Lana

Halloween Denim Sales

Halloween Denim Sales

Halloween Denim Sales

I can’t believe it was already a year ago that I dressed as a “sexy” Mad Hatter for an impromptu Halloween party at the house of a coworker, and then another one again the weekend after for a company party…that was definitely one of my favorite ones. I often laugh at the influx of “sexy” costumes out there, but inside, I’ll admit it’s just good plain fun. This month I already had two parties, and I think I’m already pretty partied out…both of them were Halloween-themed DJ gigs, both at which I dressed as dark as I could, in a black corset with lots of metal hardware, a spiked collar, a garter belt, black fuzzy Spirit-Hoods-style half hood, stockings and stripper heels…with the intention of being a bat. However, the wings just weren’t working, so I resorted to a hellcat, thanks in part to the first party being a Heaven & Hell theme. I DJed on the Hell stage, which was my choosing, spinning some ultra dark and sexy techno (bwahaha). This is definitely my favorite part of the year! Whatever you choose to do this party weekend, here are a few sales I found in my inbox from some of my favorite denim brands (I’m actually surprised I haven’t seen more) just in case you figured you’d squeeze in some shopping as well. I’m keeping this brief as I doubt many will be by their computers this weekend…so with that said, be safe, and have loads of FUN! Happy Halloween! Mrowr….

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Lana

Curvy Leggings by Jennifer Hudson and New York & Company

Curvy Leggings by Jennifer Hudson and New York & Company

If you have a curvier figure like mine, you know how tough it can be to find jeans that fit correctly. I’m more curvy in the athletic sense, but it is still a challenge sometimes! Fortunately, with all the stretchier fabric blends on the market that are meant to mold to a larger variety of body shapes, it has been easier lately…it wasn’t long ago that I had to wear a belt with every jean I owned. It wasn’t until I started reviewing for Denimology and seeing all the new innovative styles out that I started to hang up my belt collection! Still though, for those of us who have a smaller waist in proportion to our hips, that annoying back gap is still prevalent, often causing jeans to slide down throughout the day. Several brands have answered the call more than I’ve seen before, aside from some of the solutions that already existed on the market including 7 For All Mankind’s Kimmie cut, J Brand’s Lovestory or Joe’s Honey. It seems if you’re a celebrity, you can’t go too far without having some kind of signature collection with a well-established brand, and there’s already been several collaborations with supermodels and premium denim brands. As fun and awesome as that is to see, how much does that encourage those of us with a bit more BOOM? Jennifer Hudson, though, known for her ample curves, has collaborated with denim brand New York & Company, creating her own tripe threat of the brand’s Soho High Waist Legging Jeans. These babies look fabulous! I used to hate high waisted styles but over the years I’ve been awakened…after trying my hand at Fitcode a few months ago and trying out the Citizens of Humanity Rocket in Manic, I saw the light. Those are amazing on their own and definitely a favorite in my collection, but I’ve gained a new interest to see what else is out there to accommodate more body shapes.

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Lana

Tailorless Denim at 7 For All Mankind

Tailorless Denim at 7 For All Mankind

I think most of us can share the frustration of looking for the perfect pair of jeans especially when it comes to inseam…very few brands offer inseam length choices and most of the top premium brands only offer numbers best suited for the supermodel-tall among us. Some who are serious about investing into a long term pair of jeans don’t mind taking a pair to the tailor, or learning how to take care of it themselves (which is what I’ve done with a few pairs). Some styles work just fine without being tailored…for example, cuffing a too-long pair of skinnies or intending to wear your tallest heels with your sky high flares. One of the reasons why I prefer skinny jeans is that length is never an issue. However, with jeans that have more of a tapering shape, like flares and bootcuts, this can raise a concern…cutting off major inches at the cuff on a flare can often leave it looking rather…not-so-flare like. 7 For All Mankind has finally addressed this issue by offering several of its wider-leg styles in a separate, shorter-inseam collection called Tailorless. With the usual standard length being 34″ to 36″, the Tailorless collection features eight styles with a 32″ inseam.

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Lana

Uniquely Genuinely Bohemian Pieces by ZhenNymph

Uniquely Genuinely Bohemian Pieces by ZhenNymph

Image: ZhenNymph

Uniquely Genuinely Bohemian Pieces by ZhenNymph

This is one of those beautiful brands that I should have included in my “Independent Designers for Festival Attire or Alternative Style” post awhile back, as it definitely deserves a mention! I re-discovered ZhenNymph recently and recognized some of the pieces from the Etsy shop! There are so many big brands out there pushing the ultra popular bohemian look, and even though I don’t want to be hating on Free People (believe me, I’m not! I wish I could buy everything there so I always fear walking into their stores!), but sometimes the look starts to feel a little played out and redundant. Festival season is when it really shines…but the true free spirits let no event or season limit them. ZhenNymph was created by Henn a.k.a. “Zhenn”, who began making her own clothing in 2007 and selling them on her travels around Europe and Asia. The brand took off, and I’d say it gives most other bohemian brands a serious run for the money! You can tell she puts so much love into her work, with these amazing designs that are beautiful and yet still say so much. I love how so many of them can definitely be worn at festivals, but many of the pieces have more of a couture look (without the couture price), that anyone could wear on a day to day basis. Zhenn practices meditation at meditation retreats and you can definitely see her peaceful spirit through her work, and she also offers wholesale to anyone who owns a shop and wants to carry her works of art. This is one of those times I wish I did, and could!

