What’s your favorite YMI Jean? My favorite is the super skinny jean in all washes.  I get really excited when we have a sale and I see the YMI skinnys in washes other than blue or black, so I actually have a few pairs in purple, green, bright blue, and pink! I’m smaller than your average human so I usually have to get them altered to the point that they look painted on. For the shoot, I’m actually wearing some shorts from the YMI Girls line! I really like them because they don’t look like the shorts I usually see in the girls section of department stores with little kid designs, so they’re very versatile for both girls AND junior-sizes if they fit you.

What’s your job at YMI? I work with the VP of Operations to handle Human Resources for the company. I welcome new employees and keep track of their vacation time, sick time, generate payroll reports, enroll them in our health insurance plan when they are eligible and assist them with any questions or concerns they may have.

What’s your favorite thing about working at YMI? I really like how the atmosphere in the office is more like a “family thing” than a “co-worker thing.” We’re all professional but we’re also all down to earth and have a sense of humor. It’s a relief to know you’re coming to work with friends!

What’s fashion trends are you liking right now? I love Japanese fashion and goth fashion! I really like gothic lolita, gyaru/gyaruo, cybergoth, steampunk, visual kei and oshare kei. I love and appreciate what the mainstream would call “bizarre” fashion. The more eccentric the better!

What’s your must have accessory? I need to have my phone (Droid 2) with me everywhere. I forgot my phone at work one night and I felt phantom limb syndrome…and this was BEFORE I had the internet on my phone!

How would you describe your style? I’m kind of random and bipolar when it comes to my style, it all depends on my mood…or the time of day, hehe. When I go out at night to clubs, I love wearing over-the-top lacey, frilly black dresses with a tiny top hat or some other hair/head accessory. During the day, I like pulling out my skinny jeans or black leggings and topping them with a random, silly design on it. Lately I love shirts with cats in odd situations…like cats playing keyboards, Dracula Cat, Nyan Cat. I also love my tuxedo t-shirt even though it’s cheesy.

Eyeball Nails

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Frankenstein Nails

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Bloodsplattered Nails

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]]> http://blog.ymijeans.com/2011/10/21/halloween-nail-how-to/feed/ 0 http://blog.ymijeans.com/2011/10/14/halloween-wear-you-can-wear-again/ http://blog.ymijeans.com/2011/10/14/halloween-wear-you-can-wear-again/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:27:14 +0000 elizabeth http://blog.ymijeans.com/?p=9026 This year don’t waste your money on a costume that you will never wear again… Check out these ideas for killer costumes incorporating pieces that you can rock after the Halloween festivities!

1. YMI Extreme Flare, $56.00, ymijeans.com. 2. UNIF Blouse, Shopnastygalcom. 3. Pieces Headband, ASOS.com. 4. Deco Earrings, ASOS.com. 5. Lewi Platform Pumps, Aldoshoes.com. 6. Resin Bangles, ASOS.com.

1. YMI Rip and Tear Skinny, $29.99, ymijeans.com. 2. Wildfox Cross Tee, Shopnastygal.com. 3. Cocktail Ring, ASOS.com. 4. River Island Crossbody, ASOS.com. 5. Spike Drop Earrings, ASOS.com. 6. Sam Edelman Spike Pump, Zappos.com. 7. NYX Super Lash, Nyxcosmetics.com.

1. YMI Raw Edge Shorts, $19.99, ymijeans.com. 2. NYX Leopard Lashes, Nyxcosmetics.com. 3. Leopard Tank, ASOS.com. 4. Aldo Wedge Fur Boats, Aldoshoes.com. 5. River Island Bangles, ASOS.com. 6. Gold Jaguar Earrings, ASOS.com.

Oh. My. God. Was this really happening? Was I – a girl from a rural small town where you can’t even buy a proper fashion magazine on the news stand  – really going to the most famous city in the world for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week? I had spent the week before the trip getting ahead on school work and frantically picking out clothes that might be appropriate for Fashion Week. Fashion has always intrigued me. I believe it is the most powerful art form, with a beauty that is magnified even more by the person who wears it. Due to unexpected traffic, my mom and I arrived at the airport for our trip to New York only 40 minutes before departure. Needless to say, we were in a panic as we sprinted through security and to our gate, which – of course – was at the very end of the terminal. Thankfully we made it with just enough time, red-faced and flustered. Giddy with relief, we boarded the plane. We arrived at the Hotel Belleclaire, finding a box filled with fashion goodies like jeans, pocket mirrors, and cute stationary from Teen Vogue and YMI. I had never worn YMI jeans before, but let me just say that they are awesome.

