HEY everyone, you may notice that my postings will be few and far between for the next couple of weeks. I'm going away for a bit, but I will have access to a computer...but I'll probably be busier having fun and stuff so...Just letting you know...I may be picking sets of the week instead of sets of the day :)

Later!

I admit it, I am a closet narcissist. I'm not going to sicken you with details, but I...well, I like me. So, in a bold and disgusting move of unbridled narcissism, I'd like to take a look back at the sets that have won contests for me.

1. The Latest - American Eagle Summer Stylin' - Second Place

I did not expect to place here. Thanks go out to American Eagle for using excellent judgement in all the sets selected AND giving me the honor to be amongst them. All is forgiven for getting the results to us 2 days late :)


2.Inspired by Covers Contest - First place and 10th place


I hoped I would win this, as it is more often than not "what i do" on polyvore. I take an image, i gather inspiration from it, and I make a set. I didn't expect THIS particular set to win, because let's be honest, the art here is by Zac Posen, not me. But I'm glad his genius was appreciated.



And I won't be blamed for this placing because I didn't even ENTER it in the contest.


3.Hayden Harnett Styling Contest - Second Place and Third Place


Even I was humbled by this. We were allowed to enter 2 sets,and I placed twice. I think it probably pissed a lot of people off, but...i swear to God, I didn't fix the votes! Hand to Bible, I had nothing to do with this other than making the sets, and even then, it's the designers, not me, who deserve credit.



But this contest was like winning the Oscar for me, and I am so grateful to all who voted. I love my bag! It's by my side at this very moment.


4.Halloween Contest - Third place


Dracula...always a winner.


5.Old is New Contest - First Place


I'm quite proud of this win, actually. It's very "gokarm" with the waistcoat and the socks and old lace shoes...and the cameo. My gift certificate from them went a long way and I got a lot of beautiful things so...shop Modcloth, it's totally worth it!


6.The first - Celebrity Look Contest - Third Place


Quite frankly, I was shocked when this came in at ALL, seeing as how it's a boy, and that boy is a crackhead...but honestly, he's got great style, despite his deadly addiction, and it's not his fault he's particularly susceptible to addiction. I'm praying for you, Pete! So my thanks to the Polyvore team for rewarding this set :).

So that's the lot.

Is it safe to say "I know what I'm talking about" yet?

"Picnic in the Countryside" by Stylebubble

Okay, so most of this is not even remotely vintage...okay, none of it is. But that's not what Vintage Wednesdays are about. These clothes...a shirt and a pair of shorts...have so much character, texture, charm and charisma, that it should inspire anyone to check out the local thrift shop in hopes of finding such gems. Like Keith Richards, some things just get better with wrinkles. It's aptly named, the floral patchwork of the top is nothing if not perfect for a picnic. The shorts look sexy and comfortable and i just ADORE their button; big, fabric covered, like a pimped out belly button. I'm going to have to show this set to my sister too, because I KNOW she'll love that bag. I'm not big on flowers on bags but it definitely works with this ensamble. And I think the absence of shoes only go to show that this chick is barefoot in the grass, and I say, bravo to her!

"Waiting for the big harmonica solo" by Shrimp Crackers

I really dig those stockings. They're thick and richly textured, and the color is so in your face bold with the rest of the look. The shoes look like nurse's shoes, like something my grandmother would wear, but the color of the shoes vs. the color of the laces is, again, bold and in your face. When I saw this set, i thought..."that's just cool". The way she blended colors on this is unusual, subtle, everything with at least the smallest hint of forest green in it, even the yellows. Cool!

What Up?

For some reason, I have a fascination with this purple pencil skirt. It seems to reap some creative color choices in my brain. But in this case, I'd say the t-shirt definitely took this look where it needed to go. The light purple circle matches, in tone, the skirt...if I were dealing with paint, for instance, and I had the purple of the skirt sitting on the pallette and I added white...it'd be the color of the circle in the t-shirt. So, with those colors, I somehow managed to find these terrific and super-matching colored items, like the shoes and the sunglasses...this is one of those where luck was on my side :)

"So Money"

I swore I would never use that vest. I didn't get it, I thought it looked too costumey and garish, and it just didn't suit me in any way. That is, until, I needed a jacket to go over this outfit. I had my purple pencil skirt, and the top...I added the shoes and the bag and everything...but it was all very safe. As you all know by now, in my book safe=boring. So I opened up my favorite source for fabulousity, net-a-porter...and saw that vest again. And it clicked. I got the vest. Everything seemed more expensive, daring, high-class...in a 5th ave kind of way...and I knew it was right. Again, something that wouldn't have happened without the purple pencil skirt.

