Resisting Retail Gravity: the Curse of the Black Blouse

I have a problem. I am perpetually tangled up in a push-pull of my effort to add more color to my wardrobe, yet whenever I make it to a store, I inevitably end up buying the same two items: black shirts, black skirts. Seriously, I must have a hundred version of the same outfit, black shirt, gray pants/skirt, black shoes. My co-workers must think I only own three items of clothing.

There is SOME color in my closet (also known as the pile of clothing I pull out of the dryer and haphazardly make into a work-friendly outfit)--I have a purple and black dress, a teal blouse, a couple of jackets, maybe a navy shirt or two that occasionally come out to play. Let me tell you, it is an exciting day in my world when I wear more than two colors at a time. Maybe I'll mix it up, a black shirt with gray pants and a polka-dot scarf in red and gray--SWEET HEAVENS ABOVE, the avant-garde fashion explorer I used to be has long been subsumed by my corporate conformist self.

As I see it, I am trapped by the cruel pull of retail gravity to always, always end up in an anonymous fitting room with an armful of black blouses. I do try to look for alternate colors on my admittedly infrequent shopping trips. I just am not a big patterns girl, I'll go for a lovely polka dot, Swiss dot, or a stripe provided it's a color on a black field.

One very lovely blouse in my closet is probably the best possible color combination for my wardrobe, a Finley button-up blouse with pleats at the waist, doubled cuffs and collar with black and maroon jacquard lining, all in a an alternating stripe pattern of black, navy, and maroon. PERFECT, right? I can wear it with gray, black, navy, or maroon. Why don't I wear it more often? I HAVE NO IDEA. It lives on a hanger in my closet and it always seems just a smidge too short, or the sleeves are too hot for the weather. That shirt just cannot win in the fashion battle that happens five days a week, at eight o'clock every morning.

Short of gutting my fading black wardrobe of its colorlessness and ransacking every store in a fifty-mile radius for shirts in every tacky color of the rainbow to prove a point to myself, what can I do to resist the siren call of the black shirt-gray skirt pattern? Maybe I don't LIKE anything other than that outfit. I'm not afraid of color, I have a specific sort of style and quality of fashion that I try to cultivate when I do shop, it's just frustrating to go into my closet and come up with the same thing, over and over again. Perhaps I can find a solution in the form of dresses this summer.

So, mystery as yet unresolved, do you have an old stand-by fashion favorite that has taken over your life? Last year, it was all opaque tights and black A-line skirts for us--the cycle continues!!

Inspired by: White Oak Drive-In Cleaners, San Carlos, California

For almost the last two years, I've been living back here on the West Coast in what you could essentially say is my hometown. Here on the Peninsula, life is certainly running at a different pace than it did in New York City, not to mention Tokyo. It's nice to come home, take a breath, and rest in the peace and quiet the suburbs afford you sometimes. Still, I crave the cold, hard multisensory stimulation of big cities and when driving into San Francisco's downtown when I have a death wish won't cut it, I head out of the house to find a local spot to explore. This past week I took an afternoon to walk around downtown San Carlos, California, whose Laurel Street main drag is quickly becoming the hot spot for restaurants and yuppie storefronts on the Peninsula.

It turns out Laurel Street, quiet and set back just one block away from the hustle of El Camino Real, the train tracks, and plopped halfway between highways 101 and 280, has been remarkably well-preserved from its obvious heyday in the 1940s and 1950s. As a huge fan of historic and midcentury architecture, it was a delicious treasure trove of well-loved and well-kept buildings just waiting for my adoration!

I had my camera with me and was immediately inspired by the lines and colors of San Carlos' historic buildings, for fashion, of course. The White Oak Drive-In Cleaners above at 1200 Belmont Avenue in San Carlos is a perfect example of midcentury architecture. Note the Googie-influenced curving street-facing wall that turns what would normally be a plain concrete box into a wonderfully Jetsons-esque structure.

San Carlos has preserved (or restored) the old streetlamps and painted them white, as you can see in the photo above--the Victorian profile of the white streetlamp contrasts with the voluptuous, heavy building and its fabulous original pink and white sign!
Check it out, as we get closer--

Yes, the dry cleaners is connected to a two-story apartment building, classic midcentury profile and to my mind, shows that someone did some excellent urban planning to provide both residential and commercial opportunities when the White Oak Drive-In was built. In my attempts to do research online, I found no citations for the address itself, so I can't tell if it was always a drive-in cleaners or a fabulous 1950s venue for James Dean wannabes and their full-skirted, Rayban Wayfarer-wearing girlfriends.


Seriously, how awesome is their sign? It's what makes me think they have been in business since at least 1960, and the building likely dates from the 1940s when this area experienced a huge wartime and post-war boom in building homes and businesses for young families. San Carlos is not your normal Wild West California town, with very few Victorian-era buildings left and a surprisingly substantial strip-mall style cluster of building constituting the downtown, providing a steady flow of plain but stylistically interesting storefronts for local businesses. Like all micentury design and architecture enthusiasts, signage is a particular favorite of mine, I can't get enough of it! Just goes to show, it's not just Hollywood and Route 66 where you can see great midcentury architecture, walk down to your city center and open your eyes for some great, historic, delicious design left over from the 1940s-1960s.

Obviously, I came home inspired by what I saw and just had to make a Polyvore to reflect the best design elements of this building:

Inspired by: White Oak Drive-In Cleaners, San Carlos, CA by periodicstyle featuring kate spade accessories

See the fabulous orange Wayfarers (a must), the 1950s saddle-shoe inspired flat sneakers for the girl who walks to work and traipses about town, the slightly more feminine accessories to soften the blow of a highly structured outfit. The building's strongly contrasting orange line on a field of forest green makes me think of unusual color combinations for greens and oranges, two colors I would normally never pair together. (Really, what color tights are you supposed to wear with a green dress or outfit? Black? Or is that too uniform-y?) I won't lie, when I saw the White Oak Drive-In Cleaners, I thought to myself, "This is Joanie Holloway AS A BUILDING!" Thus, the lady herself has to be featured in that fabulous green dress, could we love her any more?

So we'll bid farewell and say thank you to the White Oak Drive-In Cleaners for the fashion inspiration they've inspired, in the most unexpected of places. On behalf of all of America's underappreciated and forgotten downtowns, every city's architectural history has something to offer us, and remember you can always look to the past to inject a breath of fresh air into your fashionable life!

Jeanne's Spring and Summer Shopping List

I've been hard at work at spring cleaning -- clearing out the wardrobe, clearing off the *top* of the wardrobe, and my hope is to get everything actually taken care of in the next two weeks. (Man, I don't even know.)

As I've been cleaning, however, I've really gotten a chance to see what's missing, especially as spring comes up. And so here's what I'm thinking of adding to my wardrobe as I clear it out...