Day 1

On Saturday, we walked to Lincoln Center for events at the Teen Vogue Haute Spot. I got a makeover by Maybelline New York and then posed for the camera. Teen Vogue had all different looks on display throughout the Haute Spot; they were all adorable. I fell in love with a pair of glittery oxfords that I ended up buying at Aldo the next day! Jill Stuart stopped by the Haute Spot and we previewed her beautiful Spring 2012 collection. Mary Kate Steinmiller, Teen Vogue’s Associate Fashion Market Editor, interviewed Jill, who shared her own story and advice. She was so nice and was happy to take a picture with me. We then left the Haute Spot and took a taxi to the Plaza Hotel, where we had some yummy tea and chocolate treats. The remainder of the afternoon we spent walking 5th Avenue, where I got my picture taken with a gorgeous (and shirtless!) Abercrombie model. That evening, we saw the play “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” It was excellent and really showed a different, funny side of Daniel Radcliffe. He is so talented!

Day 2

The next day was the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It was a somber time to be in New York City, and it was particularly touching for me as paired with the excitement of Fashion Week. My mom and I took some time to watch the ceremony on television, then we headed out to the Haute Spot, where I immediately spotted Amy Astley, Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue. I introduced myself, and we talked for a while. My perception of a magazine editor was way off. You know how magazine editors are projected as being scary and pretentious – i.e. The Devil Wears Prada?  Well, Amy was the complete opposite. She was friendly as could be and had so much invaluable advice for me. Inquiring about my interest in a career in fashion, she told me that even though Teen Vogue is a fashion magazine, she looks to hire people with well rounded liberal arts educations and majors like English or Art History. She recommended that I attend the best University I could get accepted into as long as it was the right school for me. Also, she said that not attending a fashion or design-related school would not be an obstacle in finding a job. She made it clear that the best way to learn about careers in fashion is to experience them as a motivated intern. I could see that she truly cares about her readers. It was such a pleasure to meet her. Then came the moment I had been so excited for – attending the fashion show! Teen Vogue provided my mom and I with amazing front row seats for the Declare Your Denim Fashion Show. On the way to my seat, I had to do a double take when I saw someone I recognized out of the corner of my eye. It was Shay Mitchell from Pretty Little Liars, my absolute favorite show. It was so awesome to actually be that close to and sit in the same row as a celebrity I admired so much! After sitting down, Victoria Justice and Omarion arrived as well. It was so amazing; I was completely star struck. The day was overcast and we were lucky it didn’t rain. It really accentuated the fashion show, however, because all of the bright color blocking outfits stood out against the gray background. I loved the show – the music was perfect and the pieces were so well put together. It’s hard to describe how I felt; I can only say that it was pure joy. After the show ended, I returned to the Haute Spot, where I met Eva Chen, Teen Vogue’s Beauty and Health Director. Eva gave me so much great advice about the industry and how she became a part of it. After I talked to Eva, I listened to her interview with beauty and fashion gurus Elle and Blaire Fowler. They talked about the hottest beauty trends seen on the runway and shared tons of little beauty tricks as well. I learned that to reduce frizz in your hair, you should dry it with a cotton t-shirt and blow dry with the nozzle downwards along the flow of your hair. Also, to make a bold lipstick last longer, it helps to apply lip liner of the same color on your entire lips under the coat of lipstick. Our long day was not yet over. Who could pass up a sale at Bloomies? After a few hours of shopping, we grabbed a burger at the Burger Joint, the scrumptiously well-kept secret located in a corner of Le Parker Meridien hotel. Bellies full, we returned to our hotel and passed out.

