Trying to Be Good

I am currently online trolling shopping sites. This is not allowed as I'm not supposed to be shopping for myself. But sometimes retail therapy is the best way to cheer up a tough day. However, since I'll feel badly about it tomorrow, I am signing off. sigh.

Inspired Original

I'm not one to "copy" celebrity style.  As a matter of fact, I try to avoid "copies" at all costs.  Who wants to look like a half-assed version of a celebrity who has more money to spend on the ensemble and who is undoubtedly skinnier than me?  However, once in a blue moon, I see a look I really love, and I let myself be inspired by it.  "Inspired" is a term I like much better than "copy."

On the first episode of Fashion Star (which is horrible), Nicole Richie had on the best outfit.  I am a big Nicole Richie fan- both of her style- which is iconic, in my opinion- and her sense of humor, which is irreverent and maybe even a little vulgar.  But I digress.  Nicole had on a vintage fringed black maxi dress and a head piece and completely stole the show.  I could not tell you one thing the designers ( a term I think they use loosely) designed or one thing Jessica Simpson said.  That, of course, isn't saying much, but you get my point.  Nicole looked cool, classy, and interesting which are three adjectives that are not necessarily easy to pull off in the same outfit. 

As the dress is vintage, my recreation options are limited.  I would LOVE to have her fringe dress but that must remain a dream for the time being.  In the meantime, here is my version that I think is gorgeous and has my own twist- which makes it far from a copy, if you ask me.

Inspired Original by milkbreadfashion featuring 14k jewelry

Theory floor length maxi dress, $345
Theory floor length maxi dress, $345
Christian Louboutin peep toe platform pumps, $2,795
House of Harlow 1960 14k jewelry, £99
Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian gold plating jewelry, $95
Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian onyx bangle, $39
Panacea south sea pearl earrings, $36
Rhinestone hair accessory, $20

New Sunglasses Obsession

photo by Alessandro Garofalo/GoRunway.com


After the super cool Yigal Azrouel trunk show at Hu's Wear the other night, I've been suffering with a new obsession. Yigal (see how I'm pretending we're on a first name basis? He was soooo nice!) had the models walking around in his clothes wearing these round sunglasses that were AMAZING! Everyone wanted to buy them but, alas, they are not for sale. They apparently were a collaboration he did with Cutler and Gross for his runway show only. Boo. But, look at what I found! Not the same but these gorgeous frames definitely satisfy the desire for round and glamorous. Hot, hot, hot.

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

ACT for Alexandria Turns Back the Clock!

One thing is for sure- ACT knows how to throw a party! ACT for Alexandria is once again gearing up for its annual Spring for Alexandria volunteerism events and kicking things off with a great party. After years of some amazing themes (ACTlympics and Summer Camp to name just two), this year promises to be the best yet with a 60s-themed event at the Patent and Trade Office.
I love a theme party better than any other kind and the 60s is a fun and easy one to pull off. Don’t worry about having to get all dolled up. This party is more about a groovy kind of fun than fancy dresses and dapper suits. The decade was full of interesting fashion trends so choose your favorite.
Here’s a sampling of some of the most memorable and easiest to put together.
Mad for Mods- mini skirts, graphic prints, and go-go boots for women; colorful ties and shirts, patterns for men… think Twiggy and The Beatles.
Happy Hippies- bell bottoms, tie dye, and sandals…think Easy Rider or Janice Joplin.
Sophisticated Suburbs- cigarette pants, sweater sets, and kitten heels for women; sports shirts with longer collars that included polo style, short sleeve button downs, and lots of synthetic material for men… think Mad Men.
Your possibilities are plentiful. Have fun with it. Above all, don’t forget the reason we all get to party- a great organization with an even greater cause!

P.S.
Check out my post earlier this month about Amalgamated in Del Ray- the perfect place to get your outfit!

Too Much Color??

