Category: trends

Summer fashion trends – the maxi!

Posted on by

Have you notices in Michiana Goodwill stores trend boards that look something like this?  We are Goodwill are dedicated to make sure you are shopping for on-trend clothing for you and your family.


Our fashion guru Kathy Friend has provided these trend boards for us each season to help you know exactly what is trendy!  In the upcoming days / weeks, we will be sharing the 4 big trends of the season with you…here and of course in all of our Goodwill stores!

Kathy’s Summer Trend Tip:

 The maxi is all the rage this season.  Maxi simply means long.  LONG AND LEAN!

This can be a tricky look to pull off if you are petite.  Simple fabrics in a monochromatic hue will be best and easiest to wear.

Summer Fashion Trends – baroque

Posted on by

Have you notices in Michiana Goodwill stores trend boards that look something like this?  We are Goodwill are dedicated to make sure you are shopping for on-trend clothing for you and your family.


Our fashion guru Kathy Friend has provided these trend boards for us each season to help you know exactly what is trendy!  In the upcoming days / weeks, we will be sharing the 4 big trends of the season with you…here and of course in all of our Goodwill stores!

Kathy’s Summer Trend Tip: 

 One of the print trends this season is baroque. Baroque is hard to explain, but easy to see!  It is almost a damask, paisley, curley-q print.  

We are seeing this print in EVERYTHING from the smallest of details (like the sunglasses) to a very bold statement (like on the dress).  

The key to wearing this print in an outfit is to be mindful of where that print is.  Make sure that the bold contrast in color brings attention to an appropriate place on your silhouette.  Also, make sure that the weight of the print is in line with your stature.  In other words, if you are a petite lady, be sure the print you wear doesn’t overwhelm your look.

10 Unique Ideas for Projects to Do With Goodwill T-Shirts

Posted on by

Goodwill is one of my favorite places to visit for craft supplies and to find ideas for upcycling donated items. If you have ever been in a Goodwill store, one thing you will notice is that there is an abundance and plethora of donated t-shirts in every size, style, variety, and color.

The next time you visit your local Goodwill store, don’t just visit the t-shirts in your own size for ideas. Look in the Men’s section and in the larger sizes to find t-shirts that will offer you extra and a generous amount of craft material for the same amount of money as your smaller t-shirts. Try to select t-shirts that are not as faded or that have fabric pills on them for optimal material for your projects.

Today I wanted to share with you ten of my favorite projects that I have found to do with old t-shirts from your Goodwill store from some very amazing bloggers. I love that all of these ideas are extremely unique and that most require no sewing skills at all.

1. T-Shirt Scarves– I have seen lots of varieties of t-shirt scarves on many different blogs, but I absolutely love this DIY Dish episode you can watch to discover three different varieties of scarves you can make from an old t-shirt. My favorite is the one, pictured above, with a bright pom-pom trim.

2. T-Shirt Bibs– If you are looking for a fast sewing project that would make a fun baby gift, then these t-shirt bibs are the project for you. For little boys, you could look for their dad’s favorite sports teams and for little girls you could look for a fun t-shirt with sparkly letters or flowers. Don’t forget that these could also be embellished with rick-rack, ribbon trim, or an easy t-shirt rolled rosette flower.

3. T-Shirt Bracelets– There are many varieties of cute bracelets that I have seen using t-shirt materials, but this one has to be one of my favorites. This twisted knot bracelet can be made from just a single t-shirt or it could be made with a mix of prints or a mix of solid colors. I can’t wait to make some of these for myself and my daughter this summer. Nothing could be cozier than a gently worn t-shirt bracelet on your arm!

4. T-Shirt Produce Bag– Nothing could be greener than carrying your groceries in a cloth grocery bag…until you start using recycled materials for your bag. Even if you are a beginning sewer, this simple produce bag can easily be created for a visit to the grocery store of your local farmer’s market. I think these would be fun to make in a variety of pastel colors or to give as a gift to someone special in your life.

5. T-Shirt Pom Poms– Looking for a fun way to dress up your home for the warmer months? I absolutely love these adorable t-shirt pom poms for a fun way to add a pop of color to your mantle, as a fun adornment to a wreath, or hung in a gathering on a door handle or front door. The best part about this project is that no sewing skills are required for this one!

