All Over Albany

Well-Dressed at the Albany Institute

Pretty much everyone has clothing tucked into the back of their closets that they haven't worn in a long time. And the Albany Institute of History and Art -- which has many, many closets -- is no different.

Well, except for the fact that pieces hanging in the back of its closets were created by some of the foremost fashion houses of the 19th century.

"They're masterworks," said Diane Shewchuk, the curator of the new Well-Dressed in Victorian Albany exhibit, of the pieces. "We have Thomas Coles and Frederick Churches that are masterworks. This is the equivalent. But these are probably what more people would have seen than a painting in a house. So this is really an exhibition about the best of the best, the same way we show upstairs the Hudson River School."

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A stylist for long, curly hair?

Jordan emails:

Hello. I moved to the area two years ago. I have beautiful long curly hair. I'm really picky about who I let cut it and am really protective of it. For two years I've actually flown back to my previous place to meet up with some friends, and while there, got my hair cut at my old stylist. She had 13 years of experience with a focus on curly hair and had a studio with one chair. She cut my hair perfectly, layered everything just right, everything. Comforting, knowledgeable, the whole nine. But I can't go back this year, and I need a cut. The whole thing tended to cost around $70, and I typically tip 100%, because changing a part of my body that take years and years to grow is a big deal for me.

I'm looking for a person in the area similar to her. She was affable, easy to talk too, covered in tattoos, and the 1.5 hour cut was never awkward or silent. Who in town is like this? Price isn't an issue, just skill, lots of experience, and a good positive environment.

We had a similar question in the past, but it was many years ago. And things change, shops close, stylists move.

So, got a suggestion for Jordan? Please share! And a sentence or two about why you're recommending a specific stylist can be helpful.

photo: Flickr user quinn.anya (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Electric City Couture "Identity" at State Museum

Electric City Couture has a new fashion show lined up for the State Museum July 8. Blurbage:

Electric City Couture presents IDENTITY, a runway fashion show. The show will feature a bold mix of four established and up-and-coming New York State designers and 35+ ethnic and gender-diverse models in a single night performance that explores fashion as an expression of identity while simultaneously celebrating and raising questions about this timely social issue.

The show will be staged in the New York Metropolis section of the museum. There will also be a pop-up shop at which people will be ably to buy designs from the runway directly from the designers.

Tickets for the show are $20 and available online.

photo: Sarah Pezdek

Queen Size Swap 2016 spring

The Queen Size Swap will be back at The Hangar in Troy this Sunday, April 10.

What's the Queen Size Swap? As its founder describes the event: it's the "Capital Region's locally founded, body positive, 100% accessible plus size clothing swap." Blurbage:

This is the perfect time to start your Spring cleaning! Clean out your closest and get rid of those clothes you no longer wear!

Sizes 12/14 and up. Clothing to swap should be clean with no rips or stains. All seasons welcome! Accessories also accepted and shoes of any size! ...

We will have several businesses set up at tabling at the swap! Past businesses included Stella & Dot, Thirty-One Gifts, Expressions An Adult Boutique, Her UnderThings and more! ...

The remaining clothing and shoes will be donated to the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless clothing pantry

The swap is Sunday from 11 am to 2 pm. It's $10 at the door (to cover event expenses) -- you can reserve a ticket online.

photo via Queen Size Swap FB page

Electric City Couture 2016

Designer: Claudia Calabria. Photo: Sarah Pezdek.

The Electric City Couture fashion show returns April 16-17 with two full runway shows at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. Blurbage:

Saturday's [April 16] theme--will focus on a hard-edged look--is SHATTERED. VJ V Owen Bush of Glowing Pictures, a national live visual affects company, will provide dazzling interludes between designers, along with a vibrant soundtrack curated by ECC Music Director Nate da Great.

On Sunday [April 17], Repose will lean towards the organic. Set design elements will feature contributions incorporating the expertise of interior plantscape consultant Karen McGowan of Capital InteriorScapes. A 'Hanging Gardens of Babylon' theme bathed in natural light filtered through the 145-year-old stained glass windows of Universal Preservation Hall's main space will be a complimentary scene for the days designers who focus on natural materials, styles and finishes.

The lineup of designers for each show is after the jump.

