Save the Endangered European Tailor!

I'm becoming an activist. I've identified a dying breed and I'm looking for ways to save it.

And by "I'm looking for ways" I don't mean me, per se, but I hope someone is doing something and I'll contribute money to the cause. 

Sadly, I believe tailoring is a dying trade. I'm often asked for referrals to tailors for alterations and all my usual standbys are advancing in age and becoming increasingly cranky as a result - and as you can probably figure out, cranky in Russian, Czech or Italian is every bit as bad as cranky in American English, but with far less words you can understand.

If they want to be annoyed with me for asking for a rush, that's one thing, but they lose my business and all my referral business if they are anything less than pleasant to my clients.

This has been happening all too often lately. They are cranky! I can only assume this is what happened to the dinosaurs before they died out. But unlike the dino population, tailors' skills and expertise are still needed in the modern world. It's not time for them to become fossil fuel or be dug up by archaeologists and placed in museums.

I was warned years ago that Old World European tailors - ones for whom creating bespoke clothing was a noble and sometimes highly lucrative career choice back in their homeland - were a rapidly-dying breed and as far as I'm aware, no one has been trained in large enough quantities and with enough skill and knowledge to take their place.

If you've ever been fitted by a really good tailor, you will not only find out what's "wrong" with your body (most European tailors are not only very skilled, but they also don't mince words), but also how to visually camouflage it so it isn't quite so obvious.

In between telling me Vladamir Putin is the head of the Russian mob and that Putin's mob kept burning down his clothing factories "back in Дніпропетровськ" (which translated in my brain as: "Whatever"/"Oh wait, he's speaking Borat. Borat is funny. *nervous laugh*), my tailor told me that I have a "hollow shoulder." A what? That's what I said. It was also diagnosed by two other tailors, so I know he's not crazy. (No idea about the Putin commentary though.) I still don't know quite what it means and I can't see it myself, but a slightly different shoulder pad shape in a jacket is always the prescription.

So maybe that explains Quasimodo.

Overcompensating "hollow shoulder" shoulder pad

Tailoring is an art form, but also about engineering. There's a big difference between that kind of expertise and what you get at someplace like an Alterations Express. Not to say there's anything bad about having a kwik-E-mart alternative when you need simple tailoring done fast, but there is a definite separation in skill level. In our ever-impatient society, there's room for both types. If a simple hem is needed, that's where I send people. If the darts on a blouse need to be taken in or if I need sleeves shortened (all too common for me), I'll only use a tailor.

I'm concerned about what will happen as these highly specialized tailors keep getting older and closing down their little shops. The youngest European tailors I know are in their mid-40's and work for big stores like Nordstrom and clothiers specializing in menswear.

Our clothes will not stop needing expert alterations. So where will we go?

A new (and hopefully less crabby) generation of tailors is needed. I really hope someone is working on that.

And I'll $upport your cause.

MENSWEAR FOR FALL? No freaking way!

I haven't looked at any fall trend previews yet. It's most likely because I hang onto the last vestiges of summer with the death grip of someone about to fall over a cliff. I'm the last to leave summer and the first to greet spring, which usually happens the second week of February like clockwork. As soon as the brighter, lighter clothes hit the stores, my brain tries to go on vacation.

I have to follow what's on trend each season because it's my job. I'm not a big trend follower personally because I pretty much know who I am style-wise and will only pick up on a trend if it fits in with my fashion personality.(This example of fashion personality is from a few years ago, but if you're unfamiliar with the concept, it's a good starting point.)

A huge pet peeve of mine is buying an item because it just happens to be in the store or it's trendy for a season. Haphazard purchases lead to "so many clothes and nothing to wear" syndrome - the bane of women, the men they seem to complain to, and wardrobe organizers everywhere. (Though, ironically, it's what keeps the huge fashion industry machine churning. Grrrr.)

So we all have to be careful to make smart purchases.

Having said that, if I hear that menswear is "in" for Fall 2011, I swear I will punch someone. Menswear is ALWAYS in for fall, just like bright colors are always trendy for spring. It's a no-brainer, but the fashion magazines need something to write about, so they tend to recycle the same "DUH" advice every year.

So why IS menswear a fall staple?

- It is associated with heavier fabrics, like flannel and tropical wool.

- Its purpose is to be layered.

- It tends to be dark - brown, camel, navy, tan and charcoal. Colors that seem as natural for fall as bright colors are in the summertime.

- Wider legs on menswear-inspired trousers can conceal knee-high boots or booties, especially for professional wear. Boots over jeans are fine for dressing casually, but a high boot over business casual pants isn't recommended.

Menswear styles are a great investment, especially if you wear business casual clothing to work.

Menswear is usually introduced with a few new tweaks every year. You want to make sure what you're buying is as timeless as possible. Here's what to watch out for:

- One year, a lot of pants were double-and triple-pleated, which are okay on tall, reed-thin models, but don't work so great on real world bodies. The same goes for high-waisted pants. Not the most universally-flattering. If a woman is even slightly curvy, they seem to turn her into a balloon. No fair!

