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Front Row Seats

September 15, 2013, 6:42 pm
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WE ATTEND THE KATYA LEONOVICH FASHION SHOW





































This past weekend we went to Lincoln Center to see Katya Leonovich's runway show. We got there a little early so we could enjoy the balmy weather and check out the crowd.  The variety was mind-boggling! (Just click on the photos to enlarge and/or activate the slide show.)

Jean had the added treat of getting to hang out with Christene Barberich, Editor in Chief of Refinery 29 and one of our fellow Phillip Lim / Target background models, when they ended up in the same subway car and got seats together.  Christene paired her vintage animal print skirt with an animal print bag, amazing sunglasses and a Jason Wu top.


































So casual, and so perfect at the same time!


































We've forgiven ourselves for our less than perfect lighting.  We had to show you this lady.  She's fab all over, down to her two-toned hair.


































This woman told us she found a custom tulle skirt maker on Etsy.


































We admired this woman's great look.  Sharp, angular, sophisticated, understated.


































While we were on our way to the Mercedes Benz lounge, we met Eli, an aspiring model. Standing at 5'10" before donning those platform stiletto boots, she's hard to miss.


































You can see where Eli gets her good looks! No, that's not her sister. That's her mom!


































Here's the rear-view of Eli's amazing footwear.


































During Fashion Week, even the babies sport their greatest accessories when they go to Lincoln Center!  How do you beat a Missoni baby carriage?!


































Once we got inside The Studio, we were thrilled to find out we were sitting in the front row!


































And in case you didn't notice, those of us in the first row got a gorgeous miniature boxed chocolate!  Katya's name was on the ribbon. Inside was a tiny chocolate mouse with - wait for it - a chocolate mousse filling.  Nice touch!


































Again, we have to forgive ourselves for the lighting (and our less than fabulous camera and shutter skills).  We just had to show you this fellow attendee's marvelous jacket.   (Imagine how great it would look in better light.)  Always a treat to see men who are not afraid of color.


































And now for the show!  Katya's Spring Summer 2014 line included a lot of pastel colors, in leather and chiffon. We liked the detailing on this lavendar leather dress.  In fact, we liked the detailing on everything!



































Having front row seats was definitely a plus since we didn't have to jockey for position to get a good shot.  Two nights later, we saw the third dress from the right - the purple one - again.  This time it was on the designer herself, arriving at the same party for MAO PR as we were. Katya pointed out that wearing one's own work was one of the advantages of being a clothing designer.


































This reddish-fuscia dress was one of the few non-pastel items. Although Katya herself is Russian, she has her clothes manufactured in Italy, where she also did some of her studies.  All the materials were gorgeous.  We wanted to reach out and touch so many of them!






















The models glided up and down the runway. Even though they were wearing stilettos, you could not hear their footsteps. How did they do that?


































After the show, in the atrium, another entirely different, informal show unfolded before our eyes.  We met Andre, a jewelry designer.  Little did we know we'd run into him again the very next day at Yotel.


































Here's a close-up of one of his colorful creations, combining textiles and metals.




















Artist Marco Santaniello was our fashion week Zelig. Everywhere we went, he was there. That afternoon, he was wearing one of Katya's metallic-painted buttery leather jackets from a prior season.  (Special effects courtesy of Jean's new iPhone.  Isn't technology a blast?  Now if we only knew how to repeat this!)
























How fabulous is this vinyl headgear? And the label states the wearer's name: Early Ross.





















Loved Lisa Xavier's boots!


































Who ARE these unmasked men???  Note the funnel fronts on their  shirt collars.


































How fab was this fellow's black and white ensemble?























And check out the shoes on Robert Richards.


































See what we mean about shorts making inroads? Is this style a response to global warming?


































This gent sports the ultimate mohawk.


































A bit of men's foot candy...























A bit of ladies' foot candy...












A little bit o' bubbly before heading home...


































And, back outside on the plaza, a little scene stealer to end with.






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For the curious, Valerie's surgical boot decorated with five yards of wide velvet ribbon cut, knotted and fabric glued; shoe decorated with one yard of medium ribbon cut and fabric-glued.

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Racing Around Town ... In Style!

September 18, 2013, 8:21 pm
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We've been racing around town at breakneck speed to catch all the New York Fashion Week runway shows and parties and events. Running for taxis or subways or buses with Valerie's leg in a boot is not the best idea, so we found a chic solution to our transportation challenge: this fabulous crimson motorcycle and sidecar courtesy of Bar & Books on Lexington Avenue. Stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot coming soon. In the meantime, just sit back and enjoy the ride!  (Photo by Rolly Robinson)

Our recent brush with fame -- when we were nominated as two of StyleCaster's 50 Most Stylish New Yorkers -- brought us to the attention of Senior Planet, a non-profit organization specializing in senior issues.











We were delighted to accept when Barbara Aria suggested a telephone interview. That's us (in case you didn't realize it) gracing the Senior Planet home page, above.  To read the highlights of our chat with Barbara, and to see some additional photos on which we gave Senior Planet first dibs, click here.

When you're done with that, surf around Senior Planet to see the wealth of information they provide on a number of topics. Senior Planet also has offices in the Chelsea section of Manhattan where they offer classes for seniors stepping into the digital age. Right now they're teaching classes on Word, digital photography, e-commerce, social networking and introduction to the iPad, among others. There are free "tech tips" on their website ("how can I protect my privacy online?", for example) as well as tips on financial planning, wellness, etc. A great asset!










We also had an email interview with StyleCaster.  They told us they wanted to release all the pictures first (of course!), and then they would print the interviews. To read an excerpt from StyleCaster's interview with us, click here. Oh, and that's us above, keeping company with The New York Times' Bill Cunningham on the StyleCaster Street Style page.
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MAO PR 15th Anniversary Party 9/9/13 & Skingraft Runway Show 9/10/13

September 22, 2013, 8:49 pm
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In the middle of New York Fashion Week, we attended MAO PR's Fifteenth Anniversary Party at Cherry, co-hosted by photographer Patrick McMullan and model and muse Pat Cleveland. MAO co-founders Mauricio and Roger Padilha invited a wonderful roster of guests which included their clients and the movers and shakers in the fashion industry -- as expected, with a huge overlap between the two!

Mss Vee made an appearance and gave us a big hug.





















Seated at the power table at the very back center of the room: Paul Von Ravenstein, Patrick McDonald, Pat Cleveland, Corey Grant Tippin and Pat and Paul's daughter -- Anna Cleveland Von Ravenstein. Both of the Cleveland ladies opted for platinum blond wigs for the occasion.














Host Roger Padilha with Maria Ayala and Alexander Thompson.


































Gazelle Paulo stopped partying with Perez Hilton and other heavy hitters long enough to say hi and pose for a photo with us. She is hard to lose in a crowd.






















Robert Richards and dandy-about-town Patrick McDonald flank one of their friends.


































Victor Pump, whom we first met at the Whitney's Yayoi Kusama show, wearing his alter ego medallion (himself in an Andy Warhol wig), and his friend, in a Karl Lagerfeld printed tee. More about us with Victor and his medallions in a later post.


































Notice what two of the models in this contingent are holding? Our card!!! From the left are: Yemi Docemo, Jordan Copeland, Mass Fall, Jeeho Bae and one of their friends.














Kayvon Zand and Keenan Brill.


































Sandy Long, in maribou, had the most amazing, long, fluffy white eyelashes, and reminded us of Ilona Royce-Smithkin. (Nonagenarian Ilona makes her own inch-long flaming red eyelashes from her own hair.)





















Anna Evans and one of her friends.


































Pat Cleveland, Corey Grant Tippin, Anna Cleveland and one of their friends. Anna followed in her mother's footsteps and is also modeling.
















Artist Marco Santaniello and artist and model Caty Wooley.


































Markus Kelle, whom we always photograph in an amazing outfit at the Easter Parade, rocked braids and zippers like nobody's business.


































Valerie and two gents check out the scene.  Note the shorts on the fellow on the right.






















Jean met the two gentlemen in silver. Formal shorts (one of the NYFW trends we noticed) make an appearance again on the fellow on the right!
















We turned the tables on photographer Dustin Pittman, whom we run into all the time, to show you his fab Edie Sedgewick tee shirt.


































Ricardo Felix.


































Amanda Lepore sang Happy Anniversary in her parody of Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday, Mr. President". Little did we know this was the prelude to a strip-tease!












Things definitely heated up as the show went on!
















Suzanne Bartsch made a grand entrance.


































Constance Sherman.


































It wouldn't be fashion week without running into Jared (left)! We spotted him and his friend right away in the crowd.



































Loved this yin-yang jacket on this redhead talking to designer Phillipe Blonde (left) and Nate Webster.






















When we were leaving Cherry, this this dapper gentleman, Baron Perez, noticed Valerie's big boot, and offered to get us a taxi. (This is no small feat during Fashion Week.) Before we scampered off into our cab and headed home, we posed for a photo with him.



SKINGRAFT Runway Show 9/10/13

In the midst of all the fashion week frivolity, reality raised its ugly head. On the morning after the MAO party, when Valerie visited her podiatrist for a checkup on her ankle, she was surprised (shocked - well, peeved, actually) to learn that the "chip" she was diagnosed with is doctorspeak for fracture. She was ordered to keep her ankle raised above her heart. Hard to do at a fashion show (and most other places as well, it turns out). So, that's basically why Jean flew solo on Tuesday evening September 10th for the Skingraft runway show on a pier on the Hudson River.


































The People: Mauricio Padilha, one of our hosts from the evening before, was running the backstage and producing the show. Grace under pressure is best description of his demeanor. He was equally calm at the Katya Leonovich show at Lincoln Center. What is his secret?



Valerie's unused ticket was put to very good use! I ran into JohnTheFame and invited him to sit with me. I was really interested in his perspective on the show.



































Seated right next to us was Stuart McConaghy, Editor-in-Chief of Tape Magazine. What an absolute sweetheart.


































Before the show, I shamelessly schmoozed with the other guests. Regular readers of this blog will recognize a lot of the usual suspects! Kayvon Zand appeared in full regalia. Check out the eyes. When Kayvon goes, he goes big.


































Artist Marco Santaniello was squiring the lovely Brooklyn artist and model Caty Wooley.



































Robert Richards sat right across the runway from me at the show. We'd just seen each other at the MAO party.



































Although I hadn't met Jillian Mercado until the Skingraft show, I had seen her at the MAO party the night before.



































Mss Vee, wearing a formal black ensemble, and Richard Phoenix made the scene.  Check out the footwear.



































And this lovely gent goes by the name of Savage.



































I absolutely loved the white and black number that these two ladies were working that evening.


































In this shot of Marco, you can read his tee-shirt. He introduced me to his friend Karina De Jesus.  Check out her coverage of fashion week at www.beachanddress.com.



































I met these two handsome gentlemen but can't for the life of me remember their names. (It's a b*tch getting old.)



































The Runway Show: Although these photos are out of order from the runway show, I've arranged them into three themes: long, fluid dresses; long shorts; and short shorts. I absolutely adored this white, flowing dress. It was positively dreamy.


































This yellow dress was a stunner.



































White chiffon with leather is a terrific combination in the hands of the Skingraft team.



































Formal shorts showed up on the runway, topped with a black and white leather jacket with wonderful detailing on the sleeves.



































Shorts (this time in leather) are definitely a hot item for Spring/Summer 2014. I'd wear the leather short-sleeved hoodie in a heart beat.  OK, I admit I was distracted. I have fashion A-D-D. Check out the gent sitting right in front of me on my right with the long hair, beard and glasses.  AND check out the guy across the runway with the great grey hair and black tee-shirt.  There was fashion in the bleachers and on the runway.






















Black and white sweatshirt top and skirt paired with black and white sandals.



































Shorts are also going to be big for women in Spring/Summer 2014. These black leather shorts with those sky-high heels and long legs are a winning combination.  Not exactly what "women of a certain age" will be wearing, but fun to look at on the runway!



































Loved this outfit which combined a longer chiffon layer over the longer leather shorts.  I know at least one of my girlfriends who could rock this look -- albeit in lower heels!



































I posed for a shot with Anna Evans and Kayvon before heading home for the evening. The weather was so nice, I walked all the way home.


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Hey, Honey!

September 25, 2013, 7:54 pm
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We still haven't finished showing you all the goings on from Fashion Week, but now seems like a good time for a bit of an entr'acte. Sharp-eyed readers may have noticed exotic forms of transportation popping up here and there in recent postings.  Eventually we want to be photographed in - among others - a Bentley, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini and a Maserati (that's alphabetical order so as not to show favoritism).  But we're not narrow-minded.  There's a whole broad spectrum of wonderful vehicles out there just waiting to be discovered.  How could we resist a pedicab* decorated with polka dots?















This particular escapade started while we were visiting the Fashion Institute of Technology (more on that in the near future), and Jean spotted this fabulous chariot from inside.  The slight reflections on the photo are from the window.  We didn't know how long the gent and his cab would be there, so we took this quick shot.  Then we ran outside like school children, intent on having our own chance to sit in the cab for a photo op.  We would have done ANYthing.  We began to beg and plead, just about ready to promise anything, when the gent and his off-screen buddy were kind enough to accommodate us before we'd done anything that might have disappointed our mothers.

















Better still -- as it turned out, they were giving away free spray samples of the new Marc Jacobs fragrance, Honey (in yellow and black polka-dotted packaging) AND the gents further humored us by taking these pictures for us. We each got a marvelously fragrant little sample and then, in the spirit of the moment, we were given an entire package of twelve samples, which we immediately took to work and gave to our besties.  Sweet as Honey!





















See you Sunday!

