Zactly Woven, Unique Fashion For All by Monica Janowitz

Inspired By...You Guessed It...Color!

I guess I’ve inadvertently decided on my overall theme for your Spring wardrobes this year: Adding color.  Big, bold, beautiful color.  Enough of toneless fabrics and accessories!  It’s time to start experimenting and dabbling with loud, bright color and the good news:  It could not be any easier to incorporate this concept into your style.  As you’ll see in this next installment of my somewhat awkward video (bear with me people, I guess I’m more the ‘behind the scenes’ type of blogger…we’ll get there), by adding a touch here and there, you’ll definitely perk up your look.  And like I say, it couldn’t be any easier.  By adding beaded earrings, multiple bracelets, or a necklace like the ones you see in the video, you will have added instant Spring Color to any outfit.

I filmed this video at Lavalier.  If you have not visited this wonderful boutique, I suggest you do so.  On my first visit there, within 5 minutes I had bought a new piece for myself, and it was not an easy decision, I wanted everything.  Not only does Lavalier have amazing pieces – the sky is the limit here, necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets…I could go on and on – but they also offer something that many boutiques in our area do not, charter jewelry.  I’ll be writing a blog post dedicated specifically to this, so you will get all the details on the service, but it is definitely something worth mentioning and checking out if you have a special event coming up and may not have the funds to purchase a brand new piece of jewelry.

So, for your viewing and styling pleasure, take a peek at the newest installment of Zactly Woven, Unique Style For All for some tips on accessorizing with color.

Until next time...I'll see you in Downtown Bel Air!

For more info about me and Zactly Woven, visit www.zactlywoven.com.

Stay connected with the Bel Air Downtown Alliance on Facebook and Twitter!

Be Unique, Be Local, and Be A Part Of It!

Zactly Woven, Unique Fashion For All by Monica Janowitz

Three Outfits in 10 Minutes, Each Under $40.00!

In my last blog post I mentioned that everyone should swing by Bear-ly Used on Main Street to check out their unique pins/brooches.  Not only do they have an eclectic selection of pins, necklaces, bracelets and other accessories, they also have some great clothing items to offer.  In my next video, coming very shortly, you will see a few of my suggestions on how to incorporate bold colors into your spring style… and Bear-ly Used has definitely embraced this concept.  In the first 10 minutes I was there, I picked out three separate outfits that I fell in love with immediately.  I actually ended up purchasing a jacket and scarf during my visit!  So if you are a weary shopper of consignment, get over it, because you are seriously missing out!  

Check out the three outfits that I pulled together in the short period of browsing that I did the other night.  The key to each one of these outfits is color.  Embrace the color!  After a dreary winter, add splashes of bold, bright colors to your outfits to perk up your style. 

Also, I’m happy to mention that each one of these outfits costs under/around $40, which is even more amazing.

Outfit One:  Navy/White/Green spring Jacket with Green Pants.  This is a wonderful transition outfit.  It’s that time of year where it can still be a bit chilly out, so this jacket is perfect.  The material is a bit heavier, so it will keep you warm, but with the bright greens, whites, and navies, it makes for a great addition to your wardrobe as it incorporates those spring colors.

Outfit Two:  Navy Blazer with Navy/White/Red Scarf.  I LOVE this outfit; so much so that I actually bought it!  Navy is one of my favorite colors to wear in the spring and summer.  Try using navy as your main canvas (a navy dress, pants, skirt, etc…) and splashes of bright colors to stand out.  You can really add any color to navy, and you can add multiple colors, within moderation of course.  A navy canvas is like a white canvas, don’t stick to one color palette, feel free to branch out and add different bright colors.  You really can’t go wrong.

Outfit Three:  Purple Raincoat with Multicolor Floral Scarf.   What’s better than a few bright, bold colors on a rainy spring day?  Nothing I tell you.  What really sets this outfit off is the floral scarf.  The blues and purples really pop when paired with this coat.  Try to incorporate this type of look with your other coats, jackets, and sweaters you already have.  Accessorize with spring scarves to make certain colors stand out. 

Until next time...I'll see you in Downtown Bel Air!

Be Unique, Be Local, and Be A Part Of It!

Zactly Woven, Unique Fashion for All by Monica Janowitz

I Support Pin Wearing!

