Personal Style, Vintage & Thrift finds
Based on this post about changing style direction from leather and studs to softer and more feminine, I decided to pull a few items from the back of the closet to see if I could reappropriate all the gray and black into something a bit more douce.
Dress, Victoria’s Secret; sweater, H&M; tights, Forever21; socks, American Apparel; belt, vintage; earrings, The Little Mahatma
I see lots of grays and taupes in my future…What do you think?
For the past several seasons, fashion has been all about tough-girl grunge chic, replete with biker-inspired leather and spikes. “We’re in a recession for chrissakes!” everyone exclaimed. Cue the shaggy hair, kohl-encircled eyes, and slashed and shredded clothing that looked like it barely survived the apocalypse; all finished off with four-inch platform stripper heels.
NYFW, Fall 2009
It makes me tired thinking about it, and I’m a pretty hardcore strong-willed bitchy type. Maintaining such a defensive stance is exhausting! Shoot, even Xena had her vulnerable moments.
All the leather and bleaching and shredding was fun for a while, but now I’m thinking it would be nice to feel pretty, instead of pretty tough. I’m ready for something softer, and while I’m not necessarily looking to drape myself in mountains of florals and bows and pastel ruffles (though it worked for Chloe Sevigny), it would be nice not to feel like I’m an armored truck heading into combat 24/7.
Soft and pretty on the red carpet at the 2010 Golden Globes
Light and feminine on the Resort ‘10 runways
Some days, yes, I will be in Power Bitch mode just because sometimes I wake up in the takin’ names and kickin’ butt mindset. Other times, though, it would be nice to dress in a way that conveys more vulnerability–not necessarily weakness, but…openness. All the hardcore fashion feels a little closed off, which is understandable in times of hardship when you need increased protection from the uncertainties of life. While things are still pretty uncertain (when aren’t they?), I’m exhausted. I’m ready for a change in direction.
Um, let’s keep the stripper shoes, please.
Personal Style, Vintage & Thrift finds
Do you ever forget you own stuff? Sometimes I come across a blouse or a dress or a pair of shoes I forgot even existed, and a weird shameful/joyful feeling of discovery washes over me. On one hand, there’s the “Woo-hoo, more clothes! It’s like I went shopping!” feeling; on the other hand, I wonder why I get to have so much that I forget about it, when other people surely need more. Still trying to figure that out.
I came across a vintage velvet suit I got from a former co-worker when I was going through some random bags in my closet, and was immediately reminded of the black velvet looks on the runway at Chloe:
Hmm…I was hesitant at first, but I figured there was a way to make the Sassoon suit a bit more modern. Though I have an unreasonable aversion to suits (something about two-piece dressing doesn’t sit well with me), I figured if I wore the jacket and skirt separately I’d get more wear out of them and avoid looking completely retro.
I paired the skirt with a sparkly cardigan, lacy hose, and velvet heels.
Vintage cardigan, skirt, and heels; Hustler tights; thrifted belt.
I wore the jacket with high-waisted harem pants and vintage clip-on earrings. Damn, I have a lot of vintage!
Vintage jacket, ASOS trousers, vintage heels
Interestingly enough, the suit, cardigan, and heels all came from the same coworker. Thanks, Patti!
Walkin’ on velvet
Do you ever come across forgotten treasures? What do you do with them?
This weekend, I finally had the time and motivation to do something I haven’t done in 5+ years: I (temporarily) straightened my hair.
Part of the reason I haven’t put hotcomb to hair strands in so long is that I never really felt the inclination. Okay, fine–I admit that being lazy busy had a lot to do with it, but my natural hair texture also felt more me. However, last weekend, curiosity got the best of me, and after a protein treatment and deep conditioner, I fired up the ol’ Gold N’ Hot curling iron, carefully combed and brushed out my coils, and got to work.
The process didn’t take as long as I thought it would (whoo!), but it definitely brought back some long dormant memories: The sizzling sound of hair oil as it meets heat, the slippery clamp of the curling iron, the smell of hot metal and almost-burnt hair.
The results looked like a cross between Prince’s 1979 album cover and one of RHOA Kim’s wigs:
Then I got the brilliant idea to set it on bendy rollers and wound up looking like a disco version of Blair Warner:
Sigh. Yep, same old hair. My straight hair feels like a childhood acquaintance I haven’t seen in a while, and it hasn’t really changed.
I remember a particularly vulnerable (read: insecure) time around 7th grade or so, when I would’ve given my left pinkie toe for my hair to behave like Cece Peniston’s–to have it hang flat in a shiny ebony-colored curtain, swinging neatly to and fro when I moved, before immediately settling back in its carefully styled place.
Let me tell you, my hair never would–and still refuses to–lie flat. It took years for me to realize my strands are just not heavy enough before I gave up that fight, and last weekend I was quickly reminded of the time and effort I used to put into trying to get my hair to do something it just wasn’t made to do.
It didn’t take long to learn what my hair will do. It will fluff for days. It will feather. It will form unsolicited swoops and swashes ’til the cows come home, which is why I’ve grown to appreciate the “tousled bedhead” look.
I really just had to accept that my hair doesn’t stay in it’s place. Oh sure, I can attempt to control where it goes and what it does, and it will cooperate to a certain extent. But then there comes a point where it seems to decide that it would much rather loop and swirl and do it’s own thing than obediently stay put and do as it’s told.
I can relate.
Maybe I am my hair.
