Category Archives: Uncategorized

Go Rouge

Posted on by

0

Mary wore her red dress, red dress, red dress. Mary wore her red dress all day long.

Miss Mary, you were so stylish for your time.

Red is not a color to be taken lightly; its intense hue is known to raise blood pressure and heart rate. For these reasons, red is often associated with many things, such as love and passion (Valentine’s Day/Singles Awareness Day), or good fortune and happiness (Lunar New Year), and even the fight against heart disease (Go Red for Women). February is definitely the month to go rouge in your outfits. My closet has so many pairs of red shoes and red dresses it would put the ladies of the Red Hat Society to shame.

I found this classic beauty at my monthly visit to the antique faire. Lucky for me, the dress fit wonderfully and the vendor was ready to make a deal for $15. This dress is likely from the 1960s due to the ruffle bell sleeves and is all sorts of awesome. I told you I was going to get a bit groovier, but you didn’t think it would be so soon, did you?

This dress is a whole lotta red and doesn’t need many bells and whistles especially because of its color and sleeve detail. I kept it low key with nude fishnets and low-heeled leopard pumps. Jewelry was kept to a minimum, but I did wear a feather headpiece for some added drama, and skipped my usual red lip. The dress was missing the matching red belt, so I added a black one with some hardware detail to define my waist.

Oh Henry with the green sneakers, I think I’m ready for my roses and candlelight dinner now.

Happy Lunar New Year and soon-to-be Valentine’s/Singles Awareness Day!

Red Dress

Seeing Red

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Shift Happens

Posted on by

1

Growing up, my favorite pal on Saturday night was Nick. Nick introduced me to Samantha Stevens and Jeannie. I loved watching these two women use their superpowers with good intentions, albeit sometimes to spite the men in their lives. Although I did not know it at the time, those shows probably influenced my passion for vintage today.

I admit that the 1960s is not one of my favorite decades of dress, but it has been growing on me as of late. My aunt recently did some spring-cleaning and offered me her vintage shift dresses from this era. I couldn’t turn down such a groovy offer.

The 1960s were characterized by a general shift in culture, as well a growing youth generation. During this time, shift dresses became very popular, and is perhaps the reason why they are named exactly that, the “shift.” Icons such as Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick epitomized this style of dress. An interesting fact is that these frocks actually originate from the 1920s, only this time without the fringe, feathers, and beads.

How to spot a shift dress? They generally have a simple boxy silhouette that might hang straight or slightly A-line from the shoulders with the hemline above the knee. For these reasons, this dress is versatile and can be worn by many body types, especially if you have a boyish figure like myself.

My favorite details of this dress are the elegant princess seams that transition smoothly into hidden pockets at the hips. The petal collar also adds a bit of whimsy and “flower power” to the outfit. The weave of the wool is quite psychedelic; I like to describe it as herringbone on LSD. To avoid feeling like a 12-year-old boy, I wore a pair of hidden platform pumps with a very high heel to balance out the straight and conservative silhouette of the dress, and finished with a few simple gold accessories to keep the true 60s vibe alive.

Be prepared to see me in more swinging 60s ‘cause I am up shift creek without a paddle. Groovy baby!

Arm Candy

Posted on by

4

Vintage clip on earrings I have galore, dainty pendant necklaces, chains, and pearls I have a plenty, but arm candy I do not.

One of my New Year’s style resolutions is to add some more baubles to my empty wrists. I love my vintage gold-toned cuff watch (which I wear in almost every post), but I realize I need to add a bit more pizazz and bling to my outfits. On my wish list: chunky bangles, spikes, wrap-arounds, charm bracelets, chains, and watches. I love me some studs too, but since Ryan and Joseph aren’t available, these gold ones will do.

Arm Candy

Connect the Dots

Posted on by

6

When I was a kid, connect the dots was my favorite amongst all the games and puzzles in my Highlights magazines. There was something magical about transforming what looked to be a bunch of haphazard dots into a recognizable image with just the trace of my pencil. Although I have outgrown those puzzles, I still have an affinity for dots.

The dot design has been around since medieval times. It gained popularity in the mid 1800s when polka music was trendy. During this music and dance craze, everything and everyone and their mom was decked out in dots, and the name “polka dots” was coined. Anything with polka dots instantly conjures up a retro vibe, and reminds me of the 1950s, when it gained widespread popularity again.

