I do love polka dots so could not resist the new dress from A-Bomb, especially with such a flirty skirt as this one. The rhinestone belt buckle kicks it up a notch, making it a delightful fun dance dress. It’s definitely one to “shake, baby, shake.”
Mama
Thinks I’m living in a convent,
A secluded little convent
In the southern part of France.
Mama
Doesn’t even have an inkling
That I’m working in a Nightclub
In a pair of Lacy pants.
So please, sir.
If you run into my Mama,
Don’t reveal my indiscretion,
Give a working girl a chance.
I love cabaret, burlesque and vaudeville music – the naughty risque and boisterously celebratory music that has mostly faded away though resuscitated from time to time with revival CD’s like Ute Lemper’s Berlin Cabaret Songs where you can hear Don’t Tell Mama in all its glory. Authorities like to pretend that culture marches in a straight line directly from nostalgic purity to modern hedonism on its way to hellfire and damnation. It’s much more complicated than that – and really goes through eras of social liberality and repression, openness and prudery, swinging back and forth like a pendulum and while one or the other might be in ascendent, the other cultural mores are there waiting their turn again. The prudes tsk-tsking away during liberal eras and the flamboyant maintaining an underground cultural freedom during repressive eras.
The 1890’s through the early 1930’s were an era of liberality that sparked great music, new fashions and new roles for women. Certainly the raunchiest song I have ever heard is from that era, raunchier by far than anything by Nine Inch Nails or Soulja Boy. Beware, it’s Not Safe For Work! There were also songs about the drug culture such as Wacky Dust and Reefer Man. Remember that when someone’s granddad or great granddad is going off complaining about “kids today” that really, everything old is new again, including raunchy music.
So, to celebrate the fabulous fashions of the Designers United Vaudeville exhibition and the joyous music of that time period, I thought a Vaudeville/Burlesque Dance Party might be in order – and Sasy Scarborough graciously offered The Deck as a venue….so please, mark your calendars for 8 p.m. Saturday January 2nd at the Deck for a crazy set of music from the past – and some from the present, too.
Okay, okay, I know it’s a stretch, but after I put this on I could not resist the comparison. Of course, Blue Boy was all satin and lace and this is suede and corduroy. I know, think of it as working class Blue Boy. This actually a mash-up that began with the blue dress from AXEL. It had a lovely undershirt and leggings in an array of colors and looked cute, but perhaps because of my mood just did not pop for me. So I started rummaging around in my folders and pulled out these blue suede pants from Baiastice. This is actually the first time I have worn the leg prims. Normally I wear them with boots. I remembered these old Bronte slippers from Adam N Eve which had me rummaging around for white knee socks and a tenuous resemblance to Blue Boy. These are lovely vintage slippers and that little froth of lace just makes me smile.
The Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on……Carl Sandburg
Perhaps it’s merely because the poncho comes from Mooncat Izumo that this outfit reminds me so much of my favorite Carl Sandburg poem. Of course, some of that impression also comes from the gradients of gray in the skirt that recall a foggy sky. However, when I put this on, I immediately thought of Chicago and the marvelous Carl Sandburg.
This gorgeous mohair skirt comes in green, grey and blue.
I love this mohair skirt from The Closet. In fact, I have it in three colors and if she made more colors, I would probably have it in those colors as well. And putting it together with some warm cozy tights and well, you have my favorite sort of run-around outfit. And it must be, I think I ran around in it for three days. But there was a problem – and not to single out The Closet – it is widespread problem that affects clothes from many stores and designers. It’s one that would be very simple to fix, though. The thing is – no mod prim clothing is just plain bad business practice.
I used to love playing Lotería – a graphic bingo/keno game very popular in Mexico. We played it in Spanish class on the days when our teacher was tired and really would have rather been home with a blanket and a good book. She pretended it was in the lesson plan, but we all knew better. What made Lotería so funwere the fabulous and, to us, bizarre illustrations. You cannot play without wondering how those particular items were chosen to be the magical 54 illustrations. Whatever it was – it was genius and so are the lovely Lotería earrings and other jewelry produced recently by Halfpint Pennel from the Stokame Artist Colony. It’s so great to find something new and different and fun. I have to say the same thing when I mention the scarf shown here. From Vette’s, this scarf is a clever combination of prim with your choice of undershirt, shirt or jacket layer options that makes it look nearly flawless.
No, I am not heading out for a sleigh ride, but it’s snowing again!!! So I wanted to cuddle up in something cozy and warm This lovely nordic dress from The Closet seemed just perfect – with it’s lovely pinks and greens.
Perhaps if Napoleon could have worn this hat at St. Helens Elba, maybe he would have stayed and that whole Hundred Days and Waterloo could have been avoided. Okay, probably not, but it’s a thought. Okay, so the thing is, when I saw this hat on the feed yesterday I logged in to grab that hat before I was distracted and fotgot, but if I am completely honest, I would not have forgotten. It’s just that cool – and it has a touch texture change script to give me lots of options.
The other fashion excitement yesterday was the new store Street Magic that opened with great fanfare and a party that I completely forgot about until it was over. Street Magic is a store with 4 designers making clothes, shoes, jewelry and poses – all with the last name Magic – alts created for the purpose of doing the store together – and a smart way to keep their inventory manageable and to allow themselves real free time as their original avatars when they aren’t working. That gorgeous blouse I am wearing is from Street Magic – sent in a review pack with items from all the creators. This picture shows how well the textures are done – wrinkles, shadows and highlights all combining to make it fabuluscious – a neologism just for Street Magic.
The Lu sisters of Paper Couture are not shy about color. They use it with bold broad strokes and with supreme confidence. That’s why they can produce such luscious dresses as Parakeet, a bold yellow dress that rivals the brightest birds in the jungle.
I am all dressed up for a visit to Candyland – even my shoes are called Candy. I started with the delightful and whimsical dress from The Closet. I love the lovely black frippery around the shoulders, the black and white waist and the lovely ribbon-weave candy-colored skirt.
