tales from the flea: holiday shopping i'm thankful for.

who needs black friday when you have the third sunday? 

the long beach antique market is simply magical. i opted to do some of my holiday shopping there this year, and while i didn't find all that i wanted, i did come home feeling satisfied with my purchases. from $1 nostalgia-inducing stocking stuffers, to a legit gas mask for a video game-loving nephew (i'm feeling pretty confident that he doesn't read my blog), i'd say it was a success.

the belle of this ball was a sweet and sparkly top that was introduced to me at the darling brandee tucker's booth, harlem ragshop 1934. 

it was pretty inexpensive too, which even though i just consigned a small portion of my closet, was a necessary element in my purchase since i'm prepping for the holidays and the trip back to florida. i'm thinking this is going to be the signature piece in my christmas outfit.

i also picked up a romantic, flowing frock that is perfect for my new gypsy lifestyle, even if the wandering is only around los angeles, and the blooming seasons are over for a while. the silhouette and somewhat sheer fabric is enchanting...it's practically made to wear with a floral crown. i'll post photos as soon as i can get a good pic.

but it's not all about the feminine fashion. i actually spent most of my day browsing the men's racks and grabbed this cool coat for my guy...

here are some of the other fun finds that caught my attention today:

there were some celeb sightings too, but you'll have to come next time to see for yourself. meet me at the #lbflea dec. 15.

film festival fashion: 'kundalini.'

i am so proud of my guy. the man who has a wardrobe that consists of countless black t-shirts, spanish futbol jerseys, levis, camo cargos and converse made his first purchase at h&m yesterday...on his own! sure, it was still within his comfortable realm of dark colors void of any patterns or artwork, but he braved the march into fast fashion on his own free will to pick up a navy blue hoodie.

why? i'd like to think that i rubbed off on him and it was just to shop for the heck of it, but i think his visit had something more to do with the real stem of my pride... a's new short film (no, not this "a," this "a").

kundalini screens tonight as part of the palm beach international film festival "voices of local film," and apparently it was the only place he could find an inexpensive, plain-colored sweatshirt to wear in the movie theater. i would have gone a slightly more adventurous with this or this, but am satisfied with the baby steps.

so, here for the shameless plug, i'll give you a sneak peek of his satirical "new age" film, via the vine app.

want to see more? come to cobb theaters at downtown at the gardens at 7 p.m. tonight. yours truly may have had a hand in the oscar-worthy makeup artistry too (hey, the guy is not the only one with a sense of humor in this relationship).

fashion olympics: ryan lochte

it's official. i have a new crush: ryan lochte.

not only is he competing against michael phelps at the london olympics this summer, but he's also up against futbol prince cristiano ronaldo and track runner nick symmonds for the number one hottest sports star in my book. just don't tell my husband. no, not because he'll be jealous, but because he'll be mad i'm not giving all my attention to his soccer man crush, cristiano.

he's not just a badass swimmer, which is my most recent sport of choice, but he is also a florida boy who is candy to the eyes and has a closet that - according to matt lauer on the "today show" this morning - "could rival oprah's closet." (although the closet of carrie bradshaw or anna wintour would have been more convincing...where the heck did lauer pull oprah from?)

ladies, guess what...you can get this desktop wallpaper and more from speedo.com here.

lochte's choice of purple star adorned pink speedos practically puts the lululemon ladies to shame, and by god, i've never seen anyone look that good in a swim cap. he's rocked a diamond grill that while undoubtedly strange, surprisingly attracts me to his style even more. he graced the cover of vogue's "team usa" june issue with fellow olympians, hope solo and serena williams. he also sports some crazy self-designed sneakers and sandals for speedo too; sells usa-themed, wayferer "lochte glasses" on his site; and hopes for a future in the fashion industry. and while the long curly locks gave him better hair than most women, i'm really appreciating his more recent and more manly cropped cut.

here's a cute clip i found on youtube called "behind the goggles" from the reezydaily channel, in which lochte attempts to discuss fashion terms. seems to be a man after my own heart. notice how he even makes all white and a scarf work on a man...



i'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of lochte in the water - and out of it - now that the olympics officially kick off this week. who do you want to see?

festival fashions.

yesterday was a whirlwind of sun, sounds and street style at sunfest in downtown west palm beach, and the prêt-à-porter palm beacher caught a lot of it on camera. 

while the music, art, food (um...crawfish? yes please!) and on-tap margaritas were awesome, the majority of the fashions didn't seem to be quite up to par with coachella. that being said, it is a bit different demographically as a family-friendly event for all ages, and we were able to spot a few cute girls - and guys - rocking trends mentioned in friday's post.

here are some looks we picked out of the crowd:  

fashionable foursome: boaters' hats, fringed tanks + ankle boots

 leila and dara in neon + sheer lace maxi skirt; a head wrap + crocheted top

 kady with a hot pink lip + combat-style boots; brittany with a side braid + tribal top

cassady in a very palm beach-esque, watercolor-inspired dress

my little sis, ashley, in a tiered lace top, converse + cross-body bag. her
"skanking" gear for the mighty mighty bosstones, apparently. 