The weekend also includes a sneak preview cocktail party that Friday, an after party Saturday night, and a retail POP UP! Shop after each show.

Tickets are $25 Saturday show / $15 Sunday show -- and they're available online now.

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Electric City Couture 2015

The Electric City Couture Fashion Show will be back at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs April 25. Tickets are $15 and for sale online now.

Blurbage for this year's show:

The evening will showcase Signature Collections of 5 Regional Designers including Schenectady based special guest 'MA+CH (f. Marika Charles),' an international fashion brand and for the first time ever, a full mens line by Saratoga based 'frittelli and LOCKWOOD' supported by upcycled footwear designer Schenectady based 'The Last Gentleman Co.' The show will have roughly 55 male and female models on the runway. Targeted proceeds from this years show will go to the ongoing restoration work of Historic Universal Preservation Hall. ...

The Electric City Couture mission is to provide a platform to increase awareness for regional fashion designers and fashion support industries to stimulate a regional fashion based economy.

The show starts at 8 pm on Saturday, April 25. It's general seating, first come, first sit, with standing-room overflow.

photo: Lea Sophie Foto

Saratoga Hat Day 2014

Entrants in the "Fashionable Saratoga" category.

Once again the ever-stylish Kaitlin Resler was AOA's representative on the judges' panel for the Saratoga Race Course's hat contest, which was this past Sunday. Here's her recap -- with photos -- of the annual Saratoga event.

I've just started to get those pangs of worry that summer is moving fast, that it's going to be over any minute, and then I realized that track season in Saratoga just started, and there's plenty of time! That's really just the summer activity touchstone that marks the height of summer, mid-July and all.

This past Sunday I got to judge the hat contest again, with a little more insight into what to expect (last year was my first time at the contest, and my first time to the track since I was a little kid!), and yet was still blown away by all the contestants!

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A good stylist for Asian hair?

V. emails:

I desperately need a new hair cut, and I was hoping your reader can help. The problem was it is hard to find a good hair stylist for an Asian hair. Would you mind asking your readers to see if they have a suggestion?

We've had a few questions before about finding a good hair stylist (linked below), but this is a new twist on the question.

Got a suggestion for V.? Please share!

Earlier on AOA:
+
+ A good stylist for a pixie cut?
+ A good hair colorist
+ A good haircut for the curly headed?
+ Stylist for long hair?

photo: Flickr user Harsh Patel (CC BY 2.0)

Electric City Couture 2014

The Electric City Couture Fashion Show is back April 26. And this time it will be at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. Event blurbage:

The evening will showcase signature collections of six regional designers and will include roughly 55 male and female models on the runway. Targeted proceeds from this year's show will go to the ongoing restoration work of Historic Universal Preservation Hall, a year-round arts and community events venue located at 25 Washington St. in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. ...

A new edition to this year's show format will be the ability to "buy it off the runway" in a retail sales area that will be available both after the show on Saturday for show attendees and on Sunday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the general public. This year's show will be a partnership between Proctors Theater of Schenectady, N.Y., Universal Preservation Hall and Electric City Couture. It is designed to highlight the strengths of the regional creative economy.

The show is at 8 pm on Saturday, April 26. Tickets are $15 and available online.

photo: 2014 Electric City Couture Designer Showcase Shoot - Shrine of Fashion. On location at Historic Preservation Hall in Saratoga. Photographer: James Pickett

A good stylist for a pixie cut?

Sarah asks via the Facebook:

Hey, can anyone recommend a good stylist for a pixie cut? It can be so hard to find someone really good with short cuts for women...Thanks!

Our first thought when seeing Sarah's question was Christine over at Unspeakable Visions and her super cute pixie cut -- she chronicled her switch to the pixie in a fun series for the "pixie curious." That's Christine on the right.

But going short can feel like a jump. So... have a good stylist to suggest for Sarah? Please share!

Earlier on AOA: Ask AOA: A salon for very (insert color) hair?

Photos from Hat Day 2013 at Saratoga

The winner in the "Uniquely Saratoga" category.

Special fashion correspondent Katilin Resler was AOA's representative on the judge's panel for this year's Hat Contest at the Saratoga Race Course on Sunday. She reports back, with photos:

The whole thing was super fun! I judged with Jenny from Mamatoga and Shanna from 99.5 The River. This year contestants were encouraged to involve the 150th anniversary into their hats (although it wasn't required), so a lot of the hats and outfits did just that.

