Project: Ruffle Swap's Blog

Candy! And who doesn't love doughnuts? Seriously.

2010-07-15T10:20:00.004-04:00

Just a few candy inspiration pics! From The Knot and Martha Stewart, of course!

AND... DOUGHNUT CENTERPIECES!!!! {Love this idea.} One of my good friends had a doughnut "cake" at her wedding (10 years ago!) it was a smashing hit! The idea started as a joke with her and her friends, so she just went for it. She was shocked to see this pic. I really, reeeaaaaaallly hope this becomes a new trend for at least... every wedding in the whole world.

Inside Look: The insiration behind pattern designs.

2010-07-13T10:14:00.002-04:00

I recently came across the Pattern People's work and was so inspired by their use of patterns. They are also kind enough to share their inspiration with us. See where they find inspiration!

Click here to check out their site and be sure to download some of their great patterns for use in your personal diy projects! You have the option to download as illustrator files too, so you can get in there and adjust to your liking! I am loving the camo kitty pattern.

About Pattern People: "Pattern People is a surface design studio founded by designers Claudia Brown and Jessie Whipple Vickery who came together with a mutual appreciation of pattern and a shared vision. Collectively they bring their illustrations to all types of surfaces from fashion to interiors."

They have studios in Portland and London. They have worked with Adidas, Godiva and Estée Lauder too! So jealous!

Get your tweet on with them, follow them on twitter!
http://twitter.com/patternpeople

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2010-05-29T12:07:00.001-04:00

EARN $10 RUFFLE SWAP BUCKS!!!
We are really looking forward to a long fun-filled weekend. There are so many BBQs, festivals and activities going on!

So, what are you doing this weekend? Grilling, baking, party-hopping, vacationing at the beach, cleaning, catching up on errands, seeing MacGruber (hilarious, btw)... Maybe the last thing you want to do is that above-mentioned "cleaning" thing. But if you are, we want to help motivate you: For every dress to post this weekend we will give you $10 RUFFLE SWAP BUCKS for use toward a future purchase! So drag out those gently used red, white and blue dresses (or any color!) and get some of your hard earned money back.
Post your dress now!

Be proud that by posting your dress you are helping another girl somewhere in the U.S. afford the same dress you have in your closet without the hefty price of a regular bridesmaid, prom, or other formal dress. We love making our customers happy and we love when they tell us how happy they are with their swap, too. Read what girls are saying here.

XOXO

Mother Nature Sabotages European Weddings!?!

2010-04-27T11:13:00.005-04:00

Wow, so lately I have been freaked out by all the curve balls mother nature has been throwing at us. We've had more sizable earthquakes in the past year than I can account for in my lifetime. And our most recent event, a volcano spewing enough ash into the sky disrupting airline flights! I have never witnessed that before. It really got me thinking about our local flower growers.

I found it really surprising how the flower industry was affected by this recent volcanic activity, and how dependent we are on foreign flower exports. About 1/3 of the cut flowers sold in the European Union are grown in Kenya. Under normal circumstances, produce is same day harvested, packed, chilled, and trucked to Nairobi's international airport where it's loaded on passenger flights to Europe. Kenyan produce is typically in shops in Paris or London within 72 hours of being pulled from the fields in Kenya!

At the top of their foreign exchange earner, Kenya freights 1,000 metric tons of roses, carnations, French beans, snap peas, and other produce daily on overnight flights to Europe. Since the volcano eruption, Kenya has destroyed, composted or given away more than 10 million flowers (mostly roses). Jane Ngige, the chief executive of the Kenya Flower Council, estimated that $8 million worth of flowers had been wasted and would have to be composted.

This really got me thinking: Why are we so reliant on foreign grown flowers? Do we need those perfect red roses off season for our wedding? At the cost of our environment?

