ebay

Welcome to the Link-up: Eccentric Glamour

Hi! Welcome to my link-up: Eccentric Glamour, designed to showcase forgotten, yet fabulous articles in your closet. The idea is to create an outfit once a month around some piece languishing in the back of your closet, helping us to better know what’s in our closets, force creativity, and appreciate what we have (you knew there’d be moral somewhere around here). All bloggers will be able to submit their post links via the inlinkz widget below beginning the 1st and ending the 3rd of every month. You can find more information below (or feel free to ask).

For my contribution, I wanted to show you this fabulous (and very Downton, I hope) coat I bought on a whim. To go with it, I’ve made up an eccentric backstory to match the outfit. It’s 1933. I, Mrs. Rosemary Fitz-Simmons, wife of the late grain tycoon, Mr. Cornelius Edward Fitz-Simmons, married up to gain a large fortune for myself. However, upon Mr. Fitz-Simmons’ unexpected, unwarranted, and mostly untimely death, I discovered the ledgers in disarray, and our fortune lost. Anxious to secure another wealthy millionaire before anyone discovers my secret, I have chosen to attend the opera, though still under the guise of mourning and wealth. In reality, I’ve dressed to kill under my coat and am scoping out any marriageable bachelors still circulating in the middle of the Depression. Cross your fingers I find luck!

Please add your link below so we can better meet and appreciate our fellow fashion bloggers. Here are the rules:

If you’d like to regularly contribute, please take a moment to follow my blog (links can be found on the sidebar).
Please confine posts to those which showcase some spectacular article of clothing. It doesn’t have to be crazy, but just a bit in line with our theme of “Eccentric Glamour” (although choosing one half or the other of that mantra will also suffice). However, if you choose to post, please provide a link back to the Eccentric Glamour link-up somewhere in your post.
Try to check out a few other bloggers posts to build inspiration and community!

Thanks everyone, and I look forward to a bright 2015 linking with you!

Then We Open Again, Where?

As I’ve mentioned, I’m a few weeks behind on updates from my trips (look out for Budapest and Morocco). I got lucky on my outfit here, despite the delay, since cheetah print is booming right now. I’ll try to be better about upcoming Christmas posts!

I arrived in Venice the night before Halloween. When I made the booking, I didn’t mean to plan it that way, and to be honest, I completely forgot (although people in England celebrated way more than I anticipated, adopting it as a veritable week-long festival rather than a single night). But in this case, fate interceded on my behalf. For as Romantic and dreamy as the canals and bridges are in Venice, the ambience of the night could have invented the meaning of phantasmagoric. It is no accident that Poe set “The Assignation,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Masque of Red Death”* here. Walking through the darkened alleys at night they seem to grow narrower and deeper. You pass the same bridges, walking in a circle fueled by the frenetic energy of despair, suspicion, and above all fear. Meanwhile, in glass windows all around hang ominous masks in a variety of shapes, their darkened eyes glaring eerily in the moonlight. With this collection of photos, I’ve tried to capture a bit more of the creepy vibes, but I also included just some of the general beauty of the change to Autumn which November brings.

The title of this post is taken from the song “We Open In Venice” from the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Here’s the Rat Pack’s rendition of the song. Also, while I was in Venice, I had the pleasure of meeting Louise, the amazing mind behind Pandora. To see her interpretation of Thomas Mann and the Marchesa Casati, see here.

*The exact setting of “The Masque of Red Death” is in a castle and nothing else is described specifically, but as it doesn’t disclude Venice, and the story has a Venice-esque feel to it, I included it (possibly erroneously) in the list.

Hej Stokholm: Part I

I bought my tickets to Sweden after checking the Ryanair prices for all of Scananavia. I ended up in Stockholm rather than Copenhagen or Oslo due not to my overwhelming longing for St. Lucia’s Day and love for Ikea, but really my overall greed (or thrift, as the boy scouts say) and ignorance. I was even more excited to find out that for every American Dollar, I would get a whopping 7 Swedish Kronor. Get that? SEVEN!!

Well, fate played a cruel joke.

That remarkable 7 wouldn’t buy a candy bar, much less a coke, and 7 kronor is about the equivalent of 25 cents. As it turns out, Sweden is one of the richest, and most expensive countries in Europe. While it’s not, you know, Zurich, Priceoftravel.com lists it as the second most expensive city on its backpacker index. Do note that Monaco does not figure in the rankings, but honestly, when you are competing with Monaco, doesn’t that concede the point?

