Stitch. Don't bitch.

Earlier today I was picking out what to wear for the evening's First Thursday, an art crawl held down Columbia's Main Street. Since the weather is what it is, hot and muggy, I decided to go for a floral, flowy skirt I purchased from Sid n' Nancy ages ago. The skirt rides high on the waist, and with a tucked in blouse (or leotard!) a country chic outfit is fini.

The cotton fabric is gorgeous with realistic red, pink and yellow flowers on a backdrop of navy blue.

It really is a great skirt except for one little problem. The ugly little buttons!

The buttons weren't horrendous. Just a little sad.

Fine print says: "Guaranteed Fast Color" & "Made in the U.S.A."

So I got some new red buttons. And by new I mean vintage. But you guys know what I'm talking about. I got these little suckers from the button section at the Old Mill Antique Mall. And, yes, there is a button section.

Mending.

Voila! I love these buttons because you notice them and at the same time you don't. They resemble poppies or miniature rosebuds and are a continuation of the flower power already present in the fabric. They blend in by standing out.What do you think?

Smelling an artificial flower.

Rosebud buttons!

Columbia Cool

It's Spring! Cathy Ramage in Hip Wa Zee and Stacey Parris in 2Gs.

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a lovely bunch of people in my garden for a fashion photo shoot. Diane Hare did the rosy make up and Mark Green snapped the photos. Two of my lovely friends, Stacey Parris and Cathy Ramage, agreed to be my models and Sid N' Nancy, 2G's and Hip Wa Zee were kind enough to allow this little blogess to borrow some fabulous outfits. Thanks, y'all!

So the idea for this post began a couple of months ago when interviewing the lovely Caroline Desanctis  (February's Fashion Slice). The girl knows a lot about fashion and aside from educating us on the wonders of a certain red lip stick, she also revealed how a closet sans sweatpants is a better off closet, indeed. And it is true! All of the looks below are proof that style and coziness can peacefully coexist. sigh of relief*

And so below are some outfits that I picked out from the aforementioned clothing stores. I like to think that these outfits are as breezy as a flower garden and as intimite as a lady's powder room. 

Let me know what you think!

Tea time with Stacey in a Hip Wa Zee vintage pink slip.

Hip Wa Zee really is one of a kind. Located at 940 Harden Street, this Columbia jewel offers a wide variety of costumes (rentals and for sale) year round. But if you aren't thinking of Halloween in May, that's alright. You still need to check out their vintage apparel. For instance, the pink slip above! 

Cathy, inspired and all in silk from 2G's.

2G's is located at 723 Saluda Avenue. There, one can find clothing made of some of the most amazing fabrics. I love their variety of silks and airy cottons and I'm also a fan of their très chic big floppy hats! Be sure to stop by when shopping in 5pts. At their low prices, 2G's is an absolute must!

No dirty dishes here! Stacey in a mint green silk kaftan with copper embroidery from 2G's. Cathy in a vintage nightie and apron from Hip Wa Zee.

Cathy in a 2G's pretty in pink silk gown,

Stacey "Wildflower" Parris. Belt and sunflower dress from Sid n' Nancy.

Last but not least, Sid N' Nancy! Located at 743 Saluda Avenue, this is one of my favorite shopin' hot spots. You'll always find something you love! Whether it be a cute leather skirt for $25 (true story!) or an $8 sunflower dress, be prepared to leave this shop with a zebra stripped bag in your hand and a naughty smile on your face!

Mark Green is a creative photographer who lives in South Carolina with his wife and four cats. He is fascinated by the force and beauty of life and is gifted with the ability to capture a person’s essence in a still image. He is equally happy working in his home studio or on location – as long as he is taking pictures he is ecstatic! Check out Mark's work at www.markverks.com

April's Fashion Slice

Dreams of Dresses...

 

Now, let's get this straight.

Glossy shop windows and Vogue magazines put aside, the true flavor and fun of this blog is The Slice. Interviewing Columbia's Ladies of Style is truly a delight (cherry on top!) and for April there is no exception.

Though her true passion is Fall Fashion (cashmere, layers and boots, Oh my!) Lee Lumpkin, owner of high end dress shop The Ivory Tower, exudes a certain je ne sais quoi and sweetness that, to me, is like Spring. She was invited to September's Fashion Week in NYC by Nicole Miller, is Chair of the Columbia Classical Ballet, writes grants for ballets and travels frequently to California, New York, Nevada and other parts of the US to collect unique pieces for her Tower on Devine street.
 
