What Happened to Quality?

Behold! An entirely secondhand ensemble; a perfectly fuzzy vintage tee, deliciously ripped and ratty Levi’s, a big ass fuzzy coat, some secondhand pumps and a rope necklace that I spotted in the window at Salvation Army and plucked right off that mannequin. There are three MAJOR reasons that a majority of my wardrobe is secondhand:

1. Further Develop Personal Style

2. Ethical

3. Quality

In today’s lesson we will explore the latter. Any piece of clothing made in this day and age (post-2000) is seriously lacking in quality. (Please Note: I am not talking designer/boutique fashion here…which is obviously in a whole 'nother echelon of “quality”.) All of the items I am wearing in today’s post date back to around the late 1970’s...ish. An era when making quality garments was simply the standard…people wanted their shit to laaaaast. Fabric selection, strong stitching, attention to details; all of these elements are working together to make these garments the best they can be. People back then simply expected this. On the rare occasion that I venture out to the mall to do a lil’ shop-iddy-shopping, I see first-hand how our “Throw Away Society” has greatly decreased the quality of garments made today. I’m sure you’ve all noticed, haven’t you? The crazy part is we don’t even seem to care…even though we all know it to be true! Seems we all have the same general attitude. We KNOW that it’s not good quality. I mean, that’s no secret. But, we want to rock that metallic pump…no, we NEED to rock that metallic pump. Our sartorial reputation as a trendsetting style maven depends on it! So…why not drop a measly $15 on it, right?! (Please Note: I am absolutely NOT immune to purchasing said $15 metallic pumps from Forever 21 that won’t last past 10 wears. GUILTY. Srsly.) But then, when I go out vintage shopping, I feel embarrassed and silly for having made such frivilous purchases. No one in 30 years is going to see my metallic pumps in a vintage shop window; they won’t last that long! Do you think it’s possible that thrifting and second-hand shopping will die off in the future because nothing we have created today will stand the test of time? Or conversely; are you satisfied with the general quality of garments today? Do tell!

Vintage...everything. Coat available in our Etsy shop here.

Until Next Time, 

Brittany

Shop Our Closet

Last week my boyfriend sat me down and told me that we needed to talk. “Oh shit, this must be serious…”I thought to myself. And it was. “Babe…I love you more than anything. You know that I will support you unconditionally and that I am always here for you. But (deep breath)…we need to address your clothing situation.” He’s right, I have a problem. It’s more than I problem. It’s a full blown addiction. I swear to GOD my tiny one bedroom apartment cannot handle one more piece of clothing…like seriously, not even a head scarf. There is no more space. My clothes are strewn across the apartment. Carrie Bradshaw style; mini skirts stored in my nightstand. High Heels in the kitchen cabinets. A growing stack of vintage tees stored atop my desk. My mind was racing…we can’t live like this anymore! “Babe…” I quickly quipped back, “Don’t think of them as merely clothes. This is my INVENTORY, for my new business…an Etsy shop! I’m specializing in vintage clothing and accessories…” 

 And so…”Shop Pardon My Fashion” is born! I love each of my unique vintage pieces like my own children, but I am excited to see how my stylish blogosphere friends can breathe a new life of stylish adventures into them! PS- If you’ve seen Chels or myself wear something on the blog that you would like to have in your own closet, then send us an email at PardonMyFashion@gmail.com and you’ll totes get first dibs ;)

PPS- Sorry bout the technical difficulties earlier, ladies. Thank you for the heads up...I suck at HTML.

