Illustrious Luster

Miss Mary Mack ain’t got nothin’ on my gold buttons.

This jacket was a recent acquisition from my vintage shopping adventures in Portland over the summer. The babydoll-esque silhouette and statement buttons tells me that this piece could possibly date back to the early 1960s. I immediately fell in love with the shiny gold buttons, and while the chest pocket is too tiny to hold anything, it adds a small amount of charm to the jacket nonetheless. The jacket’s lightweight hand and classic ivory color will make it a perfect companion for many dressy occasions to come. It definitely deserves to be worn with something equally pretty, luminous, and rad – perhaps a little plaid?

I often associate plaid with button up shirts and preppy pleated school girl skirts, but this sheath plaid dress proved me wrong. I rarely fancy a pastel palette, but the lustrous sheen of the silk shantung made this dress rather fancy. Although not quite as fitted as a sheath should be (oh the downsides to shopping vintage!), it’s no problem that a simple belt can’t fix.

To show off the dress or the jacket? That is the question. But buttons this big are virtually fumble proof. I guess I should loosen up my buttons and show off my guns. And no, I ain’t frontin.


vintage jacket (similar) / vintage Erez Levy dress (similar) / Nina pumps / vintage purse (similar) / vintage crystal bead cluster earrings (similar) / vintage crystal bead necklace (similar)

Pop Goes the Arteest

Pop quiz: What does Chic Vic enjoy in addition to poppin’ tags? Pop art!

As much as I’d like to believe that I’m artsy fartsy, I can’t say I’m in the know of what’s hip and happening in the art scene. However, as the occasional museum goer, I do appreciate aesthetically pleasing things. It’s hard for me to name my favorite art genre, but pop art is one category that easily pops into my mind.

Pop art was a movement that started in the 50s and 60s that challenged the norm.
The conventional art form at the time was fine art, which was generally very elite. Pop art was a countermovement to this, with the attitude that art should be accessible by everyone. Pop art employs the use of everyday commonplace objects and elements found in consumer culture and poses them as art in satirical ways – thereby making art more easily attainable for the average person. Famous pop artists include Andy Warhol, Richard Hamilton, Roy Lichtenstein, and many others.

I recently attended a pop up shopping event, and among the sea of vendors, one particular shirt popped out at me. Indeed it was the vivid pop of color that caught my eye – it was a Roy Lichtenstein wannabe and I wanted it to be all mine. Lichtenstein is well known for his satirical humor based comic book inspired artwork, recognizable by his signature use of Ben-Day dots.

Drawing inspiration from this copycat Lichtenstein-esque tee shirt, I applied his comic book technique to my outfit and Ben-Day-ed myself. The polka dot scarf, the black and white multi-strand beaded necklace, and the perforated clutch bag all spotlight the Ben-Day dots and dotted embellishments all over the tee. Now

I love this look more than anything…


J.Crew cardigan (similar cardigan) / pop art tee (similar tee shirt) / Urban Outfitters pants (similar sailor pants) / vintage Nina pumps (similar pumps) / Gianni Bini clutch (similar clutch) / thrifted necklace (similar necklace) / thrifted scarf (similar scarf)