The skirt. The seamstress. And details innumerable!

Seamstresses amaze me!  It's like watching someone play the piano....it's mind boggling how those hands know just where to go and what to do to create amazing art.  I recently found this hand made vintage skirt and the details are such that are almost unheard of in modern times.  

The hand sewn and placed rick rack....along with a curved pocket...

Notice that the wales of the corduroy are perfectly aligned.  A detail too tedious to be attempted nowadays.

The way the seamstress waved the rick rack....what a charming detail!!

The beautiful button!  What's so cool is that, so often, we would figure, "Meh, whatever, it's in the back.  Who's going to see it?!"  But not this clever woman!  She chose an eye catching large button to make even the back of the skirt exceptional!

And take a look at the contrasting olive green zipper....another well thought out detail that is often overlooked.

And one of my favorite add ons....

A Christmas themed lining in the pockets.  What's really fabulous about this detail is that from the outside edges of the pocket, you can see some sort of design.  It keeps the pockets from completely blending in with the skirt.  But it's not until you look on the inside that you actually see where that design is coming from.

There is a blogging segment that features and even specializes in sewing.  Again, it's a skill that I just don't possess.   But to get inspired or awed, check out these amazing seamstresses!

Erica B.'s - D.I.Y. Style! - I swear, it seems like Erica makes MOST of what she wears and it looks like something one would find at a department store.  On top of her sewing skills, she has an amazing classic and elegant style!  Looking at her pictures, I just sense something almost regal about her!

Mimi G Style - Mimi has sewn for Folake of Style Pantry.  Not only does she sew beautifully, but it seems she has absolutely no problem grabbing some fabric and then just creating something amazing!  No pattern required.  I love her funky style AND the fact that she can wear such short hair and look GORGEOUS in it...no small feat!

Kristina J. - Kristina is a whiz at altering clothes.  She seems to have a sense of just the right detail needed to take a garment from "Oh that's kinda pretty" to "OH MY GOSH!  THAT'S GORGEOUS!  I WANT IT NOW!!!!"  She adds the girliest of touches to everything she wears.  She also designs and sews her own clothing lines!  Hellooo!!!!  Amazing!

I. AM. IN. AWE. of what these remarkable women can create with their nimble fingers!  To you seamstresses out there, I raise a (very large, extra salt) margarita to you!!

*If you are interested in the skirt above, it's a Sz L, and it's available in my store , click here.   

Suede in full! Or Don't be Suede by imitators!

And my love affair with all things suede and leather continues!  I thrifted this vintage suede skirt at a little shop that I found not long after moving here last year.  The color is so vibrant (shown better in the second picture).  And it really can be worn all year long!

Top : Hand me down from my aunt.  It has a white leather panel on the front.  Previously worn here.  

Skirt:  Thrifted & Vintage

Boots:  New!!  My birthday gift from my sweet husband!    These* boots, from Nine West, were a really big splurge!  My husband told me to go get them, and was prepared to pay $200 for them.    When we got to the mall, they had a sale!!!! and we got them for just under $150 including tax.  For us, that's a HUGE splurge.  HOWEVER, we justify this cost by the fact that about 98% of my wardrobe is thrifted at usually no more than $4 a piece.  So to invest in a FABULOUS pair of shoes or boots that will last and look great for YEARS, just makes sense to me!  What you can't see from the picture is that these have about a 5" heel on them.  So 70s chic!!

BTW, take a look at these.  Oh be still my heart, I would love to own these!  But $250?  Yeahhhhh, I just can't.  But I WILL be watching them for a sale!

Purse:  Thrited.  No brand label, but the strap is genuine leather and it's actually lined with the softest black leather you can imagine!  I washed it via my leather washing method (which I learned from a customer of my store)  and BAM!   FABULOUS!!

See?  It wears great in the summer as well!  Here's the original post.

I'm hooking up (FINALLY) with Patti and Visible Monday!  To be sure, I felt very visible today!

*No affiliate link or commission here, I just happen to love me some Nine West!  They always have gorgeous shoes and boots at a price point where buying groceries is still viable!

When Clothes Were Special

On a recent treasure hunt, I came across this sweater vest you see below.

While I was taking pictures, I looked more closely at the only tag in the sweater.  I noticed that a woman's name tag was hand sewn onto the brand tag.  I clipped the threads below and confirmed that the vest is, indeed, 100% cashmere as I had suspected.  However, it was something else that struck me.

There was a time when clothes were special.

 I'm guessing this sweater is from the 1950's.  This Donna Hotel didn't have as many shopping options as  I do today.  No malls.  No Walmart or Target.  No Forever21 or H&M.  No internet shopping.  No 20+ monthly fashion magazines to vie for her attention and wallet.

