Munchkin Style

This is my sweet niece ("great" niece, actually--and that's no exaggeration) dressed up for Christmas Eve. Her Mom tells me she loves to select her own outfits, and here she is directly on the mark with a red plaid jumper, striped tights in precisely the same tones, and of course a charming piece of fine jewelry around her neck. Deeeelicious! She was quite proud to do a pose for the blog. I see a fabulous fashion future for this 5 year old!

More Famous Quotes

"I sleep naked."--Victoria Beckham
"I can't sleep without pajamas."--Reporter
"You don't sleep with David Beckham."--Victoria Beckham

Which just proves that Victoria the Fashion Icon always has in mind that most important fashion rule:
1. Always dress appropriately for the activity.
That's major. Or as Posh would say, "MIJAH!" Go Posh.

Christmas Dinner with the Girlz

My friend Joan on our way to Christmas dinner the other night. I love the sparkly gold-and-black hose, the fabulous gold-and-black heels, the black skirt with knife-pleated hem, and the gold top. Great style! And the perfect accessory--the glass of Chardonnay. Never go anywhere without it.

Ok, here we all are, ready to go out for our annual Christmas dinner. OMG what a bunch of hot women. This is the "before" pic. ( Next time we'll all keep our eyes open.) You wouldn't want to see the "after." I don't even remember the "after"......

Garden Dance

I thought this was a gardening store, duh. It's right next to "Garden Girl", which is a gardening store, on Front Street. But Garden Dance is billed as "A collection of home, garden, and fashion frou-frou", and that's exactly what it is.
I love frou-frou! Leopard loafers! Pony purses! Funky aprons! And fabulous trench coats in black velvet or red satin with golden swirly things!
Anyway, this is a great Front Street shop that deserves regular browsing just for the smiles. I found a red polka-dot teapot amongst all the other frous. Owner Michelle Wyles is as friendly and funky as the shop itself, and her personality is reflected everywhere. She also has consignment jewelry from local artist Lucy Valderhaug & others, chandeliers, tableware, children's things, and bric-a-brac. It really is an interesting blend of very cool stuff. Go there on a gray and boring afternoon, your spirits will immediately rise out of the doldrums!

Garden Dance
452-0611
25 N. Front Street, Shop #3
Yakima, WA 98901

President's Ball

When I started the blog lots of friends told me I'd be in for some long dry spells looking for style, and they were right! I've been to a lot of events lately but nobody seemed to stand out style-wise. Or I forgot my camera. Or my camera had dead batteries. But that's beside the point.

Saturday night was the President's Ball at YCC and style was suddenly everywhere. Most of it black, but black is always right. There were tons of really great dresses plus lots of combinations of separates: shiny, jewel-toned tops with black skirts or pants, short skirts or long, lots of lace, lots of velvet. And some of the guys really stood out in there tuxes too, interesting vests & ties, a black shirt instead of the normal white.
Sorry my camera died trying to get Mary Jo Pinnell in the coolest bubble dress that looked like it was two parts aluminum foil, one part crushed-up satin.

But here are a few of the highlights I did get:








Pat told me , "Just take the picture of the dress & cut my head off", which I almost did! Sorry Pat, I really didn't mean to do that. Pat has great style every day but we're used to seeing her in earth tones so this dress was a fun departure for her: shades of black, white, and gray with a black stole. But what truly makes it stand out is the hemline of paillettes that sparkled, spangled, jingled, & jangled. Obviously for shakin it on the dance floor. She said she ordered the dress from a Bergdorf's catalog & was afraid it wouldn't arrive in time. But it did. And then she did too, in big style!

Kay is becoming a regular at Not Quite Palm Springs, maybe because she has the perfect body & looks good in whatever? Not everyone can wear a dress like this: fitted all the way with a beautiful seamless mesh top & long sleeves, lines of rhinestones everywhere, high collar--gorgeous!

And Janni was spectacular in the black Leger-style boatneck top with pants. Lots of women ended up wearing evening separates like this--a great idea so you can mix them up next time & no one knows you've worn it before.

Judi gets style points for wearing brown velvet with furry trim on the sleeves & the neckline. A real standout in a sea of black, I thought, and perfect for a winter evening. (A little too warm for the dancing tho, she said.) Very classy look.

