Modern Women in Retro Dresses

I've been watching a whole lot of Mad Men lately (amazing show, on AMC, second season starts July 27th!), and it's making me wish I could dress like those women all the time. I mean, how gorgeous is this dress on Betty (the blonde)? That blue sash, that full skirt, that cone bra! I want one to wear to class or the grocery store or what have you. Also, on a side note, the woman on left used to be married to George Clooney! She was once the luckiest woman in the world, and now she's the woman who ruined Clooney for everyone else, since he swore off marriage after their divorce. And she's also married to John Slattery now, who is a silver fox of a slightly lesser quality than Clooney.

Anyway, the show has inspired me to hunt around for some old-fashioned style dresses. I'm not too picky about the era-- I just want to look like I've stepped out of a time machine.

Ben Sherman is celebrating some sort of anniversary, so to celebrate they're selling a dress designed in the last five decades (or something-- I think I deleted the email with all the details). Some of the dresses are fug, but I love the Didi dress, $299. I believe that this dress is supposed to be from the eighties, but it seems way more 40's, screwball comedy, His Girl Friday. The houndstooth skirt is a classic touch, and the tucked in shirt plus pleating will make your waist look tiny. I want to wear this with some badass pointy-toed pumps, and then go in and demand a raise (... at my unpaid internship), because I'm worth it, dammit.

Also from Ben Sherman, the Dunnaway Dress, $94.99, has a fun sixties vibe that I adore. The length and cut is very mod-- if you really wanted to go with the theme, you could rock some go-go boots. But it doesn't have to be costume-y; the grey fabric is more modern, plus it counteracts the sweetness of the plaid bow.

So I recently discovered the site Blue Velvet Vintage, which sells both authentic vintage and vintage-inspired reproductions. Remember Blair's perfect blue sailor dress she wore in the Gossip Girl finale? It's from Blue Velvet.

I think this black and white floral sundress, $119.99, looks like it could be straight out of Betty Draper's closet. I can see her wearing this to a dinner party with her husband's boss, or to her psychiatrist's office, or while trimming the roses... everywhere. I think my favorite thing about these retro-style dresses is their emphasis on the waist. I'm a firm believer that under no circumstances would your waist be obscured, especially if you have the curves to really create an hourglass silhouette. The dress in this photo has a petticoat underneath-- I mean, talk about creating an eye-catching shape. But the overall look of the dress is so classic that I don't think a petticoat would leave you feeling like an extra from Gone with the Wind. The red sash with that swirling pattern? It doesn't get any better than that.

Gossip Girl Returns!

It's been so long since there's been a new Gossip Girl episode that I can hardly remember: is this the show with the fugly cast wearing full-length prairie dresses and unibrows? Or is this the show with the ridiculously hot cast wearing tights and headbands and plaid skirts?
Ah, yes. Now I remember.

So in honor of the triumphant return of Blair and Serena, I thought I'd do a post of my favorite outfits thus far. I already wrote about a bunch, so click on the Gossip Girl tag at the bottom of this post if you want to revisit Serena's leather jackets, Blair's slip, and a few more.

Let's start with Serena, the "I rolled out of bed five minutes ago and threw this on and I look amazing, but you can't hate me because you're shocked into silence by the glory of my hair" sort of girl. She always manages to make her private school uniform casual, comfortable, yet totally hot. These over-the-knee gray suede boots, which I believe are from Chinese Laundry, deftly avoid the "Pretty Woman" association and seem totally appropriate for a young woman.

I could make a "Kate Moss called, she wants her style back" joke, but that's a lame joke and Serena is rocking this sequin minidress, by Tori Burch, as hard as any supermodel. No man stands a chance against Serena in this dress.

She's like a fricking wood nymph goddess creature, right? This dress could be too "I sell jewelry in New Mexico," but on Serena it's the perfect choice for the girl who has to attend an Upper East Side brunch, but isn't going to like it.




Now here's a few photos of Serena and Blair together. I love seeing them side-by-side to see how perfectly each's style fits their personality. I love the cityscape on the bottom of Serena's Vena Cava dress, and Blair's Lorick (the designer behind all the fake Eleanor Waldorf clothes) dress is so classy yet fun with the navy on yellow fabric. In case you're wondering, in this photo they're pretending to be tigers. Roar.