* The same sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that the name Revolution Rickshaws is embossed on the pedicab.  Fun fact to know and share with friends: rickshaw is the anglicized form of rikisha, which is a shortened form of jinrikisha, which in Japanese means human-powered vehicle.  Wow!  Aren't you glad we told you?
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Runway The Real Way at Yotel Fashion Week Brunch

September 29, 2013, 10:02 pm
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During Fashion Week, we were invited by Catherine Schuller to participate in her Runway the Real Way at YOTEL HOTEL near Times Square. Catherine wore a necklace and a dress from the designers featured during the show, in YOTEL's signature color of purple. (Click on photos to enlarge or to view slide show.)

































Catherine (left), who is Vice President of Marketing for the Association of Image Consultants International and a famous plus-size model and spokesperson, approached us to walk in the show she curated and produced at YOTEL HOTEL for a fashion week brunch on Sunday, September 8th.  Her philosophy is that in order for the runway to be real, there needs to be diversity among the models based on age, race, gender and size. For Catherine's report about the event, click here.

When we arrived, Catherine wasn't quite sure whose styles she'd have us wear, but when we saw Victor-John Villanueva (whom we'd first met a year ago at the Yayoi Kusama opening), we asked if we could wear his work.  Victor's brand is called 3PTPOP.  He also has shirts and leggings with the beaded images screenprinted onto them.  A big Andy Warhol fan, here's Victor in his Velvet Underground tee shirt.  (Banana by Andy.)


































Here are a few of Victor's medallions, all intricately made of plastic beads.  The two on the far right are both Victor personae.  No doubt you recognize Grace Jones and Bill Cunningham next to them.






















Originally, Valerie was going to wear 3PTPOP's Grace Jones medallion, but puh-leeze! After they put Grace-like make-up on Jordan (at Valerie's suggestion!), there was no contest who could carry it off better.


































Here's Susan Grant and our pal Suzanne Golden.  Suzanne has her very own medallion!






















Want a closer look?






















Here's Cameron before his transformation...


































And here's runway-ready Cameron wearing a pair of the previously mentioned 3PTPOP tee shirt and leggings.


































Victor wasn't the only vendor.  We can't show you all of them, but OF COURSE, we have to show you Evetta Perry, a milliner whose work we greatly admire.  She had plenty of fabulous, seriously chic hats, but here Evetta shows her sense of humor with a sushi plate hat (which she's wearing), and a petits fours plate hat. For more information about Evetta's Harlem's Heaven Hats, click here:






















This black and white dress made of felt was one of our favorites in the show.


































This shot gives you an idea of the diversity among the models.


































Behind this blonde bombshell is a shot of Evetta and her hats.


































How absolutely terrific does this woman look in Evetta's green flowered straw hat?


































This model knew exactly how to show off this dress. It looked fabulous before she showed its flare (and its flair!), but when she saw the camera, she really went into action.


































Needless to say, there was no shortage of attitude among the models assembled that day. Everyone was "on" and ready to go just like this woman in a white jumpsuit.


































We both wanted this hat!


































As it got closer to showtime, everyone gathered behind the entryway. Everything was very well choreographed. We had a rehearsal beforehand, and there was a major domo-type at the entrance, making sure there were no unplanned gaps between models, and no one rushing out before her (or his) allotted time.


































Since we were wearing our own clothes and just adding accessories, we had lots less to do to get ready. While everyone else was dashing around, it wasn't our turn yet, so we got to sit and take it easy. Sort of.  The odd angle of the photograph reflects the very tight space we were in.  You can see someone's luggage behind Jean.  Everything was everywhere, and in the mad rush there was no time to organize.  (The Andy Warhol fan by Jean is one of many that Victor was giving out - all images from his line.  Further below you'll see Valerie with a Grace Jones fan.)
















Behind Valerie, they're giving and taking directions.  We're ready for our close-up.






















One of the accessories designers posed for a photo with us.






















Davey Mitchell was also at the brunch that day and stopped by backstage to wish us luck.  His graphic shirt looked amazing.


































And it's showtime, folks!  Here's a short video that Suzanne took on her iPhone, immortalizing our passage on the catwalk.  (Thanks, Suzanne!)






We sized the video for the blog. If you want to see it in all its glory (same thing, just bigger), click here.

This is a screen-shot of us from Victor-John's Facebook page.


































After the dust settled, we headed home.


































What we're wearing:
Jean is wearing a vintage Darcel lacquered straw hat; a black and white tiny leopard print jacket from The Vintage Store; Issey Miyake Pleats Please backpack; Eileen Fisher harem pants; Jeffrey Campbell black and white striped platform boots; vintage black and white chandelier earrings and necklace; black and white foam bracelets from Chaos; black and black& white bakelite rings.

Valerie is wearing a two-toned blue vintage velvet hat by Mr. Arnold, vintage blue earrings with adhesive blue dots, wool jacket by Dana Buchman, spider pin from the flea market, painted wooden bracelet that folds into a cube, pants by Issey Miyake, unlabeled two-toned blue cotton shoes.

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Vroom, Vroom, Vroom!

October 2, 2013, 8:32 pm
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For sheer joy, not many things can beat a motor scooter, fewer things can beat a motor scooter with a side car, and very, very, very few things beat a motor scooter with a side car that's lipstick red with chrome trim!















It all started when, in staid old midtown, Valerie spotted this wonderful contraption. Normally, there would be a moment of wonder and reverence, maybe a minute to compose a commemorative photograph to post to the blog, and then back to the business at hand because the owner would be anonymous. This time, however, there was a huge decal on the front of the scooter. BAR AND BOOKS, it read. Bar and Books is a small chain of bars where patrons can savor not only drinks and literature, but cigars and cigarettes. That evening, Valerie visited the midtown branch, asked a few questions, left a business card, made a few phone calls and connected with general manager Adriana, basically begging her to let us pose on the scooter. We are delighted to say that they agreed and a few weeks later, we had this gleeful encounter with modern machinery. We should probably reveal that we told the owner he could keep the ignition key in his pocket. We did not intend to ride it (although that would have been great), we explained - we only wanted to give free reign to our vehicular fantasies.






















Below, Valerie indulges in a Bar and Books brand cigar, thoughtfully provided by the management.  Jean's driving, so she has to keep both hands on the handlebars.















Dressing for the occasion was fun. We already had two different sets of matching helmets.  Jean found the Union Jack motorcycle jackets one day at Patricia Field's on the Bowery. They looked so punk that Valerie bemoaned not having found them in time for the Punk show at the Metropolitan.  But Jean, smiling wryly, pointed out that they would be absolutely perfect for the then still percolating scooter gig. Sheer genius! Just yards away from the jackets, we found our goggles, complete with wings. Brown wings would never do, we thought, so Jean flecked her wings with gold and Valerie painted hers silver.  We couldn't make up our minds about the helmets, so we wore both types. Here, we're wearing our felt flapper cloche hats designed by Carol Markel.

What's that up ahead?





















Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!





















Look, ma, no hands!






















Of course, scooters are guy magnets, but you already knew that, right?





















Usually, we take each other's picture, or buttonhole a passerby to photograph us.  For this little escapade, we needed someone who would take a series of pictures, in focus, with a sensibility similar to our own, so we asked Rolly Robinson, graphic designer for StyleCaster, and were soooooo happy when he agreed to help us out! Here, Rolly hitches a ride and joins in the fun.

















Here we are wearing our serious pink rubber Mowawk-spiked helmets which regular readers may recognize from our Citibike test drive blog posting.  Both seats have their attractions - control for the driver, il dolce far niente (delicious idleness) for the passenger, so we had to try both.






















Ajay, the Bar and Books manager who kindly agreed to give us this wonderful opportunity, asked if he could photograph us with Bar & Books cigars.  Here, we channel our best Winston Churchill.  (Yes, we know he never wore the Union Jack in public.  It's the spirit of the thing.  And anyway, how do we know he didn't have a Union Jack bathrobe?)  Note that neither cigar is actually lit.  That close to Winston we didn't quite get.



















In order to take these head-on photos, Rolly, our intrepid photographer, had to synchronize his jumps out onto Lexington Avenue with the stop light on the corner and the traffic flow. We are happy to report he emerged physically unscathed.


















We were having so much fun that Ajay got into the spirit of the moment, donned Jean's helmet and goggles, and posed for a photograph outside the establishment, after taking quite a few photographs of us himself.  The gilt goggles work really well with his tie.  Ajay, thank you so much for making our day!  (And thank you, Genuine Scooter Company, for manufacturing this little marvel.)






















Do not attempt this at home, ladies and gentlemen! Trained professionals at work! (Okay, trained Silly Persons.)






















People who were passing by in cars and on the sidewalk seemed to get a kick out of our harmless fun. We got a lot of thumbs up and smiles and honks from drivers who were driving past on Lexington Avenue at rush hour.

















After we'd taken a gazillion pictures and the sun had begun to set, of course we headed inside Bar and Books for some of their fabulous cocktails, and a mouthwatering plate of charcuterie.  We visited two branches of Bar and Books, and in neither did we have to scream to make ourselves heard.  A big plus, and a rare find these days.  For the adventurous, Bar and Books has a branch in Prague, and will soon have a branch in Krakow.

















Well, dahlings, off to another adventure!  Ta ta!





















BONUS PICTURE

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Winter with a Swedish Accent: We Model Gudrun's 2014 Winter Wear

October 6, 2013, 7:59 pm
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We recently had the good fortune to be asked to model in Gudrun Sjoden's recent event at her Soho store, heralding her 2014 Winter collection.

We wore two versions of the same wool dress with a wonderful bull's eye motif on the chest.  Valerie added the matching cape.  (It isn't made to be reversible, but you can do that if you take the tags off, to make for a great contrast.) In keeping with Gudrun style, we added a bit of whimsy to the dresses.  We both wore Gudrun's striped leggings (Jean in black and grey and Valerie in blue and black), to which Jean added green and blue striped socks. While Jean wore one of Gudrun's blue and green print cotton scarves as a head wrap, Valerie slung a very colorful pink and red one around her shoulders.

This quartet of models is also wearing Gudrun's fashions.  We love the diversity that Gudrun brings to her models. who represent the range of Gudrun customers in age and size.  This is also reflected in their catalogue.  It's so refreshing to see real people the shopper can identify with!





















Aren't these two models lovely? You can see that some of the models had their hair elaborately done up Swedish style, in braids with fresh flowers.






















The event ran on Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21. On the Friday evening, Gudrun also featured a book signing by author Sofia Hedstrom and photographer Anna Schori of their book "Fashion Manifesto".






















We had a great singer to entertain guests on both days.


































At one point, all the models were gathered on the island in the center of the store to do a tableau vivant, and give a full impression of the season's line. (We were just about to join the tableau when we took the picture.)

















Here's gorgeous and gracious Angelina, who coordinated the event, and invited us to participate.   In this photo she's guarding precious street space until the Green Pirate juice truck arrives.


































And here's Sarah, who styled the outfits for all the models. Behind her is the poncho that matches Jean's dress. Fabulous styling tip: The three dimensional blue and yellow necklace on the mannequin is actually a scarf that's been stuffed and sectioned off.






















As it did on opening night, Green Pirate provided complimentary juices to customers and guests. The green version featured spinach, ginger, celery and lemon while the pink version had beet, lemon and other tasty ingredients we can't remember.

















Green Pirate's first mate handed out the freshly made beverages. Jean's favorite was the green juice with the celery and cucumber accents; Valerie's was the dark pink beet-based concoction.





















The juices were a big success and were totally in keeping with Gudrun's eco-friendly, healthy approach to life and fashion. Delicious veggies and munchies and prosecco were also being served in the rear of the store.


































Dueling capes! Marja tried on another copy of Valerie's Gudrun poncho. Look how Marja's hat echoes the bull's eye motif! Completely coincidental!






















JR stopped by (and turned out to be totally color coordinated with Jean's outfit). This shot gives you an idea of how welcoming the outside of the shop is. It is in one of the wonderful old Soho cast iron buildings on Greene Street between Broome and Grand Streets.
















The Studio V contingent -- Patrick Orcutt, Rike Doepp and her dog Pie, and Nicholas also came by.  It almost seems as though Patrick has something to do with just about everything going on in town.






















On Saturday, we and many of the models spent a lot of time out front of the shop because the weather was so amazingly fabulous. Luckily, even though many customers were in tank tops and tee shirts, because of the low humidity and nice light breeze, we were all able to wear the winter woolens and not feel too warm. These two models, head to toe in the Gudrun line, are both wearing Gudrun's hilarious high top floral colored eco-friendly rubber-soled, lace-up sneakers, which were a huge hit.

































Three young customers.


































In the short time she's been here, Gudrun has already attracted a loyal clientele. Here are a few.

We just loved Sari's entire look, including her gorgeous silver locks. She is a loyal fan of Gudrun clothing.  (That's a Gudrun dress she's wearing.)  Every time we went back into the store, she was trying on a different outfit and each one looked great on her.


































We recognized the Gudrun dress on the left - we'd both coveted it when we saw it during the summer.  We especially loved that it has pockets.  A girl can never be too rich or have too many pockets.


































This lady's outfit gives you a good idea of what Gudrun's Spring Summer 2013 line looked like. Later we saw her walking out with multiple black and white print cotton Gudrun bags, so we know she's set for fall.


































Angelina's goddaughter picked up this raincoat in wonderful leafy colors. It also comes in shades of red, and New York's favorite black, white and gray.


































We love this Gudrun customer's riff on black and white, especially her leggings and toenail polish! She's dressed in the New York uniform, but she's a convert.


































And yet another satisfied chic customer leaves with one of Gudrun's colorful, eco-friendly, reusable cotton bags.



































When it was all over, we changed into our 'civvies'. Valerie had to commemorate one of Jean's rare forays into color.


































Valerie wore Gudrun from a previous season, and mismatched shoes.  Kudos to Angelina for   hiring someone she knew would be wearing a great big boot.


































