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Jena’s hand-made work

01/14/2016 No Comments

This week we’re popping in the closet of a woman who designs things. Jena Russo is the owner of Imbue, a local business that makes custom-designed dresses and jewelry. Her focus is on brides but she all welcomes women who want to add a little color and fun to their life. Also everything she makes is 100% vegan. Oddly enough, she’s said, there’s a strong vegan Instagram following that has brought new followers to her business. She herself is a committed vegan and loves that her business fits right in with her morals.

Jena studied fashion design at the University of Cincinnati’s school of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning. She started her business in 2013 as a place where brides could get unique and locally-made dresses. All of her dresses are not the typical white. The idea to name her business Imbue came from that idea.

“I was looking for a single word to sort of incapsulate what I was trying to do,” she said. “I wanted to inject a little more color and personality into the whole world of bridal wear. So the meaning of the word is to enliven, so I thought it seemed to fit.”

One of the dresses she made, in fact, is her own wedding dress. Here are a few shots of her modeling it for me:

Jena didn’t decide on dresses, however, until her last semester of college. It was at this time that she decided she wanted to put together a show for her final thesis project. The over-the-top fashion for the every-day person is bridal wear, so she decided that is where she wanted to focus. So for her project she made a collection of colorful bridal wear.

Over the course of the last two years, she fully designed 12-14 dresses. She also designs jewelry and hair pieces for brides. The accessories can be purchased on her website and the dresses are custom-made. So if you’re a bride who wants a unique dress, you can work with her to design the entire thing, start to finish. It’s the best way to ensure that no one else will have your dress!

She likes to think of her jewelry as “for the big day and everyday.” She thinks it’s neat that people can wear something that celebrates love as part of their everyday wear. Here are a few of her jewelry pieces:

Jena, like me, described herself as a dress nerd. So we had a little shoot in some of her other favorite dresses. It was neat for me to see how she weaved her accessories into her dresses.

This is what she calls her “power suit” of her dresses. It’s super comfy, she says.

I urge you to go look at Imbue’s website. She also writes a blog all about fashion and her business on this site. It’s definitely worth checking out! Thanks Jena!

Nina's corner

My favorite Gwynnie Bee dress

01/12/2016 2 Comments

Thanks to Gwynnie Bee, I’ve been enjoying dress deliveries all this month and part of December. The concept is simple: you create an account, put clothing they have for rent in your “closet” and wait for your shipment. They only ever send you items from your closet but do not send you a package unless you have at least six pieces or more to choose from in your closet. You have the option to buy what you cannot part with and return items you didn’t care too much for. After returning or buying, you simply await your next shipment.

I got five shipments this month. Except for one shipment that I sent back right away because I didn’t care much for either dress, I’ve spent a day wearing all the dresses sent to me. Oh yeah, and I only put dresses in my closet. We all know that’s because I can never have too many dresses in my life. But Gwynnie Bee also has pants, tops and skirts you can rent.

This deep teal dress was by far my favorite Gwynnie Bee dress of all. The instant I slipped it on, I felt comfortable. Furthermore the fabric is super unique. It looks fabulous with a little black belt and some black tights. My friend Hillary and I were going to meet up for dinner downtown. Hillary also takes photos. These are all her work. To see more of her work, go to www.hillarycutterphoto.com.

These next ones were captured in some cool lighting by the bathroom, of all places, at the 21C Hotel.

Thanks Hillary for making me look fierce! Again, go check her out at www.hillarycutterphoto.com. Also the great thing about Gwynnie Bee is that with my code, you can enjoy your first month entirely free! Just click here to learn more.

Also today I’m linking up with:

Uncategorized

Saturday dress picks from Pink Slate

01/02/2016 No Comments

With the New Year come some new things at A World of Dresses. One of which is Dress Picks, a bi-monthly feature where we pick some of our favorite dresses from a different boutique.

Pink Slate is our chosen boutique this week. We featured them on the blog for Small Business Saturday several weeks ago. You can read their story here. Their boutique is an online shop, so if you like any of these picks your location does not matter! Each photo links directly to pinkslateboutique.com, where you can get a better look at the details, pricing, sizes, etc. Here are our five favorites:

My favorite things

I love the bold pattern on this one. I tend to go for things that are vibrant and have color. I start with a fun dress and accessorize around it. This would be perfect to do so with. Also, the lace at the bottom is so unique. I also love finding dresses like this. It’s a great way to be sure that you’re wearing something no one else has.

