Fun Fashion Friday

It's 'Fun Fashion Friday'! In these posts I will bring you the playful side of fashion. Fashion doesn't always have to be so serious. I am a big fan of really funky, fun pieces. I admit to loving my fun or bizarre items more than the classic ones; even if some of my friends hate and make fun of them. After all, fashion is about self expression and SHOULD BE fun.



DENISE HUXTABLE PART 2 

It's been a  while since I posted a Fun Fashion Friday, so I decided I would post one every week of Black History Month to go with Christina's Iconic Style posts. Yesterday Christina talked about the iconic style of Denise Huxtable, played by Lisa Bonet of the Cosby Show. I wanted to challenge myself to find a few items with her likeness or that screamed Denise Huxtable style. A lot of the items are vintage and retro but I decided to add a few modern touches to each look as well.This is what I came up with! Please enjoy! Shop if you want!


The Rebellious Denise Huxtable Tee 

Wear a Denise style moment snatched right from a scene in The Cosby Show!
This tee is by Pop ATL. The light pink tee reads Rebellious which seems like such an appropriate description for Lisa Bonet and the character she played. She was rebellious in her style and politics. That's why we love her.


Shop this tee
  

Denise Huxtable Style Finds

It's time for my favorite part of this post! This is where I show you looks that scream Denise Huxtable. Since I love to support the communities I belong to, I am featuring items from etsy sellers. Other than a thrift store, there is no better place than etsy to find cool vintage pieces and unique items. I searched the site for oversized heavy sweaters, headwraps, hats and other items the character was known for. Feel free to shop the items or use the items as inspiration to create your own Denise inspired look.

Denise loved layering as Christina mentioned yesterday. My favorite part of her look was always the accessories. I loved the hats and her use of scarves and jewelry. In my first Denise inspired look, I layered an oversized unisex cardigan over a denim button up shirt.The cool jewelry piece is versatile and can be worn as a brooch or pendant on a necklace.I could see Denise wearing this brooch in the middle of the collar of the denim shirt for a bolo tie effect.The printed palazzo pants are comfy and roomy, much like many of the pieces she wore on both shows. I don't remember ever seeing Denise in heels, so these t-strap Dr. Martens felt so appropriate for the look. I would swap them out for a pair of combat boots as well.

 

Shop The Look 

Fedora  

Denim Shirt

Oversized Cardigan

Palazzo Pants 

Brooch 

Dr. Martens 

Denise Huxtable was all about layering, she wore several shirts over each other, even doubling collars sometimes. This look is a layered but a little cleaner than some of her looks. She wore a lot of oversized blazers, today we call this the boyfriend blazer. This look is a white button up with a vest and blazer combination. I could see Denise wearing the shirt tucked into the high-waisted jeans with both the vest and jacket worn open. She would pair the look with a pair of fun flat boots.Sometimes she was super matchy and sometimes she went a little wild. For this look I wanted to match the green bowler hat to the vest and earrings.

Shop The Look

Vest

Pants

Bowler Hat

Blazer

Boots

Earrings

Shirt

The Final Look is more of a Spring Look since the season is not far away. There is a look Denise wore on the Cosby Show that I really loved. I included a bonus photo of it at the end of the post. It was a mint green top that just looked like a slouchy button up in the front but when she turned around, there was a cool cut out in the back. Some would call this top business in the front and party in the back. I found something similar being sold on etsy. It inspired the rest of the look which became a romantic bohemian fusion look.

Shop The Look

Faux Leather Kufi Hat

Upcycled  Pearl Infinity Scarf

Blouse

Harem Pants

Sallay Earrings

Cut-Out Oxfords

Denise Huxtable Wrap Up

I draw inspiration from Denise Huxtable's character in my style often but instead of sharing an inspired look, I want to share this tee I bought from Accidental Genius Clothing.  I wore it on a Kris's Closet post last September while on a trip to the Loveland Castle with my sister.The Denise Huxtable tee I am wearing is no longer available but the brand always has great tees so I want to give him and his team a shout out. I will be sharing new merchandise from this company later in the month.

Shop this brand

Thank you for checking out my first 2016 Black History Edition of Fun Fashion Friday! Look for a new one featuring another fabulous tv character icon next week!

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

Iconic Style: Black History Month Edition

Black History month is one of my favorite times to blog. Having the opportunity to write about what excites me most combined with black culture excites me. Iconic Style, will spotlight women who have made a worldwide statement through their style. This month we will feature black women from popular TV sitcoms from the late 80's through early 90's. The women featured gave us more than style, they each had some type of je ne sais quoi. Stay tuned to hear all about how these women positively impacted television.

