Pattern Recognition

Silverlake, 2006

An Ideal Situation

Some sneaky snaps from a recent visit to the Berkeley Art Museum. You can read my review of their current exhibition, Abstract: Now and Then over at ArtSlant.

Pony Up

I've been waiting for months for these Bass <3 Rachel Antonoff shoes to come out. I wore them out the other day and got nonstop compliments. I feel like the fuss around these should be much bigger! If the fashion blogosphere descended into civil war, it would most definitely be a case of the Lita's versus the Lady's.

 

My mom took this while we wandered around Space15Twenty. I paired my new saddle shoes with a black suede mini-skirt and vintage cardigan I picked up from the Silverlake Farmers Market. There's always one or two vintage vendors among the fine fresh produce. I tend to buy more clothes there than vegetables : /

"No mom, I like the bag in the picture - it's a pretty color."

Are We Not Men?

LA has been wonderful so far. It's strangely awesome to be on vacation in my own hometown. I flew in Friday night, went straight from the airport to an opening at R&R Gallery in downtown, and it's been nonstop since. It's hard to take pictures here, but I'll try to share some of my finds with you before I head back to the bay - I'm going to have to buy a bigger suitcase!

Oh yes, and I saw DEVO on Saturday night.

Yes, In My Backyard

Oakland, 2011

Only two more papers (one in French) until Los Angeles...

Learning to Love Again

Despite the recent explosion of online vintage sellers, I get the feeling the average thrifter is quite reluctant to buy used clothing online. I know...because I'm one of them.

This is my story.

hurt/confused/don't know who to trust.

I troll ebay and etsy stores like they're lookbooks (especially the expensive, branded, highly stylized ones): strictly for looking. The notion that I could reach out (via PayPal) into the ether and pluck these items to have to myself was unthinkable. Too weird, too risky, etc. etc...I finally broke the ice with a leopard print coat from ebay. It turned out to be a little snug in the shoulders, but I kind of like it that way, and I get compliments on that coat, without fail, every time I go out. Shortly after, high on my good luck, I spent way too much money on the perfect pair of brogues that turned out to be too small. From this learned the Golden Rule of Online Vintage Shopping:

 No matter what the size is listed as, check the measurements. For the love of God, check the measurements! You will save yourself a lot of heartbreak.

I found another perfect pair of brogues for much less, but they arrived with one of the taps missing, and I had to spend an extra $10 to get it replaced. What you would consider a flaw worth noting may be different than what a seller would consider a flaw worth noting. I decided to be diplomatic and leave neutral feedback on the transaction, but I was turned off by the experience.

When I saw this blouse on etsy, I agonized over the decision. I added it to my favorites, visited it, looked for things in my closet to go with it, and finally took the plunge. I'm happy to report it fits like a dream! It's from the Mammal & Lamb shop, and I should also add that the service was impeccable - when my package was delayed, they graciously refunded the shipping cost. That's some Zappos shit.

3 good experiences out of 4 isn't so bad! I may be turning into a full-fledged online vintage shopper. It's made me much less impulsive, less likely to pick things up while I'm out. I can't remember the last time I bought anything (other than socks and underwear, bien sûr) from a normal retail store. Even at thrift stores lately, I tend to walk out empty-handed, knowing that I've held out that much more for something I've been eyeing online for weeks. It may just be a part of getting older, or having a smaller closet, but I for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm building a wardrobe to last.

Feels fancy.

ringa-ding-ding

Pooped

Ashby Flea Market, 2011

Wiped out from midterms this week, but I did have time to write this piece for Thought Catalog! Check it out and let me know what you think. Excited to be a contributor - look out for more articles in the coming months, probably also nerdy and/or fashion-related.

Clocking out now - about to have a glass of wine, paint my nails and watch Cry-Baby.

Make That 5

I got another pair of glasses.

I don't see these being in heavy rotation just yet, but they're so comfortable I couldn't resist. And they were 6 bucks. Yay.

The Guanlet is Thrown

Caffe Mediterraneum, Berkeley