I'm Sorry "Fashion Butter" - My Karma Runneth Dry

My fashion karma runneth out. It was bound to happen; I'm not that nice of a person. Sure I'm quick with a joke and a light of a smoke, but there's always someplace that I'd rather be.

Sadly, the karma train dumped me off right at this exquisite dress. I saw it on Fashion Butter (You'd be Fashion Budda if you were a New Yorker) and I fell so deeply in love with it that I ordered it before I got up from the computer. Honestly, everything this woman puts on her back is so amazing. I have become such a big fan.



But I knew I was going to have it tailored. I have no place to wear a floor length Grecian Goddess dress but a hundred places to wear a mid-thigh Grecian Goddess dress.



Sadly, what I got back from my assy tailor is this Grecian Goddess shirt.





I still like it, I wore it for my anniversary dinner with the Man, but I almost cried when I saw what those butchers did to it.

I am contemplating ordering it again and having my mother do the hem by hand. I know I can trust her to do a good job as long as I promise to tell everyone who compliments me on it that she is such a fantastic seamstress and a credit to the community.





(The corner of the hopscotch board makes this shot so romantic, don't you think?)

There's a Seer Sucker Born Every Minute

For a few weeks now I have been in a seer sucker mood. Admit it, we’ve all been there.

We’ve all fought that strong desire to sing four part harmony with a three other people wearing seer sucker.

We’ve all been swept away by an almost urgency to sell tonic out of the side of a brightly colored truck with an assistant who is perhaps Michael Jackson.

We’ve all secretly wished to try a case in the deep south, circa 1928, in an MGM movie.

Yes the seer sucker mood is fleeting, yet universal.

Luckily my quest proved as swift as my mood.

I found a BCBG seersucker suit in perfect condition on the $5 rack. How did such a garment find it’s fate with the stretched out Old Navy Tank Tops and polyester leisure pants? Well, the blazer of the suit is an “s” and the pants are an “8” and while a “s” and an “8” look similar, almost like they could be cousins, they are very different. But I have a rule when shopping; if I like it and it is a 2,4,6 or 8 I figure I can tailor it or lose weight and fit into it perfectly.

Also on that trip I scored this Ralph Lauren Blue Label belt. The fact that I am wearing it with cut-off shorts is, I am sure making Ralph Lauren roll over in his grave, and he isn’t even dead.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

It's Story Time Boys and Girls...My First Time

Do you remember your first time? I remember mine. It was for Tara and Anthony in 1995.

Oh, get your mind out of the gutter people. I am talking about your first adult dress-up function. Your first “ ______ and guest.”

Dorky Medievalist…and Guest
Pale and Pallor Princess…and Guest
Style the New Black…and Guest.
Someone Like you…and Guest
Looking Glass Vintage…and Guest
Vintage Christine…and Guest



I was a 23 year old student living in Manhattan when I got the invite. I decided to take a guy I had recently begun dating; a totally hot bartender who had just finished law school (I eventually married him).

The first grown up event, not a prom, college formal or family event, is an exciting fashion event. I wanted something really sophisticated.

I found this dress in a little shop on Lexington Avenue. The designer is Dutchess and the fabric was a sumptuous silk. They carried it in every color and in both long and short lengths, and even though I was in love with the long version, I settled on the short version assuming, quite correctly, that I would get more use out of it than the longer, more “adult “version, particularly for an immature 23 year old. Plus the longer version was outrageously out of my price.

I fell head over heels for the dress though. I didn’t put it on layaway because when I inquired about doing so the saleslady laughed heartily, but I saved up for it and visited it often. And, to my delight, nobody bought it out from under me because, again, I have fantastic fashion karma.


So I wore this dress to several weddings and cocktail parties and eventually bought it in light green and had it made in mauve when I was the Maid of Honor at my older brother’s wedding. But still the longer version haunted me over the years, particularly when those two little words popped up embossed at the end of an invite…Black Tie.






Well, a few Saturdays ago I was jogging/garage saleing around town with Carly in the stroller and what caught my eye in a pile of discarded clothing, but the unmistakable fabric of a Dutchess creation. Upon further inspection I discovered that it was my dress…the long version…in black for $10.00.








Karma, you missed the 10 years that found my mailbox filled to capacity every season with wedding invites, but there are still a few single hold outs among my friends and who knows, maybe I will have some other reason to wear a full length silk gown with tails.

I’m ready Karma.

What I Picked out while Standing in Line with Mr. Jimmy

I’m not going to lie…I like shoes.

There are some people that like to shop for shoes; people who, when they feel bad or sad like the comfort of picking out a new pair. There are some people that like the comfort of knowing that, whatever the occasion or weather they have the perfect pair to match the moment. I am not one of these people.

