New Site for Tee Shirt and Pearls

Hey followers!  I just want to let you know that this blog will be disabled because it moved to www.teeshirtandpearls.com , if you are a bloglovin' follower you will need to go to the new site and sign up to follow the new blog, same goes for Google Friend Connect, I would really appreciate if you could take the time to do that!  Thanks so much and I will talk to you soon at the new site!

-Ashley

Interview with Kristie Bergey- Executive Director for Philadelphia Fashion Week

With Philadelphia Fashion Week right around the corner, I thought I might get a little more acquainted with the idea behind this epic artistic movement, and interview Kristie Bergey, the Executive Director of Philadelphia Fashion Week. Kristie was lovely enough to oblige and we had a wonderful conversation about the thoughts and people behind Philadelphia Fashion Week.

My first thought about this event was - Where did this idea even begin?

Kristie Bergey, Charles Smith and Michael Anderer have been in the business of fashion for many years and artists as well. At the age of 15, Kristie started out at Anderson Little in the Montgomery Mall when she decided that retail was everything that she loved about work and decided that it would be her calling. She absolutely loved the sales aspect of the job, and creating relationships with customers and helping them to look and feel great. After working at Anderson Little, she helped open Bath and Body Works first home store. She then became a retail consultant, and is now an event planner for her own company, The KB Experience. Charles Smith is a photographer for his own company, Lucca Photography, and is the co-founder of CMK Entertainment. Michael Anderer is the buyer and manager of Matthew Izzo, and has been for the last 6 years. All of this talent crossed paths to create this fashion event and we are so glad that they did!

When the idea finally pulled together, they decided that fall 2009 would be the first annual Philadelphia Fashion Week. Even though the economy had hit rock bottom that year, Kristie said "it worked out well because it was a good time to barter." 2009's show fashioned off designer brands that local stores carried; the tag line was - 'Who we are, and what we wear'. This year they have decided to bring in designers from all over the world and show local boutiques great brands that they can carry in the future. This event is about three successful business people, and artists, giving back to Philadelphia's artistic community.

Kristie feels that the most anticipated show will be Autumnlin, a haute couturier inspired by dreams and the flow of emotion. Autumnlins’ gowns are reminiscent of the past, but with an interesting edge. The work of Autumnlin is very detailed and absolutely beautiful. Kristie is also very excited for student night, which takes place on Thursday October 7th. Not only will college students show off their work on the runway but high schoolers will as well. Kristie is very supportive of our youth, and does work with groups such as the local Girl Scouts. The little ladies decided to have a ‘Project Runway Weekend’, and Kristie was there with Kristin Haskins Simms to kick it off!

Philadelphia has a tremendous future in fashion with these amazing people at the helm. I am excited to be apart of this fashion forward movement and hope to one day have a stronger influence on it as well. Thanks to Kristie Bergey for taking the time to speak with me, and for being apart of creating this exciting event!

TeeShirt and Pearls Perks.....

Hey Guys!  For all my readers who haven't gotten their tickets for Philadelphia Fashion Week yet, I got you guys a promotional code.  When you Click Here for tickets, choose which tickets you want and proceed to checkout, when you get to the promo code box type in TSHRTNPEARLS and receive 20 % off of your general admission tickets.  This is a great offer so make sure you get your tickets soon!

Calling all Fashionistas

For all you fashion lovers out there, our week in Philadelphia is right around the corner!  Philadelphia Fashion Week is just a week and a half away!  Beginning on Wednesday October 6th, Boutiques in the surrounding areas will be showing off their style and will be paired with awesome musical acts like Sarah Borrello and Self Help Revolver. Thursday night's festivites will be a "School Night," showcasing student work for the surrounding design schools in Philadelphia. Friday and Saturday night will be pretty amazing, as designers from all around the world will be flying in to showcase their fashion for Philadelphia.  I'm excited to see these designers because their presence in the area will really help our city to become a Fashion force to pay attention to! I'm also looking forward to Project Runway designer Kristin Haskin Simms' designs for StrangeFruit!  Tickets are still on sale, click here to get your tickets now - you don't want to miss it!