Where are your flowers coming from? Ask your florist about what flowers will be in season locally at the time of your wedding. Why not try to incorporate them into your bouquets? And no, I am not predicting that a volcano will pop up and stop flowers from being delivered on your wedding day... But I think that this story shows us how reliant we are on foreign flower supplies. And that we should really try to support our local flower growers. They are our neighbors. We can lessen the environmental cost of freighting, trucking and shipping long distances and reduce the carbon footprint the wedding industry leaves behind. Hey, it can't hurt to ask your florist, right? Every little bit helps.

information from: the associated press

P.S. For all of my fellow Bmore gals, the Flower Mart is coming up on May 7 & 8 in Mt. Vernon! There's sure to be some local flower power there! http://www.flowermart.org
AND the Baltimore Farmers Market starts back up May 2nd and will run every Sunday through December. Vendors set up under the JFX at Holliday and Saratoga streets. http://www.bop.org/index.cfm?page=events&id=3

Finding your size when buying a used bridesmaid dress.

2010-04-25T10:10:00.002-04:00

One of the hardest parts of buying a bridesmaids dress is the sizing! Why don't they just make them the same size as every day clothing?!?! Many bridesmaids and wedding gowns are sized small. So if you normally wear a size 8, in bridal fashions you might wear a size 12!!! Wow, thanks a lot bridal industry, that makes me feel goooor-geous... Why do they do that to us?

Don't get me started! Instead, I'll talk about what we are doing to help girls save money and get the right fit for bridesmaids and wedding gowns.

We know that when you are shopping used and online predicting the fit can be a difficult task. So, in order to help you out we have been compiling a list of sizes from different manufacturers. It can be easy and fast to get the best measurement for you without leaving your house. The only thing you will need is a measuring tape (or if you don't have one a string and ruler will do). It's best to have someone, like a friend or your mom or sister, help you measure yourself.

HOW TO MEASURE YOURSELF FOR PROPER SIZING
Bust: Measure at the fullest part of bust and around the back.
Waist: Measure around your "natural" waist (this is the narrowest part of your waist, above where your pants sit).
Hips: Measure 8” down from your natural waist, at the fullest part of your hip, this may be 7” for petites. (fyi: Your “Low Hip” is 8” below your waist, this is most commonly used as the Hip measurement. Your “High Hip” will be only 4” below natural waist.)

FITTING TIPS
• If possible get a friend to measure for you, or use a mirror to make sure the tape is straight.
• Go with the largest measurement, if its not a perfect match (it most likely won’t be). It can always be taken in if needed. It's easier to take something in rather than let it out.
• Take into account the cut of the dress. Usually the hip measurement is not a factor in sizing, unless its a tight fitting dress at the hips. If its an A-line dress, for example, you will be ok just using bust and waist to size.
• When buying a strapless dress it's more important that the bust size matches and is fitted. This can easily be taken in as well.

Here is a link where you can find our measurement charts: http://www.ruffleswap.com/servlet/the-template/sizingtips/Page

See a popular dress maker that's missing? Or have your own fitting tips? Let us know by commenting! We are always updating and adding to the chart to keep it up to date! Good luck and don't let those exaggerated sizes make you feel not-so-gorgeous. (Seriously, can someone tell me why that is industry standard?)

xoxo

Making "Used" Work fo You!

2010-03-04T12:32:00.003-05:00

ATTN: Nearlyweds! Make "used" dresses work for you and your bridesmaids! We know you ♥ your bridesmaids and you want the best for them! That's why you chose these besties to stand next to you on your big day, duh!

There is soooo much controversy around how much is "too much" for a bridesmaid dress. And if you, the bride-to-be, should compromise in choosing that perfect Vera Wang bridesmaids gown because you know it is slightly out of reach financially for your girls. Well, you don't have to...

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS FOR MAKING USED WORK FOR YOU AND YOUR BRIDAL PARTY:

1. Go online as soon as you know which dress you want. Try to find that dress pre-owned first! There are so many lightly used dresses out there, you just need to find them! So, do a little research before you pay full price.

2. Add small personal touches to dresses to create a common "thread." A great colored sash could add a unifying color to dresses ~add a great brooch ~add a flower or feather hair piece. That way, you can have any style red, navy blue, tan, black, etc. dress and there is still a common element!