6. Petal Tees– I have seen many, many refashions of old t-shirts, but I think this Petal Tee is simply genius because the petal trim on this t-shirt is made from a variety of t-shirts, adding a cute pop of color for the Spring. Visit Goodwill on their half off days and stock-up on a fun mixture of colors for a fun addition of color to your wardrobe. If you are looking to add a little of the fluorescent color trend to your wardrobe, this would be a great way to do it without having to commit to an entire fluorescent piece!

7. T-Shirt Yarn– My favorite craft in the world is knitting and I love the idea of using Goodwill t-shirts to create fun yarn for my projects. This would be a fun gift to give to a friend that knits or crochets. If you can use a pair of scissors and cut in a relatively straight line, then you can do this craft and use this yarn for a variety of projects!

8. T-Shirt Aprons– I have a true affection for aprons and have a little collection of my own thrifted aprons that I have acquired from Goodwill and other antique shops. I had never thought to use t-shirts to create aprons, but I think this t-shirt apron is the cutest thing I have ever seen. This would be a cute craft to make for yourself or for your helpers in the kitchen. The best part? No ironing required and it can handle the messes that you might make in the kitchen.

9. T-Shirt Necklaces– I love t-shirt necklaces for adding a splash of color to your neckline. This rolled rosette t-shirt necklace is a fun way to add some feminine details to your outfit very inexpensively. I think it would be cute to make the t-shirt bracelet in a coordinating color and one Goodwill t-shirt should more than cover both of these cute projects.


Our tenth project is actually a fun t-shirt project we did here on the Goodwill blog. Be sure to visit my tutorial on creating a cute t-shirt flower pin made from an old t-shirt and spray painted clip-on earrings. This is so cute and would be a fun addition to a Spring top or jacket.



What are your favorite craft projects to do with old t-shirts?


All photos featured in our collage were gathered from the blogs that were featured. Please visit these blogs for tutorials and instructions on completing these projects!

TREND WATCH: Florals!

Posted on by

Prints are a huge trend this season – especially florals! Look for large floral patterns as opposed to a small “ditsy” print.

HOW TO WEAR IT:

  • Be sure not to do floral head to toe
  • Be conscious of your stature, and make sure that the weight of the print is in align with your stature. We want to see YOU not your floral ensemble.
  • Pair your bright florals with a great neutral – it will balance your overall look

Stay tuned over the coming days for more TREND WATCH reports!

TREND WATCH: Nautical

Posted on by

Nautical is back and bigger than ever this season! You will see the nautical influence in all the stripes, and in details like strong hardware, rope embellishments and all the red/white/blue combinations.

HOW TO WEAR IT

  • I am loving the juxtaposition of wearing a floral with a stripe. It’s a hard look to pull off correctly (and not look like Punky Brewster)…but very on-trend!
  • If you are broad shouldered, be sure to keep the stripes away from your shoulders – it will make you look broader.
  • Bring in a bright color with your stripes – like neon yellow, tangerine or grass green.

Stay tuned over the coming days for more TREND WATCH reports!

TREND WATCH: Brights!

Posted on by

Bright hues are the color story of the season. Vibrant lemon yellows being paired back with tangerine oranges will be all the rage!

HOW TO WEAR IT

  • Resist wearing bright neon colors head to toe
  • Make the bright color the statement of your outfit. The rest of your outfit should be a subdued neutral
  • The easiest way to add a bright color is with footwear!

TREND WATCH – Tangerine! Wear Spring 2012 in style!

Posted on by

This season, the IT color is tangerine (a fancy name for bright orange). This bold hue is such a fun color to add to your wardrobe!

HOW TO WEAR IT
There are 2 ways to wear this color successfully. The first way, is to make the tangerine piece of clothing the focal point in your attire. In other words, if you choose to wear a tangerine jean or sweater, then the other pieces should be more subdues and understated.

The other way to wear a bright is to make that the accent of your outfit. So bring in some tangerine with accessories: jewelry, handbag, shoes. Or, get a grosgrain ribbon in this bright hue and use it as a belt with your jeans and simple tee!

Stay tuned over the coming days for more TREND WATCH reports!

beating the heat…fashionably speaking

Posted on by

It has been so HOT outside this summer that the outside temperatures are leading to some questionable fashion choices.

You know what I mean…bathing suit tops worn as regular clothing, short shorts in the work-place. It is hard to determine what to wear when it is so stinkin’ hot! I mean, I get it…I don’t want to sweat through my clothes, and I want to do what I can to be somewhat comfortable.

I have been giving this a lot of thought, and have come up with some simple tips on beating the heat…fashionably speaking.