The weather was so mind-bogglingly marvelous that we had to sit down at an outdoor cafe to celebrate. Who should we run into but Rolly Robinson! Yes, the very same Rolly who patiently took a gazillion pictures of us on the gorgeous red scooter.






















Needless to say, we had a blast on both days!























* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Instagram alert! We've finally entered the 21st century (just barely)!! When Jean's Samsung phone finally gave up the ghost (after 5+ years of constant use), she finally bit the bullet and got an iPhone. Our pal Rolly Robinson (yes, the very same Rolly!) kindly downloaded the Instagram app to her phone and walked her through the process.

We are now up and running at #idiosyncraticfashionistas and after 134 posts are really getting the hang of it! Do check it out and let us know what you think! The photo below is one of the Instagrams that Jean posted of us from our modeling gig. The photo just above is so old fashioned - taken on a digital camera.























(Valerie also has a new smart phone, but is so far not doing anything particularly smart with it.  She has put all that way cool stuff on hold, so to speak. Her phone may be mobile, but Valerie is not, lately focusing all her energy on just hobbling from Point A to Point B.  Valerie's advice for anyone considering fracturing their ankle is: naaaah, skip that one.  For those who need a reason, more on that in a future post.)
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MAD About LOOT

October 9, 2013, 9:04 pm
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It has become an annual tradition for us to visit LOOT, the jewelers' exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). When you visit a museum, don't you often wish just ONE piece were for sale? (We do this all the time, as you know. We ask each other "If you could buy just one piece, which one would it be?") What's great about LOOT is that everything IS for sale! The show is vetted, with an international list of exhibitors.  They each seem to be selected to bring something unique to the show, so you won't find multiple goldsmiths or silversmiths.   LOOT thrives on a wide variety of materials, including wood, plastic, pencils (yes, pencils!), leather, sea glass, felt, beads and rubber.  There was something breathtaking for everyone.

Before we continue, we have to take a moment to say we did it again.  We forgot to take a single photograph of ourselves, so many, many thanks to Danielle Gori-Montanelli for the photo above.  The photo below was shot by Bruno Alacoque, the official LOOT photographer.















The wonderful carved grey felt necklace on display in the photo above appears on this lovely woman in the photo below. (Alas, when other people take photos of us, they sometimes aren't as crisp and in focus as we'd like ...)






















Here's Danielle wearing one of her latest designs, a collar of sliced apples in felt.  The shading on the apples is wonderful!  (Wait till you see the sliced pears!)  You've seen us wear her work before in numerous previous posts, and we came back for more. (That's Valerie in the mirror - sort of a two-for-one!)






















Jean is Instagramming everything these days.  Here's a closeup of the sliced apples.





















We were surprised and delighted to discover that Monies had a booth.  We haven't seen them for AGES and are both big fans from way back.  Valerie tries on a variety of Monies jewelry: wooden Monies earrings,  a wooden bracelet and a bracelet of horn (we think) and multiple strands of waxed cord.  Oh, YUM!  Valerie's red ring has her MAD admission sticker on it, and the back of one hand has a list of about ten don't forgets. (Jean would like to point out that although Valerie has finally gotten a smart phone, she hasn't learned how to do anything except answer it.  One day, she may hopefully master the notebook app so she can record her "to do" list electronically instead of in ink on the back of her hand.  Valerie responds: One challenge at a time.  Today, the five pound black weight on her leg; tomorrow, the world.)


































Jean really loved this lucite neck plate woven together with strips of leather. (In our game of "what would you pick?", this was her selection.)



















The room was full of bejeweled jewelers.  We loved this woman's necklace.





















Milena Zu, who is based in Bali, makes mesh jewelry which fashioned by craftsmen on the island. To see more of her work, go to www.milenazu.com.

































Yoko Shimizu's designs of resin, oxidized silver and gold were executed in such deeply saturated colors as royal blue and crimson.







Fabian Ifires' medium was really different.  He deals in leather, and comes from a background in saddlery, so we're talking about infinitely smoooooooth, soft material, buffed and polished so that you would almost expect to see your reflection.  Fabien wears one of his own products; Valerie's wrist models a bracelet that could best be described as a miniature mohawk for the wrist.  Heavenly workmanship - beautiful stitching!  (The idea was to show the black against the white, not to appear to be punching Fabian.) To view more of his work, go to www.fabien-ifires.com


































Delphine (left) was as gorgeous and as classic as her jewelry.


































Claire Kahn shows her crocheted beadwork at Patina Gallery in Santa Fe. Check it out at www.patina-gallery.com.


































Christine J. Brandt designs in sterling silver and in wood and semi-precious stones. All three of us are modeling her gorgeous creations. (Double click for a better view.) See more at www.christinejbrandt.com.














Jenna Pierson fashioned this very attractive necklace out of crushed bottle caps. See other pieces of her work at www.jennapierson.com.


































Right next to Jenna was Samantha Nania. It was one of the last booths we got to view together because the closing bell was about to sound. Valerie donned Samantha's sea glass-looking breastplate.  That would look drop dead gorgeous on an all-black top.  Or on a strapless dress.  Jean holds her wooden bracelet with metal haloes. Do check out Samantha's work at www.samanthanania.com.




















We saw sooo many interesting people. This woman was visiting from Ontario. We arrived at 7:30 PM, and thought we'd have more than enough time to see everything by the 9 PM closing time. No such luck! We got so focused on all the work that loads of interesting people escaped our cameras.


































Fortunately, Danielle sent us a link to flickr photos of LOOT. Some great photos of opening night (look for Iris Apfel at Danielle's booth), as well as the days that followed. There are two wonderful redheads for you to find, and one woman with astonishing long gray hair. HERE's the link.

At the top of the stairs as we were exiting was this Heaven Tanudiredja Body Jewel 2012 from Belgium.  The color and texture were arresting.





















Who would we be if we didn't stop for cocktails afterward?  On the top floor of the Museum of Arts and Design is Robert's which, by the by, has great views.




















We met Karen and Melanie who stopped at our table to chat. Again, the photos were taken of us, not by us, with Jean's iphone, so our apologies for the quality of the images.












Here's a look at some of the wonderful exhibitors' images on MAD's website.

 Violane Ulmer.





















Margareta Niel.














Janka Juhos.






















Eliana Vernier.














Danielle Gori-Montanelli.













Cecile Bertrand.














Begona Rentero.
















Arek Wolsky.




















Christophe Tissot.






















Camilla Teglio.






















We stopped for one last look at all of the amazing designs before we headed to Robert. We owe this photo to Danielle, too. Thank goodness somebody had our back!



















* * * * * * * * * * * * *

We just want to give a shout out to the 2013 MacArthur Fellows (more casually known as the winners of the MacArthur Genius Awards). Fully one third of the winners are women of a certain age. WELL DONE, EVERYONE! And especially you, WOACA.
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Queer History of Fashion

October 13, 2013, 8:11 pm
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at the Fashion Institute of Technology

































On the last day of fashion week, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) held the opening of its exhibition, "The Queer History of Fashion: From Closet to Catwalk". We attended both the press event in the morning and the gala party later that evening. The clothes and exhibit made us swoon and the people-watching was amazing. What's not to love, right? In an attempt to convey the most amazing visuals and experiences of that day and evening and sort through the sensory and style overload, we have divided the images into two categories.  First, let's talk about the exhibition.  That's why we were there in the first place.  If you scroll down a little further, we'll give you some idea what the party was like.

THE EXHIBITION:

It makes sense that there would have been gay dress long before the 20th century, but that the Museum was able to give some examples is amazing. Here, two 18th century costumes. The gown on the left echoes middle eastern costume; the one on the right was of a style worn by cross dressing men ("mollies") who frequented inns ("molly houses") that catered to that clientele.






















The exhibition has a very broad scope. Included are clothes that signaled the gay subculture, clothes made by gay designers, clothes worn by gay celebrities and clothes that obscure gender lines. Below, a pants suit worn by Marlene Dietrich.


































This dress, called La Sirene, is a Charles James design. The countless tucks on this dress make it stunningly form-fitting and flattering, and the color calls attention to the workmanship.


































A Quentin Crisp suit and an outfit made of Crisp's bed ticking are included, but no Crisp outfit is complete without the man himself. Here, a picture of Crisp (picture by Freemantle Media Ltd./Rex Features), who loved colors and wore them with exemplary panache.














In the five minute video below, Crisp - a wonderfully gifted speaker - is interviewed by Penny Arcade, who says that Crisp is held by many to be the first gay activist. Watch the clip till the end, where Crisp deftly defines the difference between style and fashion, and explains why nobody ever talks to him about the weather. (It's not part of the exhibition, but we thought you'd enjoy it.) For our younger readers, we suggest you watch The Naked Civil Servant - the TV movie (1975) about Crisp's life made from his book by the same name. You can see segments of it on YouTube. John Hurt is outstanding as Quentin Crisp.


This wonderfully outsized hardshell tuxedo was worn by Klaus Nomi, and modeled after a suit David Bowie wore when Bowie, Nomi and Joey Arias performed on an early Saturday Night Live program.


































Designer Andre Walker made this paper dress in 1989 for the Love Ball, an AIDS fundraising benefit party. Fashioned from paper and synthetic twill, it is still in amazing condition.


































Moschino cotton sateen rayon and denim vest 1992 and Geoffrey Beene's 1989 paper dress for the Love Ball fashioned from newsprint paper and chenille.


































Thierry Mugler 1996 dress (cotton and synthetic stretch) worn by performer Joey Arias and John Paul Gaultier's infamous 1984 Cone Bra dress (velvet).


































Gianni Versace's 1991 suit with Warhol-inspired print, made in Italy of cotton and silk.


































Thierry Mugler 1987 lame and satin gown and 1992 linen, cotton, leather and metal suit worn by Scott Ewalt.


































Rudi Gernreich's unisex caftans.


































Gianni Versace's Fall/Winter 1992 leather, satin, metal evening ensemble.


































Rick Owens' Fall 2009 cashmere and leather dress and boots worn by Karlo Steel.


































And of course a RuPaul outfit.


































The last three pairs of outfits in the exhibition are the wedding clothes worn by one gay and two lesbian couples. Two women wore traditional wedding gowns; the men wore quiet suits. The two non-traditional outfits shown here were worn by Hannah Barrett and Laurel Sparks, who define themselves as "dandy Rasputins".


































The exhibition is full of information that we could not possibly pack into a short blog, but never fear - there is an accompanying book by the same name as the exhibition - A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk - with this arresting and thought-provoking cover featuring Jenny Shimizu wielding a huge lipstick.






















And if you're thinking of going to the show in person, you have until January 4, 2014 to see it, but we suggest you go SOONER rather than later.  And now, on to ...

THE PEOPLE:

Dr. Valerie Steele and Jean at the morning press event.


































Valerie and a fashion journalist at the press event.


































Sandy Long outside the museum before the morning press event.


































FIT's press chief, Cheri Fein, wearing a fabulous tactile metal necklace with moving parts.






















Before we go any further, we have to thank our dates for the evening.

Valerie went as the guest of Rolly Robinson of StyleCaster (he who was kind enough to take a gazillion pics of us when we did our scooter shoot). Thank you, Rolly!


































Jean was invited by David Noh of Gay City News. Thank you, David!


































A gentleman in a white suit and strappy harness.


































A gentleman sporting a handcuff brooch.






















Dueling cameras.



































Okay, how many of you out there can pull off this dress? Or match it with sky blue opera gloves?


































Milliner Rod Keenan, left (wearing a Margiela shirt designed with loosened tie sewn in and skirt-pants), and illustrator Robert Richard, right.


































Name this dress! It showed up in a recent fashion magazine. Looks GREAT on this woman!


































Another great dress!


































We ran into Ari Seth Cohen of Advanced Style looking quite colorful.






















The dapper Robert Bryan, milliner Gretchen Fenston and her husband Roddy Caravella.


































Susanne Bartsch and Ansoni.


































Vogue's Hamish Bowles.


































Jeff Sanders and Eddie Casson.


































Photographer Rose Hartman.


































Christopher Stevens, Marcia Resnick and Corey Grant Tippen.






















Louise Doktor and Tim John.






















We were photographed by Bill Cunningham for the New York Times, but failed to make the final cut. We are often the bridesmaids, and seldom the brides. Just in case you didn't believe us.


































Sharp-eyed readers will notice that Valerie changed outfits between the morning and evening events. Unfortunately, Jean went back to the office and was stuck until the very last minute and had to dash "as-is" to the gala.  C'est la vie! Until next time, kiddies!





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The Eternal Sex Appeal of the Leather Jacket

October 16, 2013, 8:03 pm
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Schott's 100th Anniversary



































Last weekend we attended a retrospective exhibit of Schott jackets in celebration if the company's centennial in a pop-up space in on Mulberry Street in Soho. Schott was the first to use zippers in jackets; they have always made workwear but are best known for their motorcycle jackets; and - in these days of outsourcing - they're proud to say they have always been located in downtown Manhattan. So we jumped at the invitation to see a retrospective honoring their centennial.

Motorcycle jackets, synonymous with rebellion, were worn by the bad boys of each generation. Marlon Brando probably did more than any other single person to put Schott on the map when he wore one of their jackets riding his Triumph motorcycle in The Wild One. Raise your hand if you've seen this photo. Did you know it was a Schott?



















So you can see why generations of bad boys (and bad girls) might want a leather jacket. The folks at Schott put together a great show, combining great celebrity photos with actual vintage jackets and more recent collaborations with contemporary artists.

First, let us show you the vintage Schott jackets. Although they also make fabric and denim jackets, we focused on the leather motorcycle and flight jackets and wanted to share photos of a few of our favorites. This two-tone horsehide Perfecto jacket is from the mid-1950s.






















