A Moment of Appreciation

Lucky Girl:  1980s navy and black checked swing dress, 1960s black leather purse, Nine West black leather peeptoe pumps, 

silver hoop earrings, silver bangle bracelet, silver Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses, 1960s navy wool coat (shown below)

Over this Thanksgiving holiday, I couldn't help but pause and appreciate how lucky I am.  Things have come so far with GlamAmor and not a day goes by that I don't appreciate being able to do what I love.  Of course none of that would be possible without the support of my amazing friends and family--thank you!

Other moments of gratitude?  Well, I'm perpetually grateful that I live minutes from the beach where I love to surf...

...and minutes from the mountains where I love to hike.

The weather was so beautiful that I spent some of the holiday doing that very thing.  Will Rogers State Park has trailheads galore leading into the Santa Monica Mountains and is one of my favorite places.  I feel I'm walking in the footsteps of Hollywood history.  After all, Will's house is still there and the polo field in front hosted many many a star both as player and spectator-- including Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Joan Crawford. It can also be seen in several classic movies.

Of course it's hard not to appreciate having a convertible, especially when we have weather like this

After dinner on Thursday, Kevin and I went for a walk along the beach and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset.  When it's this beautiful here, it's hard to believe that some of the country was actually being blanketed in snow!  The only thing missing from the evening was Daisy, who was home resting after her own busy day at the beach.  I absolutely adore her.  Isn't she the best?  

Again, much love and thanks to everyone in my life.  I hope you were able to find your own moment of appreciation this holiday!  

Black Friday--On Your Mark...Get Set...Shop!

Black on Black Friday, of course:  1960s leopard fur coat, 1960s black cotton pique sheath, 1950s black leather box purse, 

black Nine West leather boots, gold hoop earrings, gold skinny bangles 

Cinema Style File--Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Cheek to Cheek in 1935's TOP HAT

Lately I've really been enjoying the comfort of movies from the 1930s.  It's no wonder.  That was another time in our nation's history when we struggled through an economic crisis--in their case, the Great Depression--and yet there was still so much optimism reflected in the movies.  What audiences wanted most was a great escape, so Hollywood presented images that were polished and sophisticated--the soft black and white cinematography, Art Deco design, luxurious costumes, dancing through penthouses and parties, and all that witty banter.  Life in the movies was in sharp contrast to what most audiences were experiencing at home.

If you'd like to explore this era, you can't do much better than the movies of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  Simply heaven to watch, these two--along with a great supporting cast like Edward Everett Horton--were just about as polished and sophisticated as you could get.  Last night, I was thrilled to come home and catch Top Hat on Turner Classic Movies, which is possibly their best movie together.  It was a perfect way to start reminding me of everything and everyone I'm thankful for in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Vintage Sex Appeal--from Rear Window to Mad Men

A blogger caught this eerie similarity between a moment in 

Rear Window and another in an episode of AMC's Mad Men  

Many think of the 1960s as the era that brought about the sexual revolution, but it was really the 1950s that started the ride.  Just think about the transition from the 1940s to the 1950s in the movies...there was truly a newfound appreciation for sex and a greater expression of sex appeal. Sometimes sexuality was very direct, as embodied quite literally by someone like Marilyn Monroe or Ava Gardner.  But there was also another kind of sexuality, one that Alfred Hitchcock described as "indirect."  He explained his preference for this type of woman and actress during his interviews with French New Wave director, Francois Truffaut.

Hitchcock:  "You know why I favor sophisticated blondes in my films? We're after the drawing-room type, the real ladies, who become whores once they're in the bedroom."

Triffaut:  "What intrigues you is the paradox between the inner fire and the cool surface."

Hitchcock:  "Definitely. . . . Do you know why?  Because sex should not be advertised.  Because without the element of surprise, the scenes become meaningless.  There's no possibility to discover sex."

I would argue that it's this very discovery that makes classic movies--whether filled with direct or indirect sexuality--still so titillating to this day.

Royal Style--Kate Middleton in BCBG

As many of you know, Kate Middleton is now engaged to marry England's Prince William Windsdor.  All eyes are upon her.  After all, Kate will be the first commoner since the 16th century to wed a royal and become the future Queen of England.  It's huge news.  But to much of the media, being in line for the throne pales in comparison to the excitement Kate generates by being a beautiful girl who wins and wears her fashion well.  She will be a lot of fun to watch, especially as designers clamor louder and louder for her to showcase their clothes.

As I was looking through some photos of Kate, I caught this recent picture of her in a sumptuous aqua jersey gown from BCBG...interestingly, from their 2006 Spring/Summer line.  Don't you love it?  I know I do...the reason I happen to know the collection it's from is that I actually own the same dress!  

Of course I mixed mine with vintage accessories.  For a fashion gala that year at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, I paired my gown with some 1960s silver and crystal chandelier earrings, a silver Art Deco clamshell clutch, and silver strappy stilettos from Charles David.  I still have this dress and absolutely love it, though I'll have to be careful about wearing it again any time soon!

