80's Night -- Again!

Yes, it was 80's Night once again. You might remember another 80's Night about this time last year, not to mention this one last spring. Now I don't want you to think I have any sort of great nostalgia for the 80's, though I was a teenager at the time. But the music was and is certainly fun, and more importantly this event was also about getting out and seeing our friend Tom's band's annual reunion gig, for which Jess and our friend Lisa came down from Seattle.

That's Lisa on the left; you've actually seen her once before, but she was cleverly disguised as a Mexican wrestling hero. Actually she's still sort of in disguise here, come to think of it. One of these days we'll get her on the blog as herself, I promise!
















As you can see, we all rocked a different 80's vibe, Lisa as Paula Abdul, Jess going goth, me as Pat Benatar, and Mark as Billy Idol.


My rhinestone-trimmed blazer was a Goodwill find, and what a find it was. It's actually a really good quality jacket and has barely been worn. The buttons are solid metal with enamel inlays and rhinestone accents; I may salvage them to use for trimming some hats; they would look beautiful with a spray of feathers coming out from behind.


By the way, you can click on any of these pictures and then click anywhere in the frame to zoom in and see the details of our outfits (as you can with any of my blog photos). We were authentic down to the last detail, I tell you! Oh, and in case you're wondering, I made Jess's headband/fascinator just for the event. She wore it home on the plane so as not to smash it.

Having grown up during the 80's I can assure you that 4 people dressed like us would NEVER have hung out with each other back then. The group you associated with was important business! I mean, just look at the difference in the partying vibe between Paula Abdul and a goth....




Our friend Tom, who of plays keyboards and sings, went all out, beginning the evening as George Michael...


...and shaving off his beard between sets for his change into a Devo costume. That is dedication!


Note: Tom is single, ladies of the Bay Area!

On a final and more serious note, I'd like to send out a public service announcement to college-age girls who go out drinking together. If your girlfriend is getting too drunk, it is your DUTY as a friend to sober up and take care of her. Sure it's a buzz-kill, and it may even put an early end to your night, but you do it for your friends because you can bet that one day you'll need them to do it for you. In the many years since I've been of age, I've been the one pouring my drunk friend into a cab, and I've been the one that my friends quietly ordered water for when I wanted another drink. It's called karma.

So please ladies, take your girlfriend home BEFORE she jumps up on stage, does a backbend, and flashes her crotch to the entire bar, okay? Nothing is sadder than seeing a group of attractive young women who all checked their dignity at the door and will surely wake up the next morning, none of them able to remember the humiliating things they did, and lucky if the worst thing that happened was that the whole incident got posted on YouTube. Party safe ladies, and party smart.

Audi and Jess

Well, this post sort of snuck up on me -- originally Jess was going to write it, but she got bogged down and couldn't get to it, so you get me again. I have good news, though; while Jess was in town we shot a bunch of outfit photos of her, plus I cropped and readied for posting some photos that I took the last time I was in Seattle (Jess doesn't have quite the right setup just yet for taking daily outfit photos). So, hopefully you'll be seeing (and reading) more from Jess very soon.


In the meantime, here we are after a day of work -- Jess at her conservative finance office, and me at my ultra-casual biotech one. I forgot to get Jess's outfit details, but I believe the jacket is by Noa Noa and is from Narcisse in Portland. I just love how that dramatic scooped neckline has the potential to be super sexy if worn with a low-cut top, but looks quite work-appropriate when paired with this demure black and white dress. The embroidery around the neckline and all the little buttons are great details. Jess kept the outfit simple by sticking to a black and white color scheme, letting the interesting pattern of the dress and the detailing on the jacket be the outfit's focal points.


Jess's shoes are by John Fluevog and are a great example of how a funky pair of shoes can jazz up a corporate-worthy outfit. Just look at those heels! Jess is great at putting little splashes of personality into her corporate wear, as well as working her fantastic figure without being overly suggestive.

Stop in tomorrow, for a recap of 80's Night!


Audi's outfit:
T-shirt: H&M
Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Belt: Audra Jean
Skirt: Zara
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen

Reflected Outward

As promised, I had a little surprise up my sleeve for you whilst I carouse in Argentina. Today I bring you the wonderfully talented blogger and all-around awesome person, Sally McGraw.
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Even as a teenager, I felt like I knew myself pretty well. I knew what I wanted, what I was capable of, how the world viewed me. I was self-aware and self-assured. Or so I thought.

