Mural on Coney Island

Mural on Coney Island, originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

I'm back! Actually, I never left; have just been sorely neglecting my blog once again. We've had a very busy summer of performing, visiting friends in NY, & working. J took this picture of me during our August NY trip - we hadn't been to Coney Island in ages & were a little concerned about how the place might look post-renovation. Were we riding the subway for an hour only to find ourselves in a corporate-looking theme park? Although we were very disappointed to see that the wonderful Astroland entrance (complete with fabulous 50's faux rocketship) is gone, for the most part, the boardwalk & amusement areas still have a funky retro feel. The beach was packed with people of all ages, races, styles - hip-hop, preppy, vintage, you name it. We people-watched, listened to live music, ate a decadent lunch at Nathan's, & rode the Cyclone & the Wonder Wheel before making our way back to Manhattan. It's great when places, like people, can change & evolve without losing their spirit. Happy end of summer, all.

Green. Gorgeous. Mine.

Green. Gorgeous. Mine., originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

J & I took a trip to New York last weekend, mostly to see Verdi's "Ernani" at the Metropolitan Opera, but also to shop, eat, drink wine, & generally enjoy one of our favorite places in the US. We left on an obscenely early Friday morning train - what crazy person booked us on Amtrak at 6:13AM? - oh, wait, I did. Over the course of three days, we visited a number of our favorite shopping haunts, including La Boutique Resale, Century 21, the Garage Flea Market, & The Showplace. I scored some amazing deals & am going to be on a shoplite for some time!

Here's my best find of the whole trip: an emerald green Ferragamo bag, in near-pristine condition. I scored this for less than one would pay for a lower-end Coach bag at the mall. Not that Coach's designs haven't improved over the years - many of them have - but I think you know what I'm saying, price-wise. Given that this beauty is my favorite color & was made by a design house for which I have great respect, J knew it was going home with us the minute I spotted it.

The opera was fabulous, even though it's early Verdi, & it was great fun to catch up with several of our New York friends, one of whom sings in the Met chorus. (Her SO also does, but the poor guy was under the weather during our visit, so we didn't get to hang out with him.) Food-and-drinks-wise, we indulged at places we've loved for some time: I Coppi, the Campbell Apartment, Maison du Chocolat, & Bagel Boss. We also discovered new delights at Eataly & Shalal.

So, here we are, back home. Our feet have recovered - good thing, as I still have to work off some of that amazing food! - & we're already plotting our next trip to the city

Va va vroom: Prada, Spring 2012 Hot Rod Flame Shoe

Va va vroom: Prada, Spring 2012 Hot Rod Flame Shoe, originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

Dammit, Miuccia. You've done it again. By "it", I mean you've come up with a collection that is filled with the retro references that are so near & dear to my heart, but also tweaked them in a wonderfully irreverent way so that not one item is too serious or precious. I would happily welcome any number of your Spring 2012 pieces into my wardrobe, especially the shoes, but with prices well into the four figures, that's not happening anytime soon. Since I don't give a damn (or perhaps a stronger word or two) about wearing "last year's" stuff, I can only hope a pair of these babies will eventually make it onto the shelves of one of my favorite Upper East Side consignment stores. Size 6.5, please.

I'm a gym rat & general exercise nut, & this Wednesday, my Spin class was led by a sub for the sub. To put it mildly, her workout was a disaster. She didn't seem to know the vocabulary of Spinning, which is quite specific, & as such, she called out almost no cues when it was time for us to switch moves. We basically had to watch her & guess what we were supposed to do next. Most of her in-class chatter centered around a fake travelogue, during which she mentioned that "we'd like to stop at McDonald's, but we're not going to." She also engaged in a a few moves that are known to be unsafe, such as doing push-ups on the handlebars of the bike. The kicker (so to speak) for me came during our cool-down stretches, when she launched into a lecture/rant about the evils of high heels. Out of the blue. This from a woman who was touting fast food a few minutes earlier? Maybe Morgan Spurlock should have made a documentary about superspiked footwear rather than supersized meals. Obviously, I got quite annoyed at this point, sprayed down my bike, & went downstairs to spend some quality time on the elliptical.

At age 42, I am well aware that high heels are not necessarily good for one's feet. I don't wear them every day or on occasions that will require a great deal of walking or standing (all-day shopping trips in NY, museum jaunts in Italy, etc.) I do, however, intend to wear them on special occasions or just when the mood strikes - as long as my body will tolerate them, of course. Snotty as this woman was, I do have to feel a bit sorry for her; she's aesthetically challenged (she also admitted to not caring much for music - of any kind!) I also can't wait for our regular Spin instructor to come back.

NY skyline skirt detail

NY skyline skirt detail, originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

I just had to add a detail pic of today's find. Check out the Chrysler Building at top left!

