Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Get the Look {fairly}: Capitol Movement Freedom Tour


my fair vanity, style blog, rachel mlinarchik, freedom tour, get the look

One more of those stylin' Capitol Movement boys (this one is from Munich)
my fair vanity style blog rachel mlinarchik freedom tour get the look 9

my fair vanity, style blog, rachel mlinarchik, freedom tour, get the look

It's been really neat to see how everyone has interpreted our "all black all the time" uniform for travel during #freedomtour. Everyone has their own style, but the one consistent feature is a great leather jacket, which works for several climates and always looks pulled together, whether dressed up or down.

I love this vintage one from Etsy so much that I am hesitant to share, but I love you more, dear readers, and it is my gift to you.

Clockwise from right to left:

my fair vanity style blog rachel mlinarchik freedom tour get the look 7
Photography of Rachel is by Crishon Landers

A note on Capitol Movement: we are a non-profit dance company with a focus on making dance affordable and accessible to low-income youth in the DC area. Capitol Movement provides scholarship and outreach programming in partnership with DC Public Schools, while also maintaining both a pre-professional youth company and an adult company (some, like moi, are touring internationally right now!).  Though you can't see us on tour, you CAN support our youth programming by coming to see Movement of the People, an AMAZING show put on by our under-18 company. There will be hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, tap...something for everyone, and extremely talented dancers.

Lastly, to everyone on the East Coast at home-- our thoughts are with you and your loved ones. I hope you have found high ground, power, and water. Here is one resource for emergency information that can still be used even if you have no power: http://blog.twitter.com/2012/10/hurricane-sandy-resources-on-twitter.html





Monday, October 29, 2012

Ciao, Baby…or….What’s up with all the #freedomtour on instagram?


my fair vanity style blog rachel mlinarchik freedom tour

my fair vanity style blog rachel mlinarchik freedom tour 2



Those of you who follow me on instagram or twitter may have noticed a few mentions of #freedomtour and some strange pictures of women in tights and men who are inexplicably vogue-ing in sync. If you don’t follow me in either of those mediums, stay with me here, I can explain.

Over the next three weeks, I’m joining 11 other Capitol Movement dancers on our brand new Freedom Tour in honor of Veteran’s Day. As I write, I am on a plane headed to Munich en route to the first stop on our tour.

We are all incredibly honored to be traveling throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa in order to entertain our troops and their families overseas, and we can’t wait to dance our little hearts out for them.

And never you fear, I’ve got plenty to share with you all while I’m gone, and maybe even a few surprises along the way. In the meantime, follow me at  @FairVanityDC on Instagram or Twitter to join us on our adventures!

And now, without further ado, I am pleased to formally introduce you some dancers that I feel incredibly lucky to know, let alone be performing with. Ladies and gents, please meet the talented—and stylin’—members of the Capitol Movement Freedom Tour…

my fair vanity style blog rachel mlinarchik freedom tour 5
The full cast and our company co-founder.

my fair vanity style blog rachel mlinarchik freedom tour 4
The Gents

my fair vanity style blog rachel mlinarchik freedom tour 3
The ladies

I will be posting a "get the look" as soon as I can, but in the meantime, for fair #allblackeverything, I recommend Black Leather Motorcycle Club.

Follow @CapitolMovement on Twitter and Instagram to receive instant updates on our progress.




Friday, October 26, 2012

A Fresh, Minty Reminder


my fair vanity fashion blog OOTD mint color mood fall 7

hint of mint aaryn west 640

The fall style challenge & round-up deadline is looming, my fair friends. This is my fall color mood...what's yours?

My fair item is a bracelet made of sustainable materials by Mango Tree, and my inspiration is the Hint of Mint color mood board by Aaryn West (shown above).

Send me your outfit photo or style collage before midnight on Thursday, November 1st and you could be featured here on Fair Vanity (all entry details here, please read carefully).

Once you submit, don't forget to follow me on bloglovin' or like Fair Vanity on facebook to ensure you see when you're featured!



my fair vanity, fashion blog, OOTD, mint color mood, fall style challenge


Photography by Victoria Corkhill. 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Spooky {and Fair} Halloween Style


Halloween Accessories, spooky, my fair vanity, style blog, eco blog



This collection is for those of you that are "not into costumes," but still want to participate in the general Halloween spirit of things.  I am here to support you, and have provided some fun accessories to help you show respect for and acknowledgement of Halloween without donning tights and stage make-up.

