Just stepping out.

1960's Lace Blouse: vintage via the Getup
Pencil Skirt: vintage via the Getup
Shoes: UO
Tapestry Purse: vintage via the Getup

Minor edit: not that it really matters, but contrary to appearance, this skirt isn't denim -- it's wool! I know, not exactly a summer fabric. We had a weird cold snap this week, so I thought I'd take fashionable advantage of the apocalyptic conditions.

I'm in love with my car.

While the title of this post may be true, it is in fact, taken from a song by Queen (as is the title of my blog, actually). This is just as fitting though, because my car is coated in band bumper stickers -- three of which are for Queen.

Leggings: BDG
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
Queen T-shirt: Depths of my closet
Sunglasses: Stand at the zoo

Once again, these pictures were taken by my dear friend Ryan Hyde, who suffered through such torrential winds that his stands kept blowing over, and one of his light umbrellas broke!

Anyway, a couple months ago my little rock wagon was in a pretty serious accident, and came THISCLOSE to being totaled. After such a close call, I figured it was high time I immortalize my little blue baby.

Graphic interface

Mickey sweatshirt: vintage

Shoes: vintage via the Getup

Shorts: H&M

Top: thrifted

Sunglasses: vintage via Ebay

Lightning bolt earrings: Steven Shein via Modcloth

Foofy foofy

I never thought I'd take fashion inspiration from butch, 1980's business women, but that's kind of what I liked about this ginormous blouse. I'd like to think the look is a little more Annie Lennox inspired, but if I'm being honest, most of the time I'm desperately trying to look like Brigitte Nielsen in Beverly Hills Cop II.

Blouse: Thrifted
Skirt: H&M
Shoes: Steve Madden
Jacket: UO
Bag: Thrifted

Secret beauty tip: use magnifying glasses to make your eyes look bigger! (Just kidding).

I'm actually kind of obsessed with lorgnettes, and have a small collection of them. Such a pretty way to handle something as mundane as reading glasses. Sadly (or rather, fortunately), I do not require reading glasses, so these are purely decorative.

Peppermint Patty

Jacket: H&M
Dress: vintage via the Getup
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
Tee: American Apparel

These pictures were taken by my dear friend and coworker Andrew Leahey, who filled in for my usual photog-extraordinaire Perry Seibert. What would I do without such talented friends!?

Earrings: Modcloth
Jewelry and purse: thrifted

The Holly Sisters

This mesmerizing dirndl, skirt, suspender...thing is from an amazing collection of pieces worn by 50's showgirl sister act the Holly Sisters. The lovely ladies wore a lot of amazing stuff while they were singing on stage with the likes of Bob Hope.

Of course, my favorite vintage store The Getup had a whole collection of the Holly Sisters' costumes, including amazing rompers and beaded wiggle dresses (one of which I also snatched up). The store will have pictures of more of the pieces at some point, and I'll be sure to post a link when they do!

Future's so bright.

Skirt: UO
Top: UO
Socks: H&M
Boots: Vintage via Fifthquadrant

Cuckoo clock necklace: Thrifted

Purple shades: Eljey Sunglasses

What a day!

Skirt: vintage via the Getup

Cardigan: vintage via the Getup

Top: Target

Shoes: Target

Scarf: Thrifted

*Gasp* Denim shorts with TIGHTS?!?!?

You see this expression?


That's pretty much all I have to offer on the matter. I mean, I understand the taboo -- I've done my share of nose-turning at the general idea. But what can I say, the heart is fickle.

Sweater: UO
Shorts: Thrifted
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
Bag: Thrifted Coach

If there's anything my local Salvation Army has plenty of, it's old Coach purses. I guess the Soccer Moms in my area just get tired of their bags rather quickly. I like imagining that this little black one diligently carried some suburban lady's mini-van keys, packs of Freedent, and Phil Collins cassette tapes for one hot year around 1992.

Oh and also: we have a winner for the BB Dakota Dusty Pink Blake Dress giveaway, which you may remember from this post. And the winner is....Katy from Style Child! Congratulations to Katy, and thanks to everybody who entered! Hopefully there will be more giveaways in the future!

The end of an era, the dawn of an age.

It is with deep grief that I inform you of the death of my beloved Freddie Mercury Edition Asus Eee PC laptop.

Okay, it wasn't actually "Freddie Mercury Edition," but my favorite Freddie sticker looked so perfect on it, you could have sworn it came that way.

Anyway, last week I managed to crack the LCD with a swift act of clumsiness, so the dear netbook that so dutifully connected me to the internets is gone. Luckily, I was able to quickly replace it with a new Asus model.

The only minor drawback was that it only came in glossy black, so the white background of my prized Freddie sticker would hardly blend in. As you can see, I found a new Freddie image to better compliment my new partner in computing crime.

Besides, glossy black goes with my Minnie Mouse ears. And everyone knows that blogging is best done in a nightgown and pair of cartoon mouse ears. Right?

Does Google Translate offer English -> 1930's Slang?

It's hard not to love movies from the 1930's -- especially ones that were particularly modern at the time. The narrow, drapey silhouettes are so distinct. Also, diction classes taught by Hollywood movie studios must have been intense, because people speak with such slick, rapid-fire cadence. Just check out this scene with Jean Harlow and Clark Gable in China Seas, and you'll see what I mean.

Dress: Thrifted

Belt: Modcloth

Shoes: Guess?

