At Home She's a Tourist

Oh em gee, it's my photo diary from my visit to Portland this past weekend.

I hardly took any photos at all - actually reveling in all the wonderful moments got in the way of documenting them on my little Canon.  This was the best trip I've ever taken there for sure.

I stayed at the same place I always do.

It made me happy to see Second Avenue Records is still open for business.

Outside of Eugene as the sun went down.

Unconventional brunch.

Erin.

Thai iced tea.

Then suddenly, I was back.

San Francisco is my home, but Portland is my hometown.

Black Widow

Dress - vintage { 1940s }

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Prada

Tally Ho!

I'm packing for a trip again.  I haven't been to this place in almost two years!  The time to return is way past due.

Posting will be light until the beginning of next week.

The Green Party

Blouse - Roberto Cavalli

Skirt - the Gap

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Christian Louboutin

True Blue

Sweater - vintage { 1950s Elsa Schiaparelli }

Blouse - thrifted

Skirt - vintage { 1950s }

Sweater clip - vintage { 1950s }

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Salvatore Ferragamo

A Visit to Al's Attire

Sunlight pours in through the front windows of Al's Attire, a corner storefront on one of the more quiet blocks of North Beach. I had heard about this place through word of mouth from a friend of a friend, but wasn't sure what their deal was.  Did they do alterations?  Shoe repair? Once I walked through the bright red Dutch door, however, I not only had my answer, but I also knew I had stumbled upon a very rare jewel nestled in the heart of the busy city.

Now, I've been to a tailor or two in my day.  I've had trousers hemmed and let out, but have never come close to a place that gives you the full treatment.  Al's Attire is the best example of a true atelier that I have ever seen.  In this cavernous yet welcoming space, Al and his team craft custom shoes, boots, hats, full suits, and almost any other garment, in addition to performing expert alterations on vintage and modern clothing.  Bolts of fabric in every color and weave cascade from the rafters or lay piled on tabletops. A rainbow of pastel spectators and wingtips sit like exotic birds on shelves.  Pick your fabric, your lining, your design.  They do menswear and womenswear, and I even saw some tiny toddler-sized double breasted blazers amoung the racks.

I came to Al's with a vintage blouse and two vintage dresses, all in need of being taken in.  A member of the team attended to me, tape measurer and pins in hand.  She also photographed the garments on me once they were at the desired fit.  So meticulous, these folks!  I like it.

Right now, with spring all but arrived, Al's has great examples of 1940's-inspired ladies footwear, especially platform sandals, ready to be crafted to fit any foot.  And if a made-to-measure garment is on your mind, a wall of custom labels from past clients will give you inspiration as to what your label could say.

A week later I came back in to check the progress of my garments, as someone had rang me to let me know my blouse was ready.  I love the way my apple blouse turned out, and I look forward to picking up my dresses in a couple of weeks.  I also took a lot more photos of Al's than what you see here, for a more extensive set, head on over to my flickr.

Wind in Your Sails

Or your hair. Take your pick.

Dress  - vintage { 1940s }

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Manolo Blahnik

Red Harvest

Sweater - vintage { 1950s }

Skirt - vintage - { 1940s }

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Ramona

Keeps the Doctor Away

I love this blouse and it's darling little apple print.

Blouse - vintage { 1950s or 60s }

Shorts - vintage { 1950s or 60s }

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Chloe

Shoes - Miu Miu

Ceil Chapman Brooch

Renowned for her glamourous cocktail frocks and formal dresses from the early 1940s through the 1960s, Ceil Chapman also had brooches, stockings, and handkerchiefs in her name.  I did not know this until recently.

It was sort of funny how I learned about these lovely accessories.  I was doing a search online for Ceil Chapman dresses, and amoung the results came a handful of brooches.  A Ceil Chapman can usually fetch several hundred dollars (or more) but the brooches for example were a tiny fraction of that amount.

