[bow down before her meowjesty]
Honestly I have no idea why I am so obsessed with AI generated cats wearing fashionable clothes. I do know that there are infinite wonderful and practical uses for the technology, but you'll have a hard time convincing me that AI fashion cats aren't the best use!
When a Fashion AI challenge was announced on a parametric theme, I knew I had to put together an entry, as the ispiration images were absolutely incredible. Fotor AI did not disappoint, and created some stunning results! I honestly can't pick a favorite!
]]>[please turn your attention to the center ring]
I have a secret.
Don't get me wrong - I use AI to generate cats wearing ridiculous outfits because I find it fun and entertaining... but I also have an ulterior motive. It's also part of my social media growth strategy!
This set of AI cats wearing cabaret-inspired ringmaster costumes was created as part of a Fashion AI challenge on a circus theme. Following a weekly prompt, these competitions are a great source of inspiration. And as an added bonus, participation is a great way to organically grow my social media channels!
[this fellow looks quite full of bravado!]
As a part of each week's competition, all of the entries are posted to the Fashion AI Instagram and LinkedIn. That means that every week that I participate, I get social media shoutouts from accounts with a targeted following of people who might also enjoy my other content.
The participation-for-shoutouts method is kind of a growth hack. Like all organic growth, it can be slow, but since the traffic it brings comes from a niche account it's more likely to bring in new and engaged followers than more general traffic. I can tell you for certain that it works, since I've been participating in various challenges and events of this type off and on for many years. (In fact, that is how I initially started growing my Snapchat following, before they improved user discovery on the platform!
[there are some things you can't unsee no matter how hard you try]
As always, my favorite part of this project was the fails - some of them were truly haunted! If you want to see the best of the worst results, become a Bonus Content subscriber for access to the fails from all of the AI experiments I post!
I'm delighted with the batch of good results I got. These are some very dapper looking kitties!
]]>Since I had so much fun with the last batch, it's time for another batch of AI-generated anime makeovers! Fotor gives me plenty of free credits to use in their AI image generator and I can't think of a better way to use them than to keep turning my digital fashion photos into anime characters. (This is not an ad - I genuinely love Fotor and appreciate their 2 free credits per day because AI image generation can get expensive!)
These are images from both past and future blog posts about digital fashion, run through an AI-powered website to give them an anime style. Some of them definitely turned out better than others... Here are all the best ones I managed to pull together!
Wanna see the fails? As usual, they are on the Bonus Content blog. Become a Bonus Content subscriber to see just how badly some of the attempts went wrong!
]]>[all the world's a catwalk]
In honor of the first print magazine ever about digital fashion, Glitch Magazine and ZERO10 teamed up for a challenge! They asked creators to make content using digital garments from a particular category in the ZERO10 app. Since that's something I regularly do anyway, of course I had to hop in with some entries!
[original photo | Asylum #001 by Tania Viegas | Circus lab by Julie Circus]
The guidelines for the challenge were very loose, so I challenged myself to create entries using one of my favorite techniques and combine multiple pieces into a complete, cohesive digital outfit.
[original photo | Cosmic Blossom Cascade hoodie (by meeeee!) | AR_ANGEL_VENUS by Lucii]
Of course I had to include one of my hoodies from the recent ZERO10 customization challenge. (I'm still very excited that they gave their community an opportunity to design digital garments without needing any 3D modeling experience, and I look forward to future challenges like this!)
[original photo | Sirin by Lenushka_3D | Ukrainian Wings by VSD Couture]
None of my entries were selected as a finalist in the challenge but I still had a lot of fun putting together these looks! Check out the ZERO10 app to try these looks yourself!
]]>[I think I'm gonna need a bigger watering can...]
One of my perennial favorite digital garments on DRESSX is the Hope dress by Anna Tsvell. It was actually the first Metalook I ever ordered when I initially discovered DRESSX, and I was recently inspired to revisit it. Since this look is only ONE DOLLAR, I can style it over and over without busting my budget!
Javo, the manager of the official DRESSX Discord server, suggested water conservation as the inspiration for a look. That sparked an idea, and I ran with it! I've been wanting to work more props into my Metalook photos. Combined with carefully selected digital fashion and photo locations or backgrounds, you can really create a character or a narrative with these photos!
[favorite Amazon leggings (affiliate)]
You might recognize my original Metalook of this dress because it's been my profile picture on most platforms for a long time now! I styled it with a pair of blue leggings because there is a tiny touch of blue on the front of the dress, and edited the resulting image in Canva to add clouds and angel wings.
[what's with all my pics having a post-apocalyptic vibe lately?]
The new image was edited in Canva as well, but this time I did the edits before I submitted my photo to DRESSX rather than editing it afterward. I stuck with the same blue leggings for styling because they tie in nicely with my blue watering can.
I'm extremely happy with how all of the elements came together to tell a story!
