Sunday, January 24, 2010

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...your fashion

Question: What kind of Bay Area-nites (new term?) would we be if we didn't try to help the environment? 

The correct response is: not good ones. (very clever response by the way)

Here are a few ways you can follow the 3 R's and spice up your wardrobe without spending all your playtime money.

1. Alterations: take that hideously boxy shirt from the 90s that you have and get it taken in! Then put it under a cute jacket and Tada! You have a new outfit! Same thing goes for your jeans, skirts, dresses and jackets. Take the things that are not a total loss and pay the $25 to get them sewn into a socially acceptable and flattering style. It is worth your time and money! Hell, just tear those worn jeans into shorts or put a belt around your old dress and cut the hem down; layer that short shirt with a longer one underneath and leggings. Get creative!

2. Exchange: Take your clothes to a used clothing store/exchange like buffalo exchange and find something you're excited about. It doesn't have to fit you perfectly because you can get it altered (DUH!) 

3. Exchange Party: Invite some of your good friends over (the ones that aren't morbidly obese, as tall as the friendly green giant, or the ones with a taste for heinosities (also a new word)). Have these friends bring their cute designer clothing that they either grew out of or are bored of and make a party out of it. Bring out a little champagne or maybe cocktails and some cheese and crackers and try on the clothes! It is so much fun and you can often find a little diamond in the rough from it. 

4. Generosity: Give your clothes to goodwill, the salvation army or Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. 

5. Future: Keep a few well sewn and cut pieces from each decade and put them into storage to save for the next time that trend returns...and believe me, it will return.

6. Repair: Shoes, accessories, and jewelry can allll be repaired before you give up on them. I wore out the heels of my pumps and got them repaired to better than new and got many more miles out of them. New years I spend the night walking the streets of SF (not soliciting men, don't worry) and I only had to spend about $28 to get the soles redone. 
Same thing goes for jewelry: get it repaired! A lot of jewelry stores can repair jewelry that didn't come from their designs and its way cheaper than buying new pearl earrings!
Sunglasses: Go to your optomitrist's office and bring the designer glasses. They usually can service or have a company that can provide the service. I had my Prada glasses fixed (the arm fell off) for $30!


Right now I am not seeing anything very creative coming out for spring. It's nothing we haven't seen before so hold tight to what you have and accessorize, cut, sew, and layer into cute new recycled outfits!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Dancing my pretty little feet off or dancing the pretty off my little feet

Club Attire almost always includes heels...I mean who wants to look like they have short stubby legs? Especially for facebook pictures (Am I right?!) I hope I am not the only one who goes out wearing beautiful stilettos and ends up with blisters and sore feet from dancing or walking too much.

Why can't heels be comfortable?!

Don't you DARE respond with "Then stop buying cheap shoes," because I don't. (umm hello! Look at me!) From my Kate Spade patent leather pumps to my Stuart Weitzman strappy gold stilettos, they all cramp my style by the end of the night.

Here is my winter solution: BOOTS!

You can wear basically flat boots that are absolutely adorable and dressy and don't contribute to your 1 am limp home. I have an adorable pair of Coach boots that fulfill my needs, no big deal.

Spring/summer solution: KITTEN HEELS and kitten WEDGES.

Cut down that heel by a few inches and your dance moves will vastly improve (along with your balance) and you won't be the drunk girl stumbling around the club (Though I do not guarantee this). Also, there will be no excuses like "I can't. I cut my foot and my shoe is filling up with blood" to the 'wonderful' male specimens that you encounter out on the town. (That was a Romy and Michele reference, nbd)

If you are worried what you will look like in your pics that you take for facebook, (Don't lie, we all think about fb) put on your heels while you pre-party and then substitute them with the wedges before you leave for the night.

I have found that all of my favorite designers make a stiletto and a kitten heel for the same or similar style shoes.

Have you found a good pair of heels for going out in the city?

SHOW ME!

post them in a comment on this blog!