One woman wore a black antique dress from the 1800s! Another wore a yellow flower hat made by a friend (who made several of the hats worn today), and over all there was quite a good mixture of hats made by their wearers and not. One of the winners from the Uniquely Saratoga category's hat featured a horse head wearing its own hat, which she let us know was standing in as the first horse to win at Saratoga.

Here's the list of winners.

A handful of Kaitlin's photos are after the jump. The horse head hat is pretty great.

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A good place to buy men's dress shoes?

Ed asks via Twitter:

Where is the best place to buy men's dress shoes in the Capital Region? Shoes are just too personal to buy online.

As with any question like this, you earn bonus points* for explaining makes a place good.

So, got a suggestion for Ed and the other dress shoe-shopping gentlemen of the Capital Region? Please share!

Shopping for clothes, but not at chains?

Jennifer asks via Facebook:

Can you guys recommend clothing stores in the area that aren't part of big national chains? I'm trying to shop local as much as possible these days, and that seems especially hard to do with clothes.

There are options -- places such as downtown Troy and downtown Saratoga include a handful of local clothing stores.

So, any suggestions for Jennifer about which shops to hit up? Or maybe tips about how to shop local stores for clothes?

A salon for very (insert color) hair?

Debbie asks via Twitter:

I'm new to the area and need a salon that does awesome platinum blonde. I'm nervous. Help?

Understandably nervous -- taking a hair color to one extreme or the other can go... very wrong.

So, got a suggestion for Debbie? Maybe any local salon experiences involving extreme hair color -- whether it's platinum blond or Run Lola Run red or whatever. Please share!

photo: Flicker user Chloë Rae (cc)

Hat Day 2012 at the Saratoga Race Course

Winners of the fashionable hat contest yesterday at Saratoga

Hat Day at the Saratoga Race Course is always fun.

People enjoy watching them pass by, and the folks who enter the contest have a great time putting their look together and showing off their creations.

On Sunday AOA teamed up with Kristi Gustafson Barlette, Matt Baumgartner, and morning show hosts Randi and Kevin from The River to judge more than 150 fabulous hats. After the jump, a look at the winners and some of the other impressive entries for the day.

Thanks to the people at the Saratoga Race Course for inviting us to judge again this year.

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The Old is New consignment sale

One person's "been there done that" is another's "that is so awesome -- and cheap!"

The first ever Old is New Consignment Sale opened to the public at 8AM today in the athletic center at Albany Academy.

The Old is New Sale is a chance for people with stuff they don't want, to sell it to people who are looking for stuff -- without having to bother with their own garage sale. And by stuff, we mean gently used clothing, accessories and housewares.

AOA previewed the sale yesterday with fashion writers and super-shoppers Kaitlin Resler and Jess of JessJamesJake to scope out the scene and see what kind of deals there were to be had.

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Where to buy cuff links?

Ned asks via Twitter:

Do you have any idea where I could find vintage (and whimsical) cuff links in Albany? I like to hold things before buying.

Our first guess: estate sales -- or vintage shops that collect from them.

Got a suggestion for Ned? Please share!

Albany cuff links: While poking around for this post, we came across this listing for city of Albany flag cuff links on eBay (photo on the right). They're listed by seller family-crests out of the UK. The price: about US $15.37.

photo: eBay listing "Albany Flag Mens Gift Cufflinks US USA New York"

Not America's Next Top Model -- but still fierce

Do people still say fierce? We're going with it.

Scotia native Laura LaFrate did not win America's Next Top Model Wednesday night. That honor went to her British co-finalist, Sophie (and Sophie's pink hair). But LaFrate overcame a panic attack, a hair bow (hairbow?), and the usual ANTM drama (there's always crying) to turn in a great performance.

The judges spoke highly of LaFrate's presence, her ability to create striking images on camera, her willingness to be different. And throughout the season she came across as a very engaging person. She's hard to forget. We're betting more success is ahead.

Update: LaFrate told the Daily Gazette after the final: "For most people my age, you're at this point where you're trying to figure out what you want to do ... When I saw that final [episode], I was like 'Wow, this is exactly where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to be doing.' " [Daily Gazette]

Wednesday was also a big day because she finally got her driver's license. [TU]

photo: Walter Sassard/The CW

Where to find Indian-style clothing?

