Shrine on West Burnside...

Thursday night on my way home I came upon this cardboard shrine. What is it an ode to? It is a cardboard box, or at least part of one with images of storybook covers, dried flowers and an entire wing of a bird attached to the top left.

While grabbing my morning Americano at the coffeehouse I inquired about the appearance of the shrine and all were as inquisitive of its sudden appearance as I was. I am curious to see how long it will remain on display on the sidewalk of NW Trinity. The consensus among the baristas and myself is that we were not going to touch it as it looked and smelled less than sanitary.

Perhaps it is just a low budget installation piece.

Dacron Polyester Levi's

Recently around town my boyfriend and I have come across several pairs of these Dacron polyester Levi’s. The first pair was at Vintage Pink on Hawthorne for $19 and the second and third pair were on a rack at Red Light for $21 The cut is rather square as they were originally produced in the 70s. A great vintage score for any hipster. However after doing a little bit of research on these pants via Google I stumbled across my favorite part about these Levi’s: their ad campaign.

Vintage Pink

2500 SE Hawthorne

503.224.8100

Red Light Clothing Exchange

3590 SE Hawthorne

503.963.8888

I posted some of the commercials from the 70s below...

LEVI'S "THE STRANGER" TV COMMERCIAL 1970's

LEVI'S "Evolution" TV COMMERCIAL 1970's

Levi's Commercial 1970-Claymation

Disco Chainsaw

If these snapshots are not enough to get you up to Tiga for a cocktail and a glimpse of the incredible disco chainsaw then I am not sure what will. Need more motivation? The lavender gimlet and the deviled eggs are delicious.

The show, the disco chainsaw and other objects of great importance by David Neevel is on display through the end of the month.

Tiga

Happy Hour 5-8

465 NE Prescott

tigabar.com

David Neevel’s website…

dickbird.org

Not So Virtual But Totally Bitchin’ Tins…

I heart these candy tins from Finnegans. Perhaps it’s because I spent too much time as a kid playing Super Mario Brothers 3 and Star Tropics? Then again there is also something quintessentially radical about Pac-Man ghosts. The mints in the NES controller are slightly less than curiously strong however; the miniature Pac-Man “ghost sours” pack a little bit more punch. And at $4 each it is better to eat them before they eat you.

Finnegans

922 SW Yamhill

finneganstoys.com

Golden Rule

What would you do if you inherited a seventeen-foot Uhaul packed floor to ceiling with clothing, furniture and jewelry?

For Golden Rule proprietor, Wynde Dyer the answer was to open a shop.

Golden Rule feels like an interactive photo album, a memoir of Wynde’s mother who passed away and left behind a treasure trove collected throughout the 20^th century.

But Golden Rule is more than just vintage retail, it is an art gallery. Every month the inventory changes to match the art and the furniture produced by the featured artist. I was able to stop by the store just this last Saturday to check it out, not realizing how difficult it would be to escape once I was immersed in Dyer’s world. I was transfixed by relics, photos and a crocodile skull on the back of a sofa next to the snake skin touch-tone phone. Every detail counts and plays off the art of Tasha Liegel and Lauren Ebaugh. The show titled Little Worlds is on display through the end of July.

So check it out for yourself…

Golden Rule

811 E. Burnside

Suite 122

goldenruleportland.com

Stripes, Stripes, Everywhere

You have seen these everywhere, on almost everyone and there are probably even some tucked away in your closet. The horizontal stripes, the current symbol of low maintenance chic. The origin of the look stems from the high seas and was brought into the contemporary fashion world by Coco Chanel. The stripes recent popularity was also aided in the release of the film Coco Before Chanel, starring Audrey Tautou, who looks good in just about everything. The nautical reference offers class, sophistication and yet is soft and feminine. The stripe, as a trend never seems to die. It is a classic. Yet in today’s world of emerging trends and overdone modifications of retro styles, the questions is will the stripe remain? Is it possible to kill a classic?

The life of a trend exists on a bell curve. It starts with the fashion-forward, peaks when it reaches the mass and dies in the hands of the fashion-unconscious, like a pair of acid-washed jeans. But in the case of classic looks, the bell curve can be broken. Take the Little Black Dress for example, also a byproduct of Coco Chanel. The Little Black Dress, or LBD as it’s known in the pages of Glamour, does not go out of style. It is a classic and women and drag queens alike covet a truly amazing one.

