Let’s begin with the fact that I am late to my own party! The official anniversary date for Ripped Nylon was February 13, and I haven’t had a moment’s breath since the beginning of the month – it was even more fantastic than January, if you’ll believe that. Through the magic of WordPress, there’s a ghost post there now, with just a little thank you note to all of my readers, old and new – I love you and can’t begin to tell you what your support means, thank you!

The week in question really started on Saturday, February 9, the day after the monster storm. My area didn’t suffer any damage, so with the roads being clear, I was able to attend the Lulu’s Style Studio event at 404. I had never been to one, but had always heard good things, so I was excited to meet with one of my darlings, Helene, and enjoy a night of blogger fun! My favorite part, of course, is that I got to dress up – one never knows who they’ll run into, right?

Chain-trim Boucle Jacket | Cobalt Blue High-Neck top | Black High-waisted Jeans | Sole Society “Bridget” Ankle Booties

Inspired by my natural hair soul-searching, I asked my sister to give me the half-shaven look without the actual shaving, and this is what we came up with – I love it! I think it’s a fairly unique look that’s classy enough to wear to the office (which I did).

The ambiance was very relaxed, and the large, white-walled space was illuminated in soft blue and purple. Sponsor tables lined the wall between two short stairs that led to the enticingly glowing bar area a half-level up. From there, a longer set of stairs led to the upper mezzanine, which was lined with racks of Lulu’s goodies for each attendee to choose a freebie from.

I spotted Helene as soon as I walked in, and she was talking with the fabulous C. Michelle. We chatted for a bit, then did our first round of the tables, checking out the various goodies ranging from samples of Miss Jessie’s to cute NYX gift sets, and a wheel of prizes (I came away with some tangerine BB Dakota jeggings that were way too small for me). There was plenty to keep us entertained until we were called up to the goodies floor, where both I and Helene chose a long mint dress (look out for a dual post on that in the warmer weather):

I fell in love with this crazy printed couch!

Shout-out my BWBoF ladies!

These photos are from Anthropologie’s Karen Walker event. This classy shindig went down at the Chelsea Market location, with a candy bar, refreshments, and an awesome DJ. For the full experience, check out The Style Climber’s coverage, special thanks to Candace for snapping these!

The incredibly tasteful Ms. Issa, beautiful!

The gem of that week of way too much city-ing was meeting Caroline Issa at the L.K. Bennet event in Columbus Circle. She was not at all what one might expect a fashion editor and style icon to be – completely real, down-to-earth, and so sweet. She spoke with us for a while, and it was fantastic and inspiring to hear the story of how she left her full-time stable job to do something she enjoyed. One day, I’ll get there.

♥ Ely

The sale section was all sorts of amazing!

A few weeks ago, I had the unique pleasure of attending the Caviar NOIR trunk show and meeting the very sweet and talented designer, Julie. A good friend of mine extended the invitation and I could not resist the opportunity to check out an up-and-coming jewelry line, so I picked out a black outfit (as suggested by the invite) and prepped a few questions in case I got to speak with the talent behind the statement pieces. Let me begin by saying that neither the website, nor the following photos do these pieces any justice – you have to see and feel them in person to truly appreciate the intricate work that went into them. The affair was rather intimate, so I was able to sit down with Julie for a few minutes and we even have some exciting plans in the works, but more on that later…

This Jade necklace was my favorite, hands down!

How long ago did you begin building Caviar NOIR?
I started making jewelry last year, in January 2012, for fun. At that point, I had been an accounts executive for a pharmaceutical company for 6 years. I started with chain jewelry for lack of availability; it was something I wanted to wear, and it wasn’t out there, then I would post them (the pieces) online or wear them to parties.

What is the Caviar NOIR style?
It started as edgy rocker and has moved more to edgy elegant. I’d call it gothic elegant and business classy, my designs fuse the two.

The Dominique in action – and check that red lip!