Day 3

On Monday, I visited the YMI showroom by Times Square. Wearing my new jeans, I met the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Licensing at YMI, Deke Jamieson. The showroom was so beautiful with windows all around and a breathtaking view of the city. All of their brand new samples were on display throughout the light-filled room. Everything from their signature jeans, to shoes, to intimates were hanging all around us. Mr. Jamieson also had so much advice, not only about the industry, but also about life in general. We had a Skype conference with Evelyn Lugo, the wonderful person who made this whole trip a reality. YMI is in the process of expanding, so it was great to see how much potential the brand has. I left the showroom happy and ready to tell all of my friends about how great the brand is. Our next Haute Spot event was learning how to strut our stuff with Mac Folkes, the industry expert himself. Even though I don’t have a big interest in modeling, Mac’s instruction was extremely entertaining; he has a great personality. After his session ended, Victoria Justice stopped by for a meet and greet. She has to be one of the nicest celebrities ever – she was so sweet! I was lucky enough to get a picture with her! At nightfall, we took the subway to Soho, where we did a little more shopping on Broadway.

Day 4

Tuesday came, and I was invited to visit the Teen Vogue offices. This visit was not initially planned – it was all thanks to my fabulous Teen Vogue contact, Jasmin Reate. Jasmin was absolutely terrific and set up a tour for my mom and I to see the Business and Editorial floors of Teen Vogue, despite the chaos of her job mid-fashion week. I instantly loved the vibe of the offices. The staff worked together like one big happy family, and I could sense their passion for what they do. I had the chance to meet with both an intern and ex-intern, each of whom highly praised their jobs at the magazine. It was fascinating to see all of the different jobs that are required to achieve the finished product. As I was leaving the offices, there was a lot of commotion. Everyone was trying to place orders online for Missoni for Target. It was hysterical because the website kept crashing mid-order. Everyone was frantic and asking each other if their orders had gone through. We came up with a back-up plan – My mom and I would pick up an order at Target on our way home that night and ship it to the office! Luckily, the orders went through so it wasn’t necessary. Just seeing their excitement over fashion made me appreciate the environment even more. Leaving the offices at Condé Nast, we rushed to our last event at Lincoln Center. Erin Fetherston showed us pictures of her Spring 2012 collection. The clothes were gorgeous and it was obvious how devoted she is to what she does. She is very intelligent and shared with us her inspiration and how she came to be a designer. Her interests had always been in fashion, but it was not until after graduating from UC Berkeley that she knew her calling was to be a designer. She enrolled at Parsons in Paris, and her career took off from there. Running late for our driver, we left the Haute Spot for the last time and set off for the airport.

I am so ecstatic that I actually won this amazing trip. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that will stay with me forever. I made so many valuable connections during the trip that I otherwise wouldn’t have made. It was so incredible to meet people that are so knowledgeable and influential in the fashion industry. This trip made me realize that I belong in fashion. It is what makes me genuinely happy, and there are so many possibilities within it. I had such an extraordinary time with everything. Thank you YMI and Teen Vogue for making my dreams come true!

-Sara J

YMI Dressy Dark Trouser, $58.00, ymijeans.com

What’s your favorite YMI Jean? I am so excited about all of our new trouser and flare styles, it’s nice to have something else to wear besides skinny jeans finally!  My closet is full of jeggings, which I’ll never get sick of, but I have been excited to add some new bootcut and flare styles into the mix.

What’s your job at YMI? I work under the VP as an executive assistant, making sure everything on his accounts gets taken care in terms of orders, samples and shipping everything out.  I also help create tools that help our sales team keep track of the styles we are putting into production as well as the styles we are selling well on retailer’s floors.  A lot of work that I think helps link all our departments together from design to sales to production to shipping.

What’s your favorite thing about working at YMI? I like that we have a fairly casual work environment – how many people can say that they get to wear jeans to work every day?  And, it’s fun to work with so many creative girls!

What’s fashion trends are you liking right now? I am loving anything animal print and can’t seem to stop buying sheer blouses.  I think a few animal print accents can make any outfit a little more fun.

What’s your must have accessory? My blackberry and black eyeliner – do those count? Because I definitely can’t live without either.

How would you describe your style? I like to keep things pretty clean and simple, especially at work.  I would say my style is a mix of classic and girly.

YMI Extreme Flare, $56.00. Top from Lulus.com.

YMI Dressy White Trouser, $58.00. Top from Lulus.com.

