I’m glad I’m not a celebrity. I would hate to dress up for the paparazzi every time I take the dogs out or make an emergency Cadbury Dairy Milk run. My standard dog-walking look this summer has been unbrushed hair, an oversize concert t-shirt, bike shorts and flip flops. And that’s chic compared to what I wore one day in March when it was cold, but not frigid: a parka, track pants … and the flip flops. Nice! Thank goodness I live in a magic zone of invisibility.
I looked spiffier than usual while walking the dogs Saturday night because I did it after coming back from the movies. Movie theaters are outside my magic zone of invisibility so I have to brush my hair and put on clothes. No wonder I don’t go to the movies very often. Too much work. Anyway, MrB, gorgeous blogger/designer Stacy Lomman and I went to see Beasts of the Southern Wild. (We recommend it.) After the film, we cracked open the bottle of Cristal that our generous designing friend Zang Toi sent to MrB for the latter’s recent birthday. We were following the advice of our friends John Brecher and Dottie Gaiter, the former wine critics at the Wall Street Journal, who created “Open That Bottle Night” to encourage people to stop saving that great bottle of wine for “someday” and just drink the damn thing already. Open That Bottle Night is always the last Saturday in February, so we weren’t celebrating the official day but the concept behind it by drinking Champagne for no reason. (We recommend it.)
In this picture, Gigi the dog is on the left and Henry is on the right. They’re both wearing fur. Or they’re naked, depending on how you look at it.
What Wendy Wore for Walking the Dogs
Top: Vintage Betsey Johnson (purchased from eBay around 2005)
Jeans: Acne’s Generic Girl style (2008)
Shoes: Prada (2011)
Necklace: My own IDGAF design.
The top used to be a dress, but the dress was so short it was more like a top anyway, so I had Jean from Ghost Tailor lop off a few inches to make it official. I bought the dress on eBay not only because of the cute skull print, but also for nostalgic reasons: it’s from Betsey Johnson’s 1978 through 1990 period, identified by what’s become known as her “punk” label.
The dress’s label.
I was seriously into Betsey Johnson back then and I have a couple of “homegrown” vintage Betsey Johnson items. I’ve already posted the leopard jacket I got in the early ’90s.
The jacket was photographed by New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham in 1994.
The same jacket last year. Click for original post.
I’ve also kept a halter from the ’80s in case I need it for something costume-y. I think I last wore it to a Ricky Martin concert in 1999, but I don’t dare get rid of it. I have so much regret about giving away the fuchsia, ankle-length, lace skirt with matching leggings that I bought in 1986 at Betsey’s store on East 60th Street in Manhattan. I would give anything to have that set now! No wonder I have bad feelings about closet purges.
I adore betsey \’s punk label. I hoard it too. I regret every single stitch I have sold as well. And my home grown vintage betsey that I gave away at one point when i told my self sternly that i would never wear flowered slip dresses again. HA. WRONG. I always regret purging unless it is of torn broken worn out stuff.
Yeah, now I’ll only get rid of things that are really, really worn out or just don’t fit in any conceivable way. Still pining for a silver Todd Oldham t-shirt I got rid of. So stupid.
Oh wow, that leopard coat is to DIE for!! You look great out dog walking too. How lucky are those pups to be led by such a stunner. 😉
Wow Wendy, that is a great outfit for walking dogs. Can you really walking in those high Prada heels? Looking very fabulous though….. And your dogs look pretty cute too!
I don’t own any skull print but now I want some!
You’re dog walking/movie going outfit is just adorable.
Tee hee – love your description of the magic zone of invisibility. I love that leopard coat! And your dog walking outfit is very cool and urban. What adorable dogs!
I love Betsey’s things so much, from all her eras. The leopard jacket is meeeee-ow fabulous. Thanks for linking up to Visible Monday, you’re a star!
I smiled at the description of your March outfit-I think flip flops go with just about anything. That leopard jacket goes with just about anything, too.
I have dreams about clothes I’ve given away; it’s disturbing because I wish I had them. Of course I also have recurring nightmares about missing planes because I’m trying to pack too much stuff and I’m late. Can’t win, at least in dream world.
I would give anything to see you wear that fuchsia, ankle-length, lace skirt with matching leggings! 🙂
So funny. I was just thinking last week how sorry I was that I purged my closet of some suits I once owned. I hear you on this one. Also, just this morning I was thinking of my dog walking outfit, or lack thereof. 🙂
That jacket is fabulous. My magic zone of invisibility is shrinking. It used to extend to the greater San Francisco Bay Area but now only goes to my front door, partly because everyone else around here is covering gym pants and flip flops and I want to be different!
I admire the effort you’re making!
that is a great t shirt!
brett
I’m STILL pissed off I let a friend “borrow” a satin hot pink satin punk label halter dress that I never saw again ): I also let her borrow a vintage 50s green velvet shawl with the reverse in silk that had pink roses that matched perfectly! Boo for friends who don’t return things! I wish I could find the rest of my Betsey stuff, I had tons. Do you remember when she would have those sales where she would clear out stock making everything $5-$20? It was remarkable, and since I was quite young (19 or 20) great to have such fun outfits so reasonably priced! I do still have some of her Mark Mahoney tattoo print fabric, when I was an indie designer there used to be a shop in the EV that sold off runs of leftover designer fabric so I bought the whole bolt and made a load of stuff that I sold. Pissed I don’t have anymore of the Sprouse though! Oh… now I’m on a nostalgic jag… may start weeping over the loss!
XXX Suzanne PS I just remembered, Norma Kamali used to do the same type of sales when she had the shop in Soho, oh what fun they were!
I’m about to start weeping over your losses!!!
Henry & Gigi wouldn’t be able to handle the shame of going walkies with me! I look like a vagrant compared to you!Love that jacket.
You look waaaay too fashionable for walking dogs! I DO LOVE your pups tho!!!!
The leopard jacket is fabulous!
So many memories are contained in pieces of clothing! I too yearn for several items that I downsized years ago. And the leopard print jacket is gorgeous and timeless!
Oh our former clothes we wish we could get back! I could kick myself for letting go of some of my fave 80s looks.
I like the idea of Open the Bottle Night – must implement ASAP.
You look chic walking the dogs. Your parka and flip flops story reminds me of the worst I ever looked outside walking dogs – wearing my grandmother’s old boots, mismatched pjs, and my most hideous coat. Of course, the Cairn chose that day to get loose, and I had the pleasure of displaying my lovely outfit all over the neighborhood in rush hour traffic, while screaming for the dog at the top of my lungs.