Old Bags' Old Bags

In our last posting, we wrote about our handy dandy trusty rusty bags – the ones we use all the time, despite the fact that they are not fashionable or beautiful or held in high regard by taste makers. You know you’re getting old – um – mature – when the highest compliment you can pay your bag is that it’s reliable.

This week, for your viewing pleasure, we’re delighted to show you the bags that mostly live in our closets. We love them, but for any number of reasons they just don’t work with our daily lives.

Valerie’s old bags:

1. Blue Pleats Please knapsack

It’s wonderfully creative and colorful (the inside is plaid), but loses its sharp shape as soon as I put something in it. Also, in order to get anything out of it, I have to take it off both shoulders, not just one. (Dress also by Pleats Please; straw hat by Miss Bierner.)




2. Red felt cord bag

Bought at the Union Square Christmas Market two years ago. I love the simple but ingenious design of this Nepalese bag – a single felt cord wound and bound into a geometric shape with strategically knotted twine. But even a little weight in it distorts the lines of the design. I don’t regret the purchase, though. I hang it on the wall as fiber art. (Boiled wool cape by Ceilun Sport.)

3. Orange hard shell knapsack

By Makio Hasuike for Vespa. Don’t ever get on the subway at rush hour with a hard shell knapsack. NO ONE will compliment you on your fashion sensibility. They will just fume about the extra space your bag occupies since, unlike shoulders, knapsacks make no concessions in crowds. (And there’s the above-mentioned accessibility issue for the wearer.) (Hat by Chisato Tsumori; coat by Searle; bracelet: velvet dog chew toy from Furry Paws.)

4. Blue and white cotton kasuri bag

By Arise, made in India. I love it, but the straps won’t go diagonally over my shoulder, it will show all its dirt, and I can’t wear it between October and May, although I think I could if I lived in southern California, Florida or Hawaii. (Suit by Calvin Klein; white perforated leather cap by Antoinette.)




5. Pink cotton quilted bag

Made in India. I bought this bag in my early 20s (so it's more than five years old...). At the time, if I’d put a few dollars, a pen, and a package of tissues in it, it would have fulfilled all my needs for the day, but not anymore. I last wore this bag at Easter. The other problem that keeps me from using this bag is that I’ve grown out of most of my pink clothes! (Vintage pink velveteen lily pad hat unlabeled; jacket by Alberto Makali.)

6. Gray embossed leather bag










By Bruno Magli. This was my souvenir of a trip to Venice when I was 25. Perfect then; too small now, though I still love it. (Wool jacket by Barami; long sleeved wool sweater by Banana Republic; sleeveless wool gown by Blayde.)

7. Green felt and suede leaf bag

The leaf, from Hut Up, was marketed as a trivet at the Cooper Hewitt Museum. With a few basting stitches, I sewed it to a small green suede knapsack, which I believe I bought at Century 21. (It has no label.) I found it irresistible, although I knew when I bought it that it was too small. It makes a great impact at festive occasions, but it has the same problems as the previous knapsacks. (Velour hat by Vogue Japan; felt coat by Tiiti Tolonen; vintage green and mustard suede harlequin cut gauntlets.)

8. Black pyramid shaped bag

By Urban Oxide. I bought two, planning to wear one on each hip, like the old French pannier dresses, but some things don’t go according to plan. The shape of the very soft plastic material is compromised if there is anything in the bag. PLUS it’s too small to put my diary in. PLUS it’s not designed to stay face up, so if you leave it unzipped, everything (like my camera) comes tumbling out. But it IS designed to unzip into a single strip, as shown here. Not practical, but really cool anyway! (Vintage black velvet hat with ‘rosebud’ open top by Hats by Eddi; wool snap top by Jill Andersen; gown by Blayde; high heeled sneakers by Chinese Laundry.)

9. Blue round molded foam Lacoste bag

I wear this back to front, so the embossed logo doesn’t show (logophobe that I am), but truth to tell, I wear it very little altogether, as I can’t even get my wallet into it (see photo below).
It has a long shoulder strap, so I can drape it as a visual non-sequitur, and then never give it a second thought. It’s a hilarious conversation piece. Note to self: What IS it about women and tiny bags???




