Author Archives: Charley Helfet

About Charley Helfet

I'm the sole writer of Chic Cheat - and, I like to think, a creative soul at that - comfortably fulfilling the job of fashion writer and creative problem solver in one outing. I'll attempt to recreate anything I fancy that comes my way, and it's that sense of empowerment that definitely makes the DIY fashion lark worthwhile. Alongside working full time, replicating high fashion items in my spare time and general executive functioning that typically gets one through the day, I like rock music, cycling, playing computer games, overdoing things at my local gym and dressing up at any justifiable opportunity (and some not-so-justifiable)...well, a girl's got to put her craft to good use, hasn't she?
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The Trends on Wednesday – 5 cool things to do with safety pins

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Get them in the mix!Safety pins -in the mix
As well as adding instant rock ‘n’ roll attitude, safety pins work fantastically for adding a bold metallic statement. They’re also great for teaming up with beads and diamantés for an eclectic, detailed statement. Take a leaf out of the Alexander McQueen, Jeffrey Campbell or Tom Binns book and experiment with neons, metallics, monochrome fabrics and crystals in your safety pinning endeavours.
Let’s get ‘em on!
Safety pin collage

…Alternatively, you may decide that safety pins against block colour is a killer combination that needs no further action. Check out Charlotte Olympia’s take on the trend for inspiration and just pile them on!
So it should seam
So it should seam

Where were you when Liz Hurley caused a stir in that Versace frock at the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere? (Okay, if you were even born by then, showoffs!) Aside from quick-fix, no-sew practicality, adorning your seams with safety pins gets just the right balance of rebellion and sex appeal – provided you still leave the relevant areas to the imagination – culminating in a look so iconic it was revisited by Lady GaGa in Milan last October. Well, if it’s good enough for GaGa, it’s unsurprisingly proven more than fertile inspiration ground for Jeremy Scott and 3.1 Phillip Lim.

Full Feature
Make it a feature - safety pins
Is it the stark metallic hues that get you pinning or the stylish, swirling shape? Maybe you want to give your safety pin sartorial centre stage. making its unaltered design the key feature of your look, like with Henri Bendel’s hair band. Maybe you want to keep the shape but change the colour to look like Genevieve Jones’ design. If you want to get the creative, colourful look exemplified at McQ by Alexander McQueen, Rebecca Minkoff and Versus, play around with polymer clay, paints (including nail polish) and diamantés for a personally customised look.
A novel twist
A Novel Twist - safety pins

Are you so inspired by the famous safety pin you want to push its style potential to the limit? Tom Binns appears to be! Jennifer Fisher, Giles Brother and Juicy Couture have also been getting in on the act, twisting, stretching and encrusting safety pins until they take on a whole new form, yet still stay recognisable. Like what you see? Rather than try to bend safety pins (which can be tough to sculpt and break easily) use some thick wire and some metal panelling from old jewellery to replicate an oversized safety pin that’s perfect for shaping.
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The Trends on Wednesday: Get The Picture

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She lights up the sky

Dorothy Perkins pattern dress
£28 - dorothyperkins.com

Over coat
£935 - lagarconne.com

Betsey Johnson peeptoe shoes
£105 - dillards.com

£630 - ssense.com
Skirting the trends of ’13 we have the very beautiful, very artistic photo print fad. Add a touch of depth and illusion to your look with an oversized landscape motif or a blur or abstract pattern, while using its colour palette to detail your look with matching accessories, whether they be in melancholic blue or richly decadent plum hues. So far this season, photographic prints have clicked with Roberto Cavalli, Tara Jarmon and McQ by Alexander McQueen with a spectrum of colour, pattern and mood to suit every taste. What image will you go for?
purple

Steve Madden ankle strap heels
£32 - macys.com

Christopher kane
£580 - mytheresa.com

Kris Van Assche 11 C5
£295 - sunglasscurator.com
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Of Gems and Geometry: How to DIY a 3D geometric necklace

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Still inspired by the geometric 3D jewellery trend? Got an hour to kill? Need inspiration? Chic Cheat can help…


Topshop
Geo Triangle Collar Necklace
Source: Lyst.com

You will need…

Gold picture hanging wire (about £1.50 from Wilkinson)

About 5 black drinking straws (free at all participating restaurants)

Scissors

The string of an old necklace or pendant

Long nosed pliers

Ruler

For the method I used…

Polymer clay

Fimo gold powder (about £3 if you shop around)

Difficulty

difficulty02

Pretty easy

A little fiddly in places and picture hanging wire splits really easily, which can be a headache when you’re trying to join pieces together.

