Rachel Jay: The Blog


Get The Look: Playtime

Look 8: Playtime
Busting out a really old shot that’s still one of my favorites.  It always makes me smile!  I call this shot “Keepaway!”, and it was originally shot to submit to a calendar that was supposed to benefit an animal shelter in Georgia.  The project fell through, unfortunately, but we still got some way cute stuff out of it all :)   The dog in the shot is my beautiful supermutt, Trixie, who I’ve blogged about before.

Shoot Results:

The Look:


Get It:

Photo Credit: Carlos Alvarez

Please note that the above listed products were chosen by me without payment or endorsement requests from the sellers.

Look 5: Bright Tights
This look is a lot of fun :) The shoot, which the photographer has called “Industrial Living Room” was taken at his workplace, and was just full of good times!  Krystyn, the MUA, rocked it.  I will only be noting what I’m wearing, and not picking up any of the other clothing items featured in the shoot.  For this shoot, we wanted bright but simple, and fashionable.

Shoot Results:

The Look:


Get It:

Photo Credit: Aldo Risolvo Photography, Krystyn J MUA



Get The Look: Red & Gold

Look 6: Red & Gold
This is an old shot, but still one I love.  The photographer was going for this film noir, Hollywood beauty, still-from-a-movie type shot, and it all worked out perfect!  We shot this at my apartment, in the long hallway on the top floor connecting the two halves of the building.  For the wardrobe, I wore a strapless, A-line dress I’d gotten for a very last minute sorority function, faux pearls, CZ studs, the gold heels I wore for my cousin’s wedding, and a vintage gold clutch I picked up at an estate sale for $2!  The MUA did wonders with my hair, gave me a perfectly clean face and simple eye, and popped my lips with a great orangey-red lipstick.  In person, the look was fantastic, but on camera, it was absolutely breathtaking!  Everything shot redder than we’d anticipated… even my hair!

Shoot Results:

The Look:


Get It:

Photo Credit: Jon Cancelino, Hair & Makeup by Suzanne Choe

Please note that the above listed products were chosen by me without payment or endorsement requests from the sellers.



Get The Look: Bright Tights

Look 5: Bright Tights
This look is a lot of fun :) The shoot, which the photographer has called “Industrial Living Room” was taken at his workplace, and was just full of good times!  Krystyn, the MUA, rocked it.  I will only be noting what I’m wearing, and not picking up any of the other clothing items featured in the shoot.  For this shoot, we wanted bright but simple, and fashionable.

Shoot Results:

The Look:


Get It:

Photo Credit: Aldo Risolvo Photography, Krystyn J MUA

Please note that the above listed products were chosen by me without payment or endorsement requests from the sellers.



Get The Look: Night Out

Look 4: Night Out
This look is rather simple, and one that nearly every model woman should more or less already have in her closet.  It’s The Little Black Dress, of course.  What makes this particular LBD special is the detailing on it.  It’s a satiny material with a lace overlay, all black, so it’s got some pretty neat dimension.  It’s also gathered at the top, forming a flattering sweetheart/ballet like neckline.  While I’ve worn a variety of shoes with this particular dress, the classic sky-high pump never fails to elongate legs.  I paired my dress and heels with a long strand of deeply colored, irregularly shaped freshwater pearls, which I tripled up, and a black satin clutch.  I left off earrings and just let my hair hang over my ears.

Shoot Results:
rmj1a16cm

The Look:
I’ve done this a little different, since my dress isn’t available at all any more (it’s made by Laundry, and I snagged it at a steal during a sale).  I’ve gone and found three looks that I love, which I’ve listed for you below.  And not only that, but I’ve looked at three different pricepoints too, ’cause, well, I’m cool like that ;)   The pumps in look one happen to be the ones I’ve got on in the above shot.

