DIY - Orange Caramel Inspired Collar, How To Make Collar From a Belt

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There's been an abundance of collars in the K-pop world lately and the trend doesn't seem to be dying out any time soon. As I was leisurely re-watching Orange Caramel's Lipstick MV one afternoon I took note of their collared dresses and orange tennis outfits and how wonderfully vibrant and fun the styling was. So, I then decided that I would take some plaid fabric and the ugliest belt ever (...sorry Nan) and create a Lipstick inspired detachable collar.

Materials:

- A belt you are willing to cut up. Mine was given to me by my Nan...let's just say it's not my style.

- A small piece of fabric

- Scissors. Don't use your fabric scissors when cutting materials like the belt though, it will make them blunt

- Hook & Eye

- Sewing Machine

- Matching threads for hand stitching & sewing

- Fabric glue

- Measuring tape/ruler

Instructions:

1. Take your belt and lay it flat, trim off the buckle section and any round edges so that you are left with a straight piece of belt.
2. Place the belt strip around your neck and determine where you want your collar to end and sit. Make a mark and cut a few mm away from this mark. I cut my piece to measure 42 cm.
3. Fold your piece of fabric in half. Lay the piece of belt on the piece of fabric. Make marks 1.5cm from the edge all the way around the belt rectangle (this will become our seam allowance). Cut 1.5cm from the edge around the perimeter of the belt. Make sure you are either cutting on the fold of the fabric or are cutting two layers, we need two identical pieces. 
4. Place the two fabric piece right sides together and sew, 1.5cm from the edge, around 3 of the 4 sides. I suggest leave one of the shorter ends open, this will be easier to sew up later on.
5. Trim corner seam allowance down, this makes corners sharper. Turn the panel inside out using the gap left to do so, use the safety pin method if you are having trouble.
6. Give the piece a good iron and be sure to fold in 1.5cm of the edge left un sewn and iron too. 
7. Either blind stitch by hand or top stitch the entire perimeter to secure un sewn section. I opted to top stitch for a neater look. To top stitch, sew as close to the edge as possible around the perimeter, taking care when sewing up the gap left un sewn.
8. By now, the collar is starting to take shape. Determine which side you want to face out and lay it wrong side down on the floor. Take the hook and eye and place each on the top corner of either end. Hold them in place and do a quick check to make sure they are where they are meant to be.
9. Sew the hook & eye on to the fabric, only take the thread through the one layer in order to conceal the stitches. 
10. Once the hook & eye is sewn on you technically already have your collar made! For the finishing touch take the belt piece prepared earlier. Lay the fabric collar right side up and the belt piece wrong side up. 
11. Apply the fabric glue around the perimeter of the belt piece. Dob a few splotches of glue in the centre of the belt piece and on the corners of the fabric collar just in case as well.
12. Press the belt piece on to the collar piece, lining up the corners and edges carefully. Allow to dry for time stated on the fabric glue container. Mine was left to dry overnight.
13. Your collar is now ready to wear!

You can achieve different looks depending on what belt or fabric you use, and the possibilities are endless. I really like how the belt I used had a transparent plastic material with stripes on it, the stripes reminded me of the tennis concept in the Orange Caramel video. Choosing a sturdier and thicker belt will ensure that your collar has a bit more structure to it. 

What other K-Pop collars do you love? Let us know if you tried this DIY yourself.

- - - By Lillian

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Style Double - Lee Ha Yi's 1.2.3.4 MV

Watch 1.2.3.4 MV here: http://youtu.be/1AI7UP1iRAU 

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From humble beginnings in popular singing talent show K-pop Star, Lee Ha Yi is now hitting the big time under YG Entertainment. The sixteen-year old’s impressive debut single 1.2.3.4 is a funky pop track with broadway sass. 1.2.3.4’s fresh sound combined with Lee Ha Yi’s youthful attitude and mature vocals make this song something refreshing, contrasting itself from other chart-toppers.

While Lee Ha Yi doesn’t have a spectacular dance for this debut song, her personality and style let the song & vocals shine on their own. In this MV, Lee Ha Yi gives the same vibe as Big Bang’s T.O.P in many ways. T.O.P sometimes looks bored or disinterested, using small movements when dancing and moving his mouth minimally. Lee Ha Yi is the same in this respect. And as with T.O.P, it leaves something to the imagination. YG made a smart move by keeping dances and story lines away from 1.2.3.4, they recognized that the song itself should be the focal point.

Behind the old school sass, grungy buildings and Broadway lights, Lee Ha Yi’s fashion in 1.2.3.4 is also something fresh on the k-pop scene. Many rookies and debut artists are accused of copying the style of other artists and one of the most common comparisons made is to 2NE1. However, Lee Ha Yi’s outfits in this MV are varied and original while still staying true to the theme of the song. The outfits also seems very age appropriate (unlike *cough* Hyuna *cough* Change…).

