The Casual Reply: Hand-Painted Fashion

03/12/2024

My newest hand-painted clothing product makes the perfect gift! The deadline to order in time for the holidays is this Friday, Dec. 6th. Check it out here: https://www.thecasualreply.com/product-page/custom-pet-portrait-shirt ...and here's what your loved one will get:

🐶 A unique piece that can't be re-created or found elsewhere.

😸 The joy they feel for their pet...but make it wearable.

🐰 A built-in conversation starter about something they actually want to talk about.

Let's make the holidays super special this year! 💝

21/11/2024

Giveaway ends tonight!! Apply now at thecasualreply.com/giveaway

This is your last chance to enter for a chance to win a custom hand-painted pet portrait shirt. 💝

PS swipe to see my husband as a baby with the dog he’s wearing on his shirt in the first picture! 🥹

18/11/2024

Win a FREE custom hand-painted pet portrait shirt! 🐶 Apply here for your chance: https://www.thecasualreply.com/giveaway

Details
A comfy oversized button-up shirt with your pet's portrait on it
Painted beautifully by hand in full detail
Any kind of pet welcome 🐶😺🐰🐦🐹🐸🐟
Gift or treat yourself for the holidays!
Winner announced on 11/22/2024
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18/10/2024

Favorite comment from a couple of years ago:

"Yesssss!!! I look forward to this every year!!!! So pumped!!!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌"

My sentiments exactly! This year it's officially been 10 YEARS of creating hand-painted Halloween outfits (!!), and having people guess what it will be over the course of October.

Want to join the fun and cast your guesses for this year? Hop over here: https://forms.gle/fP5Q2sMEVS95d62W9

(Bonus: you also get to vote on what the Studio Assistant's costume should be. 🐰)

This is seriously the best time of year at The Casual Reply newsletter! For those of you into fun fashion and art--welcome! 🎃

01/10/2024

Who is the person in your life who makes bold fashion choices?(We all have that one friend). Share this with them, because THIS is where they'll want to be this season! 👇👇

This month is the 10-year anniversary of me starting to hand-paint Halloween dresses--the thing that made me accidentally start my business (yes, actually 😂 ). So I have exciting things planned in my FREE email newsletter group that I'd love for you to be a part of!! Join in all the fun by signing up at this link: https://www.thecasualreply.com/newsletter

Side note: I promise you, I'm only one person and don't do spammy levels of email...plus it's easy to unsubscribe any time. ❤️

See you there, creative fashion maximalists!!

12/09/2024

Open studio at The Casual Reply in Pawtucket, RI this Saturday as part of DESIGNxRI Design Week RI!

Grab a friend or your family, and come visit me + my hand-painted fashion in my home studio space. 👩‍🎨

WHEN: Saturday, September 14th from 2pm - 6pm

WHERE: 5 Whipple St. Pawtucket, RI 02860 (plentiful street parking, on a quiet street)

WHY:
-Explore my work in-person behind the scenes
-Chat with me and watch me demo my process
-Shop one-of-a-kind pieces at a discount
-Play with my fabric paints (!!)
-Enter a raffle for a FREE custom hand-painted tie.
-Visit Tiverton, the Studio Assistant. 🐇

AND because a day in the studio is incomplete without it, come by after 4pm to be treated to a cozy little cup of herbal tea. I’ll have a few of my favorite hot and iced flavors out!

If you are close enough to make the trip, this is an awesome, free way to support me and my work and have a great time. 😊

06/09/2024

In case you haven't heard yet...The Casual Reply is participating in the DESIGNxRI open studio weekend as part of Design Week RI!

Grab a friend or your family and come visit me in my home studio space. 👩‍🎨

WHEN: Next Saturday, September 14th from 2pm - 6pm

WHERE: 5 Whipple St. Pawtucket, RI 02860 (plentiful street parking, on a quiet street)

WHY:
-Explore my work in-person behind the scenes
-Chat with me and watch me demo my process
-Purchase some one-of-a-kind pieces at a discount
-Play with my fabric paints (!!)
-Enter a raffle for a FREE custom hand-painted tie.
-Visit Tiverton, the Studio Assistant. 🐇

AND because a day at work in the studio is incomplete without it, come by after 4pm to be treated to a cozy little cup of herbal tea. I'll have a few of my favorite hot and iced flavors out!

If you are close enough to make the trip, this is an awesome, free way to support me and my work and have a great time. 😊

(And definitely consider checking out some of the other participating studios and events while you're at it!): https://www.designxri.com/events-calendar/design-week-ri/open-studios-weekend-calendar/

29/08/2024

When you feel fabulous, it shows! ✨ How gorgeous is Keyla in this custom hand-painted blazer?? She wanted something special to wear for her speaking gig in Washington DC, something that represents her cause: disability advocacy. See behind-the-scenes from initial consult to sketches to painting to the finished piece... How it all works ❤️👇 https://www.thecasualreply.com/post/what-to-wear-to-a-special-event-the-story-of-keyla-s-custom-blazer

27/08/2024

Keyla goes to Washington…and what’s a lady to wear when it’s time to speak up to her legislators??

Keyla (disability advocate, nonprofit CEO, ostomate model, basically ALL the awesome inspirational things) had an important speaking engagement coming up in Washington DC, and wanted something special to wear that would represent her nonprofit Connecting Pieces and her cause: advocating for people with GI-related disabilities.

Being able to go to Washington DC and promote this cause to legislators was an important moment for her, and she knew it could be taken to the next level with the right outfit.