What’s the next move for Caviar NOIR?
I’m preparing for the open see in march for Henri Bendel, I would have gone last year but was nervous and worried about getting things done on time.

What do you see coming up in your next line?
I’m looking into expanding to different materials, like how my summer line was more colorful. I’m loving jade right now, and I want to work more with jewels and stones. I prefer Swarovski crystals, but fine jewelry is still further down the line.

This braided leather piece looked great on my friend!

Where do your customers come from?
Most of my customers are people I’ve met when I was wearing a piece, it’s like when they see it live, they like it, so they’ll buy later.

Are there any plans for future partnerships?
I was just considering taking on a partner on for marketing and business, so that I could focus on developing the pieces and future lines.

This headpiece was so delicate, but makes a statement

How long on average does a piece take to complete?
For the body chains and necklaces, anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour, the headpieces take up to two hours at times.

where are your pieces currently carried?
Right now, the headpieces are carried at A. Turen, on the Lower East Side, and a few pieces are for sale at 3NY in SOHO. Funny story, I make weekly runs to NYC, and I wanted to drop by one of the stores, and the owner wasn’t answering my calls, but I knew they were open, so I figured they were busy and didn’t go in. Later, I found out that Zac Efron was in the store, I should have gone!

Though I couldn’t get this one on, it’s still enchanting

Which celebrity would you want to be seen wearing Caviar NOIR?
I’m not sure if she’s considered a celebrity, but I love Kelly’s (from The Glamourai) style. But for a celebrity, it would have to be Angelina Jolie.

Who is the Caviar NOIR girl?
Think… Gwen Stefani; Like a rocker type who can wear pinstripe pants and make the transition from goth to classy. I think the collection walks the fine line between edgy and Coco Chanel, from spikes and chains to pearls!

Julie was fantastic – and so chic!

Special Thanks to Julie, for being wonderful, and L’agent Rebelle herself for extending the invite!

Until then, the feature won’t run regularly, but I’ll keep the floor open for questions!

♥ Ely

While I will still be celebrating in anniversary posts, we’ll be returning to our regularly scheduled programming next week, with some Men of Style, an outfit post, and the interview of the month! But before we get to that, I’m going to get nostalgic all weekend – this blizzard is perfect for a walk down memory lane.

Like I said before, Ripped Nylon has been through a lot of changes, and thanks to the Wayback Machine I’ve got a tour of the blog’s past, just for you! Check out the (almost) complete visual history:

The Original Header (seriously, I thought I was bad-ass)

Towards the end of 2010, I started playing with fonts.

The Big Move to WordPress in early 2011!

Late 2011, a little more structure, but still not quite right…

Early 2012, I went with a clean, very cute, theme, but I still wasn’t in Love.

Just before my first IFB Con, I found the professional look I wanted…

Once IFB Con was over last February, I stuck with that last look for a few months longer, while I played around with graphic direction for the logo and new business cards. Late one summer night, it came to me, and I’ve never loved the look of Ripped Nylon more!

To spread the anniversary joy, I am putting up one of those late night creative sessions for grabs through my Blog Birthday Contest!! Simply post an image and tag @rippednylon on Instagram, tweet a little message, or leave some love on the Facebook page, get creative! Each post will count as an entry to the contest, and I will give your blog a total makeover – free of charge. You’ll get to tell me the look you want, and I will make those revamp dreams come true!

So, what are you waiting for, join the party!

Forgive me if I’m making a big deal, but I am just so excited for Ripped Nylon to be hitting the three year mark. The blog and I have gone through a lot of change since its first version, so I thought I should share a little backstory to kick off the month!

Ripped Nylon began in February 2010, on Blogger, titled one late night when I realized I really missed blogging; Confession, I’d started a different blog in the end of 2009, but lost focus. I was just entering a semester of grad school (in architecture) so I started thinking about the ways my new love for fashion and my life in architecture could merge.