Right now, stripes are in (boys are even wearing them). Therefore, you can find stripes everywhere now: from the high-end stripe to the knock-off bar. American Apparel has stripes along with Forever 21, Buffalo Exchange, Goodwill and Neiman Marcus, to name a few. However, the best stripes in town are over at Andy and Bax in the form of the Russian Sailor shirt. They will run you less than $25. They’re are a little oversized, but look amazing under a blazer or a cardigan with the right pair of skinny jeans, ballet flats and a thin belt. After all, what fashionista doesn’t have a little bit of Chanel in their heart?

Andy and Bax

324 SE Grand

503.234.7538

www.andyandbax.com

A Continuous Love Affair...

Every lady needs a solid pair of black ballet flats or kitten heels. The type of footwear that transitions seamlessly from day to night. For such a necessity, I turn to shoe designer Jeffery Campbell.

Back in 2006 I purchased my first pair of Jeffery Campbell kitten heels, the Elle. I still wear them whenever I can even though the nails dig into my heels and a few of the straps around the toe box have since detached. They are still the closest thing to a perfect summer shoe a girl can have. However as the sun is slowly setting on our relationship, I have been desperately searching for the younger sleeker model. A couple of contestants have come close. But the question remains, how does a girl ever replace her first love?

Last summer I flirted with another kitten heel of Jeffery Campbell’s, the Lisa-2. Lisa-2 is leather and has just the right curves. Everywhere we went together she left behind little hearts, a footprint of our time together. To this day, Lisa-2 still resides in my closet next to Elle.

Lakes, the newest pair, and I are having a blast hopping around town together, despite the heat. We met last week at Lizard Lounge and thanks to the power of MasterCard, we haven’t looked back. Lakes compliments my pencil and mini skirts and even forces me to walk a little taller (thanks to that extra inch or so concealed in the heel).

The best places to find your perfect match are…

Imelda’s, 935 NW Everett or 3426 SE Hawthorne

Johnny Sole, 815 SW Alder Street

Lizard Lounge, 1323 NW Irving

Sole Struck, 718 NW 11^th

And if all else fails check out the shoe department at Nordstrom

Magaret & Oliver

East Side vintage shopping made simple and elegant. Located on the corner of SE 33^rd and Hawthorne the quaint store front is inviting and once inside your are not only taken back by the collection of mod dresses and elegant blouses, but the price tags. Margaret & Oliver is incredibly affordable. The first time my boyfriend and I popped in to check out their wares he found a navy blazer with silver buttons (not gold, mind you) for $17. And then after my latest Hawthorne excursion I found an incredible hairpiece complete with jeweled crab for $13 made by a local Portland designer. Next time you find yourself over on Hawthorne I recommend a quick browse.

Margaret & Oliver

3298 SE Hawthorne

503.807.2040

www.margaretandolivers.com

Photo Credits, The first photo is from the owner's Google place page

The New Face of Portland Modern

Located in the heart of Northwest in the basement of the Irving Tower Condominiums is one of Portland’s vintage gems. This is Portland Modern, and it is easy to spot from the street due to the vintage chairs parked along the sidewalk or rack of dresses blowing in the breeze. Just below street level on 21^st Avenue NW, Portland Modern is chock full of mid-century designs for your living room and your closet.

And recently, the store’s done an interior design job on itself that matches the savvy of the Eames chairs on display. Instead of a jumble of clothes packed between rows of furniture, the store is logically split in two, with décor on the left and fashion on the right.

The recent face-lift happened roughly three months ago and has made the space simple to navigate. Portland Modern is the kind of vintage shop where you don’t feel as though you are going to be eaten alive by pleats, plaids, polyesters and paisleys. And with the expansion of the apparel selection it is easy to spend a decent portion of an afternoon sorting though each and every well-preserved relic. The store has been expanding and rearranging and is worth checking out. On a recent excursion I found a mod leather handbag for under $10 and a perfect pin-stripe blazer for less than $20. A walk through is recommended, especially if you are in the market for heels, they have an array hung along two walls over the women’s sweaters and blouses. Totally out of sight.

Portland Modern

2109 Northwest Irving Street

Portland, OR 97201