I don’t think my outfit lives up to the polka, but rather should be more aptly called wallflower dots. It lacks the boldness of the polka dot and isn’t quite equally sized and spaced, but has a charm and daintiness about them none-the-less. Because of the relatively neutral nature of my patterns, I was able to mix and match them, and layered in different fabric textures as well. The dot theme is constant, but you will have to look closely to see. I threw in a cheetah print scarf to add an organic element to the otherwise structured graphic dots. The studded booties also make for an interesting 3-D take on the dot and are an edgy contrast to the overall feminine look, topped off with a retro cloche.

I promise to feature more polka dots in future posts, but don’t connect my dots please.

Goodwill Hunting: When Wooly Met Poly

Posted on by

0

Harry and Sally. Sonny and Cher. Wool coat, meet polyester blouse: one a natural fiber, the other a synthetic.

I have a nasty habit of donating to Goodwill, only to turn around and purchase something from their retail store. On a recent trip there, I ambled up and down the aisles until I found this wonderful bright blue polyester blouse in a petite size (such a rarity!). I should have stopped there, but, feeling a bit empty handed, I proceeded on to the coat racks. It must have been serendipity, for I discovered this wooly coat in excellent condition, minus the mystery wadded up tissue in the pocket.

Being a petite girl, I am not usually a fan of oversized shapes, as they overwhelm my figure. However, the cocoon-like silhouette of this jacket was an exception. The roomy shape actually allows me to pile on a chunky wool sweater underneath. No need to worry about weird bunching of layers, which often occurs when you try to cram too much under a fitted jacket with a defined waistline.

The speckles of charcoal, blue, brown, and red in the coat inspired the color palette for this outfit. The rough wooliness of the coat and the smooth sheen of the blouse combine to create a texture rich ensemble.

Talk about Goodwill hunting.

Wooly and Poly

Sprung Over Spring Trends

Posted on by

0

Before the frost has had a chance to melt, spring is already in the air. I guess global warming is a bigger problem than I thought. However, the New York trend reports are to blame for this short-lived dry winter, not our carbon footprints. Unless you’re wearing a pair of red soled Louboutins.

No time to comb through the runway shows? Fear not, for I have broken it down into digestible chunks for you. Some of these trends may not come as a surprise, as fashion tends to cycle through several seasons and repeats itself in history. For example, midriffs are back in style, and harks back to the I Dream of Jeannie days. My favorite trend so far is the peek-a-boo fishnet and web-like wovens, as if lace took a turn to the dark side.

Which trend are you dying to get your hands on this season?

cage lace: Louis Vuitton
chambray and denim: 3.1 Phillip Lim
far east movement: Prada
neon brights: Oscar de la Renta
petals and florals: Etro
global prints: Vera Wang
high contrast graphics: Marc Jacobs
homme femme: Ralph Lauren
leather clad: Jason Wu
midriff: Timo Welland
white slice: Alexander Wang
sheer: Missoni
frills: Balenciaga

You Can Toucan

Posted on by

9

Happy New Year! Nothing like ringing in the frosty weather by bringing in pops of color and showing a little leg in my first outfit post of 2013.

I would sum up my holiday vacation to Belize in one word: ADVENTUROUS.  The sights I saw were simply unbelizable. The weather was gorgeous, the people were friendly, the seafood was plentiful, and the mosquitos weren’t really biting. What more could I ask for? Oh yes, much, much more: snorkeled with tropical fish, turtles, manta rays, and nurse sharks in the second longest barrier reef in the world; hiked through a muddy dense jungle in the pouring rain; found out what it was like to literally be stuck between a rock and a hard place as I shimmied my way through tight spaces and waded through waist deep water in dark caves; witnessed the spectacle of glistening stalagmites and stalactites; and climbed the steep ancient stairs of the Mayan ruins. There were many Kodak moments that weren’t captured on camera, so I’ll just have to rely on the snapshots in my memory.

Ready for the Amazing Race
I touched the nurse sharks
Pretty pastels
Warm clear water
Bright blue
Is that a banana in your hand or are you happy to see me?
Lamanai
Fan of the flora
Ice cold coconut
Toucan whistle souvenirs
Peppers
Tikal
Hearty lunch after Tikal
Share the road!

As for local fashion trends, there really wasn’t anything too exemplary. Even I looked a bit haggard during the trip and donned the stereotypical tourist look: hat, tank top, khaki cargo capris, and hiking shoes. Chic Vic I was not.