]]>[now that's what I call a cool cat! | generated by Craiyon]
I recently joined several Discord servers related to digital fashion, including one called Fashion AI that hosts themed challenges for creating AI fashion. I've already been playing around with AI fashion for a while now so if course I had to join, with my usual twist... my models are always CATS!
The themes for this challenge were pixel art and activewear, and that led me down a road toward 80s track suits. Here are the 50 best ones I generated with Craiyon! The first 10 in the gallery were my official submission to the challenge.
[uhhhh, not entirely sure what happened here... | generated by Craiyon]
There were also a lottt of fails, as always! Subscribe to my Bonus Content for access to a gallery of over 150 fails, ranging from slightly wonky to nightmare-inducing!
But first, please enjoy the non-fails:
]]>[dress: Everly via Glik's (affiliate) | leggings: Maurice's | sunnies: Zenni (affiliate) | necklace: vintage]
A new nature preserve opened near where we live a few days ago called the Thomas Township Nature Center and Preserve, so of course we had to go check it out. One thing we definitely weren't expecting was a massive field of sunflowers right in the middle of the place!
The sunflowers are at their peak and we aren't sure how much longer they'll be fully in bloom - some are starting to go to seed already! - so that prompted me to hurry up and get back there in an appropriate outfit to do a little photo shoot. We put together a picnic, grabbed a tripod, and headed out on a little adventure. The light wasn't the most ideal with the direction of the sun versus where the flowers were facing (morning would be better), and the weather was definitely a little too warm for a sweater dress, but I got a few shots that I really love!
I hope they plant sunflowers here again next year, so I can get to them earlier and more often for lots of future photo shoots!
]]>[ready for a playdate at the end of the world]
This photo has been formulating in my mind for a long time, and I am so glad that it finally all came together! The backdrop, the jumpsuit, the digital jacket... it's all just *chef kiss*! There's a lot to talk about here and I've been very excited to share it all!
[this was the first digital garment I ever added to my favorites on DRESSX]
Let's start at the top and talk about this fabulous jacket! It's the Cropped Puffy Jacket by Balmlabs, and it was the first digital garment I ever added to my favorites on DRESSX. But it's a bit of a peculiar garment, so it needed to be paired with just the right outfit and photographed in just the right location. It's so unique and for a long time I wasn't sure how I was going to do it justice!
[definitely one of my best thrift shop finds of all time]
This is definitely one of my best thrift shop finds ever! Usually I don't got for jumpsuits, but this was on the $1 rack at one of my favorite thrift shops so I felt compelled to try it on, and it fit perfectly so of course I couldn't pass it up! It's originally from Anthro so I knew it wasn't cheap; I later found the same jumpsuit on Poshmark new with the original tags, and it retailed for $158. I scored bigtime!
[the unique vibe here was just *begging* for a photo shoot]
Once upon a time, there was a school at one of the churches in my neighborhood. I'm not sure what year the school closed but it's definitely been a while now judging by the size of a tree that's grown up through the middle of what has become a literal jungle gym! The whole place has a very post-apocalyptic yet playful vibe.
[mad max meets sesame street?]
I've been wanting to do a fashion shoot at this location for over a year but wasn't sure how I was going to maximize the unique feel it has. Once I imagined all of these elements together I knew I'd found the right combination. Putting it all together was a long time in the making but I think the final results were well worth the wait!
]]>[living on the edge and maybe leaning juuuust a little]
Lately I have been obsessed with collecting vintage sewing patterns from thrift shops and matching them up with thrifted fabrics (often also vintage). Letting the availability of supplies at the thrift shop has led me to making some interesting things that I definitely wouldn't have done shopping a fully stocked craft store - but I mean that in the best possible way!
[let's hop in a fashion time machine!]
This shirt pattern from 1982 was super simple - even working slowly, I managed to complete the entire project in just a couple of hours. The construction consists of just two pieces, a front and back panel, with just a few seams and easy hems.
[my favorite colors so obvi I had to get these]
When I consulted my collection of thrifted fabrics, I thought the shirt would look cool in some nice ribbed knit that I picked up in two coordinating colors for $1 each. There wasn't quite enough of either to do the entire shirt in one color, so I decided to make it color blocked and do the front and back panels in different colors!
[it goes nicely with my favorite glasses from Zenni (affiliate)]
This is a great example of a design decision that I made out of necessity to use the materials I've gathered from thrift shops that I wouldn't have made under other circumstances... but I love how it turned out!
I predict that this piece will get a TON of wear in my day-to-day wardrobe!
]]>[the purplest digital sweatshirt in all the digital land!]
When ZERO10 announced their hoodie customization challenge, I knew I had to enter since I have wanted to create my own digital fashion for a long time! They allowed two entries per person so after I got done submitting my first digital hoodie, I got right to work on creating a second one!
The Lavender Dreams hoodie really is the hoodie of my dreams... and it has a fun surprise on the back side! You can wear both of my digital hoodie designs for free on the ZERO10 app.
[don't forget to save it so you can wear it digitally for all eternity!]
