Savings!

Buy Date	Orig Date	Item	Paid	Retail
Oct-10	2010	Poleci Black Lace Skirt	$12.49	$142
Oct-10	1996	Black Chanel Wallet	$90.40	$725
Nov-10	2009	Free People Intimately Gold Sequin Tank Dress	$20	$68
Nov-10	Su 2009	Joie Mari Floral Maxi Dress	$40	$198
Nov-10	W 2010	C&C White Ribbed Turtleneck	$12.98	$52
Nov-10	F 2010	Juicy Couture Angel Cream Long Cardigan	$29.34	$138
Dec-10	1980s	Chanel Vintage Beige Skirt	$42.09	$880
Dec-10	1996	Kieselstein Cord Brown Flapover Handbag	$96.95	$2,525
Mar-11	2011	Forever 21 Foldover Active Pants	$10.76	$10.76
Mar-11	2011	Forever 21 Foldover Active Pants	$10.76	$10.76
Mar-11	1970s	Diane von Furstenberg Red Vintage RE7 Lingerie Dress	$37.98	$106.98
Apr-11	2000s	BCBG Black Pinstripe "Nelly" Halter Vest	$7	$136
Apr-11	2000s	Lily White Lace Tank Top	$0.25	$20
May-11	1970s	Black Sheer Floral Dress (Goodwill)	$7.99	$7.99
May-11	2000s	BCBG Dark Ink Navy Stretch Pencil Skirt	$22.49	$108
May-11	2000s	Miu Miu Black Sunglasses	$48.93	$150
Jun-11	????	Blue Maxi Skirt (Goodwill)	$5.49	$5.49
Jun-11	1970s	Vintage Diane von Furstenberg Yellow Orange Dress Set	$27.43	$200.00
TOTAL		18	$523.33	$5,484
SAVINGS OFF RETAIL =		90.5%
AVG PRICE PER ITEM =		$29.07

Katie Holmes Gets A Parking Ticket

Source: perezhilton.com

I usually find the former Joey Potter a little dowdy, and this is no different, but I kind of love everything going on here (sans the parking ticket) . . . the tea length dress, the stripes, the navy + white, and even the not-incredibly-high-heeled boots . . . so flowy/fluid/effortless . . .

Savings!

Buy Date	Orig Date	Item	Paid	Retail
Oct-10	2009	Robert Rodriguez White Silk Shirt	$28.94	$264.00
Oct-10	2010	Ever Woven Montgomery Shirtdress	$119.00	$310.00
Oct-10	Vtg	White Fur Coat	$35.00	$300.00
Nov-10	2010	BB Dakota Damon Leather Jacket	$80.00	$225.00
Nov-10	2010	Diane von Furstenberg Mademoiselle X Dress	$66.02	$445.00
Nov-10	2010	Forever 21 Teal Dress	$17.80	$17.80
Nov-10	2010	Forever 21 Black Skirt	$14.80	$14.80
Nov-10	2010	Forever 21 Ring	$4.80	$4.80
Dec-10	??	Theory Black Fur Jacket	$70.00	$890.00
Dec-10	2010	Calvin Klein Michelle OTK Leather Boots	$115.00	$238.00
Dec-10	2010	Plush Fleece Lined Tights	$30.00	$30.00
Jan-11	2010	Forever 21 Colorblock Trimmed Cardigan	$24.00	$24.00
Jan-11	2010	Forever 21 Faux Fur Cheetah Print Coat	$39.00	$39.00
Jan-11	2010	Forever 21 Quilted Leather Leggings	$22.00	$22.00
Jan-11	2010	ECI Black Sequined Cardigan	$29.50	$69.00
Dec-10	2010	Anthropologie Precious Poppy Cardigan	$50.00	$129.00
Jan-11	??	Giorgio Armani Black Dress	$99.95	$2,895.00
Jan-11	??	Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Skirt	$5.24	$150.00
Feb-11	??	Giorgio Armani Classico Jacket	$18.50	$1,525.00
Feb-11	1970s	Diane von Furstenberg Vintage Dress	$28.32	$200.00
Mar-11	??	Emanuel Ungaro Tuxedo Jacket	$22.39	$1,000.00
Mar-11	2000s	Ingwa Melero Silk Bustier Dress	$40.95	$321.00
Mar-11	??	Giorgio Armani Classico Pinstripe Cashmere Blazer	$33.00	$2,500.00
Mar-11	2000s	Nicole Miller Pink Dress	$37.00	$245.00
Mar-11	2000s	J. Crew Peach Cardigan	$7.00	$78.00
Apr-11	1970s	Diane von Furstenberg Vintage Dress	$34.94	$200.00
Apr-11	??	Nicole Miller Yellow Silk Dress	$14.73	$150.00
Apr-11	2000s	Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Lace Dress	$16.84	$100.00
Apr-11	1970s	Diane von Furstenberg Vintage Dress	$32.00	$200.00
Apr-11	??	Salvatore Ferragamo Black Leather Moc Loafers	$24.74	$300.00
Apr-11	2000s	J. Crew Purple Cardigan	$16.60	$78.00
Apr-11	??	TSE Yellow Cashmere Cardigan	$7.54	$425.00
May-11	2000s	J. Crew Teal Cardigan	$20.50	$78.00
May-11	2000s	Karina Grimaldi Beverly Hills Dress	$46.00	$196.00
May-11	??	Rix Chix Yellow Maxi Dress	$22.50	$150.00
May-11	2000s	J. Crew Black Cardigan	$9.08	$78.00
May-11	2000s	Theory Pink Claira Dress	$17.49	$400.00
May-11	2000s	J. Crew Pink Cardigan	$19.99	$78.00
TOTAL		38	$1,321.16	$14,369
SAVINGS OFF RETAIL = 90.81%
AVERAGE PRICE PER ITEM = $34.77

