I think that quite possibly the majority of my life has been spent in one big daydream. I spend hour upon hour planning my life in the distant future, planning vacations that may not happen, planning outfits that I may never wear, and planning my Oscar acceptance speech.

Because I spend so much time in this fantasy land, I thought it might be fun to somehow incorporate it into Indulgences. I want to paint a picture of the fantasy that I wish I were living at that moment; what I wish I were wearing, where I wish I was, what I wish I was drinking, who I wish I was with, and whatever else comes to mind.

In the same respect, I want all you other daydreamers to do the same. Share your fantasy vacation with me, tell me about how you wish you were playing mini golf with your crush, or how you wish you were skiing in the French Alps and sipping hot chocolate in a lodge.

I want this to be a short escape from reality, not just for me, but for you as well. So please share you daydreams with myself, and everyone else on Indulgences…. and if you are lucky enough to be living your daydream, share that too!!

Outfit Info

So, what am I wishing right now?

I wish I was wearing the above outfit, strolling the beach at Coney Island on a hot summer evening in August. In my hand is a huuuuge puff of pink, fluffy cotton candy, and little buzzing gnats are flying around my face. As I walk along the beach the sun starts to set. I wander over to the boardwalk and walk along, stopping to watch a handsome blonde teenager win a stuffed pink elephant for his girlfriend. As day moves into night I get in line to ride the ferris wheel. I claim my seat and stay put. I ride the ferris wheel around and around and around, refusing to get off. The operators continue operating the ride long after the other tourists have left, and I sit in my seat feeling the cooling air against my face. I continue to ride until the cold air makes my face feel numb. I finally vacate the ride, and catch a cab to the hotel were I am staying. I take a hot bath, then slip into bed where I sleep until noon the next day…..

That is what I wish I were doing at this exact moment.

Now it is your turn! Where do you wish you were right now? What do you wish you were wearing? Who do you wish you were with? What foreign country do you wish you were exploring? What do you wish you were seeing/listening to/reading/eating/etc??

Cocktail parties are probably my favorite type of party to attend, and to throw. I just love getting dressed up, and I love to see everyone else in their finest as well. With a cocktail or two, everyone starts to loosen up, the conversations start flowing, and if it goes good, people are dancing by the end of the evening.

Though it may be a cocktail party, to me the outfit is far more important than whatever drinks are being served. A cocktail party is the ultimate excuse to be as girly or as fabulous as you want to be. Here are my recent picks for the perfect cocktail attire….

Earrings, Stockings, Dress, Ring, Clutch, Shoes

Headband, Shoes, Dress, Belt, Stockings, Bag, Bracelet

Earrings, Shoes, Dress, Flower, Clutch, Lipstick

I keep seeing fringe popping up everywhere.  From shoes, to coats, to bags, fringe is huge right now. It is such a fun (and easy) way to add a little snap to your wardrobe. These are my picks for favorite fringe:

Earrings, Bag, Shoes, Dress, Umbrella, Earrings, Bag

I am such a huge Wes Anderson fan. I love all his movies, from Bottle Rocket, to his most recent, The Darjeeling Limited. However, the one that seems to stick with me the most, and I find myself watching repeatedly would have to be The Royal Tenenbaums. Between it’s incredible color balance, the perfect soundtrack, and the quirky characters, there isn’t anything about this film that I don’t love. I even read the screenplay once or twice, because I love the story so much!

Well naturally Margot’s off beat sense of style has always fascinated me. It is so eclectic, but completely natural on Gwyneth Paltrow’s character. Everyone should have a Margot outfit in their closet!

Coat, Bag, Dress, Shoes

♥ Hair should be cropped, just above the shoulders, stick straight, and with no layers. Part heavily on one side, and pin with a bobby pin or other clip.

♥ Makeup should be heavy black eyeliner lining the upper and lower lid. Lipstick should be a pale pink color.

♥ Striped polo dresses with a large fur (or faux) coat are the way to go as far as clothes. If you can’t find striped, solid colors will do, but striped is really best.

♥ Shoes and bag should be slightly old fashioned looking, and a little reminiscent of styles you would see in the 1920’s.

♥ Wrist length white gloves, with the ring finger cut off at the knuckle on the right glove….that is if you are really serious about looking like Margot!