- I'm forever looking for cute summer shoes, especially sandals or peeptoes. Last spring I was obsessed with beige flats or demi-wedges, and I never found the perfect pair. Right now the ones I keep coming back to and thinking about are the Petal Pusher Wedges from Modcloth and the Jeffrey Campbell Norma wedges -- they're not exactly what I wanted, but they're very, very close. Plus, I'm still longing for those Swedish Hasbeen sandals, and I've also been thinking about the Matiko Whit wedges in purple for some time. Man, I do love summer shoes. (I need to give myself a pedicure, stat.)

- Every year I say I'm going to wear more skirts and dresses, and so far I haven't. But I do think I would wear the Spectrum Tie Skirt from FredFlare.com a whole lot. How cute would that be with a basic tank top and cute sandals or peeptoes? I really do need more cute skirts in my life, and this one is just so darling. But yes -- another year, another resolution to wear more skirts and dresses!

- I want to spend more time in the pool this summer, but I mean exactly that -- more time in the pool, swimming. Not lying around in the sun (as much as I like lying around in the sun). And since pretty much all of my swimsuits are two-pieces or lounging one-pieces, I need a suit to just swim in. I don't need a fancy Speedo racing suit or anything, so a basic little one-piece like this one from Delias.com would suit me just fine.

- After the clean out, I've noticed I need to stock up on my short-sleeved shirts and blouses. I try not to wear logo shirts to work anymore, so I mostly save those for the weekends or working out, but I definitely could use some more cute tops that aren't tank tops or camisoles.

- I know Karen has heard me complain that I have "too many cardigans", but again, after the clean out, I actually could use some more cardigans! Nice ones. In colors other than black. (She says while wearing a black cardigan.) For all of my tank tops and shorts, when you spend 40+ hours a week in an air-conditioned office, you really do need a cardigan...

- Another big change for me this spring/summer is that I'm going to be wearing contacts more. Since I'm training and working out and rock wall climbing (yep!) and skating more and more, I've made an appointment with my optometrist to get my contact lens prescription updated. And since my main pair of sunglasses are prescription, I've been thinking about getting more fun/inexpensive pairs of non-scrip sunglasses to wear while I'm wearing my contacts. Right now I'm totally crazy about the Jetson shades in Tortoise from NastyGal, which remind me of Gaga's Alexander Wang sunglasses, but L. and Karen have both pretty much said they wouldn't look good on me. (You guys are no fun.) Also, how much do I love these Linda Farrow sunglasses? Maybe, um, not enough to buy them for $275, but I can sure admire them.

- Finally, what I really, really need is a full underwear drawer clear out. It just really needs to be torn apart and started over. I'm not even really working on it yet, but I've been wanting to do it for some time from top to bottom (literally). Plus new underthings are always a good thing to have... I don't really have the money to spring on this just yet, but it would be so, so nice to do.

What are you missing from your closet this spring? Or are you still in the midst of cleaning, and can't be bothered to think about replacing until the Cleaning Is Done? What's on your list to add in?

images from fredflare.com and shopnastygal.com

Won-der-con, Won-der-con~

This weekend is Wondercon here in San Francisco, and I'll be going both days to hang with L. at her booth in Artist's Alley. Come say hi! (Also, you know, to see if I can't sneak a peek at Jake Gyllenhaal. Just a little.)

Anyway, while I don't feel the need to dress in full costume for Wondercon, I can't help but be inspired to put on something, well, super. So I went ahead and made up a rad Polyvore for Batman and Superman-inspired outfits...

(I have to admit, I like Batman better than Superman.)

The Batman outfit features a Batgirl t-shirt with shorts, yellow and black tights, and over-the-knee boots -- maybe they're a little more Catwoman, but I can't help but be drawn to OTK boots lately, especially with shorts. I was very reluctant at first, and I'm still reluctant to do it myself, but I have to admit it looks really, really cool when done well. The sunglasses are Luella, who had some Batman inspiration back in Spring/Summer 2008. Plus, paired with a leather jacket, some bat necklaces (including the Wendy Brandes bat necklace) and a smoky eye with dark nails? Awesome and totally rockstar-worthy. I would wear this around town on a regular basis. Just because I could.

The Superman outfit has a cute twist -- I couldn't find a decent red cape-y sweater to throw over the shirt, so I decided to go with the classic Clark Kent blazer and frame glasses instead. Clever, clever! And since if you're planning on going to a convention you'll be on your feet most of the time, it's all about the flat red Docs with blue tights. With some more accessories (the gold belt, the red lips and nails), it's totally classic.

What superhero would you take sartorial inspiration from? And in the ultimate comic book battle -- Marvel or DC? (I personally think Marvel is generally more interesting, but DC has Batman, so it's a wash.)

image from polyvore.com

The Great Wardrobe Clear-Out of 2010

It is so past time for this, you guys.

I've been in a cleaning and clearing mode lately, which I suppose is a good thing considering that my room currently looks like a tornado hit it. After traveling, etc., it really does look like a disaster zone and Something Must Be Done.

I finally sat down and organized all of my nail polish (but now I feel like I should do it again, once my make-up is organized), I did a shoe clearout (including the navy boots I never figured out how to wear), and after the wardrobe, I have to tackle my make-up. And my sock/tights drawer. And my underwear. And I appear to have wakened a slumbering beast.

Anyway, as part of just general housekeeping and upkeep, I did my laundry, which is always a good starting point for thinking about your clothes and your wardrobe. And so I decided -- why not start with the clothes that are *not* in the laundry -- the clothes that obviously haven't been worn recently enough to have gone in this last laundry run?

So that's where I started, with the long sleeved shirts (a thinner batch, due to the late winter/early spring weather), and then the short sleeved shirts. I did a tank top clean up in the fall, but I'll revisit them again once it's warmer. Sweaters, you bet. If I really don't think I'll wear it again, into the bag. If I'm sick of wearing it, into the bag. It's like a reality show -- you're in, you're out. No sentiment allowed.

It's also a good way to get perspective -- what do I really wear now, versus what I used to wear. What shapes, what colors, what style do I really wear? What am I missing?


And so I'm really just clearing it out, and it's clearing up my head space too, just to go through and say "no, no, no, let's be honest, no". Three bags full, and out you go.

Have you ever done a drastic wardrobe pruning? Or are you in need of one?

image from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Things for Spring

It’s been atrociously warm here the past week for February, and I got spoiled with three great days of sunshine and shorts weather. It made me long for spring, and even the renewed rain isn’t dampening my springthinglust. Here are some of the things I’m digging for this:

Waffles! A cute waffle place just opened up down the street from my work, and my friends and I are loving up on it. Sweet waffles, savory waffles, it’s all amazing. Yes, savory waffles—It’s like a sandwich on a waffle and it’s amazing.

Quinoa- nothing is beating fresh quinoa salad for me lately, I love it! And Self just published a recipe for Quinoa stir fry in their Feb issue that I can’t wait to test out.

