Happiness is... Dressing for Oneself

I found this pristine, handmade red silk velvet dress thrifted at Goodwill on E. 23rd for 9.99, two weeks ago (along with the A.P.C. jean jacket revealed earlier on my W_R, and some other great items)!



The insides are as gorgeous as the outside! It has a hot pink grosgrain ribbon reinforcing the crisp pleating...is this an Anna Sui sample from the early 90s, or a 60s tailor-made frock?



I have images burned into my memory from an early 90s Seventeen magazine spread, featuring a young Sophia Coppola, Zoe Cassavettes and Donovan Leitch frolicking around a New York rooftop, wearing a very velvety, 60s music-influenced collection by Anna Sui. I so wanted to be them!



This is the type of dress I knew right off the bat wasn't the boif's style -- and not the style of a lot of people. It's a dress I adore strictly for my own reasons, and wear to please myself. I know it's said a lot in women's mags, etc. that women dress to impress other women, and not men, but there's something to expelling all concern for what other people think and being yourself.

Thrifty Thursday

I do it myself...

worn out Levi's

It's no secret that I'm a jeans girl. Before challenging myself to join the Wardrobe Remix community on flickr, my standard weekend uniform was jeans and a tee or tank- and it's still a favorite solution for me. I often feel my most comfortable and confident in jeans. In college, I'd wear the same pair of jeans most days of the year: freshman year was a pair of Earl slim dark rinse jeans; sophomore year was a pair of classic stone wash button-fly Helmut Langs; junior year was a pair of wide leg sailor jeans from the Gap; senior year was a pair of worn Levi's '69 reissues. The idea of wearing a pair of jeans to threadbare is still very appealing to me- I love the aesthetic of a pair perfectly worn-in. I hardly consider jeans an article of clothing as much as I consider them an extension of the person wearing them, a fingerprint or a wearable diary. Of course, I own probably 50 pairs of jeans, given that I never throw anything out. In my stash I have everything running the gamut from $200 pairs from the latest labels to timeless denim from American standard brands to thrifted pairs of busted, oil stained, ripped and mended 501s. Out of them all, the most highly-revered are those falling into the latter category. There's something romantic to me about a pair of jeans who've lived so much life and look as stylish as they do anti-fashion. Having said that, I just read this blurb about A.P.C.'s new "Butler" line of pre-loved denim. Part of me totally gets it, but a bigger part of me is repulsed by the idea of paying big bucks for someone else's denim memories- especially when you could achieve the same effects by either wearing out your denim all by yourself, or at the least picking up a cheaper pair from a thrift shop. Ah, but I guess this reflects my general love/hate relationship with A.P.C.- LOVE their classic, simple style but despise their elitist attitude.

A.P.C.'s "real thing"

SwoC: Days 5-9

I've just returned to Brooklyn from Portland, and feel very satisfied. I had an amazing time visiting with my family and friends, I successfully kicked back and unwound, I thrifted some amazing items, and I kept to my SwoC pledge in spite of the temptations. In the remaining 4 days of my trip to Portland, my sister and I visited one more thrift store: my favorite Salvation Army. This time, I had some terrific luck in the shop department, finding some cute 70s woven sandals that I will likely add to my etsy shop since I have a similar pair, some perfectly broken-in army boots, pristine deerskin moccasins, and an interesting pair of deadstock slip-on canvas shoes. I also had lots of luck in the skirt department, pulling possibly my favorite thrift item of the trip- a cotton madras full skirt with navy buttons down the front and hidden seam pockets. I went shopping with my mom and sister, and in spite of finding an adorable bubble sleeved green linen dress, I refrained from buying. My mom even offered the tempting thought that it wouldn't count against my SwoC pledge if she were to buy the dress for me! I held strong, and I'm happy I did.

Tomorrow I'll try to get all of my photos in order and post some of the non-shopping related content from my trip. I'm still chuckling about all the great moments I had with Lil'MC, who is now a little over a year old and the best natured person I've ever encountered. He has such a strong personality, and in these months before he finds his words, his expressive face is working overtime.

To my family and friends in Oregon: Thank you so much for spending time with me this week! I had a great time and can't wait to come back to visit again.