I Need This Dress Like I Need to Pay for that Parking Ticket in DC...Now!

 Yes.  This dress is reserved for me.  Contacted the owner and was like "LADY THIS DRESS BE MINE!"  I still haven't decided though.  I don't have a life.  Where am I going to wear this beautiful thing?  That emerald green and the big ass bow just scream drama.  And as the winner of most dramatic at Duke University, I think it should be in my closet.  I need to think about it for one more hour.  And it's in my size.  And it's my favorite color.  I'm trying to justify $125 right now.  I used my tax return responsibly.  I work really hard to have the things that I want.  ETC...

Check out one of my favorite Etsy.com stores, Quirk Vintage Clothing!

Me? A Sell Out?

Was called a sell-out at work (BY SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT EVEN OWN A PAIR OF JEANS AND DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN CASUAL FRIDAY) for wearing a business professional outfit for once in my life.  He was half-joking but still!  I did look professional; HOWEVER I was wearing a clown collar shirt and leopard print heels.  Do you see why I'm forced to have one of two faces at work everyday?!

Dahhhling I'm fabulous.  Who are you?

Say what?  I'm not going to wrinkle my forehead for you boo boo.

Bad Southern Belle...Store Edition

The Bad Southern Belle Store will be opening next week.  I've provided a sample of what's to come below.  I came up with the concept of having a store not as a money-making operation, but because so many of my friends lament the fact that they have neither the resources nor the patience to go to a thrift store and find something wonderful.  I am great at digging, so let me do the work for you.  I not only find vintage, but also modern ensembles.  Below is a brand new Tracey Reese dress, never worn, with the tag still attached. 

STAY TUNED!

Wednsday means 25% off and big crowds: Thrift Finds of the Week

I used to be able to casually browse Goodwill's racks and find treasures because only the poor people went to the thrift store (disclosure:  I am poor, always have been, won't be as soon as Sallie Mae gets her money!  She is worse than a pimp in the dirtiest part of Southeast DC!!!).  A Christian Dior shirt here, a fluffy prom dress from the 50s there, etc.  But everyone is cash-poor these days.  As a result, everyone is all up in the thrift store, especially when it's 25% off Wednesday.  I leave work early on Wednesdays to get to the thrift store before the crowd arrives.  I feel possessive over it.  It's my domain.  

And yes, I have had to get scrappy at the thrift store.  For example, I saw a plumper lady pick up a dress that I thought I should have.  It was mine.  At least I thought it was.  The dress was a loud, 80s, floral thing but it was gaaaawgeous.  I could see myself swishing around Piggley Wiggley in it.  I covertly followed her throughout the thrift store for 20 minutes, waiting for her to put it down.  There is no happy ending to this story.  She bought it.  I was devastated.  That's the thing with thrift stores.  It's never guaranteed that you will find something great or that it will fit.  I'm an anomaly.  I ALWAYS find good stuff.  Because I'm great at what I do.  Every time I walk in I walk out with a bulging bag of treasures.  I found the following this week.

 

Each purse was $3.99.  They are both from the 80s.  The purse on the right is real leather!  Quite a steal with that pretty gold chain attached.

My new thing this year is the Selena bustier.  I love me some Selena.  COMO LA FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!  So I bought this bra for $2.99; it is going to look like a bustier when I put it with a high waisted skirt or some high waisted pants.  You'll see.  I am going to look so pretty your eyeballs will roll right onto the floor.  And I will kick them away because I'm boughetto like that.  The breast situation is a little precarious, so I may have to get some frozen pork cutlets to resemble my friend Shantizzle down in Austin.

I absolutely adore this silk scarf.  Can't beat $2.99!  If you don't know, it's a depiction of Santorini, Greece.  I partied my bootay off in Santorini when I studied there in 2005.  No Steph.  You can't have it.

You may say to yourself, "This is an ugly dress."  And it may in fact be fugly in your opinion;  but this is my fashion blog not yours.  When I tried this baby on I looked expensive.  You'll see.  Next week.  Notice the interesting back detail below.

This satin shirt is interesting because 1)  It is reversible  2)  Is multicolored and 3)  The colors are so much more bright in person.  I can't wait to find something to wear with it.  I've honestly never seen a shirt like this in all of my 20 years of thrifting.  Yeah.  I've been thrifting since I was 6.  First purchase was a multicolored-leaf tube dress from the 1970s.

I love this.  But it's too small.  I have sausage arms in it.  I will starve myself for a week, wear it once, then sell it.  Notice the gorgeous baroque detail.  Reminds me of New Orleans and all of the iron work on the balconies.  The 3-tiered ruffles are also another fun detail.