Look for my hoodies under the "Customization Challenge" collection in the app. These designs will only be listed for a limited time, so make sure you also hit the save button on each individual item to add it to your digital wardrobe. If you save it, you can keep using it forever, even after the collection is gone from the app!
If you create any content using either of my hoodie designs, I would love to see! Please be sure to share them on my Discord - you might also get featured here on the website!
]]>[ZERO10 out here making my digital fashion dreams come true!]
For as long as I've been obsessed with digital fashion, I have also wanted to design my own garments. But there is one problem: I don't know how to create 3D files! So when ZERO10 gave me the opportunity to design a digital hoodie without any 3D modeling skills, of course I jumped at it!
Introducing the Cosmic Blossom Cascade digital hoodie! It features watercolor flowers on a galaxy-inspired watercolor background, including some fun details on the hood. If this was a physical hoodie I would definitely want it in my closet!
This is the first of two hoodies I designed for the ZERO10 Customization Challenge. Be sure to check out my other digital hoodie as well! You can wear both hoodies for free in the ZERO10 app, but they'll only be there for a limited time.
[be sure to save it to your wardrobe so you can keep using it forever and ever and ever]
Look for my hoodies under the "Customization Challenge" collection. Be sure to hit the save button at the top of the page for each individual hoodie - this will add them to your wardrobe and you will be able to use them forever, even after the collection disappears from the app!
If you take any photos or videos using this digital hoodie, I would love to see them! Please hop over to my Discord server and find the channel for submitting your ZERO10 digital fashion pics. You might also get featured here on my website!
]]>[I know I say this every time, but it's my new favorite!]
Of all the satisfying DIYs I've ever done, I think DIY fashion is what I find to be the most fulfilling! Not only do you get to step back and say, I MADE THAT! - you also get to keep showing it off to the world over and over again every time you wear it. And there is no more personal style than a garment that was made just for YOU!
[i'm a big fan of easy projects]
This sewing pattern is one of the first one I bought when I started learning to sew. I chose it because it seemed pretty straightforward, with no zippers or buttons to worry about.
It sat in my pattern collection for a little while before I found the perfect fabric to pair with it: a chunk of gorgeous heathered purple jersey that I picked up for $2 at my favorite thrift shop! Since there was less than a yard, laying out the pattern pieces was a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, but I had juuuust enough fabric to make it work! (Which also gave me no margin of error sinceI couldn't re-cut any of the pieces, eep!)
I used the pattern for D/E, but slightly different. Both of these variations are the same construction but with different embellishments. I decided it didn't need any additional elements at all and went without!
[having a full-circle moment in front of the fabric rack at the thrift shop]
I'm totally in love with how it turned out! I decided to wear the finished tank top to the thrift shop where I bought the fabric and shoot a couple of photos. It was a fun full circle moment! Plus all of the ladies who work at the thrift shop were excited to see what I made, since by now they have gotten to know who I am and have sold me many piles of fabrics and trims!
In fact, I get the fabric for most of my projects here, including the strawberry tank top that I made recently!
[this book seemed kinda meh but the colors on the cover were fab]
I wish you all could feel this textile! It feels like an athleticwear fabric, sturdy yet soft and possibly with a bit of spandex mixed in. It has the feel of a very expensive fabric - originally it definitely would have cost way more than $2!
My sewing skills are slowly but surely improving! Just need to keep moving forward and making more, more, more... Soooo I'm off to go dig through my patterns and fabrics to figure out what is next!
]]>[if Marie Antoinette had been a cat, she might have looked something like this]
There are a lot of amazing uses for artificial intelligence - for better or worse, it really is going to change the world! But despite all of its practical applications, my favorite uses for AI remain the silly ones... like dressing cats in clothes!
After I finished my first experiment with AI cat fashion a few months ago, the Craiyon AI image generator added a new feature to "upscale" and create better quality images. Of course I had to try it out!
This time around I decided to dress the AI cats in one of my favorite historical styles: Rococo! In the mid-1700s when this style emerged, it was very different from the more serious styles of the time, so it was looked down upon my many as frivolous, silly, and even vulgar. (Which is much like what people say about the fashion styles that I prefer today!)
[well, you tried...]
Generating the images I wanted was easier said than done, though. No matter how many different ways I tried to tell the AI that I didn't want humans, it mostly gave me ladies with vaguely feline features rather than actual, distinguishable cats. The generator creates 9 images at a time and most of the times I requested new images, it only gave me one or two cats out of the bunch.
AI image generation takes time, especially when you are using free tools, so it took me literally hours to collect my goal of over 50 rococo cat pics. So I really hope you enjoy them!
[become a Bonus Content subscriber to see the cuteness and horror of the fails]
I also collected 20 of my favorite fails, ranging from cute to bizarre to downright nightmare inducing. (Why is there a woman with a furry face on her boob???) This best-of-the-worst collection is available exclusively for Bonus Content subscribers, so if you want to see them (plus lotssss more fun stuff), become one of my Purplest People and unlock all of the benefits!