Pins:  The forgotten accessory.  I am a huge lover of pins.  They add a vintage flare, very few people wear them, and people notice them.  You can add a pin or brooch to pretty much any outfit and it will create a unique look.  Start incorporating these long forgotten accessories into your everyday outfits and see how quickly you fall in love with them.  They are one of my go-to accessories.  I wear them any chance I get, and if you start to incorporate them, you’ll start to love them too.

Seriously people...start wearing pins.

Check the local boutiques for some of the new 2012 spring pins to accessorize with on a daily basis.  They all have a wonderful selection, especially Two Sisters and Lavalier.  And don’t forget to stop at Bear-ly Used, they have an amazing collection as well.

Here are a few ideas when looking for pins/brooches to incorporate into your style:

1.  Use an eye catching color, size, or shape – anything to draw attention to it.  You can wear a vintage old pin, a creative funky pin, or a small delicate pin… just make sure you wear it somewhere that enhances your outfit and won’t get lost.  You want people to notice it.

2.  Placement:  Some of my favorite uses for pins are with large scarves, hats, jackets/coats.

• On a Scarf:  Make sure it’s a longer scarf that you can wrap/knot around your neck.  After wrapping the scarf a few times, secure the knot with a pin.  Use one that’s large enough to stand out on your scarf.
  (Pictured Below:  Peacock Pin available at Lavalier)

• On a Hat:  You don’t want to overdo this, so for hats this is where you can take advantage of using a smaller pin.  This will add a little creativity and uniqueness to your look, plus adds some femininity to it.  Think berets and spring knitted hats - with these you can add a brooch or pin and it won’t look too over the top.  See what you have sitting in your closet and try out a few looks.
  (Pictured Below:  Brooch available at  Bear-ly Used).

• Jackets/Coats:  I wear pins on my jackets and coats all of the time.  Why cover up all of your accessories - step out of the box and add a few pins to the lapel or breast of your favorite coat.
  (Pictured Below:  Lobster Pin available at  Lavalier , Circle Multi-Stone Pin available at  Bear-ly Used)

 

3.  Vintage Pins:  Take a look in those old jewelry boxes in your house, I bet you find a few amazing pieces in there.  My favorite type of brooch to wear is a simple cameo.  I have yet to find one I didn’t immediately fall in love with; however, any antique or vintage pin really does add a classic and beautiful look to any outfit.  Try pairing a vintage brooch or pin to the suit jacket you wear to work, it will give your office style a little "oomph"!
(Pin Pictured Below:  Brooch available at  Bear-ly Used)

Until next time...I'll see you in Downtown Bel Air!

Be Unique, Be Local, and Be A Part Of It!

Zactly Woven, Unique Fashion For All

After the hitting Saturday’s Chocolate Festival and getting my fair share of sweets, I took some time to go around to a few of the boutiques to get some ideas for upcoming blogs.  First of all, I want to thank everyone I met for being so wonderful, welcoming, and enthusiastic.  I cannot wait to get to know everyone, and more importantly, everything about all of your boutiques. 

Ok, so here is the first accessory that Zactly Woven, Unique Fashion For All is highlighting for the 2012 Spring Season…

Lotus Name Tag Necklaces:  Available @ Tiger Lily (19 N. Main Street Bel Air, MD 21014)

I immediately fell in love with these necklaces.  They are just so adorable.  What is great about these pieces is you can wear one, two, three at a time; you can wear them as stand along pieces or you can pair them with additional necklaces to add dimension.  They are certainly a dainty/feminine piece, but they are prominent enough that they will catch a person’s eye regardless of whether you wear them alone or with other accessories.  If you pair a couple of them together, think of maybe having different chain lengths for each pendant, or putting them all on one chain that is a little longer. See below for a visual to give you just an idea, but you can definitely get creative with how you wear these.

The other thing that I love about these necklaces is that they will go with anything.  You can wear these with a simple tee, a cocktail dress, tanks, a sun dress; your possibilities are endless with these necklaces.  They will go with anything and go anywhere… such transitional pieces.

Plus I’m a huge sucker for pairing gold with bold colors for spring/summer… You can wear these necklaces with bright red, blue, green, really any vibrant color will work, and the gold will set the color off perfectly.  These would be great additions to your summer accessory collection.