Personally, I can't comprehend non-participation in a time of year that allows--nay--encourages ridiculous costume wearing, but I also grew up dancing competitively and wearing false eyelashes at the tender age of 11 (yes, like Dance Moms, though I wish I could say it were more like So You Think You Can Dance), so my experience of costume-wearing is probably not representative of the general population.

Either way, enjoy the skulls! I would wear them year round.


If you'd like to go even more under the radar with your Halloween style, you could pick just one of these pieces below to create mystery as to whether you are openly acknowledging the holiday or just wearing really crazy trousers. Always keep them on their toes.


Halloween apparel, my fair vanity, style blog, eco blog




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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Fair Market {Get the Look}


Farmers market, my fair vanity, style blog eco 21

As promised, here is one way to get the look from Friday's post, from vintage t-shirt to statement ring to the perfect Farmer's Market bag. 


Farmers market my fair vanity style blog eco 5

Farmers market my fair vanity style blog eco 17

Farmers market my fair vanity style blog eco 16

Photography by Victoria Corkhill




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Monday, October 15, 2012

What's Your Fall Color Mood? See Your Style on Fair Vanity


aaryn west monday color mood board for fair vanity style challenge 2

aaryn west style challenge for fair vanity OOTD

On Sunday, I posted an homage to Aaryn West's inspirational color mood boards, then invited all of you lovely people to share your fall color moods and be featured here on Fair Vanity.

Well lo and behold, Ms. Aaryn West herself sent me over a little surprise, and of course I couldn't wait to share it with you. Her look is inspired by the Primary Agenda Monday Color Mood. And who better to give an example of how to enter than Aaryn herself?  Now it's an official Aaryn West/ Fair Vanity collaboration!

Aaryn resides in sunny Los Angeles, CA, and you can see that California spirit come through in her easy, colorful style. Aaryn also did me a major prop and made her whole outfit super Fair!
  • T-shirt is made in the USA by Daydreamer L.A. (graphic by Aaryn West, of course)
  • Skirt is thrifted vintage
  • Necklace is handmade by Found (Aaryn makes jewelry for fun outside of her design studio)
  • Bag is a hand me down by Kay West and is made in the USA
***Remember, to enter this style challenge, you only have to include ONE fair item in your collage or outfit photo (something vintage, borrowed, organic, vegan, made in the USA, fair trade, etc.), and mention which color mood goes with or inspired your ensemble.

The most important thing to remember is to make your image 640 pixels wide  (max 853 px tall) and to send it to fairvanitydc (at) gmail [dot] com by November 1st. I won't be able to feature your photo or collage and link to your lovely web site if the image is the wrong size, and I would very much like to share your style!



Sunday, October 14, 2012

A Hint of Mint at The Smithsonian American Art Museum


my fair vanity, fashion blog, OOTD, mint color mood, fall transitions

my fair vanity, fashion blog, OOTD, mint color mood, fall transitions


my fair vanity, fashion blog, OOTD, mint color mood, fall transitions

my fair vanity, fashion blog, OOTD, mint color mood, fall transitions


my fair vanity, fashion blog, OOTD, mint color mood, fall transitions

One of my favorite museums in DC is the American Art Museum. First of all, it's like two in one because it's also the National Portrait Gallery. Secondly, it has a beautiful new courtyard thanks to the Kogod family, and too many exhibits to ever get through in one day.

It also happened to match my outfit on Saturday, which was inspired by pattern-playa Aaryn West. I love seeing her color mood boards pop up in my facebook feed each Monday morning, and I think many of my outfits have been unconsciously influenced by the pretty colors she puts together. So yesterday, I decided to make it official with an homage to Aaryn's Hint of Mint color mood.

Mint sometimes feels more spring or summery, but when you pair it with warm camel and browns, and creamy winter whites, it starts to move into the fall feeling, methinks.

Here's how to get today's look fairly:


my fair vanity, fashion blog, get the look, mint color mood, fall





All photography by Victoria Corkhill.
Linked up with Monday Bloom.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Easy DIY Halloween Costumes from Your Closet, Part 2 {Princess Leia}


princess leia DIY halloween costume fair vanity fashion blog

princess leia DIY halloween costume inspiration fair vanity fashion blog

princess leia DIY halloween costume fair vanity fashion blog 2

princess leia DIY halloween costume fair vanity fashion blog 3


Princess Leia is one of the easiest costumes ever, and in my humble opinion, one of the best. Here is what you need:
  • White jeans/leggings
  • White turtleneck
  • Nerf gun/toy gun (not necessary, but more fun!)
  • Bobby pins
Granted, if you have really short hair, this one might not be for you, but you could always wrap some brown yarn into two donut shapes and pin them to the sides of your head. It will look ridiculous, but what is Halloween for, if not to look a little ridiculous? So go on, girl, and get your Princess Leia on!