And without further ado, I present you with a collection of AI generated rococo cats:
]]>[I'm a magical being]
This was a very quick digital fashion edit but I absolutely love how it turned out! First I started out in the DRESSX AR camera, where I added the IPSA Aqua Water Pierce ear cuffs. I love how they look like they are made out of water, and the shape reminds me of elf ears!
[it took just a few taps to turn myself into this fun character]
Then I took it into Facetune so that I could use the AI clothing changer to make my outfit match the earrings. It felt like it still needed a little something else so I also added a twinkly background and changed my hair color.
The whole thing only took a few minutes to create, bit it makes a big impact!
What do you think? Have you tried any digital fashion apps yet?
]]>[my Wisteria Mistress Metalook from DRESSX reimagined as an anime character]
Many of my digital fashion photos are like turning myself and Adam into different characters. So what happens if I take that idea a step farther?
I had some credits to use with the Fotor AI image generator, and decided to use them to reimagine some of my favorite digital fashion looks as anime characters!
[Adam's Forest Warrior look via DRESSX and ZERO10 turned into an anime character]
It took a couple of tries to get all the settings just right, balancing how much of each image was taken from the original photos against how much the AI was allowed to fill in. Once I got it dialed in, the results were excellent!
[my Space Girl look via ZERO10 tweaked by ai to become an anime character]
I'm really happy with how these turned out! This would be a fun way to make a new profile picture. What do you think? Should I try this with more different photos, or maybe with different artwork styles besides anime?
]]>[he's so sparklyyyyyyy!]
And now for something a little different... tonight I added a little bit of AI to my photo editing process! Digital fashion comes in many forms, and it was a fun experiment to mix augmented reality with artificial intelligence for this look.
[augmented reality sunglasses via DRESSX | AI-generated shirt (and other edits) via Facetune]
I started out by taking a picture of Adam with the DRESSX camera wearing the Olympia Glasses by Nik Gundersen. After saving the photo, I opened it in Facetune to add a little filtering, since it was kind of dusky when I took the original photo and I wanted to make the colors pop a little more.
I also wanted to play with Facetune's AI clothing changer. The feature lets you change what fabric your clothes are made from! I tried many different materials for his shirt, and decided I liked the sliver sparkles the best. (Which also inspired me to add some sparkles to the background!)
I can definitely see myself using AI to change more garments in the future!
What do you think? Have you tried any digital fashion apps yet?
]]>[behold the mighty forest warrior]
Lately I have been doing a lot more digital fashion edits that incorporate garments and accessories from multiple apps. It is so much fun to style these pieces together, and it makes me look at my digital wardrobe in a whole new light!
In the process, Adam is unwittingly becoming a digital fashion influencer in his own right. He's an excellent model, and so many of the items I see on my favorite apps are a great fit for his style, which is very different from mine!
Here is how I created this digital look for him (for free!), so you can recreate it yourself or use the process as inspiration for your own digital outfits!
[digital garments and accessories via DRESSX and ZERO10]
1. In the DRESSX app, use the AR camera to take a photo wearing the Forgotten Crown by Nik Gundersen. Save the photo to your camera roll.
Tip: Simple poses work best when adding garments to photos in the ZERO10 app, so keep that in mind when you take your initial shot!
[layer the garments onto the photo one at a time to achieve the final look]
2. Open the ZERO10 app and find the bodysuit-like garment called Interconnected by Hana x Fern. This item makes a nice layer in this combination to tie together the underlying physical garments! Add this garment to the photo you took in the DRESSX app, and save the resulting image to your camera roll.
3. Find the Copped Armor by 19G in ZERO10. Add the armor to the photo you saved from the previous step, then save again!
[sometimes a little color tweak makes a big difference]
You could stop at this point and call it done. But I felt like it needed one more little tweak to really put it over the top!
I felt like the silver armor was a little bit *too* silver, and needed a bit of a color adjustment in order to tie it together better with the colors of the crown. So I added a little bit of a sepia filter on the photo to warm up the metal and make everything look more cohesive.
What do you think of the finished look? Please let me know if you try this process, I would love to see your results!
What do you think? Have you tried any digital fashion apps yet?
]]>[combining items from my ZERO10 wardrobe into a single look]
Every time I go out taking photos for an OOTD or a DRESSX Metalook, I always take some extra pics. That way not only do I have pics for what I need in the present moment, I also have plenty of fodder for additional projects and experiments! So when I did my photoshoot for the DRESSX Wisteria Mistress look, I ended up with a bunch of extras that were perfect for ZERO10 as well.
If you are new to digital fashion, ZERO10 is a great place to start because most of their digital fashion is completely free to use, both with their AR camera as well as applied to photos from your camera roll. (Which is my favorite feature of the app!)
[first attempt: almost there but not quite]
At first I added a couple of my favorite ZERO10 digital garments to the photo with the original background. While the lush, green backdrop was perfect for a woodland fairy look, it didn't quite give the right vibes for more of a space warrior kind of look. It needed more edits!
