The Boundary-Pushing Velvet Frock

Now, as many of you know, the aim of Operation Sparkle is to spread the joys of thrifting, not to be some sort of snarky, cultural commentary blog. That said, it may seem off-putting to read what I am about to write, because it, so closely on the heels of my recent post "Gandalf, This One's for You," seems to imply the opposite. 

But hear me out. As I spend less and less time consuming mainstream media, the more shocked I become at what passes as "entertainment," otherwise know as "stuff apparently worthwhile enough to grace the pages of a national publication." The bar for what is considered "content" is ever lowered, especially when you factor in the tendency to boost about 99% of the material by attaching some sort of celebrity to it. 

As my co-worker said the other day, I am sick of hearing about celebrities. They don't raise their own children, their marriages always fall apart, they don't dress themselves and most of them are incredibly boring and talentless. As this is the case, the bar for what makes a "unique" celebrity is also very low. Case in point: Zooey Deschanel. 

Now, as I stated previously, it may appear as though I was taking the piss out of Zooey Deschanel earlier this month with my Gandalf post, but I wasn't. There I was taking the piss out of Hollywood's depiction of "dorky girls." HERE is where I take the piss out of Zooey Deschanel.*

And why would I waste my time doing so? Well, because just recently, as was brought to my attention by my great friend (and fellow thrifter) Jackie, she was interviewed for the food magazine Bon Appetit  (????why???) and made an incredibly insulting comment about one of the fabrics that I hold closest to my heart, an Operation Sparkle favorite: velvet. 

The excerpt: 

Bon Appetit: What's a girl's can't-go-wrong holiday party outfit?

ZD: A velvet frock. But then, I push the envelope a little more than most girls.

SAY WHAT?

Oh no you DIDN'T ZD! You did NOT just imply that you are so quirky, and edgy, and special that you are actually being some sort of "boundary-pusher" by wearing one of the most classic and loved fabrics of the winter time to a holiday party! 

Now, it is, I admit, unclear as to where this "envelope-pushing" actually stems from—is it the fabric or her ambiguous reference to a "frock?" Now, if she meant "frock" as in "a robe worn by monks, friars, and other clerics; a habit," then yes, I would agree with ZD that she is indeed pushing some boundaries by wearing velvet religious garb to a holiday party (Baby Jesus would love that!). My guess, however, is that she meant "a woman's dress," which is, like, wait, do you consider Urban Outfitters circa Fall 2010 to be edgy? Because here I have my little black velvet mini which was duplicated and sold at UO last year:

Now don't get me wrong, I love my LBVM, but I wouldn't say it is necessarily "boundary-pushing" by any means. If one were to really think outside the box with their velvet frocks, maybe they should go for a shapeless, two-toned, floor-length, jewel-colored, All that Jazz number, like this one.**

If you were SUPER edgy, you would wear something like this crushed velvet, silver mini dress. Unfortunately, ZD will never be able to be as boundary-pushing as the dress' current owner, because it is a man.***

Maybe this is more along the lines of what Zooey considers to be really appropriately wild, because it has flowers on it, and flowers are, like, really cute and feminine. Too bad I got it to emulate the grunge look from the Portlandia "Dream of the 90's" sketch (? also very edgy?).

Two of the wildest velvet items I have thrifted I've since let loose for greener pastures, which possibly indicates that I, as it turns out, am actually not that much of a velvet-wearing boundary-pusher. What would be great is if someone would wear this blue velvet crop top with these black velvet overalls to a holiday party. Now that is what I call a holiday party staple! 

Still, I always have my prince/Prince-inspired purple, crushed velvet vest. Holiday outfit, here I come! 

*NOTE: This post isn't meant to be an attack merely on Zooey Deschanel saying something stupid (we all say stupid things) and the magazine printing it. It is meant, instead, to draw attention to how LAME our society has gotten—to the point where it becomes acceptable to equate "envelope-pushing" in fashion to wearing a velvet dress to a holiday party. 

**FULL DISCLOSURE: I actually forgot I had this dress as it has been sitting in some bag in my basement awaiting a modification session, along with about 25 other items I have purchased over the years with the intent to "do something" with them. If anything though, I am all that more motivated to wear it as it actually is if only to push some envelopes. 

***I'd love to see ZD and Jake Thompson, who I traded this dress to for a series of boxy, over sized black tshirts featuring wolves and soaring eagles, go head-to-head in an edgy dress off. 

