rocknthetrend

As a designer, one of our biggest challenges is measurement. How long or short or do we design products? What measurement will fit the widest audience of consumers? In the fashion accessories world, it is our desire to provide you with the best product with the best fit. Often times we refer to anthropometric data (the study of human body measurement) to understand how long or how wide to make jewelry.

In fashion, the fit of the jewelry is significant in two ways. 1. How it fits on your body and 2. How it fits with your overall body type. This is a guide on how to select your accessories to best work with your body type. It is our goal to recommend accessories to not only complement your outfit but also your body type.

For this article we selected the four body types we have had the most experience with: Triangle, Inverted Triangle, Rectangle and Hour Glass. Please remember every body type is beautiful.

Find your body type based on the chart and following descriptions:

Triangle: Shoulders and torso that are narrower than the hips.

Inverted Triangle: Shoulders are noticeably wider than your hip-line.

Rectangle: Your hips and shoulders are pretty much the same width.

Hour Glass: Hip and bust are almost of equal size, with a narrow waist.

Here are a few tips on how to compliment your outfit and your body type.

Triangle Do’s: Select pieces of jewelry that will attract attention away from the hips such as a statement necklace or large earrings.

Triangle Do not’s: Stay away from drawing attention to the hips. No belts, bangles or big bracelets.

Inverted Triangle Do’s: Select pieces that will attract attention away from broad shoulders and toward your smaller hips such as long necklaces, big bracelets, bangles or belts.

Inverted Triangle Do not’s: Stay away from pieces that will draw attention to shoulders. No to short bulky necklaces or large statement earrings.

Rectangle Do’s: Select pieces that highlight both hip and shoulder areas creating a defined waist line. Yes to  big statement necklaces, big earrings, bangles, bulky bracelets and low-waisted belts.

Rectangle Do not’s: Stay away from pieces that draw attention to your midriff. No to long necklaces and high-waisted belts.

Hour Glass Do’s: Select pieces that will create a balanced look between shoulders and hips such as necklaces, earrings and bracelets that are similar in size and bulk.

Hour Glass Do not’s: Stay away from pieces that have a noticeable difference in size for example a chunky necklace paired with smaller sized bracelet or earring’s. The goal being proportion and symmetry.

Thank you to Perception & Co. for the body chart image and Stay Trendy blog spot for input.

We are a material conscious world in many aspects but in this case the interest is focused on what things are made of and even better what are guitar picks made of. Here we will go over the highlights on what guitar picks were made of, why the industry changed and what you will find being used today.

Guitar Picks were originally made out of tortoiseshell. Tortoiseshell was used to produce combs, sunglasses, guitar picks and knitting needles. This material was popular with consumers because of its beauty, durability and pleasing tactile quality.

The tortoiseshell comes from the slow moving Hawksbill Turtle. This reptile is on the endangered species list and banned from trade in 1973 causing a shift within the industry to find a new material replicating the flexibility, durability and sound produced by the tortoiseshell.

The industry turned its attention to plastics as a means to duplicate the tortoiseshell experience. It made sense to pursue this material since plastics were not a new material to the guitar pick world. They had been using plastics in the manufacturing of guitar picks as early as the 1920’s.

Today you will find most guitarist with a plastic or nylon pick. The pick making industry offers a nice variety of different plastics (nylon, polyethylene, celluloid and others) each offering it own unique distinction. Other less common materials, because they can cause harm to the strings, are copper, bronze and steel. Lastly, and even more exclusive are stone, wood and leather picks which have their own natural beauty and tonal qualities.

The materials that make up guitar picks have a unique story. There are many different material options and each offer their own unique qualities. Whether it is nylon, wood or steel. It is all about how it sounds and how it feels. Only the guitar player knows which is the right fit.

Rock N The Trend at the event 2013 Oscar Talent Gift Lounge

Brett Stimely is Rock N the Trend in these cuff links at the 6th Annual Television Academy Honors, Beverly Hills

Rock N The Trend had the good fortune of being invited to promote their collection of guitar pick jewelry to the Celebrities of Hollywood at a pre-Oscar Event. This event titled The Gifting Lounge is an opportunity for boutique companies such as ours to get our name/brand out in the public eye and on public figures. I have talked about the inter-workings of these gifting suites in a previous blog titled I Wanna Rock! The Academy Awards with Guitar Pick Jewelry.