Nevertheless, unlike Paris, with the price tag came a new standard of cleanliness. Stockholm proper was cleaner than Disney on a given morning, and some of the views could seriously compete for one of those two remaining spots on the world showcase. Virtually everywhere in the city is surrounded by the river (Norrstrom), and it makes for some truly breathtaking scenery. With such a pristine city, I can only imagine what the fabled countryside of the rest of Stockholm looks like (though Ryanair is always quite in coming complete with an hour- long sightseeing tour as you try to find civilization relative to the remote airport where it has dumped you- this was no exception).

20140926_145832

20140926_143849 Once I finally reached the city, I immediately bought a map and some “toast” which turned out to be none other than a well-timed panini. After planning out the day, I decided I would go to the hostel and drop off my luggage bag. Unfortunately, it was then I realized (bereft of wifi and data) that I had no idea, except for a general direction, where the hostel was. With that, I started walking in the direction of the island area (there are 4 major ones that compose Stockholm) that I thought it was on. The Hostel’s name was “Lodge 52,” so I decided to keep walking until I came to the address numbered “52” (which was much further away than it sounds). My father likes to say “even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then,” while I cannot speak for hogs, I can say I had an incredible stroke of dumb luck, because apartment 52 and Lodge 52 of this random road happened to be the same place.

Master of Directions

From there, I went to see the Royal Palace (which looks more like another feat of seventies architecture than anything old and regal), the town, and the Nobel Museum.

What I Wore:
As a preface, I would advise anyone travelling to Stockholm to bring almost exclusively black clothing if you are visiting after September 1st. I was the only breath of pastel on most streets I was in. But more on that in the next post…
Hat: British Vintage (from charity shop)
Dress: Anthropologie
Scarf: BCBG
Tights: Wolford (ebay)
Shoes: Clarks

Counter Culture: White Provision

One of the “rules” that most annoyed me as a child was the unspoken mandate that white was unacceptable after Labor Day. Seriously, why did half of my wardrobe become unnecessarily moot when Fall in Georgia doesn’t begin until November? While the ban on whites acted as a good excuse to buy new shoes, I never liked wearing off-white (let’s be honest– it’s not “off” it’s dirty), or really changing my routine at the behest of some old lady’s exaggerated interpretation of Emily Post. If we don’t wear black for two years anymore when someone dies, why hang on to the rest of the Victorian eccentricities to dress?

By now it’s probably clear that this post offers an example rejecting this rule into Fall, and in order to show you how, I went to a neighborhood in Atlanta, affectionately (and somewhat jarringly) called the “White Provision.” The name comes from an old shirt factory building that remains in the area (though no longer making shirts).

A lot of great food places line the opposite side of the building, including Atlanta’s number one rated resturant Bachanalia. However, if the 5-course prix fixe menu is out of your budget, the operation has an adjoining cafe/ bakery called Star Provision, where you can sample the kitchen’s fares before commiting to the date night. In my case, I shared a charcuterie and a box of sweets (go for the ginger cookie!).

As for my outfit, I’m wearing knock off Ray Bans, a Talbots white linen blazer (thrifted), a Chloe sequin tank top (Ebay), vintage Givenchy purse (Ebay), Gap white skinny jeans, Primark heels, and a ribbon literally taken from an Agent Provacateur box. My necklace is thrifted as well. As far as carrying white into Fall, I think that jeans are a great way to go. While seasonally appropriate, they still make enough of a statement, but will pair well with Fall separates. The blazer, I think, is a harder sell, especially this one since it’s linen….

A quick word on blazers: if there is one item that you look for in a thrift store, try blazers. I think they are a very good intro. to the art of effectively shopping for used clothes. Most generic blazers will run you somewhere in the range of 40 dollars, which is a disgruntling price to pay for a glorified cardigan (unless of course it has elbow pads.. in which case do what you have to do). Most blazers are going to look less sketchy on the rack than a lot of the other hand-me-downs, and a lot of times you can score on some great brands you might not have been able to find otherwise. I know I’ve found DKNY, Pendleton, Brooks Brothers, Talbots, and Ann Taylor to name a few.

Alright. It’s your turn. Go on out there and crush some Victorian sensibilities, and when you do, be sure to share in a comment below. I’d love to see your interpretation of “Winter White.”

Nationally Acclaimed- Georgia Born.

This entry will begin the first on a few from Athens, Georgia- home of my alma mater, aka my stomping grounds for the better part of my coming of age. I say “better” because I don’t think it was until I got to college that I really got in touch with my exploratory side and started looking outside the peripheries of the corners of a book.

Now for those of you who don’t know, Athens is home to the University of Georgia, UGA for short, a bulwark of a research institution that still retains enough Southern charm to call themselves the bulldawgs (notably not bull “dogs”). UGA’s colors are red and black, so I tried to channel that for the spirit of this post, switching between my new Chloe heels and my much-loved Lanvin tuxedo flats + straw hat for walking around downtown.

