Twenties Girl

Kittens, I would seriously like to know…who on earth told you that just because you are living in the twenty-first century you must dress the modern part? There are no regulations that prohibit you from dressing like a flapper if you feel the need to; no stipulations that say you must follow the style of current celebrities as opposed to Fitzgerald’s dainty Daisy Buchanan, or the pouty Clara Bow. The point is, mes amours, if you feel like taking a style cue from the beauties of yesteryear – fictional or not – do it. Cast modern society rules to the wayside and embrace the flapper within – even if just for a day!

Forever 21 “Ruffled Tiered Dress” Take it from someone obsessed with the 20s era; a flapper is not judged by how many fringes or feathers she has draped over her lithe form, the true test of flapper fashion is to ensure that the frock has the ability to move, shimmy, and shake with every step that the wearer takes; Forever 21’s Ruffled Tiered Dress has that ability. Although not dripping with fringes or harboring a drop-waist, the tiered ruffles give the charmeuse satin material a very flowy, ephemeral vibe that is both dreamy and captivating; while the jade hue adds a modern twist to a vintage style. All that’s needed now is a long pearl necklace and a little jazz, and you’re good to go!

Aqua “Black Fringed Cotton Dress” Perhaps the most divine thing about fringes making a comeback is the fact that many flapper dresses have the ability to bridge the gap between 1920s refinement, 1970s hippie, and modernity depending on what accessories you slip on with them; case in point, Aqua’s Black Fringed Cotton Dress. Embellished with swingy black fringes that match the all-black palette, you can go completely 20s with bare legs, t-strap pumps, and a flapper headband; or rock out with smokiness from head to toe – black tights, black booties, chunky black jewelry, and dark makeup. It’s a dress that works no matter what mood you’re in. I, however, still want to don it while doing the Charleston with a dapper boy.


Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent “Fringed Hem Tank Dress” I am a firm believer in the fact that, to truly show off ones frippery and finery, you must do so in comfort, and nothing screams comfort like an embellished tank dress such as Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent’s Fringed Hem Tank Dress. As if the champagne colored frock and sophisticated silhouette aren’t enough to draw you in, the fringed hem creates a classic flapper style that will captivate audiences without going overboard – ideal for the girl who wants to make a vintage splash sans the loss of her avant-garde flair!








Silence & Noise “Coated Chiffon T-Shirt Dress” There comes a time in life when you fall head over heels in love with something for no explicable reason. I have just fallen victim to this, darlings, in the form of Silence & Noise’s Coated Chiffon T-Shirt Dress. Despite the fact that I have been bombarded with images of sleeveless flapper dresses, women of the 1920s did drape themselves in frocks with fluttery bits about the arms at times, and the Coated Chiffon T-Shirt Dress is undoubtedly a glamorous representation of this. Regardless of the fact that the entire shift is crafted of cotton, it manages to pick up the light and make you shimmer and shine in a way that looks as if you’ve been drenched in water; while at the same time retaining a very casual yet completely sleek silhouette that hugs your curves yet drapes loosely about your form all at once. My mind is made up…I want to live in this dress!

Free People “Shake It Fringe Dress” Bohemian breeding, flapper finesse. Yes, the true allure of the Shake It Fringe Dress is its ability to juxtapose between two completely different eras, yet pay homage to both of them in the most lovely of ways. Controlled fringe detail adorning the bottom hem and neckline provide a minimalist tribute to the Roaring Twenties; whilst the subtle ombre and lace crochet of the dress add a sense of dainty hippie to the look that is both versatile and elegant. Is it just me, loves, or do you also have the urge to find a lacy headband (perhaps one embellished with a flourishy flower) in a decadent hue, and pair it with this pretty?

Tell me kittens…do you want to be a flapper for a day?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Forever 21, Bloomingdale’s, Urban Outfitters, and Free People for the pictures.

Smitten Saturday

♥X Marks the Spot Are you one of them? The individuals who rise early every Saturday morning in the hopes of finding a buried treasure of sorts at a yard sale? I’m not. I find that the misleading signs and dates posted around my abode are always incorrect. By the time I finally locate the yard sale in question, it has already been shut down for the day – all of the possible vintage finds having been scooped up or packed away for the next bombastic sale. It’s terribly disappointing; especially when you have your heart set on returning home with at least one unique trinket to show off to your friends. But we don’t have to end our day in a tear-induced saddening situation. There is hope. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There is…Yard Sale Treasure Map. No longer will you drive in circles only to come up empty-handed. Merely type in your address, the day you’d like to shop, and how far you’re willing to travel (anywhere from 5 to 50 miles); click Search, and voila! Captain Jack Sparrow was obviously correct in his musings…X certainly does mark the spot, mes chéris!