Photo and item from PegasusMaiden on Etsy

Photo and item from the Wedding Aisle shop by Le Chic Colore on Etsy

2. Be lenient with style and/or color. This will make it a lot easier to find great used dresses. I've seen some girls create a color palette and tell girls get whatever dress they like within these colors! (This is great even when not buying used)

4. Tell them to sell their dresses afterwards. Through Project: Ruffle Swap, we are able to help girls make between $60-$100 on each dress they sell! We can help your girls recover some of the money spent on dresses. So that $250 Vera Wang dress ends up only costing $150! And you end up helping another girl get a great dress for considerably less than that $250 price tag! A true win-win.

I am a firm believer in having your day, your way. While, of course, watching finances (for everyone). That said, buying used dresses is a great cost-effective and eco-friendly option!

Since your besties will ultimately buy what you tell them to, let them know they have options. Tell them it's okay to buy gently used. In fact, encourage it. It's a great new trend that is making an impact on the 9.9 million bridesmaids dresses purchased each year! Your friends may or may not wear that dress again. So, even if your girls don't buy used, tell them to help another bridesmaid-to-be get her dream dress by selling her yours!

xoxo
~ Sam & Beth

Weddzilla Flash Mob, Say What?!?!?

2010-02-22T11:50:00.001-05:00

Yup, its happening! The Weddzilla Flash Mob! On February 24th. Here are the details: http://blog.weddzilla.com/2010/02/weddzilla-flash-mob-washington-dc-feb.html

Steve Kemble (America's Sassiest Lifestyle Guru, Us Weekly Magazine Top Cop, TLC's "Battle of the Wedding Planners" winner, and Golden Globe Awards correspondent) is leading the dance flash mob. He will begin the dance and then our mobbers will join in! You saw Oprah do it. Now it's your chance to be a part of a local wedding related flash mob.

How to become a part of the mob:
~ There will be a You Tube video coming out soon to teach all you dancers out there the moves. (no rhythm required!)
~ The theme of the dance is top secret- but will be emailed out to you next week.
~ The flash mob will be in a well-known public place in Washington, DC during a busy time of the day
~ It will be taped and immediately made available on You Tube following the Flash Mob.
~ Our goal is to be the biggest flash mob to EVER hit DC!
~ T-shirts will be provided to participants

If you can't be a part of it, be sure to check it out on YouTube later. We'll post a link to it here, so you can share with all your friends!

And be sure to join us at the Weddzilla "Rock the Launch" Party on Thursday evening! Details here: http://event.pingg.com/Weddzilla-Launch

Handmade Etsy Accessories!

2010-02-20T10:19:00.002-05:00

We are so excited to finally have all of the etsy accessories we ordered for the Green Wedding Showcase Eco-Fashion Show on Sunday! I thought it would be really great to buy some hand-made pieces to accessorize our great used bridesmaid dresses! Check out the show info here: http://www.greenweddingshowcase.com/ecofashionshow.shtml

But how cute will these be for bridal party accessories?!?!?

credits: They are handmade by RiRiFisch (top), Sprightly Strands Boutique (middle), PegasusMaiden (bottom)

Upcoming Par-tay! Weddzilla "Rock the Launch!"

2010-02-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to be joining the Weddzilla.com community! And we are really looking forward to the "Rock the Launch" Party they are hosting on Feb 25th in DC!

Weddzilla Rock The Launch Party
National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
February 25th, 2010, 6pm - 9pm

Weddzilla has put together a killer group of celebrity wedding professionals to share their experiences with their fans and members. They are planning an exciting launch party to unveil and introduce their fabulous new website! (And who knows how to better plan a party than a bunch of wedding professionals!?!) Weddzilla.com is going to be "the first online social wedding platform to fully integrate the wedding planning process into popular social networks."

The event is going to be hosted by Steve Kemble! That's right Steve Kemble from TLC's “Battle of the Wedding Planners”. It is going to be a truly ROCKIN' night!

