Fairytale Romance: Easy Hairdo How-to

This week on the Wild Rose & Sparrow Blog, we've created a tutorial to show you how you can create a dreamy, fairytale hairstyle using only a few bobby pins and whatever hair adornment/fascinator you want to add the finishing touch to your look!

This updo is perfect for any formal occasion, from prom styles to even a beautiful and whimsical bridal look! It captures all of the magic of a happily-ever-after!







Take two front sections of hair and smooth them back using a brush. Then twist them around each other two or three times. You should still have a length of untwisted hair to work with.





With the remaining length, begin a fishtail braid (bring strands from both sections to the opposing section)




Bring the entire braided strand up and spin it around itself to form a bun. Pin in place.


With the remaining hair at the bottom, form a regular braid.



Bring this braid up and around the bun. Pin in place.





Add accessories like fascinators or adornments that suit your style and your wedding’s theme as a finishing touch.




Prepare to have all eyes on you!

Both fascinators used are creations from our new line of hair adornments, which are coming out soon on Etsy! To check out our current selection, see our shop section devoted to fascinators and hair adornments here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WildRoseAndSparrow?section_id=13932890





What did you think of this tutorial? Do you want more in the future? If so, what kind of style do you want us to do next?

Making Pemberley: A Behind-the-scenes Look At One Of Our Latest Creations

For the first time on our blog, we're going to offer a behind-the-scenes look at our creation process. In this article, we'll take you from our ideas and inspirations stage to where we are now with the featured creation.

Our featured item is a scarf that we've been working on for our series of scarves with literary themes, specifically for our Jane Austen line. For spring and summer, we love a crisp palette and relaxed elegance, so what better inspiration than Jane Austen's novels? Dreamy pastels and delicate details that evoke the romance and wistfulness of that era were used for each of the scarves in this collection, so for our latest scarf, entitled PEMBERLEY, we thought a creamy off-white would be perfect.

We wanted to add texture and shimmer to this scarf, so we are going to be sewing on a trail of organza petals on  both edges of PEMBERLEY.

 

The white petals add a discreet freshness and whimsicality, while the coppery ones add a hint of luxury and make the scarf stand out. With their luxurious colour, you don't even need jewelry: PEMBERLEY makes a statement on its own.

 

 

We finished cutting all of our petals, so now we only need to give them a thermal treatment for added texture and sew them onto our scarf before PEMBERLEY is ready to hit our online shelves.

 

Once PEMBERLEY is ready, you can find it along with our other literary themed scarves at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WildRoseAndSparrow?section_id=13783409

 

Did you like the new behind the scenes featured item article? Let us know in the comment box!

 

the Rose

A Paler Shade of White: introducing our latest necklace collection

This summer, we were seeking a new direction for our new collection of necklaces. We looked at the freshness of white, a cleaner palette: Marie Antoinette's style in the relaxed, bohemian simplicity of her time at her little country estate, the Petit Trianon, nautical chemises with their crisp combination of white and navy, and creamy, off-white dresses and parasols perfect for impromptu picnics in sundrenched fields. Those inspired us to make necklaces with gems that look like shards of broken ice and shorter chokers with different textures, but all in white.

This colour easily transfers from summer to fall. Here are a few ways to incorporate this cool trend into your wardrobe!

To make the look polished and chic, try a white tailored pencil dress spiced up with fuchsia or electric blue shoes. Opt for a looser, flowier cut with the same colour combinations if you want a more romantic look.

Wear only a few elements of white: a bag (canvas is the perfect textile for summer), a stack of bangled bracelets, movie star oversized sunglasses, or a cool wide-brimmed hat (achieving SPF protection and effortless chic in  one single stroke).

I know that white and black are often seen together on the fashion magazine pages, but in real life, be careful of pairing blocks of these two colours (avoid the "waitress" effect at any cost!). Opt for cool patterns or cleverly oriented stripes instead (again, don't go crazy and make yourself look like a prison escapee straight from a comic book).

https://www.etsy.com/listing/154755693/black-and-white-tote-peacock-feather



 

 How do you accessorize with white? Let us know about your favorite looks in the comments box!

 

the Rose

How to Successfully Adopt the Nautical Style

Summer is finally coming, and with it comes a fresh sea breeze. Now that the nice weather is here, fashion has started turning back to nautical style and cruisewear. Here are some of the staple styles that can help you rock the nautical look:

1. A striped-tee (usually white with navy or black stripes) is a quintessential nautical essential that can be extremely versatile. Sometimes also referred to as a "sailor tee", this shirt draws its origins from part of the uniform of the french navy, but was later adapted and adopted by the general public for its sartorial style and comfort. This casual-but-chic look even made a fan of the great Jean-Paul Gaultier, who immortalized it in his collections and in his perfume, Le Male, assuring its place at the forefront of fashion.

