Monday, January 18, 2016

Impractical Shoes Make Life Worth Living

Update: I shouldn't trust my brain to remember the names of cosmetics. It was the Nonie Creme line, not Circa I bought for foundation. *taps head sideways* Gotta get the porridge out of my brain.

Info here




By this point in winter, I'm sick of boots. Sure, I'll wear them to and from my car, but after that it is "All impractical shoes, all the time." There's only so much you can do to accessorise a coat, and eventually it makes sense to start looking at feet. 
Two necklaces, blah , blah, blah...let's see some shoes! 

Another pair of vintage Peacock's dyeable shoes. I wonder, were they to match a prom dress, or a bridesmaid's? You can't go wrong with royal blue, it looks good on nearly everyone. Makes me a bit sad I can't know what the dress was like. I see dye-to-match shoes quite a bit in the thrifts, but I won't buy them unless it is a comfortable shoe. So many of them are made to be worn once, and they're awful. What a way to ruin an evening wearing shoes that pinch and rub. Peacocks don't do that-they're good shoes that you wouldn't mind wearing after the event. The bridesmaid dress might be another story. 
 Quilted vinyl 70's handbag? Be still my heart!
The bright green and pale blue are Bakelite, the rest are more recent. Together, they kind of work. 




 Impractical shoes do require a sensible coat, however. It does help to take my mind off the fact that my feet are freezing. This is the second white coat I've bought in as many years. On the farm it didn't make sense to own anything white, but here my car is less of a dirt magnet, and I keep finding white coats. It is lighter than the photos would lead you to believe.

I found this one for under $10.00 at Hand-Me-Ups. It was in perfect shape. The label is Worumbo fabric, and is made for Young Miss of California. That was helpful in dating the coat. Worumbo mill in Lisbon Maine was in operation from the turn of the century until 1987 when it burned. Young Miss of California was a label associated with the 1960's. So before '87, but probably not before the late 50's. To me, it looks late 60's, though the "Young Miss" part of it is hard to believe as it looks like something my nan, Alice would have worn. Maybe young at heart (that was oozing sarcasm, by the way). I don't really care when it is from, as it is warm, made of nice wool, and not absurdly long in the sleeves (a major problem I have with coats). The lady that owned this coat took excellent care of it, and I hope to continue wearing for many more winters. I mean, bound buttonholes, on a wool coat?! Good heavens, you don't see that too often.

 OK, so I look like a polar bear crossed with an old lady, but I. Don't. Care.  Now get the hell off my lawn before I call the police. Damn kids.
 Outfit Particulars:
Vintage Designers Originals knit skirt-Goodwill
Cashmere sweater-Lord and Taylor, 90's
Peacock's dye-to-match shoes-Goodwill
1970's vinyl handbag-Goodwill
Young Miss of California vintage coat-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage necklaces-Both Hand-me-Ups
Bangles-all thrifted many places
Brooch on coat-Goodwill
Vintage freshwater pearl clip earrings-Thrift World
Fragrance-Marni, Rose (unless you adore Bulgarian rose, keep your distance. This one is STRONG. Lots of wood notes as well. I rather like it, but Danny thinks it smells like disinfectant).

I was in Walgreen's today (as I am many days as there's one across the street from me) and I tried out their new line of cosmetics exclusive to Walgreen's, Nonie Creme. I must say that I wouldn't have bothered were it not for the woman they employ in the cosmetics department, Lori. If you can get yourself to the Walgreen's at 90th and Dodge in Omaha, go see her-she's great. No hard-sell, honest opinions, and she's a genuinely nice person. From my son's acne issues to my dry skin, I know who to turn to for help, so if Lori thinks the Nonie Creme line makes good foundation for deathly pale pasty faced ghouls fair skin like mine, I'm going to take her word for it. Got home, slathered that stuff all over my face and you know what? Great! I'm not being compensated in any way, shape or form by Walgreen's but if I were I would make them promise never to let Lori leave. Give the woman a raise-she's worth every penny. If they could only do something about the horrible woman that runs the cosmetics at the weekend...but let's keep this positive. Anyway, I haven't broken out in hives or anything horrible from it yet, so at this point, I think I have a new, inexpensive foundation. Hooray.

I'm going to try and showcase more of my, "Fancy" shoes that don't get nearly enough time on the blog. If Mr. ETB won't take me anyplace smart, I'll just have to wear them to Walgreen's. Some people do drugs, I do shoes.

Hope your Monday is treating you well.



11 comments:

Beth Waltz said...

Thank you, fellow addict, for my royal blue Peacock shoe fix of the week. Me mum used to buy shoes from Peacock's On the Circle, back in the days when she was a working woman and working women wore hats and fancy gloves (like gauntlets).

Bound buttonholes, you say? And for only $10? Well scored! Bound buttonholes on a decent wool coat are as rare as lined woolen slacks, as just as desirable in these arctic conditions.

Bridesmaids' dresses ARE odd. There are websites devoted to them, ranked in order of hideousness. My personal favorite on the theme was the wedding of a vengeance demon who persuaded Buffy the Vampire Slayer to wear a maid's dress that was 1980s fluffy at its worst. I've worn a fair few of them myself, once and never again. What can be done with them? Not even the thrifts dare hang them!

Propagatrix said...