Zip Fly Jegging, $38.00. Vest from Lulus.com.

If you can’t make it out for the night, we’ve got that covered with Fashion’s Night Out online! We’re offering an exclusive sale of 40% off sitewide, gift w/ purchase PLUS free shipping from 6:00pm-11:00pm PST on September 8th at ymijeans.com!

YMI Girls denim has finally arrived! ymijeans.com is now carrying a full range of girls denim from Skinny to Flare in sizes 7-16 at amazing price points! Check out all of the cute styles we have for sale NOW at great prices, back to school never looked better!

Your back to school look wouldn’t be complete without this years must have accessories! From bright nail paint to graphic notebooks and leopard print, ring in the new school year loud and proud with these denim and accessory pairings!

From top Left: ASOS Leopard Purse Belt, $34.48, ASOS.com. Jansport Leopard Backpack, $34.50, Delias.com. YMI Super Skinny, $38.00, ymijeans.com

From top Left: OPI “Do You Like Lilac”, OPI.com. OPI “On the Same Paige”, OPI.com. OPI ” Go On Green!”, OPI.com. YMI Belted Dark Wash Bootcut, $28.99, ymijeans.com. 

From top Left: Johnathan Adler Teal and Green Flexi Journal, $12.95, Barnesandnoble.com. Johnathan Adler Bohemian Bliss Journal, $7.95, Barnesandnoble.com. Johnathan Adler Dove Journal, $6.96, Barnesandnoble.com. Flare Jean with Tattering, $48.00, ymijeans.com.

What’s your favorite YMI Jean? The jeggings are my favorite, and I have all the washes. I just wish they had zippers so I wouldn’t have to do the shimmy dance when putting them on (even though sometimes that can be fun).  the good thing is that now we are doing jegons that have zippers so I cant wait for our next sale! with all the sales we’ve had, I’ve made a nice collection of denim in my closet & there’s always room to experiment. So sometimes I get an old pair & play with it. right now im really obsessed with scalloped styles, so I decided to turn my pants into cute scalloped shorts. I love how they came out!

What’s your job at YMI? That’s a difficult question because I have many jobs, I don’t think you can put a title on me.  I work with both the design and production departments, which can get a bit crazy. My typical day is getting tech packs done & finalized, approve (trim/washes/embroidery), deal with factory issues and chasing down  samples. And there’s a lot of stuff in between so I have my hands full.

What’s your favorite thing about working at YMI? How I learn new things,  all the time! And the fun girls I work with!

What’s fashion trends are you liking right now? Scalloped everything of course hahah.  But I also love love love the high waisted styles! Im so glad I can go anywhere & buy a pair. Whether it’s a short, flare, skinny they have them all. Before I’d have to search thrift stores for them & then have to tailor them because most likely they are too big for me.

What’s your must have accessory? A cute vintage purse, because the odds are that nobody will have it and its always a nice piece to have.

How would you describe your style? I’m a huge thrift store junky. I love how you can go through the racks  and you can see so many different eras of clothing.

I like to be casual and comfortable at work, and on the weekends I like dressing up. Some days I want to dress a little 50’s or 90’s, etc. and im not afraid to experiment or wear color so my style always changes a bit.

Color Blocking- This trend has dominated the runway and red carpet this season and is a back to school MUST! Camilla combines bold orange, purple and green hues to create this show stopping look. Make it your own by pairing our Flap Pocket Twill Shorts in bright fuchsia with a colored blouse in your favorite pop color.

Camilla Belle in Color Blocking Trend

Nautical- If you don’t own a stripped nautical shirt, now is the time to invest in this staple! Taylor gives a new menswear inspired twist to the classic look by pairing her tee with a boyfriend blazer, oxford flats and woven cap.  Steal her style with our Super Skinny jeans and create your own spin on this trend.

Taylor Swift in Nautical Trend

70′s Inspired- One of the most flattering trends right now is the 70′s inspired look. Annalynne best demonstrates this trend by pairing a flare leg jean with chunky platforms, a wide belt and printed top. Recreate this look with our Double Button Pocket Flare and you’ll be ready to wow your classmates come next Fall!

Annalynne McCord in 70's Inspired Trend