"~Green Desire~" by ~Shilpa~

Dorothy Malone

I say underknown instead of underrated because truth be told, Dorothy Malone is a terrible actress; but in that definitive '50s way; the rolling eyes of desperation, the awkward hand gestures to "emote" sadness, or surprise, or anger, the dreamy "stars in her eyes" gooey glances at some inevitably gay hunk. Dorothy Malone is all about that, and really, nobody did it better...she was utterly unreserved. And it paid off at the time. Besides that, she was beautiful, a quintessential screen goddess, akin to Lauren Bacall, Ava Gardner, and Lana Turner. Here's to you, Dorothy Malone!

The clothes are reminiscent rather than genuinely 50s. I believe the bag is vintage, and the ring and the eyeglasses also, but the shirt is from Forever21 (someday, I'm going to post a blog about why I hate the name of that store...you can probably guess) and the skirt I believe is from net-a-porter. I thought is was evocative of the poodle skirt, with the white socks and pink flats...that's what I was going for, at least.

Dorothy Malone says "Happy Mid-Century Monday, kittens!"

"Nature" by Mewsmom

This is actually a day old, but I really wanted to feature one of polyvore's most underrated stylists here. The thing about style is, it has to be identifiable. Anyone can through a bunch of Marc Jacobs and Chloe couture together and call it fashion, and it IS...but nobody except marc jacobs or chloe can claim that style as their own. Mewsmom, and a number of stylists on polyvore...really HAVE their own style. You can look at a set and say "ah, that's a Natasha11" or "Ah, that's a doxophobia"...and in the same way, I can always identify "a mewsmom". Sometimes I don't like what she does, personal taste wise...but it's always distinctly "her". In this case, I definitely like it. I love the shoe and the earrings, and I love the color of the bag because it's SO muted. Who wouldn't have gone for an olive bag? That's the kind of unexpected twist that I live for. Well done, mews!

"Elton John Took Me"

I just realized today that I haven't been doing too much with my own sets around here. I guess it's all to do with the fact that I can include my own comments on my own sets through polyvore...I don't NEED the blog. But in cases like this particular set...I DO need the blog, because the notes section just doesn't suffice. I'm a pretty big fan of Elton John...not HUGE...I mean, not like "Morrissey" huge, but pretty big. I LOVE Yellow Brick Road and Tiny Dancer about as much as a person could love a song. I wanted to pay proper homage to the flamboyant man and...while there's a lot of "pimp" going on, I still think it's more runway than pimp...slightly...maybe lol. I think the shirt grounds the set slightly. You'll notice that Elton is wearing a polka dot shirt under some furry something or other so that's where I started. (Technically I started with the red jacket, because it was already in my items and it seemed to match the picture but, whatever...) The polka dot shirt was a real find because it was unique and had a lot of its own personality. I had to go especially to A.J. hats for that leopard print hat because for some reason we don't have any A.J. hats in polyvore anymore. Style.com provided the shoes, which are more necessary to this look than anything. And I really love those clip on sunglasses...they look funkier than one would expect clip ons to look.

And generally speaking, I just wanted to draw from the integrity of that particular shot of Elton. It's crazy and wierd, but there's no real joke behind it. It looks like a serious "photographic" shot, taking a look at the man behind the mask. That's...that's what I was going for in this set.

"It Says it All" by ChemicalPanic!

(Gokarm has nothing more to say)

by .:like the Rock::.

