{#FashionFriday} High Fashion AND Washable? Oh yes you can! #PGFutureFabricsNYC

Are those three dreaded words 'Dry Clean Only' going to become a thing of the past? I can only hope so!

With cars out that can now drive themselves, it's about time fabric and fashion took a leap forward and gave us more choices. Like the choice to enjoy designer label fashion that is completely washable and having the fabric retain both it's feel AND color!

P&G hosted a Future Fabrics Event in New York City hosted by Fashion Stylist/Expert, Author and Television host George Kotsiopoulos focusing in on the science of the beauty and care of clothes and the advancements in fabric and technology that included a Fashion Show of looks by Giles Deacon that are completely washable! (see photo of all the looks below:)

Women wear only 20% of their clothes 80% of the time, and according to Cognitive Psychologist, Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum there are 'a myriad of cross-sensory influences on your experience - what you see, how it feels to the touch, what your nose smells, it is the look, feel and scent of your clothes that combine to impact the relationship that you have with them and your final decision on 'what to wear today'.

Above: 'The Look' of a garment plays a huge part in whether or not we will select it to wear, no one wants a white shirt that is now beige or yellow! (as you can tell the whitest of the shirts is the one washed in Tide Laundry Detergent, where as the same garment washed in competitor brand detergents did not yield the same results and did not preserve the 'whiteness' of the garments)

Above: 'The Feel' of a garment is part of the multi-sensory perception that goes into whether or not we will pick a particular garment out of the closet that day.

Above: 'The Scent' While that may seem like an obvious one, I had no idea that invisible stains also cause odor. Tide formulas are helping to protect the 'like new' feel of clothes via Fiber Preservation Technologies that prevent hard water minerals from compromising fiber integrity and The new Tide 4-in-1 Pods with Febreze help take this process a bit further by aligning and polishing the fibers to remove soil and invisible stains and binding the parts that actually cause fiber damage and that also lead to premature degradation.

There was a bit of focus on 'Scent' (which was to be expected!) and I was very surprised to learn that proctor & gamble (P&G) employs the most perfumers in the world!

Six of the 'main' notes that go into Downy include:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Green Notes

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Apple

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Rose

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - White Floral

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vanilla

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Musk

There were even demos that explained the science behind what goes on in our washing machine (this butterfly is thinking it is really time to invest in a High Efficiency washing machine and get out of the 'dark ages' when it comes to washers!)

Green and Floral Notes of Downy #PGFutureFabricsNYC

New products to look for on your next trip to the supermarket include:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tide Pods Plus Febreze

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tide HE (high-efficiency) Turbo

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Downy Fresh Protect in-wash odor shield in the 'active fresh' scent

MY TAKE:

Tide and Downy have always been my laundry 'go-to' products, and getting this inside look into the science and technology of washable fashion was certainy fun and definitely made me think. I want to re-evaluate my wardrobe and get rid of that 80% that is not being worn and focus more into the 20% that I tend to wear more often, this way I can never say 'I have nothing to wear' and I can really say I love everything that I am currently rocking!

And as events always come with cool swag, with my online nickname being The Official Twitter Party DJ, I have to share that part of the swag was a pair of MARC by Marc Jacobs Humlan Oil Edition UrbanEars headphones! (you can toss the  removable headband and the ear cushions in the wash!) SUH WEET

Do you think more designers will embrace the 'washable fashion' trend?

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FTC Disclosure: This is an event recap, no monetary compensation has been exchanged however Ascending Butterfly was provided with Product Samples for Editorial Consideration and there was a 'swag bag'. This however did NOT influence my opinion. All opinions are 100% my own!  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

{Not So} Wordless Wednesday: @GetGorgEvents - Getting Gorgeous 2013 in New York City! #GettingGorgeous

I have been a super busy butterfly so keeping up with my event recaps has been a challenge lately, but I wanted to be sure to share highlights with you on one of my favorite annual events, Getting Gorgeous (@GetGorgEvents on Twitter) hosted by Audrey McClellan (@AudreyMcClellan on twitter) and Vera Sweeney (@VeraSweeney on twitter), the event offers attendees the opportunity to truly interact with a wide variety of brands in a way that is fun, stress free and interactive, because the event is held in sessions, it allows for a much easier flow of traffic than  conferences afford, which makes it easy and pleasant to be able to have an interaction of more than a split second with the brands in attendance.

This year Getting Gorgeous was held in conjunction with CVS Beauty Club (@CVSBeautyClub on Twitter) as the title sponsor and CVS really pulled out all the stops, like a BB and CC Cream skin match station, hair styling, manicures, and a 'spin the wheel' for fun prizes. I won my choice of hair appliance and I selected the infiniti Pro by Conair 1875 Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool. Since I Blow Dry my hair pretty much daily, this is definitely going to come in handy.

