Thursday, September 27, 2012

Calling All Re-Fashionistas...Help!






Sound the alarm! ...calling all re-fashionistas and upcyclers... Jean, Pao, are you there? I got this great pair of Lucky Brand sweats at the thrift store. They're too small for me but I couldn't resist the design on the legs. On one side there's a geisha and on the other a dragon. Each design is partly  embroidered and partly stamped/batiked. The material is a dark brown high quality fleece. If I could fit these, I'd wear them as is. They're just the kind of thing I like to bump around the house in.
My first instinct tells me to refashion the legs as sleeves on another garment. But what do you think? My sewing skills are top notch, but it seems I've lost some of my creative mojo over the past few years.







Isn't she lovely?





 This is a distress call... a cry for help, so even if you're not a re-fashionista or upcycler, please chime in if you've got some ideas.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Fetish Fantasy of a Forty-Something

This is my fantasy...
ZiGiny pumps


ZiGiny pumps (see more platform high heels)

This is my reality...

Yeah, my fantasy involves black leather, straps, studs and spikes...I'm talking shoes baby! I have a bit of a shoe fetish (surprise!). I love shoes; tall ones, short ones, skinny ones, fat ones, black ones, white ones. And ever since shoes with studs and spikes came out a couple years ago, I've been fantasizing about owning a pair. I'd like mine to be the tallest, spikiest, most outrageous pair out there, but really, where would I wear them without feeling totally ridiculous? My options are basically work and the grocery store. There's also the issue of my safety. After 43 years of living, I still haven't mastered walking in mega heels. And I'd rather spend the $250 on a nice purse (or shoes) than on the insurance deductible for breaking my neck. 
Here they are in real life. I still get all the bad ass-ness of the studs and spikes but the possibility of bodily injury has been reduced to almost 0.001%.  Cool.



"Conceited" black flats via Baker's Shoes
John Roberts striped over-dress: thrifted
Worthington gray under dress: thrifted; also worn here
Vintage Ettienne Aigner clutch: thrifted 


Hey,  Gracie , Ally, Pao Lynn, Gracey and Charmaine;
a big heartfelt thanks to you all for coming to the swap party. Lynn voiced the spectacular idea of having a permanent swap page, which I believe I'll do. 
The winner of the Pandora bracelet is #6, Charmaine. Congratulations.

Keeping my fingers crossed that some of your fantasies will become realities. Have a great week. See you at Patti's Visible Monday. Monday Mingle

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Swap 'Til You Drop


Welcome!
Come on in, make yourself comfy. I'm so happy you could make to the swap party link up. If you've visited my blog within the last 3 weeks or so then you already know the details; if you haven't, click here
Gracie , Ally, Pao, and Lynn have arrived already. Scroll down and link your swap post too by clicking on the little blue froggy guy, then have a look around and see if there's anything you'd like to swap for. Leave me a comment or email styleagent909@gmail.com. Be sure to visit everybody; you never know what you might find! Just finding out about the party? You've still got time to join! The link is open until Saturday night 9/22/12.

A few suggestions, if I may... Since we're not doing this face to face, real time (oh, how I wish!) a swap make take a couple emails back and forth so please be patient with fellow party attendees. 2) If you have any doubt as to whether an item will fit, ask for measurements. 3) If condition or authenticity of an item is important to you, ask lots of questions. 4) Please link back to styleagent909.blogspot.com so others can join the party. 5) Just because the link closes Saturday night, doesn't mean the swapping has to stop. 6)If you make a great trade(s) we'd all love to see it in a future post(s).


 Oh yeah... you probably want to know about the prize. It's a sterling silver Pandora bracelet and one starter sterling silver charm/bead (you get to have the fun of filling it up and personalizing it). This bracelet accepts the sterling silver beads but not the glass beads of Pandora. Glass beads from other brands such as Troll may fit. One randomly chosen person wins. I'll announce it next post.


Now let the swapping begin...




Betu Sport skinny python pants. Size 8.
 Waist 29", hips 43", total length 40". Zip front. No pockets. 97% cotton, 3% spandex.
I seriously want a pair of python pants so bad, I was going to sew an insert into the sides of these to make them larger, but decided it would wreck the look.
Wouldn't these look fabulous with some boots?

9/1/12 update: I was in Macy's yesterday and found a pair of python print jeans. I'm just over the moon about them!








a.n.a faux leather jacket. XL.
Underarm to underarm 44", Neck to bottom 22", shoulder to cuff, 25.5".
In general, I'm not a fan of faux leather. But I really liked this jacket. The photo doesn't do it justice. I has a "broken in" look. Because it's an XL there lots of room for layering thicker clothes underneath. Drawback, no pockets. I recently replaced it with a nearly identical one that does have pockets.







Levi's denim shirt. Medium.
Bust 40", Waist 35", neck to hem 29", shoulder to cuff 24".

The southwest look is going to be big this fall. This shirt is a must have. Soft, 100% cotton. It's slightly fitted and just doesn't have the looseness I'm looking for plus I have at least 3 other denim shirts.









