Summer Shoes

Well, it's chilly and rainy today but all I can think about is cute summer shoes to go with the sundresses I've been sewing. As usual, I find my desires very split between the practical and  . . . not-so-practical.

First, on the less practical side, mint green clogs!

Piper Clogs

Now, I know that clogs aren't inherently impractical: they usually have a lot of support and have chunky heels that are easy-ish to walk in. But we're still looking at three inch heels here (even though there's a platform), and are those really going to be the shoes I reach for on a daily basis? More like the shoes I put on to take pictures in and then switch to something comfier for real life. And I have plenty of photo shoot shoes already!

On the very impractical side: Miss L-Fire's Lola mules.

Lola Mules

4 inch platform heels with an open back? Definitely photo shoot shoes. After I picture how glam they'll look with a new dress, all I can see is the vision of myself face-planted after a nasty fall. Because just looking at them makes me feel unsteady on my feet.

Also from Miss L-Fire (my favorite-est shoe brand ever, BTW), a navy polka dot platform pump.

Miss L-Fire Casablanca

Okay, let's talk practical. Flat sandals, right? While that may have a very modern sound to it, flat sandals were very popular as resort-type shoes in the 50s. Check out the shoes on this pattern envelope (a VoNBBS dress I made ages ago; have I really been blogging for four years?!):

So how about something like the Bass Margie sandal: comfy, classic, and inexpensive at $35.

Margie sandal

Okay, obviously they're not as exciting as the prior three shoes. But they're the type of shoes you'll wear to death and also pair well with cute retro dresses.

I'm also really digging these sandals by Volcom (???) that are a steal at $27. Plus: they will more adequately display my foot tats.

Volcom Heavenly Creedlers

Let's now talk about the sure-to-be controversial, vaguely orthopedic "granny shoes" that so many of us love.

Worishofer 562s in red!

Worishofer 562

I also love the Spring Step Breezy in white:

Spring Step Breezy

Lastly, on the practical side: canvas flats. The wear-every-day-until-they're-too-gross-for-words shoe.

The Keds Capri flat in gingham.

Keds Capri

Sea green canvas flats!

Seychelles Head in the Clouds

Lastly, surprisingly cute shoes from Ugg.

Ugg Indah

Okay, I'm on shoe overload. For perhaps the first time in my life, I'm leaning toward making some practical decisions. (Okay, maybe I'll throw a pair of 4-inch-platforms in the mix, too.)

P.S. I don't own any of these shoes (only in my dreams), so can't vouch for them personally, but I did choose shoes with positive reviews on their respective websites, for whatever that's worth.

Are you going practical or no-so-practical with your summer footwear?

Introducing the Frida Fascinator!

Thank you all so much for your support and kind words about my hats! I'm happy to report that the final class went very well. I'll have more photos of each of the hats soon. The next class, Fabric Hat Construction, starts next week! I can't wait.

I have more exciting news for today, though. I'm selling one of my pieces! I call it the Frida Fascinator, and it's an item I've been developing for a couple months now. {Update: the first one sold--yay! I have more ready to go, so I've re-listed it here.) Since I started learning millinery, I've become enamored with making felt roses (see my tutorial here). And then I became enamored with the idea of turning them into a Frida Kahlo-inspired fascinator. My love for Ms. Kahlo is well-documented here, so I'll just leave it at that.

I fiddled with it for many weeks before I figured out how to make it successfully. The secret is a handmade fascinator base. I shape it out of wire and then cover it with felt, and then add an elastic to keep it on the head.

I must have been very influenced by the techniques of my couture millinery class, because I've insisted on making the whole thing by hand. (I tried gluing one of the early models, and, well . . . yuck.) I also looked into less expensive materials, but nothing compares to 100% wool felt. Anyway, here's where you can find it on etsy.


I hope you like it! I'm playing around with more rose accessories too. More to come!

P.S. I also have a Frida braid hair tutorial! For the pictures above, I just made the braids a bit looser.

Shoe Bender

I don't know what it was about quitting my job, but it made me want SHOES. I suddenly decided that my shoe wardrobe was sadly incomplete. I needed comfier, more casual shoes ASAP.

