Do You Really Want to Shop at Walmart? | Walmart Haul Spring 2016

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High-End Designer and Vintage Thrift Finds 2016 | Roberto Cavalli, DVF, ...

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Vintage Shopping Mini-Haul 2016

My latest...enjoy!

Decadence: Fashions from the 1920s at Galleria Dallas - Review

So today I stopped by the Galleria Dallas for the Decadence: Fashion from the 1920s exhibition.  Filled with glorious examples of 1920s sartorial bliss, this exhibition made me wonder why we Americans have migrated to the jeans-tshirt-flip-flops ensemble?  These 1920s dresses were fabulous, meticulously beaded and cut, and screamed feminine rebellion a la age of the flappers and their high spirited glamour. You'll long for the days when flip flops and jeans and athletic leisurewear just didn't exist.  Curated by Ken Weber of Vintage Martini, a Dallas vintage store that has everything this here vintage lover could ever want, this exhibition features about 100 pieces.  Exhibition location:  Dallas Galleria, Level One, across from Tiffany & Co.  Runs daily from 12-6 through February 28, 2016.

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Dallas Vintage Clothing and Jewelry Show - Review

PROS:
Condition:  Most of the pieces I looked at were in really great shape without any tears or stains or pulls.  Really beautiful and unusual pieces with great detailing.
Prices:  Beyond reasonable and fair.  I used to live Los Angeles for quite some time--I'm guessing that if this was a show in Los Angeles instead of Dallas, prices would be at least twice as much.  Today I ran across a two-piece silk Chanel maxi evening dress in perfect condition for only $595.00.  Let's just say I definitely did not get the sense that vendors were trying to gouge customers with outrageous prices.  And if I ever move out of Dallas I'm going to have to run around and hog up all the fantastic buys in this city because the pricing elsewhere will just be too high.
Selection:  There was a mix of both authentic designer and street vintage options complete with purses, hats, shoes, scarves, eyewear and any other accessory you could think of.  You'll find many more dresses than tops and pants though.  Jewelry fanatic paradiso.  A lot of the vendors display their pieces by decade which I love.
Vendors:  Friendly vendors.  Not pushy.  Helpful and knowledgeable.  Vintage Martini is one of my favorites.  Ken Weber, one of the owners, has a film costuming background and fabulous taste.

CONS:
Admission:  I have never liked the idea of paying to get into a show where you are planning on buying, but who does?  Although admission was only $10, I'd certainly rather spend the ten bucks at one of the booths.  Free parking though.
Selection:  It's not a huge show where you'll find booth after booth after booth.  All told there are about 25 booths.  I actually couldn't decide if this was a pro or a con, because I liked how it felt more intimate and how it was not overwhelming.  For me, there was soooo much to look at and I didn't know where to start.  Hard core vintage shoppers though might find it to be too small of a show.


I just had to try on this fuzzy coat cha-cha-cha
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How Men and Women Sabotage Themselves In the Fitting Room

So over the years that I've been styling men and women, here are three things I witness on a regular basis that consequently cause men and women to end up with clothes they probably shouldn't be buying:

1.  Size matters.
I can't tell you how many times a woman (and men too every once in awhile, but mostly women) won't buy an item if it's not a size small.  Even if the piece runs incredibly tiny and could fit a second grader, for some reason, these women refuse to budge over a size small.  So, a perfect sweater is passed over because even though a medium or large would fit fabulously and look really good, mediums and larges are "for big people" (yep, I hear that a lot...whaaat?).  What happens, then, is she will pick out something that is so-so (but it's a size small so therefore it must be fantastic!).  No wonder retailers resort to vanity sizing.

2.  Someone else's opinion is sought for everything.
It's perfectly okay and natural to check in with your spouse/friend/mother to see if they like a particular item, but I sometimes have men and women who say that "they have to show it to x/y/z before they try it on."  Before they even try it on?  At least try on what you like, and if you love it, buy it.  If no one else likes it besides you, too bad.  Life's too short to please everybody else.