GlamAmor Stays at Barracuda through December!

Last night an intimate group of artists gathered to toast GlamAmor popping up at Barracuda.  I really appreciated the effort it took for folks to come out.  Los Angeles has been suffering from positively cold and dreary rain, which means most stay tucked in for the evening.  It's also the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, so many have already started their vacation.  But those who did come for champagne and cocktails ranged from painters to cinematographers to fashion designers, so the conversation was wonderful and everyone appreciated the quality of the GlamAmor collection.  I was so engrossed in conversation that I barely took any photos!

And then great news topped off the evening...GlamAmor has been invited to stay at Barracuda through the month of December!  Now everyone has an opportunity to drop by and shop the collection.  I'll likely be in the store Thursdays through Sundays if you'd like to see me, but of course you can shop anytime.

One exception is December 10th and 11th, when GlamAmor will be downtown at the Cooper Design Center participating in the high-end vintage show A Current Affair.  It's going to be a great month!

Cheers and happy holidays!

Cocktails with GlamAmor Tonight at Barracuda!

The party's tonight from 5 PM to 9 PM 

and everyone is welcome!  

You can get more details and RSVP here.  The front door to Barracuda is a little hidden--it used to be By Appointment Only in the earlier Benetton days--but it's near the corner of Melrose and Ogden with parking available on both streets.  

It's a totally casual affair, so feel free to drop on by whenever you'd like!

GlamAmor Opens at Barracuda!

GlamAmor is open for business at Barracuda on Melrose!  

Once the home of the Los Angeles Benetton showroom, Barracuda is a wonderful wide open space filled with skylights.  Primed for women's vintage, the store already carries a selection of men's vintage boots and concert tees and is likely to expand into even more men's vintage soon.  Girls can already feel at home here--Ashley and Thelma style hair in the salon right off the store, so now with GlamAmor it really has become a one stop shop.

Welcome to the GlamAmor Pop Up!:  1960s Tiffany blue silk shortsleeve shift, 1960s grape leather frame bag, 

purple suede platform pumps, black pearl necklace, and silver hoop earrings

Don't forget the party tomorrow night from 5 PM to 9 PM 

and everyone is welcome!  

You can get more details and RSVP here.  The front door to Barracuda is a little hidden--it used to be By Appointment Only in the earlier Benetton days--but it's near the corner of Melrose and Ogden with parking available on both streets.  

See you soon!

Cinema Style File--The Colorful Ava Gardner in MOGAMBO and BAREFOOT CONTESSA

Ava Gardner is TCM's Star of the Month for November and, as always, it's a thrill to watch her.  She's a fiery actress, full of a strength and sexuality that never wavers.  Her acting comes from her story, too, which is an incredible one.  Grew up poor in North Carolina, moved to New York and had her picture taken by a friend's boyfriend, a scout from MGM spotted the photograph, and off she went to Hollywood.  She enjoyed her share of lovers along the way and ended up marrying three rather interesting husbands--Mickey Rooney (who was the hugest star in Hollywood at the time), jazz legend Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra.  The relationship with Frank was allegedly wrought with passion--both good and bad--and she continued to enjoy that passion in her other relationships as well, including a famous Spanish matador.

Though clearly colorful in real life, it's Ava in technicolor that I really admire.  You can quickly see why.  Mogambo (1953) and The Barefoot Contessa (1954) are two of my favorite movies with Ava.  As a blonde I share very little in common with her appearance, but she's invaluable to watch because of the colors and color combinations that costume designers asked her to pull off.  Absolutely inspirational.  This is particularly true of trickier vivid primary colors like reds and greens and yellows.  Let me tell you, I've learned many lessons on the color yellow just from watching Ava.

John Ford used one of my favorite costume designers of all time, Helen Rose, to dress Ava for Mogambo.  This movie is a remake of the wonderful 1932 black-and-white Red Dust, which also starred Clark Gable in the same role.  But here we've got Grace Kelly (instead of Mary Astor) as the good but tempted wife, and Ava Gardner (instead of Jean Harlow) as a showgirl with a heart of gold.  What's incredible to me is how much Ava truly outshines Grace in this picture.  How many times can you say that?

In Joseph Mankiewicz's Barefoot Contessa, Ava plays Maria Vargas...a gypsy dancer who is discovered and wooed first by Hollywood and then later by a Count.  You can watch her character evolve from that barefoot backwoods dancer to dazzling superstar to an elegant Countess in the span of the movie through her Sorelle Fontana wardrobe.

I absolutely love the combination of this butter yellow with the blood red lips and nails, 

pale ivory skin, and her luscious dark hair.  Incredible.

Beautiful on the boat

 Wouldn't be surprised if Thierry Mugler was inspired by many of the movie's gowns

A goddess at last