Outfit for train to NY, 8-12-11

Outfit for train to NY, 8-12-11, originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

I'll begin today's post with a quote - quite possibly the most brilliant fashion-related quote I've ever read: "A dash of eccentric glamour gives you the power to keep the wrong kind of men away." - Isabel Toledo

Isabel Toledo is a Cuban-American fashion designer who has dressed First Lady Michelle Obama, among many others. I've admired Ms. Toledo's work for some time, & having stumbled across the above quote on Facebook this morning, I have a newfound respect for her attitude toward life & relationships as well.

As a society, we invest clothes & accessories with tremendous meaning. We're constantly told "what not to wear" in various situations - to job interviews, on special occasions, & especially when trying to attract a partner. In some ways, it seems, the mating game has even stricter rules of attire than the office. I can't count the number of how-to-dress-for-a-date articles I've skimmed online. Some are aimed at men, but the vast majority are directed toward women. According to pretty much every one of them, my personal style should be a one-way ticket to eternally single, crazy cat lady status. I wear intense lipstick (usually red or deep pink), I almost never don jeans, I have to wear glasses most of the time (okay, I'm pondering Lasik; not sure I could do contacts. I have two tattoos & sat through both inkings like a trouper, but the idea of sticking little things in my eyes every day makes me a bit queasy.) I wear vintage on a regular basis & have recently begun rebuilding my hat collection. To top off all of that, I'm 41 & short, but am I miserable & alone? Nope. I'm married to a hunk who adores my style & is a very natty, retro-fabulous dresser in his own right. According to those articles, the way I look should keep me right out of the workforce, too, but I've been at my current job for almost 18 years. Granted, I work for a nonprofit arts organization, but I have a great gig at which dressing pretty much as I please is but one of many perks.

I'm both fascinated & repelled by the messages popular culture sends about fashion. The one that makes me cringe most, however, is the myth of the woman who drastically changes her appearance to please a man. This one just won't die; it's been a theme in countless movies over the years ("Grease", "Rear Window", & "Pretty in Pink", to name only a few.) I have yet to see a single film in which a man gets a makeover to attract a woman or improve his current relationship.

Have I had guys try to make me over? Oh, yes. One particular incident stands out in my mind. Back in the early 90's, I was planning a trip to North Carolina to visit a guy I was in a long-distance relationship with. He was a corporate type, & just before my trip, he expressed a desire to buy me some polo shirts & khakis, explaining that he was concerned about me being "too warm" in my floaty, Natalie-Merchant-esque chiffon dresses (hey, I said it was the early 90's!) in the southern heat. More to the point: he didn't want his friends to see how I really dressed. Next, please.

Obviously, he wasn't the right guy for me. We didn't fit, not only in terms of fashion, but in many other ways (political & religious views, desire - or lack thereof - for children, etc.) He wasn't a bad guy - he helped me through one of the worst times in my life, & we did have a lot in common intellectually. We just weren't compatible for the long haul.

So, quirky girls (& guys) of the world, if you happen to read one of those makeover articles or get dire warnings about the damage your style will do to your life, consider the source & take it with a grain of salt. You may, in fact, be helping yourself to stay out of the wrong relationships, which gives you more time & energy for the right ones!

Deco green glass beads

Deco green glass beads, originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

So here's what I bought on my summer vacation... well, one thing, anyway. J has been doing consulting work for a few weeks now, & while he's not raking it in, he is doing well enough that we were able to take a quick trip to New York last weekend. We snagged the cheapest possible Amtrak fares ($49pp each way) & also got a great deal on a room at the Hotel Belleclaire, which proved a great place to stay.

What can one do in 48 hours in Manahttan? How about cocktails, vintage shopping, dining, & 2 10-mile runs? That's what J & I did. We don't always go on such long runs on vacay, but J is training for the JFK 50-miler this fall & I love to eat, especially in New York, so decided it was in the best interests of my waistline to go the distance with him. We met up with several friends, some of whom we've known for years & one who I had previously only known through the internet, but who is even more fun in person.

I've picked up a few singing gigs recently, so I was able to do a little shopping, mostly at flea markets. I hadn't been to the Hell's Kitchen market in years, but a friend said it's a great place to shop for vintage clothing, & was she ever right! It seemed almost every vendor had at least a few clothes, & many were offering items at $10 each. My finds included two designer skirts (Louis Feraud & Ungaro, respectively), two dresses, & a fabulously full 1950's skirt - all for $65. We also visited the Garage flea market in Chelsea, which is apparently moving to an outdoor location soon. There, I got a gorgeous black straw hat for $35 & the necklace in this pic for $25. The latter was an astonishing deal; I usually see Deco glass bead strands priced at $75 & up. I couldn't resist stopping in the Chelsea location of Shoegasm & cruising their clearance rack. When they have a sale, they really have a sale! One pair of black velvet evening shoes, one of black leather peep-toe pumps, & $60-some later, we were out the door. We stuck our heads in the UWS Loehmann's - I can't stay away when there are "Italian Event" signs in the windows - & I fell in love, or at least in lust, with some D&G shoes & a Moschino cardigan that were out of my current financial reach even at deep discounts. Sigh. At least I found a Moschino umbrella for $17. I left the store delighted with my new bumbershoot & highly annoyed that the Loehmann's nearest our house (Timonium) has become so junky. I like to call it "Where Denim Goes to Die." Oh, for the days when I found DVF dresses there for as little as $20!

