There was a popular saying during WWII that went something like this, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” What a revolutionary idea! In the years since then, Americans have increasingly become obsessed with big shiny price tags. New, new, new and more, more, more. Second hand, thrift stores, consignment, and vintage are often seen as old junk, cast offs, and places where only the underprivileged shop.

Now i am as guilty as the next gal of being an unabashed shopper. I definitely have more clothes, shoes and bags than i really NEED, but there still always seems to be room for more. But i have recently come to see second-hand (be it eBay, Craigslist, Etsy, or a local consignment shop) as the trifecta of shopping paradise. First of all, repurposing someone else’s unwanted items helps the environment by keeping perfectly useful items out of landfills and saves resources by eliminating the need for a new product to be produced. Next, second hand is a budget fashionistas dream, allowing gals whose pocket books aren’t that deep to buy high quality items that they could not otherwise afford like a Pottery Barn dining set or a Gucci bag. It’s also perfect for people like me who love having things that are rare, one-of-a-kind. Lastly, you can continue the cycle by giving away or making extra cash on perfectly good items that are just collecting dust in your closet and would one day get thrown away.

Its a crime what people throw away these days from barely used running shoes to designer jeans to sofas. We can eliminate so much waste by thinking before we buy and before we trash. We need to get rid of the stigma that has become associated with hand-me-downs. I’ve been having alot of fun recently clearing out handbags i don’t use and turning them over to people that will love them. In turn i am able to get something new (or new to me anyway) to enjoy. We all need to stop thinking of products as just stuff to be used up and tossed off. If we take better care of things they will bring us more joy and have a lot more life left in them when its time to pass them on to their new owner. After all we are really just temporary caretakers of everything anyway.

Vintage

One of the most daunting parts of preparing for vacation is packing. When i go on a car trip I always pack too much since space isn’t an issue. Being able to overpack seems like a luxury while i carelessly load things in with abandon, but when i arrive and can’t find what i need among the many disorganized and scattered bags, its a problem. When i travel by plane I always take only a carry on. Bringing only a carry one means much less stress at the airport, but more stress at home as i try to bring only the essentials.

I won’t claim to have discovered a complete solution to these issues, but i have found some tricks that help dramatically. First of all, choosing the best carryon is vital. I currently have a red American Tourister, but i want to upgrade to a Rimowa which is virtually indestructible and comes in cool colors like purple. The silver Rimowa looks like something the bad guys from the movies transport their bank heist cash in. Next i choose 3 pairs of shoes for the trip; a cute pair of walking sandals which will match everything, a pair of heels for evening and flip flops for the beach. The walking sandals i wear on the plane and the other two pairs go in the bottom of the bag. For a beach vacation i pack about four swimsuits because that is all you really wear anyway. Throw in a coverup, a bunch of light cotton dresses for day and a fancy dress or two for evening and you are all set. One of the best ways to lighten your load is by packing a few solid colored dresses with lots of accessories. That way you can wear the same dress twice by giving it a fresh twist with different jewelry. It is also important not to forget a jacket since the beach can get chilly at night. Save space in your bag by wearing your jacket on the plane.

My car packing strategy sadly has not evolved as much as my carry on packing strategy. Its true you could just follow the same formula, but i don’t. I have managed to streamline it somewhat though. Since i love dresses i pack mine into a garment bag so they are ready to hang when i arrive at the hotel. In addition to the garment bag i allow myself 3 other small totes; one for the beach, one with more clothes, and one for shoes. So at least its pared down and more organized, but i still look like a sherpa when i arrive lugging all this stuff!

If you have any ideas to share on packing light i’d love to hear them!

Pack it up!

Yes, Color Splash is a show on HGTV so this is my nod to the series and David Bromstad who comes up with some pretty amazing ideas. Color can really brighten your mood and should be worked into your outfits all year, but as the temps warm up the pallet expands into lots of rich, spicy and fresh tones like yellow, coral and aqua that are pretty much reserved for the summer months. Why settle for black, brown, or khaki when there are so many fresh and inspiring colors to choose from? You can create entirely different vibes just from the way you mix them.

Last week i was watching a series on the Travel channel featuring Caribbean cruises. Besides making me want to leave immediately for the Cayman Islands, i was inspired by one woman’s outfit which consisted of a gauzy red tunic over black flat front shorts and red plaid espadrilles. Of course the combo of red and black is nothing new, but it just looked so chic when applied to a summer outfit in a tropical setting. Another color combination i love is turquoise and coral. They are my ultimate, favorite colors and lucky for me they play off of each other beautifully. One reason i like them so much is that it is pretty much impossible to be unhappy while wearing them and they immediately transport you to a laid back, carefree existence in Puerto Rico or another far flung beach location. Coral also takes on a more glamorous and unexpected vibe when paired with plum. I have a coral dress with purple polka dots (shown below) which gets the element of sophisticated and fun just right.