How to Dress Like an Adventurer

Yesterday, Britt and I planned to get together for dinner at a fine restaurant (read: Cheeseburgers at Ruby’s Diner) and snap some good ol’ fashioned bloggy pics while we were at it. A pretty run-of-the-mill Saturday night. (We’re secure in our lameness, thank you very much!) That is, until we decided that run-of-the-mill just wasn’t gonna cut it today…we were feeling a bit dare-devilish and lusting after some adventure. But where to? After a crazy intense Google sesh, we decided to head out to an abandoned military medical facility for a little exploring and the general debauchery that this sort of thing enatils. We called up our equally as adventurous BFF Jasmine to join us. By definition an “abandoned military medical facility” is CREEPY as fugg; so power in numbers, ladies! After we finagled our way into the facility, (we’re crafty young women!) it was GO TIME. Before we even entered the building we were greeted with some less than welcoming graffiti art that read, “Here is where you meet your doom…” Now we’re smart ladies…but we ignored the warning and proceeded anyway. It was a WAR ZONE inside, but you could see the sort of exoskeleton of what was once here. There were desks and chairs and medical files everywhere. As we got over our initial heebie-jeebies, we proceeded down the long hallway lined with doors and rooms on each side leading to offices with EERIE ass old effed up medical supplies like old dental chairs and skin pokers and chemical spills and shit…EEK! We explored and rummaged and squealed in terror at every creek of a door and sound of breaking glass. This place was HUGE. After we caught our bearings, it was actually quite peaceful. What was once a bustling and busy medical office is now in utter ruins; quiet and completely still. I felt like we were some of the last remaining humans on earth. Rummaging through the remains looking for clues asking ourselves what happened? What went so terribly wrong? And why? As the sun set we knew we had to high tail it outta there before the zombies awoke from their slumber and ate us alive. JK…too much Walking Dead ;) Stay tuned for PART 2…the journey UPSTAIRS! Dun, dun duuuuuuunnnnnnnnn…!

Vintage coat (Available HERE). Thrifted sweater. Thrifted mini skirt. Via Spiga Boots. F21 necklace.

Until next time,

Chelsea

Style As An Act of Rebelion

My penchant for getting my protest on would probably explain my undying adoration of Chloe Sevingy’s latest collection for Opening Ceremony, which was inspired by the free thinking and restlessness of the youth of the 1960’s protesting era. During this counter culture movement, a divided worldview between the old and the young generation caused for maaaaajor friction regarding opinions on the ongoing war in Vietnam, sexuality, women’s rights, democracy, environmentalism, and differing interpretations of the “American Dream”. (UM…wait a minute! Does that sound familiar to anyone else? Are we talking 1964 or 2013?) All this talk of counter culture and protesting and dissent and civil disobedience was gettin' me hot and bothered! (And it gave birth to my Chloe X Opening Ceremony inspired ensemble!) Then I had a (small) epiphany. These elements are exactly why fashion seduces and thrills me the way it does. I delight in the fact that I can use my style as an act of rebellion. For me, this is what fashion is all about. Making a sartorial statement that pushes up against social norms or challenges the status quo. The name of the blog “Pardon My Fashion” actually came from the fact that what Chels and I wear often elicits a rather 'uncomfortable' reaction from people. But the reactions are exactly what I’m after. As long as I’m getting some kind of rise out of you, whether positive or negative, I figure I’m doing something right…right?!

Target hat. Thrifted angora sweater. Thrifted corduroy skirt. Forever 21 sandals and necklace.

Until next time,

Brittany

Simplicity With A Wild Side

Life is feeling cluttered lately; full of distractions, unnecessary noise and ya know...shit. My sartorial choices always have a way of reflecting my state of mind and this weekend I needed to zen the eff out, man. My mind subliminally lead me to an uncomplicated, simple, and minimalist silhouette. To me, minimalism is all about stripping away the bullshit, eliminating the non-essentials, and getting back to the basics. Reducing down to the barest form. And when you’ve done that, you’re left with only what is truly important. While simple can sometimes be misinterpreted by us fashionistas to mean “boring”; think of about the importance and the message that "simple" holds in a world filled with deception, fraud, and crookedness. (Ya, I’m talking to you politicians/CEOs.) Simplicity is candid, sincere, honest, and straightforward...it’s so stripped that it has nothing to hide! Isn’t that a refreshing change of pace? Of course, in true Chelsea fashion, I’ve paired my simplistic and minimalistic ensemble with a leopard print shoe...cuz ya know, I’ve still got that wild side that will never be tamed ;)

Thrifted velvet dress. Thrifted cowl neck sweater. Thrifted shoes.