I started with this pair of tiny wedges bought at Dave's Shoes, an ancient shop in my neighborhood. It's a throwback to the days of yore, where nicely-groomed men bring you your sizes and take them out of the box while you complain about your bunions. These shoes are comfy, and I think they're cute. I'm probably at least 30 years outside of the target demographic for this style. So sue me. I love them. I've already worn them just about everywhere in the 'hood. And out of the 'hood, to be honest.

Next. I totally splurged on this pair of retro clogs. Amazing, right? My brother--have I mentioned my brother here? I'm sure I have--His name is Bryan; he's 2 years older than me; he lives in Texas. And he always gets me an Amazon gift card for my birthday, which helped me purchase these awesome green slingbacks. Thanks, Bryan!

Third. I had a "lady date" last night. That's when you go shopping and out to dinner with a gal pal. My lady friend Emily and I stopped at Marshall's on 6th Avenue and I scored this pair of Hilfiger denim wedges for $29.99. Sweet!

Aaaand . . . that's today in shoes!

The Elusive 50s-Style Shoe

I've been thinking a lot about shoes lately. (Nothing new there, I guess.) It strikes me as interesting that when we talk about retro shoes, we often seem to mean those influenced by the 30s and 40s: t-straps, babydoll pumps, wedge sandals, etc.—even if we favor fashions of the 50s. I personally tend to pair 50s inspired clothes with 40s-style shoes, like platform pumps. But the most popular shoe of the early to mid 50s was the pointed-toe stiletto, a shape that strikes me as very modern. (And sometimes, unfortunately, very 80s.)

But the research I've been doing into 50s stilettos has turned up some real beauties, like the pink satin pair above. They were designed by Roger Vivier for Dior. According to the V&A and this excellent article, Vivier is credited with inventing both the stiletto and the comma heel, pictured below.

The comma heel is quite unusual even to the modern eye, but isn't it amazing that the stiletto heel didn't exist until the 50s? The silk pair below are from Herbert Levine, another classic and coveted brand of the 1950s.

The shape seems so timeless now. Interestingly, though, it's quite difficult to find shoes that emulate that curvy stiletto shape of the 50s (believe me, I've looked through pages and pages of shoes looking for something similar). Our heels are much more straight and columnar now. The closest I could find were these:

See the curvy shape of the heel?

I do love this look, though I can't say I see myself wearing something like this regularly. I love round-toe pumps with a bit of a platform for comfort. And if I'm doing a moderate amount of walking (which is pretty much everyday since I live in New York and don't have a car), I opt for flats to get me to and from the office.

What do you think of the 50s stiletto shape? Any recommendations for comfort and where to find a good modern equivalent? Please share!

Open-Toe Booties: Yea or Nay?

First, let me start by saying this: I know my "yea or nay" picks will be polarizing. That's the point! It would be an exercise in futility with you awesome people to post a frothy 50s Dior couture dress (for example) and ask your opinion. That's right, I know how you tick! Instead, I usually post things that aren't necessarily my style but I think may be kind of cool (or I could be completely wrong about).

Today's on-the-edge fashion is open-toe booties. Readers, how I've struggled with this style. I first dismissed them as utterly fug. Then I started seeing them on some of my favorite retro style bloggers, looking glam paired with full-skirted dresses. How confusing this dark period was for me!

Another turning point in this scintillating story occurred yesterday, with the arrival of the new Anthropologie catalog. Readers, I saw these:

And was inexplicably drawn to them. I just like them, that's all there is to it. I showed them to Jeff.

"Well, you don't have any other shoes like them, that's for sure," he declared. (He often puzzles over why I need, say, hot pink pumps in two different styles.)

"Are they . . . ugly?" I asked.

"Borderline," he replied.

So yes, I have ordered these "borderline ugly" shoes so I can see for myself. But what do you think, readers? What say you of open-toed booties in general?

Now, for a few footwear fashions that I hope aren't polarizing. First, what I think may indeed be the ugliest pair of shoes I have ever seen:

And on the other end of the spectrum: these fabulous platform pumps, which I admit are on their way to me as well, due to a moment of weakness and an Anthro gift card. Look at the raspberry-colored piping and hidden platform!

Now, if you need a good laugh at Anthropologie's expense after viewing any of these, you must read Regretsy's new feature: Etsy or Anthropologie? Pure awesome. She really stumped me with the plastic dinosaur brooch.

