back to school sale!

It's about time for all you dukes to head back to JMU and what better way to start off the school year than with a few fresh additions to your wardrobe? All weekend Mint is offering a 30 to 50% sale on shoes and summer items. After all, why unpack when you can shop?

eyewear must-haves

Hello my darling fashionistas!

It has been quite a while... but it is about time I showed MadApparel the love and attention it deserves. With a hectic work schedule and daily 1.5 hour commute, needless to say I have pretty much focused all my attention and energy on my summer internship in NYC, but I am ready to share everything I've been learning about trends of the summer and style tips with you all!

First thing's first, it's summer time. You need shades to protect those sensitive eyes from the sun. We all know I love sunglasses, but I have recently discovered my new favorite brand of eyewear called Oliver Peoples. These shades are BANANAS. The variety of the brand is limitless - they offer classic styles such as aviator and wayfarer types, more trendy and risky retro, round-framed shades, wild patterns, and optical lenses for the fashionably near or farsighted. Not to mention their limited edition styles and collaborations with fashion icons like Zooey Deschanel. Lately, I'm really into the round-framed, retro trend. I ADORE the "Gregory Peck" shade in Black with Indigo:

GREGORY PECK, $385

Feeling like a diva? Try the Lipsofire style in Dark Tortoise:

LIPSOFIRE, $310

Where do you get these insane shades, you ask? In NYC there are two freestanding Oliver Peoples boutiques (one in Soho and one on Madison Avenue) and they are also carried at Bergdorfs, not to mention the brand can be found at countless luxury eyewear boutiques in almost any city near you. Whichever style you choose, with Oliver Peoples you're sure to get a quality pair of frames and compliments from everyone who sees you rocking them. Will you try the trend this summer?

Cheers!

Dy

to madapparel and BEYOND

MadApparel celebrates a successful (and stylish) semester with a trip to Beyond. After all what says success better than a fresh plate of calamari?!

 

 

Bean, Anna, and Dy all eagerly await the spicy scallops... yes, they all ordered the same thing.



Meaghan and Katina in matching floral rompers

delicious.



 Look forward to our upcoming “summer style diary”. Each of us will be posting about our daily whereabouts and outfits - with everything from internships, to trips to Italy and backyard barbeques.

With Style and Grace,

The MadApparel Team

presentation wear

This time of year is filled with presentations... and the accompanying business casual presentation wear. After a few days, that white button down shirt, black Express pants, and pair of neutral pumps might be losing their appeal (to say the least). What's the solution? Add some personality to your basic business wear!

This is how the MadApparel team chose to put our own personal twist on classic professional wear:

Incorporate casual pieces to spice up classic dress pants and blazers. 

Presentations are no excuse for boring pumps. If you're wearing a conservative outfit, feel free to add some daring or unexpected heels!



blue velvet, pointy leather, mustard clogs, strappy peep toes, and zipper embellished suede pumps are all fair game



While it's extremely important to look professional, don't forget to let you personal style shine through. We hope you enjoy dressing for your presentations as much as we did!

With Style and Grace,

The Madapparel Team

polished, inc. shines

Tucked away off Court Square by the parking deck on Water Street, Polished, Inc. is Harrisonburg's hidden treasure when it comes to all things sterling silver. Polished, which opened in November of 2009, offers estate, vintage and new silver jewelry - all in a chic, modern boutique setting. Care to take a look inside?

say "i do" to james mchone jewelry

Looking to add some sparkle to your wardrobe? What better way than to visit James McHone Jewelry - one of Harrisonburg's leading jewelry shops for over 28 years. Upon entering the store, not only were we greeted by an extremely welcoming staff, but also an extensive collection of pieces ranging from classic pearls and cameos, to engagement rings and more. Despite all of our differing tastes in jewelry, we each found ourselves drawn to pieces that matched our individual aesthetics - there were too many to choose from! After over an hour of perusing the selection, we were finally able to choose our favorite pieces, as well as our dream engagement rings. Want to see?

style icon, elizabeth taylor

Wednesday, March 23, 2011, fashion icon Elizabeth Taylor died at the age of 79. She is known for her beauty, style, charitable ventures and many marriages. (She was married 8 times!) Elizabeth Taylor was the definition of old Hollywood glamor. The two-time Oscar winner has been a style icon since the 1950s. She’s known for taking fashion risks on and off screen. She wore turbans, dramatic eye makeup, capes and lots of accessories. Her favorite accessory? Diamonds. In fact, she loved diamonds so much, she had a very popular scent White Diamonds. According to Huffington Post, her collection of enormous diamonds, rare jewels and vintage jewelry is said to be valued at more than $150 million. Her collection will be auctioned by the famous auction house Christie’s. Taylor hoped that her famous jewelry collection would be "scattered around the four corners of the world."

