little red fox

think a gatsby spring: more items in the shop!

 

 

 

 

 All these pretty little items and more in my shop What Mimi Wore now!  

I can see those shoes with both the outifits here in the post...Those white oxfords with no socks and rolled-up chinos and the oversized cardigan? Adorable.

Can you see how excited I am for some officially warm weather?? 

I tend to get fired up and think of each season in thematic terms: I like to think of spring/summer in a certain color palate and theme. This spring and summer is gearing towards chorewear (as in this recent post) combined with a Gatsby theme, all in my favorite color combos of a pale green, black and ivory, an orangey-red, and bright red. I've been way into this palate for a long time but it just sings for me, what can I say. 

More to come on all this in the next few days. So far I've made drawings, bought vintage patterns and am on the hunt for fabrics for my spring/summer wardrobe...too bad I don't get paid to do all this :)

***

On a different note...I mentioned before that I've been experimenting with gluten-free recipes for both health and fun. One of my sources for some of these goodies is The Queen of Quinoa. I made her pumpking quinoa muffins the other day--a double batch, in fact--and they are truly delicious. So moist and rich, not terribly sweet, and heavenly toasted with a little bit of honey and butter. 

I mean look at this--what could you be missing? 

These have also made me fall in love with pumpkin. Its incredibly good for you--low in sugar and calories but high in fiber and vitamins. Been thinking about other pumpking possibilities...

You can find her recipe here. 

 

what mimi wore--my vintage shop--now open for business! (finally)

At long last! My vintage shop What Mimi Wore is up and running! This is something I've wanted to do for a very long time and finally got around to it. Whew. This is a very large item to cross off my to-do list. 

It will be a highly curated mix of both ladies clothes...

...and shoes...

 ...of varying eras...

...and also some fun home goods-type stuff... 

...all inspired by my gorgeous, fashion-plate grandmother, Mimi.

(This is Mimi with my mom, Betty, the tiny Cupie doll in a bow tie.)

She understood thrift better than anybody I've ever known. She was a child of the depression, and strangely--a generation removed--her varied thrifty ways have affected me profoundly. She was college-educated which was incredibly rare for that time period and that part of the country, but she was also an incredible homemaker: a seriously wonderful cook and gardener, an incredibly organized and detail-oriented person in terms of housekeeping (she ironed her sheets). That house was managed like she got a major paycheck for it--she was like Martha Stewart because she could do it all and do it all well. She was an intelligent and capable woman who learned how to make do--but she always had a real sense of personal style and pride in her appearance. All this in spite of being a Mississippi farmer's daugher and certainly never in her life a wealthy woman. She always looked absolutely fantastic and always did it on a very modest budget.

I know there's no shortage of vintage-type shops, especially on Etsy, but this was something I really wanted to do and when it hit me how much of it was actually about Mimi...it seemed even better :)  

I'll be continuing to list more items over the next few days and after that, my goal will be to list new items at the end of every week, depending on what I find. 

I'm also slightly over the moon to have an official excuse to hit up my favorite local thrift and antique shops :)

 

chorewear for spring

I've finally been given a name for something I've loved for so long and never quite known what to call it. Some of my recent-years' clothes-obsessions have hovered around something I've called "orphan-chic" or "street-urchin style" or "depression-era chic" or I even heard something like "dustbowl style" once to describe it. But there were some things I loved that didn't quite fit under those (vaguely hilarious) umbrellas. Until the other day I heard "chorewear" and the cute little Edison-bulb in my head lit up. That's it! That's what I love. 

I found out about the above label via Ginny Branch and I'm obsessed anew: Arts & Sciences. I mean--even the name is just wonderful. Their lookbook is here but here's a few of my faves from the new Spring 2012 line (besides wanting every single piece from the first photo):

 

And then Yokoo has started a homemade label (in addition to her eponymous line of hand-knitted goods) called Mother on Etsy with similar properties, which I also love. 

Something about this idea of clothes to me as an homage to womens' work of the past, I find really moving and extraordinarily beautiful. In contrast to modernity and the place women currently hold in society and the workplace, there was a time when the very simple work of the home was her world. It's humbling to see that represented in clothes, I think. Something about that...

I also think a lot of this could be thrifted then altered into similar ideas. That is certainly the next step for me. And I'm starting with the loose, cropped jeans from the top photo. 

 

 

 

little red sailor

 

The Project: 

Well this one started out as a casual, everyday jacket, and I guess it still is, but with a 30s-sailor-blouse-vibe. Just the usual :)

The Process:

This is another made from a thrifted garment. In a thrift store, my eyes are always peeled for anything red. It's hard to pick my favorite color, but it is certainly one of my favorite colors and it is also certainly part of this seasonal color scheme :)

So I spied this dress (that of course I forgot to photograph beforehand but looked a little something like this):

 

It's hard to draw, but the bottom 12" is a matching red chiffon, which I hoped I could use to my advantage.

