Best Friends and Vintage Collars:

Hey, everyone!

I wanted to post all weekend but I got a bit caught up with sewing projects, seeing friends and prepping for Valentines day. It was a lovely weekend but all play and NO work has led to a pretty hefty to-do list for me. One of the highlights of my weekend was actually that Leah and I shared our 2-year friendship anniversary on Thursday night! We exchanged gifts and then went to an adorable short-film movie screening with some friends. It was magical.

Over winter break my mom surprised me by gifting me a day-long sewing lesson with one of her friends who is a talented seamstress. I learned so much, and have been trying my hardest to put my skills to good use lately. For our anniversary, I made Leah this delicate flower brooch with recycled lace trim that she actually found for me a few months ago.

It looks beautiful on her ruffly Juicy coat!

Leah gave me these two BEAUTIFUL vintage collars, and I've been wearing them non-stop. On Thursday night, we got to talking about collections and I realized that I have pretty large collections of various vintage items. I figured that I'd show you the lovely collars that Leah gave me, and then show you my vintage collar collection. The first two (and the pearl one) are from my sweet best friend, and the rest I've collected throughout my thrifting adventures...

These are so precious to me! Do any of you darling readers have collections? I'd love to hear about them! Expect several posts this week, including some thrifted dress makeovers, a Chanel-inspired DIY post, another vintage collection post, and more!

Oh, and here's a shout-out to the two lovely ladies who stopped to chat with me in Turlington Plaza this afternoon: You made my day!!!

Love,

Flavia

Inspired By: Proenza Schouler

Proenza Schouler has been blowing me away these past few seasons, but I've fallen smitten with their Pre-Fall 2010 collection. Ever since I made my two pairs of "prepster shorts", I can't stop putting together prep-school inspired outfits, with a twist. I love wearing blouses and my cuffed shorts with fluorescent tights or a sequin cardigan. What I adore about this collection is that it incorporates two of my current fashion obsessions, geek-chic and giant furs.

Today I wanted to put together an outfit inspired by this collection, but with a girly "Flavia" twist. I really loved the look of this crisp shirt and grey smarty-pants. I decided to add pale pink tights, ruffles and bows to the mix:

This look is the one that I may have fallen most in love with, mainly because it highlights my affinity for crazy furs. Doesn't this coat look exactly like the one that I thrifted a few months back?!

Wearing: Vintage faux-fur coat, Target cardigan, Forever21 ruffled blouse and bow belt, DIY prepster shorts, Betsey Johnson bow tights, Urban Outfitters flats

That was my Proenza Schouler-inspired look of the day. I've decided that I need more crisp shirts, sweater-dresses, and socks. Oh, and that beautiful piece of leather-ware is a leather folio that I bought in Florence this summer for my sweetheart. I borrow it every chance that I get. I have two interviews tomorrow, so wish me luck! Something to look forward to: I started making a Chanel-esque ruffled collar. Expect a D.I.Y. post soon!

Love,
Flavia

Calling All Gainesville Cuties:

As I've stated before, I've been so busy lately, but definitely busy in a good way. I've been doing a lot in order to work on gaining more experience in fashion and trying to take on new things. I'm so excited because I was recently hired as the production assistant and model coordinator for the Gainesville Fashion Week 2010 team! Of course my lips are sealed as to the top secret details but I can keep you guys posted on all of the important dates and events to look forward to.

Fashion Week should be amazing this season because the production will be bigger and better than ever, and the theme is totally jet-set. The biggest thing that we have coming up right now is the Model Casting Call! You and all of your chic and beautiful friends should go to the casting call on February 21st at the Neutral 7 offices here in Gainesville. Don't be shy, being a model is so much fun and if you're worried that you don't have professional experience strutting your stuff, the GFW team will be hosting a free modeling clinic on February 17th where you can practice your walk, perfect your poses, and socialize with other models and the event team. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, but I really encourage you to come out and be a part of such an amazing event for our local community. Plus, we'll get to work together! It's still early and there will be a lot more promotion for the event, but just think about it my dearies...

The flashing lights could be on you:

Remember:

Gainesville Fashion Week Modeling Clinic
February 17th
Venue and Time: TBA

Gainesville Fashion Week Model Casting
February 21st
1:00-5:00pm
Neutral 7 Office

Hope I'll see you all soon!

Love,
Flavia

Pants On Fire:

These past two weeks have been so hectic! I'm sorry for not posting, but I'm finally finished with my first set of mid-terms so there should be a lot going on with The Tonnish Touch now. Although this outfit isn't very exciting, I wanted to post my favorite pair of granny-slacks. They made their debut months ago at a party, but I never had the courage to wear them again. The other day I decided to combine them with sheer and nerdy layers, perfectly fit for my long study hours. I discovered that these are the most comfortable pants and now I want to wear them everywhere! I'm on the quest for more of these silly trousers. As you can see by my photos, I'm having trouble dealing with my hair growing out. I just don't know what to do to it next!

