techno native american

Techo Native American is about the best way I can describe this bold and colorful dress, adorned with totem eagles, polka dots, and arrows. I have yet to see another dress like this. It's fun to wear too; I enjoy the swooshing sound it makes as I walk.

ok, friends, I'm headed out the door to take my little sis rollerskating at the rink, and then I've got a super early flight tomorrow, so, more soon.

Outfit: Vintage Maxi dress- (thrifted) storm blue Minnetonka moccasins (bought at a boutique in Bridgeport, CA), and 70s beaded earrings (thrifted)

byeee!

primo vintage Moschino

This absurd yet fabulous vintage Moschino Teddy Bear dress is on sale on ebay. Unfortunately, it's $2,975.00. An absurdist piece of art, but in the best way, like Erskine Caldwell's "God Little Acre" or Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." It will stand the test of time. This piece probably comes from A/W 1988/89, as that is when the teddy bear headpiece was created.


If you've got the funds, and have no qualms about spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothing, and are hopelessly devoted to vintage Moschino, you can buy this dress here. Just don't tell me, I'll die of jealousy.

Claire Inc is selling another stellar vintage Moschino piece on ebay - Vintage colorblock suede fringe jacket.


IT costs $576.44, but I put in my best offer of $200. I'm pretty certain that price is not gonna fly with Claire Inc. I'm a quite the fan of this ebay store. They have tons of vintage designer pieces, mostly from the 80s and 90s, and tons of vintage Moschino. I suggest visiting this store if you like 80s/90s vintage Norma Kamali, Kenzo, Sonia Rykiel, etc. They really have some good shit in their store. Do you think this little plug will get me the jacket for $200? haha.

So, dudes, I'm going to San Francisco tomorrow until Sunday to attend that Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park. If you've never heard of this event before, it's a free 3-day music festival, paid for by billionaire philanthropist, Warren Hellman, with some of my favorite artists performing. I am most excited to see Bonnie Prince Billy and Patti Smith!!!! But there are so many, many artists that I'm overjoyed to see perform, some for the first time, others I've seen many times. Plus, I love to visit San Francisco whenever I get the chance. If you're in the area, I suggest you attend this event, and please say hello too. I'll share some of my whisky with you. I'm pretty happy with my wardrobe choices for this event. I wanted to pack really light, so I'll be wearing the same pair of shoes for the whole weekend (this is a first!). Sunday, I'm going to top off the event, by wearing the beautiful 1930s dandelion seed dress that I bought from Clever Nettle. Patti Smith will be performing Sunday, and I reckon she'd be fond of this dress too.

I'm going to try and post pictures of today's outfit later on. But if I don't get around to it, I just want to say, thanks for reading my blog, and have a great weekend.

color coordinated for stress reduction

I was totally stressed out last week, anxious about the closing of my mother’s estate, and decided I would feel more calm if my books were color coordinated. Here is the fruit of my twisted logic:









My books seem to pop more now, making it easier find a book to compliment my mood. This room serves as a library, sewing, and wardrobe room. It’s pretty much my own room, though Pete likes to lounge on the fainting couch and read when the room is tidy. Most of the time, the room is chaos -- filled with piles of clothes, left over from dress-up or waiting to be sewn. Right now, it’s super clean and I am enjoying it!

I haven’t been taking too many outfit photos because the light is nearly gone by the time I get home from work. Here is a neat, very Fall, outfit I wore the other day. Unfortunately, it’s not the best picture.


Outfit: Vintage 60s/70s sienna coat, (thrifted)80s safari bubble hem romper (Imonni Vintage in Long Beach, a long time ago).

happy cake and pussy hair

Summer has finally arrived in Southern California. It was 100 degrees this weekend, so I made Happy Cake with my best gal and fellow idealist, Mikey. Happy Cake is a refreshing & decadent layered dessert that I make for different celebrations; it’s basically the only thing I know how to make. (Pete and I are a pair of bachelors). It’s a white cake, layered with vanilla pudding & coolwhip, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and a few peach slices. I am rarely in the kitchen. At one point, Mikey asked "Don't you have any aprons," which reminded me of my growing vintage apron collection. I've never really used them, but I will from here on out. They're super convenient - I can wipe my grimy hands all over em" and put my cigs in the pockets. How novel!





