Meliciously Yours The Blog

Coco Chanel and Joan Jett: Fashion Arbiters of Black, Boldness, and Bad-Assness

There is no hesitation on my part at all to name my two favorite female innovators of all time –  designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and rocker Joan Jett.  In fact, when I’m asked what my style is, I always give the same answer:  An amalgamation of Coco Chanel and Joan Jett.

Both ladies embody edgy-femininity with a rebel yell that makes them unmistakable fashion icons.  You’re probably combining their looks already and you don’t even know it.  How many times have you slipped a jacket or blazer over a designer tee and jeans with a cascade of pearls or chains to pretty up the look?   See, not so far-feteched now is it.  

Coco Chanel died over 40 years ago and yet her style remains timeless.  Her tweed fabrics, collarless jackets, neutral colors, gold chains, and of course little black dresses, helped define fashion for women.  A feminist of her time, she forged the path for decades of women to come. Her design philosophy is simple but elegant, classy but comfortable, replacing the rigid, structured fashions of corsets, petticoats, layers, and long hemlines.  She used soft jersey, typically reserved for men’s underwear, because it draped well over the female form and was simple and practical. 

And how many of you have ever thought of Joan Jett as a style or beauty icon?  Well, have another look.  I can sum up her innovative influence in four words:  sexy, bad-ass, chains, and black leather!  Joan personifies the image of a true female rock-and roll icon fashionista and inspired so many ladies to don leather, gunmetal, spikes or studs and still keep it full on glam and feminine with sequins and satin.   

As many differences as you might think the women have, there are even more similarities that they share.  Both epitomize the independent female woman of their time.   From their fashion forward haircuts, their love of black and neutral colors, to their addiction with accessories, both ladies know how to make a statement.  That’s why I’m proud to say both women are the inspirations behind our Innovator designer tee from Meliciously Yours.  The elegantly-clad, bejeweled lady sitting atop an amp with an electric guitar draped around her invites us all to breakout the leather and the pearls and not be afraid to wear them all at once.  You can be all lady… and still kick butt and take names!  

Happy New Year!

 

My Top 5 Modern Fashion Trends, Victorian Redux

As you all know I’m in love with Victorian culture and fashion and am truly an old soul So last year when I launched my designer t-shirt business, Meliciously Yours, I felt lucky to be able to live in the Victorian era every day – even if it was in spirit.  It is exciting to see Victorian fashion trends over 130 years old still influence modern design.  I want to share my 5 favorite Victorian-influenced fashion trends of the last year.    

1). Dior, Dior, Dior!  Need I say more?  Dior has always flirted with Victorian elements and they’re still prevalent in the 2011-2012 season.  

Fall Fashion Week 2011 showcased leather ankle boots and thigh skimming stockings with a Victorian flavor.  And bloomers!  Expect to see more in 2012. Dior's fascination with Victorian fashion had a big influence on my own designer t-shirts.  

2) My second favorite trend, popular for several years now, is “Lolita” a fashion subculture if you will that originated in Japan and is based on Victorian clothing with a dash of Rococo period costumes.  It’s quite often associated with punk or steam punk trends with a quirky mix of modesty and seductiveness. Imagine a 19^th century hooped skirt, only above the knee layered with a petticoat and thigh-high stockings like this design by Angelic Pretty.  Think pin-up meets Harajuku.  If you can't tell, the Lolita influence is prevlenat in the product photos of our designer t-shirts.  

3) Ruffles, flowers, lace, oh my!  Femininity is the one word that can truly define Victorian style. Designers like Valentino and Badgley Mischka incorporated elements of romance into their spring 2011 shows evoking a sense of femininity, draping silhouettes with cascading ruffles and lace.  Lady-like accessories like parasols and lace gloves are making a come back.  

4) Vibrant and bold colors reminiscent of the innovation of aniline dyes of the Victorian era inspired shades of the season like dark purples, violets, and mauves and opulent taupes.  Aniline dyes allowed colors to be very vivid like bright reds, blues and greens.  Expect to see a continuum of these colors on the 2012 fall 2012 runways.  Last fall we featured deep violet and cobalt blue designer t-shirts of rich, vibrant hues. 

