Jaunty Dame » Rugged Good Looks

Picasso Style Jacket Alteration

Rebekah — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:18:55 +0000

Last spring, I bought this Picasso Style cropped jacket for $14 at Savers:

Note that “Picasso Style” is the brand name. Crazy misnomer, unless they’re thinking of a much different Picasso.

I loved its color, shawl collar, scalloped pocket flaps, piping, and billions of decorative seams. I LIVE for decorative seams. I liked that it had a military/marching band vibe without looking like every other military coat on the market.

However, the sleeves felt too short— and a tad poncy, even for a costume-lover. The buttons drooped and dangled.

Additionally, the back was missing a button and its ‘tail’ looked bedraggled from the side.

I wore the jacket for a few months, using bracelets to hide my wrists.

Finally, I took the following steps:

1. Cut off the poufy sleeve extensions, leaving enough fabric to turn under and hem

2. Hemmed remaining sleeves to 3/4 length, retaining that nice curved hem and li’l pleats

3. Used a sleeve button to replace the one missing from the back

4. Shortened/re-hemmed the ‘tail’

5. Re-anchored all remaining buttons to restore their military dignity and prevent further loss

Et voila!

Slight alteration, big difference.

An Excellent Day

Rebekah — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:13:03 +0000

Looking through my closet makes me feel like a March girl dressing for a ball. Where Jo frets over her scorched poplin and lemonade-soiled glove, I worry over my obviously-let-down-twice trousers. While Meg borrows Marmee’s pearl pin, I wear my mother’s hand-me-down makeup.

Nevertheless, this was an EXCELLENT day, and not just because of my first visit to Dunkin’ Donuts:

I wanted to make a “double D cup” joke because of the napkin’s “DD” cup cartoon, but Mr. Jaunty talked me out of it. Almost. The doughnuts themselves were merely adequate, likely the result of our coming so late.

In addition to eating doughnuts, the day was EXCELLENT because I finally found a suitable purse, had a pleasant job interview (nothin’ fancy), played air hockey and basketball with my dreamy boyfriend, and got my first professional haircut since December— and man oh man, not a moment too soon.

I’d sought help finding a local stylist through the Network of Nice. No luck there, so I said “TO HELL WITH IT!” and charged into the nearest MasterCuts.

A gamble, yes, but I struck gold; there was no wait, the stylist listened to me, paid attention to the photo I brought in, didn’t try to upsell me, was happy to answer my questions, and was a charming person, to boot… “So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.”

As always, click to enlarge:

Notice the lovely scenery… Color-wise, this is the most “me” outfit I’ve ever assembled. Muted blue, green, and brown, darker teal shoes and bag for contrast, silky shirt under canvas jacket… ahh.

Jacket – Picasso Style; second-hand, self-altered
Top – no tag, second-hand, dyed
Trousers – Larry Levine via Marshalls, obviously let down twice. ~sigh~
Shoes - Hardly visible, but hey. Target 2009
Bag - Forever 21

One really shouldn’t talk to the photographer.

How was your day?

What’s In My Bag?

Rebekah — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:24:16 +0000

This won’t feel like a REAL blog until I write a “sneak a peek inside my purse” post.

With no further ado, here’s the bag I’ve carried for the past year or two:

You’ve seen it twice before (here and here), during Summer Black Out. This bag has accompanied me on many adventures, but I tend to chuck it outside the shot when being photographed.

I’ve never been wild about this purse; about two years ago, I stopped buying leather and replaced my leather bags and shoes as quickly and cheaply as possible. Noble impulse and all, but if I’d been a tad more discerning I wouldn’t have brought home this undersized, slightly matronly-looking number. It does have a cross-body strap, though, which is vital for a cyclist with no bike baskets.

