Sneak Peek!

I love giving previews of a post before it's up! I love this next post and the picture I chose. I also have a lot of bloopers to go along with it... Oh silly me!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway by CLICKING HERE.

With a Friend

She can stand the Fa-La-Las now, but before turkey time, not so much. Christmas is coming and she's at her friend's house, letting him test out his photography skills and giving him guidance on it. Vertical, not horizontal unless sitting. Stand in front and let her face the light. White balance; fix it. Whole body in the picture to get the outfit. He'll learn... in due time.

ABOUT THE LOOK: First off, the pictures are a little bright and I apologize about that. It was a little dark and gloomy outside, so we had to take pictures inside and, with no photography lights, flash would have to do! Anyway, a current trend I have fallen in love with is bodysuits! I got this one from OohlaLuxe and I was most definitely satisfied with it. It formed to my body, unlike most suits I have tried on, and the mesh panels made it super sexy, although I toned it down for school. I always love a good ole "pop piece," in this case the pop of color from the scarf. 

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY! CLICK HERE TO GO TO ENTRY PAGE.

BLOOPERS: Ah, well, yes. This scarf is not the ideal stationary item to hide behind if need be. Just saying.

10,000 Views Giveaway w/ ManEater

Yes ladies and gentlemen, Caged In Clothes has reached the 10,000 views mark! With so many people checking out my blog, I decided to do a giveaway as a thanks to all of you have supported me and kept me going.

Remember that post I put up yesterday showing off the gorgeous ManEater shop? Well, they have graciously agreed to sponsor a giveaway for Caged In Clothes! So, what do you have the chance to walk away with? The amazing necklace pictured below! Entries are simple and all you have to do is follow the rafflecopter widget below!

The giveaway runs until the 5th of January and is only open to those in the US and Canada.

*Giveaway Open to US and Canada Only*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Maneater

Name: Shelby Bilbruck
Current Fashion Boutique Obsession: Shop Maneater
Reason Why: They carry clothes that represent the fashion forward, the unique, the clothing lovers of America. Maneater's boutique is a place that helps girls "find unique clothing for [those] who dare to stand out." They're revolutionary. Maneater combines the styles of Nasty Gal and the prices of Forever 21. Want spikes? Maneater has them. Want cutouts? Manteater has them. Want  sheer shirts? Cross leggings? Lace? Bustiers? Well, Maneater has them, and all for amazing prices. Not to mention their jewelry. Maneater has a wide arrange of necklaces, rings, headpieces, hats, belts and more. Their highest priced accessory is only $26 too! Need examples of what I'm talking about? Check out the examples below.


Straight Up Top
$21.20



Bardot Hi/Lo Tunic
$30.80



Electric Daze Scuba Skirt
$26



Smile Now! Sweatshirt
$22.80

 Oh, they have shoes too. Here are my two absolute favorites. Ever. As in, Dear Santa, I wear a size 8.


Kylie Metal Plate Wedge
$43.50



Chloe Fringe Wedge
$39.50

 And the accessories!

Zula Necklace
$19.20



Juliette Headpiece
$16



Jagged Tribal Necklace
$11.90



Interview W/ OohLaLuxe's Kimberly Lawson

Here is an exclusive interview with the owner of the online boutique OohLaLuxe. Stay tuned for my post with their super adorable faux leather bodysuit with mesh inserts I git from them! It's gorgeous!

1. Why not start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Well, my name is Kim, I'm the owner of boutique OohLaLuxe.com and the 
fashion blog OohLaLuxe.net. I've been working in fashion for about 
five years now, in a variety of capacities. In addition to being a 
buyer, I'm also a professional fashion writer, wardrobe stylist, and I 
work as a fashion consultant for aspiring boutique owners and up and 
coming fashion brands.

2. When did you come up with the idea of opening Ooh La Luxe? What 
steps did you take to make your idea become a reality?

I actually started working on Ooh La Luxe! back in 2007, and the 
boutique oficially opened in 2008. I knew I wanted to be in the 
fashion industry since I was a kid, but it wasn't until I went away to 
college that I made the decision to make being a buyer and botique 
owner my main focus. I actually chronicled my entire journey making 
Ooh La Luxe! reality on my blog OohLaLuxe.net -- it was pretty 
involved, especially on the business side. The creative side was the 
fun part -- deciding on my branding, designing my website, and picking 
out the perfect brands to execute my vision.

3. How do you select the pieces to put in your boutique? What does is 
specialize in?

I look for items that are on trend at the moment, or will be hot in 
the near future. That's only half of the process though -- there are 
plenty of trendy items out there, but that doesn't mean people will 
want to wear them, much less they'll be appropriate for Ooh La Luxe! 
and what I want to offer my customers. So I narrow it down by just 
trusting my own eye and asking myself if the item stands out, does it 
fit in with our merchandise mix, and can I see other people latching 
on to this style as well?

4. For others out there who are dreaming of opening their own online boutique, what are some tips you would give them? What do you wish you 

knew when you started?

This is a great question! First off I would actually recommend 
reading my blog backwards, starting from the very first posts. Even 
though my blog is now more focused on outifts of the day and what's in 
store, I have a couple of years worth of information covering just 
about every aspect of how to start a boutique. And I would recommend 
that up and coming boutique owners do something similar to what I did 
-- start up your blog, instagram, facebook and twitter pages long 
before you plan on opening your store, document your progress, and 
you'll have a fanbase ready to buy your items as soon as you launch. 
Also, pay as much attention to fashion as you can by observing what 
people on the street are wearing, and paying a lot of attention to 
social media, and what celebrities are wearing as well. So much trend 
forecasting can be done just by spending time on instagram, Chictopia, 
LookBook.nu and other fashion blogs. 

5. I read that you graduated FIDM. Do you feel that FIDM prepared you 
for your current career? How so?

Absolutely! I loved going to FIDM, it was a ton of fun and it actually 
prepared me for a variety of roles in the fashion industry, and I'm 
really grateful for that. There are a lot of things you just have to 
learn on the job, and that's true in any industry, but FIDM taught me 
a lot about manufacturing, how to spot quality garments, marketing, 
branding, and step by step how to launch a product. One thing that 
our marketing teacher told us is something I'll never forget -- he 
told us that any time you're selling something, whether it be brick 
and mortar, online, fashion centric or not, you're always selling an 
experience and not just a product. That's so incredibly true and it's 
something I'll always be striving to create for my customers.

6. Where do you see Ooh La Luxe going in the next 10 years?

In ten years I hope to have a couple of brick and mortar stores, and 
to be one of the bigger online shops for young women.
 

7. Out of all the other online boutiques, why should a potential 
customer choose to shop at yours?

For one thing, I'm always on a quest to offer the best prices to my 
customers -- I try to keep things as affordable as possible, while 
never sacrificing quality, so I'm constantly sourcing and working with 
my manufacturers to get the best prices on my items. Also I feel like 
a lot of other boutiques are either very edgy and faddish, or very 
feminine -- I try to bridge the gap between both worlds. My aesthetic 
is very much hard meets soft; Ooh La Luxe! always carries a lot of 
pieces that may be classic in shape but done in more of a fashion 
forward fabric, or something edgy with very feminine details.

coupon code for everyone!: CAGEDINCLOTHES10

10% off anything in store + free shipping

Expires 1/31/13