A Zookeeper Cinderella
July 26th, 2008 § Leave a Comment
I used to wish for a twin sister — any kind of sister, really. My mom promised me that it meant a lifetime of bickering and a childhood of hair-pulling, but I knew that it really meant sharing shoes and pulling dresses out of one another’s closets and whispering secrets under the covers at night. (I’d like to add that I love my brother, but he doesn’t have any dresses for me to borrow. Or at least, we’d wear different sizes.) So it’s been great for me to have a future sister-in-law who has quirky style and loves vintage shopping as much as I do.
A little background: I’ve known Dominique since she was a bitty thirteen-year-old. Now she’s twenty, a kick-ass zookeeper, and does things like catch escapee alligators (f’reals!) and hand-raise baby otters at home. It’s a job that involves a lot of dirt and manual labor and grossness, but believe me when I say that she’s also the most glamorous zookeeper I’ve ever met. She recently showed me this vintage blue Cinderella-esque dress she bought recently and I told her that I just had to do a little photo shoot of her in the backyard. Look at that tiny waist!
Pretty Up
July 23rd, 2008 § 10 Comments
Apparently Chris and I are only capable of posing while dressed up if we do it prom-style. (He’s got on a heavily embroidered white tie and vintage wooden cufflinks; I’m wearing a yellow linen dress from Retro Active with a crocheted neck and peplum belt. The tapestry bag, which was a cool ten bucks, is from Estate Sale, where Anja always has amazing stuff for good prices.)
Our excursion with Don and Emily to Commander’s Palace was by far the fanciest dining experience I’ve ever had. Don (Chris’s best friend since high school) and his fiancée Emily had originally planned to be in New Orleans for a week’s worth of overlap with us, but ended up only being in town for a night, so they asked us whether we’d like to try out a classy New Orleans dinner, and would we prefer traditional or contemporary? Since the “contemporary” list included the supposedly tasty but cheesy-sounding Emeril’s, and because I’ve never been to a traditional, old-fashioned New Orleans fancy restaurant, we picked traditional. Commander’s Palace was it.
It was a hot and muggy night, as usual, which made me think of bugs. Earlier in the day Chris and I had seen a dead cockroach next to an empty whiskey bottle, which seemed like a significant portent of doom/alcoholism/debauchery, but there were no cockroaches around the restaurant, and as we entered and went up the stairs to our table we were greeted by approximately seven to ten different waitstaff, including one man whose job it was to put our napkins in our laps. I began to worry that we were in over our heads.
But the dinner went smoothly, and it was tasty. I had some great redfish and mashed potatoes in a pepper sauce, as well as some kind of hibiscus girly martini that wasn’t too sweet. Most of the fun was in the experience – a loose, goofy chat in opulent surroundings – and Emily and I giggled in the restroom at how amazing the polka-dotted walls were. They were padded! Afterwards we went to a wine bar and chatted some more. By the end of the night I was feeling a little socially anxious, and sad that Don and Emily live so far.
This is Don, looking at the wine list. I think he outclassed us all by wearing a bow tie and seersucker-ish suit, which was from… Target! I didn’t even know Target sold suits, but I was impressed.
After we parted ways, Chris and I stayed up watching A Woman of Distinction (1950) on Turner Classic Movies. The clothes were only mildly interesting, although I did love everyone’s hair. Mostly I was interested in the depiction of Rosalind Russell as a strong female role (dean of a school) who almost gets fired for having an illegitimate child (scandal!) and the conclusion that a woman’s happiness lies not in studies and books but in finding a man.
Right now Chris is asleep. I’m glad we got to have this night on a big trip right before we effectively part ways for two years. We’ll see one another, for sure, and going off on my own (with studies and books) will be an adventure, but I’m savoring the things we’re doing these days; I’m damn lucky, and I know it.
