Tag: Fashion

Stars. Stripes. A Cool Thing.

Published on by Lauren Dean SpencerLeave a comment

Kim Gordon. What can I say? By far the coolest rock chick I’ve known. Even though I only had one (quite awesome) conversation with her, I spent a fair amount of time in the same room or hovering on the periphery of her space as she stared down an audience, bass in hand, looked over limp deli meat on a backstage craft table or did any of the other multitude of things musicians do when they’re on the road. She scared the bejeezus out of me since her smart, self-possessed and stylish vibe reminded me how desperately I wanted to be all of those things too. Of course now that I’m older, I understand that underneath we all have a similar roiling mix of humanness. Though I do believe that what we drape over that human part shouts out.

I can think of no better way to celebrate independence than by bringing Kim’s kick-ass sartorial attitude to life in a way that is anti-fast-fashion, anti-establishment and anti-boring. Rebel meet rebel.

This photo taken with her band Sonic Youth is attitude in stance and style. Those moments are not for sale, although it’s possible you might feel rather badass wearing any piece of the clothing she has on. Starting from the top:

Yes. VOTE. Just do it. And remind your fellow citizens to do it too! There’s nothing more rebel than that. And this T announces that. It has a kind of old-school fade-y vibe that I like a lot. Plus the site that makes it, teepublic, supports independent artists in a strong way.

I also like this one:

From a company featuring clothing 100% eco, 100% fair trade, and is also German, which I like to include on a day we celebrate all the people in our melting-pot. I think Ms. Gordon would enjoy this whole vibe.

I’m now moving immediately to the trousers, for they are so special as to only be referred to as trousers and almost (almost) steal the whole show. In some weird universe, these actual trousers owned by the very woman wearing them are (were) on sale here on the internets. But I prefer sharing something with a similar vibe. Yes, these pants say male. Working in a male dominated industry, as Kim does, as I have, as we all do to some extent by living in the world, I love that she’s flying that flag while exhibiting her absolute woman-ness.

While these don’t have the irony of Kim’s awesome pair by way of words, they’re subversive to me in the fact that this company Ace&Jig are doing something at a decent price point that helps the earth and are a company born and bred in Brooklyn by two fierce ladies with a vision. I love the style and comfort that these seem to have (even though I’ve been a late-arriver on the return to high-waisted slacks—they reminded me too much of the eighties and some sad mom-jean flashback). But these look great, have pockets and a lightweight summer vibe in both texture and textile.

These vintage trousers are also quite fun and sold on an online vintage site, which means they’ve had a life before, but now are being passed on to us to live again somewhere else. Nothing more earth-friendly than that! And if red, white and blue is your thing, these hit that mark.

Which brings me to this: If you’re someone who enjoys thrift stores, a variation of these pieces can be found there, it just takes diving in. Much like going to a bookstore, it depends on whether you’re in the mood to rifle or have a specific list of what you want and head to that rack. That’s especially true when it comes to accessorizing, which from the photo of Kim above can include a neon-green terrycloth wristband (because bass playing, like sports, is sweaty business), a white grommeted belt or silver shoes.

Sometimes you have to accessorize a furry companion as well. While this neckerchief can be used for human style, I had a few reasons to bring in this little guy: 1) who doesn’t love a pooch? 2) It’s effin’ hot here in NYC and here is a picture of snow. 3) Most important, this company is cool!

So go to town with your independent spirit, not just today, but 365 days. What piece of clothing makes you feel most independent?

Sartorial Saving vs Spending

Published on by Lauren Dean SpencerLeave a comment

You know how we all have those places inside where shame calcifies? The room in us that’s filled with junk we don’t want anyone to see. Mine hold money issues, and even though I live in a NYC apartment so have learned the art of economizing in the service of space, I still manage to pack a good amount of money-shame clutter into my emotional attic. It’s always been thus. Although I never wanted for, I did soak in a fair amount of confusing money issues as I grew from a tot into a teenager.