(what's "skanking," you ask? i did too. strange dancing down
in the pit, similar to moshing but much friendlier!)

 

even the dudes were aware of their apparel. pete and jarrett both sported surfer tanks
and board shorts, much like most of the 20-something men in attendance.
pete took it a step further adding in the neon trend and these shoes...

pete wore some dirty pink sperrys, minus the laces, and i have to say i liked the look.
my husband, alex, wore his classic chucks, this time in pinstripe.

it's evident that cross-body bags, baggy tanks, cuffed denim shorts, sandals and sneakers were popular, but it was the bright colors, lace and boots that stole the show. the festival fashions seemed to be the best early in the day, especially jamming around the michael franti & spearhead concert...which by the way, moved directly behind us during a part of the day, shown below. and let me tell you - michael franti certainly has stage style with those good looks, tattoos and dreadlocks.

and what did i wear? i wasn't much of a wild child myself because of the heat, donning a black maxi skirt, taupe crop top and fringed handbag from brandy melville, beaded sandals from nine west, a belt from h&m cat-eye sunglasses from urban outfitters and a few of my favorite chained necklaces. a body chain, purple hair chalk and a bold lip were almost part of the outfit, but with temperatures in the upper 80s...there's no way i could make them work!

i can't make it to sunfest today, but want to see more. so if you're there, send me your street style pics at pretaporterpb@gmail.com or tweet them to me at @pretaporterpb so we can keep up with it all here!

surprisingly stylish tweetup.

tweet tweet tweet.

no, that's not a little birdie in your ear, that was the sound coming from the clematis street tweetup last night, hosted at the brand new palm sugar by "a guy on clematis" the locally famous blogger for all things downtown. i attended with a friend/office vp, and all in all it was a good night with good people. i not only won the coveted sunfest tickets of the evening - and now need to narrow down whether i want to use them to see joan jett, passion pit (as long as i steer clear of the creed stage!!), snoop dogg or counting crows - but there was also some unexpected style in the crowd. on clematis? i should have seen it coming.

my co-worker, who is always on trend, not-so-surprisingly had on this cute blazer from anthropologie and nautical-themed pins to for an office-chic look, which i had to share. her cute heels added a nice finishing touch, but i didn't get the chance to snap a pic.


another fellow twitter user rocked this awesome set of seminole suspenders last night and i was a little envious of them. he told me his daughter is starting at fsu next fall so he had to represent. the "monday morning quarterback" in me needs to get a pair for next season's trips to tallahassee. paired with a plain white tee, some long & destroyed cuffed denim, and my new wannabe converse from h&m, i'll be all set to do the chop.


i like them for guys too, obviously, and can see one of the hundreds of preppy frat boys wearing them with their little bow ties and yellow chinos. i can't, however, see my black-wardrobed husband ever getting near these though.

other unexpected style of the night: i got to "tweet" a few new friends from downtown at the gardens and nordstrom rack in boca, plus we gave out a $25 gift card from my agency's client, cityplace (ok, that wasn't a surprise, but you get the idea!). can't wait until the next one!

i like your style.

i went to a wedding a week ago today for the couple i mentioned a few posts ago, and style was all around. from the bride's lovely handmade gown from china and the purple and origami accents, to the music and brilliant outfits and hairstyles of the guests.

i just have to share the look of one of my fellow partygoers here. alex, one of my husband's newest friends he met at the bachelor party, had such a smashing look for a spring wedding with his pink button-down, periwinkle frames and plaid bow tie to match his exuberant personality, curly locks and scruffy but manicured beard. guys, want to get attention - in a good way - at your next event? sport this look.


my own bright getup probably matched his better than it did my husband's, as i wore a purple lip color, yellow chain collar necklace and pink sari-inspired dress from last summer by rachel from rachel roy. the rrr line might just be my new favorite "younger sister" collection because although more affordable, it still works with high quality fabrics and interesting shapes and patterns, unlike most other designers' second-tier fashions for big box and department stores.

it's a little off topic, but my point is further supported by evidence of the newly purchased leather-blocked pants by rrr i finally got to wear in nyc this week, for instance...