Sarah Jessica Parker at the Ballet Spring Gala

It's like someone barfed up lace and sheer and it became her dress!  Love it.

Vests Are a Spring Best Bet (linked)

Woo, glad I got on board the vest-train!

Frequent Shopping Prolongs Life, Study Suggests (linked)

Article from Patty Cake.  Emphasis on:

"Those who shopped daily were 27% less likely to die, with male daily shoppers 28% less likely to die, compared with female shoppers who were 23% less likely to die.

* * *

'Shopping captures several dimensions of personal wellbeing, health, and security as well as contributing to the community's cohesiveness and economy, and may represent or actually confer increased longevity,' they conclude."

Woo!  Our blog is good for our health. :)

For real?!

From elle.com:

"The average American woman wears a size 14. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), she’s also 5'3", weighs 164.7 pounds, and has a 37-inch waist."

How will we find clothes now?! 

A -- 4/6/11: We go VINTAGE, of course!

Lace Cream Top on the Bad Girls Club

Source:  screen shot from the Bad Girls Club, season 1, episode 6 (Out With The Old, In With The New)

This is the type of lace cream top I want, except I'd wear it with a white tank/beater underneath.  Worn by Zara Sprankle, who just turned 23 at the time this episode aired.  Considering this is season 1, and Bad Girls Club is currently on season 6, I guess it shows I'm about 5 yrs behind on the trends.  Not to mention a whole bunch of other things I don't want to be associated with.  Oh well . . .

A -- 3/27/11: Yenno, I realized I actually have something kinda similar to this, altho w/a lower neck bc highnecked = hives for me.  Could be kinda cute, OR you could look like an anime character.  Just sayin', try to picture it.

Inspiration: Flares from theSartorialist

Damn.  I've been on the fence about getting another pair of flared jeans, since I have my pair of darkgrey J Brand Lovestory ones, but pics like these are really nudging me over the edge.  I'm a lil unsure about the style's staying power, but then I guess this really proves that fashion repeats itself every other decade or so - I remember when they were EVERYWHERE in jr high/high school in the '90s, almost 20 yrs ago (ugh).  The only downside is the requirement of skyhigh platforms to be worn w/the jeans - I still have not mastered the art of skyhighs worn in casual daytime settings.

sidenote: How effing awesome are all these outfits?  The coat in the first one, the loosely tucked in drapey white shirt in the last one, and EVERYTHING in the middle one (the bag, the scarf, the chains, the fur…le sigh)

Inspiration: Victoria Beckham

All images from thevoguediaries.com

Loved the Spice Girls.

Loved her in the Spice Girls movie (yup, I saw it when it came out in theaters!)

Love the evolution of her style, from skimpy booby WAG to superchic and stylish.

Love her sense of humor in interviews:

Love the way she can rock a black blazer - in all its incarnations - no matter where she is.

and finally, just for kicks…

Love that rock!

Diane von Furstenberg Launches DIANE (vogue.uk)

Obviously, we are obsessed w/DVF, both on this blog and in real life, and especially VINTAGE DVF, so I was pretty amused when I read that she is launching a diffusion line called DIANE, a "collection of re-issued prints in classic ready-to-wear and accessories styles".  Hah!  Faux wannabe vintage can kiss my ass, I've got the realdeal! =)

Need Now: The 10 Best Maxi Skirts For Spring

Lurved maxi skirts/dresses since day one -- what's a better way to embrace the lazy, grow out them leg hairs, and still look ultra feminine and put together?  Glad fabsugar has jumped on board with this list they just put out!  I do have to admit, though, for my maxi skirt, I have a hard time fig'ing out what to wear on top . . .