This is not easy to do, kittens. Honestly, I try to bring this amount of ferocity to every set I make, but usually, it turns out...overcooked. This is done JUST right, with just the right amount of accessories and that STUNNING use of hot pink. I love the lacy/silky dress over those killer trousers and I can not get over those shoes. It's such an unusual combination of colors, and even more unusual with this outfit, but I totally dig it. I'm always a fan of fingerless gloves. If I had my way, the whole world would wear some form of glove and hat every single day. Also, not that this has much to do with the outfit, but I LOVE the model pics. They have so much attitude...I noticed looking through model sets...it's really common to see this sort of sleepy, lazy, droopy, "I'm sooooo bored" thing going on in the pictures...or something really soft and sunwashed and cerebral...but you rarely see some funky attitude and that's MY preferred photographic personality. Fashion people, you need to work on that. Gokarm has decreed. Well done .:like the Rock::.!

"Oh Won't You Be My Neighbor" by Jess Lee

Apparently, this is her first menswear set ever, and I must say she did a spec-TAC-ular job. To make Mr. Rogers look hip takes talent, but she did it. Even though the jeans are womens, we have decided that's okay according to the laws of androgyny. I chose to feature this for Street Style Thursday because some of the best streetwear on polyvore is menswear, not women's (girl's like to play dress up, what can I say?). Besides that, I've had a really bad morning and Mr. Rogers is helping me calm down a bit, imagining his soothing voice and simple, quiet mannerisms. Ahh, Mr. Rogers, chicken soup for the soul.

"orange green white blue silver and gold" by andre727

I understand in some parts of the world, people don't LIKE high tops, sneakers, tennis shoes, or whatever you call them...I'm not of that school. Now...I don't even OWN a pair of sneakers, but if I did, these would be the ones I'd like. I'm a fan of big feet. I kind of love this urban flavor in this set. It's super comfortable and casual, but still very noticable and stylish. I'm digging the splashes of orange with THAT green...you see a lot of orange and green, but not often that color green, it's really...really special. great job!

"Work" by Fashion Me Fabulous

I've come back to this set 3 times over the last 24 hours because I love the silhouette just that much. That big cowl neckline is so sexy and so appropriate for work at the same time that it actually bugs me that nobody around here dresses this chic. Oh, there's a couple who fancy themselves fashionistas, but they've never taken minor chances like this. The shoe is just lovely, and ties the look together beautifully. I also love the tiny hints of red in the jewelry. Subtle...that's what it's all about.

A short while back, Polyvore hosted a contest featuring "Net-a-Porter" and we were asked to design looks for 10 different styles. One of them was "the New New Look". Most people didn't do the research and didn't achieve a true "new new look". THIS...

Is the new new look. The New Look, as many fashion designers and industry-centric folks will tell you, ...well I'll let Wikipedia tell you since they do it better than I could.

"The New Look was the name given to the women's clothing fashions introduced by Parisian fashion designer Christian Dior in the spring of 1947. This collection influenced fashion and other designers for over ten years. The signature shape – characterized by a below-mid-calf length, full-skirt, large bust, and small waist – was hugely popular after a short initial period of rejection, largely in reaction to the short, skimpy dresses required by wartime textile rationing.

So, basically you're average mid-century "Donna Reed" silhouette was "the new look". This is the new "new look. Again, emphasis on the breasts, tight bodice, full skirt...just shorter and more ballerina like. But it takes STYLE to make this fashionable dress come alive.

"Papahs in My Pocket" by marinagordon

This set I love because it gathers trendy elements and puts them together in a new way. I love the proportions of the super short skirt and the chunky wedge booties. Of course the hat is gorgeous and the vest gives the whole look an off kilter edge, sending a message to the people declaring what this chick is all about. Very hard rock, I love it.

"Pandora's Box" by guccilovexo

This is a far more um...i don't know, traditional take on the dress, but it's no less surprising. When I see the dress, i think of ah, tuxedo-ish look, with maybe a bow tie and some wedge boots...something ultra-modern. What guccilovexo did here though, was take this ultra-modern dress and send it back a few decades. It fits, but at the same time, there's something very unusual about it. LOVE the setting, and i love those shoes with the dress. They are perfect.

"For Ljubotinjanka" by blondbeast

There are few polyvorians who have been as immediately impressive as blondbeast. His eye is IMPECCABLE. Absolutely flawless.

You MUST check his sets out HERE.