I don't know if Ms. Hotel was a woman of means or not, but one thing is clear:  her clothes, at the very least this sweater, were important to her.  So much so that she had personalized name plates embroidered and hand stitched them into her garments, and in this case, with matching thread!  I have to believe that her intention, when she purchased this vest, was to have it for a very long time.  It's in such lovely condition, I can tell it's been cherished!

I know I'm being nostalgic for a time before I was even born.  But seeing this really spoke to me.  How much of my wardrobe is special?  Am I filling my closet with "stuff"?  Is clothes shopping a hobby or a treasure hunt?  Do I mindlessly purchase clothes that really have no value other than being on trend for the season?  And the big question:  how much of what's in my closet will be there 10 years from now (wow, even 5 years from now) and what condition will it be in?

Often I feel like my soul is from another era. But if it wasn't meant to be for me to live in the 20's or 30's, then maybe it's okay if I take a bit of sentiment and sensibility from that time.

To take a little extra time and effort to select and care for these bits and pieces of fluff that I adorn myself with.  

To make my clothes and how I use them........special.

EB: What I'm Loving In My Store Now

Vintage Oxblood Sweater

This sweater just makes my heart happy!  It's vintage and in oxblood, the fab color of the season right now!   The embroidery is just magnificent and what can I say?  It was love at first sight!   By the way, check out Bella in her oxbloody fabulousness!

Seychelles Booties

Well Helllllloooooo Lovah!  I just ADORE these booties!!!  And truth be told, they'd be in my closet to stay if they weren't just a tad too big.  I imagine them paired with tights and worn with EVERYTHING!!  You know who does the bootie thang better than anyone I know?  Patti!!!  Check out her bootie-liciousness here, here, and here!

 Sweet Vintage 80s Pastel Blouse

Oh the sweetness!  When I came across this blouse, I just knew I had to get it.  The pastel like colors, the double breasted look, the virginal collar......it all just WORKS!  I imagine styling it with a pair of wide leg jeans.  Or maybe a pair of dark gray cigarette pants and some pointy toe heels.  I also envision skinny jeans and boots and a leather jacket to toughen it up a bit...like a good girl gone bad!  You know who I think of when I see this?  Shey!  Shey has a way of doing  sweet and still keeping it grown up looking....even.....dare I say SEXY?    That's what I see in this blouse:  girl and woman combined!

I'll share more of my other favorites soon, but in the meantime, feel free to check out my store.  I'm running a sale right now, and I also offer a best offer option on all my listings!  

By the way, please be sure to check out Terri's listings !  This BCBG cardigan dress/duster is heavenly!  I can see it with a great slip underneath and belted or even worn open over jeans and boots and a tee!  Or what about these Betancourt flats?!  LOVE them with a pair of cigarette pants or a pencil skirt and sweater!  Completely classic!

You can also check out Ms Bella!  She's letting go some of her fabulous finds, and how great are these platform sandals?  I think these would be so cool with sweater tights and a midi skirt!  

Big love and hugs to you all!

Bow to the Brow

Are you remembering your brows?

Personally, I remember mine every time I look in the mirror!  But I'm really really slack about staying on top of keeping them groomed.  I've tried to tweeze them myself....starting in high school when I was working on a unibrow!  Me and this girl could've been twins!  

But I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and stay on top of one of the most prominent facial features that we have.  When groomed correctly, they provide a lovely frame for the art that are our eyes.  When left to themselves, they are facial demons who take pleasure in making us look bad!  

I don't think there is a standard brow shape.  I mean, brows are part of our faces and those all look different, right?  So why should all brows look the same?  

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Think of the personality that emanates from our brows.  I prefer a thicker brow, though I don't know that I'd do the Joan Crawford look.

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Can't you just picture her with a coat hanger in hand screaming like a mad woman?!?!  There's nothing soft about this look!

On the other hand, too thin (and they may never grow back) can give one a really weird look.

Hello, Ms Harlow

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Beautiful woman, but those brows give her a comic look!

Back to my brows....

I've never liked my brows.  They're very thick and wiry and even tend to curl on the ends!  And hello, now I'm getting a few gray brows!  They also don't have much shape.  Even when I was tweezing them, I never could seem to give them the light arch that I've admired in others.  But to keep them in check, I used to have them waxed by a friend who did that professionally.  However, since moving to a much larger city, I have discovered threading.  Pause here and just let me say, "BRILLIANT!!".   Take a look:

This is such a precision process, much more so than waxing which just rips the brows right out  en masse!    There's also much more opportunity for skin irritation (IMO) with the waxing.  The threading method is so much cleaner than waxing and also a little more affordable.    I've never loved my brows so much as I have after having them groomed via threading.  
My face feels clean!  Unless you've ever had unruly eyebrows, this probably sounds foreign to you.  But for a "3 tweezes away from a unibrow" like me, this has been a godsend!
Look it up in your area and give it a try.  And DEFINITELY let me know what you think!