Fashion

Curating a Fashionable Closet

A purposeful wardrobe of classic basics, statement pieces, and a dash trending styles is an investment and a lifetime curation process. Fashion and Style paint the story of who you are and who you want to be.

The Fashion and Style sections cover investment pieces ranging from work wear to weddings, couture to trendy. Whether you are seeking the ideal bag for the discerning minimalist, or a must-have statement piece of jewelry, we have something for you.

Closet: Home-It Natural Wood Hangers

September 8, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Home-It Natural Wood Hangers

It’s NYFW, which means new clothes. And here at Style Chicks, we agree with Joan Crawford: No Wire Hangers Ever!

Why did wire hangers make Ms. Crawford so angry? Because despite dry cleaners using wire hangers, the wire doesn’t do your clothes any favors, especially for structured garments, silks and knitwear. The thin unsupported, ill-shaped wire shape can tear tiny fibers, not to mention snag other items in your closet. Even relatively lightweight garments can have heavier detailing such as beading, sequins, buttons, embroidery or pleating.

WHY USE ALL PURPOSE NATURAL WOODEN HANGERS
Wood hangers allow the weight of the garment to be distributed more evenly, protecting delicate fabrics from weakening. An all-purpose wooden hanger, such as this set, has a wood rod across the bottom. It is intended to hold pants such heavy denim, thick material dress pants, draping items such as saris, pashminas, long flowing sarongs, scarves, and wraps. It can also be used to fold-over longer garments. This all-purpose hanger can withstand the weight of a heavier item such as a suit, coat, or outerwear. A quality wood hanger, such as this Home-It Wood Hanger, have a nice contoured curve to the back of the hanger that keeps the shape of the shoulder line and collar intact. Some wooden hangers have a few flaws including the potential for splinters, bending, exposed nails or staples or breakage. We were pleased to see none of these flaws in the Home-It Hangers; rather they have some nice extra features.

Home-It Natural Wood Hangers

FEATURES
Several nice features to these hangers: they are sturdy enough to hold a heavy winter coat. They have a contour curved back to hold the line of blazers and suit jackets. They have generous notches for holding loops, and these notches have been sanded smooth to avoid snags. Something I especially like about these hangers is an etched tractioned tube the bottom bar that holds slacks/pants, this keeps the garment free of snags but helps prevent the pants from slipping off the hanger itself.

I like that there is enough room to layer scarves, ties or accessories with coats, blazers, and jackets without wrinkling them.

Home-It Natural Wood Hangers

QUALITY
Free of silvers or wood irregularities, there is a smooth, shellac finish to prevent snags from tiny slivers. The wood pieces are fitted well with no protruding nails or metal bindings. The metal hanging hook can swivel around without becoming loose. These are large enough for a man’s suit but fit well with my suits, blazers, and coats.

TEST
Some hangers look good but can’t sustain holding heavier items without bending or cracking. We ran two tests: dropping the hanger and hanging the heaviest coats we could find on it to see if the hanger would break, crack or bend. Dropping the hanger on a wood floor did not cause it to break, chip, splinter or dent. The hanger did not cave under the weight of holding a heavy, full-length, lined wool coat, and it held up to bundling TWO thick winter coats on the same hanger. The bar, intended for pants, was also able to sustain the weight of a winter coat. It also did not scratch or snag more delicate fabric suits or suit linings.

Home-It Natural Wood Hangers

CONCLUSION: We find these to be high-quality in construction and usability. The enclosed, stable pants rod on the bottom has an overlayer tubing to provide traction from slipping without snagging delicate fabrics. We were very happy to have this set of quality hangers in time for the fall and winter season and immediately put them into use.

Find these hangers at Amazon.

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I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings

August 25, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings

I like these earrings because they give a more expensive look than I expected. The white gold gives a modern take on a classic drop style design. They come in a colorful patterned gift box, and the earrings are on a padded cushion.

Copper plated white gold; these earrings have a beautiful shine to them. Some white gold plate looks like chrome, but these do not. The cut of the stones gives multi-facet reflections and a high-shine that appears more expensive. They are a nice size, not too small, not too large and dangly. I like that they command some attention without being obnoxiously obvious, they are more ladylike but aren’t sedate. They are heavier than many earrings; I would not wear them on a daily basis and consider them more suitable for special occasion use.

These would be suitable for bridesmaid gifts, proms, or for general wear with more polished outfits for going to museums, brunch, or dinner to add a bit of sparkle around the face without being over the top. While this type of drop earring style has been around for a while, the sleek look of the smooth white gold gives a modern, current look. This makes them suitable for a graduation gift while not seeming like “Grandma jewelry” to a teen.