This weekend was also Long Beach Motorama. Pete entered his 1958 Chevy Pick-up (800 vintage car enthusiasts & builders applied to showcase their cars in this highly elite competition, and only 100 were chosen.) He won 1st place in his class -- “Radical Custom Pickup.” I’m so proud of him and so are all of his family & friends! My boyfriend is so talented (he did all the work on his 58") yet remains totally humble. Friends & family celebrated by drinking tons of whisky. (Well, I suppose we would have done that anyway).


Pete lined the back of his truck with pussy hair (no finger wagging; that’s what it’s called) for a nostalgic touch.


Outfit: vintage apron, 80s/90s bandage dress

John & Mary: Fall inspiration

Mia Farrow is so dang adorable in "John & Mary", a 1969 movie, co-starring Dustin Hoffman. The characters meet at a single bar, have sex, and spend the next day getting to know each other. Mia Farrow's outfits are perfect for Fall. Dig it:





I meant to post more content today, but I guess I didn't upload everything to Flickr. oh well, more later!

Hallelujah!

My mother had just bought a baby blue 1960s Nova with splotches of primer - the perfect patina, not for the hip factor, but because it was cheap - $600. My brother was 5 years old, and my mother was taking him to his first day of kindergarten in the new vintage Nova. She was raising her voice to the Lord in song, her hands placed firmly at the 10 and 2. Josh was holding tightly to his new Care Bears metal lunchbox. He was filled with wonder and excitement for his first day of kindergarten. While on the freeway, the Nova went crazy, erratically sweeping across the lanes, and finally flipping over 2x, before landing on its backside like an overturned turtle. It all happened so fast, but everyone was fine. My brother hung upside down, held in place by his seatbelt, eyes wide open, heart beating fast. My mother instantly undid her seatbelt & my brother's, and they climbed out the windows. Feet planted on the asphalt, she lifted her hands to the sky, and exclaimed "Hallelujah!"

Hallelujah! It runs through my head today like a paean, for today, approximately 4 years since my mother's death, I can finally share her hard earned money with her children -- her Estate is closed! As personal representative to my mother's estate, it's been a hard road, filled with court filings, obstacles, bureaucracy - a real test of my strength at every turn. Probate is a bitch! But it's all done, and now I can focus on the memory of my dear, zany, fearless mother.




I wear my African shirt for you today, mom. Africa -- the land that you loved, when you were young and vibrant, guided by love, empathy, and altruism. In the Mission Field, in the heat of Africa, a beautiful Chinese Canadian with long black hair, outside your hut, in the schoolhouses where you taught the children English, on the land that you worked, amongst the people that you prayed for. You are in Africa, you are in Russia, you are in China, you are in Canada - a child overlooking the Detroit River from your house on Riverside Dr, you are in heaven, you are always in my heart.

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race. ~H. G. Wells

I’ve had such a fun weekend, including my first trip to Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, Musso & Frank’s, with Elliott and Snide (Judy Gloom), Dee-Dee Ramone art exhibit with Pete, Long Beach Flea Market, my niece’s ballet, and I spent most of Sunday redecorating & cleaning the house (I still have loads to do).

Also, my bike got a full make-over. I just got it back from Elliott, who cleaned, tuned, and styled it. (Thanks a lot, bro) Pete had taken it to get powder coated beforehand. (Thanks, Petey) It looks just as I imagined it would. I’m so excited to go for a long ride, though I’ll have to wear bicycling shorts, because the new Brook’s saddle makes my crotch go numb. It’s been such a long time since I’ve gone on a proper biking adventure!