I just like shoes. I like shoes that catch your eye and hold on tight. I could be wearing jeans and a tank top- who's looking?

Most of my shopping budget goes on my feet and I can justify this with the actual price of everything else, which usually comes out to about the same as the tax on the shoes.

Case in point...Saturday’s outfit. This is what I wore to my niece’s ballet recital on Saturday night. I found the shoes first, lurking on some model in one of the fashion magazines that I peruse waiting to check out my groceries…Lucky…perhaps Marie Claire…maybe InStyle.

Contrary to that Rolling Stones’ song that my older brothers used to serenade me with as a child, with the right Google search I actually CAN absolutely ALWAYS get what I want. And with an online coupon and a good shoemaker to make a size 38 a size 38.5 – these shoes were mine.

I picked out the dress as a canvas to showcase the shoes. It was new with tags and though the ticket read $25.00, Betsy parted with it for $15.00.

Carly, Baby Dean and the top of Sam's head digging the show (and watching an episode of "Yo Gabba Gabba" via phone). Their favorite number was the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B.

Happy Strasburg Day- Fashion Karma 2nd Edition

Fact #1- Tonight Steven Strasburg graces America's capital with his 100 MPH fastball; President Obama in attendance.

Fact #2- Strasburg's coach, Jim Riggleman, watches on, chest pumped with pride.

Fact #3 - I scored this fabulous brand new Coach hobo at Worth Repeating today for...get ready...here comes the wind up...FIVE DOLLARS.

Once a Rebel... Always a Rebel

I have a colorful history of harmless, yet blatant disregard for advice. Before I got married Mother gave me the following words of wisdom, '"Never take anyone's advice on love. What the hell do they know?"

I hate to admit it, but I had already lived by that credo for decades.

Against my girlfriends' advice, I dated the Frat boy with the harem; against my college adviser's advice I took Film History II even though I had already taken Film History I which satisfied the requirement and against EVERYONE'S advice I bought a vintage Italian deco bedroom set off of Ebay.





How ironic that I received this note from Mother when I picked up this dress floral dress that I asked her to hem for me. (Weinberg is her first husband...The Belenwood Inn is the hotel she conned my father into buying, and then naming after her)


Luckily I always heed Mother's advice and I ignored her. I love this dress. I bought it during our trip to to Manhattan for Fleet Week at Housing Works Thrift Shop on 78th and 3rd. It cost $7.50. I think it will be cute in the fall with leggings and boots and a certain denim jacket that is sick and tired of constantly being singled out and flaunted like a prized pony.


It is also the perfect dress to accept an award or two...


The first is the Sunshine award from Cosmetics Chick Chat. I know clothes and God help my husband I sure know shoes...but I know nothing about makeup. This chic helps me out.




The second is the Stylish Blogger Award from THELOOKING _GLASS,who actually had my favorite Carly Simon song on when I created this link. Just a warning, someday I am going to show up at your doorstep with a bottle of vodka and a box of shoes.



In true custom I am sharing 5 more fascinating facts about myself

1) My celebrity crush is Elizabeth Hurley.

2) When I really like a movie I HAVE to see it every time it is on TV- I simply can not turn it off - Even when it is on TBS and they cut out half of the dialogue (My top three are Titanic, Boogie Nights and Requiem for a Dream) Though Citizen Kane is, of course, my favorite movie of all time.

3) My next child will be named Frank Sinatra if he is a boy and Lena Horne if she is a girl.

4) My new guilty pleasure is "Khloe and Courtney Take Miami" - and yes, Ironically I want to step in and give them life advice.

5. My favorite scent is low tide....Yuck, I know.


and I am passing these awards on to the following sensational bloggers (you all have won two awards in one shot)


Taylor Wears Everything
No More Sweatpants
Third Floor With Water View
a passing cloud in the sky
Texas Love, Life and Fashion
Shoes,Bags,Clothes.....Oh My!!!
Style... the New Black

Yes, If You All Jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge...

Well, I did it. I finally surrendered. I threw in the fashion towel. So many of you bloggers have done it with such success that it was only a matter of time before the summer staple of 2010 landed on my back. And yes, I was hesitant but truly how could I resist? I present to you all, my romper.
But where can a nearly 40 year old woman possibly rock an inappropriately short and kind of tight romper?

The Playboy Club circa 1966?

Eartha Kitt’s 23rd Birthday?

How about a Dean Martin Celebrity Roast?

