LONDON FOGGING

Wore this out for wine and cheese at Mesa with Chelsea and our BFF Jasmine on Saturday night. I needed something easy and comfortable to wear due to the fact that it was raining and I transform into a useless shell of a body in the rain; unable to function. I went to visit my boyfriend’s family in Michigan over the Summer, and his Grandma heard through the grapevine that I like vintage clothing. Upon hearing this she ran down to the basement and returned upstairs with this gorgeous London Fog trench coat that had once belonged to her mother. She insisted that I take it home to breathe some life into it once again, and I mean how could refuse?! As I get older I LOVE expanding my collection of family heirlooms. So far, I have acquired: a vintage Colt belt that was my great Grandfather’s (worn in my last post), my Grandma’s vintage Gucci watch, a gold necklace with a heart charm containing the diamond of my Grandmother’s wedding ring, and most recently this beautiful London Fog trench coat. The most coveted pieces in my closet!

Vintage London Fog trench. Vintage army tee. Vintage skirt. Vintage watch. Ratty old converse...the best kind.

Until next time,

Brittany

Rainy Day Red

Ahhhh...rainy days. I've never been that girl that's like, "ZOMG let's dance in the rain. OMG I just love, love, LOVE rainy dayz!" (You know the type...the kind that end up spending the rest of the day with wet jeans and socks...ew.) Dude, rain sucks. Everything gets all wet and it's humid and sticky and my hair gets ALL kinds of frizzy. Hence, my easy, breezy, rainy day ensemble. A bright beanie to distract people from my messy rain-hair. A big-ass fuzzy coat thrown over a mini dress to keep me warm AND cool...best of both worlds. And some comfortable wedge booties to keep my feet dry...gotta stay elevated! PS- Guys, I got this entire ensemble in one fell swoop of Goodwill. Twenty-five bucks out the door. Thrift store shopping...LIFE HACK.

Thrifted...everything. JK. F21 Necklace.

Until next time,

Chelsea

KUBRICK

My boyfriend and I visited LACMA on Christmas Eve Eve, specifically to see the Stanley Kubrick exhibit...which was thoroughly amazing. My favorite would have to be the 13-year old kid who, upon entry into the Clockwork Orange room, grabbed a hold of his mothers bag and whispered into her ear, “Mom...what IS this place?” It was SUPER crowded...tons of people. I took note of one major theme amongst the youth; their cell phone is permanently attached to their hand. (Hey- I’m no innocent bystander. I LOVE me some social media. But man, kids these days are really taking it to the next level.) It’s almost as if they’re not taking in the art simply for the sake of taking in some art. Instead, they’re in a constant state of searching for that next Instagram opportunity or TwitPic. They look around the room frantically glossing over each piece until they zero-in on the one that speaks to them and they start snapping and tapping their little lightning fast fingers away. And God forbid their parents try to have a conversation with them; kids today shut that shit down REAL fast. I hope that kids grow out of this tech-driven phase so that they can stop living the entirety of their lives through a tiny little I-phone screen.

Vintage jacket. Vintage J Crew Sweater. Free People pants. Steve Madden Boots. Thrifted Hat. F21 Necklace.

Until next time,

Brittany

Christmas Party Oufit

The works Christmas Party is clearly one of the most important parties of the year. It's the one time you get to really dress up and have a fantastic night with the people you work really hard with, day in, day out. I'm pretty sure every girl will admit that they purchase a new dress when that time of year rolls around and it's your mission to find something that not every girl will be wearing. 

When the gorgeous Kim at e-tail webstores contacted me (she's the loveliest lady), on behalf of Chi Chi clothing I was just a wee bit excited at her timing. This, yes this dress right here has to be my absolute favourite Christmas party dress to date.

The long sleeves and comfortable material come hand in hand with a hell of a lot of sparkle, making sure that it's perfect for Christmas / Winter attire - plus it's a Little Black Dress, which is never an item you can have too many of. And although I like my dress to stand out a little, I feel that I could tone it down a little by pairing it with some chunky black tights and velvet ankle boots. 

Apologies for the lack of full length shots here guys, but the lighting at 7pm on a winter night was definitely against me. (cue to perhaps invest in some indoor lighting, any recommendations!?)

And if I wasn't in Australia for New Years - I would 100% be wearing this baby again.

See you all in 2013 my lovelies and Happy New Year!!!! 2013 is THE year, I just know it.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED: Blue Bird Bride Jewellery

The fab feeling of discovering another fantastic online jewellery boutique will never fade. So you can imagine my joy when I was contacted by Blue Bird Bride. If you're looking for statement beautiful necklaces then this is the place to be heading. My wardrobe consists of many plain, dark items so I always like to add a pop of colour to my outfit with accessories that do the talking. I mean, how frickin' gorgeous is this necklace?