The Flying Tigers steer hide Style 516 flight jacket is from the late 1960s or early 1970s.






















This Cafe Racer jacket is from about 1980. Although to most members our generation that might sound sort of recent, we did the math, and it's over thirty years old!






















A fringed cowhide 516 motorcycle jacket, decorated with a collection of colorful motorcycle club and souvenir embroidered patches, dates back to 1987-1988.






















The exhibition also included artists' jackets. This Perfecto jacket from 1988 features the iconic and instantly recognizable illustrations of artist Keith Haring.






















Another Perfecto from the era was decorated in 1991 by Jean-Michel Basquiat.






















"Hot Schott", created by Barbara Segal in 1994, is a sculpture made from Belgian black marble and steel. It was so lifelike, viewers (like us, for example) had to look twice to see that it wasn't just a jacket made of polished patent leather.



































Designer Jeremy Scott created this black on white Keith Haring-inspired jacket in 2009.


































Hot Rod artist Von Franco painted this jacket in 2009 which was produced in limited quantities for sale in Japan.






















This jacket is fashioned from vintage Ford Mustang interiors and car and hood ornaments.






















We heard about the exhibition because our friend Juliana Lazzaro was one among those selected to create an art piece using a Schott Perfecto motorcycle jacket. Readers with less than total recall may not remember, but Juliana was our lucky star the day we spray-painted our thrift shop bamboo coolie hats lacquer red. She happened by just at the right moment and offered to take photos with our cameras. They were great pictures - far better than anything we had taken ourselves. And now we can see why. This is her amazing creation. We were told that one of her friends wore the matching skirt to the opening party. (We, unfortunately, had a conflicting engagement that evening.)





















This red version is Curtis Kulig's 2013 piece to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary.






















Shepard Fairey, best known for his iconic Obama election poster and the once-ubiquitous OBEY graphic (and yet another RISD guy), created this 2013 version of the company's classic moto jacket.






















For balance and variety, there was the section of the exhibition devoted to photographs of rock stars wearing their own Schott jackets.

Here is Lou Reed in the mid-1970s.






















Bruce Springsteen in 1975.






















Keith Richards, the ultimate bad boy, onstage in his Perfecto jacket.






















The Ramones in front of CBGB where Bleecker Street dead-ends at the Bowery. CBGB is now the site of a John Varvatos store. Much of the original club walls remain intact behind plexiglass, so the old ripped and tattered posters announcing bands appearing at the venue are preserved for posterity. (Little known factoids: Valerie had the distinct honor of attending high school with Marky Ramone. He has an identical twin, Jeff, and in high school they looked fabulous in skin-tight black jeans. Seems like they must have had 29 inch waists.)






















The Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious. (Love his pin which so aptly reads: "I'm a mess".)



































Slash from Guns and Rosess wears his with his signature top hat.






















The Beastie Boys in 1986.

















Jay Z gets bonus points for his 2009 version of the Perfecto jacket.






















OK, we know we've already included a shot of the Ramones, but we had to include this one of Dee Dee, since he's Jean's cat's namesake. Jean has always had a soft spot in her heart for motorcycle jackets. She was wearing her own 1993 black jacket with vintage black jodhpurs and vintage toy hat when she first met Valerie in 2008 at a vintage clothing show. (Valerie only remembers the hat.)






















Running overhead in the main room of the gallery was a documentary about the company, a segment of which featured one of our favorite East Village denizens, Tommy from Trash and Vaudeville on Saint Marks Place, waxing poetic about everything Schott and standing in front of his Schott inventory. Tommy appears in a sleeveless Schott vest with silver stars on the shoulders.


































Chris and Jennifer from Schott were great at sharing insights and information about the company and the exhibit.


































As a souvenir of the event, Schott invited visitors to make their own commemorative wallets. Valerie searches through the choices of leather (blue, green, polished or matte black) embossed lettering (silver, gold or black), and hardware (silver tone, gold tone or black lacquer). Jean selected silver lettering on matte black with silver toned grommets. Valerie went for silver lettering on polished black with silver toned grommets.


































Valerie operates the machine that unifies the 'male' and 'female' grommet parts (oh, sorry - your kids aren't reading this, are they?) by pumping the foot pedal forward. (She is using her "good" foot -- the one without the orthopedic moon boot.)

































Jean in search of the perfect grommet.


































Jean shows off the finished product.


















We met this wonderful gentleman who was kind enough to take our photograph for us. Turns out he's married to Roz Schott. He looked quite suave in his beautifully detailed leather shirt jacket.



































Couldn't go?  Get the book.  (Christmas is just around the corner!)  It's by vintage fashion historian Rin Tanaka and Jason Schott of Schott NYC and commemorates the company's history as it hit the century mark.



























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Black and White and Read All Over

October 20, 2013, 7:46 pm
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We're in Suitcase Magazine'sMetamorphosis Issue















Some of our blog postings can be done start to finish over the course of several hours, but this one is special to us because it's taken six months to bring you the finished product. It's been worth the wait. At long last, here we are in Suitcase magazine. A mutual favorite of ours, designer Zandra Rhodes, rules the cover page.  We couldn't have asked for more!























It all started in April, when a Suitcase staff writer approached us at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with an idea for an article that would appear in the autumn 2013 issue. The theme was to be metamorphosis. What a great topic! As these things always do, the shoot concept evolved over the next several weeks, and at last it was agreed that we would each assemble two separate outfits. (One and a spare. Good idea!  Always have a back-up plan.) Except that the outfits had to be appropriate for early fall, we were given pretty much free rein.  We tried to come up with two looks which were as coordinated as possible with each other.  First, one black and white outfit - which we built around our huge matching black and white bracelets; and then one color outfit (yes!  Jean wore color!) in shades of blue.

There was plenty of time to prepare as our photographer, Nadia Sarwar, had planned our shoot for early July. At the end of the shoot, we had wonderful photos to share but couldn't jump the gun. It was the blogging equivalent of "money burning a hole in your pocket". We had to be patient, and anyone who knows us also knows that patience is not our long suit.  Because Suitcase is published on a quarterly basis, it was nearly three months before the finished product arrived in our post office box. We're delighted that we can post about it now. Waiting is hard.



































Until we received our copies of the magazine, we didn't know which outfits had been featured, but as you can see from our opening photo of the magazine spread, the black and white looks won out. These two photos show the outfits head to toe. Putting together two outfits around black and white cuffs was fun. Above, Valerie matched hers with black and white checked earrings, black and white harlequin leggings and half black half white shoes.

Below, Jean accessorized with her black straw hat with the white rim, black and white polka dot earrings, and black shoes with black and white striped soles.


































Following the shoot, Suitcase editor Serena Guen emailed us a series of interesting and thought-provoking interview questions to accompany the photo essay.

So, would you like to see the whole photo essay in order? Good, because we can't wait to show it to you. And forgive us, because we're going to repeat two of the above photos.

First, cover lady Zandra Rhodes. Who can do color or design as well as she can, and combine them so lyrically? (We'd like to say Cover Dame Zandra Rhodes.  We fully support the movement afoot to get Ms. Rhodes the title and acknowledgment she so richly deserves.)






















And now for a little surprise. The photo essay, Once Upon Another Time, features four women of a certain age.  It opens with skin care entrepreneur Linda Rodin,














and continues with her interview;














then on to writer Alice Carey, and her responses to the same interview questions. (It was very interesting to see how different everyone's responses were.)















Then us,














And then, on the next page, our interviews, more or less unedited in this era of soundbites. Since Suitcase is based in the U.K., we were tickled to see a u added to the word favorite, and the word pants followed with this discreet translation: [trousers]. Behind the interviews, we loved the grayed-out background photo that centers on our hats. (The Marilyns above, by the way, are vibrant pink and yellow. All the color in the photo has been toned down except our red lipsticks. Way cool!)












As its name suggests, Suitcase focuses on travel, with articles in this issue about Istanbul, Madrid, Cartagena and Bogota, among other exotic locations. Stylistas should look for the interview with Zandra Rhodes, and another with makeup entrepreneur Bobbi Brown.

So now some of you must be saying "yeah, but what about the color outfits in shades of blue?" As we have mentioned in previous posts, despite more than four years of blogging experience, sometimes we can still manage not to take pictures of ourselves. This time, however, we were careful to occasionally hand our digitals to Nadia to document the whole thing. So we have some pictures with both of us - not just one or the other - for the blog. We can't show you all the photos, but we loved all the pictures Nadia took of us.





















And here's a tip of our hats to our photographer, Nadia, based, like Suitcase, in the U.K. Young, talented, professional, efficient and gorgeous, Nadia was terrific to work with.  (We were in fall clothes, sitting in air conditioned splendor. Nadia, who brought the photographer's kitchen sink with her, is dressed for the daunting summer heat she had to battle to make her way to the shoot.)

Thanks to Serena and Nadia and everyone at Suitcase for putting together a great photo spread. We really enjoyed the experience, and loved the results!



































BONUS: The Marilyns Show Their True Colors




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Sample Sale Ninjas

October 23, 2013, 7:39 pm
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We recently conferred over cocktails about blog topics and thought we'd share with you our favorite strategies for shopping sample sales. Yes, strategies. Sample sales are different from regular sales because they're over in a flash; there are a gazillion people in a room meant to hold 100; there's no rhyme or reason to how any of the merchandise is displayed; there may be no dressing room; there may be no mirror (or one if you're lucky); and if you find three things to try on, chances are if you turn your back for 0.0001 second, someone is reaching for the two you haven't tried on yet.
Bargain Sale

What's a crone to do?

Below is Valerie in her tried and true sample sale ninja costume. Once the try-ons begin, the jacket comes off right away and goes into the rucksack.


































Under the jacket is a cotton and lycra camisole, doing double duty as bra and shirt.  (Under that is a brassiere.)  It's a thin layer, and interferes with almost nothing that goes over it.  The skirt is really important.  It opens all the way up past the crotch, so you can try on a pair of pants under it.  It closes with just two buttons, so there's no constant mussing and fussing with buckles or zippers.  If you're trying on another skirt, that one goes on under this one, then this one comes off so you can avoid guessing if something looks right.  Under that a pair of leggings or opaque tights. Black is best. These are much too brightly patterned, and could interfere with your judgment. But if you're going to be in a room with a million people (and yes, sometimes with men too), black leggings guarantee your modesty while giving you a better idea what the clothing will ultimately look like. If you're wearing jeans and a thong, you might not feel comfortable undressing in a unisex room.


































The less you have to carry, the better. Carry a small bag that will sling over your shoulder and leave your hands free. Bring necessities only. The bag above contained one credit card, a $20 bill, and a Metro card.  No wallet, no lipstick, no phone! It's very light, with a minimum of things you'd hate to lose.  Valerie leaves the jewelry at home for sample sales. No earrings that come flying off when you try on shirts. No bracelets that prevent you from putting on dresses. No rings that could damage the merchandise. (You are, after all, going at lightning speed.) Shoes are important.  Don't wear your Manolos - someone will step on them. Wear comfortable flats, and, more importantly, don't wear shoes you'll need to zip or buckle or button or tie. You can see Valerie's shoes are unzipped so she can slip in and out of them in a flash. Tacky? You bet! But ladies, this is war!

One last tip from Valerie. Did you notice the little gadget at her waist in the first photo - the thing that looks like a pager? Oh no, it isn't. It's mace. "Lady, step away from the $25 coat I found marked down from $2500. It's on MY rack. OKAY?"






















Jean prefers a one-piece jumpsuit for sample sales. Her simple approach: "If it doesn't fit over knit jersey, it ain't gonna fit later at home."


































Accessories are kept to a minimum, optimally all in one shoulder bag with multiple compartments.  Like Valerie, Jean only packs essentials (wallet, keys, lipstick). But unlike Valerie, Jean also always brings a cell phone and a camera. Otherwise, Jean subscribes to the gypsies' philosophy of wearing their wealth on their person! (That's why you always saw those gypsy babes in the old B movies wearing coin bracelets, necklaces and belts.  All of their money was with them at all times.)  In this particular instance, Jean has even latched her leopard Totes umbrella to the strap of her shoulder bag. Since Jean even sleeps in her rings, she wears her jewelry 24/7.
















Socks and slip-on shoes facilitate running around on showroom floors and slip off easily for quick changes.














Lest you think we exaggerate about the flash mob nature of some sample sales, feast your eyes on this shot of the bedlam at a Bes-Ben hat sale circa 1962.  Factoid: "Bethlem" Royal Hospital in London which treated the mentally ill, is the origin of the word "bedlam", often used to describe chaos or madness.















Below is a Bes-Ben hat. Yeah, we'd totally fight you over this. If you have similar tips or war stories, please feel free to comment and share with the rest of us.
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The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

October 27, 2013, 8:48 pm
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We flirted with flying to Montreal in 2011 when we heard the Jean Paul Gaultier retrospective exhibition was there; we toyed with visiting Dallas in 2012 when it moved there, we schemed to get to San Francisco when we learned it was in California. We sighed great sighs of disappointment when we did none of these and thought all was lost. So you can imagine our frenzied delight when we heard in July that the fabled Gaultier show was coming to Brooklyn! It was as if we'd each found a thousand dollar bill on the sidewalk!

We already knew our friend Shelley, aka The Forest City Fashionista, was coming to see the October Manhattan Vintage Show, so when she asked what else she should see here, we told her to send her press credentials to The Brooklyn Museum for the press preview.  What a wonderful time we had!


































And - la pièce de résistance - we met the master himself! (Many thanks to Petros Poulopoulos and Primary Fashion magazine for this photo.)














For the closest experience to actually being there, check out JPG's absolutely FABULOUS video for the Brooklyn Museum Show:


(We shrank it so it would fit our screen, but if you'd like to see it again full size for more impact, click here.)