Necklace: Vintage via the Getup

It actually seems kind of wrong to even talk about the style of 30's cinema without mentioning Grand Hotel. Greta Garbo might just be the most stylish woman of the decade (not counting Marlene Dietrich, who will totally get her own post).

A sassy, insanely young, Joan Crawford deserves major credit though, seen here looking and acting like like a spunky little fox, long before she was a crazy, Groucho-Marx-eyebrow, Mommie Dearest psycho.

Anyhow, the DJ just put on my favorite platter, so this alligator's going to kick up her gams and get this wingding started.

Pam Hogg Sucks.

This may not be 100% obvious from my writing here, but I can be a bit of a loudmouth. If I'm infuriated -- or even just annoyed -- there's a good chance I'll react with a venomous retaliatory outburst -- one which I would surely come to regret, if I weren't so lastingly spiteful.

So having clearly stated that, let me get right to the point: Pam Hogg sucks. You probably don't need me to explain it all, as it's been thoroughly explained by Susie Bubble at Stylebytes, Wendyb and others, but just to summarize: Hogg lady designs metallic spandex unitards that look like costumes worn by Vince Noir from the Mighty Boosh. Her fame apparently reached a high point when her totally new and innovative designs were worn by socialite-child-of-a-Boomtown-Rat, ms. Peaches Geldof.

Peaches Geldof sports a Pam Hogg unitard, photo from the Daily Mirror.

Vince Noir (real name Noel Fielding) glams out at a Mighty Boosh live show.

Witty, prophetic, and perhaps most importantly (only in this case), extremely lovely style blogger Susie Bubble felt genuine affection for the spacey outfits, and went to Hogg's store to try one on. She subsequently posted pictures of the adventure, and she cut quite a figure, the unforgiving lycra looking rarely gorgeous on Susie's svelte little frame, while most of us would look a little more like Howard in that clip up there.

Photo of Susie Bubble from Wendyb, by way of Racked, by way of Style Bubble.

Well Hogg Lady felt differently, and her PR folks contacted Ms. Bubble, instructing her to remove the pics on the basis that it was bad publicity. Iknowright, you can't make this shit up. Hogg is happy to see her Dancekins pictured on a 20 year old reality star with a six-month marriage, a coke habit, and a tattoo of her ex's name. But lord forbid somebody just as pretty, just as articulate, and just as qualified in the areas of fashion decide to vacuum seal herself into one of these. Plus, the bonus: no coke habit. (Oh, and immensely qualified. And no sad, nepotism-derived notoriety.)

I actually don't mean to talk such smack about Peaches. I don't know her, and maybe if my dad organized Live Aid, I'd be a hot mess too. I don't even really dislike astronaut-themed spandex (obviously), but nobody who makes their living with such an inescapably silly thing should be such a jerk about it. That's all.

Oh and also, can we please splash some pink on that mannequin's head and pretend it's me?

Nice tough-but-sensitive pose, by the way, mannequin. That mannequin should start a boy-band supergroup with Nick Carter, Donnie Wahlberg, and Slater from Saved By the Bell.

Pretty dress -- spotted!

I don't know about you, but I get a lot of my daily style inspiration from Modlife -- the official blog of Modcloth, my go-to store for indie/vintage inspired clothing. So you can imagine how I blew an effing gasket when I woke up this morning to find that I was featured as a Style Inspiration on the Modlife Blog! If this is my 15 minutes, I can die happy.

Let's celebrate with a crinoline!

Dress: Vintage via Planetclairevintage
Shoes: Adrienne Vittadini
Bag: vintage via local antique store
Gloves: Vintage via the Getup

Faux pearls: vintage via the Getup

This isn't a vintage crinoline -- in fact, it's brand new. I bought it from a store that sells square dancing paraphernalia. I don't know how to do the Texas Two-Step, but this big, white fluffer-nutter makes me want to learn.

It's not to late to enter to win an adorable BB Dakota dress! Just visit this post and leave a comment with your name and email before Thursday, June 11th. Sorry, the contest is only available for US residents. Good luck!

A time for red, a time for black...time to win a BB Dakota dress!

Blouse: Jovovich-Hawk for Target
Skirt: Thrifted
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Steve Madden
Bag: Star Vintage

Hey, you there! Come over here, sonny, and let me pelt you with my handbag!

Just kidding, I would never hit you with my box purse. I just want to give you a pretty little dress! And it would appear that the folks at Chickdowntown do too, because they're helping me giveaway this adorable BB Dakota Dusty Pink Blake Dress to one lucky reader!


To enter the contest, just comment here with your name and email before Thursday, June 11th. Sorry, this contest is for US residents only. Chickdowntown will send the winner this pretty little number. In the meantime, I'll be cruising the site for more summer staples, like these ridonkulously sexy, pin-up inspired Black Halo Dresses.

Where the buffalo roam.

Prairie dresses have had some fine moments in fashion history, but for a large part, they've had a rough time of it.

Dog hater Elmira Gulch from the Wizard of Oz:

Resident pioneer bitch Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie:

Tightly wound sister-wife Nikki from Big Love:

Even still, there's something oddly alluring about pearlescent buttons and demure ruffles up to the neck. I probably should have accessorized this outfit with a nice bingo marker.


Prairie dress: Vintage via the Getup
Jacket: H&M
Shoes: Steve Madden
Scarf: Thrifted