And here’s one more idea – Gift these!  They are so cute and because you can purchase the person’s initials or their kids’ initials, it adds a little more of a personal/thoughtful touch. Necklaces start at $38.00.

For your viewing pleasure, see below:

Huge thanks to Clare, Lauren, and Emily @ Tiger Lily for their amazing help and assistance – I had a blast with these girls!

Make sure you stay up-to-date with me and my adventures in Downtown Bel Air at the Alliance's website PLUS their Facebook and Twitter accounts!  Until next time...

Monica Janowitz

Zactly Woven: Unique Style for All by Monica Janowitz

Whether your taste is vintage, modern, classic, preppy or sporty, we all want to have our own unique sense of style. I don’t think any woman wants to look like a carbon copy of another.  

Unique Style for All is going to talk about making distinctive choices with the resources at hand- helping YOU stand out in the crowd…from Main Street to Bond Street, Pratt Street to Wall Street.

Today, let’s take a look at accessories- a simple way to amp up any style or look.  We are lucky here in Bel Air to have the Two Sisters boutique, a collection of unique and beautiful pieces, a haven of distinctive fashion for all.  Plus, the Two Sisters boutique is full of interesting American Art and two very lovely and helpful sisters, Debbie Haywood and Bonnie Hardy.

Start in a place we all love to hate, our own closets.  Pull out a few basics- a crisp white tee, a fitted black cardigan, and a French inspired striped cotton long-sleeve. Let’s head to Two Sisters to see if the Bel Air boutique can help us develop a few unique looks.  Check out what we came up with in our video.

Unique Look 1: Incorporating color onto a plain white canvas.

With your white tee shirt, the accessories are what the outfit is really all about so don’t feel every color you choose has to match.  The more colors the better since the white tee shirt is just the canvas to build off of.

• 1st Piece:  Multicolor wooden necklaces – build out a color scheme with multiple shades of one color. 

• 2nd Piece:  Two gold bracelets – one with medium sized white stones, one with medium sized purple stones – accent the necklaces.

• 3rd Piece – Multiple wooden bracelets – neutral colors can balance the bright gold bracelets.

• 4th Piece – Multi-color (blue, violet) silk scarf.  Need help knotting your scarf?  Check out this great tutorial.

Unique Look 2: Incorporating multiple larger/chunky pieces without over doing heaviness of the accessories.

With this look we have taken a basic black sweater and created a unique style with multiple pieces, bigger is better with this outfit.  You can be brave with chunky pieces when you use them to dress up a soft, feminine cardigan.

• 1st Piece:  Multiple rose pendant necklace, silver chain, white rose accents – hits along collar.

• 2nd Piece: Large, chunky matching iron bracelet, white rose accents.

• 3rd Piece:  Large ceramic white rose ring to add an edge.

• 4th Piece:  Small black scarf with a rose pattern for some added femininity. 

• 5th Piece:  White pin.

Unique Look 3:  Incorporating multiple contrasting colors onto a patterned backdrop.  

Key to wearing your stripes or polka dots is adding added bright colors to draw the eye that do not necessarily match the colors of your shirt or sweater.  

• 1st Piece:  Large silver pendent with multicolor stones, long chain, hangs lower to add dimension.

• 2nd Piece:  Silver ring with large purple stone.

• 3rd Piece:  Smaller gold necklace, multiple color stones, large red flower.

• 4th Piece:  Blue/Green multicolored silk scarf.  Very nice transition piece from winter to spring!

• 5th Piece:  Large blue pin.  In case you haven’t noticed, I think pins are highly underrated!  Use this largely ignored accessory to stand out in a crowd.

• 6th Piece:  Small green/blue pin.

I hope you found a few ideas here. Take a visit to Two Sisters Gallery on Main Street Bel Air to pick up a couple affordable pieces to set yourself apart this weekend.  

Vote for Unique Style for All to be Bel Air’s Local Fashionista…we’ve got great things to come.

Here, There, and What-to-Wear by Meredith Hollandsworth

Now that you've purchased your new scarf, how can you wear it?

