Thrifting for Fall Fashion - I am so in for the season !!

My sister Allison has this amazing ability to spot good quality fabric, tailoring and designer labels in a sea of thrift shop clothes.  She honed her skill at Neiman- Marcus while working at the Estee Lauder counter in Chicago...I am sure every lunch break was spent looking and touching every garment on the designer floor and almost certain she spent almost every paycheck there...with all of those beautiful clothes and a discount...how could she resist!

Allison and I were thrifting at a  Goodwill store on one of my visits to Houston and she spotted a dress from across the store ... she made a B line for it.  It so happens it was a dress by Escada which is one of those super expensive fashion houses that makes beautiful clothes.  The dress is black and white , it has a nice shape and a beautiful back with buttons at the neck...a cut out ....and more buttons.  Did I mention it is was my size and it was $9.99.

I almost did not buy it (silly me)...it is kind of shiny...but in New York you can wear anything ! and today while looking through the New York Times fall fashion magazine I came across a dress by Salvatore Ferragamo that looks an awful lot like my $9.99 dress.  It seems that I am in style for fall without breaking the bank...Thrifting saves the day (and my bank account ) again !  Thanks Allison !

The front

The back

A nice clothing line !

Fall 2011 Fashion - I am so ahead of the game !!

Alexander McQueen - Creative Inspiration

On Friday I went on a journey with my friend Kristin to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  We took a mid-town direct train to Penn Station at 7:39 and then took a taxi that dropped us at the steps of the Met  at 8:45...there was already a line but we were in a good position on the steps.  As the time past the line grew and grew and we were ( and still are) patting ourselves on the back for getting there early.

When the doors opened at 9:30 and we entered the museum and exhibit, it was already crowded...but we were in !!! and from the moment I entered the exhibit I was in awe of what I was seeing and the emotions and energy I was feeling from every piece of art was overwhelming.  Total artistic expression and craftsmanship at it's best.  I wanted  to  touch every piece of material and finger every seam and walk around every mannequin .  Despite the mob scene most of us are quiet and respectful, as one should be in the presence of such heartbreakingly beautiful and challenging art.

There is one part of the exhibit were there is a hologram , it starts as a point of light like a Tinker Bell and grows to an image of Kate Moss wearing a beautiful white gown.  You are watching this right in front of you and it is so incredibly real and the theme from "Schindler's List "is playing...and then you turn around and there  is that gown...beautiful in all of it's creative energy ...glowing... I was misty at that moment...the genius of what was in front of me was overwhelming.  The whole exhibit took me away like that ... and I felt sorrow in the loss of such a creative genius.

and you would ask...what does this have to do with the Art of Thrift???  I would only say that it inspired me to be myself...Alexander McQueen took inspiration from all around him, nature, culture, his heritage ...It gave me permission to break the mold of what is right and wrong in fashion and design and life. I can be that arty, thrifty girl who junks and picks....I can be true to my own form of self expression, I never wanted to follow the crowd anyway and creative energy in every form is exciting!  Thrifting gives me the freedom to try new things and break the mold without breaking the bank...EXPRESS YOURSELF !

P.S   I did some sewing today...inspired to create...thank you Alexander McQueen.

Savage Beauty- Alexander McQueen - Metropolitan Museum of Art

Who was Vera Neumann ??

If you like vintage scarves and linens like I do, you most likely will come across some that are marked Vera.  Most of them have graphic, cheerful prints and I think they are beautiful.  If you are going to wear a scarf, it should be something with a bit of personality.

Vera Neumann (1907-1993) was an artist turned entrepenuer and textile designer.  Vera and her husband George, who's family had a background in textiles, founded the company Printex in 1946.  They worked out of their NY studio apartment with a silk screen press on their dining room table and would cure the product in their oven.  The press was only big enough to make linen placemats but after securing an order with B. Altman department store they moved to a Georgian Mansion in Ossining, NY.

During WWII linen supply was hard to come by so Vera found some leftover parachute silk and thus the first signature scarf was born - Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly were fans.  Her designs are on sheets, tablecloths, linens, hand towels and clothing.  She designed fabric for Shumacher that Bess Truman used in the 3rd floor solarium in the White House.  She hired designer Perry Ellis to help with the sportswear line and he eventually struck out on his own.

Vera products are difficult to date but there are websites and blogs and books dedicated to her.  Her older work had a ladybug by her signature - for good luck.  You can find them online on Ebay and etsy....but I personally like to hunt for them and am excited when I find one.  So you know what I would say.... get out there and dig for a beautiful silk scarf for your unique look !!

Vera silk scarf $3.00 and napkins - unused $4.99 for 4.

Nothing says summer like....

Nothing says summer like a wicker summer purse...so girlie !  I had one of these in high school  by Aigner and I bought it at the Fashion Shop in Columbus, Indiana ( the things we remember?).

I picture this with a great vintage day dress, flats, a big hat and of course a picnic in Central Park...sweet!  These were all found thrifting , of course, and I paid no more than $4.00 for each one of them.  Check out the beautiful, perfect vintage lining ...that purse will be going to a new home next week as I will be having lunch with a good friend who is originally from New Orleans and is prim and girlie. She can be a  real southern belle or a real Jersey girl - whatever she needs to be at the moment and I love her spunk...she will love the purse!

Remember to make a gift of thrift... really search for that perfect thing... make it as unique as the person you are buying it for....( and it is so much fun).

P.S.  Going to the last day of the Morrow Methodist Church Turnover Sale tomorrow...should be fun.

Awwww isn't that a pretty sweater...

So the art of thrift is in the finding , the wearing , and of course the quality and craftsmanship.  Sometimes you find an item of clothing that is just so beautiful or different and perfect in every way that you can't pass it up.

On a recent trip to the best thrift shop in the whole world - Unique Thrift - I came away with this really beautiful hot pink beaded sweater for $4.99.  I don't wear pink but I will wear this sweater! (with my Joes jeans that I bought for $5.99) It is in perfect condition with no moth holes (tip: hold it up to the light to see if there are any holes) , every single bead is in place and the silk lining is intact.

Can't wait to wear it in the dead of winter when I need something to brighten my day !  Another great tip for thrifting...just because it is summer don't pass up the sweaters and winter coats.... you can score some great finds.

Have a great 4th of July (Unique is having a sale - I am on my way !!)