Gandalf, this one's for you!

A few nights ago, I was up late finishing an article and decided to treat myself with some online television viewing. While I should have launched right into the newest season of Parks and Recreation, I instead decided to check out The New Girl, that seemingly abhorrently awful new Fox sitcom staring Zooey Deschanel. Really, I wanted to see how insulted I could feel. As it turned out, my expectations were fulfilled and it was just as I imagined it would be—sexist, not even vaguely funny, and shaped by television producers' assumptions surrounding the posh/hipness of 20 somethings (more loft apartments, PLEASE!) and the never ending belief that if a girl wears glasses, no one is going to bone her, because, please, that is sooooo dorky.

My biggest beef with The New Girl?

That one of their tactics to drive home just how lame this girl was to have her reference Lord of the Rings. Clearly this was too much for her kind-hearted male roommates who reacted to this action as though she had told them they could contact syphilis just by touching her. Now that I've got that rant off my chest, let's delve into the real matter at hand, shall we?

In response to this blatantly sexist and totally lame assertion by Hollywood that haute chicks can't be down with the LOTR, I present you with my most recent GBC finds, as influenced by all that is "dorky" and "lame" in Hollywood land.

First, totally dorky accessories.

Contrary to popular belief, sunglasses are for dorks. Their cousins, after all, are just normal glasses, made so people can see, which is totally gross. Sunglasses are lame because it means that you are trying to protect your eyes, and someone who is interested in taking care of themselves clearly doesn't know had to party.

So, naturally, I picked up these four pairs. I am especially in love with the second from the top pair.

Big, cartoony buttons are dorky to the max. I don't even need to pretend they are dorky, because that is how dorky they are. These all came in one of those grab bags, along with an uncomfortable one about Jesus. My favorite is clearly the dorkiest of them all, the one that says "Left Handed Genius." I am going to wear it all the time, because its true. I also am going to sport the "Happy Winter" one when I feel like being deeply in denial.

A beautiful metal woven bangle is lame because it reminds people of the Renaissance festival and faerie themed jewelry.

Not exactly "accessories," but still lame, because what kind of cool people drink things like coffee and tea? I made the executive decision to stock up on these mostly 25¢ mugs because Chris is forever taking mugs out of the house and losing them. I picked Gandalf-inspired mugs, a Cathy mug (it says "Woman on the move!") and one that says "I'm Proud to Be a Farm Wife," because those were the dorkiest ones I could find.

Now for the clothing!

This vintage carpety fabric vest is something only a true lover of LOTR would wear. Unless they found a knock-off at Forever 21, which would then make it "cool."

Button-downs?! Come on, SO LAME!

For real though, I've been looking for a chambray and black silk button-down forever, so finding these was like Christmas.

Then we have these 90's dresses that the "dorky" girl would wear once she got rid of her glasses and suddenly became hot.

This navy with little sunflower trim number is extra sweet with its keyhole back.

Polka dots?! Scalloped heart neckline?! Little bow on the back that I will have to slightly fix because one side is detached but it's okay because the whole thing was a dollar?! SO LAME!

Then we have this totally Grandma eyelet blouse. Fewer things are more dorky than Grandmas and eyelets.

Finally, this vintage red dress that no matter what way I spun it, couldn't come up with a way to make it dorky. It's impossible to put this on and not imagine myself on the streets of Paris, probably being photographed from some super tres chic street fashion blogger.

I guess the lesson to be learned is that in even the dorkiest of girls, there is a cool one underneath.

Special Trip! To Austin, TX

I feel a bit neglectful that it has taken me this long to relay to the world my fantastic finds from my last trip to Austin, TX, that I took almost two months ago, especially since I am heading back in just a few days. But the flip side of my negligence is that I am able to relive my past glory, which, by this time, I have honestly nearly forgotten. But thanks to my excellent record keeping skills, these gems didn't slip through the cracks. And, aside from the unfailing promises of tacos, and new and exciting tequila experiences that Austin always holds, this belated recap serves as an excellent means of amping me up for next trip back next weekend. So, let's get AMPED together on these super sweet find from TAY-has.

First up is my first find, this killer sequin vest:


Come Fall, this piece will be my new best friend when I am in need of a quick and easy punch of glitz. Which is like every day, right?


