Tag: Fashion

  • Personal Style Questionnaire

    Personal Style Questionnaire

    Happy 2020! It’s been awhile.

    Yes, I had so much that I wanted to post about life, the universe, and everything.

    However, after seeing Kailey Mermaidens post her answers  (originally from this questionnaire), I was inspired and motivated enough to answer these for my own post here.

    Quoted from Kailey’s post:

    I used Google Translate to translate the questions, and edited it myself to sound more natural. If any of the questions don’t quite line up with the original ones in Swedish, thats why! I did my best with my limited resources :’)

    I’ll always have a place in my wardrobe for the beloved Peter Pan collar dress a la Wednesday Addams.

    This is my favorite little black dress style as it’s so utterly versatile. Dress it up or down with shoes and accessories. The below pic was taken after work, and I had just added more makeup and put on contacts. Again, versatile.

    Dress, thrifted

    I can’t believe that I can fit into this outfit again! My body has changed a lot after having two kids but 90’s fashion is back, right? Maybe I’ll find the right occasion to wear it again, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a proper rave.

    OG JNCO raver pants

    If I remember correctly, I think I got those JNCOs at the Ross Dress for Less on Sunset and La Brea (is it still there?) The fuzzy blue halter top was thrifted, probably from the Goodwill on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Feliz.

    Ok, without further adieu, here’s the Q + A!

    What are clothes to you?

    I think clothes are your ultimate statement. Whether you want to express a particular mood or vibe, or go incognito, clothes allow you to ultimately be who you want to do be, or not. What’s that saying? Dress for the job you want, not the job you have?

    I’ve always been aware of the power of clothes to make a statement. I grew up in an immediate family of very fashionable bonafide clothes horses, so I think I had no other choice but to pay attention.

    My parents had a store on the east side of Melrose Avenue and between their store and the other stores on Melrose like Flip, Cowboys and Poodles, Aardvark’s, and more, I couldn’t resist the call of fashion!

    What is your “I don’t know WHAT to wear” outfit? 

    I’d say a longer bodycon or ruched dress or the Peter Pan collar dress I mentioned above. Tights are a no-brainer, definitely heavier ones for winter, although I’ve been known to dress them up with fishnets. I’d probably wear fishnets all the time if I could!

    What are you sleeping in?

    It depends on my mood, then the weather! My go-to pjs are a pair of heavy cotton in the perfect leopard print by Betsey Johnson. I guess they’re practically vintage if they’re from 2000?

    I love my velvet chemise by Intimately Free People. In addition to being warm, comfy, AND sexy, it’s also one of the few pieces in recent memory that I purchased brand new, at Nordstrom. Whenever I can, I thrift, but that has its limits when it comes to undergarments and intimates.

    I also have two pairs of men’s boxers that I love to wear when I sleep, one by Calvin Klein and one by Hugo Boss. I love to pair them with a thin cotton t-shirt, usually my Blondie (with too many holes!) or a light cotton cami.

    Keiko-Chan in Sweetheart


    What is your favorite store?

    The Goodwill Outlets, unanimously. I’ve been so fortunate to have found so many priceless and amazing things in my travels.

    It would take wayyyy too long to list some of the astounding finds I’ve unearthed from “the bins” in every city I’ve lived.

    The Los Angeles and Seattle outlets were the most fruitful overall, in my experience.

    One of the best flips I ever did was of a gorgeous lilac kimono blouse by Stella McCartney. It cost $1 from the bins in L.A. and I sold it for something closer to $200! That outlet store is among the most gnarly, though, as in cutthroat, there’s security there for good reason. The last time I was there, another thrifter threatened to “cut a bitch!” Yikes. Be careful out there!

    I’ve also found Jean Paul Gaultier, almost every brand of super fancy denim, John Galliano, and my most recent couture find was of this Rick Owens Lilies dress at the Portland Goodwill outlet. So what if it has a teeny tiny hole? It’s imperfect, like me, and that’s just the way I like it.

    What do you prefer when you dress up?


    Anything slinky, think bodycon (body conscious), ruched, faux fur, or large print, whether floral or graphic. Some of the outfits that I’ve received the most compliments on were basic tube dresses, thrifted from the bins from the likes of Forever 21 or H&M or Zara or Asos.

    They’re so easy to dress up or down with accessories. I love high heels but my feet and body have been worse for the wear with them, especially after wearing platform Pleasers for a couple of years.

    Irregular Choice, Jeffrey Campbell, and John Fluevog are part of my “sensible heels” collection and I try to wear them whenever possible.