Here's some of my favorite Elizabeth Taylor looks. (And her most memorable)

What's your favorite Elizabeth Taylor look?


Style Happy,
Meghan B.

knockout vs knockoff

Is Target in the business of selling knockoffs? That's what some members of the Proenza Schouler camp seem to think.

The bag in question is the extremely popular PS1, retailing for $1,600. Proenza released the style two years ago and the bag has remained a fashion staple ever since.

Enter the Mossimo Messenger. Over the past month the blogoshpere has been buzzing about how Target's latest purse style possesses some striking similarities to the iconic bag. For only $34.99, it's definitely an enticing alternative.

You be the judge!

PS1 [left], Mossimo Messenger [right]

Vote on the Huffington Post.

peace,

Katina

nashville fashion week!

When you think of Fashion Week, which cities come to mind first? New York? London? Milan? What about Nashville, Tennessee? Yes, you heard right! Nashville Fashion Week is this week, from March 29 - April 2 in the chic southern city. Sponsored by Lexus, tickets are on sale on the NFW website at a price of only $250 for an All-Access pass, and $350 for and Insider Access pass, WITH complimentary entry into all NFW parties. Très bien, no?!

Nashville Fashion Week is headlined by fabulous designer Christian Siriano and showcases the hot runway styles of Betsey Johnson as well. According to The Lookbook, Siriano is showing his Fall/Winter 2011 runway collection on March 31 at the Crystal Fountain Church in East Nashville. Siriano was the winner of popular reality TV show Project Runway's fourth season in 2008. He has recently collaborated with Payless and is the shoe store's top selling designer, and his luxury designs are sold around the world. His showing at NFW will undoubtedly be just like his designs: FIERCE.

“This is an exciting opportunity to show my collection in a city with such a distinctive history and culture, since music and fashion so naturally complement each other.”

Christian Siriano Fall/Winter 2011 Runway

Head to www.thelookbogmag.com for the full article.

Cheers!
Dy

london royals' guide

Ding Dong, wedding bells are ringing in England and the royal family is hurridly preparing! Oh, and you're officially invited to the royal primere of camera starlite and royal bride-to-be Kate Middleton. This upcoming princess has been marrying classic and modern styles together to form a new twist on fashion. Her soon-to-be Royal Grace is turning heads and elevating elegance through the chic world of fascinators; headpieces made out of flowers, feathers, velvet, lace and a replacement for a hat to formal occasions like weddings, horse races etc... Hats off to you Kate! So if you are planning on making the royal wedding in London, don't forget your fascinator!

Besos y Buen Provecho, A

mint holds 1st "first friday"

Remember Mint? You know, that awesome new store downtown that we reviewed last week? Well the store is starting a tradition called "1st Fridays". Deal is, the first Friday of every month, Mint will have a bunch of items for 10% off AND will showcase local artists (this week features Lynda Bostrom - I love her work!). So while the weather might not be the best for walking around downtown, I would definitely brave the drizzle to check out Mint tomorrow to see all their new items and see what you can snag for 10% off! Let me know if you get any great deals!

xo Meaghan

meet mint!

Meet Mint. The new store on the block. This eclectic boutique (located downtown) offers everything from wardrobe basics, to unique pieces, and even novelty gifts (yes, we're talking finger 'stache temporary tattoos). The store just opened on March 12th, and is already creating a buzz across the 'burg. The store boasts affordable and fun clothing, shoes, bags and gifts ... all with new shipments every week! This past Friday, the MadApparel stylists made a trip to check out the store. Store owner Anna was kind enough to let us feature some of our favorite pieces. After perusing the handmade, tree-branch racks and jamming to alternative and indie tunes, we each picked out an outfit that we thought reflected our personal styles. It's safe to say that Mint has found five new loyal customers.

forever 21 goes retro

Love retro looks, but aren't into thrifting at Goodwill or paying high prices for authentic vintage finds at upscale boutiques? Well, you're in luck! While stalking their blog, I found out that Forever 21 recently released their Rory Beca x Collection on March 4th. The collection has a very feminine, retro feel ... all with the affordability we all love from F21! I know I'll be on the lookout for this adorable collection the next time I'm at F21!

xo Meaghan

Original Post/Bigger Picture Here

cabin fever sale

What's my favorite 4-letter word? I'll give you one guess: it starts with an "S" and ends with an "ale" ... That's right folks, I love me a good SALE. Which is exactly what's going on right now at one of my favorite online places to shop, Modcloth. All Cabin Fever Sale items are up to 70% off (so legit) and their clothes are too cute to pass up. If you've never checked them out before, think J. Crew meets Free People meets classy thrift store finds. Safe to say I'm in love.

xo Meaghan

risqué apparel

Just in time for Spring Break, American Apparel has released its Spring/Summer 2011 line of bathing suites! Along with classic bikinis and some very cute one-pieces (that are seriously making me reconsider my two-piece loyalty) are more risqué options that I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re spring break plans involve a nude beach.