Photo by Henry Clarke from Agent Lee

As you all know by now, I am a complete vintage clothes fiend. Something about how well the items were made, and how tailored and classy the pieces look, is so much more special to me than clothes you find in the shops nowadays.

Naturally these older pieces require special care, so they can keep living their long, and glorious lives. Care for these items is generally quite simple, once you know what should, and shouldn’t be done. So with a few pointers, I hope you will all take good care of these precious pieces of fashion history.

Buying:

♥ If the garment came from a thrift store where they staple the price tags, first of all shame on them, but it does happen. Carefully, using a butter knife, open up each side of the staple. Do not assume that it is open enough and try to weasel it out of the garment.

♥ If the item feels a bit snug, don’t buy it. These items are already more delicate than new items, and it would be a travesty to tear a hole when bending over to pick something up, or when getting in or out of a car.

Wearing:

♥ Always pull dresses over your head, never step into them, unless they have an elastic waist or you are 100% sure they will go over your hips with ease.

♥ Please, please, please don’t wear vintage if you are going out for spaghetti dinner, or any other event that can get messy.

♥ If at all unsure of the condition of the garment, do not wear it. Some items are so old and fragile, they belong in a museum rather than on a body.

Cleaning:

♥ If you have no clue on what the fabric is, get it dry cleaned! Find a good dry cleaner in your area, who knows how to handle and care for vintage and antique clothing.

♥ Fabrics that should be dry cleaned are acetate, crepes, knits, linens, rayon, satins, silks, suede, taffetas, velvets, and anything with wool.

♥ For fabrics that do not require dry cleaning, hand washing is the second best option, though some garments (depending on age and fabric of course) may be washed on gentle cycle in the machine.

♥ Wear your item several times before having it washed. Clothing doesn’t need to be washed after every use unless it is truly dirty, and I sure hope that you are not working out or doing house chores in vintage clothes.

♥ If you do happen to get a stain, treat immediately. Stains set in over time, so don’t put off taking it to the cleaner. It is best to do a small test area on the inside lining of a garment, before trying to remove the stain- just to make sure you don’t create more damage than is already done.

♥ If your vintage clothing smells musty, do not use Febreeze to get rid of the smell. Dry cleaning should get the smell out.

♥ Stains such as armpits sweat or rust are incredibly difficult to get out, and are better left to a professional.

Storing:

♥ Always keep vintage items out of sunlight. In the same respect, don’t store in an area that gets extremely hot.

♥ Don’t leave an item folded for an extended amount of time (say, several months). Over time creases can become permanent. It is good to take the pieces out once in a while, and refold them.

♥ Do not hand knit items on hangers. Over time these items tend to sag due to the weight. Instead fold them.

♥ Never, ever, ever store vintage items in plastic bags, or boxes. Plastic is unbreathable for the items, and the chemicals in the fabrics respond poorly to it.

♥ There is a bit of a debate whether to store with or without mothballs. On one hand, it keeps pests away, on the other hand, it can leave your clothing with a funky odor, that may or may not come out. You be the judge.

♥ Buy padded hangers for your vintage items. These are much more delicate items, you will want to spend the extra money so as not to leave creases in the shoulders, and over time destroy the garment. No matter what, DO NOT, I can’t stress this one enough, use wire hangers. You may as well just throw your vintage dress on the floor in a ball with the dirty laundry….

♥ Make sure that if you are storing your hats or clothing with paper or in cardboard boxes that it is acid free. The acidity can destroy vintage items in no time. If you can find acid free boxes, this is one of the best ways for storing antiques clothing.

So my dears, I hope you will all take wonderful care of your precious vintage pieces. Most of these items are one of a kind, and with your love and care can still have a very long life ahead of them.

xoxo,
Cedar

It seems that lately I have had Mary Janes on the brain. It’s been close to ten years since I had a Mary Jane on my foot, and back then I went a little overboard, and had entirely too many pairs.

I think I am ready though, this time I want to find the most perfect vintage inspired Mary Jane. Here are a few of my picks…..(I am especially smitten with the first and last pair!)

Oli

go jane

Zappos

Top Shop

Jane Shilton

Probably the hardest thing about scoring a date is figuring out what to wear. You want to look good of course, but you don’t want to dress inappropriately for the occasion, nor do you want your date to get the wrong idea about you from what you are wearing!