10. Green felt bag with yellow polka dots

From the Columbus Avenue Craft Show. Another Nepalese bag. Most of the current crop of felt bags have designs on one side only (a big no no!), but this has the same design on the other side, so there is no “wrong” way to sling it. On the other hand, green and yellow are hard colors, and the strap is not long enough to wear diagonally across my shoulder, so this bag doesn’t get out a lot. But I have it where I can see it, and just enjoy looking. (Cotton knit lightly padded coat, bought second hand in 1992, by Christian de Castelnau; wool hat by Phoenix.)

11. Red woven leather Bottega Veneta bag

Still yummy in its buttery softness! This bag (like so many of my favorite things) is from one of my secret resale haunts. Its shoulder strap is not only long enough for me to sling diagonally across my shoulder, it can be hidden inside to make a clutch (as you see here). Unfortunately, the Bottega bag is now the size of my toiletry bag, so really it can only go out on festive occasions. Then again, that contributes to its longevity! Here you see me in the complimentary bus thoughtfully provided by the Pier Show at West 55th Street. Rosebud opening hat by Hats by Eddi; red leather and wood pin by Tereza Symon’s mother; black funnel necked patent plastic slicker by Jane Post; red plastic ring from El Museo del Barrio.

BONUS BAG

12. Soft plastic giant koi bag by NYCTLT.

The wonders of the internet brought me back in touch with my high school friend Allan. Last year I made a copy of our high school year book and sent it to him, since his got “borrowed” by a fellow classmate. This year, having read the Idiosyncratic Fashionistas blog, Allan zeroed in on my taste like a laser, and sent me this fabulous bag, along with a whole school of Swedish Fish to keep it company. Although this is not an old bag, I wanted it to make its debut at the first opportunity, so it’s today’s Bonus Bag.

The selection above doesn’t include two gorgeous and much cherished evening bags from the 1920s-1930s, probably French. One had teeny tiny seed beads which surrounded teeny tiny flowers in chain stitch embroidery; a glass closure, mother of pearl clasps, and of course a tiny mirror in its silk satin lining. The other had a silk print of a Persian hunting scene, with men on horseback chasing wild animals. It had an onyx clasp surrounded by marcasites, and of course a tiny mirror in its silk satin lining. I had been raised to think I would eventually need evening bags, so I was prepared. Imagine my surprise when I hardly ever had occasion to use these little beauties. Several years ago, while attending graduate school (where I was by far the eldest in my class), I sold them to raise a little cash. I have photos somewhere, and when I find them, I’ll post them.

Jean says:
The new reality TV show "Hoarders" strikes a little too close for comfort. When Valerie and I brainstormed this topic, I had many bags in mind, some of which I have just not been able to "put my hands on." (I know they're around here somewhere.) However, while excavating, I successfully located several old favorites. Here we go ...

1. Black and White "Plasti-Quilt" clutch by Jolles
This 40's (50's?) clutch consists of alternating rows of 4 white hollow cylinders and 4 black, woven together on a heavy cotton frame. Lined in black cotton with a black bakelite dice zipper pull, the bag measures approximately 12" long by 8" wide. I love its graphic look, but only carry clutches on limited occasions (when I'm not toting my usual 5 lbs. of junk). I'm wearing my charm necklace, espresso Elm Design Team ("100% Royal Alpaca Icelandic Design handmade in Peru") skirt, Kyodan nylon and spandex jacket, Gucci glasses and assorted rings (two black skulls, one brass, one black bakelite and six gold rings).

2.and 3. Vintage horn evening bag and recent leather embossed envelope clutch:

These are two bags that I sometimes take on travel. I transfer credit cards and cash to the smaller, lighter bag(s), leaving the larger mothership bag at home or in the hotel. The horn bag is wide enough to accommodate cell phone, small coin purse, keys and makeup. The envelope holds cash and keys (barely).

With its 36" silk cord strap, the horn bag converts from clutch to shoulder bag, greatly increasing its flexibility. Measuring 5" long by 4 " high by 2 1/2" deep, the bag has a matching hinged horn clasp, is lined in black silk and has no label. I acquired it years ago at the old outdoor 26th Street Flea Market. I love its light weight, but worry that if dropped, it might shatter.

This coppery brown envelope (10 1/2" x 5") is one piece of folded and stitched embossed leather painted gold inside, with two flat metal snaps to ensure closure. The bag was a gift from Kirsten Hawthorne, jewely designer and thrift store maven.

