TeenUgly's blog

‘Sup Uglies,
So, I have the wonderful pleasure of introducing Teen Ugly’s newest contributing writer, Jane from Sea of Shoes. Not only is she incredibly fashionable but she’s super sweet and so damn cute. If only I were this well dressed in high school…
- Juliana

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What sparked your interest in fashion?

I consider every aesthetic aspect of life to be important-clothes are naturally a part of that, and fashion is fun!

Who/what inspires you?

I am constantly collecting new inspiration, so it’s always changing. I am obsessed with the Japanese street style magazine FRUiTS-especially the older issues from the late 90’s. I love how isolated people’s style in Harajuku is from anywhere else in the world-there’s nothing else like it. Music always inspires me-I love punk and industrial music. My #1 style icon is Tina Chow-she always looked so elegant and her jewelry was incredible.

Does anyone ever compare you and your mom to Gilmore Girls?

One or two of my friends have pointed it out to me before but the comparison is lost on me because I’ve never seen Gilmore Girls!

How do you fit into the fashion scene in high school?

At my school there isn’t a fashion scene-I have to wear a uniform! I go to a really small school and none of my friends are interested in fashion. To be honest I think they’re a bit embarassed to be seen with me in some of my outfits! But usually I find that people at my high school are an appreciative audience for style-I always get lots of compliments on shoes.

How would you describe your personal style?

A constant evolution, I guess.

If you could only wear one item/outfit for the rest of your life what would it be?

That is a terrifying prospect-I guess if I had to wear one thing for the rest of my life, I’d probably wear some sort of Buddhist garb. Or maybe a pair of antique Levi’s worker jeans from like 1895-is that gross?

How many pairs of shoes do you have?

I’m not quite sure-but somewhere around 45-50 pairs!

What made you start Sea of Shoes?

Summer boredom-I started during Spring ‘07 and forgot about it for a year. I started blogging again this March-since then I’ve really gotten into the swing of it and it’s a lot of fun.

What was your first major designer article of clothing?

Hmm….I’m not sure if he qualifies as a ‘major designer’ but I remember on my 13th birthday, I bought two pieces from Custo Barcelona-a bustier-detail shirt with metallic thread woven through it and this puffy little silver bolero with a blue fur collar. It was when the Custo Barcelona boutique had just opened in Dallas I think and I was fascinated by everything Custo! I still think he is an underrated genius.

What do you plan on doing in the future?

I am really excited about starting a career in fashion. There are so many different fields in fashion I’m interested in-being some sort of editor or stylist would be an ideal career for me. I have some exciting things in the works right now that are keeping me busy too! It’s cool that having a fashion blog has opened up so many oppurtunities for me and I have learned so much from it. I think everyone should have a blog-fashion or otherwise. It’s consumer empowerment!

My friend Sarah invited me to her school’s homecoming dance of Saturday night. I took my own advice and wore black and my dangerously high Marni heels. The whole time I was playing Chic or Doubtful in my head. Let’s just say that there were lots of doubtfuls and very few chics…

Halloween is less than two weeks away! If you haven’t already, you’d better start preparing your costume!

First, let’s start with the obvious: avoid purposefully slutty costumes (unless it’s in character). The fact that’s you’re on Chictopia means this is probably common knowledge to you, but one can never assume. Halloween is not an opportunity to go man hunting, it is a chance to get crazily dressed up and pretend to be whomever you want to. Skimpy Halloween costumes are obnoxious not to mention unoriginal.

Be Unique!
We all know there are going to be hoards of Juno’s and plenty of Batman’s/Joker’s to go around this Halloween, so instead try to do something different from the masses. Be your favorite character from a movie, book or even your favorite fashion editor (Carine, anyone?)! Try not to be too obscure though, unless of course you don’t mind explaining your costume to everyone you meet.

Make Room for Candy/Food
For me at least, Halloween is all about the sweets! I usually end up gorging on chocolate and candy from dawn til dusk and all that candy needs a place to go! Any costume that restricts my expanding stomach is a no go for me.

Consider Temperature
Temperature is always a big factor in what I dress up as for Halloween as it is usually freezing by the end of October. If you wont be venturing outside at all then by all means wear whatever you like. However, if you’re going to be out and about you’ll want a costume that keeps you warm or at least bring along a coat that ties into your costume.

Can’t Think of Anything? Go Thrifting!
Thrift stores always have plenty of material for a great Halloween costume. Just start browsing and ideas will come to you!

