Sacramento Magazine were nice enough to interview and shoot me for their Up Front Personal Style feature in November’s “Best Of” issue! Thanks so much, Sacramento Magazine!
(click for legible closeup)
Written by Dayna Dunteman
Photograph by Tyler & Christina Mussetter (SO awesome to work with!)
Hair by Nicole Kniss (Thank you, Nicole!!)
Makeup by Christina Mussetter
Top from Thunderhorse Vintage
Jeans and pumps from Bows & Arrows Vintage
Scan by Josh Neely
Because of my need to be more mobile, I had recently lightened my closet by more than half and I was desperately low on wardrobe choices for this shoot. So I reached out to my favorite local boutiques. Thanks to Olivia, Trisha, Jen and Lacadia (Cuffs) for the beautiful clothes they let me borrow (although I ended up purchasing these vintage jeans -$10!- and now I live in them)!
The magazine (of course) somehow just happened to pick probably my least favorite outfit of the 5 or 6 that were shot, but I’m definitely in no place to complain, I’m stoked. I mean, I did style the whole thing.
So by the by, I am totally loving (like, I want to make out with…) Chicago, but with the economic shambles the country is in, nevermind the rising airfares, I’m having a real tough time trying to save any money for my globe-trotting journey. New sponsors and clients are sparse. Rather depressing, I sure did a bang-up job of picking a time to attempt this. What a slump. So. In a few weeks it’s back to California I go before the weather here turns morbidly awful (so I hear). Perhaps a jaunt to Milwaukee, a flight to San Diego and LA, and then to lovely Sacramento for a little bit to gear up again. Copenhagen is a surety, just not exact on times. I also want to hit New Zealand, Spain, Thailand and Peru.
Wish me luck, I’m gonna need it.
Hey!
I love your blog!! It has helped me begin to tune in on what styles really work for me and fit my personality. Recently, I cleaned out my whole closet and got rid of A LOT clothes that I know I don’t wear. But also, i’ve been losing weight, and I don’t know what to wear during these in between times. I haven’t dropped a clothes size yet, but I know I’m close to it, so I really don’t know what to do! I kind of let go of a lot of my old styles, but am reluctant to buy new clothes because I’m afraid they will be too big for me in a few months. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you,
Jo
Ah, the awkward stage. Nothing fun about being in-between. Firstly I should say that really, instead of “getting rid” of all those old clothes, you should have thrown a clothing swap, missy! Then we wouldn’t be having this problem. Have I tought you nothing? Well, make sure you do throw a clothing swap once you drop the full size and you’re set! I’ll forgive you just this once and try to help you out here, nonetheless.
I recently (accidently) lost almost 10 lbs. on what I like to call “the single diet”- I was newly single, and I hate to cook for just myself, am incredibly busy/lazy (case in point: it took me exactly 4 months to finish this post – Sorry Jo) and have no real schedule, so I end up living off mere snacks whenever I remember to eat. But I was able to keep a lot of my old clothes since I figured out a few tricks with some styles that still look good on me now that they’re a tad bit oversized.
You’re also very lucky because the oversized look just happens to be a la mode, as beautifully illustrated by Betty. Check it.
But if you are sick of your old wardrobe and really just want to show off your waning waist, here are a few pieces you can invest in to maximize your existing wardrobe and flatter your quickly-slimming new figure.
A corset belt.
Trapeze styles may be on the out, but you can still wear those overly-forgiving babydoll dresses from last year by cinching them with a wide belt. Get a nice statement belt that will make you feel like a stunnah even if you’re wearing your comfy “I’m bloated and lazy clothes.” You can also use it to cinch too-big pants and skirts into a chic paperbag waist.
la meow for wardrobe_remix
A cool belt paired with opaque tights or leggings is also a good way to convert your spring dresses and tops into layering lovelies for fall.
corazones rojos for for wardrobe_remix
fashionfillers.com
High-waisted skirts or jeans.
Tuck a loose-fitting t-shirt or frilly blouse into high-waisted vintage skirts or pants and you’re instantly tailored.
johnnycutcorners for wardrobe_remix
A cropped vest.
