's "stained" t-shirts in our engineered athletic fit. The party will be at the Underground in Chicago. I am so excited!
xoxo,
Ruth
P.S. For a look at the club to see my inspiration visit http://www.theundergroundchicago.com/

Update: The launch party is moved to May 15th. Any Chicagoans are welcome to come out and see us!

Monday, April 14, 2008

The Birds...


The warmer weather tends to bring about more opportunities for men and women to engage in flirtatious behavior. Remember that the more there is to look at the longer the female eye will will stay in one place. Take a chance with your spring wardrobe and give us girls something to compliment. Even the most shy girl will take the opportunity to compliment an attractive, well dressed man. Make that work in your favor this season.

xoxo,

Ruth

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Warm and Fuzzy



The one great (and simultaneously bad) thing about Chicago weather is that it never gets warm too quickly. It allows us to bring out our spring wardrobe's slowly while incorporating some of fall's staples as well. Lightweight jackets, sport coats with sweaters, and hoodies still have a place in our closet's rotation. Fun, light colored jackets are only appropriate when the spring is here. Otherwise, most of those colors in jackets are reserved for only post-retirement set who live in Florida most of the winter.

xoxo,

Ruth

P.S. Dept728 makes a fabulous buff and beige fleece that you can see at http://www.dept728.com/jk1x.html

Friday, April 11, 2008

Poppin My Collar


Anything that frames the face is very important. Collars are the closest part of a garment to the face for most men. The scale of the collar is as important as the shape of it. A wider collar will balance a man's wider jaw, and a smaller collar will work best for a man with a longer face. A gentleman with a wide face who wears a smaller pointy collar is only accentuating the negative. Balance is the key to the most attractive look for each person. As for suiting, the full spread collar is almost never necessary unless you are a very broad gentleman and will be wearing a full Windsor knot tie. Jacket collars are supposed to be consistent with the breadth of the shoulders. Wider lapels can be best on a broader guy, and narrower collars on smaller builds. Peaked lapels are now considered completely acceptable. As long as the lapel is not in high contrast to the jacket, which will still look a little disco, and will need the right type of guy to pull it off (who must be under 30 or a rock star).

xoxo,

Ruth

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

New Ideas


Every artist experiences a block once in a while. When I find myself thinking in circles I go to other forms of artistic expression. Because fashion is both beautiful and functional I tend to gravitate towards others that have to incorporate purpose into their creations. While painting and sculpture can be great to look at I find that jewelry, food, and furniture are the most engaging objects for me. Great ideas can be extracted from other art forms. The way a chair is designed, or how a cake is seemingly gravity-defying can be so very inspirational to me. Modern architecture will use composition and details in the same manner than I will move seams or incorporate one bold graphic to make visual impact. Since, at the moment, I am working on the uniforms for The Underground Chicago's Treated Thursdays, there are times where I feel that I keep making the same piece over and over (which is true). Taking a break to watch the food network or HGTV gives me some rest from the pieces I am currently working on, and lets me think about what to design next.

xoxo,

Ruth

Monday, April 7, 2008

Cris-Cross


Plaid has been a staple in American sportswear for decades. Sometimes plaid can look very fresh, but when used in certain ways plaid can look dated. For the spring madras plaid walking shorts are very modern with a flat front and clean details. Even though plaid is a pattern pairing it with a simple print is totally acceptable. Colorful plaid bottoms paired with a simple screen printed shirt is a great way to pair prints. When wearing more than one print at once remember the rule of proportion. If one pattern is complicated keep the other simple. If one pattern is smaller make the other one larger. Two patterns that are like proportions and complexities will look too busy. For instance, a plaid pant can be paired with a shirt that has a few large screened flowers on it. The sizes are very different and the flowers are less busy than the plaid. Those same plaid pants with a medium polka dotted shirt, however, will become an outfit that you can easily add a big red foam nose and a multi-colored wig to. So be mindful of your proportions, but experiment away with plaid. The pairings can look very updated and fashionable for spring.

xoxo,

Ruth

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Popping the Cherry


Since the very beginning we have had a following within Chicago. A few of my old contacts and friends became big fans of the clothing Dept 728 has to offer. Thankfully those few people have spread our name by word of mouth over the last year and a half that we have been in business. Since putting up the website we decided to actually incorporate the ability to purchase online. While lots of people have gone to http://www.dept728.com/ they had yet to actually buy something straight from the website. This week was the beginning of our online retail success when we started receiving orders through the website. I am so excited to show people across the country what Dept 728 is all about. I am obsessed with fit and proportion. The lines of the menswear are specifically engineered to work with the body and fit men in a very streamlined kind of way. I believe that we have something very unique to offer the fashion world, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to do so.