[second attempt: muchhhhh better]
I took the original image into Canva, where I removed the original background and replaced it with something a little more futuristic. I also played around with the colors of the photo, just to take it that extra step over the top. Then I went back to ZERO10 and dressed up with the digital garments again.
While it was just a quick edit, I'm really happy with how it came out, and glad that I persisted with the additional edits that really made the final photo pop!
What do you think? Have you tried any digital fashion apps yet?
]]>[Wisteria Mistress by DRESSX]
A few months ago the folks at DRESSX were looking to talk to users of the app, so I signed up for an interview because I thought it would be fun to give my input. It went great, and at the end of the interview to thank me for my time, they sent me a coupon code for a free Metalook!
You know how I roll, so of course when I went to pick my look I sorted the list with the most expensive first, and used the code on something that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford! The look I picked is called Wisteria Mistress and it is part of a series of Met Gala inspired looks.
[giving strong woodland fairy vibes]
The look is one that I've loved since I first saw it and never thought I would be able to afford. Normally priced at $90, it would have otherwise been way out of my budget. Thank you DRESSX!
I had to make sure my midriff was clear for the cutout in the dress, so I tucked my shirt into my bra to make it as cropped as possible and rolled down the waistband of my leggings to make them ride lower on my hips. I also made sure to coordinate the colors I wore underneath with the digital outfit, so anywhere it might peek out, like at the neckline or ankles, wouldn't look out of place. The photo location was also carefully considered, because I wanted to look like a woodland fairy in the final photo!
I'm really happy with how it turned out, and hope to one day find a way to digitally wear more of the amazing outfits from this Met Gala collection!
]]>[fashion fit for a trip to mars]
Not only can digital fashion give you an unlimited wardrobe that takes up zero closet space, you can also treat it as another layer in your photo editing process. Using a service like DRESSX to change your outfit in a photo can be the inspiration to lead you in some fun directions!
[digital sweatshirt via DRESSX]
For this Metalook (which costs only $1 on the DRESSX website), I submitted a photo from a recent OOTD photo shoot. This particular photo was ideal for adding a digital top because it's close-fitting and minimal; just like layering physical garments, the base layer must fit properly underneath the top layer!
The digital sweatshirt features a photo of a SpaceX launch. I'm not an Elon Musk fan (RIP Twitter), but I do love space. Once upon a time I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up! However it turns out that being an astronaut involves a lot of math, the realization of which was the end of that dream. Math is definitely *not* my thing!
[put your digital fashion photos over the top with a little extra editing]
Anyway, after my Metalook photo order was delivered, I decided that I also wanted to change the background to make it more space-y! I used Canva's background remover tool to swap out the brick wall for a planetary backdrop instead.
Voilà, it's now a work of digital art!
]]>[Seashore by Manasi X Fern | Circus Lab by Julie Circus | Celestial by Th5adows]
Finding the right photo to work with each of ZERO10's garments can take a few tries, but it's so worth it. (Especially since the app is free to use!) These are a few of the best pics that I came up with. You may have seen me post some of these digital garments before, and likely will see them again, since I save all of my favorites to my wardrobe on ZERO10! They introduce new pieces weekly and I always check to save all the ones that fit my personal style.
If you've never tried digital fashion before, ZERO10 is an easy place to start!
]]>[honestly I'll take any excuse to accessorize!]
DRESSX recently launched a new feed feature in their app where users can share their digital fashion photos. And of course you know I jumped right on it! I've been anticipating this feature for a while; back in January I sat down for a user experience interview with someone from the DRESSX team and when they mentioned that a user feed was in development, I got very excited!
So of course I have been taking every possible opportunity to add digital garments and accessories to my photos. Like this one!
[becoming a DRESSX power user one feed photo at a time]
I didn't originally plan to order any Metalook photos of this outfit with the bucket hat, but this shot just turned out so perfect for it. And since this is one of the items that cost just ONE DOLLAR as a Metalook, I couldn't resist! (Tip: order this item via the website, rather than the app, in order to get the $1 pricing!)
I love the gravity-defying hearts that float at the sides of this hat. Many of my favorite digital garments are ones that defy the rules to create pieces that would be impossible in the physical world!
As I continue to jump-start my feed on the app, I have a feeling there will be a lot more budget Metalooks on the way!
]]>[easy breezy is how I roll on hot days]
Have you ever bought a shirt that you didn't have the right undergarment for? That happens to me from time to time, like when I got a lacy yellow tank top from a thrift shop. For only $2 I couldn't turn it down, even if I couldn't wear it right away!
Well, "not right away" was correct! I'm not exaggerating when I say that it hung in my closet for yearssss waiting its turn to be worn! For all that time I have kept it in mind, waiting for just the right piece to pair with it. It's basically see-thru, so a coordinating layer underneath is a must.