1.2.3.4 opens with the image of Lee Ha Yi’s name and act displayed on a Broadway theatre sign, quickly establishing the theme of the MV. Before we see Lee Ha Yi herself, distressed ‘band tour’ style posters are seen on the walls of a grungy building. I’m actually quite puzzled as to why the posters are aged and torn…considering that she just debuted. Finally, Lee Ha Yi enters the scene, dressed in a light pink bustier dress, yellow/pink cheetah splotch skirt with white frill detail, a leather jacket and black patent skate shoes. 

This outfit is quite simple, minimal accessories, clever use of layering, a simple silhouette and a colour palate of pinks and black. As i said before, I really like the direction YG has taken with Lee Ha Yi in terms of concept and fashion - it's not over-the-top (like 2NE1) but it's still stylish and original. I really love the way it's hard to tell whether the bustier and skirt are joined, or whether she is wearing a crop and skirt. The simple illusion creates interest as our eye leads down to the subtle frills that contrast against the rocker leather jacket and skate shoes. 

The fusion of punk-rock with feminine frills is easy to achieve. Layering this tank top & sheer top set under this River Island polka doat peplum bustier will give you that 'is it a dress or top' look like Lee Ha Yi. For bottoms, add some more peplum with this ASOS mint peplum hem skirt and team it with these ASOS DYNAMO high top trainers to add that punk edge. Top it off with this ASOS leather look biker jacket and your chic rock look is complete.

While wearing this outfit, Lee Ha Yi walks past a sign saying "If you don't mean what you say hut the uck up!"...I'm starting to notice a lot of engrish signs emerging in k-pop. Lee Ha Yi then continues her path on the derelict & grungy scene to arrive at a barber shop where back up dancers are waiting to join her, but decide to fight (oddly sniff her hair?) first. 

The scene then quickly progresses onto what looks like rusty scaffolding of some sort and Lee Ha Yi is rocking the set in a t-shirt, denim vest, pink hair bow, layered summer dress and American print shoes with pink lace trimmed socks. I mentioned before about how I was impressed as to how age appropriate YG has styled Lee Ha Yi and this outfit demonstrates that really well. I often get annoyed when an artist is marketed in a 'sexy' or 'womanly' way when clearly that does not suit their personality, but as as the saying goes "Sex sells".
Nonetheless, this outfit also carries along that 'femme punk' look, as seen in the previous outfit. While the punk side of this look is played down in this look, the subtle touch of the vest keeps the edge and the rest of the punk 'sass' is transferred to Lee Ha Yi's fierce attitude.

Being an avid Jeffrey Campbell fan myself, the first thing I noticed about this ensemble were the shoes. The American printed shoes are actually El Carmen Platforms by Jeffrey Campbell and seem to be a variation of the popular Foxy shoe. Add some frill to the patriotic shoe by pairing them with these Lace-Trim Socks. In the way of t-shirts for this look, just about any white t-shirt will do, but this playful 'Bear' Printed Short-Sleeve Tee from Yesstyle.com is a fun addition to the outfit. To layer over the t-shirt is a fun summer dress, try this Butterfly-Print Smocked Chiffon Dress and dress up any t-shirt. For the final layer we have a denim vest, a staple wardrobe item. You could easily make one very similar to Lee Ha Yi's by buying a simple vest, or even a long sleeve denim jacket (which you could cut sleeves off), and vamp it up with some patches as seen in the MV. Or, you can still get that denim edge from this Chain-detail Distressed Denim Vest. 

Meanwhile, Lee Ha Yi has lost the bright-blue contact lens look and now appears on a rooftop (?) wearing a mint coloured playsuit , soccer socks & heeled sneakers. The outfits in this MV seem to start out as very femme-punk, and then start to decline in the 'punk' aspect of things from then on. I think this is also a smart move; the first outfit and initial scenes of 1.2.3.4 establish the strong, sassy feel of the song and once the viewer knows this, it is left up to Lee Ha Yi herself to carry this through. In this scene, the theme reminds me of cleaners, due to the orange jumpsuits that the backup dancers wear. The backdrop, however, shows various signs related to New York (...i think?) & the theatre, I don't really think that the cleaning theme goes very well with a Broadway backdrop. Similar to Ga-In's Bloom, the dance for this section of the song incorporates a chair, and while it was only a small portion of the dance I couldn't help but wonder whether this is possibly a new trend emerging in k-pop.

And now, comes the time for my absolute favourite scene of 1.2.3.4 and the outfit coincides with my strange obsession with the 60's mod look. Lee Ha Yi and her female backup dancers, step out from behind a black & white typography background dressed in a rainbow of collared dresses. The combination of collars & colours is a match made in heaven and the backup dancers wearing neon-coloured wigs is a nice touch too. While the black & white backdrop is simple, it's stark contrast to the dresses keeps the focal point where it should be - the outfits. Even though these dresses are quite short and probably not the most concealing to dance in, the outfit and scene as a whole still manage to ooze sophistication and class.

Lee Ha Yi's OUTFITS: From femme-punk to feminine.