Gossip Girl- March 8th, save the date! It’s been long awaited in these parts. Gossip Girl is the only show I live-watch anymore, given the craziness of my schedule. I love setting aside some snacks and a nice glass of wine and settling in for an hour of tv. Can’t wait for my little dorky Gossip Girl viewing parties again.

Rainboots and Dresses by kitkati

Seasonal weather—I want the rain and the sun and the balmy temperatures. I love getting up and puzzling out an outfit based on the weather. Rainboots and little dresses, yes please!


Yoga- I have some back issues right now which are improving, but I’m not at my prior level of fitness yet. (Don’t look for me to be taking up roller derby anytime soon!) I’m kind of like Payson in Make It or Break It—yeah, I’m cleared for exercise as long as I don’t push it too hard, but getting back on those uneven bars (or weights and dancing, in my case) and possibly re-injuring myself is kind of terrifying. Thank god for yoga. It doesn’t tweak my back, and it actually helps soothe it, while I’m getting a mild workout. My abs are ridiculous right now. Side benefit—I’m more focused in all aspects of my life (hence this return from the dead post! Let’s keep it up, yoga!)

What’s everyone looking forward to this spring? Or are you still hoping for more winter weather for your snowboarding and winter Olympics?

images from polyvore.com and periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Fe-blah-uary Blues

Happy February? Well, not really.

I'm still in a very blah sartorial mood lately -- I've been holding onto my budget as tightly as I can, which means I'm not bringing much if any new clothes in, and my "give to Goodwill" bag is growing. (This goes for make-up, too -- I got a $50 gift card to Sephora for Christmas, and I haven't made it to the store. Yesterday I went to the beauty supply shop, and they had all of the OPI Alice in Wonderland and Hong Kong polishes, and I didn't buy any.)

I'm feeling incredibly bored by my whole wardrobe and "look"; I feel like I've followed all of the "find what you like and what looks good on you and buy ten of it" rules, but now I've got a wardrobe full of solid or striped long-sleeve tops, solid sweaters and cardigans, and dark jeans. It's the same thing every day and I'm just sick of everything I own and wear. I've been constantly pouring over websites and looking through stores, but I'm still in my "there's nothing here worth spending my money on" funk. I haven't even purchased anything off of Etsy since September or August (and you know I love spending my money at Etsy).

Plus, since it's February, I don't want to go and buy a new coat or boots, since spring is coming up (and I'm tired of looking at coats and boots), but it's also not close enough to actual spring to start buying spring clothes (especially in San Francisco, where there isn't much spring anyway). It's seasonal limbo and I hate it.

It's one of those months where you just have to push through at this point, and it certainly doesn't make for inspiring blogging. (Sorry!)

I will say that I'm dying for a pair of Swedish Hasbeen peep toes for spring and summer; they're everything I've ever wanted in a spring sandal. Again, budget-wise, they're not in the picture right now. But I do love them.

Right now, I'm finding the most inspiration from Sally Jane Vintage and Liebemarlene Vintage -- I always love what they do and find. So I'm starting to perk up a little, but we've got a ways to go before spring...

How are you doing this February? Are you inspired, or are you in the doldrums like me? What's inspiring you lately? (Please share!)

image from swedishhasbeens.com

Vacation Time = Swimsuit Time

Just in time to save me from my January ennui, I am headed out on vacation next week! Yes, I'm heading down to Puerto Vallarta for some sand and sunshine with the boyfriend. I've never been, and I'm excited to take some time to charge my batteries.

The other night, after telling my coworker I was headed to the beach, she asked, "have you bought a new swimsuit?"

You all know I'm a sucker for a new swimsuit just like I'm a sucker for boots and coats, and because I'm a sucker for boots and coats, that's what I've been focusing on lately. I haven't been thinking about swimsuits at all. Tisn't the season, and all. But now I'm thinking, well, yes, I do kind of want a new swimsuit...

But where does one buy a swimsuit in January? According to Karen, the bikini displays are already out at Nordstrom, to which I say WHAT. And, of course, swimsuits are available online, but considering my flight takes off Monday, I'm not willing to risk the shipping not arriving in time. That said, I am mighty, mighty tempted by the Esther Williams Bathing Beauty Retro Swimsuit as sold by ModCloth. I love the Esther Williams swimsuits so, so much. And apparently Delia's Swim 2010 section is live. In January.

I realize that I could just head to PacSun and check out their swimsuit selection, which is always cute and leans to the surfer-chic look that I enjoy. How cute is this buffalo plaid bikini? And if I strike out there, I might have to see what American Apparel has... but I swear, some of those things are NOT swimsuits.

Seriously, though -- I know the retail seasons are screwed up (I think coats are already on sale for "end of season" now), but will I actually find swimsuits in San Francisco, The City With No Summer Except For Maybe A Nice Couple of Weeks In September and October, in January?

The truth is, of course, that I don't need a new swimsuit -- the ones I have are fine, cute, and still fit. Also, this way I can hold off and wait until it's really truly swimsuit season and have the full variety/availability (and budget, ahem) to shop...

I'll catch you on the flipside! Don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone...!

image from modcloth.com

WorkWear Daily: Life Is A Cabaret

Man, remember when I was a huge slacker and posted Polyvores of my work wardrobe almost every day? Now I actually have a job that gives me things to do, so I can't blog all day every day anymore! What a shock. There are still the odd days when I get dressed for work, look at myself in the mirror and think, "Damn girl, this outfit is KICK-ASS and deserves documentation in the form of a digital mock-up made from none of these actual wardrobe pieces." Luckily, we have Polyvore to do this for us, so check this awesome outfit out:

Cabaret Businessgirl by periodicstyle featuring Stop Staring

Obviously, the outfit I actually wore today is on the left--purple Gap cardigan, black scarf passed from my mother's closet to mine, black wool pencil skirt from J. Crew (on sale, heck yeah), slate grey tights, plain black pumps, and the piece de resistance, my new Rayya peacock hair clip from Charlotte Kruse. I sashayed out of the house feeling like a cabaret super rockstar bombshell, and arrived at work to cries of, "KAREN, WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR HEAD?"

Apparently the world is not ready for fabulous feathered fascinators and hairclips outside of indie gift markets. So, I considered what I would wear if I were actually a cabaret superstar a la Jane Avril or our not-so-secret imaginary best friend Dita von Teese. You can see the results--wiggle dresses, backseam stockings, embellished shoes for impromptu dance breaks a la A Band Aparte:

Is it weird to try to incorporate more theatricality and romance into your professional wardrobe? Could I do more without going completely overboard, all-out Anthrologie, liquid liner and feathered lashes every day, crazy super-vintage? Jeanne and I have been discussing how boring/bored we are with the current state of our wardrobes and how to inject some excitement. I think sticking to the basics we already have with a little investment or rediscovery of our more outlandish accessories could be a good kick in the pants, but sometimes a girl just needs a great big style overhaul.