 

 

Denise Huxtable

 

 

Every Thursday night at 8pm my sisters and I would gather around the TV waiting for The Cosby Show to come on. Watching each episode was like the first time, I was giddy and filled with excitement, eagerly waiting to see what sassy things Rudy would say, what Theo was getting in trouble for, what interesting thing Vanessa was doing, and how Denise was going to rebel this time. At the time I was closer to Rudy's age, therefore I related to her and she was my favorite character. Denise was like the ideal big sister, she was cool, adventurous, rebellious, she went to college and her style was crazy. Now that I am older I remember her role much more clearly and realized the impact she made, writing this series allowed me to reflect on her character.
 

Things we can learn from Denise:
 

1. Live outside the box. Walking to the beat of her own drum was the true essence of this Cosby kid. She did exactly what made her happy, she didn't get everyone's approval, but she wasn't expecting it.
 

2. Learn lessons firsthand. Denise was rebellious, she experienced everything on her own. As the second oldest she went through a lot of trial and error, but we learn the best from our own mistakes, right?
 

3. Find yourself. When being asked why she was leaving Hillman, Denise responded by saying..."And who am I? An industrious young woman who wants to examine life without...pressure!" Enough said.
 

4. Stand for what you believe in. No matter how silly Denise may have sounded justifying her actions or lack thereof she was confident and bold when giving her answers to the many questions. She believed in herself so much that her quirky responses rolled off of her tongue naturally.
 

5. Wear what you like. Denise's style was free-spirited, bohemian,and eccentric much like her personality. Denise made her life choices just like she made her fashion choices, based upon what she liked, not based upon other people's opinions.

Over the weekend, Kristin and I went to free Sunday's at the museum. We ate lunch, looked at wonderful exhibits and then mimosas for me and beer for Kristin. Because I was already so inspired by Denise I decided to draw some style inspiration from her for the trip to the museum. This is what I wore.

Stay tuned for our next Iconic Style series next Thursday. The stylish woman I am spotlighting loved her hats and her curly hair. Can you guess who she is?

Be Blessed! Be Free! Be Fashionable!

Chris



Happy Black History Month!!!

We love Black History Month! It gives us a chance to really focus on learning about our history so we can share what we learned with you. This month we have so much planned. We will be featuring some of our favorite characters from black television and popular programming of the past. These characters have iconic style and remind us of what television was like before reality TV and the guilty pleasure shows we love that aren't really shining the greatest light on African Americans. We are also highlighting some black owned businesses that sell fun products we love and feel you should know about. Here is a peek of what we have in store!

Happy Monday! Enjoy your week!

And as always,

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

ChristinaKristin Closet Clean Out!!!

 As published stylists, we find ourselves sometimes with too many items laying around. We decided it was time we find a way to get rid of some of the items from our style closet and our personal closets as well. We opened Poshmark accounts a while ago to try to rid ourselves of a lot of things. Recently we decided it would be a great idea to start a post highlighting the new pieces we post to Poshmark weekly. We will post this blog series once at the end of each month. We introduce to you our first 'ChristinaKristin Closet Clean Out!'

You have seen us wearing some of these pieces in our Chris's/Kris's Closet posts. We have worn the items with love and some items not at all but now they all need new homes. Here are a few items available right now.

BLAZERS FOR LAYERING

I love a fun blazer with a graphic or fun pattern! These three blazers are all under $20 on Poshmark this month! We still have a few months of winter left and these blazers are great layering pieces that will get you through the cold and into Spring. To shop the items or get details, click on the titles above the photos.


Abstract Floral Blazer 
This blazer is so versatile, you can dress it up or down. Wear it with jeans and a sequin top for a night out or wear it with a solid tee or button up and slacks for a cute work outfit. Both the blazer and the sequin top are available!
 

Navy & Orange Houndstooth Blazer
This blazer is a retro Gianni Sport blazer. It would be fun over a graphic tee or a solid button up shirt and jeans.
 

Rainbow Tweed Blazer   
The blazer can be paired with so many colors. It literally features every color in the rainbow. This blazer is also very versatile. I looks good with slacks, denim or a pencil skirt. You can find a close up of the print on the site.
   

For more items check out our Poshmark accounts by clicking on Shop Kris's or Chris's Closet at the menu tab or follow the live links below. Look for new items every week on Poshmark and our ChristinaKristin Closet Clean Out post right here monthly!

Shop Kristin's Closet
Shop Christina's Closet

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!
Kris,

Happy New Year!!!

As the first post of the year I thought we would make and share some plans for the style blog and our style and design ventures. We are both really trying to get organized this year. We really want to post to the blogs more often, design more pieces and do more wardrobe styling. We would also love to know what you would love to see on the blog this year or what you are looking for in us creatively. Feel free to let us know in the comments or on our social media outlets. For now, here is what we have in store...


