Special Announcement!

Scarlet Style has a lot planned for this upcoming fall semester and we are in need of extra help in the fashion fields. This is a great chance to add something creative to your resumes! So if you are interested in any of the positions below, please contact us by email scarletstyle@rocketmail.com or facebook! Thanks, and we hope to get a lot of enthusiastic new additions to our team!

POSITIONS NEEDED:

Models
Writers
Designers
Fashion entrepreneurs
People who can sew/have sewn garments
People who have made jewelry/bags/other accessories

Again, contact us at scarletstyle@rocketmail.com if interested!

Transition your style: Summer to Fall

The transition from summer vacation to fall semester has always been synonymous with the changing of the seasons. With the first day of classes a mere few weeks away, the time for back-to-school shopping has arrived. But with so many new trends and popular items crowding the shelves of stores nationwide, it becomes difficult to stay in your budget especially after splurging on your summer wardrobe. And what are you going to do with all those new summer clothes you just bought two weeks ago? You surely can't afford to just put them away and buy a whole fall wardrobe, especially on a student's allowance. Don't start stressing yet though because Scarlet Style as always is here to provide you with a practical(and chic!) solution.

Here are some pictures and tips on how you can incorporate your summer fashion into your autumn style.

Summer dresses- Light, airy dresses are a must for summer, but they can also be worn in the colder temperatures with cute wintry accessories. In fact, wearing your bright, bold summer dresses in the autumn makes you look fresh in a crowd of neutral, dark colors.

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Shorts- Shorts have been deemed as a must-have item to have in one's summer closet. However, in the past few years, fashionistas worldwide have been experimenting by using them for their fall/winter wardrobe. And the result? A chic and sophisticated look with a hint of sexual appeal.

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Skirts- Because of the popular preppy school girl uniform, skirts have become an all-year round staple. If the Gossip Girl look really isn't your style, you can still wear your skirts with dark hued tights, and incorporate your own style to the outfit.

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Tank tops- Cami's and tank tops are absolutely an essential necessity for the fall. Because fall is all about layering, you can use your printed and solid tanks to act as the first layer, and begin adding wintry touches to it one layer at a time.

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General Rules:

• If the summer piece you are incorporating into your autumn style is full of bright and vivid colors, make sure to balance it out with muted neutrals and dark shades.
• Don't be afraid to be bold and mix and match different textures and patterns!
• Have fun with your clothes!
  

--MA

Mad World: The Return of Mad Men

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Hit AMC drama series Mad Men returned this week to television for its fourth season. The show depicts the often sordid personal and professional lives of members of the fictitious Sterling Cooper ad agency during the 1960s. Critically acclaimed for its plot lines and acting, Mad Men is also notable for its art direction. Costume designer Janie Bryant has made a name for herself recreating classic styles of the era, seen below.

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Roger Sterling and Don Draper, two of the show's main characters, are seen above having yet another infamous "liquid lunch" on the job. Roger and Don still retain a gentlemanly air, however, by wearing sharp, tailored flannel suits: both understand that close-cut menswear can make any man look like Gregory Peck. Male Rutgers students, take note!

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The Mad Women are also noted for their chic garments. Peggy Olson (far left) sports modest shirtdresses and skirt suits with kitten heels--she wants to be taken seriously as an advertising copy writer. Betty Draper (center), Don's wife, is often compared to Grace Kelly by other characters--it's hard to ignore her stunning face, tasteful sleeveless dresses, and perfectly coiffed blonde hair as she deals with housewife ennui. Bombshell secretary Joan Holloway (far right) stands out at the office in jewel-tone dresses, extremely high heels, and her signature pen necklace.

Drooling yet? If you want to see more, you can watch Mad Men episodes here.

--ZS

World Cup Fever

Once every four years, the world comes together to celebrate unity and promote peace. The 2010 Fifa World Cup, being held for the first time in the African continent, is undoubtedly the world's biggest and most important tournament, where people from all over gather to watch football(soccer) and cheer on their favorite national team. Although winning seems to be every participants dream, experiencing everyone from all different backgrounds and countries unite together is equally as, if not more, rewarding.

There is just more than a week left to go until the solid gold trophy is passed down to the new champions. So, if you haven't shown your world cup spirit already, Scarlet Style has provided you with fan outfits for the top 8 teams. These outfits are designed for those who do not have a coveted team jersey, yet still want to show their enthusiasm and support for their country while still looking fashionable and chic. And don't worry, none of the items in these outfits are over $50, so they are very affordable for a college student!

Even if you are not a soccer fan, watching the World Cup can give you knowledge about other cultures (vuvuzelas anyone?) and make you feel more connected to people from all around the world. We hope you feel inspired by these outfits, and become even more excited about the upcoming Quarterfinals-- we certainly are!

All these images are made through polyvore

Ghana

Uruguay

Netherlands

Brazil

Argentina

Germany

Paraguay

Spain

If you want to see where the items are from,
use the carousel below to take you to the polyvore website.

--MA

Designers Discuss: Interview with May Chiu!

May rocks her own Grecian dress, available here.

Being a college student is always challenging...what with a heady mixture of classes, exams, friends, and parties. Now try adding fashion designer on top of all of that! May Chiu, a Rutgers University sophomore, creates adorable and chic clothing, jewelry, and hair accessories in her spare time under the name, The Mayflower Fashions. Scarlet Style engaged in an e-mail correspondence with May, asking for the scoop.