Here are the unedited contents of my purse:

Lip color: it’s Cover Girl Lipslicks in “Daring.” It’s alright, perhaps not worth buying twice
Massive pile o’ change, mostly leftover quarters from my two summer yard sales
Levi’s sunglasses from Ross. They cost $6 and have a novel, faux wood grain pattern.
Little notebook and calligraphy pen for… all those times I practice calligraphy on the go?
Key ring
Dollar Tree makeup bag from my big sister; formerly a wristlet, ditched the strap
Cell phone
Li’l plastic case of toothpicks to prevent black pepper from ruining my dates
Wadded up plastic bag. No idea when or how it got there
Red fake croc wallet, Kenneth Cole Reaction via Ross
Paul Mitchell Extra Body Sculpting Foam. Bought it today, can’t vouch for it yet
Wadded up scent-testing papers from Sephora. Until two days ago, I’d never set foot in a Sephora— but they’ve been on my radar for years, due to my never-ending quest for a good vanilla perfume. It’s nice to live in a place with so many interesting shops
SPF 15 lotion; next time you visit a hotel, inspect its shampoo and conditioner bottles. Some can be easily refilled and pressed into active purse duty
My little pink Canon PoswerShot A1100is point-and-shoot camera SHOULD be in this shot, but it was busy TAKING the shot. Why this camera? Because it was cheap. Why pink? Because my choices were pink or black.

It’s nearly impossible to cram those things into my blue purse, even without the full-size bottle of mousse. The main compartment is BARELY big enough to handle my wallet and makeup bag, which has resulted in lots of angry muttering in the check-out line.

During yesterday’s mall-wide job hunt, I saw this bag on sale at Forever 21:

As you can tell from the non-mall surroundings, I bought it.

I’d rather buy from an artist or small company, but I couldn’t find an artist or small company who sold non-leather bags I liked. Or leather ones, for that matter. Furthermore, I’m unemployed, which makes EVERY purchase feel risky.

Enough apologies! The new bag is big enough for all my stuff plus a good book, has a removable strap for bicycle commuting, AND came with all the silica gel packets I’ll ever need! BONUS!

What’s in your bag?

Buzz Cut Photo Glut

Rebekah — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:30:16 +0000

Saturday night, an adoring fan — no wait, it was Angela — asked me “Did you really have a buzz cut previously?”

Yes, I did. Getting ready in the morning was a breeze. Freed up lots of time for… Photoshop, evidently.

When I buzzed my head, well-meaning acquaintances warned me that no man would find me attractive. I retorted that I didn’t WANT to date men who’d write me off over a haircut. I stuck to my guns, and six months later met Ian — known here as Mr. Jaunty.

So there.

Buzzing Mr. Jaunty

Rebekah — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:48:32 +0000

Recently, Mr. Jaunty walked into our bedroom and asked “Should I buzz my head?”

ANSWER: Yes, always. It’s like asking me “Wanna eat a cake single-handedly?” or “Care to nit-pick lyrics for the next three hours?” So obvious. I’ve given up my buzz cut, but keep an electric razor for just such occasions.

I didn’t take any action shots – my hands were busy wielding the razor- but here’s most of Mr. Jaunty’s hair:

And here’s the resulting look:

Not too shabby, eh? We’re a moving testament to the power of good genes and – in my case – makeup. The hours I spend primping are now offset by Mr. Jaunty’s wash-and-go haircut. Go team!

Black-Out 2010: Sunday Outfit

Rebekah — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:54:34 +0000

A lazy Sunday:

Top – Hand-me-down from a friend, no tag
Belt – Steve Madden via Marshalls
Cuff Bracelets – Ebay
Jeans – Seven via Ross
Sandals – Same ol’ thrifted no-name flip-flops

I ordered these cuffs as a 25th birthday present for myself— back when I thought I was debt-free and thought I had two summer jobs. The bracelets have phoenixes on the sides, a good symbol for someone who’s felt burned alive and reborn a few times…

I’d like ‘em even better if the phoenixes were right side up.

Black-Out 2010: Saturday Outfit/Raft the Rio

Rebekah — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:09:22 +0000

Yesterday, Mr. Jaunty and I went to watch this year’s Raft the Rio event— follow the link for a video of some nifty rafts in action.