Gap linen biased cut skirt. Size 8.
Waist 32", length 28", hips are very generous.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this at the thrift store. It's the exact same one I'm wearing here. The only difference is that this one has dark stripes where mine are light and visa versa. This could work in any season. I was going to cut this one up and use it as a pattern, but I decided one skirt like this is enough.
I really should have ironed it, but I'll leave that to the new owner.




Express faux fur jacket. Size Large
42" bust, 25" shoulder to cuff, 22" neck to bottom. I know there's somebody out there who can really rock this like it deserves to be. I think it's sooo cute. The only problem is, it makes me look like Sasquatch. If you have a small frame there's lots of room for layering. If you have a larger frame like me, try wearing it with a light weight garment underneath.





Worthington dress. Size 14.
Bust 42", length from waist to hem 21", waist 34", hips 48" (at maximum). 100% polyester, but has a silky feel.
I really like this dress it kind of reminds me of a tortoise shell.
The problem is, it rides up my thighs a little higher than I'd like when I sit down. It has a side zipper and a matching fabric belt that is permanently attached.












Steve Madden wedges. Size 8 1/2. From heel to toe 10", 4 1/2" tall at heel.
 Remember these? I wore them here. I just don't sport these much at all and I think they deserve to be shown off. They're in great shape and feel amazingly stable to walk in.





Here's my wish list: 
1. Big rings
2. Scarves (can't get enough of 'em)
3. Anything made of colored suede or leather
4. Small to medium cross body type purse (I have red, black, and white ones already).
5. Vests
6. Patterned tights
7. Chunky necklace
8. Boots! I love boots!
9. Basic black blazer (I know, I can't believe I don't have one either.)
10. Long cardigan (really long, like this one). I have a brown one and a gray one already.
The specs:
shoe: Sometimes and 8 or 9, but usually 8 1/2.
dresses, pants, jeans: 12 to 14
Blouses, sweaters, jackets: 12 to 14,  medium to XL.

Sizing also depends on the fabric of certain items. If you have something you think I'd like, but it's not my size or on my wish list, give me a holler anyway, maybe I can make it work!




Monday, September 17, 2012

Diamonds Are Forever...


At what point is an item no longer worth buying even at thrift store prices? When is so beat up and tattered you're better off leaving it on the rack? Yes, believe it or not I have limits like that and I'd almost reached mine when I spotted this sweater. Sure, it looks great now, but when I bought it, it had 50 million little moth eaten holes in it. Well, maybe not 50 million, but at least 20. I lovingly mended each and every one. This also included the extra effort of changing the thread color four times. Now, even I can't tell where the holes were. It was a diamond in the rough. And all diamonds are graded by the four C's.

Clarity: Meaning how many flaws or inclusions does it have. A diamond is a natural thing and inclusions are also natural and not always necessarily a deal breaker. In the case of this sweater it's an I-3, very heavily included.

Cut: The cut ensures the diamond shows of maximum brilliance. I'm going to rate this as a 3 which is "good". It's slightly slouchy, just the way I like my sweaters to be.

Color: Graded from no color at all "D", which is most desired, to "Z". Anything beyond a Z, and it's a  colored diamond. I guess mine is a ZZZZ.

Carat: There are 5 carats in a gram. The word carat is derived from the seed of the carob tree pod. This sweater has got to be at least 10 carats. It's pure Merino wool. I'm rich!

Sometimes the stars align and the 4 C's are all high scale. Sometimes people are willing to sacrifice one thing for another, such as a little
sub par cut for more carats. Decisions, decisions...
I'm happy with my diamond sweater even though it's not flawless and I'm walking over to Patti's Visible Monday  and Monday Mingle to show it off.

Please note: judging by the 4 C's (color, weight, brilliance, lack of flaws) only apply to diamonds and sweaters - not people.


Remember the Swap party is coming up this week. I'll open the link this Thursday, September 20th - Saturday September 22nd.  See you there!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

What I've Been Missing...



Ladies I've been waiting 40+ years for this to happen. It's been a long time coming, and now my world is forever changed. I know what I've been missing in my life....




           A RED DRESS !




I'm now the proud owner of a red dress. Me. Can you believe I own a red skirt, blouse (multiple), socks, undies, sweaters, pants (again multiple), jackets, coat, cape, shoes, scarves, but never a red dress...until now...

I just love the hemline on this.