Kiki: The Pres. Ball was all new to her but she showed everyone she knew her style stuff! This baby-doll dress was adorable, just the right length, WAS NOT BASIC BLACK, and most importantly, she is just the right age to wear it. Plus the white evening clutch--bold choice! She wins the Best Dressed Prize in my arbitrary Not Quite Palm Springs opinion.

Maxine

OOOhhhh, Maxine says this all too well.
This was so funny I just had to put it in my blog.

Ode to Target

Can a single girl on a limited budget (ok, we're talkin' flat broke--always) find wardrobe happiness at Target? Yes, we believe so! Now that Target has added designers like Isaac Mizrahi, Proenza Schouler, & Alice Temperly it can be as much fun to shop there as at H & M or any other bargain-hunter's paradise. Even the store brands are fashion-forward, very current happy styles that anyone of any size and age can wear.

Julie got an entire wardrobe at Target for around $200 & ended up with some great stuff to mix & match:
This red & black houndstooth knit tunic is so cute! Over jeans or leggings with a black long sleeve T underneath. As Posh would say, "Maijah!!!!" True.

This is a terrific plaid jacket that can be worn all fall with jeans, pants, skirts, whatever. She's got it here with black leggings, grey knit tunic & cute leopard flats. Target has some really fun shoes, too.

Leslie Loudon Guild Luncheon---- or "New Jacket City"

The Leslie Loudon Guild luncheon is always a good place to spot Yakima women dressed in their best. The uniform this year seemed to be black and black, topped by a really spectacular jacket. Now that's just a simple way to dress! One can put on a black top and pants and be ready to go any day this winter by just adding different jackets. Seems like that's what I've been doing lately....I get up, put on black & then try to figure out the rest later.

The luncheon also featured a fashion show by Steve & Gretchen at Haberdasher & Haberdasher Ladies. Great stuff! They've obviously gotten in some new and different brands that are adventurous, young, and fun. Kind of pricey for a bargain hunter like me, but then the good stuff usually is.

So here are just a few of the fun looks I saw that day (besides on the actual models): Janine wore a cool velvet jacket in earth tone paisley print & Judy had on a beautiful one of all-over passementarie in a beautiful charcoal/silver tone. Both with basic black, of course. "Chicos!" they both said. Nice to know Chico's is finally branching out into some fashion-forwardness after years of concentrating on those packable knits that inundated everyone's wardrobe. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

This is the aforementioned Phyllis Strother (see blog dated ), and her longtime friend Connie Bryant, both looking sharp in their pantsuits. Phyllis' was a tiny pinstripe, (sorry it doesn't show up in the pic), with a small ruffle at the neckline. Connie added a nice bright rose color to her basic black and looked fabulous. Both of these ladies were my co-workers at Nordstrom about a hundred years ago! We spent several minutes lamenting the fact that no one dresses up for anything anymore. Don't let that happen to you.

Whoa! One of the highlights of the luncheon was seeing John, the Asst. Golf Pro, dressed in white and waiting tables. I just had to get his picture. Actually a lot of the ladies were wishing John would serve them up....something. Anything. Not sure what. He just looked so dang cute.

One more great jacket: this is Linda in a beautiful brocade-with-lace number she found at Priscilla's. She looked so with it! S'all ahm sayin. I've actually never been in Priscilla's for the simple reason that I find her t.v. ads absolutely barfable and blort-worthy. Does that make me a bad person?

Hello Stiletto!

Here's another new website for you, especially you shoe fanatics: http://www.shoeclub.us/
It's titled "Hello Stiletto"; one of my friends in Atlanta told me about it as her daughter-in-law just joined a Shoe Club.
What could be better?
It's a club where women get together once a month in a bar or restaurant for the "sole" purpose of showing off their shoes. Fabulous! Like a book club except you never have to feel guilty about not reading the book!
They even give out awards every month for "Best of Shoe." There are shoe clubs in Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, and Naples, Fla.
I love the pics of all the events and seeing all the shoes, but the best part of the site is the collection of quotes that appear on every page and change with every click. Here's one from Oprah:
"I still have my feet on the ground. I just wear better shoes."
Love it. Go there. Wear great shoes when you do.

