They say you never forget your first poncho. This is mine, and it was love at first sight. I spotted it from across a crowded field on a hot, muggy day of the most recent Brimfield Antique Market. As it was August, the last thing I wanted to touch was a heavy wool item, but I couldn’t resist the beautiful colors, and I knew my future self would thank me come winter. Man was I right! Wearing this is like hanging out inside a hug. And I always get smiles and winks from the people I pass. Based on this blog post title, which was suggested by my Studiomates, I gather my poncho makes me look like a Technicolor version of Clint Eastwood. Hey, I’m cool with that.
- folk-artsy hat - $20 Carousel Antiques, Hudson NY
- rainbow poncho - $20* Brimfield Antiques Market, Brimfield MA
- color wheel pendant necklace** - gift from Maria
- printed canvas vest - $7 East Village Buffalo Exchange
- striped shirt - $8 East Village Buffalo Exchange
- teal britches*** - $3 St Matthews Goodwill, Louisville KY
- bright green belt - $2 Fulton Mall Goodwill, Brooklyn NY
- red roper boots - $12 Repeat Street Revolution, Starkville MS
- TOTAL - $72
there’s more...
I had so much fun in this outfit when I wore it to the AIGA/NY Winter Bash that I decided to wear it again to celebrate New Year’s Eve!
I believe I was officially the sparkliest person in my hometown of Starkville, Mississippi on this particular evening, and while my outfit may have temporarily blinded some unsuspecting party-goers, it was really my insides that felt like they’d been coated with glitter. Surrounded by my mom, stepdad, sister, brother-in-law, three of my best friends since childhood and their fellas (one all the way from where he’s currently stationed in South Korea), I spent the evening beaming. It was a pretty decent way to start 2012, which I predict will go down in the books as “The Year of The Sparkle.”
- green sequin shirt - $55 (+$9 shipping) Etsy: BambieJonesVintage
- pink tule skirt - $18 East Village Buffalo Exchange
- embellishments - $12 Guvnor’s and Downtown Brooklyn Goodwill
- red tights and silver Rockette shoes - in my closet 5+ years
- TOTAL - $94
there’s more...
As I work my way toward this Winter’s wardrobe, I’m finding myself drawn to chunky textures, like the embroidery on this felted vest. Also in this category, I’ve picked up a pair of multi-colored woven trousers (dubbed “serious pants” by my Studiomate Rob), some thick wooly sweaters, and a truly MAGICAL poncho that I have not been able to stop wearing (it’s like walking around inside a hug).
I like this textural look because A.) it suits the chilly weather and B.) something about the irregularities of these handmade textures has me resembling a high school art teacher from the 70s, which of course I REALLY dig.
- embroidered vest - $20, Olive’s Very Vintage, Brooklyn NY
- ruffled dress with shell - $9, Downtown Brooklyn Goodwill
- red beads - $2 Brimfield Antiques Market
- red tights - $10, The Sock Man on St. Marks
- lucky cowboy boots - $40, Brooklyn Flea
- TOTAL - $81
there’s more...
Almost as if someone flipped a switch, Brooklyn woke up this past Friday to fall! I decided to celebrate with a BIG splash of color.
- striped satin dress - $24, Sweet Lorain in Cleveland
- purple cropped jacket - $13, East Village Buffalo Exchange
- purple belt - $4, My Sisters’ Closet in Minneapolis
- orange metal flower broach - $10, The Sundial of Starkville, MS
- buckle pumps - $25, Alameda Swap Meet
- TOTAL - $76
The story behind the stripes…
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After the craziness of what was South By Southwest, I’m back to publishing my Week’s Worth of Undies outfits…
While at TEDActive, wearing only what I found in Palm Springs thrift stores, a fellow attendee asked…
Is this your style or is this what you happened to find here?
Kinda both. We all know no matter where I am I’d dress colorfully, so I’d say 70% of what I ended up wearing could have been the same if I’d been home in Brooklyn. But it was the other 30% that really got me excited: pastel hues and floral prints I might not normally wear, tons of “leisure wear” (hello elastic waistbands and oversized casual blazers), and the mother load of tennis skirts! While I decided to forego anything short and pleated, I did work hard to integrate what I decided to call mature-lady-in-a-western-oasis authenticity into my outfits.
Nothing-New Insight #4
Embrace your inner child! Sometimes people tell me I look like I’m playing dress up, or that I remind them of their seven-year-old. I smile and say thank you. There’s lots of evidence to support the position that maintaing a childlike perspective is a key to creative thinking.