    What are your best life hacks when it comes to clothes?

    The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” doesn’t just apply to books!

    With clothes, looks can be deceiving so it’s imperative that you try things on before you buy. No matter what size you think that you fit into, you’ll find many things are mislabeled. Sizing isn’t universal and if i would have listened to what tags say, then I’d have missed out on a lot.

    Find an awesome tailor or seamstress, as well as a shoe cobbler, in your neighborhood. Sometimes a simple tweak will change a garment forever. The so-so and donate piles can become fabulous. For me personally, I’m short waisted and have bigger boobs and a small band size.

    What do you feel best in?


    It depends on my mood. I wear what I like, when I like, occasion appropriate, but I always make an effort to look put together, even at one of my “day jobs”.

    I usually wear all black and I like to layer with textures. You can’t go wrong with an accent piece or two in a different color, whether shoes, contrasting shoe laces if you have to wear athletic shoes, or a huge red belt.

    How do you sort your wardrobe?


    Ooof. This is getting a little easier to answer because I have my wardrobe in different places! 😉

    The huge faux fur coats are in the actual closet, but I have a garment rack as well as storage, multiple rooms for storage. The items that I keep for nostalgia that I can resell and/or pass along to my kids are in storage bins, although I want to figure out a decent DIY upgrade.

    Which garments do you find difficult to find?


    Vintage lingerie that fits!! I’m a 32D-DD so it’s tricky to find things that fit. It’s also trickier to find garments that aren’t trashed. I’m also short waisted so it’s tricky to find pants that properly fit my waist to hip ratio.

    What do you avoid in clothing?


    Baggy anything, “boyfriend” cut anything, acid wash, mom jeans, basically all the ugly 90’s fashion that seems to be all the rage right now. Yikes! It’s not flattering to my body type and I would feel ridiculous in it. I also try to avoid most fast fashion, unless second hand.

    What do you wear when you’re just “at home”?


    Vintage slips that I hand dye, work clothes if I haven’t had a chance to change, or just my bra and panties if I’m all alone. I just got some fabulous Betsey Johnson leopard floofy slippers that I need to wear more often around the house!

    How do you dress seasonally?

    Since I’m from L.A., what seasons? Seriously though, I do my best to compromise when the weather is dreadful and I layer, layer, layer. You won’t find traditional winter wear in my wardrobe though, I am not fond of North Face, Patagonia, REI, or any of that stuff. It’s just not right for me and my style.

    I layer long-sleeved shirts under dresses and still bring umbrellas with me. I love hoodies and practically live in my Betsey Johnson puffer coat that I got at the Goodwill bins, of course.

    What garments do you never wear?

    See above with the “what do I avoid” question. I love jewelry but rarely wear it. I love hats too but rarely wear them. I have a huge head, size XL in Kangol and get self-conscious about my head size. Bigger brain, though? *wink

    What have you worn that people didn’t like?

    My vintage raver clothes, for sure. I’m not for everyone, though, and that’s fine.

    I had a boyfriend that absolutely despised fishnet hosiery and blue nail polish. I didn’t let that stop me and that was but one of the reasons that we broke up. I’m an acquired taste, if you don’t like me, acquire some taste, haha.

    I love writing prompts like these and I’d love to know what your answers would be to these questions!


  • Faux Fur Favorites

    Faux Fur Favorites

    DISCLAIMER: 

    This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may earn credit or a small commission if you make a purchase. Please note that I only recommend products, tools, and services that I love and always have my readers’ best interests at heart.


    Those of you that know me even just a little bit are aware of my obsession with faux fur.

    If you’ve seen me out and about or even in and about, chances are that I’m wearing a faux fur. If I’m not, then I’ll either be wearing my vintage Alpha Industries green flight jacket parka (that I got thrifting in the Bay Area for around $10) or my Betsey Johnson calf-length puffer coat (acquired at the Goodwill Bins for between $2-3).

    This post is designed to show off some of my collection and I’m sure I’ll have an update or two very soon!

    To kick off the second image in this post, it’s a picture of a faux fur by Betsey Johnson that I acquired at the Betsey Johnson outlet in Camarillo, CA. My last $125 at the time. I remember coveting this coat when I saw it before it made it to the outlet.

    This was in 1996 (so the coat might be older than you?) and I know this because it took around a year to wear it because it was never cold enough in Los Angeles. I still don’t know how I beat the heat for so many years.

