Cool For School

Cool For School by carolyn-joy-derby featuring gothic skirts

Today was a school day for me - well college actually. As part of my internship at the magazine I attend college once or twice a week. On those days I let my own style out to play!  There isn't really a 'uniform' or dress code at work, but there is a preferred look. You need to be chic and trendy but not too edgy! I tend to tone down my look on work days.

In street clothes, I'm sort of a punky, gothy, alternative rock chic - I don't like labels! So today I put together a nice look for school which I feel comfortable in. I team my absolute favourite wasted youth shirt from BMA Modified with a black and red plaid mini kilt and some stunning mary janes in red and black. My lips were n0t quite black, more of a gunmetal grey and I went with glitter shadow and lots of eyeliner on my eyes! Who says goth can't be glitter? As it is always cool in class I grabbed my current favorite pale grey leopard print zip through hoodie - so just for fun I switched to my Snow leopard power plugs to match!

I like the overall look! Scotty says its a bit Lolita but I don't care, that's just how I roll!

Get the Look With Fake Plugs

Beauty is something that everyone wants to be associated with. Beautiful jewelery such as plugs, necklaces, earrings are just some of the ornaments we have .Business people have even turned to beauty stalls or jewelery shops since they are fetching quite a large profit.

Plugs are ornaments that are worn by a person that has pierced a part of his body. One can either put them on the ear, nose, navel or even the lips. If you want a pierce, it can be done by a professional. They have the experience, necessary knowledge and tools to carry out the job. However, not everyone can afford plugs made from gold and silver. This has resulted to people making plugs from themselves using organic plugs.

Fakeplugs can be divided into two types

a) Those made of locally available materials imitating the gold and silver plugs.

Nowadays, people are getting or stealing ideas of plugs from the ones made of gold and silver. They then consult people who make them and ask them to make them plugs that are of the same design at a fee. This can be quite unique and economical. That means that fake plugs can be made from any material apart from gold and silver. They can be made from plastics, stainless steel. Titanium, wood, bamboo, shells etc. The advantage with these materials is that they are light in weight.

b) Those that are made and designed for a person that has not pierced her ears.

This is also known as fake plugs. People who have not pierced their ears or fear the pain and healing of the wound can result to this option. They are suspended in the ear using magnets. These magnets ensure that the plug is held in place and can not fall out.

The above are categories of fake plugs that are commonly used by the young generation. This is because:

a) They are cheap. They are affordable making them available in almost all the stalls that sell plugs.

b) They are light in weight. Comparing them with the other plugs, they are quite light in weight a factor that makes them comfortable. This is a good reason that makes them be bought in large numbers.

c) They can be worn by anyone. It does not matter if the person has pierced her ears or not. This makes a person feel good when in the company of people with plugs. You can put on yours and no one can really notice that they are not original since one cannot see any difference with the original plug.

d) Fake plugs are an option that can be used by people who want to have original plugs. They can use the plugs for awhile and see how they look on them before settling on the permanent idea of piercing their ears or body parts.

It is important to disinfect plugs before putting them on and also use plugs that are made of stainless steel or titanium before your pierce heals.

The New Trend That Is Organic Plugs

New times call for its various technological marvels and world changing innovations. In addition to these, it also came with radical new urbanite schools of thought where self expression is all the rage. Youngsters who have grown up in the 21^st century itch to express themselves in as many ways as they possibly can. The attitude is so powerful that it has influenced even the preferred outer appearance of their bodies. Many types of body decoration and modification have emerged with the new kids on the block. From scarification, tattoo art and piercing, the list goes on forever. However, the most prolific of these is the piercings. Normal earrings have evolved into ear and body metallic, glass organic plugs that enlarge the piercing itself to give a unique appearance.

There are many different types of ear plugs. There are those made of sterling silver, gold, stainless steel, military grade titanium, polished brass and even glass. These come in many different designs and styles. However, they have one disadvantage, their weight. As an answer to this, the organic type plugs were invented and merchandised. Organic gauges are made predominantly of wood and horn and have unlimited design styles. Their biggest advantage is that they are light weight and uniquely appealing to the eye. Respected merchandisers have these for sale at each and every one of their outlets.

Organic plugs are quite a revolutionary find in the field of body plugs for many different societies. Supporters of green everything regularly advise the wearing of organic plugs as opposed to other types of plugs. Wooden and horn plugs are also quite well accessorized and respond well to colours and shadings.

With the youngsters of today preferring to use more and more extreme methods to show their individuality, the culture of piercings has grown into a worldwide phenomenon that is growing day by day. The merchandise is being popularized by celebrities and models all over the Western world. Manufacturers and merchandisers are tripping over themselves to satisfy the demand for these pieces of jewelry. Of course, whenever there is a new fad in town, the rarer a type of merchandise, the higher the price it will fetch. With this in mind, merchandisers created organic plugs for the ears. As expected, they created quite a buzz thus further lighting up the ear plug and in turn the body modification industry.

Organic ear and body plugs are made of predominantly horn and wood, even though there are some exceptional situations where they are made of stone for special customers. As expected, with such large outputs of merchandise hitting the stores globally, environmentalists started raising eyebrows about the sources of the organic part of these plugs. Of course, some merchandising companies were slashing down whole trees to satisfy the insatiable appetites of the urbanites that wouldn’t wait to get their hands on the latest pair of organic plugs. Fines and licenses were imposed on these merchandisers and all those who were exploiting the environment were promptly put behind bars. However, there were a few using the science of biotechnology to create synthetic wood.