I love the backseam tights, the lace, the drama, the tiny top hats, the sexy hip-swinging stride that my imaginary "cabaret style" above explores, but is it TOO costume-y? My default for professional outfits is turning towards the dress+tights+trench phase that marks me as a mid-twenty-something looking to expand her social life outside of checking her Blackberry for urgent work demands. I want to expand and explore my wardrobe for its theatricality and romance potential, not boredom and default fashion! I was so proud of my admittedly meager styling skills today and now look what's happened--I want to explode my closet with the sexy a la Miss Dita, who doesn't?

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Last Minute Gifts!

Yes, as always, I am leaving the Last Minute Gift Guide until the last minute. (Really, I'm just procrastinating packing/cleaning now.)

I spent most of Sunday at the Renegade Craft Fair with Karen and my mom, who had never been to one of these Hip New Indie Craft Fairs, and she enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately for me, I've been in a weird "I don't want to buy anything, meh" funk the past couple of weeks, which means I didn't find anything at Renegade or at Bazaar Bizarre the week before. That's not to say that there wasn't awesome stuff at either place -- of course there was, and lots of it -- there was just so much that I couldn't find anything that really jumped out at me as a Must Have for anyone on my list.

I pushed myself through it Sunday evening (post-Renegade) and finished buying the presents I needed to buy in under two hours of dashing through the mall (including a detour to look/sigh at the Chanel spring collection, which I will totally be back for), but still. I cut it close this year.

If you're still in danger of cutting it too close, and if you're still looking for some ideas, I've (finally) got some ideas!

- If you're stuck at the computer and have absolutely no time to get out to the stores, there are plenty of websites, both small and big, that will send e-gift cards, and I've broken them into categories below. (All the links go straight to the gift certificate page -- you're welcome!):

Bath and Beauty

Bliss (good for either spa treatments or products!)
LuckyScent
Lush
Sephora

Fashion and Accessories

Dogeared Jewelry
Alice and Isa
Modcloth
Zappos

Books and Miscellany

Powells (FYI: if you're sending an e-gift card, you have to sign up for a Powells.com account to purchase one. Your call if you want to or not; just giving you a heads up!)
Amazon
Wicked Skatewear
Sin City Skates

- Don't forget to give experiences: for our holiday gift to each other, my roommate and I are going to split a bottle of wine and draft out a spring road trip up to Oregon (where we will kidnap Kati). Go to a nice local restaurant and purchase a gift certificate; I just redeemed one from (ahem) two Christmases ago. Tickets to events like sports, concerts, the ballet, etc., are also always a good idea.

- If you need stocking stuffers, your local Target or drugstore will have lots of little goodies. Walgreens has Sinful nail polish for $1.99 a bottle in a wide range of colors; I've spotted Essie and Seche Vite at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond. To finish off the nail goodies, pick up a cuticle oil pen (Sally Hansen makes one that's pretty nice), a tin of Burt's Bees lemon cuticle balm, or a nail file at the drugstore. Burt's Bees and Kiss My Lips both make tinted lip balms that are moisturizing and add color, and are easy and affordable.

- If you're honestly and truly stuck, I've always thought it would be nice to help set up an RSS reader for someone who doesn't know how -- if they love to cook, for example, you can spend time putting together a one-stop place for food blogs. You can both find good blogs together, and then they have something they'll use all of the time. If you need some jumping off points, we have all three of our blogrolls here. (We use Bloglines, but a lot of people love Google Reader!)

Have you finished all of your gift shopping? Or are you facing a last-minute excursion? (Good luck to you, if you are!)

image from blissworld.com

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Thanksgiving Outfit... for Eatin'!

About a week ago, I was discussing what I was thinking about to wear for Thanksgiving with Karen, and, well, this is verbatim:

Jeanne: I want to write a post on Thanksgiving fashion and "eatin' dresses"
Karen: Oh, yes, you must.
NO TIGHTS
I made that mistake one year.
Jeanne: Because my feeling is that I should wear a dress to eat lots of food, but -- EXACTLY

Thus the dilemma: I don't have fancy pants that I would feel comfortable eating a full meal in (in fact, I may not even have fancy pants), and for some reason I feel weird wearing pants to family events. I also don't like wearing dresses with bare legs for family events unless it's the middle of summer, and, well, Thanksgiving is not in the middle of summer. And when you're sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner, the last thing you want to think about is the waistband of your tights getting tighter and tighter around your stomach. (Let's not get into the "I'm spending the morning cooking in my pajamas because this food needs to be done, dang it, I don't have TIME to shower and get cute if you all want to EAT" situation.)

I've planned for the "eatin' dress" before -- dresses with little to no pressure on the stomach. (The phrase comes from Margaret Cho's Notorious C.H.O. -- "you go home, you put on your eatin' dress, and then you eat the couch.") But I have yet to deal with the eatin' plus covering my legs conundrum.

And so when I was browsing through one of my favorite boutiques on Friday, I realized -- ah hah, over the knee socks! I'd meant to pick some up at some point, but obviously didn't make it a priority until I swung through Japantown and realized I could buy socks at Amiko. Of course! And thus I now have a pair of over-the-knees to cover my shins and bruised kneecaps, but not press on my turkey-full tummy.

Of course, instead of actually focusing on packing, I made a Polyvore of my outfit:

It's not an exact copy of my dress -- mine is more of a spaghetti-strap baby doll, but it's still black and white buffalo plaid, and I'm still going to wear it over a pink long-sleeve top with the OTK socks and flats. (I wish I had Repetto flats, but no, I'll be wearing the Volatile Harp flats as pictured in my ballerina outfit.)

Jewelry and make-up will be simple -- my standard small silver jewelry, which lately has been just a single necklace and tiny skull studs, both from Dogeared Jewelry. The necklace is particularly important to me on Thanksgiving, as it's a daily reminder of my late grandma, who passed not long after Thanksgiving '05. Since I'll be busy eating, I'll probably go with a tinted lip balm like Fresh Sugar Rose instead of lipstick so I don't have to keep retouching -- I can just keep eating! And if I have time, I'd like to paint my nails with Chanel nail polish in "Jade" for an interesting contrast, but who knows if I'll get the chance...!

What are you planning on wearing for Thanksgiving? Is it a holiday that you like to dress up for, or are you more concerned with getting the meal out on the table? Either way, here's to a good one for us all!

image from polyvore.com

Antiques Extravaganza

Lately, I've had a lot of success shopping for vintage. Either I have a good eye for this stuff or I am just focusing my shopping adventures on retro/vintage style, because in the last month, I have managed to find about five times as much great vintage clothing/accessories as I ever have before in my adult life. Having a mother who collects vintage aprons and hats (1920s-1960s, she does not discriminate) certainly helps, and a long-standing fascination with interior design, architecture, fashion history, and obviously, independent fashion businesses does not hurt! Great antique stores seem to find me and want to show me their hidden gems.

