Got the mid-summer blues? Stuck in your cubicle while colleagues lounge in tropical locales? This week, it’s all about regaining inspiration, and we’ve got plenty of happenings this weekend to spark your imagination — whether you’re flying kites at the Berkeley Marina, watching movies in the Castro, or perusing the the World Wide Web for high-brow lingo. And if that doesn’t unhinge you from your funk, try one of a half-dozen sales.
SHOP TALK
Swooning for Celluloid
There’s nothing we love more than watching classic movies featuring wardrobes to die for. Back in the day, studios embraced the whole concept of movies as a means of escaping everyday woes, and high fashion went a long way in this regard. But, by and large, modern movies seem to have abandoned this great tradition. Some of our all-time favorites include Vertigo (Kim Novak’s little black dress, chiffon scarf, and white coat ensemble, not to mention the infamous gray suit), Bonnie & Clyde (costume designer Theadora Van Runkle earned an Academy Award nomination for dressing Faye Dunaway – makes us wish we lived during the Great Depression!), The Graduate (Mrs. Robinson may have been freaky, but she had amazing outfits; her daughter wasn’t half-bad either), The Godfather I & II (why can’t all men wear tailored Italian suits all the time?), Cousins (Isabella Rossellini actually made ’80s fashion sophisticated), In the Mood for Love (Maggie Cheung’s endless gorgeous cheongsams), and, of course, the ultimate queen of chic: Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday. (Yes, we have a slight vintage fetish. Can you tell?). The Castro Theatre proffers its own fashion faves of the silver screen with its weeklong series, “Fabulous Fashion in Film.” Check out screenings of The Women, Blonde Venus, Barbarella, Dreamgirls, Mahogany, My Fair Lady, the must-see Paris Is Burning, and more. Click here for the complete schedule.
When: Fri. July 27 – Fri. Aug. 3
Where: Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., San Francisco
How much it’ll set you back: $6-$9
Go Buy a Kite!
Yes, you can fly a kite in heels! (We do recommend sneakers, though.) Head to Berkeley’s annual kite festival this weekend to check out some of the coolest kite flying in the world. Lest you lack a flyer of your own, head to the tent run by festival sponsor Highline Kites of Berkeley to select one from a dizzying selection.
Where: Cesar E. Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina
When: Sat. July 28 & Sun. July 29th 2007, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Fresh Air + Fashion + Free = Why Not?
We’re not sure exactly what to expect Saturday afternoon as the fourth annual Fashion on the Square event kicks off in San Francisco’s Union Square. (Participating designers at the self-described “largest outdoor fashion show on the west coast” include Oligo Tissew, Brooks College, Victor Tung, Azzure, Indigo Red, Andew Drew 2 and Dollhouse. We’ve heard of… none of them.) But hey, if it sucks, at least there are a dozen stellar stores within a three-block radius. And we’ve been meaning to stock up on sumptuous Honey I Washed the Kids soap at fabulous Lush for ages…
Where: Union Square, San Francisco
When: Sat, July 28, all day. Runway show starts at 3 p.m.
Sales Sales Sales
It’s mid-season, meaning there are more sales than we know what to do with. Stores are clearing their racks for fall – so take this opportunity to snag a last-minute frock for that upcoming barbecue, items you can layer with for fall, and that uber hot dress you were eyeing but couldn’t afford a few months ago. You’ll be the envy of all your friends.
** Iniam
This Rockridge boutique is still clearing its racks. Take 60 to 75 percent off all sale items, including denim.
When: Now!
Store hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m.
Where: 5902 College Ave, Oakland
** Afterglow One-Year Anniversary Party
Owner Amy Cools has been through a lot during her first year (including two break-ins), but still she’s managed to go forward in the name of independent fashion. Help support her and her featured designers at her one-year anniversary sale. Enjoy drinks, snacks, art, and a storewide sale. Click here for more info.
When: Sat., July 28, 1 p.m.-9 p.m.
Where: 4233 Telegraph Ave., Oakland
* Modern Economy Sample Sale
Take up to 75 percent off mod home décor.