4. White with black polka dot purse

This fabulous purse has a matching zippered billfold on a strap inside. The purse converts to a backpack by simply pulling the black leather drawstring through the twelve silver metal grommets. It was a gift from Kim Dennis before she moved to Santa Fe nearly 20 years ago. It is in the same pristine condition today that it was then. I'm wearing a black wool hat by Maria R. Del Greco with a vintage bakelite mah jong tile pin, Cynthia Steffe black wool suspender jacket, black Michiko Koshino skirt, black fleece wrap and Missoni sunglasses. I'm also wearing seven red bakelite rings (along with six gold rings).

I wore the polka dot bag today to the "Americana and Antiques at the Pier" show on 12th Ave. at 55th St. It stored my rain poncho, coin purse, cell phone, camera and makeup case.






5. through 9. A flock of black bags

I often carry smaller bags inside larger bags when I travel, to hold rings and earrings, toiletries, cell phone chargers, etc. They are often drafted to use as coin purses or evening totes. From the left: Black nylon zipper bag (7" x 3" x 3 1/2") by Express; black poly/nylon zipper bag by Cooltura with white skull and crossbones and Japanese lettering with matte silver star zipper pull (Hecho en Mexico) from ENZ in the East Village: black and white pebble finish PVC zipper tote (10" x 5" x 1 1/2") made by Packits by RGA; small black faux patent zipper bag (6" x 3" x 1 1/2") by Adrienne Vittadini; and black PVC zippered (5" x 6") Vogue promotional bag.

10. through 13. Mae West's "Summer Diamonds"

My favorite Mae West quote: Gesturing to her ample bosom festooned with jewelry, she remarked "These are my summer diamonds... Some 'er diamonds and some 'er not." Following in that vein, here are my Louis Vuitton bags, one of which is genuine and others which are gifts of unknown provenance.

I store the three smaller bags inside the largest (22" x 11" x 8"), which is technically luggage (at the rear of the photo. From the left: classic brown and tan Speedy bag (13" x 10" x 7"); black and white Paris bag with silver hardware and zipper pulls (10" x 5" x 4"); and black background bag (7" x 6" x 5") with green, pink, blue and yellow letters and symbols.

Here I am in the loo at Tabla Restaurant ((Madison at 25th Street), sporting my small black handbag (jammed with my makup case, glasses, camera, coin purse, phone and keys). I'm wearing an Ignatius fleece hat (from the Philadelphia Craft show), black with white polka dot wool scarf, black wool Armani jacket, Brigitte harem pants and Trippen booties. [Valerie interjects: see photo above for me in the same lieu. I mean loo. We wondered briefly if it was slightly undignified, or just not done, or something, to be posing for photographs in the WC, but ultimately you can see we didn't allow that to concern us for very long.]

Here is living proof of "the pet factor." Not only when I feebly try to style my photo shoot, but also when she's feeling contrary, DeeDee makes it a point to invade my handbags. If she can't fit inside, she sits on the outside, roosting like a chicken.

As my apartment search and destroy missions progress, I will try to locate the other bags and, if successful, will include them in a future update. 'Til then, do behave!

What's in the Bag, Lady?

Valerie says:
The older I get, the less I want to carry around with me. I have a very mild case of scoliosis, and in my youth it was no big deal, but now that my muscle tone is, well, tone deaf, extra weight takes its toll on me, so it’s in my interest to minimize what I carry. That means, for example, that I no longer wear my much loved mouton coat, I no longer buy oversized leather bags, regardless of their price or the irresistible buttery quality of their leather, I gave away four pairs of Japanese leather pants because they weighed down my hips (AND they took up four precious inches of hanger space), and I no longer travel around town with large books, or even large magazines.

That also means that I now carry a strictly utilitarian bag. John, my lovely fashion photographer friend, scoffed at this humble, self-effacing bag, but I don’t care. Let him buy me the $400 woven leather bags he thinks I should haul around and pay my chiropractic bills. Then he can tell me what bag to wear. In the meantime, my near weightless crushable black parachute nylon Le Sportsac, about 15 inches wide, 10 inches high and 6 inches deep at the base, with 5 zipped and 4 velcroed pockets, is my very close friend.

In the days of my youth, my bag might have held lots of things or next to nothing, but today there is a list of things my bag must hold, very little of which will fit into the charming little artsy bags I carried as a teenager. For today’s blog, Jean and I took inventory of the contents of our bags. Here’s what I carry around with me:

*Wallet
* Agenda
* Pen
* Business cards
* Toiletries
* Camera
* Odd STUFF that needs to get weeded out periodically
[Notably missing from the bag: house keys and Metrocard, which I carry in my hip pockets as a precaution.]