I had the opportunity to meet celebrity guests first hand, talk about my company, adorn them with jewelry and then take photographs. You can see many of these images on my website page “PDA”. I met many awesome people and made many great connections. I keep in touch with several actors/actresses, musicians, and singers. It is really cool to have some of these celebrities promote me on Facebook and Twitter. I love it when the handsome Christian Keyes retweets a post or the adorable J. Michael Trautmann retweets a promotion. I am eternally grateful.

I also had the opportunity to work one-one-one with a few celebrities to create custom pieces. Brett Stimely the Handsome Hunk I am referring to in the title was one of those actors.  You may remember Brett from such movies as Transformers: Dark of the Moon and the Watchmen where he (frequently) portrays the character of John F. Kennedy. You can see why.

Brett was so much fun to work with. I really enjoy working with male clients especially the Los Angeles and Las Vegas crowd. These men have no fear when it comes to fashion accessories. In fact, the more bling the better which is a breath of fresh air relative to the more conservative Nor Cal man. (No complaint and no comparison just different.) It just made for some real fun knowing Brett was open to big, bold and bling.

The choice to do cuff link’s was obvious. The Guitar Pick Cuff Link’s were such a hit in the celebrity lounge. They were the right combination of fashion, flair and style. For Brett, we selected a Red Skull Guitar Pick – Day of the Dead Inspired to create a custom set of cuff links. The guitar picks are then adorned with Swarovski Crystals hand placed along the outline of the pick and set in the eyes. These embellishments bring the guitar pick cuff link to life. The combination of metal, guitar pick and crystals makes for a rock n elegant man.

Check out these photos:

Have you ever wondered what you would do in a split-second reaction scenario? For example, any life threatening situation where you were a witness to harm being placed on another human being. Would you run to the aid of another human being who is in harm’s way knowing you are possibly putting yourself at risk? There are many brave stories to be told about our neighbors who are Instinctual Super Hero’s. We define Instinctual Super Hero as a term for those people around us who, when in the moment, step up to help, get involved, and care about the safety and well-being of other human beings. The Boston Marathon Bombing for instance, we watched creation of many Instinctual Super Hero’s. It makes one think what would I do? How would I react?

I experienced the intensity of becoming an Instinctual Super Hero this weekend. I shared the abridged version of this experience on my Facebook page but I wanted an opportunity to share it on a broader spectrum to anyone interested in the insanity of life.

The story goes:

A random course of events delays my departure as I grab a bottle of water on my way to the car. I finally find myself behind the wheel of my truck. I decide to head over to the local wine shop to purchase a bottle of bubbly for my 3 year anniversary approaching in the next few days. My mind is heavily occupied with the internal battle over resigning from my current profession. The experience was making me question some core beliefs.

I pull in front of the wine store, park my car and then fumble around in my bag for my wallet. All the while, I am gazing toward the store’s front door and make a visual connection to a woman who is standing to the right with a baby stroller. I continue lost in my own thoughts as I glance up again to see the same woman’s hair starting to smolder with fire. I see her frantically moving to put out a very small flame. It looks like she has it under control and I think to myself there is nothing worse than the odor of burnt hair and thought back to the few times it has happened amongst friends in a totally non-threatening manner. 

Mind you it must have been about a second or two. It was enough time for me to look down and back up. What I see when I look up at her is unbelievable. She has been unable to get out the flame. The flame is beginning to quickly get larger and I see it move from the tips of her hair to the middle of her hair at a speed that was frightening. It was in this moment I realized this flame was going to engulf this woman’s head.

All I remember is thinking I have to get there fast enough. I don’t remember looking down for the water bottle nor grabbing it. The next thing I know my door is swung open and I am running out as fast as I can to put water over this woman’s head. I am met by another neighbor who joins me in dousing this woman with water. We were joined by another man who had a towel to put out the very last of it. The flames had burnt through the entire right side of her hair all the way to her scalp. She walked away unscathed. I was relieved (to put it mildly) that there was not a burn mark on her. Totally unbelievable. Totally changed from this experience.