American Apparel, known for provocative ads, is pushing the envelope in its latest campaign- topless models. Personally, it reminds me more of a spring break gone wrong.. arguably with nicer photo quality. For the full spread and more on the story check out Fashionista.

I think I’ll keep my top on and go with some of the slightly more conservative styles the brand is offering this season. Some of my favorites are pictured below:

Not only are these cute but they’re pretty inexpensive- the priciest being about $60 for both a top and a bottom- meaning I need to load up on these before beach season!

(and to all you spring breakers out there, remember- don’t drop your bikini tops!)

peace, Katina

an urban wedding

Urban Outfitters celebrated Valentine’s Day by launching its Bridal collection, Bhldn. The Huffington Post shows off the collection, which includes wedding gowns, veils, shoes and wraps. The brand’s bridal gowns will range in price from $1,000- $4,000. Bhldn is not your average Bridal collection; there are different textures, colors, patterns and even short dresses. The brand is currently only offered online but plans to expand to a few stores in the next year. Check out the dresses! It's never too early to start planning for that big day!

Style Happy,

Meghan B.

spring trends

Spring is in the air! No more itchy sweaters and bulky layers! So why not get a head start into this Spring's 2011 fashion collection? Fresh off the runway here are some flavorful styles. Adopt, re-create and make it you.

You got it, the '70s bell bottom jeans are back!

Try accessorizing with tassels

Step into spring with a classy lace look

Besos y Buen Provecho,
A

stock up on sundresses

After reading this story on the Huffington Post and with Spring right around the corner I know I'll be running over to Target to stock up on sundresses ASAP. My favorite sundresses almost always come from their GO International collection, which (sadly) always seem to FLY off the shelves. Lucky for me, Target is celebrating its 5-year anniversary of the GO International collection by bringing back 34 dresses from the past 17 designer collaborations! So if you passed up what could have been the perfect dress, or you were too late to the shelves - now's your chance!

The dresses (all $44.99 or less) hit Target stores and Target online March 13th. Mark your calendars!

xo Meaghan

oscar weekend

It's my favorite time of year... award show season! And as the celebrities get ready to attend the grand daddy of all award shows, I'm watching their every fashion move. On Sunday February 27th, the 83rd Annual Academy Awards will air on ABC at 8pm. People of the film industry are nervously awaiting the announcements of all the big winners - but us fashionistas know that the only point of watching the Oscars is for the fashion! In honor of fabulous dresses of years past, I was extremely inspired by the slideshow posted from the bloggers at Stylelist. Stylelist paid homage to the most fabulous and famous Oscar dresses of the last ten years. The blog also provides tips for how to make the biggest impact at this year's show. Celebs, take note! (For the complete slideshow, check out www.stylelist.com)

From top left: Penelope Cruz, Hilary Swank, Michelle Williams, Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie

Cheers!
Dy

ciao, bellas!

We are the stylists of MadApparel! 

 

We are five fashion-loving juniors at JMU who are looking to cultivate the formation, innovation, and expression of personal style across campus. We want to share our ideas with you, and in turn we want to be inspired by you! 

Each day of the week, you can look forward to different posts to fulfill your daily fashion needs:

Monday: Weekend Wear; Meghan

•  Tracking trends of the weekend for various activities from going out, to dates and more

Tuesday: In My Closet; Meaghan

•  Marrying the old, new, and everything between in order to replicate inspiration looks and generally repurpose clothing

Wednesday: Almost Famous; Dyana

•  How-to’s and tips on recreating celebrity style and recognizing campus women who emulate celebrity fashion senses

Thursday: Trendspotter; Anna

• Scouting for fashion trends taken from the runway and adopted by JMU students

Friday: Cheap and Chic; Katina

• Highlighting the ability to maintain a unique fashion sense while keeping a college budget in mind

You might even find yourself (or your friends) featured on the site. We'll be scoping campus for inspirational looks and originality. 

Make sure to check us out. Can't wait to hear your "reviews"!

With style and grace, 

MadApparel