This sounds very reasonable, but it’s misleading. The wallet is big as a house, not because I have so much money, but because I carry so much plastic, including my health insurance card and now my flex spending card. If so inclined, I could carry six additional gift cards I haven’t used up yet, and if I ever knuckled under, I would be carrying plastic cards for the pet store, grocery stores and drug stores I frequent. Because I refuse to subscribe to these silly systems, I do carry less plastic, but in the end I also wind up with less money. Oh, well.

The agenda, pen and business cards take up little room, and no bag would be complete without them. The camera has a little heft, but I can’t be an Idiosyncratic Blogger without it, and I chalk it up to the cost of doing business. (At least it's not a Hasselblad!) The toiletries are the killer, though. In the little matching Le Sportsac pouch that came with the bag (8 x 6.5 inches), I carry – every day – a toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss, a metal toothpick, generic aspirin and Aleve, cough drops, chewing gum, Blistex, lipstick, foundation (transplanted from its hefty glass bottle to trial size plastic face cream jar), Vaseline Intensive Care, antibacterial wipes, tissues, and a combination brush and mirror case, all in travel size.

To explain (in order): sometime after lunch I WILL want to brush my teeth, and if I can’t, I’ll drive myself crazy. I may not need floss or a toothpick while in transit for days or even weeks, but if I need them one day and don’t have them, I’ll drive myself crazy sticking my tongue around my teeth and making funny sucking noises in public. If I get a headache, it won’t go away till I’ve taken aspirin. And sometimes my old football injury acts up, so I keep Aleve handy. (Actually, it’s my old cycling injury. It’s my knee, and Aleve works wonders.) I’m prone to catching colds, which means I’m also prone to getting sore throats. With the wisdom that comes from years of misery – uh, I mean experience – I’ve learned that if I start sucking on any variety of mentholyptus cough drops at the first sign of trouble, I save myself DAYS of grief. They taste awful, but they’re worth it.

I carry chewing gum (following Jean’s good example) because (as we know from the old Dentyne commercial) sometimes you’re in a place where you just can’t whip out your toothbrush. Blistex is a great lip salve, and tastes so awful it keeps me from chewing on my lips. I carry lipstick and foundation for the same reasons every other woman carries them.

The Vaseline Intensive Care might go untouched for a month, but if my hands are chapped or my face feels dry, and I don’t have it the moment I need it, I’ll drive myself crazy. Did you know you can refill the little portable tubes, so you don’t have to keep buying them? I keep a large container at home, and when the small tube is nearly empty, I unscrew the lid of the large container, cover the opening of the tube with the opening of the container, force all the air out of the tube, turn the container upside down (carefully!), then let the tube fill via suction. When the tube is almost full, turn the container back right-side up, and put the covers back. This is not only greener, it also saves the irritation of scouting the shops for the kind of lotion you want (speaking from frustrating experience) because it’s always at home in the economy size.

Antibacterial wipes are just a good thing to have around nowadays. I always carry tissues with me because I don’t want to be the person making nasty moose calls every 30 seconds, whom everyone casts disdainful sidelong glances at. I myself have been known to offer my pack of tissues to people who seem not to know that this modcon was invented more than 40 years ago. Not to mention, if you ever find yourself in a rest room, face to face with a cardboard tube and no toilet paper (remember Elaine in Seinfeld asking the person in the next stall "Can you spare a square?"), you'll pat yourself on the back for your foresight.

Lastly, I never go anywhere without my pocket mirror. I think the brush is nice from the design standpoint, but I don’t need it with the amount of hair I have. I have the mirror because many years ago I had, over the course of two years living in the boondocks of Japan, many occasions to bicycle through clouds of gnats, and several occasions to get a gnat in my eye. I wound up with several sties in my eyes from poking about blindly. After I got a pocket mirror, I could always find whatever was in my eye, and learned to scoop it out deftly with my knuckle (NOT my fingertip!). I haven’t had any sties since then. I don’t find the mirror very useful for applying lipstick, but I never worry about getting anything my eyes. (I’d drive myself crazy.)

Here you can see absolutely everything that was in the bag today.