The day that I went to The Ivory Tower the sky was rumbling and there were light showers. I ran up to the rose colored boutique in my rain boots and knocked on the thick glass door. It was our second time meeting, our first encounter having been over Illy Cafe at the Gourmet Shop.

Lee greeted me warmly. "Ask me anything you want!" She said. "Sit down, sit down. And would you like some wine?"

As a child, Lee gained sales experience from working at her family's retail shop. "I'm a sales girl!" she exclaimed to me in that bubbly enthusiasm that is so Lee.

But while sales was her passion Lee didn't study fashion. Nor did she study merchandising. "I have two Masters," she explained. "One in Education and Counseling and one in Psychology."

And maybe that is why The Ivory Tower has such soothing vibes. It's not just the comfortable chairs nor the cashmere scented soy candels. Unlike other high end boutiques, The Ivory Tower is welcoming, not intimidating. She taps into a psychology of shopping and it works.




Lee and her collection of "longs"


At The Ivory Tower you can find an array of luxury items. From fine crystal champagne flutes to the perfect gala gown, The Ivory Tower brings to Columbia the coziness of high end shopping. Hence, the vino.

When I asked her why she did not pursue a career in education, Lee explained, "I remember being in an interview with the superindendent of the school board. I was fresh out of graduate school, excited, young and with long painted finger nails," making a motion excentuating her hands.

"Well, the superintendent also had long bright painted nails and at the end of the interview she told me "The next time you go to an interview, you can't have nails like that. I can, but you can't."

And so Lee jilted that career opportunity. She decided to follow her childhood dream and open a dress shop.



An array of textures and colors can be found at the Ivory Tower



"Something happened. Someone that I loved dearly passed away and I inherited some money. It wasn't a huge sum, but it was enough for me to get started."

It was 1977 when The Ivory Tower settled its first location across from Dutch Square Mall. Lee still vividly remembers the excitement of signing the lease for her shop.

"I knew that I had to box myself in by signing the lease. If I didn't, I would never own my own dress shop. I would never own my own business."

The next thing she knew, Lee was off to New York City in pursuit of elegant, moderately priced dresses. She found what she was looking for and on her way back, Lee had quite a collection of couture.

"On the flight back I noticed the man sitting next to me wasn't that interested in talking, but I'm afraid that didn't stop me!"

"I opened up to him and told him how worried I was and that I didn't know how I would start making my payments for my dress shop, that it was my first time owning a business, etc. Well, thats when he told me who he was."

Sitting next to Lee on the airplane was Chisolm Leonard of CoS Bank.

"He told me to come and see him in Columbia, that he would give me a loan."

The Ivory Tower, open Tuedays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12-7 by appointments, is located at 2614 Devine Street between Devine Foods and Fluff n' Puff. There one can find glitzy high end couture, eclectic accessories, delicate housewares, and some peace of mind, too.
 


Golden

It had been a very stressful day. Stacey and I sat outside at Cafe Strudel's patio, tree branches scratching at the tin roof as the wind wove it's way through the fence. I sipped at a dark stout as Stacey told me not to worry. She then casually slid a cute little cardboard box with the word Handpicked on it.

For me?

I opened the box and wrapped in tissue paper was a golden bangle. It has a constant detailed pattern circulating all the way around, so intricate that my camera could not properly focus.

Thank you, Stacey! I love my beautiful bracelet.

We finished up our drinks and down the road we went to the Old Mill Antique Mall.

I remember once somebody told me that people who shop frequentley are depressed. "That's why models always look so sad in fashion ads."

This plain and nameless person may have reason to believe such a theory. But did I mention that she was very boring?

Anyway, to me there is no question about it. There is something very refreshing about looking around a store with beautiful things, and that is exactly what Stacey and I did.

Glorious gold turned out to be the color of the day when I found these sparkly pumps from the 50's. At only $20 they match my new favorite bracelet perfectly.

Golden glimmer covered in a cobweb of  lace...

I was very proud of my find and as Stacey and I continued to peruse, a fellow shopper stopped me in my tracks. "Where did you find those shoes?" I gladly pointed this nice lady to the fabulous booth. I certainly hope she found something in gold, too.