I love this 3/4 sleeve cocoon coat so much.  I'm not a big fan of brown but this was tailored really well and it looks expensive.  I am having a hard time placing its year because the tag was sewn in upside down.  The stitching of the tag is a type of stitch commonly seen in coats from the early 1960s.

In a perfect world I would have found these at the thrift store:

Shortsleeve Tops
Earrings

Not Just for Drag Queens: Opera Coats

One has not experienced New York until a man has exposed himself to you on the subway or until you have gone to see an opera at the Met.  I was lucky enough in 2007 to be able to see Romeo and Juliet and also Madama Butterfly.  Ya'll.  Romeo and Juliet had a floating bed scene.  It was incredible.  Even the old White people were hype that Romeo and Juliet were "having a moment" aka "making baybees" while gliding through the air amidst hundreds of tiny lights.  I may have shed a tear.  Ok ok I did.  The scene was that gorgeous.  Yeah yeah opera makes me emotional.  It didn't hurt that Anna Netrebko as Juliet was absolutely ravishing.  

                                

                                  

An easy gateway to opera is La Traviata (my absolute favorite!  I've seen it twice in person and countless times on youtube!)  HOWEVER.  This is not about opera, it's about my favorite aspect of opera:  dressing up to go to the opera.  

Americans are quite disappointing with the way they dress for the opera.  When I last attended, I saw people in jeans.  I was like, "Are you going to McDonalds after heffalump?  How dare you disrespect Anna like that!"  There was no sparkle!  No life!  No drama!  And honey, me looooove some drama.  Drag queens aren't the only ones who like things that billow and move.  The opera coat is literally the most dramatic thing you could possibly wear.  Notice in the picture below I am not wearing one; however, I have a high slit and the lowest cut blouse imaginable.  And with a sparkling smile, golden tan, and lioness mane I didn't need much else.  

Teatro de Fenice, Venice, Italy June 2006

Opera coats are supposed to scream luxury.  Now, wool is not really considered a luxury item.  Anybody with a sheep in their back yard can weave a wool sweater.  So if you're wearing a floor-length wool coat, you're not wearing a luxurious opera coat.  You're wearing a floor-length wool coat.  Your opera coat should be silk, satin, taffetta, chiffon, brocade, and velvet (even though nobody really wears velvet these days).  They are often jewel-toned, never muted.  I have yet to see a beige opera coat.  It's a theatrical piece for a showy person.  Opera coats can be embellished with glass beads, or be plain with embossed fabric.  I used to own a gorgeous coat but lost it somewhere abroad.  That happens when you have to criss cross the ocean.  I'm sure there is some foreign airport worker traipsing around in my awesome coat.  Heffalump.

Below are some examples of opera coats.  They are somewhat difficult to find in mint condition, but you can try ebay or etsy.

The thing that's great about opera coats is that they are really accessible vintage pieces.  Wear an opera coat, some stilletoes, a pearl necklace, and a little black dress.  And I mean little.  It's a really fun way to modernize it.  I have a short opera-esque emerald gold coat that I like to wear with my trusty American Apparel black spandex dress.  It really classes it up.  And whatever you do, do not forget those elbow-length gloves.  Nobody wants to see you in satin with ashy elbows.  Thanks mkay.

Aren't they fabulous? 

Opera Going

Black Dresses
Necklaces

Fashion in Film: Overboard

There are many, many films I watch just for the costuming.  Memoirs of a Geisha is one of those terrible movies that I watched simply because I knew there would be a fierce kimono dance later.  I remember attending a New Yorker Magazine event when I interned with Women's Wear Daily where I had the opportunity to listen to a panel of Oscar-winning costume designers.  I was absolutely enthralled.  The workmanship, thought, research, and love that goes into creating film costumes is admirable.  To me, without the costumes, there is no movie.  I believe that costumes help an actor or actress really embody the character.  It's also the easiest change to make. 

Forget Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, or Less Than Zero; Overboard is one of my favorite 80s movies.  Goldie Hawn and Russell Crowe are comedic genius and her outfits pre-amnesia are stellar.  She also gave major 'tude and had the most awesome side bun to ever be caught on film.

The deep v and the giant hibiscus flower with cherries give me so much life.

I think Beyonce got her "Upgrade You" braid idea from Overboard.

I love emerald shoes.

I need those glasses stat.

Thong zebra print bathing suit?  Check!

The high cut, white one piece with the navy admiral sequin coat.  I'm just not going to say anything else.

Side bun.

When I go to Puerto Rico with Danielle, I'm buying a hat similar to this.