Planned Parenthood--Oktoberfest

There are lots of Oktoberfest-type celebrations in Yakima in the fall, and the blogabilities are definitely out there. I love seeing women put together a look all their own with what's in their closets, not necessarily going shopping to buy an "outfit" to wear. These ladies added lots of different elements that clicked together for fun Yakima-style casual looks that were very current and didn't come off as too matchy-matchy and premeditated.

Julie, perfectly casual in the long shirt, uber-skinny jeans tucked into the most delicious grey suede boots that zipped up the back. (Sorry they don't show up very well in the pic, but believe me, they were delicious.) Boots that beautiful could change your life. Make you brilliant. Get you all kinds of new, interesting friends. Make you tall, blonde, & beautiful like Julie. Well, maybe not...but she looked great.

Fashion Fearlessness: Black & white argyle tights with a coatdress, tonite worn as the dress by Dora. Can't see the huge patent bag, but it looked fabulous. I told her my blog was about Yakima style & she said, "But I'm not from Yakima!". Big deal, Prosser-- close enough. I'd venture to say Dora is the most stylish citizen in that town. Blogalicious. And she & her husband supplied all the wine for the event, so how cool is that?

This is Addy, PPCW's brand-new Development Director, developing some style of her own with the black pencil skirt, skinny belt, luscious satin blouse with crystal-ball necklace, and boots. Perfect combination, not too overdone. Addy just moved from Phoenix--how often can you wear black leather boots in Phoenix? She looks very chic & put-together for an autumn event like this.

Fresh Hop Ale Fest

Saturday night was the Fresh Hop Ale Fest, Allied Arts' annual fundraiser in the Millenium Plaza. The weather was cool, the bands were hot, the beer was cold and hoppy, the wine was smooth and grapey, and the crowds were dressed for an outdoor party in October. It's always a fun event and the weather can be perfect or perfectly awful. This year we lucked out, it was chilly but pleasant. So how do Yakimanians dress for a night of hops? Here ya go:

It was chilly, but she looked so cozy in this white Polar-tec type jacket. Plus perfect accessories: black beret, white fuzzy gloves, empty beer glass.....Whoa how did that happen?

All right, I just had to put this guy in. I mean, how many Hoppy Hats have you seen? He made everyone wish they had one! Let's drink to that. I believe he already had, several times.

These girls had it all goin' on: love the chunky necklace & comfy white top with the lace yoke, also a great haircut on the blonde. I thought they were girlfriends, which they are, but the brunette is actually the blonde's boyfriend's mom. (Not too confusing) They were having a great time together! The pin-stripe shirt looks very classy & casual under the argyle vest. And she looks way too young to have a kid that old. They laughed when I told them I was looking for style in Yakima. Because they're both from Seattle. Oh well.

This is Renee', who is teensy little thing but always dresses to suit her frame: pea coat that's just the right shape & not overpowering on her, (okay maybe she got it in the kid's department), Burberry bag & cute new shaggy haircut. Toasty! Might as well drink to that too.

How Did This Happen?

Does this ever happen to you? Every few seasons I look in my closet and suddenly everything I own is just plain WRONG. Where have I been, in a cave? I looked through the stores and the magazines and then I looked at my closet and my sweaters are too skinny, my jeans are too mommy, my skirts are too flowy, my shoes are too pointy, my pants are too low. Or too high. Or too tight. Or whatever.
That's how I felt this fall when I saw all the new jacket shapes, the baby-doll sweaters, the empire waist tops, the wide jeans. I needed a crash course in 2007. Suddenly everything looked so new and different and fun and cool and chic and well, almost wierd! When did it happen? I love the new jacket shapes, all the sleeves with the bell or the lantern shape, the new jeans that come up higher, and shoes with nice comfortable round toes no matter what heel height.
Sometimes one needs a total wake-up call to get to the closet and clean it out, so that's what I did. And I was ruthless. I threw out stuff that was perfectly good, maybe even never worn, because I looked at it and knew I'd never wear it. It was painful, but what's a new wardrobe without a little pain? And besides, some of those shoes I threw out had caused me enough, ouch.
So now at least I've got room for some of those hot fall items: patent leather oxford pumps! Pencil skirt! Wide pants! Lots of gray stuff! Okay, I've been resisting these for too long, I finally give up: Baby doll tops! Euueew.. never thought I'd say that. But when it comes to khaki capris, I'm still drawing the line. Not for me. Yet.

