thrifty.

all found in manhattan. many found yesterday, and a few found more than a few yesterdays ago (in other words, this past spring and summer). ***

love the colors in this, first and foremost. would liven up a plain white tee or blouse. vintage tooth necklace

vintage enamel earrings, which are broken. but no matter, i'll fix them up tout suite with some beads and jewelry findings already in my possession. :) enamel earrings

for some time, i've been admiring the retro simplicity of dance shoes, like capezio's, but hadn't yet gotten around to acquiring a pair. but yesterday the thrift gods delivered, and i found this hardly worn pair at my favorite goodwill on e. 23rd street. dance shoes

i'd suggest that about 1/2 of my jean wardrobe comes from thrift stores....and that's saying something, because jeans are pretty much the cornerstone of my wardrobe; my standard uniform.

this first pair of levi's was found earlier this spring at the salvation army on e. 23rd street. i'm particularly enamored with the slightly higher waist, the slimness of the leg, and the honest, broken-in quality of the denim. no fakey distressing, no ridiculously low waist that shows off your underwear. jeans like these are like a breath of fresh air after so many years of low, low, low and bellbottoms and bootcuts. just plain, straight jeans. vintage levi's jeans #2 i can be seen wearing them here, in one of my many wardrobe_remix shots.

this pair cracks me up. i love them because they are so crazy and highwaisted. found these yesterday. pete (the husband) hates them, but their extreme high-waistedness and tapered legs also seem fresh to me (though they are clearly from the 80s!). i swear i saw something like these in the latest issue of nylon (the denim issue!!), but i could be dreaming. i just have denim on the brain. 80s guess jeans

another pair of levi's similar to the first pair, but a little lighter. worn with some insane thrifted charles jourdan 4" heeled sandals that i teeter around in occasionally, found years and years ago in florida. vintage levi's jeans #1

*** plus a few more:

a faux snakeskin/alligator bag. i love it for it's tackiness! it transcends tacky for me and becomes sort of cool. under $10 for sure, from the salvation army in hell's kitchen, manhattan. 80s faux alligator & snakeskin bag

and some brooks brothers vintage flats. only $5! one was missing a tassel. no matter, i just ripped the remaining tassel off! i like them better this way...the tassels made them look very classic british aristocrat or uber-old-school prep, and that's not *me*. i'm considering fashioning some shoeclips to change their look. vintage brooks brother's flats

cogs of my style, part deux

as promised in my previous post on the cogs of my style, some bonus cogs! cogs of my style, part deux

1. my marc by marc jacobs trench. this was the one i was talking about in the previous post. i put it on penelope so that you could see it's details a bit better. i paid a decent amount of money for it, but in this case, i felt it was justified. it is something i rarely do when it comes to fashion items, and only when they are really special and something i know i'll wear again and again. this is, again, one of my favorite pieces in my closet. 2. my miss sixty skinny jeans. i bought these back when skinny jeans were ridiculously hard to find (as opposed to now, when they are finally everywhere!) back in summer/fall 2004, if i'm not mistaken. they are part of my personal "uniform" in the colder months. i wear them under skirts, dresses, with sweaters, blouses, everything. worth every single solitary cent of what i paid for them. they make me feel thin, aren't too low-waisted, the denim is of nice quality, and is stretchy and forgiving. 3. green lucite alexis bittar cocktail ring, giant brown glass & gold clip-ons, and gold bangle. i can always, always, always find an excuse to wear any of these. 4. black leather corset belt. this was a thrift store find from florida, before i moved to NYC, probably in 2002 or 2003. i wasn't sure about it at the time, but i have found it to be one of the accessories in my closet that seems to go with everything and that i have come to love unequivocally.

***

looking at these photos and my own personal wardrobe_remix set, i have noticed that yes, i do favor bright colors as a rule, BUT i also tone them down and mix them up with neutrals, like tan, brown and black, which i feel keeps things under control yet interesting. also, it's quite clear that my favorite items to wear tend to be ones i found secondhand, ones that i made, or special designer pieces. i like the idea of wearing something that cost me next to nothing, with something interesting that i paid a little more for. i've loved many of these pieces for years. additionally, if something is sort of trendy at the moment and i happen to like it, i often look for something that approximates it secondhand. most designers working today reference vintage items for inspiration, so if you like it, why not go straight to the source and cut out the overpriced middleman or middlewoman? :D

cogs of my style

i was inspired by a style bubble blog post to shed some light on the cogs of my personal style. in other words, show some of the essential pieces of my wardrobe that "i can't live without," that basically express my "trademark" style and personality. cogs of style

