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Jeans: Chicos

Shirt-jacket: Vintage, Minx, Indianapolis, IN

Beads: Vintage

Now you see what I have against skinny jeans!  Oh, well. Not the most flattering jean on me, but they work with this groovy western shirt-jacket in double knit from the 1970s. Trust me––we wore these kinds of things. If I’m going to wear something vintage, I don’t want some no-count garment that could be from an era; I want something that screams I AM FROM THE 70s!!! ROCK ME BACK TO LIFE!

Here’s a mish-mash of this week’s discoveries for renaissance people and vintage fanatics.

Holiday dinner parties: an endangered species?

The whole concept of the dinner party is dead, according to a story in the New York Times, Evidently, Ann Taylor did not get the memo on that. Create a Pinterest board filled with things that inspire you for the perfect (if there is such a thing) holiday dinner. Do it by December 31 and you could win a $500 gift card from Ann Taylor. I love Ann Taylor, so it’s a no brainer for me. Anyone want to join me?

I can’t remember the last time I hosted a dinner party. You? My tiny space is always an excuse. Another obstacle: when I set the table for a special dinner, my husband has been known to set his napkin and placemat aside to avoid soiling and laundering linens. (Grrrrr. Opposites attract.) Those two things aside, doesn’t it sound fun to revive the idea of the dinner party? I may have to put that on a list of New Year’s resolutions.

Green fashion

Fast fashion retailer H&M will accept used clothing at 2700 stores to ensure unwanted clothes are reused or recycled. (Please tell me that people don’t throw clothes in the trash. Haven’t they heard of Goodwill?) How all this will happen remains a mystery, but bully for them for doing something to help offset the travesty of crowding our universe with cheap clothes, made in unsustainable ways.

A side note: H&M got in trouble a few years ago for discarding their own merchandise. They must be feeling guilty. Recent developments in Bangladesh can’t have helped. I wonder how they’ll feel to see their own clothing returned for recycling.

New artist that you must hear

Kishi Bashi, an American-born violinist who uses the concept of looping to create layers of delightfully repetitive music. It has a very upbeat, Japanese vibe. Isn’t it a great name?

Go Red Reverberates

Finally, my friend and style accomplice Jill T. shared this story following last week’s Go Red series. A few years ago, she fell head over heels in love with a pair of cherry-red, patent-leather boots at Nordstom. “Sadly, there was not a pair to be had in my size,” Jill says.  She waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, the boots went on sale. Still she did not buy.

The next fall, a dedicated Nordstrom sales associate called when someone returned a pair. “I am sure this pair was sitting unloved in someone’s closet,” Jill said. Naturally, she bought them at a greatly reduced price. “I wore them the first time with a pair of dark jeans, and wowza!” she said. “I had heads turning everywhere.”

Meanwhile, a similar style was introduced in a wine/black animal print. When they went on sale, she snagged another bargain. Why am I telling you this? Because you could live two lifetimes and never find a single pair of Stuart Weitzman boots on sale––let alone two in red. I am only recently indoctrinated about S.W.  Let’s just say they aren’t a price point that fits my budget. Love the back zipper and kitten heel details!

In the human wisdom department…

I am writing this as a reminder to myself. You probably already know this rule, but it is impossible to overemphasize. Do not say things to young adults in an attempt to prevent them from doing things you both know they are hell-bent on doing. No matter how they carry on, pretending to want your advice, don’t take the bait. Just listen. Let them do whatever it is they already plan to do—without comment.

That’s especially true if they don’t even pretend to want your advice. It is one of the few curses of maturity: you finally know a few worthwhile things about life and it’s of no practical use to anyone who needs it. It takes a while to get this one through your head: sometimes, you must sit on the sidelines and look gracefully stupid. Young friends, there will be no extra charge for having this talk with your parents.

Any holiday parties for you this weekend? What are you wearing? I’d love to hear about it. Or better yet, send me a photo!

Life is short. Wear the good stuff.