There was just one colorful trendsetter in Belize that was out of sight due to its fleeting nature: the toucan. The toucan is the national bird of Belize. Unless you’re an avid birdwatcher or an early bird, the sighing of this colorful beauty is rare and few to the average Joe.

The toucan is a great of example of color blocking at nature’s finest, second only to the panda bear. Color blocking is exactly what it sounds like: wearing “blocks” of color – solids only, no prints. Sorry leopard, zebra, and cheetah, you’re out of luck. I was inspired to use the colors from my souvenir toucan salt and pepper shakers to mimic a little color blocking myself. Pencil skirt, flared skirt, or skinny pants? I couldn’t decide on what black bottom to wear, when at the last moment, while digging through my dense closet, I had forgotten I owned this pair of silk shorts purchased from Express many seasons ago. And just like that, a faux romper look was created. I tied it all together with a silk scarf at my waist for a makeshift cummerbund. The blouse, silk scarf, shoes, and earrings are thrifted. Approximate cost of head to toe look including the toucans: under $50.

Unfortunately, shortly after this photo-shoot ended, both birds suffered trauma resulting from impact on concrete due to my clumsiness. Pepper survived with only minor cuts and bruises, while Salt had to undergo major reconstructive beak surgery by Dr. Superglue. Both birds are now resting and will never serve their purpose of being salt and pepper vessels.

Hey Mon, can’t wait to shake my tail feather once it gets warmer here.

Jan: You Can Toucan

Pleatha Please!

Posted on by

0

Pleatha makes everything betta.

I had always been subconsciously looking for a nice fitted leather bomber jacket, but never wanted to pay the price for it. It also seemed like an impractical purchase. So, I turned to pleather. Many of the options out there for pleather jackets are often very cheap looking or too juniorsy in style for me. Le sigh, will I ever find The One?

My prayers were answered by Urban Outfitters; a decent looking pleather jacket exists! I stumbled upon this gem at their famous 50% off sale. I love the feminine silhouette of this jacket, and how it fits my frame so snuggly. The quilted seam detailing, zippers at the sleeves, and collarless look can say, “simply chic,” or even “Where’s my Harley?” when worn with the appropriate coordinating pieces.

I chose the “simply chic” ensemble and paired the jacket with another animal component, the leopard print. I found this awesome knit DVF skirt at Buffalo Exchange. Not only does she make a mean wrap dress, but this skirt will flatter your assets for days.

No animals were harmed during the writing of this post.

Chic Vic

Posted on by

0

Even blogs need a makeover from time to time.

Http://victoriasstylesecrets.wordpress.com was simply a too much of a mouthful for people to handle, and for me to say. Quite frankly, I was tired of seeing another Victoria’s Style Secrets blog come up on Google instead of mine. So, I spent many a day thinking of a domain name that was available, easy to remember and spell, and most importantly, still represent me and my witticisms. My ah-ha moment literally came to me on a rainy day while I was on the toilet (I kid you not): Chic Vic was born.

Fear not, readers! I may have a new site name and new look, but I promise to continue to deliver the same great fashion, style, and humor in my posts!

I’m not sure if I can upload a permanent banner photo, so here are the shoes from the old Victoria’s Style Secrets site for you to delight over.

IMG_0702

Bonjour St. John

Posted on by

7

The blue dress. The mysterious stain. The French beret. Sound familiar?

Just a few things I have in common with Ms. Lewinsky, but it stops there.

If I had the choice, I would never wear pants. Allow me to rephrase that: If I had the choice, I would wear dresses everyday. But how to achieve this as the weather is getting colder and the daylight hours are shrinking? Three magic words: tights, knits, and knee-high boots.

I had never owned a knit dress in my closet, nor did I ever desire one, but that all changed when I found this vintage St. John dress at my favorite haunt, Mercy Vintage. They were having a sidewalk sale, and although it was a hot summer day, it did not deter me from trying this simple beauty on, sweat and all. It fit like a glove. There was a mysterious stain on it, but nothing a little elbow grease couldn’t get rid of.

St. John is world famous for their “Santana” knits, which is made from a yarn that is a mix of wool and rayon. This blend gives the knit a wrinkle resistant property. The founder, Marie St. John actually developed this technique as a way to stay fashionable without spending a fortune. Sound familiar?

I accessorized it with my souvenir scarf from Paris, and thought, why not make it a complete French look with a beret and a vintage flower broach? C’est parfait!

Now I’m craving some macaroons.