CheapJAP

Nifty Thrifty

A Vintage Jewel in a Stroller Wasteland

I’m not usually a hat person, probs because the only headwear that fits my little noggin is intended for small children. I’m also not usually a vintage clothing person; I don’t give a shit if that musty suit jacket is Armani, I’m not paying $200 for anything with shoulder pads.

However, on the day I wandered into L. Verdi - a tiny vintage shop in Park Slope - I found I was both.

The heavily powdered and rouged proprietor initially greeted me with skepticism, and rightfully so. I’m fairly judgmental of patrons of Michael’s, Screaming Mimi’s, Zachary’s Smile, and the like - I deem them sartorial snoots willing to pay top dollar just so they can say, with feigned nonchalance, “This? Oh, it’s vintage.”

As I gingerly stepped around the racks bursting with pencil skirts, blazers and boots, I noticed that L. Verdi’s prices weren’t entirely ridiculous (if I knew anything about vintage clothing, I’d probably say they were reasonable). The clothing racks required more time for adequate assessment, so I thanked the rouged lady, complimented her store and vowed to come back. That’s when I saw the hats.

For someone who neither owns nor wears a lot of hats, I have a serious appreciation for millinery. The rouged lady enthusiastically pulled some options for me, and I had a 90s flashback of Mom and I trying on hats just for kicks at Henri Bendel. When I put on the hat pictured, we both cooed triumphantly. I wasn’t psyched that it was $55 until I saw the Stetson label stitched on the inside [high quality Stetson straw hats retail for around $200 - the material on this is so fab, it doesn’t even feel like straw!].
Continue reading →

Cheap JAP 101

Shorts as Eveningwear - Totally Okay!

The general consensus on Shorts as Eveningwear seems to be a big, fat Not Okay. Bollacks to that. I’m all about dressing up shorts for the following reasons:

1. Menswear isn’t yet Out like Nina Garcia.
2. Shorts eliminate the strong possibility of exposing your coochie as you walk down the subway stairs.
3. If I read one more effing post about Warm Weather Dresses, I’m going to hurl. Summer is disgustingly hot in this city; light-fabric dresses are a no-brainer. Duh. Continue reading →

Heel Schpiel

The Mister In-Between of Shoes

I’ve been on the hunt for an In-Between shoe ever since I first washed my H&M high-waisted jeans. The jeans were originally long enough to wear with 3-inch heels; unfortunately, one dryer cycle rendered them too short for pumps and too long for flats. The silver lining? An excuse to buy new shoes, obvs.
I found these We Who See Oxfords at Urban for $78 (Note: Urban’s shoes not nearly as obnoxiously overpriced as apparel). Are they the sexiest things you’ve ever seen? No. But they’re interesting, which means they’re either ugly, cool, or both.
The heel on the Oxford is low enough that it makes my H&Ms wearable again, but what I like most about the shoe is its weirdness: With pants, it’s a subdued, tan pump of a supporting actor, but with shorts or skirts, it’s the star. Continue reading →