Friday, April 12, 2013

The One Who Wore Chanel...

Over the past week, I was faced with technical problems with my internet provider, which unfortunately cased me to delay the publishing of this post, but thankfully everything is working fine. 

Rosie Huntington Whiteley attended the
Chanel Pre-Oscar Party, wearing the hosts
entire outfit. 
Miley Cyrus attended the Ryan Seacrest
Foundation wearing a Chanel Jumpsuit
with a gold chocker.  
Last week, I found myself watching the always hilarious 'Fashion Police', hosted by Joan Rivers. Miley Cyrus was featured in the 'Must See Looks of the Week', and I thought to myself, "oh my". Honestly, I wasn't a fan of Miley's whole ensemble - I wasn't too sure if it was the hideous hair (sorry Miley fans!), the make-up she was lipping  or the incredibly tacky golden chocker; I just thought to myself it was all little too 'trampy'. Although, I must give Cyrus credit for how much of a fashionista she is growing into, but unfortunately, this wasn't her "must see look". 

After viewing Chanel's Spring/Summer 2013 show for the, well... lets say viewing it again; but seeing the look on the runway, I knew I seen this jumpsuit on someone before Miley, and yes, I was once again correct. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore the exact same Chanel jumpsuit at a Pre-Oscar Dinner hosted by the brand itself. But I must say, Rosie most certainty pulled the look better. Rosie teamed the jumpsuit with the classic pearl necklace & a Chanel black clutch. In my opinion, Rosie's make-up was less intense in comparison to Miley's clown-like red lip, giving Rosie a classic Hollywood Look.

So, there you have it - you don't beat a supermodel like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. As for Miley; better 'look' next time? Bye for now, Eamonn Collins. aka. FashionnGirl. http://eamonncollinsandco.blogspot.co.uk/

A Fashion Thought

Logos, patterns, colors... Every fashion house has it own codes, but what's the most important for you to wear? Are you the type to show of your money drowned in endless logos from designer brands? Or do you prefer to stay neutral and wear clothes that you like?

Logo's everywhere
There's a kind of woman who loves to show her money. We don't who she is, we don't know the reason she's so rich, but she needs to show it.





You can see her in the streets wearing a Chanel top with the famous logo, a Louis Vuitton bag of course, a Burberry trench showing the pattern and why not some Louboutins with the red sole. Most of the time these women are wearing fakes actually, because rich people like this don't tend to parade around in the streets! The point is, even if it's fake or not and even if we imagine a woman really wearing this, isn't that too much? I don't think it's ever interesting to look like that because when people look at you they get lost by the endless stamps of brands written all over you.

Don't call my name
The opposite woman is actually really pure and doesn't think of having all the remarkable items from the top brands. She has banned all big logos or patterns and just choose the most discrete ones. Not even the name of the brand can be seen, which means no Céline or Givenchy bags! Mulberry is more appropriate. The fact a woman can already buy Jean-Paul Gaultier doesn't me she'll buy a marinière. She doesn't care about the designers, her point is to have quality clothes and she doesn't care about any luxury brand that has a show at the Fashion Week.

The middle
The right middle between these is to actually wear whatever you want without remarkable logos or pattern, but just add one article (mostly accessories) to your look. LV bag, Louboutin, Hermès scarf, you'll have to choose. There is the challenge, there comes the style and where you, and only you can stamp your personal style on an outfit.

I prefer to be the middle, I think it's what makes fashion intelligent, to choose the right things to wear and being able to mix different clothes and brands. I'm sure you've already seen these types of people in these fashions, but what category would you put yourself in?

-AL
If you are interested in more fashion posts make sure to visit, follow and comment at The Stardoll Lookbook

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Best of the Past... Coming Soon!

I review so many new magazines, but what about Stardoll's "greatest"?

Get Ready, for what will be the
BEST OF THE PAST.

Stardoll's best magazines from yesterday. I'm talking: Fierce, Femme, Eternity, every single one you can name. Every week I will write a new review for a great issue of the past.