Miscellaneous: If you look carefully (click on the photo for a larger view), you can see a grocery store receipt, several business cards collected over the course of a week (as well as the much sought after Idiosyncratic Fashionistas business cards), a ticket for Wishful Drinking (it was great!), a plastic fork wrapped in paper, and a number of cat food labels. The last two might not be self explanatory. Every week I take five forks to work with me, and every day I bring one home, wrapped in a paper napkin. Dismayed by the number of plastic utensils I received with my daily lunch, and how many I threw away, I saved a week’s worth, and now wash and reuse them. When I buy my lunch, my favorite take-out places know not to give me utensils. I carry the cat food labels with me everywhere because I can never remember what my cats deign to eat and can’t predict when I’ll go to the pet store where I buy their outrageously expensive food. (My two cats eat more meat than I do.) So I carry the labels, all stapled together, and refill the larder according to the labels. Heaven help me if my bag ever gets lost or stolen. I would get new credit cards in days, but it would take me months of trial and error to rebuild my list of foods the cats like. (I would drive myself – well, you know…)

Lastly, I should mention this fabulous little gadget that Jean brought back from one of her many jaunts. It's a Purse Brite light, something that most people can only get on television, and then only if they don't delay and pay shipping and handling fees. Jean, however, shops at all the right places, and gets things like these without ever having to go to to her phone or wait patiently for the mail to come. When you clip it on your bag, it allows you to see what's inside even in the dark, where I took this photo. A MARVELOUS idea, less than 2" x 1.5", and probably two ounces!










Jean says:

They say that "you can always tell a gentleman by his shoes, and a lady by her handbag." If that's true, I wonder what type of "lady" carries a handbag embossed with skull and crossbones, lightning bolts, crowns and hearts. My favorite bag by an LA company called Lounge Fly has all of those embellishments in black on black faux patent leather.

Valerie has a very Bauhaus approach to bags: "Less is more." In my opinion, however, size does matter! My favorite bag is large, to say the least, and wonderful! It holds everything I need for life in the big city. Since a "normal" work day can easily run 10 to 12 hours, I tote all the necessities for life away from home, with lots of room for add-ons for travel or special occasions (extra shoes, jewelry, hat, scarf and makeup) or bad weather (rain poncho and gloves). It is the "mother ship." On nights that I leave from the office to go to a museum or gallery opening or dinner, it is my launching pad. Many an evening's blast off starts in the belly of the beast, so to speak.


This picture illustrates not only the bag's spacious interior but also the #1 reason I could never own a really good bag (like a $7,000 genuine Hermes Kelly bag): the pet factor!! As a volunteer at an animal shelter and owner of DeeDee, a rescue cat, I am very aware that my bags exist in a high risk environment. DeeDee loves to chew the zipper pulls and climbs inside at every opportunity. Spending a lot of money on a bag that is subjected to mock (and real) attacks on a regular basis just tempts the hands of fate. In the photo, Ferret Beuller (courtesy of Social Tees Animal Rescue) tries my bag on for size.

The bag is from ENZ, a fabulous East Village store (2nd Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets) and was a 2008 Christmas present from designer Jodi Head. It has appeared numerous times in blog postings, most notably on September 13 (Fashion's Night Out with Norma Kamali), September 25 (Guggenheim Museum Kandinsky Show) and November 22, 2009 (Glenda Bailey at FIT with Isabel Toledo). Here's a bird's eye view of the contents of my bag today. (In the spirit of full disclosure, it does not contain my black SWAT poncho which I wore to brunch at B Bar, because the poncho is still drying out after an afternoon soaking!) Visible in the upper left are my black chenille gloves (one on top of the other).


Close-up of half of the contents (from the top) :B Bar chocolate, Lounge Fly logo chain, tiki bar drink parasol, extra batteries for camera, Ace plastic comb and "Gother than Thou" pin from an admirer. Pens include: yellow highlighter, Tide to Go instant stain remover pen, two plastic faux cigarette pens (for possible use in deco bakelite cigarette holders), Bic super-fine tip roller ball pen, black and white skull pencil, red enamel ballpoint pen (from my favorite stationery store in Milan) and computer flash drive (personalized with white-out polka dots for easy identification). The Tide pen comes from my inner Girl Scout: Although my largely black wardrobe is impervious to most stains, I often dine or travel with people wearing light colored clothing. Like some loony St. Bernard, I'm ready to spring into action after that inevitable spill, dropped olive, flying onion!


The Lounge Fly wallet has the same graphic black on black images as the bag, but on a smaller scale.



The interior contains three sets of pockets for stowing credit cards, driver's license, business cards, stamps, etc., two billfold compartments for cash and a checkbook, and a zippered compartment for change.