Event: Baby Dean’s 2nd Birthday Extravaganza

Theme: Dean Martin Celebrity Pig Roast

My ensemble was met with a mix of shock, horror, amusement and ogling. But in all honesty that could have been caused by any number of factors: A entire roasted pig laying on my kitchen table, 20 toddlers walking around with plastic martini glasses slurping (obviously non-alcoholic) Baby Dean-I Martinis; A father roasting his one 2 year old son (“ I’m not saying he is big for his age, but we wear the same size shirt”) Do you like how we used a kiddie pool as a cooler?

The romper was thrifted as a pants onsie- circa 1987 I am sure. The shoes, Via Spiga, were thrifted so long ago that I don’t even remember were I got them. This is the first time I wore them and I know they were thrifted because on the virgin soles there was a pile of 5 or 6 red stickers and the top one read “1.00.”

So now that the planning and preparation for this event is over I can get to my one true love- taking pictures of myself and posting them on the internet.

What to Wear with My Lucite Platforms

So you order one dress from the Boston Proper catalogue; one dress that is not nearly as cute in person as the description promises. For the next seven years your poor mailbox gets assaulted weekly with every catalogue that apparently my demographic likes to order from. Venus, Alloy, Body Central...who knew my demographic were Tuesday afternoon strippers? (Not that there is anything wrong with that profession if any of you have chosen that as your field- I have only the utmost respect for you ladies and my husband and his college buddies were apparently big fans)

But I am a good sport; I peruse these catalogues when they are delivered, fantasizing that the fabrics are actually of better quality than I know they are. Picturing this dress longer or perhaps this dress in a print other that hot pink cheetah.





Well, few years ago I came across this butterfly tunic hiding among the spandex/Lycra dresses of one of these catalogues. To be fair it is supposed to be a dress and to be even more fair it is actually two scarves sewn together.



Now it is a tunic. But if you wave around a single who knows...

It's a family Affair

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, one of my favorite perks about being married to Doug is that his mother randomly (and frequently) gifts me with the coolest stuff from when she was my age. I swear the woman must have spent the entire decades of her 20’s and 30’s shopping.
This outfit is comprised of many such treasures.

Check out these boots. They are spring boots made from linen of some sort. So cute and so current.

The belt is not even from Mother-in-law’s collection, it is from Doug’s late father. He apparently had more clothing than his mother and spent twice as long “dressing.”

The purse is Gucci. I am in love with it. I bought it on Ebay, several years after I fell in love with it because I am patient and once I fall in love I NEVER fall out(thus Doug and I’s 9 year engagement).

And is that a sweater set? Why, yes it is. This is my one and only sweater set.

Someday I will pass all this on to Baby Dean's wife...that undeserving gold digging bitch.

Weighing In on Sexy Work Wear

This morning I was watching FOX News (not exactly the crème de la crème of reporting but admittedly better than PIX) Today they were cross promoting a story that apparently appeared in the NY POST, another Murdoch owned outlet. The story was of a woman named Debrahlee Lorenzana, who was fired from her job at Citibank for wearing clothing that was too revealing.

This is Debrahlee Lorenzana and her bosoms.

The NY Post ran a two page spread on some of the ensembles she had sported and the anchors proceeded to critique them, quite favorably, claiming that this is corporate gender bias.
I think we are all in a position to weigh in on this issue, not only because most of us blog about this subject, but because clothing is a public matter. Here are my 2 cents.

We all have choices in what we wear to work.

I have always been somewhat of an exhibitionist so my style, when I first started working was what I called “porn star librarian.” It was super conservative, but my heels were a little bit too high (never an open toe shoe) and my skirt was always a little bit tight (but always below the knee). I still rock this look once in a while because it is suits me and is totally appropriate for the industry I am in and my career goals.

This woman obviously had no guidance as to what to wear in regard to her industry and career goals, unless her career goals are to remain an assistant to a man who likes to look down her blouse. I would venture to say she was not fired for wearing clothing that was too revealing. Her clothing conveyed a message and that message was not one in which her bosses wanted representing Citibank to their clients. She was fired because of her message.

I see some women blogging about work clothing and I shudder. Their outfits seem to convey a strong desire to be the fifth primary character of Sex and the City, which is fine, but not if you have a corporate job that you are trying to move ahead it.

The advice I give my students when they go off to intern is this, “dress for the job you want.” This is not about sexual discrimination, it is about learning corporate culture. I assure you that if a man showed up in a nipple bearing lingerie inspired shirt he would likewise be fired.

Fleet Week NYC - Toddler Fashion Remix

Do you believe in Dressing Destiny?
Fashion Fate?
Couture Karma?
Three Facts to Consider?

1) Baby Dean turned 2 on Monday

2) Hubby said I am not allowed to dress Baby Dean up like a sailor past his second birthday unless, of course, he actually joins the Navy.

3) Fleet Week in New York City officially ended ON Baby Dean’s 2nd Birthday.