What I've Been Doing

Sshhh!!! Hear that? The sound of crickets? Yea, I thought so. Sorry 'bout that. I'm sure a few of y'all have noticed that is has been a little quiet here at Slow Southern Style. I've been working on some neat projects that have been time consuming yet utterly fun. Excuses, excuses I know but I'm finally pleased to tell y'all what I have been working on.

Southern Fashion Bloggers: Easter Sunday Best

Even though I always start my days off with good intentions I always prove to be a terrible blogger.  For example let's say I've managed to put together a semi-decent outfit with a couple of spare minutes to snap a picture. Suddenly I can't find my camera or I realize that I look like a bloated, beached whale thanks to a late dinner of cheese fries and ridiculously amazing alligator sausage at Dat Dog from the night before.

 In this case I had a really fun day Easter Sunday and forgot to take pictures before the sun went down. What can I say I was too busy watching my 92 year old great aunt out dance everyone else (yea pretty awesome) and taking advantage of swimming (me not her) to bother with pictures of my outfit. However I did manage to snap these shots in my living room when I got back home. One of these days I'll learn how to be a real fashion blogger.

My favorite pieces of jewelry are ones with hidden details. Flip this necklace over and the intricate metalwork keeps on going like my own private piece of art.

Tank top: Pins & Needles from Urban Outfitters

Skirt: Love Letter Nation (as seen on Miss Malaprop!) 

Heels: DKNY Collection via Buffalo Exchange

Necklace: Buffalo Exchange

Check out a few of the other Southern Fashion Bloggers and what they wore for Easter.

NO(LA) More Chains

Style Cakes

Live Life In Style

Festival Season In Louisiana

Today's post comes from guest blogger Jamielyn from Seams That Way.




As the full two months of “Spring”  have come and gone, the city is picking up steam with all things that consume our social calendars of events that force us to enjoy the outdoors. The days seem to grow longer,  the hot, sticky embrace of this humid city awaiting with arms wide open.  Yes, ladies and gents festival  season is in full swing! Personally, it is my ultimate favorite time of year.

What are my favorite things about festivals? The abundance of local food vendors showcasing,  brass bands gloriously blaring and the migration of big headlining acts.  It’s the kickstart that sets the tone for a fun summer. Of course I also love watching the sizzling hot fashions on parade as everyone tries to manage through the tightly packed crowds; libations and food in hand. It is a perfect formula for our love affair with the transitional season.   

  

Support the NOLA Ferret Rescue with iGive

Okay I know what y'all are thinking. What do ferrets have to do with fashion? I'll explain that in a minute.


Something y'all might not know about me is that I have a deep love for animals. The real reason I had to buy a house is because I was sneaking animals in and out of rentals for years. Oops, sorry former landlords!  From ferrets, hedgehogs, and even Savannah monitors I have loved and owned them all.

A friend of mine, Laura Bogren, operates the NOLA Ferret Rescue, a non profit shelter which provides a loving, caring home for these little "carpet sharks" while they are awaiting adoption. Ferrets are really quirky little animals that an old friend of mine affectionately called a "cat squirrel". They have big  personalities in a little bitty body which makes for a silly little creature with explosive energy. 


So where does the fashion fit in here? Hang tight for a minute y'all.


I met Laura years and years ago when One Eyed Jack's was still the Shim Sham. Laura is intensely dedicated to ferrets and having had one myself (and the heartache of a family pet loss) I know how outrageous their vet bills can be. Now imagine running a shelter with multiple critters and it becomes obvious that this isn't a cheap date.

A really simple, easy way to support the NOLA Ferret Rescue is to shop your favorite stores through iGive.com. Sign up is simple and every purchase you make donates a little bit of money to the shelter. With 835 participating retailers there is surely one that you already shop at already. Participating retailers include amazon.com, Kensie, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Lucky Brand Jeans,  Gap, Macy's, Steve Madden, Yves Saint Laurent, Bloomingdale's, Brooks Brothers,and Dillards to name a few. 

  HOW IT WORKS:

1. Join iGive.com to support NOLA Ferret Rescue. It's free, safe, and easy to join. Use this link:

http://www.iGive.com/welcome/warmwelcome.cfm?c=57819&m=772523

Don't feel like registering? Take iSearchiGive.com out for a spin and raise a penny (or more!) per search. Just visit http://www.iSearchiGive.com and type "NOLA Ferret Rescue" in the "Select Your Cause" area.

2. Shop through iGive.com's online mall
~ OR ~
Raise a penny search at iSearchiGive.com


And that's it! So what do you think about iGive? Have you used it before?