"Rock the Launch" with us! Get the deets here and get on the guest list! Can't make it? We'll be tweeting from the event (@ruffleswap) and later blogging about it here! Hope to see you there!

What Would Christian Siriano Do? Project: Eco-Fashion Show (part 1)

2010-02-11T08:20:00.004-05:00

On February 21st, Project: Ruffle Swap will be showing six gently-worn fashions in the Aveda Institute Eco-Fashion Show at the Mid-Atlantic Green Wedding Showcase (College Park, MD). Bubbling with excitement to participate in an environmentally friendly fashionshow, we tried to remain calm... we are pragmatic, problem-solvers who love to find a perfect balance of fashion, eco-friendliness, and wallet-friendliness. But, which gently worn dresses should we select? What accessories should be used to show that pre-loved dresses from the last decade (yes, 2009) and one dress that is...wait for it...over 30 years old, are still fabulous in 2010? We wondered, what would those great folks on Project Runway do? More importantly, What Would Christian Siriano Do?

Mr. Siriano trends to classic shapes, minimum accessories, and if possible some ruffles! So we thought gently pre-worn dresses from great designers like Watters & Watters, Alfred Angelo, and Ann Taylor would be great. Plus, a 1970s vintage Young Edwardian would be a very Brooklyn-chic bridal gown. To prove that these fashions are not "so 2000-and-late", we added in some great Etsy headbands, feather clips, and cute boleros. Hopefully, everyone agrees the looks are quite "fierce" and "ferosh". BTW: Christian Siriano is originally from MD and his bridal fashions and wedding appropriate dresses are here: http://www.christianvsiriano.com (image shown is from Christian Siriano's Spring/Summer 2010 collection).

So, check back in about 2 weeks when we have pics from the big event or see it in person (tickets are for sale- http://www.greenweddingshowcase.com/attend.shtml ) and let us know what you think.

This is probably a good lesson for each of us though...before we walk out the door each morning, we should ask ourselves, "What Would Christian Siriano Say?" If it is "Hot Mess" and not "Ferosh", well...

Things We {Heart}: Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses!

2010-02-10T11:07:00.006-05:00

Mismatched bridesmaids dresses is one of our favorite new trends out there. Pick a color scheme and let your maids run with it. This opens up so many options for them. They can easily go to their favorite store and pick a dress they will definitely wear again. And we all know you want your besties to love the dress they wear in your wedding. And they will.

Here are a couple of great examples!

(Photo from Tinywater Photography)

(Photography by SugarLove Weddings, bridesmaids dresses from Rose and Ruby)

Did you have mismatched bridesmaids for your wedding? We'd LOVE to see pics! Leave a comment with a link to your snapfish, flickr or picasa pics to show off your bridesmaids! Or post them on our Facebook page!

The Results: Where Do All the Dresses Go? (Part 2)

2010-02-04T16:00:00.005-05:00

(image from redphotoco.com)

...continued from Part 1...

Doing the Math:

“I have a collection of dresses that I will never wear again. Each dress cost well over $200 and no one considered the wearability I would get out of them.” If you had 5 bridesmaid dresses in your closet that cost $200/each, that's $1000 in dresses just laying around!

In 2008, there were over 2.2 million weddings:
• With 4 bridesmaids on average, that's over 8.8 million bridesmaid dresses purchased.
• At $150 per dress, bridal parties spend $1.32 Billion on dresses/year.
• Which is roughly 2.7 million cubic-ft of dresses. Enough to fill 41,000 pick-up trucks!!!

When we start reusing bridesmaid dresses:
• If 1/3rd of all bridesmaid dresses were reused, bridal parties could save ~$220 million.
• And the landfill impact could be reduced by nearly 3 million dresses.
• This would mean 13,000 fewer truckloads each year.

