10 Things to Know

You don't know me. I want to know you. My name is Rebecca Marie Alexander Pickrel, or Beeks for short. I got my nickname from my dad when I was in middle school because, well who knows really why my dad decided that would be my name, but it stuck. I thought I would introduce myself today, since I have been with you for several months with little to no introduction. I love lists and facts so to combine those two loves, I thought I would give you a list of the top ten things to know about me, Beeks. Here goes!

1. I love Jesus a whole stinking lot, and I'm {relatively} normal.

2. I am a Portlander. Can't help it. Can't hide it. Proud of it. I love my city and I love my state!

3. Music is my passion and my core. It is how I connect with the world all around me.

4. I love to collect facts. Really, ask me anything!

5. I love to run, and to run a lot, and really far because I am overly competitive {ok, that was two facts}.

6. I like books and want to read all the time.

7. I am obsessed with guacamole {especially when it is from Chipotle}.

8. The only dessert I like is ice cream.

9. My husband is Ryan and he is hot and he loves me way more than anyone ever should.

10. I have an {un}healthy relationship with my dog Vera the half-vizsla. I promise you she speaks.

And a few more for good measure...

11. I love being a girl {but also being tough}.

12. I am ambitious and determined.

13. Oh and blondes really do have more fun!

So now you know about me, tell me about you!

Going Gatsby: Fashion Trends of the 1920s

If I haven't read the book then I won't see the movie. Its a rule that I have for myself. Luckily I have read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald so I am licensed to go see the movie, which was released on Saturday. Period movies are one of my favorite types {thank you amor divino Emily for dragging me to so many that I finally fell in love}. I hated Moulin Rouge! {Yes there is an exclamation point in the title of that show} but I watched it again this past Christmas and LOVED it so I am hoping I can get on board with the whole Gatsby idea on the first go, since both are directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Today's post is going to feed my super nerdy historian side. Watch out!

The 1920s were an interesting time in American History and the world was really getting ready to roar, filled with glitz and glam. Prohibition and women's rights were hot topic and issues of equality really influenced the fashion world as well. 1920s fashion was dripping with menswear items from oxford shoes to trouser cut pants, clothing icons like CoCo Chanel used fashion as their outlet for social equality, but they didn't sacrifice the glamour and femininity of pieces.

I love how trends recycle and fashion today is such a mix so you can incorporate so many looks into your wardrobe. Let's look at a couple of 1920s trends that we can still wear today!

1. Dresses in the 1920s were a lot shorter than the previous fashions, featuring drop waists and boyish silhouettes to go against social trends. A straight sheath dress is a classic look that can still be added to your closet today.

2. Skirts were shortened as well and worn full with pleats to allow a lot of movement. Pair a full skirt with a loose blouse to get a fun vintage modern look.

3. T-straps {one of my favorites} were really popular during this decade because they helped shoes stay on through a night of dancing. Oxford flats were introduced as both functional and fashionable pieces. Either can be paired with an outfit to give you and instantly vintage look.

4. Trouser Pants were seen as the ultimate social equalizer for women in the 1920s. Trousers with a loose cut and tapered leg will still look great paired with some oxfords.

5. Mix and Match Tops and blouses gave women more options when budgets grew thinner during The Great Depression. The cuts were loose to give a more boyish look and often made of silk or rayon. An embellished blouse is a great piece to spice up a plain look.

Glitz and glam it up for The Great Gatsby and ROCK IT TILL YOU LOVE IT!

AMNW Summer Denim Segment

AMNW segment from today about summer denim trends! Come back sunshine so we can wear our white denim pants!



Remember to Rock it till you LOVE it!

Spring Fashion: Perfectly Pastel

I love spring, especially in Oregon because it is when the sun starts to burst forth and everything turns green {my favorite color}. I also love the change in wardrobe; from the thick layers of winter items to the flowing fresh spring cuts.