So not a Southern Belle

A friend and I were discussing how we can never achieve the perfect outfit. There is always a mustard stain here (her) or an untamed bra strap waiting to jump out at moments notice (me).  This is why I am so not a southern belle. While I wish I could say that I'm the type of girl that never has a hair out of place it's just not meant to be no matter how hard I try.

See what I mean? I thought my underpinnings were secure and squared away but that bastard bra crept up anyway. Oh and say hello to my little friend. Yes that is a shrimp tattoo. Yes it is a little silly but it felt appropriate getting it last year after the BP oil spill disaster.  When I moved back home to New Orleans I ate so much shrimp that I seriously thought I might give myself a shellfish allergy.

Oh and don't tell me I need to cut the grass in the backyard. I've been too busy to bust out the weed wacker and our old school push lawn mower.

Bodysuit: American Apparel

Skirt: Forever 21

Flats: Steve Madden

Celebrate Spring Fashion at Macy's

Whenever the weather changes one thing is on my mind- shopping.  I always say I'm going to replenish my basics, pick up a few trendier pieces to perk up my wardrobe and buy approximately a jillion tank tops to get ready for our 6 months of  sticky southern summer. So when Macy's contacted me to inform me of shopping events happening this month I thought "perfect timing".


 This Sunday at 2:00pm the Lakeside Mall in Metairie is having a fashion show, cosmetic color consultations, and "sips, sweets and the best savings of the season".



In Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 30th at 2:00pm at the Galleria Mall Project Runway alum Anthony Williams will be in store to share his do's and don'ts along with styling tips for Spring. Aveda experts will be on hand to offer skincare advice and you can enter for a chance to win beauty products. There will also be an "ultimate fashion face-off" hosted by Anthony where contestants will create head to toe looks for a special occasion. Winners will receive a $100 gift card to Macy's.






Full disclosure: I was offered a gift card to Macy's as compensation for writing this post.

Review: Southern Living Weddings Guide

I'm going to admit something to y'all and promise you won't disown me.

I didn't have a big, fancy southern style wedding. I eloped and got married next to a waterfall on the Havasupai Indian Reservation inside the Grand Canyon. That's right- in lieu of a guest list as long as the train on a wedding gown it was just us and a friend, the officiant and her son plus a random rez dog that came for the ceremony then promptly left when it was over. Instead of being met with a shower of rice out the chapel we got a blessing of cool water from Navajo Falls*

Mannequin Monday- Gae-tanas on Maple Street

Summer is nearly upon us and festival season is in full swing which only means one thing- you need to get dressed for New Orleans humidity. So how are you getting ready? Are you prepared?

Gae-tanas on Maple Street understands your weather woes and stocks an attractive selection of breezy cotton and linen options to help prepare y'all for the sweltering summer months ahead. With brands like Cut Loose and Flax for the ultimate in lightweight, everyday pieces to flouncy blouses and dresses from Free People, and great quality basic tees from Michael Stars there is certainly enough to fill the gaps of your wardrobe here.

See that basket of flip flops? Don't pretend like you don't live in them. Reef, Sam Edelman, Merrell, Dansko, and Jeffrey Campbell are some of the well loved labels that Gae-tanas carries. Comfort shoes are king here and Gae-tanas carries some of the cutest styles in town.

Gae-tanas

7732 Maple Street

(504)865-9625

What I Wore- Into The Woods

I'm not the type of gal that typically looks forward to vacationing in big cities. There's a reason I live in New Orleans- miles of metropolis doesn't appeal to me. Perhaps growing up with a swamp literally in my backyard had some effect because when I want to get away from it all I do mean all of it. No cell phone reception, no internet, no nothing. A few weekends ago I took a digital detox by renting a cabin in rural Mississippi in the Homochitto National Forest. It was so utterly blissful that I didn't want to come back home.

Just because I was having a John Muir moment doesn't mean I want to totally dress the part. Actually, he was probably pretty snazzy looking- the clothing in the 1800s was far superior in construction than what we buy in stores today. Anyway the trick to looking good is to not really worry about it. Pick comfortable clothes that are somewhat stylish and please, leave the heels at home. Easy, right?

This is a simple shirt but I love the details. The big buttons in the back are just enough detail to add interest without being distracting. The dolmen sleeves update a classic cut so I can own this for years and not worry about looking dated. It's also by Billy Reid, one of my favorite southern fashion designers so the quality is superb.