1. How'd you get interested in fashion design?

When I entered middle school, I learned about the social hierarchy of cliques and how discriminating they could be. You were not considered "cool" unless you dressed a certain way and wore a certain brand. Of course, this infuriated me. I could not be accepted unless I conformed! So, I enrolled in weekend class at the Fashion Institute of Technology, determined to learn how to sew. After the first class, I fell in love with sewing and started designing in a sketchbook.

2. What are your favorite things to create? What sort of challenges do you face as a college student/fashion designer?

Dresses and skirts! For some reason, I feel that those are the two clothing items that reveal most about someone's personality. One challenge is time management! I'm taking a huge course load next year and I have extracurriculars as well! I also plan on opening another Etsy shop in August that sells graphic tees for everyone. And because there's so much going on, I have to learn to be neat and organized, two things I'm usually not. And finally, as a student, I face a lot of repetition. There's a schedule that keeps repeating itself for a period of time, and I follow it because, well, I have to! But at times, doing the same thing every day or every week can actually dull my creativity and prevent me from designing more. I normally get inspiration from the things I see, and if I see the same thing over and over again, it won't help me find new ideas!

May's bow necklace can be purchased here.

3. Who are your favorite designers?

Hmmm, let's see. First off, Leanne Marshall. She has topped my list when I saw her final collection on Project Runway. Her looks seem really simple and effortless until you look closer and notice how much detail she puts into them. I also like how she can create textures. She said her inspiration was waves for her collection, and you can easily see the connection. My second favorite is Halston. My tagline is "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" and Halston fits it perfectly. I admire them for making simple dresses that can still make a statement! My other favorite designs are Elie Saab, Marchesa, Lorick, Luella Bartley, Tara Jarmon and Lela Rose.

4. What has provided a recent source of inspiration for you?

Most of my summer collection on Etsy is based on what I see in the spring/summer. Gardens filled with flowers inspired this, my garden full of roots and vines inspired this, and the way the wind blows through dresses inspired this:

May's cream tiered ruffle mini skirt can be purchased here.

5. How do you hope your collections will change in the future?

As I keep designing and creating, I hope my view of fashion becomes clearer and more pronounced. When I first started, it was a bit of a disjunct. I had a general idea, but it wasn't fully developed and seen by others. Hopefully, for my future collections, a viewer can look at my work and know exactly what my inspiration was and what I'm trying to say.

6. How do you feel about fashion at Rutgers? Is there a community? What would you like to see happen?

Rutgers is a HUGE school. I haven't seen everyone, so I can't say for sure if there is a community or not, but I have seen a few people who are very stylish and fashionable. And Scarlet Style has helped me meet a few more! From what I see, I like the fashion at Rutgers. Mostly everyone dresses very casual, in a t shirt and jeans or sweats. I'm a big fan of that since college started actually. There's nothing better than rolling out of bed and going to class!

I have no idea what I want to see happen. I definitely think that more participation from other fashionistas out there is needed though.

We can't thank May enough for willing to participate in this interview! For more of her designs, check out her etsy.

--ZS

American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity

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Out of school and nothing to do? Check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new Costume Institute exhibition, "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity." The exhibit, sponsored by Conde Nast and GAP, Inc., shows cultural and social archetypes of American women from 1890 until 1940. These include "Heiress," "Gibson Girl," "Bohemian," "Patriot," "Flapper," and "Screen Siren."

Below is a video of the exhibit, created the by the Costume Institute itself. At the end, there is a video montage set to Lenny Kravitz's cover of "American Woman. How many American women in the video can you name? Which are your favorites?

--ZS

Summer Soundtrack: Don't Sweat It!

School is out at Rutgers...meaning it's time for fun! To get things going, check out the music video playlist below. Each of the videos feature awesome music and daring clothing. Some songs you might already know, while others could be unexpected gems.

1. Julian Casablancas, "11th Dimension"

Casablancas, front man of NYC-based band The Strokes, released his solo album Phrazes for the Young in late 2009. "11th Dimension," the album's lead single, features a video with Blade Runner-cum-Purple Rain clothing.



2. Róisín Murphy, "You Know Me Better"

Murphy’s penchant for crazy accessories—big hats, loud jewelry—is on full display in this video. Though she is not well-known in the US, Murphy has achieved immense success in the UK. Her cover of “Slave to Love” was recently featured in the Gucci ad campaign with James Franco.



3. Yelle, "Ce Jeu"

French group Yelle, including its namesake (born Julie Budet), GrandMarnier, and Tepr, shows its love for the color wheel and spunkiness in this video. Despite never recording songs in languages other than French, Yelle has developed a cult following.



4. Hell featuring Bryan Ferry, "U Can Dance"

Hell (born Helmut Geier) and "electric lounge lizard" Bryan Ferry team up for a black-and-white video that unabashedly glamorizes and captures fashion models. The women's haughty poses and outfits complement the song's VIP-booth feel.



5. Ladytron, "Runaway"

British group Ladytron (Helen Marnie, Daniel Hunt, Mira Aroyo, and Reuben Wu) don the zaniest black-and-white suits in this clip. Heavy makeup worn by Marnie and Aroyo add visual interest, too.



What do you think of this playlist? What other fashion-related songs do you like? Let us know!

--ZS