If you're cleaning out your closet this fall, remember a great place to take your old stuff is The Discovery Shop on Yakima Avenue, it's the American Cancer Society's re-sale shop. Or you could try the YWCA's Working Women's Wardrobe if you have lots of suits, blazers, or anything for a woman starting a new job for the first time. Or dump them off at the Union Gospel Mission's Lighthouse Shop on Front Street. But give them away. Sometimes it's good to just start over.

The Ladies Who Lunch

There were lots of ladies at Town Hall yesterday wearing nice proper jackets and pants but Kay stood out in this black/white tweed: new flyaway shape, lantern sleeves, round collar, giganto buttons. A new, interesting-shaped jacket like this can completely update last year's wardrobe and looks very in the moment. Plus the sweater with all the buttons on the sleeves looks perfect under it, and we all love the big red bag. (The jacket's from Ladies Haberdasher.) Also--chic new haircut AND we like the hot pink strand in it for breast cancer awareness!

September Wedding

This is Nikki, wearing a great combination of brown and green at a recent wedding. The bold beaded necklace and the shawl added just the right touch. Can't see her shoes, but they were brown ballet flats. Not too matchy-matchy, but very put together. She says she wears scrubs to work, so she has fun dressing up.

Teeny-tiny fashionista: This little girl was all dressed up in black & white polka dots with hot pink trim, black tights & patent leather shoes. She wouldn't stop dancing long enough for me to take her picture.

Charlotte, N.C.

Ok, perhaps Charlotte is not known as a fashion capitol, and true, it was a little difficult to find some real style. (Tell me--am I the only woman in this entire country that does not own a pair of khaki capri pants? And when did that become our uniform?) BUT, Charlotte does have a few malls. And they have more than one department store. So we had a wickedly fabulous time shopping.
Here's my deepest desire for Yakima: can we please get an "Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse"? OMG, this is like Disneyland for shoe-lovers! There are rows & rows of shoes from designer to flip-flops and everything in between. My friends took me there, left me, and came back an hour later before I even knew they were gone. I wandered the aisles barefoot, dragging a big mesh bag full of shoe boxes and trying everything in sight. Grey suede d'Orsay pumps with ribbon lace-up toes, burgundy suede mary-janes, black shubooties with little buttons. All at sale prices. I don't think I came out of my shopping stupor until I saw my Visa bill. Whew.
And Steinmart. There's a whole 'nother story. Anyway suffice it to say I had to purchase an extra suitcase to get it all home and don't you dare tell me you've never done that.

Here are a couple Charlotte pics:


This is Janie at a party at the Charlotte Westin--fearlessly fashionable at 50! Leggings, a floaty tunic & bold gold chain. Very chic, very young.

Here are our fashion gurus, Sonja & Teal, who put on a little style seminar and then took us on a tour of the Charlotte Nordstrom...and helped us find jeans without the muffin-top, the crack, or the Mom-waist. I loved Sonja's expression, "These jeans are 'sister-friendly'"--meaning they actually have a butt. They were both really fun & helpful.

Quotes for the Day

"I am here to make women look beautiful and not like fools or crazy fashion victims."--Valentino

"If you love clothes, you have some duty to show them off."--Liz Goldwyn

"If someone is chic, it hasn't happened by accident. Thought and effort went into it."--Stephanie Seymour

"You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes."--Vivienne Westwood

I love these quotes! I'm on my way to Charlotte, NC for a week for a convention. So I'm hauling my camera & I'm still on the lookout for some chicery and fashionousness! Let's hope I find some--I'll keep y'all posted.

La Belle Boutique

How many times have you driven down Yakima Ave. past "La Belle Boutique" in that corner of the old mall near the Hilton and thought to yourself: "I really should go in there one of these days"? There are always interesting-looking things in the window, and besides, I think if someone is brave enough to open a boutique in the vast empty landscape of the old mall in an almost-declared-dead downtown we OWE them a visit, don't we?

La Belle Boutique turned out to be a pleasant surprise, full of a wide range of style categories: some romantic and lacy, some sporty and colorful, some young denim and floaty tops, even some old-lady polyester.