So, you can probably see the impact of purchasing or reselling a once-worn bridesmaid dress could have. We hope that you join us in our goal of saving girls, like you, money, while also reducing the environmental impact—one dress at a time. I know this is a lot of info and a lot of numbers thrown at you. We just hope that one day you might think of this before you throw away your bridesmaid dress or let it sit in your closet. Somewhere in the U.S. there is another girl looking for the exact dress you have sitting in your closet right now. Together, we can change a part of the bridal industry and help each other out.

Data compiled from: Independent study by Project: Ruffle Swap; Bridesmaid’s Attire Survey - January 2010 Wedding Bee Boards (300+ respondents); theweddingreport.com

Iz can see my shadowz.

2010-02-02T16:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Groundhog's Day! Unfortunately, we have 6 more weeks of winter. :( But lucky for us all, the Groundhog has demanded we have a dress promo! Upload your dress for sale today and get 100% of the sale. We are waiving our already tiny consignment fee.

Just say you were referred by the "Groundhog" when you upload a dress on ruffleswap.com and no matter when your dress sells you keep the full amount of the sale! It doesn't have to sell today you just have to post it today!!!

Happy swapping! ~the Groundhog

The Results: Where Do all the Bridesmaid Dresses Go? (Part 1)

2010-02-01T14:00:00.004-05:00

So, as you know, we have been looking into the mind of the bride and bridesmaid regarding buying bridesmaids dresses go. Here is some of what we found:

How much should a reasonable bridesmaid dress cost?
98% say a reasonable dress is under $200

How much will you ask your bridesmaids to spend on attire?
24% will ask friends to pay over $200

How much does your dream or your favorite designer bridesmaid’s dress cost?
65% of brides said their dream bridesmaid dresses are over $200

What did you do with your bridesmaid dress?
• "(It's) still in my closet."
• "I soaked it in coffee and tea and stained it to make it look worn and torn and old... then put fake blood all over it and used it for a Halloween costume!"
• "I saved mine. It was actually a halter and a skirt the skirt was an ugly color to have on a skirt so I keep it in my closet, and am going to make something out of it someday."
• "I threw them out as quick as possible. They were hideous, except for one blue one."
• "I loved what my cousin picked out, but 3 years later it's still sitting in the closet at my parent's house."
• "In my six turns as a bridesmaid, I’ve worn one dress again. It was when I was a bridesmaid in another wedding, but it still counts!"
72% will never wear the dress again (534 respondents)
55% want the dress to be “cheap”

We would love to hear your reactions and your personal stories, please leave us a comment.

Data compiled from: Independent study by Project: Ruffle Swap; Bridesmaid’s Attire Survey - January 2010 Wedding Bee Boards (300+ respondents); answers.yahoo.com.

Being a Greener Fashionista.

2010-01-21T08:20:00.005-05:00

I recently happened upon this article, "16 eco-fashion predictions for 2010" on ecouterre.com. I found one of the predictions to be extremely relevant to the vision we have for Project: Ruffle Swap.

"Buying used is finally gaining widespread acceptance thanks to eco-approval and a strained economy. People are buying pre-owned clothing on eBay not just because it is cheaper, but because it is greener. “Used” is losing its stigma and being recognized as smart. You’ll see an increase in clothing swaps, too."
— ZEM JOAQUIN (PUBLISHER, ECOFABULOUS )

You may or may not know what we do at Project: Ruffle Swap. But we help women "swap" their lightly used dresses (mostly bridesmaids dresses). We have created a place online for women to sell their used dresses or buy a like-new dress. Many of the dresses we post are only worn once and never worn again. And many of the styles we add are still currently selling on the manufacturers websites for original price, $150+! Through "recycling" dresses we not only help women find the dress they need for more than 50% off, we also give the seller back some of the money they spent on the dress.

Just think... There are more than 2.2 million wedding a year. If each bride has 4 bridesmaids, that's around 9 million bridesmaid dresses worn each year! If just 1/3rd of all bridal parties "swapped" their dresses, thousands-and-thousands of pounds of waste would be eliminated.