Since I've traveled back and forth amongst the East Coast, California, and Tokyo, Japan frequently over the last few years, I've got a pretty solid list of great antique/vintage clothing stores I always love to hit up. It's really like a treasure hunt, first finding the shop, then digging through its wares to find what really calls to you. In my mind, when I visit all of these fabulous stores, I make up a eidetic encyclopedia of the types/eras of design I particularly appreciate--a cheap way to educate yourself on design possibilities for fashion and home.

So, to share with all of you lovely readers, I've created an easy Google map featuring my most favorite places in the world.

View Favorite Antique Stores, Periodic Elements of Style in a larger map It may stretch across thousands of miles, but each place is close to my heart!

-Halltree Antiques, Salinas, CA:
When I used to drive from Silicon Valley to get back to school in Monterey almost every weekend, I HAD to stop at Halltree to check out their vendors' furniture, vintage jewelry, and great collection of weird little knick-knacks. If you're into it, they have loads of vintage embroidered linens and tablecloths. I've personally found awesome 1940s-1950s sewing patterns for a pittance, including a 1950s young lady's 4-H dress pattern that I promptly made for my college graduation. Downtown Salinas itself is dying, sadly, but has great historical significance for you fans of Steinbeck, including the National Steinbeck Museum.

-The Garment District, Cambridge, MA
A local favorite, hidden just beyond the edge of MIT's campus and a brisk walk away from the Kendall T-stop on the red line. The basement is their dollar-per-pound extravaganza, freshman year of college I found a huge black velvet vintage overcoat there that I still wear today. According to my sources (aka my cousin who was in Boston recently), the dollar price is now more like $1.25. Upstairs at the Garment District is a veritable cornucopia of 1970s vintage, used denim, and cheap/schlocky clubwear that college girls go crazy for. It's really more of a go-to place for frat party and Halloween costumes, but the odd gem can be found with a sharp eye.

-The Globe Antiques & Cafe, Mishuku, Tokyo, Japan
When I lived in Tokyo, for the first six months I rented a room in an apartment outside of Shibuya, one stop away on the subway and a twenty-minute bus ride from that glorious hub of humanity. Walking around the rather boring but quiet residential neighborhood of Ikejiri-Oohashi, I discovered the fabulous Globe Antiques and Cafe. It quickly became my go-to spot for reading on the weekend (despite being bilingual and spending all my time reading in Japanese for my schoolwork, I desperately missed reading English books) and perusing their stock of antique farm tables, lighting fixtures, and prints. They are inspired by Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, of course, and managed to create a veritable English countryside oasis in one of the world's most hectic cities. If you visit the cafe, get one of their homemade mango and white chocolate muffins for me. All of the furniture in the cafe is rotating inventory in the shop, so it's all on sale.

-Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
If you ever wonder where all of the U.S.'s great vintage clothing has gone, this is where it ends up. Shimokitazawa is a twenty-minute train ride west from Shinjuku and Shibuya, and the absolute mecca for Tokyo's hipster scene. There are underground bars with live music from Japan's up and coming rock bands, jazz and wine bars, indie art galleries, and the best vintage clothing stores you'll ever experience...if you are a size 00-6, max. Tons of polyester, crazy colorblocked 1980s sweaters, and acid-wash jeans to be found here. I spent many evenings pounding the pavement here as a young, spry 19-year-old and shopped my little heart out in the accessories shops. When I went back last year, more foreigners had discovered my little corner of heaven in Tokyo but there was still a very hush-hush, don't-let-the-tourists-in vibe about the place.

-Junkees Antiques & Clothing Exchange, Reno, NV
A more recent discovery from my roadtrip to Reno from California (Grandma loves playing those slot machines!), Junkees is turning into a real Reno institution since business at the casinos is way down. Its owner Jessica just published the inaugural issue of Reno Style Magazine, which does a great job of styling outfits with affordable options and vintage/thrifted items. Junkees itself is half antiques mall, half used clothing store, and they only accept good quality, non-stinky clothes! Can you imagine a fashionable thrift store with clothes that don't smell of BO and death? I found a great 1940s black dress, a funky vintage sexy-secretary blouse with a very Pop Art flower pattern, and a nearly new 1950s beaded wool cardigan that is going to get a lot of use this winter.

-Vintage Playclothes, Studio City, CA
We've linked to the glorious fashion paradise that is Vintage Playclothes before, and as you may know, it is the go-to store for Hollywood TV and movie wardrobe departments, including the costume designers of Mad Men and The Closer. They even had a party for the Mad Men third season premiere, could you die? Being a modern-sized woman, I've always had trouble finding the lovely vintage clothes my daintier friends could, but Vintage Playclothes has up to size 16 for women. Everything is well curated and very organized. I saw a black and white oversize houndstooth coat from Playclothes in the second to last episode of Mad Men!

-Addison Antiques, Palo Alto, CA
A bit pricier than your average warehouse-sized antiques mall, Addison Antiques caters to the quirky tastes of suburbia. A lot of their vendors' stalls don't change much, while others are continuously turning over and bringing in new, fascinating little items. I've seen a Napoleonic Maltese military hat with medals and huge feathers, Civil War compasses, and bought a sequined bow pin with pearl accent and a freaky little broken babydoll head with a hole in it.

-Reincarnation Vintage Clothing, Pacific Grove, CA
There was a time in my life when sleepy little Victorian fishing town Pacific Grove, California, was the most exciting place to visit. Reincarnation is just a half a block away from Lighthouse Avenue in what is Pacific Grove's historic, residential downtown district, hidden in a row of small restaurants. The owner is a chain-smoking lady who will hand you armfuls of things to try on and accessories to match. Reincarnation has a great selection of truly unique vintage bags and dresses in particular, I still wear two cotton day dresses that are tres Peggy from Mad Men (are we sensing a theme here?), and picked up a crazy straw bag with an owl made entirely of sequins on it. FABULOUS.

-Fabulous Fanny's, New York City, NY
Which brings us across the country to the East Village's notoriously funky vintage glasses destination, Fabulous Fanny's. It's basically the world's greatest closet of amazing vintage glasses from the 1920s through the 1980s, if you want fly sunglasses like all the hip kids are wearing or pearl-inlaid cats-eye frames. It's wall to wall, floor to ceiling glasses, HEAVENLY. Miss C. and I visited one afternoon and while crowded, it's definitely worth it. I must have tried on every pair of frames in the store, and I walked out with a pair of robin's-egg blue cat's-eyes with gold and pearl inlay, and sides that look like birds' wings. They'll even direct you to their preferred optometrist to get your new glasses set with prescription lenses within the same day.

-Housing Works Thrift Shop, New York City, NY
These local non-profit thrift shops are all over the city and are known for celebrities and socialites donating their gently used high fashion goods to benefit low-income housing in NYC. The Upper East Side location on E. 77th Street is particularly fetching, the interior design of the store is pretty much like an Anthropologie, with window displays to match. They always have the greatest furniture and vintage luggage, plus your standard fancy business clothes on the racks!