There is a line from the song “Some Nights”, the line is “What do I stand for?” I have used that line as a sort of mantra for strength in challenging situations these past few months. I always knew I stood for kindness, for action, for excellence. I always knew I would stand up for others and act bravely. While I hope to never find myself in a similar situation. It feels good to know there are a few new additions to the Instinctual Super Hero movement. I know “what I stand for” do you.

A pretty picture goes a long way. It is amazing how powerful a pretty picture can be in the decision making process of purchasing. It goes far even deeper into our decision making psyche but the point being a pretty picture sells product and for this case we are talking jewelry. All those in the product selling world should be privy to this pretty picture insight. (I have been dying to get in an alliteration. “Alliteration – a word group either with the same consonant sound or sound group).” Place your product in the best possible light…literally.

Being an amateur photographer, I have photographed Rock N The Trend’s 2012 Collection and have felt first hand the pain staking details it takes to pull this off. I have come to discover two important factors that weigh heavily on a successful outcome: (1) equipment and (2) light. To give you a point of reference, my photography studio is comprised of an EZ Cube. I am not dissing the Cube it has empowered my amateur skills to produce a strong assortment of product shots. I have used these images on my website and social media campaigns. An additional help were the numerous websites and videos that can be found online. I searched “best way to photograph jewelry” and found a couple insightful websites. This site was the most helpful  especially since I was interested in photography with acrylics to create a subtle reflection adding depth and style http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com/tips/jewelry_photography_tips.html.

Back to equipment and light. These are the two reasons I made it a 2013 goal to hire an experienced photographer. (Not an easy task on a shoe string budget but I have pulled it off mostly thanks to friends.) I have spent the past two Saturday’s in a product photo shoot. It is amazing the learning curve that takes place from the first shoot to the second and soon to be a third. I wanted to share with you a major success from today’s shoot. The photographs of our cuff bracelet collection turned out fabulous. I am attaching an unedited image.

The biggest challenge when photographing these pieces were to give it a three dimensional look. The cuff bracelet lays beautifully around the wrist but on its own can only lay flat and looses the wonderful characteristic of a cuff bracelet. What prop could be used to create this 3d effect on a 2d object beyond a traditional T-Bar bracelet display? (Please do not get me started on the non-sexy jewelry displays out there.) I have always been attracted to a clean, modern style for jewelry displays so looking to acrylic as a medium for some custom pieces made sense. The crew at Tap Plastics has been beyond helpful. I have come discover Tap has acrylic tubes in diameters (a straight line) of 2″ thru 3″ in 1/4″ increments. These work out well when designing to standard jewelry sizes for men’s and women’s bracelets meaning 7″ bracelet fits on a 2″ diameter acrylic tube and 8″ bracelet fits on a 2.5″ tube. You can order the tube in any length from 1″ to 2′. For the purpose of the cuff bracelet I order a 2″ diameter acrylic tube at 2″ long. I am very happy with the results. The importance of the pretty pictures inherently means to capture the quality of the piece. This prop is stunning way to showcase a 2d piece in 3d fashion. Please see images.