1. Dress in layers. It seems that would not be the answer to beating the heat, but the secret is to keep the layer closest to your skin a natural fiber (like cotton or linen). The layers will allow you to take off a jacket or sweater when you are outside, but still have your shoulders covered inside…covering your shoulders is the most appropriate for the office. And, you can pick up simple cardigans at Goodwill for about $5.00

2. Dress in a dress! Or a skirt. Dresses and skirts are infinitely cooler than pants or shorts. If skirts aren’t your thing, and you are worried about investing in something like that just to keep cool…skirts and dresses run about $5.00

3. Loosen up! Simply stated, stay away from tight or clingy things. The more floaty the fabric and style is, the cooler you will be!

4. The color story. Keep the color of your clothing light. White is best. Remember that darker colors absorb light (heat) and lighter colors reflect light (heat). Every little trick helps, right?

5. Skip the beach. At least, the beach clothes, for work. The general rule of thumb (regardless of the outside temperature) is if you would wear it to a picnic, to sleep in or to the beach…do not wear it to work. This goes for flip flops too.

GOT A FASHION QUESTION?!
I’d love to answer it, AND to send you a coupon for 30% off the next time you visit one of our local Goodwill stores! Simply post your question in the comment section of this blog post, and we will randomly choose a few of your questions as winners! Be sure to include your email address so that I can get in touch with you to get the coupon into your hands!

PHOTO CREDITS:
http://www.janellelee.com
http://ecoquisitive.files.wordpress.com
http://wxgeekchic.blogspot.com

Spring Trends

Posted on by

I love Spring and Summer.  Honestly – I just took out all of the winter clothes out of my closet to make room for the Spring Summer things, and I have a TON more Spring Summer than I do Winter!  Guess it is time to weed through it all, make a donation to Goodwill and look for some new trends to add to my wardrobe!

Let me walk you through some of the big trends for the season:

Color:
Honeysuckle is THE color of the season.  It is a bright pink…but not shocking neon pink. I love this color.  Start looking for it!  You are going to see it EVERYWHERE!  Little dashes of this pink mixed in with your neutral palate will add that little something extra that will take your outfit from drab to fab!

The neutrals this season range from a mocha chocolate to grey.  Grey is still a very important color in fashion this season…if you are looking to add one thing, consider a grey jean!


Many colors of the season are more subdued with bright pops of color that will really make a bold statement in this season’s outfits.  Wearing all neutral (all white and khaki, for example) is a trend that you will want to jump on board with once the temps stay above 70!

Citrus hues are still around with a bright splash of orange (tangerine) – mix this color with the season’s hot color (Honeysuckle) with a white jean – hot!


Ocean hues of blue and green are something everyone can wear.  The blues range from turquoise to a royal / purple blue.

Mixing alike tones of the same color is also very popular this season.  This is a new take on a monochromatic wardrobe.  So many of us love LOVE to wear all black – for those black-only gals, i would like to challenge you  to try wearing an outfit of all blue…different shades of the same tone of blue.  You will love it!


MILITARY:
This trend has a distinct masculine feel to it.  The strong lines and very structured nature of the “military” look should be balanced with something feminine.  Likewise, don’t pair your favorite military jacket with a pair of camp crop pants.  That is simply too much military!  People might stop you on the street and ask if you have enlisted rather than to stop you and compliment you on your outfit!  

We are seeing this influence everywhere from color to embellishment and style.  The khaki-green color we are seeing is attributed to the military trend.  To add a little of this trend into your wardrobe, look for chunky metals in your jewelry, or for button detail on shirts / jacket, especially epaulettes.  

LADY LIKE:This trend has the opposite feeling from the Military one.  This trend is all about being a girl: heavy lace, eyelet, bows and floral patterns.  Skirts have made a resurgence into popularity with many designers introducing great a-line styles that everyone can wear.

I found a TON of on-trend pieces recently when I went shopping through some of our area Goodwill stores.  Honestly, I felt a little guilty that I got so many on-trend great pieces at such an AMAZING price!

STRIPES and NAUTICAL
Stripes and anything with a Nautical feel are big this season, and I believe this nautical feel comes from the inspiration of the Military feel.  Anyone can wear stripes…if you feel it is too much, then tone it down by wearing a striped tee under a cardigan.

Check out the newest Goodwill store in St. John, IN.  I’ll be there in June with a Kids Fashion Show!  Want to know more?  Stay tuned!

SOME IMAGES FROM:
from http://www.fashiontrendsetter.com