Mademoiselle Guillotine

Viva Mexico!

2010-01-17T17:57:00.001-05:00

So I'm getting ready to head off for a long overdue vacation to Mexico! I've never been, but I've heard it's amazing. I'll get some time on the beach, as well as numerous days exploring the old Mayan ruins on the Yucatan peninsula.

So, unfortunately in my excitement the only thing I can focus on is the trip, so today you all get treated to Mexican eye candy!

Famous artist Frida Kahlo's father - Guillermo Kahlo - in 1899. From here

Mexico railways poster from the late 1940s, from here

Movie still from "The Aztec Mummy vs. the Human Robot" - shot in 1957.

The image above actually comes from a site with an interesting article and some clips about 50s sci-fi movies filmed in Mexico. Who knew they had such a sci-fi fad as well? Read more about it here

Barbie and Ken from 1964. Info about their outfits here

I also love 50s hand-painted Mexican circle skirts. Below are some great ones to buy online...

Only $50 here

$99 here

This one is $150, but that's all embroidered! Buy it here

Video of the week

2010-01-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most people have seen this as it seems to have gone completely viral, but I just can't help watching it over and over again....

Happy Monday everyone!

Happy Birthday Elvis

2010-01-08T17:07:00.000-05:00

Today would have been Elvis Presley's 75th birthday. I wasn't around when he was alive and that pains me so. I just don't think I'll ever see anyone like him in my lifetime.

So here's to his birthday with some pictures and music to remember him by...

Elvis with fans (look at those girls outfits!)

Swoon!!

Jailhouse rock

Quadruple swoon!!

Quite possibly one of my favorite songs:

I'm not the biggest fan of older Elvis, but something about this song and him doing it once he'd fallen a bit out of fashion is just so heartbreaking for me

Rockabilly Life

2010-01-04T13:36:00.000-05:00

I think a lot of what gets people interested in vintage clothing, hairstyles, lifestyles, etc, is music. As people are growing up they gain a basic interest in old movies, and old music, and their tastes evolve as they learn more and more musicians. Most people know about Elvis or Buddy Holly, but rockabilly people will tell you about Bill Haley or Gene Vincent. Those people tend to have themselves immersed in a lifestyle, dressing as they would have if they lived 50 years ago. I find the vintage lifestyle is fairly often intertwined with a real interest in rockabilly music.

Well I found a site, though it doesn't seem fully developed (just over 80 members), that should be a really great tool for anyone interested in not just rockabilly music, but a rockabilly and vintage lifestyle.

On the rockabilly network you can interact with other people with similar interests. You can listen to music and see suggestions for little known singers and bands. You can also see what events might be going on in your area relating to your interests. I know too often I find out once it's too late about car shows or concerts.

Another great site for listening to music is Rockabilly podcasts They have a variety of podcasts that you can load onto your itunes/ipod and listen to on your computer. I'm never a huge fan of radio announcers, and some have more talking than others, but they do have great music and help pass slow days at work.

Lastly, the Subculture Collective stands as little rougher, psychobilly version of the Rockabilly Network. The music, podcasts, and information on this site is geared towards psychobilly music more than rockabilly and vintage classics, but if you're interested in it, it's a great resource.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T17:54:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year/New Decade everyone!

A year in photos

2009-12-31T09:59:00.000-05:00

I read about this project a while back and told myself I would start on January 1st, 2010. New year, new decade. Every day you take a picture of something, anything. New events, new friends, new food, the change in seasons, the change in me. I don't know yet if I'll post the pictures here, maybe a couple here and there, if I should keep a seperate blog for all of them, or just keep them filed away for myself. Maybe I'll post once a month with all 30 photos for that month. Something to think about.

For those who aren't familiar with the project, you can read about it here

Everyone have a safe and happy New Year!

New Year's Eve

2009-12-30T10:59:00.000-05:00

One of the many great things about New York City is that we get the biggest and most watched New Year's Eve celebration. In preparation (2010 is only mere days away!) I figured I'd take you through the history of our famous event.

History of the Times Square New Year's Eve and the Infamous Ball

New York in 1904 was a city on the verge of tremendous changes - and, not surprisingly, many of those changes had their genesis in the bustling energy and thronged streets of Times Square. Two innovations that would completely transform the Crossroads of the World debuted in 1904: the opening of the city's first subway line, and the first-ever celebration of New Year's Eve in Times Square. This inaugural bash commemorated the official opening of the new headquarters of The New York Times. The impressive Times Tower, marooned on a tiny triangle of land at the intersection of 7th Avenue, Broadway and 42nd Street, was at the time Manhattan's second-tallest building -- the tallest if measured from the bottom of its three massive sub-basements, built to handle the heavy weight demands of The Times' up-to-date printing equipment.

The building was the focus of an unprecedented New Year's Eve celebration. Ochs spared no expense to ensure a party for the ages. An all-day street festival culminated in a fireworks display set off from the base of the tower, and at midnight the joyful sound of cheering, rattles and noisemakers from the over 200,000 attendees could be heard, it was said, from as far away as Croton-on-Hudson, thirty miles north along the Hudson River.

Two years later, the city banned the fireworks display - but Ochs was undaunted. He arranged to have a large, illuminated seven-hundred-pound iron and wood ball lowered from the tower flagpole precisely at midnight to signal the end of 1907 and the beginning of 1908.

In 1914, The New York Times outgrew Times Tower and relocated to 229 West 43rd Street. By then, New Year's Eve in Times Square was already a permanent part of our cultural fabric.

New Year's Eve Ball, 1978. Photo credit - The New York Times

The first balls:

The first New Year's Eve Ball, made of iron and wood and adorned with one hundred 25-watt light bulbs, was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 700 pounds. It was built by a young immigrant metalworker named Jacob Starr, and for most of the twentieth century the company he founded, sign maker Artkraft Strauss, was responsible for lowering the ball.

As part of the 1907-1908 festivities, waiters in the fabled "lobster palaces" and other deluxe eateries in hotels surrounding Times Square were supplied with battery-powered top hats emblazoned with the numbers "1908" fashioned of tiny light bulbs. At the stroke of midnight, they all "flipped their lids" and the year on their foreheads lit up in conjunction with the numbers "1908" on the parapet of the Times Tower lighting up to signal the arrival of the new year.

The Ball has been lowered every year since 1907, with the exceptions of 1942 and 1943, when the ceremony was suspended due to the wartime "dimout" of lights in New York City. Nevertheless, the crowds still gathered in Times Square in those years and greeted the New Year with a minute of silence followed by the ringing of chimes from sound trucks parked at the base of the tower - a harkening-back to the earlier celebrations at Trinity Church, where crowds would gather to "ring out the old, ring in the new."

In 1920, a 400 pound ball made entirely of wrought iron replaced the original. In 1955, the iron ball was replaced with an aluminum ball weighing a mere 200 pounds. This aluminum Ball remained unchanged until the 1980s, when red light bulbs and the addition of a green stem converted the Ball into an apple for the "I Love New York" marketing campaign from 1981 until 1988. After seven years, the traditional glowing white Ball with white light bulbs and without the green stem returned to brightly light the sky above Times Square. In 1995, the Ball was upgraded with aluminum skin, rhinestones, strobes, and computer controls, but the aluminum ball was lowered for the last time in 1998.

The 2000-2007 Waterford Crystal ball

The Times Square New Year's Eve Ball 2000-2007

For Times Square 2000, the millennium celebration at the Crossroads of the World, the New Year's Eve Ball was completely redesigned by Waterford Crystal. The new crystal Ball combined the latest in technology with the most traditional of materials, reminding us of our past as we gazed into the future and the beginning of a new millennium.
The Ball was a geodesic sphere, six feet in diameter, and weighed approximately 1,070 pounds. It was covered with a total of 504 Waterford crystal triangles that varied in size and ranged in length from 4.75 inches to 5.75 inches per side.

The new LED crystal ball

The New New Year's Eve Ball

The new Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is a 12 foot geodesic sphere, double the size of previous Balls, and weighs 11,875 pounds. Covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals and powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDS, the new Ball is capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns producing a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people still gather around the Tower, now known as One Times Square, and wait for hours in the cold of a New York winter for the famous Ball-lowering ceremony. Thanks to satellite technology, a worldwide audience estimated at over one billion people watches the ceremony each year. The lowering of the Ball has become the world's symbolic welcome to the New Year.

All info from Times Square Alliance

The holidays are over

2009-12-28T16:46:00.000-05:00

Phew, so I made it through Christmas intact! I hope everyone had an amazing time and you're all getting warmed up for the new decade. I figured I'd just leave you with two quick pictures from my holiday

It's a terrible picture, but we have an artificial black Christmas tree. We try and always decorate monochromatically, so this year was all about the red, black and white.

Me and my hubby. Unfortunately I was getting ready to go out and you can't see my great 40s dress, but there is my favorite cashmere sweater with black fur collar and rhinestone buttons. You also can't go wrong with a holiday headband and ornament earrings!

One more sleep until Christmas!!!

2009-12-24T11:15:00.001-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. After fighting past the tourists daily on the streets, braving the cold for some holiday market excitement, and our giant snowstorm last weekend it's finally almost here.

I hope everyone has a merry holiday and spends it surrounded by love, I know I will.

Doctors and Nurses

2009-12-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

I don't like going to the doctor's at all. I don't like needles, having my blood drawn, the smell in the offices, all their questions, and I especially don't like the idea that there could be something wrong with me.
Unfortunately I've had some problems lately and I don't have a choice anymore and have an appointment tomorrow. Last time it equaled hospital visit + neurologist and not really any relief, so I'm trying to keep my mind off of it. I figured what better way than with some quality eye candy - this time with a little medical spin.

Shall we?

Two lovely Red Cross nurses. Could you imagine someone helping you in that outfit? They look much lovelier than what I'm used to, and I'll take 'em! Picture from here

Somehow I doubt I'd be comfortable getting doled out a prescription from here. I don't even like the jar that holds the tongue depressors! Bottles from here

Is it just me or does the girl look alot like Marilyn? The label says "General First Aid Kit, Johnson & Johnson", and the way she's on a stage makes me think maybe it was from a tv show where they did live ads? Lovely lady in spring-o-lators with robot from here

Let's hope my doctors don't look nearly as intrigued looking at my charts. Image from here

And because I can't do anything without a dose of art - one of my favorites, Richard Prince, did a whole series on Nurses. They're based on all the vintage books with nurses on the cover. I love them terribly.

Ballet

2009-12-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

I love ballet. In fact, I love most dancing in general and have often been sucked into those shows like "So You Think You Can Dance". It's really just amazing how graceful and powerful the human body can be. When I was younger I took all sorts of dance - ballet, tap, jazz, street dance - but ballet was always my love. I used to walk around my house in my pointe shoes and I dreamed of dancing in The Nutcracker. Alas, as many young dreams do, it fell by the wayside for far too long and I lost any chance of every really truly dancing.
A few months back I started taking ballet again, thankfully with other adults and in a low level class that doesn't cause much pressure for me. Surprisingly with my lack of grace I've actually fallen back into it pretty well and am loving every second of it.

I'm sure you're wondering where this rambling is leading - well I saw this trailer the other day for the movie "La danse - Le ballet de l'Opéra de Paris" and it made me really excited (this compounded on the fact that its super ballet season in NYC and all I really want to do is go back and see something again this year).

So in my love of ballet I thought I'd throw out some eye candy, including art related images since most people only know about Degas painting (and sculpting) ballerinas....

Picasso worked a lot with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, including even creating set backdrops and costumes for a performance called "Parade".

The below image is of Pablo Picasso and his second wife Jacqueline trying to teach him to dance (in fact his first wife was a ballerina with Ballets Russes)...

The artist Oskar Schlemmer also did drawings and created costumes for the Triadisches Ballett (Triadic Ballet) in 1922.

Then, behold, pure vintage ballerina goodies for the eyes!

