Shakespeare got to get paid, son

I'm sure you've all noticed that tell-tale silence that has descended on the fashion-blogosphere in my absence. How the world once survived without my self-important musings, we may never know.

This week's post will be a quick one, as I find myself overrun with the task of making puffy Shakespearean shirts.



(I know I'm ignoring my blog - cardinal sin! - but Shakespeare got to get paid, son!)

The shirts are for Shakespeare by the Sea Festival's summer production of The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr [abridged]. This year the Festival opted to use recycled materials for the shirts rather than buying new! God love 'em!

And sustainable costuming choices isn't the only thing SBTS does well. With three actors, 37 classic plays, 90 minutes and approximately 153 laughs, the Compleat Works is one hilarious night, and it don't hurt that the show plays in the seaside Topsail Beach Amphitheare – where else can you take in a glorious sunset and the world's shortest-ever performance of Hamlet at the same time?

If you'd like to catch the Compleat Works, or another one of Shakespeare by the Sea's six summer productions, check out www.sbts.info

And don't worry – all this excitement can't derail our mission to give gorgeous clothes a second lease on life. Notable finds this week include a yellow and blue Tommy Hilfiger silk tie, and a pair of Rampage bootcut dark-wash jeans. Pictures coming soon, but for now if you wanna check out my puffy-shirt handiwork you'll have to check out a show this summer!

See you on the thrift side!

TC

Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France... fashion!

Unlike most sensible people I know, I am capable of watching an absolutely ridiculous, boring, or contrived film (and genuinely enjoying it) if I find the costumes interesting. The best example I can give of this sort of movie would be Sofia Coppolla’s Marie Antionette, a film which never managed to break its pedestrian pacing despite a strong cast and critically-hailed director. What it did manage, though, was a visual feast of costuming… I mean that in a literal sense, the clothes and shoes looked tastier than all those shots of French pastry!

Before you get worried, let me just say that I am aware that revolutionary French fashion is not a practical point of inspiration for contemporary clothing. But there are other periods (and other, better movies) that can lend their lines, shapes, and silhouettes to a modern wardrobe.

Last night, the inspiration was Quentin Tarintino’s Inglourious Basterds.

In past viewings of this film, I had been wowed by both Melanie Laurent and Diane Kruger’s “Nazi night” gowns (probably the only thing distracting me from the scalping besides the enigmatic Hans Landa that Christoph Waltz portrayed). But I was surprised to find I’d missed out on admiring so many of Shosanna Dreyfus’ ensembles, and the very ones that could conceivably serve as inspiration, too!


I love the 1940s ‘working woman’ aesthetic, that tomboyish image that most of us ascribe to Katherine Hepburn. Laurent’s Shosanna nails it: I’ve been coveting her loose-fitting trousers, tailored trench, her hat. These items are basics, but styled in a way that makes them timeless rather than boring. It’s enough to make me wish I were the proprietress of a Parisian cinema, though I`m not sure I could stomach the other elements of the story.


I`ll spend this sunny Thursday rooting through thrift shops, in search of classic Hepburn-esque trousers and cute, tweedy hats. But all I really want is to sit and read in a café, with a cigarette and a glass of wine…

I`ll see you on the thrift side.

TC

Nothing new under the sun

What a week! In a completely uncharacteristic twist of fate, St. John’s in June is sunny, warm, and (gasp!) summery. All this sunshine and sticky heat is enough to leave any girl dreaming of light lace and breezy cotton, so it’s no surprise that my two newest acquisitions reflect my current preoccupation: the sundress.

It’s no secret that the recession has left its mark on the usually-untouchable fashion world; designers at spring 2010 runway shows dropped the verboten w-word (that’s “wearable”) with abandon. Or so I am told, because here on The Rock there isn’t much in the way of a fashion community (notable exceptions, y’all know who you are).

I think the sundress is the epitome of practical, wearable, functional fashion. The sundress is easy dressing embodied, because it’s a single-garment ensemble that takes minimal accessories. Your shoes can be modest and sensible (though really, where’s the fun in that?) Bonus: dress it up with bling and killer heels to transition your look into evening (without splurging on a dressier frock).

This week I came upon two fantastic cotton-blend sundresses: a bone-and-cream white lace dress, and a black embroidered sundress that reminds me of the 1950s. With some cleaning and a few small alterations (reinforcing seams to maintain quality, mostly) the pieces will soon be ready to take centre-stage in our 2010 Summer Photoshoot.

Let’s just hope the weather lasts until my gorgeous model Catherine arrives from Ontario... until then, we'll catch you on the thrift side!

TC

Dear Mall: a breakup letter

Dear Avalon Mall –

This won’t be easy for me to write. With every new word spilled out on the page, another fond memory defies me to continue… but continue I must.

It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed our time together. I have. Even as I type this, I am fighting to resist your siren song of bar-code beeps and magnetic security systems, that modern symphony of commerce I have come to know so well.

I remember clearly when I first shopped in you, on the magical fall day so many years ago. You were more than I had been told to expect. I remember us being so happy.

But then, as time went on, cracks in that façade began to show. Soon, your shiny storefronts and brand-new wares no longer made me feel special. How could they? Everything you gave to me, you gave to every other girl. Remember when I brought home that funky blue hoodie? That day, I thought things had changed. But walking across campus later that week, I passed no less than three other girls in that same “unique” piece.

I just can’t let my dreams be buried in my lingering affection for you. I am a true fashionista, and I know now that you will never really able to give me what I need. I cannot be your fashion victim any longer. It’s not your fault, and I’m sorry if I’ve mislead you into believing I could be happy with things as they are.

Please know that this is not about anyone else – you’ll always be the only mall in my heart (sorry Village, but surely you knew this all along). I just need some time without a mall to really figure out who I am. Maybe someday, years from now, we’ll find our way back to each other.

Until then, I’ll see you on the thrift side.

Love Always,

TC