Nadia is such a bitch, stealing another shot. You know how everyone supposedly looks like their dogs? I'm still waiting to get tall and skinny just like mine but I shouldn't hold my breath. I guess we both have big ol' *ahem* athletic thighs so maybe I'm on my way after all.

If you are seeking your own transcendentalist moment read about my first experience at Forest Retreat on this guest post I did on NO Adventure.

Dolman sleeve shirt- Billy Reid via BillyReid.com

Jeans- Seven for All Mankind via Buffalo Exchange

Shoes- Toms via Gnome

New Orleans Fashion Week Runway Shows

If things have seemed a little slow lately 'round these parts it is because I am still catching my breath from two back to back fashion weeks here in New Orleans. In order to cover both I got a little help from none other than Rebekah Apotre of 504 Stitches. Rebekah and I tag teamed NOLA Fashion Week to attend as many events as possible. You can read my notes from the fashion bloggers panel at the Southern Fashion Bloggers site if you are inclined. Below are her thoughts on the Friday runway shows.






I'm a girl who LOVES fashion. So much so, that instead of  a boy fashion was my first love. Well that and the September Issue of Vogue.  Every Autumn when that heavy, designer laden issue hits the newsstands I'm there, waiting to crack that spine and linger over the pages while fragrance fills the air from all those perfume ads.

I hope this helps you understand that I felt really lucky to sit in for Christy for NOLA Fashion Week. She got to go to the woods and I got to sit in a beautiful vaulted ceiling room and watch the fall collections from this year's roster of designers.  

Mannequin Monday- Vintage fun at Miss Claudia's

I remember my first thrift store trips fondly. The year was...okay so it was the '90s and we'll leave it at that. Anyway I first discovered thrift stores and vintage shops when I was in high school when my main fashion objective was to look as bizarre as possible. Did I say bizarre? I meant quirky. Eventually in college I discovered Paisley Babylon  when it was still on Decatur Street and a friend and I would dash down Elysian Fields between classes at UNO to ogle the wares while grabbing at bite to eat at Angeli.

 Nowadays instead of teenagers penning zines we've got 14 year old bloggers starring in Rodarte for Target ads (now I'm really dating myself) which is infinitely cooler and more sophisticated than the dorky Nirvana tees, broomstick skirts, and combat boots that I sported during those teenage angst fueled years.

Obviously fashion is more accessible than ever and you don't have to turn to musty 1970's pleather jackets to stand out anymore, not that I had a jacket from Goodwill that was so stinky my mom made me keep it in the garage. Who me? Never. 

Fortunately there are better options out there now than when I was in school. Miss Claudia's on Magazine Street is a shop that specializes in vintage and costumes, with a sizable stock of 1950s cotton day dresses to 1970 duds that I promise you are better than the double knit polyester pointy collar men's shirts what I wore in high school. Ouch did I just admit that?

The shop stocks sweet, feminine frocks that are perfect for prom and they have a good assortment of finishing touches such as gloves, cummerbunds and ties for the guys, cuff links, and even ruffled tuxedo shirts. So if your prom is coming up, or you are just looking to add a little historical elegance to your closet I urge you to learn from my mistakes and stick to shops like this that offer up a handpicked selection of items vs. trying to traipse through the thrift store by yourself.

Miss Claudia's Vintage Clothing & Costumes

4204 Magazine Street

New Orleans, LA 70115

(504) 897-6310

Giveaway! Emma Graham Designs- Schooled in the South

When talk of fashion school comes up most people instantly think of scoping out schools in New York City or Los Angeles in order to gain experience and earn their degrees. However there are a surprising number options in the south, including the program at the University of South Carolina.

Emma Graham is a new clothing line from the design team Jackie Graham and Emma Mahon. Although they are based in Boston Emma received her fashion merchandising degree from the University of South Carolina and studied abroad in London and Paris while in college. Their inaugural spring 2011 collection will  effortlessly blend into the young southern woman's wardrobe. The designs are very much inspired by a Southern lifestyle and are the perfect companion whether you are wearing a derby hat to the Carolina Cup or a baseball cap to a tailgating party. The line is not only sold online but you can pick up a piece at many boutiques located throughout the South.

I'm also pleased to announce that Emma Graham Designs was gracious enough to sponsor a giveaway to Slow Southern Style readers! One very lucky lady will win the Dayna nautical skirt pictured here. All you have to do to enter is:

1. Like Slow Southern Style on Bloglovin' or subscribe to the newsletter.

2.  Go to the Emma Graham Designs website and comment on this post which design is your favorite.

Look how cute the back is! To sweeten the deal this baby is reversible. Hurry up and enter soon, the giveaway laste through April 8th.