Is anyone else here a dancer or dance lover?

NYC Nostalgia Train

2009-12-16T14:54:00.000-05:00

Every year I look forward to the nostalgia train. For those non-New Yorkers - every year during the month of December, the MTA runs an old train (it's cars from the 40s to the 70s) every Sunday on the V line. The timing is a bit tricky, unless you're like me and you happen to live right at the end of the line. The schedule gives the exact time the train will leave, and it sits there for a good 30 minutes before departing so you can get in all your ooh-ing and aah-ing and picture taking.

An old b&w subway map and hand painted doors just below a Viceroy cigarettes ad!

Lucille Ball in an ad for Woodbury powder

Last year I missed all the trains and this year, of course, I get it on a day when I'm not prepared for it. I was of course wearing vintage except for my black and white spectators which are actually Steve Madden, but I still didn't feel dressed enough for it. Maybe another Sunday before it ends, I think I have 3 left! I need to get a good photo of the ceiling fans!

In case you want to ride the train as well, you can get the times it leaves from both ends of the line here. Give about 2 minutes between each stop on the line should you want to catch it from somewhere else.

Eyewear for the ages

2009-12-14T16:33:00.003-05:00

I love any man who spends time to refine his look. I enjoy dandys, fops, cads, any of the types who really care about their appearance. This however, almost seems a bit ridiculous, even for me...

From the Telegraph UK:

Monocles to be sold on High Street

Vision Express, a chain of opticians, is to start selling the lenses after an unexpected spate of requests for monocles.

It believes most of the requests have come from young men wanting to ape the fashion of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

The eyepieces cost £50 and come with a metal frame, a pouch, and a string so the wearer ensures it stays around his or her neck if it slips.

Read more of the article here

Burton and a return

2009-12-14T16:00:00.007-05:00

The entrance to the Burton exhibition....

It's hard to believe it's been since August that I have written in here. I did truly enjoy my blog (as I hoped others did as well), it's just that I got so darn busy!!

As I've mentioned before, I work for a large, world renowned museum. I LOVE my job, and sometimes it can get a little crazy in my life. For the past few months I have been working on the Tim Burton exhibition that recently opened and had an amazing good time. I think we reached around 700 pieces of drawings, costumes, figures, almost anything that you can think of. It was a lot of work, but it looks so amazing that it's truly worth having had to part with my lovely blog for a few months.

Since I didn't shoot pictures during install (except my one of me and Edward below) I had to find a couple pictures to show you all.

Me with Tim Burton wearing a vintage dress with little bicycle wheel design. (Helena Bonham Carter asked to touch it!!)

With the Edward Scissorhands costume. Those are my marching band pants and unfortunatley you can't see the super cute rhinestone sweater clip holding my sweater together or how great my curls looked piled on top of my head.

Our unofficial mascot - Balloon Boy

The blacklight carousel made specifically for the exhibition

You can see all about the exhibition including info on all the movie screenings on MoMA's website here

The Vampire phenomenom

2009-08-16T16:16:00.008-04:00

Bela Lugosi as the best Dracula ever (he was even buried in his cape)

Everywhere I turn these days people are talking about vampires. True Blood, Twilight, it's everywhere. I think I never got into the whole "vampire" thing when I was young and impressionable partially because I have natural fangs (which my dentist always begs to let file down) and I get enough comments as it is about whether my teeth are real or if I made them that way. It's just genetics and I like them, but if I was a crazy goth girl though I'm sure I'd never hear the end of it.

Stephen Moyer as the vampire Bill Compton in HBO's True Blood

It's funny because lately I had fought the new wave of vampire frenzy until I couldn't take it anymore. I watched two episodes of True Blood before Season 2 began and was hooked. I had to find all the old episodes online so I'd be caught up for the new season. Now I can't wait for Sunday nights.

Robert Pattinson as Twilight's Edward Cullen

I never read the Twilight books until recently. I devoured two of them in a week (they are over 500 pages each) and now I just started the third. They are seriously so good it's embarrasing.

Nosferatu

There is a great article from the NY Times about the vampire in TV and movies here

Vlad the Impaler

and you can brush up on your vampire knowledge easily on wikipedia

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the movie "Interview with the Vampire"

Also, you can see how it's affecting fashion and what to expect for Fall (hint, it's a bit darker than usual...) here

Bloomingdale's

2009-08-16T10:48:00.013-04:00

I went to Bloomingdale's the other day, and it seemed like it was my first time in years. I had never even noticed all the small details from this amazing building that has been standing for nearly 150 years. Most of the elevators are still the original deco pieces, as is the main entrance sign. I guess I never knew much other than my grandma loved being taken there, and everyone knows the iconic brown bags. It made me very eager to learn more, so here's just a bit about this amazing store....

Bloomingdale's, a chain of upscale American department stores owned by Macy's, Inc., has 36 stores nationwide, with annual sales of $1.9 billion dollars. Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In 1872, Bloomingdale's expanded and opened their East Side Bazaar, a harbinger of the modern "department store."

In 1886, it moved to 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, still their flagship store, anticipating and capitalizing on the northern movement of New York's upper and middle classes. By 1929, Bloomingdale's covered an entire city block. Two years later, the glamorous Art Deco edifice that still graces Lexington Avenue was completed.

In 1949, Bloomingdale's began its real expansion, opening its first satellite store in Fresh Meadows, Queens and by 1959, Bloomingdale's had created a complete circle of stores around the flagship, in New Jersey, Westchester County and Long Island. This dramatic growth continued in the 70's and 80's with the opening of stores in the Northeast, Florida, and Chicago. Bloomingdale's was on its way to becoming a true national entity. That vision culminated in November 1996 with the addition of its first four stores in California, the most ambitious expansion in the company's history.

From the beginning, the Bloomingdale's brothers catered to America's love of international goods, and by the 1880's, their European selection was dazzling. A buying office in Paris in 1886 was the beginning of a network that now spans the globe. The 1960's brought promotions resulting from Bloomingdale's fascination with the foreign market: the first was a small affair called "Casa Bella" featuring merchandise for the home from Italy. Over the next thirty years, the promotions took on a grand scale - including unique merchandise and cultural exhibits that would touch every department in Bloomingdale's. Major transformation of the Bloomingdale's image came in the 1960's and 70's. The promotions were so exciting that the term "Retailing as Theater" was coined to describe Bloomingdale's "happenings." It was the era of pet rocks and glacial ice cubes, of visits by movie stars and royalty, from Elizabeth Taylor to Queen Elizabeth II.

The new direction in merchandising was both to seek and to create. Buyers covered the globe to find exclusive, one-of-a-kind items. When they couldn't find what they wanted, they had it made. In fashion, Bloomingdale's launched new designers and created boutiques for already-famous names. Among the discoveries: Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Norma Kamali - and for the first time in America: Sonia Rykiel, Kenzo and Fendi ready-to-wear. Designers opening their first in-store boutiques at Bloomingdale's include Yves St. Laurent, Calvin Klein, Claude Montana and Thierry Mugler.

In 1961, Bloomingdale's made retail history in yet another area by introducing the first designer shopping bag. Artist Joseph Kinigstein was commissioned to create a bag for the "Esprit de France" promotion. Rather than doing the obvious - ladylike flowers in pastel colors - he reproduced antique French tarot cards in bold red, black and white. Most daring of all, the bag omitted the store name. Even so, it was unmistakably Bloomingdale's, and the collector's shopping bag was launched. Since then, Bloomingdale's bags have been created by both famous and fledgling artists, architects and ad designers. Their designs have been featured in art museums all over the world.

In 1971 "model rooms", a highlight of Bloomingdale's since 1947, gained worldwide attention. "The Cave," an intricate multi-level frame sprayed entirely in white polyurethane, was a spectacular example of the lengths to which Bloomingdale's would go to make a statement of style. Over the years, the model rooms have been showcases for the talents of everyone from architect Frank Gehry to filmmaker Federico Fellini.

During the 1970's, Bloomingdale's was a favorite stop of the international avant-garde, epitomized locally by the "Young East Sider" who lived right in the neighborhood. In 1973 the store wanted to stamp the Bloomingdale's name on panties to launch an intimate apparel promotion, they chose the company nickname as a nod to the young, trendy crowd, and the "Bloomie's" logo was born. Soon, New Yorkers were affectionately referring to the city's second most popular tourist attraction after the Statue of Liberty as "Bloomie's" and the hottest souvenir in town was anything emblazoned with "Bloomie's".

on vintage prejudices

2009-08-07T16:20:00.003-04:00

I don't know if I'm overreacting, but I read this posting this morning and something really irked me

What I Wore Today 8/7/09

When you scroll down to the comments, a number of people called her look costum-y and grandma like. I know I probably shouldn't get offended on someoneelse's behalf, but I did. First off - I think she looks lovely. I happen to get a little bothered by girls wearing good quality vintage and they don't round of the look with the right hair and accessories. That's just my personal preference though.

My anger isn't even so much for the fact that people didn't like her outfit. Most of those people are probably teeny boppers who would love nothing more than to go outside wearing leggings as pants and base their weekend outfits around whatever magazines tell them to wear and what drunken startlets stumble out of some bar wearing. What really got me burned up was the idea that people call vintage clothing "costum-y" and "granny".

I'm sorry, but MILLIONS of people in the 40s and 50s dressed like that. It's not exclusive to little old ladies. I will never understand where that grandma reference came from. I've never seen a grandma wearing high waisted shorts. Maybe it's just the hair and the needlepoint bag they refer to, but I will never understand. I think she looks youthful and exhuberant and as far from a granny as possible.
Then costum-y. Just because my clothes aren't made of nylon blends and spandex it's a costume?? Poodle skirt and saddle shoes ok I get, but what about her says costume? HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SOMEONE DRESSED LIKE THAT ON HALLOWEEN?!?! I haven't, and I doubt I ever will. There is nothing wrong with wearing quality made clothes that actually fit you properly.

I just had to get that off my chest. I wish more girls would take time to get themselves ready and presentable for the day.

Tim Burton

2009-08-06T16:34:00.003-04:00

I don't know where the time has been going lately! I have been a very bad blogger and I feel a need to explain why.

I do a lot of my blogging at work during down times, lunch, break, etc. For all those who don't know, I work for the Museum of Modern Art in NY, and I LOVE my job. The past few days I've been immersed in something I've been looking forward to for years. The Tim Burton show we're having later this year is starting to trickle in and I'm helping to check the condition of all the works as they arrive. It's very time consuming and, though super fun (!), it has left me no time for other pursuits. I'm loving every second of what I'm seeing (there have been numerous squeals down in our packing rooms) so if you get a chance to see the show while it's up it's definitely one not to miss!

Tim Burton at MoMA

Red lipsticks

2009-07-31T16:16:00.007-04:00

It seems everyone these days is talking about red lipstick - and justifiably so as red lipstick can pretty much make or break an outfit. I tend to wear a lighter, more coral shade of red to work (though I work in a free thinking museum, I'm still an office worker), but at night and on weekends it's bright red all the way. It's gotten to the point where I feel blah and washed out without it. So here's my recommendations and tips for red lipstick...

First: Make sure your lips are moisturized and clean. You don't want residue or flakiness to ruin your perfect pout!

Second: you must line your lips!! I've used a variety of lip liners, most recently Besame's until it slid out of the tube and got mushed in the cap(!), and I've found the brand really makes little to no difference. Some people just line the outside, some completely fill in, I'm a little bit in between myself. Again, not a huge deal eitehr way, as long as you use it to begin with!

Third: Apply your lipstick in one even movement on top and bottom lips. Blot with a tissue and apply another coat

Fourth: Reline the outside of your lips. This will give you a crisp outer line and make sure your lipstick doesn't run into the creases on the edges of your lips

Fifth: I almost always top off my lip stick with sealant. No matter your lipstick, they usually aren't designed to stay against eating, drinking, talking, etc. This stuff will hold any lipstick in place for numerous hours more than it's normal lasting time. I've even had it hold lipstick on overnight while sleeping when I was a very bad girl and didn't wash my face before bed after a night out! My favorite by far is Make up Forever Lip Seal - which scarily enough I can't find a picture of online. If they discontinued it I might cry because it is the greatest thing ever created!