After that photo shoot goes awry, Blair and Serena have their own with more Lorick dresses. The belts around the waist, a little higher than the back of the dress so it lies on the skin, are the exact right touch to make these (probably tough to wear) dresses work. Also, I love this scene because it really fits the Blair/Serena friendship that was shown in the books; how, when they were getting along, they were in their own little world of adventure and fun and no consequences.

I know that the degree of freedom these girls have in their school uniforms is totally unrealistic, but that doesn't mean I can't wish I went to private school so I could wear Serena's Nanette Lepore cardigan or Blair's hilarious- yet-awesome bright red tights. I know that in real life I would wear neither over-the-knee socks or tights under formal shorts, but these girls are completely pulling off their respective outfits.

Serena hears "shopping in SoHo" and thinks jeans, tank, and whatever accessories are on top of her dresser. Blair hears the same and spends 2 hours deciding which shade of black tights best matches her dress, and wondering if the white headband and oxfords would be too much (and eventually deciding that no, they're just enough). And this is why I adore Blair.


She's even fierce when she's hanging around the house in her delicates! I would kill for this lingerie set, and to be as confident as she is wearing it.

Here's another example of what Blair considers casual wear. This Stetis dress (is it a romper? It might, but I'll let it slide) is deliciously over the top for a sleepover, with the cascading ruffles tiers. And instead of going simple to let the dress hog the spotlight, Blair piles on some chunky black necklaces and makes her outfit that much more interesting.

Here's a classic Blair take on UES school girl, with the vest, button down and skirt. It's both perfectly proper and "I will fuck you up if you step out of line." Again, why I love Blair.

Back at school, Blair does argyle in a totally different way. A Lamb cardigan with a sequined argyle pattern down the front and the sleeves? I love it! It's such a funky take on what can be a staid pattern. Plus, the ruffled shirt layered underneath counteracts the glitter and makes a bit "hot librarian."

I love this outfit because I see it and think, "I could put that together and pull that off." So, no, it's not the most off-the-radar fabulous outfit Blair's ever worn, but it is very classic and I adore that plaid Fremont coat.







This might be my favorite Blair fashion moment. It's Thanksgiving, and Blair goes all out with a Marc Jacobs dress, Trina Turk capelet, and Wolford tights. She looks like the most exquisite little doll, so pretty I can barely stand it. You go, baby vamp!




Gossip Girl returns tonight on the CW at 8pm Eastern. I can't wait to tune in and see what these crazy bitches are wearing now. If I missed any of your favorite outfits, or if you want to yell at me for giving no love to Jenny, that's what the comments are for. And if you want more GG fashion, the Gossip Girl Style livejournal community and this InStyle photo gallery are good places to start. You know you love me, XOXO.

Things I Want

Today I was telling Danielle how my laundry basket is overflowing so I should probably wash my clothes, but it's really hard to motivate myself to do so when I have about a week's worth of socks and underwear left, two weeks worth of pants, skirts and dresses, and 3 months worth of tops. She said, "Maybe you should stop shopping," and I was like, "No, that's not the answer. I just need to invest in a bigger laundry basket."

Here are some things I want, in order of "Least likely to actually buy" to "Most likely to actually buy."

Velvet Amaria Lace Dress, $242. Lace will always be sexy for the "I'm covered up, but you can see my skin!" contradiction it creates. And white lace is so sweet and virginal that it's extra sexy when you wear it as a minidress. Bonus points for being very similar to a classic Blair Waldorf outfit, too.

Whoa, I started writing this post, went out to dinner, then came back to find that this dress is now out of stock at Shopbop. You can buy it at Revolve Clothing, but the model in the photo is making the dress look kind of like a particularly dowdy doily, which is not good. But it's also available in black, there, so that's good.


I've been salivating over this Alice + Olivia One Shoulder Dress, $367, for weeks. I'm a sucker for the Grecian Goddess look in all shapes and forms, it's true. I'm a bit worried that it's too short-- you could practically wear it as a tunic. But the one time where being so short comes in handy is with dresses that border being inappropriately short, since they'll hit a little closer to the knee on my body than on any model's.