Worn with a scarf (preferably a light one in softer colours, like the pale blue one shown above), it can give you a Parisian chic, making you look like you've just stepped onto a quay in Paris, out for a baguette or a patisserie at a waterfront cafe.

Cinch the shirt in at the waist for a more streamlined silhouette.

The striped-tee also has associations with the labyrinthine canals and waterways of Venice, thanks to their popularity amongst gondolieri, so you know that however you choose to wear the striped tee, you are sure to look like a jetsetting, trendy globetrotter.

2. White: against a perfect cerulean sky, white seems the perfect, pristine choice. At once easy-going and elegant, posh and still pleasantly cool, this colour has been the preppy choice of yachtsmen par excellence.

You can try to break up the uniformity of all-white by adding a flamboyant touch of texture, like a spray of pale flowers on a crisp shirt.

If the thought of that much white seems daunting, then throw in  a fun element of riotous colour (like a necklace, scarf or bracelet) as a visual refreshment for the eyes.

3. Espadrilles: for a fun, beachy touch, you can never go wrong with espadrilles. Whether in neutral canvas or a crazy color or print, these sandals offer the lift of high-heels while remaining as comfortable as regular sandals, and are a perennial choice for fashionable summer shoes.

Tutorial: how to make dreamy organza straps

Shimmery, translucent, wing-like ribbons at the back of a strapless dress can add an ethereal, sylphlike touch that can make an ordinary evening gown into the showstopper of any event.

Here's how you can make this look yours:

1. Find a length of organza in a colour that complements your dress: things to look for and think about are shine, length, width of the ribbon and whether you prefer the organza to have only one colour or flicker through a range of them as you move (multi-hued organza).

2. Cut out two equal lengths of organza to serve as your straps: you can choose to leave them long, giving a dreamy look that hints at wings, or shorter for a chic, sophisticated touch.

3. Sew the two organza ribbons onto the dress at the front (onto the inner lining of the dress- sewing it on the outside only serves as a visual distraction).

4. Put it on, tie a bow with a whimsical flourish (halter top style) and enjoy!

Do you want more tutorial posts for making certain styles or trends work for you?
Let us know in the comments section!

the Rose

Great Gatsby Glamour: Flapper Chic Fashion

After watching trailers of The Great Gatsby, it's difficult to not succumb to the charm of the fluid, shimmering glamour of flapper style... so why fight it? With the irresistibly irreverent combination of youthful joie-de-vivre and awe-inspiring opulence, the 20's style is most decidedly coming to 2013!

The cloche hat is an essential to this gorgeous style. Sleek and posh, it exudes silver screen glamour. Our cloche hat, decorated with luscious crystal and intricate metalwork, can add a touch of whimsy to any outfit!

Beading is also a staple in flapper eveningwear: the more extravagant, the better! Pearl or crystal in delicate patterns, either at the ends of a dress or cascading down the back, make an elegant statement.

An outfit can never have too much sparkle, can it? The true flapper girl layers on her jewellery fearlessly, creating the perfect statement of daring style.

.As for texture, anything goes, as long as you keep to a coherent colour scheme. Try a floating, cloudlike tulle with metallic accents, or a swingy, flowing silk dress with a shock of sequins!

How to Wear Neon with Effortless Chic

It seems that everywhere you turn, neon is proclaimed to be the key to this summer's fashion trends: and yet, some of us are wondering how to integrate it into our wardrobes and still remain true to our personal style: here are my tips to wearing neon with effortless chic!

1. Balance is everything. Neon can make a visual pop, but when your outfit lacks stabilizing elements, it can overpower you. Stick to one bright colour, and pair it with neutrals. Lemon yellow can look smashing with cloud gray, and loud raspberry pink can turn luxurious with chocolate brown or black.

2. Choose one statement piece: it IS possible to have too much of a good thing. Choose one sweater/blazer, or a shirt, or purse, or shoes, even a striking lip colour! If it has a blank canvas to work with, it will do just fine. If you crowd it with too many competing colours or too many contrasting patterns, its' effect will be diluted.

3. When following trends, it is always important to stay true to your own personal taste. Adapt this trend to fit your own. If you are more discreet, small touches of this, from a more daring lip shade to nail colour to statement jewellery or handbag, can work for you! If you are the more daring sort, pick a dress or leggings or a tunic in one of these exciting shades and have only neutrals for the rest of your accessories!

Happy hunting,

the Rose