I may not be a fan of the black star dress (that reminds me too much of a homemade Halloween costume) and the last outfit, but 1.2.3.4 is a spectacular debut song and video from Lee Ha Yi. It leaves me wanting to hear more from her, while still leaving me satisfied with the song itself.

What did you think of Lee Ha Yi's debut? Do you think her style is original?

- - - By Lillian

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Pink, Lace & All Things Creepy - Cult Party Kei

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During one of my regular afternoons trawling through the pages on TokyoFashion, one particular style caught my eye and it was on that day that I entered the wonderland that involves creams, pinks, vintage, creepy oddities and lots & lots of lace, all rolled into one subculture that is possibly my favourite Japanese style yet.

Cult party kei sounds like a strange name for a subculture, but as you may have noted, it shares a common ground to other Japanese subcultures such as fairy kei, dolly kei, mori kei, etc, through the word kei. The word kei is Japanese for 'way' and is usually used in relation to aesthetics, hence its use in these recent fashion phenomenons. 

The subculture branched from the store called Cult Party (opened early 2010) that sells vintage finds, resale clothing, handmade goods and other oddities. The store was originally located in Koenji, Tokyo but has recently relocated to Harajuku and has since changed the store name to The Virgin Mary. The names Cult Party and The Virgin Mary appropriately suggest an influence from ideas and phenomena that have a cult following, these are often reflected in the accessories and main subject of a cult party kei outfit.

A couple of girls wearing cult party kei outfits.

A standard cult party kei outfit consists of shades of cream, pink, pastel blues and yellows, while bolder colours such as red are left to the shoes or accessories. Fabrics used tend to be lightweight, earthy and sometimes sheer, e.g. cotton, chiffon, soft tulle and light knits. Ginghams, tartans & chunky knits of the pastel variety are also often incorporated and used to create texture and dimension.

Accessories and body decoration are usually bold and chunky, but tend to make a statement or borderline on creepy. Badges with slogans, religious crosses, dolls/doll parts are common in cult party. Most accessories of a religious influence are used in a ‘kitsch’ way, rather than one true to the actual religious meaning. Accessories are used subtly in cult party kei and are used mainly to accentuate the features of an ,otherwise monochromatic, outfit making the decoration item a focal point while also adding to the overall aesthetic appeal. Many of these decoration items are handmade and also add originality and a personal connection to the outfit. Often, the decoration item may be unique to the Japanese culture, e.g. a Japanese flag print or brooch, or a kimono sleeve on a blouse. Accessories and decoration in cult party kei allow the individual to express part of their culture, interests or beliefs in a subtle way.

One of the most common vintage items used in cult party kei is the nightgown, reminiscent of those popular in the 1950s. Peignoirs and lace slips are often the focal point of a cult party kei outfit; they are used to give body and subtle flair.

Knits & fur used in cult party kei.

Layering and volume are used in almost all cult party outfits, many garments are used in a unique way, e.g. wearing dresses backwards, multiple shirts or showing only one part of a garment.

Due to cult party kei's diverse nature, the range of influences is wide, extensive and constantly growing. However there are a few main influences that have shaped the basis of what cult party kei is today.

Unlike Lolita, cult party kei focuses less on brands and uniformity and more of the layering and assembly of garments, often vintage, to create an outfit. It is also very distressed and battered in its overall look, in contrast to the clean appeal of lolita. Cult party kei can be said to be similar to other Japanese subcultures, such as:

-         Mori Girl: A style based on organic and natural clothing and colours, the idea being to ‘dress like a girl from the forest’. The colours are similar to cult party kei, with cult party kei leaning more towards pinks and creams than mori girl. Fabrics and accessories in cult party kei also differ from mori as they do not usually give an 'organic' feel.

-         Dolly Kei: Usually consists of maroons and earthy colours. The outfit’s antique feel is similar to cult party kei, while the colours are very different. Many dispute that dolly kei and cult party kei are too much alike to be classified separately, but the ideas and colours behind each style contrast vastly.
-         Fairy Kei: A ‘bubbly’ style, most similar to Lolita, but reminiscent of cult party kei through the involvement of handmade or vintage goods. Fairy kei involves a playful feel that is more girly and youthful than cult party kei. Cult party kei tends to be more subtle than fairy kei.

The traditional okobo shoe and the modern rockinghorse shoe.

Japanese culture is often a source of influence on cult party kei; it is incorporated in a modern way, while also retaining traditional elements. Shoes in cult party kei outfits are generally of the flat form variety or rocking-horse shoes. Rocking horse shoes are reminiscent of the traditional Japanese sandals called okobo.

Vintage clothing has also made a big influence on the subculture of cult party kei. The most common cult party kei items, peignoirs, lace slips, nightgowns and blouses, are usually all vintage or vintage remakes. Vintage items are increasingly being used as accessories as well, with the detachable collar being very popular in cult party outfits. 

Many people who are interested in Japanese fashion but have yet to find the perfect subculture to match them turn to cult party kei and it's flexible, quirky and stylish nature. Would you try out this style? Or do you prefer other Japanese fashions?

- - - By Lillian

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