-purple high-waisted trousers by Alice and Olivia
-leopard print silk tank by Amanda Uprichard
-floral print silk jacket by Trina Turk
-dark green suede pumps by Miu Miu
-green lucite earrings by Alexis Bittar
*All Items Owned by ME for Over 120 Days (and some a lot longer than that!)*

Spring has sprung and OH! is it a colorful season?! I've been colorblocking with the best of them since last fall and was pleased the trend was continuing to spring. I mean, why buy into something if you only get a couple month's use out of it? But yesterday, as I was shopping for a client, I found my head was SPINNING with all the color going on. Every store- Neimans, Anthropologie, Macy's- was insane with color. And, OMG, J Crew was literally painful to be in. There was bright green, bright red, bright yellow, polka dots, stripes, aaahhhahahha! It was crazy.

I love that my wardrobe has had new life breathed into it with all this color. It is spirit-lifting and makes me happy. But I have to say, when every designer seems to jump on the exact same bandwagon in such a major way, it starts to feel less original. It smacks of being purely consumer-driven. I know, I know. These folks are in it to make a buck. But what makes fashion interesting to me is originality, uniqueness, a certain je ne sais quoi? So beware, fellow fashion lovers. Choose carefully or you may end up looking just like every other woman walking down the street.

On a different, but still colorful, note- here's what I wore last night to an event. I mixed leopard and floral. Quelle horreur? You be the judge. And, remember, nothing new! I have to make it work from what I already own.

A Very Cool New Store in Del Ray

vintage maxi skirt (1960?)from Amalgamated styled with a white tee, flatforms, motif 56 belt, and vintage Judith Leiber necklace










shoes circa 1930










Nothing makes me happier than when something out of the ordinary comes to my 'hood. Wait- I should clarify. Nothing makes me happier than when something COOL and out of the ordinary comes to my 'hood. It's not easy to exude effortless cool-ness but that's exactly what Amalgamated Classic Clothing and Dry Goods pulls off. It's a vintage store but not like one we've had around here before. Coincidentally, it's located on Mt. Vernon Ave. in the same spot that Remix, an old vintage favorite of mine from several years ago, was located. But Amalgamated has a really different feel to it. Clothing and accessories from the 1920's through the 1960's are grouped simply by category. Nothing is sized. Why bother when the sizes from then don't correlate in any way to sizes today? It's refreshing. If you like it, pick it up and try it on without getting worried about what the size label says! Not everything is fancy party vintage. There is real, everyday clothing here from shorts to skirts, tops, kids' clothing, jackets, jewelry, hats, the list goes on. Prices are mid-range. Not super cheap, not crazy expensive. But this stuff is curated really well and it is definitely worth paying a little more for the fine eye of the owner, Shelley, and her pickers who travel the country looking for amazing vintage.

Make sure to check this place out asap. It is worth it, I promise.

A couple more things you should know about Amalgamated, 1904 Mt. Vernon Ave., 703.517.7373

1. Big, huge, fantastic selection of MEN's vintage!
2. There are great size ranges here. It is not easy to find vintage in sizes bigger than teeny tiny. This place has them.
3. The shoe selection is cool, too, and there are some normal-for-today sizes. I tried on a pair of spectators from the 1930's that actually fit!
4. Shelley (and her partner) have also worked in tv and movies, providing costumes. I heard through the grapevine that one of the shows is Boardwalk Empire!

I Love Me Some Dannijo

After a blog a couple of weeks ago that included some cool earrings by Dannijo, I've gotten several people commenting to me about how much they like those earrings and how much they like Dannijo in general. One of them emailed and asked if I'd seen the "arm party" section on their site. I had not but just checked it out.

This is truly painful when I'm not shopping for 365 days. I actually feel a tightness in my chest; detoxing is serious stuff. I LOVE them all (except maybe Crystal Prison)and wish, wish, wish, I could partake.

But you can. My top three picks for YOU to run out- or order online- are:

1. Bohemian Sunrise
2. Surf Rider
3. Spiked Jones

OR maybe my top three are:

1. Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Earth Goddess
3. New York Cowboy

Click HERE to party with the arms.