VINTAGE AFFAIR

One thing I've been increasingly searching for is vintage items. I've heard the argument, and use it to my advantage, that there is a reason old fashions are donated to Goodwill. Obviously, with the various re imaginings of past fashions coming back into vogue, going for the true article is a wise way to avoid trendy pricing and quality.

If you're lucky enough to live near a number of thrift stores, spending a day off browsing can pay off big time. Get friendly with the workers. Be a regular. Ask questions. If you find out when local stores send their excess stock, you can hit a jackpot of nice, current threads without the retail price tag. If you are friendly with a worker, they may set aside some items for you.

Even better, volunteer. I know that my church thrift has some amazing pieces, and that the volunteers get first pick of the donations. You can find out if your local thrifts have similar policies. If they don't, another trick people I've worked with have done is to hide a particular item in a hodge-podge area, where it's less likely to get snapped up. So, if you volunteer, or are a thrift hunter, check those overflowing miscellaneous piles first!

If you are not a fan of thrift stores, there is always EBay. If you are tenacious and determined, you can find some amazing things for very good deals. I paid less than $30 for a pair of vintage Gucci loafers and vintage Salvatore Ferragamo heels. Those were both on my lust list for AGES. And for less than a tank of gas. BOOYAH.

Start an affair with vintage today!

STYLE V. FASHION

Yes, there is a disctintion between style and fashion.

Fashion is socially dictated. It's what we see in magazines, advertisements, malls, and on the runway. It's the trends; yellow nail polish, flare pants, Americana, mainsteamed hipsterdom. Fashion is what others tell us we should wear, want, accessorize, purchase. Designers, magazine staff, marketers, they all make a very good living selling fashion to the masses. Hell, you could argue that that's what fashion bloggers are doing: selling fashion to the masses.

But when you look at it, "fashion blogger" is a misnomer, as most of us are really writting up our styles. Style is how fashion is interpreted, incorporated, or created to one's self. Chloe {the (chloe) conspiracy} has a distinct style, and mixes in trends to work with her sense of style. For example, her "Springing for Spring" posts, where she wrote up the runway trends and then showcased her spin on the trend. I love how she does that. While fashion bloggers do discuss fashion, both high & low street, when they showcase their style, can almost always see how the trends are incorporated. There are those who don't incorporate any current trends.

They are the true pioneers.

My purpose of starting this blog, back in July 2007, was to share my view of fashion, the breakdown of the trends, and my grandma's lessons of style and grace. When I revamped in 2009, I decided to honor my grandma by showcasing and developing my style, rather than looking towards a breakdown of fashion. The more time I spend working on the blog, the better I feel about everything in life. I'm learning and growing, and becoming the woman I am meant to be.

I'm 24; still plenty of life ahead of me, plenty of experiences, adventures, and proposals to look forward to. Who knows what I might discover on my next foray to Tampa, or while camping in the Keys, or while taking a trip to Morocco? Maybe I'll find an influence, flavor, or idea. Maybe I'll stumble across a new boutique, tucked away from tourists. Maybe I'll find my favorite piece at a kitchsy tourist trap.

Maybe I'll find a home in the mountains. Maybe I'll find that city life meshes with me. Maybe I'll fall for suburbia. Maybe the rest of my life will be nomadic. Maybe I'll meet an Italian man who's an electrical engineer. Or a Frenchman named Socrates, who speaks the languages of many. Or a good-ol' American boy, corn-fed, strong and tender, cheeky, with a sexy slow smile.

None of us know what life is going to bring us, so why bother only following fashion for the sake of conforming to something that isn't true to ourself? As Simon Doonan, who I love so very much, says, "Knowing who you really are and dressing the part -- with an air of amused recklessness -- is life affirming for you and life enhancing for other people".

Enhance this life.

Trend: Jumpsuits, Rompers, Oh My!

Chloe at the (chloe) conspiracy covered rompers a few days ago, as it's still kicking if the design houses have anything to say about it, she totally did it best, but I wanted to share my thoughts.

Last night one of my girls and I were at the bar talking fashion, when she mentioned how pissed off she was that Glamour or Cosmo or whichever rag mag she reads was doing their usual In/Out feature for spring fashions. The way she put it was, "Pencil skirts are 'out' and jumpsuits are 'in' REALLY? I rock the FUCK out of pencil skirts, but those goddamn jumpersuits whatever they are only look good on the tiny twiggy people! Anyone with more than a hint of curves is fucked!"

I know, right? She was well into her third gin and tonic, so I'll forgive her.

My take on the romper/jumpsuit trend is love-hate. It is so easy to make this age-inappropriate and fall into the trap that plays up the youthfulness too much and makes it look like kinderwhore fashion. I think the safest bet, if you're going to get a romper, is to keep it in a solid color, just leave the patterned ones to the children.

After that kinderwhore part is fixed, you need to think of fit. If your top half is larger than your bottom, and vice versa, you will need a tailor. My ass has defeated every attempt to find a material to contain it. High-waisted jeans, hip huggers, leggings, tailored pants, SKIRTS EVEN. MY ASS DESTROYS CITIES. I CANNOT DEFEAT IT.

Ahem, sorry about that. My ass got the better of me.

As I was saying, if you have more curves in one area than another, you'll want to find a tailor. Not just any schmuck you find in the Yellowpages. You need to talk to people, preferably someone with a similar body type, see who they go to, what the service is like, who they trust their clothes to. Word of mouth is the best advertising a business has.

I've got a great guy. He's been in business for, like, EVER. I remember going there when I was six to watch my brother get fitted for his Homecoming Dance. He's ancient, but just as efficient as ever.

I'd love to post pictures where I rokk the jumpsuit my friend gave me for a belated birthday present because, and I quote, "I went to that goddamn 21 Forever place you like so much, and found this. It seemed like the least poptarty thing there, so I got the hell out. And the music sucks. Happy birthday."


Anyways, you should just go see how the darling Chloe does it. She nailed it, and my attempts would only be put to shame. Fo realz.