Autopsy (Bagtopsy?) Part II: From top left: Lounge Fly matching checkbook and wallet (a 2009 Christmas present from Jodi), inhaler, Walker brand black mesh makeup bag, black felt skull bag by Habla and Cannondale camera bag. From top right: Classic Hardware from Tokyo Boy black patent coin purse with red flying heart on silver metal heart chain (also from ENZ), Blackberrry in red rubber case, black cat mint tin (with hysterically funny little bone-shaped mints!), plastic business card case, Sniff leopard tissues and Missoni glasses case.


Here's a close-up of the the black felt zippered bag by Habla.





Contents of the Habla bag include change, nail clipper, scissors and commemorative pin.





Close up of Classic Hardware by Tokyo Boy coin purse. Although it is usually tethered to the outside of the mother ship, it often makes solo flights holding my cell phone and Metrocard.




Glimpse of interior and contents of Tokyo Boy bag: cash and keys.





Valerie and Jean say: Stick around, kiddies! In the near future, we'll tackle (no, not cackle) the issue of why we own and cannot part with many beautiful bags, purses, pocket books which we never (or rarely ever) use. Dear readers, do share your own take on handbags. Reveal your inner handbag tales.

Dee Dee interrupts the shot to pounce on both of the Lounge Fly bags, further proving my earlier point about the "cost to disaster ratio" (the higher the cost of the handbag, the more likely the risk of gnawing, clawing and scratching)!

While we're on the topic of wallets: Open yours! Social Tees Animal Rescue (www.socialtees.com) is located at 124 E. 4th St., NYC 10003 212-614-9653. Please keep your local animal shelters and pet rescues in mind for donating (money, food, litter, blankets, toys, leashes and collars), fostering, volunteering and adopting! In the weeks ahead in Haiti, as in the Katrina aftermath, after the human relief effort has kicked in, attention will turn to the animals - pets and livestock - who have also been subjected to the earthquake's fury. Keep all the victims, large and small, in your thoughts (and, if appropriate, your prayers) and in your charitable donations.

Play With Your Clothes: Who Says Your Bathrobe is Just for Your Bath?

Valerie says:

Women of a certain age will remember that Diana Vreeland (herself a woman of a certain age for much of her professional life) wrote a column for Harper’s Bazaar entitled Why Don't You…. (For example: "Why don't you… turn your child into an Infanta for a fancy-dress party?", and, tellingly, “Why don’t you... turn your old ermine coat into a bathrobe?” Given that last month we celebrated Diana Vreeland as one of our twelve memorable women, it seemed only fitting that in a tip of the hat to her we subtitle this column:

WHY DON’T YOU… WEAR A STRANGE MAN’S BATHROBE TO THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART?

I did this myself just last week, and found it quite enjoyable.

Mind you, I am not advocating that you find the bathrobe of Vlad the Impaler, or one of the Collyer brothers, or Michael Jackson. Our subtitle uses strange in the sense of unknown, and you can occasionally find the bathrobe of an unknown man at local resale or thrift shops. The bathrobe I found is a fabulous little (well, rather big actually, although only a size medium) silk number made by Andrea Fezza. It was lying in a discarded heap at Goodwill, but its random zigzags were so eye-catching that I could not help but be drawn to it. When I tried it on, I assumed it was a plus size women’s spring coat. I had no idea what I would do with something so large, but Goodwill’s prices are irresistible, so I bought it, thinking “there’s an app for this” (not in those exact words, which didn’t exist when I bought the bathrobe one summer day more than five years ago).

I am not good at sewing, so I knew I would have to be able to use it in its original form, or it would stay in my closet forever. How to make use of the extra yardage??? Then I remembered that I had a reversible Norma Kamali sleeping bag coat (purple outside, neon blue inside, and filled with marvelously warm and lightweight polyester batting). What if I put the Andrea Fezza over the puffy sleeping bag coat? Wouldn’t THAT take up all the extra fabric, I wondered, even before arriving home with my prize. Probably as excited as Benjamin Franklin was when he tried his key-and-kite experiment, I couldn’t wait to test my theory, and was probably again as excited as Franklin when I discovered it worked. 'Eureka', thought I, mixing my inventors, but not my metaphors.

This meant I had not one coat, or even two, but three different coats that I could wear on the very coldest days of the year (such as we have had this week) and still be toasty warm.