This is a perfect dress for the cold. As we see here in the photo, a scarf and pair of boots goes well with it.

Garden Goddess

My favorite part of this dress is the neckline. Keyhole necklines that sort of gather together are so elegant. This dress is perfect for a more formal event like a wedding or bridal shower, and also very appropriate for an evening out with friends.

Cruise on by

This is one of those dresses you can wear a lot. It’s simple enough that you can match it with all sorts of colors and accessories. Yet at the same time, the lace along the neckline and top sleeve area makes it unique.

Mohave Magic

Another bold print. I love the shoulder-less neckline. Just pair this with a pair of boots and you’re good to go!

Holiday Kisses

Our last pick is a nice, simple black dress. This is one you could get many wears out of. Pair it with some boots or heels and it’s perfect for the office. Or pair it with some fun accessories and it’s perfect for an evening out with the girls. This dress is also available in red.

Those are my picks! Make sure you visit pinkslateboutique.com to see all of their wonderful clothing and accessories!

My Closet

My Closet: Becki’s adorable dresses

12/24/2015 No Comments

Becki Griswold has been a good friend for a little over seven years now. It’s crazy how time flies. Back in 2008, the two of us met through attending the same church. I had felt led to work with homeless people for some reason and Becki would go take food to homeless people Sunday afternoons with a group of friends. It was almost a little too perfect. So every Sunday for about a year or so, I’d go do this with her. While our group no longer does this (kids, marriage, moving away, life, etc.), I’d most definitely say this was one of the things that shaped my world view, prompted my passion for social justice and led me to work in the non-profit sector. I currently work with Latino immigrants at Su Casa Hispanic Center and absolutely love it. So thanks Becki!

Today, though, we take a look at her personal style. She has always had the cutest dresses!

Becki now resides in Walnut Hills with her husband Jeremiah their family. Their home is a beautiful three-story building they bought to run their small business out of. Jeremiah is a tattoo artist and so their business is called White Whale Tattoo. The first floor is the tattoo space, the second floor are several apartments for rent and the third is where they live. These photos were taken in and around this beautiful space.

Becki’s proposal dress

This is a significant and special dress for Becki. Her wedding proposal happened in New York City in Central Park. Jeremiah and her were on a trip there and walking through the park when he decided to pop the question. One of her friends was also apparently hiding in the bushes taking pictures. This dress, she said, she bought that same day at Anthropologie. I remember that she also wore it to their engagement party at Neons, a fun local establishment with a nice upper room for parties.

Liza Minnelli meets the club

That is what she said this dress feels like. It’s vintage.

The tattoo parlor

Then we decided to venture out of the cold for some shots inside the tattoo shop. If you are in the market for a tattoo in Cincinnati, White Wale is the place to go. Their simple and clean layout makes you feel right at home. Also Jeremiah is an amazing artist. He does amazing custom-designed work.

Thanks Becki! And happy Christmas eve to all!

Also, today I’m linking up with some of my blogger pals and their Christmas posts. I have recently started following Jersey Girl, Texan Heart. See what other style bloggers are posting here.

Small Business Saturday

Pink Slate and Small Business Saturday

12/12/2015 No Comments

The Internet is truly an amazing thing. Forty years ago, the details of Pink Slate would have looked a lot different. Co-owners Amber and Susan would have needed a storefront, shop hours and additional staff. However with the Internet, Pink Slate can be a clothing boutique without the brick and mortar of a traditional shop. Furthermore, the Internet can reach farther and wider than one boutique shop in a Midwestern city.

The story of Pink Slate started with a friendship formed by two women overseas. While Amber and Susan attended the same high school, they were not close friends. However five years later they found themselves in Germany together when Susan’s husband and Amber were stationed in the military together. They were outnumbered by all the men, so they formed a strong friendship in the barracks over bottles of wine and laughter. Little did they know that that friendship would define their future.

After they left Germany, the two remained incredibly close. Over the next few years both women experienced many hardships and life changes. And yet they continued to be each other’s supporters. This strong friendship was how Pink Slate was born.

Pink Slate is an online boutique for women of all shapes and sizes. Their vision is to promote self-love, confidence and positivity. It was incredibly important to Amber and Susan to own a business promoting positive self-esteem. In the past, both have struggled with weight loss and gain, and self-esteem issues.