One of my favorite spring trends is the pastel color palette. Pastels bring out a lot of different emotions in me, mostly I just feel full of life, which is what spring is all about, new life!

When I saw these glowing pastel shades rolling around on the runways for this spring, I couldn’t help but get excited. Pastels look great on anyone, yes ANYONE, with any coloring and any style. Find a piece that works for you, whether it be a great top or a whole look.

Here are a few items that you should grab in your favorite pastel shade:

1. Fitted blazer.

2. Pastel skinny jeans.

3. Floral dress.

4. Sandals or wedges.

5. Layering cardigan.

And remember...Rock it till you love it!

AMNW: Madmen Menswear Segment

Menswear segment on AMNW! From head to toe, menswear is drawing on lessons from the clean cut looks of the preppy 1960s and Dapper Don Draper's Madmen. 

Three piece suit: 

The uber-classic three-piece came charging back this year! Look for ones that are cut trimmer to promote clean lines and  sharp image. Updated cuts make even the most traditional menswear look just as modern as any of the hottest new trends. Branch out from the traditional black and grey options and go with navy or brown. Slimmer ties and contrasting shirts draw eyes upward to cleaner hair styles that embrace longer lengths.  Choose clean shoes without any laces they are modern (and easy on and off).  

Casual Prep: 
Clean and colorful is what you can embrace on the casual home front of menswear. The pompadour hair style, long on the top and clean on the sides, follows the fashion rules this year. Denim shirts with contrasting pants can be dressed down with a nice parka or taken out on the town with a skinny tie and blazer. Loafers, boat shoes and clean white sneakers are all great choices, but the less laces the better. 

A Tradition: The Easter Sunday Outfit

Easter is an amazing season: it represents the new life that Christ gave us through his death and resurrection. Easter is a tasty season with all the chocolates and jelly beans. Easter is a busy season, especially when it falls near Spring Break like this year, or when you are involved in church on Easter Sunday. Easter is the holiday where old-time fashion can thrive, enter the Easter dress. 

Church goers have been encouraged to wear their Sunday best every weekend to honor God, but the fashion expectations have been advanced by the importance of Easter Sunday and the great message on which it focuses. Historically, the new Easter ensemble has been a representation of the new life the Easter message proclaims, therefore, get a new dress. Yet, even if you one couldn't afford a whole new wardrobe for the occasion you could get just a new hat or a nice piece of ribbon to sew along the edge of a dress you already owned. {Man! I wish I could wear a huge hat to church on Sunday and not get stared down. Hat wearing is a lost art form!} 

Now, I do not wish to poison what Easter is really about by focusing on fashion instead, but choosing the perfect Easter Sunday outfit has been a part of my life forever. We always got to have a new dress for church, either store bought or homemade and maybe even some new shoes. I think my mom used it as a way to treat us to some new items for the {hopefully} sunny weather. 

History lesson and reminiscing aside, here are a few of my faves for Easter Sunday 2013.

1. Colored trousers, peplum top and metallic toed flats.
2. Navy slim cut dress, floral blazer and nude heels.
3. Cardigan, pleated skirt dress, and contrasting booties.
4. Floral print dress and cropped cowboy boots.
5. Denim shirt, floral skater skirt and bright flats.

My great friend Kendra over at Citizens of Beauty put together a great Easter look to go with her fave form above, as well as some suggestions for the other outfits! Be sure to take a look!

Remember: Rock it till you love it!

Define your favorite pair: {Denim Love}

Ok so I need new jeans. I live in Portland, Oregon, which means that we wear comfy clothes all the time and so a few good pairs of jeans are essential wardrobe elements. 

I don't care where my denim comes from as long as it fits well. {My favorite pair right now are from Plato's Closet in Tannesbourne Mall and cost me $8.}  I have had denim from Ross, Nordies, H&M, Gap, Old Navy, JC Penny, Forever21, you name it. My most recent purchase was from Ross and they fit so well, but, because they were cheap, the zipper came out after one wash. Tell me, how does that happen? 