The trio most responsible for the success of the exhibition itself are Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the designer himself, and Thierry-Maxime Loriot, the curator of the Gaultier exhibition.

















The highlights of the press event with Gaultier and Loriot were the comments by the designer himself and his questions and answer session with the audience.






















Our favorite question came from Margurita Schalyarevsky for Russian Bazaar who asked why designers don't make clothing for older women. We met her and her charming husband after the press conference ended.




















In response to Margurita's question, Mr. Gaultier cited the fact that he does focus on men and women of all ages, shapes and sizes. His clothing isn't just worn by thin models. His number one example, both at the exhibition and at the gala party later that evening, is singer Beth Ditto. Here she is with the designer on the runway in March 2011 wearing his Rock'N'Romantic collection (Spring/Summer 2011).   His second example might be that 55-year old performer who still wears his clothes on stage and off -- Madonna! Gaultier noted that Brooklyn, with all its diversity and growing counter-culture, was the perfect New York location for the show. (He spoke entirely off the cuff in English, by the way - no prepared notes - and must have spoken for a good fifteen minutes. Bravo!)


































The exhibition was grouped thematically, rather than chronologically. This dress was in the midst of a host of other stripe-themed clothes. Just love the feathers that start sparsely and work their way into a huge feather-duster effect. Had Gaultier seen Ginger Rogers' feather dress in Top Hat when he designed this?


































Of COURSE we loved this. Those of you who are tempted to think we're showing you a hat, look again. This is a jacket with a huge collar.


































This ingenious black and white jersey bodysuit features long panels that form a dramatic ribbon-like train. Worn over jersey sailor pants, it was part of Ze Parisienne collection, a Bateau-Lavoir ensemble.


































The text for this gown reads: "Latex bodysuit with gilded scales; shell cone bra; long, sequin-embroidered latex skirt; coral-motif rubber crutches." We present this as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Valerie's still-not-quite-ready-for-prime-time ankle.
































That's a cage-like train you see at the back of this dress, lifted as if held by attendants. Pay special attention to the marvelous hat (we did!), a flat wire frame wound with fabric in a turban-like manner.


































This dress is a grand mass of ribbons. The breast cups and panniers at the hips are also constructed of yards and yards of ribbon for a wonderfully textured effect.


































Way back in March we were interviewed by Kemberly Richardson for ABC News, and blogged about it in April, when it ran on the 5 o'clock news. Here she is again interviewing Mr. Gaultier. He was extremely generous with his time and very animated as he described his work. If you look carefully, you can see that the walls above and below the mannequins are upholstered in pale quilted satin.


































We got to chat with Kemberly after her interview and catch up on what she's been up to since we last saw her. She was wearing a terrific pair of Betsey Johnson metallic heels.  This woman obviously loves her job.  When she said the interview would be broadcast on WABC-TV at 4 PM, Jean was lucky enough to get her husband to record it for her.  At the very end of the shot, the camera pans to the crowd in the background, shows Valerie and the screen goes dark.


































Houndstooth hat, cigarette holder, glasses, face mask, jumpsuit, belt, gloves, pocketbook, umbrella and shoes. Hilarious! Wonderful!


































From the 2001 Paris and Its Muses collection. To say this is made of leather is an understatement.   Keep your eye on the eye in the center for a moment...


































Here is a close-up of that eye. The face seems to have been taken straight from newsprint benday dots and reinterpreted for leather. Each strip is individually cut (by laser??) and sewn down.















We had the privilege of meeting Tanel Bedroissiantz, Gaultier muse and model, who has walked in 80 Gaultier shows since the mid-1980s. He was a total pussycat who introduced us to his boyfriend and chatted about his adventures in Brooklyn. Here he is with Jean...
































And here he is in his best known photograph.






















Seated one row up to our right at the press conference were two individuals whose hats we admired. When they turned their heads, we were thrilled to see that they were none other than artist Colette and journalist David Noh. We got to chat at the refreshment area after the formal remarks and photo ops ended.

































We have ruthlessly beheaded this mannequin to give you a closer look at her amazing "film-covered corset". The label reads "Satin-edged, acetate film-covered corset with articulated shoulders and hips". The gown is called "Etoiles et toiles", which sounds like the same word twice in French, but means 'stars and cloth', showing the designer's wry sense of humor and word play. We've left this photo in its original size so you can also get a clear look at the fabulous bracelets.






















Here is a close-up of the film pattern on the skirt. A few of the labels, in addition to listing essentials like dates and materials, also list "fabrication time". For this piece, the fabrication time was 125 hours. We're assuming this means the time spent putting the prepared parts together, and excludes the amount of time for drawings, pattern-making, fabric printing and cutting, etc.  The amount of work is mind-boggling.
















This elaborate piece is described as long silk satin and lace "cage", sequined chiffon and lace sheath. What it doesn't say is that black lace is wrapped around yards of satin tubing. As with the previous gown, fabrication time is also listed for this confection. At 295 hours, it took more than twice as long as Etoiles et Toiles. (This photo can also be enlarged for detail.)


































Shelley and Valerie vogue for the camera.


































The curator of the exhibition was the best advertisement for Gaultier's work. His leather flight suit was as soft as a baby's bottom. An ex-model, Thierry-Maxime knew how to work it.  He is standing in front of Miles Aldridge's "Immaculate No. 3."


































This dramatic pink shirred velvet strapless gown with cone bra cups is from the "Barbes" collection (Fall/Winter 1984-1985). You saw it above in sumptuous blue worn by Tanel Bedrossiantz in the 1982 Paolo Roversi photograph - the iconic image for the exhibition. And that's us posing next to it in the opening shots of this post.


































Shelley got some one-on-one time with Thierry-Maxime.


































This 3-D Patent Leather Cage Corset was worn by Madonna in her MDNA World Tour in 2012 when she was 54 years old.  A "woman of a certain age" herself, Madge still has what it takes!


































Photographer Rose Hartman was at the show and in the audience at the press conference, wearing her eponymous signature flower.  In honor of the exhibit, the IFs both wore items from Gaultier's Soleil collection. The print of Valerie's dress is taken from an antique Japanese banner featuring a samurai on horseback. The very long sleeves were shortened and the excess used to cap her hat with. (Look quickly -- no moon boot!  It was a fleeting occasion. Later that weekend, she was back in her own version of "das boot". Alas, she just can't seem to "shake shake shake her bootie"!)


































Jean and Shelley smile for the camera. Jean's Soleil skirt with Japanese imagery and a giant eagle is so long, she had to fashion tiny elastic suspenders to hold it up under her bra.  (If she hemmed it, it would have cut off half of the eagle.)


































The designer was so approachable and friendly, he even posed for us in front of his portrait. We love how our photo captures a little of his impish nature.



































BONUS VIDEO CLIPS:

A punk mannequin gives her opinion:


A mannequin in Gaultier's image tells part of a dark tale:


Here's Gaultier himself. The mannequin is great, but the real one is animated all over. No important remarks in this random clip. Just vibrant life and joy. Beside him is Thierry-Maxime Loriot, the show's beyond-fabulous curator.
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Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show

October 30, 2013, 9:26 pm
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What's wrong with this picture? I'm flying solo! After galavanting around at the Gaultier exhibition on Wednesday and then running around Atlantic Avenue after and partying like it's 1986 on Friday night (more about that in this Sunday's blog, darlings!), Valerie's ankle swelled up like a balloon, so she spent Saturday with it "iced and elevated".  [Valerie says: Well, more like a perfectly stuffed sausage than a balloon, but the end result was the same.  To paraphrase Seinfeld's Soup Nazi, no vintage show for you!]

What's a girl to do? Call in reinforcements! With Forest City Fashionista as my "wing man" (er, make that "wing woman"), I went to the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show.  Shelley wore a great hat, a corset imaged tee shirt and Pippi Longstocking leggings that looked like she was wearing a garter belt. It got great reactions from other shoppers and vendors.


































For organization's sake, I've divided the post between People and Vintage Clothing.

PEOPLE:  This trio of very vivacious ladies greeted us at Tracy Chambers Vintage. When I told the woman in the middle that we loved her Grace Jones tee-shirt, she gave Ms. Jones' classic response: "Grace in your face".  Tracey Chambers Vintage is located in a brownstone in Brooklyn. Check it out on Etsy and Facebook.






















Filippo Guerrieri and Pervis Ross at Sunset Boulevard posed, laughingly pointing to Valerie in absentia, saying "this is for you!" She had purchased a black polka dotted swing coat from them last year and they thought of her immediately when they saw this jacket.  [Valerie, reclining immobized on a divan, eating bonbons with one leg elevated and the afflicted foot shod in an elastic ankle brace (which looks for all the world like a death-please-come-and-take-me-now beige support hose ankle sock, says: This looks marvelous!  I want to see it in person!  Just as soon as I'm done hobbling.]

































Vintage Vandalizm greeted me, looking fab, as always, and was about the twentieth person to tell me that Jean Paul Gaultier was at the show. Rats! And SHE got his picture. Double rats! (No wonder she looks like the cat that ate the canary!) Neither Shelley nor I spotted JPG, even after prowling the aisles dying for a peek!


































Meika Franz (in turban and patterned slacks) and her assistant posed outside her booth for Another Man's Treasure, an amazing store in Jersey City.


































A short while later, I ran into Meika's husband Warren and their adorable baby, Biba. Of course, she was wearing vintage everything (shoes, leggings, dress) and had even added a jean jacket to make her look "edgier". One part hilarious and two parts adorable.


































The inimitable Zondra Foxx, working her Andrews Sisters 1940s look, posed for a shot and then joined us for coffee.


































Shelley and I kept running into this young dandy and each time, he was trying on a different men's vintage outfit.  This time, he'd opted for a bowler and British prep school look.


































Heidi looked fab, as usual. She really looks at home in vintage and wears it as if to the manner born (yes, manner, not manor - we're reinventing English for fun and profit.  Okay, just for fun).


































Chubo was mixing new headgear into his look of denim overalls, cowboy boots and leather jacket.



































Shelley had seen fashion writer Lynn Yaeger at the show the day before with a model and photographer. On Saturday, she came back, this time to shop! Shelley caught her (and a friend) outside on the other side of the glass doors, just before she arrived.



































Bruce Mihalski of Hollywood and Vine gets in touch with his masculine side.



































... and his feminine side!


































Theo from Paradox Designs, sporting the most outlandish headgear fashioned from colorful leather hightop sneaker uppers and giant feathers, posed with Shelley.



































Tim John made an appearance at the show.


































CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES:

We spotted these humorously crafted peep-toe sandals with built in shiny red toenails at Vintagelemonde.






















Trends I spotted included monkey fur, like this coat as well as handbags, jackets, hats and coats.


































Noble Savage Vintage from Brooklyn always has a well-edited selection of men's and women's vintage hats and accessories.






















Deco Etc had this amazing pair of over-the-knee boots on display.


































Aren't these Japanese inspired short shorts and bikini top fab-u-lous?






















This black and white felted vest looked amazingly modern on the mannequin.


































When we met for coffee, Zondra revealed the cache of vintage polka-dot earrings that she had saved for me. Last time I saw her, I was looking for earrings for Valerie's birthday present. His selection of six pairs looked good enough to eat. I am doling them out to Valerie two pairs at a time. When Shelley and I went up to meet her for dinner after the show, she received the turquoise (top right) and smaller round white and black (lower right) pair of earrings.  If she's good, she may get two more sometime soon, but only IF ... [Valerie says: well, then, it's gonna be a reeeeeeeally long time before I see the rest of 'em.  A chipped/fractured/broken ankle (or whatever euphemisms doctors are using these days) can make a gal cranky, and a cranky gal doesn't set much store by being good.  More on the Adventures of Big Foot in a future post.]






















Next vintage show: The Pier Antique Show November 23-24, 2013 on Pier 94 on the West Side Highway. For info, go to www.PierAntiqueShow.com Be there or be square, sweeties!
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Issey Miyake Hues of Red Party

November 3, 2013, 8:29 pm
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Issey Miyake brought out his new fall/winter line Hues of Red, and had a small party on October 25th to celebrate.  Our invitation exhorted us to wear red, and -- surprise -- we were more than happy to obey.  Here are some of the highlights from the evening.

Hiro and Hana are two sisters launching a line of chocolates infused with exotic flavors. We hope they call us when they need taste testers.


































Howie (Howard Walker) is wearing a vintage APOC top. If you look closely, you can see polka dots woven into the fabric, but the real kicker is the series of huge blips along the arms. APOC is the line that's woven by computer, and allows the buyer some freedom to cut the product to taste.


































Here, we demonstrate with Randall Sachs that there is a good reason that red and black is such a time-honored, classical color pairing.






















We met Mr. Saito (left) two years ago on Fashion's Night Out.




















This man does a good job of demonstrating how to wear a red bow tie.   No wonder he has a woman on each arm.

















Valerie has long been looking for a black shrug for her wardrobe.  It's taken on the red hue of the room, but it's a luscious black.






















Want! Now!


































This woman was wearing one of the skirts from the new line.


































Red and yellow are often combined in India, but not so much in the United States, and less so in New York, so hats off to Masayuki Watanabe for his great jacket. The Frank Gehry-designed backdrop is the perfect frame for him.


































Whose idea was it to put up these taut red strips to highlight the mannequins?  (Those of us old enough to remember might find it has a sort of '50s - '60s feel to it.  Remember the lines that shot through the introductions to so many TV shows, accompanied by strident music?)






















Our friend Ryo Miyamoto, who is always experimenting with new looks. We're seeing a lot of pants with large patches at the knees which add contrast and highlight dimensionality.


































We love the way the collar of this Issey shirt frames Elena Kirioukhina's face.


































Our buddy from up north, Shelley, the Forest City Fashionista, joined us at the party to show off her wonderful kimono which she'd just scored that afternoon at the Manhattan Vintage Show.






