New for fall were some beautiful tapestry jackets, short 3/4 puffy- sleeve gathered jackets with tie belts, and lighter blazers.

Not just clothing, La Belle carries some beautiful antique-looking jewelry, cute bags, and funky gift-type items.

There were lots of those great Three Dot t-shirts in every color, dresses by Jonathan Martin, several clever variations of the LBD, and "Mu" Jeans, which I'd never heard of. Also on the floor, some lesser-known brands like Ravel which makes beautiful, crisp white eyelet blouses and skirts and pants to go with. I tried on a gorgeous white shirt with a collar made of fabric roses--a little ridiculous and overwhelming on me, but for someone who's tall and stately it would be a fabulous piece.

So, go on in one of these days. There's a half-price rack and I'm sure some of the summer stuff will be marked down soon. The one employee that day didn't seem very interested in selling anything so if you're the type that likes to browse unbothered, this could be a plus. Evidently the owner, Carmen Young, has another job at Comp. Mental Health so she wasn't there. But she has made some great buys and has stocked her little shop with lots of wanna-have items. And like I said, she's a brave woman to locate it downtown! It's like finding a little jewel box!

La Belle Boutique
509-469-2070
321 E. Yakima Ave. #100
Yakima, WA 98901
Carmen Young, Proprieter

City Shorts

Who says we can't wear shorts at our age? Lyn was wearing this beige & white striped city shortsuit at lunch today & looked so casual and stylish. Love the big bag too-- (and you can't tell it but she has blue toes.) A walking advertisement for Weight Watchers, she lost lots of pounds last year and since then her fearless fashion sense has been evolving in the best of ways. Who needs that tacky Kirsty Alley? Or has-been Valerie Bertinelli? We have Lyn Snell right here in Yakima! Bring on the shorts! Middle-aged knees be damned!

Painted Pints Party

This was a fun Allied Arts event at Gasperetti's G Spot where local artists had all painted pint glasses in their own unique styles. The glasses were sold for $20 each as a fundraising kick-off for the Fresh Ale Hop Fest on Oct. 6. (DON'T MISS IT! IT'S THE HOTTEST EVENT EVER!) Pretty clever idea, I thought. What a mob! Most of the glasses were sold within 20 minutes--yikes!
This is Sandra at the Painted Pints Party. Love the skinny crop jeans and the jeweled sandals! She looked very chic. By the way, here's a cool website I found: www.seattlechic.com It's a Seattle shopping guide to lots of great boutiques over there--not just clothing but housewares, kid's clothes, lots of others; all categorized according to location. Click before your next trip so you can visit some of these unique places!
Also try www.pikepine.com for Jasmine's take on what style is in Seattle. You may not agree with her ideas of what style is, but it's always an interesting take on fashion.

"Triboot to Ileen"

I used to have a wierd thing about buying clothes in consignment shops, re-sale shops, and yard sales. The idea of wearing something that someone else (who knows who? and with what diseases?) had already worn. That was until I started volunteering at the Discovery Shop, which is the American Cancer Society's resale shop, after I "retired" from Nordstrom.

It didn't take long after sorting, washing, ironing, pricing, merchandising and displaying all these donations for me to be looking, trying, and buying. Soon I was an avid convert: among a myriad of minor pieces I scored a sheared mouton jacket from the '40's, several pairs of vintage leather gloves, a Jones New York suit that fit me perfectly, sport coats off the dollar rack for my husband. (He's still wearing them, don't tell anyone.) I decided second-hand clothes could be the best thing that ever happened to this girl.

One day my friend Ileen Shields died suddenly. She had been my mentor on the Planned Parenthood board years earlier. Now she was a lady with style. She loved clothes, she loved shopping for them, she loved wearing them, and she always looked perfect in them. She had mountains of them! Ski clothes, boating clothes, dressy clothes, travel clothes. Her Scandinavian heritage showed through in many of the things she wore: bright colors, embroidery, beautiful Norwegian sweaters. She and Gene traveled the world, and she brought the world home to her closets.