Give your too-big dress or top a little structure and a style-injection with a vest that hits right at the waist.
tralfamadarling for wardrobe_remix
Most of all, it’s good to be healthy but don’t be too hard on yourself and remember this:
You’re more beautiful than you think – the flaws that you believe are constantly glaring out at the world like a large goiter are most likely only visible to you. Be unrepentant. Be happy to be you. Wear your personality and creativity with the confidence that you know exactly who you are and what you love, and eventually your peacock swagger will appear, along with the realization that you really are precisely as hot as you feel.
SO TAKE A FEW CHANCES AND HAVE FUN SHOPPING!
Starts at 3pm.
Feel free to bring all the friends you want, the hipper the better, just RSVP with numbers so we can brace ourselves for the motherload of clothes!
This is the way it works. Bring your cast-offs separated into 2 different bundles – Things You Still Sort of Love and Things You Could Really Give Two Shits About Because They’re Off to the Goodwill Bin Next Week Anyway. On the way in the door, you’ll be tossing the latter into a big pile to be dealt with later.
We don’t want the swapping to be too organized so to make it more organic, we’re going to be swapping in a sort of bartering system. Example: you see that Fiona over there has the exact leather jacket you’ve been pining for? You may have to swap for 2 nice pairs of jeans and a floral sundress to get her to part with it, but to you it’s more than worth it. Or perhaps you’re lucky and she’s feeling generous enough to give it to you in exchange for a Pabst, you never know! So needless to say, there will be wandering and mingling, therefore laundry baskets (ideally labeled with your name) for easy carrying/digging through would be a good idea. So bring your best shit for this part of the evening and take home what you don’t find a good replacement for.
Toward the end of it all, around 6pm, we’ll have an all-out GRABfest with all the unwanted leftovers in a pile in the middle of the room. I suggest wearing a leotard or bathing suit under your clothes so if you’re bashful you can try things on right there without fear of nip-slippage. But for the especially shy, there are changing rooms. After the grabfest and most likely throughout the evening, we’ll be taking photos of all the best swapped outfits for Painfully Hip.
We will be providing music, inspiring visuals and some snackage (nothing fancy). We’re trying to make this as laid back as possible, so don’t start asking me about “rules.” But just so you know, we won’t complain if you bring a beverage or 6.
We will be bashfully pleading for your generous $5 donation to help keep our costs down.
Any questions at all, shoot me an email, otherwise we’ll see you at the Swap!
Painfully Hip got a good plug in the awesome weekly paper, the Sacramento News & Review. This photo is a 2 page spread in their 2008 Summer Guide (Collector’s Edition, no less).
Clothes by Bows & Arrows, Cuffs Urban Apparel and my clothes from the Painfully Hip Major Hip Replacement Clothing Swap in Chicago (thanks again, Andrea!) with $4 thrifted shoes. hair and makeup by stylist Emmy Allen of Regis Salon at Galleria of Roseville and Joshua Michael of Article Salon in Sacramento. PHOTO BY MONKPOND PHOTOGRAPHY.
…Amber Mortensen, co-creator of the fashion blog Painfully Hip, credits the Internet with making fashion more accessible to the public. “It’s so nice that trendsetting powers are now being taken away from corporations and glossy magazines and are back in the hands of normal people,” she remarked. “Especially people who have the creativity but not the money to spend.”
Mortensen suggests organizing a clothing swap as a means of picking up some new threads for free. You get to unload your unwanted clothing, while rummaging through someone else’s giveaways—treasures can be found!
Come July 19, Mortensen will team up with the owners of Bows & Arrows to throw the Major Hip Replacement Clothing Swap. Bring your cast-off clothing and a laundry basket with your name on it, and be prepared to rummage in search of buried treasures.
(Click here for the full article.)
Kinda funny that this edition of the paper just so happens to be glossy…
So yes, it’s official! Even though it went to print with the wrong date (take note: it’s Saturday July 19th, not June 19th), the Sacramento edition of the Major Hip Replacement Clothing Swap is a go! Keep reading for details as they solidify!
Never before have I been quoted so prominently in print and never before has my ass looked so detachable.
Thanks, SN&R!
|
Painfully Hip Local Links
Sunglasses Shop. Shop for Miu Miu Sunglasses
All images were either created by the Painfully Hip Design Collective, used with permission, or found on the web and believed to be in the public domain. If any images that appear are in violation of copyright law, please let me know and i will remove them immediately.
Thanks for reading,
Amber
painfullyhip at gmail.com
|
