Hooti Couture

Looking For Your Inner Diva?

Almost two years ago, when we were making the rounds promoting Alligators, we were lucky to meet a woman named Brenda Kinsel. Brenda, who is a professional image consultant and author of multiple books, had been asked by a San Francisco-area bookstore to interview us about vintage fashion and about our experiences writing the book together. She was amazing—funny, smart, well prepared—and she made us look good!

Flash forward a year or so, and Brenda asked both of us to contribute to her newest book, Brenda Kinsel's Fashion Makeover...30 Days to Diva Style . We couldn't resist, and now, as of this week, "diva style" has arrived in bookstores everywhere. You'll find tips from Alison on How to Make an Entrance,  and Melissa contributed a list of 10 items that will give any woman The Vintage Advantage. But there's so much more. Brenda has packed her 216-page book with advice on everything from dressing for a date to how to shop for jewelry, and everything revolves around her step-by-step 30-day beauty camp. If you are hungry to just freshen your look, or ready for a head-to-toe style redo, here's a good place to start. And to learn much more about Brenda, check out brendakinsel.com, an entertaining and informative website.

"Cheap Chic," Then & Now

Melissa recently did an Alligators reading and vintage show 'n tell in Lafayette, which is a suburb across the bay from San Francisco. Every chair was taken, and the vintage goodies worn (and discussed) by attendees included luscious sweaters, tiny metal mesh bags, and a kangaroo-skin coat bought decades ago in Australia. And one guest, Cindy Marshall, not only offered a glimpse of the '60s, as remembered through a great black boucle dress suit that she wore to Europe, but she brought a paperback book that is as fun today as it was when it came out in 1975. Cheap Chic, by Caterine Milinaire and Carol Troy, was subtitled "Hundreds of money saving hints to create your own great look." The book was jammed with black & white photos and quirky illustrations, and topics varied from "wrapping" jersey around your body to the work of Zandra Rhodes and Diana Vreeland. One of our favorite mini-profiles, of writer Fran Liebowitz, was titled "Grouchy Simplicity." And her crankiness about "clothes with pictures and/or writing on them" makes us wonder how she's coped with the past thirty years of fashion. But one of her quotes sounds as fresh as anything in the current issue of Vogue, so we must repeat it: "My most precious possession is a terrific riding jacket that was made a century ago for the aunt of a friend. She was 80 when she died, wearing it, and it is still holding up impeccably....I wear it with $2 white cotton sailor pants." We assume that jacket finally died, but we'd love to know what replaced it in her fashion affections. As for the book itself, it has aged almost as well as a faux leopard coat or alligator bag. Cheap Chic originally sold for $5.95, but is now priced at $80 or more at assorted online book sellers. And the Cheap Chic "update", which came out in 1978, has also become a high-priced collectible. Thanks, Cindy, for reminding us of this classic.

If You Love Fakes...

We have a fresh must-read for everyone who can't live without their rhinestones, brooches and bangles: Fabulous Fakes, A Passion for Vintage: 100 Years of Costume Jewelry (Artisan, 2006). The author is Carol Tanenbaum, and you can find her gem at Amazon for the discounted price of $22.05.

We heard about this book thanks to Hester Hull, a new friend we made last weekend while appearing at The Community House Antiques Show in Birmingham, a suburb of Detroit. Hester's a librarian, so she gets the early word on great new books—and bought this one for her library. Just remember: When in doubt, you can look it up! And thank you Hester, as well as all the other folks at The Community House who made us feel so welcome.

Hello UK & Australia!

                                                                              

Yes, hallelujah, Alligators, Old Mink & New Money has hit the shelves from London to Glasgow to Sydney, thanks to Orion Publishing Group. For us, that's as cool as nailing gold on the half-pipe at Turin, even if we're a little bit shaky on some of  the British vintage lingo as well as snowboarding's flips and twists! Anyway, look for Alligators in bookstores or order online at amazon.co.uk. 

In celebration of Alligators' arrival, we'll be including cool vintage items with UK and Australian pedigrees in our "What We Like on eBay." Even if we can't be on Carnaby Street at the moment, we can certainly think Carnaby Street!

Finally, we'd love to hear from anyone who can recommend great vintage stores anywhere in the UK or Down Under. We'll post the results in the weeks ahead.

Until then, happy reading.

When In Doubt...Look It Up: A VINTAGE READING LIST

As Alison points out in Alligators..., she'd much rather just shop for vintage, and make mistakes along the way, than sit down with a stack of books and do research.

But when it came to writing a book, we wanted to get it right, so we went on a reference hunt, scouring the shelves of new and old book stores. For the most part, the best of what we found focuses on a niche. And, for collectors, especially those with big budgets, these books can be a godsend. But for most of us, these books are more like a satisfying sweet, as delectable as a hot fudge sundae or the first fall morning at a great flea market.

We could have spent a month just on Judith Miller's Collector's Guides Costume Jewelry, which makes you want to quit your job and spend every waking hour hunting for turquoise, rhinestones and pearls. But before you do this, check on the state of your 401K.

A book called Boutique, by Marnie Fogg, could drive at least a few of us to throw out our entire wardrobes in favor of the best of the '60s. And those vintage afficionados who weren't even born in 1960 must take a peak at this book. It's a great history lesson.

For a broader view of vintage, and for help both buying and wearing everything from Western wear to palazzo pants (or figuring out what they are), two entertaining options are Vintage Style, by Tiffany Dubin and Ann E. Berman, and Wearing Vintage, by Catherine Bardey. Anyone who has yet to make his or her first vintage purchase will find some new passion, thanks to one of these books.

Of course, there's much, much more in the reading/research department, and we're happy to steer you toward the best. And if you have a favorite vintage resource, please drop us a note. Find our Vintage Reading List in the right column.

Alligators Review Excerpts

"...a memoir that shines with pure likeability." — Kirkus Reviews!

"For fashion lovers, flea market fanatics and thrift store junkies, this book is the perfect find." — Publishers Weekly

"By the time you've finished this true-life adventure in retail, vintage will become your middle name; leopard, your latest passion; and ex-model now-shop-owner Houtte, your new best friend...(Alligators) is about friendships, customer relationships, happiness, business, and the art and joy of living." — Booklist