I thought a good starting point would be this pattern:

 

The one on the far right,"E" specifically. The dress was a lighter rayon, so I was just hoping the drapey effect would work with this pattern since I didn't want to deal with making a lining. 

I cut out the front and back pieces first and then used the chiffon part to make the ends of the sleeves.

Aaaaand the remainder of the chiffon seemed perfectly sized to make a little impromptu sailor collar! 

Aaaaand then--the remaining fabric became the little ties/plackets/sashes in the front for the buttons! Vintage buttons, found here in NYC...

Well-used and well-loved that shapeless, thrifted, red dress :) 

 

 

a polka dot story, pt. 2

A few months back during one of my thrifting trips, I purchased 3 different pieces of clothing that were all black with ivory polka dots. One was the pair of pants made into the shorts I showed you yesterday, and in addition to the pants I also picked up 2 dresses in similar fabrics. Of course I neglected to get pictures of the dresses before I cut them up, but basically they were rayon dresses from the 80s and looked something like this: 

 

 

 

The Project(s):

A long skirt with a contrasting waistband; a bathing suit strap; a hat; a top; aaaand a 'necklace'... 

The Process: 

1) The Skirt

I detached the top from the bottom of the second dress and knew immediately I wanted to keep it a long skirt. I used this pattern (another one from the 80s!) for the hip area, the pleats, waistband and closure (the one on the far right, specifically):

 

The pattern pictures are almost the best part. You gotta give me credit for the vision :) I've used it before (which I'll show you at a later date) and I was really happy with the fit. I didn't have enough of the original fabric from the dress, but as it often happens--necessity being the mother of invention, etc--having to find another fabric ended up kind of making it for me. I cut up a section of the first dress (which had been sewn in panels), used some interfacing, a button I had on hand and a waistband was made for a very basic maxi-skirt!

 

Which brings me to the next project out of that first dress...

2) The Bathing Suit Strap

But to show this one, I have to start with this first...

The Inspiration:

Have you seen the swimsuits at Anthropologie?? They're a little bit heartbreaking. Especially this one which I'd wear as a top basically every day. And I can only imagine what they look like in person. I had to get a new bathing suit for our upcoming vacation (and wanted a one-piece for the first time in my life!) but also knew I couldn't afford $200. Once again, I had to get creative. Luckily, I found this one at Target.com. It was similar enough...and for the price, it kinda had to be right.

When it arrived, there were two problems. One--it was black and white. I don't like black and white. I like black and ivory. It might seem small but to me--literally night and day. 

The other problem was the strap which you can kinda see on the third little tiny picture. The line was flattering, but it being so thin was too different from what I originally wanted. 

So. I took the suit and soaked it in a tea bath (which I learned from my days of working in the costume shop in college). A tea bath is basically what it sounds like--a giant pot of tea in which the garment soaks and becomes "antiqued" in color. I think I used 8 or 9 tea bags in a stock pot half-full of boiling water for this one. 

And the belt from that second thrifted 80s dress? ...is now the proper strap for the suit :)

I think they look pretty similar now, don't you? 

3) The Top

When I originally detached the top from the bottom of the second dress, I wanted to keep the top. And I was really happy with the fit BUT even though I am quite short-waisted, the top was still super short. I toyed with the idea of adding a band of some sort to the bottom to lengthen it an inch or two, but I realized that if I created darts and kind of curved the bottom in a bit, that would help. So that's what I did and it worked. Two darts at the bottom of the bust, and slight taking in at the side seams. Still short--but I like it! 

And I love that it goes with everything! (In my particular summer wardrobe, anyway :)

And my brilliant strategy--where I show you all my wardrobe items separately (as I've been doing) and then BAM! show you the 8 million various ways they all go together...is coming very soon. Very few things excite me more than a well-edited, thoughtful, efficiently designed seasonal wardrobe, (including shoes and accessories). It is my goal every year, twice a year. Don't always get there, but I think I did this year. (!!!!!) It literally makes my heart beat fast. 

A Polka Dot Story, pt 3 coming next...

 

 

 

a polka dot story pt. 1 (and looking cute for the rapture)

 

Well, I was all dolled up for the rapture and lo and behold...here we all are! Guess I'll just have to save these outfits for vacation instead of the second coming.

My running show-and-tell continues! I realized today that I'm going to have to double-up on posts on some days to try and get it all in before we leave Thursday morning. I intend to take some outfit pictures while we're there, since there might actually be sunshine (gasp). I'll try not to overwhelm with posts but right now I'm determined to get this shown. I'm a very stubborn person. 

