For the next few weeks the definition of ‘well-dressed’ stretches like an elastic-waist band on velour pants.
Dressing to dazzle isn’t a fashion mistake, it’s a mitzvah!
These’s simply no better time than now to take your inner Carrie Bradshaw out for a holiday spin.
Devotees of the cult-classic Sex & the City remember the style-icon forever on a sociological tour of the times. Managing Manhattan in Manolo’s Sarah Jessica Parker elevated her style-file as a New York City columnist with a wardrobe that defied trends of the times. Skirting social networks, sex-capades, and professional aspirations, SJP and her alter-ego Carrie, rocked a look that personified her character. Self-motivated and self-confident the star of the ensemble cast defined appropriate dressing on her own terms.
Setting SJP apart from her pals, her peers and people confined by convention, her vintage-with-a-twist sartorial statements were modern-day vehicles of self-expression. Because she embraced her own sensibilities, Bradshaw’s look was authentically flawless.
Fashionista’s have long shopped granny’s closet for accessories that add a special Za-Za-Zoo to the look-du-jour. The passion-play is not merely sentimental, it’s also easy on the budget.
Alison and Melissa Houtte wrote “Alligators Old Mink & New Money” in December, 2005. The charming book strolls through fashion-finding like a safari. Reminiscent of looking through a family recipe box, each story is a sampler of taste-making and a reminder that spending a lot of money doesn’t guarantee good taste. Filled with timeless tips on what makes a vintage piece valuable and what to watchs-out-for’s ‘Alligators, Old Mink and New Money‘ is a fun read.
For anyone interested in customizing their customary look, ‘Eleventh House Vintage’ is a must-see site to shop in-person or on-line. Owned by Liz Gardner, the retro-fashionista explains, shoppers like herself are drawn to vintage-wares for many reasons; history, quality and the special appeal of wearing something unique. For her, another plus to shopping ‘past-fashion’ rather than ‘fast-fashion’ is respect for the environment. Repurposed clothes are loved~ not lost in land-fills.
Often times her clients purposefully shop for vintage clothing mindful of the fashion industry’s negative environmental impact. Other clients prefer to wear period pieces or clothing made from natural fabrics. Styles made from cotton, linen, silk and wool are not only higher quality than some contemporary fashions but they can also be budget-friendly investment quality couture.
If you’re open to experimenting with a new look, looking backwards to fashion’s golden age may hold the key to opening a dazzling closet door filled with the kinda fun your inner Carrie Bradshaw wants to take out for a holiday spin.
Fittingly, Eleventh House Vintage is located in a spectacularly reimagine textile mill : 58 Pulaski Street Peabody, MA