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Lana

American Eagle Outfitters Releases Denim X Café

American Eagle Outfitters Releases Denim X Café

Image: AEO

American Eagle Outfitters Releases Denim X Café

There’s always been a lot of buzz in the denim world about how often you should wash your jeans…hardcore fans who wear nothing but raw denim might say never, along with Levi Strauss & Co. CEO, Chip Bergh who has water conservation and sustainability in mind. The general idea though is that washing less reduces breakdown in high quality denim. I personally have so many pairs from doing reviews that I don’t really need to as I circulate through them, but when the time comes, it’s a cold cycle and hang dry (as grossed out as you might be about not washing them in the first place, the dryer is DEFINITELY not the greatest idea, especially for stretch denim). Several brands have come out with ideas of self-deodorizing jeans (which I wanted to write about sometime here), but American Eagle Outfitters found a ridiculously unique way of doing so, and added these jeans to the already-successful Denim X line. Denim X Café, along with Denim Flex Café for men, are the new collections of jeans infused with recycled coffee grounds that are meant to absorb odors and keep you from needing to wash your jeans so often.

Helen Kang, American Eagle’s senior director of design, told Refinery29 that “The coffee grounds work to absorb odors and are fast-drying, which results in odor control.” In addition, these grounds help protect wearers against UV rays. Kang also told Refinery29, “The coffee grounds have microscopic pores that reflect UV rays, thereby providing UV protection.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is why I love denim. Once you think you’ve seen or heard it all, you realize quickly that you haven’t.

The Denim X Café line consists of six styles so far: two jeggings, two high rise jeggings, the popular Skinny Kick cut and the looser-fitting Tomgirl. Check out all the styles below:

American Eagle Outfitters Releases Denim X Café - Jegging in Demitasse Indigo

Images: AEO

I’m totally digging the Denim X Café Hi Rise Jegging in Doppio Destroy! It’s already adorned with such a pretty fade and distressing in all the right places…I’ll have to keep an eye on this one.

Shop the AEO Denim X Café line here.

Don’t forget the men’s! See the Denim Flex Café line here.

Read the Refinery29 article that turned me on to this concept here, which includes a lot of fun information on the lucky celebrities that got to help promote this new line before launch.

Lana

Support Living Beyond Breast Cancer with FIGI Jeans

Support Living Beyond Breast Cancer with FIGI Jeans - Existence Jeans

Images: FIGI Jeans. Existence Slim Fit Skinny Jeans. 40% of proceeds goes toward Living Beyond Breast Cancer

Support Living Beyond Breast Cancer with FIGI Jeans

I don’t always revisit brands, but there was a great reason to this time! A few days ago I posted a list of some brands supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but I knew I wouldn’t be close to including every brand that I’d like to. Last year I reviewed a super comfy pair of classic black skinny jeans from American-Made denim brand FIGI Jeans (see post here). However, the post didn’t exactly highlight the artistry that makes up the brand, nor did it foreshadow that FIGI would also be participating in the charitable cause this month! It’s always exciting to see jeans and art merging together (as if denim wasn’t an art from on its own…). I also wrote about the hand-painted awesomeness of Dragonfly by J. Claire awhile ago along with a few reviews (see all here), and although beautiful, painted jeans are few and far between in the market. When they pop up it’s definitely a treat! FIGI jeans are actually based off contemporary artist John Rossi, which, in FIGI‘s words, “show the full scale of human emotions from angst to hope.” His work is made up of a lot of mixed media, which also grabs my attention, as I love artists who think outside the box and don’t limit themselves! All of these beautiful jeans from FIGI are droolworthy…but I wanted to highlight one that is extra special this month…the Existence Slim Fit Skinny Jeans, seen above and below. Forty percent of every purchase this month goes to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, an organization dedicated to provide programs and services to help people whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer, through education, support and community. These beautiful pink shades and pattern on this jean are also perfect for Fall and would look amazing under boots, and also almost resemble a pink galaxy print! All jeans are laser printed on high quality, super soft stretch twill, with a 56% Cotton/42% Tencel/2% Spandex fabric blend.

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Lana

7 For All Mankind Slim Illusion Skinny in Icy Black 2 Review

7 For All Mankind Slim Illusion Skinny in Icy Black 2 Review - Front View 2

7 For All Mankind Slim Illusion Skinny in Icy Black 2 Review

It’s pretty awesome nowadays to watch all of the amazing technology that denim companies are coming up with to combat the ages-old woes of jeans losing their fit and sagging after just a few wears, and to address the primary concern that most women have when looking for the perfect pair: the ability to lift, tuck, and show off your assets. I’ve reviewed many impressive pairs through the years with Denimology, but I’m excited to bring one to Decadent Dissonance from the one and only 7 For All Mankind! The brand’s Slim Illusion line has been out for awhile now, featuring a wide range of bootcuts and skinnies in several washes with an ultra flattering fabric blend. I always like darker skinnies as they often are a bit more flattering than the lighter alternatives, so I went with a gorgeous, faded black skinny with perfectly placed knee rips to try out this innovative collection. So read on for my review on the 7 For All Mankind Slim Illusion Skinny in Icy Black 2!