Have fun!

-Camille

Combat boots, especially Doc Martens, have become quite the trend in footwear lately, and let me just say, they are a welcome alternative to the sky high heels that usual end up on the feet of trendsetters. Both functional and stylish, combat boots make a bold statement, specifically that you’re not one to mess with. Here are some ideas on how to wear combat boots.

Pair Them with a Feminine Outfit
Combat boots add the perfect touch of toughness to a girly outfit. Lulu wore hers with an otherwise feminine outfit, but the addition of her Docs gave the outfit an interesting edge compared to the typical and expected frills and lace look. I would love to see Docs paired with a Charles Anastase-esque ensemble.

Dress Down a Formal Dress
In the same vein as pairing your boots with a feminine outfit, wearing tough boots with a formal dress is a great way to add contrast. It is also easily transitions an otherwise nighttime-only dress to day.

Channel Yohji Yamamoto
For a while now Yohji Yamamoto has been collaborating with Doc Martens and the results are the perfect compliment to Yohji’s designs. If you’ve got the funds you could even buy a pair of Yohji Yamamoto x Doc Martens boots. They are sick.

Go Full 90’s Grunge
Pair those suckers with acid wash denim (exra points if it’s in the form of a jacket), plaid, ripped tights, studded leather and florals and you’ve got yourself a party. If you aren’t quite so bold, one or two grunge elements can give your outfit a grungy feel without looking over the top and outdated. This outfit from katrinadew is a great example.

Keep it Simple
Stephanie wore her black patent Docs with a basic white tee and skinny jeans. While simple, think of what this outfit would be like if worn with regular black flats? BORING. powderblue outfit is another example of keeping her things simple to let her patent pink Docs shine. Let your combat boots be the focal point of your outfit and keep the rest simple.

-Camille

More examples of Chictopians wearing combat boots well:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

After a long day in heels, my feet usually hate me. If they could think independently they’d probably be wishing they belonged on the legs of someone who wears Crocs/Merrels/these things on a daily basis. Here are some things that keep my feet from wanting to run away entirely.

Band-Aids
Band-Aids are probably the most important item to have with you if you’re going out in heels. After a couple hours of wearing strappy shoes, blisters are almost inevitable. And nobody likes blisters. When you feel your feet are verge of forming blisters, break out the Band-Aids! I go through the Tough Strips like its nobody’s business.

Epsom Salt
A nice foot soak after a long day in high heels is the nicest thing in the world (maybe next to a full out foot massage). And using Epsom salt is best since it relieves soreness and inflammation. Use 1 cup of Epsom salt per gallon of warm water and soak for 20-30 minutes.

Foot Petals
To tell the truth, I’ve never used these things myself, but several people I know swear by them. They come in many different styles to provide extra support or relief to certain areas of your feet.

Bring Flats!
If you’ve got space in your bag, bringing a comfortable pair of flats along with you is a great idea. If worst comes to worst with your heels, you can always switch shoes. Just make sure you’ve got enough space in your bag if you do switch shoes!

Apologies for the gross photo of my battered feet after returning from San Francisco, but I thought it was a prime example of utilizing Band-Aids. I think that the most I’ve ever had on my feet.

-Camille

Ever since seeing Zana’s cutout skull sweater by Pleasure Principle, I’ve had a major crush on the label. From their fantastically simple split knee jeans to their knot dress, their designs are extremely covetable. Anyway, to the point of this article (which wasn’t to gush about the brand), I’d been lusting over Pleasure Principle’s cut out spine tee for what seems like ages when I realized that it would make a rather simple DIY project.

What You’ll Need:

-a piece of clothing
-something to mark your garment with
-scissors
-liquid seam sealant (I used Fray Check)

1. Draw out your design on your garment. It’s best to do this in something that can be washed out (water-soluble marker) or rubbed off (tailor’s chalk) in case you change your mind about something as you start cutting. Also, I suggest keeping the cut edges at least a ¼” apart from each other to reduce the possibility of anything unraveling/tearing/etc.

2. Cut the fabric along the places you’ve marked.

3. Apply Fray Check to the raw edges and let dry.

4. Wear your new creation and post it on Chictopia!

The best part about this DIY is that there are endless possibilities! You could cut virtually anything anywhere on the garment of your choice.

I’m excited to see what your creative minds will come up with!

-Camille