Michelle emails:

An Indian friend of mine is getting married downstate in a month, and I've procrastinated on buying my outfit. She's asked me to wear a lehenga (lenga, lengha) - essentially a long skirt, a top, and a scarf/wrap. There are some fun and/or gorgeous looking things available online from India, but two other women in the wedding had bad experiences with that. I can sew, but I'm at the top of their size spectrum, and don't want to be stuck without enough fabric.

When this friend was in Albany last Saturday, we found www.albanyfashions.com - but there was no answer by phone, and no answer at the address, which turned out to be an apartment in a large complex.

I'm wondering if your readers might have an insight - is there anywhere in the Albany area that I can shop for an affordable (under $200) version of this outfit, before I head to NYC or Edison, NJ?

Michelle acknowledged in her email this could be a tough question. It was our first thought, too. But we're pleasantly surprised how often an answer surfaces for what seems like a difficult question.

So, anyone have a suggestion for Michelle? Please share!

photo: Bollywood Hungama via Wikipedia

The dude abided in Saratoga -- and he wore a dinner jacket

The next time you call someone "dude," you'll remember this.

Apparently one of the earliest uses of the word, back in 1883, did not describe a bro. The word was used as a put down for a man who paid too much attention to clothing and fashion. Yes, the opposite of the Dude.

It turns out that the "King of the Dudes" back then was a guy named Evander Berry Wall, a multi-millionaire who reportedly drank champagne instead of water, wore a walrus mustache, had 5,000 neckties -- and like many wealthy East Coasters of the day, spent a fair amount of time in Saratoga.

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How do you accessorize a dress made from wristbands?

This is fun: the dress in the photo on the right is made out of wristbands from the Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA. (It's for sale in the museum's shot -- $600.)

The designer -- Phyllis Criddle -- works at the museum. As she explained on the MASS MoCA blog:

There were thousands of wristbands left over from the two Solid Sound Festivals that we've had, and no one wanted to see them go to waste. The Box Office Manager approached me about making something with them, and I thought it was a brilliant idea! I was only too happy to accept.

She's created a few other items from museum materials, including a dress from museum logo t-shirts.

photo via MASS MoCA blog

Fashion for the People

Tomorrow night Urban Guerilla Theater is hosting a sort of anti-fashion industry fashion show at The Linda. Fashion for the People is focused on "exmplifying the local creativity and passion surrounding our 3rd basic need; clothing."

The show features clothing from local artists, designers and small local retailers and also handmade fair trade clothing from other areas. It's a fundraiser for the Albany Social Justice Center.

About half of the clothes in the show were made by regional designers and artists like Rana Woolens, Albany/Brooklyn designer Cinderloop and Elissa Halloran. The rest come from small local stores such as Perception's in Arbor Hill and Seasons Skate Shop on Lark.

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The new H&M at Crossgates

The new Crossgates H&M -- smaller but with more stuff.

The monstrous Crossgates H&M that lived in the old Caldor space (oh yeah, I totally remember and loved Caldor) has moved. It's now divided up into three connected spaces, both upstairs and down at the mall.

I had been really excited about this renovation, mostly out of hope that the new store would include some of the H&M's higher-end lines. Also, I like shiny new stores.

It wasn't until I saw the new store that I realized that our old H&M was a bit outdated.

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Where to find Victorian clothing?

Mary emails:

Now that the leaves are turning its time to think about Troy's Victorian Stroll (This year it is Sunday, December 4, noon to five pm). Do you or your readers have any tips on where to locate a Victorian style bonnet?

This might be a tough one. Our first thought was costume shops -- but we're not sure how popular the Victorian look is right now for costumes (you know, unless it's "sexy Victorian"). And a bonnet like this probably goes way beyond "vintage."

Anyone have suggestions? Please share!

photo: Sebastien B

Nadine Medina Designs

"People love to match, and I want to encourage a more abstract sense of what it means to match."

Troy jewelry maker Nadine Medina gets inspired by the most ordinary of objects. 

Remember those macaroni necklaces that were all the rage in 2nd grade? To a seven-year-old Nadine, the idea that you could take an everyday, household item and turn it into a work of art was a mind-blowing revelation. 

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