Ascending Butterfly holds up Olay Total Effects 7 in one CC Cream Tone Correcting  with Broad Spectrum SPF 15

I also took a moment to visit the BB/CC Cream Matching station. Unfortunately, the artist wasn't able to find a good match for me with the Garnier BB Cream (actually I am glad that I tried it that way, it would have been a lot more expensive for me try them out for myself and find out that I couldn't find a true shade match), but I did find a Shade Match with the Olay CC Cream. I love the Olay CC Cream but because I have a ton of Acne Scarring, this gives me a light coverage so I still need some kind of concealer. But I did learn that CC Cream focuses a bit more on concealing pigmentation, redness, fine lines and wrinkles and is a bit more nourishing for the skin. I was glad to try the matching station because I wouldn't have thought that the light to medium would have been my shade and it was. (Since I know that may change when I get more sun, I can still use this and then put a touch of bronzing powder over it to match my skin once I get more sun).

I also had the chance to get my hair styled by Tovah Avigail (@TovahAvigail on Twitter), she blew out my hair which was great because I didn't have a chance to do it that morning before I left the house to catch my train into the city! Thanks Tovah!

The only thing I skipped from this station was the manicure because my mani from the Agadir International Argan Oil event was still going strong (as is my Henna Tattoo Butterfly from that event!).  I was tempted to wipe mine off and let them give me a darker color, but I didn't.

Ascending Butterfly enjoying a Light Mojito from the BACARDÍ Classic Cocktails Light collection

BACARDI Light Strawberry Daiquiri

After all that primping and pampering it was a good time for a cocktail break, and since Bacardi was the Beverage Sponsor this year, I was pretty excited about saying hello. As a Latina, specifically 'Puertoriqueña', I have had the chance to visit the Bacardi Rum Bottling Plant in Catano Puerto Rico (if you are visiting you MUST take that tour!), and I was surprised to get the opportunity to sample Bacardi Classic Cocktails Light which is part of their new Low Calorie, Ready-to-Serve Line. The new Light Strawberry Daiquiri joins the Light Mojito and Light Piña Colada, at less than 95 calories for a four ounce serving, and as it's ready to serve, you have no prep time, making this perfect for your upcoming summer gatherings! They were all delicious and refreshing!

While I didn't stop to take photos with the cute backsplash (there were a few folks with little ones around this station when I stopped off), I did enjoy learning about Dial Kids New Body + Hair Wash (@Dial on Twitter) and I of course had to grab a rubber ducky while I was there because let's face it, who can resist a Rubber Ducky right? I know my niece is going to nab the 'watery melon' scent but I'm tempted to keep 'Peachy Clean' for myself because it's such a perfect subtle summer scent!

I got a super cute purple scarf from Thyme Maternity, they offer stylish fashions for expecting and new moms! I'm not yet a mom but they have styles that I would rock and I'm not even a mom!

Check out this look:

Super cute right? BTW Butterflies, if you are not already following them on Facebook you may want to go do so now as they are having a Mother's Day Sweepstakes to win 1 of 2 Thyme Maternity Shopping Sprees Worth $500!

After visiting with Thyme I visited the Tide Station where I took a Tide #Selfie picture:

My #TideDownySelfie says: 'I Rock My Wardrobe by always having the perfect accessories' I was rocking my Kooba Handbag that day!

There was a Tide Pod sample in our gift bags! As well as Downy Scent Booster and a Downy Infusions Fabric Softener in a scent that I have not yet tried, I will definitely share more about it once I try it out.

General Motors (@GM @DistrictDrive on twitter) was also in attendance and they were hosting a contest to see how fast someone could pack items into a vehicle for a chance to win a loaner car for one week.

New Balance also showed some of their newest styles (sadly none were in the bags!) but they did have a photo backsplash with Heidi Klum for attendees to take pictures. Like the Dial Booth there was a bit of a wait so I opted to keep going so I wouldn't miss anyone!

Then I got the chance to visit one of my favorite stations of the day, Foster Grant and try on Sunglasses! And I found a pair that are making me consider switching back to contacts so I can rock these all summer long:

Ascending Butterfly striking a pose with her Foster Grant Sunglasses!

I call this my 'men in black' photo, think they will add me on as an Agent in the next sequel? (The Black Suit I am wearing is by Igigi and so is the red blouse underneath!)

I think next year the Getting Gorgeous team is going to have to partner with a vacation brand, because this year the sponsor brands were all making us think of summer vacations! 