Military Mileage

Military Mileage by carolyn-joy-derby featuring travel bags

I had to go to New York this week for a fashion shoot at work. As a lowly intern it's not often that I get to go on these trips,but every once in a while one of the stylists throws me a bone! If any of you have ever had to fly coast to coast, then you know that it's a rough trip! I always like to make sure that I am comfortable - and of course wrapped up against the East Coast chill!! For the trip I stuck to my trusty cargo pants teamed with lace up military style boots with a low heel. I decided to go with that military theme - we all know how I love a theme! - so I decided to wear a great military coat I picked up when I went to London earlier this year and as my carry on bag I took a military style messenger bag. I threw on a cheeky "Fly" slogan shirt and used the khaki and gold military colors in my makeup to complete the look.

I love how it turned out. Totally laid back and comfortable, but stylish enough that I didn't look stupid with my colleagues. The best part is that my entire look was under $600! Can't argue with that! I love mixing structured military pieces with more casual combat style, it's a look I think has a lot of mileage in it over fall. I'm keeping my eye out for some more military inspired pieces to add to my collection! In fact I picked a few things up while in NYC, but let's NOT talk about those until the credit card bill can no longer be ignored!

Stay Stylish

Carolyn Joy xxx

Dress Like An Egyptian

Dress Like An Egyptian by carolyn-joy-derby featuring genuine leather handbags

So for today's look, let's walk dress like an Egyptian. Well, not literally, but this look is definitely inspired by the land of pyramids, mummies and pharaohs! It starts out pretty basic with black maxi dress, but that was soon glammed up thanks to my divine gold 'Angel in Egypt' wedged heel sandals from Endless. I also picked up a beautiful Egyptian style cuff at Endless and accessorized with my gorgeous Cat Goddess bag! I have the gold Cat Goddess but it is also available in White Cleopatra and Black Pharaoh! I am very pleased with the overall look! It just goes to show that a simple maxi dress – which should be a staple in every girl's summer wardrobe by the way – and it can be glammed up to the hilt!

I also added some pretty Ankh earrings I picked up recently, but they were silver rather than gold which I might have preferred. It's not often that I wear earrings rather than body plugs, but I do keep a regular piercing behind my stretched ones in case I want to.

If you are doing your own Egyptian Goddess look then I recommend you wear your hair straight and have cleopatraesque bangs. If you don't have bangs then I recommend getting a hairpiece to add and remove bangs at will! Much easier than growing them out! You will also want to go with smokey eyeshadow and lots and lots of thick black eyeliner with a feline flick at each corner!

Knowing What Looks Good

One question that I get asked a lot is 'how do you know what will look good?' The simple answer is that I use my intuition. I love fashion. I follow designers, I read all the glossies, I study the latest trends. I am a fashion addict. What I am NOT is a fashion victim. I do not love or wear every trend. Some things are never going to come off the catwalk and onto the high street. Some trends don't suit my body or my coloring. I look at the latest fashions and I use my intuition to decide which ones will suit me. Sometimes that means adapting a look to suit me. For example, in my opinion lace leggings are not really a good look for anyone. However, take some cropped leggings, add a band of lace to the bottom and you have a wearable version of the latest trend! Maybe even switch it up and wear a lace camisole?

I like to think that's how designers come up with their designs. They must look at what is popular, and use their intuition to decide what will be popular next? How will today's trends evolve for tomorrow? How will things look next season? I think it must be an incredible gift to have that level of intuition and creativity. I only wish I had it in me to design a range of fashion. However, instead I think I need to be content with just the ability to put together a different look using other people's creations. 

Designer? No. Stylist? Maybe.

When I see women in poorly fitting clothes, or when they are dressed inappropriately for their age or figure I can't help wondering if they even looked in a mirror. Surely if you squeeze yourself into pants that are 2 sizes too small you must somewhere in your head know that it does not look good? If there is a little voice in your head that says 'uh, maybe you shouldn't wear that?' Then you probably shouldn't! I'm all for being adventurous with your fashion, but don't be outrageous!

Pretty In Pink

I attended a friends wedding this past weekend, and decided to go for a girly look, inspired by cherry blossom. It's not very often that I go for such a delicate look, but  there were a few little details which gave my springtime look a bit of edge! My accessories had some discrete little rock chick style charms in the form of crystal skulls which just so happened to matched my gorgeous Alexander McQueen purse. I'd love to say that I own that but at almost $3000 it's a bit out of my price range! I was naughty and borrowed it from work! I thought that it was a nice little nod to the recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the UK this weekend what with the design of the purse featuring a union jack flag. Alexander McQueen is a go to designer for one of the most stylish ladies around Kate Middleton (The Duchess of Cornwall). I topped the look off with some shimmery eye-shadow by Urban Decay and my rose quartz body plugs.

It was nice to prove my Mom wrong, she is always complaining that because I have my ears stretched I will never be able to dress up nice. However, this weekend she actually commented on my plugs and said how pretty they were and how much they matched my outfit! I think she is coming around! I doubt she'll be getting her own ears stretched any time soon, but maybe she will lay off of my ears for a while! I haven't stretched very big right now and I don't know if I will ever go more than one more size bigger, but I think that these days you don't have to sacrifice girlishness for your plugs! They are o longer the domain of subculture and they make a great way of making a fashion statement! 


Overall, I was super happy with my 'Pretty In Pink' look and I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. Palest pink is right on trend this season as are other traditionally 'girly' styles like lace and chiffon. The hottest looks right now are soft and billowy. Why not get in touch with your inner girl?


Stay Stylish
Carolyn-Joy x