Glam Rock Chic

In the 80's the hottest ladies in rock were Joan Jett and Chrissy Hynde. Back then it was all or nothing with hair dyed so black it was blue and thick eyeliner that never seemed to wash all the way off.

Well, the look is back - minus the hair dye - and fortunately it doesn't have to be a lifestyle and it can actually be fun to pull off every now and then. It can be simple by just adding an accessory to toughen up a soft style...



Personally, I like a little hardware with my accessories. Chains and studs will definitely work.

Skinny jeans also take us back to the hair band days...try pairing them with a vest and tank like these...



And of course, don't forget that vintage T-shirt with a black blazer and boots.

However you choose to mix it up, I personally recommend staying away from tight lycra pants- gross! -and fringe, especially if it's hanging from a leather sleeve. (That never really did do it for me, a little too distracting.) And I'm still ok with the thick eyeliner, but on the top lids only.

Remember, this is more of a going out night look and not (I repeat) a lifestyle.

J.

Springtime Trends

I've been searching and hunting through magazines and catalogs debating about what springtime trends I can afford and mix and match with my existing wardrobe. The choices are many and due to the economy, all the latest editorials are about mixing high/low, so hopefully I can get maximum mileage out of what I already own. My choices so far?

1) Call me crazy but I love Gucci's safari look complete with the thick purple eyeshadow
2) The LWD (Little White Dress)
3) Snake skin purses and accessories
4) Piled on bangles
5) Shades of neutral beige
6) And I think I'm going to try a gold metallic dress for a wedding...it's much more subtle than it sounds.

I have already added to my shoe collection (which is all J4's fault,) so I told myself that I can't buy any more shoes until August...unless that perfect pair of caramel colored sandals show up.






And of course to qualify the 2 pair I bought today I had to tell myself that my favorite black strappies are almost done for...

Ahh Closet...We just need to spend a little time together.

J.

Suit Shopping with Rhett (And Frank)

Since I rarely get the chance to shop for men's clothing- suits in particular - I just have to gush a little about the outstanding experience at Men's Wearhouse tonight. I was there this evening, with my boyfriend Rhett, in search of a suit for him.
For starters, lucky for him, they were having a buy one suit get one free sale. Every girl loves the sound of that no matter what store she happens to be in. Second, we were promptly greeted by Frank, our excellent salesman, and after Rhett explained what he was looking for and his time constraints, Frank took one measurement, went straight to the rack and pulled out a beautiful charcoal suit, exactly what was needed. It was almost a perfect fit.
As for the second suit, (aka The Free One...) he pulled out an olive/grey suit and I know my nose wrinkled at it. But when Rhett pulled on the coat I could see why he had picked it. It complemented him to a "T." So weird! I thought I would hate it but I liked it even more than the first suit.
While Rhett tried on the pants to have them hemmed, Frank wasted no time in pulling several shirts and ties, of which, after a little mixing and matching, 2 shirts and 3 ties were chosen. Considering the fact that I've heard Rhett call ties "glorified napkins" I'm rather proud of him. (Personally, I liked the lavender, but I'm not the one wearing it.) On top of all this, they had the pants for the charcoal suit hemmed and ready to go within 30 minutes.

So I admit that I thought we would have to dig through a bunch of racks, it would take forever and we would be disagreeing. However, with the service we received, we were out of there within an hour and a half, both of us satisfied and not one argument between us. Way to go Frank!!

J.

Vintage Inspired Style for the Opera

Sometimes being in central Texas poses dressing problems for certain events. First of all, I have seen jeans everywhere, including weddings, and flip flops in the workplace! Summer is always an issue-- hot outside and unbelievably cold inside due to air conditioning blowing full blast, and winter is a problem because it can be in the 70's during the day and in the 30's by 7 p.m. You never know what you're going to get.

Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to see the opera Rigoletto. I remember Mom getting dressed up to go to the opera, a new dress and high heels, I remember thinking how glamorous the opera must be. Not here. Once again, there will be jeans, t-shirts and probably even those infamous thongs. (The foot kind.) But I wear these items (minus the footwear,) on a daily basis for work, and am feeling the need to wear something pretty so now is one of those rare occasions that I get to enjoy my closet. Hooray!

So what did I find deep beyond the mirrored doors?


My favorite perfect-for-almost-any-occasion dress. While the cut is modern, the print is sort of vintage and I actually go to browns more often than black, still dark but not harsh.


This Claudia Lobao crocheted gold necklace mimics the floral explosion on the dress.


And when the opera is over, this faux sheerling coat will keep me cozy on the walk back to the car.

But right now I have to take the trash out.

J.

Walking Away

I've decided to take my legs into the latest millennium and purchase a new razor. Don't get me wrong Pink Gillette - I've been extremely loyal and you've served me very well for years! Your handle is perfectly ergonomic for my hand and I can only think of 1 good nick, but alas! You only have 2 blades! (I'm just not an electric kind of girl...) That's really only one step away from a disposable...


Old 2 Blade Pink

2 Days Later...

Actually I'm wrong- Disposable razors are coming in 2 and 3 blade styles now. I didn't even see any replacement blades for the old Gillette. So I decided to go for the gold and invest in the only 5 blade model on Walgreen's razor display... The Venus Embrace. It came with 2 blade cartridges and a shower pod, (whatever that is) and an 800 number to call if I was not fully satisfied. So into the shower...


Newbie

After exfoliating, (I always exfoliate,) I lathered on C.O. Bigelow's Premium Shave Cream and executed the first run. It seemed as though the blades were suctioned to my leg and it followed the contours of my knees flawlessly! And talk about smooth! Maybe 5 blades is the way to go. The shower pod as it turns out is a "home" for the razor that sticks to the shower wall. The only design flaw in my opinion is that the handle is too long and on my last Gillette it was much wider which I liked.

So I'm still brand loyal and on a scale of 10 I give it an 8.7. Will this style last as long as the last one? Only time can tell!


Very Nice Results

J.