Here are a few rules on how to pick denim:

Rules for All Denim Wearers

• Baggy jeans accentuate problem areas! Even if you are plus sized a baggy pant will just add bulk, its not hiding anything. Tailor a pair that you love. 
• Make sure your pockets are on the roundest part of your bum to avoid the horridness that is a flat butt. 
• Dress for your body type first. 
• Be persistent.

Here are some extra guidelines based on body-types:

Curvy: Create an even silhouette using your curves; don’t be afraid to accentuate your best asset! 

My Pick: Straight Leg Skinny Jeans
Contoured Waistband: Choose a pair where the waistband was cut from a different piece of fabric than the pants and sewn back on in a rounded-u shape. They will be cut a little high in the back so your bottom doesn’t fall out and you don’t have to have a yucky gather with a belt either.

Fit: Your waist should be at your hipbone so your body isn’t cut in half at your widest part, lower will create gaping in the back of your pants. Trust me, nobody wants to see what you have going on under there.

Cut: Straight Legs over taught-tight skinnies! Since that style is cut, yep, straight from the knees down, it provides a similar look to ankle-hugging skinny jeans but is more forgiving—especially if you have curvy hips, full thighs, or thick calves. You want a really smooth shape and cut, nothing with harsh lines.

Wash: Go with a darker wash that is more solid. It keeps the eye traveling vertically.

Slim-Hips: Make hips look wider and draw attention down and out for a balanced look

My Pick: Regular fit, higher waist with a flare leg
Fit: Accentuate the shape of your awesome legs by making sure the fit is snug! Snug on legs and butt with a higher rise is waist will help avoid unwanted spillage.
Wash: Dark with the whisking at the hip pockets to draw the eyes outward and accentuate your hips.
Waistband: Slightly higher rise to give added shape definition to waistline, think 2-3 finger widths below your bellybutton. Go for something that has a wider waistband and a stretchy material for the comfort on your midsection.
Pockets: Embellishment is key here if you have a flatter bum; flaps with buttons to give you a fuller backside. Otherwise just make sure your pockets are on the roundest part of your bum to avoid the horridness that is a flat butt!

Ruler: Add curve and play up your long inseam!

My Pick: Bootcut with a long inseam

Waistband: Look for straight waistbands because a contoured one on a straight figure will make your midsection look pudgy as it cuts you in the wrong spot or creates unwanted spillage and make sure the rise is a couple fingers lower than your belly-button so you don’t cut your frame off at an awkward point, it should run right across your hipbones.

Fit: Follow the cardinal rule here and go for tighter, slim-fits on your legs and across your hips, it will give you more curves if the fit is really good. You don’t want a saggy butt it will only make you look less shapely.
Cut: Classic bootcut denim makes your slim legs look even longer because the flare doesn’t start until below the knee.
*You can wear almost anything, but really want to avoid pieces that make you look too straight so if you want to wear skinnies make sure they have other embellishments to add some curved effects like embellished pockets or whiskers on the hips. 

Petite: You have dual duty when you are petite: Dress your body type AND your shorter frame.

My Pick: Skinnies

Fit: Baggy is out of the question, so if you love how they fit everywhere else, get them hemmed if the length is horrid. I will say that there are several brands that make petite specific lines if you are desperate for a pair with no time to get them hemmed. Make sure those pockets hit just above the mid point of your bum so that you backside looks perkier!

Cut: You need to find the one good for your body type. But, I really love skinnies on any petite woman because you are more likely to find a pair that will fit on both your backside and thighs because they tend to run with shorter inseams. A good pair of skinny jeans will also make your legs look miles longer.

Color: Dark wash with matching stitching so that you don’t distract from length building that a smooth color of denim creates.

Ok so question remains: What is your favorite denim {cut and brand}? I really want to know! I am desperate for a new pair and I want some input and ideas from all of you, please.