Time

I’m going to say an hour each but, thanks to nearby distractions, I think I made heavier weather of it than I needed to. Also, I’d recommend a quicker, simpler method than the one I did (and learnt from) as I’ll explain later on.

Wire it up…

Method1 For the first design, I made 3 flat wire triangles and a wire pyramid, joining the ends together by bending them back on themselves, hooking them together and locking them in place with a twist of the pliers. I’d then fold the hooked bit back on itself and cut away the excess wire. It’s hard to explain in a step-by-step way how I made the pyramid. I made a triangular base, left some excess wire to make a point at the top and more still to twist along one side, so that I could get it into the final corner and create third side to reach the top. Each side was 3cm long.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I joined the pieces together by taking a small piece of wire and twisting it along the 2 adjacent sides.

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Lastly, I threaded the necklace string through the top.

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For the second necklace I made 5 pyramids. I covered them with polymer clay and then gold powder before baking them to set. Personally, to get the same finish as the Topshop necklace, I’d recommend cutting 35 bits of straw, 3cm in length, and putting them on your wire pyramid frames as you make them. After that, thread each pyramid onto your necklace string and alternate it with a 3cm straw “stopper.” That method would be cheaper, quicker and easier than the one I used but the choice of look is yours.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI painted my pyramids with black nail polish, if you’re wondering how I achieved the above effect. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
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The Trends on Wednesday: Citrus Zest

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citrus zest
Did I, by any chance, mention that we’re in the midst of a 90s revival at all? No? Well, I’ve started, so I’ll finish, just like fashion seems to be doing with all its nostalgic homages to the decade. So far we’ve seen grunge, acid and neons in retro pastiche that could rival period costume in authenticity (I should know, I was there the first time around!) so where to go next to keep fashion in the frenetically transient flux for which it’s known? Why, lime green and lemon yellow, of course, just like it did before. This shift from fluorescent to citrus is in a softer, more elegant direction. Fluorescent colours were fun, citrus is feminine. Fluorescent colours were loud, citrus palettes are radiant. Fluorescent colours added a young, rebellious streak, citrus carries vibrant sophistication. So, is it time you ditched that neon yellow satchel? Of course not – that’d certainly be foolish with festival fashion in full swing. Chic Cheat is about adapting and reworking to get the look, not disposing and buying from scratch. My advice? Keep your neons to one shade, especially greens and yellows, and ease them into your look with a mixture of citrus hues and a contrasting colour, such as black, white, metallics and grey, just like in the collages. That will give your colour depth and a bold, stand-out quality. Pass the acid phase and get citric!

Chiffon dress
$28 - nelly.com

Oh My Love short mini skirt
$43 - topshop.com

3 1 Phillip Lim zipper bag
$905 - avenue32.com

Anna sui lipstick
beautylish.com

Nars cosmetic
saksfifthavenue.com
Nic+Zoe:: Alive

NIC ZOE nic zoe
nicandzoe.com

NIC ZOE nic zoe
nicandzoe.com

Friis company
$110 - shopfriiscompany.com

K Amato k amato
maxandchloe.com

Tech accessory
$51 - bestgiftcompany.co.uk

Lime green hat
boticca.com

Bcbgmaxazria
bcbg.com
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Pump Action: How to DIY a pair of Charlotte Olympia Ooh La La Pumps

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Charlotte Olympia gives this season’s pump trend a bit of “Ooh La La”…

DIY Charlotte Olympia Ooh LaLa Pumps

Top image: Polyvore
Author’s note: A substantial chunk of the £18 I paid was in postage and packing – annoyingly – so, galling logistics aside, the real price was more like £13.

