Wrap yo head around this.

In case you've missed the memo, we are in a sort of 70's and 80's revival in terms of fashion as of late.  In the fashion world, we usually recycle time periods every so often, and it seems as though this spring is no different.  Being a child of the 80's, I am of course all for the bright color palate, higher waist bands, and wide legs this season.  FYI people, high-waisted does not mean "mom jean", and even though I'm a relatively new mom, you will certainly not see me in any style that could even loosely be related to this term  (although the high waist band is seriously a good investment for anyone trying to create a slimmer waistline, whether a child was involved or not).  

Like I said, I was a child of the 80's, and although I was much to young to truly embrace the 80's completely, my mother did take me to a Chaka Khan concert while I was still a bun in the oven, and now "I'm every woman", somehow mysteriously creeps into my head every now and then.  Thanks Mom.  Also, my Dad sheltered me from most popular music growing up, deeming it 'pagan music', so I was forced to resort to sneaking my mom's old records out and having solo dance parties.  The word 'pagan' has quite a few meanings nowadays, but I believe Rodney was referring to the secularization of America in this case.  He was probably right, music is a vulgar thing these days, but don't most of you just 'listen to the beat' anymore?  Anyway, even though I'll always be a daddy's girl at heart, Christian rock never satisfied my eardrums quite like I'd hoped, so 70's and 80's albums it was.  So now you know why I'm basically an expert on this culture.  And now my parents know why their record player no longer works and all of their records are scratched.

One of my favorite trends is all of the new headgear out there.  Who doesn't want to capture their forehead sweat this summer with a rockin' head wrap?  In all seriousness though, hats and headbands are super fun and a cute way to spice up any boring outfit.  More importantly, they scoured the runways this season and can be seen on various celebrities like Nicole Richie and the Kardashian Klan.  I carry both in the store, fun oversize hats of all kinds, and a variety of stretch knit headbands which I make myself.

 Below, you can find some images of the headbands I've been making for the store, and some pics on how to rock them for the fashionably handicapped. 

 

Have fun with the 80's this Spring!  Spice up your spring wardrobe with inexpensive accessories like these and show your inner 80's, baby.

Put On Your High Heeled Shoes

A few days ago, I was approached by two cool high school girls, Lizzie and Moh, who work at a local downtown theater.  They were looking for a unique way to raise some money for their theater, which has a hard time bringing in enough revenue to keep itself afloat, let along bring in a profit.  The theater itself is quite a little gem, with a long history, and a decor that shows the signs of just that.  I typically turn down ideas for fashion shows for a few reasons:

1.  They are A LOT of work.
2. What's the point?  People around here are hardly interested in fashion, and most have never seen, nor would they want to see a fashion show.
3. I never tend to do anything half-assed, and I certainly wouldn't want this show to look like a little rinky dink event.  It has to be a SHOW, meaning we need to be innovative, creative, and need volunteers!

With that being said, I was excited with the girls enthusiasm, their interest in modeling and fashion, and the cause, which was to raise money for the Berwick Theatre.  The theater itself, is probably one of the few remaining independently owned original downtown theaters that are still open for business, and it's quite a little catch.  I have been to the theater a few times, and it's almost like stepping back into time.  A show is a few bucks, which is a drastic difference from the price of the large, flashy theaters of today.  Candy, popcorn, and sodas are a dollar and some change.  And the whole place is filled with kids.  There's a distinct aroma of worn out theater seats and carpeting, all of which sort of adds to the experience, if you are someone who can look at it that way.  There are still some cool art deco architectural details as well if you take the time to look around a little bit.  With so much life and activity still going on in this piece of history, how could I say no? 

While the concept of the show is still in the works, I'm hoping we will be able to come up with an interesting inspiration and theme for the show.  Maybe we can do something that is theater related, and put on an event that has to do with fashion in film through the ages.  I'm excited to see how this show will take form, and for right now, we are expecting the show to take place in late June.  I hope that you will all follow the posts on the progress and excitement of our plans for this show, as I have a feeling it will be a blast!  As for the most current news, we chose a casting date for models to be featured to walk in the show, which will be taking place on Sunday May 1st at two locations:

The Purple Zebra  12 - 2pm
The Berwick Theatre  3 - 5pm

Here is the press image I came up with last night for the casting:

Stick with me fore more details on the fashion show fundraiser event and on how you can help out or attend as they become available!

Hello, There.

I know what you're thinking... "Oh great, someone with another  fashion blog.  Neat." Well you're wrong.  I'm not just someone, my name is Nicole Good.  I'm from small town USA, where fashion is not typically on anyone's mind, and shopping destinations are few and far between.  Instead of shopping at glamorous department stores like Bergdorf's and Bloomingdale's, which were usually only seen in my dreams, I was forced to create my statement pieces the old fashioned way.  Needle and thread, baby.  Like I said before, you were definitely wrong about this one.  This is certainly not just another fashion blog. fashion blog.

I know, I know, I'm a little late to be just entering the world of blogging.  I've never really been one to be that punctual anyway, so why start now?  After all, isn't it fashionable to be just a tad late (in this case, a tad late is around 10 years)?  Better late than never.  

My goals for this blog are fairly simple.  I hope to share a piece of my life with someone, anyone, or no one at all.  I guess it will sort of be like the diary that I always wanted to keep, but never really got around to, just a little more public.  I always thought diaries were overrated anyway.  The only time they ever become of much importance is when you're dead, and where's the fun in that?  I'll share a little of my life, some of my art, a lot of my designs, and of course all of the dramatics of owning my own hip little boutique in my not-so-hip little town.  You can find out more information on my store, The Purple Zebra, through the store's wesite www.purplezebrashop.com.

I think that I have a somewhat unique perspective on life, with my family values oriented upbringing in a town where everyone knows everything about everybody, mixed with a little big city flair, which will most likely become inherent throughout my writings.  I'm not your typical small town girl, in fact, nothing about me is really typical.  I guess I get my city slicker side from my brief two year stint during which I attended an art school to study Fashion Design, but there was always something there from a much younger age.   My mother always instilled creativity in me from a very early age, and she basically taught me how to sew before I could spell my name.  She was always insanely artistically inclined, whether it be through painting, photography, sewing, or anything else she could get her hands on.  Instead of paying attention in my third grade classes, I vividly remember drawing cartoon-like figures with oversize lashes wearing my own designs hanging off of their awkwardly proportioned frames all over my school notebooks.   

My love for fashion and design continued through my teen years, and I usually would end up making my outfits for dances or parties because I couldn't find anything that suited me in the stores.  I made my own rules and never looked back.  In fact, I still push the boundaries on a daily basis as I walk down the sidewalk in my small town and see the heads turn stares pushing through my back.  Although I'll never really know what they're thinking, I like to pretend they're saying how fantastic I look.  I'm much smarter than that though, and I'm fairly certain they're saying something more like, "What was she thinking!?"  I don't mind, however.   It's better that they're saying something, than nothing at all, right? 

I think I have bored you enough for one day, so I'll end by sharing a little momento from my past.  This was me at 6 months old in July of 1985, lounging poolside at my grandmothers house.  Yes, I was a chunk, but I looked damn good in my stunna shades.