3.  I am an occasional therapist.
You think it's just women who ask if they look fat?  Men are just as insecure about their bodies sometimes, and are often concerned about how their legs/arms/butt look.  They won't say "do I look fat?" but they will say it in other ways:  "Does this look good?  Is it too tight?"  Part of my job has morphed into the occasional therapist, who reassures everybody that they do not look too fat/thin/girly/manly/young/old/freaky.  The worst offenders are almost always those with perfect bodies.  Interesting, no?  They will look absolutely amazing, but will still find a fraction of the tiniest flaw on their body to focus upon. 

We all have our hang-ups no doubt.  Those seeking perfection will never find it, and are therefore some of the pickiest shoppers.  Dump the perfectionist tendencies and your life will improve both in the fitting room and out.

xoxo

Vintage Martinis and Applesauce

Today I stopped by a fabulous little vintage store called Vintage Martini.  Everything is arranged by decade, so I gravitated toward the 70s section and immediately found a perfect black maxi dress with bold flowers and a pink St. John Knit dress right out of Carol Brady's closet.  "Isn't that swell?"  Vintage Martini's stock is comprehensive, their prices are entirely reasonable, and you'll find everything in great condition too.  I've already got my eye on a Vivienne Westwood dress and a Galliano jacket that I hope to pick up on another visit.  They even have Victorian and Edwardian pieces.  My pictures of the store don't quite do the store justice. 

They are located in North Dallas and their web site is vintagemartini.com.

And of course, we must pay a tribute to The Pork Chops and Applesauce Episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB4tJgzcVJE

 

Christian Louboutin Presents...80s Neon?

As I was driving around Dallas yesterday, I decided to wander through the cute and cozy Highland Park Village.  I spotted the Christian Louboutin boutique, and hoping to find really cute shoes in the window, was instead taken aback by the plethora of neon-colored heels--orange, turquoise, yellow--clogging up the glass. 

As much as I love pretty much everything about the 80s I simply cannot get on board with the neon Louboutin heels with spikes.  Louboutin creates beautiful shoes but this neon..."fashion" reminded me of cranky sea urchins or even worse those "As Seen on TV" spiky rubber laundry dryer-ball-thingies that are advertised during late night sitcom reruns.  What am I missing here?  I love theatrical fashion, but these shoes were an assault on my senses.  Are these supposed to be sexy on a woman?  The only time or place I could see them being worn is perhaps during a pseudo-punk music video where some unidentified I-hate-the-bore-of-bourgeois model plots hyper-feministic revenge on her former lover by "kicking him where it counts" (yes, admitting I would delightfully use that phrase in the third grade to warn a scrawny but determined little boy named Scott to stop chasing me on the playground).  On a side note, after leaving the store and driving some more through Dallas, I had to wonder...why is there always one single cow who has wandered off away from the herd in the field, standing at the edge of the fence and people watching to boot?  Perhaps I just answered my own question about the aesthetics of the Louboutin neon spike--only for those who dare to step away from the herd?

The Bachelorette Emily Maynard Picked Jef Holm for His Fashion Sense

Jef Holm's suit and tie = good

Call me crazy but Emily Maynard picked Jef Holm because of the way he dresses.  I'll admit it's not the only reason of course (true love?  well I can't go that far) but when explaining why she loves him she said herself that his "style" is what stood out to her when choosing him.  The thing is, as much as The Bachelorette has more cheese than a French fromagerie, Emily is right--Jef does know how to dress.  Hooray for skinny ties and suits!  More please.  I know most straight men reading this (and if any straight men are reading this I consider that a major accomplishment in the fashion blog world) are rolling their eyes right at this moment.  But men have to remember that just as they like women to be put together we would really like to see the same thing in our guys no matter how much of a man's man they consider themselves to be.  Frankly the fact that Jef referenced a Chloe handbag on the show was a bit frightening in the he-knows-a-little-too-much-about-fashion category, but don't worry guys--we certainly would not expect you to know handbag brands unless they are on our birthday wish list. 