I went the opposite direction in makeup today and sprang for a very expensive primer/foundation/concealer combination at Sephora (Lancome and Bobbi Brown), along with sone other spendy things. I figured I'd try to look like the nonprofit executive I apparently am now, and then maybe I'll start feeling like one.

Got a rollerball of My Burberry. Nice, but a bit short-lived on me. Also, I do not like the reformulated Miss Dior. It smells like the bottom of an old hatbox.

Bibi Maizoon said...

How brilliant to pair those sapphire blue jeweled toned shoes with the muted shades of your ensemble!
That coat is divine, I'd say late 60's - that was the last era when good taste was still chic.
Hmm, Circa is being billed as a 'multi cultural' brand by Eva Mendes. I guess that means their foundations go deeper than medium & have warm tones? Yup, -
From Styleblazer:
"The Hollywood glamour-inspired brand includes 133 richly pigmented products ranging from foundation & lip stains to two-sided mascara. Designed in black & glass with antique gold packaging, the collection is targeted to the Hispanic market, with shades that 'service all types of ethnicities.'"

On Marni - Bulgarian rose grows absolutely sickly sweet on me. I can't stand it but I get loads of compliments when I wear anything with it. People always describe scents they like on me as 'so soft.'

The Kmart parking lot in Sonoma had much better food than GD concerts, how many hessian weave PB&J sandwiches, bird seed & yogurt concoctions, and steamed veggie burritos can one stand? (Probably quite a few if you've smoked enough MJ.) Give me some lard drenched tamales, al pastor goat burritos, and papusas oozing with cheese!

Versace Blonde is the skankiest tuberose on the planet. I wear my 90's VB parfum when I'm feeling outre, shall we say. Donatella looks withered & artificial, but skanky? It's been discontinued & judging by Donatella's Bright Crystal (said to be composed of her favorite notes but a disappointingly wan & banal frag) her taste is withered & artificial also. Sorry, Donatella, but you aren't filling Gianni's shoes by light years.

Goody said...

@Beth
Peacock's had a shop? That would have been the end of my money had I been around when it was.

I think the very worst bridesmaid dress I endured was a ruffled lavender, off-the-shoulder number that went clear to the ground. It had yards of tulle and chiffon nonsense on the bottom, and after several years of it taking up valuable real estate in my closet, I binned it. It was so hideous, even a lover of hideous dresses like myself wouldn't wear it. That was 1981, if I recall. *Shudder*. The couple divorced 6 months later, but I'm sure the dress lives on in a landfill somewhere because those synthetic materials never die.

@Propagatrix
Lancome makes the world's best mascara-nothing even comes close. If the foundation is as good as the mascara, it is probably worth whatever it cost.

I guess the days of sending someone out to pick up your dry cleaning are over, so I'm not sure what you have to do to feel like an executive these days. Makeup seems a good place to start.

You could probably sell a perfume if you described it as smelling like an old hatbox. There was one called, "Old Fur Coat" by CB I Hate Perfumes. I loved the old Burberry for women from the 90's, but their more recent offerings haven't excited me much.

@Bibi
I haven't seen anything in the Versace collections I've liked in at least a dozen years. Not that I'm out buying couture, but I enjoy looking and I haven't been impressed. Maybe that's why I never checked out the perfumes. I don't think skanky tuberose would work for me, but it sounds like the sort of thing that could be incredible when it does work. Man, there were some interesting fragrances in the 90's but they were overshadowed by all the aquatic/fruit salad/calone scents. That's an era I need to revisit fragrance wise (you can keep the clothes, thanks very much).

Sue said...

I to am a shoe addict remember!! Those peacock blues are beauties and I am all for impractical things. Bet your bangles make a nice sound when they knock against each other, another thing I like.

Mim said...

Hoorah for a new foundation, and for a decent saleslady. I'm still looking for my perfect mineral powder one; everything on the shelves in the UK is too dark for me. I'm boring with makeup, neutral eyeshadow and black liner every day.

Excellent necklaces - I thought at first it was one giant monster bib like Camilla's Greville necklace (only hers is diamonds - have you seen that monster? Ay caramba.)

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

What lovely shoes! And the coat looks warm and cozy and a great bargain as well. You look most stylish.

I'd love to see more of the shoes and I agree you do get sick of boots! Like you I don't get out much (!) so the few dressier shoes I have rarely see light of day, I might have to follow your example and give mine an airing now and again...

x


Veronica
vronni60s.blogspot.com

Goody said...

@Veronica
Thank you. Perhaps we should organise a dressy shoe day where everyone can post their favourite pair.

Connie said...

Oh no. This brings back memories of the hideous dyed to match the bridesmaid dress shoes that I had to wear as a bridesmaid in a wedding circa 1985. The color was called Grape. You get the picture. I have no idea whatever happened to them but if you find them in a thrift store I just know that you are the one person on earth who could possible make them look fabulous.

Curtise said...

Ooh, those shoes are such a great colour. I remember loving a kitten heel in the early 80s - wish I'd kept those shoes now. Unlike you, tend to live in boots all winter, knee length or ankle boots. I like my heels, but when I'm at work and on my feet all day, I just can't hack it anymore.
So yes, let me live vicariously through you - show us your shoes! xxx

Goody said...

@Connie
My heart skipped a beat at the mention of a shoe colour called, "Grape."

@Curtise
When I worked retail I wore flats-Clarks were my go-to shoe because they were so comfortable.