[skirt: (thrifted) | tube top: Forever 21 via Burlington | tank top: LA Hearts (thrifted) | shoes: Nine West (thrifted) | necklace: vintage (thrifted) | sunnies (not pictured): Zenni Optical (affiliate)]
Then on a recent trip to Burlington, I stumbled across a tube top on a clearance rack that was perfect! And, coincidentally, it was also $2. Maybe that was a sign! So of course I had to grab it.
I'm so glad I can finally wear this tank! It's super breezy and perfect for hot and sticky weather like we've been having lately. I wore my newly-paired tops with another of my breezy summer favorites, a full-length white cotton eyelet lace skirt. Also thrifted!
[it's the perfect outfit for summer!]
To finish everything off and pull it together, I added a vintage flower necklace and some cute flats... which, unsurprisingly, were also thrift shop finds. Are you sensing a theme here??
[getting some extra mileage out of this photo shoot!]
I also took some photos with just the tube top, which I plan to use later for adding digital garments. Close-fitting, minimal clothing works best for DRESSX Metalook photos and other digital try-ons, so these pics will be perfect to go with a digital top!
Stay tuned...
(Psssst! Wanna see more of this outfit? Bonus Content subscribers get all 40 pics from this photo shoot!)
]]>[why limit your looks to just one digital fashion app?]
Unless you are ferociously loyal to a particular brand or retailer, chances are when you put together an outfit of physical garments, the components were most likely procured from a variety of sources. So it only makes sense that one would do the same with digital fashion!
I scroll regularly through the catalogs of my favorite digital fashion apps to get inspired, and a couple of recent drops on DRESSX and ZERO10 jumped out at me as a great pairing. So I did the thing! Using my husband Adam as a model, I took a photo that passed through multiple apps to produce a fun final result.
Here is what my process looked like:
[hat/mask: Hustler Shadow Catcher by Avølve via DRESSX | shirt: Spirit of Freedom by Daria Kurtulmus via ZERO10 | special effects via Canva]
I started out in the DRESSX AR camera to add the hat/mask combo, taking a photo of my husband in A-pose. This may look silly at first, but there were a couple of reasons behind posing in this manner!
The first reason for the pose was fitting of the second digital garment, a shirt, in the ZERO10 app. The application of their digital garments is more accurate with simple poses; since A-pose is one of the standard poses used in the process of creating the 3D model of the digital garment, it tends to also get some of the best results when applying the garment to a body!
The pose was also a part of the final vision for the character I created! Using Canva I added some special effects, like glowing red eyes and lightning bolts shooting from his palms. The particular Canva elements I used here do require a pro account, however they offer other similar elements for free, and there are also some great free effects apps out there!
Seeing the final photo with all of the elements together, the pose makes a lot more sense. He's not just Adam, he is Adam the Summoner!
What do you think? Have you tried any digital fashion apps yet?
]]>[livin' the hug life]
Typically when I style a digital fashion look, I take a fresh photo specifically for wearing a particular digital garment or accessory. But sometimes, I have photos on hand already that work just as well!
You may recognize this outfit that I wore for the 4th of July. As I was flipping through the DRESSX app and thinking about my next Metalook, the thought crossed my mind that the primary colors of the "Hug Life" bucket hat by Mira Makati would pair nicely with my bright blue lace dress.
[Mira Makati Hug Life Bucket Hat via DRESSX]
I love the vibes this hat is giving! It's the type of fun, silly accessory that I would actually own, and pairing it with the dress is an unexpected twist.
This particular hat doesn't appear to be on the DRESSX website, so you can only wear it via the app. The AR version is free, but you'll need a paid subscription to the app in order to do a Metalook with it.
Don't have the spare cash for a subscription? You can still enjoy lots of awesome digital fashion options! DRESSX also offers a selection of items with Metalooks for as little as $1, like the Matrix Ear Cuff. Or check out the ZERO10 app, which offers an AR-based photo dressing service with a wide variety of looks available for free!
]]>[nothing feels better to wear than clothes you made yourself]
Do you ever feel like inanimate objects are calling out to you? I get that with fabric a lot. Like the day that I walked into my favorite thrift shop and saw a roll of yellow gauze fabric with a strawberry print. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it!
[omg they're fuzzyyyyy!]
And then I got closer. Could it be??
I reached out to touch it and confirmed... yes, the strawberries are FLOCKED and fuzzy!
It was less than a yard of fabric, but it was extra-wide, so I knew I would have enough to do *something* with it. I just wasn't sure what yet, so I brought it home and tucked it in my stash.
[Butterick Classics 6113 vintage sewing pattern, 1988]
A couple of months later, I was hanging out with the sewing club I joined, and one of the ladies who works at the sewing shop where we meet was cleaning out a bunch of random stuff. I came home with a whole pile of odds and ends, including a few uncut vintage sewing patterns. When I matched the patterns to fabrics in my stash, I realized that I would have *just* enough of the strawberry fabric to make a tank top!
[the finished product!]
