STOP IT WITH THIS CHAIR

I am this close to dropping $420 on eBay* and buying one for our porch.



THIS CLOSE.

The timing isn't ideal, what with me being not-so-employed right now........ Will someone else pls buy it so I can't?

(Photos by Laure Joliet for The Animal Print Shop via Anne Sage)

______________________________

*Update: This one's not vintage. I don't want it. Which, PHEW.

I need a Big Girl Dress

Dear ESB,

The first in my group of college girlfriends is getting married this summer, making this the first non-family wedding I'll ever attend. As such, I need a Big Girl Dress.

Although I love your luxe taste, I simply cannot afford 99% of the things you post (but that doesn't stop me from perusing your blog on an almost daily basis). I've been completely supporting myself since I was 18 so I know the value of a dollar and can't justify splurging a few hundred bucks on one frock, no matter how kick-ass the frock may be. This is where I need the help of you and your resourceful readers. 

I want a sophisticated but still somewhat edgy dress that is $100 or less. At the moment, I'm inclined towards this dress [pictured above] (I know how much you love Nasty Gal) or this dress (but Nordstrom is out of my size). I'm out of loop when it comes to awesome online stores so I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

I love patterns as well as interesting necklines and hemlines (especially deep backs). I have a disproportionately long torso and short legs so super fitted skirts make my ass look saggy. The wedding is in Baltimore and I'm no longer used to high temperatures so my pits would appreciate something breathable. 

Signed,
Ready For The Big (Girl) Leagues

*****

Grey flannel does not say summer wedding to me. The Nasty Gal doesn't suck, but it reads very "young." I.E. If you're over 22 and out of college (which it sounds like you are) I wouldn't do it.

Also, polyester = eew. Not only is it not breathable, but cheap polyester can look REALLY CHEAP.

How bout this silk Wren dress?

Listed at $99 or best offer on eBay.

There are also some floral versions floating around. This one is listed at $49 or best offer, and the seller accepts returns. I fucking love an eBay seller who accepts returns. 

speaking of lady tuxedos....

There are some terrif options on ebay. Such as this Katayone Adeli jacket, currently $125 with 3 days left to bid.


[Warning: Be sure to read the fine print. Don't be fooled by a "Balmain" jacket that was made in Korea....]

Have a wedding caftan!

Yards + yards of.... mid-weight satiny draped poly.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Current eBay bid is $38. You've got one day + one hour left to make it your own.

Via Memoirs of a Disco Queen, with special thanks to Amy for the heads-up!

trendy vs. timeless

Hey ESB,

I have a family wedding this fall and need some accessory guidance. This is the dress (though I'll be wrapping it a bit differently). I'm pairing it with some sleek pewter pumps I already own and some raw smoky quartz baubles.

The issue is, I'll be toting a rather large vintage camera, phone, yadda yadda yadda -- a clutch isn't going to cut it. Can I rock this bag or am I totally mixing genres?

Sort of unrelated, but I don't have lots of dollars to work with.  For me, this is kind of an investment piece. Wondering where you and your readers would rank it on the trendy/timeless spectrum.

Thanks for your wisdom!

-The Bag Lady

*****

On a scale of trendy (1) to timeless (10), that bag rates a 3. Maybe a 4.

I recently spotted the new Coach "Legacy" Leather Duffle on because im addicted....

which sent me into a 30-minute tailspin searching vintage Coach bucket bags on ebay and etsy.

There are QUITE A FEW. And they are excellent.

This one from Bel Modo is $115, and looks to be in pristine condition.

But shop around, they come in a bunch of different sizes. (And if the seller says "BEST OFFER TAKES IT HOME!!!!" don't be afraid to offer half the list price.)

Summer Cleaning

Yesterday I took a bag of clothes to Crossroads to sell (they only wanted two items, which I am trying not to take personally) and three bags to Goodwill to donate.

Goodwill was flooded with donations, it being the beginning of the month. There were piles and piles of what looked like absolute junk all over the parking lot. The guy asked me if I wanted my bags back, and when I said "Sure, if it's easy..." he dumped my clothes into a nearby fish tank. A Splendid wrap that I had paid full price for, and fully intended to LOVE, fell on the pavement and he didn't bother to pick it up. All I could think was "What a waste." So much crap that I bought and never did love.

Money is tight around here (money is always tight around here, but especially now that we are desperately trying to buy a house….) and I need to make a new resolution to be thoughtful about the clothes I buy.

Better to invest in a couple of terrific, well-made things each season than to end up with bags and bags of crap. And..... Better to pay full price for the perfect pair of jeans than to order five different pairs on eBay that never fit properly?

