Bag or Behemoth?

My friend Mike has been writing some great men's fashion commentary, and he suggested we try writing coordinating pieces sometime. Today he suggests that men over the age of detention and whippits should ditch the backpack and go for a messenger bag. (I'm curious, Mike -- the verdict on the man-purse?) In keeping with the theme of bags, here's what I've been pondering.

Why oh why, ladies, are we all shlepping around bags sized to carry your average Oxford English Dictionary? (Not the abridged one.) Where I currently work part-time, we sell bags your average three-year-old would fit into comfortably. I've checked. I see women carrying not one but two large totes--generally unmatched, generally one in nice leather and one found at a grocery store, and they don't seem to be carrying around recent purchases in them. Whatever happened to proportion? A nice clutch? A small satchel?

I'm just as much to blame as anyone. I have a deep-seated affection for my leather hobos, my new woven soft leather tote, and anything I can fit four hardbacks and a laptop into. Still. I call for a return to common sense. Any bag that cries out to be filled with 50 lbs of stuff--especially when said stuff is all mixed together in a huge sack with no dividers--is a chiropractor's dream.

So I have a new resolution: One bag, unless I'm shopping or carrying my son's backpack for him. Lipstick, wallet, phone, mints, collapsible hair brush. This is more than enough for out-and-about. If I'm heading to work, a slightly larger bag with my work papers neatly stashed in a folder will fit nicely into this:

Otherwise, I'm thinking more like this:But if I absolutely must carry something larger, for say, a weekend in NY or a presentation with lots of handouts, let it be something fabulous. Like this:
All the pockets are functional and separate compartments! It sooooo appeals to the obsessive-compulsive in me.

And as for backpacks -- Mike's right, ladies. Save them for the kids.

Cool Vintage Etsy Find

I've been checking out vintage clothing lately -- I think it's because I'm invited to an awesome Mad Men party next weekend, to which I need to wear show-appropriate cocktail attire -- and this terrific Philly-based Etsy shop is number one on my list right now. Sweet Tooth Vintage has a great selection from the '40s to the '80s and a keen eye for fashion-forward retro. Here are a few of my favorites (photos credited to Veronika Placek, and aren't the poses adorable?):

I'm seriously considering the pink one for the Mad Men party.


Veronika also has a great blog: http://sweettoothvintage.blogspot.com. She's a pleasure to read!

I had the chance to converse with Veronika, and she had this to say about her passion for vintage: "while i sell clothing from the 40's - 80's, i really love clothing from the late 50's and early 60's. i really appreciate the kitsch aspect to vintage - everything from absurd glittery jumpsuits to sad clowns to overly ornate party dresses. i think most of this stemmed from movies i'd watch from my mom when i was younger, and the flea markets i frequented with my dad every weekend. i love the feminine shapes that clothing had - i'm a dress girl myself, and i find that vintage dresses fit me the best. talk about a perfect fit!"

Crimes Against Shoe-manity; or a How To List

Philadelphia is no stranger to fashion. With Joan Shepp, Knit-Wit, and now Barney's Co-op lining Walnut Street, and Boyd's just around the corner, caché designers are readily available, and all the other shops follow along with everything from cheap punk to pricey prep. Heels, in particular, cross the fashion spectrum, and everyone from society mavens to tattooed moms sport dizzyingly high stilettos and platforms on occasion.

Too bad not everyone can walk in them. There is nothing more unattractive than a well-dressed woman who carries herself like a linebacker or a disaffected pre-teen; and somehow the higher the heel, the more obvious the offense. As I walked along Walnut Street this afternoon, I was a few paces behind a well-toned, beautifully coiffed, impeccably dressed woman in a pair of gorgeous YSL stiletto pumps. As she swaggered along, no doubt thinking she was all that, I figured that my 5-year-old could have easily run between her legs, such was the distance between her knees. Her toes pointed out at a diagonal, and overall she looked more like a muppet than a minx.

It has been remarked frequently that I can walk in heels. And I mean walk. And so I feel it my duty to share with you, lovely readers, some tips that can help you strut more like Heidi than like Kobe, regardless of the height of your heels.

1. Align your spine. Knees, hips, shoulders, head, all should be on the same vertical plane. Unless you want to look like you're wearing a bustle, don't stick your butt out; leaning forward gives you that learning-how-to-roller-skate off-balance look. As you walk, keep your head over your hips and your hips over your feet. Shoulders back, abs in, etc.
2. To the best of your ability, place your feet one in front of the other, as if you were walking on a straight line drawn in front of you. You don't have to be extreme about it; the point is to have your legs brush each other just a bit as you walk, rather than having a visible gap between your knees. A natural stride may well have you placing your feet straight forward from your hips, and since your hips are spaced out your feet would be too. However, walking in heels is not natural. Remember that, and think "tightrope."
3. Point your toes forward, not out. Leave the turned-out hips in ballet class and keep those feet parallel.
   
4. Imagine you're walking on your tiptoes. You'll lose your balance if you think you can put your weight down on your heels. Your weight will rest on your heels simply because of the height; don't do the standard heel-toe walk or you'll constantly be catching them on the pavement and tripping.
5. Slow and steady doesn't mean you have to take baby steps. For more advanced walkers, lift your knees a bit more than seems normal to allow you to take a longer stride without leading too much with your heel. But don't do the runway pony walk, this isn't ANTM.

If my little tips help to rid the streets of Philadelphia of the scourge that is bad walking, I'll have served my purpose. And maybe it'll give some of you who've resigned yourselves to ballet flats the urge to try for an extra inch or two!

And for the boys: my friend and colleague Mike at Modus Wardrobing offers his glossary of mens' shoes. Check it out!