We had the most incredible experience creating Keyla’s custom blazer. The beautiful one-of-a-kind design sends her message in the language of flowers, and also took inspiration from the branding of her nonprofit Connecting Pieces.

Come event time, the blazer received an amazing response and so much positive attention. It was a perfect inspirational conversation starter! (And I’m still floored by how gorgeous it looks on her).

Click the link below and book a call and get your own project started:
https://calendly.com/thecasualreply-art/initial_consult

I’d love nothing more than to have YOU be the star of a post next time…check out the inspo page to see what’s possible: https://www.thecasualreply.com/lookbook

20/08/2024

The hand-painted tie that says pure summer. ☀ It's the only one of its kind, so now's your chance to grab it before it (and the warm weather) is gone! Visit https://www.thecasualreply.com/produ.../oyster-and-pearl-tie
Gorgeous pic on the right is by (go check out her other amazing photography!)

06/08/2024

The DESIGN WEEK RI 2024 Calendar is finally live! Visit www.designweekri.com to learn more about my open studio, taking place September 14th from 2pm to 6pm at 5 Whipple St. in Pawtucket, and don’t forget to check out all the other exciting events happening between Sept 13th and 20th!

05/08/2024

"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak." - Rachel Zoe

Looking for tips on how to style your hand-painted pieces? You should check out my blog! One of my most popular is on styling a necktie, for anyone (it's easier than you think): https://www.thecasualreply.com/post/how-to-style-a-necktie

24/07/2024

A summer surprise: all ties in my online boutique are on sale for the next 24 hours ONLY!* No code required. Shop here 👉 https://www.thecasualreply.com/brushstroke-of-midnight?Clothing+Type=Ties and show off your personality with some hand-painted style.

Remember that every tie I paint is one-of-a-kind, so when they're gone they're gone. Can't wait to see which one you choose!

*Offer expires Thursday, July 25th at 3PM ET.

22/07/2024

How awesome does Michelle look in this dress?? Where do I even start…

Michelle had been on the hunt for something to wear to her niece’s wedding, and was losing hope she would find something that served the special moment enough. She really wanted to be there in an outfit that was unique, creative, and beautiful—just like her niece.

In my hand-painted Feather dress, Michelle IMMEDIATELY knew she had finally found The One. "It was just so absolutely her, and perfect for her special day. I had to have it!!”

The bonus? This dress didn’t contribute to the wasteful nature of event wear. It was a secondhand item, upcycled with paint to become a truly one-of-a-kind piece which added many more stories to its lifetime than the typical single use of a formal gown.

Want a custom, completely unique dress just for you? Get in touch with me at this link:

thecasualreply.com/custom-designs

22/07/2024

I've been getting flooded with messages about this dress...people are loving this look.

Fun fact, you don't have to be Taylor Swift to get a dress that represents you!

Did you know I hand-paint on dresses? 👩‍🎨 That can include text -- like special dates, an address (latitude and longitude), a quote, a cause you care about...

I've even painted a hidden message on garments as a surprise for a couple's wedding! SO FUN.

Let's create something together that's completely and uniquely YOU.

See what's possible at this link:

https://www.thecasualreply.com/post/get-the-look-of-taylor-swift-s-ttpd-lyrics-dress

And let me know.... what's the first text you can think of that you'd paint on a dress?!?

08/07/2024

SAVE THE DATE to visit The Casual Reply’s home studio on September 14th from 2-6pm at 5 Whipple Street in Pawtucket during DESIGN WEEK RI’s Open Studios Weekend! Get a behind the scenes look at my hand-painted fashion, and then check out the rest of the week’s exciting events, happening Sept 13th - 20th! Learn more and register at www.designweekri.com

25/06/2024

Did you know that anxiety and fashion are linked?

Many people have feelings of mild to severe anxiety when deciding what to wear, especially if it's for a big event.

Three suggestions often come up for how to deal with this:

1. Have a few go-to pieces that you know you consistently feel comfortable wearing.
2. When shopping for clothes, pay attention to what gets you excited and brings a smile to your face.
3. If you want to show off your personality but are afraid of being too bold, choose a fun accessory.

Surprisingly, a good necktie is an excellent way to achieve those goals for more easy and confident dressing: it's a fun accessory that can work with any dress code, and the huge variety of options available mean it's likely you'll find something that works with your personal style (what brings a smile to your face) and comfort level.

Learn more about the potential of ties with five styling tips over on my blog:

Showing off a tie's lesser-tapped potential as a unique accessory for anyone.

21/06/2024

Elizabeth had a special relationship with her dad, and wanted an unforgettable gift to give him as a surprise at her wedding.

Over the course of several months, we took her idea for a one-of-a-kind Father of the bride tie from dream to reality.

I translated her desires for the piece--a full-body portrait of her and her father, the inscription, and a nod to her fall wedding in the New Hampshire mountains--into sketches and ideas for a hand-painted design.

With Elizabeth's input, these were refined into a final design sketch and eventually the piece itself!

Taking an unwanted, boring, secondhand silk tie and using art to turn it into a memorable connection between loved ones is such an honor.

Plus, this tie is now an item of clothing that the owner wants to appreciate and wear over and over again for a lifetime (something that can't be said of most clothes in today's fashion climate).

Ties in particular are very a common gift, and I love taking a "classic" to the next level.

The potential in hand-painted clothing is limitless. I can't wait to see what stories come from future custom tie commissions!