Journalist David Noh and his partner Edward Bohan, New York Times manager of corporate communications. David had been spinning in a slightly different orbit in our same social solar system but we'd never connected until the recent FIT press event for Queer History of Fashion. We run into each other all the time now, most recently at the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition press conference at the Brooklyn Museum. We finally got to meet his other half.


































Victor-John Villanueva and his partner Edward Sunderland made the scene.





















Zari Awodein, right, Creative Director at Issey Miyake. Check out the wondrous pattern woven into his jacket. The back has similar openings down either side of the spine.


































Tziporah Salamon, Davey Mitchell and a friend posed for a shot.


































Just had to show you the image gracing the back of Davey's coat.


































Marybeth Welch stopped by the event.  Love how the photo captured her subtle red wardrobe accents.  Check out the soles of her shoes.


































New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham came to the event and took lots of photos -- of us and everyone else. He certainly looks like a man who enjoys his work. Perhaps that's his secret to staying young!


































Shelley and Jean appeared today's New York Times in Bill Cunningham's Evening Hours coverage of the Miyake party! Along with Henry Pierre, Louise Doktor and Tziporah Salamon and a lady with red dreads and a terrific gold-toned jacket. Conspicuous by her absence is Valerie, still playing the blushing bridesmaid. To see the full New York Times page, click here.









Here are Louise and Terry Doktor. Her black Miyake coat looked like it was made of air.






















This shot gives you more detail for Henry Pierre's colorful outfit. Oh, and yes, he was wearing a dinosaur on his shoulder.


































We turned the tables on photographers Alex Lambrechts and David Glackin.


































Shelley and Italian photographer Alexo Wandael (right) and friend.





















One of the gorgeous Miyake associates wearing a dress from the new line.


































Rose Triple-Header:  Here are the shots we took of three ladies named Rose:

The first: inimitable photographer Rose Hartman.


































The second Rose and her husband drove from Miami and had been enjoying autumn in New York. Her son supplied the wonderful Mizo Shochu cocktails and beverages for the event. (This shot gives you a rear-view of Shelley's hat and kimono.)


































Rose Number 3 posed with a young man wearing the most incredible spectacles. The frames looked like they were made of Lego parts. We photographed Rose at the last Miyake event. Shelley and I ran into her the very next day at Amarcord at the Manhattan Vintage Show.


































Jan de Chabert (right) and her friend. We'd met Jan at previous Miyake events. She always looks amazing.


































Jean was really eyeing Jan's 3 bakelite bracelets!


































Weren't these two gents adorable?


































This dynamic duo made the scene and enjoyed the vibe.






















We were greeted at the door by this gorgeous Miyake Associate. How did she manage to stay just as energetic hours later (in high heels) as we left?  You can barely see, but she's wearing little pleated Miyake bracelets.  We weren't sure if they were staff-only, but they sure were cute.


































Keiichiro of 24 Hour Party People is one of our favorite DJs. This shot gives you an idea of the Frank Gehry ceiling installations which dominate the central portion of the store's main floor.






















For yet more party photos of the Miyake event, taken by 24 Hour Party People, click here.

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Not Your Grandmother's Bloggers

November 6, 2013, 8:09 pm
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Idiosyncratic Fashionistas interviewed for
ADONE Magazine's first anniversary The Artist/The Muse issue!








When ADONE editor Gilda Furgiuele contacted us to request an interview for "The Artist. The Muse." issue, of course we said yes. We didn't ask if we were to be the artists or the muses or both. Either of those titles is fine with us. (Maybe we should put them on our next batch of business cards?) Gilda has called us "not your grandmother's bloggers".  Maybe we should add that, too.

That we appeared (below) in the Fashion section was also fine with us. The article titled "Golden Years" in the Fashion section contains on-line excerpts of our interview.  (Just click on photos to enlarge.)






Here's the cover page of ADONE. (Logically, that should have gone first, but -sigh - we're not on it. It IS a great cover, though.)






Actually, if you scroll down the cover page, we DO appear. And we're in good company - right next to The New Museum. Although we appear below the e-fold, so to speak, technically we are still on the first page, which is way cool.

Now, some of you are saying but these pictures are so small! (In the words of Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard:  "I am big. It's the pictures that got small.") Yes, but don't sweat it. Now it's time for you to go to the real thing. There is a full length interview and additional photos in pdf format. For most of our appearance in ADONE, click on any of the links we've provided. (Click here.) To see the whole thing, go back to the cover page, and click on AM issue web3, which we've circled in red in the photo below for your convenience. Or go to: http://adonemagazine.com/sites/default/files/AM%20Issueweb3_0.pdf and scroll down to pages 24-26 for more photos of us and the full interview.

Wait till you see what we have to say about... (Never mind. That would spoil it!)








* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And now for something completely different...

CYBER LIFE NOW
If you're old, like we are, you might remember a time when batteries in packages came with a free (FREE!) disposable/reusable paper battery tester, so you could check the quality of the product yourself. Those days are long gone, apparently.  Undeterred, Valerie wanted a battery tester, so she went online to see what was out there.

This is one of the things that she discovered: (Click on the image to enlarge.)







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The Annual Pilgrimage

November 10, 2013, 10:54 pm
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A Visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show


































We made our annual pilgrimage to the Philadelphia Museum Craft Show, but for the first time, we waited until the weekend.  (We usually go on the first day.)  We hopped the 8 AM Peter Pan express bus at Port Authority and arrived in the City of Brotherly Love right at 10 AM on the dot.  The train station is only two blocks from the Convention Center.  (As a name, doesn't Peter Pan make an interesting juxtaposition against names like Mega and Bolt and Greyhound?)

Since we were so disappointed last year when we arrived to find that our favorite milliners, Ignatius Creegan and Rod Givens, were not there, we triple-checked the show's website this year to make sure they were exhibiting! After check-in at the press desk, their booth was our very first stop. It was as much a social as a shopping experience. Rod and Ignatius are in the process of renovating an old J.C.Penney store to serve as their new studio space in Petersburg, VA. Check out their website here. We shamelessly spent over an hour in their booth, trying on the most wonderful selections of hats before making our final selections.  The gents put hats on us that we might not have thought to try on our own.  An eye-opening experience!

















Dakota R. Pratt hails from Austin. His mixed media pieces and contemporary sculpture and furniture for D. Redington Design ranged from a life-size unicorn to tables and chairs to wall hangings. Check here for his website.






















We visited our friend Korean joomchi artist Jiyoung Chung to view her latest wonderful creations. We'd last seen each other at an event at The Korea Society in New York City. Check out Jiyoung's work here.


































Here's a detail of one of Jiyoung's work in paper. You can see there are several layers of paper in different textures, as well as a series of tiny knots. Earlier this year you might remember we wrote about Jiyoung's mother, Chunghie Lee, who does wonderfully delicate work in silk.















We admired Jurate's layered linen coat, which she said is also reversible. Jurate, originally from Lithuania, had come to support the Lithuanian artists. She told us Jurate means mermaid, and comes from a well known folk tale. (Wikipedia tells the story here.)


































You should have seen Karol dashing by, with panels of her jacket fluttering behind her. Her blouse seemed to be foam green silk, and she wore a wonderful hat with a military shape.


































We had a long chat with Kathleen Dustin, who does wonderful things with polymer clay. (Click here to see if you agree with us.) That's her mother with her, wearing a needle punched (?) felt vest. Kathleen herself is wearing a long industrial felt vest made by a former participant at the show, and one of her polymer neckpieces. For a better look at her necklace, see the next photo (taken from Kathleen's website).


































When we first saw her, Kathleen was wearing one variation of this neckpiece (called Techno-pollen); when we saw her again later she was wearing another variation, having sold the first.






















We had to photograph Laurie Phillips and Geri Covington, who looked fabulous. We got to talking with them about Joan Shepp, Philadelphia's purveyor of edgy clothing. We knew there wouldn't be time to visit her, but we definitely want to.


































Andrea Geer does dramatic knitwear in stripes. This dress has knitted three dimensional flaps incorporated - one at a time, by hand - into main body. We fell in love with the dramatic neckpiece, which is stiff enough to stand up and frame the face, but flexible enough for the wearer to shape it to suit. The secret is antique copper wire - no longer made, Andrea said - that she inserts into the design, and highlights here with contrasting white yarn. Both Andrea and her assistant are wearing her work.






















We love Biba Schutz's raw elemental work, which showcases all the components for what they are. Biba (right) is wearing a necklace made of three slabs of mica. In front of her is an openwork necklace whose centerpiece is a slice of horn.  Biba's assistant is also wearing Biba's work.






















We took four pictures of Liz - with and without glasses, with and without flash, and Liz just can't take a bad picture. We chose this one, not only because the glasses are a great blue, but because we should all be proud to show off our glasses. We've seen a lot, and we've earned our glasses! Liz is wearing a painted silk vest by Kiss of the Wolf, one of the show's exhibitors. The cut that goes across Liz's pants below the knee allows them to taper beautifully.


































The Savannah College of Art and Design had its annual booth and selection of innovative jewelry. SeungJoen Paik showed us this brooch he made of sterling and silicone. He explained that he poured liquid silicone into the three shallow circlets, then poured blue powder into one and red powder into the other. The waves in the colors are the result of the silicone being stirred. There is a small reservoir that connects the white circlet to the blue and red circlets, allowing some of those colors to flow into the third pool.






















Toshiki and Maryszka design their own line of tasty leather and shearling goods.


































During the course of the day we saw a woman in a wonderful black polka dot skirt we both drooled after. We caught her here on her way out, but she had her coat on, so you can't see the wonderful cut of her skirt. It turned out she was a card-carrying hat maven, and had bought four Ignatius hats, one of them a HUGE (two feet wide?) starchy black bow made out of netting that Valerie had tried on but had to leave behind since she could not have worn it in a subway or a taxi. (But when Valerie can afford a stretch limo, she's going to have that hat custom made for her!)






















We met Beverly at the Ignatius hats' stall, and saw her try on this olive green hat in lush fur felt. Here she is, later in the day, having consigned the hat she came in with to a shopping bag.






















Too bad we have to let you have to imagine this woman's gorgeous gray hair, hidden in the back, but at least you don't have to imagine her wonderful textured wool coat.


































In the lobby, we ran into Rose. We'd spotted her earlier in the day, but lost track of her, so we were glad to have a last minute opportunity to photograph her for our readers. Rose has shaved her hairline (did you know that stylish Elizabethan women did that too?), but her hair is long in the back, and she's put it up in two little buns. That look is becoming very popular now and Rose does a great job of it. Her coat is by Karen Groner of Grownbeans. Karen repurposes old materials - often old furs - and makes wild and whimsical one-of-a-kinds of them.


































Annina King from Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania designs romantic women's dresses, coats, skirts and gloves for her company Granate Couture, LLC. We coaxed her mom into posing for a photo with Annina. For more information, clickhere.






















Joy Raskin's Metal Ornaments are fascinating, humorous and beautiful. She fashions wall ornaments, necklaces and bracelets from silver and copper kitchen utensils as well as knits colorful metal wire cuffs. She is from Concord, New Hampshire. For more information go to www.joyraskin.com or http://store.metalornaments.com.  We also successfully coaxed her mom to join her in the photo.


































Christy Klug is the best advertisement for her jewelry designs. She was wearing a wonderfully geometric oxidized silver necklace with what looked like a black rubber and silver hoop. To see more of her creations, do click here.


































Amy Nguyen's textiles and designs are truly extraordinary. She and her husband are wearing stitched, pieced and hand-dyed linen shibori coats in shades of charcoal, navy and white. She traveled to Japan since we last saw her to further hone here craft. She's still working 80 hours a week in what she calls a labor of love. Valerie wore one of Amy's scarves to the show.  Jean covets the jersey shibori jacket in the photo hanging on the back wall. To view more of Amy's work, just click here.


































Molly Grant (r, with yummy black and purple boot) designs handmade footwear and holds shoemaking workshops at her Cordwainer Shop in Deerfield, New Hampshire.  Veronica holds a soft flat in lipstick red leather.  For information about shoes or workshops, click here. Students and visitors can stay at her Wild Orchard Guest Farm decorated with American fine crafts and early American antiques. For more details about accomodations, click here.






















Metalsmith Andrea Williams' contemporary jewelry designs for Bound Earth in Cohasset, Massachusetts include her Sa & Kyuma series of sterling, 18k gold and beach stones. Andrea (l) and her assistant Ia model her necklaces and bracelets. Click here for her website.  Although Andrea learned much of her craft at RISD, many of her techniques are self-taught.




















Elisabeth Newton's contemporary pearls are not your grandmother's pearls! Her pearl collars (one of which is visible in the lower left of the shot) are beautifully crafted as are her earrings,rings and necklaces. She lives and works in Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, click here.












Jupi T. Das practices the art of paper-cutting, working out of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Each piece is hand cut from a single piece of paper. No commercial reproduction technique is used. To view her website, clickhere.  (You can also visit, by appointment.)


































Basket maker Mary A. Jackson hails from John's Island, South Carolina. Her award-winning work is both beautiful and functional. Mary was a 2008 MacArthur Fellow.  She doesn't have a website, but you here's her contact information : P.O. Box 12027, Charleston, SC 29422; tel: 843-852-0404.





















Maureen Roberts and Michael Lublin run MoMo SoHo, which features flowing, colorful dresses and jackets. Jean remembers when they ran their store (which has since closed) called MoMo Falana in New York's Alphabet City. Their designs are now available on etsy. To view their website, click here.



































Santa Fe jewelry designer Shelly Batt's latest collection is made of horn. Some of her necklaces featured round chain links while others were square links. We both especially liked her gumball-shaped round horn ball necklaces. Click here for more information.


