The Project: 

Polka-dot Tap Shorts; high-waisted, vintage in feel, but something I could wear every day. 

The Inspiration: 

Again--a combination of a few different things....

These, for the contrasting patterns and waistband...

...and these for the color scheme and overall sensibility. 

(Both from Anthropologie.)

...and at some point in the process I must have seen these, too (on Modcloth). And I was feeling Scallop Confident having just finished some successfully. 

The Process:

Like a lot of the things I made, these were from some thrifted rayon polka dot pants, which I disassembled, and then re-sized basing the cut somewhat on this 1980s pants pattern (from stricklypaper on Etsy)...

Though I left out the front fly and instead made a side zip. That caused some complications, but I figured it out. 

The waistband fabrics are a combination of one that I got on sale and another one I bought at an antique store in Virginia, plus some vintage buttons I found here in NYC. 

 

And voila! Everyday scalloped Tap Pants!

 

More to come! Oh, so much more...

And for your viewing pleasure...here is a remarkable little film made up of censored and cut film pieces from the 1920s/early 30s and is so strange and beautiful and wonderful...

 

 

 

 

 

 

the divine ella raines as wardrobe muse

 

The Project:

A two-piece dress?

A cropped sleeveless suit?

How about just an outfit. 

The Inspiration:

It was two-fold.

Flipping through Lucky (the only fashion magazine I can stand), I saw this page and was kind of hypnotized...

Especially the beige two-piece on top and the grey one in the middle. I think what got me here was the combination of modern silhouette but still a vintage look. And also the vintage suiting aspect for women is one of my favorite things on earth. Yay for women stealing looks from men. Also I was clearly a dapper dandy in one of my former lives. 

And! The same day that I saw this in the magazine, I happened to see a noir film called "The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry." One of the female leads was someone I had never heard of but was utterly taken with. Her name is Ella Raines and she was pretty accomplished in her day--albeit a bit short-lived as it would seem, before she was relegated to some B-films and then stopped acting altogether. But just look at her...

That's her on the left. She looks a bit like a cross between Julianna Marguiles and maybe Sherilynn Fenn? Anyway--I think she's just gorgeous. 

And that was The Outfit. I just froze and then died when she walked in with that on. Just shriveled up and died. I mean--that little tie? Come on. I had to have it. Or at least a version of it...but maybe a bit more modern...

How it was made:

The neat thing about this for me was that my ideas worked! By that I mean that I always have Big Plans. Large and ambitious. Being a Big Dreamer is definitely an asset as long as you're prepared to deal with lots of disappointments and readjustments to said dreams. And the dreams being somewhere between 0-60% successful. Suresure, I always learn a lot but this time...it all somehow worked. It was pretty thrilling. I hope this means my skill level has improved. It feels like it! 

For the top I used the shift pattern form the same BBW book BUT I changed the arm holes and neckline quite dramatically, which meant the facing had to be created off my new "pattern" and lo and behold I did it. I cursed a little and may have thrown just one little thing across the room but still. It worked! Even the little details up close look ok...

One of my favorite details is that it's higher in the back than the front...

For you accomplished sewers out there it's certainly an easy enough thing to do but this was the first time I attempted to structure a garment and it came out like I wanted. 

For the skirt I started with the dirndl bottom from the same book but ended up changing quite a lot, including the overall volume. Still it was a good enough place to start because I knew I wanted gathers at the waist and I'm still confused about the ratio of fabric to gathers to actual end measurement, etc. And there are some issues with the placement of the seams but only me and some other nerds will notice hopefully. 

The polka dot lining at the waistband was almost an afterthought. I had already made the top and the skirt was just the plain fabric but it felt like something was missing until I put that in. 

The main orangey/browny/beigy fabric was something I already had (I must have bought 17 yards of it or something?) from a couple of years ago. Longer-term readers might remember it from here. But the polka dot was a thrifted dress--one of two--that I have cut up and used for a whole slew of projects that I will be showing here shortly. They were well-loved and well-used in their second act, I can say that :)

We have a family vacation to Charleston, South Carolina coming up next weekend and there will be lots of polka dots on that trip! I have some more things to make and/or finish but my deadline is next Wednesday, and I have lots to do including making three hats one of which is shaping straw on a mold like a real milliner! Though tonight I did spend the entire evening altering some thrifted finds that I am so excited to show you! So that meant a lot was crossed off my list...but I had the best thrifting day today!

For example this purse...

Wonder if Ms. Ella Raines would approve?

Ooh, let's look at her again for just one more second...