When: Sat., July 28, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Fort Mason Center, Conference center, Building A, San Francisco
** Goldenbleu Blowout
Snag highly coveted and discontinued purses and shoes on sale. Don’t have to tell us twice!
When: Fri. July 27, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Where: 111 Minna St., San Francisco
** Tobi
From the folks who brought you Azalea in San Francisco comes this online boutique with a focus on customer service. Take up to 70 percent off looks from Graham & Spencer, J. Brand, Dolce Vita, Theory, Plenty by Tracy Reese, and much more.
Where: Here!
**My Roommate’s Closet Boutique Outlet
Enjoy 50 percent off items by AG Jeans, Alice + Olivia , Alvin Valley, Chaiken, Chip & Pepper Jeans, Development, DVF, Grey Ant, Lily McNeal, Mint, Paul & Joe, Rebecca Taylor, Sass & Bide, Theory, and more. Find shoes by Ashley Dearborn, Giuseppe Zanotti, Hollywould, Sigerson Morrison, Vera Wang, and more.
When: Now, through August 15.
Store hours: Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m.
Where: 3044 Fillmore St., San Francisco
** Sarah Shaw Boutique
Take up to 70 percent off looks from as Alice + Olivia, Beth Bowley, Catherine Malandrino, Chaiken, DVF, Robert Rodriguez, Tibi, Tom K. Nguyen, and more.
When: Now, through July 31
Store hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m.
Where: 3095 Sacramento St., San Francisco
FASHANALYSIS: Style News & Views
Banish Summer Boredom with Fancy Fashion Words (*New Blog Alert!)
It’s here: that midsummer slump that threatens to send you (a devoted workaholic with a tear-jerking two weeks of vacation gobbled up by visits home at Christmas and for your parents’ Important Birthdays) over the edge. Each day you arrive at work to see yet another empty cubicle featuring yet another neon “On Vacation!!” post-it stuck to a dusty monitor. You picture your (lazy) colleagues frolicking on Caribbean beaches, UsWeekly style, or hiking up Tibetan hillsides (a flock of tent-toting Sherpas trailing behind), or drifting atop sherbet-colored rafts in a five-star infinity pool in an exotic foreign locale you can’t pronounce. You spend your increasingly ample downtime scanning Go Fug Yourself, rolling your eyes at Perez Hilton, and digesting the new kid on the block, Fashionista. Still, you’re left with vast stretches of afternoon to fill. What to do? C’mon, kiddo – it’s not that tough!
Instead of boring yourself with mind numbing details of Lindsay’s arresting fashion sense (and latest arrest), boost your fashion IQ with daily doses of New York Times writer Cathy Horyn’s new blog, Runway. (We previously reported on Runway’s Q&A with fashion-democrat Sarah Jessica Parker). Read it, learn her highbrow vocab and the references you don’t know, then sprinkle these gems liberally in your next cocktail conversation. For instance, Horyn recently observed that, “One of the pleasures and privileges of covering the haute couture collections is visiting the ateliers of the houses.” Know what an “atelier” is? Yeah? Well, how do you pronounce it? (It’s a fancy term for a designer’s workshop or studio; say, “ah-tell-eee-ay.) Or, how about this line, from a trip to Paris: “Around 9:30, I went over to Lagerfeld’s for a party he was having with Dom Perignon.” Dom Perignon. Right. So this lucky writer, uh, at a party sponsored by a champagne brand? Or is Dom a living, breathing person? There’s only one way to find out… google it. (Okay, okay, according to Wikipedia, our man Dom Pierre Pérignon (circa 1638 – 1715) was a Benedictine monk frequently credited with the invention of champagne.)
Every Friday, Buy Curious dishes on the hottest fashion trends, news, and sales in the East Bay and beyond. If you’ve got suggestions for shops or Web site to feature, comments on the blog, or a burning style question you’d like us to answer in our occasional column, Buy Clueless, send them our way! BuyCurious[at]EastBayExpress[dot]com