One of the Lucky Magazine blogs alerted me to this vintage store, Mama Store Vintage, on Ebay, which currently has this fantastic dress for sale. Again with the Grecian, I know. I love the huge waist band of beads-- I would feel like a prize-winning heavyweight boxer, with those giant championship belts or whatever. I also think the fabric and cut would make it super flattering and comfortable. The price is currently $20.50, but with 9 bids already and 4 days to go, I'm keeping my hopes low for actually getting this dress.

I originally saw this Steve Madden Luvvy mary jane pump on Piperlime, but when it sold out I thought I was out of luck. But Google Shopping, master of the internet, showed me otherwise! But it ended up being a sort of Pandora's box, because it turns out this shoe is available in a bunch of other colors, fabrics and prints, at all different prices. Too many options! I was in love with the pinstripe, but when I saw the black or red patent, brown, grey, black or wine suede, and black with white polka dots, I was overwhelmed by the cuteness and unable to make a choice. But I think this is one of those situations like when you're taking a multiple choice test and choose answer A, but then when you look over your answers you think, "Wait, maybe it's B..." and spend 10 minutes trying to decide before finally selecting B as your answer. And then, of course, when you get the test back the right answer is A and you're like, "Aw, man, I should have gone with my first instinct." We've all been there, right? But I found a pair in my size on Ebay, and no one's made a bid yet, and I'm not even going to link to it because I do not trust you weaselly little bitches. (Just kidding-- of the people I know for a fact will read this, I'm pretty sure none of you wear my shoe size.) Oh, and did you notice how the strap can convert from a mary-jane to a heel accent? I think that's genius.

Shopping Hodgepodge

Just yesterday I thought to myself, "I really shouldn't be doing any more shopping for a while." But then I walked by the kitchenware store Broadway Panhandler and saw, in the window, this dish towel with a photo of some 50's housewives and the text, "You mean shopping for more useless crap isn't the meaning of life?" And that was enough to convince me to keep spending money I don't have on things I don't need. Yay!

Incidentally, what do you guys think of that category of Retro Bitch kitschy stuff, like coasters and aprons and post-its and whatnot? Sometimes I think they're cute, but a part of me thinks it's trying so hard to be subversive that they're lame. They're not as bad as those t-shirts that say something like, "Mrs. Pitt" or whatever, but they're in the same general category of ickiness.
But anyway, the dish towel convinced me to keep buying things in order to find inner happiness. Danielle and I went to the flea market on Greenwich Avenue in the West Village, recently mentioned in the NYTimes. Since it just opened for the season a week or two ago, and we went pretty early in the morning, there weren't a ton of vendors there. But there was a guy selling rings with typewriter keys and earrings with Scrabble tiles, plus a really sweet old pocket watch that I might have been tempted to buy if it actually kept time. There was also a Polish woman selling vintage jewelry who told us about fifty times that the gemstones were from Italy, and Danielle got a sweet cocktail ring with an amber stone. But the best stand belonged to this woman selling delicate, understated gold and silver jewelry. I should have gotten her name, but if you go, look for a middle-aged Black woman selling gorgeous jewelry at really good prices, with a sign that says "Ask prices! Tags equal ugly jewelry." I got a bracelet with little silver ball beads strung unto about a dozen silver chains all twisted together. It kind of reminds me of tinsel, but not in a tacky way. I'm very excited to wear it, although it's sort of a bitch to try and put it on by myself. That's why I need a roommate, for help fastening bracelets and doing zippers.

After exhausting the flea markets stands (I think we'll go back in a month or so, and I'll try and remember to take photos), we split up and I headed back home. But I couldn't resist stopping into Banana Republic, especially since they had those giant "SALE!" signs up in the windows. But really, there wasn't that much stuff on sale. Working retail, I learned that the clothes on the designated sale wall aren't necessarily more discounted than clothes elsewhere, they just don't fit into anywhere else, and the sale window displays are more about not having displays relating to the new merchandise than anything inside the store. But anyway, I went inside and was browsing without any intention of buying, or even trying things on. But then I saw this cotton short trench coat, except electric blue instead of green and on sale instead of $148. I'm on a quest for a fun spring coat, but this wasn't quite it. There was something odd happening the shoulders and neck, so I couldn't buy it. But once I decided to try it on, that gave me leave to go grab a bunch of other things to try on, just to justify taking my clothes off. Although, I guess you could argue that I didn't need to take many pieces of clothing off to try on a coat, but... whatever. I tried on this long-sleeve sweetheart neckline top, $14.99, which is about the same color as the jacket. This is a cute top, and I was really close to buying it, but at the last second I stopped and thought, "this is going to be one of those tops that hangs in my closets for months at a time, and I'll see it and think, 'this is cute, I should wear it more often,' but then not actually ever wear it." So good for me for having the foresight to not buy something I'll like but not love.