Kristy, her daughter, called me soon after to say that they wanted to donate Ileen's things to the Discovery Shop. I took the trusty van up to collect that most generous donation and noticed among all the miles of beautiful designer-wear a pair of black Ferragamo boots. What a magnificent objet trouve!! And I don't even speak French! Boots like I never in my lifetime could have afforded to buy new. Like a dream! Leather lined! A little stirrup thing that made them look just like riding boots! Tiny gold medallions! Just the right heel! My size! And (like most of Ileen's things) barely worn! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Of course we were never allowed to buy anything donated until it had been priced and put on our sales floor for a designated amount of time. I waited and watched patiently. I hid them behind some other, taller boots, hoping no one would find them. Every time I went in the shop I would visit them, talking to them, trying to make friends with them so they wouldn't go home with anyone else.

Finally one day my chance came, I paid a ridiculously small price for them (no one in the shop recognized designer prizes when they saw them--plus I had a half-off coupon), and wore them home. And then wore them and wore them and wore them.

That's when I realized that sometimes wearing used clothes can be an act of love and an act of honor. I adored those boots so much that every time I put them on I thought of Ileen and somehow felt closer to her (talk about 'big shoes to fill'....) I remembered her smile and her sense of style and the elegance that seemed to exude from her every pore. I often thought as I wore them that if she was somehow looking down on me she wouldn't mind that I had taken these little leather pieces of her glamorous life and made them my own. I liked to think that she would be smiling one of those impeccably-made-up Estee Lauder smiles at me every time I zipped up those boots.

I've worn them for seven years now. They went with everything--skirts, pants, jeans, suits. I packed them on every trip. I've had them re-soled, re-heeled, re-dyed. Of course now those little sqare heels are out of style (OMG, I could walk for miles on those things! Can't say that about my stilettos). I've tried to find a pair I like well enough to replace them, but nothing seems to come close. I'll wear them a few times, then toss them to the back of the closet and put on the Ferragamos. They are so worn out now, they conform to my feet like buttah, dahling...more comfortable than my bedroom slippers. I simply can't say good-bye to them.

So this is my tribute to you, Ileen. Thank you for the fabulous boots. But thank you so much more for the influence you had on me when I was a young mom, teaching me things about philanthropy and generosity, about giving time as well as writing checks, about being willing to take the reins and make the effort to make things happen in this town, about living well and giving well. You also taught me that one's wardrobe, though it can be fun and fabulous and an interesting way to express oneself, is certainly not the most important thing in life. But I also thank you for expressing your style in a fun and fabulous way. And for buying those amazing Ferragamos.

Fortissimo! Fashion in Tieton?

The Fortissimo! fundraiser for the Yakima Symphony and the Yakima Museum was held in the "Mighty Tieton" fruit warehouse in Tieton and featured acts from the crazy/amazing Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle. The invite stated "No ties, no pearls, no heels required." So just how does one dress for a night of circus acts in a fruit warehouse? With no air conditioning, I might add? I'm pretty sure that's a question they've never had to answer on What Not to Wear.

But Yakimaniacs stepped up to the occasion with some interesting variations on summer casual party wear. Here are a few of them:




OMG where did this guy come from? There's a man in Tieton with style? (And can I keep him?) He said he bought the shirt because it looked like something Charlie Sheen wears in 2 1/2 Men. I wonder if he'd give his fiancee an 11 Carat rock like Charlie did?

The Orminskis came ready to party under the big top: she's in sequins & a boa, he's in seersucker with a pink bow tie. Loves it, loves it! A girl can never go wrong in sequins. Or maybe she can?

But here's the best part: his pink socks and hand-painted one-of-a-kind oxfords. With pictures of famous musicians on the toes. Now there's some art! Ramalamadingdong! Hang him up on the wall!

Kurt wore a Facconable pastel striped shirt & Earl jeans--not bad for a dentist, huh? ( Pronounced "Fackuhnahbul." Try that next time you go to Nord's so you can totally embarass yourself.)

Terri, cool as a cucumber in white with a boa added just for the circus atmosphere. How many women have boas just lying around? And actually wear them? Only for special occasions like this.

This is a beautiful skirt that's almost a piece of art by itself. (Of course being tall like Donna helps when displaying such art). The ruffled leather bag is a copy of the one YSL did a couple years ago; looks good with her outfit. And Jerry's shirt goes with it all! Did they color coordinate before they went to Tieton?

