Thursday, April 26, 2012

DIY Detachable Studded Glitter Collar

So I eyed this post on rookiemag awhile ago on how to DIY decorate a detachable collar, and I've FINALLY gotten around to it. I tried the one under the section labeled "glitter patterns" because I basically eat glitter. Mmmm, glitter.

So here's the collar I cut off:
From an old collared shirt from the GAP!

And here are the materials I used:
I also added a darker blue glitter, not shown in the picture.
The fabric paint I used was Mod Podge for Fabric.  To paint on the glitter, I did what rookiemag said and mixed the fabric paint and glitter together, then slapped that onto the collar. At first, I started with a foam brush (in the picture), then moved to an old makeup brush I had. The foam brush just adsorbed all the glue and was hard to work with. I did waaaay more than the 3 coats rookiemag recommended - I didn't want much of the white color of the collar to show through.  After letting the collar dry for 24 hours, I added studs.

Here is the finished collar:
Whee!! So shiny! Sorry for the blurriness.
Are you ready for your close up, collar?!
The glitter actually came out a lot more matte than I would have preferred. I think this is because the Mod Podge Fabric paint that inevitably sits on top of the glitter isn't shiny. To get a very glittery look, I would recommend brushing glue onto the collar first and THEN sprinkling lots of glitter on top rather than mixing the glitter and fabric paint together. However, be warned, the glitter is more likely to fall off this way. An alternative might be to use Mod Podge Gloss paint rather than the Fabric version.

Here are pictures of the detachable collar being worn!
I feel so studly.
Don't touch my neck, I'll kill you!

Side view
On my lap.
I am undone! Or at least... the collar is unbuttoned.

The gold-rose spikes are pin-ons connected with chains that I got from ASOS, similar to this. I like wearing 'em with the detachable collar because then I can leave the collar unbuttoned, like in the last picture.

Lessons learned:
*Foam brushes are horrible for fabric glue. I guess I should have seen that one coming.
*Let glue dry between layers, or you'll get some glitter clumping.
*If you don't want the original color of the collar to show through, you'll have to put on a ton of layers or paint it with an acrylic first.
*If you want a super glittery collar, put the glue down first then sprinkle on the glitter, or use a glossy fabric paint.
*Don't forget painting the part around the button.

If you don't want to DIY a studded/spiky accessory yourself, I don't blame you. It did take a few hours to do. DON'T FRET, my pet. There are some really cool neck accessories out there, already done for you. Here are some of my favorites from Harlett:
A little touch of badass. Available here.
I love the geometry of this. Available here.
The spikes are perfectly placed! Available here.

If you buy anything from karmaloop, you can use rep code: PRILLAMON for an extra 20% off! Yes, I'm serious. Pretty sweet deal.

Let me know if you have any questions, are going to try this yourself, or buying something similar!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Springtime in Colorado!

Spring has sprung and I can tell from my allergies. Yay. But, on the bright side, I can break out all the Jason Wu for Target I bought! Yay!

Here's the JWu dress in all its glory:
Loooooove the pockets and the lace at the bottom!

And here it is with a dose of spring styling!

Dress: Jason Wu for Target
Shoes: Kelsi Dagger
Leggings: Tart
Purse: Mulberry for Target
Bracelet: Juicy Couture Charm Bracelet
Belt: Mettle Fair Trade

The gold belt is the bombshell belt from Mettle Fair Trade, which I've featured before. The bombshell belt is so cool - it is literally made from recycled bomb shell material, and is, of course, fair trade. It says on Mettle Fair Trade's website that their products are "produced in Cambodia within a small, not for profit income generation and skills training project owned by it's members." That is something I can get behind! I bought mine for 199.90 Australian dollars from Haute on High.

It's hard to find Jason Wu at your local Target any more, so here are some dress suggestions for getting the same look:
ASOS skater dress with open back, also in petite, now $25.07 ($32.23 for petite).

ASOS skater dress with cross back detail in blue, purple, or white, $35.81.

ASOS Skater Dress with Cut Out Shoulder in mint, nude, or navy, $28.65.

Basically, just search "fit flare" at ASOS. They have lots of options. Just make sure to choose your country's site at the top right corner so the sizing is proper. I love ASOS because of their free shipping and free return shipping, no minimum!

If you can't spring for the Mettle Fair Trade belt, you can get something similar.
Metal Plated Belt, $18.99. I might suggest sizing down because, from the pictures, it looks like it was meant to go around the hips instead of the waist. Not sure though.

Vintage gold belt, $45 on Etsy. Etsy has a lot of good options, so checking there is always a good time!

Warehouse also has a couple cute gold belts: option 1, option 2. eBay does as well - no links though, because options change so quickly.

So there. That's what I'm wearing this spring!