-Lee Alex Decor, Denver, CO
One of my recent discoveries in Denver on my trip there this past August, Lee Alex Decor is a quiet little treasure trove of midcentury interior design greatness. Immediately upon walking into this shop in an up and coming Williamsburg-esque Baker neighborhood, you face a wall full of every kind of bar and martini-related item your little heart could desire. (Friend of the blog Miss C. was over the moon since they had highball glasses with both medieval knights and card suits on them.) They have a steady Flickr stream (link above) and Twitter feed with all new merchandise and nifty furniture finds you can check out if you don't make it to Denver very often!

-Janakos & Company, Burlingame, CA
A perennial favorite of my boss', Janakos is more of a museum-type store for those of us of more modest means. Excellently curated, with items on display ranging from Art Deco vases to full rows of antique movie theatre seats (oh, be still my heart!!) and Bauhaus-inspired bent wood furniture from midcentury European designers. On weekends, they hold estate and junk sales in an old storefront next door with some interesting, if overpriced, pieces--check out the pins and antique necklace pieces if you stop by. I've picked up cuckoo costume jewelry for a song there. It's dusty, but if you dig with an eye for DIY remakes and design value, you'll find something you love.

-Antiques Unlimited, San Carlos, CA
This is one of those neighborhood places that's been around forever, yet I only just stopped by last week after an afternoon of outdoor skate practice with Jeanne in Belmont. Don't be deterred by the freaky mannequins modeling the vintage clothes in the crazy front window, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I walked straight into the giant African mask section myself. Antiques Unlimited has a condition that all sellers must only have items that are pre-1950s, so my search for tiki items for Miss C. was futile--I did find a couple of fabulous vendors chock full of luxurious furs, vintage skirt-suits, and HATS GALORE. Etsy's Booty Vintage (a.k.a. Anna Newman) had some cards there, although I didn't see any patterns. I found an incredible navy and cream polka-dot skirt suit from the 1950s in perfect condition, it fits like a glove if anything, double-breasted lapel with self-covered buttons...you'd better believe I took one look at the beauty and said, COME TO MOMMA!

Speaking of suits, I love incorporating vintage pieces into my daily wardrobe for work in particular--it breaks up the monotony of black pants, solid top, heels that is so easy to fall into. I came close to pairing the navy and cream polka-dot suit jacket with a pair of wide leg navy/grey herringbone slacks for work the other day, but one look in the mirror had me hearing Tim Gunn say it was "too much look." I say unless you are going full-on retro/vintage in your hair, makeup, eyewear, shoes, whole hog femme fatale, keep your vintage pieces as the highlight to your wardrobe basics.

Jeanne's advice is to shop for accessories, as the old solid real leather handbags, hats, bracelets, and rings, which always a great deal for the quality and style. For years, I watched other girls buying armfuls at Haight Ashbury thrift shops in smoking jealousy, and it's taken me this long to find the few styles, fashion trends, and shops that will suit my taste and fit/size. I know for a fact that you just can't find the quality in beading on a pure wool, made in the U.S.A. cardigan at Macy's like the one I found at Junkee's in Reno. It's a hunt to find the best and brightest of previous generations, but if we don't preserve and celebrate vintage fashion, who will?

(I promise to do a couple of outfit shots with my various vintage scores soon! Keep your eyes peeled, darlings.) Where do you go for a truly unique, fabulous vintage treasure? What do you keep an eye out for at random estate sales in your neighborhood? I am a sucker for ornate Victorian keys and straw/Bakelite handled bags...oh, sweetness! There is a big Art Deco show coming up at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco, December 5-6th, maybe we'll see you all there!

Where's our Uniqlo?

Here's a question I've been pondering lately, especially after returning home from New York in September: Why doesn't San Francisco have a Uniqlo?

Here's my reasoning (beyond the fact that I love Uniqlo and don't want to have to get on a plane for my favorite skinny jeans, or have to beg New Yorker friends to buy pants for me):

- San Francisco is full of denim fanatics -- we have Self Edge in the Mission, and just digging around Yelp for a tailor, I found people talking up and down about finding good tailors for their fancy jeans. While, obviously, Uniqlo isn't the same as Self Edge (I'm sure there are people gasping and clutching their denim-covered pearls that I would even mention the two in the same sentence), it could be a good way for people to work their way up into Japanese-style denim. Plus, they'll hem your pants for you at Uniqlo, which means you don't have to go searching through Yelp for a tailor who will keep the original hem when they shorten your jeans. (I am not one of those people.)

- Right now, San Francisco's Japantown is having a boom period -- with the new New People World mall, which features fashion boutiques Baby The Stars Shine Bright and Black Peace Now, Japantown is more of a shopping draw than before. Of course, they don't need to put Uniqlo in Japantown; they could easily put it in the Union Square area along with H&M/Zara/Mango etc. And, frankly, Uniqlo's much more accessible, affordable, and wearable Japanese fashion than BTSSB or BPN.

- Technically, when you get down to it? San Francisco is closer to Japan than New York is. They wouldn't have to ship things as far. Basic logistics, yo.

- San Francisco does have a lot of retail real estate open, along with people who need jobs. I would die of joy if we had a big giant Uniqlo in the Virgin Records building... but I'd die of joy no matter where it would be in the city.

- We had to wait forever for H&M to come to SF, so why not get Uniqlo sooner? We've been very patient with the rollouts. So come on. It's our turn.

In the meantime, Uniqlo's got an online store for their HEATTECH products, so you can buy camisoles, 3/4 length tops, turtlenecks, and leggings online, then check out through PayPal. Fair warning, they charge in yen and the exchange rate is pretty lousy. Alas.

Other than that, all I can do is look at the Uniqlo explorer and shake my fist that I don't live in New York... while my wallet breathes a sigh of relief that I don't live in New York. Or that Uniqlo doesn't have a full online store.

Seriously, though -- where's our Uniqlo? Are there any stores that you wish were in your town? I know that if there were a Sephora in my college town, my years there would have been very different...

Happy Halloween! A Duo of Costumes

Alas, the promised stegosaurus costume did not come to pass (my mom has promised that she will help me for next year), but I love Halloween so much that I felt the need to dress up a couple different ways anyway!

Saturday, Day:


This is a true "from the closet" costume -- I already had the leotard and tights, and actually went to ballet class in this outfit (except in my real Sansha ballet shoes). The black flats are Volatile Harp. The skirt is from H&M. I originally bought it for going out dancing (not ballet dancing) in, but never actually wore it until today. Hooray for having ruffly tutu-esque skirts in the closet!

Bonus: the tights are convertible, which means they have a reinforced opening at the ball of the foot to wear the tights footless or full-foot. I might have to get some more of these in black...