I also tried on this golden cap-sleeve silk dress, $109.99, which I believe I included in my post about yellow. I especially wanted to try it on because Blake Lively is wearing it in last month's issue of Vogue, although you can't really see it in the photo. Also, has anyone else noticed how, outside of Gossip Girl, Blake Lively is just as hot as Serena but Leighton Meester isn't nearly as hot as Blair? I mean, she's still a totally cute girl, but she's lacking that special quality that makes Blair the center of every scene. Maybe it's the hair? Although, Leighton's t-strap shoes in this photo are the hottest of the hot.

So anyway, the dress, which really should come with the belt but unfortunately doesn't. It's a good dress, but not perfect. First, the fabric seemed a little worn, and there were little runs in the silk in the skirt. Sure, I bet a ton of people have tried on this one dress in the last two months, but it should be able to hold up a little better. And second, there was something weird going on with the back, where if I stood up straight with my shoulders back the fabric would gap out, like they made it half an inch too broad. It was very odd. I might be tempted to buy it if it gets more deeply discounted, but until it's under a hundred I just can't.

So BR was a bust in the clothing department, but I did get a sweet bracelet. I like the cuff shape because it's way easier to get on, plus I have relatively big wrists so it fits nicely and won't fall off. It's pretty different from all my other jewelry, but it's such a statement piece that trying to match it with earrings or a necklace is unnecessary. It's enough jewelry for a whole outfit. I also like that it's thick enough to cover up the red string I have tied around my left wrist and I never take off because I know it'll never go back on. Anyway, this bracelet is $35.99 in stores, but no longer available online. Sorry for the amateur photography in this post, by the way. I now have a whole new respect for jewelry photographers, because trying to figure out how to get enough light without causing a glare is tough.

So my last stop on yesterday's mini-shopping tour was Payless Shoes, which can be so hit or miss that I don't stop there that often. But I'm glad I did yesterday, because the second I saw the Anatole Pump by Lela Rose, $27.99, I knew I was going to buy it. You could wear these shoes just about anywhere: the office, to go out, even to class up a pair of jeans. It's a totally timeless shape, and the polka dot prints gives it a little bit of whimsy. Now that I have these shoes I'll have no excuse to wear flats (although, last night I did a lot of walking in heels and I got this really gross blood blister on the ball of my left foot, so that's maybe a really good excuse to wear flats. Was this an overshare? Are you totally grossed out? Just be glad I didn't take a photo and post it, because I was really tempted).

I didn't buy these Captain Boat Mocs, $16.99, but I was horribly tempted. They obviously fit with my fantasy always-on-a-yacht style, and could be cute summer shoes when my pedicure is looking a bit too worn for flip flops. But I just couldn't convince myself that I wouldn't look at these in three months and think, "Why in the world did I buy these stupid shoes?" If they were real leather (and still miraculously $16.99), I might have been more willing to give them a chance, but for now I'm saying no.

Leather Jackets

So spring might not seem like the most obvious time to be wearing a leather jacket. But that's exactly why you should! On those days when there's still a bit of a chill in the air, or the nights when you need a little extra warmth over your little spring dress, a leather jacket will keep you just warm enough. And you'll look like a bad ass!

In the past, I haven't bought a leather jacket because I was too scared I couldn't pull it off. I'm a bit of a Bambi, so I thought there was a big chance that wearing leather would make me look like this. But then the combined good influences of my roommate in Prague and Gossip Girl convinced me otherwise. From the first five minutes of the GG pilot, I wanted to find my own vintage tan leather jacket (and not only so I can recreate this outfit and go as Serena for Halloween). And then how awesome is this leather jacket? I covet it beyond all belief, and when this episode airs (this is a promo pic for a future ep) someone better tell me where it's from. See the buckle in front at her waist? Perfect.