The pattern is from 1988, and all of the pieces have a loose and breezy fit that was popular at the time. The loose fit also means that the pattern can be made using fabrics that don't stretch, without the need to add zippers or buttons. Which makes it super fast, easy, and versatile! (I predict more garments from this pattern in my future!)
]]>[Matrix Ear Cuff Metalook via DRESSX, background via Canva]
I'm a huge fan of DRESSX, but their looks can be a little pricey - many are out of my current budget! Luckily, they also have a selection of inexpensive looks for as little as $1. These budget items are a great way to dip a toe into digital fashion if you're new to the idea and want to check it out!
I'll be working my way through styling all of the $1 digital garments and accessories that they offer, starting with the Matrix Ear Cuff. There are a lot of different ways you could style this futuristic ear jewelry, but for me it was clearly begging for a bit of a Mad Max twist. But Rhonda-style, of course!
[see-thru tank top of unknown and thrifted origins]
The Max Max inspiration led me to this weird, shreddy-looking tank top. It's been in my closet for eons, thrifted because it was interesting and probably about $2, and then tucked away. But I haven't ever actually worn it before! It's definitely a layering piece - since the webbing of holes covers the entire shirt, it's kinda inappropriate on its own... which has also made it strangely intimidating!
I think it's actually athletic wear, but to me this kind of garment just screams post-apocalyptic-future. I'm not sure of the brand because it came to me with the tag cut out!
[world's comfiest bra: Coobie]
I wanted something bright with good contrast underneath, so I paired it with my hot pink Coobie bra (affiliate). I've owned a lot of these bras and they are my favorite. They're super comfy and come in a ton of colors and different styles, made to look great peeking out from other garments - usually at the neckline, but in this case it peeks all over!
[futuristic floating lens sunglasses via Goggles4u]
To tie it all together I also wore my most futuristic sunglasses, with what I think they described as "floating" lenses. I got them a long time ago from a site called Goggles4U because I had a really good coupon code, and I have a hard time resisting cheap prescription glasses.
[Metalook before and after | Matrix Ear Cuff via DRESSX]
Important tip: if you want to try this yourself for $1, make sure you order through the DRESSX website rather than the app. The $1 deals are exclusively on the website!
]]>[oops, I accidentally dressed up for the holiday]
I wasn't planning on putting together an outfit for the 4th of July this year. I really don't have much patriotic apparel in my wardrobe so I hadn't give it much consideration. And then I found a pair of patriotic socks on clearance sale for 70% off at Joann so I basically *had* to put something together!
[lace dress: city studio | jersey dress: gillian & o'malley | leggings: Amazon (affiliate) | knee socks: Joann | shoes: Converse | purse: rosetti | glasses: Zenni (affiliate) | necklace: Dollar Tree]
Honestly, I just kinda dove into my closet and started pulling out things that matched the colors in the socks. I had no idea where I was going to end up, but it came together pretty well in the end!
The majority of the outfit came from thrift shops - the lace dress, shoes, and purse are all recent thrifting acquisitions, and the jersey dress was free at a clothing swap. And the necklace is a DIY project I made yearsss ago with a multi-pack of cheap bead necklaces from Dollar Tree! (Should I recreate the project for a blog post tutorial??)
[wheeeeeeee!]
I've been playing around a lot lately with layering dresses. Dresses over shirts, shirts over dressees, dresses paired with skirts... It's such a fun way to mix up wardrobe pieces for new and unexpected looks!
For this combo I wore the jersey dress as an undergarment. I love how just a bit of the red peeks out since the jersey dress is just slightly longer. Also the skirt of the lace dress is fuller than the skirt of the jersey dress, so when I spin the red layer shows up as a fun surprise!
[sock it to me]
Considering that I own so little clothing that fits the patriotic theme, I feel like it came together really well!
]]>[my first clothing swap, June 2023]
So I gathered up a few things that I found myself not wearing much anymore - some things I had bought to wear at an old office job, and a couple things that just didn't quite fit right - and headed out. I told myself that I wasn't going to come home with any more pieces than I brought, but I was totally unprepared for just how much stuff would be available, and how much of it would be really awesome!
[the five items I brought to the clothing swap, laid out and waiting for new homes]
As a first-timer not knowing what to expect, it was a little bit overwhelming. There were just soooooo many garments! Men's, women's, children, and infants. Formal and casual. Everything you could imagine from head to toe, including a wide variety of accessories. I even spotted a few things that were brand new with their tags still attached!
A couple of my friends were also there, and Madison kept on slipping things into my bag that she insisted I needed, so I ended up coming home with eight items. So much for bringing home less than I took with me, oops!
[it didn't take me long to fill my bag right back up]
Some of the things I grabbed I've been wearing as-is, but there were also some items I brought home with a plan to update or modify. Because free clothes are perfect for DIY projects!
Here is a look at what I brought home with me from my first clothing swap. As I style or rework each one, I'll update this post so you can see how everything turned out!