The huge difference in vintage price points reminds me of today's luxury houses and their "aspirational" pieces.  This term refers to the practice of having items for the consumer to own that are far less costly than the actual clothing that the house produces.  It's a way to buy into the life and own a piece of the dream without spending tens of thousands of dollars, and it's how many houses make most of their money.  Think about it: we know folks (perhaps ourselves included) who have Chanel perfume or sunglasses, but how many of those folks have actual Chanel dresses and suits in their closets? Was this the goal back in Ceil Chapman's day?  I certainly don't claim to know, but it definitely crossed my mind as I chose to spend minor ducats on a brooch as opposed to an actual Ceil Chapman dress (although the dress would be worth every penny).

So, I ended up getting a pinwheel style brooch, and I wore it today.  I love it.

And yes, it is signed.

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone

I have lots of things to say about my outfit today. First of all, I haven't worn jeans in weeks.

The blazer is part of a matching 1950s/60s suit ensemble that once belonged to my Grandmother.  I'm not sure what happened to the bottom half (if there ever was one) but I have enjoyed wearing the matching hat as well.  This jacket was custom made for her.  She was about a foot shorter than me so things are kind of cropped!

It is wool boucle and lined in the most luxurious silk.

There are these extra silk flaps at the armpits. I have no idea why. What does it mean?  Extra padding for when you wear something sleeveless? Protects the underarm seams from deodorant nastiness?

The brooch is Ceil Chapman.

Loving this t-shirt from The Seventh Heart, too.  I was sad to see their storefront on Market St. has closed (they were there for about seven years) but you can still order things online.

Blazer - vintage {1950s/early 1960s }

T-shirt - The Seventh Heart

Jeans - J Brand

Brooch - Ceil Chapman { 1950s }

Bag - Chloe

Shoes - Lanvin

Mint Chip

Sweater - vintage { 1960s }

Skirt - vintage { 1950s }

Belt - vintage { 1980s }

Brooch - vintage

Earrings - my godmother

Shoes - Christian Louboutin

From Beneath the Couch

Things got kind of messy around the house this weekend, and I'm still picking up the pieces here and there. Today I saw these two pairs of shoes peeking out from beneath the couch from where I last kicked them off and thought they looked cute together.

Munchkin

What is going on here, exactly? I look like I'm a foot shorter than I really am, and I can't really explain why.

Dress - vintage { 1950s }

Sweater - vintage Elsa Schiaparelli { 1950s }

Earrigns - my godmother

Necklace - vintage

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Salvatorre Ferragamo

In the Navy

Dress - vintage { 1940s }

Necklace - vintage

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - vintage { 1950s }

Shoes - Prada

Birthday Weekend Megamix

So my birthday was Friday and things kicked off right after I got out of work.

That's the '40s wool crepe dress I wore to work on Friday.  Ted got it for me and I love it.  The tag says it is a "juniors" style so that is why the sleeves and hem are a bit shorter. This was also my first time wearing fishnet stockings to my job. However, they are of a very narrow mesh and the same color of my skin so it didn't feel inappropriate.  Way more Aristocats than Pussycat Dolls, know what I mean?

Lime has one of my favorite happy hours in the city.

It's lovely to spend time with friends on one's birthday.

And of course one's sweetums as well.

The next day The Moms took me out to the Balenciaga exhibit at the de Young.  If you live in the Bay Area I really, really recommend you see it before it leaves on July 4th.  Truly one of the most beautiful (and educational!) exhibits the textiles department has done that I've ever seen.  I might even like it more than the Yves Saint Laurent show from a few years ago.

That night Ted took me to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

Bay to Breakers was this morning, and just like last year I took a few moments out of my morning to observe from the sidewalk.  It was chilly and I didn't stay long, especially since the ban on floats and alcohol (which people scoffed at to a certain degree) made for less pageantry and less visual entertainment.

A neat hidden yet practical surprise of this '50s dress is the sequins that is hand-sewn on top of the floral pattern (which is itself stamped over the gingham check pattern of the fabric).  This sequins only appears on the bodice portion of the dress, and not the skirt.  I find that good sense, as sequins and beading tends to loosen and fall off when it is repeatedly sat on.

This little anchor necklace was also a gift from Ted.  Thanks for joining me on this birthday adventure.  I hope you all had lovely weekends, too.