 

 

You will need…Ingredients

Difficulty

difficulty02

 

Quite Easy

Getting it perfectly neat’s a little trickier as it involves glue guns, which I find messy by their very nature, but this DIY’s as straightforward and intuitive as it gets.

 

Time

2-3 hours. Well, probably less as I faffed about quite a bit when I was working on it!

 

To get the shoe on the road…

Method1

 

Mark out where you intend for your lace hearts to go. Make sure it’s in the same place on both shoes and that you’ve left enough space for slight overlapping so that you can glue your pieces in place.
Method2

 

 

 

Cut out your heart shapes slowly and carefully, so that your stanley knife doesn’t slip, causing you to unexpectedly maul the entire shoe!Method3

 

 

Blast your ribbon with craft mount (on the wrong side) and fold it in half so that it’s pipe-like and slightly more rigid.
Method4

 

 

Using your glue gun, model your “Ooh La La” lettering, making sure it fits onto your lace hearts.Method5

 

 

Glue your lace hearts in place, again, with your glue gun (craft mount would be a bit messy).DIY Charlotte olympia pumps

 

Glue your red ribbon in place one letter at a time – don’t try to do whole words as gun glue is very quick-drying. Don’t panic if you make a bit of a mess, as the glue is easy to peel off once dry, especially with tweezers. Failing that, use a scalpel to scrape away the excess glue.
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The Trends on Wednesday: Got it in One

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Got it in One

I should finish – or press on with – what I started, having moved onto 2013′s key autumn/winter trends in previous entries but with the festival season upon us and – huzzah! – glorious spring weather I’ve decided to keep it relevant with the with the pretty-yet-practical jumpsuit trend. With soft fabrics, possibilities for pattern and forgivingly-loose fit without the frumpiness, what’s not to like? Awkward toilet arrangements, perhaps which – how I shudder – is the last thing one needs for the sort that festivals typically offer. Minor technicalities aside, I’ve already got ahead of the game on this one with a recycling DIY tutorial you readers may well remember. Alternatively, you may be wondering how to make the playsuit you treated yourself to in 2012 look a little less vieux chapeau. Layering, styling and complimenting with accessories are all very much key here. Colour blocking’s very much back in the game, this season so pops of brilliant yellow, emerald green or pastel shades should be replacing your fluoros and neons – though you may get away with a single shade. For jewellery, think body metal, perchance to adapt or enhance any collars that you’ve neither the heart nor budget to discard so soon. Fashion may be in constant flux but transgression need never be from scratch.
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Pur Sang: How to DIY a Sang A clutch

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With an easy-peasy pleather-recycling homage to the much-coveted V clutch by Sang A – recommended by Style.com, no less – I give you another DIY doddle that’s doable in an evening.

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You will need:

About 2 square foot of black leather/ faux leather and 1 square foot in white. Both can be pretty pricey so why not cut up some old jackets. If you haven’t got one, or both, comb your local charity shop or look online.

A sewing machine with a leather needle nothing too technical, available at all good haberdashers and a precaution that’s definitely worth taking. Conventional needles aren’t strong enough and tend to break.

Craft mount

Piercing tool which looks like a scalpel but is pointed at the end.

All-purpose scissors 

4 sheets of A4 paper and masking tape

Pencil Preferably a clutch pencil, either way, make sure it’s sharp.

Patternmaster or graded setsquare

Gold gel pen

Black polymer clay

Gunmetal bag chain about 150cm long. I know it sound like a lot but it is for a cross body bag.

Silver picture hanging wire

Glue gun

Difficulty

difficulty02

Pretty easy

Don’t let a bit of machine sewing and basic pattern cutting phase you, this is among my quicker, easier outings.
Time

2-3 hours
How to make the “V” thing

DIY Sang A clutch pattern pieces

Trace out the above pattern pieces onto paper using the measurements provided. You’ll need to tape 2 sheets together for the bottom right-hand piece. Cut your pieces out.

