70's Bully

Circa 1978 Sears boys Department denim "shearling" lined jacket thrifted for $15.
Looks like it belonged to Scott - so long ago that Culver City was in the 213 area code & had NO zip code.

This reminds me of the "Outsiders"! Baby Matt Dillon getting SO deep in this photo. Just light my smoke off your necklace and all is forgiven.
photo, Zeotrope.com

Dr. Zipper Q & A, Part II

Dear Dr. Zipper,

I am getting hideous yellow armpit stains in every white shirt I own. This is not a brand new problem, but it seems to be getting worse. Because I change my deodorant often, I think it is an inevitable occurrence that will never go away. What can I do to lessen the problem? I tried Oxy Clean and that worked for a hot second but ultimately failed! Help!
Signed,
Yellow Distress

***
Dear Yellow D,
Sadly, armpit stains are ultimately unavoidable for some of us - but there are def some things that can help. Paradoxically, deodorant can worsen stains as it sticks to fabric and disallows a proper clean of the underarm area (also be sure it dries completely before you put on your clothes).
First off, always wash and rinse your whites in cold water – hot water acts to set the stain. Second, treating the armpit area of your t-shirts or blouses with a stain lifter as soon as you take them off can help tremendously. Rinse the underarm area to remove any deodorant remnants (our enemy), spray, and then toss in the hamper until laundry day. I swear by Oxy Clean Laundry Stain Remover (in the spray bottle) because its color safe and works on most every fabric (even silk, if used sparingly). I’m sorry to hear you haven’t had success with this product but if you treat your stuff from day one you can at least delay the moment when you toss your $85 Diesel tunic into the trash. If your item is cotton, then by all means, use good old fashioned bleach to whiten.
If you want to be more natural you can create your own pre-treatment product with white distilled vinegar. Pre-treat stains by pouring the undiluted vinegar directly over the underarm area of your beloved top or simply add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your cold water wash to brighten whites. Any vinegar odor should disappear once the item is dry. In addition, you can make a nifty paste from baking soda and water and use as pre-treatment stain remover. I've heard that simply rinsing sweaty shirts under cold water helps tremendously to lessen stains.
Overall, the key is preventing stains. If you know staining is an issue - rinse, spray and wash from the beginning for the best outcome.
Lastly, just to distinguish Dr. Zipper from Heloise – I feel the need to give one last piece of advice. There’s always a shot of Botox to the armpit to help stop excessive sweating, at least temporarily. You can even take a quiz to see if Botox to the pit is "right" for you. I don’t think this is a prudent choice as the only people I have heard getting this suffered from chronically sweaty palms and that’s an actual total bummer. Posting a link related to Botox is morally questionable especially as it relates to young women but Dr. Zipper explores all arenas for your benefit and in addition, lives in LA. Enjoy!

Dr. Zipper Q & A, Part I

Dear Dr. Zipper,

What are your favorite socks and tights? Is there a particular brand you like? I have been getting toe/ heel holes and need to up the quality....
Signed,
Toes Mahoney
***

Dear Mrs. Mahoney,
My favorite online shopping site for tights and socks of all varieties is tabio.com.
These come from Japan by way of the UK and are a bit pricey but the quality is unsurpassed. They have fabulous tights in every color and the shades are simply gorgeous – for example navy is a true, rich navy, not the color of Grover’s fur (sorry Forever 21, but you disappoint me). For solid colors, you can choose the denier you want. Denier (pronounced “den-yay”) measures opacity - with 20 being sheer and 100 being thick and opaque. I bought some sheer black polka dotted tights from Tabio and they are lovely – no pulls, tears and pills like the inferior version they sell at American Apparel. I am also lusting for these – but I digress.
Japanese women are also very into socks – knee socks, legwarmers and even tiny, little socks that you can wear under flip flops - like a g-string for your foot. Aside from the superior quality of Tabio’s products it’s great buying products that you likely won’t see on 45 other girls on the subway (like stuff you snag from say, Urban Outfitters).
For domestic, in-store shopping I think Hue has cute, quality affordable tights and socks. If you’re in New York, try Century 21 for high-end discounted options. I also check the socks at Nine West as they’ve often have great sales - I got some great silk blend knee socks for under $15 – these are great to layer over tights and wear with wedges or boots in the fall. For spring, you could throw your socks on with sandals or pumps and pair with a dress. Yes, it can be done (and the boys seem to like this look too). Que viva socks!

Urban Turban

Here is my grandmother's turban in front of the mural recently done by the authors of the Ulysses Guide to the Los Angeles River. Most times I see a turban it’s on some 40’s vamp in a silk robed dress alongside a pool in Bel Air. Recently, turbans have made a comeback in the high fashion world – Prada and Yves Saint Laurent have re-figured the chic head wrap on the runway and Salma Hayek wore one to fashion week in Paris last fall. But the catwalk is a stage and Salma is married to a man with Saudi Arabia money – so it begs the question: how does a normal gal wear a turban? I think this is a sensitive issue and it should be taken on a case-by-case basis. I’ve felt successful (albeit dangerously pretentious in appearance) wearing my turban with an old as shit white undershirt and a pair of J Brands. Maybe I’ll upgrade to a navy dress for a baby shower or brunch and just look plain fabulous.

Rudy Huxtable okay?!?

Sometimes you see something in a thrift store 10,000 times in size 3XL. Then you find it in your own size and you’re deeply drawn to buy it. “I’ve never seen a cerulean cable knit shorts-jumper in size small” – WOW. When I spied this elbow deep in a rounder deep in the San Fernando Valley I felt strangely victorious. My thrift buddy thought this looked flammable but I loved the zippers and decided it made me look kind of cool. I think pairing it with high waisted white jeans was a bit risky– especially because they are Guess knock offs and they spelled 'Pioneer' phonetically as "Pionier." Improper English immortalized on the bum of mom jeans is a fashion "do" in my book - but I'm that kind of risk taker.

If you wanted to keep it more mellow, I’d pair a crazy Cosby sweater like this with a black silk mini dress or any piece you think looks current and has a clean line to it. Next time, I’ll likely look for a cropped knit sweater so I can be sexier a la Denise Huxtable - everyone from All Saints to Vena Cava is doing the cropped sweater/shirt thing now too.

Booze before Shoes

...It's kind of like “bros before hos” in a where-are-your-priorities kind of way. Do you want to get bombed and spill Stoli vanilla down your shootie or do you want to sway left and right for 1 bar of some Rihanna mash-up and then head back to the booth for more bottle service?
Behold the shoes pictured here. On New Years Eve in San Francisco there was rain, a crowded dance floor and a wood slatted balcony to contend with. Even as I shimmied to West African Highlife band, my mind fixated on the well being and proper care of the these flame red ankle boots. A shoe so hot they glowed. A shoe that had me whimper and blush when I unwrapped them in the mail. Sigerson Morrison Fall 2010 and god were they regal - regally slutty – a balance I often strive for and rarely achieve. Anyway, I found myself maintaining a high level of sobriety despite the occasion in order to stay away from puddles, sloppy guests and stairs. It was somewhat Olympic – this commitment to excellence. In this scenario, it was Shoes before Booze. On the other hand, if you’re going to a dive bar to see your best friend's brother's band and he’s channeling early Iggy Pop then by all means you should be in some shit kickers and even a rain slicker for good measure. This would be a Booze before Shoes event. I relegate heels just for bars and clubs – so when Johnny Rotten 2.0 feeds a rum & coke to your right foot – you won’t be too upset. Look for vintage pumps in leather and check Nordstrom Rack for affordable, scuff friendly options.