    So I went to London, England in October 1997 so I actually could wear it! Half kidding, but I lived in this coat while I was there.

    Who says that you can’t be glamorous and warm at the same time?

    Here’s a pic of me in London during the night of the Skin Two Fetish Ball! I had my hair done in a sleek blowout, which wasn’t easy since this was before the blowout craze decades later. Such a happy night!

    How many Betsey Johnson coats do I have anyway? Here’s another one, this is what I call my monster fur. This coat will wear you if you’re not careful and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart or however the cliche goes.

    I acquired this at Out of the Closet on Hollywood Bl., after it had been sitting overpriced during the summer for many weeks. It was marked $110 and sitting near the counter while I was checking out at the register.

    While making polite conversation with the cashier, I casually mentioned that I’d been eyeing the coat but that it was a bit out of my budget, a pity too since no one could appreciate it in the Los Angeles summer like I can.

    Wouldn’t you know, he asked me what I could afford and I said that I’d give him $60 on the spot because that was all I’d have left after making my other purchases. Who knows what the hell else I bought that day? Who cares with a coat like this?

    So I’d carbon date this coat to be closer to the year 2000. It’s hard to wear sometimes with my blue hair when I want to blend into the crowd. It’s also very warm and I’ve slept in it before on a chilly night.

    This is a vintage coat that I’ve had for aeons. I got it for $5 at a thrift store in New Orleans, I believe, in 1999 or 2000. Notice a pattern here? LOL. This coat is currently in a giant purple bag that I accidentally acquired while I was still on contract at Google. It’s a nice big nylon bag that can accommodate a coat of this size and bulk.

    The coat is in the bag needs a proper dry cleaning as my at home cleaning methods no longer suffice. There are also some issues with the lining, if I remember correctly.

    I’ve had this coat perhaps longer than the Betsey Johnson leopard one. I can’t remember where I got it, but it was in Los Angeles while thrifting. Since I’d mostly acquire faux fur based on it being very affordable and off-season, no doubt I got a great deal. This is the coat that I use when I’m cosplaying as Rachael Tyrell.

    I no longer have this coat but it was cute only for certain outfits, surprisingly with jeans. I rarely wear jeans anymore because I can’t find any that can accommodate my hips and smaller waist.

    This brown coat is from H&M and I got it for $20. Their faux fur is of surprisingly decent quality.

    Here’s another brown coat from H&M that I rarely wear.

    This is one of my favorite vintage coats! I’ve had it for at least twenty years, I’ve moved it from state to state. I got it for $10! It’s a very heavy wool and keeps you very warm and looks amazingly glamorous in the process.

    Since I’ve been dancing again, I’ve acquired some new faux furs. This coat is terrific, fits incredibly well, and is a hell of a deal on Amazon. Meet the Anself Women’s Shaggy Faux Fur Coat Solid Color Long Sleeve Short Jacket and I find that it runs pretty true to size but I do like my jackets on the more fitted side.

    Here are my two most recent acquisitions! Meet this clearance fur that I got at Target, of all places. $14!!! I could do something with the faux fur if doesn’t work out.

    This last faux fur on this page is rapidly becoming a favorite! I can’t believe that I got it at Goodwill for $9.99. What were they thinking? It’s in perfect condition and isn’t quite blush pink or beige, it’s that sweet spot in the middle.

    Edited to add that I forgot about my H&M kids coat and Altuzarra coat! Will update as soon as I find or take adequate pics!! 🙂


  • Blade Runner Fashion

    Blade Runner Fashion
    Rachael by Craig Drake

    DISCLAIMER: 

    This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may earn credit or a small commission if you make a purchase. Please note that I only recommend products, tools, and services that I love and always have my readers’ best interests at heart.

    It’s not a big secret that both Blade Runner movies are my favorites, the first movie and the most recent, Blade Runner 2049. I’ve been rereading the Phillip K. Dick novel that started it all, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? I recommend listening to it via audiobook.

    Anyhow, I was doing some random searching in the wee hours of the morning and cannot BELIEVE that I somehow missed this editorial photo spread back in the day!!

    Steven Meisel has long been regarded as one of the top fashion photographers in history. This solidifies it and the fashion, oh my goodness! Thierry Mugler, check.

    I Have Seen Things…

    Photographer: Steven Meisel
    Stylist: Bill Mullen
    Model: Eugenia Silva
    Make-Up: Pat McGrath
    Hair: Garren

    This editorial is from the VOGUE Italia issue from March 1998.

    Before I discovered the existence of that spread, I also found these images: