Happy Hour Fashions

Do you ever go to happy hour?  Happy hours are occasionally planned and sometimes spontaneous. But whatever you wear, you usually have to wear it to work too.  That is unless you live close to work or your happy hour spot of choice.  

Well I've snapped some photo's of a couple of outfits I caught on my happy hour outing here in West Palm Beach. 

To the right it's me.  I had on a white shirt dress with a full nude slip underneath.  I also had my signature piece, the blue-green leopard scarf. I am a little frightened by the amount of leopard pieces that I have collected over the years. I also added a splash of color at my feet. I probably could have done without the belt, but I felt I needed a waistline.  I will also mention that it was jean day at work and I wore jeans to work.

Now for my friends.  These ladies added color to the picture.  Even the girls in black or black and white had color in their outfits.  

This was a birthday hour for my friend Emily in the bright red dress to the left. Can you tell we are in South Florida or what?  
Danielle,  in the black and white, had a red bow in her hair, red shoes, red necklace and rosy lips. Regina, in mostly black, splashed her color with a really cool yellow mini skirt.

Are they hot or what?  The guys behind them think so.  I know at least three of us who play soccer together have really toned legs, which is also part of the fashion here in South Florida.  Being in shape is part of your outfit.

Of Classic Cinema's Fashion

Everything changes in 80 years.  Yet how much more does it say about the staying power of stars from the golden age that they still look gorgeous and distinctive in absurdly outdated fashions?

The double breasted pinstripe will probably never come back, unless one happens to join a crime family, or if one is being overtly ironic.  But Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. still looks dapper as ever out in 1938's "The Young in Heart":

Likewise, Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer's absurd outfits in the classic 1939 "A Love Affair" do not make us shake our heads.  They are both so magnetic and good-looking that we can ignore Dunne's football sized shoulder pads with some kind of bowtie, and Boyer's ridiculous plaid number.

I suppose this means that it is the star in the outfit - and not the label or the cut of the fabric - that makes an outfit work or not.  So get out the pomade and the upper-crust early 1900s Atlantic American accent and go to work.

Kid Fashionistas

I was reading This 4-Year-Old And Her Mom Make Incredible Paper Versions Of Famous Dresses and I was blown away.  Fashionistas come in all ages. Little Mayhem is getting started early and I hope it's a hobby that she can turn into financial support one day. She is located in Ohio, it got me to thinking about kids and their fashions.  

What I like about FashionbyMayhem is that it encourages little Mayhem to be creative and recreate the latest Hollywood looks, but not necessarily to need buy them. It's more about her creative nature and that should be nurtured.  Little girls' interest in fashion can be a tough area to nurture.  You don't want to encourage bad behaviors such as bullying, or becoming label whores.  But you do want to encourage the creativity, and independence they can gain from fashion.  

Nia, my bestie's daughter, is a little fashionista in the making.  She will sit and watch entire episodes of project runway with me. We will discuss the show like two college aged girl friends. I encourage her to wear scarves; what six-year-old do you know is bold enough to dare to wear scarves?  She has her own sense of individuality and will on occasion fight with her parents about what she is wearing.  Totally acceptable for a junior fashionista.  

Who know's I could be hanging out with the next Coco Chanel or Carolina Herrera.  Point is it's important to give kids a healthy dose of encouragement when it comes to fashion. 

And here is Nia in one of her favorite outfits.

 

Plaid, Plaid, Throwback Plaid

Normally I leave fashion commentary to my co-author. But as I'm sitting here thinking about my latest pickups at the mall, I have to ask Blame Girl and the rest of our audience, (which numbers at least in the low dozens!), what is up with the recent switch back to plaid and checked shirts for guys?

Maybe it took me longer than most people to realize this, but if we completed a study of guy's shirts on display right now at retail centers, I guarantee a large chunk would be checked, plaid, or otherwise similarly patterned.  After all, were I of the opposite gender, I might have read Elle magazine's prediction and been caught less unawares:

Whether checkered, tartan, or houndstooth, we'll all be marching straight into Fall 2013 with a wardrobe of plaid jackets, dresses, trousers, and more.

 But this leads me to the final point: whether it's the idiot 50's throwback seen above, or the more recent grunge era (see below, ouch),

I guess what I'm saying is I'm mad I threw out my plaid shirt from middle and early high school every time I go out to a bar full of people dressed like Scotsmen. And, at the rate men's trends are going in this country, (back to plaid, back to the 1960's style buddy holly glasses), I am just kicking myself for not keeping a few extra pairs of Tommy Hilfiger carpenter jeans, a trend that is sure to come back in the early 2020s.

 

Fashion Yea or Nay: Warhol's Tupac

Strolling the pristine streets of Lake Worth, I met this nice local chap:

So, loyal readers, a quick yea or nay to this matching hat and shirt ensemble?  For me, I give it a slight yea.  Tupac given the Warhol treatment is a big yes, but a matching hat with neon themes might be pushing it.  Then again, just I argue with architecture critiques, regardless of your stand, at least he's not being invisible - people are likely to love or hate this look, which is always good, in my opinion.

Halloween Fashion

Should adults dress up for Halloween?  Well yea, if you have somewhere to wear a costume.  In fact, this Halloween I had three costumes.   The Saturday before Halloween, which fell on a Thursday this year, I attended a house party in Miami as Janelle Monae.  On Halloween Day, I wore a witches outfit to work.  I was a professional witch, that you could only tell was a witch because she wore a witch's hat.  And on Halloween night when I went trick-or-treating with my implant family, we were all zombies.  In fact, this was my most fashionable Halloween, and by most fashionable, I mean the most outfits.

There are many things to consider when choosing a costume.  Do you want to be clever?  Do you want to be scary? Do you want to be sexy?  Sexy costumes are almost a given for a woman.  But I always respect a woman who steps out of the norm and get creative or even scary.  I loved when Lindsey Lohan's Mean Girls character, Cady showed up to a Halloween party full of girls in their underwear with a scary mask on. I also love wordplay costumes.

Here are range of adult outfits from this Halloween. Don't feel like you can't have fun, just because you are not trick or treating or 20.  

Group Photo

Japan, then and now

Wednesday Adams in Houston, TX

Mixology

Do you know what I'd like to see more of in South Florida? Print Mixing. Print on print just screams tropics.   It sounds like an intimidating look to pull off, but there are a few ways to ensure your outfit looks polished and fashionable.  It's worth noting that if you're not careful, you could end up looking like you got dressed on laundry day in the dark.

The Fashionable Wife

First thing to think of when it comes to figuring out if two prints match is color.  Second is pattern.   Black and white is the easiest to start with.   If you start with a black and white piece, you can bring in another black and white piece or use color in your other printed piece.  With black and white any color would work well. The look to the right is an example of that look.   The pattern is also important. As you see here, she paired a black and white striped top with a colorful, floral bottom.  This look would be perfect for fall in West Palm Beach.  The stripes keep it simple and the floral print pops. 

Project Runway Avante Garde 

Now if you want to be fancy and show off those fashionista skills, you can attempt to mix two prints. Start by finding a color scheme that works.  The above look is from the Project Runway avante garde challenge, in which Season 12 Winner Dom Streater paired navy and red violet.   She went with a bold larger abstract print on the bottom and a smaller, yet busier, floral print on top.  But it works together beautifully.  The clothes are a little more than we are used to wearing in South, Florida but the patterns are perfect.  Think large and small in the same color scheme.

Sorry for the
 angry look 

Today, I paired a green and navy, floral printed top with a green and white, striped scarf and black pants.  I have also used this same scarf with a black and white striped dress. If you start small with accessories, the style will be simple and less stressful.  I will keep you posted on when I try a bold night look.  

Miami Trends

So I hate to insult you by blogging about The Real Housewives of Miami, but I must.  I know the Housewives are trivial and most likely all have social disorders, yet in fashion land they rule. They are true Florida fashionistas. 

The fashion on the show is impeccable.  I am sure they have stylists for the show, because all of the Wives' looks are polished.  The fashion on the show really speaks to the style in Miami.   Miami is full of beautiful people who are willing to take the risk and wear something trendy and expensive.  Dare I say, trends are created in Miami. 

Alexia, the blond on the right with neon green top, and black and white horizontally striped skirt, created an incredibly sexy look for the daytime.  I am a fan of pairing black and white with a color in any manner. And in South Florida, especially in Miami, why not make it a neon color?  The outfit is trendy, polished, sexy and remains classy. Not much skin is showing and if you have the figure you can pull it off at any age.  What you can't see is that the skirt is high wasted, and the shirt is a crop top.   

And then there's the white.  If ever in doubt when picking a daytime look, wear white.  Two of the 'Wives' wore all white to this daytime event, and the other two sported white bottoms.  Short white dresses are the best.  All white is all over the South Florida fashion scene.    

When I go to Miami, I am always looking to do a trendy style.   I once made the mistake of going to Miami dressed down, once.  Housewives of Miami gives me unexpected inspiration for how to dress, and how not to behave.  

Mani/Pedis

Not long after I moved to the Palm Beach area, I started to notice that EVERYBODY had, not just well manicured nails, but fashionable nails.  In WPB you can plan an outfit around the color on your toes.   Get the perfect sandals or strappy heels to go with that tangerine flirt.  Or perhaps, if you use the raspberry crush you have on your hands/feet as a splash color, you can plan outfits for both day and night in West Palm.  I recommend a large accessory like a scarf, belt or giant necklace. 

Strappy heels 

In West Palm Beach and in South Florida, one must splurge to maintain Hand and Foot fashion.  I am talking manicures and pedicures.  And what gal doesn't want to go to a nail spa to get pampered?  The massage chairs, the wine (if it's a classy place), all make it worth it. But it's more of a necessity in the land of the sun and sandals. It is acceptable to show your toes everywhere; even at work, which I disapprove of.   

If you can't afford the spa, that's no excuse girl.  Just spend a few dollars and get yourself a good color from the local drugstore and DIY.   You don't want to get caught at the beach looking like a reptile. I usually keep it simple with a nice nude, when going this route. Oh and don't neglect other hand/foot accessories such as bracelets, rings, etc. 

The Cutoff Jean Shorts - A West Palm Staple

A couple of non trashy ways to wear you jean cutoffs.

You know, when I moved to West Palm Beach, the one thing I noticed local fashionistas sporting was the cutoff jean short.  Coming from Texas, initially I thought they were trashy, yet the shorts have grown on me. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people in Florida wear them and look trashy.  However, after seeing a couple of classy broads donning their cutoffs, I broke down and bought myself a pair.    It is HOT in Florida after all.  

The good thing about jean cutoffs or jean shorts is that you can wear them almost anywhere.  You can put them on with swimsuit and head to the beach or you can pair them with a colorful flirty top for a laid back night at the bars in Lake Worth.   Rock the jean cutoffs with an asymmetrical t-shirt and some flats for the day time or with a fashionable top and a pair of black espadrilles for night.

My look

It's worth noting that the jean cut offs are not for the self conscious. You definitely need tone legs. There are definitely days when I just cannot wear them.  I did feel a bit weird buying a pair in my thirties, but with all the sun, sand and super chill scenes I would feel amiss in West Palm Beach, without a pair of cutoffs to pull out for the summer.  

I cannot decide if I like the look with the pockets showing or not.  What do you think? 

FAD - Fashion of Palm Beach County

C.Z. Guest and Joanne Connelly, circa 1955, Palm Beach, Florida

Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Palm Beach County, is an untapped well for the fashion and art aficionado.  Palm Beach County ranks number nine out of counties with the most millionaires.  Where does one go to look at and be inspired by high fashion and art?  To an area with disposable income, an area like Palm Beach County.

Honestly, to find most of the millionaires in Palm Beach County one would need to venture to Palm Beach Island.  It has it's own culture of art and fashion. You can find fashion labels on Palm Beach Island, that you would normally only find in the big city.  Couture stores, Gucci, Pucci, Louis Vitton and the like are all located on this tiny sixteen mile island that has around 30,000 residents at most; during  snowbird season of course.

It's not just Palm Beach Island, West Palm Beach also has it's own flare when it comes to fashion and art.  Though West Palm Beach was once an area for the hired help, it has become an attraction for those who can afford vacation properties.  And those who can afford vacation properties, can also afford resort wear.

FAD will examine, highlight and focus on all aspects of fashion, art and architecture when it comes to Palm Beach County.  Not all fashion, art and architecture in Palm Beach County is created equal.

I am Giovanni aka Blamegirl and will be the fashion voice of this blog.  I have years of experience working in the fashion industry and will provide a unique voice when it comes to fashion in Palm Beach County.  I've recently relocated to the area from Texas and have observed a change in the fashion here.  

WELCOME

      Palm Beach County; home of transplants and natives of all kinds: east coasters, hippies, yuppies, snowbirds, billionaires, sleazeballs, immigrants, corrupt public officials, hangers-on, wannabes & never was’s, slicksters, hipsters, retirees, and freaks and geeks of all shapes and sizes.

     Into this cosmic slop of a melting pot we wade, having noticed the utter lack of erudite commentary on the bustling arts scene of our fair county.  In this vein we desire to highlight fashion, art, and architectural trends that may ordinarily be covered with only two or three lines in our local papers, or that may be ignored altogether.
     Viewed through the lens of someone relatively new to the local area, (having relocated here 5 years ago), I hope that my discussions will attract attention to the wide variety of artistic and architectural flourishes that we dwell among.  I plan to cover the totally overlooked unconventional and avant-garde scenes to the extent they exist, with a special emphasis on performance and guerrilla art, seeking out and championing absurdism in our daily lives.  Routine exhibition openings with the usual wine and cheese, as we know, grow stale.
     In contributing to the arts and architectural highlights of FAD Palm Beach, I am dedicated to the mission of installation artist Allan Kaprow, who declared “The line between art and life should be kept as fluid, and perhaps indistinct, as possible.”