Kawaii-Me Fashion Event

Dear Constant Reader,

On Saturday some of the Boston Babydolls were pleased to take part in Kawaii-Me’s fashion event. Kawaii-Me (it means “make me cute”) is a charming little boutique in Union Square, Somerville. Scratch & I stumbled upon it last spring and were delighted by their beautiful curated collection of clothing and accessories*.

The fashion event turned into a huge deal — 5 shops/designers on the runway, an art installation, hair, make-up, & henna artists, photographers, videographers, and a DJ. And Scratch emceeing the whole party.

Some of the Boston Babydolls and friends were modeling for Kawaii-Me. We had our hair & make-up done by professionals, which was a nice treat. I was fully prepared to do my own, but they wanted a more, shall we say, subtle look.

Betty and Elyse (one of the adorable back-up dancers you saw at The Burren) modeled the “Hummingbird” collection — all soft pinks, ivories, and golds. Stella and I were in the “Color Blind” collection of black & whites. I wore a black satin blouse with cap sleeves and a goodly amount of cleavage. The skirt was full, made of black lace over a nude satin lining with a wide elastic waistband that had a crisp bow of the lining fabric in the back. Also, I got to wear a nifty mask of black lace.

There should be pictures someday. There were several photographers, including Cila, one of the hard-working owners of Kawaii-Me. I promise I will share when they become available. [Edit: some pictures of the Babydolls crew here and the whole show here.]

Lest you think we could be surrounded by all this fashion and not indulge our personal sartorial desires, we did shop a bit. Stella bought a soft pink frock with rhinestone detailing and a most fabulous hem, which one of the Hummingbird models had shown. I needed a new handbag, so I bought this one:

It may look simple, but the inside is packed with compartments and pockets. You know how much I love organization.

If you’re in Union Square, do check out Kawaii-Me. It’s a little hard to find, as it’s upstairs in an office building, but there’s a sign on the sidewalk. The collection is lovely and the prices are amazing. Tell Gaby & Cila I sent you!

M2

* I’ve since learned that we actually stumbled upon the shop before they were officially open for business and the dress I bought was their first sale.

Published in: on 17 April 2014 at 9:29 am  Leave a Comment  
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What, This Old Thing?

Dear Constant Reader,


Please vote for The Boston Babydolls every day!

I wrote the other day of how I had the sniffles on Friday and was planning to take it easy. Indeed, I lounged on the daybed with Albert, watching old Law & Order episodes. But it’s not easy for me to just lie around doing nothing. When the inactivity got too much for me, I ransacked my sewing room, found some fabric I’d bought on spec, and tossed it in the washing machine.

Then I set up the guest room (where the daybed and TV are) into my auxiliary sewing room and ironed, cut, and sewed a new dress, periodically lounging, snuggling Albert, sipping soup & tea, and, of course, watching Law & Order.

Trashy Diva makes a fabulous style of sundress that I love to wear in the summer. I’d wear nothing but this dress all summer long, if I owned more than 2. They’re made of comfortable cotton and have great bust support, so no bra is necessary (a boon on muggy days). Sadly, I can’t afford a whole closet full, because, while Trashy Diva dresses are worth every penny, they require a *lot* of pennies.

My plan is to make a similar comfortable summer dress based on the Folkwear Blonde Bombshell dress. The one I whipped up was just to see how the pattern worked and how fast it goes together. Answer — fast. I started the washing machine at 11 am and probably could have been wearing the dress by 11 pm, if I hadn’t taken 2 hours out to watch a movie. As it was, I needed maybe another hour the next morning for the hem and hand finishing the bodice facing. Your milage may vary. My friends call me The Fastest Needle in the East for a reason.

I did wear it to the wrap party Saturday night and Stella snapped this shot. It doesn’t show me at my best, but the dress looks pretty good.
Bombshell dress

M2

Published in: on 5 March 2013 at 10:16 am  Leave a Comment  
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Babydollmas

Dear Constant Reader,

This past Sunday the troupe celebrated Babydollmas. It was a little late, but everyone had scattered hither and yon for various family obligations and wild trips to Vegas (I’m looking at you, Evie Sphinx!).

We assembled for a festive meal (at a restaurant near B.A.B.E. — Scratch wasn’t cooking a third holiday feast) and exchanged gifts. Everything was rather appropriate to the gift-givers personality: Evie gave everyone wine, Brigitte handed out gift cards to that very restaurant (it’s a favorite for Babydolls to retire to for drinks after extra rehearsals), Betty picked out fun books, Devora stuffed cute socks with all manner of whimsical (yet useful) items, I made lotion bars & lip balm, Scratch selected vintage or handmade items from local artists, Stella made us all nuts*. Ba-dum-dum.

And what did I wear to this festive occasion? I know you’re all dying to know, O Reader.trousersThese lovely 1941 trousers in navy wool twill. Sadly, because it’s a dark color you can’t really see all the charming details, like the pleats in front (darts in the back) or the side zip (balanced by a pocket on the other side). You might just be able to make out the wide belt loops because of the contrast against the leopard belt. And they’re not vintage, I made them my very self. Hence the pleased aura that surrounds me. That and they make me feel like Katharine Hepburn.

You have requested more photos in my missives and I’m going to try to make that happen. My camera is a bit of a relic these days and the flash is balky. Still, I will do what I can to make you happy, Dear Reader.

M2
*As much as I’d like to leave it at that, and Stella does make fine spiced nuts, these were actually from a local company, and Stella picked the perfect flavor for each of us.

Published in: on 8 January 2013 at 9:42 am  Comments (1)  
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