PURPLE ZIRCONIA VERSES AMETHYST: SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings vs an appraised Amethyst Ring

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings compared to an appraised Amethyst Ring

The purple zirconia looks like a particularly clear-cut amethyst natural stone. I held my actual better quality amethyst stone ring next to the earrings, and the purple zirconia is a pretty good dupe for amethyst, just slightly brighter than a real amethyst. But I didn’t notice that it was a more saturated, bright purple until holding the real amethyst up to the purple zirconia. You won’t fool a mineralogist, jeweler or most collectors into thinking these are a pair of $800 amethyst drop earrings, but the purple zirconia looks pretty good, and I would believe that they cost much more than they did. And sometimes, even if you have an $800 pair of earrings, you might be reluctant to wear them in the event you lost an earring. Realistically, many formal events – such as a prom, or wedding venue, or dinner at a nicer restaurant – have dim lighting where it would be difficult to tell the difference between the A+++ grade purple zirconia and amethyst.

That said, the purple color is especially flattering to someone with green or brown eyes. The shape of the earrings looks good with long or short hairstyles. Makes for a lovely gift or as a treat for yourself.

Find these lovely earrings at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes.

Sunglasses with SPF: LotFancy Women’s Resin Frame Metal Temples Sunglasses

July 5, 2016 · 4 Comments

LotFancy Women’s Resin Frame Metal Temples Sunglasses

Well, it’s past July 4th, I guess there is no denying that Summer is here. While I wear sunglasses year round, I think summer is a good time to revisit your sunglass game. So we’ll be taking a look at a few varieties in the upcoming weeks.

An important part of a useful summer sunglass is a lens with UV protection. Not only does it protect your eye, but a proper UV coating also protects the delicate skin around your eye. You know, that part that ages faster than any part of your face.

That is why we like LotFancy Women’s Resin Frame Metal Temples Sunglasses. They have UV400 protection, which means that they guard against 100% of both UVA and UVB rays, so your eyes and orbital skin are completely protected by these lenses.

Sunglasses with UV protection is especially imperative if you don’t have a sunscreen that you can tolerate wearing around your eyes. It took me a long time to find a few sunscreens that don’t irritate my eye skin, and even then, and the extra layer of protection is good to protect the thin skin of the orbital area.

The oversized styling of the frames also works in your favor as far as skin protection. The top of your cheekbones is a prime spot for sun damage, so a pair of sunglasses that covers the area is a wonderful aid in keeping the area wrinkle and age spot free.

I also really like the white colored frames. There is something so fresh, crispy, and summery about white frames. Do you remember the last scene in Gwenyth Paltrow’s Great Expectations? Her oversized white frames exuded classic preppy chic. They also come in black if you want a more classic look.

While I use sunglasses everyday that there is the slightest of sun peaking out (over my sunscreen that I wear rain or shine, of course), these sunglasses are a must for vacations to sunny locales. Did you read that fantastic article about Italy in Allure this month? How amazing would these glasses look as you spend the day on the gorgeous Italian coast?

Lot Fancy makes a great pair of sunglasses at a reasonable cost, and the UV400 protection rivals $200 pairs of sunglasses. So whether you are looking for an everyday pair or an extra pair for the beach, these are worth picking up!.

Find them at Amazon.com.

Style Chicks received samples for review.

Marte Pocket Watch with Necklace Chain

June 30, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Marte Pocket Watch with Necklace Chain

I like the vintage feel of this watch. It can be dressed feminine or masculine depending on the overall outfit. This watch comes on a chain so it can be worn as a necklace or pendant and can be adapted with a watch fob to be worn on a suit or carried in a pocket. I have a silver family heirloom watch that has some detailing on the case body, but I am reluctant to wear it much for fear of losing it, and the crown is so delicate that the watch cannot be used to tell the time. It is nice to have an ornamental yet functional piece like this pocket watch that has a retro vibe and adds some nice detailing to simple outfits.

STYLE
It is stylized enough on the face of the watch to appeal to vintage lovers and steampunk fans, yet the exterior of the watch gives a classic, streamlined look that is suitable to be worn to a wedding. The face is white

MECHANICS
It is Japanese Quartz Movement with seconds hands. The crown is sturdy, so setting the time and opening the watch can be done easily. The case opens and closes smoothly. The chain is relatively thick.

AS A GIFT
This Pocket makes for a suitable gift for oneself or a friend and comes in a black gift box. It is a very good price for such as sturdy piece. Someone who like retro and vintage pieces but prefers a streamline, simple look would appreciate this watch. A nice gift for someone who likes pieces without too much fuss but a bit of element detailing.

Marte Pocket Watch with Necklace Chain