Project Runway Episode 3 Round-up

I know I failed last week with the Project Runway (if you didn't watch it, trust me, you didn't miss much, it was an epic maternity fail), but I'm going to make up for it in good posts next week, I promise. The challenge this week was to do a surf-wear inspired look, and then an avant garde inspired surf look (I don't know who comes up with this stuff, I really don't). I won't tell you guys who won/lost, I don't want to ruin it for you, but I'm still going to pick apart all the outfits, of course.

The Good: This first look is soft, refined, and chic, and I know the shirt looks awkward, but it moved really nicely on the runway. The print is a lovely, girly take on safari, and the cut has a great retro-chic vibe, and the skirt comes off to reveal that the top is actually a one-piece swimsuit. This second look is straight out of a Balmain show. I mean, it's verbatim Balmain. But, aside from that, it is a really nice piece (because it's Balmain), and I have no idea how it's surf-inspired at all, but it's young, fun, and glamorous, and even though it was the avant garde piece, I'd definitely wear it.


This blue dress isn't realistic or wearable at all, BUT I can actually see the surf inspiration here. The cut has such an organic, oceanic vibe, and I really, really love what's going on at the collar. It's this great mix of the exaggerated shoulder, wide collar, and asymmetrical sleeve trends, but it doesn't look over the top or too trendy. The bottom half of this white and black dress screams D&G to me (remember those tulle-skirted, splatter painted dresses from a couple seasons ago? Exactly the same). The S&M, rock and roll top and giant, rebellious princess skirt could clash terribly, but somehow they complement each other, even with that popped collar. The top is obviously scuba-esque, and the skirt reminds me of the white foam on the top of a wave, so I think it works.


The Decent: this green dress actually won. Ok, it's made out of Neoprene, and it's decently cute, but it's so, so unflattering. Avant garde doesn't have mean make your model look like a sack of potatoes. I get where they were going with this, but I think the fit and the draping are just a little off. If it was more fitted at the waist, maybe? There's nothing wrong with this second look, it's just kind of boring and pedestrian. The dress part does detach from the necklace and turn into a sarong, though, so I have to give them points for that.


I feel like this first look could have been awesome if one, the hat didn't look so cheap, and two, the leggings/pants fit better and were a different color than the top. But the slouchy shirt/exposed swimsuit (the exposed bra thing is going to be big for fall, I'm telling you) with the drapey belt is spot on. Very surfer inspired, but also pretty chic. I love the actual swimsuit part of this second look. It's hard to see, but it's actually woven in different shades of purple, and the cutouts are perfectly placed. But I can't figure out what's going on with that skirt. On the runway it looked like a pair of paints, here it looks like a sarong...I just don't think a beach outfit should be that confusing.


This white dress is another example of great idea, interesting execution. I actually really like the dress on it's own, and I can kind of see the surf inspiration there. It almost has a Rodarte vibe, which is always a good thing. But when you put the purple lace cutout tights/pants/skirt over it, it just draws the eyes straight to the model's inner thighs, which is kinda awkward in a dress that short. And maybe it's just me, but the way the paghts (pants meets tights, yes I make up words) go over her shoes is really creeping me out. I really like the top half of this second look too, the slouchy shouldered top over the cute, woven one-piece, but the skirt just feels lazy. I feel like with a top that casual and relaxed, you need more structure in the bottom to pull the look together.


The Bad: All I have to say is trainwreck. The belt doesn't make any sense with this dress, the colors don't go together, and the awkward semi-train at the back just makes it look like the bottom half of the dress got caught in a shredder. Maybe with a different belt, a more even hem, and with white instead of that awkward green it would have worked a little better. This second look is just boring. Oooh, a bubble-skirted tank dress. Crazy. And it somehow managed to make the model look pregnant. On the plus side, the bikini itself is pretty cute. That's about it though.


I don't even have words for this first outfit. I mean, what the hell is going on? Really? I'd love someone to explain that to me because I honestly have no idea. I just...wow. Moving on. This second look is so colossally unflattering--just look at the wrinkles at the waist! On top of that, it looks like a mushroom is growing out of her shoulder and someone tried to tie it down with bondage straps across her chest. No. Just no.


Exciting, but not really: I got new glasses. Yay...they're Chanel 3137 glasses and you can find them at eyewearus.com. It looks sketchy, but it's not. I was a little scared about the orange band for a while, especially because I didn't try them on in person (long story short my old glasses were discontinued but no one told me so I had to pick out a new pair online--OMG anxiety), but I think they're kinda cute!


Image Sources:
all Project Runway images from: mylifetime.com, Chanel glasses: eyewearus.com