When I moved to NYC as a college student it just seemed like survival to eye the pawn shop down the street and wonder how much I might get for my grandma’s ring, or to box up and carry mule-like fifty pounds of books to the Strand so I could almost-just make rent. Hell, I even sold my wedding ring (post-divorce) to be able to pay a minimum on a credit card.

Sometimes there was a perverse pride in being able to live on a dollar a day. This was 1990s New York, so a dollar went slightly further. I’d walk an hour to buy a 5$ bottle of wine, which I would sip while luxuriating in a bubble bath with suds courtesy of a 99 cent bottle of baby shampoo from the bodega downstairs as Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” would spin on my turntable turned up to eleven. And I’d feel rich for under $7.

I’ve also always loved clothes. I’ve had my solid share of shopping above my means. Of feeling sick to my stomach as I handed a cashier a bundle of cash I knew meant that my rent would be late or a check (again, it was the 90s…useless pieces of paper were still being used to pay for things) that I knew for certain would bounce. But yet I would go through with the sale and only occasionally consider returning whatever was in the bag. Mostly it was magical thinking, something along the lines of I’ll make it work. Also embarrassment. I didn’t want someone thinking I couldn’t afford the thing in hand—a point driven home after I’d gone fancy and had a makeup consultation at Berdorf’s on Fifth Avenue right before my wedding. When the sales lady sold me on buying a few things she’d used and the bill came to almost as much as we were spending on our rehearsal dinner, I swallowed hard, handed over a card, disappeared onto another floor, then snuck down a few times to check on whether a different cashier was on duty and maybe my sales lady had taken her break. When after an hour or so the coast became clear, I returned the whole stash and fled out into the streets, hot with shame and anger.

But as much as I love thrifting—and will write dedicated posts on that activity as well—I do enjoy me a brand-spanking new dud every now and then. Figuring out what’s worth the spend both economy- and ecology-wise has been a project of mine for the last year and I mean to share here what I’ve found and hope you, my readers, will share yours as well. My goal is to never post a single item that exceeds $300. Maybe because 3 is my favorite number or given that’s as much as I can justify spending on a piece of outerwear. Either way, it’s what I’m setting out to do.

I’m starting with a very cool designer whose socially conscious ethos and awesome designed silhouettes I can totally get behind: Zero + Maria Cornejo. A couple of her pieces live in my closet and I can honestly say it was worth the money in both the amount of time I wear them and the fact that I believe in her business.

So today, given most of the people reading this are experiencing summer-time temps (even considering global-warming weirdness) and those in fall or winter temps can always enjoy a nice frock with a cardigan thrown over the top, I bring you this dress that I think is fab and hits all the marks (on sale for under $300).

Another company I’m a little in love with for their give-back attitude is LACAUSA. Read their story here. I own some of their pieces as well and you’ll definitely come across me featuring them pretty regularly in future posts. This dress is kind of a perfect summer attitude. Hits the price point and supports a good vibe.

And finally (told you I like 3s), Ecoture is a company that rates really high on the fashion-conscious clothing front. And this simple t-shirt dress looks really easy for a summer staple. I have something similar that I wear all year round: summer on its own, chillier seasons with a long-sleeve underneath and maybe some slacks like this model’s sporting.

Overall, I’ve featured here sale items because I’m rarely able and can hardly ever justify spending over a hundred on a regular basis. The exception is about once a year on a really quality item that will be with me forever in a timeless cut (hello, Zero + Maria). But of course that leaves me with a jones for the everyday buy. H&M used to be my guilty pleasure. And I know they’re part of the fast-fashion network, but they’re also doing some good work on becoming environmentally aware, although I still try and only buy things that I really will wear and keep for awhile. You can read about H&M’s progress here. And other than that, there are my beloved thrift stores, where good stuff abounds with the proceeds going to solid causes. (Stay tuned for that post!)

Where do you satisfy your craving for fashion in a way that makes you feel good and look fab?