[yes, I coordinate my pajamas like I would any other outfit | sweater: h&m]
The first item I picked up was a long, lightweight pink cardigan. I've been wearing this one a LOT! It's a nice weight for days when I feel slightly chilled by the breeze but it's too warm out for most long-sleeve garments. (I get cold really easily!)
I've discovered that it can also be worn tied at the waist. I have no idea if this was an intentional feature of the design, but it's my favorite way to wear it!
[does being young at heart qualify me to wear clothes for kiddos? | shirt: wonder nation]
Another item I have found myself wearing frequently is this adorable shirt covered in hearts. The colors are very "me" and it's incredibly comfy!
It's actually a girls size XL but it fits me perfectly. I've found there is often overlap between the bottom end of women's sizing and the top end of girls sizes, and since the kid-sized clothing tends to be cuter and more fun than the adult-sized stuff, I never rule out finding something in that section!
[you can never have too many good layering pieces! | both dresses: gillian & o'malley]
Among the items Madison slipped into my bag were a pair of jersey slip dresses, one red and the other a salmon-ish pink. I've been doing a lot of layering with dresses lately, so that's my master plan for both of these items.
[she's got potential | dress: dana buchman]
Another of Madison's contributions to my bag was a chartreuse silk dress. It's vintage 80s (there are snaps in the shoulders where it originally had removable shoulder pads) and the overall condition is good except for a couple of small flaws. I have plans for this one... stay tuned!
[is it PSL season yet? | dress: shein]
Madison's final contribution to my pile was a brownish orange sweater dress that just SCREAMS "pumpkin spice latte". It's a large that fits like a medium, and I took it even though I wear a small because I'm planning to rework it anyway. It's going to make an excellent statement piece for fall when I'm done with it!
[a little stitching and washing will make it just like new! | trench: new york & company]
I have a bit of an obsession with jackets and coats, so when I saw a cute trench sitting there I had to try it on, and I was unable to resist stuffing it into my bag. It's got a loose button that needs a few stitches, but that's about the easiest repair possible. It'll be a few months until jackets are back in season, but I foresee this one making many appearances in the fall!
[cute, comfy flats are everything | shoes: old navy]
The final thing I snagged was a cute pair of flats. I get kind of iffy on secondhand footwear sometimes, but cloth shoes like these typically do fine in the washing machine so they are fairly effortless to sanitize. And a girl can never have too many cute pairs of flats!
These swaps happen about every 3 months, so we should be due for another one sometime in September. I can't wait to see what treasures I find next time!
]]>[digital sunglasses via DRESSX]
I'm a pretty recent convert to the world of NFTs, and even then I'm only interested in a specific type. I've always found it a little silly that people have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars for ownership of blurry JPGs of memes or a monkey to use as a profile pic. But some NFTs come with actual utility beyond simply collecting. And all of the items in my growing NFT collection have one thing in common: they are wearable digital fashion!
There are a variety of ways that you can wear digital fashion, and my favorite is having digital garments and accessories added to photographs. At DRESSX, this kind of photo dressing is called a Metalook. And like any physical wearable item, when you take the photos for a Metalook you should style the rest of your outfit to compliment with the digital item in mind!
[Metalook via DRESSX]
The LoveVision NFT is a pair of digital sunglasses that DRESSX gifted to their members for Valentine's Day 2023. A total of 629 pairs were given away to any user who claimed them before the deadline, and of course I jumped at the opportunity to get something awesome for free!
I knew that I wanted my Metalook photo to be a close-up shot and that I wanted the glasses to truly be the star of the ensemble, so I kept that in mind when I styled my outfit on the day we shot the pics.
[top: attention | jeans: Levi's | necklace: thrifted vintage | glasses: Zenni (affiliate)]
One of my favorite color combos is pinks with the teal/turquoise family, so for my Metalook fit I picked one of my favorite tops. Way back in 2007-08 I worked in customer service at Kmart, and every once in a while I would find clothes there that I really loved, including this sleeveless button-down. The flowy, sheer overlay on this top has picked up a few little snags in 16 years of wear, but I don't care... I will wear this shirt until it's in tatters because I love it that much!
I finished off the fit with a thrifted vintage necklace (because I am obsessed with vintage costume jewelry) and my favorite jeans, which aren't pictured in the Metalook photo but were still an important part of my OOTD. They are Levi's 351 Shaping Bootcut and I need to get another pair (or maybe 3) because they fit me impeccably!
[Metalook via DRESSX]
Despite my horrible eyesight, I took off my glasses for the photos. While DRESSX can add items to a photo, they can't remove the physical items you're wearing in the photos you send them! (For the rest of the day, I rocked my teal polka-dot glasses (affiliate) which also go great with this fit.)
[NFT and Metalook via DRESSX]
These glasses are definitely one of my favorite items in my digital closet. And the more Metalooks I order, the more hooked I get! As a lover of sustainable fashion (evidenced by my 16-year-old shirt and vintage jewelry), digital fashion is the perfect way for me to expand my looks without increasing my carbon footprint. I'm living in the future and loving every bit of it!
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