Also, am I the only one who wishes she had to wear a school uniform so she could copy Serena's plaid skirts and loose ties? And those of you who had to wear uniforms, don't burst my bubble with reality by saying that you could never get away with Serena's outfits at their school.

I think this Short Trench by Guess, $179, could maybe find its way into Serena's wardrobe. Great color, fun buttons, and I love the buckles at the wrists. On the other hand, I find that coats with belts are hard to wear open, because the belt kind of falls all over the place and looks sloppy. And for spring, you gotta wear your jacket open so as to better show off what you're wearing underneath.



This Scuba Jacket, also by Guess and $179, would be great for that. I like how non-butch this jacket is, with the deep brown color and vertical seams. And it's nice and fitted so you won't get lost in it.


Speaking of feminine, this Generra Cropped Leather Jacket, way out of my price range at $695, makes leather sweet enough for lunch with your mom. Also, have I talked about how I have severe issues with this particular ShopBop model? She has such fantastic hair, but such an awful bitchface! I'm equally drawn and repelled by every thing she models.







Let's talk about price. Leather is expensive, because cows are so rare and so highly valued in our society. You're lucky to find a cute jacket under $100, and I definitely found more jackets costing a month's rent (in some town other than Manhattan). But here's a pretty cute Short Zipper Jacket in a fun shade of burgandy that's just $59.95. Ignore the Fake Housewife of Orange County inside the cute jacket. I also like this Waist Length Honey Colored Leather Jacket, also $59.95.




This one is cheaper than most because it's not a full leather jacket; Dillard's calls it a Zippered Cardigan with a metallic leather front, $69. I guess the front and part of the sleeves are leather and the rest is rayon. But that's good for warmer weather, and t's definitely a unique design. The cutout embroidery is just the icing on the cake.


So all the jackets I've shown so far have been colors other than black, because I think brown and tan leather and like are easier to pull off when you're sort of a wuss. But through my extensive research, I'm beginning to become convinced otherwise. Just look at these Ashley Olsen and Natalie Portman, two petite women not known for their ass-kicking toughness.



Let's start slow with some cropped jackets. You know, I'm always kind of impressed when magazines or websites do a splurge and save feature, since it seems hard to find items that are practically interchangeable from very different price points. But guess what? I have a splurge and save for you. The first, the Twenty9Twelve Yves Leather Jacket from Shopbop, is $690...











...and the second, the Halogen Zip Front Leather Jacket at Nordstrom, is $148 and 50% off!

The first has the full length sleeves, really cool pintucking at the waist and in the back, but I'm not crazy about the weird ruching on the bottom of the sleeves. The second has the sleek zipper, and doesn't it just look ridiculously soft? Also, it has four pockets in the front, so you would hardly need a purse.

I have just one more super expensive jacket, and then I promise I'll go back to under $200. I like this Vince Leather Motorcycle Jacket, $775, because it's not overly fashion-y. With the right outfit, you might be able to convince someone you actually know how to ride a motorcycle. It's pretty basic, but the slightly distressed look of the leather and the snap closure at the neck are badass.






This Leather Moto Jacket from Arden B, $128, is a bit simple, too, but the gold zippers make it just bling-y enough that you could wear it to a nicer bar or restaurant.










Also from Arden B is this Leather Pintuck Moto Jacket, $168. Pintucks are usually so prim and reserved, making them totally bomb on a leather jacket.





Remember, at the beginning, when I said how awesome a leather jacket would look over a light spring dress? Well, I would be remiss if I didn't give you some options for dresses also. The first is the Cut-Out Shift Dress from Old Navy, $17.70. You can't really see the detail on the front in the photo of the white, so I'm including the black version too.











I'm completely obsessed with next dress from Alice + Olivia, who always makes great frocks. The Ombre Rosette Tube dress, $297, is like the sky in dress form. Yes, it's a little shapeless, but a highly structured dress would be wrong when trying to capture essence of sky, right? Just think about how fierce those chiffon rosettes will look peaking out from underneath your leather jacket. I'm including three photos because I think it's just that fantastic.