123-jpg

Get It:

Photo Credit: Estate Serenity Images



Get the Look: Street Chic

Look 3: Street Chic
So how long before I start having a really hard time coming up with names for these looks?  LOL.  Anyway, this look actually started with this great pair of dark red shoes I got on sale at DSW ages ago.  I really wanted to wear them for a shoot (though I’d originally bought them for a wedding), but didn’t want to wear them as dress shoes.  Instead, I wanted to dress up something a bit more casual.  Skinny jeans, a white T, and my ancient (literally, I’ve had it since my freshman year of highschool) leather motorcycle jacket seemed like the perfect casual outfit to snazz up with red patent high heels.

Shoot Results:

The Look:
streetchic

Get It:

  • Jeans: Express
  • White Tee: Any one will do, but I typically buy 3 packs from Hanes
  • Leather Bomber: The one pictured is from Forever21
  • Shoes: I believe mine are Ann Marino, but the ones pictured are from Cutesygirl
  • Clutch: I likely got mine at Marshalls, but the one pictured is from Forever21

Photo Credit: Caity B Photography



Get The Look: Refined Rocker

Look 2: Refined Rocker
This look was loosely inspired by a look I wore for Forever21 in the 2009 VOP Fashion & Rock show.  I love the sparkly top, and am a huge fan of blazers right now.  The jeans I actually bought as the possible bottoms for a Halloween costume, but love them.  When I put the top with plain jeans, it wasn’t all that special, but the marbled jeans really punch it up!

Shoot Results:
chrisg_110109-a
The Look:
refinedrocker

Get It:

  • Jeans: Forever21
  • Tank Top: Any white tank will do, but mine is from Target
  • Sequin Tank: Forever21 (no longer available online); Alternative Sequin Tank: Forever21
  • Blazer: The one I wore at the shoot is from Discovery and not available online; Alternative Blazer: Express
  • Shoes (not shown in shoot result): Cutesygirl

Photo Credit: Christian Carlson, Hair & Makeup by Christin C



Get the Look: Biker Chic

This is part one of, what will hopefully be, a long series dedicated to getting the looks I’ve styled for my own shoots.  I’ll be concentrating mostly on wardrobe, but at times will toss in makeup as well.  I’ll be posting a shot from the actual shoot, laying out the wardrobe for you, and linking pieces that are available online (at the time of writing), or alternative pieces that can be used to create a similar look.

Look 1: Biker Chic
This look was inspired by a look I wore for Forever21 in the 2009 VOP Fashion & Rock show.  When the photographer let me know he had a motorcycle he was interested in shooting with, I knew I had to use elements from that outfit for the shoot–it was just a perfect fit.

Shoot Results:
SMALLgonzo-ag3

The Look:
bikerchic

Get It:

  • Motorcycle Jacket: Buckle (no longer available online); Alternative Jacket: Forever21
  • Tank Top: Any black tank will do, but mine is from Target
  • Skirt: Forever21 (no longer available online); Alternative Skirt: Forever21
  • Shoes: Cutesygirl (no longer available online); Alternative Shoes: Cutesygirl
  • Tights: Forever21 (no longer available online); Alternative Tights: Forever21

Photo Credits: Gonzo Photos



Recycling Bridesmaid & Prom Dresses

While planning wardrobe for an upcoming shoot, I’ve decided to take a look at yet another bridesmaid dress I have.  It’s one I’ll most certainly never wear again, so I might as well shoot in it, right?  Inspired by a designer from the VOP Fashion and Rock Show, Dawn at Brilliant Stranger, I’ve decided to not just accessorize the dress differently, but to revamp it with the help of scissors, my sewing machine, and perhaps some other fabric and lace remnants I have laying around.  This moment of “oooh, so that’s what I can do with it!” is the inspiration for today’s entry.

There comes a point in every woman’s life where her closet has a few dresses that just… don’t work anymore.  Often, it’s bridesmaid dresses, but for some lucky women, it’s prom dresses too (or even formal dresses from college).  Very rarely can they be worn again, and a lot of times it’s hard to part with something you spent hundreds of dollars on and wore once… and besides, then what would you do with those dyed-to-match pumps? ;)  

But instead of letting them sit in your closet (or worse, the bottom of your hamper) unused, why not do something with them?  If you’re a model, it’s simple to say “shoot in it!”… but not as easy to do so.  After all, most bridesmaid dresses look like bridesmaid dresses (don’t deny it, you know what I mean!).  The easiest option (and a rapily-increasing-in-popularity one) is to simply do a Trash the Dress shoot.