Shorts were on the top of my wishlist when I headed to Austin, and these floral silk culottes filled that niche quite perfectly.



Very pretty stained glass effect in the print:


A little $2 Farragamo silk tank, handed off to me by a friends whose boobs didn't quite fit in. can't beat that!


The proof:



On the way to our first thrift store, one of my posse of thrifters/wedding goers asked if anyone was on the look out for anything in particular. I called out that I was in much need of a black trench coat/raincoat to deal with the ridiculous rainy cold Spring that was dominating NYC weather at the time. Lo and behold, about three stores deep, I find this guy, with a half off purple tag.


$4 later, I have a sculpted shoulder shawl collar raincoat of my very very own. Check out this pleated puff shoulder detail:



It was a damn good thing I found this, because it rained for the following two weeks upon returning to NYC, and I pretty much lived in this thing.

Next is a piece that is already on my "can't wait to wear" list for Fall, this pink metallic chunky ribbed wrap sweater:


Then, in a pre-airport thrifting power hour the likes of which I have never seen before in my life (3 stores in 1 hour), I scored these puppies, brand new (!) heeled oxfords, for $7. This find was especially victorious considering 1) The exigent circumstances under which they were found, and 2) That I have long been coveting such a pair of shoes, but have held out on purchasing them because of my mystical belief that I will someday find them thrifting for a fraction of the price.


Can't. Beat. That.

BELTANE to MEMORIAL DAY countdown: On Biodiversity, Fashion, & Thrifting

Sometimes, cataloging our thrifting finds reminds me of (one of the most amazing places in New York City) the Hall of Biodiversity at the Museum of Natural History. The Hall of Biodiversity is a massive hall adorned with thousands upon thousands of animal specimens, from the tiniest insect, to the most massive whales. Generally, the experience of being confronted by the scale of the infinite variation of life on Planet Earth and the genius of evolution is awe-inspiring and ego squashing. Much the same, a solid day of thrift-store scavenging and a handful of finds that you could have never conjured with you wildest imagination can elicit feelings of smallness and wonder.

My #5 TOP TANK TOP is such a find, a symphonic assemblage of intuitive details, that only the genius of evolution could design:


Like the nervous system of a jelly fish, it is a delicate, simple, but perfect thing.

Firstly, the color; a pale peach. These "nude" tones are all the rage, although I will declare that I have long been a proponent of such shades, long before they were trendy. In fact, I started wearing this top LAST summer. So there. But I digress.

Next, the fantastic silhouette. It's a tank, as designated by the straps, but the body is like a fitted vest, complete with princess seams and pointed hem detail. Take a vest body and turn it in to a tank? Genius!


Then there are the lovely looped button holes and close-set buttons. It reminds me of Victorian garment details--overwrought and painstaking--in the best kind of way.


Last but not least, tightly, finely shirred back side panels, and if that weren't enough, adjustable button straps. I tempt Nature to design something so perfect.

BELTANE to MEMORIAL DAY countdown: Baby's First Espirit

My #8 TOP TANK TOP is a nod to Operation Sparkle's #8 thrifting tip: do not discount categories/departments that don't "fit" you. Like, literally, don't fit you. Like this fantastic (literally) little number doesn't; a little girl's multi-colored, multi-funky, plaid Espirit button down tank!


On a little girl, this is actually a full-size, back button top. But on me, it is a shrunken cropped button-front vest! Now howdya like that! With a black tank underneath and a denim skirt or pair of shorts, I mean, how cute. And not a soul will be the wiser that God did not intend it to be worn that way. The people who categorized it at the thrift store didn't even know, as I found it in the women's section, even though the tag says "Espirit kids".

Not to mention this sweet plaid action, with embroidered stripe detail.


It also gets points for reminding me of elementary school, when everyone had to have an Espirit book bag, or you were simply not cool. You know what I'm talking about. Those bags were the be all and end all school yard trend in the early 90's. Now, if Espirit were really smart, they would start making these again, throwback style, because everybody f-ing loves nostalgia. F-ing loves it, more than anything. They'd make a million dollars.

W.W.S.W.? (What Would Stevie Wear?)

It seems as though all things Fleetwood Mac keep popping up into my life recently. Don't get me wrong, there is always a healthy dose of the Mac present in my day-to-day life, but lately there has been an increase, no doubt in part to the up coming Fleetwood Mac cover night at the Turf Club this Saturday. Not only is Chris' band, Vampire Hands, doing a set, they are including the very lovely Sara Bischoff of Gold and Braid and our very own guest blogger, Molly Harrington, in mix! CAN'T WAIT!

