Collective Threads

I just found out about this free, seasonal, children's clothing shop called Collective Threads inside Convergence in the Plaza District and just have to share it with you. Here is a description from their website and a video that explains what they are about.

"Collective Threads exists to provide quality clothing for children in an organized, hospitable setting. Threads is also a place where parents from all cultures can come together with the common interest of caring for their children. Through Threads we hope to provide needed clothing in a way that makes moms, dads and kids feel special. The clothing donated will benefit the children in and around the Plaza District of OKC."


Threads- From Dream to Reality from Matt Lowery on Vimeo.

Ryan and I live about 5 blocks from this store and I had no idea it even existed. It's a little confusing because there is also a handmade shop called Collected Threads less than a block from Collective Threads, but they are two totally different sets of owners and concepts. I'm really excited about our community and how people are coming together to contribute to its growth and redevelopment. I think Ryan and I will really have to stick around for a while and see how it all unfolds.

Here is a blog where more information about the Plaza District can be found: click here.

Get That Girl a Charlie Chaplin Cheeseburger!

That means a cheeseburger with a hat on it... Okay, so I wasn't planning on writing about the weight of models these days, or lack thereof, but it's just so apparent. All I'm wanting to do is check out Betsey Johnson's Spring 2009 Ready to Wear Collection on Style.com and all I see is pretty pastel stripes on pasty petite bones. It's so sad...

Here are the looks that I did like from the collection. Just try and appreciate them without feelings of hunger and sadness overwhelming you. And pretend that the blue blazer actual fits the model. It's tough, but try.



To be honest, I'm not too fond of the entire collection as a whole. Style.com quoted Betsey Johnson as saying "This is the grandma show of all time!" She wasn't kidding... They also described the collection's theme as "pirates-meets-Peter Pan". It looked more to me like grannies playing dress up in Charlie Chaplin's closet. The hats just didn't make sense with the silhouettes.

What's funny about Betsey Johnson (no, not her hair, or cartwheeling during the fashion show finales, or her makeup, no not any of that), is that she is so completely random with every show and with her personality in general, that she can pretty much get away with anything. She could tell everyone that pickle perfume is the new big thing and everyone would just say "haha, oh that's just Betsey, doing her thing" and all of her followers would be smelling like pickles.

When I was a college Freshman, she was my idol. I did a hundred presentations on her and my first collection had plaid bubble skirts and crazy color combinations, à la Betsey. I wore flourescent pink fishnets to class and knew if I was an expert on anything, it was an expert on designing like her. I thought that the closest way to learn more about her empire, was to work at the Betsey Johnson store at the Dallas Galleria Mall. It wasn't NYC or LA, but it was about 45 minutes from my dorm room and it offered a discount. My first and only day working there consisted of being given a floral, spaghetti strap sample dress to borrow for the day, seeing as how my non-Betsey outfit was just not acceptable, being scolded by an employee for being kind to "her" customers, being told to wear lipstick and to never have chipped nail polish, and being told that I would be given 7 hours a week at $8 an hour and was to only wear the newest Betsey Johnson items that the Store Managers hadn't already claimed. Not only was this position not cost-efficient, but my love for the designer was quickly diminishing and that was depressing in itself.

Forward ten years and I've been hearing a lot lately about Betsey Johnson leg warmers. Being out of the Betsey loop, I had no idea what they were talking about. Thanks to the wonders of google, now I know what the hip OKC ladies were talking about:





FredFlare , Ebay, and Amazon are all sold out. So if you're jumping on the bandwagon a little late, like me, you should check out Collected Thread on NW 16th Street in the Plaza District.



The shop's owner, Lindsay, will be your crafty little personal stylist and you'll have Betsey Johnson-inspired, locally-made leg warmers in no time!

Happy Leg-Warming,
Kelli