Soon after, on googling Andrea Fezza, I discovered he was a menswear designer, and that was when it became clear that I had purchased a man's bathrobe, and not a woman's coat. Sometime later, while channel surfing one evening, I discovered that Jack Nicholson wears the very same bathrobe in his 1987 film The Witches of Eastwick (above). So after all, the alternate meaning of the word strange, mentioned above, is applicable here.

Actually, the walking-around-in-a-strange-man’s-bathrobe concept is not a new one. New York’s own Vincent “the Chin” Gigante was often spotted walking around the city’s streets dressed in his bathrobe (left, in 1990, in a bathrobe not designed by Andrea Fezza), in an attempt to prove that he was mentally ill, and thus avoid a prison sentence. (It didn’t work.) And in an unusual case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, Law and Order did an episode featuring a bathrobed Mafia don trying to outwit the police. So there is high profile precedent for the public wearing of bathrobes, both in fact and in fiction. (For trivia buffs, Gigante in his bathrobe phase was dubbed “The Odd Father”, which has a more mellifluous ring to it than “The Strange Father”.)

[Jean says: Emphasis on "strange"! Did I experience deja vu photographing Valerie in her royal blue Kamali coat and bathrobe? Living in Soho in the '80s, my friends and I encountered "Vinny the Chin" on several occasions, muttering and talking to himself, strolling in his royal blue bathrobe and matching blue cap, often near the Triangle Social Club at 208 Sullivan Street. Vinny managed to evade jail for years - until his 1997 conviction. Both Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso (former Lucchese underboss) testified against him. What I found most interesting (next to his bathrobe, of course) was the fact that his wife and his mistress had the same name: Olympia. I thought this was most convenient, even for a man feigning mental illness, since it greatly reduced his chances of using the wrong name at the wrong time! He fathered 5 children by the former and 3 by the latter. Not bad for a former boxer (24 fights and 23 wins). Unfortunately, Vinny died in prison in 2005. His funeral was held at St. Anthony's on Sullivan St. So, dear readers, if Valerie ever starts mumbling to herself, you'll be the first to know!]

[Valerie again:] In the photos above, where I loiter with intent just steps away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (where Jean and I saw the exhibitions of Japanese armor and art deco furnishings) and in the photos below, taken at Celcius, the temporary restaurant overlooking the ice skating rink at Bryant Park (where we had a glass of bubbly to ring in the new year), you can see the Norma Kamali coat in all its permutations. One wonderful quality that the coat shares with the bathrobe is outsized sleeves. As you can see in most of the photos, the sleeves are long and wide enough that they can serve as a muff, obviating the need for gloves. (That is, as long as you're carrying a shoulder bag, as I am in the first photo. If you're carrying a clutch, unless it's slim enough to slide up the sleeve, be sure to bring your mittens.) Another wonderful advantage of the oversized sleeves is that you can use them as a buffer between you and doors, handrails, subway straphangers, etc. In this age of H1N1 and hand sanitizers, minimizing your contact with public surfaces is - well - nothing to sneeze at.

This photo shows the pre-steroid bathrobe in its native habitat as it may have looked before it got its big break, and got discovered.









The cobalt blue sheepskin hat by Owen Barry was made in England and purchased at Sym’s. Blue suede shoes by Arche. Shoulder bag by Le Sportsac.

Fraulein - Fashion Photography As an Art Form

Jean says: Happy 2010!

There's no time to lose! You've only got until January 30th to see Ellen von Unwerth's photo exhibition at Staley-Wise Gallery in Soho. An ex-model herself, Ellen has photographed just about every top fashion model in the last decade. Born in Munich, she was reportedly a knife-thrower's assistant before being discovered by a modeling company rep. (Don't worry, I checked -- she managed to survive that novel career choice with all her digits intact!) She photographed Claudia Schiffer's famous "Guess? Jeans" campaign. Her latest show features blow-ups of just a few of the photos in her latest book, "Fraulein." Published by Taschen, the 482-page book costs quite a pretty penny -- $700! Her work is known for its sexy femininity and fans of corsets and stilettos will not be disappointed. "Fraulein" features a veritable cavalcade of super models and celebrities such as Kate Moss, the above-mentioned Claudia Schiffer, Vanessa Paradis (that's Mrs. Johny Depp to you), Milla Jovovich (Ukrainian model, clothing designer and actress - you know, the action-hero vixen from the "Resident Evil" trilogy and the wonderfully shy wanderer in the futuristic "Fifth Element" with Bruce Willis), Monica Bellucci (Italian model and actress) and Carla Bruni (Italian singer, model and wife of Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France). [Valerie says: notice the order in which her credentials are named.]