Roberta and David Williamson had just appeared at LOOT at the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. Their antique-looking jewelry includes semi-precious stones, gold, sterling silver, watchmaker's crystal, paper, tin, rutilated quartz, mother of pearl, peridot, glass and mixed media. Working together since they were 18 years old, the pair says their relationship in the studio is the same as their relationship doing anything else -- they love working together. Their work shows that positive energy.  They stunned us when they said they had shown our picture to their students, and the students realized that they could express themselves through their clothes.  We thought we were an example for people our own age, but never imagined we might be examples for young people.  Roberta and David work and teach in Berea, Ohio. For further information, email them at pawgu@aol.com.















This should give you an idea of what their work looks like -- with a sort of refined steam-punk vibe. When we admired the sterling silver bee earrings, David said that bees were a symbol of good luck. He told us that not only did the Napoleon Bonaparte take the bee as his imperial symbol but he supposedly had bees sewn into the cuffs of his uniform jackets for luck in battle. (One assumes the bees pre-deceased the tailoring.)




















Artist Kina Crow works in ceramics and mixed media. Her studio is in Allison Park, Pennsylvania. If we hadn't had to catch the 6 PM bus back to the Big Apple, we would have taken her up on her invitation for cocktails. To view her work, click here.


































Laurie Phillips and Geri Covington both recommended that we visit Bongsang Cho's booth. Laurie was wearing one of his stainless steel brooches. He lives in Savannah, Georgia. View his work here.


































As always, the Philadelphia Museum Craft Show is a magnet for silver foxes and women in our demographic! Ladies of a certain age appreciate the artistry and craft in handmade clothing, jewelry and objects. Doesn't this tall, slim lady look like she's having a ball?


































Jean ran into her friend Harriet (r) who traveled from Baltimore with her sister Jaci for the show.


















We met Allison in the cafe when we stopped for coffee and told her how much we loved her colorful jacket.


































Deja vu! Barbara Lember and her friend Mary Frankel didn't let Mary's recent foot surgery slow them down one iota. Just as we did last year at MOMA after Valerie's foot surgery when Jean commandeered Valerie's wheelchair, Barbara steered Mary through the aisles to try to see all the wonderful booths. When we ran into them late in the afternoon, they'd only seen about half of the show. We know how they feel. When we broke for lunch, we figured we had to pick up our pace if we were going to see all of the show before having to head out shortly after 5 PM. We are proud to report that we did manage to at least glimpse every booth, while spending longer in some than others.


































At the same time that Valerie stopped to take a photo of Bert and Shan (who had a bright blue streak in her hair), Jean ran into Judy and Mike Space. Although it doesn't show up quite as brightly in this photo, take our word for it that Judy sports a darker shade of blue streak in her hair. Mike, who is a DJ, was sporting a Keith Haring DJ tee shirt. Life imitates art!






















Susan Ross Stevens is a triple threat: publicist, speaker, artist and art instructor! She was wearing a jacket that she'd purchased on a recent trip to New Zealand.


































This year's show featured 23 Guest Artists from the Balkan nation of Lithuania in an effort to share the unique vision and cultural influences of their work.

Sarune Vaitkute pictured here and her partner Dainius Karkus are jewelry designers from Vilnius. Their work is minimalist and yet elegant. To view their work, please click here.






















Artist Daiva Lozyte is a ceramicist. Her sculpted clay works are handmade in two or three parts. Her figures have expressive silhouettes, faces that suggest different personalities, carefully combed hair, delicately embroidered clothes and tiny shoes with buttons and ribbons. Their purpose? To hold trinkets, flowers or the owner's treasures and secrets. We loved her hair and her work. To view her website, go to www.facebook.com/DaivaLozyteCeramics.


































Dalia Marija Saulauskaite works in leather. She does jewelry design, bookbinding and conceptual projects. She makes a variety of products such as leather bound journals and photo albums, but her leather bow ties were especially fetching.  Check out her work by clicking here.


































Klaidas Nvickas has been a paper cutter for more than 20 years. He has developed his own technique and style. Each of his papercuts tells a different story, whether it be a folk song or folk tale, proverb, joke or everyday event. Each is fashioned from a single piece of paper. Klaidas makes framable pictures, greeting cards and bookplates. For futher information, click here. Klaidas was kind enough to gift us with the Contemporary Craft from Lithuania booklet which gave us the background information on him and his fellow artists.


































According to the booklet Contemporary Craft from Lithuania with a foreword from Sarunas Biutis, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Nomeda Marcenaite delights in "writing books, hosting television shows, cooking, gardening, car racing and playing with clay", but says ceramics is her true calling. Check out her work by clicking here.


































Jewelry designer Sandra Malaskeviciute's brand is called "Spindl Jewellery". She works exclusively with plexiglass and rich metals. Her designs are wide-ranging from vegetable jewelry, tulip brooches and pixel building blocks. Click here to view her website.






















Virginija Giniotyte is skilled in the art of working with leather and wood. In addition to sculptural objects of leather, wood, papier-mache, batik, enamel and plywood, she makes necklaces with beads made from woven leather balls. Check out her work here.











What we're wearing:

Valerie is wearing: a vintage open top velveteen hat labeled Hats by Eddi, of Allentown; aluminum earrings by Bruce Tolman, shibori scarf by Amy Nguyen, hand painted and stenciled Tyvek jacket labeled Under Construction, by Mau, vintage black sweater from the late great Charivari, pants by Betsey Johnson, split toe shoes by Sou-Sou, and no orthopedic boot!

Jean is wearing: a Maria Del Greco hat with a  black bakelite pin by Jean-Louis Scherrer Paris Parfum; Yohji Yamamoto polka dot jacket; Uniqlo black t-neck; Eileen Fisher harem pants; Issey Miyake Pleats Please backpack; customized Dansko clogs; vintage eyeglass frames; vintage bakelite rings and mid-century aluminum wire and marble earrings.


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Hat Love -- Jean Rocks out at Amy Downs' Winter Sale!

November 13, 2013, 9:26 pm
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When I was photographed at the Issey Miyake party by Bill Cunningham (ahem) in the picture that ran in the Sunday New York Times' Style Section two weeks ago, I was wearing this red taffeta and net Amy Downs turban. It is from her Origami collection, purchased at her sample sale on the Bowery last Spring. I love it because it folds flat in a suitcase and travels beautifully. I loved it so much, I bought one in black and one in large pale grey and white checks with a feather.

When I recently received an email from Inez Foose inviting me to Amy's winter hat sale, I was thrilled. The sale was held last Sunday afternoon in a West Village bar called Automatic Slims. What a great idea! Cocktails and hats! Positively brilliant. Great photographs of musicians (mostly guitarists) and singers line the walls of the establishment.  (There is a particularly fetching photo of Stevie Ray Vaughn on the wall at the far right side of the bar.)  Perhaps it was the effects of the $8 Patron margarita (did I mention it was also "happy hour" with wonderfully affordable prices?) that led me to try on this little number referred to as the "reindeer hat"? It was a wonderful way to break the ice and get into the spirit.


































There were several like-minded Amy Downs fans who came to try on hats, schmooze, hang out and have cocktails. Case in point, this trio came and not only tried on hats, but utterly enjoyed themselves! They gave each other lots of positive reinforcement but also did offer their opinions on which hats were each other's favorites. Although the ladies' names escape me (please comment & tell me who you are), the hats they're wearing do have names: Bright Eyes, Turban and Knot.



















The blond in the previous trio tried on this toque (with red button embellishments) that looked warm and cute, but not too cute.






















Her friend, who sports a really long single braid down her back (hate her!), modeled one of the wool turbans in a dark shade of brown.  You can glimpse some of the hats on display in the background.





















Jane Marx, whom I'd met at Amy's previous sale, posed in the brown version of the asymmetrical toque with red buttons that you just saw in black 2 photos ago.


































Even the guys got into the act. Ken, behind the bar, wore his own wool cap, in keeping with his tailored, dressed-down look. Amy's husband Gary wore a wonderful peacock blue hat with colorful green shoes. Even though Ken had closed the bar the night before at 4:30 AM, he was an affable host and top notch bartender.


































Diana riffed her own version of the wool newsboy cap in a shade of grey to match her outfit.


































Diana's friend Jo tried a hat with a turned back brim that echoed the shape of the shawl collar in her knit sweater jacket.


































Susannah tried on this black and grey wool hat that coordinated with her grey striped t-neck and v-neck sweater.


































Bubbette modeled a grey beret and wryly commented that it made her look like a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Shades of Tanya! (Those readers too young to remember Patty Hearst's kidnapping by the SLA and the subsequent horrific police shoot-out,  raise your hands. Cinque! Now, go google it, kiddies.)


































Inez has the most amazing long, white pony tail. She's wearing one of Amy's brimmed wool winter hats with her red and black checked jacked.


































Milliner extraordinaire Amy Downs herself arranged my reindeer hat. Then I posed for the photo that appears near the beginning of this posting.  Amy lived and worked in New York in the 1980s and did the hats for the film version of Tama Janowitz' novel Slaves of New York (which starred Bernadette Peters).   She now lives in the Great Northwest but luckily for us, still makes hats! For more information about Amy, go to her website: http://amydownshats.com/Amy_Downs_Hats.html Get information on her two upcoming sales in Memphis November 16th and Albuquerque November 21st!














Singer Anna Domino tried on one of the more outre hats in the collection, commenting that she was rocking that Lapland maiden look. Only she could "work" it. Check out her music in this YouTube video from Land of My Dreams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10h6FItf4bY


































Ken got into the spirit and tried on one of Amy's dark wool toques and did it proud.  Automatic Slims is located at 733 Washington Street (at Bank Street) New York, NY 10014  212-645-8660.

































Jo and Diana tried on more hats -- in similar styles but different colors.


































Susannah opted for a version of the black wool turban.  Don't you love her glasses?


































Here's Amy and her husband Ken and her first husband Norbert -- who was best man at their wedding!  How's that for a very telling testament to how absolutely lovely Amy is?

















You're going to have to stay tuned in the coming weeks to see whatmy choices look like. I purposely didn't pose in any of the hats I seriously considered and from which I made my purchases. And NO, I didn't buy that reindeer hat -- it was already spoken for!

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Top Ten Reasons Not to Break Your Ankle

November 17, 2013, 8:34 pm
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Valerie's seminar on the advisability of not breaking your ankle


































(photo by Andrea P.)






















1. Half of your wardrobe will stay in the closet because it doesn’t work with your brand new moon boot. The act of dressing will be like kabuki, a slow, dignified ritual. No more haphazardly throwing things on. Everything has to be planned. The boot enforces order and organization in dressing.

A few things, happily, will naturally complement the boot ... but only if they're black.


































Some things won't work naturally, but you can force them with a little ingenuity, a couple of extra hours of spare time, and $20 worth of custom-cut premium velvet ribbon.



































In the summer, there just isn't a lot you can do with a monolithic black boot. Here's what happens to a summer dress matched up with a big black boot that's matched up with a black shoe.






















You think it might be better to try a red sandal? It's more summery? It matches the dress? Nope. Besides, the sandal is flat, so you'll be limping. Unless, of course, you ask your shoe repairman to add a platform for $45. A lot of my summer wardrobe stayed in my wardrobe this summer, and never got taken out for a spin. Sigh.






















2. You will have to put platforms on your shoes (or bring out your ‘70s platforms) so as not to limp in your boot. I took a leaf out of Jean's book and added a platform to what was already a slightly high shoe so it was as even as possible with the boot. It wasn't exactly the same height, but it took a lot of stress off my back.









Longtime readers know that neither of us can wear heels. This was the only other elevated shoe I had. If you've ever had a very special article of clothing (let's say a dress), you might have gotten confirmation from a passing admirer, exhorting you to "wear the hell out of that dress". I can tell you I wore the hell out of these two shoes - these two RIGHT shoes - without ever getting a compliment from a passing admirer.  (Jean's 2 cents: And forever onward, one shoe in each of those pairs will be more well-worn than the other.  Looking on the bright side, of course, if you have surgery or break each foot or ankle, then it all evens out!)


































3. You know that person you avoid going anywhere with because they walk soooooo slowly? And they refuse to walk any faster and you in your perpetual rush find that very frustrating? Once you are in your moon boot, you will be the slowest person you know. Even well intentioned people (insert Jean'sname here) will get tired of slowing down for you. (Cardboard and walnut tortoise by Valerie's mom, many decades ago.)
















4. You will go bankrupt taking taxis trying to keep the weight off your ankle. Here's a look at one column of one of my credit card bills. I've blanked out the non-taxi entries so you can see how they took over my life. I live and work in the same neighborhood, and go home at lunchtime. Ideally, I took a taxi to work in the morning, walked home (picking up lunch on the way), took another taxi back to work, and then another back home in the evening. Sometimes I waited forever for an evening taxi in rush hour, so I gave up and limped home. (Jean's 2 cents: I confess I was quite often the beneficiary of Valerie's wild spending whenever we were out together in the evening because she'd insist on taking and paying for a cab.  What can I say?  Rather than trot alongside the taxi, I happily hopped in.  Let the record reflect that I did jump in first, so Valerie wouldn't have to slide all the way across the back seat!)






















I got to know taxis pretty well, and was most surprised by the legroom issue. I've never been taller than 5'7", and now I'm shrinking (this is the solemn duty of all older women), so I've never had to think much about fitting into taxis, but having a moon boot gave me new sympathy and empathy for anyone who wears a size 13 shoe. Here was a rare taxi that gave me and my boot room to maneuver in.





















More typically, I had to wedge my boot under the driver's seat.





















Sometimes I couldn't even get the boot on the floor, and had to ride sort of side-saddle, like good Victorian ladies in their voluminous dresses. What in heaven's name do tall men (with proportional feet) do when they have to take a taxi???




















