their best looks. Always some fresh and new arriving. Stay tuned. Best The Girls @ Bits
Friday, November 15, 2013
Yest a lifestyle choice
their best looks. Always some fresh and new arriving. Stay tuned. Best The Girls @ Bits
Friday, October 14, 2011
Jessica's Fashion Focus: A Transition From Retail to the Factory Floor
Many of you have met Jessica Montoya at some point during the past 4 years that she has worked at Bits & Pieces as a style consultant and online media coordinator. After working at the store full time for the first few years, she transitioned to working part time behind the scenes about a year and a half ago, as she has been busy building a business sewing for local fashion designers and custom apparel clients.
Her home-based sewing business is currently in the process of expanding into a full service sample sewing room and small volume production factory to serve the needs of emerging and established independent designers. This is no small undertaking, and thus she has decided to step down from her responsibilities at Bits & Pieces in order to focus her full attention on building her business.
Here’s what Jessica has to say about her concept:
I am building a network of skilled apparel industry professionals who are able to provide technical development and production services to emerging and established fashion & sewn product designers alike, while educating a new wave of apparel designers and technicians in the midst of a global shift in the fashion industry.If you are interested in keeping up with Jessica and her progress on building a sustainable local fashion factory, the best way to connect with her is on Facebook. Follow “Colorado Sewn: A Fashion Hub” for updates, and feel free to send Jessica a friend request if you want to stay in touch. Stay tuned - we hope Jessica will make some trunk show appearances at Bits & Pieces a little further down the road as she gets some of her own designs into production as well as showcases locally produced collections from other independent fashion designers!
Plans are in the works for the creation of a fashion production facility in Denver that offers full service capabilities including consulting / pattern development / cutting / sample making / low or no minimum manufacturing / marketing / brand development and more in a way that is accessible to everyone from entry level to established designers and other design consumers.
This concept will increase the viability of local designers and apparel technicians in the form of jobs, business creation, and artistic development while building a sustainable creative economy in the Denver metro region, throughout Colorado, and beyond as this business model supports a Made in America fashion revolution.
One of my ultimate goals is to create a company where a younger generation can learn the skills required to produce quality clothing from experienced professionals so as to keep the art and craft of tailoring and dressmaking alive in America, so that we are poised to handle an increasing awareness and demand from consumers for ethically and domestically produced apparel.
A diversely skilled, experienced, and equipped team is essential to develop and produce sewn goods and apparel. I want to create a place for professional garment makers to collaborate and create quality sewn goods through shared knowledge and resources, while simultaneously providing accessible services to designers to help them produce and sell their lines.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Tips to Make Your Wardrobe Last
When you invest in nice clothes, you want expect them to last more than one season, right? Well, the quality of the garment affects it's longevity to some degree, but there are some steps you can take to ensure that you will get maximum use out of your favorite pieces.
RealSimple recently compiled a list of "20 Tips to Make Your Wardrobe Last" by Sarah Jio. I'm going to share some of our favorites here (mostly laundry tips), but check out the full article for more great ideas and details on prolonging the life of your clothes and accessories.
Iron clothing inside out. "Ironing can fade dark colors as well as create shine marks on fabrics with sheen, like gabardine, acetate, and polished cottons," says Chris Allsbrooks, a textile analyst with the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Institute, in Laurel, Maryland. Avoid damage by using the appropriate heat setting and pressing the item on the reverse side. Or use a cloth between garment and iron. And, adds Boorstein, “never iron a crease on a black garment―it can leave a permanent line.”
Hold off on your jewelry. "Wait 15 minutes after applying perfume or body lotion before slipping on baubles," says Krodel. Beauty products are notorious for leaving a greasy buildup.
Store handbags on shelves. It may sound counterintuitive, but “hanging a bag by the handles lessens the life span of the bag,” says Chris Moore, owner of Artbag, a New York City handbag boutique and repair shop. Hanging puts stress on the strap seams, and “it can leave unsightly marks on the handles,” says Moore.
Launder whites after every wear. It’s tempting to put a white blouse back into the closet after a spill-free wearing. After all, it looks spotless. But "body oils and perspiration, along with other time-released stains (like perfume, white wine, and oil splatters), will start to give a once-bright white a yellowish tint," says Steve Boorstein, developer of the DVD Clothing Care (Day Light, $20).
...But don’t overwash darks. Boorstein blames frequent washings for faded clothing. Black pants, in particular, can be worn several times before laundering. For best results when you wash, run darks on a short cycle in cold water and let them air-dry. Blot any stains, since rubbing will create a lighter spot.