This subject is so near and dear to our heart. So, when thinking about what to do with your one-and-done bridesmaid dress, don't trash it or let it hang in your closet. Please, think about recycling it.
And join us at ruffleswap.com to become a greener fashionista.

Where the Wild Dresses are.

2010-01-15T08:15:00.002-05:00

Where do all of those once worn bridesmaids dresses go after the wedding? Some girls wear them again, some just let them hang in their closet, maybe you donated it, or hopefully you are selling it on our Project: Ruffle Swap site.

So, let's find out where all those bridesmaid dresses go! According to my rough calculations there were about 9 million bridesmaid dresses purchased last year. Help us figure out where the wild dresses are now. Take our poll by clicking here. We'll follow up next week on our blog and give you the results. So start voting and asking your friends, we want to hear what you have to say!

Thank you, my thrifty fashionista friends!!! Can't wait to hear from you!
xoxo

Bride freaks out over hair updo! (video)

2010-01-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

Video: Bride gets a bad updo > freaks out > cuts off hair (right before the wedding). What the...?

In 2007, SunSilk released this viral ad. Yes, it's just an ad. You can now watch it and enjoy it without feeling bad. This viral ad was just recently reposted to YouTube again. Two weeks after it's original release in 2007, it had over 2.8 million views!!! People were responding with sympathy and advice or they were suspicious that it was fake. Two weeks later the actors revealed on Good Morning America that the video was set-up and created by Unilever's ad agency for SunSilk.

You gotta love viral advertising! From an advertising standpoint, reaching that many viewers is every brand's dream! In the first 2 weeks alone, the video had 2.8 million impressions. And that doesn't account for the views from copies adding up to more than 12 million views!!! That is a lot of people interacting with your brand.

How do you get a video to go viral? How do you deploy it? First, make sure it really is interesting to people, and not just what you want them to be interested in (ie, your brand/product). Ask yourself why someone would want to forward it? Which videos do you take time to share?

Most shared videos are shocking or funny in some way. And keep it short: people » short attention spans » entertain in first 20-30 secs. Get it? Now, start talking about it or, even better, get your friends to help spread the word. Post on: del.icio.us, digg.com, stumbleupon.com, reddit.com, and don't forget twitter and facebook! Making your video "go viral" can take a lot of effort pushing it out or it can take no effort at all, that is if you are lucky and have created a truly viral video.

Now... to plan the Project: Ruffle Swap viral video! Stay tuned... {cue evil laugh}

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

2010-01-04T09:00:00.083-05:00

When you hear the name Betsey Johnson you might think: crinoline, leopard print and hot pink everything! And you might wonder how her style could ever translate into a wedding.

Well, you don't have to go Totally 80's to have fun with your wedding gown or bridesmaids dresses. Unless, of course, you want to. Here are some FUN alternatives to the traditional wedding gown and bridesmaids dresses for your Big Day created by Betsey Johnson.

images from betseyjohnson.com

A little about Betsey Johnson: She began designing in the 1960's, pulling inspiration from her her love for costumes and aspirations to become a dancer. She has grown in popularity to become world renowned for her truly unique use of color, texture and rule-breaking style. She is also legendary for ending her fashion shows with a cartwheel down the runway.

Whether you choose to go traditional or outrageous with your gown or bridesmaid dresses, never forget to enjoy each and every moment with your best friends. You don't have to do a cartwheel down the aisle on your big day, just make sure you enjoy every single second of it!

I ♥ Betsey Johnson! See more of her work and shop at: betseyjohnson.com

Disney Fairy Tale Weddings: where's the "Bibbity Bobbity Boo"?