06410da487c8a7f10ea1f3a321f44d95 — One of their models showing off their curvy collection (taken from their Pinterest)

“Our hope and dream is that the Pink Slate woman feels as amazing as she truly is when she puts on one of our pieces,” said Amber. “We want our customer to hold herself proudly and confidently, knowing that she is BEAUTIFUL.”

Running a small business is not easy, though. Both admit to finding that work-life balance to be a struggle. They both constantly have to remind themselves that faith and family take precedence over Pink Slate. While Susan worked in the fashion industry and Amber worked in the corporate world, starting a business was completely new to them. There were many things they had to learn from scratch.

a66f4bc72ab4c00a5b3895e35729a558 — Also from Pinterest

However both women seem to absolutely love it. Through their online boutique, they have met countless other women. While they have a passion for fashion, they seem to have more of a passion for people and relationships. They have connected with many other female small business owners across the country. They have had opportunities to collaborate and cross-promote each other.

“There are women we haven’t even met yet, that live across the country, who we know that we could count on if we needed help, support, advice, or just to listen to,” said Amber. “We want to be the same for other women!”

The clothing in their shop is clothing that they feel like they would own. Rather than paying attention to fashion trends, they pay attention to what is trending on television, in culture, lifestyle and culture. The women who model the clothing are mostly friends or family members. In the beginning, Amber and Susan would model the clothing. They like to laugh looking back as both women said they prefer to stay behind the camera.

They also are always looking for ways to give back. They want to use their boutique as a vehicle to make the world a better place. In the past they’ve supported an angel tree program, the Sleeping Sound and have volunteered their time in various ministries.

Disclaimer: their website is down 12.12.15 to control inventory as the ladies have their shop set up at an event all day! We hope it’s a success and lots of women become life-long customers! In the mean time, you should just go to their Pinterest to check out more of their photos!

Dressember, My Closet

Sarah, a fellow Dressember blogger

12/10/2015 3 Comments

I would like to thank Twitter for this week’s My Closet feature. Twitter is how I met Sarah, the South Carolina woman behind the blog Bows and Clothes. She blogs about style, clothing, inspiration and encouragement. We initially found each other through Dressember.

If you are unaware, Dressember is a month-long campaign to raise awareness to end human trafficking. Women all around the world are committing to wearing a dress every single day for the entire month of December. The idea is that it is in solidarity with so many women who are being oppressed. Men can participate too. Many are choosing to wear bow ties all month in solidarity. Each participant can have their own fundraising page. Sarah and I both have one. The money goes to International Justice Mission and A21.

One day I was on Twitter retweeting some of the Dressember tweets as usual when I noticed that a girl named Sarah was retweeting me and liking my tweets. So naturally, I clicked on her profile and saw that she was also a blogger. I then of course clicked on her blog and learned that she was also participating in Dressember! That made me super excited. So I thought “I had better e-mail her!” She responded, of course. Sarah seems to be very engaged with her followers. Then, as what typically happens with good ideas, about a day later I decided that I should feature her on My Closet. So thus, here we are. These five dresses are special as they are some of ones she has worn for Dressember.

This first tunic-style dress is from Old Navy. She said she actually found it in the kids section. She doesn’t normally shop in the kid’s department, however these dresses were running large. I would have never guessed this came from the kid’s section, so she fooled me! She said the high-low hem is one of her favorite parts of this dress.

“If I were to just wear one dress for a whole month, I would pick this one,” she said.

This green dress is one she found at Ross. She said she initially bought it because of the bright green color and capped sleeves. It makes it easy to pair with a sweater. I really liked how she put the hot pink scarf with this outfit. Both shades of pink and green seem to pop, and thus work well together. Here’s another look at the dress:

This was another Ross find. Sarah says that Ross is probably one of her favorite places to find dresses as they have a large selection at reasonable prices. She felt like this one was very versatile.

These next two are Kohl’s finds. The pink one is one she instantaneously fell in love with when she saw it. She had to buy it. The striped one is one of those convertible dresses. It can be worn as a maxi, midi or skirt. Pretty neat

Sarah hopes that through her blog, readers will be inspired to be themselves. The quote “you are the only you, so you better be you” is in the “About me” section of her blog. While she has always been a fan of style blogs, her spirituality is what inspired her to start Bows and Clothes.