Outfit: what I think is a 50s dress, though I have some doubts, because the print is a little dark for the 50s. gray wool boyfriend blazer from the 90s, I reckon. 90s ankle boots. (everything thrifted)

I hope ya’ll had a great weekend!

tangerine dreams in little Tokyo

Just a little something I wore to work on Thursday. I love the length of this skirt - it’s modest & sexy simultaneously. If I were to imagine a story based on this outfit, it’d go a little something like this: Tired of convent life, young gal leaves the nunnery for the City of Angels (LA). Left with nothing but a simple cross necklace, she heads to the thrift store for some bright clothing, and ends up looking like a librarian that’ll cut you if you mess.

Outfit: Vintage 90s checkered (hard to see) skirt, 60s sweater, vintage oxfords (all thrifted)

if you want sing out, sing out.

Outfit # 1: 70s pleated lavender tent dress, nude 80s boots, cross necklace, and 80s hat (everything thrifted but the necklace)




Outfit # 2: 90s vest dress(thrifted), mohair 60s sweater (hand me down from Elliott), vintage bowler Hat (Sir Wickett’s, Orange Circle), 60s mohair blanket (thrifted).





images from Fashion Gone Rogue
photos by me, Tor Saharopulos, and Pete

just kids

When I can get my ass out of bed just 10 minutes earlier, I take the Metro train to work, which makes me happier throughout the day because instead of sitting in traffic in the morning, I listen to my Ipod and read. Today I took the train and immersed myself in Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, and her pre-rock star, poverty ridden, artistic beginnings in late 1960's/1970s New York. Patti Smith has been a long-time hero of mine, and I am happy to find in reading her book that we are similar in many regards – hyper fast metabolisms, which force us to eat constantly; love for French culture including an appreciation for Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Yves Montand, and french new wave film; using our outfits as a way to pay homage to our favorite movies, artists, etc.; going to the thrift stores to find aforementioned outfits; being mistaken for the opposite sex (though that never happens to me nowadays). Her funniest anecdote is her first encounter with Allen Ginsberg, who bought her a sandwich and coffee because he mistook her for a pretty boy. I instantly remembered my 10 year old self being mistaken for a boy by my dad’s friend. I was mortified. I was such a tomboy then, and I believe I still am in many ways, though I wear lots of dresses. I also learned in reading “Just Kids” that Patti Smith loved to wear a long black sweater, black tights, and black Capezios, influenced by Audrey Hepburn’s signature outfit in “Funny Face”. I am, likewise, influenced by this film in that I wish to replicate Audrey’s famous “Basal Metabolism” dance, set in a darkly lit beatnik bar.

Clothing plays a big role in Patti Smith's personal expression. Now when I dance to “Ask the Angels” from “Radio Ethiopia”, I will envision Patti Smith flitting across my living room in a blue rayon polka dot “East of Eden” dress.

Oh ya – her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe is pretty touching too.

Thank you, Judy Gloom, for letting me borrow this book. I'm in love, and don't worry I haven't scribbled notes all over your book, a.k.a made love in the margins.


All photos taken from "Just Kids"

Fall Inspiration

Perhaps the only thing I like about Fall is dressing up. I will finally get to break out all my vintage turtlenecks, sweater dresses, boyfriend jackets, over-sized chunky sweaters, long skirts & dresses, scarfs, boots, and tights. Plus, I can wear vintage mohair, menswear, and layers of patterns. It'll also be nice to have some calming Fall colors added to my wardrobe. I am still not delighted by Fall's hasty take-over of Summer, but what can I do.

I am most in love with the first & last pictures from Vogue 1981, styled by Grace Coddington - so simple, yet brilliant. (Originally posted by Nibs Blog) The striped jumpsuit in Fall colors is a vision; I hope I find something like it at the thrift stores.

Oh ya – I’ll be adding some Fall goodies to the shop very soon!

Sources: Fashion Gone Rogue, the Kate Moss Book, Nibs Blog