As for lipstick colors, I'm very very pale but I have olive undertones. For me red lipstick can get too pink really quickly so I usually need a bit of a blue tone.

One of my favorite matte lipsticks is Make up Forever. I use Blue Red 205, but Cherry Red 207 and Red 206 are equally wonderful!

I'm a huge fan also of Besame's lipsticks. They're matte, smooth and they don't dry out my lips. I've noticed they have a tendency sometimes to bleed at the edges, and wear off in the centers, which is where lip liner and sealer come in. Don't forget your new friends! Besame truly has some of the best colors and consistencies, and how can you beat the super cute little gold container! I also love the smell of their makeup. I'm such a sucker.
I usually always use their "Classic Enchanting Lipsticks" but now I'm really curious about their "Voluptuous Lip Color Set". Unfortunately $35.00 isn't something I can spend on lipstick right now, so I'll just have to hold out until I can't take it anymore.

Now the best news of all... I just recently was gifted some of the new L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Color

This stuff is GOD SEND!! I don't know what this stuff is made out of - I'm almost convinced it's part super glue - but it DOES NOT MOVE. I can't vouch for the new colors, but I have the Target special edition red, and it's a miracle in a bottle. You can spot this one as it's the only one instead of having the silver shiny case, it's bright red and only sold in Target stores. It's so bright red and really truly doesn't come off. I even tried to scrub with soap and water because I was gob smacked, and still couldn't get it off. Only good quality make up remover is getting that stuff to go anywhere. Seriously - go by the stuff now! You won't be sorry!

So that's it - simple and easy. I won't talk about MAC's lipstick colors, because frankly, I don't really like them. They're way too shiny for my tastes and maybe I talk too much, but I can't get them to last more than 30 minutes on me. To each their own I always say.

Me showing off my new hat to my mother, while looking awfully tired from sitting in an airport for 5 hours waiting for my plane to finally take off for home!

No matter what color you choose, remember, it's the manner in which you carry yourself while wearing it. Red lipstick isn't for the timid, but it isn't only for the bad girls either ;)

Mad Men

2009-07-29T13:38:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I had to do it just like everyone else. I'm super excited that Mad Men is coming back on AMC, and what better way to celebrate than Mad Men-ing yourself?

I think it's actually pretty good likeness for me, despite the fact that I don't own plaid pedal pushers (though I would!) or a leopard hat...

You can play around with it here: Mad Men Yourself

Atlas Obscura

2009-07-08T08:03:00.009-04:00

For people who truly know me - they know I'm a total weirdo deep down. My fiance (add the accent mark with your mind) and I have bones and taxidermy all over our house, and we travel the world together, hunting out the neatest, most non-touristy things we can find in different countries. So to say I was excited when I found this website was an understatement.

It all began when we were hunting for interesting places to get married. The old abandoned small pox hospital on Governor's Island is closed to the public. Cloisters is out. It's actually pretty hard to find castles that haven't been redone and made cheesy as places to get married! So I stumble across the Atlas Obscura...

I got completely sucked in, scrolling through all the different types of locations "curious places of worship", "disaster areas", "electrical oddities", etc. It's not just man made places, but spiritual places, and locations of great natural occurances.

Anyways I could go on and on, so it's worth taking a look through. My favorites thusfar:

The Gates of Hell

Sedlec Ossuary

Cano Cristales

For more great oddies and curiosities head over to Atlas Obscura

4th of July

2009-07-04T17:04:00.008-04:00

So today is America's birthday. Time to celebrate by drinking too much, BBQ-ing, eating pie and watching things explode. I sound cynical but I'm totally not. I really will take any excuse to watch fireworks, as I'm a complete sucker for them. New York's also happen to be the greatest around. Normally we have barges set up on the east river and down by the Brooklyn Bridge, but I guess to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson sailing past New York, all barges will be set up in a line on the Hudson River. I'm heading to my in-laws roof and am hoping there are no taller buildings to our west so I can get a prime view.

In honor of this holiday, I figured I'd show some good old fashioned July 4th imagery. All courtesy of Flickr!

Nothing like celebrating a country's birth by showing a picture of the people who stole the country away from in the first place

A card with a baby bringing you a firework. It's so inappropriate I love it!

I love this lady also! Sitting around in her sailor outfit in the 1940s (?) surrounded by tons of fireworks. I envy her life!

Have and happy and safe 4th of July everyone!

Modcloth.com

2009-07-02T16:12:00.005-04:00

Has everyone been to Modcloth.com recently? As with most stores in my good graces, I have periods where I will see nothing I like, and then suddenly everything that pops up seems amazing to me. If I wasn't trying to save money to pay for my (insanely expensive) wedding dress and upcoming nuptials I would be buying up all sorts of clothes from them. It also doesn't hurt that they have great customer service aside from all the fantastic clothes!

My current favorites are below. I will take any of them right now please and thank you. My measurements are 34-26-35...

Louisa May Blouse $34.99

Wesleyen Blouse $79.99

Gondolier Dress $49.99

Skipper shorts $64.99

Golden Days of Glamour Dress $174.99

Sidecar Tour Dress $42.99

I could go on forever as there seems to be even tons more on their site I want. I'm on their mailing list and check the site almost daily, yet somehow I always miss the great one of a kind vintage pieces they feature here and there. Oh well!

As always all pieces above link to their pages. Stop by modcloth.com soon. Trust me, you won't be sorry!

The passing...

2009-07-01T16:34:00.003-04:00

SO I went to Pittsburgh last week to visit some long lost eldery family members in their tiny country town. I'm sure I'll post pictures of the place, and the great vintage items I found in Pittsburgh, but that's not what this is really about. This is about the news I got on Thursday night in my hotel room - that Michael Jackson had passed away.

I am an immense Michael Jackson fan. The minute he announced his concerts in London I was begging friends to agree to see him with me when I knew he would inevitably come to New York. I don't know why, but this loss is really taking it's toll on me. It's nearly a week later and I still feel on the verge of tears thinking about it. Bettie Page's passing brought me down, but this one is keeping me down. I think that's why I haven't been able to post anything since, and though this is hard to write, I feel like I need to get it out.

When I was growing up in Florida, racism was a huge part of my community. There were certain neighborhoods you didn't drive through, places where you knew to lock your doors, and very little segregation in my schools (at least until high school). Thriller came out the year I was born, and as such I was brought up listening to it. Same goes for Bad, Off the Wall, even to Michael's History album. In my house we understood that people weren't seperated by color and we were all the same. The only thing that defined us as good people, and people able to make it out of that state, was how good we were to our friends and neighbors, and how talented you proved yourself to be. Color played no part in that. For me, and most people I knew, Michael blew every stereotype out of the water, and joined together those people who tried so hard to keep themselves seperate. No matter who you spoke to, Michael was a unifier. He was common ground.

Seeing all the people coming out in favor of him lately, all I can help but think is did you support him during the changing of his face, through the plastic surgery, through the molestation trials? I know I did. Michael was strange, but like everyone else he was human. It breaks my heart to think the people who judged him possibly drove him to this place, and left us where we are now - missing a hero, a man so talented he crossed racial divides.

I know I will always have his music, but the idea that the world is now missing such an amazing person just breaks my heart. To all those who didn't believe in him - shame on you. I hope now you realize what we've lost, and in the future you will think to embrace and help those who require it, and not push them away.

For Michael Jackson- as some have said, I'm sure you moonwalked your way through those Pearly Gates and are now bringing many people an eternity of joy.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

2009-06-22T18:26:00.005-04:00

I LOVE Tim Burton. Love more than most things in this world. I was discussing with some people the other day how excited I am for the Tim Burton exhibit at The Museum of Modern Art in NY (opening this Nov 22nd) and they tried to act like Tim Burton wasn't the greatest thing since sliced bread. I know I can be a bit much in my adoration, but sometimes it just takes some reminders for people to understand his greatness. Sure, maybe you hated the new Willy Wonka (it wasn't his finest hour) or you can't stand how he always uses Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter lately, but seriously - check the list and try and tell me you don't love at least some of his movies? I bet you even forgot he made a bunch.

Some of my favorites:

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ed Wood
Batman and Batman Returns
Mars Attacks!
Beetlejuice
Edward Scissorhands
Big Fish
Sleepy Hollow
James and the Giant Peach
The Nighmare Before Christmas
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

ANYWAYS - this post isn't about my love, but my excitement. I've been hearing about Alice in Wonderland for months, and now I just finally saw some pictures online. I might have nightmares, but here we go!

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen of Hearts

Tweedledee and Tweedledum

Our gal Alice

Alice in Wonderland sneak peak provided by ABC News. To see more go here

The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife: Give Away! Give Away!

2009-06-22T11:58:00.002-04:00

There is an amazing give away going on right now over at The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife! I've been pining over this Vintage Hairstyling book for weeks now thanks to constanting posting over at The Bobby Pin Blog. Plus she's giving away wave clips, a hair flower, and other goodies. I'm pretty good at doing my hair since it's been undergoing years of daily abuse on my behalf, but man what this book could teach me! I don't ever have good luck, so maybe I'll just have to keep fingers and toes crossed for this one!

You can get to the give away posting above, or by clicking here

Governor's Island Jazz Age Lawn Party

2009-06-16T09:35:00.007-04:00

I've been super swamped lately with work - sorry about that! - but I'm back to my usual self. I mentioned before the Jazz Age Lawn Party presented by Michael Arenella's Dreamland Orchestra that happens twice a year on Governor's Island in NY. Well the pictures have been pouring in, so here's a little handful of them:

I had total clothing crushes on all these people:

With my lovely lady friends.... I am of course second from the right in my grey and white shorts that my mom sewed for me based on ones Drew Barrymore wore in the recent Grey Gardens movie.

With my lovely red-headed friend Jeanie:

I was also interviewed by Time Out New York regarding my hair

If you go here:
Time Out New York Hair Special
I am on pages 154, 155, and 156. If you click the picture it leads to my interview, where I'm happy I got to give a shout out to one of my favorite NYC vintage shops - The Family Jewels. I also love they asked me if I dress like that everyday. I guess we looked odd?...

What I Wore today

2009-06-08T18:32:00.005-04:00

Technically what I wore Friday, but who's counting?

In this one you can see my shoes. I LOVE them and will I'm sure do an entry about them soon. They're Worishofer and SOOOOO comfy!

Better view of the faux bangs with scarf. Vintage sweater and black jodphurs

Close up detail of the sweater and my little bow/milk stone brooch.

Jazz Age Picnic at Governor's Island

2009-06-06T17:28:00.004-04:00

My lady friends and I brought out our dingiest sheets and best picnic recipes for this last year and had a wonderful afternoon surrounded by amazing clothes worn by true vintage enthusiasts and some of the best music to be found in New York. If you're in the area (I'm aware it's already Saturday) then bring out your dancing shoes for the Jazz-Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island!

Full description courtesy of Dreamlandorchestra.com:

Under a shady grove of centuries-old trees, caressed by fresh sea air, a sprawling green surrounded by historic officers’ quarters and 18th century naval ramparts becomes the setting for a true Gatsby affair.

Widely anticipated by flappers, sporting gents and tiny tots alike, this event has been featured annually by The New York Times and the Sartorialist.

