clothing – everydaysparks

Faux Fashion

Posted on May 1, 2013April 28, 2013 by Cate

Another fab.com find today – this time, one for the fashionistas. Well, not quite. They’re clothes, sure, but they’re a little bit different and most certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Faux Real make ‘photorealistic apparel’. Uh huh. According to their website, Faux Real shirts are for people who ‘want to stand out from the everyday fashion crowd’. When a normal t-shirt just doesn’t cut it anymore, you might need to upgrade to a Faux Real ‘outfit’ t-shirt instead. I can’t really tell you any more, I need to show you some of the pics from the website for you to see for yourself…

Look out, little ladies. It's the Faux Real 70's vest for toddlers. — Look out, little ladies. It’s the Faux Real 70’s vest for toddlers.

From the bassinet to the boardroom, this Faux Real romper suit shows that your baby means business. — From the bassinet to the boardroom, this romper suit shows that your baby means business.

Surely every man needs a faux bacon suit. Surely.

And here's the 'Beauty Queen' shirt for the ladies. BYO kooky glasses. — And here’s the ‘Beauty Queen’ shirt for the ladies. BYO kooky glasses.

But this one really baffles me - a faux camping shirt. Should be perfect for the Camino. — But this one really baffles me – a faux camping shirt. I’m getting one for the Camino.

You can check out these and other very quirky shirts at the Faux Real website here.

Sparky gifts

Willing Andable

Posted on August 1, 2012July 31, 2012 by Cate

Launched in Sydney earlier this month, Andable is a new online marketplace to buy and sell unique products. But that’s not all. Their motto is: When you buy, we share – and they donate 10% of each purchase price to help fund a Kiva micro loan. (If you’re not familiar with Kiva’s ‘loans that change lives’, you can check out their website here.) But that’s not all. The Andable site uses a classification system – FRESH – for sellers to mark their products as Fair Trade (or better business practises); Reborn (recycled, upcycled, found objects); Eco-friendly; Supports local business; and/or Handmade. And they sell some cool stuff – from art to clothing to beauty products to accessories to homewares to baby toys.

If you or someone you know has a sweet tooth, but is trying to kick the sugar habit, this might be just the thing – the Strawberry ‘n’ Cream Pendant by Minnette. Handmade in Adelaide, Australia, Minnette’s range also includes jelly babies, raspberries and milk bottles. Just make sure that everyone understands that they’re not real – they’re resin.

Still on the sweet theme, Sophie Farquhar of Bed Toppings in Byron Bay makes amazing sheet sets for kids (little and big). Apparently, Sophie created her range in response to the boring and predictable bed linens that were available in most stores. As a child, Sophie dreamt of sleeping on a giant piece of toast with tin spaghetti doona and buttered sheets. I love this chocolate block sheet set – very Willy Wonka.

And in keeping with the FRESH principles, Marlandia doesn’t sell ordinary footwear – these items have been made in Brazil, from recycled materials, by local women in the slums (favela). Teaching women sewing skills and empowering them to make a living from their craft, this is an inspiring business model. And these shoes will help you to run like a cheetah. (I just made that bit up – it’s not actually specified in the product blurb.)

So, although it’s early days for this new online venture, I have high hopes for Andable. As someone who is always on the lookout for different and interesting gifts, these are made even better by the focus on FRESH and the support of microfinance projects through Kiva. Win-win. Or, as that wise manager Jerry Maguire once said: Help me help you. You can check out the range of gifts at the new Andable site here.

Dress to impress

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Cate

There are times when a normal dress just won’t cut it. When you want to stand out from the crowd and need an outfit that tells a story. Or, in the case of these frocks, an outfit that yells LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.

Take this dress, recently featured on Design Taxi. It’s made out of 50,000 gummy bears and apparently takes the strength of three adults to move it. By the looks of her, that model wouldn’t be much help with moving the gown – in fact, she should probably sneak a few rows of bears from around the hem line.

Or perhaps this bread suit from Lux Fashion Style would be just the ticket to make a strong impression in your workplace. As long as your workplace isn’t somewhere with a lot of hungry birds flying around. And please exercise caution if you sit very close to someone who is gluten intolerant. Or on the Atkins diet.