Proving that style is ageless: Bobbi always looks fashionable and never boring. She's obviously a woman who loves her clothes, she buys pieces that fit her well and she's not afraid of color. This is a fun print jacket to wear over white.

Jessica & friends all showed up looking very put-together on a warm summer night. Some of the jewelry was obviously provided by the Fortissimo goody bags...

Fashion Sightings at Fools Fall in Love

These white bermudas are perfect and fresh for a hot summer night; she put them with a black top and tiny heels. The proportions work really well for her, she was very petite. The bag was big-- but not too big-- and she carried it well.

This girl brought some style to the Warehouse with her tiny-print black & white top and black pants with a subtle pinstripe which made her look taller. The pink headband added just the right touch of color and she had a flirty little haircut which really suited her. She obviously didn't mind having her picture taken!

And she had fabulous ruby slippers.... It may have been a little early for the new bootie-shoe but these looked great! What are they calling it? The bootie shoe or the shoe bootie? I think it should be the "shabootie." There. That solves the problem.

Confessions of a Bag Hag

So Louis' new bag is $2300. I actually saw someone carrying this bag. She was incredibly thin, looked very unfriendly, and was trying to play with a stray cat that was even unhealthier looking than she was. She looked creepily wicked, in a way. And I didn't even notice the bag until my daughter practically hit me over the head with her own fake Prada.
What makes a woman want to spend $2300 on a bag? That's more than my brand new Ford Pinto cost in 1972. Does anybody really need a bag that costs more than a car?
Just the day after we saw cat-woman with her Louis, my husband arrived in Maui on the way home from Korea where he had gone on business. My husband, you must know, is not a shopper. His idea of going shopping for a wardrobe is to walk into Macy's, grab any number of polo shirts and Dockers, shoot them, strap them to the hood, and race home after the hunt. The entire process takes about 15 minutes. That's when he's moving slow.
But on this trip he'd had some extra time, and bless his little heart, went to the night market in Seoul. He not only shopped, he knew names. He not only knew names, he remembered color preferences. He not only remembered color preferences, he haggled. Yes! It's true.
The darling came to Maui with a carry-on bag packed to the zippers with Prada, Burberry, Coach, and Gucci for my daughter and I, all for [he says] less than $300 American. Seriously!
The squeals of delight could be heard on Oahu!
What about counterfeit bags? I know they're illegal. Time was you could go to Chinatown in New York and find beautiful fake Chanels, Guccis, Pradas. You could haggle the afternoon away in some metal trailer of a shop and come back with some real loot. Now those days are gone, police are cracking down, counterfitters are being prosecuted, fined, jailed even. Sigh.
I know it's not right to rip off some designer, to pretend your stuff is theirs, to sell or buy cheap imitations of beautiful handiwork.
But who doesn't have a fake? Louies have become so ubiquitous now you can spot them anywhere: Wal-Mart shoppers. Davis High School sophomores. Backyard Center moms. Everyone and their dog seems to have a Louis--and I mean that literally. (Those Puppy Purses are so cute I'm tempted to borrow a puppy just so I can carry one around. ) But come on! You can't tell me all these women are actually paying money for the real thing!
"Handbag Parties" are becoming a thing of the past as the "real" fakes disappear. Now the knock-offs have funny-looking little 'c's as opposed to the real Chanel. The stitching on the Dooney & Bourkes is bright yellow and obnoxious-looking. The Burberries have a tag that says "Bunberry" or some equally misleading but humorous attempt at faking the fake.
But on the other hand....what right has a designer to sell a bag for $2300? Ok, it's nice leather. But what? From the underbelly of some prized Mongolian goat that was fed caviar for it's entire pampered life? Ok, it's a nice design. But who can't design a purse, for god's sake?
I hope I don't get arrested with my new little pink plaid Burberry, but I wear my fakes proudly. I sort of like to think that anyone who charges upwards of $2000 for a bag sort of deserves to be ripped off. And anyway, I didn't buy them, my husband did. And my goodness, did that man score points that day. Lots of 'em.
What are your thoughts on fake bags? Do you have one? How much would you pay for the real thing?