5) Meliciously Yours designer t-shirts... of course I had to include these!  The force of Meliciously Yours tees is based on a dash of Victorian femininity with a pinch of modern day elements. The super-soft cotton and fitted cut of our designer tees transform the idea of a casual t-shirt into an elegant staple of feminine style. 

I can totally envision Queen Victoria donning a Meliciously Your designer t-shirt today accessorized with a cameo and her crown of course.  

 

Random Acts of Sisterhood - U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Inspires Girls Everywhere

For Meliciously Yours’ inaugural Random Acts of Sisterhood blog feature, who better to highlight than the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team.  Their recent success, making it all the way to the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final in Germany last weekend was remarkable and though they lost in a well played game to Japan, the team has probably done more to inspire young girls everywhere to play sports!  

Women’s sports don’t generally get the same recognition or respect as their male counterpart’s games, so television and radio networks don’t televise them as often and therefore girls aren’t exposed to professional women athletes as much. 

In a world where girls aren’t always encouraged to play sports, it’s nice to see positive role models for a nation of young girls and women who prove that winning isn’t always everything, it’s the “doing” that counts the most.  

So my hats off to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team for their Random Act of Sisterhood, and may they continue to inspire young girls everywhere to get off the couch, step away from the computer, put down the tiaras, and at least try a sport.  Who knows, maybe Meliciously Yours' next designer t-shirt will be a soccer player!

 

 

Random Acts of Sisterhood

 

Mean girls, The Real House Wives of "fill-in-the-blank", Bad Girl's Club, Divas, Princesses, Gold Diggers, Drama Queens. They might play out like bad t-shirt slogans but unfortunately these self-imposed personality traits and tv titles are a sad reflection on our culture....So over it!  Our evolving obsession with women-hating-women, ladies filled with spitefulness and insecurities lashing out at other women is so draining and embarrassing on our society. When young women grow up watching those unscripted tv shows where women are horrible to each other they think that behavior is acceptable, dare I say, expected, and that's just how women are supposed to treat each other.  Well, it's not.  It's how insignificant, insecure, small minded women who are afraid to find their real purpose in this world treat each other and they don't deserve our attention at all.     

The concept for Meliciously Yours' designer t-shirts was created as a response to the self-absorbed-narcissistic-cat-fighting-princess culture we find ourselves surrounded by daily whether it plays out on television or on the pages of magazines.  Where's the sisterhood?  For all of the unfair, socially oppresive restrictions women were forced to live by in the Victorian era they at least had each other.  It made them stronger, more powerful, and influential and it was that sisterhood that spawned the suffrage movement which rewarded all women for generations to come.    

That's why I'm creating this new weekly post devoted to girls, young ladies, and women everywhere who are confident, compassionate, and strive to contribute to society in a positive manner and promote sisterhood.   Each Friday, starting next week, I'll spotlight an awesome woman I know, someone in the media or public eye, or someone I've read about who did something extraordinary on behalf of women everywhere.  If you know someone who promoted a random act of sisterhood, let us know! 

Expressive Tees for Toddlers in Training

I have Spring Fever in a biiiggggg way.  For one, the weather is improving and the sun is out, and second, Meliciously Yours launched it's victorian-image inspired toddler tee version of the adult designer tee Beauty & Brains last week and nothing says spring like short sleeves! 

As we geared up to put our tee for little girls on the market I was reminded of an article I recently wrote entitled "5 Ways Every Young Woman Can Brand Herself Positive."  Our conduct and our image is all an "advertisement" for who we are as a person.  I'll use a related anecdote:  t-shirts are like billboards - they provide a glimpse of who you are and what you want people to know about you. And that impression can be judged in a split second.  So do toddler girls need to be empowered with such a message at that young of an age - maybe not in a Gloria Steinem-kind-of-way - but girls are never to young to think about themselves positively, and never to young for their parents to impart that positive message to them.  I hope our toddler tee will appeal to style-conscious parents seeking appropriate and expressive clothing for their little girls!  GAHJJ6Y7C9FJ