ChristinaKristin

1. Post a blog weekly.

2. Have a pop up shop featuring our Bridal Accessories.

3. Participate in more events that promote networking.

4. Sell accessories at a festival or special event out of state.

5. Take some creative classes, like beading and metal work classes.

Kristin

1. Bring the Style Adventures series back to the blog.

2. Post a Kris's Closet once a week.

3. Create a concept for a winter accessory collection.

4. Research other cultures to draw inspiration and technique.

5. Set a day aside a week to read magazines, print and online to stay on top of trends and fashion news.

Christina

1. Feature more stylish women in the Style Crush series, monthly.

2. Post more styling tips.

3. Create a YouTube channel focused on wardrobe styling.

4. Work with a non profit organization gifting styling services.

5. Expand our "Global Gal" collection with hair accessories.

We hope to share with you all of the new things we are starting this year, as well as all of the old things that we are doing more of.  If you have a blog idea that you would like to see from us please feel free to leave a comment, or email us at christinakristin1@yahoo.com. If you would like custom jewelry visit us at our Etsy shop. For styling services, check out our packages please email us for more info, our work can be seen at here.

Be Blessed! Be Free! Be Fashionable!

~ChristinaKristin

Chris's/Kris's Closet (Kristin) October 30, 2015

Kris's Closet

In this blog post you will get a glimpse of pieces in my closet, learn where I found them and where I wore them. My name is Kristin. Welcome to my closet!

A lot of you have seen this look on my instagram or facebook page but I decided to post it anyway to credit the garments. On my birthday last Friday, I wore this rock inspired look instead of playing Halloween dress up. I honestly get tired of being other people and things on my birthday sometimes, so I go through periods that I go on a Halloween dress up strike.  I went on a food tour with Christina and met a friend and her husband on the Alt Eats Tour with Columbus Food Adventures. I wanted to be cute but comfortable so I opted for a Scorpions rock band tee that I got in September at the Scorpions concert. I paired the tee with a pair of pants that I ironically wore the last time I did a Columbus Food Adventure tour. I added a fall sweater with tassels to keep me warm through the fall evening. This is what I wore. 

Top: Scorpions concert tee

Pants: Xhilaration (old thrift find from 'Out of the Closet')
Sweater: Vince Camuto (old)

Boots: Timberlands (old)

Earrings:14th & union (last year's Birthday present from Christina) 
Necklace: Passiana (old)

Until next time!

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

Samsung Galaxy S4 Photos from the CFA tour!!!

The Last Word by Karen

         FRINGE  BENEFITS

Jacket: Grace Elements
Shirt: White House Black Market
Jeans: Joe  
Glasses: See Eyewear

In Mesopotamia 300 to 300BC fringe adorned the two most basic garments worn: the skirt and the shawl. Fringe has been used for decoration at other points in human history, notably as a decoration on the leather clothes of Cowboys in the American West and as a brief fashion trend in the 1970's.

And lets not forget the roaring 20's, fringe was flying everywhere and they seemed to be having lots of fun.
                                                               

I remember watching the western shows that were television staples when I was a little girl in the 60's.  The male characters wore fringe jackets in addition to the native Americans who sported clothing with fringe and moccasins, remember those? For those of you too young to remember they were very popular.

Per an article written by the Gale Group, Inc. Fashion, Costume and Culture, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the ages/2004, Native Americans of the Plains and elsewhere had long created garments with fringe, which served as a type of gutter that repelled rainwater from the wearer. Here's a thought, our eyelashes serve a similar purpose.

Easy Rider, a film in 1969 featured the stars wearing casual fringed suede jackets. The fringed jackets were really popular . Many Indian looks, including occasion boots and beaded belts became fashionable. Designer Giorgio di Sant'Angelo (1933-1989) copied Native American ceremonial dress for his fall 1970 collection. Di Sant'Angelo won the city American Fashion Award but backlash deemed the collection insensitive to native Americans.

Fast forward to spring 2015 where fringe made a strong showing.

Source: The Huffington Post/By Michelle Persad

You can add minimal touches of fringe to your wardrobe by  adding accessories.

 

Coat:    Rebecca Taylor "Artisan" Tweed fringe coat

Boots:  Giuseppe Zanotti fringed suede boots

Purse:  Silva Isla Fringe Gold

Gloves: Diane Von Furstenberg Fringe Leather Gloves

I now have fringe jewelry and shoes in addition to a skirt and jacket. I would love to buy a purse.  I will never wear them together, that would be too much of a good thing: I would consider that overkill.  Polyvore has contributors who have tastefully coordinated outfits which include fringed items.

 Boots: Fringe tobacco ankle boots White House Black Market
Pants: Joe Jeans
Poncho:unknown

Skirt: Grace Elements

Jacket: Amyung Fashion

Glasses: SEE 

Tee shirt: Target

Necklace: Baublebar

Chain Fringe Bracelet from Rowe Short North Columbus

The 2015 fringe is not much different than the 1970's offerings except for the fact that the designers have utilized more materials than the proverbial leather and seude.

Try it again, or for the first time.  You might find it interesting. Make sure your clear of anything that you might catch the fringe on, oh and be careful sitting, but enjoy!

One day at a time! Karen

other sources: www.fashionencyclopedia.com