A wide array of music, food & drink, activities, games and contests are open for all ages to enjoy:

* A delightful variety of refreshing summer cocktails, wine, prosecco and beer are available and will be served by expert mixologists.
* Picnickers are welcome. There will also be gourmet coffee and a yummy assortment of sandwiches, salads and other treats available.
* Vintage ’78 records spun on 1920s Victor Credenza phonograph machine by Matthew Hinson
* 1920s Motorcar Exhibition - take a spin around the island in a genuine rumbleseat; hold on to your hat!
* Vintage clothing dealers and boutique milliners including Ellen Christine, Cassie McGregor and Leigh Magar of Magar Hatworks. They will all be peddling wares, so be sure to tuck some cash into your garter.
* Special literature/ephemera booths and readings by the Dorothy Parker Society & F. Scott Fitzgerald Society
* Horseshoe Toss
* Tug O’ War
* Parade Of Hats (Sunday Only)

Bakelite

2009-06-03T15:22:00.007-04:00

I'm not a huge fan of bakelite on myself, but on other people I love it. I just don't think it works with my very monochromatic and black-centric wardrobe. I saw a picture of a girl on the Fedora Lounge yesterday that just seemed so perfect. Black curly hair, cats eye glasses, and an arm full of multi-colored bakelite bracelets. It looked so effortless and chic that I thought maybe I should get past my crap and try and branch out. I see it often in vintage stores around NY, and sometimes flea markets though I'm sure those are usually lucite, but they're always a little pricey for what to me is essentially a colored, somtimes carved, bangle. I decided to try first looking online and see if there are any deals floating around, and I'm astounded by how much the price can vary! I know that cheap pieces can easily not be bakelite (it seems real hovers around $40-$100), and actual bakelite is so much better than the fake thing, but really - from $10 to $1,200? For a bracelet?

See for yourself - all claimed to have been tested for authenticity:

$29.95

$165.00

$295.00

$1,250.00!?

I read the wikipedia article on Bakelite here, but I still can't understand why it sells for so much. It's not rare at all -maybe for the suburbs it is and that's just the New Yorker in me talking - so why does it cost so much?

What I Wore

2009-05-28T12:46:00.004-04:00

I haven't been wearing anything that great lately. I can't get behind the whole seesaw affect, and mostly it's just been either rainy or really hot and humid here. Every year I nearly forget how much I hate summer in NY, and now I'm being reminded again.

Most of these are mainly for my hair which I'm trying to grow out right now. This gives me more flexibility for coiffures, but at the same time, I'm not adjusted to it being longer so it's taking so getting used to.

You can't see the details of this dress - but it's red black and white strips. Button closed chest. It even had cute fold over sleeves with button backs. I ended up wearing a black cardigan over this as it was a bit chilly out, but it was fine for the morning. I also had pretty large barrel bangs (no rat thank you!!) but it's hard to see.

Just side bangs

Large front roll with two side rolls. I love my frilly victorian leopard print shirt!

J.Crew Jewelry

2009-05-27T15:48:00.008-04:00

I have never been one to eschew big time chain stores claiming ones' clothes should be all vintage, all the time. In fact, alot of times these stores carry some pretty impressively done clothes that may look vintage but you don't have to fear them falling apart everytime you wear them. For instance, I have a black satiny swing coat from H&M that I LOVE and get compliments on every year I wear it, some grey pin stripe jodphurs from H&M or Urban Outfitters (I don't remember), some feathered fascinators from Urban Outfitters, high waist tweed sailor pants from Anthropologie, etc...

All this and somehow I was still struck a bit dumbfounded when flipping through J.Crew's recent catalog this morning. Whoever is doing their jewelry this season is fantastic!

It's definitely on the more pricey side, but nothing like a little Wednesday eye candy to brighten your mood!
Take a look:

Fireworks necklace $118.00

Sunray necklace $150.00

Chandelier bracelet $58.00

Sunburst medallion cuff $115.00

Pearl-cluster drop earrings $55.00

Tattoos

2009-05-27T10:20:00.014-04:00

Feel how you may about tattoos, they are widely becoming more popular and accetable in our culture. Even my 56 year old mother just got her first one last year. Sometimes they can be god awful, but sometimes they can be very very good, and though some people preach for fully authentic vintage looks, I appreciate the girls who can be traditional, and yet still slightly of the times. Plus, as much as anyone would like you to think only sailors had tattoos back in the day, it's just not true. They just happened to have the most of them ;)

I've had a picture of this girl saved on my computer for I don't even know how long. I love her look with the tattoos peaking out, and to me it doesn't take away from her look, but add to it:

Sammi Sadler from UK

I've always studied this girl's make up and hair styling's via livejournal. I love how it's retro with an edge
You can see more on her livejournal page here

There is also the famous pin-up Sabina Kelley. A mom, animal activist and devoted wife, she represents the pin-up spirit with her modern edge.
photo by Shannon Brooke Imagery

There is also a great article in the NY Times right now titled "Seafarers' Memoirs, Written on Skin" about the origins of tattooing as a review for an exhibit opening at The Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, PA.

More information about the exhibit and related programs can be found on the museum's website here

How to dress in 1940s Fashion

2009-05-26T15:30:00.006-04:00

I am a consumate pack rat. I collect all sorts of things (hats, hair flowers, shoes, Norwegian troll sculptures, tiki mugs, etc), and while the hoarding of items is usually attributed to material goods, I tend to do the same with web links. Often I'll see clothing items that I can't afford at the moment, only to curse myself later when I check back and the item is gone. Sometimes it pays off and something will go on sale and I'll jump up and down with pride for my patience.

All this rambling actually doesn't at all have to do with clothing per se, but a link I found ages and ages ago and have constantly kept bookmarked in my files. It is on wikihow (I guess wikipedia's how to guide?) and is called "How to Dress in the American 1940's Fashion". Aside from all the wonderful instructions and references, it gives additional tips for creating your own vintage look, as well as links to other 40s fashion sites.

Young woman on wooden steps by lake, 1948 color photograph

Some highlights from the article:

Fashion from the 1940s is such a classic look that it never really goes out of style. You'll find that almost anywhere you go wearing 1940s fashions, you will get a lot of positive attention. This article explains the look of the times and aims to help you convert clothing from current times to carry a more 1940s flair, as well as giving some key tips on hairstyles, accessories, shoes and other relevant items.

-Consider the fabrics. Get tweeds, wools, silk, linen, cotton, or blends of these. Keep in mind that some synthetic materials, such as nylon and rayon, had already been invented. Rayon was quite popular in women's fashions, as a substitute for silk, which the military was using for parachutes. All the same, many fabrics we have now were not in existence then but you may be able to get away with it.

-Small hats were popular, also with netting that would hang over the face. A high-fashion woman may have worn large hats. These would often have little or no brim in the back and a high oval rim in front, which may have been any angle above the face. A woman's hat similar to a fedora began to be popular.

-Lipstick was still darker shades of red, maroon was popular. Mauves and corals were also popular, and Tangee lipstick, the original color-change lipstick, is still available. It was still common to fill in lipstick beyond the lip line, especially to emphasize the curve of the “Cupid's bow” of the top lip to more of a gentle arc.

You can read the full article here

or if you're looking for more great reference material for the times, this book is fantastic:

"Everyday Fashions of the Forties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs"
For sale via amazon.com for as little as $7.09!

Since it's clothing that was for sale during the time, not just what the upper class and movie stars wore, it has great illustrations for helping to put together an authentic look of your own.

Black eyeliner

2009-05-19T11:17:00.008-04:00

Like most vintage, retro, rockabilly, pin-up, what have you, girls out there - I am constantly on the hunt for the best red lipstick (right now Make up Forever #205) and the best black eyeliner. It is essential to the look. Applying it is a skill, and an art form, and it has taken me years to get it down to where it only takes me about 5 minutes to get it just the way I like it. I've dabbled with liquid with a brush, with a felt tip, out of the jar, everything. For many people, their problem is in the application. For me, it's the longevity of the product. I have a very oily face that doesn't take too kindly to keeping make up on all day. I don't wear eye shadows or much during the day when I'm at my regular 9-5 - so my eyeliner has to stay put on its own without much to help it along.

Here are some items I've found recently that have a better chance of doing the trick than others, and if they can last on me for nearly 8 hours, a normal person would probably have to scrub their face off to remove it.

Almay Liquid Eyeliner -
The small felt brush is usually only left to the professionals because it's much easier to get a wayward line here and there. Though I've read reviews about this one smudging easily, I felt it's got nearly the best staying power and it is an intense solid black line.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner -

Definitely the priciest of the bunch, but I had to try it based on a review I read online where the girl couldn't even get it off with water. The part right along the lash line does last for hours and hours, and takes some real makeup remover to get it off, but my cats eye wing was gone after about 4 hours. Since it's just in the pot, you need to make sure you have your own brush to use.

Make up Forever Waterproof Eyeliner -
I love Make up Forever, so it was no shock for me to try out their liquid eyeliner. It's a thin long brush, super easy to use for one solid flowing line winging out at the ends. This lasts for hours, but can start to look not as black after a few and might need a touch up.

For those wishing for some tutorial on how to get the perfect winged eyeliner:

Remember, practice makes perfect!

Home sweet home

2009-05-18T10:35:00.007-04:00

I'm back from Germany, thoroughly refreshed and ready to resume life. It was definitely enjoyable being away, but it certainly wasn't what I expected over there. I got the beer (very good) and pretzels (eh) and sausages out of my system - but I was waiting for tubas and accordians and lederhosen, which sadly never happened.

The weather has been see-saw-ing here in New York again so this was me before Germany in the garden by my house:

80 degrees and sunny - wearing vintage white polka dot skirt with vintage green straw bag, yellow scarf in hair and oversize sunglasses

and now I'm wearing this:

vintage Guy Laroche green wool jodphurs (see detail - I LOVE these pants) with back seam tights, suede peep toe platforms, and black cardigan. Swing coat and scarf reserved for braving the 50 degree temperature outside.

Sheesh! Make up your mind Mother Nature!

Germany

2009-05-04T08:08:00.003-04:00

Guten Tag! Greetings from Germany!

I'll be back on the 13th of May.

Sunglasses

2009-04-24T14:58:00.017-04:00

It's finally getting to the point where it's pretty sunny out each day. I'm not a huge sunglasses person, and never have been. I don't really enjoy having something on my face, and I have a pretty petite nose which generally causes lots of slipping and pushing back up. I am trying to be protective of my eyes though this season, so I figured if I could find super cute sunglasses I might give them another go. Checked ebay and etsy first for any good vintage and came up heavily lacking (though I did see a great pair of CLEAR sunglasses in cats eye style - don't want to give away the link!). Next go to for something standard like that - Urban outfitters online. HOLY MOLY did I hit the holy grail of retro sunglasses! I'm pretty tempted to just buy up a whole slew of them since a bunch say "online only" and then return anything that doesn't fit or look right on my pea head. They're all just so cheap, and awesome, and most come in a variety of colors.
Here's just a (large) sampling of the goods, and as always, clicking on the image will lead you to the webpage...

Madame Butterfly $14.00

Crystal Risky $14.00

First Lady $24.00

Skyline $24.00

Glitter Cat Eye 6.99

Diner $12.99

Mrs. Robinson $12.99

Two Tone $6.99

Plastic Circle $6.99

Oversize square $16.99

Sweet Heart $16.00

Happy Birthday John Waters!

2009-04-22T13:36:00.005-04:00

Today is John Waters' birthday! Happy Birthday!!!

I have been a John Waters fan for as long as I can remember. I went to the opening night of Cry-Baby on Broadway (my favorite movie) and he was there in a red and green plaid suit, but I was too shy to talk to him. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

For those living in a cave, I bring to you John Waters:

Wikipedia bio

Cry-Baby

Pink Flamingos:

Pecker:

Hairspray (the original, not that new fluff):

Grey Gardens

2009-04-21T11:17:00.005-04:00

I, like many of my fellow vintage lovers out there, was so excited for Grey Gardens to come out. There were tons of spoilers posted online of the outfits that made it so hard to wait, and now the time has finally come. It premiered on Saturday on HBO, which means they are probably replaying it all week, and possibly all month, long. If you haven't seen it yet then find a time to make it happen. The trailer is above in case you need more of a reason to watch it.

Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange are amazing and their transformations into Big and Little Edie were astounding. Of course, what resounds most within me is the clothing. Here are a few snipits of what Drew and Jessica wore:

So just for the fun of it I made a polyvore of what I think Little Edie would wear.

Grey Gardens by chancepinup featuring accessories

Little Edie had her own take on fashion, especially when she got older and was living with Big Edie in Grey Gardens. Though turbans aren't for everyone, it's easy to channel a bit of her in the small details, easiest of which is vintage brooches. Have fun, and play around with your look, Edie would have...

Anthropologie Shoes

2009-04-20T15:11:00.009-04:00

I have an insane love for shoes. I don't even know how many pairs I have right now, but I'm sure it's over 100. I can't bare to part with ones, even when they don't fit me correctly or are painful to walk in, so are never worn. I have a pair of brownish purple satin brocade shoes with a gold brooch on the toe that are so amazing, and yet I've never worn them once in all the years that I've owned them.

You might be asking, what does this have to do with anything? Well, for months now I've been dreaming about these shoes I saw in Anthropologie one night while waiting for my fiance to meet me for an evening event. Anthropologie's shoes are always pretty good looking shoes, usually very retro in feel, but always ridiculously expensive. It hurt my heart, but I had to walk away from them as $186.00 was just way too much, especially when you also add in over 8% NYC tax.

For months I tried to convince myself it would be worth it to just get them. "You'd wear them with everything!" and "what other shoes have tiki heels!" I'd say to myself, but no, the little devil couldn't push over the angel. So this weekend I was doing a random check to see if they had gone on sale yet, and they had!! Just over 50% off and yet they didn't have my size on the website. I thought, for sure this is the sign that I'm not meant to have them. However, my stubborness prevailed and I took the subway 30 minutes to get to the only anthropologie in the city (that I know of) that stocks shoes. There on a small shelf in the back corner were my shoes lined up for sale - with one pair in my size. They might as well have been glowing in their own heavenly light because that's all I saw as I flung myself towards the shelf.

Today they are on my feet and I couldn't be happier. One seems a little loose, as I'm sure it was the try on pair, but I don't even care. I wont let these be like the others that sit in my closet unworn. I will wear these with pride, and know that for once it was worth holding my breadth until they finally went on sale.

Below are a few other Anthropologie shoes that I just think are darling - but wont be for me since I just blew my monthly shoe budget! All shoes link to the sale site, so Enjoy!

Shaded Path heels - marked down to $79.95 - available in 9 and 10
Courtyard Gate Oxfords - marked down to $89.95 - available in 7.5 and 10

Windorn heels - marked down to $99.95 - available in 6 and 7

Fashion at the Philadelphia Museum

2009-04-16T14:03:00.006-04:00

I love the Philadelphia Museum. I've travelled the few hours by car to see various shows there and the city, and museum, never let me down.

So today I was super excited to notice two shows on at the museum that sound great:

Something to Wear: Fashion in Print 1850-1925
April 11, 2009 - Summer 2009
The fashion industry during 1850-1925 was a period of tremendous change and innovation. This exhibition, designed to complement Shopping in Paris: French Fashion 1850–1925 explores the world of fashion and consumer culture through printed publications. On display are books, periodicals, department store souvenirs, trade catalogs, and fashion plates from the Library’s collection of fashion-related material.

AND

Shopping in Paris: French Fashion 1850–1925
April 11, 2009 - October 25, 2009
The glamorous and cutting-edge fashions created in Paris have always inspired American dress. This exhibition explores the American experience abroad between 1850 and 1925. Such luxurious designs as the House of Worth and the classic elegance of Lanvin are being paired with American fashions based on these Parisian prototypes.

Featuring nearly twenty-five garments from the Museum’s collection—many of which are rarely (or have never been) displayed—these outfits are accompanied by an exciting array of accessories. Photographs and film clips from the early twentieth century will be on view, giving audiences a sense of the storyline around each garment and the woman who would have worn it.

And an event at the museum for the person with the big wallet:

Art After Dark: Vintage Paris
Saturday, April 18, 2009
8:00 p.m. – midnight
The Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building
2525 Pennsylvania Avenue

Attire tres chic
Valet parking
All proceeds benefit the Museum's Division of Education

Individual tickets: $225

Enjoy a soirée Parisienne at the fifth Art After Dark party, co-chaired by Shelly Brown, Pia Halloran, Patricia Isen, and Helene van Beuren. With inspiration drawn from concurrent exhibitions Henri Matisse and Modern Art on the French Riviera and Shopping in Paris: French Fashion 1850–1925 in the Perelman Building, all things French will enliven the evening, including exciting performances, innovative art stations, festive food, and extraordinary art.

More info here

transitional coats

2009-04-15T15:21:00.006-04:00

Plaid 50s-60s era swing coat. An Ebay steal for $14.95

It's always hard for me to dress when the weather is being indecisive. All I want to do come spring is break out my light weather jackets and cute sweaters, and one day it will be possible, then the next it'll be so cold and I'll have forgotten that I need to wear a heavier coat.
The perfect thing for this time period is a bit of what I like to call transitional dressing. Coats that are just heavy enough should it be breezy and chilly out, but cool enough that if the sun came out and the temperature warmed up you'd still be ok. Maybe undo a button or two, but it's not like you're wearing your vintage wool and are sweating under your layers!

I started breezing through my first go-to's for this search (etsy and ebay) and came up with a couple cute selections. A nice variety for your size and taste.

Navy blue and hunter green plaid jacket. Etsy - $55.00

How neat is this one? The coat buttons up like a full jacket, but it's got an attached cape to keep you extra warm and dry! Only $49.00 on Etsy

Menswear inspired baseball jacket. I'm known for sporting lettermen style sweaters in the warmer weather, and this would fit in perfectly. Just $12.00 on Etsy!

Another cape swing coat. I can't help but love this style, especially for transitional dressing. When it's chilly you pull your arms in, when it's warm let them dangle free in the air! I'm prety tempted to get this myself but I own so much plaid already! Only $32.99 on Etsy.

There are also tons and tons of vintage clothing dealers online where you can find similar style clothes, perfect to take you from winter into spring! Remember to always check and ask for measurements, as vintage clothes are not sized the same as today. I have a few items that were claimed to be larges, and are really about a small in today's standards. Happy hunting!

my outfits

2009-04-15T13:00:00.009-04:00

It's been a bit of a lazy week for me, especially since the temperature keeps jumping all over the board here in NY, and it's been raining nearly every day.

I figured, maybe for once I'll show myself on here, and put up some casual outfits. These are not really things I would wear out for evening, and none took much thought. Just basic work wear so I could be dressed and out of the house in under 30 minutes.

Black jodphurs with a basic tee, red and cream retro varsity sweater, vintage scarf tied into a bow, back seam tights and some flats

I love the anchor buttons!

Vintage blue and white houndstooth skirt, grey green tights, dark grey puff shoulder cowl neck sweater

Dark blue capris, blue and white stripe sailor top and my new vintage angora puffy sweater.

I just got this sweater from Etsy and I love it. From the puffy shoulders and sleeves, to the pearl buttons, to the cinched waist and peplum bottom, it's just dreamy!

Hope everyone is enjoying some better weather than we are!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T11:28:00.002-04:00

Here's wishing that everyone is having a great chocolate eating, egg dying, fun weekend (mine consists of my first visit to topshop in t-minus 1hr!)

Happy Easter!

Luella S/S 09

2009-04-06T20:18:00.009-04:00

I am a person easily swayed by the seasons. I rush into skirts at the first sight of spring, and this year seems no different. I've been staring at S/S 09 collections for days now, hoping to get some serious seasonal inspiration (we all know it's hard to go from black, grey and other wintery monochromatics to bright spring colors).

What I've really been loving and going back to over and over again is Luella's S/S 09 collection. Just check out these color combinations:

An extra large pompadour and hair bow? Yes please!

The box purse and cat's eye glasses with all that pink and orange? swoon!

Ahh, high waist flouncy shorts with a Chanel-esque jacket and pearls!

What's everyone else craving for spring?

Sail away with me

2009-04-03T15:46:00.005-04:00

I've always loved sailor style since I bought a navy blue and white stripe j.crew sweater with an anchor on it years ago second hand with the tags still attached. It seemed like such a deal and still proves to go with more than I even anticipated. Now you'd be hard pressed to find me not wearing stripes at least once a week.

sail away by chancepinup featuring French Connection tops

I dig the high waisted shorts with the sailor buttons as well as anything slightly nautical. Though it was tempting to add in octopus rings and anchor necklaces, I wanted to keep it more subtle than obvious as well as make sure the red, white and blue screams ocean rather than america.

This also just reminded me that I'm dying for a pair of heart shaped Lolita glasses. Better go get on that...

Michael Jackson auction

2009-04-03T11:21:00.006-04:00

Custom military jacket, estimated $500-$700 USD

I am not ashamed to say I love Michael Jackson. I always have and always will. The scary little boy lost documentary, pedophilia court cases, plastic surgery failures and all around weird behavior will never change the fact that I am a fan of his music and what he represented to me when I was young.

Monogrammed brooch, estimated $150-$200 USD

So today I come across the online auction for pretty much his entire life. It's really sad to see someone's life laid out like that. Everything from garden sculptures to patio furniture, fan art sent to him, music awards, video games, his clothing, hat and glove collections, etc. When Christie's did Marilyn Monroe's auction it was awkward, and this one is no different.

Costume pants, estimated $150 USD

For those who are ok with taking a part of someone's life because debt collectors took it all then this is for you.

Michael Jackson auction

Topshop!!

2009-04-02T08:05:00.004-04:00

It's finally here! After years of speculation and then months of postponement, today is the day Topshop opens in NYC!

I have to say, I never bought things online from the UK store because you couldn't return them without hefty shipping fees. I finally got to the store in London a few months back, and it was heaven on earth. I've heard the rumors that this store is going to be more focused on the "NY look" rather than the "UK look" which is what most of us love about Topshop in the first place. We don't need another H&M or Urban Outfitters. Please Topshop don't let us down!

For those who think they're ok with bearing the crowds on opening day (heck, even opening weekend) get on down to Soho. It'll be at Broadway and Broome, and trust me, you can't miss it.

polyvore

2009-04-01T15:12:00.005-04:00

I think it's safe to say I'm officially addicted to polyvore. Who doesn't love the ability to not just shop online, but have all your favorite sites (and a few unknowns) all on one site where you can easily make outfits and not just buy them in pieces?

I like the ability to lay things out visually, even if most options - or at least ones I choose- are priced far out of reach. Think of it as a sort of inspiration board for those days when we all stare at a closet full of clothes and declare "I have nothing to wear" before resorting to a tried and true outfit.

My first jab at polyvore landed me with the below - an outfit that I would like to think I'd wear on one of these warm spring days that are finally heading our way in NYC. Since I don't do pictures of myself here (not yet at least) it's a fun way to get a peak into my wardrobe personality. I love to mix vintage with retro and a bit modern casual cool for a standard day of work or gallavanting around the city. And YES I'm ok with black and brown together, and with mixing shades of pink. In fact, this outfit would go great with my Revlon scented papaya nail polish I'm rocking as a change from the standard red with vintage manicure.

spring in nyc by chancepinup featuring lutz tank tops

Though the sunglasses, shoes, and purse are crazy expensive, (I have a similar smaller one that is true vintage and came off ebay for only around $30), the tank, skirt and umbrella are easily within reach. Modcloth and Topshop (opening tomorrow in NYC!!!) are great places to hit up for inexpensive seperates that can be paired with some more expensive pieces in your wardrobe. As for the purse- search for vintage doctor bag on ebay or etsy and you're guaranteed to find at least one thing to tickle your fancy.

