Do you alter vintage?

by jennine on March 18, 2010

vintage camel hair coat

These days it’s hard to find actual vintage in a thrift store. Every now and then you’ll come across something vintage in a sea of last year’s H&M, and for that reason, I don’t frequent thrift stores as much as I used to back in the day… well, the ‘new clothes’ back then are now being sold as vintage. Yep, that long ago.

A few weeks ago, looking for furniture for our new apartment, I visited a thrift store that actually had a high percentage of vintage clothing and antiques. They were having a sale on coats, and never having enough coats, I took a look through, and found several vintage coats I wanted. One I had to leave behind, though it looked like it might be from the 1950’s, but it had stains, and was quite frail. Then this beautiful camel hair coat for $20. Holy moly, it has beautiful buttons and lining. The camel hair is soft and it fit perfectly. The only problem was that it was too long. Long coats are great for cold weather, but in California, id never really gets cold enough to where you need a long coat, and they often come across as too formal.

So here is the question… do you alter vintage?
Sometimes it feels like destroying the design by altering, taking away the elements that made it true to it’s time. Other times, it seems that a long skirt or a high neckline come across as frumpy by today’s standards, and a beautiful garment ends up sitting in a closet hoping the next generation finds it fashionable.

In this case I decided I would alter the coat. It was $20 and alterations on the length and the sleeves cost $35, for a total of $55 for a natural fiber, union-made, vintage coat. Even the $250 made-in-China coat I was wearing this winter started to pill because the fabric wasn’t sturdy enough (much to my annoyance). So these days you really can’t get good quality pieces for cheap. I’ve worn this coat a few times already since altering it on Monday, and I really find it goes with a lot of my wardrobe.

Before:

The coat passed my knees. This is a good length for colder climates, but in a place that never goes below 50°F it’s a little too much.

After:

The shorter length is more casual and versatile…works with jeans, and short dresses.
Now I’m thinking, heck what else can I alter in my wardrobe? I really want cropped jackets…we’ll see what comes up next.

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Links à la Mode : Rants & Raves

by jennine on March 18, 2010

links a la mode

Edited by Ashe Mischief

I was taken aback when going through the submissions this week– there were so many powerful, strong, opinionated pieces that I felt really taken aback. With overwhelming positivity or negativity, the fashion community is finding it’s voice– and making themselves heard!

The fashion community is great at sharing the voice of others, and we’ve got several fabulous interviews to prove it. From Derek Lam at Poetic & Chic and White Rabbit’s interview with Irish woman Sinead Doyle (along with my own interview with Amelia Arsenic at Dramatis Personae), there are voices for everyone. We’ve got bloggers ranting on the lack of premium denim in plus-sizes at Denim Debutante (hell yeah!), and some showcasing inspirational figures like KOOS (at M.I.S.S.), Philip Crangi (at Eternal Masquerade), and Maria Felix (at Jewelry Whore).

There were so, so many great links this week, it really was hard to narrow it down to 2o. Check out the full listing of Links à la Mode here.

Links à la Mode : March 18th

  • Bachman’s Sparrow – DIY post on how to use bleach to revamp your “unloved” clothes!
  • blackdog finds: – How To: 10 Creative Ways to Revive Less-Than-Loved Clothing
  • Denim Debutante: – Guest Blog: Is there Size Discrimination in Premium Denim?
  • dramatis personae: – Amelia Arsenic’s Miss X Aesthetic Laboratories & Interview
  • Fashion Hippo – Win Marc by Marc Jacobs Leola Bow Wow Handbag
  • Fashion Pulse Daily: – Not Your Daughter’s Jeans: Fit for a Mother AND a Daughter?
  • fete a fete: – Whiisical spring designs from Camper shoes
  • Forty Not Out: – Louis Vuitton – Fall Winter 2010/2011
  • Grechen Blogs: – are you incorporating video into your blog? how is it working for you?
  • Independent Fashion Bloggers – A New Map of the Two-Way Street: Why Giving Back to the Blogosphere is Key to Growth
  • jesse.anne.o: – How do you swap, thrift or buy resale and NOT get bedbugs?
  • Jewelry Whore: – “The Fabulous Jewels of Maria Felix, La Dona”
  • M.I.S.S.: – Eyes To The Sky: Before BOHO There Was KOOS.
  • Obsession: – How I Met Design Duo of Giles & Brother, Philip and Courtney Crangi
  • Oranges and Apples: – Sustainable fashion part 2: thinking about speed
  • Poetic & Chic: – A candid interview with Derek Lam, fellow San Franciscan and fellow high school alumni!
  • Pretty Shiny Sparkly: – 4 hours ago It’s leather. It’s quilted. It’s a computer, for fashionistas.
  • Style Symmetry: – Interview with the Stylish Sisters of Beckerman Bite Plate
  • The Thinking Fashionista: – An in-depth, critical look at the Russian Futurist themes of Viktor & Rolf’s Fall 2010 show.
  • The Working Man: – Incorporating Spring Into Your Working Look
  • White Rabbit: – An interview with Irish fashion Designer Sinead Doyle and the inspiration behind her S/S 2010 collection.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