♥A Continental Picnic I truly hope that my incessant chatter about picnics doesn’t drive you completely bonkers, lovelies. It’s just that I find them to be the most romantic things ever to be thought up (aside from piggyback rides, of course), and can’t help but gush about them at least once a day. But now ladies, a new idea has struck me. I’ve decided that a sole picnic may not be the picture of perfection I once thought it to be. No, once you find a cute boy to call your own, many picnics should ensue. All in different locations; or, even better, on different continents. In North America you could eat ice cream in Seattle’s Golden Gardens, or cuddle with cupcake’s in New York’s Central Park. Absorb Asia with a sushi snack in Tokyo’s Kasai-Rinkai Park. South America could be enjoyed via a bountiful brunch in Buenos Aires’ Parque Rivadavia. Have a BBQ for two in Australia’s Mandurah Foreshore. For Europe, you could devour crusty baguettes along the banks of Paris’ River Seine. Bundle up for a hot chocolate with whipped cream at Antarctica’s Antarctic Beech. And savor Africa with a safari-inspired lunch in Tanzania’s Arusha National Park. If all else fails, we don’t even have to leave the house – let alone the country. All you need is a blanket, a living room, and candles to have a secluded indoor picnic, just the two of you!

♥Chain Reaction It is all Coco Chanel’s fault. It makes no difference that she passed away in 1971 – more than thirty years ago – her influence on style lives on in countless ways; the first, in my book, being handbags with chain handles. There is something so subtly sophisticated about a chain handle detail that is seductive and functional all in one breath; a sultry little touch that adds just the slightest bit of bad to a look that is oh so good. But I digress, now is not the time to splurge on a Chanel 2.55, no matter how much the diminutive devil resting upon my shoulder urges me to. No, I must stay strong, and strive to indulge in a little chain mail in a more…thrifty way, perhaps. While anything but teeny tiny, the Deena & Ozzy Chain Tote is, without question, taunting me with its rugged beauty on a daily basis. The black and white contrasting colors paired with a chocolate handle and equestrian-inspired buckles; in addition to the antiquated chain hardware…let’s just say that Coco herself would be proud. Marciano’s Studded Satchel with Chain Strap is a piece right out of a daydream with the ability to transform from girly glam to raw rebelliousness with the mere removal or addition of its chunky sterling chain link strap. The medieval silver chain detail literally dripping from CC Skye’s Bridgette Chain Strap Turn Lock Bag in Black is enough to make me long to drape myself in leather and head to a biker bar for a few games of pool – Bridgette in tow, of course. And Charlotte Russe’s Studded Quilt Cross-Body Purse? Without a doubt the broke college student’s answer to the Chanel 2.55 dream. What’s your reaction to the chain, kittens?

♥Bump It Up! Please don’t think me vain, loves, but I’ve always been obsessed with the big, teased hair look. What I am completely not obsessed with, however, is the damage that teasing can do to ones fiery follicles; thus the reason why I have never attempted it. Now I don’t have to; at least if Bumpits are as fabulous as the infomercial leads me to believe. Yes, I’m completely guilty; guilty of being very easily influenced by infomercials – in fact, sometimes I find them even more appealing than the actual programs on TV. But this time I am convinced that the product will live up to the hype of the infomercial. I’m going to do it, kittens; I’m going to take the plunge and…buy a set. Are you ready to bump it up, darlings?

♥Baker’s Square My paltry skills in the kitchen truly have me down at the moment, darlings. Each time fall comes around, I find myself in a state of baking frenzy, wanting to whip up divine desserts from September through December; desserts that will make people coo as opposed to cringe. But it seems impossible. My lack of ability leaves me surrounded with disaster, not decadence. My concoctions fall flat, and end up being fed to the garbage disposal instead of family friends. Perhaps it’s not my fault though. I am certainly not attempting to place blame on anyone else, but I can’t accept that my bad luck in baking is solely my flaw. If you ask me, it may have something to do with my attire. I am lacking a proper apron. With a pretty Suzy Homemaker inspired apron, I am sure my kitchen skills will improve ten-fold; so that is what I need to invest in – an apron. Jessie Steele’s Bib Audrey Pink Poppy Fields Apron is a pink dream; plus it has a matching Pot-Mitt. The Big Frills Apron by Kim Soles is downright delicious for the girl who aspires to star on Mad Men. And I simply can’t help but feel that Anthropologie’s Syllabub Apron has the potential to make a splash as an apron or a flirty frock. We can’t forget, of course that we need all the baking help we can get; so for an extra pinch of luck in the kitchen, I’ll slip a Meringue Ring from Charles&Marie on my finger. Cooking foibles can’t possibly happen with something that sweet sitting on my hand!