Swimsuit Hell

Why is swimsuit shopping so painful? Swimsuits either seem way too young and too skimpy or depressingly MATRONLY and hideous. Is there anything in between?
I spent lots of time observing swimsuits when I was on vacation last week and I did find a couple of attractive ones on older women. WHERE DID THEY GET THOSE??? I wanna know.

Anyone who's gotten older and gained a few pounds has tried the Miracle Suit, which guarantees that you'll look 5 lbs skinnier. What they don't tell you is that you have to be a contortionist to actually put one on. And don't even try to get the thing back up once it's wet--that takes at least 3 people. Preferably blind.
So while in Maui I went swimsuit shopping. Which I usually only do after 2 or 3 mai tais. But this day I found and bought two suits. One was from the Junior department, where I picked up the largest possible size. It was a two-piece tankini, blue and white print, little red bows, cute little ruffle around the top, boy shorts. The other was from the women's department: tank top, higher neckline, skirted bottom. "Skirtini" they called it. Very modest. Both half price.

The real test comes, of course, not in the trying-on but in the actual wearing, and for that matter, the actual swimming. Which, unlike lots of women, I actually do.

The Junior suit stayed on, but the top gapped from the shorts, revealing my end-of-vacation 5-months-pregnant-55-year-old belly. The shorts rode up, letting my buns sag out. It was hard to compress all the lumps into that little thing. It was pretty much obscene. But it was so cute! It had little red bows!
The women's suit straps kept falling off my shoulders, it gapped under my arms, the skirt made me feel like I was trapped in seaweed when I was swimming and I generally felt like I was in my bloomers in one of those pictures from the 1890's at Coney Island. Skirtini my ass.

Whatever. When I left the condo, I took with me the junior suit. I left the bloomers for the housekeepers. I guess I'd rather pretend I feel cute than surrounded by seaweed. Euuwww.

Someday I'll find a suit that covers my middle, lifts my boobs, holds in my buns, doesn't ride up, doesn't fall off my shoulders, doesn't take two helpers to pull up, and makes me look 10 lbs thinner, ten shades tanner, and ten years younger. I'll pay full price.

More Maui

She was having dinner at Pacific O in Lahaina. This was a beautiful silk dress that was like a gorgeous scarf tied around her body. There's a designer in Lahaina that makes them, but she said she got this one in NYC, where she lives. She was on her honeymoon and was positively glowing!

My BFF Carlos

Okay, maybe Carlos Santana isn't the best-dressed man in Maui but I just had to put this in my blog anyway! We had dinner next to him at the Hula Grill & he's a very kind, quiet, & gracious guy. And the blue swirly shirt is not bad. God... we look ultragoofy.

I saw this girl at Whaler's Village and she looked so great--the little yellow dress had a tie in the back & I like the way she put the pink croc bag with it; also a crystal heart necklace. She couldn't remember where she bought the dress, but she was from Illinois. Just looked very cool & put together.

Maui Style

Ok--so these pics have nothing to do with Yakima style, but I happen to be in Maui right now. I found these girls on the beach & they all looked so great in their bikinis. The braids are a sweet touch, she didn't want to have to worry about her hair.
Like Nora Ephron said, "If I'd known how good i looked at 27 I would have put on a bikini and worn it all year." Enjoy it while you can...every year it gets more and more challenging to look good in a swimsuit. Waaaahh!

Welcome to Not Quite Palm Springs

Welcome to "Not Quite Palm Springs," a semi-serious blog about Yakima style. Ha! Yakima and Style in the same sentence? I know, it's hilarious.

But it's true. I'm going to blog about what style really is, whether there is even a smidgen of it in Yakima, and who might have it.

So my intent is to go around town with my camera trying to find some style in this town, and documenting it with comments on the blog.

It could be fun! You can comment whenever you want. There will be important questions that you can answer such as "Who do you know in Yakima that has style?" or "Is Yakima truly the Palm Springs of Washington?" and "Do you have to be skinny to be stylish?"

There will be pictures of women of all ages, maybe even men if I can find any. There may be an emphasis on women over 40 just because I am and just because it's a challenge to find women over 40 who can find clothes that aren't 1) boring and 2) unflattering.

So check back! Bookmark me! Tell your friends! And comment whenever you feel the spirit.

Onward....