Furthermore, they're always interesting and stylish. This set is his latest, and it's a stunner. The blue grey pants are slightly perplexing. Particularly with the total lack of blue-grey in the rest of the look. But then I look over to the 'inspiration'...and I realize he grabbed the color of the shadow behind her...That's just a little brilliant. I'm always a fan of black and pink but I never would have thought to add a white blazer. But again, drawing from the inspiration image, it definitely works and makes the rest of the color pop. A very striking set of the day. Well done, blondbeast!

American Eagle etc...

I was signing up with a new blog "broadcaster" (click on it, btw...) and they asked me to "describe my blog" in 250 words or less. Somehow, something clicked and I knew exactly what my blog, and polyvore for that matter, is all about. "turning fashion into style". Anyone who regularly visits polyvore and makes fashion sets is more than just a "fashionista"...they're a STYLIST; and style is SO much more interesting than fashion. Because with style, there's a story behind it...there's a human heart and soul that is somehow represented by the clothes he or she wears. And in that, there's a neverending fascination. Why is polyvore addictive? Because unlike any other site on the web, we are asked to ..sort of take responsibility for who we are and explore who we WANT to be. I know in the last year, my fashion has solidified into a defining style of who I am and who I want to be...I want to be a series of complex oxymoronic clues that ultimately leave me a total mystery to the average bypasser. That's my power of choice, to always leave them guessing. And by practicing in Polyvore and in real life, I'm doing that better than ever :D

Prom Queen
Guess what...it's a rainy day and monday today but that's not gonna get me down because it's MID-CENTURY MONDAY and I can feature beautiful dresses like this one. I love the mythology of the 50's prom queen, because it seems she always dies the night of the prom because her drunk boyfriend drove her and his car off the side of a bridge and she drowned, destined to haunt the area for all eternity. That's the prom queen for me, some spooky lookin' ghost in a fluffy dress like this.

"is it true?" by ckhopper
"you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl"
I think people tend to underestimate the importance of a good graphic. Imagine this set WITHOUT the cartoon...it's good...yes, but it isn't set of the day. The cartoon is why this is set of the day, because it provides a unique, thought-provoking context. That said, I love the shoes. I would have gone for a salmon colored shoe and I would have been wrong, because the shoe keeps this very realistic rather than, sort of...cartoony in a christian lacroix kinda way. The bag is one of my favorites because the color is so unusual and supersaturated. The gold accessories complement the outfit very nicely, and i LOVE LOVE LOVE the pink make-up. It perfectly excecutes the meaning behind this set. It's pretty, sophisticated, and playful...kinda flirty with a sense of humor. Well done!

There is entirely too little "punk" on polyvore. I don't mean the bubblegum punk that you tend to see..."punk princess" and such...but I mean like...old school vivienne westwood or um...Heatherette, for instance. We need more ATTITUDE on polyvore.

"Casual Punk"

So I decided that "change begins with me", and worked up a couple of sets with 'tude. This one, I just can't tell you how much I love that shirt. It's designed to be very slouchy, but the shoulder seams are "at" the shoulders, so it doesn't add too much width to the arms, which is always the problem with oversized things. I paired it with a, I think a cotton mini skirt. It could be jersey, for all I care, just so long as it isn't denim or leather. Grabbed the boots from style.com because they can't be beat for AWESOME footwear. The necessary punk accessories are here, but I tried to restrain myself. I wanted this to be accessible. I couldn't be happier with the hair though...THAT'S what I was looking for, for this outfit. Bad ass, but low maintainence (you know, no hair sprays and gels and glitter and gravity defying techniques).


"Pretty Punk"

"I've Decided..." by Ducktape

I freakin' love Ducktape's style and this set is freakin' awesome, in particular. Ducktape has this knack for picking out really unusual pieces and mixing them together in really unusual ways. Floral skirts with t-shirts is only the beginning. She'll mix in snakeskin boots and some kanye sunglasses...for instance. She just GOES there, and I dig it. What I love about this set...well, it's clear isn't it? THE HAT. My god, I don't think even I would have the guts to wear that every day, but it looks spectacular here, next to the checkered shorts and pewter woven sandals. That's all I'm going to say about this set...it's the kind that can't be explained. It's an experience just to view it silently :)

Happy Freakin' Awesome Friday!

