Monday, February 16, 2009

Monday Mischief: Valentine in Fur

I had two eye-opening revelations this weekend:

1. If you wear two pairs of tights, they will keep you warm AND they will look completely opaque! I'm a little sad it took me 30+ years to come to this realization.

2. Dying my hair a bright red is going to take a lot of upkeep: I dyed my hair barely two weeks ago and already had to do it again! Does anyone have a suggestion for a good drugstore hair dye that looks good and lasts longer????

This is what I wore for Valentine's dinner; not quite as fabulous as my dream outfit, but inspired by it nonetheless [click to enlarge images]. I finally got to wear the dress that I bought at H&M in NYC last Fall...it is a wonderfully silky, nude-pink color that I'm in love with right now. I'm also digging this Target jacket with pointy little shoulders [and it cost $5!!!]. I also carried my great-grandmother's vintage beaded purse and donned my big red rose ring and favorite vintage necklace that doubles as a timepiece.

After a delicious and insanely filling Valentine's dinner at the new local restaurant, Oscar's Gastropub, my BF and I met met up with our always-fun friends Sarah and Ryan. Sarah and I were both wearing our vintage-faux-furs... it's all about being tactile on the day of love, right??

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

13 comments:

Ashe said...

I was a drugstore redhead for 8 years, and there's almost nothing that will keep you from not having to touch it up more than any other color. A lot of it will depend on your natural color too; I was blonde, so red pigment stuck a bit easier than say dark brown.

That being said, you can try:
- not washing your hair as often (this includes getting it wet)
- using color shampoo/conditioner
- using those shampoo/conditioners that are for a specific hair color


I always tended to stick with Feria & Garnier hair colors.

{Tara} said...

Ashe -- Honestly, thank you so much. I basically bought the type that was on sale and I just don't think it is very good...I heard that Bumble and Bumble makes dry shampoo in red, so I might just have to buy that so I won't be washing my hair as much...it is hard though, because I work out almost every day and feel like my scalp gets icky after sweating...I think it is worth it, because I really like the red (?). Thanks so much for your tips!!!

A BIT COQUETTISH said...

Fabulous photos! I don't have any suggestions really, since I don't dye my hair. But I will ask around!

xoxo,
La C.

Brigid said...

The fading is so annoying! I'm on my fifth week of the red, and it has faded a bunch. I'm going to try out yours and Ashe's tips, though. Being red is a lot more exciting than brown, I gotta say.

Gerry said...

I'm glad you challenged me on this notion. My answer is fairly simple. I actually don't make a distinction between "high" versus "low." I make a distinction between "authentic" and "inauthentic." Based on my standards, LV and H&M fit into the same category. More than anything else, in recent times, I judge labels based on their business practices. When labels begin to branch into sunglasses with huge logos on the side and no design issues to make money, they are automatically considered inferior to me. There is a reason the bottom line is called the bottom line. It should be the bottom line. Not the first priority. Fashion brands are not the Lehman Brothers, for god sakes. Perfume, however, I can deal with.

Since we are going to talk about fashion history, I should bring up that I do not respect the house of say, Dior or Yves Saint Laurent. While their artistic merit is generally undeniable, the range of their licenses (umbrellas? cigarettes? toasters? what?) and the need to make money versus believing in themselves and making what they loved is entirely distasteful.

Vionnet, Gres, and Chanel I can deal with. I realize that the first two's houses failed with the youthquake and inability to shift into a general of non-couture (as in, real couture) clothing, but I respect people with singular vision and an unwillingness to compromise. That's the key for me. Chanel, I can deal with. Chanel now, not so much.

The reason I dislike high-end designers doing lower priced lines isn't because I don't (sorry, double negative) think "designer" things should be accessible to people with less means (don't think I'm wealthy, because I assure the majority of my clothing was bought at very, very tempting prices) but because it is a diluted vision. If you honestly think these things are made with integrity, I challenge you to go talk to design firms like Como Designs who interpret designer's visions and put them into their diffusion lines. Do you really think these things are thought through and designed...? 90% of the time it's just a name attached.

I realize that designers have to do these things for their survival, but it is something that is hard for me to respect.

I'm not against cheap clothing. I'm against objects that were created with no love and thought and soul. Whether you wear them with soul is an entirely different battleground that I'm not that interested in arguing, as it differs so much person by person.

To summarize: Prada is, essentially, the same to me as H&M. The moment a brand begins to make shitty accessories to make money, it is dead to me. How people use things is irrelevant to me, as there is an infinite means of using something. What matters to me is consumer consciousness. I can't support and buy into brands who don't believe (double negative, sorry) in themselves enough to making things that they want to make and not things that they want to sell. I realize money is an issue, but, again, there is a reason the bottom line is called the bottom line.

Sorry for the long post, I hope it made sense as there was little to no editing involved.

Unknown said...

I just feel too constrained wearing two pairs of tights!

Sharon S said...

Hi there-what great photos and your outfit is really lovely!

LDF said...

Yeah, I tried red hair once too. I wash my hair EVERY day so it doesn't work for me. You need to be one of those "I wash my hair once a week and my hair is shiny and amazing" jerks.

{Tara} said...

Gerry -- These are such good points, and thanks so much for listening to my rant...I will probably post a better response on your blog, but for now, I guess I would just say that I think this is an issue I struggle with constantly. Having always been part of the middle-class, I am both enamored by and blinded by mass-produced products, and pseudo-designer items at accessible prices. This could simply be laziness and the appeal of ease-of-access, and it is definitely something I need to think about more.

Ashe said...

Tara-- Tricia at Bits and Bobbins swears by the red Bumble & Bumble shampoo! Others have complained that it leaves a lot of colored residue everywhere, but I always think it's at least worth a shot!

Anonymous said...

hey i have been a bottled red head for many years- i also used to work as a receptionist at a salon.. an easy trick is to choose a vegetable dye red (like a manic panic or fudge color.. but there are many, ask the sales girl) and mix a dab in with your conditioner. leave the conditioner in for 5 minutes, if possible. i swear it works and is cheaper than buying a colored shampoo or conditioner.
and i don't know what gerry's response was regarding- but i love prada.. living in florence it was possible to shop at outlets and buy out of season coats etc. for a good price. the quality is sooo much better- in my opinion. i have to walk or bike everywhere and my coats go through alot of wear.. only my designer coats can stand the wear:)my 2 cents- for what its worth.

{Tara} said...

asherette -- what an amazing tip!!!! Thanks so very much!

Anonymous said...

I supose you have different brands in the states so unfortunately I can't help you...but Ahsrette's tip seems really good! Anyway you look adorable on the photos !