Sixteen Wishes For A Soon-to-be 16 Year-Old

1. Rachel Antonoff Yellow Plaid Dress, $276 via Bonadrag

2. Frida Kahlo Mesh Backpack, $40 via Etsy

3. Black Scallop Stripe Bikini, $60 via Topshop

4. Eye T-shirt, $70 via Modekungen

5. Gun Mini Skirt, $180 via Fancy Pony Land

6. Robert Clergerie X Opening Ceremony Raffia Platform Sandal, $295 via Opening Ceremony

7. Celebrate Everyday Life Pins, $7 via Tatty Devine Boutique

Spoiler alert: I’m turning 16. I have never been a teenager who’s into big birthday parties (if I was on My Super Sweet 16 I would probably die of embarrassment). Dinner, movies, and CAKE---the most important birthday accoutrement-- with friends are more my thing. In fact, for clichés-sake I’ll probably end up watching Sixteen Candles for the hundredth time so I can feel as cool as Samantha Baker. That said, I think everyone loves to get birthday presents, am I right? The following are my 16 *tangible* wishes, because I don’t think ending world hunger and James Franco fit in gift wrapping paper.

8. Polka-dot Leggings, $48 via 80'sPurple

9. Yellow Scallop Lolita Shirt, $40 via Topshop

10. Grapefruit: A Book of Drawings and Instructions By Yoko Ono, $12 via Amazon.com

11. Comme des Garcons PLAY, $105 via La Garconne

12. Ouija Board Trinket Box, $25

13. Purple Yin Yang Socks, $7.50 via Socksmith

14. Baja Bags, $17 via Zumiez

15. Suede Circle Skirt, $148 via Free People

16. Strawbery Fields Earrings, $58 via Toujourstoi

For more of my birthday wishes click here.

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D.I.Y. Time: Dip-Dyed Shoes

I’ve had these white canvas Mary Jane shoes for almost over two years now. Surprisingly, they’re Miu Miu, from I think the Spring/Summer 2007 collection, that I purchased at the Barney’s Warehouse Sale. Originally, the toes of these shoes were dyed with orange, but having worn them in the rain a couple of times they’ve completely faded, leaving the shoes simply white. I had been meaning to do something fun with them--- either doodling on them with black ink, or redoing their dip-dye. During a free period in school I took the liberty of going ahead with my DIY (Do-It-Yourself for those of you not hip with your lingo) plans and dip-dying them lavender, this time with acrylic paint so they won't wash off in the rain. I’m so happy with the result. In fact, not-so-coincidentally, I’ve been thinking of dip-dying the ends of hair lavender, but we’ll see!!

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Amarcord Vintage Warehouse Sale

242 Wythe Avenue

 

On Sunday I checked out Amarcord’s Vintage Warehouse in Williamsburg where all items were said to be no more than $10; you pretty much can’t beat that price in New York City. Sorted by type of clothing item, the racks were filled with a mix of great summery 90's maxi dresses, vintage campy t-shirts, and a row of knee-length plaid skirts. There were a few tables with vintage totes and pocketbooks selling for $2 and a rack full of random castaways, which ironically had the best stuff: wine-colored velvet high-waisted pants, 70’s sweaters, and my favorite find, a green Pucci-looking top—and yes, all was $5 and under.I ended up purchasing a floral green and yellow maxi dress and a black and white scribble-patterned dress. Together they cost only $8. MAJOR SCORE! I plan to cut the scribble dress into a mini-dress.

The  awesome Pucci-looking top I found for $5!

All of pairs of shoes were $1 each, though I didn’t see any I liked. It was a mix of sporty canvas flats, 1940’s heels, clogs, and espadrilles.

Amarcord Vintage Fashion_Endless Summer from blackANDwhite on Vimeo.

Leaving the warehouse sale my friend and I passed by a street vendor where we admired these plastic rings of the likes of The Smurfs, Hello Kitty, and the Teletubbies. When we asked how much she was selling them for, the vendor replied “that crap? You can take them for free!” It was her loss because I’ve worn my Hello Kitty ring every day since.

For more on Amarcord Vintage click here.

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Not Just A String On His Guitar

I’m almost finished reading A Freewheelin’ Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the 60’s by Suze Rotolo and I can already tell it’s bound to be one of my favorite books. Though Suze is often known for being Bob Dylan’s muse, she is so much more than just that.  These photographs of me below were taken on University Place in NYC because the alley reminded me a bit of the album cover of A Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (though the picture featuring a snuggly Dylan and Rotolo was actually taken on Great Jones Street).  The book makes me resent Bob Dylan a lot—Team Rotolo all the way.

Thrifted crimson shift dress, Hue knit tights, La Candienne lace-up boots, American Apparel striped bodysuit

During her time spent in Greenwich Village, to make ends meet and to pursue her love of thrifty finds, Suze and her singer friend Jane started a line called Sujabaubles (a mash-up of their names). They sold  awesome jewelry that they had made from unique materials  like paper mache, but it never truly took off; they did however, at one point score a meeting with a buyer at Bloomingdale’s but the woman felt Sujabaubles was too edgy for the Bloomie’s target customer. THAT’S RIGHT BLOOMINGDALES. SUJABAUBLES WAS TOO EDGY FOR YOU. KEEP WALKING.
When I read that part in the book I picture Suze and Jane opening up their own little quirky shop in The Village and having it in action all the way up until 2011, so I could have shopped in it and hungout with them when Suze was still alive and they could educate me on their favorite records and I could help them collect random materials to make cool jewelry out of (of course, this is all my own selfish imagination).

Stella Dallas, 218 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012

After eating lunch on University Place, an area which was essentially Suze’s stomping ground in the 1960’s, keeping her in mind, I headed to one of my favorite vintage stores, Stella Dallas. I was hoping to find this $30 vegetable-print shift dress that has been haunting my dreams ever since I stupidly passed it up the last time I was in the store, but of course it was already sold. Stella Dallas isn't just your run of the mill vintage shop. It's not too expensive, either and the items are unlike what I've seen in a lot of other NYC's vintage options (my friend once bought this sleeveless red button-up with a rooster print). Specifically, Stella Dallas always has the best vintage prom dresses, very Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face (I know where I’ll be buying my dress!), as well as a great selection of embroidered ethnic tops. There doesn’t really seem to be a rhythm or reason to what gets to be sold for the store, but the mix ends looking like a secret attic one might discover while visiting a very stylish and kooky aunt.

P.S. I’m on the lookout for super-cheap evil eye jewelry. So if you know of any stores in NYC that sells them or any online sites, please comment on this post or tweet me!!

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In The Flesh: Prada S/S '11

Just got back from my Spring Break trip to Miami, where I witnessed the Prada Spring/Summer 2011 collection up close and personal. I always get a little timid going into big-name designer stores like Gucci or Michael Kors because they always look so ostentatious; like I’ll break something if I go in, or the salespeople will somehow know I’m wearing a thrift store dress and judge me for it. However, the Prada store was nothing like that. Maybe it’s because the Prada S/S ’11 collection itself was so psychedelic and exuberant, but going into the Prada store just made me smile and the salespeople couldn’t have been nicer as I snapped away at the collection, going B-A-N-A-N-A-S (totally fitting for the collection) with every turn I made in the store.  

Thrift store-found cactus-print dress, vintage Western belt, Easy Spirit sandals

The dress I’m wearing here is one of my favorite thrifty finds. I purchased it this past summer in Maine for something like $4. It’s Southwestern-themed and has all of these kitschy cactuses and sombreros on it. The bold colors were perfect for the Miami scene. Though I love Miami (and I certainly love getting tan), I’m glad to be back in New York!

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