It was time to let the divine inspiration of a snack food guide me through the next Jane by Design style challenge. Seriously! Get ready to see my pretzel purse, pretzel dress and pretzel shoes!

For the sixth Jane By Design style challenge, I had to get inspired by pretzels. There are weirder places to draw inspiration from, trust me!

2012 is almost upon us. What does the future hold for the world of fashion? That will depend on people like you. It’s time to take a long hard look at yourself and the world around you. What do you see & how does it make you feel? The ability to be inspired by everyday life is an essential skill. The ability to translate your inspiration into something fresh and unexpected that takes the fashion world by storm is a rare gift. Rumor has it that one of the most coveted designer bags of all time was inspired by a roll of tape.

Find the bag of pretzels in your trunk. Get inspired and create something that will amaze me. Post a photo to your blog and write an entry explaining your design. Ask your readers to share ways in which they were inspired to make fashion out of unexpected items here and mention the name of your blog. – Jane Quimby on behalf of Gray Chandler Murray at Donovan Decker

My process involved looking at pictures of pretzels and then sketching out the pattern and designs I saw in them. We were also sent three small bags of Synder of Hanover Pretzels in three shapes – sticks, snaps (like waffle fries) and homestyle. I focused on the homestyle, traditional pretzel. The idea of these pretzels is all about words like: braiding, twisted, interwoven, twisted, interlocking.

My design aesthetic here veers away from the kitschy or quirky, and instead goes more towards a refined, sophisticated customer that doesn’t want to literally wear a pretzel around their neck (although look, a gold pretzel pendant can look super cute.) Using the design lines of a pretzel, I created some sketches for items in a fictional collection. They include a Pretzel Dress, Pretzel Clutch, Pretzel Satchel, and Pretzel Ballet Flats.

  • The Pretzel shoes are based on the ASOS Loveheart Toe Cap Ballerina’s which have metal with heart shapes cut out of them. My idea was to alter the metal shapes just a bit. The main color of the shoes could range in a neutral camel, black or even a bright blue. The metal would ideally be a golden or bronze tone to show the warmth of the real color of pretzels.
  • The Pretzel Purse is actually a clutch. And it’s an envelope style. It’s really more about the design here than the colors or fabrics. I see it in a solid color, with maybe the inside being lined with a ikat (giving a warped look to the fabric, nothing is severe or too geometric) polka dot fabric that gives the illusion of circles that represent “salt.”
  • The Pretzel Satchel, again, is really about the design of the metal work and the buckles and tassels.
  • The Pretzel Dress is simple, with an outlined bodice.

Celebrities and TV characters I could see wearing these items (when actually finished) include Dianna Agron, Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale) from Pretty Little Liars, Diane Kruger, Kristen Bell, Rachel Bilson, Olivia Wilde or Alison Brie.

Since I don’t know how to really sew, I can only offer up sketches of my designs. Click to enlarge the image! It wasn’t super easy to at first see how pretzels were going to translate to fashion, but I hope you like my offerings!

Pretzel Shoes

If you can spare a second then share that you read this Pretzel fashion inspiration piece about from Small Screen Scoop by leaving a note on the  ABC Family Jane By Design Facebook page! (Thank you so, SO, SO much!)

  1. Jane By Design Style Challenge # 1 – Tiny Luxuries to Love
  2. Jane By Design Style Challenge #2 – A Pretty Little Liars T-Shirt Design
  3. Jane By Design Style Challenge #3 – Pretty Little Liars Purse
  4. Jane By Design Style Challenge #4 – Spencer Hastings Style for a Cat #JBDStyleChallenge
  5. Jane By Design Style Challenge #5 – How to Dress Like Spencer Hastings
  6. Jane By Design Style Challenge #6 – Jane By Design Clothes

Jane By Design airs Tuesday January 3 on ABC Family at 9/8 c!

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