While visiting with Toni and the girls at Tiger Lily Boutique, I couldn't resist this little polka dotted beauty and had to buy it!  Jenna and Clare at Tiger Lily Boutique were really helpful in my decision of which scarf to buy ... There were just so many options!  I think I may be going with the second option for my Valentine's date with my boyfriend because it's feminine and trendy all at the same time.

Using my new purchase, here are a couple of different looks you can achieve with your new scarf...

Now for a few tips:

Scarves don't just have to be worn around your neck ... Think headband!

Whatever your personal style may be - preppy, modern, or vintage - there is a scarf for you.  Preppy green polka dots and paisley, modern geometric shapes, vintage patchwork patterns ... Every woman can incorporate a scarf into her style.

If you're looking to elongate your body, try loosely tying the scarf and letting the majority of the fabric hang.  This draws a line from your neck to legs that is not only slimming, but also flattering.

If you have a shorter neck, try a slimmer width scarf.  Too much fabric around your neck and face may be too much.

Scarves are a wonderful gift!  Think about it ... You don;t need to worry about what size to buy because one size fits ALL!  Just keep in mind the skin tone, hair and eye color, and personal preferences of the person your buying for when purchasing the scarf.  The perfect color scarf can really showcase beautiful hair or eye color.  Plus, look how beautifully Tiger Lily Boutique packages your new purchase.  It's pretty enough to give someone as gift right away or to just simply spoil yourself!

A BIG "Thank You" to Toni and the wonderful girls at Tiger Lily Boutique for all their help.  I know I will be back soon for some of their gorgeous spring and summer dresses!

Until my next Here, There, and What-to-Wear adventure...

xoxo

Meredith

First Things First by Wendy Wright, Sassy Stylist

Hey Ladies, if you don’t love clothes shopping, I feel your pain.  It can be so frustrating! Tall, petite, plus size, and yes….even a size 2, we all have our issues when it comes to finding flattering styles.

Don’t Despair!!  Arm yourself with these tips to enjoy shopping!

1)      Re-adjust your shopping attitude.  Focus on what you love (I’ll even take "like") about your body.  Havecurvy hips and thighs??  You lucky thing you….show em off with a pair of dark trouser jeans, fitted print top and solid color scarf!  Tiny waist?? Let’s throw a medium wide belt around it and show the world how tiny it is! Do you havebeautiful brown eyes?  Well then, wear an intense blue top to accentuate those pretty peepers! Tell yourself you won’t go negative (not that you’re running for office) with body talk! I know, easier said than done, but you can do it.

2)      Wear great under garments when you shop!  Get a professional bra fitting if it’s been a while.  YOU CAN AUTOMATICALLY LOOK 5-15 LBS LIGHTER WITH THE RIGHT BRA! Consider shape wear! It can work wonders.   HeartBeat (www.heartbeatbelair.com) on Main Street carries Spanx, along with beautiful clothes and accessories.

3)      Don’t shop in your sweats and athletic shoes!  Wear a comfy outfit, but a stylish one.  Here’s anexample: contemporary boot cut jeans, with a fitted button down shirt, a structured jacket and low heeled booties.  Bring the shoes you would wear with the outfit you’re shopping for.

4)      Wear at little makeup and style your hair.  I’ve tried shopping in my ball cap and workout clothes.  I’m never as successful when I do this. I can’t get a true picture of the outfit.  I’ve left many shopping trips frustrated because I didn’t follow these tips.

5)      Now get your gorgeous self to Downtown Bel Air for some GREAT shopping.  If you’re a vintage lady, try the consignment shops Everything Must Go and Bear-ly Used.  Looking for trendy, youthful styles…then Tiger Lily (www.tigerlilybelair.com) is a great choice.  Elegant, Classic yet contemporary…Heartbeat (www.heartbeatbelair.com) is for you!  Love color?  I do!  Pink Silhouette (www.thepinksilhouette.com) offers pretty and preppy styles and their sister store, B. Fabulous (www.bfabulousstore.com)has funky, and slightly edgier styles.  All of these boutiques have fantastic accessories too!  Lavalier has beautiful, unique jewelry, and you can even rent some of it for special events!

6)      Make a day of it with a girlfriend.  Need a pick me up? Grab a cup of Joe at Shamrock Coffee.  Hungry? You’re in luck.  Downtown Bel Air has tons of options to satisfy your culinary needs!

Have fun ladies!!