What were you smitten with this week?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Couture Carrie and Urban Outfitters for the pictures.

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

At the tender age of four I met a special someone who would change my life forever as I knew it; an influential person with a desire to show me the true ways of the female world – specifically that diamonds? In the words of Marilyn Monroe…yes, they most certainly are a girl’s best friend. His name? Diamond Jim.

Now believe me when I say, I am not kidding about his title. His name is no joke, mind you. Diamond Jim was an Atlantic City entertainer outfitted in a metallic silver suit with a diamond as a head. Yes, a large, sparkly bauble sitting pretty in place of a human face. After an afternoon of traipsing up and down the boardwalk in the hot sun, I would be taken inside various hotels to cool down, and that is precisely where we were introduced. To this day, his twinkling face and words resonate forever in my mind; which explains my infatuation with Abazias.

Oh kittens, you know me, I’m not at a point in my life where I’m looking at wedding bands or engagement rings. Far from it, dolls. But I can’t help but become completely lightheaded and ditzy when the thought of fashion rings and bracelets; necklaces & pendants, and even glittering watches come into play. Abazias, if you must know, has the crème de la crème of all of the above, and so much more. It is a virtual trinket tot lot for the accessory-loving girl – one in which I spend countless hours traversing each day.

Of course, while everything at Abazias is completely covet-worthy, you know me, never one to abstain from picking favorites, there are a few bits and bobbins that stick out in my mind. The 1/3 ctw Rose Gold Interlocking Heart Ring. I’ll be honest…I would love any boy with the good sense to bestow this beauty upon my finger forever and ever; especially if it’s accompanied by a picnic in the park. The 1/8 ctw Diamond Snowflake Pendant would be a sublime piece to follow an afternoon of stolen kisses snatched behind a secluded snow bank. And how on earth could I forget the Round Cut Diamond Studs – a virtual essential for the modern mademoiselle.

Loves, Abazias is quickly becoming the ruination of me; but I suppose I should permit such a ruination to take place – just this once, of course. After all, it was Elizabeth Taylor who said “Big girls need big diamonds,” and Abazias has some of the largest I’ve ever seen – most certainly what the Doctor ordered!

What Abazias piece has you up in arms, dearests?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Abazias for the pictures.

Charmed and Dangerous Giveaway Winner

Can you hear it, kittens? That tinny tinkling sound. Do you know what it means? Typically it’s indicative of a fairy, or flitting wood nymph laughing off in the forest somewhere; their jovial giggle ringing like music to one’s ears. Today, however, it is representative of one very lucky Café Fashionista winner taking home the ambrosial Victorian Portrait Charm Bracelet from Lulu*s. Yes darlings, an entire week has gone by, and finally the day of reckoning has arrived. Congratulations to…

…Carrie of Couture Carrie. Your wrist will never go naked again as you are now the owner of this vintage-inspired accessory.

Please e-mail me at cafefashionista@yahoo.com with your mailing address to claim your prize.

Thank you to the winner, and to everyone who entered Café Fashionista’s giveaway!


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Listal for the picture.

Thrifty Thursday: Chinese Laundry Turbo for Less

Serena van der Woodsen stole my shoes. Obviously it’s not enough that she rules the Upper East Side; has been romanced by a slew of adorable suitors vying for her affections – the poetic Dan Humphrey, the artistic Aaron Rose, the sophisticated bad boy Nate Archibald; is attending an Ivy League; can buy anything her heart desires; and virtually has the world at her fingertips. No, she has to go and steal my shoes, as well.

Okay, so Serena was wearing Chinese Laundry’s Strate Boot, a magnificent piece of footwear that has since been discontinued, not the equally as gorgeous Turbo, which is proving to be just as satisfying to my well-being. And, to be completely honest, they weren’t mine to begin with exactly; just something I fancied from the moment I laid eyes upon them. But in my mind I was already wearing them on shopping sprees and coffee dates, and then there they were…strapped to her feet.