Beware the dryer. "Excessive heat makes fibers brittle, causing the fabric to break down," says Boorstein. Combat this by removing lightweight garments, like T-shirts and camisoles, and anything containing spandex (which can lose elasticity over time when exposed to too much heat) 10 minutes earlier than heavy garments, such as jeans and sweatshirts. “Most of the damage is done in the last 10 minutes of drying,” says Boorstein.
Zip up to avert snags. Your clothing goes into the wash perfectly intact. Later you notice a mysterious pull. "The teeth of zippers (especially those made of metal, as on jeans) or any kind of hook closure is typically the culprit," says Boorstein. Next time close all zippers and clasps before tossing clothes into the washing machine (or, better yet, the hamper).
Wash (unstained) jeans every third wear. “Most people wash their jeans too often,” says Melissa Ladines, a fit expert for Levi Strauss. Launder them inside out and in cold water. Obsessed with preserving the deep dark rinse? Skip the clothes dryer and let them air-dry, or take them to a dry cleaner.
RealSimple recently compiled a list of "20 Tips to Make Your Wardrobe Last" by Sarah Jio. I'm going to share some of our favorites here (mostly laundry tips), but check out the full article for more great ideas and details on prolonging the life of your clothes and accessories.
Image source: Laundry Tamers
Iron clothing inside out. "Ironing can fade dark colors as well as create shine marks on fabrics with sheen, like gabardine, acetate, and polished cottons," says Chris Allsbrooks, a textile analyst with the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Institute, in Laurel, Maryland. Avoid damage by using the appropriate heat setting and pressing the item on the reverse side. Or use a cloth between garment and iron. And, adds Boorstein, “never iron a crease on a black garment―it can leave a permanent line.”
Hold off on your jewelry. "Wait 15 minutes after applying perfume or body lotion before slipping on baubles," says Krodel. Beauty products are notorious for leaving a greasy buildup.
Store handbags on shelves. It may sound counterintuitive, but “hanging a bag by the handles lessens the life span of the bag,” says Chris Moore, owner of Artbag, a New York City handbag boutique and repair shop. Hanging puts stress on the strap seams, and “it can leave unsightly marks on the handles,” says Moore.
Launder whites after every wear. It’s tempting to put a white blouse back into the closet after a spill-free wearing. After all, it looks spotless. But "body oils and perspiration, along with other time-released stains (like perfume, white wine, and oil splatters), will start to give a once-bright white a yellowish tint," says Steve Boorstein, developer of the DVD Clothing Care (Day Light, $20).
...But don’t overwash darks. Boorstein blames frequent washings for faded clothing. Black pants, in particular, can be worn several times before laundering. For best results when you wash, run darks on a short cycle in cold water and let them air-dry. Blot any stains, since rubbing will create a lighter spot.
Beware the dryer. "Excessive heat makes fibers brittle, causing the fabric to break down," says Boorstein. Combat this by removing lightweight garments, like T-shirts and camisoles, and anything containing spandex (which can lose elasticity over time when exposed to too much heat) 10 minutes earlier than heavy garments, such as jeans and sweatshirts. “Most of the damage is done in the last 10 minutes of drying,” says Boorstein.
Zip up to avert snags. Your clothing goes into the wash perfectly intact. Later you notice a mysterious pull. "The teeth of zippers (especially those made of metal, as on jeans) or any kind of hook closure is typically the culprit," says Boorstein. Next time close all zippers and clasps before tossing clothes into the washing machine (or, better yet, the hamper).
Wash (unstained) jeans every third wear. “Most people wash their jeans too often,” says Melissa Ladines, a fit expert for Levi Strauss. Launder them inside out and in cold water. Obsessed with preserving the deep dark rinse? Skip the clothes dryer and let them air-dry, or take them to a dry cleaner.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Rylee rides his new pony
Rylee came to hang out with his mom Sarah at the store for a few hours yesterday. Although he is quite the big boy for his age (19 lbs. at 4.5 months, and wearing 9-12 month sizes), Rylee has a little ways to go until he grows into his new rocking horse, a delightful gift from friend and customer, Sherry Boyd. Stay tuned for updates on this pony: we are planning a "Name the Horse" contest to coincide with Evergreen Rodeo week.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Rylee at 7 weeks
Happy Valentine's Day from this little cutie! This little guy is growing fast....13 lbs and counting. He likes to sleep in this little vibrating chair while Sarah gets some work done here at the store.
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