And, of course, must pay homage to one skirt in the list that most closely resembles my vtg ungaro:

Fabsugar reports that it's from UrbanOufitters, and is $54.  $5 vtg ungaro ftw!!!

Oscars Wishlist: Mila Kunis & Jessica Biel

Ok this one is really just for fun - I don't actually think these two should switch outfits, but I couldn't resist.  After reading a bunch of articles about how (supposedly) Biel's (onagain offagain) bf Justin Timberlake has been trying to mack on Mila for ages now, and getting shot down, I figured I'd switch them up just to see what it would look like.

* Btw, I think what this (and all my lil Macpaint experiments) really shows is that these people are famous for a reason -- they really do look good in everything, even each others' clothes

Mila Kunis                        +                        Jessica Biel

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I wasn't a huge fan of Mila's dress at first, but it has grown on me.  Don't get me wrong, it's a very pretty dress, and I always love boobhugging lace, but after her dramatic Golden Globes gown, I wanted to see her pull out another explosive 'hotdamn' look.  That aside, she looks beautiful, and I am liking her more and more.  I now actually like that she changed it up for the Oscars - even though I was loving her richwavyhair dramaticeyes jeweltones look of late, this is a nice refresh, showing that she is not just dark&sexy, she can do light and beautiful too.

&

Jessica Biel didn't actually go to the awards ceremony (JT brought his mother), but damn she really brought it to the Vanity Fair party.  Nude, strappy, sparkly, what's not to love?  I wish I were as big a fan of the actress as the dress, but I'm sure she has enough boys warm for her form, she doesn't need another fan.

Oscars Wishlist: Melissa Leo

Full disclosure: I know basically nothing about Melissa Leo.  Didn't watch The Fighter, didn't follow her Oscars campaign, haven't even Wikipedia-ed her.  However, she did accidentally drop the F-bomb at the Oscars, which may have been my fav moment, since I am 100% positive I would have done the same (and I am so close to winning an Oscar of course).  Therefore, I decided that I wanted to see her in something more dropdeadgorge, instead of the weird doily-ish thing she decided on.  (also, not loving the hair, but my feeble MacPaint skills are powerless there)  

Did you even know that Cheryl Hines was at the Oscars?  She didn't show up in most "Oscar dresses" lists, but when I happened upon this pic on nymag, I immediately thought how fitting it would be for Melissa Leo.  (according to the internet, they are only 5 yrs apart)  Given that her role was decidedly less than glam, I feel she should have taken this opportunity, much like Jennifer Lawrence did, to show her cleaned up, uberpolished side, and this would have done nicely.  What do you think?

Melissa Leo's Head               +               Cheryl Hines' Dress

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Oscars Wishlist: Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren, always a red carpet fav, never fails to receive heaps of praise and adoration from stylewatchers eager to demonstrate their lack of ageism.  Personally, I am slightly ambivalent - I don't follow her movies enough to really be a fan of her acting, and while she is certainly a very classy celeb, always well appointed and age-appropriate, I don't really understand why commenters from all networks/websites fall all over themselves whenever she appears.  Granted, she always looks very good, and I like that she is not afraid to show some skin (in a discerning way of course, whereas I seem to be on track to be a horribly inappriately dressed 60 yr old clinging to my youth).  However, she always seems to have a bit of 'extra' stuff on her gowns - ruffles, poofs, flowy bits, etc. - so I decided to try her in something completely straightforward.  A deep V bc she doesn't seem to be afraid to show some cleave, a golden sheen that is both classy and attentiongrabbing, formfitting bc hey, if you've got it…this thing looks great on both Celine and Helen.

Helen Mirren's Head                +                Celine Dion's Dress

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Oscars Wishlist: Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett is a hard one to pin down -- sometimes I think she has a funky, quirky/edgy style, with, but then she'll change it up with a sleek silver Armani Prive or an intricate embroidered Galliano (unPC now!).  The Givenchy she wore this year definitely fell in the former camp, and it seems the pundits are pretty split on it.  No matter what, she has always seemed very sleek and polished to me, clean and modern even with embellishments.  I don't really see her in the explosive uberglam and girly gowns that some stars gravitate towards for awards shows - Charlize Theron's blue Dior, Penelope Cruz's blush Versace, Halle Berry's nude Marchesa, and this Hilary Swank Gucci gown.  But no matter what, she is Cate Blanchett - so regal and classy, even a jewel encrusted bodice and long train covered with feathers look understated on her.