by jennine on March 17, 2010

st. patricks plaid

Did you remember to wear green today? Well if you did, good for you! And if you didn’t, I didn’t either until this afternoon. Sometimes I’m into it, and sometimes, well, I’m not… St. Patty’s day isn’t like HALLOWEEN, where you can make up a costume and pretend to be something.

Believe it or not, I don’t own that much green. Which is strange, because its actually a flattering color, as most colors are, if you get the right tint/tone/shade. I’ve had this Tartan jacket by Christian Francis Roth for some time, I don’t exactly know why I bought it, oh yes, because I love Wendy Brandes. But the jacket, while cute, doesn’t quite go with many things I have, and the box cut jacket is a particularly challenging silhouette for curvy people, but I loved nod to the early 60’s combined with the asymmetric detail so I bought it.

The boxy jacket wasn’t complete with out a hat. Really, we should all wear more hats anyway, I’m gong to the Vintage Fashion Expo over the weekend to see if I can pick up any more vintage hats. This vintage red beret I got from Market Publique, it really should make more appearances!

Jacket : Francis by Christian Francis Roth • Vintage Hat : Market Publique • Glasses : Cynthia Rowley • Jeans : Era of Chaos • Ballet Flats : Jessica Simpson (yes, now I have TWO pairs by her!)

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All Snakes Day

by jennine on March 16, 2010

snake print

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day… legend has it it that St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Who knows? The fact is, I’ve never been much into the holiday, even though I love Ireland,  I’m not much for beer drinking and, well, green? I need more green in my wardrobe. The other day, on the bus I heard this guy planning on helping the snakes reclaim the holiday, which could be a nice idea, if the snakes actually cared that much about people getting sloshed wearing plastic green top hats.

UPDTATE: Punk Glam Queen explains: There were never snakes in Ireland. Those “snakes” were a metaphor for the indigenous Pagans. Its believed that St. Patrick drove people their deaths because they wouldn’t convert to Christianity. That’s probably what the guy on the bus was talking about as there has been a huge resurgence of people interested in and following pre-Christian religions.

Where are you when it comes to animal prints? Leopard made it’s way back, zebra too… I’ve always admired them from afar, but chicken out at the last second. Well, except that one jumpsuit with 4 different animal prints. That was awesome beyond all awesome, therefore an exception. Tasteful animal prints, I’m not sure if it really exists, and who cares about tastefulness anyway? Longing for something animal inspired, I snagged this lovley Ella Moss snake print dress on sale at Shopbop a while back and had to get it. It’s taken some time to wear it properly, as it was intended for NYFW, but it never happened. So here it is… a dress can’t stay in my closet for long without getting dragged out!

The other day my husband asked why I wear so much brown and blue lately… and I can’t seem to get enough.

Dress: Ella Moss • Linen Motorcycle Jacket : Charlote Russe • Glasses: Cynthia Rowley • Clutch: Vintage Etienne Ainger

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Retro Perspective

by jennine on March 15, 2010

retro super future

Daylight savings time happened over the weekend. It was a pain in the arse to adjust to the lost hour, but dang…it stays light out so much later! Better start accumulating sunglasses, because I tell you the sun seems so much brighter these days.

Lounging on our new sofa last night, my husband and I spent some quality time together after a week apart. Talking about something, he said, ‘In retrosperspective…‘ Heh, English is not his first language, so he can say that and it’s super cute. What is retro-perspective? Paper 3-D glasses in drive through cinemas? Technicolor? Looking at the modern world through modernist eyes? Retro Super Future makes Italian sunglasses with Zeiss lenses. They used to specialize in the Wayfarer shades in bright colors, but lately they’ve branched out into more sophisticated, yet still playful frames. I’m really liking the Lucia, which has a nice twist of the circular lens, so hard for me to really pull off, the frames, both nerdy and kind of chic.

Ok, so I got a pair of sunglasses just a few weeks ago, but a girl can look, can’t she?

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This Week on Elle

by jennine on March 15, 2010

Elle hair trends

There was some talk a while back about the grey hair trend. Did you catch it? I was just wondering about that myself, as for the first time I had to dye my hair to COVER the greys. Holy moly, I feel way too young for that. While it might be cute to show off some wise lookin’ locks when you’re 20, but when you’re 30… it might make you look a quite a bit older, the same thought when I saw reading glasses with chains at Anthropologie. Now those are a few tips for the Old Lady Style flickr pool. This week Elle shows us the top 10 Beauty Faux Pas made on the runways, should they stay or should they go?