(click to see larger)

  1. my black rayon vera scarf and orange bakelite bangle. found at a going out of business sale at a vintage store in nyc's soho. probably cost less than $5 US. in the colder months i wear it nearly constantly. it's soft and drapey and works perfectly with everything. the bangle is from a now gone vintage jewelry store in nolita.
  2. patch-kneed levi's jeans. i found these in amsterdam last summer at a levi's store. the perfect straight legged stovepipe jean. i like the fact that they are patched (bought that way) and broken in but not scruffy.
  3. enameled metal earrings, and clip-ons. i have a huge collection of these (i've lost count!) and i wear them with everything. they can be found for a song at thrift stores everywhere. no one else seems to be buying them, or wearing them! i love that.
  4. dark brown vintage boots. perfect vintage boots found at the goodwill on e. 23rd street in manhattan.
  5. dear birthday's patchwork obi belt.
  6. tall orangey-brown vintage boots. i wear these and the dark brown boots constantly in the colder months. i am chomping at the bit to be able to wear them both again, though this pair is in dire need of repair and probably needs to be checked into the shoe hospital.
  7. black vintage cowboy boots. with suede butterflies! only $20 US.
  8. weird handmade knits. this represents the bright, bold, crazy knitwear i make and throw on with everything. i'd be swathed in such knits right now if the weather wasn't so damn hot. this particular piece is an example of some scrumble crochet i did a couple years ago.
  9. gold-tone octopus necklace. a christmas gift from my husband. there's something totally sexy and insane about this necklace. i love it.
  10. red-orange velour A.P.C. sweatshirt. my favorite color this past year. i try to wear this color as often as humanly possible.
  11. bruno magli gold peep-toe wedges. my favorite shoe shape.
  12. TN-29 green peeptoe pumps.
  13. diane von furstenberg wrap dress.
  14. gold elgin watch, gold beaded necklaces, and gold resin earrings, plus my wedding bands and engagement ring. pete inherited the gold elgin watch from his grandfather, who passed away last year. he doesn't wear watches, so i wear it with great love and reverence.
  15. patchwork needlepoint bag. one of the bestest thrifty finds, ever. found in florida.
  16. orange cowlneck tunic. made by me from orange thrifted sweatshirt fabric a couple years ago. LOVE.
  17. 70s red-orange tunic sweater. has fuchsia buttons, raglan short sleeves, and pockets. i wear this entirely too much. but i can't resist.
  18. rainbow necklace. bought on the street in soho NYC in 2003. if i could pick just one item that expresses who i am and my style in general, this would be it.
  19. patchwork skirt, and acid wash levi's jacket. the patchwork skirt was made by me, from a pattern i drafted myself, and is made from a thrifted patchwork wrap skirt. the little acid wash jacket is from a thrift down in florida, last winter. i am hopelessly addicted to that denim jacket...it's a boy's size, but it fits me perfectly through the arms and back. up there with the needlepoint bag as far as being one of my favorite finds ever.
  20. tan vintage heeled boots.
  21. worishofer slingback peeptoe wedges. my summer 2006 shoes. grandma chic.
  22. crazy patchwork skirt. made by me several years ago. bits of old fabric, buttons, crocheted doilies, ribbons, hand embroidery, vintage embroidered patches, etc.
  23. leather/snakeskin belt, and marc by marc jacobs gold leather tote. the snakeskin belt is from zachary's smile, a vintage store in manhattan, and the gold tote is really the bag of the year for me. kind of an expensive purchase, and i use it all the time because i love it, and also, HELLO, when i pay more for something, you bet your sweet bippy i'm going to use it until it disintegrates. :P

and there's also this marc by marc jacobs trenchcoat, which i don't seem to have a picture of myself in: it's from several seasons back (spring 2005). when the weather's cool, i can't seem to be separated from it. it's beige, it goes with everything. i put it on and instantly feel dressed. it's an awful photo, but it's got a drop waist, a rounded girlish collar, a full skirt, big gathered patch pockets, and a big sash belt that ties in a bow. made of the softest twill, and has bias bound seams inside. twee yet sophisticated. the perfect trench for *me*.

***

there are more things, of course, (i'm thinking of my favorite miss sixty skinny jeans, for starters!) but those are some of the major ones. i'll disclose and display a few more of my cogs down the road, perhaps later this week. perhaps i'll even get a better shot of that trench! :)