The arch with its three symbolic pillars is a popular image of UGA. Local legend says that if an undergraduate walks under the arch before completing classes, they won’t graduate!

I will be writing a post soon on my favorite hotspots in and around Athens, but I felt the need to specifically spotlight one or two. Now, the nicest restaurant in Athens is probably Hugh Acheson’s Five and Ten. Rumor has it that Atlanta Magazine extends Atanta’s border all the way out to Athens just so they can include this culinary extravaganza on their list of the Top 50 Best Restuarants (where it sits at number 5). But for those of us who don’t expect oysters and caviar on a given Tuesday, I prefer Acheson’s sister restaurant The National for dining.

Specifically, on that Tuesday, The National runs the cutest date night deal. 3-course dinner and a movie at Cine (the fab adjacent indie theater, offering the best selection of films this side of the The Plaza)

If you’re still looking for that date to walk into your life (or waiting for the movie to begin), you can post up at the National’s bar for libations. Rest assured, a very intentionally-groomed hipster will kindly prove to you that you have no idea what you are talking about and then serve you something delicious that includes simple syrup.

As for outfit details, I tried a twist on the tuxedo look (that all the sudden seems so pervasive), unbuttoning this Haute Hippie dress into a long vest. With it I wore a GAP red and white stripe tank top, vintage Givenchy purse (which goes for about 15 dollars on Ebay), a plain black H&M straight skirt, and some statement business jewelry necklace, that probably made its way into my closet from the clearance section of Kohls. Regarding the dress/ vest, this look went easily from day to night, when I threw on a bandeau and went out Tuxedo chic, as shown below.

10491262_10203529425489269_6912345213911530395_n

My Best Nixon Impression– Photo by: Katie King.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more from Athens!

Rompin’ ’round a Fiddler’s Hearth

After my first two finals, two of my friends from UGA came into town to save me from sure desperation and destruction. I had a lovely time showing them around Notre Dame, taking them to all my favorite places (we saw this cool Studebaker along the way).

But I have to say, I think my favorite place to go in South Bend (after a walk around the lakes to the grotto) is undoubtedly Fiddler’s Hearth.

Notre Dame pretends to be Irish, but Fiddler’s is the only truly Irish thing in this town (sorry Mulligans and O’Rourke’s). A wonderful collection of ne’r-do-wells, locals, and misplaced college students., this is the closest Indiana gets to a real Irish pub. They serve their fish and chips in newspaper, their Shepherd’s pie is a dream, but personally I keep coming back for the Irish Stew (as the lamb is cooked to perfection). Not to mention they are one of the only places with good cider on tap. But better than the food, I really love the character of the establishment. Tables are first come, first serve wooden planks, and it isn’t at all amiss for two unaffiliated parties to group up to getting seating when the band starts playing (usually something folk).

Lately, because of finals, I’ve been perfecting the art of no-fuss ensembles. This translates to a one-piece number I can run around, eat dinner, lay on the floor, and sleep in. Thus, I’ve been vacillating between leotards (with a skater skirt) and rompers- both of which are great options, until you have to use the restroom. Still, throw on a pair of heels, and people will think you tried.

Romper: French Connection (ebay find for $12)
Watch: Target Men’s
Earrings: Thrifted
Belt: Zara
and……..

Shoes: Mui Mui (ebay find FOR $30!!) I’m so in love, they got their own picture.

Here’s a few pictures from my instagram of the outside/ interior of Fiddler’s.

Hurray for good friends and good food!

Shared to: What I Wore Wednesday, Three-fer Thursday

Ebay Gone Wrong: Tales from the Duped

Most of the time when I’m showcasing outfits here, at least one piece of my compilation has been from ebay. Well, this week marked my 50th transaction on ebay, so I want to show you all my SHINY BLUE STAR!

But as Ratigan so aptly states in The Great Mouse Detective, “It hasn’t all been champagne and caviar. I’ve had my share of adversity, thanks to that miserable, second-rate” seller [insert username here].

In the course of my fifty transactions there have been a few doozies, so I thought I’d show them here so that you could laugh with me, and I could better explain Ebay’s return policies to those wary of the site’s security in general.

While many seller’s include the opportunity for you to return your item (and for those primarily worried about fit or quality this is a good way to shop as you can specify you would like to only shop from sellers who offer this option- I would recommend bhfo, in particular), I would say the majority of auction style listings are non-returnable. So what if I get my Louboutins and find out they’re fake, you ask? Or what if when I get something it’s in much worse shape than I thought? Or a different size?

There’s no need for you to feel powerless as a buyer, as every purchase is covered by:

The only downside is that if the seller listed something wrong and you have to send it back, there is the possibility that you might have to pay return shipping for their mistake (since this only covers your original shipping), but it depends on the deal you can work out with your seller.