Image Source: Imaxtree and Elle.com

This sponsored content is brought to you by Style Coalition.

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Family

by jennine on March 11, 2010

First off, I have to apologize for the lack of posts this week. This year has been particularly stressful. The conference, the move, and now…it’s my family. I feel like I can’t be all things to all people these days, and right now, it’s my family who needs me here the most.

My grandmother, my father’s mother was the one person in the family who always made me feel definitely related. She was the one who loved fashion, she loved make up, beautiful things, loved talking and socializing, and the other person in my family who is left-handed. She would sew most her clothes until arthritis claimed her hands, she had more shoes than anyone I’ve ever met. She tended her garden and kept her house in order for as long as she could walk around the house. ‘You have to keep moving, or you’ll die.’ she said.

A few years ago, she would talk about dying, not in any morbid way…but most of her friends were dying off. She would say… “As long as I have my mind, and if I can die in dignity, I will be happy.”

Then it happened.

She had an accident, and was hospitalized with where they diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s disease. She was losing her mind. It went unnoticed as we all thought she was a bit spacey, but it was more than that. She had to be cared for, so my grandfather and she packed up and moved to Hawaii to be closer to my dad and uncle. That was two years ago.

Sometimes death is sudden, sometimes it’s not. I’m here in Hawaii now, visiting with my grandparents, my grandfather is doing ok, it’s very hard for him. My grandmother, who used to be so talkative and vibrant sits in a wheelchair unable to have a conversation. I think she recognizes me, but I’m not so sure. She’ll hold my hand and tell me she loves me, but she’s never said my name. She recognized my mom, who hasn’t seen her in a decade, but it’s also hard to say.

Alzheimer’s disease is so hard on everyone, the person who suffers, the family. I don’t really know how to describe it, but the woman in the wheelchair, she isn’t the same person I have known my whole life. I miss my grandmother, she was crazy, but I loved her that way.

The only good thing about this is my family has come together in this. My parents were divorced when I was young, and I’ve never been one of those people who wished my parents to be together… they weren’t a good couple. But, yesterday, for the first time in god knows how long, 10? 20? 25 years? My mom, my dad, my sister and I have sat at the same table and talked. It’s really been so long, I’ve forgotten what that was like. Sitting with the people I’m most related to, coming together in a time of need, really meant so much. Yesterday, my mom and I drove my dad to the airport, it was the only time in memory that the three of us had been together. I felt like a little girl sitting in the back seat, strangely content…even though my parents have much suitable partners in their new spouses than they ever were to each other.

I don’t think I’ve ever really talked about my family on this blog, it never really made sense to. This is the place where I come to have fun and talk about fun things and some of the more personal things in my life, seems to belong to a different world. But this week I really need to take the time to spend with my family, because we really don’t have that much time in this world.

Anyway, thanks for bearing with me, I should be back and posting on Monday.
Have a wonderful weekend my dears!

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Links à la Mode : Spring Fever

by jennine on March 11, 2010

links a la mode

Do you get spring fever? Oh man… the itch to run around outside in flowery prints and frilly laces gets greater and greater each passing day. To heck with chunky sweaters! This week we have a load of great spring style posts, Holier Than Now checks out cape coats, if you’re strapped for cash Out of Order gives the perfect 45min spring skirt tutorial, so cute! And girly clothes not your thing? The Demoiselles has a great homage to gender-bending unisex looks. I’ve been thinking of doing a couple of days in menswear myself. Well, as soon as I learn how to tie the half Windsor knot.

There were so, so many great links this week, it really was hard to narrow it down to 2o. Check out the full listing of Links à la Mode here.

Links à la Mode : March 11th

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Afternoon Antique Shopping

by jennineMarch 9, 2010
Thumbnail image for Afternoon Antique Shopping

(photo by Erin)
Sunday we decided to make a trip across the Bay to the Alameda Antique Market, in search of furniture, housewares, all those little things you don’t realize you have laying around the house until you don’t have it. The last week, Rocky and I have been sleeping on an air mattress and eating [...]

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This Week on Elle

by jennineMarch 9, 2010
Thumbnail image for This Week on Elle

Stepping into spring and out of those chunky, chunky sweaters I find that I’m searching around for more inspiration to properly dress for the new season. The photos from Milan Fashion Week I found particularly nice with a lot of romantic-edgy looks that satisfy both my needs for good girl/bad girl personalities. Speaking of which [...]

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