Custom Made Bettie Page...

Earlier this week I posted about the newly opened Bettie Page clothing store at the Bowery.

This morning I received an email from Vogue Patterns advising of a 2 day sale on all Vintage Sewing Patterns. 

So if you prefer your vintage style home-made and tailored to your needs have a look at

http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/48-hour-deal-vintage-vogue-pages-4432.php?utm_source=V20130109DD48&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=V20130109DD48_VintageVogue&utm_source=V20130109DD48&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=V20130109DD48

 

Retro Year

Back in the day as a broke art student most of my clothing was "previously loved". I adored garments and accessories from the late 1930s to Mid 1950s. Buying and wearing Retro Clothing was definitely about costume dressing and being seen but as the years passed I found myself becoming more conservative in my dress.

One of this year's resolutions is to revisit the part of my personality that loved to "dress up" and in support the universe walked me right by the newly opened Bettie Page store on the Bowery.

All Images © Simone Rene 2013

http://www.bettiepageclothing.com

The Bettie Page Clothing Store is a chain with outposts in a number of major U.S. cities including L.A., Vegas, N.Y. and Philidelphia to name a few. Though a retro line many of the styles seem to reflect the current trends highlighted in the on-stand fashion magazines.

I must admit I was disappointed that they didn't offer foundations to support the fitted curvy wear but that didn't stop me from picking out a few dresses for the coming spring!

Helloooo Anyone Out There???

It’s been a really, really, really long time since I have come to these pages.  My apologies, life has gotten in the way.

It’s the Christmas week and we are about to head into a new year and I finally find myself ready to share more things with any readers that may still be out there. Anyone out there?

I finished Christmas shopping about two weeks ago, which is both a curse and blessing.  So to keep with the spirit I decided to head out on my own today to look for a fun and inexpensive outfit to wear on New Year’s Eve.

First off I headed to Century 21 at 86^th Street, Brooklyn (http://www.c21stores.com/brooklyn/). It was still early, about 10:30 AM, and the store was empty so I was able to quickly manuever the aisles and racks. I purchased an amazing hat ($24.99) that for some reason reminded me of the hats that actress Michael Learned wore during the Walton’s TV show.

I have always loved the clothing of the mid-late 1930s-early 1940s and mourn the fact that I wasn’t born in an era when women wore hats and gloves, garters and stockings. I am no Isabella Blow (RIP) but a good hat is an amazing accessory and more importantly this year my sister will be able to easily spot me at the train stain!

After claiming the cutest silk and crushed velvet BCBG Generation dress in a dirty mauve ($40 - see below) plus matching textured tights ($9) I made my way up the block to NY & Company.

BCBGeneration Surplus Combo Dress

NY & Company (http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco) has become one of my favorite go-to stores for office basics - cotton blouses, good-fit pants and suit jackets - as well as great work out wear. The quality varies and the majority of the items aren’t investment pieces but the store picks up on the trends and presents them for women not just girls.  If you sign up for their emails some of the coupons can save you major cash. Unfortunately the place had been picked cleaner than well, a Christmas turkey so I decided to get back on the R Train and head to the Fulton Street Mall. I really didn't need anything but I was still in the spirit and wanted to be out and about.

On my way to Macys I was distracted by this shiny FUSCHIA dress in of all places - The Rainbow Shop (http://www.rainbowshops.com/) .

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

The Rainbow Shop also picks up on the major, mostly outrageous ,trends and like most of us can be behind a few seasons but if your frugal or have a limited budget this is the place to go for a cheap outfit for a Saturday night adventure. Though the shop caters to the junior set it also carries women's sizes and has even added a children's department.

The dress was just $20. I didn't buy it. The dress is much more vibrant in realtime and I don’t think my personality is as outgoing as this dress.

Intrigued I made my way upstairs to the 3rd floor shoe department.  Rainbow has a great selection of funky, fun footwear at really low prices. The shoes may not live past the 3 month mark but at $20-$50 it might be worth the price for the entrance you are sure to make wearing any of the ones I snapped pictures of, just make sure your insurance policy is up-to-date!

 All Images © Simone Rene 2012

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

Almost shopped out I had just enough energy to stop off at Conways before heading to the train.

Conways (http://conwaystores.com) is another mark-down store that sells off brands, liquidated stock and seconds but sometimes you can find real pearls in this store at a fraction of the market price. I ended up walking away with some $19 mock-I-really-want-to-be-Laura-Ashley-Doc-Martins...sigh, too bad they don't match the BCBG dress...

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

Danger, Danger, Curves Ahead



Since their August 2010 introduction over 1,000,000 women have purchased

Levi's Curve ID Jeans

These jeans are made to fit our curves. They come in a variety of leg widths and finishes and with 4 basic silhouettes that took the scans of over 60,000 women's bodies to create it means that one is bound to flatter your best assets.

Jeans start at about $40.00 a pair, which means that for the price of a pair of "designer" brand jeans you can buy one for almost every day of the week.

I'm loving the bold curve in broken dark and tea time finishes

Check out JC Penny, Kohls or Macys

Punked

Back in my College days I wore a lot of shirts, skirts and dresses that looked like this Balmain top. The ones I wore were usually accompanied by a motorcycle jacket and a pair of  steele toed combat boots that I still mourn, the steele "cage" was on the outsides of the boots but I digress.

Usually my shirts and dresses started out like this - an oversized long sleeved black t-shirt. (Sometimes if the shirt was large enough I cut the bottom off to make a quick mini-skirt and top.)