Friday and Saturday Night:


I spent the evening on Friday and Saturday as Edie Sedgwick, along with the boyfriend, who I strong-armed into being Andy Warhol. His outfit is entirely from Crossroads (except for the striped shirt, which is American Apparel), while mine, again, is H&M. They're selling these sequined shirt/tunic/dresses (I want to say it's too short to be a dress, but we all know how these things go...) right now in several different colors for Holiday, and I knew as soon as I saw it that I had to have it. (I think there was some self-talk of "oh please please please let it come in black YES please please please let it be in my size YES OKAY DONE YES AWESOME" as I went through the rack.) The tights are also H&M, while the earrings are Aldo. (I actually bought three pairs of shoulder-duster earrings, because I just kept finding better and better ones; the Aldo ones were the ultimate winners.)

I also had a coat, of course, because Edie needs a coat, and because San Francisco needs a coat:


I took the made-over coat from my closet, and added a fake fur collar from Claire's Accessories with safety pins. I didn't want to get a full fake fur coat, because of the expense ($80 at H&M, no thanks) and because I wasn't sure how often I'd actually wear it. And then there's the whole "even if you buy fake fur you support the aesthetic appeal of fur" thing... anyway. It was easier and cheaper this way, the coat was still plenty warm, and the point came across!

Because so much of what really makes Edie Sedgwick style is above the neck, I've written up the whole Edie look over at Periodic Beauty Reviews, including the perfume I chose to wear as Edie. Because perfume choices are important!

What did you dress up as for Halloween? I love to hear what other people did, since one of my favorite parts of Halloween is seeing everyone's creative costumes! We saw an awesome Dovima With Elephants, which I thought was extremely clever. In fact we were walking through the Avedon exhibit, I said, "gosh, wouldn't it be awesome to be Dovima With Elephants? But no one would get it..." only to see a Dovima with a large stuffed elephant later that night. Whoever you are, anonymous Dovima, you're fabulous!

images from periodicstyle.blogspot.com and flickr.com/sfmoma

How would you wear these boots?

Okay, it's officially fall now -- the mornings are getting darker, the weather is getting colder, and I'm pulling my boots out of the closet.

Last fall, I found a pair of Frye Sunny multi-strap boots at TJ Maxx -- they're navy, they're flat, and they go perfectly over jeans. The only problem is... they're navy. And while I'm in the "navy is a neutral" camp most of the time, it's hard to pair up navy when it's a boot, don't you think? Plus, somehow in the past couple of skinny-jeans-years, I've managed to clear out pretty much every single pair of bootcut jeans from my closet.

And while part of me is thinking maybe I give them to someone who will appreciate them more, at the same time, they're still really fricking nice boots. And I should wear them more! (Along with my other boots!)

Thus, to help me figure out what I'm doing with them, I put together a Polyvore with three different outfit options! (Of course I did!)

The first outfit is the one I'd be most likely to wear -- dark denim skinnies, boots over, basic solid-color top and cardigan. I'm worried about the denim and navy being so close that they clash, though?

The second outfit actually incorporates a piece I have, which is the Aeropostale long stripy tunic sweater. (Outlet shopping, holla!) I paired it with black corduroy in the Polyvore, but I also just bought some skinny black jeans in New York, so they could work there too. If we're cool with pairing navy boots with skinny black pants, that is.

Finally, I've paired black tights and a grey skirt and a raspberry long-sleeved top. This is something I'd wear with black boots, so why not swap out with the navy boots?

What do you think -- do these outfits work? (Do I need to take actual pictures for everyone?) Do you have any suggestions for how to incorporate these boots into my everyday wardrobe? Do you have any particularly difficult pieces in your collection, and how have you managed to work 'em in?

images from thefryecompany.com and polyvore.com

NYFW iPhone Photo Drop - Day Four

Yesterday was Monday, and so I was back in the tents!

First, a glimpse into the make-up kit I brought to New York:


My essentials are right on the top: MAC eyeshadow in "Sugarshot", MAC "Just a Pinch" gel cheek tint, the Bobbi Brown Nude shimmerbrick, and Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer with SPF. Everything else is kind of jumbled in there. (I never said I was organized.)

At the Independent Fashion Bloggers dress-up soiree, I snagged a top hat and a not-so-great picture:


I think it might have to be incorporated into my wardrobe more often for that street urchin-chic look, y/n? The Artful Dodger indeed!

Finally, if you sit around in the tents long enough, eventually you will see a famous person, and the famous person I saw is Coco Rocha (!!):


I did not yell "I LOVE YOUR BLOG, COCO" or "I FOLLOW YOU ON TWITTER, COCO" but I was super-stoked. She's absolutely stunning and has legs for miles (as you can see). Gossip Girl cell phone paparazzi skills for the win.

(I would also like to take the moment to shout out to Eddie, who stood in line with me for the tonycohen show last night. Thanks for the support, Eddie! Sorry we got split up!)

Also, don't forget to check my New York Fashion Week coverage at BlogHer BeautyHacks -- I've already covered Francis Night Out and my snazzy new Calgel manicure, and there'll be more posts to come!

xoxo!

images from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

NYFW iPhone Photo Drop - Day Three

Today Ms. S and I went venturing out to Soho, where we immediately went to Topshop first. The last time I was in New York (which was last fall), Topshop had yet to open. But now it is, and so in we went!


I did visit Topshop in London when I went, but I wasn't really sure how I'd wear it, and if I wanted to spend the pounds (which was, at that point, at a $2-to-the-pound conversion rate). I wound up just buying jewelry for Kati, but this time, I actually tried something on -- the purple lattice-back bodycon dress.


It actually fit really well, despite the quality of my photos, and I kind of like it, as I've been wanting a bandage dress for a while, but holy moly, am I ever going to wear something like this? It's a whole lot of back, which means a whole lack of bra. Should I go back and get it? (It's out of stock on Topshop.com, so that tells you something...)

Tonight I'm taking off to the UWS, the original home of the Humphrey clan in Gossip Girl, and there will be more from me tomorrow!

images from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Winter coat makeover - complete!

Here's what you've all been waiting for: the refreshed winter coat!

After clicking through various Yelp reviews and trying to determine which tailor to trust my coat with (with various considerations of location, price, cash-only, etc.), I picked a hidden gem on Market Street -- it's tucked away on the eighth floor of an office building wedged between Old Navy and the mall. The price was right, the timing was excellent (one-week turnaround, and they're open on Saturdays!), so Saturday I went to pick it up! As you can see, I had three alterations done, but not the three I'd originally planned!



The first, and probably most subtle, is that I had the lapels sized down. I wasn't really sure I was going to do it until I was standing in front of the mirrors and I said "and actually, can we take the lapels in".



I also had the sleeve cuffs removed and the sleeves hemmed to the wrist. You can also see that I left the pockets as-is -- the girl who helped me said that it'd be a big job to rework the pockets completely, so the cute details of the pockets stayed.