Let me start by giving you a snap shot in time Date: 2/19, Time Midnight. We are on the cusp of two full days left before departure to LA. (Planning to stop production tomorrow 2/20 at 3:00pm.) One important part of preparing for this event is to remember there is more than just the jewelry to prepare for. With this being said, it is incredibly difficult to stop production right now because the jewelry is coming together so beautifully. Let me give you a few highlights. There are translucent purple guitar picks and gorgeous jeweled colors of blue, teal, red guitar picks to choose from…layered into the mix are cool graphic guitar picks bringing sugar skulls, polka dots and fleur de lis into the collection. Creating a shnazzy appearance. It looks really sexy.
Here are some fun facts:
I have roughly 180 pieces (75% women 25% men). The gals will have a choice between earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings. The guys will choose between necklaces, bracelets or cuff links. This is large amount of jewelry that needs to be organized and counted (for so many reasons it makes my head want to explode). This preparation ensures a seamless show where once a piece is selected I know where to go to hand the guest a packaged piece. Each piece of jewelry is attached to a white card which includes the name of my website rocknthetrend.com and an additional company card is included with the mix. Current strategy one piece per celebrity.
When selecting the styles we thought best suited for the event we went with went with a more classic approach. When I say classic I mean designs that would appeal to Audrey Hepburn. If I had to coin it it would be Classical Glam. We will be showcasing the Cuff Bracelet and Flower Necklace as well as pieces from our guitar pick ring collection and several varieties of earrings. These pieces are elegant and glamorous. They are pieces of art. There is a simplicity, a beauty, a balance that makes them so alluring. Wish me luck in luring the talent. (talent = celebrity)
Another way the talent may be lured, toward yours truly is, by a kick ass display. We are doing an edgy motif with a black back drop paired against the contrast of white jewelry boards and displays that will showcase guitar pick jewelry with all its bright colors, shiny metals and gleaming crystals. There will be a cool electric guitar (yes a real guitar) and 5’ jewelry tower to name a few highlights. Please stay tuned…

This story is a continuation of Rock N The Trend’s quest to infuse music + fashion with guitar pick jewelry at the Academy Awards gift lounge. There are quite a few preparations to consider for such an event. What do I bring? How many and for whom? How do I display it? These are the top three big questions floating around in my head right now. We at Rock N The Trend have been very focused on designing a top-notch representation of our collection for upwards of 140 celebrities plus entourage (up to our discretion). That is quite a few pieces of jewelry to bring yet how do you pair it down enough to showcase all the incredible designs yet have enough inventory to have multiples of only a handful of pieces. Yes, try to follow that one.
All in all, this event has provided a wonderful opportunity to execute on several new ideas for Rock N The Trend’s 2013 Guitar Pick Jewelry Collection. Currently we have been working on guitar pick necklacees and bracelets with a current emphasis on expanding our jewelry line for men. We are very excited to be releasing an upgrade to the Men’s Guitar Pick Necklace and look forward to dedicating a blog on the cool new refinements to the design. We have also have been working on some unique approaches to clasping mechanisms on bracelets. We are gravitating towards more of a magnetic closure system. We are also mixing it up on the design and construction side of the bracelet testing the boundaries of symmetry and asymmetry. I have to blame my education and passion for architecture when incorporating such ideas as balance and symmetry. The guys and gals at the gift suite will be the first to preview these new additions. We will be updating you with more details as well as photos of new releases. Please stay tuned for more details on jewelry and display designs.

It all happened so fast. I get home from a business trip in Anaheim and boom an email from a talent coordinator is in my inbox…hmm mm…this is interesting. I come to discover an invitation to represent Rock N The Trend at the 85th Academy Awards Show. So let me explain what all of this means. I have been invited to showcase my company’s line of guitar pick jewelry at a private event hosted by the Academy Awards.
The Academy invites all of the celebrities who are involved with the production of The Oscars in such ways as; being a nominee (A girl can dream of seeing Bradley Cooper…don’t judge me.) being a host, performer or announcer as well as behind the scenes The Academy and Producers. This private event is held separately from the Academy Awards Show. It takes place the day before in a “secret” location. Here is an opportunity for a hand-selected group of boutique companies (This cool gal, Anna, from NYC Guitar World Magazine said this in reference to my company and I thought it sounded really cool. Thoughts?) to mingle with the actors. (Who knows maybe Ben Affleck will make an appearance. I could totally see him accessorizing with a pair of guitar pick cuff links in black. They are elegant edge. He could pull it off.)
Here is the deal…the boutique companies all have to pay a fee to participate in the event. Now the celebrities that come through the gift lounge (this is the correct vernacular for the event) are there to check out all the cool stuff and be showered with complimentary gift. Yes, I will be giving my collection of guitar pick jewelry away for free…happily and Yes, I know. “How cool is it to be an actor?” As they happily reciprocate the gesture with photographs and hopefully feel inspired to give a shout out to @rocknthetrend via Twitter. Spreading the word about a cool new line of jewelry with an unusual spin on the guitar pick is infusing music and fashion into original pieces of art. Now that would be an awesome end to this story. Please stay tuned.