“One day I felt that God was calling me to have my own style blog since I love style and fashion,” she said. “I also want to inspire people, not because I think I’m perfect, but because God helps me with my imperfection.”

She has been blogging for about 13 months now. She just hopes her blog can inspire women. When she is not blogging, she can be found singing, making crafts, shopping or cooking.

Thanks Sarah! Best of luck in Dressember!

Life with Lupus

Life with lupus: My friend the meds

12/08/2015 No Comments

catherine2

This is my good friend Catherine. I interviewed her for the Q&A about a month ago. She has lupus, a chronic condition she will have for the rest of her life. Lupus is often called the invisible disease because much of the suffering is not necessarily visible to all. This week she writes about medication and lupus.

People with lupus take lots of medication. I easily take over 20 pills each day, which can create an adventure in and of itself. A few of the different types of medicine used to treat and manage Lupus:

Aspirin
Anti-Inflammatories
Acetaminophen (Tylenol®)
Ibuprofen (Motrin®), naproxen (Naprosyn®), indomethacin (Indocin®), nabumetone (Relafen®), and celecoxib (Celebrex®).
Corticosteroids (also known as glucocorticoids, cortisone or steroids)
Antimalarials
Immunosuppressives (Immune Modulators)
Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®)
Methotrexate (Rheumatrex™)
Azathioprine (Imuran®)
Anticoagulants
Monoclonal antibodies
Benlysta (belimumab, formerly called LymphoStat-B™)
Repository Corticotropin Injection (H.P. Acthar Gel)

As you can see, there isn’t just one medication for lupus. When taking many pills, it can be hard to keep up with it all. As I mentioned in previous columns, you have to just laugh to keep going. What else can you do in this situation? Here are a few funny things I’ve done or have had happen to me:

You’ve looked for your sun hat while wearing it.
You have to count the amount of pills left in the bottle to tell whether or not you remembered to take your pills that day.
When you know another month has passed, only because it’s time to refill your meds!
You’re embarrassed to admit it’s because you’re lost, 3 miles from home.
Your husband calls you by your Native American name “Dances with Lupus.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg. In my conversations with other Lupus sufferers, there are so many other medications. I know that I take at the minimum of 22 pills a day. All combined creates a totally new drug with all the side affects you can think of.

With there being so many different types of lupus, medicine can be totally different combination. It can be very frustrating to have a doctor visits and have them tell you that they would try a new treatment. It’s hard not to feel like a lab rat when trying to treat your particular type of lupus.

In the words of Mary Poppins” a spoon full of sugar make the medicine go down.” True words!!

Dressember

Dressember after week 1

12/07/2015 2 Comments

This year, I’m again participating in Dressember. If you follow me on my Instagram or Twitter, though, this is probably not news to you. Last year it was just me on my team and I raised $510 from my circle of family and friends. This year I have several ladies on my team with me. It feels like a wonderful, sort of natural progression. Each year I plan to participate in Dressember and do my part to make it bigger than the year before. The more people who know about Dressember, the better.

Social media has many great benefits. I love clicking on #Dressember or #Dressember to see how far and wide the campaign is this year. Another popular hashtag I’ve seen is #itsbiggerthanadress. That phrase comes to mind as I get dressed each morning and multiple times throughout each day. Women all over the world are wearing dresses each day this month not because it’s cute or trendy. In fact, it has nothing to do with us.

I’m constantly reminded of the privilege I have in my life. Millions of people around the world are being forced into slavery. Girls as young as 12 are being forced into prostitution. They are being robbed the innocent childhoods they deserve. If you are a mother, just imagine the anger you’d feel if your daughter had to go through that. It’s sickening.

It’s Bigger than a Dress could almost be the motto for my blog. I love dresses. Anyone who is close to me knows that. But I also have a strong passion for social justice. I have a passion to tell stories of women from all different backgrounds. I want to use dresses to make the world a better place.

Dressember is such a great way to do that. The hopeful thing is that International Justice Mission and A21 are strong, functioning organizations. They rescue trafficking victims, provide them with the aftercare and serve the perpetrators with justice. In order for them to be the light of hope they are, they need funding. The money from Dressember goes to both of these groups. The funding pays for case workers, therapists, attorneys and other trained professionals to commit their life to ending slavery. With 27 million people in the world in slavery, the need is great.