If you're headed to NY anytime soon, I highly recommend that you check out the Hotel Belleclaire, as well as the store & flea markets I've mentioned. Once you've worked up an appetite shopping, head for Bagel Boss, Eataly, or I Coppi. See why I ran 10 miles - twice - on vacay?

DIY Rhinestone Clamper Bracelet

DIY Rhinestone Clamper Bracelet , originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

On a recent trip to NYC, I went out for a run & spotted some fabulous KJL cuff bracelets in the window of a vintage store. Unfortunately, such pieces coast around $300, even on eBay (yes, I checked.) With J still between jobs, such an expenditure is not an option.

A couple of days after I got home, J & I needed to make a "mall run" & I decided to see if any of the stores had similar cuffs in stock, or perhaps something I could customize. I found a plain, hinged black plastic cuff bracelet on sale for $7 at NY & Co. Then I checked a few vintage stores for a broken pin or brooch that I could use as an ornament (I generally dislike altering old jewelry if it still "works") but found nothing suitable. I went through my jewelry armoire at home & came across a gorgeous old rhinestone brooch that I hadn't worn in ages because its pin back was glued on at the wrong angle, which made it impossible to get the piece to hang right on a jacket or dress. I pried the pin back off, got out the super glue, & went to work. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Miu Miu Harlequin Shoes

Miu Miu Harlequin Shoes, originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

After our Bergdorf browse-a-thon (see post below), J & I had a delicious lunch at 3 Guys on Madison Avenue, then decided to check out some of the consignment shops in that area. He had warmed to the looks of the floral-trimmed pumps as I walked around in them, but their price tag still put them in the "no way!" category, so he was only too happy to point out the lovelies in this picture... also by Miu Miu & $80 at La Boutique (1045 Madison Avenue.)

While I was trying these on, we spoke to a very nice couple, around our age & stylishly dressed. The wife sighed when she saw these & said "I could never get away with those where we live!" That came as a surprise; I'd assumed they were from New York, & said so, which made her laugh as she'd thought the same about us. Turns out they hailed from North Carolina - I'm not sure which city or town, but apparently it's one where high fashion doesn't go over well. I'm only too familiar with that, having grown up in a small town in the era of acid wash jeans & overpriced Benetton rugby shirts, but preferring to copy outfits from old movies or the pages of Vogue.

When I moved to the east coast, I assumed most people would be familiar with fashion, even if they didn't care much about it or dress unusually themselves, but I still get a fair amount of snark for the way I look, & sadly, much of the negativity comes from other women. Actually, it seems to be getting worse. Are we living in ultra-conservative times, aesthetically speaking (don't get me started on politics!) or is my age the main reason for the dirty looks & occasional not-too-nice comment? Are "women of a certain age" really supposed to relegate ourselves to boxy business suits, Crocs & polar fleece, or $400 jeans & way too much Botox? Sigh. That's too depressing to contemplate, especially since today is my 41st birthday. I'll just keep flying my retro freak flag high & remembering all the smiles & kind remarks I get when we go to New York.

The Ones That Got Away... For Now

The Ones That Got Away... For Now, originally uploaded by retrogemkitty7.

Greetings, readers; long time, no post. My apologies, but this has been a rough year in the Altocat household. Over the summer, J was let go from his job with no warning, so we had three anxious months of job-hunting, & during that time, we lost our beautiful, sweet, 16-year-old boy cat, Winston. Things have improved; J is once again employed, & we've adopted another furbaby, Fabrizio, who is a giant, 7-year-old kitten & loves to chase his older sister, Carmen. It just took me a long time to feel like writing again.

Very few things will inspire me to type away like fabulous design, & the shoes in this picture are among the most insanely gorgeous things I've seen in ages. I had the privilege of trying them on at Bergdorf's shoe sale last weekend, & even though J's initial reaction was "I really don't like those!", I fell in love. My most comfortable pair of heels is by Miu Miu, so there's more going on here than looks & a label. Alas, even at 30% off, their price tag was far too steep for our current budget, so I had to leave them behind, but am asking friends to keep an eye out for a truly super sale. They are haunting me - I've never had an actual dream about footwear, but these might inspire one - so I had to share this picture (from the Bergdorf Goodman website) with you.