The question is: Are you ready?

TTT FW, Applications

The applications for fashion lines and stardesign collections are finally here! Almost all the information necessary to know is in the image above and the application itself, which you will post in the comments, is down below. I will review the applications every week or so and send you a friend request/mail if I want you in TTT FW. If you have any further questions include them in your application below. Magazine applications will also be posted today but I thought it might be easier to have them apart in two separate posts. 

DESIGNER APPLICATION:
Name:
Username:
Name of Collection:
Graphic Designer:
Sample of Work:
Skype if available:

STARDESIGN COLLECTION:
Name:
Username:
Name of Collection:
Print Sample:
Skype if available:

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Escape Magazine, Review

Dear readers,

Why wait? With so many new magazines on the market, why wait until SATURDAY? I know Mondays are always so dreary, so here's a new review to make your day a little better... I know my Monday was long and monogamous... Why should Saturdays always have the fun? Escape Magazine is a hot new magazine making a splash in the Stardoll pool, and of course here at TTT we simply cannot resist a delicious new issue! As always, remember, instead of using page numbers, I use brackets, for example the cover is [1/22]. This magazine contains 22 pages.


Click HERE to view Escape in a new window to follow along with me.

Graphic Design: 7/10 It's clear the graphics in this magazine are relatively high caliber and well done, especially for the premiere issue. However, though the shading is quite impressive on the cover, parts of the magazine lacks depth [6-7/22], but much of it is very good.

Fashion Editorial: 8.5/10 I'm very impressed that Escape has created an obvious theme from the cover to all through the editorial [11-21/22]. From the little white dress (quite original, too, and very smart and beautiful especially with how white is a great Springtime color). From bandeaus, which are most definitely an amazing Spring trend this year, to skater skirts, smart blazers, and tailored pants, Escape has hit the proverbial Spring fashion nose. I only have two objections: though the theme is good, there is simply too much white- it almost is hard on the eyes, and there is no explanation about why Escape believes white is so trendy for this season's fashion.

Trends Shown: 9/10 Of course, Escape has been fantastic on Spring fashion, as I already partially covered online. Again, I would very much enjoy some pointers on this trend, such as how to wear it, which designers are selling these, why they are popular, who wears it, etc etc. I love the patterns, and slinky day to night dresses, jumpsuits, and bandeaus/skater skirt combinations.

Creativity: 7/10 Some of the trends have often been shown, such as skater skirts, but there are hints of originality, such as I have never seen so much white before! I like that there are special pockets of writing such as the Stardoll user interview [4-5/22] and the Don Lee biography and fashion designs [8-10/22].

Writing Style: 6/10 The writing is pretty good, and relatively original for a premiere issue, however tougher standards would be imposed on the next issue. I suppose I am being relatively easy on this magazine since it is a new publication, however it should be improved on and a few hard hitting articles never go wrong in my mind, anyways.

How did this magazine score?
37.5 out of 50 points, at 75% or C

My Final Comments: Escape has gotten off to a good start, but of course, could have improvements. No magazine is perfect. Everything is a piece of art that is slowly developed and obviously takes time to reach mastery, and even at mastery level, is continually a work in progress. Escape needs work, particularly in working on seamless graphics, shading, and adding articles, however, mostly, it has no problems. Keep up the good work... And of course the trends and the originality.

What's actually on Saturday... TRENDY MAGAZINE ISSUE 3.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Hot Buys Weekly 9: Minimalist

My apologies for the random, unexplained hiatus! I was on vacation over the Easter break, but I'm back and definitely ready to review the latest Hot Buys Weekly release!
So while perusing the Starplaza, I came across the ad for this week's Hot Buys, and I was pleasantly surprised. While the ad itself was in black and white, the jumpsuit and the dress were in lovely shades of soft pastel blue and pistachio, while the belt and sandals were a bright, lime-green. I honestly think this is one of the classiest ads for a Hot Buys collection Stardoll has released so far, and I love it!