The 22-inch shaft pulled up stylishly about her knee, providing the ideal above the knee aesthetic to be donned with all sorts of luscious legwear – leggings, skinnies, minis, tights. The supple gray suede scrunching in all the right places yet retaining a very…a la mode slouch where required. Function and fashionable flair juxtaposing with one another upon one preemptive, must-have piece.

But I suppose it’s all right. There’s nothing stopping me from picking a pair up now. Except, perhaps, the $99.99 exaction. Oh, to be a young lady with the bank account of Ms. van der Woodsen. But I’m not; therefore my assortment of footwear must simply suffer in silence. Don’t worry dolls, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel – both for me, and all of you wanting to envelop these enchanters. And that consolation, kittens, is Charlotte Russe’s $34.99 Knee-High Suede Boots.

A round toe and a slight chunk of a heel give way to a 17-inch ruched shaft made up of faux suede fabric perfect for tucking jeans into, or simply wearing with cutoff denim on those slightly sticky days when you crave a little boot boogie. Now that’s something to…gossip about.

I’m having a Blair Waldorf moment…it feels good to undermine Serena van der Woodsen – even if it is simply in the saving money department.

Your turn loves…will you be thrifty or suckered into putting on your spendthrift cap?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Chinese Laundry and Charlotte Russe for the pictures.


Don't forget to enter the Charmed and Dangerous Giveaway for your chance to win a Victorian Portrait Charm Bracelet from Lulu*s.

La Bombe

It is not just the re-release of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte that has given me a taste for fall, mes chéris. The arrival of my Twilight Bella Jacket has managed to do the trick, as well. Suddenly my thoughts are wrapped only around outerwear. Cropped bits that are trimmed with fur, layered with fleece, reversible, and lightweight; metallic or the color of caramel that sticks to your ribs. It’s a splendid thing to dream about, darlings. Truly it is; especially when the piece you’re eyeing is slightly loose about your form, making you fantasize about wearing the flight jacket of a pilot boyfriend off being heroic in some distant port. Oh loves, it’s too good to resist. In fact, to put it in simpler terms…it’s la bombe.

Xhilaration “Bomber Jacket – Toffee” I don’t adore this jacket for the sheer fact that the color matches my hair; please, I wouldn’t fall head over heels for a piece of outerwear for that reason alone. No, it’s the ribbed cuffs, and collared neckline; the deep, button-front pockets and contrasting stitching; the snug yet slouchy sizing. I’m sorry, I simply can’t ignore the divine essence of the Bomber Jacket – Toffee. It possesses all of the elements that true flight jackets harbor – sans the wing pin above the chest pocket – while engaging a weatherbeaten aura that only makes the piece more polished. Can you hear it, kittens? Can you hear what it’s calling out for? Camel-colored riding boots, indigo-hued skinny jeans…and you.

Aeropostale “Faux Fur-Lined Twill Bomber I once fell in love with a boy. He was unbelievably cute, supremely sweet, and amazingly romantic. It didn’t take long for me to realize, however, that it wasn’t him who I was smitten with. Rather, I was, to be quite honest, in love with the jacket he scarcely removed. The hood trimmed in faux fur always made me giddy, and the texture of the twill always felt magical to the touch beneath my Manhattan-polished fingernails. I always wanted that jacket, and now I’ve found it. Aeropostale’s Faux Fur-Lined Twill Bomber – Aeropostale coupons – is a slice of outerwear capable of sparking a whirlwind, winter white romance. The slim fit is feminine, never bulky; while the faux-fur lining possesses the same ability to warm you up as a steaming cup of cocoa. Hmmm…cozying up to the Faux Fur-Lined Twill Bomber almost sounds more enticing than cozying up to a cute boy this fall.

Diane von Furstenberg “Cupcake Reversible Bomber Jacket” Oh please, you all know me well enough to realize that cupcakes and Diane von Furstenberg are two of my favorite things, so how on earth would I possibly be able to ignore the lure of something with a title such as the Cupcake Reversible Bomber Jacket? The black puffer jacket is unlike any other that I have ever laid eyes on before. Three tiers of pleats cascade over its framework in the same fashion that luscious mounds of whipped frosting veil the sugary surface of a sweet treat; and if you tire of the all black palette, there’s no need to invest in a new jacket, simply reverse the piece and wear the floral-print lining on the outside. Two scrummy surprises in one…it’s an indulgence I may just have to make.