NEUW is one of the design labels that will be at the show.  They're a jean company developed by three friends Richard Bell, Stephen Little from Austrailia, and Par Lundqvist from Sweden. They developed their product in Nieuwlandstraat in Brussels, where Lundqvist spent a lot of time. Par had a great vintage denim collection from the last 100 years, containing iconic pieces from fashions history.  The denim line's concept is using these pieces and altering them using different sewing techniques to develop a new look. 

Pamela Ptak is another designer showing her collection at Philadelphia Fashion Week this fall. She is a local designer that has worked all over the world. Her design asthetics play with colorblocking and incredibly archetictual looks. It's a great collection that you should put on your list to check out at Philly's Fashion Week.

I am also looking forward to seeing the Laotian-American designer, Nary Manivong.  The New York based designer was voted the "Rising Star for women's ready-to-wear designer" by Fashion Group International in 2009 and 2010.  This guy is on the fashion world's radar, and is definitly something to see!

This Fashion Show will be EPIC for Philadelphia.  If you are interested in supporting the arts, or just to support Philadelphia in it's efforts to become the next fashion city, you should buy your ticket A.S.A.P.

Menswear for Women

Menswear for women is my favorite look for fall. This blog is about how to stay fashion savvy while being casual, and menswear for women is the perfect solution for this problem. Not only is it the perfect solution for casual-wear, it's also incredibly comfortable and non-restrictive. My favorite piece is the oversized pant, extremly reminicent of the 1930's and 40's Zoot Suit bottoms with the top of the pant oversized, and the pant legs tapered. It's a really great look!

The Mens Oxford shoe has made a glorious comeback, but this time in women's fashion. It's a great shoe to pair with the menswear pant. The best styling advice I can give you for this look is to tuck and roll the legs a little bit, belt the pant and match it with a sweater of some sort. There should always be feminine touches added to the "menswear for women" look, maybe a headband with a bow or a feminine top.

I have decided that my next task will be a "menswear for women" pant, I have never made a pant before, so this should be fun.

Ashley vs. Ashley- Fun and Flirty, Full-Skirt Cocktail Dress

Hey Guys! Here is my first Creation. It was inspired by my summers in Cape May, New Jersey. This particular dresses inspiration comes from a beach front Victorian in Cape May. It's my take on the full skirt that has been seen on the runways for fall. It's fun and flirty, beach inspired for this spring!

The First part, the full skirt.

Designing the collar

Working the Back

It's coming together!

The Final Project

The Final Back!

Tell me what you guys think!  Be brutally honest, this is my first garment that I created using my own pattern.  Also, stay tuned for pictures of it styled on Ms. Kuhns!



All my Single Ladies...Put your Marc Bags UP...(and you know the ones in relationships too)

My friend Amy and I have been obsessed with Marc Jacobs hand bags for quite some time.  When we were both single, our Marc bags were our "arm candy", or maybe even a "special companion".  It brought us confidence when we walked into a room alone, it kept us company on our trips to the grocery store, and on those lonely shopping trips when you would have to eat lunch alone, he took the seat right next to you. Now this was obviously a silly little inside joke, but it kept us laughing even through tough times. Amy would love to photograph her bag riding in the shopping cart, or sitting across the table and then send it to me, and we would laugh and giggle.  We would joke around with my now boyfriend Matt, who bought me the over-sized Hobo Hillier Bag from Barney's last Christmas, that the bag would be taking the front seat in the car from now on because it was my new love.  These fun and silly antics are why I love Marc Jacobs so much, and if you can design a bag that can take on a persona, you may as well be a fashion god in my opinion.

This blog post is a tribute to my all time favorite fashion designer - Marc Jacobs. Today is the kick off for New York's Fashion Week, and the most anticipated show will be his. Taking a look back to early winter 2010 at New York's Fashion Week for the upcoming fall, Marc's show was breathtaking.  His idea of menswear for women was my absolute favorite among all of the other designers.  Also his metallic dresses at the end were amazing! The show itself was awesome; it took us back to a more simpler time, when women were a bit more conservative and a lot less flashy, when glamor and beauty really emerged... not to mention the nostalgia attached to the tune "Somewhere over the Rainbow" that he had playing in the background! It was one of my favorite fashion shows ever. This leads me to be even more eager to see what he's gonna pull out for Spring!

***This Sunday will be the due date for my first challenge!  Tune in to check out what I came up with!***