Embarkment scene. Boy, I’m gonna miss the desert sky:

One heroic man waded halfway across the Rio Grande to rescue a lost [inflatable] orca…

…which is how I learned that some parts of the mighty Rio Grande are only knee-deep. Ha!

Swimsuit – Maxine of Hollywood via Ross, four or five years ago.
Formerly turquoise and white, I dyed it blue

This swimsuit taught me a valuable lesson: I HATE BULLET BRAS. A profile photo would reveal this suit’s retro pointy silhouette. It’s novel, sure, but the cups tend to dent —- “novel” and “dented” are two mighty unflattering adjectives for breasts.

On the other hand, I could stash my keys in there. Maybe a snack and a towel, too.

Black-Out 2010: Friday Night Outfit

Rebekah — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:26:45 +0000

Here’s what I wore to a small dinner party tonight:

Top- Thrifted, no label. Formerly pewter, I dyed it
Skirt - Adrienne Vittadini Studio via Marshalls
Earrings -gomeagan.etsy.com, two years ago
Belt – Calvin Klein via Savers
Shoes – Kenneth Cole Reaction, thrifted

Not a major triumph. A tighter belt would have helped. I’d hoped to pull off a non-sequitur shoe, but I didn’t realize how shabby these looked. Curses! Looks like they’re demoted to casual events. UPDATE: The velvet hasn’t worn off the sides after all, they only LOOK pale because the material reflects light. Whew!

I’ve given up high heels, see, but still occasionally need dress shoes. Nothing says “party!” like mauve velvet shoes with pointy, bejeweled toes. I hate to see these fall apart.

Seen any gorgeous, vegan-friendly, nearly-flat shoes lately? Rhinestones optional.

Black-Out 2010: Thursday Outfit

Rebekah — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:23:01 +0000

Today, I only left home to 1) check the mail and 2) have this picture taken:

It was windy, and my camera died before we could manage an even semi-flattering shot. If I don’t hurry up and have some fun, today will have been a complete failure.

Hat – Peter Grimm, via some sketchy mall shop that only sells $7 hats
Top – Charlotte Russe
Jeans – Seven via Ross, two years ago
Belt - Thrifted years ago
Sandals – Thrifted, same as every day

This sash is my answer to the obi belt. As much as I love obi and corset-type belts on models, any belt wider than 2.5 inches makes me feel dumpy.

You can’t tell from the picture, but the belt is cream satin, printed with delicate pink and blue flowers. Every time I try to give it away, it steals my heart again. How many belts look like old china?

Black-Out 2010: Wednesday Outfit

Rebekah — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:05:00 +0000

Today’s Lesson: don’t nap in my clothes until AFTER the daily photo. I’ll model this skirt again after it’s had a good wash and press.

Top – Thrifted, Twenty-One. Drawstring neckline had a big, floppy bow, but I put an end to that
Skirt – Mossimo via Savers
Belt – Dissected two thrifted belts, made this one
Bag – Aeropostale via Ebay
Shoes – I only own one pair of sandals. Expect to see these a lot

About that belt…

Years ago, I bought a turquoise and orange leather belt with this steer-head buckle. I was helping a friend teach simple line dances for a church activity, and thought it’d be a hoot to show up with a tacky, western-themed belt. I even bragged to pals about my huge belt buckle.

Ha! By southern New Mexico standards, my buckle was downright dainty. The ranchers and rodeo champions in the congregation put me to SHAME. I never knew how many platter-sized belt buckles lurked in my friends’ closets, waiting to double as shields or sleds.

The blinding orange ‘n’ turquoise belt was eventually replaced with something more subtle, vegan, AND versatile; the macrame holes make this belt adjustable enough to wear at waist or hip level. Nifty, eh?

I always assumed pencil skirts wouldn’t accommodate my big ol’ legs, but A. of academichic inspired me to give ‘em a go. Thank you, A.!