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Kelly: This is the face I made when I saw it.

Nicole: And this is the face I made out of jealousy when I saw it:

K: The vintage coat of my dreams at Acquired Again Antiques in Hyde Park for $40.00. Obviously the 70s are my spirit decade, but this gray leather, shearling-trimmed coat has a lot more going for it than its date of birth.

K: I love the high-drama silhouette. I wouldn’t have fallen for this coat if the collar was one inch shorter or if there were one panel of shearling on the hem, rather than two. An interesting neutral like this stone gray is also a huge plus.

N: Goldilocks’ dream coat…juuuust right.

K: I’m very inspired by menswear, especially of the 70s and 80s. This coat is an amalgamation of two coats that I love in David Cronenberg’s 1980 film Scanners.

K: With the collar down, it looks like the khaki trench with a rounded shearling collar worn by the protagonist, Cameron Vale, played by Stephen Lack.

N: In a perfect world, I will find a coat like Jennifer O’Neal’s and we can recreate scenes from the movie.

K: If you haven’t seen it, Scanners is a science-fiction horror film about a group of people (good and evil) who have telepathic abilities. It’s developed a bit of a cult-following due to it’s graphic special effects. Talk about gore galore.

K: With the collar up, my soul-mate coat reminds me of the camel coat Cameron wears to track down a fellow scanner in his art studio.

N: I’d also like to point out how similar your hairstyles are in these two pictures.

K: If you’re going to brutally intrude in the minds of others, you might as well match your scarf to your necktie.

K: Anna found these vintage Chanel crocodile pumps at a thrift store in McCall for $8.00 (no foolin’). They’re only mine because she couldn’t cram them on her feet, despite considerable huffing and puffing. I am very grateful.

K: Another Anna-sponsored accessory, I bought this vintage barrette at a cocktails-and-costume-jewelry party at Anna and Dustin’s on Friday evening. This is my first attempt to branch out into more interesting hairstyles (not that we don’t love a top-knot).

K: What would I do without Jason Andrew Willford, who takes my pictures when it’s below-freezing?

N: I wore this weeks outfit to be an extra in a film a co-worker of mine is directing/producing/co-writing/starring in.  Her impressive resume also includes professional styling.  I sense a potential Frivolous guest…

K: Ooo, I hope so!

N: The coloring and stripes of my vintage Summit Sportwear wool skirt remind me of the pinstripes on this suit from Scanners:

N: Instead of a boring white collared shirt, I’ll  pair my pinstripes with a denim bustier that used to be a dress. (Note the pairing of the slutty top with the ultra conservative bottom.)

K: Perfect time to drop our newest FU-aphorism: subtly slutty!

N: I got the dress at Lux and wore it one time.  It looked like this:

N: It was way too short and had a weird frill on the bottom.  The decision to cut off the skirt to make full use of the awesome bustier was one of the greatest I have ever made.

K: Are you sure the weird frill was the only reason you couldn’t wear it after that night? Have you forgotten?

K: Or, dare I remind you?

K: Ahem, excuse us. It’s really not fair to show Jeff Goldblum like that. He’s really beautiful for the first half of David Cronenberg’s 1986 body-horror film, The Fly.

 

N: His hair is an inspiration.

N: Since I don’t have an awesome Scanners coat to keep me warm (yet…), I have to top my outfit off with this vintage wool sequined sweater, also from Acquired Again.  This sweater is definitely a soul-mate piece. It’s 100% wool and sequined everywhere…such cozy armor!  In spite of being made 50’s, it is still holding up pretty well. Or maybe I should say because it was made in the 50’s, when people cared about quality, it’s still holding up pretty well.

Here is a closer look, along with thrifted black and bronze belt and my bustier-ed boobs.

N: The Ladies Garment Workers Union label, size 8 tag, cut and detailing tell me this skirt was made sometime in the mid-to-late 70’s.

K: I love knowing that my clothes were made by someone making a living wage, even if it was almost 40 years ago.

N: The sweater is also vintage. The tag at the antique store said 50’s.

N: Check out the awesome detailing on the bottom of the skirt.

K: You should let me borrow this one, now that you’ve blogged it. I have a teal silk top that cries out to coordinate with that piping.

N: Details, details, details: black textured tights and black boots and black drop earrings and black and bronze belt  When combined with the sequined sweater, the black accessories help make the denim and wool suitable for evening wear.

N: The bustier top may not seem winter-friendly, but paired with the heavy wool skirt, tights and the cozy wool sweater, I was sweatin’ before long indoors.

K: All black accessories could be boring, but the interplay of the different textures (denim, wool, suede, and sequins) is totally unexpected. Love the muted color palette.