Speaking of carbs, here’s a pretty delicious frock featured on the Delish site – it’s made of spaghetti, set off with a dazzling necklace of meatballs. Perfect for a dinner party or night out on the town.

And not to forget the boys – here’s another outfit featured on Lux Fashion Style. The top looks as though someone threw a compost bin on the poor model, but the waffle pants are fashion gold. Practicality doesn’t matter a jot when you look this good.

You can check out the gummy bear dress on Design Taxi here. And the Lux Fashion Style post is here. And the edible outfits from Delish are here. EverydaySparks takes no responsibility for any accidents or incidents or broken relationships caused by you getting inspired and creating your own culinary couture. I’m planning a three-course outfit: a layered lasagne dress with a little bruschetta jacket, accessorised with some tiramisu shoes. What about you?

Fashion Sparks, Sparks in the wild

The Cat in the Hat(s)

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Cate

A while back, I reported on the interesting range of knitted hats for pug dogs, available from an etsy shop (the post is here, if you missed it). The photos made me laugh, mostly because of the expressions on the poor dog model’s little face. I think he felt embarrassed, but soldiered on like a true professional. I now think I have found his feline equivalent – modelling for the etsy shop To Scarborough Fair. Here are some of the highlights…

This Native American inspired costume features a wig made of yarn, traditional headband and a real feather. Attached with a “comfortable elastic cord”, this costume is sure to impress even the coolest cats in the neighbourhood. And perhaps it will encourage a dialogue on the history of the Native American people (and cats) and promote a deeper understanding of their culture. Or perhaps it will just look totally awesome, and that will be enough.

Or you might like this artistic and slightly mysterious looking cat beret. For the sophisti-cat who enjoys a cafe au lait and croissant every now and again, whilst reading sad poetry and staring longingly into the distance. Ooh la la.

If your cat is more of a rule-following, early-rising, bossy-boots control freak, this Marine Captain hat might be just the ticket. Lesser cats (and possibly humans) will fall into line under the command of Cap’n Cat – just look at the expression of the cat in the photo: she means business. Aye aye, kitty.

And for the final image, I couldn’t decide between the Halloween themed witch’s hat or the beautiful spring hat. So here they are – whether your cat needs a scary costume for a party (or to stand up to that neighbourhood bullying dog) or a pretty spring hat to wear to the races or a garden party, this etsy shop will have a cap that fits.

If you now realise your cat is underdressed and needs to step it up a notch in the fashion stakes, or if you just want to look at more funny pictures of cats in hats, then you should definitely check out To Scarborough Fair here.

Arty sparks, Fashion Sparks, Food sparks

Just add sprinkles

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Cate

I am not embarrassed to say that I like sprinkles. I am not sure of the chemical process involved, but somehow, adding brightly coloured bits of sugar to your ice cream, cake, cappucino froth, or even just a piece of bread and butter turns it from ho-hum into an exciting party.

Which is why I was so pleased to find these sprinkle covered heels on etsy. Made by the clever people at MerloDesigns in the USA, these sweet shoes will liven up any outfit. But you probably shouldn’t wear them out on the town in the rain, just to be on the safe side. Although apparently, “the candy is 100% real, but 100% inedible! That’s right, these little guys have been glued and sealed to keep ants, mice, and other curious critters off your toes!” See, pretty and practical! You can check them out here.

Or there’s this fabulous rainbow resin bangle made by Nicola Williams in the UK – available from her etsy shop Made By Daisy here. Handmade to order, this beauty would make a great gift for any lass – although it will probably prove endlessly frustrating to hungry toddlers.

For summertime fun, you might like this 100s and 1000s giant inflatable Havaianas thong. Once you’ve blown it up, it’s 1.65m long and 65cm wide. Apparently it comes with a matching carry case. Surely it’s gotta be worth buying a pair, if only to scare other people at the beach or pool into thinking there are giants around. They are available at the Havaianas website.

Or for a slightly different take on art, here’s a piece by Joel Brochu – a recreation of a photograph of a dog getting washed. A recreation MADE OF SPRINKLES. Yep, for a Fine Arts project at university, Joel used jewellery tweezers to place each of the 221,184 sprinkles to form the image. Incredible. You can read more about this amazing artwork at My Modern Met.