The Crown

Published on by Lauren Dean Spencer1 Comment

For a few months now I’ve had purple hair and by far it’s the thing on my body that’s gotten me the most attention from both random strangers and longtime friends. Not since I misguidedly wore the green pleather lederhosen I’d found in a Lower East Side thrift store to my job as a talent producer for a short-lived TV show have I received so much attention for an item on my person. But this kind of focus I’m pleasantly surprised by, as opposed to the former, which made me rethink slightly what my definition of quirky office wear was. The feedback aimed at the color of my hair has been nothing but self-affirming and delivered almost 100% by other women—a fact that reminds me how us females primarily dress for each other, not men. Although I feel that attitude has been hard won with age and confidence: the two driving forces behind my current hair color choice.

It all started when I decided to give in fully to the gray. For a couple of years, I’d been cultivating a pretty good Susan Sontag–like streak, but I was ready to let the whole mishegoss take over, and was making some pretty good headway when I went to the Brooklyn Museum and saw the David Bowie exhibit. Oh, David, seeing you as the Thin White Duke, silver and red streaks running through your updo, not to mention being surrounded by a legion of young ones sporting platinum hair, made me impatient to get some edge.

Not wanting to enter the valley of damage with stripping my hair, then dying—because that’s the other thing about getting older, I’ve got no patience for that kind of painful salon crap—I needed an alternative.

Enter Overtone. Holy crap, people, this stuff is brilliance! It’s a conditioner. It’s vegan and cruelty free. It’s semi-permanent and is actually good for your hair. It comes in a gazillion awesome colors and isn’t expensive. They also have sample sizes so you can find the color that works for you or just switch up your look at random. I’m so in love with this product that I might marry it. (And am in no way sponsored or contributed to by them. This is just pure me:joy.) Although neither the pastel, vibrant, nor extreme silver really took on my head, the purple for brown hair rocked it and for a couple of months now I’ve been purpling it up every week.

When people say they like my hair it’s been a great exercise for me to not become an Overtone sales human and just accept the compliment; to be fine with the attention and feel solid enough in myself to embrace how I appear to others. I’ve always enjoyed standing out for my fashion choices, it’s how to respond when someone says something nice that I always trip over. But as my commitment to being better to the planet in a way I feel is within my grasp and on a life topic I’m passionate about (sartorially speaking), this feels righter than right. So I take it in, say thank you, and usually manage to slip in an Overtone mention. Unless doing so would cause an accident if we’re, say, walking in traffic or holding up the line at the Shake Shack. Staying on point with the earth and my look is both satisfying and challenging, and also soooo worth it.

How about you? Is there something that makes you feel bold, fierce, and good on the planet when you step it out into the world? And also, curious about whether you dress more for the ladies in your life than for the men (after making sure you feel good in yourself, of course)?

Does this make me look…

Published on by Lauren Dean SpencerLeave a comment

Good on the planet, good on me.

Wherein I realize that being both fashion forward and fashion conscious can happen at the same time.

“Remember this: No one is looking at your imperfections; they’re all too busy worrying about their own.” Isaac Mizrahi

That question: Does this make me look [fat, short, squat, crazy, cool, your special fashion-fear here]? It’s so common. So insidious because it’s a collection of words that exposes our rough seams. The frayed edges we want to keep the world from seeing.

For a tiny little while now I’ve been finishing that question with age-inappropriate. Which is a loaded two-word hyphenate I’ll be approaching to some degree like an ornery unicorn with a toothache in these writings. But there’s another way I’ve been turning that question on its head, which is really going to be the main focus of these writings: Does this make me look conscious? As in, does what I’m displaying on my body make the planet look good too?

I love fashion with a passion unabashed. But maybe more I should say I love style. The individual kind. The definition that suggests a person has some interesting ideas about how to express themself through their clothes. Last year I read an article by Ann Patchett “My Year of No Shopping” and on top of the fact that I recognized I had enough stuff, but have never been quite the Maria Kondo type, I wanted to find a way to curb my fast-fashion habit. As an avid thrifter with a Goodwill membership card hanging off my key ring, it seemed a good time to challenge myself and only purchase from places where either the money would go somewhere good (i.e., thrift stores) or the vendor was ethically responsible.

What I want from this blog is to tell you how that funhouse has been going and to share tips on the ways I’ve found to answer “How does this make me look as a citizen of the world?”

Thanks for being here!