Preppy Pep

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Victoria

Who can turn the world on with her smile?

My blog has been my pride and joy the last two plus years, but lately I have had a hard time squeezing it into my schedule. With extra work piling up at my full time job, a recent part time gig, and personal plans I’m working on, you can imagine this working girl is quite beat when she punches out to knock out midnight, only to punch in again the next day at 6am. When the #firstworldproblems gets tough, I ask myself, WWMTMD?

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a popular sitcom in the 1970s, starring Mary Richards as Mary Tyler Moore. It’s about a young woman in her 30’s who relocates to a big city, finds new friends, becomes an independent working woman, deals with issues surrounding that decade, and everything that comes along with that.

While I’ve only seen the opening credits and heard the catchy theme song, falling short of watching an actual episode, I can still relate to Ms. MTM on a few things. We’re both independent working women. We’re the same age. She works in journalism. I studied communications and am a blogger. She twirls around in a busy intersection and tosses her hat up in the air. I’ve had the desire to do the same for the longest time.

BDG wool beret (similar) / vintage shift dress (similar here, here & here) / vintage blouse (similar) / vintage scarf (similar) / Hue tights (similar) / G.H. Bass & Co. shoes (similar) / Coach purse (similar)

While the 1970s isn’t one of my favorite fashion decades (but I have channelled that decade before), I feel like this is an outfit that the 1960s MTM would wear – she was a big fan of abstract prints, florals, and colors on the show. This wool shift dress is another beauty I inherited from my aunt when she cleaned out her closet. Custom made for her in Hong Kong back in the day, it now fits me like a glove. Although winter’s been mild in the Bay Area, the temperatures still drop it like it’s hot enough for me to wear a wool dress. For that preppy look, and to stay warmer, I layered a chiffon blouse underneath. Tights are a must – in pop of color of course. Add in some gold hued saddle shoes (yes they were popular in the 1960s!), and this working lady is running late for work again.

With a preppy pep in my step, I’m gonna make it after all.

Luxe Leopard Lady

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Victoria

The cat’s out of the bag: I’m not really a pet person.

The only pets I had growing up were confined to tanks, so I don’t have much affinity towards furry four legged creatures. Sure they’re cute, and I may even pet one, but I can’t handle the responsibility of taking care of one. There’s a reason why dogs are a man’s best friend – after all, they owe it to their masters who feed them, bathe them, walk them, and pick up their poop. But what about cats? Cats don’t need to be walked or bathed, you say? And they take care of their biz in a litter box all by themselves?

Although I do have a preference for a cat’s independent nature, don’t call me a crazy cat lady just yet. Dare to be untamed? Kittens are child’s play; only the chicest of fashion bloggers take a walk on the wild side to hang with the big cats. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, so call me luxe leopard lady. As long as I don’t materialize into a cougar somewhere down the road.

This faux fur leopard print coat is definitely a statement piece so the only other statement I’m making are with a pair of green tights. The coat is surprisingly warm for being faux fur, and I wore a chunky sweater dress to keep things cozy. This fine feline’s outfit is the cat’s meow and is sure to inspire copycats, fuel catty remarks, and maybe provoke some catcalls.

Nevermind the lion, this leopard is clearly the queen of the concrete jungle.

leopard coat (similar) / vintage sweater dress (similar) / vintage necklace (similar) / Target tights (similar) / BDG suede boots (similar) / vintage watch cuff (similar)

Baroque Brocade for the Holidays

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Victoria

ModCloth blouse (similar) / vintage belt (similar) / vintage skirt (similar) / Anthropologie tights (similar) / Vince Camuto pumps (similar) / vintage fur stole (similar) / vintage clutch (similar) / vintage cuff (similar) / vintage earrings (similar)

If I could deck the halls of my home this holiday season, I would do it not with boughs of holly, but instead go broke for Baroque. On second thought, perhaps I’ll just get decked out in a budget friendly Baroque inspired outfit.

Ceiling fresco 1691-1684, Andrea Pozzo

Baroque style emerged in Europe during the 1600s. This style permeated into all art forms such as fine art, architecture, music, literature, and of course, even fashion. Baroque was all about creating excitement and drama through display of opulence and grandeur; it was a time of indulgence. I won’t get into the religious and historical details of the Baroque period, for they are just as intricate as the style itself. While Baroque manifests itself differently in each art form, in fashion it is characterized by textured fabrics, ornate embellishments, curlicues, and abundant details with ribbons, pearls, and delicate gold embroidery.

It’s no joke that I have no great wealth to show off, so I decided to poke fun at Baroque’s opulence. If anything, I display an eminence of vintage and thrifty finds. I captured the essence of the Baroque style with embroidery and brocade in the shiniest of golden threads. Saving the wide long skirt and plunging décolletage revealing neckline for another day, I opted for a modern silhouette in a sleeveless blouse and slim pencil skirt.

Don’t let the shiny threads fool you – this is just pattern play: holiday edition. When mixing patterns, just follow a few rules. Pay attention to the scale of the pattern (mix big and small), fabric texture (shiny with matte), fabric weight (e.g. silk vs. velvet) and color scheme (same color family or neutral). In this outfit, I decided to go with multiple elements to create a lavish outfit brimming with drama for your momma. Despite all my Baroque details clamoring for attention, it might be the vintage fur stole that stole the show.

We finally started getting rain in our drought induced state of California, but I won’t let it rain on my Baroque brocade parade. Unless the precipitation is of the paper kind.

Happy Holidays!