Have a look:

What I'm Wearing: Banana Republic cardigan, American Apparel lace bodysuit over an Urban Outfitters bodysuit, vintage trousers, vintage belt and brooch, Urban Outfitters flats.

I also wanted to present my new vintage dress form to you! She's a gift from a sweetheart. I'm absolutely in love and I keep changing her outfit. She's perfect for helping me alter vintage finds and also piece together DIY's when I don't have a helping hand around. I still have to put her on a stand but can't help but brag about having such a wonderful treasure. Right now she's just sporting the pearl collar that Leah gave me for my birthday. Expect plenty of accessories posts now that I have this precious model.

Love,
Flavia

D.I.Y. Lady Gaga Bow Hairpiece

Hey Everyone! Here's another D.I.Y. that I've been avidly researching and looking forward to posting! There's a little backstory, here goes:

I was recently contacted by a fashion enthusiast/journalist named Katie. She messaged me about the possibility of writing a feature story on me, and I absolutely flipped at the opportunity! Once her pitch was approved, I had to think of some ways to show why I love fashion and what I do to embrace it. So, we spent the day going on tonnish adventures, including lattes at Karma Cream, a trip to Beauty Max, an impromptu voyage to the Salvation Army (where I scored two Mad Men-esque tops and she found amazing cream booties), a stop at Loop de Loop, and finally, this D.I.Y. project at my humble abode. What I have for you here is a step by step tutorial on how to make the infamous Lady Gaga hair bow out of some cheap extensions.

What You'll Need:

1) Long hair extension ($3.99 at Beauty Max)

2) Straightening iron and damp rag

3) Hot glue gun

4) Paper/cardboard surface (for easy cleanup)

5) Duck-bill clips (.99 at Beauty Max) and bobby pins (.99 at Beauty Max)

6) Small elastic bands

The best part about this project is that the supplies only added up to a budget friendly $6.39!

This is the brand of "weave" that I used for my project. It was super cheap and ended matching perfectly with my hair! (crucial to the execution of the hair bow)

Step 1: Loop Your Weave

What you want to do first, is get an idea of how big you want your bow to be, and play around a bit with your strip of hair until you find the length you need for your bow. Tie off an end with a small elastic band, and cut off the excess. Now you have the foundation for your bow!

Step 2: Tying and Melting

You'll need to tie off the other end of your hair strip, making sure the nub (so to speak) is as short as possible. Next, you'll need to overlap the ends, making sure the extension stays flat, and prepare to melt...

Take your rag, make sure its fairly damp, and fold over the ends of the extension. Now you're going to take your straightening iron and melt the hair together, over the rag to prevent a fire hazard. This sounds horrifying, and you'll experience some sizzling sounds and smoke, but its all for the sake of your future pseudo up-do. The rag keeps both your straightener and weave safe, and at the end, you can use the bare flat iron to secure.

Step 3: The Hard Part

Now that you have a crispy loop, you want to take 2 small elastics and secure the center of what will be your bow. It gets a little tricky to maintain the shape of the bow, but don't get frustrated. I admit, I nearly gave up. If you have a friend help you by holding the bow as you adjust, it's much easier. Next, you'll have to loop a piece of hair around the center in order to finish up the bow.

Get a long piece of your extension (you'll cut of the excess later) and as your buddy holds your bow for you, wrap the hair about 3 times around the center of the bow, and secure with an elastic behind the hairpiece. Bobby pin down a bit of the ponytail behind the bow, and then cut off the excess with scissors, making sure that it doesn't show from the front.

This is what you should end up with!! Cute, right?! You'll probably feel that your bow is a bit disheveled, but use some scissors to cut off stray hairs, and you're finger tips to adjust the shape and it will fall naturally once it's on your head, don't worry!

Step 4: Attachment and Eternal Happines

Now that your bow is pieced together, you want to be able to attach it to your head, don't you? Because I have short hair, I figured using a jumbo duck-bill clip would be the best idea. If you want, you can use a head band or head wrap. Once you choose what best suits your hair, attach it to the bottom of your bow using a hot glue gun.

Congratulations, you now have the most adorable hair accessory imaginable. Hello Kitty, eat your heart out!

Here are a few pictures of me, my bow, and my new friend, Katie!

I hope that this tutorial is useful to all of you! Like I said, it takes a bit of patience but it is totally worthwhile in the end. I can't wait to wear this beauty to class with some bodysuits and tulip skirts. If you have any questions about particular steps or thoughts you'd like to share, leave me a comment and I'll get right back to you! Oh, and if you end up making your own bow, I'd love to see it! I'm sure you'll be seeing mine all over the blog in the near future. Also, just wanted to thank all you for your kind comments on previous posts. I can't stop telling Katie how giddy I get when people appreciate the blog. Good luck with this project and I hope you all look wonderful with your new hair bow. Until next time!

