Baubles That Fit the Budget of an Ivana Wanna-Be
DEAR HOT: I read the magazines, I see what a stunner the totally revamped Ivana Trump has become, and I stand in front of the mirror and wail, “What about me ???” Why can’t I look like I’m 10 years younger, get a nifty Brigitte Bardot hairstyle and wear designer clothes that look like they were molded to the contours of my body? Why is life so darned unfair?
--IVANA WANNA-BE
DEAR WANNA-BE: Yes, life seems unfair. For instance, once we went to Loehmann’s and didn’t find anything that fit.
But don’t despair. You can have the look of the big, bad, beautiful girls, too. For a start, check out the new Anne Klein Couture jewelry collection at Robinson’s. It’s costume jewelry, but with the look of The Real Thing. The designs are a little more cutting edge than the slightly lower-priced Anne Klein jewelry, with bold, hefty, geometric shapes in drop and stud earrings, and bracelets and necklaces in shiny and brushed finishes. The collection runs from about $45 for earrings to $400 for necklaces. It’s far less than what Ivana pays for her Real Things, but, hey, you’ll have money left over to pay your own rent.
DEAR HOT: I love to shop but income taxes have dictated that I cannot pass go and spend $200 for a while. I don’t trust myself enough to blithely roam the malls without cash, credit cards or checks--as reformed shopaholics seem to do. Any ideas for a getting a fast, toll-free shopping fix?
--LONGING FOR PARK PLACE
DEAR LONGING: You’re asking the shopping experts how not to shop? Although you might as well be asking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for hair extension advice, we do have an answer for you. Reader Millie Schaffer writes that one of the best parties she ever went to was a “Too Good for Goodwill Swap.” About a dozen women were invited, ranging in size from 6 to 14. “The minimum requirement is a couple of really compulsive shoppers, but it works with any group that shares the same world view on wardrobe. It’s not necessary that everybody knows each other,” Millie recommends.
Each woman cleared her closet of unwanted items still in good shape--things that no longer fit, garments that didn’t complement current hair color, out-and-out wardrobe mistakes and the like. The women all brought their treasures in Hefty bags, along with a potluck dinner contribution. Sacks were emptied. Goods were sorted into piles (blouses, purses, dresses, scarves, etc.).
After dinner, anybody could pick, try on and, in most cases, go home with anything they wanted. No money changed hands and, Millie reports, a sort of self-policing set in. Nobody took too much and everybody found something right for them. Free wardrobe consultation was instantly available and many participants urged each other to try on new styles they wouldn’t normally consider. At the end, a lot of things went unclaimed, and the hostess hauled them to a local charity.
“It was incredible. One woman even left with a fur coat. You got to go to a party, you got a charity writeoff and you got to go home with new clothes,” says Millie. “The worst-case scenario is that you’ve been to a party with a lot of laughs.
“Besides clothes the ‘Too Good for Goodwill Swap’ also works great for jewelry, unused cosmetics, accessories, cooking utensils, maternity clothes, old boyfriends--almost anything you need to get rid of. It can be an added attraction to a teen-age girl’s slumber party or a feature to baby shower where moms can pass along old, barely worn baby clothes.”
In training to be a Ninja shopper? Hot to Shop welcomes gripes, etiquette dilemmas and insider tips on all facets of shopping. If shopping is your sport, write to Krier and Stein, Hot to Shop, The Times, Los Angeles, Calif . 90053. If we don’t like your questions, we’ll make some up.