2009-12-21T21:54:00.007-05:00

I recently started searching for Bridesmaid's dresses for my fair "maidens" next fall. As I clicked through Fall 2010 Bridesmaid Collections, one designer immediately caught my eye - Kirstie Kelley for Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings. Disney was designing not only Bridal gowns, but also "maiden" gowns! Sounds fun, right? I immediately pictured the what these "maiden" dresses might look like...maybe poofy silver ball gowns for Cinderella "maidens" and slinky, moonlit-pool colored, mermaid dresses for Ariel "maidens". I clicked through the collection looking for magical and character-inspired dresses - but I was a bit disappointed. There was no blatant inspiration of Disney Princesses (I later learned this was on purpose). Curious, I visited www.disneybridal.com to see if the 6 disney princesses were better captured in the "bridal gowns". Most of the gowns looked similar to the traditional and trendy dresses on the market. I was kind of hurt, as a child I watched these movies over and over, and many of us little girls pictured wearing a gown as gorgeous as Cinderella's one day. Those gloves... those sleeves... how it sparkled when she danced...

I then started to read about the designer, Kristie Kelley..."she watched the films, came to understand the essence of each princess, then developed that mood in a way that in a way today's bride could relate." I was again hurt... I've known these princesses for decades and their personalities and stories are deep within my heart. Kristie Kelly also adds that "The gowns in the collection are not film replicas, nor do they have a character read". I'm confused - why not?

If I bought a Cinderella Disney dress, I would want everyone to wonder if it hurt when the Fairy Godmother smacked me with her wand, said "Bibbity Bobbity Boo", and transformed me into a drop dead gorgeous Fairy Princess.
-Beth

Barbie always had nicer dresses than I did.

2009-12-17T22:05:00.002-05:00

It's true, she has and still does. I loved playing with Barbie dolls as a kid. I spent many allowances buying her new outfits for every occasion. One week Barbie has a ball to attend, the next week she needs an outfit to wear while she performs Madonna's Material Girl. Yup, an outfit for every occasion.

2009 has marked Barbie's 50th birthday! And she's had quite a year. She starred in the Barbie Runway Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion week, where 50 fashion designers created Barbie-inspired fashion. Among them, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, and Diane von Furstenber. She's also had multiple spreads in many hot fashion magazines: Allure, Elle, W, American Vogue, Japanese Vogue, Italian Vogue, and it doesn't stop there. For 50 years, she has remained one of the most famous fashion icons.

Over this past weekend, I ventured into Toys'R'Us and was overwhelmed with the Barbie selection. One caught my eye for being so simple and so right! There were these gorgeous dolls wearing the classic Little Black Dress. So, now as an adult, I once again find myself looking to Barbie for style inspiration. Seriously, just check out these LBD's: http://www.barbiecollector.com/barbiebasics/ Just like a Barbie, no girl should be without one.

And I'm sorry Barbie, but these days, I spend my hard earned allowance adding to my closet!

~Sam

Color inspiration! From, uh, Home Depot?!?!?

2009-12-15T11:45:00.006-05:00

As a graphic designer, I sometimes need color inspiration for a project. One of the resources I love drawing inspiration from is Home Depot. No kidding! The Behr paint section is great and they have take-away brochures with paint color chips!

Whether you are looking for a color theme for your wedding, home decor, or design inspiration, it is a good place to start. Luckily, Behr is also online so you never even have to make the trip to Home Depot. Just go to: http://www.behr.com.

Above is just one example of the color palette you could create using the site. Imagine those colors for an updated take on a nautical wedding. Can you picture the bright orange bouquets and gorgeous bridesmaid dresses in that darker blue?

In creating the Behr color palettes they looked closely at how one color plays off of another. Here the light blue is the "unseen" base color that delicately sets the scene. The darker "Southern Evening" blue plays a large part as the strong secondary color. I love the use of the orange as an accent color to add some pop and an unexpected twist to the color theme.

I hope you get some good ideas from this. Who would have thought you could have your wedding colors inspired by Home Depot? :)
~Sam

Our First Post!

2009-12-12T12:58:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Welcome to our new blog about fashion trends, hot dresses, wedding inspiration and all other things fashion related. Please check back soon, we are just getting started and can't wait to hear from you all, too! In the meantime, please check out our website at http://ruffleswap.com and start swapping!

Oh, and we have a fun poll on the site. We change it every week and give you the past results!
xoxo :)