Next Step: Accessorize!

Readers, this next sew-along step is VERY IMPORTANT. Wouldn't you agree that the Lady Grey coat is just begging for glam accessories? So, I don't want you to get so bogged down in your impeccable pad stitching that you forget this crucial step of planning your accoutrements. Being the self-indulgent type, I went ahead and bought myself a couple pretty little things to complete my look when my coat is finished. I'm pretty sure I deserve it.

The first step was gloves! The bracelet-length sleeves of the Lady Grey are perfect for showing off a pretty new pair. I opted for the grey ones below (love those lavender buttons!) from ModCloth. They also come in red! Luckily, long gloves seem to be in style these days, so it's not hard to find a pair that will go up above your wrists.

Second step: brooches! I love to accessorize my coats with vintage pins, and the wide lapels of the Lady Grey are the perfect backdrop for some baubles. In fact, wouldn't it be cool to wear a few brooches in a little cluster? But let's start with one. I ordered this little guy on Etsy:

Etsy is practically crawling with vintage brooches to be had for cheap.

I have a beautiful pashmina that will keep my neck warm. All I need now is a nice hat, though nothing's really caught my fancy yet. All I know is that I want to look as adorable as Emma Pillsbury does in a tam:

How will you be accessorizing your Lady Grey?

Eating Fried Chicken in a Red Satin Dress

Hey, remember this little number? I made it over a year ago (blogged here), but I've never actually found an occasion to wear it. I considered it for a wedding, but it felt too fancy for the afternoon ceremony. There's just something wrong about wearing red satin in the daytime, if you ask me! But I got over it today and just wore the darn dress. To what fabulous event, you may ask? After all my worries about it being too formal for various things, I ended up wearing it to eat dinner in a cafeteria-style fried chicken joint. And I only got a little bit of grease on the skirt! Sometimes you have to just live a little and wear a red satin dress to eat friend chicken, right?

We did go out to a Broadway play afterward, so that was a more befitting setting for the dress. (We saw Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and it was awesome.) Thanks to all your fabulous tips on yesterday's post, I was very happy with my hair. I gave it a little hot-roller action and that did the job.

Other than that, I've been working away on my Lady Grey muslin, and am planning lots of sew-along posts for you. Hope you're having a fab weekend!

New 'Do

So, it was time for a little change of the old coiffure. As my hair got longer, I noticed I wasn't getting the results I wanted from setting it anymore. Pin curls and rag curls both just made my hair hang sadly and heavily. So I decided it was time. No more sad curls!

I took a couple inspiration pics to the salon. You might recognize these lovely hair models:

I'm liking the length, though it wasn't as dramatic a change as I thought. People hardly noticed at work yesterday—it's almost like they had more important things to do than discuss my hair!

I set it in pin curls and it came out very nicely. I unfortunately didn't get a good post-set pic, but here's how it looked at the end of the day, after brushing.

I also tried some fanciness.

I'm looking forward to experimenting more with it. Any tips on how to get that extreme pageboy rolled-under curled look?

Take That, Dorothy Parker!

Goodness, you sure are an opinionated group when it comes to spectacles! My eyewear poll garnered an amazing 1,000+ votes, with the tortoiseshell specs being the clear favorite. That post even generated a parody! (Um, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?) You'll be happy to hear that I've heeded your wishes and sent the black pair back in exchange for the tortoiseshell ones. More to come on those.

However, I did something sneaky in the meantime. Commenter Em linked to these adorable pink "fade-away" glasses, and while this particular pair was too small for me, I located a similar pair on Etsy. In mint condition and reasonably priced! They also shipped in record time, arriving yesterday. I have to tell you, readers: I think this is love. Who cares if men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses? I'm about to start making passes at myself with these babies on!

These won't be needing a poll. They'll be heading to the optometrist for my prescription lenses, stat.

And also! I finished my fascinator! (The fascinator, you may recall, was what started this whole eyewear crisis.)

Here's a better view of the top:

And the underbelly:

I hot-glued the square of felt on, but everything else is stitched by hand. I just couldn't bear to take the hot glue gun to those vintage strawberries! I passed the time by pretending I was Elizabeth Bennett in the scene where she's re-trimming an old bonnet. (I do hope Mr. Darcy will like it!)