Magenta and orange, green and fuschia also look great together. Let me know what color combinations are your favorites and try to come up with some new ones. You can create entirely new outfits out of your existing wardrobe just by expanding your horizons to all the color capabilities. After all color is your friend.

Color Splash

I think the world can be divided into two categories, those that look good in hats and those that do not. The majority of the group that looks good in hats will be mainly comprised of the population of England where hats are still fashionable and taken seriously. I have been told that i look good in hats, but i beg to differ since i can rarely find one that fits well and doesn’t feel like i’m wearing a costume. As the Sartorialist commented about the picture below, “I love that sometimes a hat can still be worn without the hipster irony of oh, look I’m wearing an old-school hat.”

So my quest of late has been to find a fabulous looking hat for summer that i can wear to the beach or pretty much anywhere that i need to keep the sun off my head. I have tried many brands from Target to Urban Outfitters and Juicy Couture to Eugenia Kim. Most of them looked ridiculous in my opinion, fit poorly, or both. I settled for a 50s beachcomber cloche from Urban, but the verdict is still out on whether i will keep it. My very favorite hat (pretty much my only hat) is an adorable wool plaid cloche from Burberry. It is perfect for winter and i don’t feel silly in it at all. If only i could get the same exact style for summer. Well i could actually, Burberry has them, but alas i do not wish to spend $200 on a hat at present. So i suppose i will keep trying on hats until i find the perfect one. I doubt i will ever look so fabulous or nonchalant as this gentleman in Florence though.

It’s true. If you aren’t thrilled with your current situation, rest assured that change is right around the corner. I’ll admit i am a bit of a fickle shopper. I will pursue the current object of my adoration with dogged determination, but once i have it (though i will continue to enjoy it) i am on to the next quest. But fashion never sleeps right? It is always changing and i am not one to be satisfied with basics of any kind. I have to have the hard to find, discontinued, vintage, or limited edition.

That is one reason i am really enamored with Chanel’s Spring 2010 bag collection. While any Chanel bag is a thing of beauty, their tried and true designs are available in the same colors and styles at all times. From time to time, however, those standards of style are accented by real gems and that has happened this spring. My favorite is the black quilted cotton 2.55 bag which features floral appliques in coral silk, ivory lace and multi colored tweeds. But at $8,500, i have no illusions that it will ever see the inside of my closet. The magazine photo is the closest i’ll ever get i am sure. Among the new collection there is also a raffia bag in the 2.55 style bedecked with watercolored silk ribbons. Another favorite is a classic flap bag in ivory python which looks as if someone doodled flowers all over it in blue pen.

One of the things about couture is that like art, it is just there for the majority of us to admire and take in, not to purchase. I hear that avid Chanel collectors will scoop up these usable pieces of art as soon as they hit boutiques. Perhaps one day i will be among them or more realistically perhaps i’ll be lucky enough to find one of these beauties at a high end vintage shop somewhere down the road. The wonderful thing is that if i were to find one of these pieces for sale from a private collector 5 months from now or 5 years, the bag will still be as gorgeous and relevant as the day it was made. That is the beauty of Chanel, it is ever fashionable. A timeless constant in an ever changing world.

Chanel 2010 featuring Chanel bags

The change of seasons brings lots of great things like flowers, warm weather, and an excuse (as if i needed one) to buy new clothes, bags and shoes. I’ll admit I’ve got as many super cute and super uncomfortable shoes as the next girl. Why can’t they make shoes that look good and have padding, arch support, etc? Even designer shoes which are superior to other shoes in every way from aesthetics to quality, rarely have padding or support. What i can’t understand is why they don’t. These people use their shoes for walking right?

Well there are a few visionary designers what make shoes that look as good as they feel. My favorite for summer is Corso Como, a company what makes softly padded sandals of sumptuous leather in their Brazilian factory. Corso Como is also a good choice because they follow strict environmental and fair labor standards.

Anthropologie has a pair of sandals called “walking on sunshine” which are adorable, pedestrian friendly peep toes that come in three colors. Ugg has also introduced a line of comfy and chic sandals that are available at Zappos. My favorite styles, which are as comfortable as the infamous Ugg boots but much cuter, are the Halendi and Gypsy. So show off that pedicure in comfort this year! Your feet will thank you!

Sping in Your Step

This is an amazing shot, no pun intended! The subject is a Texan named Charlene Beck and it was taken by her husband on a road trip to Tennessee in the 1950s. They are just having fun, you can see she is wearing her husband’s clothes and has a glass of milk beside her. I just love her face and the way she has her hair styled with the scarf reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday with a dash of no nonsense Annie Oakley. It inspires me to take some original pics of my own so that one day my grandkids will see them and think, “Wow my grandmom was so awesome!”