Expect more polyvore from me from here on out.

vintage shows

2009-04-01T11:48:00.009-04:00

Every few months I read about a vintage show in another country than my own and wish I had some similar resource for the shows they actually hold here in New York. I'm going to try and list shows whenever I can, despite the country, in the hopes that I might help someone discover something they didn't know was happening.

Coming up:

The Sydney Vintage Clothing, Jewellery and Textiles show!

Dates:
17 - 19th April 2009
Venue:
CANTERBURY PARK FUNCTION CENTRE
CANTERBURY RACECOURSE,
King Street SYDNEY

From their site: "There will be many exhibitors selling clothing, jewellery, accessories, linen, lace and collectables. The show will also feature a presentation of vintage fashions, lectures by Guest Speakers, Swing Dancers, Vintage Cars, Demonstration of Vintage Makeup and Hairstyle Techniques and other fabulous entertainment - see program page for more details"

The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair

Dates:

Saturday 4th April (The fair will also be visiting Leeds 29 March, Lincoln 25 April, Nottingham 26 April, and Liverpool 9 May.)
Venue:
Fym Fyg Bar
231 Cambridge Heath Road
Bethnal Green
London E2 0EL
11:00 – 16:00
£2.00 Entry

Online glossy Queens of Vintage will be setting up a gorgeous dressing room with 40s pin-up model Fleur de Guerre offering free vintage makeovers for everyone!

Manhattan Vintage Clothing and Antique Textile Show
Dates:
Friday, April 24th - 1:00 PM TO 8:00 PM
Saturday, April 25th - 11:00 AM TO 6:00 PM
Venue:
Metropolitan Pavilion 125 West 18th Street (Between 6th & 7th Aves)
Admission $ 20.00

images courtesy of Queensofvintage.com, refinery29.com and lovevintage.com.au

Revlon scented polish

2009-03-31T15:33:00.004-04:00

Ah yes, another chunk of time gone by with not enough posting. Silly work getting in the way of my fun pet project.

So what can pull me out of my busy hole you may ask? Scented nailpolish! Really, it doesn't get better than that.
I read that Revlon was coming out with this stuff a few weeks ago and didn't really think twice about it, until I saw it in my local drug store. Pretty neon shades that claim to smell good after drying? Too good to pass up.

After selecting a papaya flavor (I would have preferred the silver sparkle - not pictured - but it smelled like coconut, ick) I headed home for the closest I get to an experiment. 3 days later I have to say my nails STILL smell like papaya and it's a bit of a refreshing surprise those times when my fingers get close to my face. It's also not chipping nearly as fast as some other brands I've tried. So that's just a win-win in my book.

Give it a whirl, but just don't sniff it out of the jar. Trust me, it doesn't smell the same as when it dries. You can thank me later for holding onto your brain cells.

image courtesy of fashionista.com since I'm too lazy to shoot the display myself.

Video of the week - Andrew Thompson

2009-03-09T15:18:00.002-04:00

I was introduced to Andrew Thompson a few years ago by a friend of mine who starred in the "In This Town" video. I had almost forgotten about the glory of Andrew Thompson, so now I bring it back with "We're in Business".

Check our more Andrew Thompson glory at his myspace page here

Whatever Happened to the Femme Fatale?

2009-03-06T15:39:00.003-05:00

I don't even remember where I pulled this from, but I've had it saved in my email box with a little yellow star next to it since apparently February 27th. 1 week is just sheer laziness on my part.

In England, as part of the Bird's Eye View Women's Film Festival, numerous silent cinema movies will be screened all the month of March.

To read a great article about the Femme Fatale and get more information on the movies, go here:

Whatever Happened to the Femme Fatale?

Vintage NYC Shopping list

2009-02-27T15:55:00.005-05:00

So I decided I knew way too many places for vintage and thrift shopping that I would compile them into a list. They're over there on the left where it says "My NYC vintage shopping map". When it takes you to the google map, some even have notes as to what is expensive, and what is truly fabulous. I will add to it from time to time, but for now it will act as my memory bank.

Stephen Jones hats

2009-02-25T14:27:00.004-05:00

I will be weaping giant basketball sized tears for months due to the fact that I was in London a mere 1.5 weeks before the Stephen Jones show opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Anyone who is living in, or heading over to, that side of the pond - this is a must see! Check out some of the eye candy here as well as get information on location and visiting times

Stephen Jones at the V&A

Project Runway strikes back

2009-02-24T12:28:00.002-05:00

I understand Kenley's shoulders are a little larger - but can someone explain how her design above on Episode 9 of Project Runway can get destroyed by the judges, but this:

and other similar works featured in the Roksanda show during London Fashion Week can be praised, and even called "wearable" ??!

Christian Siriano for Payless

2009-02-20T13:51:00.002-05:00

I'm desperately trying to keep up with the flurry of fashion week, reading everything I can get my grubby little hands on.

This news item though was just too much to share, courtesy of NYMag:

"Last December, Christian Siriano announced plans to debut an accessories line for Payless at Fashion Week. Well, rejoice, the wait is over. The designer premiered his line of Egyptian-inspired footwear (and some bags) at his show last night, full of spikes, chains, and cone heels. His color choices: Deep brown in matte leather (or probably pleather), patent chocolate, gold triangle heels, and aqua satin featuring a print that resembled hieroglyphics."

Yes I get that they look like Rodarte and YSL, but I, like millions of other women in this country, cannot afford Rodarte shoes. They seem a bit upper crust for Payless, and most likely will be insanely painful on the feet since you're not paying for comfort, but c'mon people!

Video of the week

2009-02-18T07:56:00.003-05:00

So since I was out of town on business for over a week I missed alot, including my favorite posting - the video of the week. I'm going to break tradition and make it Wednesday this week and will go back to Monday next week.

Flight of the Conchords follows the trials and tribulations of a two man, digi-folk band from New Zealand as they try to make a name for themselves in their adopted home of New York City. The band is made up of Bret McKenzie on guitar and vocals, and Jemaine Clement on guitar and vocals.

Bret and Jemaine have moved to New York in the hope of forging a successful music career. So far they've managed to find a manager (whose "other" job is at the New Zealand Consulate), one fan (a married obsessive) and one friend (who owns the local pawn shop) -- but not much else.

I just started watching this show recently after seriously enjoying Eagle vs Shark (the movie starring Jemaine). The episode I watched recently did not feature as much of Mel - the real comedic genius of the show - but it did have the best song yet. Enjoy and welcome to your new addiction!

Barbie turns 50

2009-02-17T20:19:00.007-05:00

Everyone seems to be talking about Barbie's 50th anniversary fashion show that was presented at Bryant Park this February. The show started with a video montage of Barbie in all her incarnations (she’s had over 100 careers) set to Hole’s “Doll Parts" and then came the of presention a variety of looks from fifty of our top designers (think Calvin Klein, Anna Sui, Diane von Furstenburg, Derek Lam, Betsy Johnson, etc)

I can't say I was a fan at whoever they allowed to do the slapstick job of make-up (Barbie normally looks polished, not like an alien), but overall I think it was chic and most looks could be seen on a Barbie doll appearing on the shelves next week.

The show's opening look, designed by Rachel Roy, was inspired by the first Barbie doll created in 1959. “As a little girl, my favorite was the original Barbie, who wore a black and white zebra-striped swimsuit," said Roy. "She represented beauty and style, but more importantly, she represented fun."

“Barbie is an American fashion icon, and I have fond childhood memories of dressing her,” said Monique Lhuillier

"I've always found clothing to be a great vehicle for fantasy," said Erin Fetherston. "Barbie is a perfect example of this. With each change of her outfit, we've seen Barbie do and be anything and everything. This is what I find so magical about fashion, it gives us the ability to channel and experiment with identity, self-expression, and imagination through our own self-styling.

See all the looks at instyle.com here
or check out the whole show (though admittedly a little shaky for those with motion sickness) on youtube here:

Dita von Teese

2009-02-17T20:03:00.003-05:00

I took the following picture while walking to my hotel in Paris

Then a few days after I return I see this picture on Perezhilton.com regarding one of Dita von Teese's last nights in Paris

aka once again my vacation is not what it should be, and I might have had a chance at meeting one of the most beautiful women alive. Maybe I should have just gone inside that restaurant on Ile St Louis

NY Fashion Week

2009-02-16T10:00:00.006-05:00

We're full swing ahead into fashion week here in New York, and surprisingly, this year so far I have not had one awkward moment on the train when I'm surrounded by numerous woman over 6' tall and dressed appallingly. I give them a few more days before they forget they wear the most beautiful fashions for a living (one would hope they would appreciate it at least a tiny bit) and start looking like they crawled out of the dumpster for their day wear between shows.

So I was flipping through the collections that have happened thus far, and I can't say I'm impressed. I'd like to blame it on the recession, but I know deep down designers have been working on these collections for months on end, and really no one up here has really started feeling this until late 2008.

What I did find amusing is when I looked at thumbnails for Rag and Bone and actually thought I kind of like the little scrunched socks look over tights with shorts for a winter into spring transitional look.

Also, being a monochromatic devotee I love the neutral clothing shades with just the tiniest touch of red.

Then, I stepped outside my comfort zone and looked into Diane von Furstenberg's collection. I normally hate her flowy boho aesthetic (and trust me I still didn't love this collection), but I admired the big Russian-esque hats and there were my little scrunched up socks again!

I clearly picked the more monochromatic of the image selections, because let me tell you, some of her pattern pairings could singe your eyeballs, but I was astounded at how similar these were to Rag and Bone's choices. It happens, trends swing and designers pick up on it, so now the real question is, do I actually wear this look now and feel like I'm somehow being pushed in that direction by multiple designers, or just suck it up, wait a season, and wear them once it's fashionably out and yet uniquely in?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T11:32:00.005-05:00

And for those curious, an excerpt from Wikipedia on the real meaning of Valentine's Day:

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognized eleven Valentine's Days. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome. and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.

Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been killed during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino).

The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.
No romantic elements are present in the original early medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the fourteenth century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost.

In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14."The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Vatican II calendar.

The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were excerpted by Bede and briefly expounded in Legenda Aurea. According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer.

Legenda Aurea still providing no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. In an embellishment to The Golden Legend, on the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first "valentine" himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved, as the jailer's daughter whom he had befriended and healed, or both. It was a note that read "From your Valentine."

Alexandros Vasmoulakis

2009-02-04T10:38:00.007-05:00

Alexandros Vasmoulakis has a solo show opening tonight in Athens. Even if you can't make it there, his art is worth taking a look at

Very Anthony Lister meets Francis Bacon. Which means, sure it may be a slight rip-off, but it's still good.

Info from Wooster Collective and images from Alexandros' site here

The bag tax

2009-02-03T15:21:00.004-05:00

This seems to be all over the news here in New York today, and then I read about it again on fashionista.com. At that moment I said I've had it, and I'm making a post on it too.

The Bag Tax is Coming

Back in November, when word first got out that Mayor Bloomberg would be proposing a tax on plastic grocery bags, we wondered if the city would realize it might be worth it to stick it to retailers, too.

And yes, it did - The plastic bag tax, which was officially proposed last week, will cover plastic bags of any kind - even at restaurants and department stores like Macy’s - which will cost shoppers five cents per bag unless they’re armed with their own stash of totes (or, presumably, plastic bags they’ve saved from prior trips).

Do you think Mayor Bloomberg’s bag tax will really stop people from using plastic bags? Or will the tax just raise tons of money for the city, without any real environmental effects? I happen to be thrilled about the bag tax. Sure I might be eating my words after a lavish grocery shopping that costs me......(wait for it)........$1.00 (10 bags double bagged for those less mathematically inclined). Does anyone not realize that there is a small charge on anything bottled? Does that really stop you from getting your water/gatorade/soda at the corner store? I'm so sick of the word recession. If 5 cents can bring millions into NY's economy, then accept the fact that you're paying an extra $5.00 or less a month to help out.