I like red, but I just never felt the want or need for a red dress, but when I saw this beauty hanging in the Goodwill, I knew this is what's been missing in my closet all these years. Is a red dress just as essential as a LBD?  How does somebody get to the ripe age of 43 and not own a red dress? I tell ya, if you don't own a red dress, you don't know what you're missing.  And let's not even talk about the holiday possibilities... Valentine's, Christmas, St. Patrick's. Ok, scratch St. Patrick's.  I'm so excited about this I ripped out a page from the August 2012 "Lucky" magazine which just happened to have lots of red dresses (I swear I didn't plan this)  plus I've searched the net and found a few others for you. None of these are as cheap inexpensive as mine; gotta go to thrifting for that, but they're still fun to look at. Enjoy.
Oh...wait a minute....
There's one more thing I've been missing, and thank goodness for Lynne over at Practical Paralegalism for pointing it out. All this time I've had my comments set to "word verification". This is a real pain in the arse when you have to type in those letters and numbers. Well, I reset it, no it's no longer there. Thanks Lynne. And thanks to all of you who've put up with it and still left comments for me. I appreciate it. If you want to know how to reset it Robyn at Robyn's Nest wrote a great post on how to do stuff like that.
O.K... Now have a look at all these pretty red dresses!





                                                        Badgley Mischa
                                                        $266.99


                                      Issue 'Flaaper Dress'
                                      $98.99

                                           London Style V-Neck Dress
                                           Sears $39.99


Are you missing anything from your wardrobe?
Do you have a red dress?

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Sheila E. and The Glamorous Life

Since I seem to be on a trip down memory lane lately. Here's another tidbit circa 1985...


I was  out Goodwilling, minding my own business, when I passed this old building (you know how I love those) with an E on it. It reminded me of the singer Sheila E., best known for her song "The Glamorous Life", back in the mid 80's. Also around the same time, there was a popular group called Ready For The World or RFTW for short. They sang a song called "Oh, Sheila". I was in high school when these two songs came out. Everybody either tacked an E onto my name, (my name is also Sheila) calling me Sheila E. or would sing the first few words of RFTW's song... oh, oh Sheila...
To this very day, people will sometimes call me Sheila E., mind you, I look nothing like her or they'll sing "Oh, Sheila" to me. It happens at least several times a month. Really.  In high school this brought lots of unwelcomed attention. Now, as an adult I find it mildly irritating. Mostly, because I don't know how to respond. Should I do a little dance when they start singing or what? (sometimes I do).



Do you have a name that's been made into a song that everyone sung to you in school? How do you respond when people sing it to you now?
If there's no song with your name in it, don't despair, there's always that tune "The Name Game" where a rhyme can be made from anyone's name. For mine it would go something like this...
Sheila, Sheila, bo beila, banana fana fo feila, fe fy mo melia, Sheila...

Now let's try that with your name...

I'll be sharing this little slice of life with the gals at Patti's and Mingle Monday and EBEW.
Remember the upcoming clothing swap party. This is your official invite.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Ready, Set, Repeat










Girlfriends, it's Friday and I'm ready for the weekend! How about you? It's still warm and humid, so this is what I'll be sporting. I actually wore it last weekend, but only to the grocery store and the Goodwill, so I feel justified in wearing it again. I doubt the lady at the deli counter or the guy in produce will remember it and besides, it shouldn't count if I had it on for less than 3 hours right?

 Ann Taylor dress: in store, clearnce
No name vinyl bag: thrifted
SoHo Cobbler platform flip flops: thrifted




















 Did any of you get the memo that platform
flip flops are woefully out of style and one of the worst fashion disasters ever?
I got that notice about a month ago via an article on the internet, but I'm going to pretend I didn't read it, because I frickin' adore this pair of shoes!







                                                                              


                                 Have a stylish weekend. See y'all back here Monday at the usual hangouts.







Sunday, September 2, 2012

Plaid, Vintage Pleats And a Dose of Leopard





Happy Sunday/Monday Gals. I sure hope you got an extended weekend. I did, and I'm luxuriating in the thought of painting my toenails and rearranging my sock drawer tomorrow. I know, sounds boring, but to me it's heaven!
On to the outfit. I stopped by a charity yard sale this past Saturday and picked up a bag full of clothes for $1. Do I need to tell you I was just tickled pink over that? There was table full of vintage clothes, hence this lovely pleated skirt with ruffled bottom. I really have no idea what to wear with it (yet), so I paired it with this plaid shirt since it has a similar color blue in it (and it was the first thing I could put my hands on). It's kind of June Cleaver meets Grizzly Adams. I'm biting my nails over the cost of having it dry cleaned. They charge $3.98 plus and additional 10 cents per pleat. I could end up paying more to have it cleaned than the darn thing probably cost new! At this rate, it may be in the line up for the Shop N' Swap party. I know these shoes will.
Oh...you didn't know about the Shop N' Swap party? Well just click here. Everybody's invited so spread the word.



















Liz Claiborne blouse: thrifted
No name vintage skirt: yard sale
No name belt: thrifted
Steve Madden leopard shoes: thrifted

I'm headed to Patti's Visible Monday
and Two Thirty-Five Designs.
Monday Mingle

HAVE A LOVELY WEEK!



















9/3/12
Major update!!!!                                 
Frannie Pantz is getting married and e-invited
her blog friends to attend. I think I'll wear this skirt
with my silvery Ralph Lauren sweater and strappy
BCBG Girls sandals (all thrifted).
Congratulations Frannie Pantz. Wishing you many
happy years of marital bliss.