So, I drew this last night. The hair was inspired by Robyn, the singer. I know NOTHING about her, but I saw her on Perez Hilton and noticed her hair so...But this is sort of what I do, I just sketch something. I rarely think about what I'm going to do, I just do it. I'm like that on polyvore. If you think there's a premeditated plan for each set that's...almost never the case. I grab a picture and improv on it. I'm going to use this as a practice graphic for painting in photoshop but...it's going to take awhile. And I may just not finish it because I'm already not feeling real motivated to do it :)

"Mother Bird" by Natasha11

Sometimes I wonder why I do this every day, this polyvore thing. I'm not really addicted to it. When I'm away on vacation or something for a week, I don't miss it all, no offence to my polyvore friends ;-). I need to see things like this to remember why Polyvore is worth it. What better way to showcase this dress? Honestly. If you blow this up magazine sized...it does not get better than this. It has depth, plot line, it's visually clear and vivid, the textures are strong, the colors saturated and subtle...furthermore, it's a cool outfit. The jean jacket and aviators ground this and take it from sweet to cool. I have learned SO much about fashion on polyvore, and I sense I'm going to go on learning, because of sets like this. Well done, Nat :).

So, I found these paintings from my favorite source Planet Fabulon and ...I wasn't immediately inspired but I knew they made me laugh in that nervous "should I be laughing at this" kinda way, and HAD to bring them into Polyvore. The first one went okay, but I struggled a lot. (Peacocks are predictable, and tough to make surprising). The second one was better, but I still felt like something was missing. Third time...

is a charm.

First off, I looked up "feather dress". I wanted a dress and I wanted feathers. Simple as that. I found this Oscar de la Renta dress with a small feather trim around the bottom and...I wasn't sure about the black and white until I looked at the bird again...yes, black and white would definitely do. My next step was to look up "chicken". I found the chicken mask and the bucket of KFC...I wasn't sure I'd use the KFC but I pulled it into the set just in case I decided to. My next step was legs. The Queen Rooster had yellow arms so I said "I can do that!" and grabbed some yellow socks from my friends at SockDreams.com. The shoes were a bit tricky because I wanted something that looked like chicken claws...not an easy thing to find in a shoe. But pointy toes would work and I'm not one who normally uses pointy toe shoes, so the choice felt surprising to me. I grabbed a red bag because I still didn't have any red in my set...and then pulled in a couple of feather accessories to top it off. And as you can see, I had room to keep the bucket of KFC.

This is what casual wear is all about. Nobody wants to pile on accessories or mess around with "layers" on their casual days (except me ;-))...They want to throw on something quick and easy, and this, kittens...

"Girly Rock Star" by joostyna

is fabulous. It looks stunning, fresh, bright colors...pastels and soft fabrics...but step back and whoa! It's a bad ass rock star! It really is, you know. This is really hip, a gorgeous mix of colors, but you don't mess around with this chick. She packs a punch. I've always been a big fan of that particular dollydagger scarf, and this is why. It's got that perfect marriage of femininity and badass-ness...as does this whole set. Well done, joostyna!

"Off the Runway 3: Donna Karan" by K.

This is such a marvelous translation of a runway look. Now, the runway look itself is very chic, very wearable, and the color blend is to die for. I love K.'s fully fleshed out look using brown tones instead of bluish green. The top matches the "nude" feel of the runway look and looks spectacular with the Karan Skirt here. I also like that the look isn't over accessorized and is suitable (albeit pricey!) for every day.

I've been following American Idol pretty closely this year and I decided to take the a short break from polyvore today to discuss our final 4 contestants. First up...

David Cook, clearly the one to beat. Every performance is solid, even the slightly boring ones, and he's already a star. I've been on the David train since he sang Eleanor Rigby. I'm not a believer in rock stars "emoting"...i never really see it happen, or should I say *saw* it happen, until that night. When he sang "ahhh, look at all the lonely people", he screamed it with this raw, anguished virility that was both very current and very timeless. He has this power punch thing that he does, where it looks like something inside him exploded and it comes out as a song...AWESOME. Last night, he sort of sat back and just sang a couple of songs like he "wasn't in it to win it"...that's okay with me, because now, we the fans can trust that whatever he does, it's not gonna suck.