Valerie and I attended the December 10th opening at Staley-Wise Gallery (on Broadway at Prince St.) where Ellen presided over a packed house. Among the attendees were fashion designers like Erin Featherstone (here and below) and Anna Sui (see below), hair stylists and colorists, video music artists, models and an assortment of students, writers and photographers. Staley-Wise specializes in fashion photography and features work by Deborah Turbeville, Chris von Wagenheim, Patrick Demarchelier, Arthur Elgort and Herb Ritts. We were delighted to run into our friends, artist Katherine Crone and photographer John Lamparski at the show (whom you may recall had also attended Valerie's 09/09/09 gathering at Tabla).


Ellen is a woman of a certain age who has not only aged beautifully physically but also professionally. Sleek as a greyhound, she has transitioned flawlessly from life in front of a camera to become a photographer with an "eye." Her photographs are iconic and recognizable. They continue to excite and delight. Like a choreographer who develops and refines a vocabulary of steps, she produces photographs with a distinctive "feel." They convey a certain frisson, a palpable tension between the observer and the observed. (Frisson - from the old French: a brief moment of intense excitement, a shudder, a thrill.") Here she is with Sarabeth Stroller (about whom, more later...)

Erin Featherstone, as tall and slim as any fashion model, wore a fabulous black tulle veil over her famous Dutch-boy platinum hair, a black long-sleeved sheath and black patent pumps with sky-scraping 6-inch heels!







Anna Sui wore a very interesting necklace of grey wool poufs. She was extremely approachable. Here she is, graciously posing with her young admirers. For a great shot of Anna's striking necklace and to get a professional photographer's take on the evening, go to http://JohnLamparski.blogspot.com



Wearing a "Road Warrior meets Ophelia" look, Sarabeth Stroller appeared at the opening with her friend Daniel K. Avid fans of von Unwerth's photography will recognize Sarabeth from Ellen's 2003 book "Revenge". Those photos, which traced the adventures of three young women romping at a baroness' country estate, are quite reminiscent of the late, great Helmut Newton in both style and subject matter.



Sarabeth posed with two guests, both named Marco! (Both of whom Valerie and I had the pleasure of speaking with that evening. Deja vu, Jane Austen?)






Here's one of the guests channeling his inner "Big Bird". His yellow faux fur coat was a big hit. Positioning himself near the bar, he was impossible to miss. He possessed a sense of humor every bit as sharp as his fashion sense.






A student and aspiring fashion writer, Shirin cut quite a figure with her architectural hair and clothing. Under her asymmetrical jacket, she wore a terrific pair of high-waisted grey flannel wide leg pants with a grey sleeveless turtleneck sweater. Tres chic. You can spy one of Ellen's atmospheric photograph's over Shirin's left shoulder. (Click on photos to enlarge!)



Here's Valerie and two of her new acquaintances: Marco and Robert. Marco does video and film. Robert's dog, Spartacus, has his own website: www.SpartacusDog.com. (I must confess that before I starting blogging, I had no idea how many canines were so internet-savvy!) Do check it out.


Marco photographed Valerie and me under the wreath in the lobby of 560 Broadway. After saying our farewells, Valerie and I departed for the ever so new and ever so trendy Crosby Street Hotel. Once ensconced in the Crosby Bar, we shamelessly indulged in even more people-watching amid beautiful surroundings -- comfortable cushioned seating in front of the pewter bar, grey oak floors and, my personal favorite -- a wall sconce comprised of black bakelite telephones! The menu was quite interesting - we had scallop sliders and peeky toe crab cakes and a glass of bubbly. IF regulars will no doubt recognize our hats and attire from our Dec. 13, 2009 "Twelve Hats of Christmas" posting for hats 7 and 8 (felt hats) -- which we shot later that very same evening in the Crosby's lobby and in the Spring Street IRT station.

We do hope that, if fashion photography is your thing, you'll make your way to Staley-Wise Gallery before Ellen's show closes at the end of the month. And if you do, please drop us a line and tell us what you think. And, if you're really "in the chips" and can afford to buy the book, please consider loaning it to your needy IFs! Til next time, dahlings, best of luck in keeping those pesky New Year's resolutions!