I still like the criterion I set for myself when I was cleaning out my closet four years ago: "If we were suddenly offered jobs in Barcelona, what would I want to bring with me?"

Photo: Ashley Smith is All Natural for Russh #47 by Cara Stricker via Fashion Gone Rogue

while we're talking about earrings

Dear ESB,

I hate to be one of THOSE people, but for reals, I have a problem. 

I need some long, dangly earrings (kind of chandelier-y) BUT I don't have pierced ears. I have looked high and low (I even stooped so low as to go into a Claire's at the mall, only to be disappointed and confused as to why there is such a big market for tiaras). Online, I have only found clip-ons that would be appropriate at the early bird special in Boca. HALP. 

Sincerely, 
Need Some Non-Pierced Ear Swag

*****

a) Pierce your damn ears already

b) Buy a pair of earrings you love -- QUALITY EARRINGS, not a shitty $14.99 pair -- and take em to a jewelry store to be converted.

c) EBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY. Do you know how many amazing pairs of vintage earrings I've seen that I'm all "Shitbags, they're clip-ons"?

Sometimes I wonder about you guys. Srsly.

Hannah Holman by Simon Burstall for Elle France via Fashion Gone Rogue

barrette remix: does tortoise shell work for a wedding?

Hi there,

I know I'm about a year late on this.

But I loved it then, and I love it now. I basically want that exact Rodarte barrette, but I can't find anything that doesn't have any bullshit crystals or (gah) pearls. I'm getting married in late May of 2012; this is my dress.

(Ignore that "boho chic" nonsense. And I know my dress has a sparkly crystal bit, but it's such a small bit). 

Since I can't find exactly what I want, I'm thinking of going in the other direction. So is tortoise shell too casual for a wedding? 

*****

I'm still loving barrettes. (As are alllllllllll the ladies who seem to be growing out their bangs at the moment. WUSSYPANTSES.)

But I feel like you need something with a little shine.

Vintage brass pansies? ($15)

Vintage brass feather? ($30)

Vintage "Carved" Barrette ($20), which, I'm pretty sure is made out of plastic. But how Rodarte AWESOME would it be if you painted it gold??


Top Photo: Rodarte, New York Fashion Week SS 2011 by Anna Bauer

Alison's getting married

Did you know? Our TeenAngster is tying the knot!

I've been quietly eavesdropping on her wedding planning via twitter... okay, I'm not always quiet. sometimes I have to butt in.

Check out her AMAZEBALLS wedding band (above) scored on ebay!

And hellooooooooooo Memento Mori Ring for the hubs. (Bittersweets at Catbird)

I wasn't sold on the idea of a memorial ring, but I FUCKING LOVE this guy as a commitment ring.

A, pls to get it in the matching yellow gold, will you??

I found your wedding dress on ebay

Starting bid: US $9.99

You're welcome.

antler wedding decor

I had to post these. I am officially obsessed with antlers for fall.* And bird's nests will never go out of style. (Just ask Martha.)

Photos by Lacie Hansen via 100 Layer Cake

*Yes, my tip arrived, thanks for asking. And it is GORGEOUS. Anxiously awaiting the brass chain I ordered from etsy, and then mabs I'll post a photo of the "finished" necklace if I can manage it.

how to get a badass wedding dress without ever having to leave the house

Even before she sent me her wedding photos, I knew I was gonna have to squeeze a dress post out of Celia. A girl with vintage style who commissions a custom wedding dress? Yes pls.

I decided to have my dress custom made pretty early in the dress decision process. I had quickly considered jumping on the bandwagon and buying some fancy designer dress but as soon as I saw some of those fancy designer price tags, I was instantly turned off. My mom was gracious enough to tell me that she would work with me on the price, but honestly, spending THOUSANDS of dollars on a gown that could probably be seen on the pages of most wedding magazines and could be worn by any girl that was ready and willing to spend those THOUSANDS of dollars, seemed 1. predictable and 2. not me at all. I try not to buy my regular clothes from massive corporations, so why would I go that route when it came to my wedding day?

On to plan B: a vintage dress!! This idea was extremely appealing. I own and wear tons of vintage and one of my best friends is a vintage buyer. This was going to be perfect! Well, turns out, not so perfect after all. I have seen many girls pull off vintage wedding dresses beautifully, but unfortunately, I was not going to be one of those girls. I tried on a slew of vintage gowns, but I always ended up looking too kitschy and not classic, which is what I really wanted. After all the excitement, I was a bit heart broken that vintage wasn't going to work for me.