I got to get sunAWARE with the folks at Coolibar who make clothing and hats that have UVA/UVB Sun Protection built into the fibers of the clothes! I was lucky that there was no one there when I up to them so I was able to ham it up and take some fun photos with Elvis!

Ascending Butterfly sporting a Lei and hamming it up with Elvis at the Coolibar Station at Getting Gorgeous 2013 (see the rep from the GM booth behind me? He was watching me ham it up!)

Here is the long shot:

Ascending Butterfly sporting a Lei and hamming it up with Elvis at the Coolibar Station at Getting Gorgeous 2013 (Black Suit I am wearing and red shirt under it is by IGIGI)

I found some super cute swimsuit cover ups and fun summer fashions at the Coolibar station. Like Coolibar I take sun protection seriously, I lost my Great-Aunt who is also my Godmother to Skin Cancer, so I take Sun Protection very seriously! I love that not only can you protect yourself with sunscreen creams for your skin, you can also wear clothes with the sun protection built in!

Sunglasses and Summer Fashions definitely have awakened in me a deep 'wanderlust' so I'm thinking it's time to take a long weekend and go exploring!

There was also a very unique station called Love Jac Cards, they make photo mounted greeting cards, limited edition handcrafted cards, custom designed occasion cards and even a card of the month club. I'm a huge stationery buff, I always have been, and have had penpals since childhood, so I was super excited to meet Jac Cards and even gave them a suggestion to add some butterfly designs to their line, I'll definitely keep you all posted when that does happen! We got to select our own card and I can tell you it was a difficult choice because I love them all! My penpals have often told me I should design cards, and this brand certainly made me think more about that idea!

There were quite a few amazing Fashion Brands in attendance, all with different and specific niches, and the third Fashion brand I met was Thread & Butter who specialize in Plus Size Fashions! As a curvy girl, even at my absolute ideal weight I have always had curves, which I'm sure my fellow curvies will understand when I say the hardest thing to shop for is jeans and pants when you are curvy, I have a small waist but wider hips and jeans tend to gap at the back because they are too big from the waistband. And I don't know about you, but this curvy girl is sick of florals and un-sexy and un-trendy fashion, Thread & Butter is here to help address just that and I got to check out their trendy plus fashions first hand during Getting Gorgeous, and this is one of the reasons that Getting Gorgeous is a *MUST* attend event for me. I love meeting brands that are entirely new to me, as well as getting time with Brands that are already trusted household names. I invited Thread & Butter to come back and work with us directly so stay tuned, I hope to feature them again here soon!

Another brand that was new to me was Haute Tags, who make Jewelry that was born out of a love for Social Media and the connections made on sites like Twitter, you can have tags made with your twitter handle or a favorite hashtag. I'm thinking @Ascending1 would make a fantastic Haute Tag, don't you? You can have them custom made and they come with or without Swarovski Crystals. As for me, YES Please with Crystals! or Maybe I should have the hashtag '#TwitterPartyDJ' done, hmmm I wonder if you have can have the tag made double-sided? I'm going to have to look into that!

Stokke was at Getting Gorgeous 2013 and they showed their super cute Strollers (I love The Ultimate Connection Stroller) and the ones they brought for display were all in an aweseom stylish Plum color!) and it's so funny that for the past week while attending various events, I've spotted the Stokke Stroller's in the City. I love that since it raises up the child closer to you (and you can adjust the height) you are able to interact with your baby much easier.

And with Allergy Season upon us, I was happy to see Puffs in attendance, in fact my box is already on my night side table!

Left to Right: Tracy of Ascending Butterfly, (I'm wearing an animal  print trenchcoat by Wilsons Leather and a black suit by IGIGI), Patty of Enjoying this Life, Diane of philZENdia and Lisa of New York Chica hold up Harlequin Bella Andre Gift Bags

And last but not least to continue along with the 'travel' vibe that was given off by this year's Getting Gorgeous, Harlequin gave us gift bags with their Romance Title: "Bella Andre The Look of Love", myself and some of my favorite fellow New York Bloggers posed for a photo with our gift bags! You can follow the author on Twitter @bellaandre.

As always, Getting Gorgeous delivered and then some, I got to re-connect with Brands I already love, and meet great brands that were new to me, but I'm sure will become new favorites! The only thing they need next year is a vacation company, because after loading up on great fashion gear, getting new sunglasses and great summer beach or poolside reading material (not to mention having a light summer cocktail by BACARDI) all I need now is the beach resort to haul all my new goodies to!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterfly! Bloggers post your link as a comment here so we can visit your Wordless Wednesday Posts too!

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FTC Disclosure: Getting Gorgeous is an invite only event, Gift Bags and Samples are provided at the event for editorial consideration, no monetary compensation has been received to share my event recap and all opinions are 100% my own.