A Visit to Retro Active
July 22nd, 2008 § 3 Comments
A visit to New Orleans always means, for me, a visit to my favorite vintage store: Retro Active on Magazine Street. It’s tiny and crammed with the best little treasures; being in there reminds me of a consumer’s version of going to the Louvre a few years ago, when I just felt overwhelmed by all the goodness on display. This time I went with two goals in mind: to find a 30s day dress (our fancy-schmancy dinner at Commander’s Palace is tonight) and to find an appropriate headpiece to match my wedding dress. I spent a long time looking around and came away with the most spectacular 20s diadem for the wedding — generously paid for by my future parents-in-law — it resembles a cross between a tiara and a headband, to be worn across the forehead. I did take a photograph of myself in it, but I’m not sure whether or not to post it yet; nor will I be posting a picture of the dress I eventually bought, although I will post pictures after the dinner. Joe Weise, the owner, was sweet enough to fix the busted zipper on the dress for me. It’s mustard and linen and not from the 30s, but I am very pleased with it and have also vowed to take a break from shopping after this trip is over.
Joe and I behind the counter. He is sweet and funny and so knowledgeable about everything that he carries. Last time I came he showed me a bunch of 30s wedding dresses and I nearly died.
Probably as close to street fashion photography as I’ll ever get: this is Hallie, who was also shopping and was kind enough to go grab Chris for me while I was trying on dresses and needed help with the zippers. She lives in New York and is starting work in the publishing industry. Chris pointed out that I should have given her a business card, but I left them all at home. I loved Hallie’s glasses and we gabbed a little about fiction writing and white linen dresses.
(Retro Active, 5414 Magazine Street, New Orleans)
With A Banjo on My Knee
July 22nd, 2008 § 6 Comments
Today I went with my future in-laws across the lake to visit Chris’s grandma and his aunt and uncle. These photos are the result of my first FFW photo shoot with Chris as photographer; I think he did a good job, don’t you? I romped in the tall grass, watched a dog named Gumbo get real close to an alligator who lives in Chris’s aunt and uncle’s front yard pond, called to chickens, and drank iced tea with chicken and dumplings (while saving room for homemade blackberry sauce with dumplings and cream). All day I heard all kinds of great stories, including one about some hooligans Mr. Jim knew as a kid named Big Punk and Little Punk (and Toby).
That’s Gumbo. As you can see, I am also wearing Effie’s dress.
I also went to an outlet store called UAL with Chris’s sister and mom, where I combed the couture racks and found things like the most gorgeous little tea-length flowered Dolce & Gabbana dress for $860, marked down from $5000, and a Lanvin satin jacket with a million buttons and a cummerbund made of wool (also freakishly expensive). I didn’t buy anything, but I had never before seen an outlet store that sold Rodarte and Chloe, let alone one in Mandeville, Louisiana. Dominique, who has smaller feet than I do, bought a pair of $40 glittery red Miu Miu flats and I mourned over my boat feet.
In Air
July 21st, 2008 § 2 Comments
This is what I looked like yesterday after eight-plus hours at the San Francisco Airport, after which we went back home because all of our flights, including the ones we changed to in order to make up for the mechanical problems of the first flight, were delayed, canceled, or pushed back. I am smiling in the photograph because Chris insisted on taking a touristy picture of me with one of the many Catalina Island posters. I am wearing my Inflight Ensemble, which entails as much comfort as possible (leggings, black slip, white t-shirt, slouchy cardigan) while also involving layers for easy temperature control. Right now I am saving up all of my leggings for warmth, airplane rides, and exercise. These have little bows sewn onto the hems.
Beaches
July 19th, 2008 § Leave a Comment
I kept wanting to post something today, but I was worrying over the results of two blood tests that I’d had done over the course of a week — they’d come back abnormal and I was convinced after some Internet sleuthing that I had leukemia. But I don’t have leukemia, according to the nurse, and it’s all right for me to go to New Orleans tomorrow as originally planned. (There are still medical problems, but that’s neither here nor there.) I started packing away my clothes; all of them are sleeveless dresses, with the exception of the one in the post below. It will be my last big trip of the summer before Chris and I move me out to the Midwest.
Chris asked me what I wanted to do in California before I leave. Besides saying goodbye to my friends and things of that nature, I really want to go to the beach at least once before heading to flyover territory. I love the seashore, especially tidepooling. In fact, one of my old film cameras broke because I had slipped into a tidepool and dropped it in.
I’m not sure what the status of Internet access will be in New Orleans, but I am intending to keep up with my posting schedule if there is Internet access (i.e. will be bringing my cameras).
Speaking of good-byes, I would like to publicly mention that I will mourn the loss of Fops and Dandies, which was one of the first fashion blogs that I regularly followed. I’ll be savoring the last posts.
