PROJECT STYLE 2012 FINAL COMPETITION

Outfit One: Thrifted Blazer / Urban Outfitters Tunic / Hollister Jeans / Shoe Dazzle Heels

Outfit Two: New York & Company Blazer / American Eagle Mesh Sweater & Skinny Jeans / My Best Friend's Closet

Last week I competed in the final round of a fashion competition called Project Style, hosted by Project Runway. Essentially the way the contest worked is that out of all of the submissions, two semi-finalists were chosen over 4 months for 4 rounds. For each round the semi-finalists were given $150.00 to purchase an outfit which was posted online accompanied by photos and a video. After a two week voting period, the semi-finalist with the most votes in that round won. The four semi-finalists that one their respective rounds, plus a wild card contestant, then moved on to this final competition. We were introduced on stage in our street clothes, then given $200.00 and one hour to put together a new outfit. Then a panel of four judges chose the winner, which was Richard Smith, the guy in the middle.

I had an absolute blast competing in this competition, and getting free clothes! I expected there to be a lot of cattiness between contestants but everyone was so nice and the final event was so much fun, I couldn't wipe the big smile I had glued to my face the entire event. I had my entire family and some awesome friends (shout-out to Arianna and Evann!) come out to support me too which really made the whole night great, I'm so grateful for the awesome support system I have.

Now let's talk about clothes. The first outfit was my street clothes. My friend Irena picked out the jacket while we were browsing a sale in the parking lot of a Synagogue. The striped tunic is my sister's, it's actually a dress but she's so tiny that it's a tunic on me! The pants are from Hollister, go ahead and judge me for shopping there but they fit fantastically! And the shoes I bought online, they're hard to walk in because the ankle strap totally constricts movement but I've been wearing them often so I can conquer them!

The second outfit was what I bought in an hour with $200.00. Let's be real, the mall I had to shop in sucks and has hardly any stores that sell clothes that are my taste (this is what I had to work with). I'm a big fan of GAP, but at the time of this competition they were in the midst of their summer end clearance so their selection was shit. The blazer cost me half of my budget at $109.00 but it was so worth it. It's fitted and it has leather sleeves, what a beauty! I knew I wanted jeans from Amerian Eagle because their jeans have such a complete fit, I have a huge ass but smaller waist so my jeans always gap at the top, but somehow AE has figured out the secret to jeans that fit weird bodies, and bonus, these jeans were on sale! I found the shoes at My Best Friend's Closet for only $13.00, they're so easy to walk in and the loose buckles make them so subtly edgy!

Oh, I also tried on some dark purple lipstick at Ulta and I fell in love with it! Dark lipstick shades are definitely at the top of my must-have list now!

We had to give a little speech describing our outfit and I still remember the basics of what I said since I practiced it so many times backstage! I did my homework before I went into this competition so I could speak confidently about Fall trends and my personal style. Bascially, here is the speech I gave:

Harpar's Bazaar stated Fall's top trend is Ladylike Fashion, and with the upcoming Presidential election on our minds, a sophisticated and tailored wardrobe is definitely going to be popular this season. A black blazer  is a wardrobe essential, so I started off my look with a blazer from New York & Company. What I favored about this particular jacket is that it has leather sleeves so it adds some edge to a polished look. One component of fashion that I think is often overlooked is fabric, which is why I chose a mesh sweater to add some texture to the outfit and play off the leather material in the sleeves of the blazer. One of my favorite style tricks is dressing monochromatically, it's an easy way to look effortlessly chic. I know the old rule is no white after Labor Day, but with winter whites showing up in collections like Derek Lam, Calvin Klein, The Row, Alexander Wang... it proves that rule is meant to be broken this season. I chose a pair of heels for my outfit to carry on the sophisticated theme, but I opted for this black pair with big buckles to add a tough contrast. 

I'm so lucky to have been able to be a part of this competition. Thank you so so so so much to everyone who voted for me and supported me, I can't even begin to express what it meant to me!