On a very casual dinner and movie date night, comfort is incredibly important, and looking pretty, sexy, yet not too over the top is the best way to go. Dressing up a nice pair of jeans is perfect for this sort of occasion.

Top, Bag, Shoes, Jeans, Earrings, Bracelets

When you don’t know where you are going on your date, it is good to ask ahead of time how you should dress. In the case that you have absolutely no clue, it is good to mix and match casual looking fun items, with a few elegant pieces, and comfort is key on this one!

Coat, Shoes, Dress, Earrings, Bag

For a slightly more upscale dinner and dancing date, a nice comfortable, yet classy dress that is easy to move in is your best bet.

Necklace, Shoes, Dress, Bag, Ring

If you are lucky enough to snag a date with Mr. Millionare, who wants to take you to a very exclusive, upscale restaurant, where they serve eight coarse meals, and have more silverware on the table than you have in your kitchen drawer, then go all out! It doesn’t matter if your diamonds aren’t real, so long as you look fabulous, and like you belong in this five star restaurant!

Shrug, Earrings, Dress, Clutch, Shoes

Some tips to keep in mind:

♥ Though this is not always true, if you are unsure about shoes or a bag a good rule of thumb to go buy is; the more formal the event the higher the heel, and the smaller the bag.

♥ If your date planned something more active, such as mini golf, or a trip to the boardwalk, stick with the first outfit, and bring a cute pair of sneakers for when the going gets tough!

♥ You want to look sexy, but you don’t want to look like a girl who has been around the block and back. It is better to throw in just a little bit of sexiness, and tone it down with less revealing items. If your legs are showing away the girls!

♥ If your have a lunch date it is best to go more casually than an evening date. Also lighten up the colors. A black dress is much more of an evening dress than say, a pale yellow colored dress.

Best of luck to you!
xoxo,
Cedar

There are so many beautiful dresses for sale at Anthropologie right now.  I can hardly stand it, I want to buy out their entire stock!

I love them all, but these are my favorite picks.

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

xoxo,
Cedar

I absolutely love wooden jewelry. The most simple piece of wooden jewelry can add a certain flare to an outfit like no other jewelry can. It can really bring together an outfit, giving many outfits a more natural looking, but can also look quite elegant.

Earrings, Necklace, Bracelet, Earrings (center), Necklace, Bangles

“I feel one of the things I brought to rock and roll was that sort of movie star glamor and image, and that’s what always fascinated me. I always wanted to be that blond, glowing woman on film, and it was sort of automatically thrown at my feet — and I went with it.”
-Debbie Harry

As a teenager, though well past Blondie’s prime, I was infatuated with singer Debbie Harry. Her white blond hair, her fab sense of style, those killer cheek bones, oh and of course her incredible singing voice. I can’t say I feel any differently now. Debbie Harry has such strong presence, you know she could hold her own in a fight, yet she has such a sweet feminine singing voice, that she uses in the most powerful way.

My love for her aside, Debbie Harry is a true icon, in every sense of the word. Blondie was at the front lines for the New Wave movement that became so popular in the 80’s, long after Debbie and her band rocked it. Many following tried to emulate Debbie’s unique sense of style, donning the day glow colors, mismatched items, tight fitting pants, and chunky jewelry, but none did it with as much pizazz as the lovely Debbie Harry.

Clothes.

♥ Lots of bold monochromatic outfits.
♥ Tight fitting, clothes, that show off the shape of the body. High waisted pants help create that cinched waist that she had.
♥ Slinky dresses, that cling in just the right places.
♥ Lots and lots of skin! Strapless, spaghetti straps, and halter necks are the way to go!
♥ Stripes, polka dots, animal prints galore.
♥ Go wild, mix and match unexpected things; like her camouflage jumpsuit and leather jacket above.
♥ Wooden slide pumps are an essential- in every color!

♥ Makeup. Have fun with your makeup. Debbie Harry was the queen of experimenting with eyeshadow. She always had very dramatic eyes, and had a tendency to do the cat eyes often. Lots of rich vibrant shades of eyeshadow mixed with a dark gray are perfect for achieving her looks. A light pop of color is all you need on the lips, and incredibly well defined cheekbones completes your Blondie makeup.

♥ Hair. If your scalp aint burning from bleach, its not blond enough!