fashionisto of the month: gabe covarrubias

alright, so let us again state that we realize "fashionisto" isn't an actual word per se, but if it was it would certainly apply to this months featured style whiz, the man with the sexiest name (and hair!) in denver, mr. gabe covarrubias. 

we managed to snag gabe away from his busy schedule of being a most highly sought after coiffeur, m.cing for the denver roller dolls (in elvis costume nonetheless), staying tight on his star wars/wes anderson trivia skills and generally just making sure everyone is down to party, and got him to answer our famous five questions about fashion.

1. why do you think you're so fashionable?

The benefit of what I do for a living is that I see a constant flow of fashion from my co-workers and  clients.  I feel like I keep it  pretty simple most of the time,  but my style definitely reflects my personality. I have always been drawn to the surf, skate and punk scenes. Within these cultures, styles have been influenced from so many different places, a good example is the hip-hop skate thing. A variety of different cultures combine to create great things in fashion.

2. what is the least fashionable thing about you?

My least fashionable trait would be a tendency to  play it safe with colors.  I saw a guy in a really great dark suit with a loud as hell pink shirt and thought it rocked! I felt like I  could never pull it off.  Maybe I play it a little too safe.

3. what is a secret fashion vice of yours?

My no doubt fashion vice is a way too expensive, well fitting suit. Life is too short.  Any great Elvis man should have at least one incredible suit.  The suit that you wear should make you feel like a million bucks. The suit will create reasons to dress up and hit the town as a better version of you.

4. what trend or trends do you hate most right now?

Trends I hate?  That’s easy! Ed Hardy Shit.  It might be in a close hate race with Crocs, or even worse, Crocs with socks!  And you can guarantee you're going to hear about how comfortable those Crocs are, because people always feel the need to tell you that.

5. who or what is a fashion inspiration to you?

I have a few favorites but my fashion hero is hands down David Bowie. Ziggy Stardust Bowie was outrageous and brave for the time. Bowie can also kill it on the red carpet in a sharp suit. Why do you think he was in Zoolander?  Because he is fashion icon.  I also dig Bjork, Peaches (The Musician) and Andre 3000 for their forward-thinking fashion sense.

JUNE BONUS QUESTION:
being that you are such a connoisseur of beautiful women (through your job, through roller girls, through your hot girlfriend) and have such an eye for style, what is the main tip you would offer our fashion forward lady readers out there?

For those about to rock ladies, we salute your favorite hair person.  That's right, good hair can do a lot for a shitty day, and it can make a good day even better. Hair is the beginning of the endless possibilities of how you can express your style.  Cut it, color it, curl it, pin it, straighten it, wear it up or wear it down. Find a stylist that you trust and you can add so much to your individual style.

you, yes you, loyal reader can have a private audience with gabe by making an appointment to get your hairs cut at the parlour highlands---303.433.4448 

or by supporting and cheering for our lovely denver roller dolls at any of their games---www.denverrollerdolls.org

thanks so much gabe!

cheers!

k&e

a brief but hopefully informative blog entry

so we decided to go check out the sweet william market at 29th and quebec today. this market is held out by the old airport the last saturday of every month. we found it a pretty pleasant place to converge and shop on a grassy green knoll with a good variety of things to buy for body, house, garden, what have you. the prices were reasonable as well and there were some cute clothes for way cheap as well as adorable jewelry. We snapped a few pics for your approval. you can get more info on it here: http://sweetwilliammarket.com/

cheers!

k&e

defining moments in your closet

this week we take a gander at a signature pieces of clothing from our own wardrobes and talk about what we see as defining fashion in the other person's wardrobe.

a signature piece, a defining fashion moment, can come in any form...dress, jeans, a ring, scarf, shoes or coat. you may not even wear it that often but when you think of what really nails down your style in a single item, it is what pops to mind. it's something you would never get rid of unless forced by disaster.

doing this "fashion exercise" in your own wardrobe may help you figure out what your look is outside of trends. it also never hurts to ask a friend what they think really brings out the rita hayworth or sarah jessica parker in you. in these economically dicey times, where we may wish we could hop on the latest fashion bandwagon but simply can't afford to, this might help you figure out where a dollar spent is a dollar you'll keep wearing for many years to come!