5. You will shop only at the store closest to you. Not at the cheapest or the best or your favorite, and you will buy a lot of products that you are unfamiliar with to avoid walking further. And you will buy the smallest size, because economy size may be good for your wallet, but it’s not good for your ankle.


















6. You will twist your back all out of shape, and have to take a hot bath every night so as not to wake up feeling like Quasimodo. The plus side of this is that if you put a chair next to the tub, it's a great way to spend quality time with your cat.















7. If your boot is on your left foot (like mine), you will find it more comfortable walking on the right side of the street. You've probably never needed to notice this before, but the streets of New York are ever so slightly angled, most likely to encourage run-off after it rains. This is genius engineering for city planners, but a nightmare for someone whose leg is already out of balance. The picture below is not retouched. The street really is angled up to the right, which made it great to walk on. Walking on the opposite side of the street, however, would have made me hobble as if I had an arthritic hip. Jean gets a lot of credit for putting up with this little idiosyncrasy on our outings together.  (Jean's 2 cents: I became acutely aware of a very strange anomaly of the law of averages:  If it was roasting hot, the side of the street we had to walk on was always in the blazing sun.  Likewise, if it was chilly and breezy, we always had to walk on the shady, windy side.  AND we had to walk really slowly ...)






















8. Everything in the street becomes an obstacle. In preparation for repaving, the street outside my house was torn up shortly after I broke my ankle. The moon boot is built to protect the leg from any jostling. So it will survive an asteroid crash, but the trade-off is that the leg becomes insensitive to everything. The very slight ridges and grooves that we never notice under normal circumstances become looming threats to the body's delicate balance. Add to that legs of different lengths, and you have a recipe for disaster. The sight below stopped me in my literal tracks. Until the streets were repaved, about a week later, stepping out into the street was like re-enacting "The Perils of Pauline".





















9. Velcro. The velcro on my boot was so strong, NASA could use it to fasten an astronaut to the wall of a rocket so she could get some shuteye without floating away. It was so strong, I couldn’t peel my boot open without bending my nails backward. So I cut up little bits of black industrial felt and put them on the end of each tab, as here. And we’re not even talking about the strained relations between velcro and your stockings or velcro and your dress.






















10. You will have to wear a boot for what seems like eternity, except in bed. You will scuff your polished floors wearing your boot and shoe indoors, and seriously consider renting a buffer when it's all over. If you do your dishes by hand, as I do, you will pamper your leg by propping it up on a chair to take the pressure off. Sharp-eyed readers will recognize this chair as the one I fell off when I broke my wrist. This is part of its penance.



































Oh, wait, sorry - there are eleven reasons!

11. Unless you are at the bus stop waiting for it, you will miss the bus. A lot. Even if it's just across the street, like this one, because you can't run to catch it anymore. And don’t even think about the subway because you can’t get down the stairs and the elevator is closed while they clear away what the last drunk left there. You will have to stop jaywalking and learn to cross only at the cross walk, and only starting at the moment the light turns green. No more sprinting through the yellow light.
















LITTLE ANKLE STORIES

First, I am delighted to say that I am in charming company. Helen of Chronic Knitting Syndrome sent me this photo of actor John Hurt talking with director Alan Parker on the program Living the Life, in which he's wearing the very same moon boot. I could also show you pictures of Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston in leg casts, but since that's not quite the same thing, we'll just keep it simple. (Helen has a four star list of great movies on her website, by the way, even if you're not knitting while you watch.)
















When I first arrived at my doctor's office way back in August, I figured I had a bad sprain, but one never knows, so I had it x-rayed, and the doctor told me I had chipped it. No big deal, right? Not as good as a sprain, but not so bad. This is what I envisioned, and in my mind's eye, I saw the little chip re-ancoring itself to the bone through the miracle of the really tight boot.





















The doctor put me in the boot, and sent me on my way. When I came back two weeks later complaining that it still hurt, the doctor said "of course it hurts - you fractured your ankle." This was news to me. I thought I'd gotten off easy, but in fact I was now one of the Truly Injured.  I had to change my vision, as below. Kind of like the thin lines you see in your dishware. You know that if it ever breaks, it will break along that line, but it's not broken yet.



















Those of us of a certain age have noticed that lately the word fracture has become synonymous with break. Is that a euphemism, like powder room? When I was finally declared boot-free, last week, I asked the doctor if I'd fractured my ankle, as in hairline, or if I'd actually broken it, and he said I'd broken it. So the above two cookies are wrong. The cookie below is correct. It wasn't a bad break, and he says the healed area won't be more likely to break again in the future, which is good to know. But if there are any doctors reading this, please, no euphemisms. Call a spade a spade, and a break a break. (Jean asks: May we please eat the cookies NOW?)





















Even in the boot, and even with foam pads inside the boot, my foot moved around a little, so for two weeks the doctor put my leg in a small "wet cast" for additional stability. It was so light that I could still get into my shoes, and made what little walking I did a lot easier and more comfortable. The down side was that I was not allowed to get it wet. The lady below is smiling because the plastic shower protector on her leg works just fine.






















Unfortunately, my shower protector, which I'd had since my first foot surgery three years ago, finally sprang a leak. You can immerse a tire in water to find a leak, but you don't get any results when you immerse your shower protector. I only needed it for two weeks, so I didn't want to invest another $30 for a new one (especially when I could invest that in three taxi rides). So I got out the duct tape, and looked decidedly unglamorous when I showered in this:















I live pretty close to the United Nations, so when the General Assembly convened, I knew it would be impossible to get a taxi, or impossible for the taxi to get through traffic, due to the high level of security everywhere. I decided to get a knee walker, so I could roll to work on one leg, and cradle the ankle in the knee walker. I'm not posting any pictures, but you can find them online. I saw a video of a guy zooming around on one, and wondered why my doctor hadn't suggested it.  I had gotten two blocks from home on my knee walker when I hit uneven pavement in the sidewalk, went flying, landed on my left elbow, and was scooped up by two nearby policemen. (My ankle, in the moon boot that will stand up to an asteroid, was unharmed.)  Three hours later my elbow was so swollen my hand couldn't bend enough to reach my face. Alarmed, I ran off to my GP, who x-rayed my elbow and declared it unbroken, but said I had tendinitis and bursitis. I treated it with the old bags of frozen peas method.

Today, aside from making an occasional popping sound, my elbow seems fine, but it was out of commission for a couple of weeks.  (Try getting into a hot bath with one elbow, one ankle, and a shower protector on your leg.)  If you're thinking of getting a knee walker, keep it in your home or in your place of work, where everything is smooth and flat. It's not for outdoors.  (Jean's 2 cents: Does she ask me ahead of time so I could tell her the knee walker is designed for people who don't have the upper body strength for crutches; that since she wasn't on crutches and was in a walking, weight-bearing boot, it was contraindicated for her; that it isn't designed for outdoor use, especially not on crooked, uneven sidewalks; or that it was not a good idea? Nooooo.  Only after "The Wreck of The Hesperus" does the captain of the ship ask for directions and the weather forecast ... )

When the two weeks in the wet cast were up, I had the Great Unveiling. This was my daily kit and kaboodle for that two week period. Here's the Ace bandage.






















It was sort of like the dance of the seven veils, without the dance. Here's a light elastic bandage.





















Here's the wet cast. I think its active ingredient was zinc oxide, but don't quote me on that.






















Look how slim that left ankle is! (And look how badly those toes need a new polishing!)






















The ankle is healing more slowly than the wrist did, and this is to be expected - the wrist was completely immobilized, and bears no weight. The ankle is not entirely immobilized in the boot (since you take it off at night), and the boot allows it to bear some weight. As with the wrist, when people saw me wearing the boot, they started telling me their own broken ankle stories. One young woman told me she was a dancer, and had broken her ankle three times, but she was fine when we spoke. Another told me it was months before she felt completely healed, so I'm prepared to be a bit delicate for a while. In fact, I have developed a slight case of - shall we say - acropediphobia - fear of high heels. (There actually is no word for fear of high heels, but there should be. I asked my friend Ti-Henna, who studied classical Greek and Latin, to coin one for me. Thanks, Miss Ti!!!) I don't wear high heels, but now when I see them I imagine falling in them, and just about swoon.

I am out of the boot, though not quite out of the woods. I now have (on doctor's orders) an elastic ankle brace (similar to a support stocking), and was told to wear a lace-up shoe with it, for stability. The doctor says I no longer need the Ace bandage, but I feel better with it.

One has to have a sense of humor about all this to get through it, so one recent day as I went through my foot dressing ritual, I was reminded of Winston Churchill and his immortalized comment on Russia.

It is a riddle






















wrapped in a mystery






















inside an enigma






















tenderly swaddled in a big red suede Cole-Haan lace-up boot. (Okay, he didn't say that last part.)
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Wear Your Wedding Dress to Work Day

November 20, 2013, 8:03 pm
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One day, Jean and Robin and I exchanged wedding dress stories, and thought it would make a great post. Imagine how hard it is to get three people together, much less three wedding dresses, one of which seems to be in Twilight Zone Storage, where no matter how deep you dig, it just doesn't surface. So, in the first of what we hope might make an interesting series, here's Valerie's wedding dress story, and her mom's.


What happened was, way back in the '80s, my then-boyfriend and I got this great hankering for adventure. I wanted to learn Japanese, and he, with most of the credits toward a PhD in English, easily wangled a two year contract for a teaching position in Osaka, along with the requisite work visa. His (and soon after my) employer counseled us to get a fiancee visa for me, which would save me the time and money needed to leave the country every six months if I opted for a tourist visa. So in April we flew to Japan with one suitcase and one cat each. After about three months, I was called to the Immigration Office, and was asked rather pointedly when we were getting married. "None of your durn business", I wanted to reply, coming from a country with rather lax views toward marriage. But Toto, we were not in Kansas anymore, and the Japanese, having issued me a fiancee visa in good faith, felt that my boyfriend of six years should make an honest woman of me. They wanted us to set a date.  And so we did: September 1.

In my one suitcase, I had packed a small starter wardrobe for my new teaching job.  I had one smart business suit - which didn't seem appropriate for a wedding - and my favorite dress of the time - a 1950s blue silk dress with matching peplum jacket and belt that I'd found at a Dallas flea market. Its bright colors and padded shoulders fit right in with the prevailing '80s look.   It was several sizes too big for me, but vintage lovers don't sweat those little details.  (There was a huge slab of buckram in the peplum, so starched and so wide - six inches - that I could have served drinks on it.  That part was just too '50s for me, so I spent hours carefully taking it out and restitching the seam.)  I had perfect blue perforated leather peeky-toed low-heeled sandals with a little bow and ankle straps to go with the dress. We went down to the Kobe City Hall, signed some papers, and it was all over in five minutes. I refused to have a ring because all the Japanese rings at the time were white gold, and I wanted yellow.  It could wait.  We kept our marriage a secret from everyone in the United States, even from our parents, reasoning that we wanted to have the real wedding when we returned home at the end of the contract, and who would come to the wedding if they knew we'd already been married for two years?

Here's our wedding certificate, framed by phoenixes and paulownia leaves, traditional Japanese wedding symbols. Decidedly not acid-free paper. I put editing tape over my husband's name (he's a big movie star now and wouldn't like the publicity - just kidding) and over my last name, and as I prepared to upload this I realized it has my birthdate on it, so of course I had to blur that out.
















Seven years later we were still in Japan, which never ceased to be an adventure, but the marriage was falling apart. We probably should have consulted an astrologer, or at least a historian. September 1 is a) the anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake, which destroyed much of Tokyo in 1923 (and which is commemorated every year with alarming drills and re-enactments); b) the day Hitler invaded Poland, starting the European side of World War II, c) the national day of Libya; d) the day KAL 007 was shot down by the Russians over Sakhalin Island. What chance did phoenixes and paulownias have against powerful omens like those?

















I still have the dress today (detail above) because it wasn't right for Japan's climate, and I packed it away. Ten years ago, the dress was no longer too big for me - in fact I could barely close the belt. Now, happily, the dress is too big again, so I've taken it out of the closet, and decades after I first bought it, I'm wearing it to a completely different job.   I've paired it in the top picture with a little nosegay of chubby yellow highlighters and slim blue felt tipped pens.  The covered buttons are beginning to get a bit thin, but there's more than enough material on the underside of the peplum if I ever decide to re-cover them.  If you think about it, it's definitely an odd feeling to wear your wedding dress to work, but I find I don't think about it.  (If anyone asks: no, I'm not married to my job.  Or if I am, I'm having an affair with this blog.)


Valerie's Mom's Wedding Dress Story

Mom had a really truly wedding, in France, two years after the end of the war (the second, not the first, you wags!). If you've heard any war stories, you know that everything was rationed - everything. Metal was rationed, sugar was rationed, butter was rationed, gasoline was rationed, silk and nylon were rationed (ever seen pictures of women drawing seam lines on the backs of their legs so they'd appear to be connected enough to have stockings?).  You name it - it was all hard to get. Everything went to the war effort. Getting together enough ration coupons to buy material for my mother's white wool suit took some doing. Here's the wedding party, gathered in front of the neighborhood church. My mother was not trying to be fashion-forward by having a short dress. You can see that everyone was wearing shorter dresses as a result of rationing.  Shorter dresses became fashionable, but the origins of the trend were decidedly unfashionable.
















It wasn't until I was well into my adulthood - after I'd seen countless movies and tv shows in which a wedding dress was reverently taken out of a closet to pass down to a bride-to-be, or thrown away dramatically as a symbol of a bad marriage - that it occurred to me I'd never seen my mother's wedding dress. What happened to it, I asked her. 'Oh', she said, 'I dyed it navy blue after the wedding', as apparently many brides did back then. 'I got a lot of wear out of it, and when I couldn't wear it anymore, I gave it away.'
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