Change isn't going to happen without us people

Video of the Week

2009-02-02T19:29:00.004-05:00

In my time lapse that I apparently had last week I didn't post a video of the week. I'm really trying to be good about this whole thing, so I'm going to venture out of my comfort zone this week. You don't get the usual factual about the artist or the song, but about me and my experience with it. Deal with it.

I know a lot of people who know a lot about music. I am not one of those people. I can tell you who a few present day singers are based purely on whether they live their lives in the spotlight. I could spot Kanye West or Fall Out Boy or Lily Allen on the street, but I haven't the foggiest what their music sounds like. I like living in my naive little bubble because I don't particularly like new music.

So a few years ago I had an acquaintance with a song on their webpage that I loved. I used to listen to it here and there and one day when I checked in for my monthly fix - the song and the site were gone. Now me being me I never wrote down who it was, and I have a killer memory for useless information, but this was one of those things my mind just couldn't recall. I tried miserably to guess the artist and eventually just gave up. Now a week ago my mother was in town visiting which means much shopping and some crumbs cupcakes to add on to what I shopped off. The song I had forsaken years ago (though never forgot about!) was playing! Of course they didn't know who it was. Here comes another four years of never knowing the truth about this song I thought. Then a few days later, one of my colleagues on their facebook posted a comment about enjoying the new Junior Boys album. That cinched it. I knew immediately that that was the name of the group and one short youtube search later I was the proud owner of a bookmark to my song.

All this means a lot because aside from not knowing anything about current music - I really don't like techno or industrial or whatever you would call Junior Boys. I have no idea why this song resonates so much within me, but it does, and I may not always be the most open person initially, but if something can penetrate my core I am extremely accepting (even of my own hypocrisy).

Now that it has all been said, I bring to you Junior Boys: "In the Morning"

Paris fashion week 2009

2009-01-30T11:39:00.007-05:00

So I know I've been on a bit of a hiatus - but between the holidays, new years, my birthday and family visiting - I've been a bit busy to say the least. Hopefully I'll be back now.

So it's no secret that I adore vintage fashion, and usually prefer that over anything people are wearing today. I like my clothes to fit snuggly and properly, and I will NEVER get behind leggings as pants. They are undergarments. "Under" being the key word people! So what drives me to love vintage fashion is also what makes me love haute couture. The idea of people slaving over a needle and thread for the shear sake of hand sewing millions of sequins makes me swoon. Shock of all shocks I know - but to me something that is unique, and something someone worked hard on, will always be a million times better than something sold at the Gap. So with this secret of love of couture I've been pouring over the images from Paris'Fashion week 2009. Just take a look...

Chanel Couture - and yes those hats are made of PAPER. Just in case you ever thought black and white could be boring.

Dior couture

Christian Lacroix couture.
His show was filled with menswear inspired outfits which I just adore. I once heard a story about Katherine Hepburn and how someone tried to hide all pants from her and replace them with skirts while she was on set for a movie. She proceed to leave her dressing room with only her top and underwear on until someone would give her back pants. Though I do love a tight fitting pencil skirt like any girl should, I love my pants equally as much.

Then just for the hell of it - it may not be couture, but it sure as hell looks good enough to be.

Alexander McQueen pre-fall 2009 (courtesy of WR2BAM). He can do no wrong in my book.

Swoon away fellow fashion lovers.

Jerry Lee Lewis

2009-01-12T16:54:00.003-05:00

So I watched this special this weekend that I DVRed called "The Rockabilly Legends: They called it Rockabilly Long Before they Called it Rock and Roll". It was really great in that it went past Elvis and Buddy Holly and talked about other singers of the era, like Gene Vincent and Dorsey Burnette, and how they changed the entire face of music. Apparently there was a book also - which seems to have really good reviews and be chock full of images - and not just the show I watched.

You can buy them both on Amazon here

but for now I figure I'd tribute the video of the week to the song that wouldn't quit in my head after the show had ended. I give you Jerry Lee Lewis "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going on"

Pandora

2009-01-09T16:29:00.002-05:00

Ok, so everyone I've mentioned this to lately seems to have already heard about it, but no one experienced it, so I'm thinking maybe I'm not sooo behind for once.

Pandora is a free online radio music project. Basically you type in a song or artist you like on the home page. They'll play one song by that artist (or the song you picked) and then their fancy program analyzes your tastes and plays other songs by other artists it thinks are similar and you might like. You can fast forward through ones you don't like, or even register and save your playlists in case they recommended some really good stuff.

Just in briefly playing with it I got this:

1. Gogol Bordello (they picked "start wearing purple")
2. Flogging Molly "Cruel Mistress"
3. Tom Waits "Rain Dogs"
4. Dropkick Murphys "I'm shipping up to Boston"
5. Gogol Bordello "Occurence on the Border"
6. The Pogues "Turkish Song of the Damned"
7. The Fratellis "Flathead"

Apparenly Eastern European gypsy folk music also equals 80/90s Irish punk music, but hey, I can see where they caught the similarities. All in all a good time and a nice way to learn about more music.

Have a ball!
Pandora

"What Shall I Wear?" Amazon rerelease

2009-01-08T16:16:00.003-05:00

Here's thanks to a tip spotted over at fashionista.com.

Claire McCardell's "What Shall I Wear?" book of 1956 is being rereleased and Amazon is preselling it through March 5, 2009 here

Product description courtesy of amazon.com:

The classic guide to looking great and dressing well, by the pioneer of easy American style.

The revolutionary fashion designer credited with originating the "The American Look," Claire McCardell designed for the emerging active lifestyle of women in the 1940s and 50s. She was the originator of mix-and-match separates, pedal-pushers, bareback summer dresses, strapless swimsuits, and feminine denim fashion, and started the trend for ballet flats-a signature Audrey Hepburn look-as a wartime leather-rationing measure. McCardell's fashions were taken up by working women and high society alike. There are wonderful photographs from the period of clotheshorses Slim Keith, Babe Paley, and C. Z. Guest looking impossibly chic in McCardell fashions for their leisure-time activities.

First published in 1956, What Shall I Wear? is a distillation of McCardell's democratic fashion philosophy and a practical guide to looking effortlessly stylish, without enslavement to expensive and confining Parisian designs. A retro treat full of charming illustrations, instructions for sewing some of her classic designs, and still-solid advice including the designer's "McCardellisms," What Shall I Wear? is a tribute to the American spirit in fashion, carried on today by such designers as Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, Donna Karan, and Michael Kors.

Daughter Dearest: Joan Crawford in Vanity Fair

2009-01-06T15:02:00.004-05:00

It seems I'm rehashing all the oldies but goodies lately, and frankly I just don't care. While cleaning my desk I found an old Vogue (which I must have clearly kept for the Hitchcock spread with classic imagery reenacted) and I found/remembered the great article contained within about Joan Crawford.

I always loved Joan Crawford, and never knew who to believe - the two children who spoke harshly of her, or the two that claim they could have never had a better mother. It's a very interesting read, covering both sides of story. Make your own decisions.

Daughter Dearest
One of Hollywood’s greatest stars, Joan Crawford, was redefined as a sadistic control freak by Mommie Dearest, her daughter’s 1978 tell-all. In an excerpt from the author’s new Crawford biography, based in part on interviews with another Crawford daughter, a very different story emerges.
by Charlotte Chandler March 2008, Vanity Fair

Handiedan

2009-01-06T10:52:00.005-05:00

Hanneke Treffers (1981) was born in the Netherlands. She studied photographic design at the Academy of Arts and Design St. Joost in the Netherlands. Along the way, she developed her skills and since 2002 she works under the name HANDIEDAN as a Amsterdam based self-employed artist, (web)designer, illustrator, flash animator and photographer.
Working as an artists HANDIEDAN creates mixed media pin-up artworks, black-and-white photo montages, drawings on clothing and fine line drawings on old sheet music.
It is a cut and paste mixture of patiently composed collages on paper and photo montages all washed together with the computer in an aesthetically pleasant and intuitive playful way. HANDIEDAN uses classic pin-ups and other elements like old sheet music, Chinese papers and stamps, old money, elegant curls, old wood, rusty metal and other old stuff she gathers on the street, flea markets or finds in old boxes on the attic. To combine the old images with her hand-dawn little girly doodles and scratches she distorts the carefully placed elements and makes the design lively, like in nature and the beauty and the discarder, objects and people, structure and balance, and happenings by purpose.

She has a great website which shows all her old work here

What really struck me though is the new work at Phone Booth Gallery (images of which are scattered through this post). I love the pin up girls mixed with old collage ephemera and the victorian calligraphy. The show closed December 31st, 2008, but the works can still be seen and bought online here

video of the week

2009-01-05T09:23:00.001-05:00

Week 2 of the video of the week!

"The Rainbow Connection" is a popular song written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher and originally performed by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) in The Muppet Movie in 1979. By extension, as evidenced in the TV special, The Muppets at Walt Disney World, the song has come to epitomize the ideals and artistic spirit of Henson and his company as much as "When You Wish Upon a Star" represents Walt Disney and his company.

It has been covered by artists such as Leftöver Crack, Sarah McLachlan, DAT Politics, Aaron Lewis, Kenny Loggins, The Dixie Chicks, Justin Timberlake, The Carpenters, Kiki and Herb, Jason Mraz, The Pussycat Dolls, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Tay Zonday, Jim Brickman, Caroline's Spine, Estradasphere, The Dresden Dolls, Willie Nelson (who is incorrectly credited with penning the song quite often), pop-punk band Fifteen, Lea Salonga, Andy Bernard (played by Ed Helms) in The Office, The Loves, and many others. It was sung by Blondie's Debbie Harry in a duet with Kermit on the Muppet Show in 1981 (Season 5).

Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams received Oscar nominations at the 1979 Academy Awards for the movie score and for "The Rainbow Connection", which Allmusic describes as an "unlikely radio hit ... which Kermit the Frog sings with all the dreamy wistfulness of a short green Judy Garland."[1] and goes on to add that "'The Rainbow Connection' serves the same purpose in [The Muppet Movie] that 'Over the Rainbow' serves in The Wizard of Oz, with nearly equal effectiveness: an opening establishment of the characters' driving urge for something more in life."

Enjoy!

Where Have All the Girdles Gone?

2009-01-02T16:42:00.003-05:00

There is a great article in the NY Times T Magazine that I just stumbled upon today:

Belt Tightening
SPANX, SCHMANX. DAPHNE MERKIN DOES IT THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY.

Where are the girdles of yesteryear? The ones women of all ages once wore as a matter of course, huffing and puffing as they tugged at the reinforced elastic and lace, the better to encase their bodies to trimmest effect. The ones that were so pivotal that the 19th-century sexologist Havelock Ellis felt compelled to weigh in, insisting that girdles were ‘‘morphologically essential’’ because the evolution from ‘‘horizontality to verticality’’ was more difficult for women than for men. (Without them, Ellis grandly theorized, ‘‘woman might be men. (Without them, Ellis grandly theorized, ‘‘woman might be physiologically truer to herself if she went always on all fours’’ rather than try to imitate men by ‘‘standing erect.’’) How is it, then, as I discovered when I went in quest of a girdle, that this once culturally mandated undie has disappeared from the sartorial landscape like so much melted snow?
I remember the fascination girdles used to hold for me as a child growing up in the ’60s, the unvarying feminine ritual of them, taken on — or so it seemed to me — as a burdensome birthright. It might have been catching a glimpse of the pinkish rubbery garment with hooks and eyes up the front, custom-made by a European corsetiere, that my grandmother used to wear under her button-down shirtdresses when she came for her annual visit from Tel Aviv. Or watching as my mother prepared to go out for an evening, stuffing herself into a less sweat-inducing but still body-transforming version before she bent down to fasten her stockings to the garters, and then, looking like an apparition out of ‘‘The Blue Angel,’’ walked into her bathroom to apply makeup. Where had my mother’s mercurial ungirdled self gone to, I wondered. Did her inner dimensions change along with the outer, becoming more streamlined and compact? In my mind there was something immutably glamorous and grown-up about the very confinement of a girdle, demonstrating that you were no longer an indecorous girl but a woman, willing to suffer extreme discomfort in aid of — let’s strip to the bare truth of it — capturing and keeping the male gaze.