el's take on el: most defining piece

my most defining piece is a simple black diesel dress i got when i was 21 years old (i am almost 28!) from my favorite fort collins boutique kansas city kitty. if you have known me for longer than 6 months, you have seen me in this dress. it's a low v neck front with a few embroidered details around the v, like the diesel 9 in red. the back has a really cute detail of an inverted triangle with black and white stripes. it hits just below the knees and is a strait cut. i have worn this dress for years, with everything i own. i've dressed it up, down and sideways. i've worn it just as a dress with heels, with boots, with flats, with sneakers. i've worn it over jeans with a cardigan, i've worn it with long shawls, i've worn it with pearls. i've taken it to berlin, prague, switzerland, minneapolis, all around colorado, i've taken it on dates, to birthday parties, to get drinks at the corner bar. my 20's would not have been my 20's without this dress! it's getting kind of threadbare these days so i hardly bust it out at all for fear it will one day rip. i don't know how i'll ever find it's equal. i think i love it so much because it is just your basic black dress, it makes me feel a little like audrey hepburn. plus it's totally versatile and you can rock any accessory you want with it. long live the dress! here is (a little more inky black then it is these days) back when we first met:

el on kendall: most defining piece 

this is a hard one because kendall is so hot! but in all seriousness, i think what defines kendall as the fashionista i know and love is color, especially BLUE. kendall is not afraid to wear 17 shades of blue at once and pulls it off like it's nothing! i was always afraid to wear more then one color of blue at a time but kendall has helped me break free of my blue shyness. i think she does it especially well when she wears her big blue scarf, it really makes her face and skin look healthy and bright and it always makes her lipstick pop! so do as kendall does and bust out your blue loud and proud. remember, color doesn't cost a dime. 

k's take on k: most defining piece

sifting through a closet full of stuff i don't really care about (I just counted and i have 23 dresses!), stuff i shouldn't even own anymore (there was a hot pink guess tube top i finally put in the goodwill pile) and stuff that i love but never wear (a whole row of heels that are lucky if they've seen daylight once), i'm thinking my most defining piece, or pieces rather, are my killer camel-colored leather boots. now, i am a big animal lover, and i refuse to buy leather brand new, so you can imagine my delight when i found these at a thrift store for $16. they're not waterproof, so i have to be careful in bad weather (even though i was wearing them when el and i got caught in this horrible rainstorm--i thought they were going to shrivel up and die!) i love them because they are stylish, the lining is torn and they are well-worn which makes them all the more comfy, and they go with everything (i think). i wear them with skinny jeans or leggings when its cold, knee-high socks and dresses when its warm, and when i move to new york in a couple months i can imagine them sashaying down the street like they own the place. versatility is something that i really love, which is why i think they are my most defining piece.

k on el: most defining piece

ok, so i'm a little shoe-obsessed lately, but i'm going to have to go with el's frye boots! i still remember the day she found these boots--i think she called to tell me about it. since then i've seen her wear them pretty much....yep, everyday. with rolled-up jeans, with casual dresses, with nicer dresses, and she looks like a badass every single time. it just goes to show, when you find your soul mate, you just know it. 

until next time...

cheers!

expensive shit you can actually make yourself--vol 2.

we have been thinking about trying to make feathered headbands ourselves for awhile now, and were inspired to finally give it a go last week when we hopped into common era and saw some simple ones for sale for around $20. we're not hating on common era or anything...in fact we just love a good challenge, especially if it means we can be thrifty!!

turns out, they are just as easy and fun to make as we'd imagined. all you need to get started are:

--a plain mono-colored headband that is flat and relatively thin
--feathers of your choice
--a small amount of felt and/or thicker fabric
--something circular (you'll see)
--fabric scissors
--hot glue gun (you should have one anyway; they are a must -have for arts and crafts lovers)

here are all the supplies we got. we bought cheap feathers at michael's and $1.50 headbands at forever 21 that we just took the bows off of.

first, trace a circle on a piece of felt and/or fabric and cut them out. you'll need two circles.

second, glue the felt (or one piece of fabric) to the underside of the headband. glue the second piece of fabric on the top side and make sure the edges are secured together. now you have the perfect base for gluing feathers.

third, start at the top and keep gluing rows of feathers until the fabric is covered with them. we both chose to have all our feathers match, but you can mix it up if you like.


done and done!! all in all these cost about $4 a piece for the headband and feathers, and they look just as snazzy as more expensive ones---plus, you get to choose feathers that coordinate well with your haircolor, outfits, etc.

until next week!
cheers!