clothes for bros: wedding wear

i received this question on twitter today from @myPBC (follow me @pretaporterpb) and thought i would take to the blog to answer:

"question: wedding invitation says dressy/casual ? what is that? blazer with shorts no tie? thx"

short answer...i'm usually against shorts, unless it's a beach wedding, then we can potentially re-consider! and though i love love love caddy shack, i must also steer him away from going to rodney dangerfield's character for fashion advice. great idea for a themed party, but definitely do not wear this to a wedding!

long answer..."dressy/casual" and any attire ultimately depends on the location, time of year, time of day, and the couple getting married. if the couple has a wedding web site - on theknot.com, for instance - you may want to check it out to get a feel for their theme.

it's hard for men to go wrong with j.crew...

all that being said, i think for a dressy-casual wedding it's safe to go with a pair of khakis, a collared button-down shirt and tie. a good idea is to bring a blazer with you (navy is a good, casual color that goes well with khaki), which you can opt to wear or leave in the car once you get there if it looks like it's not necessary. if it's a beach wedding like many in palm beach county, go with sandals, but if it's anywhere else, go with a pair of casual dress shoes....and guys, remember, match your shoes and belt...no black with brown!

want more ideas? check out the knot's wedding dress code cheat sheet.

behind the seams: catchin' a buzz

first, combine two of my all-time favorite things: fishing and fashion. then add in another element that i can't deny i like, alcohol, and what do you get? catchin' a buzz fishing co.

my friend chris therien and his brother rick started the clothing company almost two years ago with a passion for fishing...and maybe drinking too. from west palm, to sebastian, to jacksonville, the florida natives were practically born and raised to live on the water, and in 2008 translated their lifestyle into a line of fishing apparel with options for both casual fishermen (and women!) and more avid anglers.

chris does all the printing out of his house, but the guys are still able to push out a good amount of creative merchandise. you'll find tattoo-inspired and more traditional fishing shirts, tanks, sweatshirts, stickers, tote bags, koozies and more, all reasonably priced and in original designs. i personally love the girls' heart-shaped hook tanks, along with the men's scripted tees, (plus the pinup girl hoodies...so much good stuff that i guess it's hard to pick my faves), but what i really love are the bottle opener hats. they're perfect for a day offshore fishing, inshore at the cove or peanut island, or really inshore when you're tailgating and remembered everything but a way to open your corona. i'm sure my dad will appreciate not having to use a fillet knife or the back of the boat anymore.

check it all out online at www.catchinabuzz.com, where you can do more than just shopping - and keep checking because more designs pop up all the time. find out about the latest in the jax fishing scene, or e-mail them a pic of your catch of the day with you in your catchin' a buzz gear and they'll add it to the site. you'll also find select pieces at crazy fish in jax beach, the conch house marina in st. augustine, or even at a few boat shows and fishing tournaments around the state.

though catchin' a buzz didn't have a booth, chris and a group of his friends were sporting the shirts at the stuart boat show a couple weeks back and practically stole the show. i haven't seen someone's outfit receive so much attention since lady gaga wore her red lace dress and face mask at the mtv music video awards.

so next time you're looking for a good catch, put on a catchin' a buzz shirt and drink up.

fab find: rainy day jackets

my most recent fab find showed up in a very unexpected place...a male-dominated fishing and hunting store!

while searching for a birthday present for my boyfriend in gander mountain in palm beach gardens last week, i "stumbled" into the women's and kids' section and surprisingly found so much cute (and distracting) apparel that had uses other than just shooting and hiking. it was a sea of pastel parkas, plaid rain coats and quilted fleece that were way too stylish to stay in the store or the woods.

after searching out a few jackets that were 20 to 40 percent off in the women's section, i still felt like they were too expensive for someone like me who rarely has time anymore to be the outdoorsy type. lucky for me, i can sometimes fit into a 14/16 girls' size, and some of the kids' water resistant wind breakers were big enough for me to wear - and on sale.

i got this columbia kite flier jacket in a purplish-pink color for only $24.99, marked down from $36, and already in one cold and rainy weekend i've gotten more than my money's worth.

and in case anyone is wondering, here is the north face apex bionic jacket i actually went there to buy for the bf in the first place, even though i had a few detours along the way...

monday morning quarterback meets clothes for bros

this is kind of a double mmq this week since i posted about fsu's white-out game friday in my fashion line of the day, but i noticed a line of men's college sports shirts this weekend that i've never seen before and decided to give our guys a little more love.

football fashion choices for men can be a little boring, unless of course you're one of those guys who chooses to sport themed boat shoes or pastel pants and bow ties to the game. if you're not one of those good ole' boys (or for you girls: your boyfriend is not one of those boys), which i'm assuming most of you aren't, then here's a post for you.