I think it came out pretty nicely for my first little hat. I'm now reading the millinery book From the Neck Up, recommended by several of you lovely readers. Don't tell me how it ends! I want to be surprised.

New Glasses! Yea or Nay?

Last week, I worried that my glasses would clash with a fascinator. I contemplated ordering some contacts, but I somehow found myself trolling vintage eyewear sites instead. (Oops!) These lovelies were added to my cart, and the rest is history. I've been wanting a second pair of glasses for a while now; something that would contrast with the chunkiness of my regular specs. (Not that I don't adore the chunkiness too!)

But here's my question for you: are these the perfect pair? (I deliberately ordered from a place with a good exchange policy since getting the right specs can be a trial - so swapping these for another pair won't be a problem.)

I initially worried that these are too small for my face, which Jeff says is absurd. However, he does feel that they err on the side of "costume-y." It's always a good sign when Jeff likes something right away (he has great taste, if I may say so myself). He's hedging on these, which worries me.

Here's how they look when I'm cuddling Pip, which she is so clearly enjoying. (She has a strong pro-Jeff bias, which I totally get. And little Henry adores me enough to make up for any slights from Pippi.)

Being on the fence still about these, I decided on a back-up pair should I want to make an exchange. Pretty sweet, huh?

Because I'm indecisive, I need your help, readers. What's your opinion? Keep the black, or exchange them to try the tortoiseshell pair? Hey, I've even put in a handy-dandy poll so it's easy for you to make your opinion known!



And, of course, I love to hear your comments below! Thanks, friends.

Pippi says bye!

Update: Here's a link to the online shop I'm buying from. They're fantastic; all their glasses are never-worn optometrist's deadstock. New glasses for everyone! Hurrah!

Braided Up-Do Video Tutorial!

As you've noticed, Heidi braids are one of my favorite ways to do my hair. This is a coiffure that you'll see in many different eras, including early Hollywood glamor - but it also feels very modern. Besides being timelessly classic, and they can pair with formal, casual, and professional looks. Really, it's amazing how versatile this 'do is! Per many requests, here's a video tutorial on how I do mine. Hope you enjoy it!

What's Your Handbag Strategy?

So, it's clear from reading A Guide to Elegance that I will never be elegant by this book's standards. And hey, I'm cool with that. "Elegant" isn't really the first word I'd want people to use to describe me anyway. (So there!) But I'll be the first to admit that I wouldn't mind polishing up my act a bit. And the area where I could use the most immediate help is handbags.

There Has Got to Be a Better Way to Do This

I find myself in dark, uncharted territory right now, readers: I am questioning the wisdom of Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing. You see, the Background Dress is finished (!) and I'm working on its accessories: the link buttons and the scarf. (You may recall that the Background Dress has several different ways to wear the neckline, which incorporate these accoutrements.) My current problem is the link buttons, as illustrated above. What the heck are link buttons, you ask?

This little accessory is quite neat, really - just two buttons linked together, much like cuff links. And they can then be worn through the bound buttonholes at the collar of the dress, as illustrated by the gal with half a head on the upper right of this envelope:

Aren't they cute? I just wish mine would go together easily. VoNBBS instructs us to thread the buttons with four strands of buttonhole twist, and then cover the strands with blanket stitches.

Here's the full instructions. Click to enlarge!

Now, here's what happened to me. It was going fairly well, and then: Major knottage! Also, I'm just not loving the look of it.

On the left side, where the blanket stitches are not all tangled up - doesn't it look kind of cheesy and amateurish? Is this my fault or the fault of the method, do you think? It just seems like there must be a more professional-looking way to do this. I'm thinking perhaps something involving a strand of jewelry chain and some pliers. But I'm no jewelry maker. And so I come to you crafty, clever readers for help!

What do you think? Should I go back to square one with the buttonhole twist? Or do you have any brilliant suggestions for how to make this work better? Any and all help is appreciated!

And then it's on to the next accessory: a bias cut scarf made of pale blue silk chiffon with white polka dots. That will have a hand-rolled hem, no less! Hmm, something's making me think that the dress was only half the battle with this project . . .