My hope is that during this most wonderful time of the year, you give a little bit of thought to those who are not having the most wonderful time. Perhaps you can help be that light by giving to Dressember. My goal is $650 and I plan to reach that. I would love it if you can help me. You can view my page here.

Small Business Saturday

Megan and custom dress hangers

11/28/2015 No Comments

It all started with her own wedding several years ago. Megan Knapke was marrying her college sweetheart and was doing all sorts of DIY stuff for decorations and other things. She stumbled upon customized dress hangers, but didn’t have the time to make one for herself. However she liked the idea and kept it with her.

As time went on, other friends of hers got married and she started making hangers as wedding shower gifts. Everyone loved them. The idea is simple and yet so very personal. She simply took a wooden hanger, some wire, a flower and heavy-duty glue, and created something very special. The wire gets fashioned into the bride’s new name such as “Mrs. Jones” and the date of the wedding. This simple touch looks great in photos and gives the bride something special to hang her dress up with post-wedding as well.

This popularity led her to where she is today. She now has her own Etsy store called Hang it Up Hangers and makes about 15-20 customized hangers a month for people all across the country. In addition to making hangers for brides, she also makes smaller hangers for children. While a majority of business is for brides, she will make a hanger for any occasion. For example, she has made a hangers for a graduation, someone’s mom and cheerleading.

For Megan, the best thing is the freedom that comes with running her own business.

“It gives me the ability to do what I want when I want,” she said.

In some ways, Megan admits to being traditional when it comes to a family. She would love to be able to stay home with her future children but would still love to work while doing it. This work-from-home business gives her that freedom and flexibility. She also likes to joke with her husband who majored in entrepreneurship about how she’s the first to start her own business.

Through talking with Megan, it was evident how empowering owning a business is to her. She’s able to have ownership over something in a positive way, which she loves. Over the years, she admits she’s struggled to feel like she’s really good at something. I know this feeling well, and I feel like so many other women do. We are often our own worst critics. These hangers, however, take a great deal of detail work and practice. Not everyone is as crafty or talented as Megan. This business has really helped her to see her own talents and skills as they are.

Looking forward, Megan will be a part of a bridal show in January, something she is excited about. Also, each quarter she sends a portion of her profits to a non-profit doing great work. Last quarter, the portion went to Determined to Develop, an organization in Malawi that a friend of her’s started. She loves the ability she has to give back.

The hangers range from $16-$30 depending on size and whether you have one line of writing or two. Check out her Etsy store here.

My Closet

My Closet: Tea with Una

11/26/2015 No Comments

I love making new friends. This fall, I decided to commit to a year of service through AmeriCorps. One of my favorite things about doing this is meeting other like-minded people. There are roughly 15-18 of us in Cincinnati also doing AmeirCorps with my particular program and Una is one of them. Una graduated college last Spring, so AmeriCorps has provided her with her first post-college job. With grownup life comes grownup responsibilities. For Una, she’s enjoyed her year of service so far.

“It seemed like a good way to transition,” she said. “I knew I wanted to take a year before thinking about thinking about grad school.”

She has been a supporter of A World of Dresses since it’s inception, so I thought I’d feature her this week. We met up at Aquarius Star on Ludlow Ave. in Clifton for some tea, laughter and dresses. It was an amazing way to spend a rainy Saturday.

Through AmeriCorps, Una spends her days as a pre-school classroom aide at Corryville Catholic Elementary. She felt that this dress was fitting for the position considering it has dinosaurs on it. This was a Modcloth find as well. I now want a dinosaur dress.

“I really like working with kids,” said Una about her position. “It’s cool to build their first impressions of school and get them excited about reading.”

Next we have the polka-dot dress, something she found at a second-hand store. The black and white polka dots and flats pairs quite nicely with her grey tights. She originally got this dress for her college graduation. It’s very much associated with that big day, she said.

Every woman needs a little black dress. This is Una’s. This also was a Modcloth find. She joked that she wears this dress when she wants to feel like a grownup. Adulthood is something she admits she’s still attempting to figure out.

“I’m still learning how to dress like a grownup woman would and that’s been interesting to navigate,” she said.

From what I’ve seen, she seems to be rocking it.

So for the last dress, we broke our own rules. In fact, it’s not even a dress. It’s a skirt. However it’s not just any skirt. According to Una, it’s one of her most-worn skirts. Like the polka-dot dress, she also found it at a second-hand store back in high school.

Una, thank you for having tea with me and allowing me to photograph you!

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