nordstrom carries a line called red jacket clothing, which caters to both men and women in the team t-shirt category. it carries shirts that boast college and professional sports, all of which have vintage flair. the brand's web site says, "as an active sports enthusiast, one should be able to find unique sportswear with a distinctive fashion style. as a fashion concious individual, one should be able to combine progressive fashion with vanguard sports cultures."

my opinion on the brand? from extra-soft, slim-fit crewnecks to retro, faded and distressed tees and hoodies, red jacket makes it easy for men to dress good and still look masculine at the same time. the prices are reasonable too.

i know for sure that nordstrom at the mall at wellington green carries fsu and uf t-shirts by red jacket, but here are a few others for you non gator and nole fans.

remote control miami t-shirt, $45



georgia tech brass tacks arch t-shirt, $35



tar heels brass tacks logo t-shirt, $32
and my favorite, the michigan standback hoodie, $95



if you don't see your team here, no worries. red jacket carries designs for the majority of state and popular private colleges. ladies, red jacket has options for you too, so check them out.

update ~ clothes for bros: nike id

remember my friend who was looking for advice on which color shoes to create and purchase from nikeid.com (because gators always want advice from seminoles, of course!)? well he took our collective advice, with one minor change. he chose the second pair, with more black and less pink, but then added the hot pink laces, which i think was a definite plus. check them out:


and if you're looking for a pair of the hottest kicks for yourself, either check out nike id online like him to create your own, or visit the local nike store at the gardens mall where i lead the nike run club every monday and thursday (free raffle for shoes & gift cards tonight!) for a pre-set pair. everyone who works in the store is awesome and should be able to help you out, but i know from various personal talks with them that brett and steve are the ones to chat with if you're looking for the latest on the stylish sneaker scene, whether or not you're an athlete.

since my hobbies range further than fashion and i'm also a runner, brett, steve and the store manager claudia helped me pick out the newest and best in racing shoes, the lunarglides. for a flat-footed girl (or guy) like me, this is the only pair of light racing shoes that have not caused an injury...and it doesn't hurt that they are really good lookin'. my fav color palate is the baltic blue - volt - techno blue, but i chose the above metallic summit white/orange pair because i plan to wear them with my dad's old orange & black john i. leonard high school track shorts for the chicago marathon in october...but more details on that topic in a later post...

cityplace gets fruity: apricot lane now open

cityplace has gotten a little fruity for fashion since new retailer apricot lane opened its largest store to date in its 6,000-square-foot space across from the plaza this week. the shop will hold its grand opening event this weekend, with special discounts throughout the store and complimentary food and beverages for customers all day saturday and sunday.

if you're not familiar with apricot lane, don't worry, you will be soon. it was named one of nine "hottest retailers" in 2008 by the international council of shopping centers (icsc), and one of entrepreneur magazine's top 500 franchises.

the store is filled with edgy and earthy apparel and accessories from miss me couture, pink polka dot, signorelli soul revival, salvage and other up-and-coming designers, as well as shoes from naughty monkey and sergio zelcer, but it's the premium denim lines that have me excited. i'm hoping to shop for a new pair from joe's jeans, 7 for all mankind, dylan george or frankie b. soon.

and guys shouldn't feel left out - besides being the first apricot lane location to carry a full selection of shoes, it's also the first to have a section for men's wear.

from the photos i've seen it looks like a great place to shop for gifts too, which is convenient because i have a few friends' birthdays coming up soon...plus the fringed maxi dresses above have me a little excited too (like i need another one!). i'll check it out next week to give you an update!

* chance to win * apricot lane's apparel debuted as part of the silent auction at cityplace uncorked earlier this month, and now you can enter to win some of the pieces at tomorrow night's sparkle party at blue martini...which should be hot for some and tacky for others, but nonetheless a lot of fun!

clothes for bros: nike id

clothes for bros - a spin off of brooke's clothing line name from "one tree hill," but a completely different meaning. men have style too, you know.

so if you were this guy, what would you wear?


ew, gators, i know. but my good friend and my sister's best friend, jon, is looking to us prêt-à-porter girls (and guys!) for fashion advice, so even though he kicks for uf i gotta lend a hand.



he bought the sweet twisted sister shirt shown above from 80stees.com, and through nike's fun "create your own" web site - nikeid.com - is trying to pick out just the right shoe design to match. what do you think?

or...

i personally like the second option because even with the touch of pink and silver, they're mainly black and still masculine. i want to give him a broad opinion though, so list your comments below!