Until next time,

Chelsea

High School Cheerleader

In high school I secretly wanted to be a cheerleader...but I never was. Today I decided to live out my high school fantasy by wearing my interpretation of a high fashion, high school cheerleading uniform. (Complete with my hot quarterback BF’s varsity jacket!) Aw damn, isn’t that a great idea for an editorial? Your stereotypical high school social circles interpreted through a stylized eye. The band geeks, the stoner kids, the brains, the jocks, the populars...you know, the usual line up. When I was in High School, everyone wanted to be popular. It was all about how many zillions of BFF’s you had, how many parties you could conceivably attend in a single Friday night, how many Abercrombie and Fitch items you could pile onto your body at once, and just how stick straight you could flat iron that long and (poorly) highlighted hair. This was the epitome of “cool” during my days in high school...and everyone wanted in. I don’t know what’s been going on since graduation day, but it seems that younginz these days want nothing to do with “cool” in this traditional sense. Has anyone else noticed this strange phenomenon? Is unpopular the new popular? Like, for example, if “She’s All That” (My fave movie in HS) were re-released in theaters today, Laney Boogs wouldn’t need a makeover OR FPJ’s help to become Prom Queen! She’d be ruling the school just the way she was! A bohemian-hipster chick with wayfarer glasses who’s about to go off to art school in NYC...I always knew you were just ahead of your time, Laney ;)

Vintage bomber jacket. Custom vintage crop top. Vintage skirt. Charlotte Russe pumps.

Until next time,

Brittany

Everyone is at #NYFW Except Me

JK. Kinda. So here’s what I would have worn to #NYFW. (Except my invite got lost in the mail...) I look just as good as these A.Wanging, P. Schoulering, Givenchy clad, Kenzo sportin, JBrand lovin’ street style queens...and my outfit cost less than their cab fare. BOOM BABY. I hope ya’ll don’t think we’re being haters with our fashion week commentary, it’s just something we’ve been talking about lately over shared bowls of vegan chili at Gypsy Den and glasses of red wine. Apparently we’re not alone; did you see the T Magazine article titled, “The Circus of Fashion” or that Buzzfeed article, “Finding the Next Bryan Boy”? People are talking about us fashion bloggers, folks...and it ain’t necessarily glowing reviews. Seems (to us) that too many bloggers are only good at one thing: swiping Daddy’s AmEx and mixing and matching designer labels. A fashion blog is only as good as the brands it hypes, right? So where the hell does that leave Britt and I? With a wardrobe made up almost exclusively of used, secondhand, and brand-less thrifted clothing...what could we possibly contribute to the blogosphere?! If a fashion blog doesn’t serve to fuel consumption, then what good is it? Does it have a place at all? We think so. Britt and I got into blogging (albeit, myself a few months after the fact) cuz we thought it would be nice to offer a point of view other than the whole “Daddy’s Little Rich Girl” spiel. We’re over it. It’s boring us. Can’t we use fashion to spark up conversations about real issues? Ya know like, stuff we’re actually interested in talking about? Let’s cut the small talk, fashion bloggers of the world. VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

Thrifted hat. Thrifted jacket. Foreign exchange crop top. Vintage jeans. F21 booties.

Until next time,

Chelsea

No One Invited Me to #NYFW

No one invited me to NYFW. I was kinda under the impression that everyone with a DSLR camera and internet access got an invite? Between all the twittering and instagramming and street styling and after partying and hashtagging and sponsoring and ass kissing going on over there at NYFW; has anyone found time for the fashion? You know...the clothes? People used to love the story of the show, the feeling it left them with. Everyone wondering, “What was that designer trying to communicate to me?” Instead they’re thinking, “Who will photograph me next?!” The fashion part of Fashion Week seems to be getting lost. Maybe it's just social media overload...TMI type thing? Or maybe I’m just old school and need to get with the times. But man, it kills me when I see the entire front row taking in a show through an iPhone! No tea, no shade. I mean shit, I can’t even score an invite. I am but a lowly suburbanite. I wish McQueen was still around to comment on what’s happening in the fashion world right now. I miss him. Anyscrew, my gurl Brooke decided to do a post on what she would be wearing to NYFW (if she were invited!) and I decided that I wanted to do the same. So here I am in all my glory pretending that my boyfriend is Tommy Ton and I am the Street Style queen on everyone's lips. Instead, we went out for drinks at our neighborhood watering hole. I will leave you with a quote from a hopeless fashion romantic like myself, Grace Coddington, “I used to find attending the shows so invigorating and exciting, but [now] you have to be there with blinders on. To cut out all the rubbish that's going on around, where the focus seems to be more on the audience than on the clothes that go down the runway. Any old shit can go down the runway and they all sit there and clap.”

Vintage top. Vintage coat. Vintage sequin skirt. Theory booties. F21 bracelet and necklace. Vintage hat.

Until next time,

Brittany