Love,

Flavia

D.I.Y. Cuffed Prepster Shorts

Here's another DIY!!

A few weeks ago, I posted a pair of cute, cuffed self-made prepster shorts and a few of you wanted to know how I put those little beauties together. On my thrift adventure yesterday I stumbled upon these lightweight, grey slacks that fit me horrendously and saw the potential they had to be the perfect cuffed shorts. So my dears, here is a tutorial on how to make your dream Prepster shorts out of a pair of these...

What You'll Need:

1) A pair of high-waisted grandpa trousers

2) Needle and matching thread

3) Lots of pins and a pin cushion

4) Measuring tape

5) A cutting mat and rotary wheel (or a simple pair of scissors)

6) An iron

Step 1: Measure

Put your trousers on and measure how long you want your trousers to be. Once you know your desired length, add about 3 inches to the length for you to make you cuff(s). Then cut...

Step 2: Snip snip...

Lay your trousers on your cutting mat and cut at the length that you found with your rotary wheel. If you don't have these cutting supplies then just lay your trousers flat, mark your length, and cut straight across with scissors. Like this...

Throw your scraps to the side. Now you've taken a pair of dinky old pants and have completed the first step towards your new adorable shorts. This is about what they should look like...

Step 3: Pin, iron and sew your first cuff

This step varies a bit depending on the fit of your trousers and how much excess length you left. Mine had a lower crotch so my first cuff is just a teeny fold, but yours may be an inch long or so. Pin down your first cuff, making sure that the length stays even all around the leg, and that both sides are symmetrical. Once you're done pinning, iron down the crease so that the cuff lays flat. Now, sew the cuff down using a blind-hem technique. When you're all done, iron again so that everything is nice and flat.

Step 4: Pin, iron and sew your final cuff

Now that you have your first cuff sewn and ready, take a look at where you want your final cuff to hit by trying on your shorts. When I tried mine on I figured that an inch long cuff would be perfect. Next, pin down your desired cuff and iron flat. Now, flip your shorts inside out. You'll be sewing your cuff using the blind hem again, but this time from the inside. If you've never sewn using a blind hem technique here is what it looks like:

Its actually really simple (and my favorite way to do quick hand-sewing jobs). All you do is make a tiny stitch(as small as you can possibly make it) from the back of the shorts through to the front of the cuff and back. Then you leave some space (.5"-1") and do it over and over until you're finished. As you can see from my photo, theres no need to be perfect, the whole point is to make sure that you're stitches can't be seen from the front. I suggest looking up blind-hem tutorials on YouTube so that you can get a better idea of how exactly to make this stitch. Trust me, you're going to love it!

Once you're done sewing up your cuffs, remove the pins and iron, iron iron! You want your shorts to look sophisticated and pressed, don't you! No one will believe that you made these yourself!

Step 5: Try on your new favorite shorts!

Here is a look at how my new shorts turned out. I love them because the top of my original trousers were very pleated, and now that they're shorts they have a sweet, pouffy bloomer silhouette.

I really hope that this tutorial is helpful! All in all, this project took me about 2 hours. Just pop in a DVD of your favorite TV series and it will all go by in a flash. I watched Gossip Girl while crafting my geek-chic shorties. Just throw on a pair of cute tights and your favorite blouse and these shorts will be your favorite cozy piece of the season. Aren't they so polished?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and tell me how you feel about the tutorial! I want to do many more in the future but first want to make sure that they're up to your tonnish standards. Also, if you make your own pair of sweet shorties, please let me know, and better yet, send me a photo! I love love love to hear from you readers and I hope that this tutorial will inspire you. Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Flavia

Sheer Beauty:

Happy Friday!

My obsession with sheer layers of mesh, lace, and chiffon is here to stay. Yesterday I put on the most cozy yet romantic outfit consisting of a few of my favorite pieces. My pink lace top is from the lingerie section of the thrift store (the best place to find hidden treasures). Underneath the lacy-layer, I wore a mesh bodysuit from Urban Outfitters with an American Apparel tube bra and paired that with sheer tights, my self-made prepster shorts and ballet flats. If you didn't know, it's freezing here in Gainesville -literally- so I threw on one of my tan faux-fur coats before stepping out for the day.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of the loyal Tonnish Touch readers! Yesterday I got the chance to meet one of you and I was so touched that I couldn't help but post twice today! It really means so much to know that you all enjoy the blog. I have a lot of plans for the new year and want to update much more frequently. Again, if you have any suggestions for material for the blog or if you want to see more of anything in particular, leave me a comment with your thoughts! Be prepared for a few sewing project posts and much more. Thanks again, dearies!

Love,

Flavia