Chloe’ Sunglasses

Description:

The seller was correct. The scratch does not affect the look or vision:

To be fair, I still do not know if these are fake. I do know they are suspiciously plastic. Very suspiciously, this doesn’t feel like designer plastic. Further, Chloe glasses come with an authenticity card. No one said anything about an authenticity card here- a fact which I am very on the fence about, because generally fake sunglasses usually come with all the fixings plus some… My real Chloe sunglasses also have markings like this on their small wiry frame, but they have additional product markings as well…. So in between the altogether lack of an authenticity card, cheap material, the fact I have never seen other Chloe frames of this style, I am very confused. But that’s okay. Because either way I got a cool Chloe case for $4.02, so the damage is mitigated.

Lesson: Sunglasses are easy to fake. Know what the real ones look like and are made of before buying!

Isabel Marant Dress

What I was promised:

In their defense, the dress does look like this, except I wouldn’t call it exactly “new.” See strap below.

They took the “without tags” part to the next level. It has no tags from the store. No tags from the designer. No tags with care instruction. When you look inside, all that greets you is a suspicious looking stitch job and the distinct smell of an overseas factory (don’t act like you don’t know what I mean). Safety pinned to the lining was a slip of paper with “Isabel Marant” handwritten on it.
…
yeaaa. In this case I did file a claim saying that the item was counterfeit. The seller immediately reimbursed all my costs and told me to keep the dress, which I still like even if it’s not Isabel Marant, so that was a win. It is ebay’s policy if an item is found to be counterfeit that the buyer can keep it as long as they agree not to resell it. I don’t know if the seller is running a racket or what, but they had over 60 transactions with positive feedback…

Lesson: Sometimes a deal might be too good to be true…

Lipstick (what was I thinking?)

There is no longer any listing for this item. That’s kind of what tipped me off that the listing might be fake. Originally, having no idea what Chanel lipstick looked like, I just blindly bid on what I thought it might look like. My rationale: this $17 lipstick is less than half as much as I’d normally pay! As you can see above, we all make gaudy mistakes at times, but it will be okay. About two days after the seller shipped it to me, ebay sent me a message that said:

Now, I didn’t know at the time this was a message saying
YOU BOUGHT A FAKE, and I had accidentally sent the lipstick to my little sister’s address (who had even less of an idea than I did). So I had to wait until I could get back home to find out if it was real or not. I’m telling you, if you don’t know what a real one looks like, it’s pretty difficult to tell, but the painted on Cs at the top seemed suspicious to me, so I went ahead and opened a case with ebay. My money was refunded within six hours. Turns out, ebay had booted the seller off altogether for all the frauds they had sold.

Lesson: Have an idea what an item looks like before you buy it. Also as a general rule of thumb, we probably shouldn’t mess with sketchy makeup. I coughed up the $35 for the lipstick you see.

The Latest Catastrophe

In the spirit of saving the best for last, I bring you the current drama distracting me from law school:

It looked so harmless in the listing, some slight scraping, otherwise in good condition:

Little did I expect…

I was floored. This jacket looks and feels close-up like it went through a woodchipper. I immediately sat down, head hung low (I’ve wanted a Burberry jacket for so long!) and opened a case. The seller responded saying that they thought they “accurately represented the jacket” and said that if I wanted to know more I should have asked questions….

R: Would you mind telling me whether your hamster has been slowly consuming this over the last three months?
R: Dear Seller, did you slash the inside of the sleeves before you listed? Just wondering…
R: This item hasn’t spent any significant amount of time being intimate with sandpaper in the past twelve months, has it?

In two business days I can escalate the case to Ebay. Cross your fingers all goes well!

Lesson: still processing…

Be smart! Check feedback before buying. Know what you are looking for. And in the future you/ I might want to consider these:

Let the Sunshine In!

It’s finally warm enough to go without socks! To celebrate today I paid homage to Spring while still keeping with practical winter darks. Navy yellow and off-white. If the firm job fails, I’m joining the Navy y’all.

I present to you: Don’t Leave Rebecca Home Alone.

Here’s my Gene Kelly, ready for those April Showers.

Why yes, I am a walking ebay ad.

Hat: Antiquing ($3!!)
Shirt: GAP
Cardigan: Thakoon Addition (ebay)
Jacket: Brooks Brothers (ebay)
Pants: The Row (ebay)
Shoes: Stubbs and Wootton (ebay)

❤ ❤ Kneedlepoint ❤ ❤

Here are two songs to cheer you up as you wait for Spring!

The Rain, the Park, and Other Things
-The Cowsills

Aquarius/ Let The Sunshine In
-The Fifth Dimension

The Clothesline

Style for people blowing in the wind