I love it so much that I wanted you guys to be able to get your lovely mitts on one too. They come in a variety of colours and at only £16.51 I think everyone should own one! The giveaway will run from today for one month - 24th January. And if you don't win don't worry - you can nab a cheeky 15% off  when you enter FALL2012 at checkout. 

Good Luck All - and a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year :)

I will be off on my jolly holidays from Christmas Night, so I have filled this little space with lots of guest posts to keep you company. make sure you have a read!!

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Book Reveiw & GIVEAWAY CLOSED: 1930s Fashion: The Definitive Sourcebook

When Carlton Books contacted me about featuring a newly published 1930’s fashion bible I just couldn’t resist. You may, or may not have guessed from my blog that 1930’s is a little bit my favourite. I may not dress like a 1930's typical woman on a daily basis - but it's definitely where I take my inspiration from with regards to my make-up and I particularly love the effortless glamour involved with the fashion. The book is packed full to the brim with never before seen images and divine illustrations taken from fashion magazines of the day. 

I would describe this as the perfect sitting room book. You know when you sit down after a long day shopping and want to flick through a fantastic piece - well this is it. And not only that, when your in the mood to really learn something new this ticks all the boxes. The book focuses on Daywear, Swimwear, Wedding Gowns, Eveningwear and Accessories; and with all the photo's dated you can gage a full understanding of how the fashion changed throughout that time period.

I'm absolutely in love. And I was even more excited when one of the authors of the book agreed to have a little interview with me...

1. Charlotte, for those that haven't had the chance to read the book, could you tell us a little bit about it and the ladies behind the masterpiece? 
Emmanuelle is the fashion history authority so has written the introduction and most of the captions, while I am a design historian, author and critic as well as an absolutely obsessive collector of fashion photography, prints, advertisements, etc. I do all the image sourcing and try to shape the project so that we can give the reader the best fashion overview of the period that we can.

2. When did you first become interested in Fashion? 
Ever since I was child I have been interested in vintage fashion, in fact as a university student I dealt in vintage clothes as a way of avoiding having to get a summer job. And through this handling of beautiful vintage clothes, I got to appreciate the exquisite tailoring and detailing of say a 1920s beaded flapper dress, a 1940s fur stole or a 1950s boned swimsuit. They bascially don’t make clothes like they used to...unless, of course, you can afford Haute Couture, which let’s face it most of us can’t.

3. What inspires you about 1930's Fashion? 
I love the fact that even though it was the height of the Great Depression, women bucked the gloom and doom and opted for sheer over-the-top glamour – whether it was a slinky gown or just a bright red lipstick. Never underestimate the power of fashion to cheer one up...

4. The 1930's style truly celebrated the woman's figure and the coming age of glamour - do you feel we could embrace this more in our current day and age? 
I think that the overtly feminine silhouette of the 1930s was great – for the first time women could be glamorously womanly with their curves being accentuated with figure-hugging fabrics. Today, sadly most designers prefer to have models that look half-starved and/or half-dead so that they don’t compete with the impact the clothes make on a catwalk or in a glossy advertisement, which is all rather depressing. Really it should be that clothes are made to fit real bodies, rather the bodies being made to fit unrealistic silhouettes. During the 1930s women were allowed to be feminine, and this must have felt very liberating... And I’m pretty sure the men during the 1930s appreciated this curvaceous look too.

5. What's next for you two lovely ladies? 

We have just finished the next volume in the series, “1940s Fashion” – which is packed just as full with images and information – from wartime utility garments to Dior’s New Look. It has been another great learning experience, and we are both looking forward to working on other decades next year!

1930s Fashion: The Definitive Sourcebook is published by Goodman Fiell, RRP £30 and is available at www.carltonbooks.co.uk and all good book stores. 
And now for the very bestest bit!! If you want to get your hands on a copy of the beautiful piece - you can enter to win one below :) As many of you know I'm off to Australia next week for 3 weeks, so the giveaway will close on the 29th January 2013 - when I'm back and have had a chance to sleep!! A winner will be picked randomly through rafflecopter. Good luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Year End Sale at Suzanne's