The name came from the idea of breaking the boundaries between the two, i.e. tearing the fabric that divides them. Nylon is used in many textiles for its flexibility, but in its most common form, is notorious for completely losing its structure when punctured in just the right way. My mission was to blur the lines between the two world I lived in, and what ended up happening was a full immersion into Fashion. Just as one little hole causes an entire run, the thin veil of Ripped Nylon was not strong enough to keep me in the middle.

Up until recently, I would occassionally feature architecture here, but have pretty much relegated that to my day job, Pinterest, and (soon-to-be-dead) Tumblr. My blog and focus have changed, and this momentum has shaped where I want to be three years from now: still blogging, a stylist, social media consultant, and yes, a registered architect. I’m working towards a life free from the typical 9-5, and I won’t dismiss any of the things I love as a possible basis for my future independent business. As the great character Eames (played by Tom Hardy) said calmly in the middle of a gunfight –

Stay tuned for some fun looks back in time, new things for the future, and maybe (just maybe) a party to celebrate. I hope you’re as excited as I am! In the meantime, I’ll be working on a wishlist for the blog’s Fourth year of existence…

♥ Ely

Boyfriend decided to get in on the shot via shadow, haha

My weekends have exploded with activity lately, so my usual method of having a morning/afternoon outfit for errands and an evening look for outings just wasn’t cutting it anymore. I decided I needed weekend wear that’s comfortable for breakfast and errands with boyfriend, put together enough to wear to meetings for Femmebot, and “me” enough to post here.

That’s a pretty tall order, isn’t it?

What really happened was that I thought about all of these things and ended up with an outfit I am too ashamed to even describe here – I had one piece that fit each of my demands, and tried to wear them all together.
Big no-no.
I had to ask the Mister to detour before our missions so that I could make some more cohesive choices!

Let’s start with that comfort factor… most people in my area turn to the sweats and Uggs combo, but that’s just not my style. In my head, sweats are for the gym and home, and the “classic” Uggs… well, I think they’re hideous (but to their credit, the brand actually offers much nicer pieces).

Weekends are my time to dress how I want, free of office decorum and the weird looks I get from coworkers when I show up looking like Weekend Ely, so I want to maximize the fun I get to have with the clothes I don’t get to wear 75% of the time!

I build outfits from the bottom, up, so I quickly scanned my closet floor for a comfortable, warm, stylish shoe, and chose these shearling booties that my beautiful sister bought me a few years ago. My next mission was to choose the perfect pants, something that would move with me as I wear them for way too long. Minimal exposure and the chance to have my own Marilyn moment sealed the deal for these high-waisted lovelies, and by the time I came to choosing a top, I was feeling adventurous! I paired a cream sweater over a matching sheer button-up and I can’t even tell you how much I loved the finished look! I felt comfortable, professional, and just a little bit sexy all at the same time.

I threw in some gold accents in the accessories and I was ready to take on the day… the question is how will I keep this up in the weeks to come? I’m not sure yet, but I can promise we’ll have a lot of fun figuring it out!

First off, this is one of the most flexible shoes I’ve ever seen – the only thing I’d advise against wearing it with is a heavy coat, because then it’s winter and your feet will freeze. However, a nice fur vest in a subdued color on a chilly Autumn/early Spring day would work wonders.

The nude color will always flatter & elongate the legs (like I said in my last post), so a short hemline will look great and show off that feature strap. Go for a neutral look with bright accessory pops in different colors – think of the opposite side of the spectrum, like the blue bangles. Keep the overall image warm by combining with gold undertones, unless you are going for the futuristic-chic look that comes with silver & brights. The shoes also look great with an LBD, because both are great default pieces that contrast each other and leave plenty of room for sparkling accessories.