But looking back, I realize that I knew very little about myself. I felt frumpy and unattractive, yet had both men and women falling all over themselves to be with me. I felt absolutely certain that I would become a bestselling novelist, yet had never written a line of fiction. I felt like I had my style nailed, yet I was essentially just wearing peer group-sanctioned duds … and looking disheveled and formless in them.

Even after I’d graduated from college and taken my first job, I flailed – both personally and stylistically. I had no idea how to be myself, look like myself, make myself feel strong and vibrant and GOOD. In the present day, I work at a university, and there are always a handful of truly lovely college girls roaming around the office, making copies and stuffing envelopes for some piddly stipend. Some of them eventually get hired on as real live employees, and I always see my former self in them: Struggling to understand what “work wear” means to a 21-year-old woman who has lived in jeans and sweatshirts for the length of her short life. Their pants are too long, their shoes impractical, their hair unkempt, their sweaters either far to formal or far too low-cut. They have no idea who they are because they are in transition, and their stylistic sputterings reflect this to the observing world.

I finally hit my stride at about 27. I’d been married for two years and had finally shifted from “frantically dieting to keep weight off” to “leading a healthy lifestyle,” which meant I felt better about my body than ever before. I also felt secure and loved, smart and accomplished, grounded and happy; I felt like an adult. And when I turned my attention to personal style, I was actually ready to do that work. Because for the first time, I truly DID know what I wanted, what I was capable of, and how the world viewed me. And I was able to make better choices because of that awareness.

I chose clothing that worked with my body instead of disguising it. I chose classic pieces that were versatile and well-made instead of crappy sale items that had no lasting place in my wardrobe. I chose items that were eye-catching and embellished instead of staid and drab. I slowly assembled a closet full of clothing that fit and flattered my form, clothing that made me look better than ever. And I began to FEEL better than ever. It transformed my life to watch those links click into place: I knew myself, I knew my style, I felt strong and vibrant and GOOD. And it took me many years of exploratory fumblings to get there.

This is not to say that NO ONE can become stylish until they’ve passed a certain age. Awww, hells no. Along with the confusedly-dressed college girls there are a few who saunter into the office looking fierce and fresh and flawless in ways that I never could, not even at 32. And although those stylish young women definitely have a jump start on the rest of us, their personal styles will morph and transform in huge, unpredictable ways as they learn more and more about themselves.

Personal style is very, very personal. And it often takes time to puzzle out what your specific, unique, marvelous, and highly individual look will be. When we are still exploring ourselves and growing into our personalities, our unformed style tells the world about who we are. When we have found ourselves and allow our personalities to evolve at a slower, more relaxed pace, we drive. We shape our style, and decide how it will reflect our inner selves outward.

Hoist Your Freak Flag

For awhile now I've been hounding Mark to create some guest posts for my blog, firstly because men's fashion is sorely underrepresented in the blogging world, and secondly because I'm trying to bring some variety to the blog by sprinkling in guest posts and other features in addition to the daily outfits. So without further ado, here is Mark's contribution.
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Very little separates one shirt or pants, or even shoe from another, and visitors from other planets would conclude that most every male human shops for clothes at exactly the same three places. I was at a festival this summer on the Central Coast, and I noticed that the guys were almost lockstep uniform in their expression of individuality. Through clenched teeth I muttered that the sight of one more RVCA hoodie and generic graphic t-shirt was going to send me over the edge. I had visions of sabotaging them with Supersoaker filled with highlighter pink paint, the way animal rights activists stain baby seals to keep furriers from clubbing them to death.

Fortunately, I live in a San Francisco where people can wear literally whatever they want and not be a freak. Well, at least if they are they have plenty of company. Guys not only can get away with wearing things outside of the proverbial box, it is encouraged. There are plenty of local designers to fill a growing demand for creative stuff that doesn’t look like it came from a mall or a department store, but also isn’t cheesy costume wear. Another source to find unique and interesting looks is in combining vintage items with new ones.

I confess it’s taken me a while to work up the nerve to be a little different. I might be noticed (gasp). It’s best done gradually so as not to shock the cerebro-nervous system and cause painful separation anxiety with your current wardrobe, most items of which look just like the next one. One example of versatile and colorful menswear I found not long ago is a vintage, early to mid 1960’s suit. It was deadstock, meaning it was still brand new, never worn, and older than I am. The blazer is a dark yellow plaid pattern with green and blue pinstripes, and the pants are a solid dark gold. I found it by chance, and it fit as though it had been custom tailored for me. Women seem to know more than men do when clothing is just meant to go live with them. This was one of those.