Read the rest of the great article here

And if you're interested in trying out a girdle on your own(you'll thank yourself), here are some of the best websites:

whatkatiedid
girdlebound
magnolia hosiery

It's a New Year!

2009-01-02T11:37:00.001-05:00

Here's to this one being even better than the last

National Academy's death knell

2008-12-31T14:54:00.003-05:00

So it seems the National Academy Museum in New York has been blacklisted by the American Association of Museums and Association of Art Museum Directors for selling off two pieces of art to cover operating costs rather than to acquire new work, as is the only permitted reason for deaccessioning.

In an e-mail message on Dec. 5 to its 190 members, it denounced the academy, founded in 1825, for “breaching one of the most basic and important of A.A.M.D.’s principles” and called on members “to suspend any loans of works of art to and any collaborations on exhibitions with the National Academy.”

I'm on the National Academy's side, and agree that it should be fair for them to claim "We’re going to go broke or we’re going to sell off two paintings, what do you think?’"

Read the full article on the NY Times here

Video of the week

2008-12-29T08:13:00.003-05:00

Today I think I'm starting an every monday video of the week courtesy of youtube. Today is Doc Watson's "Deep River Blues"

Doc Watson was born in Deep Gap, North Carolina. According to Doc on his three CD biographical recording Legacy, he got the nickname "Doc" during a live radio broadcast when the announcer remarked that his given name Arthel was odd and he needed an easy nickname to go by. A fan in the crowd shouted "Call him Doc!" presumably in reference to the Sherlock Holmes sidekick Doctor Watson. The name stuck ever since.

An eye infection caused Doc Watson to lose his vision before his first birthday. Despite this, he was taught by his parents to work hard and care for himself. He attended North Carolina's school for the visually impaired, The Governor Morehead School, in Raleigh NC.

Doc plays guitar in both flatpicking and fingerpicking style, but is best known for his flatpick work. His guitar playing skills, combined with his authenticity as a mountain musician, made him a highly influential figure during the folk music revival. He pioneered a fast and flashy bluegrass lead guitar style, including fiddle tunes and crosspicking techniques, which was adopted and extended by Clarence White, Tony Rice and many others. He is also an accomplished banjo player and in the past has accompanied himself on harmonica as well. Known also for his distinctive and rich baritone voice, he has over the years developed a vast repertoire of mountain ballads which he learned via the oral tradition of his home area in Deep Gap, North Carolina. His affable manner, humble nature and delightful wit have endeared him to his fans nearly as much as his musical talent has.

He continues to play to this day, though he has scaled back on touring.

Enjoy!

winter wonderland

2008-12-23T14:45:00.008-05:00

I spotted these originally on Wooster Collective's site which then lead me to the creator - Aly Lenon at 2pie.

I can't get past the fact that these are actually indentations, created by pressing themselves into snow on people's cars, and not 3-D sculptures.

death of a legend

2008-12-12T11:07:00.003-05:00

I knew Bettie was sick and was probably going to die, but somehow it just hit so much harder then I expected it would. Whether or not anyone thinks she was beautiful, or unique, or really special doesn't matter, as long as everyone knows that she was free and did as she pleased. The world just became a little bit sadder of a place now that she's gone.

RIP Bettie Page

Ryan McGinniss book signing

2008-12-09T15:04:00.004-05:00

Though I'm not the biggest fan of his newer work (I'm a McGinniss circa 2003 fan myself), I was pretty excited to hear about his new book and subsequent signing that will be happening in New York this Saturday, December 13th.

His newest book, No Sin/ No Future (2008, Ginko Press) is a collaged collection of snapshots, sketches, and scans culled from the artist's studio archives. Sketchbook notes collide with photos of in-progress painting and combine with vectors and bitmaps, creating a dense site-specific visual mash-up that provides insight into the mind and process of this prolific artist. No Sin/ No Future is a limited edition of 2,500- so either head over to Zakka in Brooklyn this Saturday, December 13th, for a book launch and signing.

Scarf of the season

2008-11-07T14:13:00.006-05:00

Let's face it - I may just kill for this scarf

They do sell them also in kelly green, lime green, and purple. I don't even like wearing color but they're stunning and just oh so tempting...

The only part I hate about them - the $108.00 price tag. Though I'm sure I could wear it to shreds and completely justify the expense

They can be purchased here

True style

2008-10-29T16:33:00.006-04:00

This man in all his shining glory is the epitome of the saying "It's not the clothes, it's how you wear them"

Banksy's pet store in New York

2008-10-14T16:44:00.004-04:00

Banksy is elusive, iconic, and now possibly off his rocker. Known mainly for his political grafitti wall murals (people in England have placed bullet proof glass over the works and sold their homes as "Banksy mural with attached home") in various cities across the world has landed in New York City creating his first official art installation. No, you wont see any of the girls pining over floating away red balloons or rats with army hats (at least not inside), but you will find a menagerie of other works that may seem on the surface to be humorous, but deep down send the same strength political message.

You can read the entire article about the show on the New York Times website, or visit the "The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill" yourself before October 31st at 89 Seventh Avenue South (near Bleeker Street).

Project Runway

2008-10-09T16:29:00.007-04:00

Like many things I adore in my life, they may seem a tad embarassing to some, but I pay that no mind because I take pride in my preferences and I feel no need to hide who I am. So, I LOVE Project Runway. A few years ago at a ski house in upstate New York I discovered the show (yes I missed the first season completely) and even got my fiance hooked. The idea of a reality show where people had REAL TALENT, not where people were eating bugs or getting drunk and vomiting, totally sucked me in and I've been hooked ever since.

So, I digress, I love Project Runway. And though this season is seriously lacking in talent from last season, I have loved Kenley Collins from the very first episode. Perhaps it's that she looks a little like me with the pin-upy bettie page bangs and the feather hair clips that I've owned forever, or because she came from Florida like me and ran to New York as soon as she could (like me) or just because she seemed to have real talent unlike nearly everyone else this season. (She did get a little nasty near the end but we'll let that slide because I love her, and I too can be a little nasty sometimes).

I was so excited for the Bryant Park runway collection and knew she'd be in the top three, and I love her wedding dress made of feathers (see above), but I can't get behind her ripping off Alexander McQueen, who, sad to say, I heart more than anyone, including Kenley Collins.

Her dress was just way too similar to Alexander McQueen 2008 f/w:

Which brings me to my original annoyance, that one of the first dresses she won with:

is also way too similar to Balenciaga's recent line:

So now that I have vented, I will say I still love you Kenley and I hope you win for all us New York by way of Florida ex-pats, but that shit's just plain wrong.

Gilbert and George at the Brooklyn Museum

2008-10-03T11:14:00.006-04:00

So because I have been sick this week I missed the Gilbert and George opening I was really looking forward to at the Brooklyn Museum. However this will not stop me from seeing it at some point before it closes in January 2009.

If you don't know who Gilbert and George are, you're living in a hole. I will accept that maybe some people don't know about their important early perfomance ("sculpture") works, or why they still wear the matching, slightly too small, tweed suits, but at some point in time, anyone who has ever stepped foot into a museum has probably seen an image by these two men.

The show at the Brooklyn Museum is the final venue in a large travelling retrospective of their work.

To read the NY Times review of the show go here

You can also see a few images, and get directions on how to get to this amazing show at the Brooklyn Museum website

tights are the new black

2008-09-25T13:04:00.010-04:00

Every year when fall starts rolling around I can't help but fixate on the glorious idea of getting to bring out my tights again. Solid opaque, plaid, lace, cuban heel back seem, you name it and I'll probably wear it.
So when we saw our first really cool day last week I was digging through my stash of winter tights to realize many of the ones I truly loved must have snagged at the end of the season last year and been tossed. To that I say "here I come credit card bill!" because by george I'm getting some new tights.

So far it seems the ones I covet most are non-purchasable for someone like myself. Either because of price or geography. Nonetheless, a girl can dream.

If I ruled the world I would own the new Chanel two tone tights because they remind of traditional back seam tights, but more modern, and though they're simple, they seem much more agressive to me. Maybe it's the cold stiff deliniation between the nude and the black, or the very obvious Chanel logo on the side, but they scream look at me because you'll never have me. Oh Chanel tights, perhaps one day...

My other newest lust is the also back seam reminiscent tights featured at Eley Kishimoto's Spring/Summer '09 runway show in the UK. Though I'm sure price would prevent me from owning something so luxurious, for now we'll blame it on geography and the fact that the US dollar is useless abroad. We might as well be haggling with coffee beans.

So while I dream of those, I will go ahead and get myself the super cute and inexpensive tights at Urban Outfitters

Plaid sheer - $14.00 or 2 for $20.00

Or knit tights by free people for $38.00 (more expensive, but worth it for the anti-run factor)

Other tights options from Urban Outfitters available here

Forever 21

2008-09-19T19:43:00.005-04:00

I have no qualms about being a fan of Forever 21. Yes, some of their pieces aren't made the best, but it's not meant to be clothing you wear to the opera, or even clothing you really assume will last for the next 10 years. Sometimes you get a few seasons out of some pieces and it's all gravy.

So after SoHo walking created massive amounts of frustration within, I decided a Forever 21 shopping excursion would be the perfect retail therapy. Some nice winter clothes, but the real thing to note right now is their current jewelry collection. I'm not a fan of 60s or 70s wear and lately all jewelry coming out of places like Forever 21, Urban Outfitters and the like is all feathered and hippie dippy. This new collection is very old 20s, 30s, 40s Hollywood inspired. Numerous pearls, sparkly baubles, metal tassles, etc.

A few of my favorite finds:

The greatest thing about the jewelry line at Forever 21 is it is CHEAP. Rings and earrings range from about $2.80 to around $6.80. Necklaces hover right around $5.00. It really just can't be beat; not right now, and not at these prices.

Forever 21

Christian Siriano Spring 2009

2008-09-19T16:05:00.015-04:00

As a woman obsessed with fashion (usually vintage, but not always) I am ok with admitting that I love Project Runway. I am fine admitting that this season's designers are a little lax, a little predictable, and a little contrived, but last season was phenomenal. I knew from the very first episode that Christian Siriano was going to take that year's crown, but I gritted my teeth until the very end waiting for the truth to be revealed.

His collection for Project Runway's Bryant Park was beautiful, as could be expected, and as was the case for many of the other designers who've come before him. However, not many maintain the steam they build up during the show and continue to produce outstanding, and innovative, clothing.

Christian is different. As I've read Tim Gunn saying, Christian is a genius. To have his talent at his age, is a rarity. One I don't think many have seen since Yves Saint Laurent took over at Christian Dior at the ripe young age of 21. So needless to say I was excited to see what he would create for his Spring 2009 runway collection, and he didn't disappoint

I loved the soft muted colors and how even the extremely over worked pieces seemed so soft and full of motion and life. Even when he chose to throw in some bright pops of chartreuse and orange, it didn't seem forced, just natural. It was quite possibly my favorite show of the season.

To see more

go to New York Magazine

New beginnings

2008-09-19T16:05:00.007-04:00

So it's officially fall in New York. Time to drudge up last year's winter clothes, realize none of them fit anymore, and go out shopping! Enjoy the fresh air, the sounds of the New York streets and give yourself something new and fresh to present to the world.

With this feeling in mind I decided it was time to start a blog. One to talk about and display fashions I love (and loathe), art that should be seen, and news that I feel like discussing. I read blogs every day and I look forward to additional posts made on ones that I check with an insane amount of regularlity. Maybe one day I could be that for someone else. A girl can dream.

So as my intro I say hello, welcome, and in here you're safe from nothing. Enjoy.