Featured Design: LED Earrings and neoprene dress

Anina Net, CEO of the Fashion Tech Network (left)

Sandy Carter, General Manager or IBM

At the start of the show were some beautiful pieces showcased under a faint blue light, which in itself was an odd choice of lighting because it was difficult to see much of anything at all.

LED accessories

Symbolic 'cloud' clutch and laser cut fabric

LED Earrings and neoprene dress

 Creative reflective fabric and textures.


3D-printed tiara and embellishment experiments.


As the show continued, the disconnect between fashion and technology actually seemed to grow, until the gap left me feeling a little confused.

Microsoft Kinect

A few pieces of 'tech' were brought out, among them a Window's Kinect, which was then used to sort of scan the models as they reached the end of the catwalk wearing pieces of lingerie.

An odd way to use Microsoft Kinect by using it to scan the models up and down

Here is a hint...


Before getting into all that, I just want to say that the best part about late fall in San Francisco, is that it feels like summer. Finally a chance to dress up with just an extra touch of femininity in skirts, hats and structured tees.


This is what I wore on my way to get some of the best ice cream in the city. Nestled in Hayes Valley is a tiny shop called Smitten - where the ice cream is made to order using liquid nitrogen. The vapor coming out you see in this photo is from a scoop of vanilla being made right before your eyes. You can't get much fresher than that.

You know what just doesn't go with this outfit? A thick, dark ugly wrist band constantly tracking how many calories I can burn on the way to get ice cream. (And honestly, when it comes to ice cream - who wants a constant reminder about calories?)

As you can see, I didn't even feel like lugging around a purse, so the only place for my phone to go was buried into one of the deep inner pockets of this pink coat. So how is a girl to know if there is an important message coming in or snapchat that requires an immediate response? What if someone likes my smitten ice cream instagrams? How will I know without checking my phone every 10 seconds?

Well meet Ringly - a wearable device cleverly disguised as a cocktail ring.

Just received a Snapchat

Ringly works using a bluetooth connection to your phone. The best part is the accompanying app that lets you set up the type of notifications you can receive. You can choose between a few colors that light up a little LED on the side. Yellow, pink, blue, green...etc and there is also a series of tiny haptic vibrations that you can adjust and personalize as well. (continued)

After a summer of renting, buying/returning and testing out different activity trackers I found this to be the best device by far. Even though the display is large, this is actually one of the smallest devices available. It is also the most lightweight, with an easy-to-read display and SUPER long battery life and haptic feedback to keep you on track.

What makes Garmin the best, is that they have their own satellites, capable of near-immediate pace tracking feedback. And yes, while you could use a phone app for this same purpose, nothing even comes close to this type of accuracy.



To all my motivation-seekers: meet your new running watch.


Thanks for reading! All photos taken by blogger and photographer, Maddy Douglass whom I'd highly recommend for all of your lifestyle blogging needs. 
Find my live updates on Instagram and Twitter. These opinions are all my own and may contain affiliate links. 

"If I don’t create, I won’t affect the world around me.            - Jon Westenberg

So yeah, here is me looking up after a summer of technical adventures, as well as adventures far-removed from the incessant humm and buzz of gadgetry.

I've learned so much and come so far, and out of everything I'd like to share one of my favorite (and lightest) bits of advice from the summer.

How to properly roll up the sleeves on an oxford shirt. 

Step 1. 

Straighten out the cuff and arm. Especially with linen, you'll want to give it a good tug.

Step 2. 

Make sure the cuff is unbuttoned at this stage

 

Did you know that there’s a Reddit swapping sub-reddit with over 13,000+ users exchanging makeup everyday?  

As massive as the beauty industry has become, women everywhere are still looking for a good deal on quality products, as well as not letting unused items go to waste. Without a platform to run on, these users have created their own beauty marketplace - simply out of demand!

Wouldn't it be nice to have an easier, more secure way to exchange makeup and grow this group even more? Welcome in Dotfully.



Dotfully is striving to become the world’s first free makeup store powered by beauty lovers. Dotfully is among the first beauty destinations where women come together to buy and sell unused beauty products and perfumes from each other without using money.

Instead of using money, Dotfully members can easily sell their new beauty products or once-loved perfumes for Dotfully points.

I met with founder and CEO Mona Zhao over matcha lattes to hear about her passion for beauty and technology.

“The future of shopping is beyond retail and online stores. Consumers can empower each other by sharing their excess and guilt-free shopping can be possible with peer-to-peer marketplaces. We are living in the future, at least in the beauty space, with Dotfully and our members creating the world’s first free makeup store powered by beauty lovers.” - Mona Zhao

She explained how Dotfully points can be then used to buy products you love from other members for free. When you sign up for a free account you're automatically given 250 Dotfully Points ($25 Value).

Here are a few of Mona's favorite products:

When ever in doubt as to what I will slip on for work in the morning, I just remember one simple rule: black goes with black.

This outfit by Theory is a play on boring black by mixing up textures, shapes, and revealing a little bit of skin in just the right places.







The photographer by the way (aka Ginger & the Fizz) called this look '90's. I call it 'flirty'. Either works ;)

Have a great weekend everyone.

XO - Julia