How To Wear Vintage

by Sarah Korsiak Cellier

Are you thinking about incorporating vintage into your wardrobe? There couldn’t be a better time to start than now! Vintage can be an affordable and super stylish way to update your current look. Buying Vintage & pre-loved designer clothing is also an excellent way to help “green” the earth while saving money.

I always tell people if you are new to wearing vintage, start slow and buy what you love. If you are going to start adding vintage to your look, I say go for it!

Handbag from RiceAndBeansVintage.com

Start by adding a vintage handbag or a fantastic sky high pair of vintage heels to your current favorite outfit. While there are definitely people who can pull it off, I don’t recommend going vintage head to toe if you haven’t worn vintage before. You run the risk of looking outdated and older than you are.

By adding a piece or two of vintage at a time, you will not only update your look, but you will have a look that is purely your own. When you start to check out vintage clothing, buy what you love, pick what you gravitate towards. Isn’t that what fashion is all about, self expression and fun? If you are wearing what you love, you will look and feel fantastic.

Sarah Korsiak Cellier is owner of Rice And Beans Vintage where she stocks the shelves with vintage & designer clothing, shoes, & accessories from the 1920’s-Today.

Discount Monday

Welcome to the second edition of Discount Mondays! If you have a discount, send an email to notquitelolita@gmail.com.

DKNY offers 30% off of jeans styles for women.

Join the mailing list for Ella Moss and recieve 20% off your first order!

“Deep Discounts” at HSN.

Free shipping at Macy’s for Mother’s Day! Use code FORMOM.

Fashion Gets Edgier This Year

This year, fashion gets edgier with bondage and tattoo motifs! It used to be that these underground lifestyles were scorned by the rest of society, but now it seems that everyone wants a little edge!

Lotus Caged Peeptoe Heel from ASOS

For example, this shoe. Caged shoes were all over the runways!

Lotus Caged Heel in action

Tattoo Fashion:

Designers are taking classic tattoo designs – such as swallows – and putting them on everything from tees to bags to bikinis!

Bird Bikini from Xhilaration

Personally, I’m very excited! I love tattoo motifs. What do you think of these trends? Will you partake?

7 Trends for Summer 2009

Trends this summer are all about the accessories! This is great, because it means that you can partake without breaking the bank or having a closet full of clothes you won’t wear once autumn begins.

1. Bangles.

Lots of bangles!

stacked bangles

Wear stacks of bangles in all different colors and textures with casual outfits, neutral bangles with work clothes, and funky bangles with formal wear. These are a fun accessory that can add flair to any outfit!

Jeweled bangle from Lanvin

2. Black-and-White

Monochromatic color schemes are in! The stark contrast of these items can create very striking patterns. Add a retro flair by going for zebra print!

Dress by Diane von Furstenberg

Shoes by Boutique 9

Another big look in B&W this season is white polka dots on a black background. Expect to see this all over swim suits at the pool this summer!

3. Nude colors

Personally, I’m not a fan of nude color trends. I find it nearly impossible to find a flattering color that doesn’t make me look washed out. However, I am very pale, and a good tan helps enormously with nude color trends.

Victoria Beckham look-alike dress from Asos

The key is to find the contrast point for your skin. Go more pink or more gray than your skin, otherwise you’ll look washed out. Or just wait until you’re tanned in the summer and wear whatever nude color you want! Another cheater-tip is to buy beige, not nude. Slightly darker, but it makes a world of difference.

4. Worldly Handbags

The key to purses this season is a worldly, bohemian look. Add whimsical pins and buttons to your bag to give it character, and maybe even a luggage tag!

Boheminan handbags

5. Bold Belts

In a throw-back to 50’s style, wasit-cinch belts are back! Wear over a tee for a French artist look or over a dress for a glamorous 50’s housewife look.

Waist-Cinch Pink Belt from Luxury Diva

6. Cotton scarves

Cotton Scarf

There are lots of options for wearing cotton scarves! These are pretty inexpensive – $15 or so at most stores, though you can find them cheaper. Also, many charity organizations are selling these to raise funds. Throw one of these on over a tee with bangles to dress up a casual outfit, or wear with a dressy outfit to tone it down.

7. Tattoo/Rockabilly motif

There’s nothing like a little tattoo reference to add edge to an outfit! Swallows are going to be everywhere this summer – get in on the trend before summer comes to be ahead of the times.

Swallow Bird Necklace from Mod Cloth

So, there you have it! It’s all about accessories this summer – have some fun following the trends without breaking the bank!

Win a Free Subscription to Marie Claire

Shop It To Me is offering 5 free subscriptions to Marie Claire in honor of Running In Heels finale!