Hive & Honey Layered Petal Necklace | Violet Cambridge Satchel | Blue Threaded & Gold Bangle Set | Kate Box Pleat Skater Skirt | Ice Age Mint Blazer | Velvet Touch Polka Dot Blouse | Free People Cropped Skinny Jeans | ASOS Strapless Sweetheart Skater Dress

For a day-to-day look, keep it easy – throw a pretty colored blazer (again, at the opposite end of the spectrum) over a loose patterned shirt and the shoes will ground the look. I prefer a cropped ankle skinny because I love the pop in the strap, but you can always tuck that under a cuffed jean for a more subdued look. If you want the strap to really stand out, find a pattern that has touches of the same color throughout – it will highlight the relationship without being visually overwhelming.

When you wear these with pants, always remember the silhouette balance rule – they would look great peaking out under a straight or wide leg, but the top should be fitted, to avoid the tent look. With any outfit, the fit relationship is key – loose top = fitted bottom and straight/wide bottoms need a fitted top. Trust me, each look highlights a different asset, and you never want to show it off or hide it all at once!

In case you were wondering why that’s the one place in the collage you can’t click: This shoe in particular is no longer available, but F21 has similar styles in a pump and a thinner strap sandal.

Now tell me, how would you wear the shoes?

She’s built a consistent style… until I broke it.

While we were discussing her plans to go out, she told about the two dresses she had in mind. Both were little black dresses, one was sleeveless, the other was a boat-neck cap sleeve. They both sounded flattering… but they also sounded like the shape of every other dress I’ve seen her in. We had spoken about my dreams of being a stylist, so she immediately came up with the idea to ask me to style her for NYE! That weekend, we went shopping, and I proposed that she try a new silhouette that would shift the focus from her bust to the whole picture: A long-sleeve, open-back dress.

Her face lit up as she realized she didn’t have anything similar, so we set off through the mall to find the perfect match. Lucky for us, we found it in the first store we looked, and even did a full circle before coming back to it! Next, she asked which shoes to wear: Black vs. Nude Black is a great basic standby, and this particular model did not have an ankle strap (which visually cut the leg, giving a shorter appearance), but I thought that the dress needed to shine rather than be anchored by the shoes. Also, nude shoes elongate the leg – try it, I promise! We decided that she’d have to keep it simple with accessories, because the lace overlay of the dress would not play well with bracelets or a necklace, so I opted for statement stud earrings (instead of dangling) and balanced rings – which I found out she didn’t own… on New Year’s Eve!

Time was tight, but I found some lovely accents for her in my own last-minute rush, and sent them to her with a clutch to borrow and a little note of final advice.

I felt like a true stylist/personal shopper, and was nearly bursting with happiness when she called to tell me that she loved the pieces I’d selected. I hope she felt as classy and sexy as she looked, and I am so grateful to have had my first shot at styling be with someone who was so open to stepping out of her comfort zone!

Future experiences may not run this smoothly, but this taught me some basic steps to styling that anyone can use when preparing for an event -

Step 1: Choose a Focus In this case, I wanted the dress to take center stage and frame her body, so the first item on the list was the focus piece. (I personally assemble my outfits based on the shoes I want to wear on a given day!) Step 2: Balance vs. Contrast Once you choose the dominant piece, your next piece will bring either balance or contrast to the ensemble. In this case, the shoes contrast against the dress and allow the darker color to take precedence. Step 3: Accessorize Arguably the most important step! An outfit just isn’t complete without the little touch of consideration that accessories bring. The right jewelry, belt, headband,etc., can completely transform your appearance. For years, I would rarely wear jewelry (on top of not wearing makeup) and once I started throwing a ring in here and a pair of earrings there… I noticed the difference! Now, it’s rare to catch me without at least one complimentary piece. Once you have the basics down, it becomes a lot more fun to build an outfit around smaller pieces, choosing a dress that contrasts to allow a bracelet to shine, or the perfect cropped pant to show off those shoes. So tell me… how do you dress when you’re in the mood for a change?

p.s. special shout-out to Ania for being the most fantastic photo assistant ever!

Love you, baby girl! (This was when we stole Vivi’s iPad, hehe)

p.p.s.
Scheduling technicality prevented this from going live on Friday… but there’s a Sunday post coming your way, too!