I wish we wore beautiful lounge wear like that anymore...it's just so decent...

Just look at that teeny tiny waist...

It's an unfortunate hat but she's still so pretty. 

It's a pretty good movie, too. Geraldine Fitzgerald is particularly wonderful, as is George Sands. But it's a bit odd, I suppose and the ending...well, the ending will have to remain a secret as I was instructed...

I mean--for goodness' sake I want my friends to enjoy the picture! 

Isn't that so sweet? And it just would never work nowadays...sigh.

More to come! And thanks for all your sweet comments from the last post. I'm really so grateful it's hard to express. 

 

quick and cute DIY

So I got these shoes on sale--a very good sale--the other day. They're super comfortable, even with the hidden 3" platform inside (kinda ideal for a shrimp like me). So I really liked the shoes but not the laces. That fake-leather looked cheapy and not that cute. 

So. Out they went and in came my favorite ribbon--an ivory and black stripey one, about 1/5" wide--cut to the length of the laces (should have gone a couple of inches longer), and some masking tape. Mine happened to be leopard-print but you could use clear scotch tape or regular masking tape, too. Also that fancy Japanese kind would be adorable!

I twisted the ends, taped them to secure, trimmed 'em up and voila...

 

 Comfortable everyday shoes with a bit of flair!

***

Other items for your perusal...

• Readymade featured my black eyed pea tacos! I adore them/that magazine so that was pretty special for me. Also that sounds pretty good right now...
• One of my new goals in life is to get my paws on one of these. I think they bring magic with them. I'll drive across the country for one if I have to, so if you hear of one... :)
• My next project is going to be this one. I am very excited about my color combinations...!
• My next project, that is, after I finish the one I'm working on right now, which is for the shop. Here's a sneak-peek...

 And that's going to be my main goal for this weekend. It's been real busy acting-wise so I was ridiculously excited to hole up for the weekend at home and bury my face in some arts and crafts and delicious food and wine. What are you doing this weekend--do we have any of these things in common?? 

a girl in a suit

I've always loved women in menswear. I consistently mix bits of it in my wardrobe and always love seeing it on other girls. On Friday afternoon before the show, I had been working on a skirt that may or may not work--the jury's still out. I put it down out of frustration and remembering I had the left-over cream knit from this dress, I used the same pattern, chopped off the sleeves, got out my fabric paint and voila! 

   

(Outfit details here.)

I love it and now I want to make other versions--with a polka-dot bow-tie, perhaps...?

It (very vaguely) reminds me of this--one of my favorite pictures. In fact, I think I should just say it was vaguely inspired by it:

 

Happy Sunday! I'm off to do a matinee and then my weekend begins! For the first time in a long time, we have no plans and that feels wonderful...

short alterations and happy accidents

 

I thrifted these shorts a while back--last summer at a Salvation Army up in Hudson for $2.50, to be exact. (I have the single worst memory in the world yet I can recall where I procured every. single. item. of clothing/accessories/underwear/anything I own--without exception. Ridiculous.) I knew they'd be a warm-weather staple and I did wear them a lot but they had one drawback: a pocket on the right hand side only, that gaped open and made them borderline unflattering. Borderline. It bugged me, but I still wore them.

This summer, however, I got inspired. I think it's partially due to my sewing skills improving, and feeling a little more adventurous, but also its from being in so many fittings for the show I'm currently in, and seeing these stitchers/drafters/costume builders/designers in action--as many shows as I've done and fittings I've been in, I had never really appreciated the level of skill and artitstry required to make a really beautiful piece of clothing. I know it seems obvious, but trying to learn and teach myself about making clothes opened up my eyes to see--very clearly--how truly difficult it is. And how much I suck. Not really--but next to these women I am a complete and utter hack. But I can learn!

This was a tedious process, and I won't make you live through all the boring details like I did (but I hope to never have to seam-rip a serged seam again). I removed the pocket--and when I say removed--I mean I cut it out messily and cut a 2-inch hole out of the fabric. See?? Hack. I removed the pocket seams, re-folded the seam, stitched it down, re-hemmed the bottom, then, using the left-over pocket fabric and stitch-witchery, cut out a couple of triangles, ironed them on, and stitched them down. It was an hour of my life and I'll wear them a hundred times more, I'm sure. And really--as mad as I was at myself--I think it's even cuter with the little details!

The seam isn't perfect, but I kept thinking about these two women in particular--their names are Maggie and Marina--who used such care and such an eagle eye for every single miniscule detail on a garment they had created, and I stuck with it, and I did a really good job--for me. So: mission accomplished :)

And guess what? I have two shows today! So I am off to do a matinee! Please, please have a beautiful day!