Personal Style, Vintage & Thrift finds
I came across some old(er) photos while backing up my computer, which I’m supposed to do weekly but am more likely to do quarterly. Ah, well.
The skirt and top are both thrift store finds–the skirt stood out because I’m always drawn to bold stripes, and little boy’s oxford shirts are permanently on my “I need more of these” list.
I picked up this sweater dress (again, while thrifting) because the embroidery reminded me of something Consuela Castiglione would send down the runway at Marni. Plus, I have a thing for cozy sweater dresses–really, I have a thing for any kind of clothing that feels like a lounging robe sans the fear of flashing the neighbors.
Which I would only do if they were willing to pay.
I figured I’d better let everyone know what I want, just in case y’all have extra money lying around. Because, you know, so many people do these days.
1. Alexis Bittar arrow earrings I love the tough-glam vibe these give off.
2. Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk and Art Direction & Editorial Design by Abrams Studio Motivate and create, baby!
3. Subscription to Lynda.com There’s so much out there to learn, and I’ve found the video tutorials here to be really helpful for learning everything from CSS to Illustrator.
4. SK-II Facial Treatment Mask Perfect, moist, glowing skin in 20 minutes? Yes, please!
5. Moroccan Hair Oil Yes, it’s made with argan oil, which is pressed from argan nuts retrieved from the poop of Moroccan goats. Obviously I’ll do ridiculous things for nice hair. ‘Cause I’m vain.
6. Reinhard Plank Alpino hat For the days I run out of Moroccan Oil.
7. IKEA Mysa Ljung comforter I can’t pronounce it either, but it’s so soft and snuggly. I’d wrap it around me like a cape and turn down the heat in hopes of saving on my electric bill.
8. XPress Redi-Set-Go Grill I could make Fancy Gourmet Meals in just 15 minutes! It has dual heating elements to cut cooking time in half! And I saw it on TV, so you know it must be good.
9. Aphrodite Pro Font Family Might as well embrace my inner font, excuse me, typeface nerd and move from the free stuff into paid. I love all the swashes and flourishes in this family.
10. Chloe Thigh-high boots In my dreams, obviously, but the green suede version has been haunting my footwear fantasies for the better part of a year.
11. Voluspa Burmese Rosewood candle Warm and soft, but not too sweet. Perfect for cold winter nights.
12. Subscription to Russh magazine One of my favorites (though, apparently, there are no black people in Australia), but it’s a bit costly to pick up at the newsstand every month.
13. Rachel Rachel Roy draped sleeveless top The print fits in with my color scheme, and I love the tunic length and assymetrical hem.
So, that’s my wish list for Santa. What’s on yours?
Interviews, Personal Style, Vintage & Thrift finds
These old school Liz Claiborne trousers are so Miss Denecke (my second grade teacher), whose life goals must have included looking like an extra from the set of “Knots Landing” and teaching us to properly write cursive. I’m wearing teacher pants and a blazer. It’s (almost) like I’m a grown up!
Speaking of growing up*, have you ever thought about what it would be like to spend your childhood as an unpaid laborer or sex slave? Neither had I until I had the opportunity to sit down with Emily Hill of Stop Traffick Fashion, an online shop dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking through the sale of merchandise created by survivors, who are often sold/kidnapped as children.
Emily with Stop Traffick Fashion merchandise
My heart sank into my toes when she pointed out that much of the world’s supply of cacao–you know, used to make chocolate–was harvested by slave children. I almost cried when I went to ChainStoreReaction.com and saw that Haagen-Dazs…mmm, dulce de leche ice cream…wait, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, so the tears flowed when I noticed that Haagen-Dazs hadn’t yet responded to the Producer Pledge, and I promptly added my name to the letters to several companies on the site.
No one’s saying you have to be perfect, and it’s pretty much impossible to know the entire supply chain of every single item you use, but I figure the least I can do is try. Even if that means scaling back on the desserts and Forever21 binges.
Check out the full article on my Examiner page and try to think of ways you can make a difference. If nothing else, you can get some holiday shopping done!
*Need to work on my segways, huh?
You’ll like these, too:
Top 10 Online Shops
Current Obsession: Couture Lab
Interview with: M641
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Personal Style, Vintage & Thrift finds, Work
Thrifted pants, shoes, and bracelets; Iceberg top; Gucci belt
Wearing my old lady pants procured on a thrifting adventure (the high-waisted carrot shape looks so friggin’ good to me right now) and sticking to the color palette:
Aren’t you proud?
You’ll like these, too:
Color Blocking
Thrift Gift 2
English Countryside
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Clueless was, and still is to this day, one of my favorite teen movies. Really, it ranks right up there with Girls Just Want to Have Fun! and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (also directed by Amy Heckerling). Sadly–or gladly–I have all of the above on DVD.
I watched Clueless pretty much non-stop after my uncle was kind enough to tape it (err…remember VHS?) for me. I was the girl who thought “Rolling with My Homies” was a pretty darn catchy song, and I really wanted to go to a school where people walked down the hall talking to each other on their cell phones.
Since my parents wouldn’t let me transfer to a fictional high school in another state, I scoured the sale rack at Contempo Casuals in search of Cher-like outfits back in the day. Turns out, it’s just as much fun rifling through my current closet for pleated minis and thigh-high socks. I still miss the black patent leather t-strap heels I bought at DEB, though. Man, I really wish I still had those shoes…
Anybody else a Clueless fan? Wanna hit the Val party with me?
You’ll like these, too:
Scout’s Honor
The Gamma Rays
Fashion Math
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