The suit is remarkably versatile, and by mixing different combinations I can get at least a half dozen or more outfits with it. First, it works great as a suit with a solid matching shirt and color-compatible tie, and a pair of vintage oxblood wingtips – all of which I found at thrift stores. Secondly, the suit can be casualized such as pictured with a pair of jeans, a blue-striped Nautica shirt, and a pair of red and green John Fluevog shoes.
Also shown here, it can be dressed up modern-like with a pair of new Heathen jeans with a side-stripe, a black & yellow striped Marimekko shirt, and classic black boots by Frye. Even the look of the matched jacket and pants of the suit changes dramatically with a bolder shirt and contrasting tie, such as the pictured red-white vintage shirt. To completely change the look, I swapped the jacket for a vintage teal one, and slipped into some dark brown modern Rockports.

Shopping for vintage clothing or even thrifting is mostly an exercise in patience and training your eyes to see past the mountains of crap, but it's worth the effort.

Going South

Mark and I are taking off for the weekend to head south for a weekend of wine tasting, beer tasting, and general fun with some friends. In my absence I thought I'd share a couple of outfit photos from a recent 80's night we attended at the Cat Club with our friend Tom.

Those New Rock boots I'm wearing have about a 3 or 4-inch platform. They're not very easy to dance in (especially since they're actually Mark's and are a couple sizes too big), but they definitely fit the goth look I was going for. Ironically, I didn't even really need to use very much white makeup in order to achieve that corpse-like complexion. Tom really stole the show that night with his Adam Ant "Dandy Highwayman" outfit. I think the sideburns really make the look.

I hope all my friends here in the US enjoy the long weekend. Happy Memorial Day everyone, and I'll see you next week!

80's Night

On Saturday Mark, Jess and I attended an 80's party where our friend Tom's band was playing. Jess and I spent several hours that day scouring the huge Goodwill store on Mission Street in search of the perfect outfits. We came up with a rocker look for Jess and a loud preppy look for me. Mark sported a new wave look, though his skinny black tie is barely visible here.

Ironically, I wouldn't have been caught dead in this getup when I was in high school in the 80's (not that I would now either, unless I was going to an 80's party, of course). I would've been dressed a lot more like Jess, in fact. In The Breakfast Club, she'd have been the Molly Ringwald character and I'd have been Ally Sheedy, but for Saturday night's party it was a bit of role reversal.






How perfect was it that we found a t-shirt with a picture of the Space Needle on it for Jess??

Guest Blogger!

I'm very excited to feature a guest on today's post, my good friend Jess, who just flew in from Seattle for a visit. Jess works in a far more stuffy corporate atmosphere than mine, and yet she pulls off some of the most adorable outfits imaginable; in fact, she's one of the most stylish dressers I know. I wish she'd start her own blog, though I know her busy work schedule won't allow it right now. Anyway, I'll give the deets on my outfit and then turn it over to Jess.

Hat: Alternative Design Studio
Tunic: ??
Belt: The Red Dress Shoppe
Leggings: Kersh
Spectator boots: vintage (I just got these -- it's the first time I've worn them)
Adorable hat pin: A gift from Jess! Made by Devout Dolls



In Jess's own words:
Audi is one of my dearest friends - and so stylish it sometimes makes me roll my eyes (see photo above). But, as I heart her, she must be appeased... [xoxo!]

As it was Friday, I eschewed the suit today. It's been unseasonably cold in Seattle - even for January - my office as cold as a tomb. Outfits this week have featured many layers, so I arrived bundled up, eager for warmer temperatures. However, Audi asked me to be a guest on her blog - so before I shed my insulation, here you see me in all my cold weather (discount) finery [fueled by 2 vodka sodas from the plane and a half pint of welcome-to-SF-campari deliciousness (there's a reason I heart Audi, after all)]:

Hat: Urban Outfitters
Scarf: handknit - by me!
Coat: Target
Mittens: somewhere in Copenhagen, circa 2006
Sweater: somewhere in Prague - circa 2006
Skirt: H&M
Boots: Aerosoles (purchased years ago in SF - welcome home, boots!)

Edited to add: Jess really does have hands. How else could she hold the booze?