So the first item I came across was the Mint Ruffle Jumpsuit. I cannot adequately express the sheer glee I felt over this piece. I absolutely loved the ruffles on the sleeve, and the very modern but plain cut of the top. With a nice pair of wedge heels and some chunky bracelets, I think this would be a great addition to any dollies' wardrobe.

The Ruffle Sleeve Dress was also another piece that I found rather interesting. Although I didn't like it as much as the jumpsuit, I thought it was pretty nice, overall. The ruffles were very nicely done, in regards to composition. The collar was maybe a little too thick for my tastes, though. The dress reminded me a little bit of a nightgown, to be quite honest. However, it really wasn't bad. I think maybe if you paired it with some tall, white leather boots it would add a more futuristic look to the design.

The next piece was definitely a hit or miss for me; the Ruffle Chain Purse was a miss. The design looked kind of elementary, and the chain was a little awkward. I also wasn't quite sure of the actual color theme for it, as there seemed to be an odd tornado of mismatching colors going on there. The green faux gems on the clasp looked really, and I mean, really cheap and gaudy, and although the shading was very nicely done, the shape of the bag itself was just weird. Didn't like this at all.

The Citrus Stud Heels I was about 50-50 on. Not really sure if I liked or disliked them. One thing I really liked was the ankle cuff with the pyramid-spike studs, which were fresh, contemporary, and definitely popular in today's fashion market. The composition was very nice, but it was just "meh". (I apologize, that was a very inadequate description of my sentiments about these heels, but I feel like that sound kinda captured it, haha.)

And last, but certainly not least, the Citrus Stud Belt. It definitely got at least a B+ from me on composition and design, but I wasn't quite sure what the point of having the fabric meet in the middle was. I think it might have looked a little more "put-together" with a continuous band, minus the neon-greenish-blue rimming it. I'd say it was another win with the studs, but I'm a little skeptical about spending 8 Stardollars on it. I mean, I'm not that great with belts, but I'm not quite sure what to pair it with? It doesn't look very versatile, but I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say!

This week's collection scored an A-

In all honesty, I'd say the reason this week's collection got such a high rating was because of the ad. I mean, it was mesmerizing. So cosmopolitan! ...hey, I'm a sucker for a good advertisement poster. Seriously, I am. Oh! And my apologies for being unable to see the color of the actual pieces; you may want to check them out in the Starplaza for yourself, because the ad, unfortunately, is only black and white! 

And on that note, I bid you adieu, dollies (:

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Fashion Battle, LE Spring

Alongside a Limited Edition review I decided to publish a battle of sorts between all the Spring releases of the collections. I'm not going to type out a lengthy introduction because all will be explained throughout the whole post. To summarise in a sentence however, this post will be a 'fashion battle' between all the Spring LE releases to discover which collection is best. I will probably continue to do this for the summer, fall and winter editions too.

A Stardoll advertisement for the store

















The first spring edition of Limited Edition was released in the April of 2009. Prices ranged from 25 to 250 stardollars with all items having less than 1000 pieces. This was one of my favourite store layouts because Stardoll didn't try and turn it into another item to make money from. It looked like a real store backdrop and it really fit with the collection itself. The quality of the graphics were exceptional and the colours perfect for Spring.

The next Spring collection came out in the March of 2010, 11 months after the first. It was another lovely collection with cheaper prices this time around, due to the increasing amount of members playing  on Stardoll. This is another of my favourite store backgrounds as it looks very simple but cutesy with the adorable flowers printed across the floor.

My personal favourite floor from the 6th collection



















I especially loved the colours of this collection and the colour themed floors. This collection was actually considered very mediocre at the time of release but looking back at the 4 floors now it is easy to appreciate the many beautiful items. The rarest items from the collection are the paper bag skirt, nude bag and Chanel coat. This was one of the first collections I had saved up hundreds of Stardollars for but I happened to be on holiday at the time of release. I came back only 2 days later and it was completely sold out aside from two items, which were both down to about 25 pieces left. I think this shows how quick, beautiful and truly limited the older collections were.