Do you all have any DIY costume ideas that can be made using just your closet and some make up? If you've got a good one, email it to me or share your idea in the comments. If you send an image (640 pixels wide), I'd be happy to do a Fair Halloween round-up here. Just be sure to send it to me by October 27, and don't forget to include a link to your blog/web site.










Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Perfect Dress?


Bow and Drape full skirt pink


I'm pleased to introduce you to a new company that aims to create wearable, on-trend staples right here in the USA. Bow and Drape was founded by Aubrie Pagano to save us all from buyer's remorse and empower women everywhere to create the dresses, skirts and jackets that may exist only in their imaginations.
 

Bow and Drape allows you to customize each clothing item on their site using hand-selected silhouettes, fabric, and trim. In their own words: "We design it and you perfect it." Come with me over the jump to learn of their customizing ways...

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Wednesday Wants: Vintage Leather


black leather vintage fendi sweater my fair vanity

Ok, so I am still not over my leather obsession. This could last for a while, folks. But c'mon, isn't this vintage Fendi sweater AMAZING? Don't you want to throw it over black leggings or skinny jeans and put on some spiky ankle boots and a giant abstractly shaped silver ring? YOU DO.


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Black Leather Motorcycle Club {Tuesday Trend}


black leather fair vanity fair trade 4

black leather fair vanity fair trade 7

black leather, leather trend, my fair vanity, rachel mlinarchik

Yesterday I wore a used leather jacket and heels purchased from Secondi with coated black jeans of unknown origin. It was perfect for a chilly evening of dinner and Downton catch-up with my friend and photographer, Victoria. Below, I've put together some of my favorite leather items, dividing them into vegan and real leather options. Happy Shopping!

I'm loving the leather looks that are popping up everywhere, but my fair heart is, of course, torn. The problem I've encountered when it comes to leather is that you usually have to trade domestic production and fair labor standards when you choose to go faux. Canadian company Matt and Nat are a notable exception to that rule, as are American jeans companies making coated styles like the J Brand ones I've featured today, but I haven't found many other solid options.

So don't be surprised if, in this post and many others, you see a faux leather (vegan) item, but it's imported. While faux leather is often used because it's cheaper, not necessarily because it's kinder, I don't think that's a reason not to use it as a substitute if you've got to have the latest leather trend.  Alternatively, I may feature an item that is real leather or incorporates leather, but that item will always be made in the USA or vintage/used. Whatever you choose for yourself, feel good knowing you've made your choice with thoughtful intention.


Black faux leather trend





black leather, fair vanity, made in USA, etsy, milly, vintage


L to R:





New Feature: Shop This Post:








Thursday, October 4, 2012

Eco-friendly Office Attire: A Style Guide for the DC EcoWomen


DC EcoWomen logo

Hello, my fair friends! The folks over at DC EcoWomen have asked me to be a guest blogger today, and I have happily obliged. I hope you'll hop over to check out the two new looks I've styled for them along with a few tips on using Etsy and Ebay.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Black and Blue and #BSG {Wednesday Wants}


navy and blue jacket by jason wu

Nicole Miller, blue and black, sci-fi dress, made in USA

Nicole Miller, blue, BSG six red dress, made in USA



Much like the August post featuring items for my Dream Vacation Home, these are investment pieces for the Dream Life that goes with it.  I have been ogling all three of these items for weeks now, so it only seemed fair to share.

By the way, I know it's not just me noticing that the blue Nicole Miller dress is totally a tame version of Six's red dress from Battlestar Galactica, right? Riiiight? If you don't know what I'm talking about, please see this high-quality photo of me pretending to be a cyborg next to said red dress (aka Rachel being a crazy BSG fangirl).








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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Get the Look {Fairly}: Flannel and Heels


get the look, flannel and heels, my fair vanity, rachel mlinarchik

As promised, here is one way to get the look from Monday's post a.k.a. 'a flannel ode to October.' A special note re the jacket: I recommend setting up a regular Ebay search for "waxed cotton jacket" or Barbour jackets.  They're durable, they're timeless and they will come back year after year as something that is both functional and on trend. Besides, it's always fun to mix  baggy menswear style with great heels and tight jeans...or at least I think so.




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