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Lana

Building Hope with Sole Hope

Building Hope with Sole Hope

Image: Soul Hope

Building Hope with Sole Hope

Is it just me or is there a huge influx of charitable brands popping up everywhere lately? I absolutely LOVE it and I am so happy to do my best to get the word out there! When we think of charities, there are the obvious ones…cancer, AIDs, PTSD, ending hunger, etc…but there are so many others that don’t seem to gain as much awareness as they should. I’m so happy to see organizations coming out to address these issues, and I am extremely happy to introduce Sole Hope! Created by founders Drü and Asher Collie, Sole Hope works to provide shelter, food, education, medical assistance and shoes to children in Uganda to end the epidemic of jiggers. Jiggers are parasites that lay eggs in bare feet, which leads to horrible infections, paralysis or even amputation once those eggs hatch. In order to make these shoes, Sole Hope takes donations of many kinds, including old denim, plastic bottles, any shoes, or monetary donations. Sole Hope encourages anyone to host collection parties through schools, churches, or any other civic-minded group, or even shoe cutting parties (packets are available on their website) to cut the materials needed for Ugandans to sew the shoes, also creating jobs to help care for their families and create pride for their skills within their communities! How amazing is this? In addition, Sole Hope offers internship opportunities, the ability to sign up for recurring donations every month, opportunities for Sole Hope speakers to attend your event or function, donations through Amazon, an opportunity to become an advocate, and many more ways to get involved.

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Lana

Changing The World with Angela Roi Handbags

Changing The World with Angela Roi Handbags

Image: Angela Roi

Changing The World with Angela Roi Handbags

I am just so stoked to see how many fashion brands have emerged over the last few years with a sole mission to give back…I’m not sure if I’m only noticing them because I’m actively keeping my eyes out for such subjects to blog about, but I’ve also had a passion for a long time about the idea and I certainly do not remember seeing so many before! When I first started my blog, I obviously aimed for a base subject of denim, and wasn’t sure really how I’d focus my other interests, and it’s been fun to see everything fall into place with seeing so many ethical brands popping out of the woodwork and fueling my desire to help get the word out. Angela Roi is the most recent one I’ve discovered, which was during the never-ending hunt for the next perfect, no-frills, quality, classic handbag (no matter how many you might or might not already own). Angela Roi was created by two brilliant minds, Angela and Roi. Both met while at a cocktail party in Boston when they were college students, and quickly discovered their common ground with fashion and philanthropic dreams. Angela was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, and left her Political Science college path in 2012 to pursue her passion of creating affordable, quality handbags. She is the main founder of Angela Roi, and came up with the “Donate by Color” concept. Roi, the co-founder, was born and raised in South Korea and studied entrepreneurship at Boston University. He is inspired by his father’s mantra of “The most important thing in life is health.”

Angela Roi bags come in a variety of brilliant colors, each color standing for a certain charity and cause. The brand states, “We believe that businesses can use their resources to positively impact the greater community. So, we’ve decided to donate a portion of each handbag sale to certain non-profit organizations that support prevalent health issues. We’ve specifically linked different causes to our various handbag colors, because we feel that color adds life and beauty to the world around us. For example, colon cancer awareness is traditionally linked with the color blue — when customers purchase a blue handbag, we’ll donate five percent to the Colon Cancer Alliance.” All bags are also vegan, made with super durable fabric and PVC, and topped with 14k gold hardware. Each bag ranges between $60 and $150, and shipping and returns are free! How could you possibly go wrong here?

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Lana

Decadent Dissonance on Facebook

Decadent Dissonance on Facebook

Decadent Dissonance on Facebook

So I’m keeping today’s post short because I’ll be out for the weekend with the hubby (going to LA for a concert and to celebrate our four-year wedding anniversary yay!) and I still need to prep, which is perfect because I was trying to find a way to sneak in a notice that…I’m finally on Facebook! It just didn’t seem appropriate for a post topic initially. I already have a personal Facebook page, but I didn’t want to link it to this because I keep it closed off for only those I know. I figured it was about time, even though Instagram is where it’s at nowadays…but at least now my blog’s social media presence is pretty much complete.

It was pretty odd getting it started up after I’ve been running this blog for two years, because the first obvious question is…where do I start? There was no way I was going to try to catch up for two years time, so I just uploaded images from Denimology reviews and personal outfit posts and figured I’d work from there. So don’t mind any messes you might see…it’s still being perfected, and like this blog did when I first began, everything falls together with time.

So if you’re on Facebook and have been looking for me or would like to follow my posts, “Like” me right here!

While we’re at it, if you don’t yet follow me on Instagram, you can do that here…and Twitter, here!