Arden B. “Ruched Sleeve Leatherette Bomber” I’m a girl, therefore it’s practically an unwritten rule for me to love the color pink – but I also adore gray. It’s the perfect juxtaposition between dark as night black, and pure as snow white – a gritty noir hue that runs the gamut of being girly glam and guy grunge. Quite a bit like Arden B.’s Ruched Sleeve Leatherette Bomber, if you ask me. Part biker babe, part pilot, the Ruched Sleeve Leatherette Bomber is a sublime piece of wrapping unaffectedly ideal for the girl seeking a slice of city chic to mingle with her desire for warmth. The zip front leads to a snap mock collar so often seen on the jackets of motorcycle riding bad boys; while the ruching, and smocked hem and sleeves add a touch of high-fashion elegance to the style that makes it formfitting and frilly – two things every girl adores.

BB Dakota “Twilight Bella Jacket” I couldn’t not include it, lovelies. Since its arrival on my doorstep it’s one of the only things that I think about – the drawstring hood and midnight blue color; the brass buttons and distressed pockets; the ribbed cuffs and fleece lining. Everything about it screams perfection. I’ll be honest, I’ve never even seen the film Twilight, but I feel that it’s my duty to state that BB Dakota’s Twilight Bella Jacket is a necessity for every girl’s closet. It’s a very no-frills bit that possesses an extreme amount of militant severity which can be dressed up or down with minimal effort. I’ve already decided that I’ll be styling it with white skinny jeans and knee-high brown suede boots for a very citified yet casual look. Oh fall, please come quickly so I can wear my Twilight pretty!

Are you la bombe, dolls?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Target, Aeropostale, Shopbop, Arden B., and Chickdowntown for the pictures.

Tightwad Tuesday: Kenneth Jay Lane Crystal Disco Ball Ring on a Dime

I’m a simple girl with ostentatious cravings, which is why I feel a disco ball is much better suited sitting primly about my finger than suspended midair above a sweaty crowd of partygoers decorated with neon glo-stick jewelry dancing to the dull throb of club music.

It’s true; I hold myself, and my jewelry drawer in high regard, and I sincerely think that any girl’s box of baubles is utterly incomplete without a trinket that creates silence when she enters a room. A piece of frippery so fine it stops traffic, makes jaws drop, even holds the power to – clichéd, I know – knock them dead, with a mere flick of the wrist, or a magnificently manicured hand cocked confidently on her hip as she awaits the arrival of a much needed glass of bubbly champagne after alighting – fashionably late, to be sure – at a swanky cocktail party full of pretentious, yet oh-so bored carousers.

Though it may sound like something out of a flouncy fantasy, such a ring is not fashioned out of fabrications or tall tales. It exists, kittens. It’s out there amongst us, adorning the fine and the fabulous; embellishing the prim and the provocative; dazzling the cute and the charming; all in the form of the Kenneth Jay Lane Crystal Disco Ball Ring. One inch in diameter and dressed up with Swarovski Crystals, it’s an extravagance that gives me Saturday Night Fever and the urge to find a Tony Manero of my very own to boogie down with.

But alas, remember what I told you…I’m a simple girl, and this simple girl certainly doesn’t have the means to shell out $100.00 for one ring, and one ring only – no matter how drop dead gorgeous it is. Like with boys, I tire of accessories quite quickly, and would rather buy twenty-five inexpensive bits than just one pretty that I’ll have to wear over and over again until I want to burst into tears. Which is why I think I will invest in the worshipped Disco Ball Ring in question; I’m just going to do it in a more affordable way.

At $6.80, Forever 21’s Disco Ball Ring is every bit as covetable as its Kenneth Jay Lane counterpart, with one – okay, two – small alterations: the price tag and the fact that, in place of Swarovski Crystals, the Disco Ball Ring is decorated with rhinestones – a look that is just as elegant as the original detailing, and hardly noticeable.

Oh, I simply love it, dolls; I’m gauging the exact reaction from all of you that I suspected, the same reaction that all of your admirers will succumb to once they take one look at your lovely new friend. Go on, darlings…put a ring on it!

Spendthrift? Tightwad? Tell me…which one are you?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Macy’s and Forever 21 for the pictures.


Don't forget to enter the Charmed and Dangerous Giveaway for your chance to win a Victorian Portrait Charm Bracelet from Lulu*s.