|
Forums >
Hair, Makeup & Styling >
A little styling advice, please...
If ya'll don't mind, I need a little advice from an experienced stylist  I've been planning out a couple of new portfolio shoots - two fashion concepts I want to include in my book before heading out to agencies and local editors but have to secure the clothes first. I'm on a really, really tight budget, but need some fancy dresses for one of the shoots, not like a wedding dress but something with a flowing skirt (not your typical "little black dress," but something much fancier). Could be a top and a long skirt. And I need some vintage style for the other idea. I haven't decided exactly what, but I want to give it a neo-1940s look (does that even make sense? lol). This will go along with some creative makeup from my makeup artist. Someone mentioned hitting the thrift shops, but do you have other ideas in mind? I thought of eBay, but what size to get? I'm looking for girls 5' 7" and up for both concepts. Thanks for any tips that could get me going in the right direction. Feb 21 06 10:11 am Link Gabriel wrote: Try thrift stores for period pieces. Size isn't a issue if you know how to pin the clothing properly. If you are using agency models or models that are agency materal get sizes 2-4. Also try your local department stores. The dresses of today are reflections of the past. I'm sure you'll find something that catches your eye. Feb 21 06 02:53 pm Link well thrift stores are great you just have to be willing to sort through bins you can always buy and take it back , just find out what their return policy is .Feb 21 06 05:25 pm Link You can create the illusion of a beautiful gown by draping fabric on the body. You can ask the models to bring an evening piece. Look also so local designers who make the kind of clothing that you want to shoot. They always need pictures. If you unable to do any of those, keep the dress simple. Your glam can come for the accessories that you use including hair and make up. I hope that helps. Good Luck, Lauren Feb 21 06 05:33 pm Link Thanks! Your replies help out a lot. I'm gonna feel a little funny rummaging through girls' clothing at the thrift store, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do, lol. I suppose a local designer will want to see my current portfolio, maybe I'll just print what I have in 5x7 to show around (I'm waiting to print the bigger size when I have the whole thing ready again). Thanks again. Looks like I have models, and will be confirming a location this weekend, so all I need is the clothing. Feb 21 06 06:40 pm Link You could possibly try Ebay. I found a lot of great dresses on there, and most were less than 20 dollars..Good Luck! **My bad..You mentioned Ebay. But as far as sizes go, some of the boutiques that sell on Ebay are quite specific on the measurements of the dresses. Maybe measure your models and then order the dresses. I've been lucky so far with all the ones I've received. They all fit! Again, Good Luck.. Feb 21 06 06:42 pm Link Deadly Design Make-up wrote: Besides being tacky and unethical this is illeagal in most states......It is considered to be a form of fraud...... Feb 21 06 07:17 pm Link benson wrote: I didn't know thrift stores had return policies, really... either way, I'm planning on buying to keep. Or sometimes, I let the model keep the clothes if they fit her well and she likes them. Last time I did a swimwear shoot, I had to buy some pieces and let the model keep all of them. Of course, swimwear and undergraments are a different story altogether.. Feb 21 06 07:49 pm Link Angie_P wrote: Thanks, Angie. At the very least, eBay should give me a better idea of what I want as one of the shoots is still not totally planned out. Feb 21 06 07:53 pm Link benson wrote: ahh well i live in Canada and we have better return policys i guess i personally hate the whole buy it and retun it later.I have worked in retail 4 ever. But if your on a tight budget and you need something for like 3 hrs whats the harm, you can retun things if they dont match your shoes at home or your mom hates it ect ect Feb 21 06 08:08 pm Link One creative idea would be to offer a designer or student designer a materials budget after an initial consultation and paint loose conceptual boundaries as a guide for the collaborative fashion experiment. Allow the designer the artistic freedom to draft sketches and a first pattern, select fashion fabrics and construction technique and be flexible with the time frame allowing for completion during workshop and studio down-time. After the project wraps, accommodate for return shipping or delivery and leave the designer or design student the responsibility of dry cleaning and storage after use, or exchange on shipping depending on the use of garment since it will be important to not let the dress or wardrobe sit with invisible perspiration in a garment bag. After being used for a photo shoot the garment value will be decreased to nearly half of its completed retail offering and can be used for either additional photography or placed into storage for future creative use. The materials are inexpensive when weighted against the skilled architectural labor, machinery and pending downtime. Feb 21 06 10:14 pm Link A separate and additional option, though artistically obvious would be to find a friend with an affinity for the 1940âs and the construction of edgy period wardrobe and collaborate on a photo shoot during the weekend or a vacation interim. Both concepts, the designer with a 1940âs attraction and offering materials in exchange for use of the garment would be two potential methods of sourcing an original design for a fun fashion experiment. Feb 21 06 10:19 pm Link On a final note, 5'7" should provide an average center back length for a designer who works primarily in standard size 6 in misses sizes, an industry and competitive standard that would be potentially tempting for a designer searching for materials and inspiration for a Gen Art or Project Runway competition or competitive circuit submission. Feb 21 06 10:23 pm Link Thanks for all your suggestions, Dave. That's certainly a more fun way to do it. The only drawback would be time - I want to get these shoots done as it's all I'm waiting for to start pushing my book. Let me see if I can scare up some designers and students, though, I really like the idea. I guess I should just ask the models what sizes they wear, huh? The two I have been talking to are 6' and 5' 10", I think. I don't know if 2-4 would be the right size. I found something perfect on eBay but they only had it in 10 and up, I'll have to keep looking. Feb 22 06 11:43 am Link A solid idea for sizing issues is to create standard sized garments and select models that fit the wardrobe, for Gen Art, it's a standard size 6, in my workshop it's a 6/8 and in the world of garment fabrication it starts at size 6 with a fitting form and fit model, corrected at size 12 on an industry standard form and grading and marker making is based off of the size 6 and 12 prototypes and drafted within a computer system. Feb 25 06 01:06 am Link Thank you, Dave. Starting from scratch with a student sounds like a fantastic approach,and I think I will try that soon too. I really want to get these two shoots off the ground first, though, and wouldn't want to hurry the process with a student. Thankfully, I managed to get a very generous offer from an experienced stylist that I've worked with before, and she will be helping me on these shoots. Feb 25 06 06:34 pm Link Just a reply from what Dave the Design Student last said. If you are looking to do a fashion shoot, fashion models are a totally different size and shape than "fit models". As previously said, by my fellow fashion stylist, most fashion models will be 2-4, and taller than a "fit model". If you go the route Dave has suggested the dresses can be pinned, clamped and manuevered to fit the slimmer fashion model, if you do it right- but you really have to watch out on the height, you don't want an accidental empire waistline. Maybe you should look for a stylist who is interested in testing, or pay one. A lot goes into this... more than people think. Mar 07 06 01:56 am Link I wouldn't worry TOO much about the size of the garments. The length is more important than the size in this context, as the garments can be clipped in if they need to be more form fitting in the waist, and etc, but length can't be faked. Also remember that vintage pieces can be re-sold and you can re-coup your money. One thing you might do is to go to a vintage clothing store to see what they might have, show them your portfolio and then see if they would be willing to let you borrow the garments. Offer to put down a deposit, prints of the pictures for thier own use, a strict timeline for thier return or whatever will get them to do it. Mar 07 06 02:48 am Link |