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To Rome with Love - The Fashion of American Women?

Judy Davis as Phyllis

Feminine wares of To Rome with Love?

So I ventured off to see To Rome with Love and it was more of a like.  I'm not sure what Director Woody Allen and Costume Designer Sonia Grande are trying to communicate about American women throughout this film.  Both Ellen Page's character Monica and her best friend Sally (Greta Gerwig) for the most part are clad in low rise jeans with button down shirts and masculine-reading likely-Italian-leather belts.  Both give off the vibe of 21-year-old boys dressed to go into a local bar rather than dressing as the sexy love interests that the film purports them to be.  Even Allen's character Jerry has a wife Phyllis (Judy Davis) who is draped in dull outfits (if you can call them that) and T-shirts.  All three American women look breast-less and androgynous.  Upon first glance a feminist may say this is a good thing--women don't need to wear skin-revealing outfits a la Scarlett Johansson to appear feminine.  I agree.  But in this case it comes off as making women look like they are trying to look more like men.

Perhaps Allen is attempting to highlight Penelope Cruz by shoving the other female characters in baggy attire.  Cruz's tight red dress can only make her stand out from the other women, but unfortunately the costume enforces the cliched Italian prostitute who doesn't have much to say but has much to do with her clients.  Cruz looks amazing, but I would rather have seen her clothed in something more surprising and quirky.  I will say, however, that the red dress is so ridiculous that it has a humorous life of its own.  So while Cruz and the other Italian female characters give off their feminine charms in dresses the American female characters linger in their western wear.

Regardless of the costumes, Allen delivers with his usual characters filled with neurotic tendencies, insecurities, and palatable narcissism.  Such consistency in Allen's films is what makes his films work.  In an age when most people only post flattering pictures and personality traits on their Facebook profiles, it's nice to go to a fiction film to get a slice of reality where people are just people, wrought with problems.

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Midnight in Paris: Nostalgia is Denial?

I don't agree with what Paul says in Midnight in Paris.  Granted, he is arguably the most annoying character in the film with his overwhelming expert-on-everything personality (which happens to be one of my most loathed character flaws).  Luckily the irritation leads to my laughter as I watch him stumble about with his bloviating and his nonsensical expertise.  But is there any credence to what he says?

Paul:  "Nostalgia is denial - denial of the painful present... the name for this denial is golden age thinking - the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one ones living in - it's a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present."

Nostalgia isn't acknowledgement of a painful present.  Nostalgia is the incorporation of the beauty of the past with the beauty of the present.  That's all.

Take my recent acquisition of a circa 1960's permanent press duster dress from Monnig's Fort Worth department store.  The once-favored department store is now a parking lot.  A parking lot certainly can't reflect the beauty of what was once three buildings crudely constructed with a brick facade to house thousands of American-made merchandise.  Avocado green, yellow gold, blue and pink fabric with the original Monnig's tags?  A 50-plus-year-old piece of merchandise that has made it this far without rips, tears, or stains deserves a little bit of applause. 

Even from Paul.  Who would hate it.  And would likely say it was some sort of fabric-based-material psychotherapy.

3 Things to Do When Shopping at Antique Malls and Thrift Stores

1.  Look down.  Sounds obvious, but a lot of people don't do this.  Most people look forward at eye level when they shop.  Some of the best deals I've scored have been items that were shoved in the bottom of a shelf.  Last week I found two reasonably priced items in really good condition tucked away--vintage Audrey Hepburn-esque Givenchy shoes and a circa 1890s Victorian fairy lamp. 

2.  Buy what you like.  Another one that sounds obvious.  Don't worry if you think your friends or your mother will hate it.  Trust your instincts.  Surround yourself with what you like.  I'm always amazed out how some people won't buy what they like because they're afraid of what others will think of it.  Also be sure to buy it when you see it.  I found a couture vintage Neiman Marcus wedding dress and I figured I'd go back and get it later thinking that no one else could possibly want it, but sure enough it was long gone when I returned.