The next collection, which was the 10th, was released in April 2011. It was a crazy neon edition and I have a feeling that this was where Stardoll's complete obsession with neon colours began. It wasn't the best quality comparing to the first 9, however it was still reasonable with a few stand out pieces.

One of the two floors of 10th season LE















I think that this was one of the first collections where Stardoll really experimented with neon and although it definitely was not close to my personal taste it still managed to sell out reasonably quick, in a matter of around 4 days. I also feel that this was the first LE where graphics in many pieces could actually be described as bad. In all seasons before the collections had a few average pieces but season 10 had some very poor pieces, graphic wise and in general. The look of the store was very pretty however and there was only 2 floors, which made the store a lot less cluttered and full, making it easier to browse through the clothes.

The LE spring 2012 advertisement 


















The 13th LE and 4th Spring edition of LE was released in March 2012. The graphics this season were poor comparing to previous older seasons but were stronger than those from the previous collection. This edition had some wonderful pieces and many tacky Monster High looking pieces with very simplistic shading throughout. This collection did have a few strong pieces with very good shading but most lacked the attention required to get the sought after LE graphic touch. This LE took longer to sell out than the previous Spring edition, taking a good few weeks. The backdrop for the floors was inspired by a Chanel runway background and although I did like it, I would have preferred it in a proper store layout.

The most recent season of LE and the 16th in total was released in early April 2013. It was very street style and on a while didn't seem very Limited Edition. LE used to be the opposite of street style so it was a slightly odd direction to spin off into. Although this collection was average, it was still far better than the previous two collections and had some very good items. I bought 16 items, that on a whole I thought were of very high quality. Sadly however there was only 20 items at most that were quite good, with 66 items in the store in total.

The advertisement used by Stardoll for LE Spring 2013





















Overall, it's been quite sad to see the quality of LE decreasing over the seasons. The first LE Spring collection is easily the best and the last three do not even compare to the first two. I hope to see a real spring collection next time around showing real spring trends. I wish for LE to become again what it originally was with trendy, good quality, limited and expensive clothing although it seems right now we can only hope.

What was your favourite LE Spring edition?

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The Critics of Stardoll


Information from the owner: Well, I've grown tired from how generic our Stardoll award system has become. No longer is excellence judged by pure talent, it has become more of a popularity contest. I've come up with a team of highly acclaimed - or controversial - members of stardoll who have established themselves into Stardoll as fashionistas, graphic geniuses and blogging sensations that together can award excellence. The blog aims at critiquing every facet of Stardoll society to weave out the ordinary, and reward the unique. Not only will the blog be critiquing regularly, but it will also set up a series of weekly and monthly events and create interactional group discussions about current controversies or drama. The blog will be multifunctional and hopefully sensationalize Stardoll society!


I for one am very excited for this project and I'm sure it's going to be a huge hit. Everything will be revealed on Saturday, including all the information on the six critics, so make sure to be there!

LE, OUT NOW

The sixteenth collection of Limited Edition was released today with prices ranging from 32 to 175 stardollars. I'm not too fond of the random pricing as I much prefer when the numbers end as a multiple of 5. I think prices like 63, 32 and 168 all look a bit random. The store itself is reasonably nice with a good range of items. There is also quite a range in quality with some incredible pieces and some things that could have came from Velvet Orchid. Overall however this is quite a good collection and there are definitely quite a few nice staple pieces I would recommend.

I will publish a full review along with my purchases later on in the week. 
What did you think of the collection?

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Awareness Week


Kimberly and I are very happy to present to you the new awareness week we will be holding, with daily posts about the seven subjects shown in the image above. This is for all our readers who are maybe suffering from one of the issues and want some help or advice. Don't forget, you are never alone. Keep your eyes peeled.

TTT