Method1

Trace the piece in the top left-hand corner onto white leather/ faux leather and the other two pieces onto black (onto the wrong sides) using the gold gel pen. Cut them out. Trace out the bottom left-side pattern in white twice, without the seam allowance.

Method2

Prod holes in your black pieces and triangular white piece.

Method3

Place your black pieces right-side-to-right-side and machine sew them together along the sides and bottom. Trim away the sides, leaving one layer slightly wider than the other. This makes it easier to turn your bag inside-out and prevents excess bulk and distortion.

Method4

Craft mount your non-triangular white pieces to your black pieces (the wrong sides, which should still be facing outwards.

With your white triangular piece, fold back the seam allowance towards the wrong side and craft mount it down.

Method5

Turn your bag right-sides-out. On the triangular part of your black pieces, fold the seam allowance back on itself, this time, towards the right side and craft mount it down. Cover that side in craft mount.

DIY Sang A clutch

Stick your white piece down on your craft mount-covered black piece, with the right side facing outwards.

Attach your chain to the top corners by threading your picture wire through nearby holes and the end links on either side.

Make your polymer clay arrow, bake in the oven (following the instructions carefully as I trust you will!) and stick it in place with your glue gun.

 
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The Trends on Wednesday: Some Punk for a Young Lady

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With 80s-style youth disenchantment and grunge included in the arsenal of 90s trend nostalgia, a punk revival seemed only inevitable as a recently forecast trend for autumn. This deluge of deconstruction, confection of customisation and treasure trove of tartan has, so far, taken the stage at Moschino, Diesel and Chanel, to name but a few. With a manifest nod to Sid and Nancy, Siouxsie Sioux and Vivienne Westwood – pre-Dame Viv era – this trend will surely stand to make a key and lasting statement for 2013.
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Katrantzou’s got the cream: How to DIY a Mary Katrantzou print clutch

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Make a big impression with bold print, courtesy of Katrantzou.

Mary Katrantzou Bag

Image: Vero Moda

 

Image: Vero Moda

Image: Vero Moda

You will need…

A zipped bag (Mine was actually made from strong paper and came from this Ebay seller)

Paper (If your bag isn’t made from it, like mine)

Craft Mount (Again, if your bag isn’t made from paper)

Pencil and eraser

Felt tips (as many colours as possible. Mine were spares from home and a bog standard Crayola set from Hobbycraft costing £3.99)

Clear car lacquer

 

Difficulty

difficulty01

 

Very Easy

…And I bet there you were thinking colouring in was for kids!

 

Time

Mine took about 5 hours but it depends on the designs you choose to do.

 

Operation cut stick ‘n’ colour…

Method1

Method1

If you aren’t working straight onto paper, craft mount a sheet to the front and back of your bag, even if you’re not doing both sides, just for consistency. Use your pencil and eraser to sketch out your design.

Method2

Colour them in (woohoo!)

DIY Mary Katrantzou bag - front OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Blast the whole bag with clear car lacquer.

 

 

 
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The Trends on Thursday: Zebra Crossover

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Zebra Crossover

 

With the 90s holding sway over 2013 fashion as the referential decade of choice, it would surely be only fitting for animal prints to make an appearance. What a dramatic entrance they have made so far, especially in leopard form. Had we the Spice Girls to thank for such patterns lingering so persistently on the cornerstones of 90s pop culture? Sure there were worse trends the decade had to offer – glitter jersey should have stayed there but, alas, it’s been stubbornly skirting the edges of the high street all the same – but when it comes to ubiquity versus likeability, it seems that the candle that burns twice as bright can burn for half as long  Some of us have already seen enough leopard spots to last us a lifetime never mind a fleeting season. Either way, the leopard may not be able to change his spots but fashion has evolved to do so by its very nature. Autumn/ winter 2013 is tipped to see a shift from spots to zebra stripes, with an eclectic cocktail of jacquard, print and intarsia in the trend’s arsenal. It also needn’t be so black-and-white, rather experiment with quirky colour choices and embellishments. Think collage, like Tom Ford, or wild fringing like Sacai, for an authentic update on the iconic animal pattern.