3.  See things out of context.  Sometimes the gems are surrounded by some really ugly stuff, so your eye might lump the gems into the ugly category.  A couple of weeks ago there was a pair of vintage Henredon chairs surrounded by some really ugly furniture, and had I not been paying attention my eye might have skipped right over them without even realizing it.  Try to see beyond the musty and dusty so that you don't miss the really great stuff.  One of the beautiful things about vintage pieces is that most of them are not made in China so you're buying quality items instead of those that are mass-produced and mediocre. 

Young Adult

Young Adult should be called Jung Adult.  The reason why David C. Robinson's costumes are so appealing is that he makes clear delineations between Mavis' Jung-like psychological stages--who Mavis wants to be and who Mavis thinks she should be.  Mavis' outer appearance can't help her assume her desired persona which makes watching her slip into her alcoholism and depression all the more uncomfortable to witness.  Too bad good old Carl isn't around to step into the film and help her have a much-needed spiritual experience to drive away that craving for whiskey.

Mavis' transitions from sweats to leather to tweed do nothing to help her make a transition to a better life.  Somehow watching Mavis in a mustard cardigan and a tweed-trimmed dress is more distressing than watching her shuffle around in her juvenile Hello Kitty shirt and sweats.  [On a side note, why do grown women still like Hello Kitty?  Women won't be caught carrying around a Barbie pencil case, for instance, but I reluctantly admit I have seen a woman or two pull out Hello Kitty pencil cases in my graduate school classes.  Help.  Someone explain.] 

The one constant is the gold heart necklace Mavis wears, yes the heart-of-gold-inference, that perfectly symbolizes what is really going on inside.  The close-up shots of her wearing her heart necklace are intense when you look closely and you can see the pendant move up and down with the beat of her heart.

Film critics claim that Mavis is a narcissist but I disagree.  To a point she is self absorbed but why shouldn't she be when all she desperately wants is for someone to simply care about her enough to understand her without judgement and to fulfill her emotional needs?  I think it best to call in Jung for an assessment.

When Harry Met Sally...When Actresses Wore Clothes

After watching When Harry Met Sally for the umpteenth time the other night, I realized it seemed a bit dated.  Why?  Not the clothes of the 70s, 80s, or 90s.  It was that the lead female character actually had clothes on.  Sweaters, blazers, jackets, belts, gloves, hats, boots.  Even menswear shoes.  Refreshing. 

It's not that showing off the female form is bad, and it's not that every movie nowadays jumps on the let's-make-a-deal-and-get-the-actress-naked train, but sometimes don't you want to watch a film for the sake of the story as opposed to being distracted, perhaps subconsciously, by the fact that the lead actress is half naked here, half naked there?  (Men don't answer this).  There seems to be current costuming formulas in Hollywood at the moment.  They're not new formulas, but the results are getting tiring and drab, trite and cliche.  Some well-known formulas may include:

tight tank top at some point + short shorts or skirt = Jennifer Aniston
overblown cleavage + beaucoup de lipstick = Scarlett Johansonn
tight pants + exposed midriff at some point in film = any Transformers actress
socks + underwear + open mens shirt = Cameron Diaz

To give these actresses the doubt, let us acknowledge that they have fabulous bodies to show off and can hopefully laugh all the way to the bank when their agents negotiate more money for them as they show off their beauty, even when much of the time body double skin is being used anyway.  So in that sense, I can't blame them. 

Beyond actresses, I even caught Ann Curry wearing oversexualized high heels (you know, the at-least-six-inch) during her interview with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  The interview, re-posted on the Internet, seems to now have been scrubbed to only feature medium close ups so we don't see the shoes.  Really Ann?  Were you trying to get arrested?  "Hooker heels" -- as Rachel Zoe affectionately calls them.  As much as I love Rachel Zoe, since when have "hooker heels," designed to make women look like oversexualized caricatures, become a good thing?

Even though Sally and Harry had intimate moments, at least the lead female was for once under a cotton sheet instead of the standard Hollywood sheet of skin.  No really, they say, the nudity is required.  For realism.  For the story.