xoxo,

Ruth

Friday, April 4, 2008

Drawing the Line


Lines make all the difference. The lines of a garment will either accentuate or detract from the person wearing them. When a garment is striped, there are far more lines to consider. Horizontal stripes are in right now, and only a select few can actually wear them. Slender men without a lot of bulk or muscle can wear them without problems, petite women can also do the same. Chesty women, or very muscled men, however, have quite a lot of dimension to their bodies already, and horizontal stripes will only make their proportions look cartoonish. Even a tiny bit of excess weight will be shown in a striped garment, so anyone not at the gym everyday should be careful. Luckily, stripes can be used in other ways for the rest of us who were not born with exceptional metabolisms. Striped structured sport coats look good on almost anyone since the structure of the garment is very flattering to almost any body type. Nautical striped bags and hats are also a good way to work the trend. So keep your eye on the lines for this season, and remember to use them only to your advantage.

xoxo,

Ruth

Thursday, April 3, 2008

The Answer is Clear


I love Lucite. Big geometric Lucite blocks in home decor are my favorite. The form is alone, colorless, and allows light to pass through it in an enticing way. Clear accessories are a way to take the same effect, and apply it to your wardrobe. Lucite bangles, jelly ballet flats, and glass earrings are all fantastic additions to your ensemble. First, they go with literally everything. Second, they add a totally unexpected twist to an otherwise plain look. Finally, they are fairly inexpensive and lots of fun. I found the most attractive clear accessories are at the mass retailers for relatively little money. H&M had a great clear bangle with silver dots on it, Forever21 had fantastic clear twist earrings, and Target had cute clear jelly flats with a bit of holographic glitter in them. The ballet flats are going to go everywhere from the beach to the mall, and the bangle and earrings can get a bit dressier. There is always a way to make room for something fun in your wardrobe...clearly.

xoxo,

Ruth

Movies


I was watching Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. I love 90s fashion for all of the kitsch. The scene with the girls walking on the treadmill, Romy in a purple half top and mini in holographic fabric, and Michelle in her coordinated cherry print outfit, is classic. While I laugh at people on the street wearing outfits straight out of 1993 there is a certain nostalgia about seeing it in the movies. I love that since the turn of the century we have started to combine clothing in a more coordinated, but less matchy way. In fact, mixing designer clothing with vintage finds, or even a pair of $20 jeans is considered normal. Wearing one designer head to toe is no longer necessary, and each person is encouraged to interpret fashion in his or her own way. I love the new freedom we have to be ourselves, inside and out.

xoxo,

Ruth

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Glimmer


Metallics are a big part of spring's look. A little bit of shine goes a long way. Incorporating metallic shoes or belt will add some extra pizazz to your outfits. As for metallic fabrics, less is more. A metallic pant should be paired with a matte top, or visa versa. The other thing to be aware of when wearing metallic fabrics is to make sure that everything underneath is smooth. Lace bras do not pair well under metallic tops, and panty lines or cellulite are much more apparent in metallic pants. Seamless bras and control top pantyhose are a girl's best friend when contemplating metallic clothing. Also, a great metallic bubble skirt or metallic drapey top will be more forgiving for those of us weighing over 110 pounds. Don't be afraid, metallic clothing and accessories are fun to play with. Go ahead and get your shine on!
xoxo,
Ruth

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Mini-Muffins


Who knew there would be such a thing as a bad muffin top? Frankly I feel like the top is the best part of the muffin, and the first thing I eat. In fashion, though, a muffin top is completely unappetizing. Most of the time when I spot a woman walking down the street in jeans that her hips are spilling over the top of my stomach turns. Most of the time the muffin top is a side effect of a size problem. Each woman has a unique curve to her hips. Some companies will fit one woman, yet be completely wrong for the next. When buying lower rise jeans the fit and curve of the hip is essential. The most expensive denim will look cheap when paired with a muffin top. Aside from fit size is also an issue. Some women feel defined by the number on the tag inside their jeans. No woman is the same exact size throughout different lines, and it doesn't mean that she has gained or lost weight just because the tag reads a lower or higher number. Sometimes squeezing into a smaller size only makes a person look larger. Considering that people on the street are not equipped with x-ray vision, the number on the tag is not as obvious as the flesh spilling out above the waistband. I don't care if the size reads 2 or 22 as long as the fit is perfect. If it makes a difference I recommend tearing out the tag once the jeans are purchased. If the jeans fit fantastically then they are the right size. It's that simple.
xoxo,
Ruth