- red cowboy hat - $3 Palm Desert As Good As New
- floral blouse - $6 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- iridescent sequin tank - $5 Palm Desert Revivals
- magenta blazer - $6 Palm Desert Revivals
- green jeans - $8 Rancho Mirage Collector’s Corner
- brown riding boots - $10 Rancho Mirage Collector’s Corner
- TOTAL - $38
there’s more...
When I saw this dress, I knew I had to try it on. Since I’d never come across anything quite like it, I owed it to the thrift gods to give it a shot. To my shock, this became one of my favorite pieces of the entire week. I mean, what exactly is going on here? One part circus, one part artist’s studio, all parts nuts. All I know for sure is it’s a standout, and it was half price (originally marked $20, I got it for $10).
Nothing-New Insight #3
Fitting in is overrated. I spent a whole lot of my life trying to fit in and somehow be myself. JUST BE WHO YOU ARE. If you’re surrounding yourself with the right people, they’ll not only get it, they’ll support and appreciate it.
- red and silver scarf - $1 Palm Desert Revivals
- multi-colored dress - $10 Palm Springs Angel View Thrift
- cowboy boots - $19 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- TOTAL - $30
there’s more...
I’ve always had a secret thing for smocks and smock-like clothing because it seems like the exact thing my 1970’s-high-school-art-teacher alter-ego would have gone nuts over. This smockish jacket selected for the second day of my Week’s Worth of Undies Project is handmade from a kitschy floral fabric and sports adorably mismatched buttons. Underneath I’ve got a shear, pleated, bright yellow blouse with button details and red pleated slacks. The slacks were missing their button, and while I could have sewn another on, it turned out faster to simply add a skinny red belt with a majestic little pony.
Nothing-New Insight #2
Color is powerful. It’s almost physiologically impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re wearing bright red pants. If you’re happy, you’ll attract other happy people to you. When you’re surrounded by happy people, life gets pretty fun.
- floral smock - $6 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- yellow pleated blouse - $6 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- multi-colored bracelets - $3 Palm Desert Revivals
- red horse-buckle belt - $3 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- red slacks - $3 Palm Desert As Good As New
- cowboy boots - $19 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- TOTAL - $40
there’s more...
Here’s what I wore to kick off TED Palm Springs Week’s Worth of Undies Project. I loved wearing this gold sequin skirt because so many wonderful people stopped me to comment on it!
For the TEDYou Talk I gave, I paired each day’s outfit with an important life lesson I wouldn’t have learned if not for this crazy nothing-new adventure I’ve embarked on. So here goes the first…
Nothing-New Insight #1
You do NOT have to spend a lot to look great. You can always look amazing for under $100, and you can almost always look amazing for under $50. At $55, this was my most expensive outfit of the week.
- red jacket - $12 Palm Desert Revivals Thrift
- red disk necklace - $2 Cathedral City Angel View Thrift
- yellow and black blouse - $8 Palm Springs Angel View Thrift
- sequin skirt - $10 Palm Desert Angel View Thrift
- cowboy boots - $19 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- TOTAL $55 with jacket, $43 without
there’s more...
It’s finally here! Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m wrapping up this week of red and pink with a color blast from the past. I can only imagine the fun this dress has seen since it left the rack for the first time in what I’m going to guess was 1986.
But the fun doesn’t end here; this dress is about to hit the road! Proudly presenting Lucky So and So’s first ever (drumroll please)...
Do you have a special occasion, dance party or walk in the the park coming up that’s crying out for some pink ruffley goodness? Share your idea for the dress and become one of its next wearers!
Here’s how I think it will go down: I’ll chose three people whose ideas for the dress I like, and they will in turn send me their mailing addresses. I’ll send the dress to the first person on the list who will wear it, document it, dryclean it and then be responsible for shipping it to the next person on the list. Kind of like clothing chain mail… or Netflix for dresses? I’m really into collaborative consumption, and I’ve been searching for some way to creatively lessen my closet’s load. So let’s see how it goes! Ideas will be selected based on creativity and whimsy and may involve a guest judge. To be considered, submit your idea as a comment to this post by Thursday, February 17.
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There was a lot to take care of in a weekend! Errands to run, work to catch up on, thrift stores, friends and art galleries to visit. For me, perfect weekend outfits mean comfort; shoes I can run in; plenty of pockets to stuff lip balm, receipts and cookies in; and color, lots and lots of color. This weekend’s color is in keeping with my theme for the week.
- magenta cotton dress - $6 Manhattan’s 23rd Street Salvation Army
- red tie belt - free (because vendor liked me!) Alameda Swap Meet
- red cotton tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- heart-pattern Vans slip ons - $13 East Village Buffalo Exchange
- maroon corduroy jacket - $20 Brooklyn Flea
- TOTAL - $49 with jacket, $29 without
there’s more...