December 2012
	Buy One Sale Item at 50% off -- Receive One of Lesser Value FREE! December 26th through January 5th Stop in and visit us for our year end sale! Make sure you come early for the best selection!!! ** Prior sales all excluded ** HOLIDAY HOURS: Monday, December 24th ~ 10:00am - 1:30pm Tuesday, December 25th ~ Closed Wednesday, December 26th ~ 12:00pm - 5:00pm
	If you love Suzanne's, be sure to "Like" us on Facebook! Regular Store Hours:  Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri - 10am to 5pm Thurs - 10am to 6pm Sat - 10am to 4pm

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Suzanne's Distinctive Fashions
40 State StreetPittsford NY 14534
suefashion@aol.com

Fabulous Flagg

Behold, the gorgeousness that is my new Edith Flagg floral print coat. (Who BTDubs- upon further research, is a TOTAL BAD ASS. A Holocaust survivor who lost her husband at Auschwitz, she later worked for the Dutch Resistance and saved multiple lives over the course of the War. After moving to America she became a well known fashion designer and dress manufacturer. Today, she has a net worth of approximately $100 MILLION. They say success is the sweetest revenge...so suck it, Hitler.) Feast your eyes on the deeply saturated color palette and flawless condition of this 1960’s topper. I pulled this sucker out of the pile sale I went to last weekend with Britt, and upon discovery we both let out a little gasp and shared a moment of silence to honor it’s beauty. I’m in love. (FYI this sucker cost $5...true story.) Of course, I took my new coat out for a test run right away. It was clear that the soccer Mom’s and minivan driving Daddy’s of In-N-Out shared the same love and adoration for my new coat that I did- they all pointed, stared, and marveled. JK...I swear the suburbanites of my conservative, family-friendly neighborhood just can’t handle my chic-ness- I mean god forbid someone enjoys dressing up. In my world, a trip to In N Out is just as good an excuse as any, #AmIRight? Besides, I ain’t judging your NYDJ jeans, PTA t-shirt, Keds sneakers, and Harvey’s Seatbelt Bag...so please at least grant me the same luxury, lady.

Vintage coat. Thrifted LBD. Via Spiga Boots borrowed from sissy. Jessica Simpson necklace. Random beanie.

Until next time,

Chelsea

Shades

“Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their days off that are the most intriguing.” – Alexander Wang. I totally agree, Mr. Wang. Here is one of my lazy day outfits that's been on repeat lately. Even when I am dressed down, I am dressed up. I ONLY wear sweats in my house...ok, or to the gym. (Like, twice a year.) My BFF Jazzy says that when I'm wearing sweats, I may as well be dressed in drag. Sweats make me feel like I'm in costume; I just don't feel quite myself! I even keep my sweats and PJ's hidden away in my closet, like I'm embarrassed to let my precious other pieces interact with them. In my life, fashion isn't reserved strictly for special occasions or nights out on the town- it's just part of who I am. Boyfriends jeans, a perfectly worn in vintage tee, and a beanie (don't have to brush my hair- HOLLA!) are just so much better than those heinous yoga pants everyone's wearing now-a-days. Sometimes I think I was just born in the wrong era.

Vintage tee. Vintage cardigan. Great Grandpa's belt. Vintage Levi's. Thrifted pumps. F21 Beanie and necklace.

Until next time,

Brittany

It's Like the Jelly of the Month Club - But Better

Why not gift yourself a little something from Devil May Care this holiday season.  With the Panty of the Month Club - you can treat yourself to a gift that keeps on giving the whole year through...

Oh almost forgot, they are giving away a free subscription on their blog.  Winner will be announced New Years Day.

Best of luck lovelies!

xoxo

Jenny

Mahogany and Mustard

So, I’m not gonna lie to you, I wear these leggings like, every damn day. (My baby sister called me out on that one.) Guilty as charged. This is one of my go-to “day off” outfits; high shine leggings with a chunky knit, fur coat, and booties. This mustard sweater has been on repeat lately; it’s made in Germany and it takes “chunky knit” to a whole ‘nother level. It’s seriously like, 1-inch thick! QUALITY. Which leads me to my booties.another Goodwill find. I believe they are of the geriatric nature, but I DGAF because they have this awesome jelly padding inside that makes me feel like I’m walking on a freaking water bed all day long. I wore this out with Britt to do some vintage shopping in Laguna Beach. She insisted that I ask a shop owner what kind of fur my coat was made of. He caressed my arm, looked me dead in the eyes, and muttered out a disdainful, “It’s faux.” (We were slightly embarrassed.) At least now I don’t have to worry about anyone throwing red paint or animal blood all over me, amIright?

Vintage coat. Vintage sweater. H&M leggings. Thrifted booties. Vintae necklace.

Until next time,

Chelsea