And that's when I made the decision to have my dress custom made. I knew it was the only way to get the dress I actually wanted... the dress of my dreams! The hardest part was finding someone reputable that I felt I could totally and completely trust. I came across Lindsey Nelson (who's worked for the Los Angeles Opera House) through another dressmaker who had made wedding dresses for two of my friends, but had moved to Nashville. I didn't know exactly what I wanted, but I definitely knew what I didn't want (no strapless/mermaid/satin/beaded ensemble) and I knew the look I was going for. I sent her photos of dresses and details that I loved and asked her if she would be interested in making my dress. Lucky for me, she jumped on board and said that she would come to my home for all our meetings and fittings. So, I basically got a badass wedding dress without ever having to leave my house... that's my kind of business deal! She came by a few weeks later, measured me, asked me a whole bunch of questions, brought more pictures for more inspiration, and sketched out what I knew was going to be the most gorgeous dress.


I was definitely set on lots of lace and unlike esb, I AM a ruffle person, so there was going to be some serious ruffle action. Knowing that I had loved the idea of a vintage gown, Lindsey had suggested we use vintage lace to construct all the ruffles on my dress. GENIUS! I'm pretty sure that was the very moment I fell in love with her! Over then next three months, we took a trip downtown to pick out the fabric for the main part of my dress, we bid on a variety of vintage laces that Lindsey found for me on Ebay, and had four fittings total. Everything went so smoothly and perfectly, that I even asked her to make my mom's dress and a blouse for the flower girl. In the end, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful gown on my wedding day and I definitely couldn't have asked for a better, sweeter and more personal way to get that dress. There's no way I would change a thing.

Oh, and the whole dress (labor and fabric) totaled less than $950. I'm quite happy to say that my extra money went towards an amazing honeymoon in Europe and not Vera Wang's pocket...



*Update: tons more inspiration pics and terrific detail shots on Lindsey's blog.*

All photos (with the exception of the inspiration board) by Cathryn Farnsworth

I hate to encourage the cupcake obsessed...

But go ahead, go nuts over these "Cup Cakes" by Meg Van Heck. You know you want to. And (bonus!) now you have an excuse to scour ebay for vintage teacups.

p.s. You MUST check out the rest of the 2nd annual Boudicca Cake-Off (via scout holiday)

And damn you, Garance

Now I need to go bra shopping.

I've been wearing the same two Target bras (one black, one grey) I bought a year ago. They've held up incredibly well. But let's face it, I could sex it up a little in the lingerie department.

Anybody have a favorite (discount) place to shop for bras in LA? I've learned the hard way that ebay just doesn't work. Even if you think you know exactly what you're getting, you have to try that sh*t on.

(Photos by Wai Lin Tse)

the joy of....

Inspired by this book review, I bought an old copy of The Joy of Sex on ebay to give H-town for Valentine's Day.*

Purely as an anthropological artifact you understand.

*I really wanted a first edition, but what I got was "Completely Revised and Updated for the 1980's." She: still shag haircut + gogo boots. He: still bearded neanderthal. Looks pretty seventies to me.

ART: TOM WESSELMANN, “BEDROOM PAINTING NO. 6” (1968)/ESTATE OF TOM WESSELMANN/Courtesy of The New Yorker

I can't keep up with the jean trends

But I like these.* Would they be considered Boy Jeans? I am so over the wide legs.

(Photo of A Magazine's Fashion Editor Annabel Rivera from altamira via coco + kelley)

*Unfortunately they look a lot like the Sevens I listed on ebay yesterday because I decided they were too big. I am such a Gemini.

Laura Lobdell for Valentines

If you are shopping that is. We are def trying to cut down on shopping.

(Okay I'm trying to cut down on shopping. I'm the one with a problem. Rachel led me to this inspiring post on Simple Lovely, but once I saw the photo of Joslyn's striped shirts it was all over. I was on ebay bidding on another Velvet tee in black & white before I could remember my own name.)

Anyhoo, doesn't this candy heart necklace by Laura Lobdell rock?

pretty.pretty.paper has also scouted some pretty rad little presents in candy heart colors.

While we're at it...

I love this vintage wedding dress. Bids are at $51.00 with the reserve not yet met.

Lebowski sweaters are hot

And ebay knows it. The best ones start around $129.99.

But aren't they awesome? I kind of like the variations on the theme with hunters and skiers and ducks.... I think H-town and I will be combing the thrift stores on our next trip north.

p.s. If you think the Dude look isn't chic, check out Jermaine Brown. And call it a Cosby sweater.

F* the trash the dress shoot

This is not happening for me today. I was on the list but somehow I fell off.

Maybe the universe sensed my ambivalence. Or maybe the organizer read about my ambivalence on this blog. (Brilliant idea giving him the link.)

Anyhoo, glad I didn't drop $100 on ebay for a leather pilot's helmet. Though I would love to have a leather pilot's helmet. Seriously.

(Photo by Air Adam)