Having done a few Trash the Dress sessions, I find them quite a lot of fun.  Especially when the dress is one I have no emotional attachment to ;)  I’ve worn dresses where they’re not supposed to be worn (a decrepit bridge, in the lake, around heavy land-movers), and I even cut one up for a shoot, as a play on “well you can always shorten it and wear it again!”.  I’ve included a few shots of my trash the dress sessions below, because they’re quite fun!

Past simply getting in a lake, rolling in the mud, or climbing a tree in your gown, leaving it dirty, but likely cleanable and then ready to wear again donate, you can opt to literally trash it.  Rip it, cut it, burn it (though it is not recommended to do this while actually wearing it)–go crazy!  You can also make it into something different, either by refashioning it into another wardrobe piece (a new skirt or wrap, for example), or using it for part of a costume.  The options are endless!

Here are some fun ideas for bridesmaid or prom dresses.  Some involve simply reaccesorizing, whereas other ideas involve fully reinventing the dress!

Some of my Trash the Dress shoots:

robd_ttd  RACH_TTD_0026  4802e628438f7  4a84869a60c4b 

From left to right:
Rob Domaschuk, “You Can Always Cut it Short and Wear it Again” Version 3
Walter of Studio B Photography, Trash the Prom Dress
Greg Kolack, “Fearless Rachel” Out on an Unused Portion of RR Bridge
Walter of Studio B Photography, Drown the Gown



Breast Cancer Awareness Poster For Sale!

The AG3 Breast Cancer Awareness poster is finished!!

100% of the proceeds from the poster will be going to the Susan G. Komen foundation.  It’s only $15 for a 24×36″ poster!  Here’s a tiny sneak peek ;)

Check it out, and buy, here!



Obsessed

Lately I’m totally obsessed with Forever21. As someone who’s 27 and works a “real world” job where I can wear jeans, Converse and black T’s every day, most people look at me like I’m nuts when I say it.  But I love it!

They have some really unique stuff. Sure sure, Rach, but is it unique if everyone else is wearing it?  Sure is… ’cause chances are folks my age aren’t wearing it ;)   Haha!  Plus, if you accessorize a piece differently or wear it different than it was intended, then it becomes unique.

Clothes there are also really reasonably priced! You can seriously get an entire awesome outfit–shoes, accessories and all–from there for under $100 easy.  Even less if you’re really smart about it!  It’s also a great way to pick up some ultra trendy items that might only last 1 season, or clothes you’ll only be using for just one or two shoots.  You don’t have to be worried about having wasted a ton of money because you didn’t spend a ton!

They have a great blog and “Get The Look” section on their site. Both really help with styling, ideas, and keeping up with trends.  The Forever21 Blog, and the current “Get The Look” section, featuring Leather.

I also had the opportunity to walk for Forever 21 in the VOP Show on Friday. It was awesome, and my outfit was absolutely killer (I’m actually buying most of it).  Here’s what I wore:

forever21_vopshowHat: Felt Floral Cloche Hat, Forever21, $14.80
Skirt: Grace Mini Skirt, Forever21, $15.80
Silver Tank: Sequin Racerback, Forever21, $27.80
White Tank: Text Knit Banded Racer Tank, Forever21, $6.80
Jacket: Crinkled Faux Leather Jacket, Forever21, $48.80
Shoes: Cutesylicious Paddington Platform Pumps, Cutesygirl, #36.99
Outfit Total: $150.99

I’ll be buying the hat, the skirt and the silver top.  The shoes are mine, and I have a faux leather motorcycle jacket already, and a selection of white tanks.  I will likely wear the top more with jeans than the skirt, but the skirt’s just too cute to pass up!

And last but not least, you can create a wishlist! I love wishlists, because they allow me to keep track of things I’ve got an eye on (especially if I want to hold off until something goes on sale).  They also let people get an idea of my style, which is great for both the holidays and shoots. Check out my Forever21 Wishlist :)