Jason Castro...While I've been on the David Cook train, I've been glancing longingly at the Jason train. Even though I liked him quite a lot last night, I understand the rest of the world disagrees with me. Jason doesn't belong in this competition and he never really did. He's too chill, too deviant, and, well, too GOOD for American Idol. The thing is, he's a lot better than he thinks he is. I've got YEARS and years of musical training, so I'm qualified to make that judgement. His raw talent is extraordinary. Okay, so everything he does sounds the same. But I could happily listen to 4 hours of Jason jamming on one song than to listen to 4 hours of little David's melismas. I'll get to that later. I don't know how the current music scene is going to treat Jason after all this. He sort of sold out...sort of, because he didn't change who he is to "win American Idol". Personally, I think Jason should open a bar in Hawaii and just jam there every night. And I'd so go there when I'm in Hawaii (which is rare).



David Archuleta...the preteen darling, clearly an Idol favorite as the judges keep pimping him shamelessly. The boy's gotten away with at least one moment of forgotten lyrics without anyone saying "boo" about it...but I'm not bitter. It's not his fault Nigel is jonesing for a piece of this cash cow. I like him, but he booores me. I'm not a huge fan of melismas...it's in the school of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should. He's just a little too young to be good. His expression needs a lot of work...his creativity is...well, it's not his own, I suspect its his stage father's doing, which leaves me feeling quite uneasy. I like the kid, I just don't think he's ever going to get the opportunity to hone his skill, after all this. He's going to jump right into a career and forever be merely a mediocre performer, and it's a shame. Maybe I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.



Syesha Mercado...I just never have anything to say about her. She's off-putting. Not AS off-putting as Katherine McFee, but in the same realm of annoyance. She picked these really hard to sing songs every week, hard but predictable, I should say, and she's done just "o.k" on all of them. She's an actress and she'll be great should she ever go to Broadway, but for me, it's like...why take this round-about way of getting to the Broadway stage? Just go and do it. She's the most "trained" of the final 4, but her creativity leaves a lot to be desired. There are a thousand girls AT LEAST...who look and sound every bit as good as she does. She's more a stereotype than a person, and what's off-putting is...that seems to be what she's GOING for...to be an imitator. I think it reeks of insecurity and...i dunno...too bad, so sad, move on.

"Cherry Cobbler" by cheekycharm

Good morning (late morning) kittens! Happy Vintage Wednesdays! Today, I present to you something vintage'y' - that is to say, little is genuinely vintage. But that matters not to me. When I decided to dedicate wednesday "vintage" wednesday, I never intended the set to be genuine, just to have the FEEL of vintage. And this does! It is attractive, *affordable*, and like the last post, environmental. Well done, cheekycharm!

"Birds Singing in the Garden" by Chani

This set is so beautiful! It reminds me of vacations on Prince Edward Island, the daisies washed in sunlight, freshly baked blueberry muffins, an engaging novel by your side, probably the smell of freshly cut grass floating on a gentle, cool breeze that rustles your hair eeeeeever so lightly. This is what I call an "environmental" set, where the outfit belongs within a certain period of time in a certain place in the world. The outfit itself is rather simple, but perfect. Tiny gold earrings, milky mary janes, a silky chiffon dress with dusty baby blue trim...it's all just so lovely, and so very evocative.

Also, just to let you know, Chani makes THE most beautiful jewelry. Check it out here!

Interpretation is such a marvelous tool for creativity. Show someone a picture, and ask them to do something with it. Everyone will do something different. Sometimes the difference is subtle, sometimes it's hard to see the comparison. This...


"Modern Vintage"

was my interpretation of the picture of Leslie Le Rouge. I didn't find any gowns that suited the image, so i decided to do something far more casual, using the colors of the image alone, in most cases. I added some vintage accessories to stay true to the overall 'feel' of the image.

This...


"Peacock Goes to Prom" by Fashion Me Fabulous

is what Fashion Me Fabulous did with her. A more literal translation, but just as valid, because very little about this says "vintage". She took the situation and items from the picture...i.e., a woman going someplace glamourous wearing lots of feathers. That's what this set is, a beautiful dress, tasteful shoes, a happy little peacock clutch, and tons of feathers.



So that, my friends, is your two for tuesday!