Cate Blanchett's Head          +          Hilary Swank's Dress

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Oscars Wishlist: Natalie Portman

Ahh Natalie….I used to be such a staunch supporter, waving off others' claims of her 'full of yourself' attitude by pointing out that if anyone had the right to it, she did.  So gorge, so smart, so educated, so awesome in Closer that it is in my top 5 fav movies EVER.  But something about this past year, maybe it was overexposure, maybe it was the heaping accolades for a performance I felt did not deserve it (I am judgmental), but I am now feeling lukewarm towards her at best, not least because of her ever classic, ever unrisky style.  Yes, she always looks gorgeous, classy, age appropriate, blahblahblah.  But come on, even in her early 20's, she was always the beautiful ingenue rather than the fun young woman.  I've always wanted to see her in something sexbomb (especially now that she has the baby cleavage), and what was more sexbomb at the Oscars than Jennifer Lawrence's strappy red dress?

Natalie Portman's Head               +               Jennifer Lawrence's Dress

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Oscars Wishlist: Helena Bonham Carter

I looooove Helena Bonham Carter - she is just so kooky and out there in both her roles and real life that I want to giggle like a schoolgirl whenever I see her in a film/on the red carpet.  For example:

* When I saw/read that she wore two different colored shoes to the Golden Globes, I was so delighted I wanted to clap, even though I would have found it retarded on anyone else

* I adore her so much as Bellatrix Lestrange that she is *almost* my favorite actor/character in that movie - as it is, she is second only to Alan Rickman's Snape, bc c'mon, Alan Rickman

* Plus, when I think of her, I think of the trifecta of perfection that is HBC + Tim Burton + Johnny Depp

That said, I must say, I love switching it up (in others, for I myself am too gutless to deviate from my norm).  Thus I decided to try a decidedly UNkooky look on her, just to see if it would look equally strange.  Nothing too va va voom, but def something 'classic', so I ended up on Mandy Moore's gown, which was perfect - too mature (I feel) on Mandy, but def both appropriate and subtle enough for HBC's 'transformation'…and doesn't she look stunning?!

Helena Bonham Carter's Head          +          Mandy Moore's Dress

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Oscars Wishlist: Michelle Williams

I know everyone and their mother does a post on Oscars dresses/hair/makeup/shoes/style/jewelry (did you know Gwyneth and Anne were each paid half a million bucks to wear their jewelry??), so I will forego the usual list of good/bad/ugly.  Besides, I wasn't really in love w/anyone's overall look - the high necklines, weird sleeves, vapid colors and many instances of frizzy sexhair were all very unappealing to me.  (your fav look, on Amy Adams, encompassed all these things! =( ) So instead, I decided to do a 'what I wish they had worn' - starting with switching up each others' looks.*  

First up: 

Michelle Williams

When my friends and I were watching at our pigout Oscars viewing party, we were talking about how amazing it is that nobody refers to Dawson's Creek anymore when talking about Michelle Williams.  Josh 'Pacey' Jackson and James 'Dawson' Van der Beek both did FunnyorDie sketches about their Creek characters, and Katie Holmes might be better known as the wife of Xenu now but ppl still mention Dawson's Creek when she comes up.  But Michelle Williams is like an actual, legit movie star now; an actual legit movie star who annoys me with her insistence on looking all indieicequeen, and seems to not move her face except in movies.  Case in point, her Oscars gown was pale, icy, highnecked and weirdsleeved, so I decided to try her in some rich color for once (that mustard gown she wore the other year does not count, pretty, but still not striking enough).

*Please excuse the shoddiness - I don't have photoshop (nor would I know how to use it), and I had to make do w/this weird Paint for Mac program that I am still not 100% comfortable with

Michelle Williams' Head          +         Anne Hathaway's Dress

    

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Oscars 2011: Amy Adams (linked)

For the sake of choosing a fave, I would have to pick Amy Adams' L'Wren Scott as my 2011 Oscars "best dressed" winner (pic from fabsugar).  Okay, Amy Adams kind of falls in the same category as Allison Hannigan for me -- not that pretty (pick a random young'un from the street or a college co-ed and they're prob hotter), a little bland, and somewhat annoying.  However, Amy Adams is a FANTABULOUS actress, and I lurve her dress . . . it reminds me of the jcrew maxi (linked) I blogged about before, and the fit + pseudo-mandarin collar + bottom flare are to die.  And, of course, who doesn't want to be decked out head-to-toe in sequins?!

P.S. You could wear your Armani to the Oscars!