For the chance to win, just leave a comment on Shop It To Me with what you consider to be the greatest office fashion faux-pas! (And of course –we know you would never commit such a thing…only view it with your own two eyes!)  We’re already excited to see the variety of responses (toilet paper stuck on stiletto heels, bra straps hanging out left and right…what else do you have in mind?)

They’ll pick the winners on May 1^st so you can receive Marie Claire all year round!

Discount Mondays

Free People Clothing headband, 50% off

Welcome to the first edition of Discount Mondays! Each Monday, we’ll list a selection of discounts from online fashion retailers. The smart fashionista on a budget always takes advantage of sales and discounts when available! Here are some offerings for the week:

Swallow and Heart Charm Necklace from Rilee And Lo

Rilee & Lo, a jewelry company started by a female entrepreneur in Southern California, is offering 20% off of everything with the checkout code SHOWERS through the end of April. Orders over $100 get free shipping! If I was going to get something from Rilee And Lo, I’d get the Swallow & Heart charm necklace. Swallows are IN this year, and I am so glad!

Free People Clothing is offering 50% off their crinkle headband.

(Are you a fashion retailer with a discount to offer Not Quite Lolita readers? Email NotQuiteLolita at gmail.com with the subject line Discount Mondays!)

How To Wear Color At Work

Photo credit: Krystle Fleming

When many women start cultivating their professional wardrobe, they stick to the classic blacks and whites (and maybe even some greys or browns, if they are adventurous.) This is fine, and good for building a basic wardrobe. But it will come a time when you want to wear color – but don’t know how to integrate it into what you already have and still look professional.

Splash on some color with accessories. Find some fun jewelry to pair with your neutral clothes. Necklaces, brooches and scarves are a good bet – earrings and bracelets can be noisy or even prohibited in the workplace.

Photo credit: Angélica Portales

Wear a funky shirt. Find blouses in various colors. The color-shy can wear pastels at first. Gradually work up to bright colors like plum, cobalt blue, and fiery red. Pair these with neutral accessories, like simple metals.

Rock the cube with trendy shoes. Experiment with fashion by wearing red flats, zebra pumps, or another fun find. This is best done for the subtle when you are wearing pants, because the shoe is a little less on display. But if you’re confident about your choice, go ahead and wear the shoe with a skirt!

The devil is in the details. Look for clothing with a colorful detail – buttons, thread, embroidery, pinstripes…

Once you are confident that you can pull off wearing colors without making your career suffer, experiment with bold prints and mixing colors to create a fun wardrobe that makes you smile!

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The Definition of Casual

There seems to be a mix-up on the definition of the word “casual”. You see people showing up to casual events in stained tees, yoga pants, and flip-flops. Hello, it’s not mourning-a-break-up-night in your living room!

Even if an event (whether a party or casual friday at work) states “casual”, you should still put effort into your appearance. If you don’t style your hair, still make sure it’s neat. Dab on some lipgloss and mascara. Wear chic flats in a fun color (like orange) or print (like zebra) and throw on a chunky necklace. It takes next to no time to put together a casual look, and you are saving yourself from looking sloppy!

Sunglasses for Spring

Photo credit Tracy Byrnes

Big sunglasses are still in this spring! Check out large lenses in bright colors like red and yellow.

When buying sunglasses, remember:

• to check for UV (ultra-violet protection). This helps prevent wrinkles.
• to check for flimsy-ness. There’s no use in buying sunglasses that will break in two weeks.
• to not buy knockoffs. Everyone can tell, and it’s actually illegal. It’s better to buy no-name sunglasses – cheaper, legal, and more stylish!
• retro is in!

6 Tips For Better Hair

1. Switch shampoos and conditioners. Many people stick to one shampoo-conditioner combo for months or event years on end. But no shampoo can clean your hair 100% – and nearly every shampoo leaves some sort of residue (like yummy smells). Switch your brand every couple months to keep your hair clean!

2. Don’t condition as often. I saw a huge improvement in my hair when I stopped conditioning every day. Many people don’t need to condition more than once a week – even if they hot-style every day. Remember, conditioner makes hair limper. If you have a limp hair problem, cut back on the conditioner!

3. Try to find a natural style for your hair. Sure, I straighten my curly hair as much as any girl – but I keep my hair at a manageable length. Choose a length that suits your hair to keep styling time to a minimum.

4. Brush less. Brushing your hair can make it frizzy, as excessive brushing breaks your hair.

5. Don’t pluck grays. Pulling out the occasional gray hair is fine, but when it grows back, it will grow straight up until it gets long enough. Once you’re pulling out dastardly hairs every day, buy a box of dye.

6. Choose the right styling products. Light misting products won’t hold thick hair, and heavy gels will be gross on thin hair. Choose products that are the same sort of texture as your hair.

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