Easy Retro Hairstyles 101

Work has been brutal so I haven't had much time for blogging; that's where the beauty of video-sharing comes in. Aubrey London has a great series of videos for easy retro hairstyles perfect for beginners. I love this one because all you need is hairspray and bobby pins.

Thursday Movie Review: All About Eve (1950)

All About Eve (1950) is a fascinating film that harkens back to when movies had literary qualities. The subtle psychology behind each actor and the fiery tirades of Margot Channing (Bette Davis) punctuate the film with wit and humor. The title character Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) worms her way into Margot's life and tries to supplant her career and her relationships. The clothes are inspiring and be careful not to miss an early role from Marilyn Monroe's career. One of the movie's themes is oppositions--New York vs. Hollywood, Old vs. Young, married vs. single. One of my favorite scenes is when Margot's boyfriend turns Eve down--"What I go after I go after. I don't want it to come after me." Makes me nostalgic for a time when men had standards. Watch this one with your token-gay-male-friend or an aging fabulous aunt that will quote the movie line by line for you!



Get the Look:

I adore several costume elements from the film but the suit Margot wore to the theater still haunts me. This is the perfect outfit for putting people in their place. You can get this look with the J.Crew Telegraph suit ($306) paired with this New York & Company silky bow blouse ($37). Be sure to add this Vivcore party bow purse ($95) with your basic black pumps. Extra style points for donning a faux mink ($199)!

Glamour Daze: An Archive of Vintage Fashion

Glamour Daze's blog is another great way to kill an hour (or more!). Explore the tags for backlogged Vintage gold including fashion and beauty from 1900-1960s. I especially love the transcripts from old videos like this one...

Kate Moss and Classic Vintage Style

Kate Moss posed for Vogue UK in a combination of '40s, '50s, and '60s fashion re-imagined through a modern lens. This is what anachronistic style is all about--playful imaginings of classic styles and vintage glamor. The styling is simply divine and I find the neutral color palette with shots of emerald and coral inspiring.

Dita Von Teese on Stockings

Dita recently shared her tips for wearing fully fashioned stockings and her advice is too good to not pass on. Like most things pertaining to vintage fashion stockings are a lost art. Here's what Dita has to say for those of us born after pantyhose were invented...

"Always buy more than one pair of the same style, so if one gets a run, just take another from a new package. Stockings are superior to pantyhose not just because they are more beautiful and feel more free, but because chances are, you may run one leg, but not the other, so the pair is not all lost when you have backups pairs. Next, do as the French do, and put the garter belt on FIRST! Panties (if any) go over the top so you can easily remove them for whatever reason and still have that lovely stocking and garter belt frame. Authentic fully-fashioned seamed stockings never have any lycra, therefore they have that lovely rasp of nylon, the welt with a keyhole in back, and of course, they have an authentic stitched seam and a cuban or french heel. Your garter belt must have stability to keep the seams straight; look for ones with six straps rather than four, one that is wide and sits firmly in place at the waist. Girdles and corsets accomplish this too. The stockings should frame the pelvis, not be too long, nor too short, but the top part of the stocking should rise to about mid-thigh. My signature stockings are made on the true vintage 1940s era mills, with every detail in place. Beware of faux seams and lycra! Welcome to the Cult of the Fully-fashioned Nylon Stocking! Accept nothing less!"

You can purchase Dita's authentic stockings at Secretsinlace.com here!

Weekly Expense Report : All About Hats!

I love buying hats. Wearing them is a different matter completely. So many great hats have been coming down the runway recently I decided to expand my collection this Fall. It rains in Ohio so I figured why not? On the next rainy day I'll be rocking my leopard trench and one of these babies instead of an umbrella. Though I do love a good umbrella...


New York &Company makes the perfect 1940s-inspired fedora with bow ($25). She dips down over one eye ever so perfectly and I look forward to tucking feathers, flowers, and scarves around that brim.


Boho is not a look I subscribe to but Gucci's Fall 2011 mobster chic collection changed my mind. New York & Company also makes an amazing plum floppy hat ($30) that I'm going to pair with fur-trimmed coats and cardigans for Fall/Winter. I also plan to fussy this up with flowers and vintage brooches.

How-to Trademark a Look

Image from Wheels & Doll Baby

What do people think of when they think of you? Call your mom on the phone and ask "When you think of me what am I wearing?" What looks get you the most compliments at work? What items do you pull out of your closet the most, the items you grab when you don't know what to wear?

Those things, girlfriend, are your signature look. (If the answer to these questions are an OSU sweatshirt and Old Navy jeans it is time to reassess who you are presenting to the world, but that is for another article.) A signature look can be a piece of clothing, a cosmetic flourish, or statement accessories. Your trademark should be carefully crafted to convey your personal style to the world. You want to speak to your trademark daily but avoid literal interpretations--wearing all-over pink every day is not the best idea. Identify several trademark looks and capitalize on those, do multiple interpretations. Feel free to carry that Hermes Birken or wear that Vivienne Westwood orb pendant until death to utilize your cost per wear on expensive items. Most importantly keep updating your trademark look, if your trademark Yves Klein blue pumps are looking well beyond help it is time to buy a new pair.

Most importantly make sure your signature pieces reflect who you to the outside world, once a signature look is created it is hard to break!

My answers to the above questions for the curious:

Mom - "Too much boob and uncomfortable shoes." Which is my Mom's way of saying cleavage and high heels. It's hard not to show too much boob when you have too much boob to begin with. I love that high heels are my trademark and I will begrudgingly admit that my boobs are also a trademark. Mr. Anachronistic Style was also helpful--"black dress or pencil skirt. And I always picture you with brown hair, the way it was when we met." I didn't correct him and let him know it was PINK when we first met!

Work - Pencil skirts in bright colors, jewel-toned shift dresses, scarves, combining unique colors together & my neon leopard ballet flats.

5-second Closet Grab - One of my LBDs or a pencil skirt and cropped sweater. I always throw on my pearls.

Signature style - Black dresses, colorful skirts, heels, and...cleavage.

Too Faced Holiday 2011

I love beautiful cosmetics more than the average girl, perfectly posh packaging is a bigger seller than the product inside sometimes. Too Faced is one of those brands that combines great products and lovely packaging. Regretfully I do not own as much of the brand as I would like but the Holiday collection will soon change that. I'm in love with the rococo frames and dream-like illustrations, I might have to buy every palette. The products inside promise to be as gorgeous as the fanciful casings.