And a box of safety pins purchased from the 24 hour drug store near my apartment

And a razor blade I brought from the same drug store

and my sewing scissors

In the end the whole outfit (sans jacket and boots) usually cost me well under $10, unlike the $1,600 Balmain Cotton Top with Safety Pins I've shown as reference.



Color Moves:

Art & Fashion by Sonia Delauney

March 18–June 5, 2011

at

The Cooper-Hewitt

click on title for more details on an exhibition that explores the contribution to fashion this known abstract artist made.

Easy As 1, 2, 3....

This season's Tommy Hilfiger Trenchcoat comes apart for 3 classic looks.

The 3 in 1 coat is under $200

Check in with with your local Macy's for availability.

Fit To Be Tied..

This great little Norma Kamali front tied dress is a classic 

(Stripe or Black Cotton)

They're only available at Walmart Stores 

Pssssst and they're only $20 each .....

Just In Time for Spring

On March 13 Target presents

Go International Designer Collective -

A reissue collection of 34 designer name dresses coveted by many a fashionista during the last 5 years of Target's designer collaborative efforts.

Prices start at $24.99

Oh La La...uhm...

Finding and jacking a French sailor aside, replacing a French Sailor's Boatneck 3/4 Sleeve Shirt is harder than it might seem.  I searched and searched until I found the perfect one on LL Bean's site. The ratio of white stripe to black stripe (slightly wider) is perfect and the fit sits without clinging..I will wait until late April to begin my search for the perfect white pant...

click on title to go to site

Gingham makes me think of..

sewing my first outfit at 9 years old.

The play set I made looked almost exactly like 6 Shore Road's Spring 2011 Jumper. I paid $4.00 for 1-1/2 yards of cotton blue and white gingham and adorned my set with red apple appliques.

6 Shore Road

This Spring designers like Chanel, Dior and Betsey Johnson are revisiting Gingham Prints at much higher prices ;) ...

Christian Louboutin

Chanel

Dior

Lucky me, I have yards of cotton and silk gingham to play with...

See Spots Spring 2011

Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Moschino are a few of the designers inspired by the polka dot this Spring.

Moschino

Miu Miu

(pssssst I have a thing for polka dots)

New Years Eve Dress...

Banana Republic Silk V Neck Drape Dress

(add a belt, feather or rhinestone pin to the waist ban)

http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=50130&vid=1&pid=788974&scid=788974012

or

Ted Baker Tuxedo Dress

( http://us.asos.com/countryid/2/Ted-Baker/Ted-Baker-Tuxedo-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1347616&MID=35719&affid=2135&siteID=J84DHJLQkR4-fJTm9b2ZHeKVurWxRoMPDA )

(achieve a similar look by buying a vintage oversized men's jacket and taking it to a seamstress or tailor to remove the sleeves and fit to your figure)

or

Stella McCartney Tuxedo Halter Mini Dress

(Achieve a similar look with a vintage 80's front pleated skirt, hemmed, and a halter topped vest)

Target..December 19..William Rast

Justin Timberlake & Trace Ayala's line arrives

click on title to go to page

My Fashion Confession

I am a fan of Talbots clothing.

(note the very Superman like logo!)

I must admit I have never purchased anything from their stores or catalogue but every time I shop in a thrift or consignment store I always pull out garments with their labels attached. I have a number of Talbot's well made classic items in my closet.

This season I am really wanting to buy so many things from their on-line catalog that I can only suggest you click on the title to surf the site on your own.

The Dream Bag

I, like most women I know, love Chanel's quilted bag. And I, like most women I know, can never afford to purchase a Chanel's quilted bag because other things seem to become priority whenever we find the intent and purpose to even consider buying one. So when I saw Melanie Auld's Lambskin purse it's no wonder I went all atingle. At $360.00 it's a bargain when compared to the aforementioned brand but is still something I, and most of the women I know would need to budget for.

click on title to get a closer look
P.S. I love the large quilting, I believe it makes the bag feel modern.

Classic Coat

Every year I seem to be on  the look out for THE CLASSIC COAT.

And every other year or so I buy one that I believe to be the one only to begin the search the very next season. Having come to terms with my inability to commit I have learned not to invest too heavily in a coat that I know will never be the one. This year's consideration is the camel colored coat offered up by Old Navy. It is a double breasted wool blend trench styled coat with fur collar (removeable I hope!). I plan on heading into Old Navy this weekend to try it on. I have no expectations but hope it's on sale.

Old Navy's Classic Wool Blend Trench Coat in Taupe

click on title for more details

Head into store to be certain of fit

Something Different

I am soooooo tired of the long flowing hair trend. I am ready for some retro reaching. These photos of Sophia Loren from Marriage Italian Style make me want to layer my hair, get a perm, sleep in row and rows of hair rollers and tease, tease,tease....sigh..the other day I did pull out the pin strip jacket, ankle wrapped heels and gold hoop earrings but I wasn't ready for the false eyelashes, liquid mascara.. I need the hair first..

The One Office to Dinner Dress of this Season

J Crew's Wool Flannel Slivie Dress
(uhm..change those shoes..)

click on title for more details

Prada Spring 2011

sigh..sigh..sigh 

Not fair! I am still sorting my woolies for this winter

(Side Note - Has anyone noticed that many of the "high" name accessories are being made with PVC synthetic leathers, recycled fabrics, findings and such but are still in the same price ranges, if not higher ones, as those made with real leather, new fabrics and findings?..)