N: Cherry blossoms by Sean Wyett of Black Cat Tattoo.

K: Sean has done all of my tattoos.

Is this picture of Jeff Goldblum going to be in your steamy dreams or your nightmares? Let us know in the comments!

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Once upon a time there was a laid-off girl with a little side project. See, before the epic fails and falls of late 2008 she was a copywriter for an advertising agency. She would sit in her hip desk tapping on her hip Mac and think about the empty something cushioning her life. When “let go,” she was nothing but relieved. She could live on the cheap, and really figure it out. You know, life.

Instead, she had a side project. A little storytelling thing. Where people come to tell true (and vulnerable and surprising) stories on a theme. Live on stage and without notes. Like The Moth. So after months of creative daydreams and planning sessions, Story Story Night was born. And ka-f*cking-boom. Unprecedented crazy magic. With sold-out audiences of 300/400+ every month.

And it’s my baby. My little wunderkind. And officially full-tilt out of my control. But still overwhelmingly in my hands. This is officially a full plate situation people.

So that was our theme for November 28, FULL PLATEStories of Biting Off More Than You Can Chew. I am the host (as well as the artistic & marketing director / driving force) behind Story Story Night. As you know by now, frivolous etiquette dictates the host should step it up big time, with a touch of bad assery. You are supposed to stand out. With ka-f*cking booms of surprise and delight.

I dress for the theme. Usually, I’ll have the vision for the outfit a month or so in advance. For FULL PLATE, seriously, how could I not embody the wonder of this Semplice embroidered and sequins peacock black lambswool and angora rabbit hair sweater ($5, thrift store)? With, to bite off more than I could chew perhaps, this CoryLynnCalter black waist high sequins skirt ($18, thrift store).

Over the top? Thank you very much. Especially paired with these posh tights leftover from Thanksgiving (and Nordstram’s Rack in Portland), and Enzo Angiolini black velvet and gold pumps ($7, thrift store).

Eat it up. Seriously. Once upon a time clothes were made to be delicious and you can buy them for about 500 pennies. Then fly away. Just take out the shoulder pads. Forged metal earrings ($3, thrift store).

The whole outfit matches my tattoo that was inspired by the brilliant freedom and wonder and danger that is my aftermath of this fall. I call it the infinity awesome pen bird (Chalice Tattoo).

Looks like I’m fading away into the background though, which happens to be the posh wine bar at Red Feather, the site of our new Story Story Afterparty. Until next time, and next theme.

Thanks Bethany Walter for the photos. You’re my laid-off work spouse for life.

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Hello lovelies, Nicole here!  So far I’ve been making the outfits but not the words. While I don’t make the sentences quite as well as Kelly, I am perfectly capable of making them, so…here we go. Fashion perk of city life:  the awesome street fashion that I get to  see every day.  Fashion disadvantage of moving to New York: not being able to keep up my thrifting habit.

In Boise, the other FU ladies can easily find amazing pieces for next to nothing on a weekly basis at any of our favorite thrift stores.In New York,  people are much more aware of the value of the bad-ass vintage clothing their grandmother left behind. They’re not just throwing it in a garbage bag and giving it to the Salvation Army. It isn’t that there is a lack of vintage clothing in the city, it’s just that it’s way more expensive because it’s in fancy little vintage stores instead of thrift stores.  But I will not be denied my second-hand fashion!

I’ve done some scouring about Williamsburg and have picked up a few great pieces in my first two months here. Like this 1970’s silk and sequins butterfly top paired with navy pencil skirt.

I’m on top of the world when I wear this top!  Er…next to the world…

I bought this lovely item as a birthday gift for myself at a vintage store in Williamsburg called 10 Foot Single by Stella Dallas.  It was $45, which is more than I usually spend on one piece, but it’s such a special item.  Totally worth it.

Accessories: Sparkly tights, ruffly socks, booties.  Because you can never have too many sparkles. Especially on your birthday.

Why, yes, this top is entirely covered in sequins.

The next two items I got on sale for $10 at another Williamsburg vintage shop called Rabbits.  I love the built-in choker and vibrant print of this dress.  There is so much black and gray in urban fashion, but I will continue to wear color!

Who doesn’t love a good jumpsuit?

I don’t remember what the name of this store is, but the prices are much lower than any other vintage store I’ve been in so far.  They have a ton of stuff, and a lot of it is boring hipster wear, but the sifting is worth it for a gem like this!

Hounds-tooth and impeccable tailoring to boot!

$10.00 a dress isn’t bad, but Boise prices were better.

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