As penance for missing another day (what is it about Fridays, anyway?), a fashion bonanza for lovers and haters of that shining hour for fashion, the 1970s.

Our first stop? The fireplace dyptych. Whether saluting my love for “plaid”…

…or my 1/124th Aztec heritage…

…I did it with verve, pluck, and a certain, Chicago-ey je ne sais wtf?

And speaking of Chicago, let me note right upfront that no matter how chic I was, my Midwestern practicality forbade foolish extravagance. Even without the aid of modern ’styling’, I knew almost instinctively, how, with the mere replacement of vest and beaded choker with a saucy yarn ‘belt’, to transform my look from ‘wintry elegance’ (above) to ’springtime sass’:

Of course, stitch wizardry is every fashionista-on-a-budget’s bestest secret weapon. Some girls have Armenian seamstresses; I had “Mom”, who not proved invaluable come Halloween, but was instrumental in creating holiday magic at a price:

Of course, as I grew up, so did my taste. I started approaching fashion with a more playful eye, and began pushing the envelope when it came to traditional holiday garb:

Summer! Winter! What were these to me but seasonal ’suggestions’?! I would wear “summer” in “winter”, and “powder blue corduroys” and “Quiana print shirts” whenever the hell I felt like it!!!

About this time (age 15-16), I also discovered the subtle allure of fine, French perfume (see Jean Naté spray bottle, above), as well as the sultry allure of a not-smile: what an upside to buck teeth and braces!

Armed with these secret fashion weapons, I was all but unstoppable. It was not until I discovered the culotte, however…

…that my undisputed reign as Queen of Cowtown Style truly began…

xxx
c

TOPICS: 21 day salutes, Scanning My #$@! Photos™.

This entry was posted by the communicatrix on Saturday, November 18th, 2006 at and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.