- There was a year when double-breasted jackets and vests were in. I would always suggest single-breasted. Double-breasted garments can be like a funhouse mirror - and not the good kind that makes you look long and super-thin. Buyer beware.

Illustrating the funhouse mirror effect, we have Fat Albert and Weird Harold from his gang. Because it makes no sense whatsoever.

- Remember when trouser legs were extremely wide? 2005, perhaps? I happened upon a pair today in my closet. I've been hanging onto them for years. I've kept them around because they fit my fashion personality. I tend to like a little drama. But you have to know what body types they fit and the tricks to dressing around them (i.e., they're better if you have broad shoulders and you can't wear a bulky top or jacket with them or they will add visual poundage. Plus very high heels are a must if your height is short to medium. I'm even pushing the limits with my height, but I like 'em, so tough cookies.)

***

If we start paying attention to what the fashion pundits and magazines are telling us is in vogue season after season and if we know who we are fashion-wise, we will probably be able to build a wardrobe of classic, yet updated pieces, not spend a lot of cash, keep our closets from bursting at the seams, and always look and feels our best.

And that's all we really want, right ladies?

And if menswear isn't your thing? Eh, no big deal! Wear what makes you happy, comfy and what makes sense for YOU.

Unless it's white hi-top sneakers with cuffed jeans.

But then again, Fat Albert really isn't a paragon of fashion.

Dude, get out of my blog and go back to your junkyard.

FREE LESSONS!!!! And a Lemur.

This is probably a huge "DUH" moment for most of the people who venture over to my little blog, but I'm surprised to know how many people don't know about this!

YouTube is NOT just for keyboard-playing cats! SERIOUSLY!!! (I know, right?!)

There are literally thousands and thousands of dollars in makeup and hair lessons on there. Totally free! 

A lot of people I know only end up on the site when a video goes viral. But if you look deeper, there's actually valuable information on there. And a LOT of it.

I've been lucky to have the opportunity to take a lot of makeup classes over the years, but most of what I know about styling my hair, I learned from YouTube. And being me, I'm always trolling for new makeup ideas. Sometimes I have my laptop open right next to me and I follow along with a hair or makeup tutorial as if I were taking a class.

Just search for what you need, and a whole world you never even knew you wanted will open up to you.

Like Keyboard Cat being watched by OMG Cat and a some kind of a LEMUR.

Yeah, I never knew I wanted to see that either.

Truly Magical

Ok, here's a super quick review of my new FAVORITE FOUNDATION!

I usually have a few cheaper drug store foundations around that I use for "everyday" as my grandma would say. The gym, running to the store, etc.

And then I save my pricier MAC Studio Fix Fluid and Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundations for business and special occasions.

I picked this up because I was at Target and had no lower price makeup in my current shade of faux tan. But I think I might have found my new favorite foundation. Period. It feels like a luxury brand and was only $13.99! Pricey for L'Oreal, but it definitely feels like their top of the line foundation product.

If I were to create my own foundation, this would be it. It feels like fluffy velvet. It is wonderfully matte and provides heavy-but-sheer coverage. I know that makes no sense, but it needs to be experienced to be believed.

I broke out in hundreds of tiny bumps last week from an allergy to a moisturizer. This product kept my skin smooth and even through that ordeal and did not cause further irritation. Yay!


(Note to self: Do not pick something up that says "Eucerin moisturizer" and slather it all over your sensitive face. It might just be a body moisturizer in a tiny tube. Dork.)

So Long, Scarf Barf Bin!

Admittedly, I rarely wear scarves nowadays and I've only kept my favorites from the days when I used to wear them regularly. For the longest time, I have had scarves galore piled in a plastic bin because I've been looking for a solution which did not involve hanging them on hooks in my closet. I feel like the real estate on my closet walls is too precious for items I don't use often.

My "scarf barf bin" drove me nuts because I would just toss scarves in there haphazardly regardless of quality of materials, each individual scarf's tendency to wrinkle or warp, or the opportunity for them to actually be damaged. It was a mishmash of colors, lengths and seasons (summery light gauze, tangled with orange and black skulls-and-crossbones, for example), plus several of my dog's bandannas thrown in for good measure.

I've been so frustrated but have had no solution.

I found these metal rings at the craft store. They're exactly like binder rings from the office supply store, only larger. I bought the three inch variety to store my scarves. They are $0.77 for a pack of two. Not too shabby.

I decided to hang them from a skirt hanger for two reasons: 1) I want them to hang in my closet with the rest of my clothes so they are close by and will be seen and (hopefully) used, but won't take up valuable wall space on hooks or pegs; and 2) the clips on the crystal hanger will help keep the rings balanced.

Orange skulls & crossbones, second from right. See, I wasn't lying!

I also bought 2.5" rings for my necklaces, but that will be a work in progress for some time. I'm looking forward to showing them off one of these days! (And to being able to find the ones I want when I want them. It has been bead bedlam and choker chaos for too long!!!)

What wardrobe organization dilemmas have been bugging you?