Finally, the biggest, of course, was that the coat was shortened to my desired length, just under the bottom of the pockets. Underneath the coat, I'm wearing the Modcloth Stormy Weather Dress, to give you an idea of the length.

It was probably in the neighborhood of 80 degrees when I took these photos (aiyee!), which is why I'm all bare-legged/footed. Not exactly ideal coat weather, but that's why we plan ahead...!

I'm so excited that the coat is all spiffed up and ready for cooler weather! Have you started thinking about your fall wardrobe? Is there something in your closet that you think might need some extra help before the seasons change?

images from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Los Angeles Noir

I have always been fascinated by police, private investigators, and the dark underworlds of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Maybe I just love the 1940s, the World War II angst of the troubled, hard-drinking male detectives who maybe had survivor's guilt, or carried scars of previous battles. I love their plucky female sidekicks, usually the girl-journalists, whose tight little sweaters and sharp wits usually win over the dogged detective...unless he's already head over heels for the requisite femme fatale. See? I even have a copy of Dashiell Hammett's The Continental Op sitting on my bureau right now, waiting for me to finish, um, this other book about crime.

I'd like to think that if I could travel back in time, I would go back to 1940s Los Angeles--the Black Dahlia murder, the Hollywood glamour, the slim suits, the birdcage veils--and I came close, a few months ago. My friend Courtney and I took a roadtrip down from San Francisco (after an epic trip to the ill-fated Tonga Room, and a little roller derby) all the way to LA via Highway 1. We made a point of mapping out all of the LA landmarks we wanted to hit, and the majority of our list was historical: we ate at Musso and Frank Grill (disappointing), Bob's Big Boy (awesome), we took a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, drove up to the Ennis House, drank cocktails and had tacos in Los Feliz, drove around Silver Lake with jaws dropped, and generally soaked in the fabulous architecture. As badly as I wanted to Dita von Teese it up and dress like a 1940s vixen, it was all shlumpy jeans and t-shirts for us for that magical week. So, to inspire you but mostly myself, I've created a little slideshow of film noir goodies:

The hardboiled film noir detective world of Los Angeles, circa 1925-1950, is the subject of an upcoming coffee table photography book by Catherine Corman. Daylight Noir: Raymond Chandler's Imagined City documents the very real Los Angeles that Raymond Chandler based his noir fiction on, and creates an iconic vision of the mystery and beauty of Chandler's time in LA.
Raymond Chandler may have imagined his hardboiled city around these architectural landmarks, but the noir-ish effects of Los Angeles are still intoxicating. I left thinking that sure, I could live there, but the city of broken dreams is a fairly apt description, don't you think? All those people coming to look for fame and fortune in Hollywood, only to end up as Pilates instructors and waiters...in Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler's time, they were the fallen women and low-life gangsters of Hollywood.

Los Angeles will, I hope, preserve what's left of its glorious, dark, dirty, fabulous noir history. There's just an air in the city that fills me loathing yet draws me back again--obviously, I have no Hollywood dreams, my tastes run more along the lines of driving up Laurel Canyon ogling the amazing houses. (I may have driven around the neighborhood in Studio City where Lee Pace apparently lives, with no luck on that front...we went and had onion rings instead of befriending that adorable man and living happily ever after.) Los Angeles is blinding in its rapid turnover of lost souls, the pervasive wannabe culture with the rare glimpses of the real, everything is fleeting and tenuous at best. I expected to feel nervous and fat in Hollywood, but I found myself to be much more grounded and self-confident than the people I met there. It's easy to imagine the girls who flocked to LA in the 1940s, looking for love and fame on the silver screen. I wish I could capture that spark of history's hopes and dreams in a bottle and wear it as a perfume--it would smell of sunlight, honeysuckle, the sea, and shadows. It's the scent of a city full of people convinced they are on their way to something better.

modern noir by periodicstyle featuring Revamp Vintage

I just couldn't help myself but to make a little Polyvore palette to inspire myself--I love all of those pulp novel covers. In terms of 20th century fashion history, you could make a case that American fashion was never so politically driven as in the 1940s. Women gave up their silks for nylon and rayon to support the war effort, cut down the shape of their dresses and separates to ration fabric and notions (thus was born the huge-skirted 1950s New Look as recovery), and went to work looking as smart as their husbands, brothers, and fathers. It was a era of advancement for women, strength, and struggle. We still have a lot to learn from America's past, in fact and fiction, it's worth the dignity of preservation and value.

For now, I want to go back to LA and put together my own (driving) tour of Ms. Corman's Raymond Chandler sites--check out her website above for Daylight Noir, where she's paired black and white photographs with snippets of classic Chandler.

Can this coat be made over?

Yes, I am back from vacation! And yes, I am already thinking about fall. I know it's not even Labor Day yet, and I'm still going to squish some more beach time in, but I'm already thinking about coats and boots and such. (Mostly how I don't need any more coats or boots.)

If you remember from, oh, February, I mentioned I really liked the coats from Luella's Fall/Winter collection. And, as I was thinking about my fall coats, it happened upon me that I do have a coat that could be turned into a Luella-esque coat that I'd wear more often. (Shop your closet!)

I bought this particular piece from Jennine of the coveted before she moved to Europe, and I believe I've worn it a grand total of once. The duster-y length is a little difficult for me to wear (I also have another coat of this length), which is why I'm thinking of shortening it up.

Pictures beloooow:





As you can see, it hits me at about mid-shin (the top of my calf, in the back); I'd like to take it up to mid-thigh, but I'm worried that because it's such a fitted coat (versus a looser one) through the waist, then flares out, that it'll look funny if it gets shortened up. It's seamed through the torso, not darted, so it can't really be taken out in the back to make the silhouette looser.

Plus, as an added complication, there are the big flapped pockets on the front -- the bottom of the pocket is a few inches below my fingers in the front photo. They'll have to be removed or altered if I have the coat shortened.

I also think I'd like to take off the big cuffs on the sleeves -- they don't need to be three-quarter length, but maybe just hitting me at the wristbone.

So, in short, here's what I think I'd like to have done:

- Shorten the length from mid-shin to mid-thigh
- Remove/alter current pockets
- Alter sleeve cuffs

I've already started looking at tailors on Yelp, but I honestly have never had to take something in for major surgery before (I've had a pair of pants hemmed -- that's it), so I'm not even sure where to begin. Is this really something that can be done with a good tailor? (I'm sure it is.) There are plenty of cleaners who do alterations around, but I really want someone who understands what I want and will make it happen with little drama and low costs.

Does anyone have a good tailor in San Francisco they recommend? Do you have any suggestions on how to find a good one? And do you think my alterations are reasonable, or will they look funny and ruin a perfectly nice coat? (A good tailor will be able to tell me if I'm being unreasonable, right?) I'm more than a little in the dark here, so your recommendations are totally welcomed!

images from periodicstyle.blogspot.com