Fleetwood Mac has shown its witchy ways in other aspects of my life as well. Laurie's boyfriend recently likened our blogging personalities to Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie (whoa, whoa, WHOA! I just googled "Christine McVee" to not only find out that I had her name spelled incorrectly, but that "Her future in music was literally written in the stars given the fact that her Dad Cyril was a concert violinist and Mom Beatrice was a faith healing psychic."* How this translates to a extraterrestrial fate, I am not sure. But I am sure that I am going to start reading up extensively on the all the members of Fleetwood Mac). I have also been starting every day at work with a spin (or two) of Rumours. In fact, my new thing is listening to the album as many times as possible before someone comes in the store. It truly is the best way to start the day.

As I have explored here, last fall I was ready for a switch from the preppy neutral look I had been channeling in the summer and went to the obvious source of inspiration—Stevie Nicks (of course.). Even though I love looking to Stevie whenever I need a kick in my style-pants, every time I see an article in Vogue or one of those other fashion rags about how BoHo is back in (again!), and they mention Stevie, I get a bit upset. Because Stevie cannot be tied down by some corporate mass media conglomerate. She can't even be tied down by the internet (see here). She can't be tied down by you or me, but she can be someone that we look to until the end of time as a shining beacon of style glory in this drab world of ours.

So, in choosing an outfit for Fleetwood Magic: A Tribute to the Mac, I think it is very important to assess the age old question of "What Would Stevie Wear?" Now, since it is sort of a metaphysical mindpuzzle to ask yourself what Stevie Nicks would wear to an event that is celebrating, come on, let's be real here people, mostly her, instead of limiting myself to picking out my outfit for this one evening, I thought it would be appropriate to examine which of my thrifted treasures may be the answer to that question.



The quintessential "Stevie Dress." I wore this at Halloween last year for part of my Stevie Nicks costume, so I hope Stevie would approve.



Fanny pack aside, this hat is totally something Stevie would adorn with a bunch of feathers (hell, she'd probably stick a whole bird on there), and wear out to brunch. Ohmygod, can you even imagine Stevie Nicks at brunch!? That is like, the best thing ever.



Stevie loves birds, so I am sure she would dig this huge swan necklace.



TUSK!!!!!!!! Get it?!?!?!



This is Stevie's version of a hoodie.



The Fleetwood Magic facebook invite specifically asks people to "doth your finest capes and geekiest vests and join us." So, yeah, crushed velvet purple vest= the geekiest vest I own=perfect for Stevie (Geeks rule. Not that Stevie is a geek. Stevie is above geeks and all other superficial categories humans attempt to put each other in.).



I feel like this is what Stevie would wear when she was at her most causal (if that was such a thing!) and didn't feel like wearing some sort of gauzy robe. You know, I could see her wearing this when she runs to the co-op or to get her oil changed.



Deep blue cropped velvet top. Sure, the croppedness of this shirt may be a little modern for our 70's muse, but the color and the velvet are surely something Stevie would go for. And the flower pattern. All very Pyramid Collection.



I am pretty sure Stevie would be into this most amazing kimono dress I picked up on Laurie and my first Black Friday Thrifting escape. My only fear is that it would be too earth-toned, and not jewel-toned enough for her.




Like this two-toned purple and magenta floor-length dress. Not really the knock out piece, but this is what the base-layer of Stevie Nick's outfits looks like. And yes, this is totally an "All That Jazz" piece from the past.



A long vintage flowy dress. Why not?



Also wore these with this year's Stevie Costume (I say "this year's" because I was also her back in 2007). On my wish-list: vintage crazy platforms. Stevie would approve.



For Stevie's darker days.

As I sadly will not make it to NYC in time for its annual Night of 1,000 Stevies, I will have to limit my Stevie-appropriate look to this Saturday. Wait. What am I saying? You can dress like Stevie Nicks anytime! It will make lovin' fun, for sure!

Stay tuned for Ms. Molly Harrington's sharing of her own Stevie-inspired thrifted pieces tomorrow—just in time for the Fleetwood Mac night!

*Quote courtesy of http://www.fmlegacy.com/Bios/biochristine.html